LEGO Star Wars Short to Debut with Focus on 'The Force Awakens', New Concept Art for Rivers of Light, and More

New LEGO Star Wars Short to Debut on Disney XD to Focus on 'The Force Awakens':

With a focus on what happened during "The Force Awakens", a new LEGO Star Wars 5-episode short will begin on Disney XD this coming Monday, February 15. The new series is titled, LEGO Star Wars: The Resistance Rises. This comes after yesterday's announcement that LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures, a new series will be debuting this summer. 

The action-adventure comedy series will focus on characters from Episode VII of the saga on the likes of Kylo Ren, Han Solo, Finn, BB-8, Rey, Maz Kanata, and more. The series will take place ahead of the First Order's attack on Jakku in the movie. 

The first episode is titled, "Poe to the Rescue", and focuses on Poe Dameron as he attempts to save Admiral Ackbar from the clutches of Captain Phasma and the First Order. Disney released a sneak peak of the first episode, check it out:

New Concept Art for "Rivers of Light" at Disney's Animal Kingdom:

New concept art for "Rivers of Light" has been released featuring what appears to be floating lanterns as large floating animal sculptures loom among water fountains and mist screens. "Rivers of Light" is expected to debut this Spring at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

GMA to Announce Newest Disney Princess Next Week:

While details are scarce, next Friday, February 19th on Good Morning America the newest Disney princess will be announced. It could be a new one or one that we already know of like Moana or Elena. 

This comes after yesterday's announcement of Disney's newest campaign, "Dream Big, Princess" to inspire young girls to dream big and that they can do whatever they put their heart in. Stay tuned for the big announcement next week. 

New LEGO Star Wars Series Coming to Disney XD This Summer, Dream Big Princess: Disney's New Campaign, and More

New LEGO Star Wars Series Coming to Disney XD This Summer:

With the popularity of the LEGO Star Wars series, Disney XD announced a new series would be premiering on the channel this summer. LEGO Star Wars: The Freemaker Adventures will center around the Freemakers who are a family of scavengers who sell and build starships from the scoured debris of space battles strewn across the galaxy. When the youngest Freemaker discovers an ancient lightsaber the family is thrown into the struggle against the Galactic Empire as they try to restore peace and freedom to the galaxy. The storyline occurs between Episode's V and VI of the saga.

Of course there will be some familiar faces making appearances in the series as well as some new heroes and villains. Jill Wilfert, VP of Licensing and Entertainment at LEGO said, "We are very excited to launch, for the first time, a TV series with Disney XD. The creative team behind The Freemaker Adventures is extremely talented, and the series is a great testament to our longstanding and successful partnership with Lucasfilm and Disney. The show masterfully combines the rich heritage of storytelling, great characters, action, and adventure in a galaxy far, far away with the creativity, imagination, and humor that only LEGO Star Wars can deliver. We are sure fans young and old are going to love the show."

"LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens" was announced just last week will come out on gaming systems in June. As well as the popular mini LEGO Star Wars series that have been on Disney in the past you already know The Force will be strong with this one.

Dream Big Princess: Disney's New Campaign:

In a release today from Disney by Jennifer Lee, Academy Award-winning director/writer for Frozen and writer for Wreck-it-Ralph, announced a new campaign inspiring young girls to dream big. Here is the video and the press release:

For every girl who dreams big, there's a princess to show her it's possible. #DreamBigPrincesshttps://t.co/24CBLNkFXd

— Disney (@Disney) February 11, 2016

Dream Big

By Jennifer Lee (Academy Award®-winning director/writer of “Frozen,” writer, “Wreck-It Ralph”)

One of my favorite things about being a writer and director at the Walt Disney Animation Studios is that I get to dream for a living. Right now, I’ve been doing a lot of dreaming. I’m working with songwriters Bobby Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez in New York City, writing the book for the upcoming Frozen musical for Broadway. There will be many more songs in the stage version, so we’re having a blast digging deeper into the characters and really opening up the story.

