Happy New Year! Disney ushered in 2012 last night with a special announcement of what park guests can look forward to this February. To celebrate Leap Day 2012, Disney will hold “One More Disney Day” and keep the parks open for 24 hours straight.
From 6:00 AM on February 29, 2012 to 6:00 AM March 1, 2012, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom Park and Disneyland Park will be open for park guests to celebrate their extra Disney day. Walt Disney Parks and Resorts chairman Tom Staggs says about the new announcement:
“We’re …

There are several new items coming to Disney Parks this year, which will allow visitors to ring in the New Year in style. One of the items is the clock-inspired Disney Eat Hat, designed by Mark Seppala, who says that Alice in Wonderland partially inspired him to create this new ear hat.
Additionally, the clock theme carries over into the Disney Pins, with a new pin featuring Tinkerbell. Two additional Disney Pins will also be released at Disneyland and Walt Disney World to help commemorate the New Year.
New 2012 Disney New …

In anticipation of the larger crowds during the holiday season, Disney’s Hollywood Studios is adding more dining and entertainment options in the hopes to prevent lines from growing too large for holiday visitors.
Several hot dog carts, as well as two of the food kiosks from the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, have been installed at the park to create more dining space for visitors. One food kiosk, “Ristorante Italiano,” serves guests Italian favorites like minestrone and penne pasta, and is located near the exit from the Muppet Theater. The …

Walt Disney World and Disneyland are gearing up for their 2012 “Year of More Magic” promotion, and will be making a surprise announcement New Years Eve.
While we likely won’t hear anything about the announcement until the day of, rumors are circulating that it will have something to do with February 29, the additional day the parks will be open because of it being a leap year. While there hasn’t been word on the nature of Disney’s surprise announcement, sources are saying they believe it will be a one-off promotion for …

Great Britain’s biggest fan of Mickey Mouse, 51 year-old Tony Quinlan of Gershwin Boulevard, Witham, has turned his home into a Disney paradise this holiday season.
Nearly all of the Christmas decorations are Disney-inspired, and Gershwin’s wife, Anne, says:
He just loves Mickey Mouse. He loves all things Disney. He’s just a kid that’s not grown up. He used to say when we had children that he did it for them, but now they’ve grown up, although we have granddaughters now. Of course he uses it as an excuse.
Anne also …

On Sunday, Walt Disney World presented a $30,000 gift to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida – specifically, their Kids Cafe program.
The Kids Cafe program provides nutritious meals to over 900 local children, and Walt Disney World’s gift helps further the food bank’s goal. Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations, presented the gift.
Dave Krepcho, president and CEO of Second Harvest Food Bank, says:
No American, and especially no child, should go hungry, and we thank Disney for making it possible for us to help …

The Orlando Sentinel has confirmed that the construction taking place adjacent to Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa is indeed a new Disney Vacation Club destination.
Rumors were rampant when the mysterious project first broke ground earlier this year.  At the time, Disney released information that the construction would result in the temporary closure of the Grand Floridian’s spa, but the company refused to confirm that the expansion was indeed DVC-related.
The new expansion will add around 147 additional rooms to the Grand Floridian property, but the units will be separate from …

The luxury Four Seasons Resort coming to the Walt Disney World Resort officially broke ground this week, and construction was kicked off with Mickey Mouse, President of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations Meg Crofton, and joint venture partners Silverstein Properties and Dune Real Estate in attendance.
Once the hotel has been constructed, it will have 444 rooms, a spa with 18 different treatment rooms for guests, as well as a “lazy river” and three pools. Additional amenities will include tennis courts, a climbing wall, and other sports facilities.
Construction on the …

Are you a Disney fan who also loves Star Wars? You might want to head down to Walt Disney World this summer and take part in Star Wars Weekends, an annual event held at Disney’s Hollywood Studios that celebrates the Star Wars film saga and the animated TV show Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Yesterday, Disney announced the 2012 dates for this exciting event, which includes special events and experiences that Star Wars fans will definitely want to check out.
The special event will take place on the following weekends in 2012:

May …

Guests heading to Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in Walt Disney World this holiday season will now have a new food option to try. The Disney Food Blog and Walt Disney World for Grownups have reported that the resort’s counter service restaurant, the Pepper Market, will test a new buffet this winter for breakfast and lunch.
The buffet “test” will take place at the restaurant from December 4, 2011 through January 4, 2012. Breakfast will cost $14.99 for adults and $8.99 for children, and lunch will cost $16.99 (adults) and $9.99 (kids). …