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 is scheduled to be released on October 24, 2008.
 * Beverly Hills Chihuahua, with the voice of Drew Barrymore is now playing in theatres.

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 and the 50th Anniversary edition of Sleeping Beauty are all currently available.
 * Tinker Bell, the first Direct to Video release in the Disney Fairies franchise, will be relased on October 28th.
 * Wave VIII of the Walt Disney Treasures series which will feature Mickey Mouse Club Presents: Annette starring Annette Funicello, Dr. Syn, Alias The Scarecrow starring Patrick MacGoohan and The Chronological Donald, Volume 4 will all be released on November 11th. On that same day, Pixar’s WALL•E will be released on DVD as well.

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) is scheduled to be released to theatres November 21, 2008.
 * 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.
 * Prices at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World have increased between $3 and $5 (US Dollar) as of August 3, 2008.
 * 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 will start on October 24th 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 permanentley.

Disneyland

 * The Sleeping Beauty walk through diarama, closed since the 9/11 terrorist attacks, will reopen in time for the 2008 Holiday Season.
 * Ariel’s Grotto is currently being converted into a new meeting place for Tinker Bell called “Pixie Hollow”, based on the Disney Fairies franchise, which will open in late October. 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 of the three new Mark VII Monorails, Monorail Red, has made its’ official debut and is now in operation on a regular basis. Monorail Orange and Monorail Blue are slated to follow in 2008.
 * 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.
 * A new version of the Tomorrowland House of Tomorrow housed inside Innoventions has opened. Built by Disney Imagineering and sponsored by Microsoft and Hewlett-Packard, the cost was estimated at $15 million (US).
 * Halloween Events are currently underway, and will run until November 2nd.

Closures and Refurbishments

 * Sailing Ship Columbia is closed until October 24th. In turn, as will the forthcoming refurb of the Mark Twain Riverboat in early November being a result of this, Fantasmic! is closed until November 7th.

Disney’s California Adventure

 * Mickey’s Trick or Treat Party (new name, formerly called "Mickey's Halloween Treat") hard ticket event dates will be on October 22nd through 24th and 28th through 31st. Tickets are currently available through disneyland.com or calling 1-714-781-4400. October 24 and 31 are sold out.
 * 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". 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”;
 * 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.

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

 * Dates have not been announced for the annual taping of the “Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade” on ABC, scheduled to air on Christmas Day (Thursday, December 25th).
 * Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party hard ticket events will be held on selected nights in November and December. November dates are the 10th, 11th (Veterans' Day in the USA), 14th, 16th, 20th, 21st and 30th.  December dates are the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 14th, 16th, 18th and 19th.
 * Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party hard ticket events will be held on select nights until October 31st, 2008. The remaining dates are October 21st, 23rd, 24th, 28th, 30th and 31st.
 * The October 3rd edition of MNSSHP was canceled. Those who bought tickets can contact Disney World at the above mentioned phone number for either a exchange of dates or a refund.


 * Mickey’s Pirate and Princess Party hard ticket events will be back in January of 2009.
 * A new meet and greet area at Mickey's Toontown Fair featuring Tinker Bell and the Disney fairies will open on or around October 24th.
 * The Hall of Presidents will be closed starting November 1st and reopen in March for a refurbishment of the theatre's back rows to bring it up to ADA standards, and the installation of the winner of the 2008 Presidential Election.

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.
 * The last scheduled ABC Super Soap Weekend is November 15 and 16, 2008.

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 the latter half of 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 in time for the 2011 United States Bowling Congress Championships.

Water Parks

 * Annual refurbishments for Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach began on September 28th.

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, is scheduled to open 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 will briefly close until October 11 and be 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.
 * Halloween Events at the park and resort will run from October 4 through November 2nd in 2008, including a DLRP version of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party (French title: “La fete Pas-Si-Trouille de Mickey”) on October 17, 24 and 28th, and the annual Halloween Soriee October 31st in the Disneyland Paris park.

Tokyo Disneyland Resort

 * TDLR’s 25th anniversary started on April 15, 2008 and runs through April 14, 2009, including the new “Jubulation!” Parade.
 * Halloween Events will run from September 12th through October 31st.

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.
 * 2008 Halloween Events, including a new "Haunted Jungle" temporary maze will run from September 26th through November 1st.
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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 premiereed 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.
 * }