A World of Characters Disney Character Central Blog A World of Characters
A World of Characters A World of Characters
A World of Characters A World of Characters
A World of Characters A World of Characters
NEWS - Summer and 24 hour events announced for US Parks, and Summer at Disneyland Paris
DisneyDan  Thursday, March 12, 2015 10:02:31 AM
Hello everyone,

Yesterday the Disney Parks Blog made two announcements regarding upcoming events at the Walt Disney World Resort and the Disneyland Resort.

At Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, summer is being dubbed the "Coolest Summer Ever", and will feature events based upon the wildly popular movie, Frozen. Kicking off the "Coolest Summer Ever" is the now-traditional 24 hour event over Memorial Day weekend in late May. Although few details have been given about it, the Parks Blog did say the event would launch the summer summer season, and given the name, and the fact they claim Olaf is the "host" of the summer events, it wouldn't be too surprising if the 24 hour event ended up being Frozen themed, at least to a degree. As with previous 24 hour events, you can expect characters, entertainment, food and merchandise offerings. After that event ends, you then have to wait until June 17th for the start of the next summer happening, "Frozen Summer Fun LIVE", which will run until September 7th. Anna, Elsa and Kristoff are returning to the parade route at Disney's Hollywood Studios, and this year will be joined by Olaf (as per the description on this new page on the WDW website). Nighttime at Hollywood Studios will be topped off with the special Frozen fireworks.
In addition to all these "cool" offerings, Hollywood Studios' awesome Star Wars Weekends are of course retuning from May 15th through June 14th.

At the Disneyland Resort in California, the Diamond Anniversary celebrations, which were previously announced to begin on May 22nd, will also begin with a 24 hour event. As with Walt Disney World, very few details have been released, except we can expect to see special characters and entertainment.

Disneyland Paris today officially sent out their press release for information regarding their summer events, and unsurprisingly, they are also Frozen over. They actually provided quite a lot of detail, so I will copy the information below.

"Let it go" this summer with Frozen at Disneyland® Paris

It's official: Disneyland® Paris will celebrate the 5th highest-grossing film ever this summer. Frozen, which has racked up more than 5 million ticket sales in France, will take centre stage from 1 June to 13 September 2015. The famous sisters, Anna and Elsa, will appear on stage with Olaf, their adorable snowman, in a spectacular event that will give guests chills!

New show: "Frozen Sing-along"

After catching a sneak peak of them in the famous Disneyland® Park Parade and meeting them to pose for pictures last Christmas, Disneyland Paris guests will be able to sing along with the stars of Frozen this summer! Enjoy this unique live experience with the heroes of the greatest Disney hit of all time.

Starting June 1st, the world of Frozen will appear in Frontierland in Disneyland Park, with a brand new show. An ice-themed musical production combining singing and dancing with guest participation. The famous sisters, Anna and Elsa, along with their faithful companions, Kristoff and Olaf the funny snowman, will take to the stage to bring the show to life and expand the unique experience of Frozen live. They'll be surrounded by dancers straight out of the Kingdom of Arendelle.

As the show begins, the villagers are preparing to celebrate the Arendelle winter festival. The intrepid Princess Anna appears and welcomes guests to the snowy universe of the Kingdom of Arendelle. She invites them to help her create a surprise for her sister, Elsa, asking them to join together as a choir. The show is a wonderful occasion to experience, relive and participate in the most beautiful musical moments of the greatest Disney success story of all time.

Olaf, renowned as the only snowman in the world capable of dreaming of heat and sunshine, will also join the party live on stage. To celebrate his longed-for summer, guests are encouraged to sing along, while he dreams innocently of sun tans and beaches!

Among the highlights is an emotionally charged performance of the unforgettable song "Let it go" by Elsa. [The French version of "Let it go" ("Libérée, Délivrée", sung by Anaïs Delva) has over 45 million hits on YouTube].

Playlist:
  • Do you wanna build a snowman?
  • In Summer
  • Love is an open door
  • Let it go

The show will take place several times a day, with live performances in French and English, with French and English subtitles on screen.

Venue: Chaparral Theater, Frontierland, Disneyland Park.

June and September: 7 days a week (6 shows a day from Monday until Friday – 12 shows a day at weekends)

July and August: 7 days a week - 12 shows a day

Limited number of seats

A Market Place decked in the colours of Frozen

At Cottonwood Creek Ranch, guests are invited to visit the Market Place, inspired by the universe of the kingdom of Arendelle, and enjoy all the delights that recall one of the greatest Disney hits of all time.

