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  • Google Home Brings Disney Interactive Hands-Free Family Fun

    Google Home Brings Disney Interactive Hands-Free Family Fun

    Oh, boy! Gather up your pals for a Mickey Mouse Adventure on Google Home. Now you can invite Mickey Mouse right into your home!

    Help Mickey make all the choices as he navigates across a busy city to get to his magic show performance on time. Should he take a taxi or the subway? Ride a moped or surf the tunnels? Go left or right? If he makes it on time, you may even get to assist him in the magic show! The fun never stops with Mickey Mouse Adventure.

    To play with Mickey Mouse on Google Home, just say “Hey Google, play Mickey Mouse Adventure”. Check out the video below.

    Google Home is a Wi-Fi speaker that also works as a smarthome control centre and an assistant for the whole family. You can use it to playback entertainment throughout your entire home, effortlessly manage everyday tasks, and ask Google things you want to know.

    You can also play along with a “Cars Adventure,” feature with favorites Mater and Lightning McQueen.

    In Cars Adventure, players can play “drive-and-seek” through Radiator Springs with Lightning and Mater. The story can take you to either Flo’s V8 Cafe or Sarge’s Surplus Hut. Choices in this game are made through voice commands as with Mickey Mouse Adventure, and can lead to possibilities like racing with Cruz Ramirez, driving through Carburetor Canyon, or even tractor tipping!

    Yes it can set appointments for you and turn on your lights, but its got plenty of Disney Magic integrated into it perfect for the ultimate Disney Dork.  The speaker is great story teller too and it can now be asked to retell classic fairy tales, including “Snow White” and “Cinderella”.

    Children under 13 can also have their own personalized Google Assistant experience when they log in with their own account, powered by Family Link.

  • Disney Releases 2018 Movie Schedule

    Disney Releases 2018 Movie Schedule

    The Walt Disney Studio has released their release calendar for the coming year’s biggest blockbusters, including three Marvel movies and a Star Wars film.

  • Why This Disney Heiress Wants You Mad

    Why This Disney Heiress Wants You Mad

    A tax bill passed recently and many people don’t really know what to make of it, but Abigail Disney, the granddaughter of Walt Disney Company co-founder Roy O. Disney says she understands it and it should make you mad.

    NowThis put out a video on Wednesday, where the heiress explains how she is expected to get a huge tax cut on income she did nothing to earn.

    “This bill will give me this tax cut while also killing health insurance for over 13 million people,” Disney said. “It will let me pass over $20 million to my children, tax-free. And all my friends with private jets? They get a tax cut too.”

    Disney fears that the idea of social mobility, that kids from a poor family can achieve the American dream — as her grandfather Roy and great-uncle Walt, did — is quickly becoming unrealistic.

    “But I will be able to stay comfortably right where I am,” she said. “Does that strike you as fair?”

    Disney also references President Donald Trump’s campaign promise to “drain the swamp.”

    “Given how this bill was written, I think it’s looking a lot like a nightmare from ‘Pirates of the Caribbean,’” she said. “Have I made you angry yet? I really hope I’ve made you angry. You should be. No one who votes for this tax bill will be voting with your life in mind. But you will pay for it.”

    Disney said she was motivated to speak out against the bill because of the desire to advocate for the public good, above self-interest.

    “If democracy is just a bunch of people advocating for their own self-interest instead of the interests of the greater good, then we’re not a democracy, we’re anarchy,” Disney said. “We need to start voting and acting as citizens as though the common good matters more than our own personal well-being.”

  • Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”

    Celebrating the 80th Anniversary of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”

    Eighty years ago today, Walt Disney’s first feature-length animated film “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” premiered at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Los Angeles.

    This timeless and groundbreaking masterpiece about love and friendship has enchanted generation after generation. Snow White’s journey and ultimate triumph against her evil stepmother The Queen continues to capture our imagination and charm us with its loveable characters, breathtaking animation and delightful soundtrack.

    The film features the voices of Adriana Caselotti (as Snow White) and Harry Stockwell (as the Prince). Workers at the studio present Walt with a backyard playhouse for his two daughters, a child size copy of the dwarfs’ cottage from the film.

    In attendance at the opening of the first American feature-length animated film are such stars as Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, Judy Garland, Carole Lombard, John Barrymore, Marlene Dietrich, and future Disney Legend Fred McMurray. Also attending the premiere is Adriana Caselotti, Snow White director David Hand, and a teenager named Marjorie Belcher (later known as Marge Champion) – the animator’s live-action model for Snow White! (The Carthay will later be razed and replaced by an office building.

  • The Best Bites at Disney Parks for December 2017

    The Best Bites at Disney Parks for December 2017

    If you are heading to Walt Disney World this month there are some amazing Disney Food options you have to check out. Here are some of the Best Bites recommended by Disney Parks Blog.

