Disney – Page 3

Disney Springs Town Center is Now Open

Original article by Darcy Clark

It’s a day over three years in the making — Town Center, the newest neighborhood at Disney Springs, is officially open!

At 10 a.m. Sunday, guests and Cast Members were invited to experience this brand-new, retail-focused area. With Spanish revival architecture, gorgeous landscaping and several new fountains and water features, this addition just may be the most beautiful at Disney Springs.

Town Center is Now Open at Disney Springs

The Lime Garage, adjacent to World of Disney and Town Center, also opened earlier today. The addition of nearly 2,000 parking spaces will give guests even more options, making the arrival experience easier and more efficient. (And just like the Orange Garage, this second structure will use the same smart technology to let guests know where available spots are and will, of course, continue to be complimentary!)

Town Center is Now Open at Disney Springs

Look for the new Disney Springs marquees to signify that you’re arrived. They anchor the property on both ends, and are a clear sign that you’ve made it to Disney Springs — Your Place to Be!

Town Center is Now Open at Disney Springs

NEW: Toy Story Land Update

original article by: Thomas Smith, 4/20/16

In Toy Story Land, you’ll find yourself shrunk to the size of a toy to explore the world of Andy’s backyard with your favorite Toy Story characters, including Woody and Buzz. There are two new themed attractions being developed for Toy Story Land.

The first – Slinky Dog Dash – will be a family coaster attraction you’ll want to ride again and again. The attraction features a coaster track that Andy has built all over his backyard using his Mega Coaster Play Kit, but as you know, he has a pretty amazing imagination, so he’s combined it with some of his other toys, according to Imagineer Kathy Mangum. On Slinky Dog Dash, you will zip, dodge and dash around many turns and drops that Andy has created to really make Slinky and his coils stretch to his limits.

The second all-new attraction in Toy Story Land will be Alien Swirling Saucers. This attraction is designed as a toy play set that Andy got from Pizza Planet, inspired by the first Toy Story film. Aliens are flying around in their toy flying saucers and trying to capture your rocket toy vehicle with “The Claw.”

Alien Swirling Saucers in Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios

As you rotate around the toy planets and satellites as part of the game, you’ll swirl to the beat of fun “Space Jazz” music developed just for this experience, Mangum said. The music, the lighting, and the sound effects will add to the flurry of your adventure while “The Claw” looms ominously over you.

Mangum also shared an update that beginning Memorial Day weekend, even more guests will be able to experience Toy Story Mania with the addition of a third track.

New ‘Disney After Hours’ Provides Loads of Nighttime Fun at Walt Disney World Resort

Original article by Charles Stovall, March 23, 2016

Certainly the Magic Kingdom is fun during the day time, but at night, there is a special kind of “magic” – pun intended – that happens, with everything lit up. From the colorful spires of Cinderella Castle to the twinkling lights of Storybook Circus in Fantasyland, the park comes alive in a very unique way.

Starting March 23rd, guests will have the opportunity to experience more of that nocturnal splendor and enjoy more time in the park with “Disney After Hours,” a special, ticketed event at Magic Kingdom taking place on select nights throughout April and May.

This event will enable participants to enjoy more exclusive time in Magic Kingdom – with quicker than typical access to popular attractions like Space Mountain and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and character greetings like the ones in Town Square and Princess Fairytale Hall. Ice cream novelties and bottled beverages also will be available for guests during the three hours of the event. [NOTE: Disney Resort Guests will continue to be able to enjoy Extra Magic Hours, while this new event takes place on different dates and is another option for enjoying Magic Kingdom.]

“Disney After Hours” is a three-hour event that will take place once the park closes on the following dates:

April 14, 21 and 28
May 5, 8, 12 and 19

A separate event ticket is required for “Disney After Hours.” Guests can check in starting at 7 p.m. each night, with the event hours from 11 p.m. – 2 a.m. Pricing is $149 plus tax for both adults and children (ages 3-9).

Spielberg and Ford Reunite as Indiana Jones Returns to Theaters July 19, 2019

Indiana Jones 5 Movie Harrison Ford

Disney has just announced that Harrison Ford will be reprising his iconic role as Indiana Jones in the fifth installment in the series with Steven Spielberg returning to the director’s chair. Indiana Jones will return to the big screen on July 19, 2019, for a fifth epic adventure in the blockbuster series. Steven Spielberg, who directed all four previous films, will helm the as-yet-untitled project with star Harrison Ford reprising his iconic role. Franchise veterans Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will produce.

Ford is currently in famed franchise reboot mode with three of moviedom’s most iconic characters. He returned as Han Solo in Star Wars: The Force Awakens and also has the Blade Runner sequel which has a January 2018 release date.

Famed archaeologist and explorer Indiana Jones was introduced in 1981’s Raiders of the Lost Ark ($284.2M domestic, $390M global) – one of AFI’s 100 Greatest American Films of All Time – and spawned sequels Indiana Jones And The Temple Of Doom ($179.9M, $333M global), 1989’s Indiana Jones And The Last Crusade($197.2M domestic, $474.2M global), and 2008’s Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull. Together, the four titles grossed nearly $2 billion at the global box office.