Back in California, I’ve also been dreaming alongside my Frozendirecting partner Chris Buck as we develop the feature film sequel to Frozen. I can’t give away any details, but I can tell you that our story room is a creative mess of research, character analysis, and colorful cards with many “what ifs” written on them.

I feel so lucky to be able to bring my dreams to Disney, especially because it was Disney who taught me to dream big. My very first Disney film—and my favorite growing up—was Cinderella. Cinderella was a dreamer, herself, which I loved. But what inspired me most about her was her kindness in the face of adversity. Cinderella was a part of my earliest memories, but she was also there for me in middle school, when I was bullied very badly. I thought of how Cinderella endured despite the cruelty of her stepsisters and wicked step mother. I thought of her singing: “No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.” Cinderella went on to a better life and left the bullying and meanness behind. She gave me the courage to remain true to myself and believe that one day I’d be able to leave the bullying and meanness behind. And I did just that.

When it came to dreaming up Anna and Elsa, Chris Buck and I, along with the Lopezes and our amazing story team, talked at length about the qualities we most admired—strength, humility, generosity, courage, and love. Both Anna and Elsa exhibit these qualities in their own way. We also talked about the challenging emotions we’ve all faced—self-doubt, loneliness, rejection, and most of all fear. Anna struggles with loneliness, and she messes up a lot, but she’s fearless, and never gives up. Elsa may have amazing powers, but, like anyone, she battles self-doubt, rejection, and fear. Their bond as sisters and support of each other gets them through.

It has been an overwhelming experience to watch the world embrace Anna and Elsa. We are still hearing from girls, boys, women, and men from all over about our heroines. I’ll never forget seeing the video of a room full of Marines singing and cheering to “Let It Go,” or hearing about the young girl who found the strength to handle her cancer treatments by wearing her Elsa dress, or the teen who was feeling hopeless, but found hope in Anna’s perseverance. It’s been such an honor to contribute to Disney’s canon of powerful heroines. The idea of Anna and Elsa bringing strength to people the way Cinderella did for me is my dream come true.

Disney Files New Permits Showing Layout for Na'vi River Journey in Pandora:

New permits filed by Disney today show the future layout for the Na'vi River Journey in Pandora at Disney's Animal Kingdom. The permits filed by Disney with the South Florida Water Management District show the water area highlighted in blue and scenes throughout the ride highlighted in peach. BlogMickey.com also mentions through some investigation that the permit shows that it will appear to use about 1/4 of the water used in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction at Disneyland. With using that as a benchmark, that would make the ride an estimated 4-5 minutes long.

Pandora: The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom is expected to open sometime in 2017.

Reservations Now Open for River Belle Terrace, 'The Force Awakens' Goes Lego, and More

Reservations Now Open for Table-Service Dining at River Belle Terrace:

River Belle Terrace has served home-style eats for more than 60 years at Disneyland, but now beginning February 10, the restaurant will re-open as a table-service location. It will serve your barbecue favorites, tasty sides, and so much more. 

Of course there are new menu items including new appetizers like the creamy pimento cheese dip with toasted bread and crispy celery, grilled and chilled shrimp with a house made BBQ sauce and lemon, and a house salad with arugula, apple, gorgonzola, dried cranberries, candied pecans, and an apple vinaigrette. 

Here is the rest of the menu as seen on the Disney Parks Blog:

"If you’re looking for a lighter entrée, try a salad topped with your choice of chicken, grilled shrimp, brisket or BBQ tofu. Whether you choose River Belle’s Chopped Salad with romaine lettuce, black beans, garbanzo beans, pickles, roasted corn, red bell pepper and tomatoes topped with fried onions served with a BBQ-ranch dressing or the Terrace Wedge with iceberg lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, crumbled gorgonzola, garnished with pickled red onions and buttermilk-gorgonzola dressing, you can’t go wrong.

