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Disneyland and Walt Disney World raised parking prices -- again. Disneyland and Walt Disney World raised admission prices -- again. Now it's time for Disneyland and Walt Disney World to raise food prices -- again.
Your favorite Disney snacks are now more expensive
Travel+Leisure, Oct 10 2018
Dole Whip, Mickey-shaped pretzels, cotton candy — they’re all crowd pleasers and some of the best foods you’ll find at Disney parks. Only problem is, these salty treats and frozen sweets are about to cost you significantly more than on your last Orlando vacation. Food and drink prices have increased at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland resorts.
Snack prices have changed across the board at the Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom. Popcorn and cotton candy now cost $5 each, up from $4.50, and churros cost $5.25, up from $4.50. Mickey pretzels with cheese are now $7, up from $6 — cheese is not optional, requiring guests to spend the extra buck — and Mickey ice cream bars are $5.75, up from $5. The cost of the chocolate-covered delights have increased 35% in the past three years.
Dole Whip, the pineapple soft-serve, is up fifty cents for cups (now $4.99) and floats (now $5.99). Turkey legs now cost $1.50 more, going for $13.25 each at Epcot’s Fife & Drum Tavern. Bottled drinks are up a full dollar at the Florida resort, from $3.50 to $4.50, and bottled water is now $3.50, up from $3. Fountain drink prices have increased at both Disney parks, with regular-sized sodas increasing from $3.29 at Walt Disney World and $3.59 at Disneyland to $3.99 at both parks.
At Disneyland, many snack prices have stayed firm — churros are still $4.75, Mickey pretzels $5.25 (plus an optional dollar for cheese) — but one popular item has changed: popcorn. A scoop will now cost $5, up from $4.50. Cream cheese-stuffed pretzels were $4.79 last July. Now, they're $7.
https://www.travelandleisure.com/tri...rices-increase
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Spoiler alert: The Spaceship Earth attraction is not a spaceship.
Disney to close Spaceship Earth at Epcot for two years
ComicBook.com, Oct 12 2018
The Walt Disney World Resort will close its Spaceship Earth attraction in 2020 for a two-year refurbishment, re-opening during Epcot’s 40th anniversary in 2022. The overhaul comes as the park undergoes a facelift to become "more timeless, more relevant, more family-friendly and more Disney."
As part of "Project Gamma," dubbed so by Walt Disney Imagineers, Spaceship Earth’s makeover will be so thorough the ride will have to undergo a two-year closure to overhaul its ride track and extend the ride length. Disney is also reported to be eyeing construction on new loading and unloading areas and the construction of new structures and a redone post-show building.
The innards of Spaceship Earth will see every scene refreshed through the Industrial Revolution segment, with major changes to alter the remainder of the ride, culminating in the ending dome scene that will be re-imagined using the latest projection mapping technologies when giving guests a look at earth from space. Its famous shell will see the sphere similarly covered in projection mapping, giving onlookers a colorful nighttime display. Changes to Epcot comes as Disney is bringing a Marvel-inspired coaster to the park, bringing the east coast its first Guardians Of The Galaxy theme park attraction.
https://comicbook.com/movies/2018/10...ose-two-years/
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In 1972, Ed Catmull and Fred Parke produced the first computer-animated 3D film. For A Computer Animated Hand, Catmull constructed a model of his left hand and drew hundreds of triangles and polygons on it -- the model, not his left hand. He digitized the model and used a 3D animation program to make a one-minute film of the hand closing, opening, turning and pointing. Hurry and watch:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdedV81UQ5k
Pixar co-founder Ed Catmull is retiring
Los Angeles Times, Oct 23 2018 4:10 PM
Ed Catmull, the Pixar co-founder who helped pioneer the computer animation industry and led Disney's animation business to its contemporary renaissance, is retiring. Catmull, 73, the longtime president of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, will step down from his current role at the end of 2018. He will stay on in an advisory role through July and will not be replaced. Catmull's retirement marks the end of an era for Pixar and Disney. At Pixar, he and co-founder John Lasseter were credited with transforming the studio into an animation juggernaut with such hits as Toy Story, Finding Nemo and The Incredibles.
