Storm troopers and mouse fans, get ready: Details on a host of new attractions and experiences were unveiled by Bob Chapek, chairman of Disney parks, experiences and consumers, during Destination D: Celebrating Mickey Mouse.
New attractions from a galaxy far, far away are set to debut next year: Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run, and Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance, described as "an epic battle between the First Order and the Resistance," will open at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim next summer, and at Walt Disney World Resort [https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/] in Orlando in fall 2019.
Disney's most famous character, Mickey Mouse, turns 90 this year. A yearlong celebration includes the debut of Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway in 2019 at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando. Disneyland Resort is keeping the fun going with Get Your Ears On - a Mickey and Minnie Celebration, which will bring new entertainment, food and merchandise to the resort. Beginning in January, "Mickey's Mix Magic" will light up the night at Disneyland Park with all-new music, projections and lasers that set the scene for an epic dance party that takes over almost the entire park. And a new cinematic nighttime experience, "Wonderful World of Animation," will open in May at Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando. The show will use state-of-the-art technology to take guests on "a magical journey through more than 90 years of Disney animation, all beginning with - of course - Mickey Mouse himself."
Destination D revelations also included announcements about two new properties set to open at Walt Disney World: Disney Lakeside Lodge, a 900-room, nature-inspired resort, and Disney's Riviera Resort, which is "inspired by the European grandeur Walt Disney experienced in his travels along the Mediterranean coastline." No opening dates have been set for the hotels.
"We are currently in the midst of one of the most extraordinary periods of expansion in our history," Chapek said. "We are always pushing the boundaries of what's possible as we deliver world-class experiences and attractions, new hotels and entertainment, itineraries and destinations for our guests."