    First off Disney’s Animal Kingdom has as prix fix menu at Tiffins, offered during lunch. The meal comes with a trio of appetizers with black-eyed pea fritters, heirloom tomatoes and marinated grilled octopus. The entrée selections include a vegetable noodle bowl, swordfish, braised wagyu beef pozole or grilled chicken. You can then end your meal with a delicious dessert trio consisting of chocolate ganache, lime cheesecake and guava mousse! Stop by Tiffins on Discovery Island to try out this amazing new menu.

    Tiffins on Discovery Island

    Right next door to Tiffins is Pandora – The World of Avatar, when you can now find some breakfast options at Pongu Pongu. The new offerings include a chocolate-stuffed brioche, colorful coffee cake, the popular pineapple Lumpia, and a Wolf Paw, which is a cinnamon bun topped with almonds!

    Creature Comforts now offers two all-new sandwiches. The first is a roast beef sandwich with rosemary mayonnaise, Comté cheese, lettuce and tomato on a ciabatta bread. The second is a delicious chicken salad sandwich with apples, dried cherries, lettuce and tomato on a split croissant.

    British Butty Rose & Crown Pub

    Over at Epcot, the Rose & Crown Pub in the United Kingdom Pavilion now offers British Butty. This unique offering from across the pond consists of your choice of chips (fries), bacon or banger (sausage) served on a brioche roll with crisps and house-made pickled onions.

    Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen

    Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen in Magic Kingdom Park has recently added a few new items to the menu. The first dish is a favorite of our friend Pamela Perkins, the President of the Adventurers Club. The Perkins Thai Noodles consist of chicken, tofu, seasonal vegetables and rice noodles tossed in a spicy soy-chili-garlic sauce.

    Steak Salad

    You’ll be betting it all on the next dish, the “A Lot At Steak” Salad! This leafy dish comes with grilled steak, romaine lettuce, Spring mix, pickled jalapeños, red onion, queso fresco and pumpkin seeds tossed in a chimichurri vinaigrette. The last dish is the Baa Baa Berber Lamb Chops. These berbere-spiced lambchops come with roasted carrot purée and arugula-cauliflower salad tossed in a citrus vinaigrette.

    Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe

    In Frontierland, Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe now offers a taco trio. Choose from seasoned ground beef, seasoned chicken, spicy beef or the new spicy cauliflower! This new lightly-breaded cauliflower comes with pineapple salsa and a five-spice yogurt. All these tacos are served in flour tortillas and include a trip to the toppings bar.

    Casey's Corner

    For the holiday season, Magic Kingdom Park has also added a few special offerings, like December’s Hot Dog of the Month at Casey’s Corner – the Hot Diggity Holiday Hot Dog with cranberry cole slaw and pulled pork. Columbia Harbour House now offers a holiday salad with turkey, bacon bits, cheese, cranberries, onions, tomatoes and a cranberry vinaigrette as well as Fa La La Fondant Fries – fries topped with cinnamon sugar and red and green fondant. At Pinocchio Village Haus you’ll find a holiday flatbread with roasted turkey, cheese, stuffing, cranberry BBQ sauce and gravy. And lastly, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café now has a Bahumburger with angus beef, cornbread stuffing and a special Scrooge Sauce cranberry aioli.

    Trattoria Al Forno

    Trattoria Al Forno at Disney’s BoardWalk has extended the hours of its popular Bon Voyage Adventure Breakfast. Starting December 17th, this experience will be from 7:30am-12:00 p.m. daily. Reservations for these extended hours are available now. Meet Ariel with Prince Eric and Rapunzel with Flynn Rider while you dine on a variety of breakfast entrées like the Tower of Pancakes or Tangled Eggs!

  • ‘Nutcracker and the Four Realms’ Trailer Teases Mysterious, Magical World

    ‘Nutcracker and the Four Realms’ Trailer Teases Mysterious, Magical World

    Disney released the first teaser trailer for The Nutcracker and the Four Realms Tuesday morning. The studio’s live-action retelling of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s 1816 story The Nutcracker And The Mouse King is directed by Lasse Hallström.

    Take a look at the trailer below.  The movie stars Mackenzie Foy as Clara. All she wants is a one-of-a-kind key that will unlock a box, which holds a priceless gift from her late mother. Her godfather, Drosselmeyer (Morgan Freeman), presents her with a golden thread at her family’s annual holiday party, leading Clara to the coveted key—which promptly disappears into a mysterious parallel world.

    “It’s Christmas Eve: A time of mystery, expectations,” Drosselmeyer teases. “Who knows what might happen?”

    The Nutcracker and the Four Realms is set to hit theaters Nov. 2, 2018.

