Category: Disney Parks

The sports world has been at home watching the NBA Restart being broadcast from the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort and now, in the midst of the 2020 NBA Playoffs, the competition is heating up!

As the rims rattle in the opening round, I’m pumped to announce that we’ve collaborated with the NBA to develop two all-new merchandise collections for fans at home who want to cheer in style for their favorite NBA team and celebrate this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Available beginning Aug. 24 at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort and on Aug. 31 on shopDisney.com, these new items from NBA Experience Collection commemorate the 2020 NBA Playoffs and feature a wide range of  apparel and accessories. Check them out:

NBA Experience Make History Collection- Coming Aug. 24 to Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort and Aug. 31 to  shopDisney.com

You can make history just like your favorite NBA team with the Make History Collection that highlights classic Walt Disney World Resort iconography alongside NBA motifs. From classic t-shirts for men and women to a new spirit jersey and hoodie, they all feature a Mickey Mouse-shaped basketball, so you’ll be ready to cheer on your favorite team!

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Young NBA fans can also get in on the action with t-shirts celebrating the Playoffs and accessorize with a Minnie Mouse ear headband or Mickey Mouse ear hat. Then make a slam dunk by matching your looks with a shiny phone case or mini Spalding basketball.

NBA Experience Whole New Game Collection- Coming Aug. 24 to Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort and Aug. 31 to  shopDisney.com

For those hardcore NBA fans, you’ll want to rock this sleek black, white and red collection featuring a variety of apparel and accessories! With a “Whole New Game” branded hoodie and two sweatshirts as well as an NBA Finals tank top for kids, you’ll look game ready in these stylish ensembles!

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Check out even more apparel including spirit jerseys for kids and adults, a Spalding basketball and a new phone case! These products are sure to take this “Whole New Game” to a whole new level!

Products Celebrating Favorite Teams– Coming Aug. 24 to Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort and Aug. 31 to  shopDisney.com

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Support your favorite teams with the latest MagicBands, phone cases and water bottles all celebrating the 2020 NBA Playoff teams. The perfect way to rep your team in style!

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Whether or not your team is in the race to the NBA Finals, there are still ways to celebrate with pins inspired by your favorites! From the Orlando Magic to the New York Knicks, take your pick!

These all-new NBA Experience collections are perfect for NBA and Disney Parks fans alike and offer another way to celebrate from home as the race to the Finals continues! So, visit shopDisney.com or Disney Springs to purchase these and other NBA Experience products and be sure to tune in to watch the NBA Playoffs on ESPN and ABC.

While the NBA Experience has not yet reopened, you can find these and other NBA Experience products at shopDisney.com and at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com
Filed Under: Disney Springs, Walt Disney World Resort, WDW

Gorillas have always held a special place in my heart, so I’ve been deeply touched by the award-winning book “The One and Only Ivan,” which tells the true story of Ivan, a 400-pound silverback gorilla who was raised by humans for the first 27 years of his life in a communal habitat in a suburban shopping mall. While there were several other animals there, such as Stella the elephant and Bob the dog, there were no other gorillas. Ivan did not know what it was like to be a part of a gorilla family until he moved to Zoo Atlanta, a fellow Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) accredited institution that oversaw giving him the best possible care. 

 “The One and Only Ivan” has been adapted for the screen and will premiere August 21,  streaming exclusively on Disney+. 

You may see some familiar sights from Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park in the film, as the park served as an inspiration to the filmmakers. Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail, with its lush greenery, was used as a model for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Filmmakers also spent time studying the behaviors of our western lowland gorilla troops, learning about their family dynamics and observing how they forage for food, play with one another, and sleep. We are very fortunate to have an exceptionally dedicated team of animal care experts who invest a lot of time in building trust with these gorillas, and all the 5,000+ animals in our care, which allows us to work closely with them.

