Don’t Miss the January WDWNT TeePublic Sale! Shirts are Now Just $14!

Don’t miss your chance to score some great WDWNT merchandise during the January sale at the WDWNT store on TeePublic. Everything in the store is 30% off until Sunday with no coupon code needed!

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You can get anything and everything in our store for 30% off the regular price. Even better, every purchase you make helps keep WDWNT.com going and supports all of the great coverage we provide every single day. Gear up with stylish Disney fan apparel while supporting the Worldwide Leader in Disney Parks News? DOES IT GET ANY BETTER? Actually it does, when you get complimented on wearing these amazing shirts at the parks…

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The sale ends Sunday January 29th at 11:59 PM EST, so don’t delay! Get your WDWNT gear now!

PHOTO REPORT: The Magic Kingdom 1/27/17 (More Tomorrowland Makeover, MARVEL, Waffle Fries, Remembering Kingdom Cabanas, ETC.)

Our latest photo report brings us back to the Magic Kingdom to see the ever-changing Tomorrowland, new merchandise items, and more, so let’s dive right on in…

IT WAS CROWDED

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Luckily we had parked at the Contemporary and had a private security line to enter, because every other line in front of the park was overwhelmed. Every weekend in January has been fairly busy thus far.

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This disaster was the Will Call line. They estimated that some guests waited 90-120 minutes.

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The new security screening area wasn’t helping as it was colliding with the line.

Refurb Street U.S.A.

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The tarps on the Train Station are finally themed.

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The exterior refurbishment on the Emporium continues as well.

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Yes, we’re open!

This and That

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Waffle fries are back at the Golden Oak Outpost.

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Tortuga Tavern was open and selling Turkey Legs and Hot Dog combos.

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It was easily the worst smell combination on this or any planet.

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The Adventureland food carts no longer have Cheeseburger Egg Rolls, but now sell churros.

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I knew our server at Skipper Canteen hated us when the stains on the menus were real and not “themed”…

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That’s real food. We had terrible service on top of this, which was a first for me in my many trips to Skipper Canteen.

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These signs were added to Magic Kingdom restaurants when they added alcohol.

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No, these people don’t think that a nighttime parade is coming, they are just electing to wait for fireworks while sitting on the curb.

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The Future of Drinking

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Work continues on what we suspect will be the Joffrey’s coffee location at the Magic Kingdom.


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A peek over the walls show a foundation in place.

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The Cool Ship and Cool Scanner are closed for refurbishment.

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Looks like more Tomorrowland TLC to me.

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This new Lightning McQueen animated glow headband is for sale around the parks for $16.

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The ticket sales location in the Tomorrowland Light and Power Co. is gone, but the sign remains.

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New Disney Boutique hoodies for sale.

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The 45th Anniversary Sale

REVIEW: Olaf Marshmallow Cupcake at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

The latest seasonal specialty cupcake at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is celebrating Olaf from Frozen. The cupcake features chocolate cake with a marshmallow topping, and a white chocolate Olaf on top.

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The cupcake is available currently at all of the Sunset Ranch Market eateries including Fairfax Fare, Rosie’s All-American Cafe, and Catalina Eddie’s for $5.59.


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The chocolate cake is not of the usual taste, it was lighter in the flavoring, more akin to a german chocolate actually.

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The frosting is marshmallow flavored and features crunchy “sugar crystals” on top of it.

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Overall, it is a pretty solid cupcake, but not my favorite. A marshmallow filling in the middle would have been neat and maybe helped with the lighter chocolate flavor of the cake. The icing also has a somewhat strange, toothpaste like consistency. It’s a good cupcake, but you should probably just save room for a different snack at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

PHOTOS: New Disney Castle Art & More Added to Lobby at Boardwalk Inn Resort

 

Upon visiting Disney’s Boardwalk Inn last night, we were greeted by some significant changes in the hotel’s lobby…

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In addition to some new carpet, couches, and chairs, three new pieces of Castle artwork were added to reflect the three other Disney Castles that did not have representation in the lobby’s fantastic carousel style ornamentation.

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The Castle art above the check-in desk represented the 4 Disney Castles around the world at the time the hotel opened…

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Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park…

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Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Resort Paris…

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And Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World (which also represented Tokyo until now).

