Disney News: Pixar Pier Open, Not-So-Scary Updates, Halloween on the High Seas & More

Here are some of the recent news stories that caught our eye from the various Disney Destinations we represent.

Pixar Pier Now Open to Guests at Disney California Adventure Park

Pixar Pier, the reimagined land along the shores of Paradise Bay in Disney California Adventure® Park, is now open! Here’s a look what’s in store for you when you visit Pixar Pier!

As Guests enter Pixar Pier, they’ll pass under the dazzling marquee. On the right hand side, the new Lamplight Lounge is a stylish, fun place to hang out with the whole family. Lamplight Lounge serves a new menu of California casual gastro-pub cuisine that is playfully presented, along with unique signature cocktails.

On the other side, Knick’s Knacks offers an assortment of goodies and souvenirs based on Pixar film favorites.

At Adorable Snowman Frosted Treats, you can enjoy cones and cups with tasty towering soft serve, available in chocolate, vanilla, and non-dairy lemon, as well as specialty treats like the Pixar Pier Parfait and the It’s Snow-Capped Lemon.

At Incredibles Park, the inviting plaza features mid-century modern design aesthetics. Anchoring the area is the new Incredicoaster, a thrilling adventure with “The Incredibles!”

Adjacent to Incredibles Park is Toy Story Boardwalk, a neighborhood that includes the popular Toy Story Mania!, with Jessie’s Critter Carousel coming in 2019. And there’s some fabulous food spots, including Señor Buzz Churros and Poultry Palace!

The charming Pixar Promenade celebrates the heartwarming stories and beloved characters from all of Pixar’s films. You can test your skills and win a prize at the Games of the Boardwalk, listen to music and meet favorite Pixar characters at the classic band-shell stage or take a spin around Pixar Pal-A-Round. And later this summer, you can discover the treasure trove of candies, souvenirs and trinkets at Bing Bong’s Sweet Stuff.

The fourth neighborhood in Pixar Pier is Inside Out Headquarters. The whimsical family-friendly Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind will debut in 2019!

Located on the western end of the pier, the lush and colorful Inside Out Headquarters will be the future home of Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind! Making its Pixar Pier debut in 2019, this whimsical family-friendly attraction inspired by “Inside Out” will be—not surprisingly—full of emotions.

Also joining Pixar Pier in 2019 is Jessie’s Critter Carousel. Inspired by Jessie’s wilderness friends in the “Woody’s Roundup” television show from “Toy Story 2,” this reimagined attraction is a classic boardwalk carousel with a rootin’ tootin’ spin.

New Spooky Experiences Coming to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World Resort

The most wonderfall time of the year is just around the corner, and this year you have yet another reason to join the fun during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom® Park!

Taking place select nights Aug. 17–Oct. 31, 2018, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary will add a few new twists and treats to this year’s event.

The Mad Tea Party will take you for a colorful ride as new lighting and effects give a new spin on the night. Depending on the color of your costume, you may also transform under the new dancing lights. How cool is that?

On Pirates of the Caribbean, new pirates invade experience, interacting with sailing Guests who will join the search for “Gunpowder Pete.” Arrrgh!

On Space Mountain, explorers will hurtle through deep space as a new soundtrack and special effects transform the adventure.

Also new this year, Storybook Circus welcomes the Storybook Circus Disney Junior Jam, a dance party featuring favorite Disney Junior Characters, including Doc McStuffins!

As always, dancing ghosts, the Headless Horseman, plus Mickey, Peter Pan and many more favorite characters return in the themed parade. The skies above come alive with a magical fireworks extravaganza and a spectacle that definitely goes bump in the night. Plus, the spellbinding “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular” castle show returns, as the Sanderson Sisters take “stage fright” to another level. And, there are plenty of sweets for all trick-or-treaters, even allergy-friendly options.

Entertainment offerings subject to change without notice. Please choose costumes that are not obstructive or offensive. Admission to this event requires a separately priced ticket valid only during specific event dates and hours. Inclement weather conditions may also affect outdoor entertainment.

Halloween on the High Seas Cruises Haunting Disney Ships this Fall

Beginning in September, each Disney Cruise Line ship will be transformed into a ghoulish wonderland for another season of Halloween on the High Seas cruises, an extra-spooky celebration packed with haunted tricks and fun-filled treats for the whole family!

