food IS a theme park
Today is the Destination D23 event in Disney World, and we’re here with live coverage!
©D23
Today a lineup of D23 events for 2022 were announced, and y’all — 2022 is going to be awesome for D23 Members!
While the Disney Parks are filled with shows, characters, and rides, there is also A LOT to do outside of the parks, including quite a few things that you might now know about!
Cirque du Soleil at Disney Springs
There are dinner shows at select Disney World hotels (though these are currently suspended), an entire shopping and dining district that is FREE to visit, and more. And, after a 19-month delay, there’s now a brand NEW show that you can only see if you’re visiting Disney World!
Disney World’s 50th Anniversary is almost a week away! We’ve been covering all of the exciting events that will take place next week along with the following eighteen months, including brand-new fireworks, dining experiences, merchandise, and more!
Cinderella Castle
If you’re a D23 Member, there’s, even MORE, celebrating to take part in! That’s because the D23 x Walt Disney Imagineering series called Magical Milestones will continue with the 50th Anniversary of the Walt Disney World Resort!
The Walt Disney Company is something of a titan today and the innovation and principles on which it stands were originally crafted by a group of legendary visionaries.
Steamboat Willie ©Disney
From multiplane cameras to audio-animatronics, Walt Disney and his team were integral in shaping the world of entertainment as we know it today. And you’d be hard-pressed to name a more iconic Disney creation than Mickey Mouse. We have one man, in particular, to thank for Mickey — and it’s not Walt Disney.
There have been so many exciting updates about the Disney Wish in recent weeks and months, from the variety of unique dining options on board to of course the Aqua Mouse coaster.
©Disney
With all of these announcements, we often forget that the ship is still under construction! The latest ship to be added to the Disney Cruise Line fleet is currently located at Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany, where crews are hard at work bringing all of the magic to life.
We’ve seen quite a few changes made recently when it comes to the Walt Disney Company.
EPCOT
Not too long ago, Disney MASSIVELY restructured their media and entertainment businesses to focus on streaming. We’ve also seen a lot of shake-ups within the team of creators responsible for MAKING all the Disney magic, Imagineering. We’ve seen quite a few influential individuals retiring and others getting new titles. So, what’s the deal? What’s going on over at Imagineering and why should you care? We’re sharing all the details here with you.
Walt Disney Imagineering is the brains behind all your favorite rides in the parks.
We’re on our way to see the Yeti!
And lately, there’s been some changes goin’ on among the team! You may have heard that Imagineer Joe Rohde retired this year after 40 years with the company. And just a few days ago, the President of Walt Disney Imagineering got a new title and job description — according to his Linkedin profile, at least. Now, another Imagineer is getting a new title.
Do you love all the immersive experiences at Walt Disney World? Well, you have Disney Imagineering to thank for that!
Dumbo the Flying Elephant
“Imagineering” is the title coined by Walt Disney to describe the department of the company that creates, designs, and builds almost everything you can experience at Walt Disney World. Think theme parks, hotels, attractions, and all! And the man heading up the team is Bob Weis! He’s worked for the company as the President of Walt Disney Imagineering for more than 5 years now, and it looks like he got a new title recently.
It might surprise you just how much work Disney has going on behind the scenes!
Animal Kingdom
We tend to keep an eye on all the different building permits that Disney is filing to see what kind of work they might be doing that would impact guests — visible AND behind-the-scenes. Well, we spotted a few signs of construction on some of your favorite attractions!
Recently, we’ve seen a lot of Disney Cast Members retiring after long careers with the company.
©Orlando Sentinel
Last year, Executive Chef Bruno Vrignon retired after 38 years in EPCOT’s France Pavilion, and then Jim MacPhee, the Senior Vice President of Operations announced his retirement in December. Joe Rohde, legendary Imagineer and the lead designer of Disney’s Animal Kingdom also retired from the company less than two weeks ago after working with Disney for 40 years. Now, another one of Disney’s best Imagineers has announced his retirement for later this year — Kevin Rafferty.
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