Thanksgiving is well-known for being filled with love and appreciation as loved ones come together to express what they’re most thankful for. And while this year’s holiday will be a little different, one thing remains just as prevalent and fills me with immense gratitude: the support our culinary cast members give to Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida—an organization that provides housing, emergency services and diversion for local homeless men, women and children.
For more than 20 years, our culinary teams have supported Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida by providing freshly-prepared meals to feed the nearly 650 residents who call the Coalition home—including on Thanksgiving Day.
Even though this year’s holiday meal serve will be done a little differently, Chef James and his culinary team are carrying on the tradition and whipping up a traditional Thanksgiving Day meal complete with all the classic fixings — roasted turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, stuffing, salad, rolls, cranberry sauce and dessert.
And to help the Coalition with their modified meal serve, the Walt Disney World team is also donating hundreds of to-go containers and $20,000 collected from a very special place at Walt Disney World Resort: our fountains! Every year, thousands of guests toss coins into fountains at our Resort and make a wish, and this year the funds collected from those fountains are being given to the Coalition to help make their annual Thanksgiving meal service possible.
As you begin your own meal planning, Chef James is sharing some of his personal favorite ingredients to spice up classic Thanksgiving dishes, inspired by the delicious food he and his team are preparing for the Coalition to serve on Thursday. Check out the graphic below for his Turkey Day Tips — we hope these add a little pixie dust to your holiday meals this year!
Thanksgiving is a day of gratitude. At Walt Disney World Resort, among the many things we’re thankful for are the 3,000 animal births and hatchings that happened in 2020, including more than 2,500 invertebrates (such as insects and snails). From the tiniest of snails (more than 1,000 to be exact) to charismatic mammals such as a 150-pound endangered white rhinoceros, we have an abundance of thankfulness this year.
Births and hatchings are exciting for our devoted Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment team, and for our theme park guests who can see these new additions up close and personal in their habitats. I am especially proud knowing many of these new residents offer hope for the future of their respective species. Each represents another success of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plans.
I am so proud and thankful for the entire team that makes it all happen. So, during this Thanksgiving season, let’s reflect on the miracle of birth and the magic of nature with a look at some of the adorable baby animals that joined our Disney family this year.
The newest addition to the Disney’s Animal Kingdom family, born Oct 25, is our male white rhinoceros, (one of the many births through one of the Species Survival Plans.) This yet-to-be-named little one is already weighing in at more than 200 pounds and is quite a ball of energy. You may remember his mom and dad, Kendi and Dugan, whose love story we followed on “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom,” a Disney+ original series streaming now. We expect him to join the rest of the crash on the Kilimanjaro Safaris savanna at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park early next year.
You’re not seeing double – we had two female Masai giraffe born only a month apart this year. Maple (left) got her name after her keepers noticed that one of the spots on her skin is shaped like a maple leaf. And Zella (right) has a name that means “beautiful girl who knows the path” in Slavic and African languages. Both little girls will make their debut on the savanna any day now.
A first for our team, the baby Babirusa, Kirana, which translates to “Sunbeam” in Indonesian, can be seen daily in the Oasis at the park. This time last year, the team was hard at work introducing Betty and Mentari, parents of little Kirana, while cameras rolled for “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
We’ve had more than 1,000 Partula Snails this year! These little ones actually produce one offspring every 4-6 weeks and can reproduce without a partner. The baby reaches maturity between three and six months and can start producing their own offspring. That’s a lot of snails!
Whether you visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park or Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, you’re likely to see a young zebra. We’ve been lucky enough to have five born this year between the two locations. You can see more in the third episode of “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom,” when one of our babies explores a new section of the savanna with his mom.
Over at The Seas with Nemo & Friends at EPCOT, the team cares for a variety of aquatic animals including these little Banggai cardinalfish. These animals are fully grown at just 3 inches. And did you know, the male Banggai are actually the ones who carry the eggs in their mouth until they hatch! They can usually hold about 60 eggs at once.
Right as we were opening the new Tri-Circle D Ranch at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort, we welcomed little Violet. She’s doing great and enjoying time in the pasture with her equine bestie Dory. She can be seen at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. daily.
Meet aardvark Karanga. Her name means “peanut” in Swahli and honors her mother who’s named Peanut. Karanga’s birth represents another first for Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
And who can forget Olive, the littlest mandrill in the troop. She stole the hearts of many as she tried a blueberry for the first time in September. Her keepers say she’s becoming much more independent from mom, Scarlet, routinely climbing in the trees solo or exploring more and more on her own. She has also found a willing playmate in her grandmother, Snow.