During this frightfully fun event, you can join Mickey and friends for a spellbinding lineup of themed parties and festive entertainment, including:

Mickey’s Mouse-querade Party, a super-fun family costume party with games, dancing and lots of candy!

A Nightmare Before Christmas – Sing and Scream, an interactive singalong movie experience followed by meet-and-greets with Jack and Sally.

Haunted Stories of the Sea, where a mysterious sea captain tells campfire-style ghost stories on the upper deck beneath the eerie glow of the night sky.

Halloween Isn’t Just For Kids, a special celebration just for adults where the nighttime entertainment district becomes the setting for a costume contest and a Villainous Takeover on the dance floor.

Plus, with costumed character greetings, special Halloween treats and a magical Pumpkin Tree that transforms throughout the cruise, the not-so-spooky memories are sure to stay with you for years to come.

There are cruises sailing from both coasts this fall:

From New York City: Disney Magic sails four- and seven-night Canada cruises and five- and six-night Bermuda cruises departing Sept. 20 to Oct. 29.

From San Diego, California: Disney Wonder sails two-, four- and five-night Baja cruises, a seven-night Mexican Riviera cruise and a 14-night Panama Canal cruise departing Sept. 14 to Oct. 19.

From Port Canaveral, Florida: Disney Fantasy sails seven-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises departing Sept. 1 to Oct. 27. Disney Dream sails three- and four-night Bahamian cruises departing Sept. 3 to Oct. 29.

Celebrating the Fourth of July at Walt Disney World Resort

Independence Day is just days away, and the parks at Walt Disney World® Resort will be celebrating our nation’s birthday with some star-spangled salutes to America!

If you are visiting during the 4th of July, here are some highlights of the special entertainment planned for that day:

Epcot® – On July 4, you can enjoy special evening concerts of great American songs by Voices of Liberty at 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. at the America Gardens Theatre. During the day, you can also meet Mickey and the gang in patriotic attire outside The American Adventure, and at 9 p.m. that night “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” joins the celebration with the addition of a heart-pounding, all-American grand finale!

Magic Kingdom® Park – At 9:15 p.m. on both July 3 and 4, “Disney’s Celebrate America! A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky” rockets into the air above – and all around – the park. Since this special, fireworks spectacular will be presented two nights in a row, you can start the celebration early. Each evening will also see special DJ parties hosted in Frontierland and Tomorrowland, where Guests can get a great view of the fireworks!

Disney’s Hollywood Studios® – You can spend the Fourth celebrating one of the greatest icons of American popular culture at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular.” This one-of-a-kind show blasts off at 10 p.m. with fireworks, lasers, projection effects and more!

Bus Times at Walt Disney World Resort Now Available in Newly Redesigned My Disney Experience App

If you have ever wondered when the next bus is going to arrive at your Disney Resort hotel, the answer will now be right at your fingertips.

Disney has rolled out a brand new bus time feature in the My Disney Experience mobile app that enables you to spend less time waiting at the bus stop and more time getting ready for a fun-filled day in the parks. With this feature, you can quickly discover up-to-the-minute estimates for when the next buses will depart from your Disney Resort hotel and when you will complete your journey to their destination.

The app regularly updates in real time to provide the most current estimates for buses heading to all four theme parks, two water parks and the Disney Springs® area. Guests can access the feature throughout their stay by tapping “See Bus Times” when viewing an active Disney Resort hotel reservation associated with their account.

You may also notice that this My Disney Experience update brings a new and improved design to the app, making it easier than ever for you to navigate and find what you’re looking for – from the new bus time feature and mobile food ordering service to adding tickets, booking FastPass+ selections and discovering key park offerings.

This is just the most recent example of how Disney is using digital technology to make the Guest experience even more convenient. During the past year alone, they have added app features that allow Guests to view room charges, keep track of Disney dining plan usage, check in online to start their vacation even faster, use their mobile devices as a digital key (now available at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and coming soon to additional Disney Resort hotels) and more.

You can explore all that’s new in My Disney Experience by updating to the current version of the app, now available in the Apple Store for iOS devices and Google Play for Android devices.

And there’s more coming soon! The tech teams are constantly exploring and innovating new enhancements to My Disney Experience as it continues to grow and evolve, so be sure to stay tuned for the latest updates.