For the main attraction, Disneyland Resort chefs were inspired by barbecue tastes from up and down the Mississippi River. Look for tasty entrees like pork spare ribs, oven-roasted barbecue chicken, barbecue tofu, sustainable fish, oven-roasted sausage links and sandwiches featuring fried chicken, beef brisket or pulled pork. Each entree includes a side of River Belle Terrace’s signature baked beans as well as a choice of tangy coleslaw, seasoned tater bites, potato salad or seasonal vegetables. Kids will love the oven-roasted chicken, sustainable fish, BBQ ribs or mac ‘n cheese, each served with seasonal vegetables and fruit.

No Southern meal is complete without dessert. Satisfy your sweet tooth with the warm maple, apple and bacon bundt cake or butterscotch pudding parfait. For a twist on a classic dessert, try the fried cheesecake."

Reservations of course are now open and you can do so by visiting Disneyland.com/dine or by calling  714-781-DINE (3463).

"The Force Awakens" is Going Lego with New Video Game:

Star Wars: The Force Awakens is coming to the LEGO Star Wars Franchise as fans can prepare to build and blast on June 28, 2016. The game will be released on Playstation 4 and Playstation 3 (with exclusive DLC content), Playstation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, and Windows PC. Here is the full announcement along with the trailer for "LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens":

The Force — and bricks — are calling to you. LEGO #StarWars: #TheForceAwakens is coming: https://t.co/YTDhlFnkkzhttps://t.co/EtrLVEMh0N

— Star Wars (@starwars) February 2, 2016

CALLING ALL JEDI MASTERS AND MASTER BUILDERS: ANNOUNCING LEGO STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS
GET READY TO BUILD AND BLAST ON JUNE 28.

The Force — and the bricks — are calling to you.Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, TT Games, The LEGO Group, and Lucasfilm today announced LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens, a new entry in the No. 1 LEGO video game franchise, allowing players to experience all the action of the hit film combined with LEGO’s hallmark humor and visual style. Coming June 28, 2016, for PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 3 (along with exclusive DLC), PlayStation Vita, Xbox One, Xbox 360, Wii U, the Nintendo 3DS family of systems, and Windows PC, the game is set to be an essential experience for gamers and Star Wars fans alike. LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens will feature new gameplay mechanics to build, battle, and fly through the galaxy like never before, and also offer new story content exploring the time period between Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, adding additional insight into the movie and its characters. Get a first look in the trailer below! 

We’re extremely proud of the LEGO Star Wars video games, truly an incredible franchise that has sold more than 33 million copies and helped ignite a passion for numerous fun-filled LEGO games enjoyed by countless fans around the world,” said Tom Stone, managing director, TT Games. “LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens will be bigger and better in every way, pushing the series forward with innovative new gameplay mechanics, while also exploring new parts of the universe that is sure to excite and delight both Star Wars fans and newcomers.”

“We are thrilled to be bringing back the LEGO Star Wars videogame franchise, which kicked off such a beloved series of LEGO titles more than a decade ago,” said Ada Duan, vice president, Digital Business & Franchise Management, Lucasfilm. “LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens allows players to experience the new film in a unique way that only TT Games can provide, combining signature humor with epic Star Wars action. With previously untold story content exploring new 

details about the movie and its characters, it’s a perfect fit for fans of all ages.”

The film’s cast of new and classic heroes and villains — including Rey, Finn, Poe Dameron, Han Solo, Chewbacca, BB-8, Kylo Ren, General Hux, Captain Phasma, and more — await gamers, as do the movie’s exciting locales, such as Jakku and Starkiller Base. Among LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens‘ many innovative gameplay enhancements are: the “Multi-Builds” system, where players can choose from multiple building options to advance the game; new blaster combat, in which players use surrounding environments to drive back the First Order during intense Blaster Battles; and high-speed flight gameplay through arena-based battles and dogfights in space, while gamers utilize a multitude of vehicles along the way, including the legendary Millennium Falcon. In addition, enemies can now build, too, allowing stormtroopers to support each other with reinforcements, air strikes, and heavy artillery, adding another layer of danger to the game.

Stay tuned to StarWars.com for more on LEGO Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and prepare to relive the latest installment of the Star Wars saga in a bricktastic way.