Venue: Cottonwood Creek Ranch, Frontierland, Disneyland Park

Two other magical appearances showcasing Frozen at Disneyland Park

The two heroines of Frozen will appear at Disneyland Park every day, for two special events. On their frosty float, Princess Anna and Queen Elsa will star in "Disney Magic on Parade!" with Olaf. They will also cross the Park several times a day for a special carriage ride, "Frozen: A Royal Welcome", waving to the crowd from their royal carriage.

"Disney Magic on Parade!" Once a day, 7 days a week, Disneyland Park

Frozen: A Royal Welcome, 3 times a day, 7 days a week, Disneyland Park

A special Frozen feature in Disney Dreams®!

Frozen is now part of the traditional version of Disney Dreams®!. A breath-taking night-time show with fountains and pyrotechnics, where famous Characters from the world of Disney come to life through projections onto Sleeping Beauty Castle.

"Disney Dreams®!" tells a magical and moving story. Guided by Peter Pan, guests discover, or re-discover, the greatest Disney stories, from Beauty and the Beast to Aladdin, not forgetting Rapunzel and many others.

Frozen is now part of this amazing night-time show, taking its place among Disney classics such as The Lion King and Peter Pan, as well as the unforgettable Parisian hits Ratatouille and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. This feature is vibrant and full of emotion, thanks to a specially re-orchestrated version of Let it go and the special effects expertise of Disneyland Paris.

Venue: Sleeping Beauty Castle, 7 days a week, Disneyland Park

Come to Disneyland Paris between 1 June and 13 September 2015 and celebrate a superbly snowy summer with Frozen at Disneyland Paris.


What is interesting is that their sing-along sounds completely different from either of the US versions. Although Florida and California both have slight variations from one another, the Parisian one sounds like a whole new concept, with villagers, dancers and even Olaf live on stage! We will be there in August, and look forward to seeing it.
Anna and Elsa featuring in Disney Dreams! is a new addition, and the cavalcade through the park I anticipate will be very similar to what they had at Christmas (perhaps with the addition of Kristoff and Olaf since they will be in the sing-along?). Anna and Elsa featuring in the main day parade however, is not new (just like how the Disney Parks Blog uses existing attractions such as Splash Mountain to advertise the "Coolest Summer Ever").

That's all for new items for today, but I just wanted to point you all towards some other highlights from the past couple of weeks that you may have missed, that are definitely worth reading.

Disney recently announced the dates for their popular Halloween and Christmas parties at the Magic Kingdom. Click here to find out the dates. Tickets will be available April.

The next part of my in-depth Grand Circle Tour of the World's Magic Kingdom's was posted, and covers Fantasyland. You can catch that here.

This past weekend we were in Walt Disney World for Flower and Garden, and of course other Disney fun. I wrote a trip report yesterday, which can be found here.

Ok, that's everything for today. Have a great day everyone,

Dan.
A Grand Circle Tour of the Magic Kingdoms of the World: Part 4 - The Kingdom of Dreams and Magic
DisneyDan  Thursday, February 19, 2015 4:02:20 PM
Hello everyone,

Welcome to part four of my grand circle tour of the Magic Kingdoms of the world. In this part we will take an in-depth look at Fantasyland. In case you missed the previous three parts of this tour, you can find them here:


This article features many photos, so be prepared if you are on a slower internet connection. This is going to be the longest of any of the parts in this tour, since Fantasyland at all the parks contains the highest number of attractions and other experiences, compared to any other land.
  [ Read More... ]
NEWS: Disneyland Announces Diamond Anniversary Celebrations
DisneyDan  Thursday, January 29, 2015 10:55:47 AM
Hello everyone,

Last night, at a special media event, the Disneyland Resort announced what to expect for the Disneyland Diamond Anniversary, which will all begin on May 22nd this year. The Disney Parks Blog provided all of the following information.



Sparkling Decor

As part of the celebration, the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland park and Carthay Circle Theatre in Disney California Adventure park will glisten and gleam, each with its own diamond medallion featuring the letter 'D.' The entire resort will sparkle with Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration décor and festive banners in shades of Disneyland blue. Also bearing the diamond anniversary theme, creative merchandise and food items will be designed to complement the celebration. We’ll have more to share on those special items soon.




