Disney News

Author: Nate

  • ‘The Last Jedi’ Blasts Past $800 Million Worldwide Box Office

    ‘The Last Jedi’ Blasts Past $800 Million Worldwide Box Office

    The second weekend may have seen a dip in Star Wars: The Last Jedi earnings, but the force is still strong with this film. The newest instalment to the Star Wars saga is blasting past $800 Million at the box office worldwide.

    On Christmas Day the film earned approximately $27.5 million from North American theaters with the international release raking in $14.8 million more.

    The Last Jedi is now the third highest-grossing film of 2017 in the U.S. It’s currently lands just behind Wonder Woman and Beauty and the Beast. It should be noted that it has reached that third place ranking in less than two weeks.

    Already the 28th-highest of all time its 11-day domestic total is at $400 million, the film is poised to crack the $1 billion worldwide threshold for sure as it is set to open in China on Jan. 5.

    With $800 million worldwide at the end of Christmas, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” already ranks as the 71st-highest worldwide grosser of all time. It is also had the second highest opening day total bringing in $104 million. It’s the second highest opening day for a film in U.S. history and once again second only to “The Force Awakens”

    With many moviegoing folks on vacation for the holidays the film should finish 2017 strong. Despite recent criticisms, many film reviewers praised The Last Jedi as “the best since” Empire Strikes Back.

    Those believing that interest in Star Wars is on the decline “I find your lack of faith disturbing.” While The Last Jedi is below The Force Awakens totals it’s still far ahead of Rogue One numbers. The film’s plummeting audience score on Rotten Tomatoes has been a little suspect too with an alt-right group recently taking credit for using bots in a concerted attack against the Rian Johnson-directed movie.

    It really seems that much of the criticisms of the film are coming from a small minority of fans as the calls for The Last Jedi to be deleted from history seem to be landing in the silence of space. In the end the box office tells the story and right now these numbers are looking pretty good.

    Directed by Rian Johnson, “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” picks up where “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” left off. It stars returning cast members Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, and Andy Serkis. New stars include Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, and Benicio del Toro.

  • Alt-Right Group Claims Credit For ‘Last Jedi’ Low Audience Scores

    Alt-Right Group Claims Credit For ‘Last Jedi’ Low Audience Scores

    Star Wars: The Last Jedi has been getting mixed ratings from critics and fans. These are not the ratings you’re looking for if you are Rian Johnson or Disney for that matter. But now we may have an answer behind some of the low ‘Last Jedi’ audience scores.

    Initially scores on sites like RottenTomatoes.com were great with a “fresh” rating opening weekend. Early on it had 96 percent positive reviews from top critics and is still holding strong with a 93 percent, according to the aggregator. Soon after the audience score numbers began to plummet beyond what even the most conservative of Star Wars fans might believe.

    With more than 118,000 users weighing in and a “luke” warm audience score of 55 percent it became quickly apparent that there was a large divide between critics’ reactions and general audiences. Now after a post, from a Facebook page called Down With Disney’s Treatment of Franchises and its Fanboys, the reason for the declining score may have an answer.

    The page claimed responsibility for tanking the Rotten Tomatoes audience score for the latest “Star Wars” film, stating that they used bots in a concerted attack against the Star Wars Film.

    According to a report from The Huffington Post they sent a direct message to the page Tuesday and talked with the page administrator for a bit. Responding almost immediately, he explained that he’s upset with “Star Wars” producers for, “among other things,” introducing more female characters into the franchise’s universe.

    Throughout the course of their conversation, the self-identified member of the “alt-right” claimed that Poe Dameron (played by Oscar Isaac) is a “victim of the anti-mansplaining movement,” that Poe and Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) are in danger of being “turn[ed]” gay, and that men should be reinstated as rulers of “society.”

    The latest installment in the “Star Wars” franchise has earned overwhelming praise from movie critics which prompted managing editor Erik Davis from Fandango to exclaim that he’s never seen a film earn a Certified Fresh stamp so quickly.

  • Kim Kardashian Gets $100,000 Worth of Disney Stock For Christmas

    Kim Kardashian Gets $100,000 Worth of Disney Stock For Christmas

    Everyone loves to receive a little Disney magic for Christmas, but can you imagine getting $100,000 in Disney Stock under the tree?

    If you wanted to give someone a nice Disney related gift, I can’t think of a better stock-ing stuffer for Christmas.  Kim Kardashian was surprised by her husband, Kanye West with $100,000 worth of Disney Stock this Christmas and the reality TV star now actually owns a little piece Disney.

    Disney Stock

    She was also gifted a number of other blue chip stocks from Kanye, but the 920 shares of Disney by far stands out as the most magical!

    Sharing the news on her Instagram story, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star, told her followers, “Okay, so for one of my Christmas presents from Kanye he gives me this little box with a Disney Mickey toy”.

    Disney Stock

    The toy just a little teaser to her actual gift as she revealed that the small Mickey Mouse wasn’t her only present.

    Kardashian West’s gave us a peak at her stock certificates including the one for The Walt Disney Company stating the reality star had received “a gift from her husband” of 920 shares to the company that is valued at approximately $100,000.

    While stocks might be an untraditional Christmas gift, it’s better than a sack of coal and Kardashian clearly loved her present from West because she captioned the video “best husband alert!”

    Kanye gifts Kim with stocks 💰 🎁 #kimkardashian

    A post shared by Kim Kardashian Snapchats 🍑 (@kimksnapchats) on

  • The Internet Lights Up Over Magic Kingdom Christmas Crowd Complaints

    The Internet Lights Up Over Magic Kingdom Christmas Crowd Complaints

    Reaching capacity on Christmas Day, Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom temporarily closed its doors to some guests. Disney’s closure had guests burning mad, but it’s the Christmas Crowd sizes that set the internet on fire.

    Disney made the announcement on their twitter feed at 12:30pm stating that the park would reopen by 5:30pm. It was actually only closed for fifty minutes as they posted at 1:20pm that all “Walt Disney World Parks were open again to all guests”, but the crowds remained packed all day.

    It was only a phase B closure so basically only guests not staying on property who had a one-day tickets were not allowed to enter.  “Imagine traveling to Disney for the holidays only to be told you can’t enter magic kingdom because it’s packed to capacity.” one twitter user posted. It definitely conjures to mind some images of the Griswold’s family road trip to “Walley World“.

    Some guests inside the most magical place on earth guest took to social media to air their frustrations over the crowds. Take a look below at what they had to say with some guests going so far as to say it was “unsafe.”

    Really it’s very typical for Magic Kingdom to fill to capacity on Christmas and should be expected. And a 50 minute closure isn’t that long in retrospect.  But the initial disappointment for some folks is understandable.

    It’s definitely something that’s worth experiencing at least one to cross off the bucket list and with a few good tips you can alleviate some of that crowd frustration. A few of the easiest ways to avoid some of the crowds is to get there right when the park opens and do as much as you can, make an advance dining reservation at a nice sit restaurant for lunch or early dinner and consider ending the night viewing the fireworks from one of the nearby resorts.

  • Disney World Park Capacity and Closing Phases Explained

    Disney World Park Capacity and Closing Phases Explained

    Disney World parks can hold a lot of people, but certain times of year are so busy that they have to throttle the crowds coming into the parks as they approach full capacity. Here is Disney World’s Park Capacity and Closing Phases Explained.

    Here is a breakdown of Walt Disney World’s Capacity Closing Procedures.

    Phase A Closing

    No admission of guests with one day tickets, and no admission of guests even with FastPass+ reservations unless they have one of the following:

    • WDW Resort Guests, including The Four Seasons Resort, Swan, Dolphin or Shades of Green, Hotel Plaza Boulevard hotels arriving by bus (Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort Hotel, The Buena Vista Palace, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel, B Resort, Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort, Hilton), Golden Oak residents and guests.
    • WDW Premier Passport, Annual & Premium Passholders
    • Guests with Park Hopper tickets re-entering or crossing over from another WDW Theme Park
    • Guests with Memory Maker
    • Guests with dining reservations
    • Magic Kingdom Guests with reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Harmony Barber Shop or The Pirates League.

    Phase B Closing

    No admission of guests with one day tickets, and no re-entering or crossing over from another park unless they have one of the following:

    • WDW Resort Guests, including The Four Seasons Resort, Swan, Dolphin or Shades of Green, Hotel Plaza Boulevard hotels arriving by bus (Best Western Lake Buena Vista Resort Hotel, The Buena Vista Palace, DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Hotel, B Resort, Wyndham Lake Buena Vista Resort, Hilton), Golden Oak residents and guests.
    • WDW Premier Passport, Annual & Premium Passholders
    • Guests with Memory Maker
    • Guests with dining reservations
    • Magic Kingdom Guests with reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, Harmony Barber Shop or The Pirates League.
    • FastPass+ reservations and is a WDW Resort hotel guest.

    Phase 1 Park Closing

    Guests with ‘Magic Your Way’ base tickets, or a ‘1-Day 1-Park Ticket’, Guests without an admission ticket, and Cast Members using Main Gate & Silver Passes will be turned around at the parking lot booths.

    Phase 2 Park Closing

    Admission is limited to:

    • Disney Resort Guests (including the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, and guests arriving by bus from the Hotel Plaza Boulevard hotels)
    • Annual, Premier and Premium Annual Passholders
    • Guests with Hopper tickets coming from another park
    • Guests re-entering the park
    • Guests with dining reservations
    • Magic Kingdom Guests with reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or The Pirates League
    • Guests using Walt Disney World Resort Transportation will be admitted.
    • Guests with pre-purchased 1 day Magic Kingdom tickets

    Phase 3 Park Closing

    Admission is limited to:

    • Disney Resort Guests (including the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin, and guests arriving by bus from the Hotel Plaza Boulevard hotels)
    • Annual, Premier and Premium Annual Passholders
    • Guests with dining reservations
    • Magic Kingdom Guests with reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique or The Pirates League

    Phase 4 Park Closing

    Closed to all guests.

    All four Disney World theme parks have reached some level of closure in the past. As the most visited theme park in the world, Magic Kingdom is the park most likely to experience capacity-based closures during busy times of year. Due to its size, Epcot is the least likely to close, and has not done so in recent memory. Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom rarely close, but their smaller capacities still make them more likely to close than Epcot.

    To be specific, Magic Kingdom closes, on average, around 6 days per year. New Year’s Eve and July 4 are always two of them, often getting up to a Phase 3 closure. Two to four other days during Christmas week can be expected each year as well, although those rarely go above Phase 2. The years where Easter week falls during late-March or early-April can also see closures due to the Easter break/Spring Break overlap.

  • Magic Kingdom Closed After Reaching Capacity

    Magic Kingdom Closed After Reaching Capacity

    Christmas Day is always super busy at Magic Kingdom as crowds descend on the most magical place on earth. And as expected the park has temporarily closed after reaching capacity Monday.

    Magic Kingdom is currently at a Phase B capacity closure. Disney announced that no new guests will be admitted to the Magic Kingdom until 5:30 p.m. at the earliest.

    UPDATE: All Walt Disney World Parks are currently open to all guests as of 1:20pm.  Keep checking back as they could easily reach capacity again.

    Epcot, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom all remained open to additional guests so those are always a great place to spend some time while your waiting for some space to open back up at Magic Kingdom.

    “Barring unforeseen circumstances, we anticipate Magic Kingdom will reopen by 5:30 p.m. today,” Disney said on its Twitter feed.

    For details on closures, check out our complete list and breakdown of Walt Disney World’s Capacity Closing Procedures.

     

  • Navigating The Christmas Day Crowds at the Magic Kingdom

    Navigating The Christmas Day Crowds at the Magic Kingdom

    It’s the most beautiful time of year at Walt Disney World during Christmas, but if you’re not one for large crowds then a Christmas day visit might not be for you. Overall it is by far the busiest and most crowded time of the entire year.

    It’s Disney and it’s Christmas, so for many, wading through the crowds is worth it just for the experience. Or perhaps for whatever reason it’s the only time you can go. In either case it’s just extremely busy but by no means does that mean you can enjoy a magical day in the most magical place on earth.

    Still it’s packed with, not just people, but lots of shows and holiday parades, special fireworks displays, longer park hours and beautiful decorations. The key things that make a Christmas trip to Walt Disney World work are positive attitude and planning. Here are our Top Ten survival tips:

    1. Be Flexible
    Your on vacation and you may not get to do everything you want so go with the flow. Prepare yourself mentally for long lines and big crowds. You can’t change it, so just accept it. Be ready to change plans at a moments notice. Stay positive and don’t worry if you fall behind or miss something.

    2. Prioritize
    Set your priorities in advance. Decide what rides and attractions you want to experience most. Download the My Disney Experience app and set yourself a schedule. It will help you plan your route and save you time and make things easier. Again, it’s a guide so it’s okay if it changes.

    3. Be Early
    The early bird gets the worm. Get to the parks as early as you can. Many guests won’t get up early, so you’ll have shorter lines for the first hour or two. If you are staying on property, take advantage of the Extra Magic Hours too. The morning ones give you the most time with very low crowd levels.. During Christmas week, the crowds will start to grow tremendously and by mid-morning the crowds are pretty large.

    4. Park Capacity
    Magic Kingdom reaches capacity at some point on christmas day.  So make sure you are there before the park is shut down due to crowds. There are different levels of park closures so if you are staying on property you will most likely be able to get in unless it reaches full capacity.  Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios do not usually close completely, but the parking lots can fill up, and the parks will be very busy. But you can always head that way if the Magic Kingdom is shut down.

    5. Be Realistic
    Don’t plan on going on a lot of rides, especially in the afternoons. Instead, make it your priority to enjoy the atmosphere. If there is a band playing, stop and listen. Wander around and look at the decorations. Enjoy some holiday treats. Wave at the characters. There will be some rides with relatively reasonable waits, even in the middle of the day, like the Mad Tea Party, Carousel, Railroad, PeopleMover, or the Swiss Family Treehouse. The animatronic and movie shows are a good place to relax and get off your feet: Mickey’s Philharmagic, Country Bears, the Hall of the Presidents, the Carousel of Progress, the various movies and shows in the World Showcase at Epcot and Muppet-Vision 3D. It’s pretty rare for these shows to have a wait time longer than one complete show length.

    6. Dining Reservations
    Make dining reservations as soon as possible. You can make them up to 180 days (6 months) in advance, and you need to book them that early if you want the hard-to-get reservations like Be Our Guest, ‘Ohana, Cinderella’s Royal Table or Le Cellier. If you don’t need to get a specific popular restaurant you’ll be fine booking somewhat later, but don’t delay too long and definitely make some reservations if you want to have sit-down meals. If you don’t have any dining reservations when you arrive, you will have many fewer options for table-service dining.

    7. Quick Service Meals
    Plan to eat any quick-service meals at off-hours (lunch before 11 am or after 2 pm; dinner between 3pm and 4:30 pm or after 8 pm), or you’ll be waiting in line for a long time. Consider bringing some snacks with you to stave off starvation, or budget for plenty of churros and ice cream.

    8. Strollers for the Little Ones
    If you have young children, rent a stroller in advance. In crowded conditions it is very hard to keep track of kids on foot, and it’s also exhausting for little kids to fight their way through masses of people. A stroller is completely worth it, even for kids who would normally be a little old for one.

    9. Special Shows
    Work all the angles for the popular shows. If you want to see the first Fantasmic! You can get great seats if you buy the Fantasmic! Dinner Package or use one of your FastPass+ selections for Fantasmic! Otherwise you are facing a very, very long wait in line for the show, or you may not get in at all. Likewise, if you want to see the Candlelight Processional at Epcot, buy the Candlelight Processional Dining Package or you probably won’t get in.

    10. Down Time
    Schedule some “down time” during your vacation. It is extremely stressful to spend the whole day fighting crowds. For every three days you spend in the parks, consider taking one whole day off to explore the cheap and free things to do at Disney World. Even if it is Christmas Day and you start to ware a little, go take a break. If the park is not at capacity you can come back later.

    You may not be a fan of crowds, but Walt Disney World at Christmas is something you have to experience at least once. Making the most out of a crowded situation is pretty easy if you know what you are doing. Having been during this time on many occasions doesn’t hurt either.

  • “Glow at Home” Hats Interact with Disney’s TV Christmas Special

    “Glow at Home” Hats Interact with Disney’s TV Christmas Special

    Disney is always coming up with new ways to make viewing Disney specials more interactive for folks at home and this year you can Glow with the Show from home during “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration”.  The special airs on Christmas morning on ABC.

    Viewers will be able to “Glow at Home” during select performances in the holiday special, thanks to the brand new “Made with Magic 3.0: Connected Ear Hat” and the Shop Disney Parks app. Leveraging Bluetooth technology, the Shop Disney Parks app enables viewers wearing the new 3.0 edition ear hats at home to sync with the Christmas Day special playing on the viewers’ TVs or other devices. Viewers will feel like they are part of the show.

    Made with Magic Ears

    The app also has a remote-control feature to adjust the ear colors and speed of the strobe – a brand-new feature for the Made with Magic Ear Hats. If viewers at home don’t have the special edition ear hats, the Shop Disney Parks app will allow them to enjoy a second screen experience as their mobile phone comes alive, mirroring the spectacle on-screen during select performances. The Made with Magic 3.0: Connected Ear Hat and the interactive ear hat remote control feature on the Shop Disney Parks app became available in November.

    Holiday magic is endless as Disney theme parks transform into winter wonderlands filled with seasonal attractions, joyful entertainment, festive deìcor and special treats that make every day feel like a holiday. The spirit of the season shines even brighter in these magical places where families share traditions and make memories together.

    Disney Parks presents a celebrity showcase of seasonal sights, performances and traditions, including the beloved Christmas day parade, December 25 from 10 a.m. – 12 p.m. EST on The ABC Television Network.

  • Complete ‘Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration’ Lineup – Airs December 25

    Complete ‘Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration’ Lineup – Airs December 25

    Christmas is just two more days away, and as we are surrounded by loved ones, opening presents around the Christmas tree We’ll definitely be watching the “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration.” The star-studded showcase of seasonal sights, performances and traditions, including the beloved Christmas day parade, airs December 25 at 10 a.m. on ABC!

    Julianne Hough and Nick Lachey

    Emmy-Award winner Julianne Hough and multiplatinum recording artist and television personality Nick Lachey will take viewers on a magical ride down Main Street, U.S.A. at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and beyond.

    Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration

    Sports star and commentator Jesse Palmer joins as co-host from Disneyland park in California where beloved Disney characters will take the helm of the most joyous parade of the season. Adding extra holiday sparkle to the Christmas day lineup, Sean Giambrone from ABC’s “The Goldbergs” and Olivia Rodrigo from Disney Channel’s “Bizaardvark” join the festivities as parade commentators.

    ‘Christmas Celebration’ Holiday Tunes Spread Spirit of the Season!
    Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration

    Musical performances will be sure to inspire harmonious family gatherings and singalongs!

    • Idina Menzel will perform the captivating Disney classic, “When You Wish Upon a Star” from Disneyland park.
    • Ciara will sing “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” from Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort.
    • Darius Rucker will sing “Candy Cane Christmas” from Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort.
    • Fifth Harmony will take viewers on a magical “Sleigh Ride” from Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort.
    • Fitz and the Tantrums will perform the popular Christmas hit “Last Christmas” from Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort.
    • Jason Derulo will sing “This Christmas” from Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland park.
    • Lea Michele will sing the holiday favorite “Let It Snow” from Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Resort.
    • “Descendants 2” star Sofia Carson will perform on the Cinderella Castle stage at Walt Disney World Resort.
    • 98° will heat things up from Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort with their new song, “Season of Love,” from “Let It Snow,” their first full-length Christmas album in 18 years.
    • Broadway’s Telly Leung and Arielle Jacobs, of the stage hit “Aladdin,” will take over Disney’s Hollywood Studios for a romantic performance of the Oscar-winning classic, “A Whole New World.”
    • Rounding out the Christmas festivities, the cast of the new digital variety program, “Club Mickey Mouse,” will shine a spotlight on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland park.

    Viewers Blast Off ‘To Infinity and Beyond!” Feel ‘the Force’ and More

    During the show, viewers will ride along for a sneak peek at the new Toy Story Land opening in summer in 2018 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort.

    The stars of a galaxy far, far away will shine brightly Christmas morning as viewers also get a preview of the Star Wars-themed land, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, opening at both Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and at Disneyland park in California in 2019.

    Disney’s star couple, Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, will get in on the holiday action when viewers learn about the new Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, also planned to open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the near future.

    And, viewers will also learn more about Pixar Fest, the biggest theme park celebration of stories and characters from Pixar Animation Studios, opening at the Disneyland Resort April 13, 2018.

    “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration” airs December 25, 2017, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. EST; 9-11 a.m. CST/MST/PST on ABC and available online on abc.com.

  • Disney Cruise Line Employee Pleads Guilty to Embezzling From Disney

    Disney Cruise Line Employee Pleads Guilty to Embezzling From Disney

    In connection with his scheme to embezzle more than $275,000 from the Walt Disney Company, a former employee aboard the Disney Wonder cruise ship pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in San Diego federal court Thursday.

    The 32-year-old, Renan Dias Da Rocha Gomes, a Brazilian national, admitted that from at least October 2015 through Oct. 27. 2017, he was employed aboard the Disney Wonder as a merchandise host and assigned to work in the merchandise store.

    Gomes admitted to obtaining money through his access to the VeriFone payment system in order to embezzle funds from Disney for his own personal gain.

    He made about $275,000 in unauthorized charges to Disney’s bank account, Gomes admitted. While working aboard the Disney Wonder he would load the value of the funds onto Disney gift cards according to his plea agreement.

    From April 23 through May 7 of this year, he spent about $37,700 of the embezzled funds for his own personal benefit by taking his family on a Disney World vacation Gomes also admitted.

    Gomes said while on vacation he used the gift cards with the embezzled funds to pay about $8,200 in lodging, $29,500 on food, beverages, merchandise and entertainment expenses.

    Gomes will be required to repay The Walt Disney Company the total amount of funds he stole which the company was unable to recover As part of his plea agreement.

    Gomes remains in custody pending his next court appearance on March 9. Federal agents boarded the Disney Wonder ship after it made port in San Diego Harbor in October and arrested him.