The Disney thread

[Rewind]

Disneyland opened in 1955 and has always had a strict no-alcohol policy, with the exception of the exclusive, members-only Club 33. Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom opened in 1971 with the same strict no-alcohol policy. Walt believed offering beer and liquor would attract "a rowdy element.....people we don't want." That has now changed. This is from today's Orlando Sentinel:

Commentary: The Magic Kingdom boozes it up. What would Walt Disney think?

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/opini...518-story.html

[Rewind]

Allow me to paraphrase Jake Sully: "The Disney People have sent us a message that they can continue to raise admission prices as high as they want. That no one can stop them. Well, we will send them a message. You ride out as fast as the wind can carry you. You tell the other clans to come. My brothers! My sisters! We will show the Disney People that they....... Oh, who am I kidding? As long as they keep opening new attractions, we will keep going to their theme parks no matter what they charge."

Disney’s Animal Kingdom surpasses Epcot in annual attendance for the first time ever
WDW News Today, May 17 2018

Pandora: The World of Avatar has proven to be a huge payoff for Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The attendance in 2017 went up 15%, beating out Epcot for the first time and making Animal Kingdom the second-highest-attended park at Walt Disney World. The Magic Kingdom is the highest.

In 2016, Animal Kingdom’s attendance was reported at 10.8 million visitors, which means it gained almost two million in the year of 2017. This, of course, is due to Pandora: The World of Avatar opening with two new attractions: Flight Of Passage, an immersive experience where you feel like you’re flying on a banshee; and Na’Vi River Journey, a boat ride through Pandora. When Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens next year, the numbers will likely change again, and then the Guardians Of The Galaxy roller coaster opening at Epcot in 2021 will probably sway things once more.

https://wdwnt.com/2018/05/disneys-an...-ever-in-2017/

[Rewind]

Home2Go just released their report on the cost of spending a day at any of the 45 most popular US theme parks. The rankings are based on the total cost of parking, admission, one meal and a one-night hotel stay. Not surprisingly, all six Disney parks are among the ten most expensive. Topping the list: Universal Studios Hollywood.

How much it costs to spend a day at America's most popular theme parks, ranked

http://www.businessinsider.com/cost-...x-flags-2018-5

[Rewind]

Walt Disney liked to say that his company "all started with a mouse." Actually, it started with the Alice shorts and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, but I digress. The Walt Disney Company is about to get much bigger:

Date set for 21st Century Fox shareholders to vote on Disney deal
The New York Times, May 30 2018

21st Century Fox today set a date for shareholders to vote on its $52.4 billion plan to sell most of its assets to the Walt Disney Company. The special meeting will take place at 10 AM July 10 at the New York Hilton Midtown in Manhattan. Disney shareholders will simultaneously vote on the plan 12 blocks away at the New Amsterdam Theater. That puts pressure on Comcast, which said in a news release last week that it is "in the advanced stages of preparing an all-cash offer for the businesses of Fox that Fox has agreed to sell to Disney."

Under its deal with Disney, Fox is selling stakes in television providers Sky of Great Britain and Star of India; a portion of Hulu; the cable channels FX and National Geographic; a chain of 22 regional cable networks; a television studio; a portion of the Endemol Shine Group, which makes reality shows; and the 20th Century Fox movie studio.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/30/b...lder-vote.html

[Rewind]

Let this be a lesson: An "active shooter" is not something to joke about.

YouTube stunt at Disney resort lands Arizona man in jail
Orlando Sentinel, May 30 2018

A 22-year-old Arizona man was arrested Monday after he told guests at a Disney resort there was an active shooter so he could record their reactions and post it to YouTube, according to an arrest affidavit. Dillion Burch was "highly intoxicated" and running up to guests at Walt Disney World's Contemporary Resort shortly after midnight and telling them they had to evacuate because of the shooter. Burch then told the people he was joking and wanted to see what their reactions were for a school project. The incident caused a "significant disturbance" and the resort had to go on lockdown, the affidavit said. Deputies found Birch hiding in some bushes and arrested him. He was taken to the Orange County Jail on disturbing the peace and disorderly intoxication charges.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/...529-story.html

[Rewind]

If you're a millionaire who can afford the $1,149 cost of the Signature Plus annual pass, you won't be affected by this:

Disneyland to put new limits on park visits for some annual passholders
Orange County Register, Jun 2 2018 8:19 AM

Disneyland has announced the first of what could be sweeping changes coming to its annual passport program that will limit – for the first time – which parks some passholders can visit on specific days. The changes come at a time when resort officials are debating how best to manage enormous crowds expected when the new Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge land opens in Disneyland in summer 2019.

The new program will create two new admission calendars, one for Disneyland and one for Disney's California Adventure. Some passes will be good at certain parks on certain days but not necessarily both parks on the same day. Starting next June, annual passholders can go online to see if they can visit Disneyland or DCA or both on their chosen date. The biggest changes will be to holders of the mid-priced Deluxe passport, with the higher levels experiencing no change at all.

https://www.ocregister.com/2018/06/0...l-passholders/

[Rewind]

At Downtown Disney in Anaheim, a new 700-room hotel will replace the ESPN Zone, Rainforest Café, Earl Of Sandwich and AMC Theater. With ESPN Zone out of business, we'll have to find some other crowded noisy venue with 50 giant tv screens showing 50 different sporting events.

Disney says goodbye to the ESPN Zone concept as the chain’s final restaurant closes in Anaheim

https://www.ocregister.com/2018/06/0...es-in-anaheim/

[Rewind]

A coalition of unions wants Anaheim to raise the hourly minimum wage to $15 in 2019, $16 in 2020, $17 in 2021 and $18 in 2022. Today at a rally during which Bernie Sanders spoke, several Disneyland employees took the stage to whine that they can't get by on a theme park salary. Ummm.......couldn't they look for a higher-paying job? Just a thought.

Senator Bernie Sanders speaks at rally to call for higher wages for Disneyland Resort workers

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...602-story.html

[Rewind]

Olaf likes warm hugs -- but all the Disney-Pixar employees who Lasseter repeatedly hugged did not.

Disney-Pixar animation chief John Lasseter to exit at end of year

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/new...d-year-1069547

[Rewind]

The squirrel stole a bag of M&Ms. Peanut M&Ms. Of course.

Shoplifting squirrel caught on camera stealing from store in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/shoplif...magic-kingdom/