“Indiana Jones is one of the greatest heroes in cinematic history, and we can’t wait to bring him back to the screen in 2019,” said Alan Horn, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios. “It’s rare to have such a perfect combination of director, producers, actor and role, and we couldn’t be more excited to embark on this adventure with Harrison and Steven.”

Disney Springs Announces New Dining, Shopping and Entertainment Experiences!

Article by Thomas Smith

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If you’ve been reading our updates on the growth of Disney Springs, then you know about the many new dining, shopping and entertainment experiences in this corner of the Walt Disney World Resort. Today, we’re thrilled to let you know that 30 more high-profile tenants will be setting up shop at Disney Springs just in time for this summer, including Anthropologie, LACOSTE, Under Armour, kate spade new york, Sephora and Lucky Brand, among others.

Here’s the newly announced list of the new shops and dining venues that’ll be opening in phases at Disney Springs beginning May 15, 2016:

Anthropologie
kate spade new york
LACOSTE
Under Armour
M·A·C Cosmetics
Vince Camuto
Vera Bradley
Lucky Brand
Oakley
Coca-Cola Store
TROPHY ROOM
ALEX AND ANI®
Na Hoku – Hawaii’s Finest Jewelers Since 1924
Shore
American Threads
Volcom

Kipling
francesca’s
Melissa Shoes
UNOde50
Johnston & Murphy
Everything But Water
Free People
JOHNNY WAS
Columbia
Sperry
Luxury of Time by Diamonds
International
Sephora
D-Luxe Burger
Amorette’s Patisserie
Tablas Frontera
Homecoming – Florida Kitchen and Shine Bar

Disney Springs, which was inspired by Florida’s waterfront towns and natural beauty, is nearing completion on its largest expansion in history. It is exciting to see the area emerge as a new waterfront district with world-class shopping, unique dining and high-quality entertainment. Disney Springs has four distinct neighborhoods to explore: The Landing, Marketplace, West Side and Town Center and will eventually have more than 150 retail, dining and entertainment offerings.

New Details Announced for Star Wars-Themed Lands for Disney Parks

Article by Thomas Smith, February 22, 2016

During the “Wonderful World of Disney: Disneyland 60” special that aired last night on ABC-TV, we shared some exciting details about the Star Wars-themed lands planned for Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts.

New Details Announced for Star Wars-Themed Lands for Disney Parks

Walt Disney Imagineering has joined forces with the imagination of Lucasfilm to bring this galaxy to life, and the illustrations shared during the TV special show the epic scale of these new lands.

New Details Announced for Star Wars-Themed Lands for Disney Parks

Guests will be able to step aboard The Millennium Falcon and actually pilot the fastest ship in the galaxy, steering the vessel through space, firing the laser cannons, in complete control of the experience.

New Details Announced for Star Wars-Themed Lands for Disney Parks

And with the arrival of the First Order to the planet, visitors will find themselves in the middle of a tense battle between stormtroopers and Resistance fighters. At 14 acres each, these richly detailed lands promise to immerse you in the Star Wars galaxy as never before, allowing you to create your own adventure.

New Details Unveiled on Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s ‘Rivers of Light’

article posted on November 20th, 2015 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker

When our new nighttime experience “Rivers of Light” opens at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, it’ll be one of the most memorable and emotionally stirring shows in the park’s history. And today we’re sharing a sneak peek at some of the amazing sights the show will offer when it debuts in spring 2016.

The show will take place on Discovery River between Discovery Island and Expedition Everest – take a close look and you can you see the Tree of Life in the background. In “Rivers of Light,” a pair of mystical hosts come to the river bearing gifts of light. During the show, the hosts set out from the shore on elaborate lantern vessels for a dramatic dance of water and light to summon animal spirits. With the storytellers as your guides, the wonders of “Rivers of Light” builds to a stunning crescendo.

In addition to the show, you’ll also notice the park’s iconic Tree of Life will undergo an amazing awakening as the animal spirits of the tree are brought to “light” by magical fireflies, revealing moments of wonder and enchantment.

To create “Rivers of Light,” Imagineers and Creative Entertainment partnered with the talents of master puppet designer Michael Curry, composer Mark Mancina and the filmmakers at Disneynature. According to Imagineer Joe Rohde, the addition of “Rivers of Light” to the park’s offerings will serve as that huge “wow” moment that ends a guest’s visit to the park.

