New Scene Being Added to Star Tours Around Disney Parks; RunDisney Races Put on Hiatus at Disneyland

New Scene from "The Last Jedi" Being Added to Star Tours Around Disney Parks:

As with "The Force Awakens," a new scene from "Star Wars: The Last Jedi" will be added to Star Tours around Disney Parks. The scene will take guests into the middle a battle scene on the planet of Crait, which we got our first look of in the first trailer from a few months ago. 

The scene will premiere at Disney Parks over the next few months, here are the dates:

• Disneyland - November 17
• Disney's Hollywood Studios - November 17
• Disneyland Paris - November 22
• Tokyo Disneyland - December 15

"Star Wars: The Last Jedi" soars into theaters on December 15. 

Source: Disney Parks Blog

RunDisney Races Put on Hiatus at Disneyland for 2018 and Beyond:

As first reported by WDW News Today a few days ago, all runDisney races for 2018 and beyond at Disneyland have been cancelled. The reason the popular races are being cancelled are due to the multitude of construction projects around the park. Here is a statement from George Savvas, a Disneyland spokesperson:

“While construction for the next several years will impact our ability to deliver the runDisney experience our guests love, we are excited about our future as the Disneyland Resort continues one of its largest multi-year expansions. For fans who love to be part of runDisney events, we will continue to offer races at our other properties around the world in 2018.” 

The final runDisney event for this year is fast approaching with the Super Heroes Half Marathon weekend taking place November 9-12, 2017.

Source: WDW News Today

2016 Year-in-Review from It All Started With a Mouse

2016 was certainly an exciting year in the world of Disney and Disney Parks. We saw Disney break records at the box office, Shanghai Disneyland opened, and so much more. Here is our year in review for 2016.

Magic Kingdom Celebrates 45 years, Shanghai Opens, and More From Disney Parks:

2016 was a crazy year in Disney Parks around the world. We saw Hollywood Studios become literally half the park it used to be when ground was officially broken for Star Wars Land and Toy Story Land. The same for Disneyland where we saw the closure of Rivers of America temporarily and many other parts of the park to prepare itself for the massive 14-acre expansion of the park.  We also saw many attractions and shows close in 2016 they included:

• Phineas & Ferb Meet & Greet (Hollywood Studios)
• Lightning McQueen & Mater Meet & Greet (Hollywood Studios)
• Habit Heroes and Innoventions West (Epcot)
• Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show (Hollywood Studios)
• Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure Play Area (Hollywood Studios)
• Mike & Sulley Meet & Greet (Hollywood Studios)
• Studio Catering Co. (Hollywood Studios)
• Dream Along with Mickey (Magic Kingdom)
• Shark Reef (Typhoon Lagoon)
• Main Street Electrical Parade (Magic Kingdom)

With those closures though we saw so many new shows and openings. We saw Soarin' 2.0 open as Soarin' Around the World, Frozen Ever After opened, Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire debuted, and we saw Animal Kingdom light the night with new nighttime experiences.

In June, we saw Bob Iger's pride and joy finally open in the Shanghai Disney Resort. Inside Shanghai Disneyland lie six themed lands, each one a unique experience, imagined and created especially for China: Adventure Isle, Fantasyland, Gardens of Imagination, Mickey Avenue, Tomorrowland and Treasure Cove. At the heart of the park is Enchanted Storybook Castle, the tallest, biggest and most interactive of all Disney castles the world over.

Over in Disneyland, some news broke the hearts of many fans as it was announced in July that the Hollywood Tower of Terror would close at Disney California Adventure. In it's place will be the brand new Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission BREAKOUT! The very first Marvel-themed ride in a Disney Park in the United States. Eventually a more expansive Marvel Land will be built over at Disney California Adventure. Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission BREAKOUT! will open in Summer 2017. 

Over in Tokyo Disneyland, an expansion was announced in a new "Finding Dory" attraction will be opening in 2017 along with a new parade during the day and at night. They also are getting a new "Big Hero 6" attraction, a Fantasyland expansion, and Soarin' which was announced back in April.

In October, Magic Kingdom celebrated its 45th Anniversary in which we saw special merchandise and so much more. Just days later Magic Kingdom and Walt Disney World would be closed for the day due to the effects of Hurricane Matthew hitting Florida. Thankfully, there was no lasting effects or damage to the parks.

November was a big month as Destination D was held at Disney's Contemporary Resort. Here it was revealed that Pandora: The World of Avatar would open at Disney's Animal Kingdom would open Summer 2017, MagicBand 2.0 was introduced, and possible the biggest news is that Epcot will be receiving some major updates and expansion over the next few years. 

Also in November, Hong Kong Disneyland announced a multi-year expansion. This expansion will include a brand new redesigned castle, a Frozen-themed land with two new attractions, a dedicated Marvel themed area, and Moana's Village Festival over in Adventureland in the park. 

Rivers of Light, Where Are You?:

Did you really think I was going leave one of the biggest stories of the year and one of the biggest mysteries? 2016 was supposed to be the year when Rivers of Light, the amazing nighttime spectacular, was set to debut at Disney's Animal Kingdom. It was set to debut back in April alas Disney had other ideas for the nighttime spectacular. Through sources it appears as one of the Lotus flowers had sunk causing the delay.

First, they said it was delayed and would have another update on the show by the end of May. In it's place came Jungle Book: Alive with Magic, which ran through the summer months. The music was amazing but the concept felt rushed considering what Rivers of Light was supposed to be. No update ever came. Many questions and rumors began swirling if Rivers of Light would open by the end of the year. 

Disney had another golden opportunity to debut Rivers of Light in November during D23's Destination D: Amazing Adventures. They were having an in-park gathering where guests of event would take part in something inside the parks. Alas, not even a word of Rivers of Light was mentioned at the event. No official debut of Rivers of Light has been announced.

However, Disney has run several Cast Member previews over the last few weeks as well as stating in a "What's Coming in 2017" press release that Rivers of Light will debut sometime in the new year. Disney is even releasing a soundtrack for the music from the nighttime spectacular along with music from the Tree of Life Awakenings when the show debuts. Here's to seeing Rivers of Light sometime in 2017.

Disney Dominates at the Box Office Making History in 2016:

2016 was a record breaking year for Walt Disney Studios at the box office by being the very first studios to cross over the $7 billion threshold in a calendar year. "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" pushed the studio into the history books after its debut in mid-December.

Disney had several films cross over the $1 billion mark at the box office which included Zootopia, Captain America: Civil War, and Finding Dory. The Jungle Book, the live-action remake of the animated classic, came very close to crossing the $1 billion mark at the box office making  $966 million. Other major contributors to Disney's history making year include more recent films like Walt Disney Animation Studios Moana and Marvel's Doctor Strange.

Here's hoping 2017 is another hit at the box office for Disney.

Thank You:

Finally, it was quite the year hear at It All Started With a Mouse. I would like to thank you, all the readers, who have supported me over the now almost two years of blogging. This year we have double our views since the blog started and that is all thanks to you. This year, I have had the pleasure of joining an amazing group of people in the MouseLife podcast crew. They have really broadened our horizons for the future. I can't wait to see what 2017 brings for both It All Started With a Mouse and the MouseLife. 

Happy New Year to all of you,

John

'Rogue One' Tickets Go On Sale Monday; Tokyo Disneyland's 'it's a small world' Adding 40 Characters

'Rogue One' Tickets Go On Sale Monday:

We are just three weeks away from "Rogue One: A Star Wars" soaring into theaters. The Star Wars twitter account announced today that we are just 3 days away from tickets from going on sale Monday, November 28. 

Lord Vader, we've been expecting you. Tickets for #RogueOne: A Star Wars Story are available on Monday, November 28. pic.twitter.com/is1lIw9W4u

— Star Wars (@starwars) November 25, 2016

"Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" flies into theaters December 16, 2016.

Tokyo Disneyland's 'it's a small world' Adding 40 Characters:

When Tokyo Disneyland's 'it's a small world' goes under refurbishment in March 2017 it will get a major update by adding 40 Disney characters to the attraction including characters from Frozen. The ride is scheduled to be updated and completed by Spring 2018.

This will be the first major update to the attraction since it opened in 1983. The attraction was originally supposed to be knocked down and moved to a new space in the park as part of the Fantasyland expansion, those plans have since been cancelled. 

Finding Dory, New Parade, & More Coming to Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea; Stitch's Great Escape Going to Seasonal Operation

Finding Dory, New Parade, & More Coming to Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea:

Tokyo Disneyland was already getting some exciting new attractions with the announcement of the Big Hero 6 and Beauty and the Beast inspired attractions that were announced earlier this year. Today, even more details were revealed as more of our favorite characters will be heading over to the Japanese Disney Parks.

First off during Spring 2017, a new Easter-themed parade starring Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde from Disney's "Zootopia" in Tokyo Disneyland. At Tokyo DisneySea the entire park will be "festooned with colorful springtime decorations. Mickey and his friends will also be dressed in their Easter finery.

Photo Credit: Disney/Pixar

Also in the Spring in the Port Discovery area of Tokyo DisneySea, a brand new attraction called Nemo & Friends SeaRider will open. The new attraction will "immerse guests into the underwater world of the popular stories by using a ride system that will seamlessly blend glorious new visuals with a dynamic motion-base system." The storyline will find guests boarding a submersible that will shrink you to the size of a fish.

"Also opening in the spring of 2017 at Tokyo DisneySea is the “renewed” Turtle Talk, where Dory and Squirt join Crush while additional characters like Destiny the whale shark and Hank the octopus will stop by. Nemo & Friends SeaRider sounds incredible and the updated Turtle Talk, which has already hit the domestic Disney Parks, is a hoot that Tokyo DisneySea guests will surely adore as much as we do." 

In the Summer, a "Special Event at Tokyo DisneySea" will be themed to the new movie releasing next year, "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" and the the Pirates film series. It will be located in the Mediterranean Harbor area of the park. Guests will enjoy the show on the harbor featuring the likes of Captain Jack Sparrow, pirates, and tons of splashing water, as well as atmosphere entertainment presented by a crew of pirates. Special merchandise, menu items, and decorations inspired by the event will transform the park into a Pirates of the Caribbean world. Specially themed decor and entertainment will also transform Tokyo Disneyland.

Finally coming July 11, 2017, will be the renewed version of the Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights. For the first time ever a brand new icy castle float featuring Anna and Elsa from Disney's "Frozen" will join the parade. Cinderella will have two brand new floats one featuring her pumpkin coach and the other will showcase the grand ballroom featuring Prince Charming. Returning will be the "Beauty and the Beast" float that has been absent from the parade since 2011. The new version will have enhanced LED lighting and will bring even more color to the park at night. 

Stitch's Great Escape Moving to Season Operation, Is this the End for the Attraction?:

Beginning October 2, Stitch's Great Escape will be moving to seasonal operation in Tomorrowland of the Magic Kingdom. The attraction will then be opened as attendance demands moving forward. Here are the hours of operation going forward into January 2017:

• October 2 through November 18 – CLOSED
• November 19 through November 26 – OPEN
• November 27 through December 16 – CLOSED
• December 17 through January 2 – OPEN
• After January 2 – CLOSED

The attraction which has never really gained popularity with guests could be seeing the end of the road very soon. It has recently been rumored that a brand new Wreck-It-Ralph attraction featuring Sugar Rush would be taking its place. Stay tuned for more developments on this story. 

Big Expansion Announced for Tokyo Disneyland; Details on Disney Pin Celebration 2016 Pixar Party

Big Expansion Announced for Tokyo Disneyland:

Today, a huge expansion was announced by Tokyo Disneyland and the expansion is expected to be completed by 2020. What are the details you may ask of this amazing expansion? A new Beauty and the Beast-themed area that will expand Fantasyland is possibly the biggest part of the expansion. A new attraction in Tomorrowland based off "Big Hero 6." A new character greeting facility will be built at the entrance to Toontown. Finally, across the way at Tokyo DisneySea a new version of Soarin' will be built. Here are the full details:

The major attraction being built in the new Beauty and the Beast-themed area will have the newest technology and last for a genuinely incredible 8 minutes. According to the press release, guests will board enchanted serving dishes that will dance in rhythm to the film's well-known music. It will follow Belle on a romantic musical journey inside the Enchanted Castle where she dances into the heart of Beast, just in time to break the fateful spell. Also included in the new themed land will be a new shop and restaurant, details on both were not announced. 

The new land isn't all that's coming to Fantasyland as a new 1,500-seat live Fantasyland Theaters will be built. It will be the first full-scale indoor theater for live entertainment at Tokyo Disneyland. According to the press release, the theater will be, "Signature Disney entertainment unique to Tokyo Disneyland and featuring the Disney Friends will be presented in this storybook theater environment." 

The theater will be built near the Beauty and the Beast-themed area, towards Space Mountain and behind the new Tomorrowland attraction. That new Tomorrowland attraction will be based off of Disney's Academy-Award winning film "Big Hero 6." The first attraction based off the film inside a Disney Park.

