Following the debut of the popular Wishes Come True Blue color collection, we continue to celebrate the 40-year anniversary of Disney and Make-A-Wish® with a lovable Mickey Mouse plush – which unlocks yet another donation to Make-A-Wish – along with a brand-new animated short!
The holidays are the perfect time for giving and of course, giving back. This holiday season, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products is launching a three-minute animated short entitled “From Our Family to Yours.” This animated short highlights festive traditions and shared experiences that connect generations and make lifelong memories. It features two new lovable characters, Lola and her granddaughter, alongside a familiar friend – Mickey Mouse.
Check out this touching animated short and be sure to have tissues at the ready:
Love the soundtrack as much as I do? It’s the new “Love Is A Compass” single performed by Griff, a 19-year-old British singer-songwriter whose powerful vocals support the moving animation. Griff has recently been nominated for a prestigious Ivor Novello award for Rising Star. You can listen to the heart-warming single on all digital provider services – wherever you stream music!
Want your own adorable Mickey Mouse plush seen in the animated short? It’s available now online at shopDisney.com and across the pond at Disney stores in Europe and online at shopDisney.co.uk. The best part? For every Mickey Mouse Vintage Holiday Plush sold through Jan. 31, 2021, shopDisney will donate 25% of the purchase price to Make-A-Wish to help grant wishes.
We hope you have been enjoying our collection of at-home virtual trips inspired by favorite Adventures by Disney destinations. Today, we are going to journey to the Emerald Isle, a land rich in culture and tradition. Now it’s time to gather your family and get ready to virtually discover the castles, countryside and magic of Ireland. Across the Emerald Isle we go!
1. Explore the landscapes, legends and lore of Ireland
In this video, you’ll see the beauty of the lush, green
countryside that gave Ireland its well-known moniker, the Emerald Isle. You’ll
also experience the sights, sounds and traditions of this magical destination with
a journey to ancient castles and a front-row seat to a game of hurling, Ireland’s 3,000-year-old
national sport.
TIP: Many
streaming devices and smart TVs allow you to mirror your smart device/computer
and play videos directly on the big screen.
2. Discover the luck of the Irish
On an Adventures by Disney Ireland vacation, junior adventurers can search for lucky shamrocks on the sacred grounds where Saint Patrick once stood. You may not be able to find shamrocks as easily at home, but you can make some Disney magic with a few garden rocks. This do-it-yourself painted rock art activity gives you the chance to turn ordinary rocks into treasures. Fill your own pot of gold with these magical creations and create your own luck!
On every Adventures by Disney trip, you can count on the Adventure Guides to host engaging games and activities. Now we’re bringing the fun to you at home. This family game tests your drawing and guessing abilities, with an Irish twist. Print this guide and get ready to draw the animals, places and things you may encounter while adventuring in Ireland!
4. Enjoy freshly made scones
No visit to Ireland would be complete without enjoying a sweet and savory scone. This mouth-watering recipe comes from the Garden View Tea Room at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Download the recipe here to whip up a batch and let the aroma of these freshly baked treats fill your home.
Even more Adventures at Home
Don’t
forget to check out our collection of virtual trips and at-home activities
featured in the Adventures at Home series. Travel to Greece, the land of powerful gods and
extraordinary heroes; explore the majestic natural wonders of Iceland; discover
the wilderness and rich culture of Alaska; set
sail on a river cruise through the South of France;
join a safari to South Africa or experience
the beauty of Montana and
Yellowstone National Park.
Stay
tuned to Disney Parks Blog for
even more #DisneyMagicMoments and experience the magic of Disney wherever you
may be.
Get ready for another fun family night hosted by Disney Cruise Line! This time we’re bringing the world of Arendelle into your homes with a virtual watch party of our Broadway-style stage production, “Frozen, A Musical Spectacular.”
Raise the Curtain! You’re invited to grab a front-row seat (on your couch!) as we raise the curtain for another virtual presentation of Disney Cruise Line’s Broadway-style entertainment. Now showing, “Frozen, A Musical Spectacular!” This previously recorded video from our Walt Disney Theatre features the original cast from the show’s opening.
Frozen Popcorn Snowballs Before you start the show, whip up everyone’s favorite theater snack: popcorn! Put a Frozen spin on it with this tasty recipe for Frozen Popcorn Snowballs from Disney Family, fun for both adults and kids to make together. And you don’t have to worry about these snowballs melting!
