MI News Desk

A full week after the official grand reopening of Disney California Adventure and we're back at the Resort for a look at the going's on. Independence Day decorations are going up in both parks, Matterhorn climbers are climbing, Fantasy Faire is under construction, and the crowds have landed for the summer and are enjoying a fully operational Cars Land and Buena Vista Street.

Welcome back, travelEARS! Last week, we celebrated the opening of Cars Land. Today, we are going to celebrate the opening of Buena Vista Street by taking a look at The Old Railway Station.

Although this hotel isn’t themed to 1920s Los Angeles, you are able to stay in early 1900s train cars. It may not be the Red Car Trolleys, but it is sure to please guests of all ages.

If you didn’t get a chance to run in the popular inaugural Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend last year at Disneyland Resort, now is your chance to get in on the fun. Registration for the 2013 race is now open at runDisney.com.

If you're contemplating whether or not to participate in the January 2013 event, you should figure it out rather soon. Enrollment has been open just over a week and the event is already well over 65% full!

Hollywood’s legendary El Capitan Theatre hits the bull’s-eye with a special engagement of DisneyŸPixar’s epic action adventure “Brave,” from June 22- August 12, 2012, it was announced today by Lylle Breier, senior vice president, Worldwide Special Events for Walt Disney Studios Motion

Earlier today, we shared the new trailer released by Pixar for the upcoming Monster's University and now we have a look at some of the film's concept art!

Hong Kong Disneyland announced that it's largest themed area Grizzly Gulch will debuts on July 14, 2012. Big Grizzly Mountain Runaway Mine Cars will take guests on a holistic adventure around the entire themed area. The resort has been working hard putting their imagination into actionto create an immersive Wild West experience for guests.

The Walt Disney Company has become the first major media company to introduce new standards for food advertising on programming targeting kids and families. By 2015, the company will require all food and beverage products advertised, sponsored, or promoted on Disney Channel, Disney XD, Disney Junior, Radio Disney, and Disney-owned online destinations oriented to families with younger children to promote fruit and vegetable consumption and call for limiting calories and reducing saturated fat, sodium, and sugar.

Even though we are just tapping into the summer season, you can already look forward to special experiences coming to Walt Disney World this fall. They include immersing into the world of Jack Sparrow, become automotive designers, seeing zebras up close on safari, and a whole lot more!

Disney-Pixar has released the first trailer for the upcoming Monster's University which gives us the backstory of how Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan met.

“Monsters University” is directed by Dan Scanlon (“Cars,” “Mater and the Ghostlight,” “Tracy”) and produced by Kori Rae (“Up,” “The Incredibles,” “Monsters, Inc.”). The film opens in U.S. theaters on June 21, 2013, and will be shown in Disney Digital 3D™ in select theaters.

Pictures available after the jump!

The world premiere of Disney•Pixar’s Brave gets the exclusive treatment as it will be part of Grand Opening of Hollywood’s Dolby® Theatre. The red-carpet event is a special presentation for Film Independent’s 2012 Los Angeles Film Festival and will take place on June 18th, 2012 in Hollywood.

Disney has released a new video from the upcoming SECRET OF THE WINGS revealing that the new character Perwinkle is actually Tinker Bell's sister. Earlier this week we shared news that Disney Parks are hosting auditions for Periwinkle and Tinker Bell characters.

Periwinkle (aka Peri) is a sparkling winter fairy, voiced by Lucy Hale (ABC Family’s “Pretty Little Liars”). She joins Tinker Bell (voiced by Mae Whitman of TV’s ‘Parenthood’) on an amazing journey of discovery into the forbidden Winter Woods.

Disney Secret of the Wings is set for a home-release on October 23, 2012.

Walt Disney Animation Studios presents an epic tale of adventure and comedy in “Frozen,” a computer-animated feature film slated for the big screen in November 2013.

Directed by Chris Buck (“Tarzan,” “Surf’s Up”) and produced by Peter Del Vecho (“Winnie the Pooh,” “The Princess and the Frog”), “Frozen” features the vocal talents of film/TV/stage star Kristen Bell as Anna, a young dreamer about to take the adventure of a lifetime, and Tony Award®-winning actress Idina Menzel as Elsa the Snow Queen. The movie will feature original songs by Broadway greats Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez.

Brave: The Video Game, inspired by the Disney•Pixar movie “Brave,” is now available for most gaming systems. The Video Game offers fans the chance to continue the story of the film and relive highlights from Merida’s heroic journey t.o undo a beastly curse before it’s too late.

Players can go on new adventures and experience non-stop action as they run, jump and battle their way through the rugged landscape of mythical and mysterious Scotland.

Disney confirmed today that production officially began last Wednesday on the new Maleficent movie that will be starring Angelina Jolie in the title role. The announcement comes with the first look image of the sexy new villainess.

Disney previously confirmed Maleficent to have a March 14, 2014 release date for the film. Today it was confirmed that the film will be made available in 3D format.

Other official confirmations include Princess Aurora portrayed by Elle Fanning (“Super 8”), along with a cast comprised of Sharlto Copley (“District 9”), Sam Riley (“On the Road”), Imelda Staunton (“Vera Drake”), Miranda Richardson (“The Hours”), Juno Temple (“Atonement”) and Lesley Manville (“Secrets & Lies”). No mention was made to confirm or deny Brenton Thwaites who is rumored to be on board to portray Prince Philip.

Directed by two-time Oscar®-winning production designer Robert Stromberg (“Avatar,” “Alice in Wonderland”), in his directorial debut, and produced by Joe Roth, “Maleficent” is written by Linda Woolverton (“The Lion King,” “Beauty and the Beast”) and executive produced by Angelina Jolie, Don Hahn, Matt Smith and Palak Patel.