The attraction will be much like Mater's Junkyard Jamboree at Disney California Adventure. It will be an exciting musical 'whip ride' that will swing guests unpredictably round and round. The ride should last for about a minute and a half. The attraction will tentatively open in Spring 2020. 

Besides the "Big Hero 6" attraction a new outer space-themed shop will open, a first for Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, will be selling multiple flavors of popcorn. The story behind the popcorn at Tokyo Disneyland is that throughout the park that sells popcorn with crazy flavors that are supposedly amazing.

Guests will be able to meet Minnie in the new character greeting facility being built at the entrance to Toontown. Announced in the press release, "After walking through Minnie’s design studio and her work area with interactive elements, guests can meet Minnie in person, take pictures with her, and generally spend a memorable time together." Again it is set to tentatively be completed by Spring 2020. 

Soarin' will make its debut across the way inside the Mediterranean Harbor section of the park and will open by fiscal year 2019. The attraction will premiere with original scenes and the newest visual images. If you notice though in the concept art the ride vehicle is much different that previous Soarin' attractions that use a hang glider. It almost looks like the flying machine developed by Leonardo Da Vinci. The attraction will be located across from Mysterious Island that is home to the iconic attraction, Journey to the Center of the Earth. 

Elsewhere inside Tokyo DisneySea, "newer versions of current attractions and entertainment programs" are also being developed. Who's ready to book a trip to Tokyo Disneyland in 2020?

Details on Disney Pin Celebration 2016 Pixar Party at Disney World:

Let's celebrate 30 years of Pixar magic with a party. The Disney Parks Blog today released details on this year's Disney Pin Celebration 2016 Pixar Party. The event will take place August 26-27, 2016 at World Showplace in Epcot. Here are the details from the Disney Parks Blog:

This “totally wicked” event is slated to take place August 26 (from 10 a.m. – 6:30 p.m.) and August 27, 2016 (from 9:30 a.m. – 6 p.m.) at World ShowPlace in Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort. Join us as we celebrate 30 colorful years of Pixar Animation Studios! This award-winning studio has produced a myriad of full length feature films, shorts, (Car) Toons, and television specials full of colorful characters that we love and cherish. The pins for the Pixar Party will feature characters from “Cars” to “Brave” to “infinity and beyond.” The event team shared as many details as they could with me, so here’s the scoop!

Admission to Pixar Party is $140 per guest and includes the following:

• Trading Board Games (four (4) vouchers per day)
• Pixar Party Scavenger Hunt
• Auction Opportunity (includes pre-production pins, artist proof pins and more)
• Meet Disney Pin Merchandisers
• Artist Signings with Disney Design Group Artists
• One (1) $30 Disney Gift Card

Other event offerings include:

• First opportunity to pre-purchase select themed Pixar Party merchandise via the Random Selection Process 
• Limited Edition Commemorative Gifts 
• Welcome Pin
• Pixar Party Scavenger Hunt Six (6) Pin Gift Set (previously found on trading boards)
• Goodbye Pin Set

Here’s a look at the Pixar Party event merchandise catalog. Some of these designs are absolutely “incredible!”

Hungry for more? There’s even a “Little Chef” Breakfast you can sign up for, which includes a breakfast buffet, trading time inside the Pixar Party venue (from 8:30 a.m. – 10 a.m.) and a limited-edition commemorative gift pin – available only to breakfast attendees. Keep in mind this package sells out fast.

Sign up for the Pixar Party beginning Thursday, April 28, 2016. Ticket Sales begin at 2:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time on DisneyParksMerchandise.com. Reminder: Event admission does not include theme park admission to Epcot but theme park admission is required to attend the event. Package limited to availability. No discounts will be offered in conjunction with this package.

So “just keep swimming” towards the Pixar Party date and in no time, you will be saying … “mine, mine, mine.”

Easter is Hopping into Tokyo Disneyland Beginning March 25

Mickey Mouse says grab your Easter baskets and comfy shoes because Tokyo Disneyland will host a "secret Easter garden" race during "Disney's Easter" where the springtime fun will begin March 25 and run through June 15.

Mickey, Minnie, and their pals will be dressed in new threads and their bunny ears in a new parade called the, "Hippity-Hoppity Springtime" parade. It will include three stops along the way on the parade route for an egg race hosted by Mickey. 

The "Egg Hunt in Tokyo Disneyland" will send guests on an egg hunt around the park, much like the egg hunt around Epcot at Disney World last year. Here guests will have three courses to choose from, all different levels of difficulty, in this separate ticketed event. The Disney Parks Blog asks which character would you want to help with your egg hunt? That's an easy answer Mickey Mouse of course. 

