We have just received word that the limited-time run of the Main Street Electrical Parade at Disneyland has been extended through the summer. The parade is now scheduled to “glow away” on August 20, 2017.
In this week’s episode, the gang talk about:
Join hosts Joe Hogarty, Jack McCarthy, Ron D’Anna and Taylor Katcher!
WDWNT: Nerd Alert – Season Three Episode 5 is now available for download through WDW News Today: Original Programing and iTunes!
Variety is reporting that Beyonce is director Jon Favreau’s top choice to play Simba’s love interest, Nala, in the upcoming live action remake of “The Lion King”.
According to Variety:
Sources tell Variety that Beyonce is director Jon Favreau’s top choice to voice Nala in the upcoming remake.
Insiders stress that the Grammy winner has not made a decision regarding the film yet, as the star is pregnant with twins. But since it’s a voice-acting role, sources say the studio and director will do whatever it takes to accommodate her schedule. The songstress announced her pregnancy in early February and dropped out as a Coachella headliner by month’s end. Lady Gaga will replace the “Single Ladies” singer at the desert music and arts festival next month.
This would mark Beyonce’s first film role since lending her voice to the Fox animated film”Epic.” Her other major movie credits include the 2009 thriller “Obsessed,” 2006 movie musical “Dreamgirls,” and 2002 Mike Myers comedy “Austin Powers in Goldmember.”
Source: Variety
Star Wars and Toy Story Land construction rages on at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in our latest expansion update video. This time, we take a look at exactly what is going on in the former Backlot area of the park, as well as the strange addition of the XBOX Game Port near Path of the Jedi:
Disney is starting to release more information to the cast members who will be working in Pandora: The World of AVATAR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, giving us the scoop on some things we didn’t know we would encounter when the area opens on May 27th, 2017.
Floating mountains grace the skyline while exotic plants fill the colorful landscape inside Pandora – The World of Avatar, which opens May 27, 2017 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
Reportedly, there isn’t much in the way of signage for the attractions in the land, as it would impede on the natural environment around the two rides (in story). Na’vi totem poles will be used to convey to guests what the attraction is they are entering the queue for. Whether or not this means there will be wait time signs or not remains to be seen. Also, there will be no Mickey icon readers for MagicBands as it would not make sense on Pandora, so expect custom readers or ACE crew members with iPads I suppose.
The Wilderness Explorers attraction at Animal Kingdom will be tied into the land as well, adding two more pages for guests to obtain while they are on Pandora.
Supposedly, the Na’vi River Journey attraction will feature only one Audio-Animatronic Na’vi creature, the Shaman character we were already introduced to. She will be seated along the riverbank in a crossed leg pattern, but if she were to stand, she would clock in at over 10 feet tall. There will however be additional “AAs” of some of the wildlife on Pandora.
Windtraders, (pictured here) travelers can find Na’vi cultural items, toys, science kits, and more.
Regarding merchandise, AVATAR products will only be sold in Pandora and not anywhere else in the park. There will also be specific daytime and nighttime merchandise, such as flip flops, staffs, and spears that interact with their surroundings in the land in the evenings. Disney Parks branded bags and receipts will also not exist on Pandora, instead, everything will be branded to Alpha Centauri Expeditions.
The D-Tech “AVATAR Me” station that can be somewhat made out in the store concept art is apparently a real thing, similar to when Disney offered the service where guests could become a Jedi or a Stormtrooper. There is also a “Banshee Connect” service where you will be matched with a tiny plush version of the beast; a robotic creature that you can take home with you for a price.
The stores will include a bead station where guests can make their own bead necklace or bracelet. As well, the Na’vi artifacts that will be for sale will be actual, hand painted props.
We will share more tidbits like this with you as we inch closer to the opening of Pandora: The World of AVATAR on May 27th, 2017.
As promised earlier this week, Marvel has released the first trailer for the upcoming episodic Telltale Game, Guardians of the Galaxy.
http://https://youtu.be/xrKBKk59bZw
The Guardians of the Galaxy humor is present, while the art style notable takes many cues from the MCU movies. It is important to note, however, that the Telltale series will be completely unrelated to the comics and the movies.
Episode one will release on April 18, which is just a few weeks away! Stay tuned for more news and some reviews as the game starts rolling out.
