Disney News

Author: Nate

  • Star Wars: Galactic Nights Returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios December 16

    Star Wars: Galactic Nights Returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios December 16

    There are holidays, and then there are “Star Wars” holidays. An upcoming special event at Walt Disney World is designed to add cheer and share insights about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the land under construction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park. The one-day event — dubbed Star Wars: Galactic…

    The special event, Star Wars: Galactic Nights, which sold out last April, will return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios on December 16.

    Held after park hours from 7 p.m.-midnight, the event will be filled with out-of-this-world entertainment that celebrates the entire Star Wars saga.

    Among many thrills in store, guests can expect to enjoy Star Wars entertainment, special photo opportunities, event-exclusive merchandise and F&B, character greetings, a look at the ongoing Star Wars expansion coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and much more.

    Here’s a look at other event offerings:

    • Star Wars Entertainment – Both Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular fireworks and the Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away stage show will be enhanced with special saga elements.
    • Sneak Peeks at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge – The Epic Theater will play host to a special one-night-only panel discussion about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the 14-acre Star Wars expansion that’s set to open in 2019 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
    • Special Photo Ops – Throughout the park, guests can step into immersive and iconic scenes from their favorite Star Wars films in a series of incredibly detailed photo locations, including new backdrops inspired by Star Wars Rebels and more.
    • Character Encounters – Be on the lookout for Star Wars characters like Ewoks, AWR Troopers and roaming droids; Jedi Knights teaching younglings in Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple; rocketing to the stars aboard Star Tours – The Adventures Continue; and more.
    • Exclusive F&B and Merchandise – Even more specialty Star Wars-themed food and beverage and merchandise will be available.
    • Enjoy park attractions – Select attractions will be open to all guests. At embarkation points to Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, guests may come face-to-face with Stormtroopers on the lookout for a Rebel spy.

    Star Wars: Galactic Nights access and activities will be exclusive to event ticket holders. Last spring’s event sold out, so booking early is strongly suggested. Tickets are priced at $129 adults, $124 ages 3-9.

    Tickets are now on sale at Disneyworld.com/GalacticNights

  • Nissan Unveils Fleet of New ‘Star Wars’ Vehicles

    Nissan Unveils Fleet of New ‘Star Wars’ Vehicles

    Nissan rolls out in force at the Los Angeles Auto Show as they unveil their fleet of new ‘Star Wars‘ vehicles. Previously, Nissan unveiled a single Star Wars-themed vehicle, but this year it has seven. Unfortunately they aren’t for sale, but instead they’re meant to draw attention to the brand.

    To promote the movie Rogue One: A Star Wars Story a Nissan Rogue SUV, Nissan’s best-selling model, was turned into a Star Wars fighter. After the success of the promotion, this new line promotes the next Star Wars movie, The Last Jedi.
    Check out the video below:

    The Stars Wars theme extends from an Altima sedan that is now a TIE fighter to a Titan pickup as the AT-M6.

    Here is how Nissan describes the seven:

    2018 Nissan Altima as Special Forces TIE Fighter.
    It has custom wheels, a full-body wrap plus the dual wings of the fighter. It also makes blaster sounds.

    2018 Nissan Maxima as Kylo Ren
    It is meant to be sinister with red headlights and underbody lighting made to look like a light saber.

    2018 Nissan Maxima as Captain Phasma
    The Captain Phasma Maxima is meant to be more feminine in keeping with its character. It is a “celebration of female strength,” Nissan says.

    2018 Nissan Rogue as Poe Dameron’s X-wing with BB-8
    Does your SUV have its own droid? BB-8 peeks out of the back of this one.

    2018 Nissan Rogue Sport as the A-wing.
    This one has dual thrusters at the rear, which are lit up. It also has blue wheels and laser cannons.

    2018 Nissan Titan as the AT-M6
    Probably the most impressive of the bunch, this AT-M6 is the largest vehicle in the First Order’s arsenal for Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

    2018 Nissan Maxima as Kylo Ren’s TIE Silencer
    This Nissan Maxima is meant to duplicate Kylo Ren’s TIE Silencer with laser cannons and missile launchers affixed to the vehicle’s distinct wings.

  • AERIAL PHOTOS: Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios – Construction Update

    AERIAL PHOTOS: Toy Story Land at Hollywood Studios – Construction Update

    They’re not playing around on construction as progress on Toy Story Land is really starting to take shape at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Most of the construction can’t be seen by guests, so aerial pics really give some perspective on what progress is being made on the transformation of the former “Hollywood East” park.

    This the most recent look, Cowgirl Jessie and dinosaur Rex were put in place by crane this month and Slinky Dog was recently trucked in too as the 10-acre attraction continues to take shape ahead of its summer 2018 opening.