Quick Note:

Not much news today, on this Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Walls have gone up in Disneyland around Rivers of America to prepare for the construction for Star Wars Land. Other than that enjoy the rest of your day and "See Ya Real Soon."

Thirsty River Bar & Trek Snacks Now Open at DAK; Steakhouse STK at Disney Springs Will Now Open in 2016; and More

Thirsty River Bar and Trek Snacks Now Open at Disney's Animal Kingdom:

In the shadow of Expedition Everest, a new snack and bar was being built for tired and hungry guests at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Today, the Thirsty River Bar and Trek Snacks are now open. At Trek Snacks the menu will vary throughout the day with delicious pastries in the morning and more substantial bites like sushi and sandwiches during the afternoon and evening. 

Pastries will include assorted muffins and danishes, croissants, and an indulgent chocolate twist. Healthful snacks like fresh fruit, crudité and hummus, edamame and an Asian noodle salad are available. The Smoked Turkey Sandwich, Bahn Mi (roasted pork topped with pickled vegetables, cilantro and sriracha dressing), Som Tam (Thai shrimp, green papaya salad, crushed peanuts and chilis) and sushi are a perfect meal for the weary traveler. For dessert, cookies, brownies and ice cream treats (including the popular Mickey Premium Ice Cream Bar) are on the menu.

The Thirsty River Bar represents the cultural collision that has become of hallmark of the villages that serve as base camps for Everest trekkers. The story behind the bar is that it was originally the home of a popular Sherpa family, mementos have been tacked on the walls by travelers, but the rest of the decor is sparse and functional aside from the stable stack.

Specialty cocktails at the bar will include:

• Khumbu Icefall - guava rum blended with coconut and raspberry puree
• Himalayan Ghost - Snow Leopard vodka, guava, and Odwalla lemonade
• Durbar Margherita

Non-Alcoholic drinks:

• Flying Yak - mango puree blended with coconut water and pineapple juice
• Pink Lotus - strawberry puree, lychee and Odwalla lemonade

Steakhouse STK at Disney Springs Will Now Open in 2016:

Steakhouse STK at Disney Springs was supposed to be opening by the end of this year, now the opening date has been pushed back to early 2016. The steakhouse has been under construction in the new Landing section of Disney Springs. It is at the footprint where the Comedy Warehouse stood in the old Pleasure Island. 

The Disney Springs location will be 14,000 square feet and have two floors of seating. It will also have an outdoor patio and an in-house DJ. The chain restaurant which has locations in Atlanta, Miami, Chicago, New York, Las Vegas, Washington D.C., London, and Milan will be open for both lunch and dinner.

More Time Needed For Tokyo Disney Resort Expansion:

The Oriental Land Company, which owns the Tokyo Disney Resort under licensing of the Walt Disney Company, today announced that it would need more time for the resort's expansion. The expansion plans include a new and improved Fantasyland featuring Beauty and the Beast  and Alice in Wonderland as well as a new 'port of call' in Tokyo DisneySea themed to Scandinavia and Frozen.

The press release said this:

“Oriental Land Co., Ltd. announced that it will extend the period to study the two-large scale development plans, the redevelopment of Fantasyland at Tokyo Disneyland® Park and development of the new themed port at Tokyo DisneySea® Park.

Oriental Land Co. has been examining these two major development plans including revisiting some of the plans and concluded that it requires the extension of the consideration period, which was originally scheduled to end during 2015, in order to create a long-term and sustainable value of the theme parks.

Oriental Land Co. aims to create a long-term and sustainable value of the theme parks and will continue to examine the development plans to bring completely a new value to Tokyo Disneyland Park and Tokyo DisneySea Park and offer more wonderful experiences to Guests.”

"Club Villain" to Debut in January at New Sunset Showcase; Tokyo Disneyland Announces 'Force Awakens' Plans

"Club Villain" to Debut in January at New Sunset Showcase:

"Club Disney" is debuting in December at Hollywood Studios at the new Sunset Showcase. Today, though Disney World announced that beginning January 16 on Saturday nights will become "Club Villain." This will be a hard-ticket dining event with tickets costing $99/person. The event says guests will dance the night terrors away with Dr. Facilier and evil-diva cohosts including Maleficent, Queen of Hearts, the Evil Queen, and Cruella De Vil. Here is the complete description from the Walt Disney World website:

Sunset Showcase loudly presents Club Villain, a frightfully fun dance-and-dine event—debuting January 16, 2016!

