PHOTO: Bill Cosby Bust Quietly Removed from Hollywood Studios

The Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Hall of Fame at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is looking a little empty today…

 

The bust celebrating Bill Cosby was removed overnight amid allegations and things to which Cosby admitted over the past few months (and more notably over the last 24 hours). It is worth nothing that the empty spot is not where the bust was located, but rather the bust from this spot was moved into Cosby’s spot as Disney found it more favorable to just have an empty pedestal towards the back of the area.

Cosby Bust at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

PHOTOS, VIDEO: What Are Tanabata Days at Tokyo Disney Resort?

Tanabata (Star Festival) Days is a yearly tradition at Tokyo Disney Resort. For 2015, the celebration is held from June 24th to July 7th, 2015. Tanabata Festival is one of the many summer festivals held in Japan.

Tanabata is a Japanese Festival which is typically held on various days in July and August. Also known as the “Star Festival”, Tanabata (七夕, which means “Evening of the Seventh”) celebrates the meeting of the deities Orihime and Hikoboshi. Legend says the Milky Way separates the two lovers and are only able to meet on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month.

One of the shorter celebrations at the Resort (lasting only two weeks) it gives guests limited merchandise, food, and shows to enjoy. One of the highlights is seeing your favourite Disney Characters dressed in traditional Japanese Yukata (summer kimono) during the Tanabata Greeeting at both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea.

Tanabata Days

Guests can also participate in “wishing”, where you write out on a special Mickey Shaped card and hang them up inside the park for them to come true. The wishing locations are in the World Bazaar (Tokyo Disneyland) and the American Waterfront (Tokyo DisneySea).

To top off the celebration guests may purchase a 1 day ticket which includes a special viewing of Tanabata Wishing. Which is a live show in the Broadway Musical Theater in Tokyo DisneySea.

More information on Tanabata (and how to buy tickets) can be found on TDRExplorer.com. Also, be sure to read our Tanabata Mini Trip Report for more photos.

Mickey Mouse Club 60th Anniversary To Be Celebrated At D23 Expo 2015

Members of the original Mickey Mouse Club will join the fun at D23 EXPO 2015 during a special presentation to commemorate the show’s 60th anniversary.

Mickey Mouse Club

Celebrating Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club—60 Magical YEARS, hosted by author Lorraine Santoli (The Official Mickey Mouse Club Book), will take place Sunday, August 16, at 5 p.m. in Stage 23. The panel, featuring original Mouseketeers Sherry Alberoni, Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Tommy Cole, Darlene Gillespie, Cubby O’Brien, and Doreen Tracey, along with actors Tim Considine (Spin Evans) and David Stollery (Marty Markham), will include a one-of-a-kind performance filled with memories, music, and magic. D23 EXPO 2015 will take place August 14–16, 2015 at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Hong Kong Disneyland Announces New Hotel and Nighttime Show

Hong Kong Disneyland recently announced plans to open a third hotel as the popularity of the resort grows following the completion of the park’s expansion project

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Hong Kong Disneyland Proposed Third Hotel Concept Art

The park’s two existing hotels reported occupancy increasing to 94%. Following advice from the Hong Kong government, park management announced plans to open a third hotel in 2017. The just-announced hotel still has to receive final approval, but with its planned 750 rooms, total available rooms for the park will increase by 75%.

The estimated $550 million (US) hotel will be funded by a cash injection from Disney, the Hong Kong government and partial conversion of an existing loan from the government. The Hong Kong government currently is the majority owner of Hong Kong Disneyland at 52% with 48% owned by the Walt Disney Company.

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Hong Kong Disneyland Proposed Third Hotel Concept Art

The new, as yet unnamed hotel, which will be built between the Hong Kong Disneyland Hotel and the Hong Kong Disneyland Hollywood Hotel, is being positioned as luxury hotel themed around “exotic locations from around the world”. It will occupy almost 16 acres, feature almost 603,00 square feet of floor area and an outdoor exotic adventure themed area to continue and extend the theme of the hotel, as well as 3 restaurants.

At the event announcing the third hotel, Hong Kong Disneyland also reported their financials. For their financial year ending September 2013, the park, which opened in 2005, experienced profits climbing to $31.2 million (US) due to a revenue increase of 15% to $631 million (US). Park attendance also increased by 10% to 7.4 million, with spending per head increasing by 6%.

“Steady growth was registered across the three main sources of guests from the local community, mainland China and international markets, with the latter two accounting for about two-thirds of total guests,” said Andrew Kam, HKDL managing director.

Three new themed areas – Toy Story Land, Grizzly Gulch and Mystic Point, as well as special entertainment such as “Disney’s Haunted Halloween”, “Disney’s Sparkling Christmas”, “Golden Chinese New Year Celebration”, “Star Guest Program” and “Monsters University” programs drove the 10% park attendance growth.

Several new entertainment offerings are being planned over the next 2 years such as a nighttime spectacular called “Disney Paint the Night” in 2014, 10th anniversary celebrations in 2015, and a new attraction based on Marvel’s “Iron Man” in late 2016.

PHOTOS: New Super-Realistic Character Topiaries Make Early Debut for 2014 Epcot Flower & Garden Festival

If you have visited the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival before, you’ve undoubtedly seen the famous character topiaries that are the highlight of the annual event. Well, prepare to see them in an entirely new way in 2014…

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Unlike years past, the details of the character will not only be made completely from greenery, but they will be incredibly accurate to every character detail. We were anxious to see the changes to the topiaries when Disney promised they would have a “computer generated look” this year, but I can honestly say, we were not expecting anything like what we saw at Epcot yesterday. These Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs topiaries arrived a little early and give us a great look at what to expect from all of the characters this year.

Just look at the detail in Snow White’s shoe!

Here is what the display looked like last year:

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Lady and the Tramp also debuted early and were looking much better this year

So, what do you think of the new look for the character topiaries in 2014?

PHOTOS: Some Recent Merchandise Releases Including More Park Icon Mugs

There always seems to be something new to buy at Walt Disney World, so here are a few recently released items we found interesting around the resort:

4 new women’s shirts available

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There is an Oswald the Lucky Rabbit print for sale at most Art of Disney locations

In the same vein as the Spaceship Earth mug, Tree of Life and Cinderella Castle sculpted mugs have been released

Both mugs retail for $18.95 each

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You can bring home a “stained glass” window from Beauty and the Beast at Art of Disney for $150.00

BREAKING: Star Wars Weekends Expands to Five Weekends & Adds Nightly Fireworks Show in 2014

Just announced today by Walt Disney World, Star Wars Weekends 2014 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be expanding to 5 weekends and adding a nightly fireworks show…

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The 5 weekends are:

  • Weekend I: May 16 – 18, 2014
  • Weekend II: May 23 – 25, 2014
  • Weekend III: May 30 – June 1, 2014
  • Weekend IV: June 6 – 8, 2014
  • Weekend V: June 13 – 15, 2014

James Arnold Taylor will also be returning to host the event.

The nighttime fireworks show is expected to be the same as the show from May the 4th last year, which you can see in this video:

The fireworks show will be presented every night of the event.

Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information becomes available on Star Wars Weekends 2014!

Star Wars Weekends Discontinues Popular Hyperspace Hoopla Show

Ask anyone what their favorite part of Star Wars Weekends is at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the answer is always the same: Hyperspace Hoopla.

Well, that will be no more…

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Apparently, the reason for adding the new nighttime fireworks show to the event is so Disney can axe the long-running Hyperspace Hoopla show where Star Wars characters perform in comedy bits and dancing to popular music. According to rumors, the show does not fit the vision that the company has for the Star Wars franchise. In other words, Bob Iger lacks the sense of humor of George Lucas now that Disney actually owns Star Wars.

The cutting of the show may also be for budgetary reasons, but based on the crowds the show has drawn every year, that would be doubtful. Disney has not made a public statement about the show’s cancellation yet, but the news has been broken to cast members.

Please enjoy our video of last year’s show, which in my opinion was the best of the many versions of the Hoopla that have been presented:

So, what do you think? Will you still go to Star Wars Weekends with no Hyperspace Hoopla?

Walt Disney World Ticket Prices Set to Increase Tomorrow

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Walt Disney World Ticket prices will go on the rise tomorrow.

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One Day ticket prices will increase by $4 on Sunday, February 23, 2014, with the Magic Kingdom costing $99 and all other parks $94 for a one-day ticket.

There is now word yet on what the increases will be to all other ticket levels, but that should be available on Sunday.