    These new aerial photos of the Toy Story Land construction site come courtesy of Don Gworek (@bioreconstruct on Twitter) and show progress on the expansion to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

    Unlike the Toy Story Lands found in Paris and Hong Kong, the Orlando version will have a roller coaster themed to Slinky Dog instead of a simple carnival-style ride. The Slinky Dog Dash family coaster looks to be of a similar thrill level as Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Magic Kingdom, but with multiple launches instead of a traditional lift hill. The bright red track is nearly finished on the new coaster that will be the central feature in the new land. A large wall is being built behind the coaster that will block views of a castmember parking garage.

    Along with the two new rides, the Toy Story Land will feature a new entrance for Toy Story Mania through what is currently the back of the building. New retail, dining and entertainment is also expected in the land.

  • Toy Story Land Concept Art for Shanghai Disneyland Released

    Toy Story Land Concept Art for Shanghai Disneyland Released

    Disney’s Hollywood Studios isn’t the only park getting in on the Toy Story action. Shanghai Disneyland has released concept art for its Toy Story expansion and it looks amazing. When it opens in 2018 it will be quite different from the one in Walt Disney World.

    Disney started the expansion even before opening Shanghai Disneyland in anticipation of its immense popularity in Mainland China. The characters from Toy Story have been well liked in China ever since the release of the first film in the franchise back in 1995, and Shanghai Disney Resort already has the only resort hotel in the world dedicated to the characters and stories from Toy Story. Guests can’t get enough of Buzz, Woody and all of their pals, which made Toy Story an obvious choice for Shanghai Disneyland’s first expansion.

    The expansion will give of one of the The Walt Disney Company’s most popular franchises an even bigger presence at the park and will be its 7th themed land. Take a look at some of the attractions below.

    slinky dog Shanghai DisneySlinky Dog Spin: Slinky Dog has been amusing the toys all day long by chasing his own tail round-and-round a giant dog dish filled with toy bones – and soon Shanghai Disneyland guests will be invited to become the “honorary toys” in Disney Toy Story Land, where they will be able to take a seat inside Slinky Dog’s springy spirals and race around a wavy roundabout.

    rex's racer Shanghai DisneyRex’s Racer: Rex, Andy’s insecure Tyrannosaurus Rex toy enjoys playing with RC Racer almost as much as he likes playing video games. With help from his Triceratops friend Trixie, Rex will invite guests to climb into RC for a thrilling ride on the U-shaped track. With Rex at the controls, RC Racer, with guests aboard, zips forward and backward at ever-increasing heights and exhilarating speed.

    woody's round up Shanghai DisneyWoody’s Round-Up: Sheriff Woody has rounded up a herd of ponies, each one pulling a cart, in a ranch set up by Andy. Guests can climb aboard the carts as the ponies start a little square dance swinging their carts to and fro in time to the lively music.

    Toy Story Land at Shanghai Disneyland will be both authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese, making it a one-of-a-kind experience for our guests. Everyone’s favorite toys from one of the most popular franchises ever will come to life and play in a fully immersive land with three attractions and a themed character greeting area.

    Shanghai Disneyland’s new Toy Story Land will be an experience guests can only have in Mainland China. It will be the perfect setting for all toys – old and new – to gather together for a day that’s more fun than a Barrel of Monkeys!

  • Princess Medleys Have Made YouTube Star into Disney Content Queen

    Princess Medleys Have Made YouTube Star into Disney Content Queen

    Breaking through with her sound and style, Georgia Merry has become one of YouTube’s biggest Disney content creators. With over a hundred million video views she has really made quite a name for herself and keeps her fans coming back for more.

    Georgia is 22 and lives just outside of Manchester, UK. She created her channel around four years ago and her content is split between covers of the latest popular songs, vlogs and, by far and away her most popular and viewed content, Disney medleys.

    “I love to sing and dance” says Georgia, “but I suffer from acute anxiety and panic attacks so that makes it hard for me to perform publicly”. She goes on, “I’ve been lucky to be able to develop a career that means I can work from home and channel some of my anxiety into creativity.’

    Check out her latest video here.

    “I’ve been to Disney World Florida 15 times, to Disneyland California, and to Disney in Paris so, as you can guess, I’m a massive Disney Dork!”, she says.

    Georgia Merry MoanaEach of Georgia’s Disney medleys takes around two months of solid work to produce. Her medleys are a result of massive amounts of hard work, from planning and producing the music that it will feature to cutting the transitions between songs.  She has to record the vocals, plan the costumes and make-up and then of course the shooting and editing of the video, all to come up with the final production that you’ll see on YouTube. She sometimes gets asked which ‘App’ she uses to produce her covers. Georgia laughs and says “Apps these days are amazing and produce all kinds of wonderful things but, sadly, not Disney medley’s.”

    She splits her YouTube screen into a number of windows where different Disney characters will appear and sing, until the final screen is filled with characters. The characters that appear early in the medley have to then stay in their window, really not doing much except staying in character and looking around. It can be tough to keep that interesting, but she pulls it off with ease.

    So what does the future hold for Georgia? Disney is such a prolific company that constantly produces high quality musical films that take people to other worlds where their dreams can come true. That means there will be plenty of new material for me her to work with and she says she will continue to produce Disney medleys for as long as enough people enjoy watching them. We know we do!

    Check out the rest of her for more awesome Disney content here:

  • Disney Sues Redbox’s Over Digital Movie Sales

    Disney Sues Redbox’s Over Digital Movie Sales

    In October, Redbox launched a service offering “digital codes” for customers to be able to purchase Disney movies at from its nationwide network of kiosks. The kiosks dispense a printed code with information on how to stream or download them to various devices from Disney’s services or affiliated sites.

    Seeking injunctions and various damages starting at $150,000 per statutory award, Disney cites a slew of top titles including Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Doctor Strange, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Frozen and Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales as being included in the unbundlable “Combo Packs” that Redbox offers customers.

    “Plaintiffs have lost and will continue to lose sales as a direct result of Redbox’s unlawful, unfair, and fraudulent conduct,” Disney says in the jury trial-seeking suit alleging copyright infringement and breach of contract.

    In response, a Redbox spokeswoman said, “While we don’t comment on pending litigation, we feel very confident in our pro-consumer position.” The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

    Redbox is only offering digital copies of Disney movies because it doesn’t have a distribution arrangement with the studio and buys retail copies of its discs to rent to customers. Those retail DVDs come with digital download codes. Redbox receives special copies of DVDs and Blu-ray discs from other studios with which it has deals that don’t contain digital codes.

    Disney filed suit against Redbox in U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division, in Los Angeles. The case number is 2:17-cv-08655.

  • A Brand New Disney Theme Park Is in the Works

    A Brand New Disney Theme Park Is in the Works

    Another new Disney theme park is again in the works. With all of the new lands and coming attractions there are so many reasons to travel to Disneyland and Walt Disney World in the next few years, but if you want to experience this completely new park, get ready for a long flight. Tokyo Disney Resort complex which includes the Disneyland and DisneySea theme parks, has revealed plans for a massive expansion.

    Nearly 35 years ago, Disney expanded its international reach with Tokyo Disneyland, later adding Tokyo DisneySea in 2001 as a second theme park in Japan. Oriental Land Company licenses the rights from Walt Disney Co. to operate the Tokyo resort that includes Disneyland, DisneySea, hotels and shopping malls, but Disney still has full creative control.

    The park will feature new attractions and new characters with a massive 300 billion yen ($2.7 billion) investment plan. Disney and its partners in the Oriental Land Company have revealed the Japanese theme park that will shift the focus to its host country with new characters and attractions.

    More details should be announced by May 2018, but the newly announced park, could bring rides and experiences that touch upon the history, art, and unique terrain of the country. The Japanese company is in talks Disney on the expansion, which may include an area dedicated to Disney’s hit movie “Frozen” and other attractions that are not featured at other Disney theme parks. Construction is expected to begin in 2025 and this will be the biggest expansion since DisneySea opened in 2001. All this according to the official release (via Mainichi News)

    This comes as Osaka’s Universal Studios Japan has surged in popularity, thanks to Harry Potter and Minions attractions. Universal Studios Japan is also getting a Mario-themed expansion, which should further the park’s popularity.

    Tokyo Disney Resort has also received some upgrades with more on the way. Tokyo DisneySea, which recently opened Nemo and Friends SeaRider will bring Soarin’ to the park in the next few years, and Tokyo Disneyland will add a new “Big Hero 6” themed ride to Tomorrowland as well as a “Beauty and the Beast” section to its Fantasyland area. The expansion will host a theatre for stage performances as well as an immersive attraction, which is said to utilize the park’s famed trackless ride system pioneered on its popular Pooh’s Hunny Hunt attraction. The expansions, which were announced last spring, are set to open by 2020.

    Although this new park is still several years away from fruition, Disney fans will likely keep a close eye on it because any new rides that are built for this resort may eventually come to Walt Disney World or Disneyland. Shanghai Disneyland’s popular Tron ride is already slated to come to Disney World, and we’re eager to see what comes out of Disney’s newest creations.

    Are you excited about the new Disney theme park coming to Tokyo? Let us know in the comment section below!

  • 20 Years After Its Debut, ‘The Lion King’ on Broadway Still Reigns Supreme

    20 Years After Its Debut, ‘The Lion King’ on Broadway Still Reigns Supreme

    On Monday, November 13, The Lion King reaches a historic landmark, officially marking its 20th anniversary on Broadway. The blockbuster musical’s legacy endures around the world, with 24 global productions since its debut, and Disney Theatrical Productions is celebrating this monumental anniversary in New York City, with the production that started it all.

    In honor of the milestone, a free performance of the show will be held at the Minskoff Theatre in New York City on November 15; it was preceded by a special event and ticket lottery in Times Square on November 12. “Though it’s been seen around the world, The Lion King was born in New York City—from the studio in the Flatiron district where we rehearsed, to the Bronx shop where its sets were built, to its Broadway home in the heart of Times Square,” said Thomas Schumacher President & Producer, Disney Theatrical Productions. “This free performance is our chance to thank New York City for 20 years of loving support and we hope audiences who could otherwise not experience Julie Taymor’s glorious vision will join us to toast the show born here in their hometown.”

    And, on November 5, Tony nominated composer Elton John surprised an audience of hundreds of Lion King alumni and members of the creative team, including Julie Taymor, Tim Rice, Garth Fagan, Lebo M., Mark Mancina, Roger Allers, and Irene Mecchi at a celebratory event with a performance of “Circle of Life,” joined by the entire company of The Lion King.

    Following the success of the Oscar®-winning 1994 film, The Lion King debuted on November 13, 1997 at Broadway’s New Amsterdam Theatre. That same year, the stage musical won the Tony Award for best musical and director Julie Taymor became the first woman in theatrical history to win the Tony for Best Director of a Musical. Twenty years later, The Lion King is the third longest-running musical in Broadway history and continues to be a worldwide phenomenon.

    Globally, The Lion King has played on every continent except Antarctica. It has been seen in more than 100 cities in 19 countries, with nine current productions worldwide. The musical been translated into nine different languages, including Mandarin during its run at Shanghai Disney Resort. More than 90 million people have seen The Lion King, making it the highest-grossing entertainment title in box office history.

  • Disney Celebrates 60th Anniversary on the New York Stock Exchange

    Disney Celebrates 60th Anniversary on the New York Stock Exchange

    Monday Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger and Mickey Mouse rang The NYSE Opening Bell to begin the trading day as Disney Celebrates 60th Anniversary on the New York Stock Exchange.

    This special visit was in celebration of The Walt Disney Company’s 60th anniversary as a listed company on the New York Stock Exchange.

    Disney has always been a great stock option, but recently it has had its ups and downs according to multiple reports. More notable recent The Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS) news were published by: Businesswire.com which released: “The Walt Disney Company Announces Semi-Annual Cash Dividend of $0.84 Per Share” on November 29, 2017, also Investorplace.com with their article: “If You Must Buy Walt Disney Co Stock, Keep It for the Long Haul” published on November 30, 2017, Latimes.com published: “Disney’s profit disappoints as TV unit struggles” on November 09, 2017. Considering its potential future options investors probably don’t have much to worry about.

  • Disney Crosses $5 Billion Global Box Office as ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Hits $800 Million

    Disney Crosses $5 Billion Global Box Office as ‘Thor: Ragnarok’ Hits $800 Million

    Disney is passing two big milestones. First, Disney-Marvel’s “Thor: Ragnarok” is expected to surpass $800 million worldwide at any moment. Second, and maybe even more importantly, with the help of Thor’s newest installment, Disney has pushed past the $5 billion mark at the 2017 worldwide box office for the third year in a row. Which makes it the second Marvel Cinematic Universe movie without Tony Stark in it to be able to do that, and of the 17 films in the MCU, it is the seventh to reach this milestone and the third to do so this year.

    “Thor” has now put Disney in the top spot globally. Universal is on the cusp of the $5-billion milestone itself with $4.97 billion worldwide ($1.6 billion domestic). Universal has one more film on its 2017 slate, “Pitch Perfect 3,” which will be released Dec. 22. But it’s pretty obvious which company will end up being the top earn for 2017, since it doesn’t count the 1 Billion Star Wars: The Last Jedi will is about to bring in. At the very least it’s bringing in a few hundred million in the final days of the year.

    The studio has surpassed this global box office milestone for the third year in a row, becoming the first and only studio to have reached this record three times according to Disney.

    Disney also noted that it’s responsible for four of the top nine highest-grossing films of the year, including “Beauty and the Beast” with $1.26 billion ($504 million domestic and $759.7 million international); Marvel Studios’ “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2” with $863.6 million worldwide; and “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” with $794.8 million worldwide.

    Other major titles include Pixar’s “Cars 3” ($383.5 million global) and “Coco” ($178.9 million global) as well as two 2016 titles — Lucasfilm’s “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” with $309.3 million during 2017 and Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana” with $252 million during 2017.