The Nerdy Disney News You Should Care About This Week (4/18)
More light, more magic, and (somehow) even more Goofy Movie anniversary.
We’re not going to give you updates about whether animatronics at Tiana’s Bayou are working (they aren’t) or some random tidbit about permits — this is the only news you should care about at the intersection of nerd and Disney.
Can’t make it to May the 4th at Disneyland or WDW? Meh, you can just watch it on TV
Not that I would ever choose sitting on my couch over heading to a Disney park, but there are certainly moments on those trips when you wish you had your comfy living room setup available.
As part of Disneyland’s 70th anniversary celebration, Disney announced they’ll be releasing two new POV videos on Disney+ — one for Rise of the Resistance and one for an after-hours tour of Galaxy’s Edge.
Both will release on Star Wars Day, aka May the 4th. I, for one, will never turn down a chance to experience RotR, especially if I can drink a beer at the same time.
The Paint the Night parade is coming back
Growing up, I was blessed to be among the Electric Light Parade generation. I saw it shortly after it debuted and from then on it was just a given that I would be regaled with that synthesized night magic on every trip.
So even though I was in attendance the last time ELP “marched” down the streets of Disneyland (I’m not rich, just lucky), I’ve missed that nighttime magic.
Well, Paint the Night is no Electric Light Parade (mostly because of the music), but it’s as close as you’re going to get for the foreseeable future — and that future is bright (get it?), as the parade is coming back to Disneyland starting on May 16, with no end date currently noted.
Light & Magic season 2 is here
Season one of the docuseries Light & Magic, which tells the story of famed special effects outfit Industrial Light & Magic, confirms what I’ve always suspected: George Lucas is responsible for almost everything.
From Photoshop to Pixar, Lucas has at least an indirect hand to play.
At Star Wars Celebration 2025, currently happening in Japan, we found out that the second season has officially dropped, picking up after ILM blew all of our minds with the effects of Jurassic Park.
Study with Max
Disney continues to go crazy for The Goofy Movie's 30th anniversary. This time, it’s a 10+ hour lofi video featuring Max studying.
That’s some hardcore cramming, Max.
Quick Hits
The Ryan Gosling Star Wars movie has a name (and I’m sure it won’t change before its slated release in 2027): Star Wars: Starfighter
An Up themed attraction is coming to Disney Adventure World in Paris.
The building that housed Walt Disney’s original Laugh-O-Gram Studio is getting money to be revitalized.
Lightning Lane passes at Walt Disney World have been hitting all-time highs.
If you have one of these Disney collectibles, it could be worth a lot of money.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps is almost here — this latest trailer proves it.
Don’t forget to set your alarms — Andor season 2 arrives next week on the 22nd.