Elio and his alien pals have taken over Merchant of Venus in Magic Kingdom ahead of the Pixar film’s release on June 20, 2025.
Photo-Op and Takeover
“Elio’s Guide to an Intergalactic Adventure” has arrived in Tomorrowland in honor of Disney and Pixar’s upcoming film, “Elio.” The entrance to the Merchant of Venus seating area has received window wraps and a display just outside alerting guests to the new experience.
Elio and his alien pal, Glordon, are smiling next to a sign welcoming guests to the “Elio’s Guide to an Intergalactic Adventure.”
Inside the room, a similar cut-out is part of a larger photo-op with Elio and Glordon. For this image, Elio is sitting on top of Glordon’s back while wearing a flowing cape. Another of the backdrops features a purple-tinted night sky and a beam from what is presumably an alien spacecraft.
This specific photo-op is all about adventures with friends, as the signage reads, “Adventures are way more amazing with a partner. That’s me and my bestest space buddy, Glordon.” This area is the first of several photo-op spots inside Merchant of Venus.
In the film, Elio is “accidentally” beamed up to Communiverse, where “there are soooo many cool aliens hanging out.” Another of the photo-ops urges guests to “zoom over and say hi” to some of the alien characters including Lord Grigon, Ambassador Questa, and OOOOO.
Ready for an ultimate space adventure? Don’t forget to smile as you “let the aliens know you are ready for the ultimate space adventure” in this photo backdrop. This one is painted to look like the guest is laying on the ground, waiting to be abducted by aliens, just as Elio does in the film’s trailer.
Lastly, there are photos of additional characters lining the tops of the photo-op walls.
Release Date and Trailer
“Elio” was originally scheduled for release in 2024 but was delayed to 2025 following the WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. It’s now landing in theaters on June 20, 2025.
Here’s the synopsis from Disney:
Elio is a kid with goals: “I’m trying to get abducted—by aliens!” In Disney and Pixar’s all-new feature film “Elio,” he might just get what he’s been searching for. The teaser trailer and a new poster are now available for the cosmic misadventure that beams into theaters June 20, 2025.
A space fanatic with an active imagination and a huge alien obsession, Elio’s all in for an epic undertaking when he’s beamed up to the Communiverse, an interplanetary organization with representatives from galaxies far and wide. When Elio is mistakenly identified as Earth’s leader, he must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions, and somehow discover who and where he is truly meant to be. Directed by Madeline Sharafian (“Burrow” Sparkshort), Domee Shi (“Bao” short, “Turning Red”) and Adrian Molina (co-screenwriter/co-director of “Coco”), and produced by Mary Alice Drumm (associate producer of “Coco”), the film features the voices of Yonas Kibreab as Elio, Zoe Saldaña as Aunt Olga, Remy Edgerly as Glordon, Brad Garrett as Lord Grigon, Jameela Jamil as Ambassador Questa and Shirley Henderson as OOOOO.
Pixar has struggled to find their footing since 2020, but hit gold last summer when “Inside Out 2” became the highest-grossing animated film of all time. Though the studio is reportedly leaning towards sequels and spin-offs in the future, “Elio” is an original story.
Watch the full “Elio” trailer below.
Do you have plans to see “Elio” in theaters? Let us know in the comments.
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