“A Disney Christmas” at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Brings First-ever Snowy Christmas to World of Frozen

Make your winter holiday shine brighter with authentic festive celebrations

It’s time for all your favorite Christmas traditions to shine brighter with a sprinkle of magic during “A Disney Christmas” at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort from November 15, 2024, to January 1, 2025. This year, the world’s first and largest “Frozen” themed land, World of Frozen, is set to host its first-ever Christmas celebration, inviting guests to join a snowy Arendelle celebration for the first time in forever.

As the Happiest Place on Earth gleams with holiday decor and festivities, rejoice in the highly anticipated return of Disney Christmas traditions such as the “Mickey and Friends Christmastime Ball,” “A Holiday Wish-Come-True Tree Lighting Ceremony,” “Disney Christmas Live in Concert!” and more. Book your winter getaway now and celebrate alongside your beloved Disney friends.

World of Frozen Welcomes its First Christmas
For the first time at World of Frozen, join Queens Anna and Elsa from the Walt Disney Animation Studios films, and the enthusiastic citizens of Arendelle for authentic festive traditions. Arendelle Village will be adorned with a veil of sparkling snow, while the forest will transform into a joyous celebration brimming with Christmas spirit, delighting holiday visitors from around the world.

Don’t miss your chance to send season's greetings to Queen Anna while enjoying the first-of-its-kind Arendelle Royal Breakfast Buffet 1 at Golden Crocus Inn, available to book exclusively on Klook.

Disney Christmas Traditions and New Year’s Eve Celebrations Return

Celebrate the festive season with music, magic, and a touch of heartfelt emotion at “Disney Christmas Live in Concert!”, where remarkable singers from across the region will perform in front of the Castle of Magical Dreams. This series will weave Disney classics and festive melodies alongside Mickey and Friends and different performers on three consecutive weekend nights starting from November 23.

Delve into the dreamlike “A Holiday Wish-Come-True Tree Lighting Ceremony,” illuminating Main Street, U.S.A. with twinkling drone effects and a glorious snowfall. Catch “Mickey and Friends Christmastime Ball” and the “Wish Upon a Star” Photo Moment with Mickey and Friends, as well as Duffy and Friends! Duffy and Friends will don their new holiday outfits and greet guests at the
Duffy and Friends Play House.

Ring in 2025 with Disney Pals and celebrate a truly fantastic year ahead in front of the Castle of Magical Dreams by joining the New Year’s Eve countdown party!

Fill Your Hearts and Stomachs with Joy

No Christmas would be complete without the cherished tradition of a joy-filled, family meal. Savor Explorer's Christmas Dinner Buffet with Disney Friends Encounter at Explorer’s Club Restaurant, where Disney Friends dressed in festive outfits will appear beside you! Main Street Corner Café Hosted by Coca-Cola® will also debut a classic seasonal feast with a live Christmas carol performance.

Gift your loved ones an assortment of seasonal items themed to Mickey and Friends, “Frozen,” and more. From cozy sweaters and plushes to homeware, decor and accessories, take home something special to put under the tree for the perfect festive flair.

Elevate Your Immersive Christmas Getaway

Three themed resort hotels have been adorned with magnificent Christmas decorations, providing the perfect stay complete with Christmas-themed in-room surprise packages, themed suites, and holiday activities to extend your Christmas experience. To enhance your day, grab “Disney Premier Access” and “Early Park Entry Pass” to enjoy the rides and attractions at your own pace.

Learn more about the offers below and start to plan your Disney Christmas experience:

2 Nights Plus Special at 30% OFF

Enjoy 30% off Flexible Rate when you book 2 or more consecutive nights at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Hotels.

Early Park Entry Pass

Enter the park up to an hour earlier than everyone else to enjoy designated rides and attractions.

Play and Shop 2 Day Ticket Offer 2

Enjoy 2 Park visits at HK$918 with a HK$50 merchandise discount voucher!

Disney Premier Access

Enjoy priority access to designated popular attractions and/or shows.

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PINOCCHIO (2022) movie review

Disney's live adaptation of the 1940 classic Pinocchio still wins hearts and teaches a great lesson of love, bravery, honesty, selflessness. This new take on the living puppet justifies some of the important elements that we may have missed or forgotten in the animated version.

Starting off with Jiminy Cricket (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) coming into Geppetto's home as a homeless insect and witnessed how the puppeteer created and named the wooden art before it was given life by a heartfelt wish. We can sense that Geppetto (Tom Hanks) lost his only son and his coping mechanism is creating Pinocchio. There are also lots of clocks in his home and he says that his wife loves all his creations. There might have been unfortunate things that happened to his wife and he kept his senses straight by keeping busy.

The 2022 version has many noticeable differences from the older animation. When Pinocchio joined the Stromboli puppet show, meeting a fellow marionette, getting into Pleasure Island, and when he saved his father from a giant sea monster, Robert Zemeckis' version deliberately put more magic for everyone who will watch it.