"Disneyland Forever" Fireworks

"Disneyland Forever" shows just how magical the Magic Kingdom can be, in a sky-high celebration featuring sparkling pyrotechnics, immersive projections, and other effects that transform Disneyland park right before your eyes!
"Disneyland Forever" envelops you in an enthralling, breathtaking journey like never before, leveraging the largest installation of projection mapping technology in a Disney park and surprising special effects. Main Street, U.S.A., and several other Disneyland park locations become a magical canvas taking us into a world of dreams, from flying above the London skyline from Peter Pan to a dance with King Louie in The Jungle Book.
"Disneyland Forever" also features two original songs, the theme "Live the Magic" and the inspiring closing song "Kiss Goodnight," written by Disney Legend Richard Sherman.
Walt Disney once said, 'Disneyland will never be completed, as long as there is imagination left in the world." As "Disneyland Forever" caps off each evening of this once-in-a-lifetime celebration, we discover Walt’s inspiring words still hold true today. Disneyland will continue to be home to all our dreams and adventures… forever!



"Paint the Night" Parade

The "Paint the Night" parade brings some of the most innovative floats, vibrant costumes, dazzling special effects, unforgettable music and energetic performances ever presented at Disneyland Resort. This new, state-of-the-art nighttime parade floods Main Street, U.S.A., with stunning color, fun surprises and more than 1.5 million brilliant LED lights.
Mickey Mouse uses his vivid imagination to harness the power of Tinker Bell’s pixie dust and “Paint the Night” in Disney dreams, bringing to light beloved characters and stories from Monsters, Inc., Cars, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Toy Story, Frozen and more.





"World of Color – Celebrate! The Wonderful World of Walt Disney"

"World of Color – Celebrate! The Wonderful World of Walt Disney" illuminates the night in a contemporary and moving celebration of Walt and his dream of Disneyland, showing that anything is possible if we never give up on our dreams.
Mickey Mouse will take guests on a fun-filled and inspirational journey through the unparalleled imagination of Walt Disney, exploring his decades-long legacy of memorable animated moments and the dream of Disneyland park.
Both epic and intimate in scope, "World of Color – Celebrate! The Wonderful World of Walt Disney" brings to life the remarkable story of Walt and the Happiest Place on Earth in a first-of-its-kind spectacular, presented on the magic canvas of World of Color with compelling animated imagery, live-action footage, fountains, lasers, special effects and a stirring musical score.

As more news becomes available, we'll post it here, as always!

Have a great day everyone,

Dan.
Disneyland Resort Photo Trip Report, January 2015 - including "Frozen Fun" and "Disney Viva Navidad"
DisneyDan  Friday, January 9, 2015 7:13:03 PM
Hello everyone,

Last weekend we were in Disneyland to see the end of their holiday offerings and the start of Frozen Fun.

This post is photo heavy so be warned if you have a slow connection speed!

  [ Read More... ]
Advent Calendar - 17th December 2014
DisneyDan  Wednesday, December 17, 2014 6:01:37 PM
Hello everyone,

It's the 17th December, which means it's time to open the seventeenth door of our very special Character Central Advent Calendar!

Here we go!...

  [ Read More... ]
A Grand Circle Tour of the Magic Kingdoms of the World: Part 3 - The Wildest Ride in the Wilderness!
DisneyDan  Wednesday, December 17, 2014 4:01:07 PM
Hello everyone,

First of all I must apologise for the large gap between this post and the previous one in this series. We have had a huge amount of things happen in real life, and writing a large post like this unfortunately had to go on the back burner for a while. However, we are here now, and I am excited to finally present to you the third installment of our “Grand Circle Tour”, this time for Frontierland (and all its equivalents). In case you missed the previous parts, here they are again:

  • Part 1 - Main Street USA
  • Part 2 - Adventureland


  • In this edition I will be including Critter Country, Grizzly Gulch and Liberty Square at the various parks around the world. The reason for this is that they all share a common theme of the frontier and wilderness, and also because otherwise there would be nothing else to compare them to (for example, since there is only one Grizzly Gulch, that wouldn’t make for a very interesting article!).

      [ Read More... ]
    Advent Calendar - 16th December 2014
    DisneyDan  Tuesday, December 16, 2014 3:23:54 PM
    Hello everyone,

    It's the 16th December, which means it's time to open the sixteenth door of our very special Character Central Advent Calendar!

    Here we go!...

      [ Read More... ]
    Advent Calendar - 15th December 2014
    DisneyDan  Monday, December 15, 2014 5:36:05 PM
    Hello everyone,

    It's the 15th December, which means it's time to open the fifteenth door of our very special Character Central Advent Calendar!

    Here we go!...

      [ Read More... ]
    Advent Calendar - 3rd December 2014
    DisneyDan  Wednesday, December 3, 2014 1:02:18 AM
    Hello everyone,

    It's the 3rd December, which means it's time to open the third door of our very special Character Central Advent Calendar!

    Here we go!...

