No festival menus here, just the bigger stories in the Disney-sphere. Let’s take a look at the latest news around the Walt Disney Company, including Disney Parks, Experiences, and Entertainment.
Walt Disney World
Here’s what’s happening at the Most Magical Place on Earth.
Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster Starring the Muppets – Opening Date, Set List, and Guest Stars Revealed
Rock ‘n’ Rollercoaster Starring the Muppets roars to life on May 26, when the Electric Mayhem headline the most buzzworthy concert Disney’s Hollywood Studios has ever seen (or heard). The Mayhem have landed new studio digs, with help from Scooter’s uncle – real estate tycoon and owner of the Muppet Theatre, J.P. Grosse. Speaking of Scooter, the energetic Muppet Show stage manager will work the pre-show in Audio-Animatronic form, along with several audio engineers (all penguins, of course).
Guests will spot celebrity cameos throughout the experience, starting in the queue and continuing all the way through the merch shop. Keep your eyes out for these celebs:
- Awkwafina
- Danny Trejo
- Darren Criss
- John Stamos
- Neil Patrick Harris
- Travis Barker
- Yvette Nicole Brown
- Wayne Brady
- “Weird Al” Yankovic
The Electric Mayhem teamed up with some of the biggest names in rock to deliver a lineup of tracks designed to crank the volume from start to finish. Here’s the highly anticipated set list:
- Song 2 – The Electric Mayhem
- Born To Be Wild – The Electric Mayhem ft. Camilla the Chicken
- Love Rollercoaster – The Electric Mayhem ft. Jennifer Hudson & Questlove
- Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop) – The Electric Mayhem ft. Def Leppard
- Walking on Sunshine – The Electric Mayhem ft. Kelly Clarkson
Disney is teasing even more surprises still to come, and will soon announce previews for cast members, eligible Disney Vacation Club Members, and Annual Passholders. For the rest of us, May 26th can’t come soon enough!
Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge Timeline Expanding at Disneyland
Finally, Star Wars fans around the world can rejoice. On April 29, 2026, Black Spire Outpost in Disneyland will roll back in time several decades, welcoming beloved characters from across a wider Star Wars timeline, including new props and graphics in some areas, musical selections from Star Wars film scores throughout the land, and more.
In addition to the Sequel Trilogy, guests in Galaxy’s Edge will soon find favorite characters and experiences from the franchise’s Original Trilogy timeline, first introduced to the world by Disney Legend George Lucas back in 1977.
Leia Organa, Han Solo, and Luke Skywalker will join Chewbacca amid the rocky spires, and Darth Vader’s search for Luke will bring him to Batuu as well. This Sith Lord will be joined by classic Imperial Stormtroopers.
The Mandalorian and Grogu, Ahsoka Tano, R2-D2, and Rey will still thrive in the land.
Many more details on Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge timeline expansion are available here.
Note: None of these Galaxy’s Edge updates are planned for Walt Disney World.
Star Wars Celebration 2027
For Star Wars fans around the world, Star Wars Celebration is the ultimate way to celebrate a galaxy far, far away. The gathering celebrates movies, television shows, books, art, and comics while also commemorating the vast history of the Star Wars universe.
The event is filled with major announcements, immersive exhibits, an interactive show floor, screenings, exclusive merchandise, celebrity guests, panels, autograph sessions, fan-inspired activities, costumes, and other surprises celebrating all things Star Wars!
The Los Angeles Convention Center will host Star Wars Celebration from April 1-4, 2027, to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the original Star Wars film.
Tickets for the event, along with preferred hotel options, will go on sale May 6, 2026. As always, demand is expected to be intense, so if you want to meet up with thousands of your best Star Wars friends, grab your tickets soon.
Coming Soon
A few notes and coming attractions on the big screen and television. Several of these announcements were made recently at CinemaCon last week in Las Vegas.
Infinity Vision
The Walt Disney Studios announced the launch of Infinity Vision, a new certification for premium large format (PLF) theaters. Done in collaboration with global theatrical exhibition partners, Infinity Vision will inform audiences which auditoriums offer the biggest, brightest, and most immersive cinematic experiences.
