Your 2012 Summer Guide to (Almost) Everything Disney
(UPDATED: As of Aug. 15)
Here’s a quick look at what you can expect at Disneyland and Disney World from June through August, as well as other major upcoming events from Disney. This list will be continually updated as new dates are set and announcements are made, so keep checking back. And in May, watch for the Fall/Holiday Guide.
JUNE: Disney will change the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure at Epcot in Walt Disney World into the Phineas & Ferb-themed Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure.
JUNE 1: The debut of Dinner & A Show Package at Downtown Disney. This limited-time offer includes dinner at House of Blues (1 appetizer, 1 entrée, 1 non-alcoholic/non-specialty drink and 1 dessert – gratuity not included), and a Category 2 ticket to “La Nouba” at Cirque du Soleil. The package costs $99 plus tax, per guest age 10 and older, and $85 plus tax for guests age 3-9. This is actually a savings of about 25 percent for adults.
JUNE 1-3: Star Wars weekend at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World continues with special guests Jake Lloyd (Anakin Skywalker – Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace) and Silas Carson (Nute Gunray/Ki-Adi-Mundi – Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace).
JUNE 1, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 19, 21 and 22: Special Grad Night events at Disneyland in California.
JUNE 1 – JULY 8 : Epcot will be home to Brave – The Highland Games Tournament, a kid-focused offering that will include game.
JUNE 2-3: Downtown Disney Cars Master Weekend at Walt Disney World Resort.
JUNE 6: Pollinator Day. National Wildlife Conservation Day celebrated at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
JUNE 7: The Ghirardelli Soda Fountain & Chocolate Shop in the Pacific Wharf area at Disney California Adventure in Disneyland opens.
JUNE 7: Live chat with imagineer Jonathan Ackley on the Disney Parks Blog.
JUNE 8-10: Star Wars weekend at Hollywood Studios ends with special guests: Michonne Bourriague (Aurra Sing – Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace); Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett – Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VIReturn of the Jedi); Daniel Logan (Boba Fett – Star Wars: Episode II Attack of the Clones); and Nika Futterman (voice of Asajj Ventress – Star Wars: The Clone Wars).
JUNE 10-JUNE 17: The annual Sounds Like Summer Concert Series at Epcot with Hotel California – A Salute to the Eagles.
JUNE 14: California Adventure closes in preparation of unveiling new lands and entrance.
JUNE 14-15: American Idol experience in Disney’s Hollywood Studios is closed for refurbishment.
JUNE 15: It’s a big day at Disneyland in California. At the California Adventure, Cars Land, Buena Vista Street and the Carthay Circle Theatre all will open to the public. This ends the 5-year expansion at Disneyland Resort. In addition, Ariel’s Grotto changes to character dining for dinner. Also, the Pixar Play Parade starts rolling again. But wait, there’s more: The Mad T Party, a new nighttime dance show, replaces ElecTRONica at the California Adventure.
JUNE 15: The Matterhorn Bobsleds in Disneyland reopen after refurbishment.
JUNE 15: A new scene from the movie “Brave” is added to “World of Color” at Disney’s California Adventure.
JUNE 18: The Cars wing opens at the Disney Art of Animation Resort in Walt Disney World in Florida.
JUNE 18: Starting on this day Disneyland Resort hotel guests in Disneyland will be able to advantage of Extra Magic Hour* – early admission to either Disneyland park or Disney California Adventure park – every day of their stay (with valid theme park admission and active hotel room key card).
JUNE 18-23: The annual Sounds Like Summer Concert Series at Epcot with Mike DelGuidice & Big Shot – The Ultimate Billy Joel Show.
JUNE 29: Disney releases the movie “People Like Us”
JUNE 30: The Disney Gallery in Disneyland opens a new exhibit on castles.
JULY 1: The Tanabata Star Festival Program returns to Tokyo Disneyland. The festival involves Disney characters traveling down the parade route in rickshaws to offer a Tanabata greeting to park guests.
JULY 1-SEPT. 30 – Bistro de Paris in the France Pavilion in Epcot is closed for refurbishment.
JULY 1: Chef Meyer, House of Blues, California Avocado and Blue Cheese Crusted Rib Eye
JULY 2: Chef Thomas Keaveny, ESPN Zone, Mini California Avocado Shrimp Clubs and Grilled Chicken California Avocado Wrap
JULY 3: Chef Dore Sommer, Rainforest Cafe, Awesome Appetizer Adventure and Guacamole Burger
JULY 3 – AUGUST 4: The AAU Boys and Girls National Basketball Championships is held at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex with competitors ranging from grades through 12. Over 17,000 kids from around the country descend on Disney World for the event.
JULY 3: The Epcot Segway Tour is discontinued.
Salsa Stuffed California Avocado and Turkey California Avocado Sandwich
JULY 5: Chef Darrin Finkel, Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen,
Fried Green Tomato BLT with California Avocado and Jazz Kitchen French
Quarter Salad with California Avocado
JULY 6: Chef Jose Estrada, Tortilla Jo’s, Ceviche de Huauchinango Shots and Shrimp and California Avocado Enchiladas
JULY 6: Over 500 items from the Walt Disney Archives go on exhibit at the Ronald Reagan.
JULY 7: Chef Nick Weber, Catal Restaurant, Tartare of Hamachi
with Shisho, Micro Cilantro and California Avocado and Jalapeno Sorbet
JULY 8-14: The annual Sounds Like Summer Concert Series at Epcot with The Police Experience – A Tribute to the Police
JULY 9: Tokyo Disneyland celebrates Disney’s Natsu Matsuri, a Japanese summer festival. The park will hold daily Soryo Kobu dance competitions, in which Disney characters lead eight different dance teams in showing off their moves to different styles of music. Each night, four winning teams will compete in the finals, in a competition event that features more music, spraying water and blazes of fire!
JULY 9 – AUGUST 3: The Cape May Cafe at Disney’s Beach Club Resort will be closed.
JULY 11-15: The Art of Frankenweenie Exhibition will appear at Comic-Con 2012 in San Diego.
JULY 13: The Blue Ribbon Bakery in Disneyland re-opens.
JULY 14: Grizzly Gulch officially opens at Hong Kong Disneyland.
JULY 15-21: The annual Sounds Like Summer Concert Series at Epcot with SouthBound and Company – A Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd
JULY 22-28: The annual Sounds Like Summer Concert Series at Epcot with 2U – A Tribute to U2
AUGUST: Cotton-Top Tamarin Month. A wildlife conservation event celebrated at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
AUGUST 1: Disney’s Animal Kingdom celebrates the world’s
primates — like gorillas, white-cheeked
gibbons, siamangs, ring-tailed lemurs, and cotton-top and emperor
tamarins — that make their home at the park. Guests will be able to
participate in a variety of activities at Rafiki’s Planet Watch and near
primate habitats throughout the rest of the park.
AUGUST 4- 10: Liberty Square Riverboat closed for refurbishment.
AUGUST 10: The Lion King wing opens at the Disney Art of Animation Resort in Walt Disney World in Florida.
AUGUST 11-12: D23’s special meeting at Grand Ballroom at the Disneyland Hotel looks at 75 years of Disney animated features.
AUGUST 12: The Beastly Bazaar store in the Animal Kingdom closed to be turned into a meet and greet location.
AUGUST 15: Theatrical movie release of “The Odd Life of Timothy Green.”
AUGUST 20: Reservations open for Be Our Guest Restaurant.
AUGUST 22-OCT. 16: Country Bear Jamboree is closed for refurbishment.
AUGUST 27: The Disney Parks Blog holds a live chat about the Test Track.
AUGUST 31 – SEPT. 2: The Disneyland Half Marathon weekend. This 13.1-mile course winds through Anaheim, Calif., and the Disneyland Resort.
AUGUST 31-SEPT. 3: The Great Irish Hooley Labor Day Weekend at Raglan Road in Downtown Disney in Disney World.
We just planned a trip to Disney for this year and I'm so thankful for the help that your post has given, Now I know when to plot my Disney World Vacation.
Anne. Thanks a lot for the kind words. I can't wait to hear about your trip.
Thanks for sharing the Disney sched. Unfortunately, my Disney trip was cancelled and hopefully to make it out on Christmas. Hope to read more Disney activities schedule in here. Thanks much!
Jane —
Sorry to hear about the cancellation. If you're going for Christmas, which is the best time to go, we would be very happy to give you some ideas.