Disney News

Category: News

  • 43,000 more Disney World workers will be furloughed April 19

    43,000 more Disney World workers will be furloughed April 19

    Starting April 19, about 43,000 unionized Disney World workers will be furloughed in the wake of the closure of the park due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    The announcement was made during a Facebook Live stream by the Service Trades Council Union. This furlough is the largest wave of Disney employees at the resort to be sent home without pay because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the Orlando Sentinel.

    “This is a decision that the union doesn’t like, however, it is within the company’s right to lay off and furlough employees in this situation,” a union representative said.

    The union coalition said that Disney had agreed to provide free health care benefits for a year and extend other benefits, including its Aspire education program.

    The union said about 200 union workers are deemed essential employees will stay on the job.

    Walt Disney World recently announced that they would begin furloughs of park employees at its parks in California and Florida beginning on April 19 because of the coronavirus pandemic. For those employees, the company will continue to pay for health insurance and a program that gives free education to hourly employees. 

    “The COVID-19 pandemic is having a devastating impact on our world with untold suffering and loss, and has required all of us to make sacrifices. Over the last few weeks, mandatory decrees from government officials have shut down a majority of our businesses,” the company said in a statement.

  • How to make Disney’s Dole Whip at home

    How to make Disney’s Dole Whip at home

    Disney parks are temporarily closed, but you can still bring home the Magic of Disney with this delicious Disney Dole Whip recipe!

    After sharing their churro bites recipe earlier this week, Disney is now delighted fans by sharing the recipes for making Dole Whips at home.

    The park released the recipe for its famous Dole Whip on its app on Wednesday. Take a look below:

    Recipe:

    • 1 big scoop of ice cream
    • 4 oz of pineapple juice
    • 2 cups of frozen pineapple
    • Add all ingredients to a blender until it’s a thick drink.
    • Add your swirl and then you’re done.
  • Disney World Operations Could Take Years to Return to Normal

    Disney World Operations Could Take Years to Return to Normal

    A securities analyst from Wells Fargo said it could take years for theme-park operations to get back to normal.

    Analyst Steven Cahall has downgraded the Walt Disney company mostly because of the impact COVID-19 has had on theme parks.

    He said this is not a demand-driven downturn like the parks saw in 2008 and 2009. However, the impact will still be big, according to WFTV.

    He said he expects no attendance for the rest of the fiscal year, and parks working at a 50% capacity in fiscal 2021.

    “Until the time at which there is significantly improved testing and/or a widely available vaccine it’s tough for us to imagine long lines for Rise of the Resistance, no matter how much folks might want to go to [Walt Disney World] deep down,” Cahall wrote.

    He also said that with no attendance at the parks, that means significantly lower occupancy at hotels and resorts, and almost no revenue coming in for the cruise line industry in the foreseeable future.

  • Disneyland and My Disney Experience Mobile Apps New Features Can Be Enjoyed at Home

    Disneyland and My Disney Experience Mobile Apps New Features Can Be Enjoyed at Home

    You may have noticed some new notifications and featurettes in the Disneyland or My Disney Experience mobile apps recently – like Disney Parks Artist Studio or Magic Moments in History, where you can learn how to draw your favorite Disney characters like Mickey Mouse, discover fun facts about Disney Parks, or play games and trivia through the Play Disney Parks mobile app. Disney announced there’s even more to come from these series and others within the Disneyland or My Disney Experience app – and they can all be enjoyed from home! 

    From fun recipes inspired by Disney Parks foods and animated stories, to highlights from your favorite shows and parades, PhotoPass wallpapers and more, there are videos, games and fun facts on the way, bringing some Disney Parks magic to you. In the coming weeks, you’ll even be able to enjoy the Jungle Cruise joke-of-the-day or experience Wilderness Explorers at home through a series of short-form videos, too. 

    To discover new features like these, users simply need to be logged into either (or both) of the apps and have push notifications turned on. 

    Whether you’re learning to make frozen pineapple treats or how to draw the famed feathered friends from Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room, there will be something for everyone to enjoy! 