      [ Read More... ]
    Holidays at the Disneyland Resort - an overview of the upcoming season
    DisneyDan  Wednesday, November 5, 2014 4:26:18 PM
    Hello everyone,

    Christmas season is nearly upon us which means that the Disney Parks are gearing up for another spectacular season of holiday magic and wonder!
    I thought we could take a look at what the Disneyland Resort in California has to offer this holiday season. Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort will run from 13th November 2014 until 6th January 2015 inclusive this season.

    We shall start with Disneyland Park.

    At Disneyland Park you immediately find yourself in a winter wonderland as you step onto Main Street USA and discover their huge Christmas Tree and all the garlands, leading to the beautifully snow topped Sleeping Beauty Castle.

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas in Town Square

    Wandering down Main Street

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Walking up Main Street USA

    Sleeping Beauty Castle

    Walt's apartment gets a Christmas Tree in its window for the holidays, too.

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas at Disneyland

    Whilst on Main Street, you should stand and listen to the Dickens Yuletide Band play some classic Christmas tunes.

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Dickens Yuletide Band



    You should also stop by Town Square to give a warm hug to all your favourite Disney pals as they celebrate the season in their cute festive clothes!

    Meeting Chip and Dale

    Character fun on Main Street

    Character fun on Main Street

    Character fun on Main Street

    Character fun on Main Street USA

    Meeting Donald Duck

    As you head off of Central Plaza and into Adventureland you should take a cruise on the rivers of the world, aboard the Jingle Cruise! (Note that this is not yet confirmed on the Disneyland Resort website for this year).

    Wandering thru Adventureland

    Heading out of Adventureland and into New Orleans Square, visit Jack Skellington and all his creepy friends from Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas at the Haunted Mansion Holiday. This epic holiday overlay features exclusive scenes and awesome effects. This attraction is extremely popular though, so be sure to get a FastPass or be there early (FastPasses aren’t normally available for Haunted Mansion, but during the holidays they are due to the popularity of this overlay).

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Wandering through New Orleans Square

    DL Oct 2011 - Haunted Mansion Holiday

    Haunted Mansion Holiday

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Taking the Holiday Time at Disneyland Park Tour

    If taking a ride through the worlds of Christmas and Halloween collided wasn’t enough, you can also meet Jack Skellington and Sally Stitches near the Haunted Mansion.

    Jack and Sally

    From New Orleans Square, wander down to Critter Country where you can meet Winnie the Pooh and friends in their festive clothes.

    Meeting the 100 Acre Wood pals

    Meeting the 100 Acre Wood pals

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Meeting Winnie the Pooh

    In Frontierland you should definitely visit the Jingle Jangle Jamboree where you can meet Santa Claus himself (Santa only meets until Christmas Eve)! Some of your other favourite Disney pals might just show up too!

    Having fun at the Jingle Jangle Jamboree

    Character fun at the Jingle Jangle Jamboree

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Jingle Jangle Jamboree

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Playing Reindeer Games with Reindeer Pluto

    Meeting Mrs Claus

    Having fun at the Jingle Jangle Jamboree

    Character fun at the Jingle Jangle Jamboree

    Having fun at the Jingle Jangle Jamboree



    Fantasyland’s classic attraction “it’s a small world” becomes “it’s a small world” Holiday for the festive season, and is decked out with an incredible display of colour changing lights, which look awesome at night! Inside, the attraction celebrates holidays from around the world with festive costumes and scenes.

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - "it's a small world holiday"

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - it's a small world holiday

    "it's a small world" Holiday

    "it's a small world" Holiday

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - "it's a small world holiday"

    The must-see event at Disneyland Park is of course 'A Christmas Fantasy Parade'. Filled with all the most magical sights and sounds of Christmas, as well as the Disney characters, this parade is truly fantastic.

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - A Christmas Fantasy Parade

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - A Christmas Fantasy Parade

    A Christmas Fantasy Parade

    A Christmas Fantasy Parade

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - A Christmas Fantasy Parade

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - A Christmas Fantasy Parade

    A Christmas Fantasy Parade

    A Christmas Fantasy Parade

    A Christmas Fantasy Parade

    As night falls watch in awe as Sleeping Beauty Castle Becomes Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle, a wondrous snow capped ice palace.

    Sleeping Beauty's Winter Castle

    To top it all, the skies high above Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle become an array of colour in the “Believe… In Holiday Magic” fireworks spectacular.

    Believe… In Holiday Magic Fireworks

    Believe… In Holiday Magic Fireworks

    As well as all these exciting happenings, don’t forget to check out the beautiful decorations around the park, and of course watch snow fall on Main Street USA!