Shadow Puppet Theater After the show, put on your own “Frozen” performance with these printable shadow puppet characters from Disney Family. The templates feature favorite characters like Anna, Elsa, Olaf and Sven so your little ones can use their imagination to tell their own story about adventures in Arendelle.
Don’t want the fun to end? Watch more of our Broadway-style musicals at home:
Let the holidays begin! A magnificently merry makeover at Magic Kingdom Park is officially ushering in the most magical season of the year at the Walt Disney World Resort.
After a year of planning, our Holiday Services department has transformed Magic Kingdom Park for the holidays with twinkling lights, toy soldiers, poinsettias, wreaths and other decorations on Main Street U.S.A., – and of course, our iconic 65-foot Christmas Tree. Today, we have a special look at the magic.
Also this season, there will be a joyful look for Cinderella Castle when night falls and special projection effects transform the iconic palace with festive designs with the decorations. Click here for details on all holiday offerings.
Along with Magic Kingdom Park, delightful displays of decorations can also be found throughout the Walt Disney World Resort – including Disney Springs – throughout the season.
For more holiday magic, our new “Everything Holidays” section will be home to a variety of in-park experiences, gift guides, special DIY projects, holiday recipes and more. Be sure to share your own Disney magic with us at #DisneyHolidayMoments and #DisneyMagicMoments.
As a dad, I relish memories from my early days of fatherhood and young family life; watching my children take their first steps, speak their first words and even finish potty training. Of course, those things didn’t just happen overnight – they took months of practice, patience and positive reinforcement.
Much like parenting in some ways, animal training requires patience and understanding. This week’s episode of “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom” on Disney+ highlights many behind-the-scenes moments that showcase how our expert Animal Care teams encourage the animals at Walt Disney World Resort to participate in their own care. It includes examples of training for both aquatic and land animals, celebrating new milestones and all the grit and glory that goes with it.
Aquarist Aaron sets up a target feeding session for Harry, a green sea turtle
At The Seas with Nemo & Friends at EPCOT, aquarist Aaron has spent the past four years specializing in aquatic animals, including sea turtles. He has a wealth of expertise he has developed here and through work with other Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA) institutions and conservation field studies. Aaron has invested a lot of time and effort into a green sea turtle named Harry, who came to us as a rescue from the wild after suffering an injury. Because of the extent of his injury, Harry’s not a candidate for re-release. Aaron has been by Harry’s side since his arrival at The Seas and is determined to help him thrive in the main aquarium under our care.
Feeding time for Harry is a central focus for Aaron, who is teaching the sea turtle how to swim to a target for his very own meals. This technique allows the aquarists to keep a close eye on Harry and ensure he’s eating enough each day. Here’s a sneak peek at what that looks like.
During their training sessions, Aaron provides Harry with positive reinforcers to gain his trust, in the form of back-scratches and his favorite foods, which you can see Harry loves…but you can also see it is a real treat for Aaron too. He has been working hard to help Harry make progress toward living his best life in his new aquarium home. With every milestone comes a huge sense of pride and accomplishment.
This week’s episode also highlights some small wins for one of our very large residents with equally big feelings of apprehension; the task – to get African elephant Nadirah to cross a bridge in her habitat on the savanna on Kilimanjaro Safaris. In this case, her animal care team Erin and Elizabeth had to redefine what success looks like, based on Nadirah’s personality and her unique needs.
Erin has spent the past thirteen years exclusively devoted to working with elephants in AZA institutions. For the past six years, she and Elizabeth have been caring for elephants at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park ,so they really have great insights on the dynamics of the herd and used their know-how and expertise to try a variety of different techniques to build up Nadirah’s confidence. By observing the elephants’ behaviors, they knew African elephant Vasha provides encouragement to Nadirah, so the team had them spend time together. They also knew Nadirah likes bath time with lots of attention and extra snacks, and this positive reinforcement gave the keeper team a chance to strengthen their bond with her and build more trust.
While Nadirah hasn’t crossed that bridge just yet, she continues to get a little closer, and we’re encouraged by her small steps toward big success. It’s a great reminder that at the end of the day, what Nadirah does is her choice, and just like with all of the animals at Walt Disney World Resort, it’s our job to recognize her needs, be supportive and work with her to ensure she gets the very best care.