Pixar President Jim Morris and Walt Disney Animation Studios President Andrew Millstein will continue to oversee operations of their respective studios, reporting to Walt Disney Studios President Alan Bergman, Disney said in a statement. The news comes just months after Pete Docter and Jennifer Lee were named chief creative officers of Pixar and Disney Animation, respectively. They replaced Lasseter, who left this year after facing allegations of inappropriate workplace behavior.
http://www.latimes.com/business/holl...023-story.html
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Walt Disney often pointed out that the Disney empire "started with a mouse." (Actually, it started with the Alice shorts and Oswald The Lucky Rabbit.) At the theme parks, the legendary Disney characters are being passed over in favor of Avatar, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Iron Man, The Muppets, The Twilight Zone and Guardians Of The Galaxy. What would Walt think?
An Indiana Jones mini-land may finally find a home at Disney's Hollywood Studios
https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/...udios?fbclid=X
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Yo ho, yo ho, no more pirate's life for Johnny. I expect that a Pirates Of The Caribbean 6 with no Captain Jack Sparrow will be boycotted by millions of moviegoers.
Johnny Depp axed from Pirates Of The Caribbean as he battles financial and personal issues
http://wstale.com/tv-movies/johnny-d...rsonal-issues/
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In Toy Story 4, set for release on June 21, 2019, Bonnie turns a spork into a toy she calls Forky -- but Forky doesn't fit in with the other toys.......or does he? The character is voiced by Tony Hale of Veep and Arrested Development. A teaser for the film will precede Ralph Breaks The Internet, which opens November 21, and you can see it now on YouTube:
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LDXYRzerjzU
"Forky"? Really?
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Disney just released a preview of the live-action Dumbo movie which will be released on March 29. The main characters in the 1941 animated film were elephants, a mouse, a stork and a group of crows. The upcoming movie is filled with humans -- but it appears that Tim Burton will not ruin Dumbo the way he ruined Alice In Wonderland.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NiYVoqBt-8
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How does this woman know the bedbugs were real? They could have been Disney "cast members" in bedbug costumes.
Disneyland Hotel is sued by woman who says she was bitten by bedbugs. Her attorney has a history of winning big awards.
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...114-story.html
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Disney today released its first preview of the 2019 live-action remake of the 1994 animated classic The Lion King -- although I think 90% of that so-called "live action" will be CGI. The opening replicates the opening of the original film -- and that little lion club is so goshdarned adorable! Hurry and watch!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=O9EvBdzHvqI
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Sebastian was so embarrassed by this story, his face turned red. At least I think it did. It's hard to tell.
Princeton a cappella group cuts song from The Little Mermaid over 'toxic masculinity'
CBS News, Dec 5 2018 11:54 PM
A male a cappella group at Princeton University has pulled a Disney movie song from its act following a student newspaper column that suggested the lyrics helped promote "toxic masculinity."
The Princeton Tigertones have performed Kiss The Girl, a song from The Little Mermaid, for years. During performances at the Ivy League school, a female audience member would be brought onstage to decide whether or not a man from the crowd could kiss her. Noa Wollstein, who wrote the column, claimed the song's message is misogynistic and that too many women have been pulled on stage for unwanted encounters.
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news...-toxic-n944531
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The film, set to open March 6, 2020, is about two teenaged brothers who are elves. I don't know why but I just got a sudden craving for Keebler cookies.
Pixar announces new film Onward with Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Julia Louis-Dreyfus
https://www.msn.com/en-us/movies/new...RxVY?ocid=AMZN
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It is obvious just from the headline that Los Angeles Times movie critic Justin Chang does not like the new Mary Poppins film. Movie critics seldom say anything nice about Disney films. Chang writes, "While it may be churlish to complain that it recaptures none of the charm and magic of the original, it would also be woefully accurate." He describes the movie as "gaudy" and "mirthless." All I can say is: "Chim-chiminey, chim-chiminey, chim-chim-cheroo, Justin has written a rotten review." Mary Poppins Returns opens December 19.
Review: Mary Poppins Returns, and she shouldn't have
https://www.latimes.com/entertainmen...212-story.html
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Walt Disney liked to say the Disney empire "all started with a mouse." Unfortunately, Walt Disney World is getting so expensive, before long only Scrooge McDuck, John D. Rockerduck and Flintheart Glomgold will be able to afford to spend a day in the park.