This spellbinding evening features decadent New Orleans delicacies like tender beef striploin rubbed with herbes de Provence, Voodoo sticky “pig wings” with citrus gremolata and spicy shrimp sautéed with Andouille sausage, tomato, okra and onions over creamy polenta.

Trick or treat yourself to fiendish cocktail concoctions—specialty alcoholic drinks plus beer and wine—hilarious stage-show numbers and up-close encounters with Disney’s most dastardly doomsday divas. Mix and mingle with mysterious Maleficent, hilarious Queen of Hearts, the delirious Evil Queen and the always fur-fetched Cruella De Vil—and wicked jams from our house DJ!

Tickets to Club Villain can be purchased for $99 per person, tax and gratuity included. Reservations are recommended and can be made up to 90 days in advance, either by booking online here or by calling (407) 939-3463.

Tokyo Disneyland Announces 'Force Awakens' Plans:

We are just 50 days away from the premiere of "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and Tokyo Disneyland announced its plans. Oriental Land Company owners of Tokyo Disneyland Resort announced some operational additions to the parks to celebrate the movie.

Here are some key dates:

• December 1 - New "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" to begin being sold at the resort
• Mid-December - E-Printed Tickets to the park at home will sport Star Wars-inspired designs
• December 18 - With the release of the movie, R2-D2 popcorn buckets will go on sale
• February 2016 - Like its North American counterparts Star Tours will introduce a brand new experience inspired by the 'Force Awakens
• Star Wars-themed monorail day pass tickets will also be introduced for a limited time

Will you be visiting Tokyo Disneyland to check out the new "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" experiences?

Morimoto Asia to Open in Disney Springs on September 30; Tokyo Disney Announces Plans for Fourth Hotel

Morimoto Asia to Open September 30 at Disney Springs:

In a collaboration with world-renouned Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto and Pantina Restaurant Group, Morimoto Asia will open in the newly renovated Disney Springs formerly Downtown Disney.  It is the first pan-Asian dining experience Chef Morimoto.

Some of the menu items will be an eclectic take on his favorite Asian flavors including moo shu pork, Peking duck, lobster chow fun, sweet and sour crispy whole fish, and spicy kung pao chicken. On weekends, dim sum will be served during brunch, with dumplings, shumai, bao, spare ribs, and more.

The sushi bar has been sculpted from hundreds of hand-selected ash wood that's backed with a wall of hammered copper, and has just 14 coveted seats. The sushi bar has a global inspiration feel to it with kanpachi, toro, Japanese red snapper, uni, sea eel, hamachi, fluke, salmon, and more of whatever is the freshest. A selection of specialty rolls and sushi platters will be available in the lounge or dining rooms.

For kids, there is plenty such as chicken ramen, kakuni pork bao, and karaage fried chicken.

The restaurant will serve sake including Morimoto's own signature line, wines from around the globe, signature cocktails and non-alcoholic drinks. Beers both bottled and drafts will be mostly Asian, including Morimoto's signature beer by Rogue Ales. For beer fans, the collector's edition Imperial Pilsner, Morimoto Soba Ale, and the highly popular Black Obi Soba will be available.

In the Disney Parks Blog post they gave this description on Morimoto Asia:

"The expansive restaurant includes beautiful lounges, dining spaces, open kitchen and a two-story outdoor terrace overlooking the water. The main entrance features a three-story glass corner, and the sculptural bar is one of the largest in the world, more than 270 feet long, connecting the grand dining room on the ground floor with the upper level Forbidden Lounge as it wraps around the staircase. Look for custom glass beaded chandeliers and glass mosaics based on ancient Japanese prints."

You can begin making reservations for Morimoto Asia on September 16 through open table and on opening day, September 30, you can make reservations through the restaurant at 407-560-6686. On November 1, guests may begin making reservations through 407-WDW-DINE. 

Morimoto Asia will be open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. serving lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch. 

Tokyo Disney Resort Announces Plans for Fourth Hotel:

Tokyo Disney Celebration will be Tokyo Disney Resort's fourth hotel, the resort announced late last night. The fourth hotel will be developed in the Shin-Urayasu area where the current Palm & Terrace Hotel is located. The Palm & Terrace Hotel is slated close next February and the Tokyo Disney Celebration Hotel is slated to open in June 2016. 