Star Wars Tsum Tsums Coming to Disney Store on February 16:

Tsum Tsum fans rejoice, your favorite Star Wars characters are finally going to be released on February 16. The collection will include your favorite characters from A New Hope, Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. Characters being released are Boba Fett, R2-D2, C-3PO, Yoda, Darth Vader, Stormtrooper, Jabba the Hutt, Ewok, Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, and Princess Leia.  The collection will be launched both in-store and online in the U.S., Japan, and Europe.

All 12 will be available via mini size. The Ewok, Chewbacca, Yoda, Darth Vader, and Stormtrooper will be available in medium size. While Jabba the Hutt and Chewbacca will be available in large size Tsum Tsums. 

Also with the launch of the Star Wars Collection on February 16, a new Star Wars, Disney, or Marvel Tsum Tsum collection will be released with a new #TsumTsumTuesday release cadence with releases on the first and third Tuesday of every month. 

Who's excited for Star Wars Tsum Tsums?

Your Daily News from Around Disney 3/2/15

It's Monday and although it was a dreary weekend up here in Pennsylvania, it is March and that could only mean we are that much closer to warmer weather. We will get right into the news however with your daily news from around Disney.

New Character Dinner Coming Animal Kingdom's Tusker House:

Donald's Safari Dinner will begin at Animal Kingdom's Tusker House beginning this Sunday March 8, 2015. Donald Duck, Daisy Duck, and friends will greet guests in the fun-filled character dinner at the Tusker House. It's going to give guest the opportunity to meet some of their favorite characters while enjoying an all you can eat meal with spit-roasted carved meats, unique salads, creative vegetarian options, hearty stews, and delicious desserts with an African touch. Guests can make reservations by calling 407-WDW-DINE or by visiting Guest Relations at any of the Disney theme parks or at Guest Services/Concierge at any of the Disney resorts. Donald's Safari Dinner will begin serving at 4 p.m. daily.

Walt Disney Studios Promotes Lylle Breier to Lead Promotions, Partnerships and Special Events:

Walt Disney Studios has promoted Lylle Breier to lead of Promotions, Partnerships, and Special Events. This will expand Breier's duties at the studios where she has overseen event strategies across all of Disney's motion picture brands which includes Disney Animation Studios, Pixar, Marvel, Touchstone, Disneynature, and Dreamworks' live action releases. As part of the promotion, film-related promotions and non-broadcast synergy activities will now be centralized under her leadership. Breir said of the promotion, "This is an extremely talented group of people and this new structure will enable us to better serve our partners and optimize our strengths and resources. We are very excited about the wealth and opportunities ahead." Bremer is a 25-year veteran of the Walt Disney Company.

Star Wars Saga to be Retold by Lego Droids in Upcoming Disney XD Series:

Last week we brought you the news of the return of Ducktales in a new series on Disney XD set for 2017. This week Disney XD got more news, this time in the form of the Lego Star Wars series. In a release Disney XD announced that our favorite droids R2-D2 and C-3PO will retell the Star Wars Saga in Lego form from their point-of-view in a 5-episode series to be released later this year. The series Lego Star Wars: Droid Tales will be a 22-minute 5 episode series. The series will be set after the Ewok celebration in "Return of the Jedi" as R2-D2 and C-3PO retell their adventures starting with "The Phantom Menace" all the way up to "Return of the Jedi". However according the release from Disney, there will be a kidnapping of some sorts while the 2 droids are reminiscing and suddenly viewers will be taken on another adventure. The airdate has yet to be announced but it will be before the December 18 release of Episode VII of the trilogy "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens."

This Day in Disney History:

On this day March 2nd in 2009, Disney Cruise Line announces that construction has started in Germany on its two news ships the Disney "Dream" and the Disney "Fantasy".

Daily Disney Quotes:

"Of all the things I've done, the most vital is coordinating those who work with me and aiming their efforts at a certain goal."

Walt Disney

Well that's all for today, I know I am looking forward to the Star Wars saga being retold by R2-D2 and C-3PO. Man, do I love those droids. As always I end with the words of Mickey Mouse, "See Ya Real Soon."