Disney decided to represent all 6 castles in the lobby now, so those added recently include…

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Hong Kong Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle (at least for now, until the castle is altered)…

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Enhanced Storybook Castle at Shanghai Disney Resort…

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And finally Cinderella Castle at Tokyo Disney Resort, with the new enhancements in the brickwork added several years ago to differentiate it from the other just across the lobby.

So, what do you think? Pretty cool, huh?

PHOTOS: Paddlefish Restaurant Opens at Disney Springs

Officially opening today, the Paddlefish restaurant replaces what was Fulton’s in Disney Springs. The new elegant seafood establishment invited us to take a look inside last night during a special VIP event, so here’s a quick look at what guests will see when they enter the reimagined eatery:

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The check-in area.

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The dining room on the bottom floor near the paddlewheel.

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The dining and bar area at the front of the ship’s 1st floor.

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What I thought was most stunning was this area on the 1st floor, opened up with some fantastic large windows that offer unrivaled views.

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The second floor isn’t bad either though…

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Yes, we had to look in the bathroom (before anyone arrived, mind you). There are little tile paddlewheels on the ground!

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Second floor dining at the front of the ship.

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At sunset, the views were even better.

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Up to the third floor, which has a rather large lounge area in the front and back.

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Off To Neverland! – California Attractions That Never Happened

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Neverland is a fictional place in Disney’s “Peter Pan,” where pirates rule the seas, mermaids lurk the waters, fairies are real, and you never grow up. It’s a place of “never.” For a moment, let’s pretend that it is the year 2078. In this time period, Disney has just announced plans for their 6th theme park which would be 500 acres – their biggest park yet. This park would be called Neverland. This park is filled with shows, rides, concepts, ideas and many other things that Disney had plans for, but never fully put into effect. Let me be your VIP tour guide and show you what would be in this fictional Disney park of things that have “never” happened.

We begin our tour in the first land called Failed California. This land has rides and ideas proposed for Disneyland in California but never came to be.

Failed California (Disneyland, California)


  • LILLIPUTIAN LAND- This land was actually proposed by Roy O. Disney. This land was supposed to be based on the book Gulliver’s Travels and in it would be a miniature Americana village populated by 9-inch-tall singing and dancing mechanical people. The main attraction for this land would be a 17-inch-tall locomotive.
  • EDISON SQUARE- This land was supposed to be a side land of Main Street USA and its theme would be 1920 suburbs. The centerpiece in the land would be a statue of Thomas Edison. The main attraction would have been called Harnessing the Lightning, which would consist of retelling the history of electricity and the effect it had on the American society. This idea was scrapped, but some themes were used for Walt’s Carousel of Progress at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
  • MYTHICA- This land would have a Greek/Roman theme and all the rides, shows and attractions would be based on Greek and Roman mythology. This was an idea by Disney Imagineers but never came into development.
  • ATLANTIS EXPEDITION- In this ride, you would be traveling in a submarine, similar to those in The 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea as well as The Finding Nemo Voyage. Riders would have been able to use a mechanical arm that was attached to the submarine, and grab gems and doubloons. The “area” or underwater part would have been based on Disney’s Atlantis film, but with the horrible box office ratings it had received, the idea was changed and thus The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage was created.
  • TOMORROWLAND 2055- Tomorrowland 2055 would have been an extraterrestrial-themed Tomorrowland, but the plans were abandoned because of budget cuts.
  • BIG CITY USA- A land that was supposed to be New York themed, featuring a giant Broadway theater that would hold live performances each day. This land was scrapped, however, the ideas for this land was inspiration for Tokyo Disney Sea’s American Waterfront.
  • HOLLYWOOD LAND- The theme for this land would have been the 1930’s/1940’s. Rides would have featured ideas and characters from “Dick Tracy” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”.
  • DISCOVERY BAY-  The land would have had elements and been a tribute to Jules Verne and H.G Wells. The idea never came into development, but elements from the plans were later used in Disneyland Paris and Disney Tokyo Sea.
  • LIBERTY STREET- This land was an idea that just never came to be. It was going to resemble Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1776, and even have its own small harbor.