You can learn more about the rare and beautiful animals that call Disney home and meet the amazing teams who care for them by watching National Geographic’s “Magic of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.” The Disney+ original series is streaming now. To learn more about the animals in our care and what we’re doing to save their counterparts in the wild, visit DisneyAnimals.com.
Disney PhotoPass Service has collaborated with EZ Prints to help you create personalized photo gift products featuring your Disney vacation photos. There are so many products you can customize that will bring magic into your life by helping you remember your Disney vacation memories! You can dress up your home with magnets, coasters, ornaments, placemats, photo books, metal or wood prints, or you can feature your Disney memories on products you use daily like phone cases, mugs, and notebooks.
Each product features a Disney-themed design that gives it an extra bit of pixie dust. You can use your Disney PhotoPass photos when creating your products, or you can upload your own photos. Photos can be from a recent trip, a trip from many years ago, or both! The choice is yours.
These products are the perfect present for the Disney fan in your life. Because what could be better than giving the gift of daily Disney reminiscing? Well, ok, actually giving someone a Disney vacation would be an even better gift, but for those looking for a smaller present, these are fabulous options.
To help you kick off your holiday shopping, EZ Prints’ Black Friday sale on these customized photo gift products begins today! Through November 30, 2020, use code MAGICAL30 when checking out on EZ Prints’ website to get 30% off personalized photo gift products PLUS free shipping (exclusions apply).*
To explore the options and start creating your personalized photo gift products, Walt Disney World Resort Guests can visit EZ Prints’ website by clicking here, while Disneyland Resort Guests can visit EZ Prints’ website by clicking here. Be sure to customize and order your photo gift products before the holiday shipping deadline.
Photo gift products are offered by a third party, EZ Prints. Not all Disney PhotoPass photos can be used in EZ Prints products. Use of Disney PhotoPass photos by EZ Prints will be subject to EZ Prints’ own policies and terms, and Disney will not be responsible for EZ Prints products, site or actions. More information on third-party products can be found in the Disney PhotoPass terms and conditions here. Subject to restrictions and change without notice.
*Offer valid on Disney photo gift products ordered from EZ Prints from November 24, 2020 (12:01 a.m. ET) through November 30, 2020 (11:59 p.m. ET). Free shipping applies to Standard Delivery on orders from EZ Prints sent to a single shipment address in the continental United States. Additional Shipping & Handling applies for select items or shipments to more than one shipment address. No adjustments to prior purchases. Offer cannot be combined with any other offer or discount and is subject to restrictions and change without notice. Not valid on any in-store, online or in-app purchases from Disney PhotoPass Service or any other Disney affiliate, location or site. Disney will not be responsible for the EZ Prints offer. Void where prohibited.
‘Tis the season! Freeform has delivered a delightful “25 Days of Christmas” gift for guests visiting Disney Springs this November and December. Located on the Northwest side of Disney’s Days of Christmas store, guests can check out a festive photo wall. Capture the perfect selfie in front of a wintery wonderland featuring some of Freeform’s holiday icons. Don’t forget to tag your photos with #DisneySprings and #25DaysOfChristmas!
When you’re home, be sure to watch Freeform’s “25 Days of Christmas” December 1-25 as they deck the halls and celebrate Christmas with a cheerful lineup of merry Holiday films. Beginning Tuesday, December 1st grab a cup of cocoa and enjoy a full slate of Christmas favorites including “Home Alone,” “The Santa Clause” trilogy, “Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” and much more!
To learn more about Freeform’s “25 Days of Christmas” programming click the link below: Freeform.com/25DaysSchedule
At the 2019 D23 Expo, Disney CEO, and Make-A-Wish America Board Member, Bob Chapek shared an incredible video that brought the power of wishes to life – and showed the lasting impact they can have on a wish kid. Today, we’re excited to introduce you to a new video series called The Wish Effect, where we’ll take a deeper look at the journeys of some amazing wish kids and their unforgettable stories. You’ll hear first-hand about their wish, how their wish has stayed with them, and what they’re up to these days.
To kick it off, we wanted to share a follow-up to the video Bob shared at D23. We hope that you enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at four of these incredible wish kids and feel inspired by their bravery and resilience in the face of adversity. You’ll see that a wish is only the beginning!
Since the very first wish was granted at Disneyland Resort nearly 40 years ago, Disney and Make-A-Wish have worked together to make more than 140,000 wishes come true. A wish reflects the creativity of each child’s imagination, which is why we’re so honored that half of all wishes Make-A-Wish grants in the United States are Disney wishes.
Stay tuned for even more stories as part of The Wish Effect!