Disney World is getting so expensive that it's pricing out the middle class
Business Insider, Jan 3 2019
Walt Disney World raised its prices twice in 2018 and switched to a dynamic pricing model that charges higher prices during peak summer months and winter holidays. The park's platinum pass is the standard option that grants access to all four parks with no blackout dates. In February, the price went from $779 to $849, then in October jumped to $894. That's a 15% increase in just one year. This is the fourth time in park history that annual pass prices were raised twice in the same year. The new model prices out many of its pass holders in the middle class.
https://www.businessinsider.com/disn...-class-2018-12
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Just three days after Business Insider wrote (above) about Walt Disney World's steadily-rising admission prices, Disneyland Resort announced price hikes averaging 8%. Admission on low-attendance "value" days -- although I don't think Disneyland ever has any low-attendance days -- is now $104, up from $97. "Regular" admission rose $12 to $129 and admission on "peak" days rose $14 to $149.
The annual Premier Pass, which includes parking and admission to both parks with no blackout dates, jumped from $1,579 to $1,949, an increase of 23.4%! And letting your car sit in the parking lot while you're visiting the theme parks will now cost you $25, an increase of $5. How many families can afford to go to Disneyland without taking out a bank loan or a second mortgage?
Disneyland Resort raises prices on all tickets and annual passes
https://www.dailybulletin.com/2019/0...annual-passes/
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Miranda co-wrote the songs for Moana, created and starred in the Broadway musicals In The Heights and Hamilton and co-starred in Mary Poppins Returns -- but this story's headline is wrong. Disney already has two Latina princesses, the titular characters of the animated tv series Sofia The First and Elena Of Avalor.
Lin-Manuel Miranda may create Disney's first Latina princess
https://pagesix.com/2019/01/21/lin-m...tina-princess/
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Disneyland anticipates huge crowds -- much bigger than usual -- when the new Star Wars Land opens this summer. Rather than limit attendance (which would also limit revenue), the park has made several changes in order to better accommodate the crowds: two queue lines have been moved, some planters have been reduced in size or removed and stroller parking areas have been designated. As we have seen, raising admission prices once or twice a year has absolutely no effect on attendance. They could charge $1,000 per person and the park would still be overly crowded every day.
Disneyland to rely on low-tech fixes for this summer's Star Wars Land congestion
https://www.latimes.com/business/la-...124-story.html
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So this is the Year of the Pig. Considering how high the greedy pigs who run the Disneyland Resort raised admission prices and parking fees three weeks ago, I'd say the nomenclature is appropriate.
Disneyland celebrates the Year of the Pig
NBC Los Angeles, Jan 26 2019
2019 is the Year of the Pig and Disneyland Resort in Anaheim is ready to celebrate the Lunar New Year from now until February 17. During this multicultural celebration you can experience a wide variety of performances, themed decor, food and merchandise.
Lunar New Year is traditionally observed by the Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese cultures. Disney will highlight those cultures in their food and beverage location menus for this celebration. Mulan's Lunar New Year Procession will feature the Three Little Pigs, dancers, martial artists and drummers to add to the excitement of the performance. An arts and crafts corner featuring Chinese calligraphy and A Lucky Wishing Well will also be part of the Lunar New Year festivities.
https://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/l...504921761.html
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Per the Chinese zodiac, 2023 will be the Year Of The Rabbit. I wonder if that could be the year this Zootopia-themed land will open. Judy Hopps would be doubly proud.
Disney announces plans for Zootopia land at its Shanghai resort
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/s...pia/index.html
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Walt Disney World's Riviera Resort, inspired by the French-Italian Riviera, will be the 15th Disney Vacation Club resort. It will open in autumn but is already accepting "guest reservations" for stays beginning in December or later. The cheapest rooms are $335 per night! Nobody but the very wealthy will be able to afford to be the Riviera's "guests."
All-new Disney's Riviera Resort now accepting guest reservations
https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/bl...-reservations/
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A Disney spokesman said, "We are committed to fostering a welcoming environment for all our guests where magic is for everyone." Translation: We want to make even more money.
'Magical Pride'
While Gay Days has long been an unofficial tradition at Disney parks in the US, Disneyland Paris will host the company's first official LGBTQ pride event June 1.
https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-...-event-n965396