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Wandering through New Orleans Square

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Wandering through New Orleans Square

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas in Toon Town

    Of course, no day at Disneyland during Christmas would be complete without some treats!

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas Treats at Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Lunch at Plaza Inn

    Sweet treats at the Jingle Jangle Jamboree

    Be sure to try some of the world famous Disneyland candy canes, too! These are very popular, and tickets are usually distributed first thing in the morning. (Note that the candy canes may also be made at Trolley Treats in Disney California Adventure - check on the day of your visit.)

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Handmade Candy Canes

    Now let us take a look into Disney California Adventure’s holiday offerings.

    Disneyland Jan 2013 - Disney California Adventure

    Buena Vista Street celebrates a classic Christmas of days gone by, with period decoration and their splendid Christmas Tree.

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas on Buena Vista Street

    The Buena Vista Street Christmas Tree

    While on Buena Vista Street why not stop and listen to the Community Bell Ringers as they celebrate the holidays with some seasonal sounds?

    Buena Vista Street Community Bell Ringers

    The Elias and Co. department store is the home to Santa Claus up until Christmas Eve.

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas on Buena Vista Street

    Meeting Santa Claus

    One of Santa's Elves

    Also, you can catch Mickey and friends, and the Citizens of Buena Vista Street, in their period costumes which have been given a Christmas twist.

    Meeting Mickey Mouse

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas on Buena Vista Street

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas on Buena Vista Street

    Meeting Pluto

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Meeting Donna the Dog Lady

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Molly the Messenger delivers Holiday packages

    At Paradise Pier, in previous years you were able to meet Duffy and Donald in cute Christmas outfits. It is not known yet if they will return this year, but I’ll share some of our photos nonetheless. It could be that other characters take their place.

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Meeting Duffy

    Meeting Donald Duck

    Cars Land resident Tow Mater also joins the festivities, wearing a giant Santa hat!

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas in Cars Land

    As night falls on Buena Vista Street, the Community Bell Ringers, the Citizens of Buena Vista Street and the Disney characters all come together for the Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony.

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Buena Vista Street Holiday Tree Lighting



    Over in Paradise Bay, the magical World of Color becomes “World of Color - Winter Dreams”, a seasonal holiday version of this now classic nighttime spectacular.

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - World of Color

    Just like at Disneyland Park, don’t forget to check out all the decorations throughout the park.

    Wandering thru Cars Land

    Wandering thru Bugs Land

    Christmas in Cars Land

    Christmas in Paradise Pier

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas in Cars Land

    You should also try some delicious treats, available from Trolley Treats Candy.

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas on Buena Vista Street

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Taking the Holiday Time at Disneyland Park Tour

    In previous years Disney California Adventure has also featured a special screening of Prep and Landing at the Muppet’s theatre, and a holiday version of the Phineas and Ferb show. There is currently no confirmation of either of these though, and they are not listed on the Disneyland website. However, I’ll share some photo below for reference.

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Phineas and Ferb's Rockin' Rollin' Dance Party Holiday Edition

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Phineas and Ferb's Rockin' Rollin' Dance Party Holiday Edition

    Prep 'n' Landing 4D

    Disney California Adventure also celebrates Navidad, however we have no photos of this currently, sadly (we shall soon though!).

    At the Disney hotels you can also meet Santa Claus at select times, up until Christmas Eve.

    Meeting Santa

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas in Disney's Grand Californian

    In previous years on Christmas Eve, Mickey and friends have appeared on Main Street in their cute PJs ready for bed as they anticipate the arrival of Santa Claus. They usually appear for very limited set times in the evening of Christmas Eve only, so be sure to look out for them!

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas Eve in Town Square

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas Eve in Town Square

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas Eve in Town Square

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas Eve in Town Square

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Christmas Eve in Town Square

    For New Year’s Eve the parks put on special entertainment offerings, including mind blowing fireworks at the turn of the year. We were at Disney California Adventure for New Year two years ago, so I will share some of our photos and video from that, however, be aware this year’s offerings may differ.

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - New Year's Eve Entertainment

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - New Year's Eve Entertainment

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - New Year's Eve Entertainment

    Disneyland Dec 2012 - Happy New Year!





    Will you be visiting the Disneyland Resort this holiday season? What are you looking forward to the most?

    Happy Holidays everyone!

    Dan.

    All information in this article is subject to change or cancellation at any time, without prior notice by Disney. We offer this information purely as a guide to some of the things that may be experienced during Holiday Time at the Disneyland Resort.
    Newer Entries... Older Entries...

    Character Central

    Register | Lost Password