Disney Wiki:Current events

The following is a current listing of current events from The Walt Disney Company.

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Theatrical Releases
NOTE: All release dates are for the USA and are subject to change.
 * High School Musical 3: Senior Year, which made a record US $43 million in box office earnings in its' first weekend of release, the most for a musical beating the record set by Mamma Mia, and Beverly Hills Chihuahua, with the voice of Drew Barrymore are now playing in theatres.
 * Bedtime Stories, starring Adam Sandler (who also serves as one of the movie's producers via his Happy Madison Productions label) and former 1990's Mickey Mouse Club cast member Keri Russell, will be released on December 25 (Christmas Day).

DVD/Blu-Ray Releases

 * The Jungle Book: Platinum Edition, Meet The Robinsons, Ratatouille, an Blu-Ray edition of Cars, The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Claus, Peter Pan: Return to Never Land: The Pixie-Powered Edition, Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Walt Disney Treasures Wave VII featuring the previously unreleased Disneyland: Secrets, Stories, and Magic, as well as The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and The Chronological Donald: Volume Three; High School Musical 2, along with a BluRay edition of High School Musical, Underdog, The Game Plan, The Aristocats Platinum Edition DVD, Snow Buddies, 101 Dalmatians Platinum Edition DVD,  Enchanted, Salutos Amigos, National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets, The Sword in the Stone in a 45th Anniversary package, The Jungle Book 2 and College Road Trip, Camp Rock, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning, a prequel to the 1989 movie, a two-disc DVD/Blu Ray of The Nightmare Before Christmas, the 50th Anniversary edition of Sleeping Beauty, Tinker Bell, the first Direct to Video release in the Disney Fairies franchise, and Wave VIII of the Walt Disney Treasures series featuring Mickey Mouse Club Presents: Annette starring Annette Funicello, Dr. Syn, Alias The Scarecrow starring Patrick MacGoohan and The Chronological Donald, Volume 4 and Pixar’s WALL•E are all currently available.

News

 * Tinker Bell will become the fifth Disney character to have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009. Mickey and Minnie Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and Donald Duck are the others.
 * The American Film istitute's “AFI’s 10 Top 10” in the Animated Film category saw nine of the ten slots filled by Disney produced or released animated films. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was ranked first by the panel chosen by the American Film Institute, followed by Pinochhio, Bambi, The Lion King, Fantasia, the Pixar-produced Toy Story, and Beauty and the Beast, with DreamWorks Animation’s Shrek the sole non-Disney Animated Canon to crack the top ten, which was succeeded on the list by Cinderella and the Pixar-produced Finding Nemo to complete the list.

Walt Disney Animation Studios

 * Bolt (formerly titled American Dog) with the voices of John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, is now playing in theatres.
 * The Princess and The Frog is scheduled to be released in December 2009.
 * Rapunzel is in production and will be relased in December 2010.
 * King of the Elves is in production for a December 2012 release.

Pixar Animation Studios

 * Up is currently in post-production; to be released in theaters on May 29, 2009
 * Toy Story 3 is currently in production; to be released in theaters on June 18, 2010.
 * Newt will go into production for a 2011 summer release.
 * The Bear and The Bow will go into production for December 2011 release.
 * Cars 2, a sequel to the 2006 film, will go into production for a 2011 release.
 * }

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News

 * The Year of a Million Dreams promotion at all Disney Theme Parks continues into 2008 with a new “Catalog of Dreams” available at www.2008disneydreamcatalog.com. The contest will continue through the end of the calendar year. A new campaign, titled "What Will You Celebrate?", premiered on September 23rd, with a tour starting in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
 * Visitors celebrating a birthday on 2009 can get free admission to either Disneyland or Walt Disney World by registering at disneyparks.com and/or showing picture ID (or birth certificate) at the gate the day of their birth.
 * A new show based on High School Musical 3: Senior Year, subtitled "Right Here, Right Now!" is now underway at Disney's California Adventure and Disney's Hollywood Studios. The show will open in 2009 at other Disney Resorts in Tokyo, Paris and Hong Kong.

Disneyland Resort

 * Plans to have a central place for Disneyland in the celebration of the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game will get underway in July of 2009 after St. Louis, Missouri hosts the July event.
 * All of the McDonald's outlets - Harbor Galley and the Conestoga Wagon at Disneyland Park and Burger Invasion at DCA - have closed. While Harbor Galley and Burger Invasion are being refurbished for December openings as Disney-run fast food outlets, the Conestoga Wagon has been removed.