    If you haven’t already, be sure to download the Disneyland and My Disney Experience apps from the App Store or Google Play to check out new videos and episodes in these series and more.

    Available for iPhone® and AndroidTM smartphones.

  • Disney’s Broadway Anniversary Concert To Stream For COVID-19 Assistance Fund

    Disney’s Broadway Anniversary Concert To Stream For COVID-19 Assistance Fund

    November 2019 Celebrating 25 Magical Years of Disney on Broadway concert will be live streamed April 13 at 7 PM ET to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund.

    Ryan McCartan (Frozen, Liv and Maddie) will host the event from his family’s basement and will interview Disney on Broadway stars from their respective homes throughout the evening. The stream will be available online at Playbill and on BroadwayCares.org.

    “The event last November was such an unforgettable evening of Disney on Broadway magic,” Broadway Cares Executive Director Tom Viola said in a statement. “We are so grateful to all our friends at Disney Theatrical Productions for generously joining us in sharing this evening again, supporting our entertainment industry friends and colleagues who are out of work and facing serious health and personal challenges due to this devastating coronavirus pandemic.”

    The show marks a reunion of 18 Newsies from the show’s Broadway and national touring productions and a performance from Broadway Inspirational Voices. Celebrating 25 Magical Years of Disney on Broadway was held at the New Amsterdam Theatre and raised $570,426 for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS.

    The concert also featured 79 performers, including Jelani Alladin (Hercules), Sierra Boggess (The Little Mermaid, School of Rock), Christian Borle (Little Shop of Horrors, Mary Poppins), Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Kerry Butler (Beetlejuice, Beauty and the Beast), Lauryn Ciardullo (Aladdin), Gavin Creel (Hello, Dolly!, Waitress), Merle Dandridge (Tarzan, Aida), Lindiwe Dlamini (The Lion King), Bongi Duma (The Lion King), Susan Egan (Beauty and the Beast), Andrew Barth Feldman (Dear Evan Hansen), Bradley Gibson (The Lion King), Whoopi Goldberg (The View), Mandy Gonzalez (Hamilton, Aida), April Holloway (Aladdin), James Monroe Iglehart (Aladdin, Hamilton), Adam Jacobs (Aladdin), Ramona Keller (Hercules), Nina LaFarga (Frozen), Tamika Lawrence (Hercules, Come From Away), Norm Lewis (Once on This Island, The Little Mermaid), Kara Lindsay (Newsies, Beautiful), Tshidi Manye (The Lion King), Sbusiso Ngema (The Lion King), Ashley Park (Mean Girls), Adam Pascal (Rent, Aida), Krysta Rodriguez (Hercules), Michael James Scott (Aladdin), Sherie Rene Scott (The Little Mermaid, Aida), Kissy Simmons (The Lion King), Josh Strickland (Tarzan), Katie Terza (Aladdin), Marisha Wallace (Aladdin, Something Rotten!), Rema Webb (Hercules, The Lion King), Alton Fitzgerald White (The Lion King), and Syndee Winters (Hamilton, The Lion King).

    Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS’ COVID-19 Emergency Assistance Fund, administered by The Actors Fund, is helping those onstage, backstage, and behind the scenes impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

  • Temperature Screenings For Guests May Be Instituted When Disney Parks Reopen After Coronavirus Pandemic

    Temperature Screenings For Guests May Be Instituted When Disney Parks Reopen After Coronavirus Pandemic

    As the world remains shuddered in their homes waiting for the global health crisis to end, Disney fans are looking forward to the day that Disney parks reopen and they can return to their happy place. This begs the question, what does returning to normal look like at Disney Parks?

    Barron’s recently spoke with Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger about meeting the challenge of the virus, and how the entertainment industry might be left changed.

    Take a look below at what he had to say:

    “We’re studying very carefully what China has been trying to do in terms of their return to normalcy” Iger said. “And one of the things that’s obvious is they’ve conscripted a large segment of their population to monitor others in terms of their health. You can’t get on a bus or a subway or a train or enter a high-rise building there—and I’m sure this will be the case when their schools reopen—without having your temperature taken.”