We we will end our tour here for today. In the time to come, I will guide you on more deep into Neverland‘s secrets. Next time,we will be traveling to The Land of Forgotten Countries…

VIDEO: Watch As Darth Vader Battles Buzz Lightyear In This Impressive Fan Made Film

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Impressive. Most impressive. No, really, this is pretty impressive and I would love to see Darth Vader make his way into Toy Story 4 and possibly team up with Emperor Zurg. Check out this thrilling fan made film that brings forth The Dark Lord Of The Sith and Space Command’s Favorite Space Ranger as mistaken identity leads to a crossover battle that will be long remembered!

 

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Nukazooka

1/29/17 Marvel News Mash-Up (Black Panther, Logan, Ultron, Etc.)

 

Marvel Begins Production Of “Black Panther”

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Marvel has released the following press release announcing the production, synopsis and full cast of “Black Panther”:

Marvel Studios announced today that production has begun on “Black Panther,” starring Chadwick Boseman (“Captain America: Civil War,”  “Get on Up”), Michael B. Jordan (“Creed,” “Fruitvale Station”), Academy Award® winner Lupita Nyong’o (“Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “12 Years a Slave”), Danai Gurira (“The Walking Dead,” upcoming “All Eyez on Me”), Martin Freeman (“Hobbit” trilogy, “Sherlock”), Daniel Kaluuya (upcoming “Get Out,” “Sicario”),  with Academy Award® nominee Angela Bassett (“American Horror Story,” “London Has Fallen”), with Academy Award® winner Forest Whitaker (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” Lee Daniels’ “The Butler”), and Andy Serkis (“Avengers: Age of Ultron,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”). 

Additional cast members include Letitia Wright (“Urban Hymn,” “Glasgow Girls”), Winston Duke (“Person of Interest, “Modern Family”), Florence Kasumba (“Captain America: Civil War,” “Emerald City”), Sterling K. Brown (“Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,” “The People v. O.J. Simpson: American Crime Story”) and John Kani (“Captain America: Civil War,” “Coriolanus”). 

Ryan Coogler (“Creed,” “Fruitvale Station”) directs Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” from a screenplay he co-wrote with Joe Robert Cole (“The People v. O.J. Simpson:  American Crime Story”).  The film, which opens in U.S. theaters on February 16, 2018, will be shot in Atlanta and South Korea.   

“Black Panther” follows T’Challa who, after the events of “Captain America: Civil War,” returns home to the isolated, technologically advanced African nation of Wakanda to take his place as King. However, when an old enemy reappears on the radar, T’Challa’s mettle as King and Black Panther is tested when he is drawn into a conflict that puts the entire fate of Wakanda and the world at risk.  

Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther” is produced by Kevin Feige with Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso, Nate Moore, Jeffrey Chernov and Stan Lee serving as executive producers. 

Coogler’s creative brain trust includes his frequent collaborators: director of photography Rachel Morrison, A.S.C. (“Dope,” “Fruitvale Station”), production designer Hannah Beachler (“Creed,” “Fruitvale Station”), editors Claudia Castello (“Creed,” “Fruitvale Station”) and Michael P. Shawver (“Creed,” “Fruitvale Station”); along with costume designer Ruth E. Carter (“Selma,” Lee Daniels’ “The Butler”), visuals effects supervisor Geoffrey Baumann (“Doctor Strange,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), Academy Award®- winning makeup designer Joel Harlow (“Star Trek Beyond,” “Black Mass”) and seven-time Academy Award® nominee, special effects supervisor Dan Sudick (“Captain America: Civil War,” “Marvel’s The Avengers”).  

Based on the Marvel comic character that first appeared in “Fantastic Four Vol. 1” Issue 52, published in 1966, “Black Panther” joins Marvel Studios’ slate of releases  in its Phase 3 commitment to introduce film audiences to new heroes and continue the adventures of fan favorites over the course of four years and nine films.

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A few interesting things here is that Andy Serkis and Martin Freeman are returning to the MCU. Andy Serkis played Ulysses Klaw in “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” who had a history of stealing the valuable vibranium from Wakanda. He provided Ultron with enough vibranium in order to upgrade his armor with hopes of defeating the Avengers. Ultron turned against  Klaw and ripped his arm off. In the Black Panther comic books, Klaw has always been a villain to Wakanda and The Black Panther and more than likely he will be the main antagonist in the movie.

