By BLACKPRESSUSA
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. and ANAHEIM, Calif. (Jan. 31, 2022) – Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort invite guests to celebrate soulfully with experiences that honor Black History Month and pay tribute to Black heritage and culture through music, food, art and more. Celebrate Soulfully is back for a second consecutive year, with new and returning offerings at Walt Disney World Resort throughout the year. And for the first time, Celebrate Soulfully is introduced at Disneyland Resort with experiences in February and beyond.
Celebrate Soulfully is one of the ways Disney Parks is reimagining tomorrow.
Music: Live Performances Energize Select Disney Locations with R&B, Gospel and More
Celebrate Soulfully puts the spotlight on Black talent while inviting family and friends to enjoy experiences that feed the soul.
- “Celebrate Gospel” brings together award-winning Gospel Music stars Kierra Sheard on Feb. 19, and then Jonathan McReynolds and Mali Music on Feb. 26, for a powerful event at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, CA. Gospel singers and community choirs are also part of the show on both Saturdays, beginning at 3 p.m. on the Fantasyland Theater stage.
- Throughout February, Downtown Disney District will celebrate with nightly outdoor concerts covering genres such as R&B, reggae, funk and jazz, plus Saturday afternoon Gospel performances. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa offers nightly jazz.
- Live performances of Motown favorites, jazz, R&B and pop hits return to Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort throughout February.
- The Tam Tam Drummers of Harambe will bring rhythms of the Congo to Mombasa Marketplace in Africa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park at Walt Disney World Resort.
- Also at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, is A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King, a Broadway-style show filled with pageantry puppetry and classic songs from Disney’s The Lion King.
Food: Black Culture Inspires New Culinary Creations
Guests can discover celebratory eats inspired by Black stories and new dishes brought to life by Black chefs at select locations throughout Walt Disney World Resort. And across Walt Disney World Resort, “Cooking with Soul” featured menu items will spotlight soul food dishes and the talented chefs who create them. Highlights of these, plus creole cuisine at Disneyland Resort, include:
- Brunch and happy hour menus at Disney Springs dining destinations at Walt Disney World Resort will include Wine Bar George, House of Blues, City Works Eatery & Pour House, STK and Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’.
- Treats inspired by Disney and Pixar’s “Soul” and Walt Disney Animation Studio’s “The Princess and the Frog” at Amorette’s Patisserie and The Ganachery at Disney Springs.
- Dishes that pay tribute to African recipes and historic Black chefs can be found throughout Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park at Walt Disney World.
- Menu items at Refreshment Outpost in EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort, draw inspiration from the flavors of Eastern Africa.
- Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen at Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort celebrates creole cuisine, including the popular NOLA BBQ Shrimp & Grits.
Art: Locations Across Disney Parks Showcase Works by Black Creatives
Guests can be immersed in art and exhibits that celebrate the work of Black artists and visionaries at locations across Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. Here are some examples at Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort and Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort.
- Since its inaugural debut last year, “The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure” exhibit in The American Adventure at EPCOT has showcased the rich and dynamic evolution of jazz. The exhibit has traveled to museums across the country and expanded to include histories from Kansas City and Harlem.
- After being unveiled at Disney Springs last year, murals inspired by Disney and Pixar’s “Soul,” created by emerging Black artists Bee Harris, Bianca Pastel, Arrington Porter and Cory Van Lew, will make their debut at Downtown Disney District.
- In anticipation of “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” series on Disney+, art displays inspired by Penny Proud and her family will appear at both Downtown Disney District and Disney Springs. Plus, guests can learn more about Bruce Smith, the show’s creator and executive producer.
- A live chalk-art installation will come to life each week as chalk muralist Marcella Swett reveals new murals at Downtown Disney District.
- At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, guests can meet talented African artisans at Mombasa Marketplace and even take some of their unique craftworks home.
As Celebrate Soulfully festivities continue throughout the month of February and beyond, guests can learn more about these experiences on DisneyParks.com/Blog and Disney Parks social channels via Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok.
Visit Disneyworld.com and Disneyland.com for more details. Both theme park tickets and park reservations are required for park entry. Park reservations are limited and subject to availability. Offers and experiences are subject to restrictions, and change or cancellation without notice. Park admission and offerings are not guaranteed.
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