TouringPlans Travel Beat 1-27-2024

At Travel Beat we have all the “other” news from the last week or so—the stuff that wasn’t big enough to stop the presses for. What did the newsroom bring us this week? Bullets are just ahead if you’re in a hurry, and more details follow below. Don’t forget to check out the Headline News Recap, in case there was something you missed!

• Disney Commits Almost $2B if Disneyland Forward is Approved
• Mickey & Minnie’s New Duds for Lookout Cay Announced
• Applications for Fall Disney College Program Open
• New Cotton-top Tamarin Triplets at Animal Kingdom
• D23 Announces Celebration Event on March 10 for 15th Anniversary
• Elle King Replaced in Universal’s 2024 Mardi Gras Lineup
• Headline News Recap

Disney Commits Almost $2B if Disneyland Forward is Approved

Disneyland Forward is a multi-year planning collaboration between Disney and the city of Anaheim. At its simplest, Disneyland gets approvals for resort development, and Anaheim gets investment from Disney that goes beyond the benefits of jobs and tourism that are intrinsically conveyed by the park.

This week Disney announced that they’re committing $1.9 billion in parks development over the next 10 years if the project is approved. That figure includes attractions, entertainment, hotels, dining, and shopping. Dreaming big is appropriate; the DisneylandForward website touts the possibility of lands based on recent international parks’ development such as Frozen in  Tokyo or Zootopia in Shanghai.

Mickey & Minnie’s New Duds for Lookout Cay Announced

You can meet Mickey & Minnie over and over and over, and yet your collection of pictures always look fresh. That’s because the famed Mouse duo are routinely getting new outfits for new events and locations. Lookout Cay is Disney’s second private port, opening in summer 2024, and now we know what they’ll be wearing if you visit them there!

Mickey and Minnie’s Lookout Cay outfits were created by acclaimed Bahamian fashion designer Theodore Elyett. They’re part of a collection of artworks by local artists and creatives that will bring local flavor and color to the new island destinationl

Applications for Fall Disney College Program Open

Are you currently enrolled or recently graduated from an accredited U.S. university, college, or higher education program? Do you want to do an internship at Disney World? Well, you’re in luck. College Program applications for this summer and fall are now open. Click here to find out more.

New Cotton-top Tamarin Triplets at Animal Kingdom

Just last summer there were new cotton-top tamarin twins at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and now there are triplets. Aren’t they cute?

As with many Animal Kingdom births, the tiny primates are spending some time bonding with their parents and siblings, creating a tight family unit. If you’re in the park, you may see them in their habitat on Discovery Island.

D23 Announces Celebration Event on March 10 for 15th Anniversary

D23 will celebrate its 15th Anniversary at Disney Springs on March 10th, 2024. Gold members are invited to celebrate with them at Splitsville Luxury Lanes in a Gold-Member exclusive event. Tickets go on sale this week on January 29.

Elle King Replaced in Universal’s 2024 Mardi Gras Lineup

Just a couple of weeks ago Universal announced this year’s Mardi Gras Lineup, and this week there were changes. Elle King, originally set to perform on February 17, has been replaced by singer-songwriter Nessa Barrett.

Headline News Recap

TouringpPlans hotel room finder is one of our most beloved features, and this week the tool got some updates. Hotel Room Finder: Updates and New Features

If you’ve been following along, you’ve seen occasional items in Travel Beat about changes in Disneyland’s Downtown Disney District. This week we got enough updates at once (including Earl of Sandwich!) to get a headline out of it. Downtown Disney Dining Updates in Spring 2024

Also on the left cost, Disneyland’s Lunar New Year celebration kicked off this week. Photos: Lunar New Year Celebration Starts at Disney California Adventure

That’s it for this week’s Travel Beat. What news are you most excited about? Let us know in the comments!