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This was a bit of a surprise that Martin Freeman is returning as Everett Ross. The character was first introduced in “Captain America: Civil War” as part of the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre and was part of the interrogation of both The Winter Soldier and Zemo. In the Black Panther comic books, Ross is an expert on all things Wakanda.

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Although this press release announced the full cast I would not be surprised to see some guest appearances. When we last saw Bucky in Civil War, he was in Wakanda being put into cryosleep until Wakand scientests could find a way to remove his Hydra programing. He was also missing his cybernetic arm that was made of Wakanda’s vibranium. I fully expect that we will see Bucky awaken and emerge as the new Winter Soldier, along with a newly upgraded vibranium based cybernetic arm.

New Poster Released For “Logan”

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Get a closeup of a very intense Hugh Jackman as he pops his claws and gets ready for the theatrical release of “Logan”.

Logan opens on March 3rd.

Beautiful Fan Art Of Brie Larson As “Captain Marvel”

 

 width=I’m a little late to this but found this fan art searching through reddit. Think this looks great and hope we see something like this when Brie Larson makes her debut (possibly?) in “Avengers: Infinity War”. Maybe sooner (“Guardians Of The Galaxy, Volume 2”), maybe later (“Captain Marvel”).

Source: reddit

“Civil War” Comes To “Avengers: Ultron Revolution”

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Some Good news for “Avengers: Ultron Revolution” fans, the series will soon be tackling the “Civil War” theme.

From Syfywire:

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It seems like every Marvel property is getting in on Civil War, and now the epic superhero clash is coming to the small screen.

The Disney XD animated series Avengers: Ultron Revolution will feature a four-part Civil War event this season, drawing inspiration from both Civil War and Civil War II.

The best part? They have the full gamut of Marvel characters thanks to the cartoon element, so even Captain Marvel can get in on the fun (and war!).

The story kicks off when an Inhuman accidentally destroys a small town, after which the U.S. government steps in to pass the Registration Act. It ends up with two Avengers teams facing off, all while Ultron looks to make his final move during the chaos.

If you haven’t been following along, Marvel’s animated line-up is actually a compelling little corner of the superhero universe, featuring everyone from Kamala Khan to Miles Morales kicking around (and kicking butt).

The entire Avengers: Ultron RevolutionCivil War event airs Saturday, January 28 on Disney XD.

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I wasn’t a fan of “Avengers Assemble” when if first premiered on Disney XD. The series it replaced, “Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” was by far the superior show. Where “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes” focused on some of the best stories that originally were shown in The Avenger comic books, “Avengers Assemble” changed the theme to be more Marvel Cinematic Universe focused. This season has definitely gotten better and I love some of the voice actors and I think the animation is a step up. That we could see Captain Marvel and Miles Morales Spider-Man and maybe even more popular superheroes get involved in the mix can make for a very different and exciting storyline.

Source: Syfywire

Sideshow Collectible Corner

“Wolverine”

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I am loving Square Enix’s spin on Marvel characters. They are a little more high tech and a little more aggressive than we are used to but to me that is a good thing. I would love to see Hugh Jackman in a costume like this but I doubt we will ever see him in a full Wolverine costume. Plus as amazing as Hugh Jackman’s physique is, he will never have guns like this Wolvie.

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Armed with sharp claws made of adamantium, the hardest metal in the world, and a healing factor that allows for superhuman recovery, X-Men hero Wolverine enters Square Enix’s Marvel Variant Series!

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Painstaking attention to textural detail can be seen in this Wolverine’s costume and burly physique, from the hard surfaces of the armor, to the organic feel of the skin, down to the bulging veins in his arms.

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Shadows are painted in to highlight the molded features, while the paint, chipped here and there off his armor, hints at the many battles in his past. In addition to the interchangeable hands and head, a Japanese katana adds to the variety of poseable actions.

Source: SideShow

That’s it for this time!

