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Latest News

All Disney Parks Close in Wake of CoronaVirus Concerns

12 March 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

In an unprecedented move, ALL Disney Parks will be closing as of Sunday, with Disney Cruise Line suspending departures as of Saturday. This has not happened since the attacks of 9|11, but we knew this announcement had to be coming soon, the risks were just too great to remain open and provide a breeding ground for this spreading virus. Without being able to control guests arriving from other areas and other risk factors, it would be irresponsible to stay open for business. This is of course a difficult bit a news to bear, as so many folks from all over the world plan months and years in advance to make a yearly, or even once-in-a-lifetime visits to this resort.

Disney Parks Corona Virus

If you currently have plans and a booked hotel vacation to any of these parks or destinations, we’d advise contacting your travel agent or whomever you booked with. Wait times will be long, and patience is a must in situations like this. The cast members or employees answering these calls can only do so much, and only have as much information as they are given. We hope Disney releases more information as to plans, and future solutions to these unplanned closures. We will update this post as we hear more official news.

Disneyland Corona Virus

Until then, here is an article from Variety.com, detailing the current closures as of the posting time of this article:

Disney is temporarily shuttering Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Paris, beginning this Sunday and lasting through the end of the month, due to the coronavirus pandemic. It follows the news that Disneyland California and Universal Studios Hollywood are temporarily closing starting March 14 as well.

The announcement means all Disney parks worldwide will be closed by next week.

The Disney Cruise Line is also suspending all new departures beginning Saturday through the end of March. The Walt Disney Company will pay its cast members during that closure period.

The hotels at Disney World and Disneyland Paris will remain open until further notice, as will the retail and dining complexes, Disney Springs at Walt Disney World and Disney Village at Disneyland Paris.

Universal Studios Hollywood expects to reopen on March 28, while Disneyland foresees opening its doors again at the end of the month.

“The health and safety of our team members and guests is always our top priority,” said a Universal Studios spokesperson. “Out of an abundance of caution and in response to the guidance provided by the California Department of Public Health, Universal Studios Hollywood will temporarily close beginning Saturday, March 14. The theme park anticipates reopening on March 28 as we continue to monitor the situation. We will provide timely updates as conditions evolve.”

Disneyland Resort hotels will remain open until March 16 so guests can make necessary travel accommodations. Universal CityWalk remains open, as does Walt Disney World in Orlando, Fla.

It’s only the fourth time in history that Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., has fully suspended operations. The other instances were the Sept. 11 attacks, the morning after John F. Kennedy’s assassination and the Northridge earthquake.

“While there have been no reported cases of COVID-19 at Disneyland Resort, after carefully reviewing the guidelines of the Governor of California’s executive order and in the best interest of our guests and employees, we are proceeding with the closure of Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure, beginning the morning of March 14 through the end of the month,” Disney said in a statement. “The Hotels of Disneyland Resort will remain open until Monday, March 16 to give guests the ability to make necessary travel arrangements; Downtown Disney will remain open. We will monitor the ongoing situation and follow the advice and guidance of federal and state officials and health agencies. Disney will continue to pay cast members during this time.”

The company added, “Disneyland Resort will work with guests who wish to change or cancel their visits, and will provide refunds to those who have hotel bookings during this closure period.”

Disney was slow to close doors to its theme parks, despite cancellations of major entertainment industry events like South by Southwest and Coachella. The NBA suspended its season Wednesday night after a player tested positive for coronavirus.

But the theme park closure seemed inevitable after California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday called for gatherings with more than 250 people to be canceled or delayed in an effort to halt the transmission of the virus, though Disneyland and other theme parks were exempted from that guidance. Officials have also been encouraging “social distancing” of six feet per person.

Disney closed its parks in Shanghai and Hong Kong in January, and has also temporarily shuttered its parks in Tokyo as well. The Shanghai Disney Resort will reopen some shopping, dining and entertainment options on Monday, but the main theme park will remain shut. Disney reported that it could lose $280 million in revenues due to closures in Shanghai and Hong Kong alone.

Disney heiress Abigail Disney, who has been critical of low wages for theme park employees, wrote Thursday on Twitter, “This is heartbreaking, but it’s the right thing to do. I just hope they honor their obligations to their employees.”

In a newly issued press release on Thursday afternoon, Newsom indicated that more theme park closures would be coming soon.

“Late last night, California put out a new policy on mass gatherings and engaged in deep conversations with Disney and other companies about how to meet it,” he said. “Using that policy, Disney made the right call in the interest of public health and agreed to shut down their California parks. Expect more announcements like this shortly.”

