The characters and music from Pixar films will come to life this summer at Walt Disney World.

On Friday, “The Music of Pixar Live – A Symphony of Characters” will debut at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

During a special presentation Thursday, Disney World president George Kalogridis and director Pete Doctor (“Inside Out,” “Wall-E”) shared a preview of the new show.

The limited-time show will be staged inside parks Theater of the Stars, which holds “Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage.” (Pixar Live will take place after the regular daily performances of Beauty and the Beast.)

Music from films like “Toy Story,” “Monsters Inc.” and “Up” will be performed by a live orchestra, as clips from the those films play on screens in the theater.

In addition to film scenes, guests will be treated to appearances from Pixar characters like Woody and Buzz Lightyear from “Toy Story,” Sully and Mike from “Monsters Inc.” and Mr. and Mrs. Incredible from “The Incredibles.”

Special behind-the-scenes footage from Pixar and interviews from John Lasseter and Randy Newman will also be shown.

The “Music of Pixar Live” is scheduled to have three nightly performances May 26 through August 27.

The show helps kick off what is expected to be a busy weekend at the theme parks.

Pandora-The World of Avatar, the new land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, opens to the public Saturday.

When visitors step on the moon of Pandora, they will be transported to a breath-taking natural world filled with floating mountains, waterfalls and exotic plants.

Visitors can also hop on the back of a banshee in Flight of Passage, one of the new attractions at the park. The other, the family-friendly Na’vi River Journey, is a gentle boat ride through a bioluminescent forest.

Rivers of Light, the park’s nighttime spectacular, performs nightly, with multiple performances scheduled for select nights.

Operating hours have also been extended at Animal Kingdom to accommodate the new additions, with the park staying open as late as 11 p.m. and 1 a.m. for extra magic hours on select nights.

Over at Magic Kingdom, guests can enjoy a brand-new fireworks show, “Happily Ever After,” which replaced the long-running Wishes.


CHECK OUT ATTRACTIONS INSIDER: Your all-in-one source for news, pictures and video from Florida’s theme parks. Just go to our Attractions Insider page. Sign up to get breaking theme park news alerts and subscribe to our newsletter, Theme Park Roundup, delivered to your inbox or mobile phone.