Pinocchio is now streaming on Disney+.

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PINOCCHIO trailer features Tom Hanks as Geppetto

"Star light, star bright

First star I see tonight

I wish I may, I wish I might,

Have the wish I wish tonight"

It's truly magical to hear again these words from Geppetto in Disney's timeless classic Pinocchio, which gets its live adaptation based on Disney's animated film. Geppetto is played by no other than Tom Hanks, a crafty man dreaming of becoming a father for his puppet he named Pinocchio.

Tom Hanks as Geppetto

We also get to hear When You Wish Upon A Star, Disney's OBB in every film that it makes, making the entrance for our Blue Fairy, played by Cynthia Erivo and a glimpse of Jiminy Cricket. The short trailer  afterwards shows different moments in Pinocchio's adventure. See the trailer below.

Cynthia Erivo as The Blue Fairy

Luke Evans as Coachman

Jiminy Cricket (voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt)

Pinocchio is directed by Robert Zemeckis, also featuring Benjamin Evan Ainsworth, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Keegan Michael-Key, and Luke Evans. Coming only to Disney+, which everyone in the Philippines wishes to arrive, on September 8.

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The magical family of Encanto

December opens a lot of magic and the land of Encanto has it all. Disney introduces the magical Madrigal family and their abilities. Hailing from Colombia, Mirabel and her family are in for a magical adventure.

The matriarch Abuela knows all of the magic and the history of their casita. The big sister, Luisa is super strong, and the little boy Antonio has the ability to speak to animals. Pretty Isabela can grow flowers to beautify their place and Pepa knows how to control the weather.

 

Mirabel's mother Julieta can heal with food, Dolores can hear everything (which is a good ability to eavesdrop), and Camilo can transform into anything with his shapeshifting power.

Stephanie Beatriz, John Leguizamo and more lend their voice to bring these characters to life with songs created by Lin-Manuel Miranda. Encanto will soon be in theaters, distributed by Walt Disney Pictures.

And there's another member of the family. He is Bruno, but I cannot talk about him yet here. Just watch it in theaters. ;)

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Watch the behind the scenes footage of West Side Story

Disney and Steven Spielberg gives us a glimpse on the must-awaited remake of the 1961 theatrical classic, West Side Story.

The footage starts when director Steven Spielberg raises a toast in tradition of cheering for the start of production and repeats it when shooting wraps up.

Steven Spielberg giving a toast

He also made remarks on the musical creatives Leonard Bernstein (original score) and David Newman (score adaptation), the cast and ensembles who've been working on the choreography and singing for months. Spielberg says, "I am so proud and honored that I got this shot in my career." Watch the featurette below.

Go behind the scenes in the making of Steven Spielberg’s #WestSideStory in this new featurette. Experience the film only in theaters December 10. pic.twitter.com/pFhK2iP6Eb

— West Side Story (@WestSideMovie) November 18, 2021

West Side Story stars Ansel Elgort as Tony, Rachel Zegler as Maria with Rita Moreno, Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez and many more. Coming to theaters December 10.

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MOVIE REVIEW - Jungle Cruise

The Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt starrer, Jungle Cruise, hits the theaters recently. The joys of exciting scenes and surprises on-screen are what I missed the most.

Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt

Based on Disney Park's Jungle Cruise, this production elevates the experience of the attraction with water rapids, wild animals, enchanted forests, and even hidden jungle tribes -- so brace yourselves as you go aboard the Amazon adventure.

Dwayne Johnson plays Frank Wolff, who currently works as a tour guide to the Amazon rivers caught in the adventure of an archaeologist Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) and her brother MacGregor (Jack Whitehall). The search for an enchanted tree that is believed in legends had them cross with another hunter and the unknown mystics of the Amazon trail.

Jack Whitehall, Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson

It's like I'm watching a combination of Indiana Jones and Pirates of the Caribbean in the themes and adventure. You'll have lots of trees, snakes, piranhas and also mystical creatures that are coming from the dead. Expect the same good Dwayne Johnson injecting humor that you can buy and Emily Blunt and her British self that works on a good chemistry. Visuals are also great but the leopard Proxima is too obvious CGI. Above all, Jungle Cruise is still an enjoyable flick for the family.

Jungle Cruise also casts Paul Giamati, Edgar Ramirez, and more. Directed by Jaume Collet-Sera for Walt Disney Pictures.

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MOVIE REVIEW - Lady and the Tramp

This review is quite late but at least I remembered that there was a live-action remake of Disney's Lady and the Tramp. I think this was the first movie they promoted when they released Disney+. So I went to watch it and to tell you honestly that the movie isn't quite bad.

Just how cute Lady and Tramp are if you look at them getting to know each other at the start, then sharing great moments together, especially during that iconic candle-lit dinner by the restaurant listening to a romantic song.

The opening really sets its mood but it felt like I'm watching a similar story of the guy who isn't from a rich family while the girl is, they met, they fight, they discover and understood their differences, get attached, get separated, then guy gets into trouble and the girl saves him. If you knew a familiar story, please tell me in the comments. 

Lady and the Tramp features the voices of Emma Thompson, Justin Theroux, Sam Elliott, Ashley Jensen, Benedict Wong, Janet Monae and more. It is still streaming on Disney+. 

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Welcome to Casa Madrigal!

We have been missing a lot of family gatherings but Disney gives us a new family film added with a magical twist.

Welcome to Casa Madrigal. A hidden place in Colombia's forests is also the center of this year's Encanto -- an animated musical film that focuses on a family whose members are gifted with a unique ability except for one, Mirabel. The trailer shows us how their family and environment are very special, watch it below.

Casa Madrigal

While Mirabel's siblings have different gifts like super strength, shapeshifting, talking to animals, or nurturing the nature where they live, she considers herself as special as them.

Would Mirabel's family accept her as she is, or will she be able to discover her hidden power? What is her unknown purpose? Let's all discover this November in theaters.

Mirabel Madrigal voiced by Stephanie Beatriz

Encanto also features original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, written by Jared Bush, screenplay by Charise Castro Smith. Directed by Jared Bush, Byron Howard, and Charise Castro Smith.

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Open a new world in Disney's Encanto

Disney has released a teaser poster for its newest animated film "Encanto" which will be in theaters this November.

The poster features a door with engravings of a candle that seems like a portal to a new world. A candle on the lower part seems like it's the key to the magical world when lit. We also get to see a few animals, a toucan, a capybara, and a parrot which may have special roles in this movie. A few picture frames hang on the wall, which might be telling us about the family who possesses magical powers.

Encanto tells the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, and charmed place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal—every child except one, Mirabel. But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family’s last hope. Encanto will be the first animated movie of the Colombian culture and it said to be a musical featuring Latin American beats.

Stephanie Beatriz voices the lead character in the movie. Directed by Jared Bush, Byron Howard, Charise Castro Smith. And written by Jared Bush, screenplay by Charise Castro Smith and Lin-Manuel Miranda.

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MOVIE REVIEW - Cruella

Fashion, depression, competition and revenge are very distinguished in the 101 Dalmatians rip off movie Cruella, starring Emma Stone, Emma Thompson, Mark Strong and more.

Cruella's backstory begins in her childhood and established why she became brilliant, bad and a little bit mad. An orphaned girl who started a dream finds herself living it and then becoming her idol's worst enemy and competition. Avant-garde designs are a feast to the eyes, the soundtrack that transports you to the 70s and unexpected twists that makes it more interesting every time. The necessary elements in self-branding and PR stitched into a drawing story gets you sewn into the story making it dark but fabulous.

Emma Stone as Cruella

If you've seen the original 101 Dalmatians story, Cruella pays tribute to it by providing Easter eggs that are very familiar to it. It also provides prologues on what happened in the said animation story like how she met the Darlings, her sidekicks Jasper and Horace and how she came into fascination with dogs. Note that she doesn't kill.

Overall, it is quite an enjoyable movie. Stay until the mid-credits too. Cruella is now streaming on Disney+.

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Emma Stone's many looks in Cruella

The new behind the scenes clip of Cruella highlights the narcissistic and fierce fashion looks of Cruella De Vil, starred by Emma Stone.

From paper to fabric, Emma Stone transforms into different looks but still hails the 101 Dalmatians villain. Costume designer Jenny Beavan definitely has called on the divine muses for her designs to bring these extreme impressions. It is important for her to make Cruella just black, white, gray and red to create the cruel icon for revenge. Watch the behind the scenes featurette below which also features styles for the Baroness (Emma Thompson). 

What's your favorite look? Comment your selection from the different outfits below.

Cruella opens in theaters or order via Disney+ this May 28. Directed by Craig Gillespie.

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Steven Spielberg's West Side Story teaser released on Oscars Night

Musical fans are in for a Christmas gift this year as Disney releases teaser of the remake of West Side Story, just in time of Oscars Night.

In modernized fashion, Spielberg's West Side Story is the adaptation of the Shakespearean love tragedy Romeo and Juliet and based on the award winning movie in 1961. Two feuding families became two warring gangs in New York City, the white Jets led by Riff, and Latino Sharks, led by Bernardo. Their hatred escalates to a point where neither can coexist with any form of understanding.

Cast includes Ansel Elgort as Tony, Rachel Zegler as Maria, Ariana Debose as Anita, David Alvarez as Bernardo, Rita Moreno as Valentina, Mike Faist as Riff and more.

Ansel Elgort as Tony, Rachel Zegler as Maria

Rachel Zegler as Maria

Let us all revisit the songs of Stephen Sondheim in the acclaimed musical like Somewhere, Maria, I Feel Pretty, the Jet Song and more.

The West Side Story will be in theaters December 10 and will be distributed by Walt Disney. Watch the trailer below.

 

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