Per the California Dept. of Public Health on Wednesday, the new guidance is as follows through the month of March:

The California Department of Public Health finds the following:
  • Large gatherings that include 250 people or more should be postponed or canceled.
    • This includes gatherings such as concerts, conferences, and professional, college, and school sporting events.
  • Smaller gatherings held in venues that do not allow social distancing of six feet per person should be postponed or canceled.
    • This includes gatherings in crowded auditoriums, rooms or other venues.
  • Gatherings of individuals who are at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19 should be limited to no more than 10 people.
    • This includes gatherings such as those at retirement facilities, assisted living facilities, developmental homes, and support groups for people with health conditions.
  • A “gathering” is any event or convening that brings together people in a single room or single space at the same time, such as an auditorium, stadium, arena, large conference room, meeting hall, cafeteria, or any other indoor or outdoor space.
This applies to all non-essential professional, social, and community gatherings regardless of their sponsor.

Knott’s Berry Farm closed early Thursday due to inclement weather but otherwise remains open for business. A spokesperson said it is “aware of the new guidance issued by the State of California last night,” and “is open today as we understand and evaluate what this means for our park, our guests and our associates.”

Representatives for Legoland and SeaWorld San Diego, both theme parks located in California, did not respond to request for comment.

Again, we advise contacting your booking provider if you had booked plans to any of these destinations. We will update as we learn more. Stay safe!

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Filed Under: Disney News, Disney Parks, Resorts, & Entertainment, Latest News, Official Disney Tagged With: Disney closing 2020, Disney closure, Disney corona virus, Disney Covid 19, Disney Cruise Line closed 2020, Disney parks, Disney Parks closed, Disney Parks closing, Disney parks closure, Disney parks Coronavirus, Disney World closing, Disney world closure, Disneyland closing, Walt Disney World closing, walt disney world closure, WDW closed, WDW closing, wdw closure

Pym Test Kitchen Menu Must-Haves at Avengers Campus

11 March 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

In addition to our earlier announcement about the Avengers Campus Opening Date, we also have some SUPER news to share about the menu items at Pym Test Kitchen. Some of these dishes are really unique and we hope they turn out as good as they look in these preview photos! Here’s all the scoop, originally posted on Marvel.com

Avengers Campus brings together Earth’s Mightiest Heroes for the common good, and they’re calling all recruits to join the action: Team up with the Avengers and their allies; sling webs with Spider-Man and become part of a bigger universe. Kids and guests of all ages will find their powers as they unite with family and friends to take an active role alongside some of their favorite heroes, with a chance to live out their own heroic story. So at some point, you’re going to want to refuel. Thankfully, you won’t have to go far after your latest mission because Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort includes multiple spots to stop and grab some delicious food, drinks, and even something sweet before it’s time to assemble again.
Pym Test Kitchen

The brand new land, opening on July 18, 2020, features one new quick-service restaurant for you and your family of heroes to taste-test inventive food and drinks, a tasting lab with alcoholic beverages, a shawarma cart

(yes, you read that right), and a new treats stand located by Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission — BREAKOUT!

We recently got to try some of the brand new food and beverage offerings coming to Avengers Campus, and it all looks good enough to eat — and share on social media. So after helping Spider-Man catch those pesky Spider-Bots and in between heroic encounters with the Avengers and their allies, here’s where you need to go to fuel up:

PYM TEST KITCHEN

“Super Heroes don’t normally open restaurants,” Jillian Pagan, Staff Writer, Walt Disney Imagineering explained during an early media day for Avengers Campus. But, that’s exactly what the Pyms have done.

“They would use their technology to help the world, right?” Pagan continued. “So that’s the story of our Pym Test Kitchen. In our story they are using their shrinking and growing technology to create new innovations in food science because, of course, you can feed many more people if you can run, say a normal-sized pretzel through this quantum tunnel machine, hit it with some Pym Particles, and make it grow to a giant size.”

“We’re here at Pym Test Kitchen, where we are shrinking problems and growing solutions,” John State, Culinary Director at the Disneyland Resort, explains. “Just imagine the guests walking through, pulling the handle of that door, walking into a laboratory, becoming part of the experience of Pym Technology.”

It’s one thing to talk about the Quantum tunnel, and it’s another thing to actually see it in action — The Pym Test Kitchen features one that will shrink and grow food right in front of your eyes!

There will be plenty of options for everyone, including plant-based options along with kid-sized items and taste for kids. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll be able to find inside, and mobile order will be available via the Disneyland app.

Experiment No. IP42: Quantum Pretzel

Feast your eyes on a giant pretzel that has been enlarged by the quantum tunnel and comes with a mustard sauce and a beer cheese dipping sauce (featuring California IPA, sharp cheddar, mozzarella, a hint of mustard).

Quantum Pretzel

Experiment No. EE10: PYM-ini

Looking to indulge in a giant panini? You can with the appropriately titled PYM-ini. The full sandwich is two feet long, and 9 inches wide after it comes out of the Quantum tunnel — and while it can be ordered family style, it can also be done in individual slices, too.

