It has been a long road to the completion of Disney Springs, from breaking the story that the project was happening way back in March of 2013, to the opening of Town Center this weekend in the space that once was the parking area for Pleasure Island. With just two days left to go, we take flight over the area just one more time to see the nearly finished product from above:
It has now been a few days since Disney announced the cancellation of Disney Infinity, the closure of Avalanche Software, and that Disney is pulling out of video game publishing. This made no sense at first seeing as Disney was just bragging a few months ago about how Disney Infinity was the best selling Toys-to-Life game on the market. Upon first discovering this news, I was devastated. After all, Disney Infinity has grown to be truly one of the most creative and unique games with a deeply passionate community. Though the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.
Activision’s Skylanders has been on the decline for the past few years and with last year’s inclusion of LEGO Dimensions, the market has begun to get both crowded and fatigued. Even though Disney has been out-performing the competition, they have not necessarily been making a fortune. Sure, Disney Infinity has been making money and is no doubt a success, but the perhaps Disney saw the writing on the wall. After all, it is better to get out while you still can.
Though the news is sad, this is not the end of seeing Disney owned properties in video games. Disney has stated that moving forward, their plan is to license out Disney properties to other publishers. This is similar to Disney’s current deal that EA that allows them licensing to create Star Wars games. Various publishers will now theoretically be able to get the rights to any Disney property. This opens up a whole new world of possibilities for Disney related video games.
We now live in a world where video games based off of licensed properties can be just as good as original IPs (e.g. the Batman Arkham series). Theoretically, Ubisoft could now make the greatest Avengers game the world has ever seen. This realization of new possibilities is exciting and perhaps it is the true silver lining in all of this. After all, Disney does not necessarily have the best track record for making good Disney games, but other companies do. Some of the most beloved Disney related games of all time include Duck Tales, Aladdin, and Kingdom Hearts, all of which were not created by Disney. Without Disney limiting their properties to just themselves, other developers can get their hands on Disney IPs and create more fantastic games.
Of course, the future is currently shaky. Disney Infinity still has a few months of content left before it is officially over and until something new is announced, we will still only have the cancellation of Disney Infinity to dwell on.
Are you excited for the future of Disney video games? Let us know what you think!
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The annual Disney culinary tour of flavors from six continents will expand in 2016 with nine extra days of sipping and savoring at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Sept. 14-Nov. 14, 2016. The 2016 festival, presented by Chase at Walt Disney World Resort, will grow from 53 to 62 delicious days, add a new interactive culinary experience and debut new marketplace tastes from around the world.
Growing in scope each year since 1996 as one of America’s top food festivals, the Epcot event features inspired flavors at more than 30 global marketplaces.
This year, “Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It!” hands-on workshops at the Festival Center offer guests a chance to learn a variety of culinary skills from chefs, bakers, mixologists and other pros. Nightly Eat to the Beat concerts kick up the energy with new musical acts covering a broad range of musical styles and eras including rock, pop and rhythm and blues. Even more Disney resort festival experiences are planned, with a new brunch, cooking school and other fresh culinary adventures.
For a second year, global marketplaces will extend into Future World to offer a wider range of taste sensations. Culinary icons like Cat Cora, Norman Van Aken, Masaharu Morimoto, Elizabeth Falkner, Buddy Valastro and Jamie Deen will entertain foodies and inspire their palates at new and returning premium events that include reimagined Party for the Senses grand tastings with new concepts and themes.
Festival guests can pair wines, beers and ciders with savory and sweet dishes as they stroll the World Showcase Promenade using their complimentary festival passports as a guide.
New marketplace menus debut and festival favorites return – Hard soda float, anyone? Guests can choose a favorite hard soda to mix with vanilla ice cream for a sweet treat at Desserts & Champagne marketplace. A savory vegan dish will debut at the Greece marketplace, and the popular Farm Fresh marketplace will showcase Florida’s bounty with new savory dishes.
Multiple new Eat to the Beat concert acts debut; fan favorites return to play 186 festival concerts, in all –Wang Chung (Everybody Have Fun Tonight!) will open the Eat to the Beat concert series Sept. 14-15. More new acts in the concert series lineup, including Delta Rae and Toad The Wet Sprocket – will rock their chart-topping tunes. Other popular acts, including Wilson Phillips, Boyz II Men and Jeffrey Osbourne, will return to the America Gardens Theatre stage this fall.
Celebrity chefs, wine experts and mixologists join the fun – Celebrities ranging from Rock Harper to master sommelier Andrea Robinson will share their food and beverage know-how during demos and premium events. At the new “Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It!” workshops, guests will put expert advice to use whether mixing cocktails, decorating cakes or using herbs to kick up a dish’s flavor.
