Thomas Smith

Today, I’ve got some SWEET news to share about exciting work happening at Magic Kingdom Park as we prepare for the beginning of The World’s Most Magical Celebration at Walt Disney World Resort this October! Having worked as a leader there in the early 2000s, I know how important the sweet smells, tasty treats and wonderful cast are to our guests. That’s why I’m delighted to share that this iconic location will soon receive a fresh new look, expanded layout with more room to shop and interactive opportunities to customize your confections like never before. Whether it be a freshly painted castle turret being adorned with 50th anniversary décor, or shimmering gold leaf being added to your favorite Fantasyland attractions, our cast members are hard at work making Magic Kingdom Park shine like never before.

Actor Maxwell Simkins, of the all-new original series, took time out of his recent Walt Disney World Resort vacation to stop by ESPN Wide World of Sports. Just like his character in the show learns, Maxwell shares how important it is to have a love of the game and to play with heart, no matter if you win or lose. After 12-year-old Evan Morrow (Brady Noon) is unceremoniously cut from the Ducks, he and his mom, Alex (Lauren Graham), set out to build their own team of misfits to challenge the cutthroat, win-at-all-costs culture of youth sports today. Tune-in every Friday for a new episode of all-new Original Series on Disney+.

Each year the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress recognizes songs and audio recordings “worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage. All of us at The Muppets Studio were very excited to learn that “The Rainbow Connection,” written by Paul Williams and Kenneth Ascher and sung by Kermit the Frog in “ The Muppet Movie,” was included in the National Recording Registry Class of 2020 alongside other iconic recordings by Janet Jackson, Kool & the Gang, Labelle, Jackson Browne, Nas, Louis Armstrong and many others. The Rainbow Connection,” with its hopeful message about dream fulfillment, is the first song from the very first Muppet film in 1979 and quickly became an instant classic.

I personally love searching the World Showcase to find Spike the Bee hiding among the incredible topiaries and fresh, fragrant gardens, but you can also carry him all over Walt Disney World Resort with our two new Disney Gift Card wristlet designs to celebrate the festival! You’ll find these special-edition cards at merchandise locations throughout EPCOT and at EPCOT resort area hotels for the length of the festival, while supplies last. So, load up your mini Disney Gift Card and wear it around your wrist while you explore everything the festival (and Walt Disney World Resort as a whole) has to offer! If you don’t spend it all at the festival, know that these, and all other Disney Gift Cards, can still be used for practically all things Disney from theme park tickets to Mickey merchandise at Disney Destinations nationwide!