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.
 * A Christmas Carol starring Jim Carrey is currently in theatres.
 * The Princess and the Frog was released in both New York City and Los Angeles November 25th, 2009, and was followed by a national release on December 11th. The early release in both New York and Los Angeles was to assure that the movie would qualify for the 2009 Acadaemy Awards which will be held March 7, 2010.

DVD/Blu-Ray Releases

 * Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure was released direct to video October 27th.

News

 * Tinker Bell became 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.

Walt Disney Animation Studios

 * Prep and Landing was the holiday season's highest ranked special, ending the 33-year reign of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.
 * Rapunzel is in production and will be released on November 24th in New York and Los Angeles, and in December of 2010 nationally.
 * King of the Elves is in production for a December 2012 release.

Pixar Animation Studios

 * Toy Story 3 is currently in production; to be released in theaters on June 18, 2010.
 * Newt is in production for a 2011 summer release.
 * Cars 2, a sequel to the 2006 film, is now in production for a 2011 holiday release.
 * The Bear and The Bow is now scheduled to be released in the summer of 2012.
 * }

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News

 * Disney Parks will welcome people who give one day of community service for volunteerism a free ticket to any Disney Theme Park in 2010 by registering at DisneyParks.com

Disneyland Resort

 * Plans to have a central place for Disneyland in the celebration of the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game are now underway.  One rumored proposal would bring the All Star Red Carpet Parade to Main Street USA on July 13, the day of the game, and the annual private gala the night before to the parks.
 * 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

 * 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.
 * “Celebrate” will continue until November. "Disney's World of Wonder Parade" is scheduled to debut in 2010.
 * "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" will return to its' former site on December 16.
 * The "Bank of Main Street" has closed and will serve as the new home of the Disney Gallery.

Closures and Refurbishments
None scheduled.

Disney’s California Adventure

 * Disney is currently undergoing a $1 billion, five-year capital improvement plan and expansion for Disney’s California Adventure. The first new attraction, Toy Story Midway Mania!, opened on the former site of the Paradise Pier Midway Games. The next phase was retheming the "Sun Wheel" into the "Mickey Wheel", Paradise Pier games were rethemeed to Disney elements and draining of the lagoon to install Walt Disney's World of Color, scheduled to debut in 2009. Next is the rethemeing of the "Orange Stinger" into a "Silly Symphoinies"-themed ride based on the cartoon "Mickey's Band Concert" and the Maliboomer into a old fashioned parachute ride inside California Screamin'. 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 current Airel's Groto will be rethemed as the Princess Palace;
 * A new area based on Radiator Springs, to be called “Carsland” which is currently being built on the 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;
 * 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 has been converted into a "Blue Sky" preview center;

Closures for Rerurbishments

 * No new closings have been reported as the refitting continues.

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

 * Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party hard ticket events will return in November of 2010.
 * Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party hard ticket events will return in September and October of 2010.

Epcot

 * N/A

Disney's Hollywood Studios

 * The American Idol Experience, based on the popular Fox reality TV series of the same name, is now open in the former ABC Superstar Theatre and “Doug Live!” area.
 * The Night of Joy Christian Rock Festival will return on September 10 and 11, 2010.
 * 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.
 * ESPN The Weekend will be held February 25 through 28.

Disney's Animal Kingdom

 * No current updates have been reported.

ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex

 * The facilities at Wide World of Sports were rebranded with the ESPN name as of November 26, 2009.
 * Thanks to a agreement with HanesBrands, the facility's baseball stadium has been renamed “Champion Stadium”.
 * The Atlanta Braves will rerturn in February of 2010 to start Spring Training.
 * In honor of the complex's 10th anniversary, a new arena, the Jostens Center, is now open. 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 2011 and house various United States Bowling Congress Championships on an annual basis.

Water Parks

 * No current news.

Downtown Disney

 * No updates to report.

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”.
 * Work continues on the updating of the Mark VI Monorails to make them more reliable.

Disneyland Resort Paris

 * A new theme event featuring Pixar characters will begin in 2010.

Tokyo Disneyland Resort

 * Holiday events for Christmas and New Year's will run through January 1, 2010.

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.
 * }

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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 is now on tour.

Disney on Ice

 * Let's Celebrate!, a new show featuring a look at winter, Halloween, an "Unbirthday Party", a Princesses ball and other events, debuted on September 4th in Lakeland, Florida.
 * Worlds of Fantasy, a 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 is currently on tour.

Non-Theme Park Resorts

 * Construction is underway on 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, to be named “Disney Dream” and “Disney Fantasy”, are currently being built in Germany and are scheduled to be launched in 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 has opened 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

 * 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.
 * Disney has announced the purchase of Marvel Comics for US $4 billion. The move brings Marvel's character base including Spider-Man, The Incredible Hulk and the Fantastic Four into the Disney family.
 * A merger of operations between Lifetime Entertainment Television and A&E Networks will reduce Disney's stakes in the combined operations to 37.5% along with Hearst Company, and allow NBC Universal to own 25% of the new combined company.
 * }