Infinity Vision sets a new benchmark for theatrical presentation, certifying auditoriums that meet rigorous technical standards, including a focus on:
- The largest screens for maximum scale
- Laser projection for superior brightness and clarity
- Premium audio formats for fully immersive sound
Think of this in the tradition of historical cinematic enhancements like CinemaScope, Dolby Sound, THX, and IMAX.
While this improved cinematic experience sounds fantastic, it flies in the face of the recent trend of declining movie theater attendance. It will be interesting to see if InfinityVision will help persuade people to come back to theaters.
InfinityVision will make its debut with the September re-release of Marvel Studios Avengers: Endgame, followed by the highly anticipated December release of Avengers: Doomsday.
The Mandalorian and Grogu (May 22, 2026)
Tickets for the upcoming Star Wars film The Mandalorian and Grogu are now on sale. With most theaters now selling tickets for specific seats, it’s always best to purchase tickets in advance, to make sure you get the seats you’re looking for.
Also, Lucasfilm released a new trailer for the film:
“The old protect the young…and then the young protect the old.”
Hexed (November 25, 2026)
Walt Disney Studios has announced a couple key castings for their latest animated film, Hexed. Hailee Steinfeld will be playing the main character Billie, and Rashida Jones will portray her mom Alice.
Hexed follows a strange girl named Billie and her type-A mom as they discover that the things that make Billie different than everyone else are actually magical powers.
Avengers: Doomsday (December 18, 2026)
Avengers: Doomsday is, without a doubt, the most highly anticipated film of 2026. At CinemaCon last week, Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige took the stage to close out Disney‘s presentation at the event, saying, “Doomsday picks up where Avengers: Endgame left off.” Feige gushed with excitement about introducing the Avengers to the X-Men.
Joe Russo – one of the film’s directors, along with his brother Anthony – said of the film’s big bad Doctor Doom, “He’s not simply a villain — he’s one of the most complex Marvel characters. He’s always three moves ahead.” On queue, Robert Downey Jr. – playing the role of Doom following over a decade as MCU-centerpiece Avenger Tony Stark – stepped out on stage, exclaiming, “I couldn’t have imagined reuniting with this amazing team – let alone as a new character.”
The team then revealed a trailer exclusive to attendees at the presentation, providing the first look at Downey’s Doctor Doom in his mask, along with other key characters in the film. Chris Hemsworth’s Thor had the most meaningful words in the trailer, urging others to “Put aside your petty squabbles. Presume nothing except this: If you return, you will return as brothers and sisters.” He went on to warn everyone about the threat of Doom. “Mark my words: We are going to need a miracle.”
In a truly spine-tingling moment, Thor sees someone familiar off-screen, but it seems quite impossible. He lets his hammer Mjolnir fall from his grasp as a test. It flies in the direction of his worthy friend — Steve Rogers!
Chris Evans, who portrays Steve Rogers/Captain America, then took the stage to thunderous applause, quipping about Doom, “This guy – I don’t like it.”
Disney Parks Sales and Promotions
Looking to travel to a Disney destination? Here is the latest news on Disney Parks sales and promotions.
2027 WDW Tickets and Packages Now Available
Walt Disney World tickets and packages for 2027 are now available through October 31, 2027. As expected, many single-day and multi-day ticket prices increased over 2026 prices – particularly for peak attendance days. On a positive note – minimum low prices stayed the same as 2026. If you are using an experienced travel planner, you’ll never pay top dollar for tickets. Ask me how I can help you plan for 2027.
2027 Disney Dining Plan Updates
If you enjoy the Disney Dining Plan, you’ll want to pay attention to changes coming to the plan for 2027 packages. Beginning with January 2027 bookings, the Disney Dining Plan will offer three options:
- Deluxe Table-Service Dining Plan
- Table-Service Dining Plan
- Quick-Service Dining Plan
More details on the 2027 Disney Dining Plan are available here.
Walt Disney World is currently offering excellent room rates for Disney + subscribers.
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