Author: waltdisneynews

A lot has changed at The Walt Disney Company over the years, including the face of the business itself. One thing’s clear in 2025: Mickey Mouse is no longer the star of the show. While the Walt Disney Company had its start in 1923, it took five years for the studio to pin down a mascot. Fresh off the theft of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks came up with a new creation – a mischievous mouse named Mickey. Credit: Disney Related: Just How Many Mickeys Are There in Disney World? Every Disney fan knows Mickey’s origin story, from how Walt originally wanted to call him “Mortimer,” but his wife insisted on “Mickey,” to how he made his big screen debut with Steamboat Willie. Now approaching 100 years old, the mouse is just as iconic as ever, serving as an icon for all things Disney. Mickey Mouse at Disney Parks When it comes to the Disney Parks, Mickey is omnipresent. Upon arrival at Disneyland, Magic Kingdom, and all other Disneyland-style parks in the world, guests are greeted with iconic Mickey topiaries. Variations of Mickey are available to meet in Anaheim, Florida, Tokyo, and beyond. Credit: Disney He fronts numerous stage shows and parades, including Mickey and the Magician at Disneyland Paris and Mickey’s Magical Music World at Tokyo Disneyland. You can meet him during character dining, spot him in fireworks displays, or even stumble across him at a Disney hotel. In

Walt Disney World just scored a big win, and fans of Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas have something to cheer about! The Jollywood Nights live show “What’s This? Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along” took home a Brass Ring Award for Live Entertainment Excellence at this year’s IAAPA Honors, held April 28–30 at Europa-Park in Germany. This festive and spooky fan-favorite was awarded Most Creative Winter Holiday Production, and if you’ve seen it, you probably aren’t surprised. Wait, What’s a Brass Ring Award? If you’re unfamiliar with IAAPA, it’s like the Oscars for theme parks, water parks, and attractions worldwide. IAAPA stands for the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions, and every year, they hand out Brass Ring Awards to recognize creativity, innovation, and excellence in all things theme park-related. The name comes from the old-school tradition of grabbing a brass ring while riding a carousel, a symbol of trying to grab greatness. So yeah, these awards mean something special, especially for the creative teams who pour their hearts into these experiences. Credit: IAAPA About the Show: A Sing-Along with Jack Skellington So what’s the big deal about Disney’s Nightmare Before Christmas Sing-Along? Well, for starters, it’s not your average sing-along. Disney took the quirky charm of Tim Burton’s stop-motion classic and turned it into an interactive stage show where guests get to sing along with Jack Skellington and friends. The show blends iconic songs like “What’s This?”, “This Is Halloween” and “Kidnap the

Disney executive Josh D’Amaro is taking over for Bob Iger at an event this summer. Credit: Disney Related: The Countdown Is On for Disney’s Next Big Event The Walt Disney Company has confirmed it will once again be participating in the MoffettNathanson Media, Internet & Communications Conference. The conference will be held on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, and while it’s not surprising to hear that Disney will be in attendance, there is one notable change from last year: its representative. At last year’s conference, Disney was represented by its Chief Executive Officer, Bob Iger. However, in 2025, Iger will be replaced by Disney Parks and Experiences Chairman Josh D’Amaro. This may seem like dull information to the uninitiated, but it could provide a glimpse into the inner workings of The Walt Disney Company as it continues its search for its next leader. Disney has made it clear it is currently looking for a successor to Bob Iger, whose time at the company is coming to an end. D’Amaro is seen as a potential frontrunner, though Disney has not officially shared anything about candidates. In 2023, former CFO Christine McCarthy represented Disney at the conference. Credit: Inside The Magic Related: Former Disneyland Location Demolished and Torn Apart After Nearly 20 Years Bob Iger has served as CEO of The Walt Disney Company for decades, though through separate terms. Iger first became CEO of Disney in 2005, going on to lead the company through some of

Just over a month after Disney’s live-action Snow White (2025) premiered to mixed reviews, its star, Rachel Zegler, has been cast in another leading role in an upcoming film. Zegler played the titular role in the live-action Disney Princess film, which premiered on March 21, 2025, and has grossed just over $200 million at the box office. She has faced aggressive online harassment and death threats for her participation in the film, stemming from comments she made years before filming, from saying the prince “literally stalks” Snow White to promising that her version of the Disney Princess would be more independent and feminist. Zegler also faced backlash for political statements against President Donald Trump and advocating for a free Palestine. Credit: Disney Many who refused to see Snow White said that Zegler’s career was over after the film failed to perform at the box office. Some sources have even said that Walt Disney Studios has decided to pause making live-action remakes due to its negative reception. Still, it seems like the West Side Story (2021) star isn’t getting iced out of Hollywood yet. On Wednesday, Variety reported that Rachel Zegler has been cast alongside Marisa Tomei in the upcoming film She Gets It From Me. Directed by Julia von Heinz, the film is based on the true story of a woman named Nicky (Zegler) whose engagement celebration leads to a search for her “pill-popping, ex-punk rocker” birth mother, Charlotte (Tomei). “YouTube is packed with tearful family reunions, but nobody films the messy