Today Disney has launched their new subscription-based game, Club Penguin Island.
Earlier this week the legacy game shut down for good, and now players can embark on the future of Club Penguin. All the activities one would expect are still around in this new game, including customizing characters, sharing food, playing games, and the list goes on.
http://https://youtu.be/z9xvMaJ2_aw
Club Penguin is over a decade old, and Club Penguin Island seeks to bring the franchise to a more modern audience that has grown up on mobile devices. The spirit remains the same, but the platform has changed, while the game has also evolved into a 3D experience (goodbye early 2000s flash game artwork).
As with the original Club Penguin, this game is extremely kid-friendly, with tools that are readily available to report negative content, and a strong community of respectable players, although shenanigans are commonplace in the Club Penguin community.
The game can be downloaded now on iOS and Android. You can start for free with a seven-day trail, but afterwards the game will cost $4.99 per month.
Disney today shared a sneak preview at another item that will immerse guests in their in-park experience like never before and connect them to Pandora: The World of AVATAR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The item is called the Na’vi Translator.
“This device was originally developed by Alpha Centauri Expeditions founder Marshall Lamm,” explained Cody Hampton, product developer. “The Na’vi have no written language, so the translator will be a helpful tool for any human visiting Pandora. Guests using the translator can learn how to pronounce 90 Na’vi words using interchangeable translation cards. The device also lights up at night, which makes it perfect for nighttime explorations on Pandora.”
The Na’vi Translator set will come packaged with 15 translation cards. The device has a clasp that extends up to 12-inches and can be attached to a belt or backpack.
Additional translation cards will be sold in trading card packs, each containing eight randomly selected cards. There are some common cards such as Nouns (Blue) and Adjectives (Purple). Other cards will be less common to find in the trading packs including Animals (Orange), Phrases (Aqua), and Landscapes (Tan). The rarest cards are Plants (Green) and Gear (Yellow).
“When selecting the words and phrases for this set, we thought about the most essential words a guest might use when exploring another country on Earth,” continued Cody. “My favorite word is ‘Ikran’ which means ‘Banshee.’ I must have said that word hundreds of times while developing products for Pandora [laughs].”
Cody partnered with Lightstorm Entertainment and Dr. Paul Frommer, creator of the Na’vi language for “Avatar,” to acquire audio recordings of spoken Na’vi words for the translator.
This product and more will be available May 27th when Pandora: The World of AVATAR officially opens to guests at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Today, Disney has given us another new inside look at their new fireworks show “Happily Ever After”, which will be debuting May 12th. The new show will be the biggest show in Magic Kingdom history and feature lasers, projections, new music, and new pyrotechnics. From the Disney Parks Blog, here is the video down below:
Happily Ever After will be debuting May 12th, 2017.
Today, Disney showcased some brand new merchandise for the upcoming Star Wars film, Star Wars: The Last Jedi. This merchandise has been made to coincide with the Star Wars Force for Change fund, which is a charitable initiative from Lucasfilm and Disney that harnesses the strength of Star Wars to empower and improve the lives of children around the world.
There will be a pin that has the logo and select characters from the upcoming film, as well as shirts for both adults and kids.
Twenty-five percent of the retail sale price from each of these products will be donated to the U.S. Fund for UNICEF in support of UNICEF Kid Power, a program that uses the world’s first WEARABLE-FOR-GOOD™ to give kids the power to get active and save lives by earning points that unlock food packets for malnourished children around the world.
These items will debut in Booth 3463 at Star Wars Celebration, which is a Star Wars fan event coming to the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida from April 13-16, 2017.
Following the event, select locations at Disney Parks listed below will carry these items through the summer. These products will not be available on DisneyStore.com or the Shop Disney Parks app. These are the first retail items for the new film, and in coming months as the movie debut gets closer, more merchandise will be revealed.
The following items above will be available at these following Disney Parks locations:
Walt Disney World Resort
Disneyland Resort
To learn more about Star Wars: Force for Change, please visit ForceForChange.com.
The U.S. Fund for UNICEF does not endorse any brand or product. No portion of the purchase price is tax-deductible.
Star Wars: The Last Jedi will hit theaters December 15, 2017.