The Tokyo Disney Celebration will join the three current Disney Hotels: the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel,  the Disney Ambassador Hotel, and Hotel MiraCosta. While the three hotels are on-site of Tokyo Disney, the Tokyo Disney Celebration will not be on-site although it will still be an official Disney property. 

Christmas Offerings for Tokyo Disney Resort, Disney Junior's "Goldie & Bear" Set to Premier on Watch Disney Junior, and More

Christmas Offerings Announced for Tokyo Disney Resort:

This year at the Tokyo Disney Resort, they will be offering some new and exciting offerings this holiday season from November 9 through December 25.There will be a variety of offerings at Tokyo Disneyland Park, Tokyo DisneySea Park, and their 3 hotels.

At Tokyo Disneyland, families will be able to enjoy a "Christmas Fantasy" celebration with a theme this year of "Christmas Storybooks." The new afternoon Christmas parade will be called "Disney Christmas Stories" will bring life to Disney Christmas stories. There also will be pop-up Christmas storybooks and other decorations around the parks that will depict your favorite Disney characters celebrating the holidays.

At Tokyo DisneySea, they will celebrate "Christmas Wishes" with a new entertainment offering called "A Perfect Christmas." It will feature your favorite Disney characters sharing their dreams of Christmas. At night, the "Colors of Christmas" will return this year with its fantastically shining Christmas trees floating on the harbors. 

The signature Christmas tree will be decorated with snow crystals and will appear in front of the ocean liner, the S.S. Columbia. The Cape Cod area of the park will feature a tree decorated by Duffy, ShellieMay, and Gelatoni. The "Snow Crystal Illumination" in Waterfront Park at American Waterfront and "Fiesta De La Luz" (festival of lights) at Lost River Delta will light the park up at night. 

Disney Junior's "Goldie & Bear" Set to Premier on the WATCH Disney Junior App:

Disney Junior fans can get excited for the new series "Goldie & Bear" is set to premiere on September 12 on the WATCH Disney Junior App. They will premiere the first six episodes on the app every Monday through October 12. The animated series will premier on the Disney Channel in November. 

The show will be set in the magical world of Fairy Tale Forest and will focus on kids ages 2-7. It will reunite Goldie and Bear after the renowned porridge incident in the classic fairytale, "Goldilocks and the Three Bears." Each episode will have two 11-minute stories that shows off the new and unexpected friendship of the between Goldie and Bear, as they seek out fun and adventure along with their friends and neighbors, all of whom are drawn from classic storybook characters. 

"Goldie and Bear" stars Natalie Lander (The Middle) as Goldie and Georgie Kidder (Star Wars: The Clone Wars) as Bear. Recurring guest stars of the series will be Lesley Nicol (Downton Abbey) as Fairy Godmother, Isabella Day (Cristela) as little witch Rosie, Debbie Ryan (Jessie) as Thumbelina, and Miles Brown and Marsai Martin (black-ish) as Jack & Jill. "Goldie & Bear" is co-executive produced by Jorge Aguirre and Chris Gilligan (Frankenweenie) is executive producer and director. Joe Ansolabehere (Recess) is the story editor and Rob Cantor from the band Tally Hall is the songwriter. 

Sign Removed from Magic of Disney Animation at Disney's Hollywood Studios:

Guests today at Hollywood Studios noticed the Magic of Disney Animation Sign in front of the former attraction is now gone. The picture about is credit to Kristen from @Schmoofy on Twitter. The former Magic of Disney Animation building is supposedly set to become the new Star Wars Launch Bay that was announced at this past weekend's D23 EXPO. 

Star Wars Launch Bay is set to open at some point later this year. 

Finding Nemo Attraction Coming to Tokyo DisneySea in 2017; Dream Store Returning to D23 Expo

New Finding Nemo Attraction Coming to Tokyo DisneySea in 2017:

Today, the Oriental Land Co. Ltd., owners of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea announced a new Finding Nemo attraction is coming to Tokyo DisneySea in the Spring of 2017. The attraction will open in the Port Discovery area of Tokyo DisneySea. The attraction will be in the place of the current attraction of Storm Rider, which will permanently close Mid-May of 2016.

The attraction will last 5 minutes and will immerse guests in an underwater adventure that will feature the stories of "Finding Nemo" and the upcoming sequel to the film in, "Finding Dory." The indoor attraction will immerse guests into the stories with a ride system that will seamlessly blend visuals from the films with a motion system. The ride will "shrink" you to the size of fish as you board this 2-cabin submarine. Guests will be able to have the same viewpoint as Nemo and Dory while meeting characters and making new discoveries while they ride.