  • Bob Iger Officially Extends Contract As Disney CEO Through 2021

    Bob Iger Officially Extends Contract As Disney CEO Through 2021

    So it looks like any potential presidential run for Chairman and Chief Executive Bog Iger in 2020 is now on hold. Thursday Walt Disney Co. announced that his contract with the mouse has been extended through December 2021.

    The move comes on the heels of Disney announcing its $52.4-billion deal to buy much of 21st Century Fox’s media assets. Iger’s contract extension is no surprise and was expected in the hopes of giving the company stability as it integrates Fox’s assets.

    Iger is no stranger to bringing in new assets and integrating them into the Disney family. After taking over in 2005 he led the acquisitions of Pixar, Marvel, and Lucasfilms giving him experience like no one else. He has the most experience and makes the most sense if the deal is to succeed. The deal is valued at more than $50 billion and a smooth transition is exactly what investors want.

    Disney said Iger was staying “at the request of both 21st Century Fox and the Disney board of directors.” The company’s overall stock-market value has soared with Iger at the helm and the consistency should keep the board and investors at ease.

    Under the terms of his new contract Iger would be well compensated for his efforts, he is expected to receive more than $100 million in stocks based on Disney’s current stock market value.

    According to a regulatory filing his base salary will increase 20% at the beginning of 2018 bringing him to $3 million a year. That will rise to $3.5 million once the Fox transaction closes.

    The deal gives Disney even more time to find a suitable successor.  It will take time to get the necessary federal approvals for the acquisition and even time to integrate the assets after that. Disney has some potential internal candidates in consideration, but it seems increasingly likely the company will look for an outside candidate. It is still possible the deal would see James Murdoch as a replacement after the integration is complete and Iger steps down, but Disney has yet to offer him any position in the company.

     

     

     

     

  • Star Wars: Galactic Nights Blast Off Tonight

    Star Wars: Galactic Nights Blast Off Tonight

    Star Wars then there is only one part of the galaxy you want to be tonight as Star Wars: Galactic Nights returns at Hollywood Studios.

    Following a sold-out event last April, this gala evening will be filled with out-of-this-world entertainment celebrating the entire Star Wars saga, including special guest appearances by Star Wars celebrities. Favorite film moments, special effects and, of course, the epic Star Wars cinematic score will fill the park all evening long.  So get your tickets online while you still can.

    Among the many thrills in store, guests will be treated to a red-carpet arrival, iconic attractions with little to no wait time, amazing fireworks and projections, and experts sharing details about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, an entirely new land coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2019. Below you can find some of what to expect or check out our complete guide to the event.

    Hyperdrive powers the night with:

    • The Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular fireworks and Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away stage show will both be enhanced with special elements from the entire saga. In between, a DJ will keep things spinning at Center Stage for a Star Wars dance party.
    • The Epic Theater plays host to a special, celebrity-led panel discussion about Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Experts from Walt Disney Imagineering and Lucasfilm will share some of the excitement coming to the 14-acre Star Wars-inspired expansion opening in 2019 at Disneyland Park in California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida. Panelists will be joined by Warwick Davis, beloved by Star Wars fans since appearing as Wicket the Ewok in “Return of the Jedi” among many Lucasfilm roles. Actor David Collins will host the special insider’s look.
    • Park-wide, guests will step into immersive and iconic scenes from their favorite Star Wars films in a series of incredibly detailed photo locations, including a new backdrop inspired by Star Wars Rebels.
    • Star Wars: Galactic Nights features encounters with 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 stunning projection effects on park icons such as the Chinese Theatre and the Hollywood Tower, whose façade will transform to showcase stunning locations from across the galaxy. At Star Wars Launch Bay, the theme park’s home base for Star Wars fandom, guests will meet denizens from the light and dark side of The Force.
    • Darth Vader and a battalion of Imperial Stormtroopers will march menacingly down Hollywood Boulevard.
    • Star Wars-themed food and beverage and merchandise will be available.
    • Select park attractions will be open to all guests. At embarkation points to Star Tours – The Adventures Continues, guests may come face-to-face with Stormtroopers on the lookout for a Rebel spy.
    • Guests are encouraged to come dressed in their finest Star Wars costumes, however, masks may not be worn by Guests 14 years of age or older. Arriving park guests will walk a red carpet that runs the length of Hollywood Boulevard. The street itself will be dressed in all the trappings of a Tinseltown premiere.
  • Hot New Rose Gold Shirts Are The Next Disney Parks Must Have

    Hot New Rose Gold Shirts Are The Next Disney Parks Must Have

    Disney has rose gold fever and with the success of the Rose Minnie Mouse Gold Ears it’s no wonder. Disney fans got a first look at the Rose Gold Shirts this week, which will retail at Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts very soon.

    On Instagram last week, Disney uploaded a sneak peek of the jersey-style tops, and they are totes adorbs. The first look video below shows a comfy, long-sleeved tee in Millennial Pink fabric sprinkled with rose-gold glitter.

    Disneyland Resorts or Walt Disney World Resorts on the back are spelled out in glittery words, while a cute “D” or Walt Disney World logo lends a touch of Disney Magic to the front. According to the video, which shows off a couple different ways to style the jerseys—it looks just as great tied around your waist, by the way—the shirts will be available at select stores some time in December.

  • 7 of the 10 Worldwide Highest-Grossing Films Now Owned By Disney

    7 of the 10 Worldwide Highest-Grossing Films Now Owned By Disney

    Disney is no stranger to churning out blockbuster hits and they already have several films ranked in the top ten worldwide highest grossing films of all time.  But now after buying 20th Century Fox, Disney owns seven of the top ten films now!

    Disney has been cracking the top 10 worldwide box office list for quite a while now, but even with Star Wars: the Force Awakens they couldn’t quite pass Titanic or Avatar to get that coveted number one spot.  So perhaps an added bonus of the recent purchase of Fox is that the number one and number two highest grossing films of all time come with it. If you can’t beat ’em…  Buy ’em…

    Disney is sure to have a few more films joining the list soon with Star Wars: The Last Jedi opening Thursday evening and Avengers: Infinity War opening in May, although it’s likely if they do make the list they will just be knocking out other Disney films which currently hold those spots.  Below you can take a look at the Top Ten Worldwide Highest Grossing films.

    1 Avatar $2,787,965,087 2009 (20th Century Fox – Now Disney)
    A paraplegic marine dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission becomes torn between following his orders and protecting the world he feels is his home.
    Director: James Cameron
    Writer: James Cameron 

    2 Titanic film currently playing $2,187,425,379 1997 (20th Century Fox – Now Disney)
    A seventeen-year-old aristocrat falls in love with a kind but poor artist aboard the luxurious, ill-fated R.M.S. Titanic.
    Director: James Cameron
    Writer: James Cameron

    3 Star Wars: The Force Awakens $2,068,223,624 2015 (Disney)
    Three decades after the Empire’s defeat, a new threat arises in the militant First Order. Stormtrooper defector Finn and spare parts scavenger Rey are caught up in the Resistance’s search for the missing Luke Skywalker.
    Director: J.J. Abrams
    Writers: Lawrence Kasdan, J.J. Abrams

    4 Jurassic World $1,671,713,208 2015 (Universal)
    A new theme park, built on the original site of Jurassic Park, creates a genetically modified hybrid dinosaur, which escapes containment and goes on a killing spree.
    Director: Colin Trevorrow
    Writers: Rick Jaffa, Amanda Silver

    5 The Avengers $1,518,812,988 2012 (Disney)
    Earth’s mightiest heroes must come together and learn to fight as a team if they are going to stop the mischievous Loki and his alien army from enslaving humanity.
    Director: Joss Whedon
    Writers: Joss Whedon (screenplay), Zak Penn

    6 Furious 7 $1,516,045,911 2015 (Universal)
    Deckard Shaw seeks revenge against Dominic Toretto and his family for his comatose brother.
    Director: James Wan
    Writers: Chris Morgan, Gary Scott Thompson

    7 Avengers: Age of Ultron $1,405,403,694 2015 (Disney)
    When Tony Stark and Bruce Banner try to jump-start a dormant peacekeeping program called Ultron, things go horribly wrong and it’s up to Earth’s mightiest heroes to stop the villainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plan.
    Director: Joss Whedon
    Writers: Joss Whedon, Stan Lee

    8 Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 $1,341,511,219 2011 (Warner Bros.)
    Harry, Ron, and Hermione search for Voldemort’s remaining Horcruxes in their effort to destroy the Dark Lord as the final battle rages on at Hogwarts.
    Director: David Yates
    Writers: Steve Kloves (screenplay), J.K. Rowling (novel)

    9 Frozen $1,290,000,000 2013 (Disney)
    When the newly crowned Queen Elsa accidentally uses her power to turn things into ice to curse her home in infinite winter, her sister, Anna, teams up with a mountain man, his playful reindeer, and a snowman to change the weather condition.
    Directors: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
    Writers: Jennifer Lee, Hans Christian Andersen

    10 Beauty and the Beast $1,263,521,126 2017 (Disney)
    An adaptation of the fairy tale about a monstrous-looking prince and a young woman who fall in love.
    Director: Bill Condon
    Writers: Stephen Chbosky, Evan Spiliotopoulos

    With more Star Wars and Marvel Films to come they are sure to keep a hold on the top ten for quite a while, and now with control of the Avatar sequels and the rest of the vast 20th Century Fox library they are sure to continue their box office dominance.