    Iger continued, “So we’ve asked ourselves the question, let’s prepare for a world where our customers demand that we scrutinize everybody. Even if it creates a little bit of hardship, like it takes a little bit longer for people to get in. Just as the case after 9/11 where people ultimately lived with the notion that in order for them to enter a building, if you’re in an office building you have to show a picture ID or get your picture taken and be screened. Or in order to enter a park you have to put your bags out there to be checked and you go through some kind of metal detector. Or certainly what’s going on in airports with the TSA.”

    So if you’re looking to return “home” after your allowed back into the world again, be prepared for longer lines. It’s a small price to pay to get back to the magic and to keep everyone safe.

  • The Walt Disney Studios Announces Updated Release Schedule

    The Walt Disney Studios Announces Updated Release Schedule

    Following the announcement in March that several titles would be delayed due to the global health crisis, The Walt Disney Studios announced updates to its upcoming release schedule.

    Disney’s Mulan is now slated to open on July 24, 2020, with Disney’s Jungle Cruise moving to July 30, 2021; while Marvel Studios’ Black Widow will arrive in theaters on November 6, 2020, with The Eternals moving to February 12, 2021.

    Below is the updated release schedule through 2022, beginning with Disney and Pixar’s Soul, opening June 19, 2020:

    2020

    Soul (Disney and Pixar)—June 19, 2020

    Mulan (Disney)—July 24, 2020

    Empty Man (20th Century Studios)—August 7, 2020

    The One and Only Ivan (Disney)—August 14, 2020

    The Beatles: Get Back (Disney)—September 4, 2020

    The King’s Man (20th Century Studios)—September 18, 2020

    Death on the Nile (20th Century Studios)—October 9, 2020

    The French Dispatch (Searchlight Pictures)—October 16, 2020

    Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (20th Century Studios)—October 23, 2020

    Black Widow (Marvel Studios)—November 6, 2020

    Deep Water (20th Century Studios)—November 13, 2020

    Raya and the Last Dragon (Walt Disney Animation Studios)—November 25, 2020

    Free Guy (20th Century Studios)—December 11, 2020

    West Side Story (20th Century Studios)—December 18, 2020

    The Last Duel (20th Century Studios)—December 25, 2020 (limited)

    2021

    The Last Duel (20th Century Studios)—January 8, 2021 (Wide)

    The Eternals (Marvel Studios)—February 12, 2021

    Ron’s Gone Wrong (20th Century Studios)—February 26, 2021

    Untitled Disney Live Action—March 12, 2021

    Bob’s Burgers (20th Century Studios)—April 9, 2021

    Untitled 20th Century—April 23, 2021

    Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Marvel Studios)—May 7, 2021

    Cruella (Disney)—May 28, 2021

    Untitled Pixar Animation—June 18, 2021

    Jungle Cruise (Disney)—July 30, 2021

    Untitled 20th Century—August 13, 2021

    Untitled 20th Century—September 10, 2021

    Untitled 20th Century—October 1, 2021

    Hamilton (Disney)—October 15, 2021

    Untitled 20th Century—October 22, 2021

    Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Marvel Studios)—November 5, 2021

