‘Celebrate Soulfully’ Offers Special Treats for Guests

As February begins, Disney Guests will have the opportunity to enjoy some special experiences at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort through the “Celebrate Soulfully” event! According to the Disney Parks Blog, this is the first time that this event will be happening at Disneyland Resort, so Disneyland Resort Guests won’t be missing out on the chance to “honor Black heritage and culture through music, food, art and more” at Disney Parks during Black History Month.

Here’s what you can expect at Walt Disney World Resort during the Celebrate Soulfully event!

Guests in Disney Springs can enjoy several special musical performances and musical acts throughout February, with genres ranging from “Motown favorites” to “jazz, R&B and pop hits”. There will also be new art displays and some brand-new murals on display, and many of the art displays are apparently directly “inspired by favorite characters from “The Proud Family: Louder and Prouder” series on Disney+”.

There is also a more permanent art collection on display at the House of Blues Restaurant and Bar for Guests to admire! Disney Springs Guests who are particularly interested in learning more about music like jazz will want to take a look at “The Soul of Jazz: An American Adventure”, which is an exhibit in The American Adventure at EPCOT. This is a traveling exhibit that just began its journey last year.

At select Walt Disney World Resorts, there will also be special showings of movies including Soul (2020) and Remember the Titans (2000) to continue Celebrate Soulfully during the Resorts’ Movies Under the Stars events at night!

Since Disneyland Resort is new to Celebrate Soulfully, Disneyland Resort Guests will be particularly ready to enjoy the novelty of the event! One “powerful event” that will be a highlight from the month is “Celebrate Gospel”, which used to take place in Stage 17 within Disney California Adventure Park.

“Celebrate Gospel” will begin in Disneyland Resort with a performance of Gospel music by the actor, fashion designer, and award-winning Gospel singer Kierra Sheard on February 19 at Fantasyland Theater. Kierra will be joined by the acapella Gospel group Sacred Groove.

On February 26, the Grammy-award winners Jonathan McReynolds and Mali Music will perform accompanied by the acapella group Singers of Soul. There will also be Southern California community choirs performing on the weekends, on the same Fantasyland Theater stage, from 3 to 7 p.m.!

If evening activities are more your scene, check out the Downtown Disney District for “nightly outdoor concerts covering genres such as R&B, Gospel, reggae, funk and jazz”. These concerts will be going on throughout February, and there will be live jazz piano every night at Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen for jazz aficionados.

Like in Disney Springs, the Downtown Disney District will also have some new art on display “from emerging Black artists who found inspiration in Disney and Pixar’s Soul“. The artwork is by Bee Harris, Bianca Pastel, Arrington Porter and Cory Van Lew — and chalk muralist Marcella Swett will also be stopping by to draw a new chalk art mural every week in February, too!

No Disney World or Disneyland event would be complete without food, and the Celebrate Soulful event is not going to disappoint in that department. There will be special Cooking with Soul “featured menu items” available in both Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort, and if they’re anything like the 50th anniversary offerings or EPCOT Festival foods, Guests will want to bring their appetites!

In Disney Springs, establishments like the Wine Bar George, House of Blues, City Works Eatery & Pour House, STK and Chef Art Smith’s Homecomin’ will definitely be worth a visit. If you want to try some Caribbean, African, or Southern United States flavors, then restaurants like the Polite Pig, Jock Lindsey’s Hangar Bar and D-Luxe Burger will be the ideal places to see the results “as chefs and culinary cast members draw on their heritage to infuse cultural flavors into mouthwatering new menu items”.

It seems like a no-brainer, but The Ganachery will be a good destination for anyone wanting a dessert! The main character Joe Gardner (voiced by Jamie Foxx) from Disney and Pixar’s movie Soul has gotten his own special sweet in the form of Soulfully Sweet Pralines.

The Disney Parks Blog also encourages Disney Springs Guests to “support Black-owned businesses at Vivoli il Gelato by ordering Coffee Pot Gelato, a limited-edition flavor made with coffee stout sourced from Green Bench Brewing Company, a Florida-based Black-owned brewery”. In this case, a cup of coffee is more significant than an everyday beverage!

In the Disney Park EPCOT at Walt Disney World Resort, the Refreshment Outpost will be serving Nairobi Coffee Porter (which “is infused with Kenyan coffee and features subtle berry and stone fruit notes”) as well as a unique Plant-based Bratwurst that “is inspired by the flavors of Eastern Africa and is served with spicy turmeric aioli, Kachumbari slaw and coffee barbecue jackfruit”.

At the Fife & Drum, a Half Note Float is also being offered. This is a concoction that includes Fanta Strawberry, Minute Maid Lemonade, Fanta Blue Raspberry Slushy and vanilla ice cream, and it’s named after Joe Gardner’s favorite jazz club in Soul!

In the Disney Park called the Animal Kingdom, there will be plenty of contrasting flavors to try. The popular Tiffins Restaurant will be providing Guests with some memorable dining experiences that are highlighted by the Peach Cobbler Rum Cake, which “is inspired by a beloved recipe from chef James Hemings” and is meant to honor “his lasting creative and culinary legacy”.

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  The Peach Cobbler Rum Cake at Tiffins Restaurant Credit: Disney Parks Blog

Guests at the Nomad Lounge & Cocktail Bar will want to try some Mandazi, which is a Swahili fried dough dessert , and there’s also a Celebrate Soulfully cupcake (inspired once again by Soul) to be found at the Creature Comforts Coffee Shop, Flame Tree Barbecue, and Restaurantosaurus.

For some Southern style, take the time to savor a Mint Julep that has been “flavored with pineapple and orange to honor the inspirational story of the drinks’ creator, John Dabney”. You can find Mint Juleps at many establishments within the Animal Kingdom Park, including Nomad Lounge, Dawa Bar, Restaurantosaurus Lounge, and Thirsty River Bar.

When it comes to celebrations at the Disneyland Resort, Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen at Downtown Disney District will be the place to go for “creole cuisine” that will feel like it came directly from Louisiana. The famous NOLA BBQ Shrimp & Grits will be included on the menu!

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  A Celebrate Soulfully artist Credit: Disney Parks Blog

Fans of Soul or jazz in general may want to stop by Hearthstone Lounge at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa during February to enjoy some live jazz every night and try some new beverages from Black-owned businesses.

As with any Disney event, there will also be lots of merchandise for Guests to enjoy! Highlights include a Post 21 kiosk in Downtown Disney District featuring “a collection of modern and design-forward merchandise from Black-owned businesses” as well as some discounts on Bowes Signature Candles within the Marketplace Co-Op at Disney Springs and (for this month only) the Discovery Trading Co. near the Tree of Life within Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

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  Bowes Signature Candles Credit: Disney Parks Blog

There will also be an Artist Spotlight in Disney World’s Art of Disney that introduces animators from Walt Disney Animation Studios, and on certain dates the artist Timothy Adebule (who is also the operator of the Three Masks Art Gallery) will also be present to meet Guests.

Whether it’s music, food, art, or merchandise that you’re interested in as a Disney Guest, it looks like Disney’s Celebrate Soulfully event will have plenty of offerings to make February special for Black History Month!