Disneyland

 * The Sleeping Beauty walk through diarama, closed since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, has officially reopened.
 * Ariel’s Grotto has been converted into a new meeting place for Tinker Bell called “Pixie Hollow”, based on the Disney Fairies franchise, which has opened. A human version of Ariel has moved to the Princess Fantasy Faire for the time being until her new grotto is built near the Voyage of The Little Mermaid dark ride attraction at DCA as part of that park’s refurbishment. The mermaid version of Ariel will continue to appear in “Parade of Dreams.”
 * The first pair of the three new Mark VII Monorails, Monorail Red and Monorail Blue, have made their official debut and is now in operation on a regular basis. the third monorail, Monorail Orange, is slated to follow soon.
 * It’s A Small World is closed for an extensive refurbishment and is scheduled to reopen November 21st with the “it’s a small world holiday” layout, with the regular layout returning in January of 2009.
 * Christmas Events are underway through January 4, 2009.
 * “Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams” is scheduled to leave in November of 2009 and move to the Magic Kingdom at Diney World in 2010. Replacing the parade will be “Disney’s World of Wonder”, debuting in May 2010. PoD is currently on hiatus until February 14th, 2009.

Closures and Refurbishments

 * There are no current closures or refurbs to report on.

Disney’s California Adventure

 * Disney announces a $1 billion, five-year capital improvement plan and expansion for Disney’s California Adventure. The first new attraction, Toy Story Midway Mania!, opened officially on June 17th on the former site of the Paradise Pier Midway Games. The next phase currently involves retheming the "Sun Wheel" into the "Mickey Wheel", and the closure of the paradise pier games for rethemeing. Other upcoming additions and refittings for the overlay will include:
 * The long rumored “Voyage of The Little Mermaid” dark ride on the site of the Golden Dreams theatre, including a new Ariel’s Grotto, replacing the one at Disneyland proper. The last showing of "Golden Dreams" was on September 7;
 * A new area based on Radiator Springs, to be called “Carsland” to be built on the current Timon parking lot behind the Tower of Terror;
 * A rethemeing of Mulholland Madness to feature Goofy and be renamed “Goofy's Flight School”;
 * The current Ariel's Grotto will become the Princess Palace;
 * A new main plaza featuring a replica of the Carthay Circle theatre where Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs premiered in 1937, which will house a new version of “The Walt Disney Story”;
 * A new “Partners” statue featuring Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse arriving with suitcases to 1920’s Los Angeles;
 * The new nighttime spectacular Walt Disney’s World of Color, starting in 2009;
 * A new main gate design based on the Pan Pacific Auditorium, simular to that at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida, replacing the “California Postcard” theme.
 * The former Vineyard Room is being converted into a preview center.
 * Retheming the Maliboomer into a parachute ride inside the California Screamin' roller coaster and the Orange Stinger into an old fashioned tilt-a-swing ride.

Closures for Rerurbishments

 * Hyperion Theater is closed until December 11th. Because of this, Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular is on hiatus until then.

Downtown Disney

 * N/A

Other

 * The Disneyland Hotel is undergoing an extensive refurbishment. The three towers, “Marina”, “Sierra”, and “Bonita” have respectivly been renamed “Magic”, “Dream” and “Wonder”. A new suite, based on the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and movie franchise, will also be added.

Walt Disney World
''NOTE: For all hard ticket events, information is available on Disney World’s web site. Tickets are available at WDW in advance or on the day of the event (costs for those dates are additional), by calling 1-407-W-DISNEY on online.''

The Magic Kingdom

 * The annual taping of the “Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade” on ABC, scheduled to air on Christmas Day (Thursday, December 25th) will be on December 5th and 6th.
 * Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party hard ticket events are being held on selected nights in November and December. The remaining dates are December 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th and 19th.
 * Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party hard ticket events will return in September and October of 2009.
 * Mickey’s Pirate and Princess Party hard ticket events for 2009 are as follows: February 10 and 17, March 8, 12, 20 and 27, April 1 and 22, May 1, 8, 15, 20 and 25 and June 3.
 * A new meet and greet area at Mickey's Toontown Fair featuring Tinker Bell and the Disney fairies has opened akin to the Pixie Hollow at Disneyland.
 * The Hall of Presidents is closed and will reopen on July 4th, 2009 following a refurbishment of the theatre's back rows to bring it up to ADA standards, updated equipment and the installation of an Audio-Animatronic version of the new president of the United States, Barack Obama.

Epcot

 * N/A

Disney's Hollywood Studios

 * The American Idol Experience, based on the popular Fox reality TV series of the same name, will open in January of 2009 in the former ABC Superstar Theatre and “Doug Live!” area.
 * The Night of Joy Christian Rock Festival will return in 2009.
 * The former theatre that hosted the Hunchback of Notre Dame theatrical show has been enclosed with air conditioning added, and will be used for special events.