    Untitled Disney Live Action—November 19, 2021

    Untitled Disney Animation—November 24, 2021

    Untitled 20th Century—December 3, 2021

    AVATAR 2 (20th Century Studios)—December 17, 2021

    2022

    Untitled 20th Century—January 7, 2022

    Nimona (20th Century Studios)—January 14, 2022

    Thor: Love and Thunder (Marvel Studios)—February 18, 2022

    Untitled Pixar Animation—March 11, 2022

    Untitled Disney Live Action—March 25, 2022

    Untitled 20th Century—April 8, 2022

    Black Panther 2 (Marvel Studios)—May 6, 2022

    Untitled Disney Live Action—May 27, 2022

    Untitled 20th Century—June 10, 2022

    Untitled Pixar Animation—June 17, 2022

    Captain Marvel 2 (Marvel Studios)—July 8, 2022

    Untitled Indiana Jones (Disney)—July 29, 2022

    Untitled Disney Live Action—August 12, 2022

    Untitled 20th Century—September 16, 2022

    Untitled Marvel—October 7, 2022

    Untitled 20th Century—October 21, 2022

    Untitled Disney Live Action—November 4, 2022

    Untitled 20th Century—November 11, 2022

    Untitled Disney Animation—November 23, 2022

    Untitled Star Wars (Lucasfilm)—December 16, 2022

    Untitled 20th Century—December 23, 2022

  • Disney Suspends Annual Passholder Payments During Coronavirus Closure

    Disney Suspends Annual Passholder Payments During Coronavirus Closure

    Walt Disney World and Disneyland annual passholders will see their payments refunded or waived during the remainder of the parks’ closure due to the coronavirus pandemic.

    Effective April 5, 2020, for Annual Passholders on monthly payments, we will automatically stop and waive all upcoming monthly payments while the theme parks are closed.

    Disney will also retroactively refund payments made between March 14 through April 4, 2020. Payments will resume on the Passholder’s regularly scheduled payment dates once the parks reopen. Please note, pass expiration dates will not be extended and passes will expire upon their originally scheduled expiration dates.

    As an alternative, guests who are paying for Annual Passes using their monthly payment program may choose to have their monthly payments postponed starting with payments due April 5 through the park closure period, and then resumed on the Passholder’s regularly scheduled payment date once the parks reopen. Postponed payments will be collected in the months following the end of the Passholder’s currently scheduled payment term. The pass will be extended the number of days the parks are closed. The new expiration date will be reflected on the Annual Passholder’s account prior to the reopening of the theme parks. Information will be provided soon on how to choose this option.

    If you have any questions, please contact V.I.PASSHOLDER Support at (407) 939-7277. We do anticipate heavy call volume and appreciate your patience as we answer all inquiries.

  • Delicious Disney Churro Bites Home Recipe

    Delicious Disney Churro Bites Home Recipe

    The parks are temporarily closed, but if your looking for a new way to bring the Magic of Disney home you can still enjoy a delicious Disney churro with this DIY recipe!

    This recipe is inspired by the delicious snack that can be found at all of Disney’s parks across the globe. The recipe serves four people and is a perfect snack!

    Take look at the ingredients and instructions below:

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup water
    • 8 tablespoons butter
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided
    • 1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
    • 3 eggs
    • 1 ½ cups vegetable or canola oil
    • ½ cup sugar

    Instructions

    1. Combine water, butter, salt, and ¼ teaspoon cinnamon in 1 ½-quart saucepan over medium heat. Bring pot to rolling boil.
    2. Reduce heat to low.
    3. Add flour and stir vigorously until mix forms a ball. Remove from heat and let rest for 5-7 min.
    4. Add eggs, one at a time, and stir until combined. Set aside.
    5. Heat oil in medium skillet or 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat or until temperature reaches 350˚.
    6. Spoon dough into piping bag fitted with large star tip. Pipe 1-inch strip of dough over saucepan, cut with knife, and drop into hot oil. Repeat until churro bites fill saucepan with room to fry. 
    7. Fry churro bites until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon or mesh spider strainer.
    8. Drain churro bites on paper towel.
    9. Mix sugar and ½ teaspoon cinnamon in medium bowl. Toss in churro bites until coated. Place on serving plate and serve with favorite dipping sauce.
  • Disney World to Pause Monthly Annual Passholder Payments

    Disney World to Pause Monthly Annual Passholder Payments

    Thursday Disney announced that Disney World will “stop and waive” payments for its annual passes while the theme parks are closed amid the coronavirus pandemic.

    The company said previously that annual pass payments would continue during the closure.

    With the updatied policy, Disney will stop collecting payments starting April 5. Disney will also refund payments that were collected between March 14 and April 4. Take a look at the announcement from Disney below:

    Monthly passes, however, will not be extended and instead expire on their original expiration date.

    For passholders who paid for their passes in full, they will be given the option of either extending their passes for the number of days the parks were closed or receiving a refund for those days.

    This news comes a week after Disney said its U.S. theme parks would remain closed indefinitely.