Disney Introduces A New Way to Gift A Theme Park Vacation

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

Disney has recently launched the ability to purchase an entire family holiday as a gift, calling it “The Gift Of Disney Vacations“.

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Starting today, you will be able to purchase multiple options, from a $25 Disney gift card to a full vacation abroad with Adventures By Disney.

To introduce the service, you can now purchase a 6 night, 7 day Walt Disney World vacation staying at one of Disney’s All-Star Resorts for $96 per person, per night.

The offer is valid for 2018 and available until November 15th, 2017.

Find out more information here.

What do you think of the service? Let us know in the comments.

BREAKING: Disney Has Cancelled Upcoming Animated Film ‘Gigantic’

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

Gigantic, Disney Animation’s original feature project that was to have been released in 2020, is being shelved.

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The project was being developed as an updated take on the Jack and the Beanstalk fairy tale, in which Jack befriends a female giant.

Inside Out co-writer Meg LeFauve and Nathan Greno (Tangled) were directing the project while Frozen songwriters Robert Lopez and Kirsten Anderson-Lopez were to have written songs for the film.

But according to the studio, creative walls were being hit.

“It’s impossible to know when we begin a project how the creative process will unfold, and sometimes, no matter how much we love an idea or how much heart goes into it, we find that it just isn’t working,” said Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios president Ed Catmull. “With Gigantic, we’ve come to that point, and although it’s a difficult decision, we are ending active development for now. We are focusing our energies on another project that has been in the works, which we’ll be sharing more about soon, now set for Thanksgiving 2020.”

Details regarding the new project were not revealed, although insiders said it would be an original feature.

Animation is known for its long development process and it is not uncommon for projects to be put on the shelf or to morph from one concept to another. It is also not the first time Disney Animation or its sister company Pixar have taken projects off the schedule either to further work on them or shelf them indefinitely. King of the Elves and Newt were titles that had been actively in the works in the last decade that are now inactive.

Disney Animation next has Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 which opens Nov. 21, 2018 and Frozen 2 for Nov. 27, 2019.

‘Olaf’s Frozen Adventure’ Soundtrack to Feature Four New Songs

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

Disney is releasing a soundtrack for the upcoming featurette Olaf’s Frozen Adventure, which is set to release in theaters ahead of Pixar’s Coco on November 22.

The soundtrack will release on November 3 and include four all-new songs written by Elyssa Samsel and Kate Anderson. Additionally, the soundtrack will include the 21-minute featurette’s score written by Christophe Beck, who also wrote the score for Frozen.

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The original songs that will be included on the soundtrack are “Ring in the Season,” “The Battle of Flemmingrad,” “That Time of Year” and “When We’re Together. The full track listing is included below:

“Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” Soundtrack Track List:
1. “Ring in the Season” – Performed by Kristen Bell and Idina Menzel and Josh Gad
2. “The Ballad of Flemmingrad” – Performed by Jonathan Groff
3. “Ring in the Season” (Reprise) – Performed by Idina Menzel
4. “That Time of Year” – Performed by Josh Gad and Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell and
Cast
5. “That Time of Year” (Reprise) – Performed by Josh Gad
6. “When We’re Together” – Performed by Idina Menzel and Kristen Bell and Josh Gad and Jonathan Groff
7. “Olaf’s Frozen Adventure” Score Suite – Composed by Christophe Beck and Jeff Morrow
8. “The Ballad of Flemmingrad” (Traditional Version) – Performed by Jonathan Groff
9. “Ring in the Season” – [Instrumental Karaoke Mix]
10. “That Time of Year” – [Instrumental Karaoke Mix]
11. “When We’re Together” – [Instrumental Karaoke Mix]

You can pre-order the CD here, and Disney has also released a couple of song snippets for “That Time of Year,” “When We’re Together,” and “Ring In The Season.”

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Disney Movies Anywhere Service Could Add Fox, Warner Bros., Sony, and Universal Movies

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

The Disney Movies Anywhere service debuted in 2014 as a cloud-based digital movie service, with an iOS and Web experience that allows users to discover, purchase, manage and watch movies from Disney, Pixar and Marvel from home or away. Since that time, Disney has been actively courting other studios to join the system, in an effort to combat dwindling DVD sales, poor box office performance, and the threat from streaming providers like Netflix.

Now it appears that 5 of the 6 major Hollywood movie studios will have content on the system as soon as next week.

Bloomberg is reporting that major studios such as 20th Century Fox, Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures are among those joining the service. By banding together, the makers of the world’s most popular films are betting they can succeed in attracting more users than their previous attempts did.

Paramount Pictures is the only one of the six major studios that isn’t joining Movies Anywhere, because of a disagreement over financial terms, although they are reportedly supportive of the idea and may join later.

Disney Movies Anywhere uses a proprietary storage technology called KeyChest to let customers store and access movies at a single site, whether they’re purchased from iTunes, Amazon.com, Google, or Wal-Mart.