Disney's Animal Kingdom

 * After a ten year run, the Pocahantas and Her Forest Friends show closed on September 27th.

Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex

 * The facilities at Wide World of Sports will be rebranded with the ESPN name in 2009.
 * Thanks to a agreement with HanesBrands, the facility's baseball stadium has been renamed “Champion Stadium”.
 * In honor of the complex's 10th anniversary, a new arena, the Jostens Center, offically opened on July 5th. This arena has room to have up to six college-sized basketball courts, twelve volleyball courts, and two roller hockey rinks. An interactive Hall of Fame is also an added attraction as well.
 * A new bowling center with 52 lanes will be built and house various United States Bowling Congress Championships on an annual basis.

Water Parks

 * Annual refurbishments for Typhoon Lagoon continue until March 21, 2009.

Downtown Disney

 * A dinosaur-themed restaurant called “T-Rex: A Prehistoric Family Adventure”, owned by Landry’s Restaurants between McDonald’s and Raglan Road, adjacent to Downtown Disney’s E Parking Lot, opened on October 14.
 * The six clubs of Pleasure Island - Comedy Warehouse, Motion, 8-Traxx, Mannequins Dance Palace, The Adventurer’s Club and the BET Soundstage - all closed on September 27th and are to be replaced by more “family friendly” attractions such as shops, restarauants and a new balloon ride. Portobello Yacht Club has been renamed "Portobello".

Other

 * Construction continues on the resort at the Animal Kingdom Lodge, which is now named the “Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas” as well as on the Disney Contemporary building at the resort’s former “North Tower”, which will be called the “Bay Lake Tower”, scheduled to open in the fall of 2009.
 * Work continues on the updating of the Mark VI Monorails to make them more reliable.

Disneyland Resort Paris

 * DLRP's 15th Anniversary Celebration will continue through March 7th, 2009.
 * The resort recently welcomed their 200 millionth guest, a family from France.
 * Plans for a DLP version of Mickey's Pirate and Princess Party are underway for a 2009 debut.
 * The Disney Stars and Cars event will begin in 2009. Because of licensing connections, the Power Rangers cars will not be used. This car will be stripped down and replaced by another character car, one themed to Pirates of the Caribbean and feature Capt. Jack Sparrow.
 * “Stitch Live!” is ongoing in Disney Channel France Studios.
 * A new “Playhouse Disney” live show is currently under construction, with an soft opening scheduled for December.
 * Christmas events started on November 8th and will run until January 6th, 2009.

Tokyo Disneyland Resort

 * TDLR’s 25th anniversary started on April 15, 2008 and runs through April 14, 2009, including the new “Jubulation!” Parade.
 * Christmas events will start in November and run through December 25th, with New Years' events December 31st and Janaury 1st.

Hong Kong Disneyland

 * Expansion is underway for an Frontierland/Westernland area.
 * Plans for a third resort hotel are announced.
 * A new version of “it’s a small world” has opened. This version features Disney characters along with the familiar dolls representing the world, similar to the current controversial refurbishment at Disneyland in Anaheim.
 * Christmas Events begin November 28th and run through January 3rd.
 * }

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Theatrical Productions

 * The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and Mary Poppins continue with performances.
 * A new musical based on 101 Dalmations will tour staring in 2009.

Disney on Ice

 * Worlds of Fantasy, a new show featuring segments based on Cars, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King and Tinkerbell and the Disney Fairies franchise, plus a new pre-show based on the Disney Princess franchise premiered on August 29th in Lakeland, Florida.
 * High School Musical on Ice is currently touring the USA. An international version launched in January 2008.

Non-Theme Park Resorts

 * Plans are unveiled in Orlando, Florida for a new Disney Hotel/DVC villa resort in Hawai'i to open in 2011 near Diamond Head.
 * All Disney Vacation Club resorts have been renamed Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts to entice non-DVC club members to vacation.

Disney Cruise Line

 * Two new ships, rumored to be named “Disney Dreams” and “Disney Wishes”, are currently being built in Germany and are scheduled to be launched in 2010 or 2011. At that point, Port Canaveral will be expanded for the new ships, and both “Disney Wonder” and “Disney Magic” will have new berths in Long Beach, California and in Barcalona, Spain to begin Western USA and European cruises, although which ships are going where are as of this point. A new office in London will open later in 2008 to prepare for the forthcoming arrival. Also, it has been reported that a DCL ship would make tours to Alaska starting in 2010.

Et Cetera

 * Stan Carrozosa was the winner of the High School Musical spinoff, High School Musical: Get in the Picture.
 * World of Disney at Fifth Avenue and 55th Street in New York City will close when the current lease expires in 2010, and be replaced in Manhattan by a smaller Disney Store.
 * }