Happy Sunday! We’re back with another recap of the week’s biggest Disney news stories!
Last Sunday Hurricane Irma meant the closure of the Walt Disney World Resort for two days. The theme parks reopened on September 12 with mostly minimal damage.
The Walt Disney Company announced a $2.5 million donation to the relief efforts following Hurricane Irma.
In non-hurricane news, J.J. Abrams was announced as the writer and director for Star Wars: Episode IX.
An extended sneak preview of Disney/Pixar’s Coco is coming to the Disney Parks in November.
The Magic Kingdom is hosting several …

A new family-friendly event, Plaza de la Familia, is coming to Disney’s California Adventure as part of the park’s celebration of the new film Coco.
The festivities start September 15 at Paradise Gardens.
Guests can enjoy “A Musical Celebration of Coco” featuring storytellers and original songs from Coco, plus Folklórico dancers and Grammy-winning Mariachi Divas.
The Plaza de la Familia will also feature authentic Mariachi music at the Paradise Gardens Grandstand, The World of Coco exhibit, a Tree of Life interactive photo area, and a menu featuring all-new Mexican foods.
Plaza de la Familia …

If you haven’t had a chance to see the new live show, The Music of Pixar Live: A Symphony of Characters, you can catch a live stream of the show on Thursday, June 29.
The limited-time show debuted earlier this spring at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and features a live orchestra playing music from Disney/Pixar films.
A cast of Disney/Pixar characters join the show too including Mike and Sully, Woody and Jessie, The Incredibles, Buzz Lightyear, and more.
Guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios have three chances each night to see the live show.
And now, …

If you can’t wait until next month when Cars 3 opens in theaters, you can catch a sneak preview of the new Disney/Pixar film at Disney World and Disneyland.
A 3D preview of the film with in-theater effects starts at the Bug’s Life Theater at Disney California Adventure on May 12.
On May 26 guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios can catch a preview of the film as part of the One Man’s Dream attraction.
Artwork at maquettes from the film will also be on display at One Man’s Dream.
In the film Lightning McQueen …

The lineup of presentations for the D23 Expo 2017 has been announced!
Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger is set to kick off the Expo on Friday, July 14, and later in the day fans will get a preview of the latest films coming from Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar.
On July 15 The Walt Disney Studios will present a preview of the slate of live-action films from Disney, Marvel, and Lucasfilm. And on July 16 Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek will give a preview of what is coming …

A new limited-time concert is coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios this summer – ‘The Music of Pixar Live! A Symphony of Characters.’
This new live concert debuts May 26 and will feature music from Pixar Animation Studios films, a live orchestra, and visits by popular Disney/Pixar characters.
The Music of Pixar Live! will be performed three times nightly at the Theater of the Stars at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The daytime performances of Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage will continue during daytime hours.
The music in the show will include highlights from …

Cars 3 drives into theaters on June 16, but a new ‘Road to the Races’ nationwide tour inspired by the films kicks off this weekend at Disney Springs.
The Road to the Races tours stars March 23 and runs through March 26 at Disney Springs and it’s fun for the whole family.
Some of the fun planned for the weekend includes three life-size character cars; a giant color mural from Alamo Rent A Car; a racer pit crew tire-changing activity; “high-octane” smoothies from Dole; prizes from Crest and Oral-B; and an interactive …

Disney’s live-action Beauty and the Beast earned $170 million on its opening weekend, with a global box office of $350 million.
The film broke several box office records during its incredible opening weekend.
Beauty and the Beast is now the top domestic opening of all time for a PG-rated film. The previous record holder was Disney/Pixar’s Finding Dory.
Beauty and the Beast was also the top opening of all time for a PG-rated film at the international box office.
The film is now the no. 7 launch of all time for any movie, beating …

After several years of waiting for more details surrounding Disney/Pixar’s Coco – first announced at the D23 Expo in 2015 – we have some news about this highly anticipated film.
Coco tells the story of Miguel, a teen who dreams of becoming a musician despite his family’s ban on music. Miguel tries to prove his talent and soon finds himself in the Land of the Dead after a “mysterious chain of events.”
During his journey Miguel meets a trickster named Hector (Gael Garcia Bernal, Mozart in the Jungle) and they set off …

Finding Dory set a new box office record for an opening weekend for animated films.
The sequel to Finding Nemo earned an estimated $136.2 million, earning it the No. 1 spot for the weekend.
Finding Dory earned $9.2 million Thursday night and $54 million on Friday, making this new box office record an easy one.
The Disney/Pixar film stars Ellen DeGeneres and Albert Brooks as Dory and Marlin, reprising their roles from Finding Nemo (which was in theaters 13 years ago!).
The film tells the story of Dory as she travels to find her …