The popular Festival Private Label California Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon are back and available by the bottle or by the glass.
Ratatouille returns — Chef Remy of “Ratatouille” returns with his fun-for-the-family culinary scavenger hunt.
Festival Center cooks on all burners –Festival Center highlights will include the complimentary Back to Basics weekend series featuring epicurean tips and tricks from the pros, book and bottle signings and The Chocolate Experience: From Bean to the Bar, hosted by Ghirardelli and offering guest samples.
Rest and recharge at the Chase Lounge – Chase debit and credit card members – including Disney Visa card members — will find complimentary non-alcoholic refreshments, a charging station and comfortable seating for a relaxing break at the Chase Lounge at American Adventure.
Plan for a premium adventure:
Included with Epcot Admission:
Back to Basics series, special book signings, Eat to the Beat concerts, cultural adventures, Marketplace Passport and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.
Special Programming by Reservation:
The Party for the Senses grand tasting events, signature dinners and other special wine and culinary programs require reservations and separate event admission. When a reservation booking date is announced this summer, guests can call 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378) and get details at epcotfoodfestival.com. Join the discussion on social media using #epcotfoodfestival.
Johnny Depp made a special appearance at Disneyland but not how you might expect. Check out this fun video as Depp surprises Disneyland visitors as a living billboard of “The Mad Hatter”!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mo83rqYoAeU
Source: Disney Movie Trailers
“Alice Through The Looking Glass” opens in theaters on May 27.
I took a trip over to Disney Springs last night in hopes that the soft openings for B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co. were still ongoing, but a long the way I saw activity at the counter service window at Morimoto Asia that is also set to open on Sunday, May 15th at Disney Springs. The counter service location is titled “Street Food”, which may sound unappetizing, but the menu sounds pretty good:
A new walk-up window on the patio offers sushi, donburi rice bowls and bao tacos, plus snacks: such as takoyaki (octopus, nori, okomiyaki sauce), Morimoto sticky ribs, curry rice croquettes, pork egg rolls and taiyaki (snapper-shaped pancake filled with sweet adzuki red bean paste). Also on the menu: popping boba tea and an assortment of Asian-influenced beers and beverages.
Upon walking up, a manager greeted me and informed me they were actually just doing a short test to make sure everything is order, but, they would be happy to serve us. So, that’s how we became the first guests to dine at this new establishment.
Everything looked great
Should you have to pay, here’s the menu and pricing for Street Food
I decided to get what sounded like the most unique dish, the takoyaki (octopus, nori, okomiyaki sauce). I’ve had octopus before and I really enjoy it, so I figured it has to be good here based on my experiences at the indoor table service venue. It wasn’t bad, but the octopus inside the ball tasted a little off. The seasoning and breading around it had a great flavor, but something about the main ingredient just tasted slightly wrong. Again, the restaurant isn’t open yet, so I’d be willing to try this again and see if it can be better.
We also had the pork egg rolls, which were honestly the best egg rolls I’ve ever had anywhere. They had a nice, spicy kick and were cooked perfectly with a really crunchy shell.
Overall, I think this is a good start. I was thoroughly impressed with the effort the cast members working the window put into preparing each item. The presentation on each dish is table service quality which is something I’m not sure I say very often about any counter service location. I am very excited to return on Sunday and try a few other dishes, but the quality of the egg rolls (and some portions of the other dish) lead me to believe this is going to be a very popular spot at Disney Springs.
Disney Dollars, which have been an accepted form of currency at Disney Parks and the Disney Store (as well as a valuable collector’s item) since 1987, are finally being discontinued on May 14th, 2016.
Disney announced today that they will cease all sales of the bills on Saturday. Of course, all existing Disney Dollars will continue to be accepted at Disney locations as they do not expire.
Disney is citing the increasing use of gift cards and “digital currency” for the stop in sales and production of Disney Dollars.
On the heels of today’s news about a new vehicle entrance for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, permits have also been filed for a major revamp of the Magic Kingdom vehicle entrance area.
The plan would see the addition of roads that will go over the toll plaza area in both directions, bypassing them for easier access to and from the Magic Kingdom area resort hotels and backstage areas. The new road returning guests to World Drive going south would also help alleviate Seven Seas Drive traffic and provide a better traffic flow for some area cast members going home in the evening. Traffic on Vista Boulevard would also have easier access to World Drive in both directions.
Road work to alleviate traffic behind the park where Magic Kingdom cast members park is already ongoing and will be completed by the end of this Summer.
There is no word yet on when construction might begin, but this is expected to be the beginning of many changes to the Magic Kingdom vehicle entry plaza and parking area.