The Dream Store is Returning to D23 Expo 2015 with New and Unique Collectibles:

The Dream Store is making its return to the 2015 D23 Expo in August. Specialty merchandise and collectibles, both new and unique, will be on hand for guests to purchase. Merchandise will include official D23 Expo merchandise, Disney Theme Park Merchandise, Alex and Ani, Disney Dream Collection and D23 Expo-exclusive jewelry, Harveys, and Dream Store Autograph Sessions.

Here is what D23 released about the merchandise coming:

Official D23 EXPO Merchandise—Disney fans can take home a piece of the magic from this year’s Expo, with an assortment of official D23 EXPO 2015 merchandise including tees, fleece, baseball caps, novelty headwear, D-Tech, jewelry, drinkware, souvenirs, accessories, pins, and Vinylmation™. And for the first time, guests can bring home a selfie party-pack inspired by a few of our favorite Disney characters, as well as an “R4-D23″ droid and Princess Kneesaa the Ewok plush.

Disney Theme Park Merchandise: Showcasing some of its newest releases and exclusive offerings from ACME Archives Limited, ALEX AND ANI, Steve Adams, Dave Avanzino, Jasmine Becket-Griffith, David Bird, Britni Brault, Stephen Cargile, Bob Elias, Collector’s Choice, Disney Design Group, Disney Dream Collection, Disney Fine Art by Collectors Editions, Disney Parks│PANDORA, Dooney & Bourke, HARVEYS, Ink & Paint Artists, Rob Kaz, Jerrod Maruyama, Bridget McCarty, Miss Mindy, James Mulligan, Rick O’Brien, Robert Olszewski, Maggie Parr, Mike Peraza, Larry Nikolai, Precious Moments, Linda Rick, Tim Rogerson, Javier Soto, George Scribner, Sketch Artists, Michelle St.Laurent, Yakovetic, and more.

ALEX AND ANI will debut several new styles at D23 EXPO 2015. Fans can expect a variety of jewelry designs featuring everyone’s favorite, Mickey Mouse, and a very special “Celebrate” wrap.

Disney Dream Collection and D23 EXPO-Exclusive Jewelry: Guests can enjoy a sparkling selection of fine jewelry created for the Disneyland Resort Celebration.

HARVEYS—Created especially for D23 EXPO 2015, this new collection features historical “A, B, and C Ticket Media” on some of their most popular silhouettes.

Dream Store Autograph Sessions—Disney fans will get the chance to meet some of their favorite authors, artists, Disney Legends, and other notable celebrities inside the Dream Store. Autograph sessions will be posted daily via the D23 EXPO Mobile App (available later this summer) and daily at the D23 EXPO Dream Store.

The D23 Expo will take place August 14-16, 2015 at the Anaheim Convention Center. For more details and updates on the Dream Store, guests can visit www.D23Expo.com, www.DisneyParksBlog.com, and www.DisneyParksMerchandise.com.

Tokyo Disney Reveals Expansion Plans and Concept Art

Tokyo Disney Reveals Details and Concept Art for Expansion:

Today, Tokyo Disney revealed details along with some concept art for its major expansion of its theme park due to be completed in 2017. The expansion includes the building of the "Frozen" city of Arendelle in Tokyo DisneySea as well as mini-themed lands dedicated to "Beauty and the Beast" and "Alice in Wonderland" in Tokyo Disneyland.

Arendelle will be located in Tokyo DisneySea in between the current locations of Lost River Delta and Port Discovery lands. All concept art released in today's details is courtesy of Oriental Land Co., the owner of Tokyo Disney.

Concept Art for Frozen's Arendelle at Tokyo DisneySea

Although Tokyo Disney has promised new original attractions for its Fantasyland expansion of the park there are similarities to what has been built in other Disney parks. For the "Beauty and the Beast" themed land it looks much like the entrance to Disney World's entrance to Be Our Guest restaurant. With the Arendelle land a lot of the details look like what is being done to Epcot's Norway pavilion and the conversion of the former attraction of Maelstrom. Tokyo Disney's Alice in Wonderland themed area looks much like Disneyland Paris' Alice's Curious Labyrinth. Here is the remaining concept art released by Oriental Land Company.

Concept Art for Beauty and the Beast Land at Tokyo Disneyland

Concept Art for Alice in Wonderland Land in Tokyo Disneyland