In fact, our work with gorillas goes far beyond caring for the troops at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, through the Disney Conservation Fund, we support the Gorilla Rehabilitation and Conservation Education Center (GRACE), the world’s only sanctuary for orphaned Grauer’s gorillas, a critically endangered species. GRACE provides the sort of storybook ending that Ivan dreams about in the movie. Rescued gorillas join an adoptive gorilla family and get to live together in spacious natural forest enclosures.  Our animal care team members provide resources and share their expertise with staff at GRACE, which has been imperative in saving the lives of gorillas and helping ensure they thrive.

I’m very proud of the work our teams have done to support “The One and Only Ivan” and their dedication to ensuring gorillas are well cared for each and every day. I encourage you to watch this heartwarming story on Disney+, and be sure to check out our free downloadable activity packet with all you need to know about the care and conservation of these wonderful animals.  And for everyday animal adventures, follow @drmarkatdisney on Instagram or @DisneyASE on Facebook.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com
Filed Under: Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort, WDW

I have spent more time photographing Cinderella Castle than any other single structure at Walt Disney World Resort, so I was very excited to capture the castle with its new royal color scheme. This time, I wanted to see how the new colors would transform some of my favorite vantage points that I know so well here at The Most Magical Place on Earth.

Having spent several mornings now at Magic Kingdom Park photographing this new look for the iconic castle, I’ve come to know it quite well. I love how the new colors pop, how certain details – perhaps unnoticed before – stand out with the gold overlay, and how the castle “glows” now when hit by sunlight.

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There was one angle, though, that I could only capture during this special time. While the work was being done on the castle, the water in its moat had to be drained. Taking advantage of this rare occurrence, I arrived early one morning and was able to walk down into the moat and photograph the castle from a rarely seen angle. From this perspective, Cinderella Castle takes on a whole new level of grandeur.

It was icing on the cake for me to photograph Cinderella in front of her namesake, just as the sun was coming up. She brought the castle’s new look to life in a way only a princess can.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com
Filed Under: Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort, MK, WDW

If you’re looking to get outside and hit the links at Walt Disney World Resort, I’m excited to share with you that Walt Disney World Golf has come up with new ways to make your check-in process easier.

With health and safety top of mind, Disney Golf, which is operated by Arnold Palmer Golf Management, recently launched its Park & Play Program, which responsibly speeds up the check-in process before you even start your round. Here’s how it works: Just book your tee time online and pay for it using a credit card. Then when you show up at any Disney golf course, in most cases your pre-positioned sanitized golf cart will be waiting for you and you can take it straight to the first tee.

If you’re a golfer then you know that’s magic!

Even if you have to go inside the clubhouse to check in or pick up some cool Disney golf merchandise, all of the courses have gone to contactless payments (e.g. credit/debit cards, Apple Pay, etc) as cash is no longer accepted.

It’s just the latest effort by Disney Golf to enhance the golfing experience while operating responsibly at Walt Disney World Resort. As a remimnder, all of the other health and safety provisions at all of the Disney courses include:

• Face coverings are required in the clubhouse, restrooms and food & beverage locations.
• Bunker rakes, sand bottles and ball washers have been removed from the courses.
• Flag sticks can be left in the hole during putting.
• Single cart riding is available upon request.
• Social distancing guidelines for golfers and employees.
• Enhanced sanitization throughout the golf course and clubhouse.

To learn more about the enhanced Disney Golf health and safety measures, and to book your tee time, including the Park & Play Program, visit www.golfwdw.com.

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com
Filed Under: Walt Disney World Resort, Golf, WDW

The saga of “The Rohdes, Less Traveled” continues! Thanks for following our little video series so far. We hope this next one is equally entertaining and informative! This episode digs into stone carving and the carvers of Bali, who have created a surprising number of statues that are seen throughout Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Stay tuned for more #DisneyMagicMoments like this as we continue “The Rohdes, Less Traveled” series in upcoming weeks.  

RELATED STORIES:

• The Rohdes, Less Traveled: Inside Design, Inspiration of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park
• The Rohdes, Less Traveled: Ageing and Patina in Storytelling

From our friends at disneyparks.disney.go.com
Filed Under: Behind the Scenes, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort, BtS, DAK, DisneyMagicMoments, Video, WDW