With demolition beginning in earnest at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Star Wars land construction, plans are now underway to replace the World Drive vehicle entrance of Disney’s Hollywood Studios with an entirely new entrance guests can utilize off of Osceola Parkway.
According to permits recently filed with the South Florida Water Management District, the intersection between Wide World of Sports and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will soon be home to exit ramps that will guide guests into the park while making room for the southern edge of Star Wars land at the very boundaries of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Sections of Osceola Parkway will also be widened to handle the expanded traffic expected.
The World Drive entrance did not open with the park, but has been a staple since the early 1990’s for the iconic film strip design
There is now word yet on if the Buena Vista Drive park entrance would close (or remain open just to buses) once this new entrance was complete, but it appears at the very least the World Drive entrance should be shuttered.
Disney has made no official announcement on the project as of yet.
THROUGH SPECTACULAR PHOTOGRAPHY AND IN-DEPTH ARTICLES, DISNEY FANS WILL GET AN ADVANCE LOOK AT THE ONE-OF-A-KIND THEME PARK THAT IS AUTHENTICALLY DISNEY AND DISTINCTLY CHINESE
PLUS, D23’S SUMMER MOVIE PREVIEW FEATURES EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS WITH FINDING DORY’S ELLEN DEGENERES, PETE’S DRAGON’S BRYCE DALLAS HOWARD, AND THE BFG DIRECTOR STEVEN SPIELBERG
On June 16, Disney will officially open Shanghai Disney Resort, and Disney twenty-three is giving fans an advance peek at this breathtaking one-of-a-kind destination. From its opening pages, with a welcome from Disney Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Bob Iger, to the back cover, featuring a map of the park—in Chinese—the issue is packed with exciting details about this new resort that celebrates everything guests love about Disney, while honoring China’s distinct cultural heritage.
The issue, exclusively for Gold Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, provides a detailed look at how Shanghai Disney Resort was built from concept to concrete, including fascinating insights into the partnership between Walt Disney Imagineers and the incredibly talented artisans of mainland China. Readers will be able to explore all the exclusive attractions opening at the park including Voyage to the Crystal Grotto, which recreates moments from beloved Disney animated films as riders travel by boat through, around, and under the Enchanted Storybook Castle—the largest castle in any Disney park. The thrilling adrenaline rush of TRON Lightcycle Power Run puts guests in the driver’s seat of a high-tech race, and the high seas adventures of Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for the Sunken Treasure boasts some of the most advanced technologies of any Disney attraction.
More than 30 pages of exclusive interviews and vibrant photography come together to highlight this jewel in the Disney Parks crown, from all-new shows, experiences, merchandise, and dining options to a rare glimpse behind the scenes of the creation of the resort.
Plus, Disney twenty-three turns up the heat with its annual summer movie preview. Highlights include exclusive interviews with Ellen DeGeneres discussing the upcoming Finding Dory as well as her first trip to Disneyland, Bryce Dallas Howard talking about the reimagining of Pete’s Dragon, and Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg revealing details about his Disney directorial debut, The BFG.
Also included in the summer issue of Disney twenty-three is a look at how The Reluctant Dragon, celebrating its 75th anniversary, gave audiences a peek at the making of Disney animated films, while paving the way for the Disney Studio’s respected documentary films.
Disney twenty-three, which is delivered directly to fans’ doorsteps, is offered exclusively to D23 Gold and Gold Family Members as a benefit of their membership. The latest issue will begin arriving in late May.
About D23
The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his first studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s 90-plus-year history. It gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; a rich website at D23.com with members-only content; member-exclusive discounts; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year.
Fans can join D23 at Gold Membership ($74.99), Gold Family Membership ($99.99), and General Membership (complimentary) levels at D23.com and at DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and YouTube.
Tonight on WDW News Tonight, we play the infamous WDWNT: The Math Game, we interview the cast of the Animatronicans, we talk the best and worst dining at Walt Disney World, and Cornac the Magnificent drops by the studio…
WDW News Tonight is hosted by Tom Corless and Nick LoCicero, former hosts of WDW News Today: The Radio Show, but also features appearances by a number of other WDWNT correspondents.
If you are in the Orlando area, you can tune in to AM 1520 WBZW at showtime. For those outside the Orlando area, the show can be heard (and now watched via video stream) at Listen.WDWNT.com on your computer or mobile device. The show also utilizes new interactive avenues for our audience, including a live chat, the ability to call-in to the show, and live polling.
Coming up on this week’s show:
We hope that you will tune in this Wednesday at 9PM ET for another episode of WDW News Tonight!
If you missed last week’s show, you can watch it here:
