Disney News

Category: News

  • Disney Shares Tonga Toast Recipe Used at One of it’s Resorts and it’s Delicious

    Disney Shares Tonga Toast Recipe Used at One of it’s Resorts and it’s Delicious

    When you read “banana-stuffed sourdough bread, battered, deep-fried, and dusted with cinnamon-sugar” you know what’s coming – Tonga Toast! Today, Disney shared the recipe for the breakfast favorite and now you can make it at home!

    Currently served at Kona Cafe and Capt. Cook’s, this decadent breakfast classic has been on the menu at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort since 1971.

    This blissfully rich breakfast recipe is the perfect is a great way for the family to enjoy a taste of Disney magic. Take a look at the ingredients and instructions below:

    Tonga Toast from Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort 
    Serves 4 

    Ingredients: 

    Sugar-Cinnamon 

    • 3/4 cup granulated sugar 
    • 2 teaspoons cinnamon 

    Batter 

    • 4 large eggs 
    • 1 1/3 cup whole milk 
    • 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon 
    • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar 

    Tonga Toast 

    • 1 quart canola oil, for frying 
    • 1 loaf sourdough bread (uncut, 12 inches long) 
    • 2 large bananas, peeled 

    Directions: 

    For Sugar-Cinnamon: 

    Mix sugar and cinnamon in medium bowl (large enough to roll toast) with a fork until thoroughly blended.  Set aside. 

    For Batter: 

    Whip eggs in medium bowl (large enough to dip toast) until well beaten. Add milk, cinnamon, and sugar. Mix well and set aside.   

    For Tonga Toast: 

    1. Using caution, preheat oil to 350°F in a large pot or a deep fryer. (If using a large pot, use a candy thermometer to make certain the oil does not get any hotter or it will burn.) 
    2. Slice the bread into four three-inch-thick slices. 
    3. Cut each banana in half crosswise, then each piece lengthwise. 
    4. Place a bread slice flat on the counter and tear out just enough from the middle (do not tear all the way through) to stuff half a banana into; repeat with each bread slice. 
    5. Dip stuffed bread into batter, covering both sides, allowing excess batter to drip off bread and place carefully into hot oil. 
    6. Cook 4-5 minutes until golden brown. If needed, turn toast over after 2 minutes and cook for another 2 minutes on other side. Remove and drain excess oil. 
    7. Roll toast in cinnamon-sugar. Repeat for each piece of toast. 
  • BREAKING: Shanghai Disneyland to Begin Phased Reopening on May 11

    BREAKING: Shanghai Disneyland to Begin Phased Reopening on May 11

    Shanghai Disney has been closed since January 25 due to the COVID-19 crisis and today there is a bit of good news. Disney will reopen its Shanghai theme park on May 11, the company said during an earnings conference call on Tuesday.

    Disney reopened Disneytown, Wishing Star Park and the Disneyland Hotel in Shanghai in March. This will be the first Disney theme park to reopen after being closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    “In Shanghai, we took the first measured steps towards reopening in early March, with the opening of some retail, dining, and entertainment experiences at Disneytown, Wishing Star Park and the Shanghai Disneyland Hotel,” Joe Schott, President and General Manager, Shanghai Disney Resort said today in a Disney Parks Blog post.

    Disney has closed its theme parks in the U.S. — Disneyland and Walt Disney World — until further notice. All of its parks and resorts worldwide, from Paris to Hong Kong to Tokyo, are currently closed.

    The company’s parks, experience and products segment fell 10% in the second quarter, compared to the prior-year quarter, to $5.5 billion.

  • New Star Wars Movie to be Helmed by Mandalorian Season Finale Director

    New Star Wars Movie to be Helmed by Mandalorian Season Finale Director

    To celebrate Star Wars Day, Lucasfilm has announced that Academy Award winner Taika Waititi will direct and co-write a new Star Wars feature film for theatrical release.

    Joining Waititi on the screenplay will be Academy Award nominee Krysty Wilson-Cairns (1917, Last Night in Soho), who received a BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film of the Year on the three-time Oscar-winning film, 1917.

    This marks Waititi’s return to the world of “Star Wars.” The “Thor: Ragnarok” filmmaker directed the first-season finale of “The Mandalorian” and voiced the bounty hunter turned nanny droid IG-11.

    It’s unclear if Waititi’s film is one of Disney’s three untitled “Star Wars” movies dated for Dec. 2022, 2024 and 2026 — or if it’s a separate project.

    In addition, Emmy®-nominated writer Leslye Headland (Russian Doll, Bachelorette) is currently developing a new untitled Star Wars series for Disney+. Headland will write, executive produce, and serve as showrunner for the series, which adds to a growing list of Star Wars stories for Disney’s streaming platform including The Mandalorian, now in post-production on Season Two, and two other previously announced series: one based on Cassian Andor’s life prior to the events of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story and another following the adventures of Obi-Wan Kenobi between Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith and Star Wars: A New Hope.

    Release dates for both Waititi’s and Headland’s projects have not yet been announced.

  • VIDEO: New Droid Depot App Brings Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to Life at Home

    VIDEO: New Droid Depot App Brings Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to Life at Home

    It’s Star Wars Day, but you don’t have to travel to a galaxy far, far, away this year, as your very own Star Wars stories can now come to life at home with the all-new Droid Depot mobile app.

    The out-of-this-world app, available for free download on the App Store and Google Play, brings your BB-series or R-series astromech droid unit from Droid Depot at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to life for a galactic experience at home.

    While these droids can interact with elements in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, now your droids can interact with you at home. For those of you who haven’t built an astromech droid unit yet, you’re in luck! You can also channel your inner droid builder in an all-new virtual experience where you can build a digital droid and create a whole new virtual collection of droids. Take a look at the video below:

    Join the Resistance when you sync up with your Droid Depot astromech unit. Every Jedi, Sith Lord and Rebel alike will be able to program their droids, customize them by name, see their profiles, and pilot them on a virtual path around their home activating sounds and maneuvers using the app. 

    You’ll also be able to choose some favorite galactic jams by DJ R3X straight from Oga’s Cantina and choreograph your droid to dance its way through your home.

    From the youngest Padawan to the most knowledgeable Jedi, there are also adventures that await you in strategy mode! Here you will be able to play a game of tic-tac-toe with your droid in both easy and difficult modes.

    What are you waiting for? The Droid Depot app is available in the U.S. and Canada and can be downloaded for free on the App Store or Google Play. For the very first time, direct from a galaxy far, far, away, pre-built versions of BB-8 and R2-D2 interactive remote control droids from Droid Depot at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge are available for a limited time, while supplies last, on shopDisney.com – they’ll arrive at your home, ready to play as soon as you sync them with the app.

  • Disney World FastPasses Now Available for June

    Disney World FastPasses Now Available for June

    With no idea when Disney World will finally reopen, many fans are looking for a little magical news and they may have just gotten some. It appears that you can now book Fastpasses for June on the My Disney Experience App.

    If you take a look at the app, guests with a valid park ticket – including Annual Passholders – can select FastPasses 30-days in advance beginning in June. This goes for guests with or without a Disney Resort room reservation.

    Take a look below at the FastPass availability we were able to find:

    There has been no official word from Disney on when they plan to reopen, but a task force referred to as the Orlando County Economic Recovery Task Force, made up of appointed officials, met up virtually last week to develop a preliminary set of guidelines that will be implemented when the parks eventually get the green-light to resume operations.

    Some analysts suggest the the parks may not reopen until Jan. 1, 2021. Stating that, “all aspects of Disney are at risk because of COVID-19, from their movie releases to their theme parks.”

    Again there is no official word from Disney so we’ll just have to wait and see.

  • Disney Closing Down Disney Channel Stations Around the World Due to Disney Plus Success

    Disney Closing Down Disney Channel Stations Around the World Due to Disney Plus Success

    Disney’s streaming service Disney Plus launched in November giving fans a new outlet for their favorite Disney content, but it also left many wondering what the future of the long-running Disney Channel and its subsidiaries, Disney Junior and DisneyXD would be.

    With Disney+ rolling out around the globe, it’s having an impact on the delivery of Disney content and in some countries a number of Disney Channels have closed down.

    According to What’s on Disney Plus, over the past few days several Disney Channels have had to close down due to the success of Disney+:

    • Disney Channel (Italy)
    • Disney Junior (Italy)
    • Disney Channel (Australia)
    • Disney Junior (Australia)
    • Disney XD (Germany)
    • Disney XD (France)
    • Disney XD (Spain)
    • Disney XD+ (UK)

    Disney has been closing down multiple Disney themed channels in different countries, including New Zealand, Switzerland, Italy, Germany, Australia and the UK.   Content was also slowly being removed from many video on demand platforms such as Sky and Foxtel, ahead of the Disney+ launch.

    This is one of the big reasons why Disney+ is being offered through set top boxes like Sky Q, to allow traditional satellite and cable viewers to continue to get access to Disney content.

    Children’s TV has been suffering from a massive shift as viewers embracing video on demand, with viewing figures dropping drastically, year on year.  Which is why Disney+ has become so important to the Walt Disney Company.

    As Disney+ continues to pull in more subscribers, its likely more Disney Channels are likely to close.

  • Man Found Camping at Disney World’s Discovery Island During Coronavirus Closure

    Man Found Camping at Disney World’s Discovery Island During Coronavirus Closure

    A man has been charged with trespassing after he was found camping on Walt Disney World’s Discovery Island, according to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.

    Police arrested Richard McGuire, 42, after he was allegedly caught camping out by Disney World security. McGuire told police he was “unaware” that his visit to the abandoned island was trespassing, while describing the island as a “tropical paradise.”

    McGuire is from Mobile, Alabama, according an arrest affidavit. He told authorities that he had gained access to the island on Monday or Tuesday and planned to camp there for about a week. He was later spotted by security and before being detained law enforcement had searched for him using helicopter and boats, as well as on foot.

    Numerous “no trespassing” signs are said to be visible on and near the island. Before he was arrested on Thursday, deputies used a loudspeaker system at the resort to inform him he was trespassing and needed to leave, with no response.

    Discovery Island has been closed to the public since 1999, having been used as a Disney wildlife park for the previous 25 years. However, the company left all of the original buildings on the island, one of which McGuire was believed to have been staying in when he was discovered.

    All Disney parks have been closed indefinitely since March 16 due to public health concerns caused by the pandemic. Although it is unclear when Disney World will be back in business, on Tuesday a Florida task force recently gave the company guidelines to reopen in phases, beginning at 50 percent capacity.

    McGuire was charged with one misdemeanor count of trespassing and banned from Disney properties.

  • Live-Action Hercules in the Works at Disney

    Live-Action Hercules in the Works at Disney

    Disney is once again going from zero to hero with another live-action remake. The studio is in early development of a live-action remake of its 1997 animated movie “Hercules.”

    No director has been attached yet, and casting is still a ways off, but Hercules seems like an obvious choice to join Disney’s ever-growing list of live-action remakes.

    There have also been casting rumors in recent weeks, partially spurred on by Ariana Grande’s performance of the movie’s “I Won’t Say I’m in Love” during The Disney Family Singalong, which engendered a petition on Change.org for her to play Megara, the female lead. Also, Idris Elba and Ryan Gosling’s names have also been floated by enthusiasts.

    Anthony and Joe Russo are producing and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings screenwriter David Callaham tapped to write.

    The original “Hercules” followed the title demigod as a youngster (voiced by Tate Donovan) who has to prove he’s worthy of hanging with the gods on Mount Olympus and runs afoul of the evil fast-talking king of the underworld, Hades (James Woods).

    “Hercules” was Disney’s prime 1997 summer animated toon grossing $99.1M domestic, and over $153M world wide.

  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios Celebrates 31st Birthday amid COVID-19 Closure

    Disney’s Hollywood Studios Celebrates 31st Birthday amid COVID-19 Closure

    Hollywood Studios is celebrating its 31st anniversary today and to celebrate, Walt Disney World President Josh D’Amaro visited the iconic park and made the now-empty space a little louder.

    The Disney Parks Blog posted on its Instagram a video of D’Amaro saying he’s heard from many people asking how it sounds inside the Disney parks, so for just a few minutes, he wanted to share a little music and magic from inside Hollywood Studios with the world on its birthday.

    Take a look at the video below:

    The video ends with D’Amaro saying he can’t wait for the time when he can share the parks with everyone.

    Disney’s Hollywood Studios opened to the public on May 1, 1989, as Disney-MGM Studios.

  • Disney World Receives Social Distancing Guidelines for Reopening Once Coronavirus Crisis Improves

    Disney World Receives Social Distancing Guidelines for Reopening Once Coronavirus Crisis Improves

    The “happiest place on Earth” has been closed indefinitely due to the coronavirus pandemic since early March and now Walt Disney World has been given Social Distancing Guidelines for reopening once Coronavirus Crisis improves.

    A task force referred to as the Orlando County Economic Recovery Task Force, made up of appointed officials, met up virtually on Tuesday to develop a preliminary set of guidelines that will be implemented when the parks eventually get the green-light to resume operations.

    In Phase 1, the parks would be allowed to operate at 50-percent capacity. In Phase 2, operational capacity would be bumped to 75-percent capacity.

    The other guidelines seem to adopt best practices used by grocery stores and essential businesses since the pandemic began spreading.

    Tape markers will encourage social distancing of six feet for park-goers waiting in line for rides.

    Staff will be required to wear face masks and manage the cleanliness of the park by regularly wiping down surfaces and railings used by park-goers.

    Prior to starting their shifts, employees will have their temperatures taken. Anyone who has above 100.4 degrees will be sent home.

    Employees with flu-like symptoms will be encouraged to stay home. Also encouraged to stay home will be visitors who are 65 and older or with pre-existing conditions that put them at a higher risk for contracting the novel virus.

    To ensure everyone’s safety, touch-less hand sanitizing stations will be added to every ride’s entrance and exit, ticketing area, and turnstile.

    Since the pandemic is so unpredictable, it’s hard to establish a time frame for re-opening.