MAGIC KINGDOM

Before allies of Gov. Ron DeSantis took over, Disney World’s governing district reached an agreement in February with the company to prohibit a long list of businesses from ever being operated on its property.

The separately ticketed event is scheduled to begin Aug. 12 and run through Halloween night at Disney’s Magic Kingdom theme park.

The Florida House of Representatives has given final passage to a bill to dissolve a private government that Walt Disney World has been allowed to operate on its properties for more than five decades.

Here are some insider tips to help you do more during your next visit to a Disney theme park.

The resort is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary celebration, and now is the perfect time to celebrate the season and upcoming Easter holiday. If you plan on visiting, we have uncovered a number of fun activities for families to experience while out exploring the theme parks and nearby resort hotels.

It’s perhaps one of the last things that guests at Walt Disney World have been waiting to see return: an up-close moment, picture or autograph with Mickey Mouse and other popular characters.

Walt Disney World has announced its Minnie Van transportation service will be returning to the resort this summer.

Officials at Walt Disney World say a performance by a visiting Texas high school drill team that used American Indian stereotypes, including chants of “scalp them,” doesn’t reflect the resort’s values.

We'll bet you never thought the words "Disney" and "cheap" could go in the same sentence. Well, guess again.

A theme-park comeback continued to help Disney’s results recover in the most recent quarter.

As the tourism industry bounces back from COVID-19, Miami is one of the top search destinations on several travel websites.

Whether it’s your first time visiting or the 50th, here is our list of hidden gems to take in at the Magic Kingdom.

Walt Disney World shared more details Friday about the all-new nighttime show coming to Magic Kingdom for the 50th anniversary celebration.

Walt Disney World has announced a number of new entertainment experiences returning to the resort next month.

Walt Disney World gave new details Monday about its upcoming holiday celebrations.

Firework spectaculars are returning to Walt Disney World.

FILE - In this Jan. 9, 2019, file photo, guests watch a show near a statue of Walt Disney and Micky Mouse in front of the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. But the results Thursday surpassed Wall Street's expectations thanks to subscribers flocking to Disney+ and other of the entertainment giant's streaming services. Disney+ subscribers totaled 94.9 million at the end of the quarter, more than double the subscriber base a year ago, when the service had been operating for only about two months. For Disney's fiscal first quarter, net income totaled $17 million, or 1 cent per share, compared with $2.1 billion or $1.16 cents per share a year earlier. Excluding one-time items, net income totaled 32 cents per share, compared with $1.53 per share in the prior-year quarter.

FILE - In this March 16, 2020, file photo, the entrance to the parking lot at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World is closed in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Squeezed by limits on attendance at its theme parks and other restrictions due to the pandemic, The Walt Disney Co. said Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2020, it planned to lay off 28,000 workers in its parks division in California and Florida. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)

Attendance at the parks could be anywhere from a third to half of normal business volume, according to the report. Attendance at Disney theme parks around the world fell less than 1% in 2019 from the previous year. It was followed by Disneyland in California with 18.6 million visits, Tokyo Disneyland with 17.9 million visits and Tokyo DisneySea. Competing in many of the same markets as Disney, Universal Parks and Resorts had an attendance jump of 2.3%, with 51.2 million visits. Rides based on Harry Potter intellectual property continued to drive growth at the Universal parks, the report said.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Walt Disney World is set to once again open its gates to the Magic Kingdom following a lengthy closure due to the coronavirus pandemic. But with most families staying inside and not traveling, how crowded will the theme parks really be when they reopen? Park Capacity Capacity at 25% Magic Kingdom 57,000 people 14,250 people Epcot 34,093 people 8,523 people Hollywood Studios 30,843 people 7,710 people Animal Kingdom 37,671 people 9,417 peopleA park at 25% capacity would mean very minimal wait times. As we can all imagine, visiting a Disney theme park when it reopens will be a new experience for all -- no matter how many times you’ve visited. The Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom parks will open first July 11, with Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios reopening July 15.

Walt Disney Worlds Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom are reopening Saturday, while Epcot and Disneys Hollywood Studios will follow four days later. (Gabrielle Russon/Orlando Sentinel via AP)The 22 teams participating in the NBA restart were all at the Disney campus together for the first time Friday. Some teams left player development coaches behind, some even left assistant coaches, and all teams traveled with only one media relations staffer and one equipment manager. In normal circumstances, some teams travel with as many as three people to handle media requirements and two for equipment. That left 20 spots for coaches, assistant coaches, player development, video, security, strength and conditioning, athletic training, media relations and content creators.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. SeaWorld and Walt Disney World will reopen in Orlando, Florida, in June and July after months of inactivity because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to plans a city task force approved Wednesday. Disney plans a tiered reopening, with Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom opening on July 11, followed by Epcot and Hollywood Studios on July 15. Disney World also plans smaller, soft openings prior to July 11, but no specifics were provided. When Disney Springs, a complex of restaurants and shops near Disney World, reopened, the company formed social distancing squads," which McPhee said have been popular with guests. Disney employees will be required to do temperature checks before heading to work, McPhee said.

The National Basketball Players Association is also part of the talks with Disney. Games would be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, a massive campus on the Disney property near Orlando. Space wont be an issue, even if Major League Soccer which is also in talks to resume its season at Disney is there at the same time as the NBA. The entire Disney complex is roughly 40 square miles, with nearly 24,000 hotel rooms owned or operated by Disney within the campus. The list of NBA players who were known to test positive eventually grew to 10 not all were identified and Commissioner Adam Silver said last month that the actual total was even higher.

Eat Christmas cookies until you feel like you’re going to burst, see a special Christmas parade roll down Main Street U.S.A. -- and did we mention there will be tons of cookies? Visit Disney’s website for more info. Insider tip: Want to catch the Christmas parade but avoid paying for a special ticket? Some resorts also will have special holiday presentations, such as a walk-through gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian. Other festivities include the Sea of Trees, which is a show filled with synchronized Christmas trees shimmering and twinkling set to holiday music.

FILE - In this Jan. 9, 2019 file photo, guests watch a show near a statue of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse in front of the Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The Walt Disney Co. reports financial results Thursday, Nov. 7. (AP Photo/John Raoux, File)NEW YORK, NY Disney's fiscal fourth-quarter net income beat Wall Street's expectations thanks to strong theater revenue from films like "The Lion King" and "Toy Story 4," along with higher parks revenue. Disney's net income for the three months ended Sept. 28 fell to $1.05 billion, or 58 cents per share, from $2.32 billion, or $1.55 per share last year. According to FactSet, analysts had expected net income of 94 cents per share.

Well show you how to have fun on Disney property without ever scanning a MagicBand or swiping your credit card. Rooftop fireworks Walt Disney World ResortIf the "Happily Ever After" fireworks are on your bucket list, consider watching them from high above Cinderella Castle. Nothing can top a view of the Magic Kingdom at night. We recommend having breakfast at Trails End then climbing aboard one of its boats for a ride to the Magic Kingdom. Head to the docks and beaches of the Magic Kingdom resort hotels to watch.

What better way to celebrate the holiday season than with the Dakota Cougar High School Marching Band! The Marching Band proudly performs at Dakota varsity home football games, competes in the Scholastic Marching Band circuit, and can be seen in parades throughout the Metro Detroit area, including in the Richmond Good Old Days Parade. The band consistently earns first division ratings at the MSBOA marching band festival. The band performed at Chicago Symphony Hall in April of 2011, and they will be performing at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, FL in April of 2012. The Dakota Cougar High School Marching Band will be performing "Celebrate" by Kool and the Gang at America's Thanksgiving Parade.