It’s hard to write these stories over and over as Rivers of Light at Animal Kingdom has been continually delayed since its original debut date was set for April 22nd, 2016. I know we have told you many times that the show was near completion, and in most recent times it has been, but for one reason or another, Disney has refused to debut the show. There were even cast member previews in early December, but there has not been a word about any further performances since then.
Well, it appears as if cast members staffing the show have been scheduled to work at the Discovery River Theater as of next week. What this means exactly is unknown (even to the cast members involved at this point), but many rumors are pointing to a February 12th (or roughly around that date) debut for Rivers of Light at Animal Kingdom. We don’t expect any big hoopla by Disney should the show debut now, but based on the PR fiasco it has been up until this point, who could blame them?
As always, you can take this with a grain of salt when it comes to this show, but something is definitely happening at the Discovery River Theater next week (and hopefully it isn’t The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic). We will keep you in the loop as we find out more in the coming days.
Today, Disney introduced a brand new tour designed to provide guests with a chance to see all of the quintessential Magic Kingdom Park experiences and attractions–the Ultimate Disney Classics VIP Tour.
The four-hour tour is led by Disney VIP Tour Guides, so you can enjoy many of the most beloved Magic Kingdom Park attractions carefree.
During the Ultimate Disney Classics VIP Tour, you’ll be able to experience up to 10 of the most beloved Magic Kingdom Park attractions, including everything from Adventureland must-dos Pirates of the Caribbean and the Jungle Cruise to Fantasyland favorites such as Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid, Dumbo the Flying Elephant, “it’s a small world,” Peter Pan’s Flight, and more attractions throughout the park.
As part of the tour, guests can also meet Mickey Mouse at Town Square Theater on Main Street.
This tour does not include any attractions with height restrictions, so it is good for any age. If you’re looking for the perfect introduction to the most Magical Place on Earth, or want to experience the classic Magic Kingdom attractions, this is probably the tour for you.
The Ultimate Disney Classics VIP Tour ($199 plus tax)* is offered Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and is subject to availability. Call 407-560-4033 to book your tour.
*Magic Kingdom Park admission is required and is not included with the cost of the Ultimate Disney Classics VIP Tour.
Disney Music Vevo has released the recording of Ariana Grande and John Legend performing the classic Disney song, “Beauty And The Beast”. Just a heads up, this is an audio only video. No new scenes or live performances by Grande and Legend.
Not bad. It’s not the Celine Dion and Pebo Bryson version but both Grande and Legend do a good job.
Audiences across the world have learned that Pixar’s latest short, Lou, will be the lead for Cars 3 which debuts in theaters June 16th. Lou is the debut film for director Dave Mullins whose animating credits include Finding Nemo, Up, and the Cars franchise.
Photo: Disney/Pixar
Drawing emotions from his childhood, Mullins crafted the six-minute short to reflect on a time from his own life. Growing up, he moved frequently leaving him without a sense of belonging at various points. That trait of feeling on the outside is something both main characters deal with in the film. Produced by Dana Murray, Lou tackles the everyday subject of bullying by reaching back into the well for a tried and true delivery system: toys.
Lou centers around a watchful toy monster whose convictions seem to align with a teacher or watchful protector. After watching the children interact on the playground and witnessing one child in particular torment his fellow classmates; the title character takes it upon himself to help not only return the items JJ has taken for himself but also to teach him a lesson or two along the way.
The film is dedicated to Mullins’ father who passed away during the film’s early development. Several nods to his father appear in the film including a skateboard and football that live with Lou in his box.
Lou will be the 17th Pixar short to premier before a theatrical release. Cars 3 is the first of two Pixar films to be released in 2017. Coco is set to hit theaters on November 22, 2017 and is directed by Lee Unkrich and Adrian Molina. This year marks just the second time Pixar will release two feature films in one year. The first came when Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur both debuted in 2015.
The Disney Movie Surfers recently visited the set of “Beauty And The Beast” and also had a chat with Emma Watson. Some very nice behind the scenes views of the set.
Disney has released a new extended look for “Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” and in it we get our first look at the return of Captain Jack Sparrow, Will Turner, and Captain Barbosa!
Our latest photo report brings us back to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to see the latest progress on the park’s massive overhaul, as well as some recent closures an removals. Let’s take a look…
Welcome to Hollywood!
Work continues out in the parking lot on some of the park’s infrastructure.
Beauty and the Beast: Live Action on Stage
Some significant changes have come to Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage. A new pre-show featuring a song from the upcoming film was added…
Also, the Beast’s character costume was recently updated to the new style…
This and That
A new monorail mystery pin set was released, featuring all 123 monorails. They retail at $16.99 for a box of 2 pins.
The chasers are actually kind of easy to figure out based on the character silhouettes and that only 4 monorail colors remain…
As we informed you on Friday, the Starring Rolls Cafe is now indefinitely closed. No real reason has been given as to why as of yet, but we expect their to be an expansion of the often crowded Brown Derby Lounge.
While I always liked this location, breakfast offerings at Trolley Car Cafe are similar and plenty of sweet pastries can be found next door at Sweet Spells on Sunset Boulevard.
Toy Story Land
For the most complete look at the current work on the Star Wars and Toy Story Lands, also be sure to check out our latest Hollywood Studios Expansion Update video:
Work progresses on the Toy Story themed land behind PIXAR Place, with the maintenance bay for the Slinky Dog Dash coaster looming over the gate by the former Jack Sparrow attraction.
From the edges of PIXAR Place, the removal of the MuppetVision balloon is surely noticeable. It’s easy to see how that would be visible from any land in the back of the park.
Star Wars Land
The trees and such that once separated the Streets of America from Commissary Lane and Star Tours were recently removed and the walls expanded outward. This offers an unobstructed view towards other areas that has never existed within the park.
It’s not even a construction wall, it is actually a chain link fence covered with a tarps twice over (to make sure I can’t see through it and get you guys some better pictures, I assume).
It’s not the prettiest thing, but we’re gonna have to live with it for a while if we want Star Wars Land, and I do.
With the trees gone, it is much easier to see in from the Tatooine Traders patio though…
A new pre-show act has debuted at Beauty and the Beast: Live on Stage at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The act sings a song from the new film and then invites a father and daughter on stage to commemorate the moment. While the original release on this addition said that there would be a short dance for the pair, that did not happen during the performance we saw. Take a look:
The pre-show is being performed now through March 15th, 2017 before each show. If you are hoping to be chosen, it is likely smart to show up early and just hope for the best as only one father and daughter are chosen per show.
In addition, it appears that the Beast’s character costume in the show was updated a few weeks ago:
