Disney News

Category: News

  • Grand Floridian Greeter Richard Gerth Has Passed Away

    Grand Floridian Greeter Richard Gerth Has Passed Away

    Some very saddening news is hitting the Disney Community today that will break the hearts of countless Cast Members and guest alike. Richard Gerth, the Grand Floridian Greeter, passed away at the age of 92 last night due to complications from pneumonia.

    On Tuesday morning reports that Richard had fallen ill surfaced. He had been taken to hospice and according to a Facebook page that has contact with the family, Richard passed in the early morning hours.

    Starting his career at Walt Disney World in 1991, Richard Gerth, has been welcoming guests with his smile and happy disposition for generations. Gerth had become so well-known that many families make getting a picture with him an annual tradition.

    Guests loved Richard and he loved meeting them too. “I think just about every day is a good day…To be acknowledged by another person is the greatest feeling that anyone could get out of a job,” Gerth said during a 2014 interview.

    Gerth was recognized in 2013 by Disney when they awarded him the Walt Disney Legacy Award. This is the highest honor that Cast Members can achieve at Disney Parks and Resorts and those who have been honored with it wear a blue name tag rather than the traditional white name tag.

    Richard was everything you would want a cast member to be.  He was warm and friendly and it is a great loss for the Disney community.  Our thoughts, prayers and condolences and thoughts go out to his family. He was a Disney Legend and he will be greatly missed.

  • The Redhead’s Debut at Disneyland Now Has an Official Date

    The Redhead’s Debut at Disneyland Now Has an Official Date

    You wanted the redhead, well now you got her! As we reported back in may, a brassy buccaneer known as Redd will be arriving at Disneyland. Well mateys, this fierce and independent pirate will be sailing into New Orleans Square on Friday, June 8!

    Redd_Pirates_of_the_caribbean

    The redhead has been part of the auction scene in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction since it first opened, but last year Disney announced that it would be reimagining that section of the ride. The attraction has already opened in Disney World with its new scene and refurbishment for the attraction at Disneyland is currently underway. The attraction is schedued to reopen with fastpasses the same day Redd starts making her apperances.

    Pirates Red Head

    In Disney World’s new version the famed redhead is no longer being auctioned off. She has a new look and a new attitude! Now she sports a rifle and clearly isn’t taking any guff from any scurvy pirates.

    A bit mysterious by nature, Redd travels to various ports throughout the Caribbean—selling rum and collecting coin.  She has been given a full back story and even told Disney when asked if she knew Captain Jack Sparrow, “That Sparrow owes me a new ship. Wouldn’t be surprised if he found himself in irons once more. If you see Mister Sparrow, I’m lookin’ for ‘em!”

    Keep an eye out for Redd—you may encounter this mysterious pirate as she travels from port to port throughout the Caribbean!

  • RUMOR: Baby Swap Passes are Going Digital at Walt Disney World

    RUMOR: Baby Swap Passes are Going Digital at Walt Disney World

    If a child does not meet the height requirement or a Guest does not wish to board a particular attraction, you don’t have to miss out! Disney World offers a Rider switch which many guest refer to as a baby swap pass and it’s going completely digital starting this June.

    Disney has been on the forefront of converting systems digitally.  From the My Disney Experience app you can make FastPass and dining reservations and link them to your MagicBand, a change which has made carrying around paper passes a thing of the past.

    According to multiple online reports, the Rider Swap will be the newest addition to Disney World’s digital offerings. This will make guest experience much more convenient, but it will also help Disney cut down of fraud.

    With Rider Switch, one adult can wait with the non-rider (or riders) while the rest of the party enjoys the attraction. When the other adult returns, they can supervise the non-riding Guests, and the waiting adult can board the attraction without having to wait in the regular line again!

    There are a few changes with the new system. First, cast members will need to scan a guest’s MagicBand or park ticket and add the rider switch to their entitlements. Previously rider switch passes were valid up to a month, however with the new system there will much smaller length of time.  Some reports saying even as little as one hour. Also the entire participating party will need to be present to receive a Rider Switch and guests will now only be able to hold one rider switch pass at time.

    Rider Switch is available at select attractions at all 4 Walt Disney World Resort theme parks. Here is how it currently works.

    To Use Rider Switch:

    1. First check with a Cast member to see if Rider Switch is offered at the attraction in question.

    2. Once at the attraction, approach the greeting Cast Member with your entire party. At least one adult member of your party and the Guests who are not riding will be given a Ride Switch pass and asked to wait in a designated area (usually outside of the attraction). This group is “Party 2.”

    3. The other party members (“Party 1”) ride the attraction.

    4. After riding the attraction, Party 1 locates Party 2 and gives the Rider Switch pass to the adult member who will be riding. Party 1 takes over supervision of the non-riding children or Guests.

    5. Party 2 enters and boards the attraction without having to wait in the regular queue a second time. The Rider Switch Pass must be presented to a Cast Member at this time.

    If the person in Party 2 waited alone with the child, he or she may bring one other Guest back to ride the attraction with him or her. Please note that only 2 Guests are allowed per Rider Switch Pass.

    As always there are just online reports and nothing is official until Disney announces it.

  • UPDATE: Latest On Galaxy’s Edge Construction at Hollywood Studios

    UPDATE: Latest On Galaxy’s Edge Construction at Hollywood Studios

    Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open in late fall 2019 at Walt Disney World Resort, when guests will land in the middle of the action as they live their own Star Wars stories. Construction for the massive project is of galactic proportions and these are the updates you are looking for.

    The grand opening is just over a year away and anticipation is building just as fast as the construction is coming along. These aerial photos of the site gives a great view of just how much progress is being made on the upcoming land.

    Below you can see some aerial views of the arched structure for the Battle Escape attraction which will be a trackless ride that puts guests in the middle of a fight between the First Order and The Resistance.

    Galaxy's Edge
    Photo: @bioreconstruct

    And here you can see a wider angle that shows the scope of this attraction.

    Galaxy's Edge
    Photo: @bioreconstruct

    The tunnel between Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and Grand Avenue is also coming along and here you can some of the newest concrete forms being added.

    Here’s a great shot of the infamous stop for traders, adventurers, and smugglers known as Black Spire Outpost!

    Here’s another angle that also shows that the rock-work on the Millennium Falcon is to be eroded petrified trees, or black spires.

    Galaxy's Edge
    Photo: @bioreconstruct

    Plans for an immersive Star Wars-inspired resort at Walt Disney World Resort were unveiled last summer and below you’ll see an aerial view of the site with Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge at the top. At the center is path where a raised conveyor belt transferred dirt from a staging area on the West side of World Drive.

    star wars hotel
    Photo: @bioreconstruct

    This week Disney announced the exact location of the new resort which is currently under development on the south side of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, just east of World Drive. Here is another aerial overview of Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge and you can see the Star Wars Resort site is upper right.

    star wars hotel
    Photo: @bioreconstruct

    The progress on Galaxy’s Edge and the Star Wars Resort is just amazing to see and if you want to see how its been shaping up take a look back at our previous updates:

  • Walt Disney World Union Loses Battle Over $1,000 Bonuses

    Walt Disney World Union Loses Battle Over $1,000 Bonuses

    The National Labor Relations Board ruled this week that Walt Disney World Resort did not violate the law when the company refused to give $1,000 bonuses to its largest union unless its members approved a contract first.

    After the corporate tax cut approved by Republicans in Congress back in January, Disney announced it would give $1,000 one-time cash bonuses to 125,000 domestic workers.

    The Service Trades Council Union is a coalition of six unions representing nearly 36,000 Walt Disney World cast members which has been negotiating wages with Disney. The STCU filed an unfair labor complaint against Disney, alleging the company was retaliating against unionized cast members by refusing to give them the $1,000 bonus until they approved Disney’s wage offer. Back in December, Walt Disney World union members overwhelmingly voted ‘No’ on a contract that would have given employees a raise of at least 50 cents an hour. Disney said, they believe the 6 to 10 percent wage increase was fair.

    According to a letter from David Cohen, the NLRB’s regional director in the Tampa office, the agency dismissed the union’s complaint, saying there was no evidence Disney showed an “anti-union animus” and because it appeared to not have a history of paying bonuses to union members.

    The union plans to appeal the decision. Labor talks between Disney and the union are scheduled to resume June 8.

  • Minnie Van Service Now Open to all Visiting Walt Disney World Resort

    Minnie Van Service Now Open to all Visiting Walt Disney World Resort

    Last summer Walt Disney World Resort started it’s new Minnie Van transportation service, but it was only available to select resorts. Throughout the year it has opened up to more resorts and today Disney has officially announced that the service is now available for everyone at Walt Disney World Resort, through the Lyft app.

    The service offers a comfy and convenient way for guests to travel to and from our theme parks, to dining reservations at our resort hotels, family gatherings, shopping sprees at Disney Springs and much more in a jiffy.

    The private vans are roomy, comfortable and usually only minutes away. Each driver is a friendly Disney Cast Member trained to take you where you need to be—safely and with a smile.

    How does it work? Just download the Lyft app on your mobile device, open it from anywhere at Walt Disney World Resort and select the Minnie Van service option. Then, follow the steps below:

    • Confirm your current pickup location.
    • Enter your Walt Disney World Resort destination and tap “Request.”
    • The app will display a map tracking the vehicle en route and give you an identifying vehicle number to help you spot your car.

    With Lyft, you can request your ride from your smartphone and pay right through the app. The new Minnie Van service is an easy and friendly way to whisk your family off to the magic!

    The service is available between 6:30 a.m. and 12:30 a.m. (Hours subject to change.)

  • YouTuber Gets Jail Time After Active Shooter Prank at Disney World Resort

    YouTuber Gets Jail Time After Active Shooter Prank at Disney World Resort

    A 22-year-old Arizona man was arrested early Monday after he falsely told guests at Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort that there was an active shooter inside the hotel so he could record their reactions for his YouTube channel, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

    According to the affidavit, Dillion Burch was running up to guests at Disney’s Contemporary Resort shortly after midnight and telling them to evacuate because there was a shooter.

    Burch, who was “highly intoxicated”, then told the people he was joking and wanted to see what their reactions were for a school project, according to the affidavit.

    Eventually a manager approached Burch and asked him why, he said he was working on a school project in which he had to record people’s reactions when they find out an emergency is happening, deputies said.

    According to the report, the manager explained to him that he couldn’t do that and that deputies were on their way to speak with him. Burch then walked out of the hotel lobby and when he saw deputy’s lights, he began running into the parking lot.

    Deputies arrived and found Burch in some bushes, the report said. Burch was searched and taken into custody by deputies. During the search, authorities located a beer in his red backpack, deputies said.

    Burch was evicted from his hotel room and banned from Walt Disney World property, the report said. He was charged with disturbing the peace at a public lodging and disorderly intoxication.

    During his first appearance Tuesday, Burch pleaded no contest to both charges and was sentenced to three days in jail.

  • ‘Roseanne’ Canceled By ABC After Star’s Racist Tweets

    ‘Roseanne’ Canceled By ABC After Star’s Racist Tweets

    “Roseanne,” ABC’s hit revival sitcom, was canceled today just hours after the show’s star Roseanne Barr’s posted a racist tweet about former Obama adviser Valerie Jarrett.

    Barr’s post early Tuesday morning, which has since been deleted, said that Jarrett, who is African-American, was a product of the Muslim Brotherhood and “Planet of the Apes” — “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.” She has since apologized.

    Barr’s comparison of Jarrett, a longtime Obama family confidant, to an ape and claiming that she has a connection to the organization Muslim Brotherhood drew immediate backlash on social media. You can see the deleted tweet below.

    roseanne-barr-tweet

    The tweet also immediately brought criticism from “Roseanne” star Sara Gilbert. It also prompted Wanda Sykes, a consulting producer, to quit the show in the lead up to the cancellation.

    “Roseanne’s Twitter statement is abhorrent, repugnant and inconsistent with our values, and we have decided to cancel her show,” said Channing Dungey, the president of ABC Entertainment, in a statement.

    In a tweet, Bob Iger, chairman and CEO of Disney, said there was “only one thing to do.”


    Iger called Jarrett before publicly announcing that the show was canceled. Barr deleted the initial tweet and apologized hours after the original comment.

    In her apology, Barr called the tweet a “bad joke about her politics and her looks.” She also said she was “leaving Twitter,” but didn’t specify if that meant deleting her account.

  • Guest Sues Disney After Being Run Over By Scooter At Hollywood Studios

    Guest Sues Disney After Being Run Over By Scooter At Hollywood Studios

    If you’ve been to a Disney Park then you know getting the occasional hit and run by a stroller or a scooter is common pace. Well now yet another Disney World guest is suing the company after she says she was injured after being run over by another park guest on a motorized scooter at Hollywood studios.

    The action was filed earlier this month in Orange Circuit Court against Walt Disney Parks seeking more than $15,000 in damages. The lawsuit states that while on vacation from Ohio, Vicki Denton perused browsing in a Hollywood Studios’ gift shop when the alleged incident occurred in 2016.

    According to Denton’s attorney Michael Sanchez, the woman on the scooter tried to go in reverse but mistakenly moved forward instead. She hit Denton, pinning her against a checkout counter, and Denton fell over the scooter.

    Denton was taken to the hospital, said Sanchez, who declined to release details about her injuries, although the lawsuit said they were permanent in nature.

    “This happens a lot. It’s becoming more of a problem as Disney gets crowded,” he said about scooters running into pedestrians. “When they hit someone, they do damage.” said Sanchez in an Orlando Sentinel report.

    Sanchez pointed to a 2015 lawsuit filed by his Orlando firm where a guest was allegedly hit by a scooter in the line for Magic Kingdom’s Splash Mountain ride in 2013. In the still pending lawsuit it states the alleged incident broke the man’s femur, the lawsuit said.

    “Our focus is on providing a safe environment for our guests and cast members,” a statement released by Disney said. “Both of these lawsuits center on incidents from several years ago between guests, and both involved personally owned motorized scooters. We will respond to the allegations as appropriate in court.

  • Disney Reveals The Name of Village in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

    Disney Reveals The Name of Village in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

    Those who attended the panel discussions at Star Wars: Galactic Nights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios last Sunday, were among the first to hear some exciting news about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Disney revealed for the first time that the name of the village is called Black Spire Outpost.

    Story editor, Margaret Kerrison also shared some of the history behind the name and how this village is closely associated with the geological formations that surround it.

    The largest settlement on the planet Batuu, Black Spire Outpost is an infamous stop for traders, adventurers, and smugglers traveling around the Outer Rim and Wild Space. Off the beaten path, this outpost has become a haven for the galaxy’s most colorful — and notorious — characters. Widely known for the petrified remains of its once towering ancient trees, the spires now stand guard across the river valleys and plains and have long captured the imagination of travelers to this planet. To the first settlers, these petrified spires became more than just landmarks; they became the heart of the outpost itself.

    Galaxy's Edge

    The addition to both parks is the largest expansion of any theme park Disney has ever undertaken. Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens at Disneyland Resort in summer 2019 or at Walt Disney World Resort in late fall 2019.