Josh Groban Will Perform A New Original Song, “Evermore” For “Beauty And The Beast”

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ACCLAIMED SINGER/SONGWRITER JOSH GROBAN

TO RELEASE ORIGINAL SONG “EVERMORE”

FROM DISNEY’S “BEAUTY AND THE BEAST” SOUNDTRACK

Multi-platinum international recording artist and songwriter Josh Groban has recorded an all-new original song, “Evermore,” for Disney’s live-action “Beauty and the Beast.” The song will appear in the film’s end credits as well as the soundtrack. 

“Evermore,” a soaring ballad performed in the film by the Beast (Dan Stevens) after he releases Belle (Emma Watson) to be with her father, is written by eight-time Oscar®-winning composer Alan Menken (“The Little Mermaid,” “Aladdin”) and veteran lyricist and three-time Oscar winner Tim Rice (“The Lion King,” “Evita”). Menken also provides the film score, as well as new recordings of the classic songs from the animated film written by himself and Ashman. The original motion picture soundtrack will be released by Walt Disney Records on March 10, 2017. The pre-order is available now at http://disneymusic.co/BeautySndtrkP. 

Says Groban, “I am honored to sing this beautiful new song by two of my absolute favorites, Alan Menken and Tim Rice. ‘Beauty and the Beast’ has been with me since my childhood and to have a musical connection to this new film makes me so happy.”

Mitchell Leib, president of music for Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Production, helped to bring Groban into the musical mix for the film. “Alan Menken, director Bill Condon and I were talking about which contemporary recording artist could even sing such a demanding song, let alone succeed with it. Josh stood alone,” says Leib. “His voice is a natural fit for this showstopper of a composition.” 

Possessing one of the most outstanding and instantly recognizable voices in music, singer, songwriter, and actor Josh Groban has entertained fans across the globe with his multi-platinum albums and DVDs (over 30 million sold worldwide), electrifying live performances, and comedic film and television appearances. The 35-year-old Los Angeles native is the only artist who has had two albums on the Top 20 Best-Selling Albums list of the past decade, according to Billboard. He has appeared in the feature films “Crazy, Stupid, Love,” “The Hollars,” “Coffee Town” and “Muppets Most Wanted,” as well as on NBC’s “The Office,” FX’s “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” and CBS’ “The Crazy Ones.”  

Groban has released seven studio albums, his 2001 self-titled 5x-platinum debut, 2003’s 6x-platinum “Closer,” 2006’s double-platinum “Awake,” 2007’s 6x platinum GRAMMY-nominated “Noel,” 2010’s gold-certified “Illuminations” and 2013’s gold-certified “All That Echoes,” which debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, giving Groban his first No. 1 debut and third chart-topper. Groban earned GRAMMY Award® nominations for Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album for his 2015 album “Stages,” a collection of some of the greatest songs from musical theater and 2016’s “Stages Live,” which featured performances recorded at the historic Los Angeles Theater for his all-new PBS special “Josh Groban: Stages Live.” 

Over the summer, he embarked on an extensive North American tour to support “Stages,” entitled “Josh Groban: On Stage.” Also in 2016, Groban made his Broadway debut starring in the new musical “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,” which opened to glowing reviews. The production has just announced a six-month extension to its run, carrying the show into summer. An active arts education philanthropist and advocate, Groban is a member of Americans for the Arts Artists Committee and Groban’s Find Your Light Foundation helps enrich the lives of young people through arts, education, and cultural awareness. 

Live Action “Beauty and the Beast” Preview & Props Coming to Hollywood Studios and California Adventure

Beginning February 10, guests visiting Disney Parks will be able to preview a scene from Disney’s epic new live-action adaptation “Beauty and the Beast” in sneak peeks planned for Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts.

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At Disney California Adventure park, the preview of “Beauty and the Beast” will be presented in 3D with special in-theater effects at the Sunset Showcase Theater in Hollywood Land, while guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will get to see this advance look at a segment from the film as part of the One Man’s Dream attraction. Each sneak peek location will also include a display featuring a collection of props and costume pieces actually used in the film’s production.

The props on display at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will include Belle’s iconic yellow dress and the Enchanted Rose from the film.

Plan to catch the 8-minute sneak peek from the film at Disney Parks starting February 10, and you can experience “Beauty and the Beast” when it’s released to U.S. theaters in 3D on March 17.