UltraViolet offers a competing product: an online locker with movies and TV shows from Warner Bros., Universal Pictures, Sony, Paramount, 20th Century Fox and dozens of other providers. Apparently UltraViolet isn’t performing as well as hoped, leading the studios to take another shot at the concept by backing Disney’s product.

PHOTOS, VIDEO: Interactive Roaming Droid Character for Star Wars – Galaxy’s Edge Unleashed on Disneyland, and Children Unleashed Onto It

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

We have seen two separate tests to date of “Jake” the droid by Disney, inside Star Wars Launch Bay at Disneyland and at the Parks and Resort pavilion at the D23 Expo 2017, but now the roaming character developed for the upcoming “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” is going through some outdoor testing in Tomorrowland at Disneyland.

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Guests will also encounter some signs pertaining to Jake as they roam around Tomorrowland. The test is occurring on most days, and Jake is being attended to by a undercover Imagineer who is watching over him.

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This is good, because by the looks of the video below, Jake is going to need some protection…

The droid takes quite a beating during the short period where we watched him, getting kicked and pushed around by some children who he meets. Luckily, Jake was designed to handle such events, but one has to wonder just how much such a complicated piece of machinery can take. Well, this is why he is being tested years before his debut in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in 2019.

Disney has stated that multiple droids and alien creatures will be roaming Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge when it opens at both Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

PHOTOS: Disneyland Releases Mugs Featuring Blueprints of Classic Park Attractions

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

New at the Disneyland Resort, guests will find mugs featuring the blueprints of some of Disneyland Park’s most classic and beloved attractions.

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The four mugs include the Main Street Railroad Station, The Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain, and Sleeping Beauty Castle.

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The mug handles on each mug are shaped like the classic Disneyland “D” icon as well.

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The mugs retail for $15.99 each and are ceramic. They are available now at various locations at the Disneyland Resort.

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Disney World Changes Bus Routes to Alleviate Traffic on Buena Vista Drive

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

With all of the road work and traffic on Buena Vista Drive, Walt Disney World is rerouting some buses to take traffic off of the troublesome road and provide a better experience for guests.

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Buses to Disney Springs from Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort are now traveling north of Epcot from World Drive to Epcot Center Drive, skipping over most of Buena Vista Drive. It is unknown for how long these new routes will be in effect.

Today Marks the End of the Siemens & Disney Parks Sponsorship, Attractions Left Sponsor-less

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

Today, the “strategic partnership” between Siemens and the Walt Disney Company comes to an end officially. Siemens has released a statement summarizing the twelve years of the deal coming to a conclusion today:

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When Siemens and Disney began to explore the mutual benefits and opportunities of forming one of the largest marketing alliances in the technology sector for the entertainment space, it was a natural fit. The two organizations have many share values such as Innovation, Service, and Quality as well as a worldwide brand presence. Since 2005, the opportunities to leverage this technology alliance extended across The Walt Disney Company including theme parks and resorts, studios, networks, publishing, and digital. On October 10, 2017, the Siemens-Disney Alliance reached a mutually agreed upon conclusion.

Sponsorship Activation Timeline:

  • October 2005 Siemens US and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Sign 12-year agreement
  • October 2005 ABC SuperSign at Times Square, presented by Siemens
  • October 2005 IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth at Epcot, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company [July 2013, presented by Siemens]
  • November 2005 Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney Hollywood Studios, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company [November 2013 – 15, presented by Siemens]
  • January 2006 – April 2010 Disney’s Electrical Parade at Disney California Adventure, presented by Sylvania, a Siemens Company
  • January 2006 – November 2008 Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams at Disneyland, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company
  • May 2007 Siemens VIP Center at Epcot Opens [private executive meeting and guest lounge]
  • February 2008 Spaceship Earth, presented by Siemens
  • March 2008 Project Tomorrow: Inventing the Wonders of the Future at Epcot, presented by Siemens
  • April 2008 – March 2015 Project Tomorrow: Inventing the Wonders of the Future at Disneyland Innoventions, presented by Siemens
  • November 2010 it’s a small world at Disneyland, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company [August 2013, presented by Siemens]

About Siemens USA

Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global powerhouse focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of systems for power generation and transmission as well as medical diagnosis. With approximately 351,000 employees in 190 countries, Siemens reported worldwide revenue of $88.1 billion in fiscal 2016. Siemens in the USA reported revenue of $23.7 billion, including $5.4 billion in exports, and employs approximately 50,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Siemens technology was also used to create several new theme park attractions, including Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land.

PHOTOS, VIDEO: Canyon Fire 2 Smoke Creates Nightmarish Sky Over Disneyland

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

Due to the Canyon Fire 2 that broke out over in Anaheim Hills it looks like some unintentionally added Halloween theming has made its way to the Disneyland Resort, thanks to the smoke and ash from the fire.

The fire made its way throughout the surrounding area in the hours following the breakout. Guests in Disneyland and at Disney’s California Adventure took to social media to post pictures and videos of the effects of the smoke.

Not only did the sky turn orange and fill with smoke, but guests also reported that ash had been falling.

At this point there are no reports of any ride closures. It seems that the fire did not effect operations at either of the two parks.