2015 Disney Accelerator Demo Day Showcases 10 Promising Start-Ups

October 7, 2015

By Disney Post Staff, The Walt Disney Company

The Disney Accelerator program, poweredbyTechstars, is designed to accelerate the growth of start-up companies from around the world. Today the 10 companies selected to participate in the 2015 Disney Accelerator program presented their businesses to the investment and entrepreneurial communities, industry leaders and Disney executives in a Demo Day event held at The Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California.Participants in the three-month Disney Accelerator program received up to $120,000 in investment capital to develop their ideas and they were mentored by top Disney executives who included Chairman and CEO Robert A.Iger and leaders from Marvel,Lucasfilm, ABC, ESPN and Walt DisneyImagineering, along with Techstars’ extensive network of entrepreneurs, investors and executives.Here are the 10 promising start-ups that presented their businesses today:

Decisive analyzes and predicts how audiences will respond to images and video on social media platforms.
EMOTIV creates technology to enable everyone to build a relationship with their brain. EMOTIV Insight, which is available now, is a wearable for your brain that monitors emotions, improves mental performance and controls both virtual and physical objects with thoughts.
FEM Inc. engages diverse audiences with Prizma, a platform that powers personalized video experiences using principles of neuroscience.
HYP3R makes it easy for businesses to engage influential customers at specific locations on a personal level, in real-time.
imperson is pioneering conversational media, driven by artificial intelligence, so fans can message their favorite movie and TV characters. imperson announced today that it is working with the team at Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media Labs to create a new messaging experience for The Muppets featuring Miss Piggy coming later this fall.
Littlstar is a Virtual Reality and 360 video consumer destination and developer platform, where audiences can discover and share premium immersive content. Littlstar is live on iPhone, Android, Web and the Gear VR, with more devices coming.
MakieLab lets kids bring toys to life by building their own customizable 3D-printed toys through creative games and apps. MakieLab will be introducing Disney-, Disney•Pixar- and Marvel-branded accessories for Makie dolls, as well as helping kids create their own versions of a Star Darling—inspired by Disney’s brand-new franchise for girls—in Fall 2016.
Open Bionics is turning children with limb differences into super heroes, creating low-cost 3D-printed bionic hands for amputees. Today Open Bionics revealed custom bionic hands for kids, and The Walt Disney Company is donating the time of its creative teams and providing royalty-free licenses, which will allow Open Bionics to offer Disney-inspired bionic hands for kids from franchises such as Star Wars, Marvel’s Iron Man and Disney’s Frozen.
Pundit is talk for mobile and social—an easy way to create, share and respond to stories with your voice.
StatMuse is an interactive platform for sports fans to search, share and discover sports, powered by simple natural language. On StatMuse, every search result is a piece of content and every sports fan becomes a content creator.

All of the companies that were part of the 2014 Disney Accelerator have raised capital, been acquired or become profitable—and many of the participating companies have launched products and programs in conjunction with The Walt Disney Company, including Sphero’s hugely successful BB-8 droid toy that was released on Force Friday.

“Disney Accelerator has allowed us to work with some of the world’s most innovative start-ups who are developing products, experiences, and technologies that will help shape the future of entertainment,” Kevin Mayer, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of The Walt Disney Company, said. “Their entrepreneurial spirit, combined with Disney’s experience, make for a powerful combination—and we are excited to partner with many of them as they continue their journeys.”

To learn more about the Disney Accelerator program, please visit DisneyAccelerator.com.

– See more at: https://thewaltdisneycompany.com/blog#sthash.bUEGUNE7.dpuf

Proud to Work at the Walt Disney Company

This past March, I celebrated 25 years of being employed by The Walt Disney Company. Little did I know when I joined the company on March 29, 1990 that I’d be here this long or enjoy the company this much. Disney has a wonderful way of making employees (or Cast Members) feel special. Longevity is rewarded with service pins, congratulatory letters, service statues and even an end of year service celebration. Part of my March recognition even included a visit from WDW Ambassador Nathaniel Palma!

I think the best part about working for the Walt Disney World Company is knowing that I’m part of something bigger than a job. I’m working to make a difference in people’s lives. Each and every day, thousands upon thousands of people are delighted and entertained at Walt Disney World and I’m so glad that I have played a tiny role in that for over 25 years.

Disney Cruise Line Wins with USA Today Readers

Disney Cruise Line wins with USA Today readers
Date: 05/06/2015

It’s no secret that Walt Disney Parks and Resorts destinations cater to kids and kids at heart. And when it comes to Disney Cruise Line, the special touches like rotational dining, roomy staterooms, family friendly entertainment and half a deck dedicated to youth activities on each ship – among countless other features – make sailing with Disney a memorable and hassle-free experience for all.

Readers of USA Today agree, having recently voted all four Disney Cruise Line ships – the Disney Dream, Disney Fantasy, Disney Wonder and Disney Magic – among its top 10 “Best Cruise Ships for Families,” as part of its10Best Readers’ Choice awards.

The Disney Dream took home first place honors in the category, and Disney ships snagged three of the top five spots on the list. The balloting was conducted among 20 ships selected by both USA Today editors and cruise industry experts, with USA Today readers selecting their favorites over four weeks of voting.

The exciting news comes on the heels of Disney Cruise Line announcing new experiences awaiting Guests aboard the Disney Dream after the ship undergoes dry dock enhancements this fall, including new interactive youth areas themed to “Star Wars” and “Disney Infinity,” plus the popular Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique and a whimsical new sweet shop.