PYM-ini

The PYM-ini features toasted focaccia with salami, rosemary ham, provolone, sun-dried tomato mayonnaise and arugula with marinara dipping sauce. There’s also a version for little Avengers, the Teeny Pym-ini, which is ham, provolone cheese, a touch of mayonnaise, and focaccia.

Experiment No. EE746: PB³ Superb Sandwich

The PB³ Superb Sandwich features peanut butter, banana, smoked bacon and strawberry jelly with a banana smoothie shot and vegetable dusted potato bites.

PB³ Superb Sandwich

For kids, there’s a deconstructed version, which includes peanut butter (served in a Petri dish), strawberry jelly, a little paddle to spread it, and two slices of the Pym  bread, fruit and a Dasani water or a Lowfat Milk.

Experiment No. EE90: Not So Little Chicken Sandwich

What happens when you shrink a bun but grow a chicken breast? That’s the Not So Little Chicken Sandwich, with a fried chicken breast topped with teriyaki and red chili sauces, pickled cabbage slaw and crispy vegetable dusted potato bites.

Not So Little Chicken Sandwich
I may be vegan, but this gigantic chicken sandwich with a tiny bun is hysterical…

There’s also a shrunken chicken sandwich, the Subatomic Sandwich for kids. It doesn’t have any sauce on it, leaving kids to customize it their own way at the condiment station.

Experiment No. EE45: Impossible™ Spoonful

For those looking for a plant-based option, the Impossible Spoonful features large and micro plant-based Impossible™ meat-balls, served in a super-sized spoon with a tiny fork, and two different sizes of pasta. They’ll be an option for kids, too, where the sauce will be on the milder side.

Impossible™ Spoonful

PYM TASTING LAB

Adjacent to the Pym Test Kitchen, an oversized beer can overhead signals that grown-up beverages are available at Pym Tasting Lab. Guests may order a craft beer, ranging from a blood orange hefeweizen to an amber lager. These are poured from a reverse draft system where, thanks to the food scientists, the glass fills from the bottom up. Those thirsting for a beer cocktail will have four to choose from, along with bite-sized snacks.

Pym Tasting Lab Beverages

If you’re looking to try everything on the menu, there will also be beer flights available, along with souvenir Pym beaker cups.

X-Periment, Molecular Meltdown, Honey Buzz and Particle Fizz

X-Periment: Patron Silver Tequila, Lime Juice, Habanero, and Mango Syrup, garnished with Mango flavored Popping Pearls.
Molecular Meltdown: Garage Brewing Marshmallow Milk Stout with Vanilla Ice Cream and topped with Mini Marshmallows.
Honey Buzz: Plymouth Gin, Lemon Juice, Honey Premium Syrup, Elysian Space Dust, IPA and a Honey edible Straw.

PARTICLE FIZZ: Endless Summer, Hard Seltzer with Cherry flavored Pearls.

The Regulator

The RegulatorPatron Silver Tequila, Lime Juice, Habanero, and Mango Syrup, Golden Road Mango Cart Wheat Ale, garnished with Mango flavored Popping Pearls.

Snack Molecules

To complement any beverage selection, guests can also nosh on these Snack Molecules featuring popped sorghum with mini pretzels and honey roasted peanuts.

Snack Molecules

Proton PB&J Punch and Pingo Doce

Pym Test Kitchen Beverages

The kid-friendly Proton PB&J features Odwalla® lemonade with flavors of strawberry and peanut butter, while Pingo Doce, the distinctly green beverage from Avengers lore, is a park-exclusive beverage featuring the flavors of lime, vanilla, and maybe some Gamma radiation.

SHAWARMA PALACE

After the Battle of New York, the Avengers fell in love with shawarma. So, it only makes sense for there to be a shawarma cart at Avengers Campus.

The cart will feature two items. New York’s Tastiest, which is a classic shawarma spiced chicken, with garlic sauce, a warm wrap and a dipping sauce featuring tahini, lemon, garlic, and a pickled vegetable.

There’s also the Impossible™ Victory Falafel. Falafel, Kalamata olives, mint, garlic sauce, hummus, crispy cauliflower, and a tofu dipping sauce. [We’re very excited for this along with the impossible meatball!]

TERRAN TREATS

Taneleer Tivan — also known as The Collector — is always looking for ways to lure more guests towards his towering building of collections. So what are guests constantly searching out? Sweet treats. Located over by Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission — BREAKOUT! here’s what you’ll find Taneleer serving, but everything might not be what it seems.

Sweet Spiral Ration

Why just have a churro when you can have a churro from The Collector? The Sweet Spiral Ration Churros will include unique, rotating flavors (and colors).

Sweet Spiral Ration

Cosmic Cream Orb

For a hand-held snack on the go, try the Cosmic Cream Orb. A crispy cream puff with whipped raspberry cheesecake mousse — and while you see it in a purple hue here, it might not always be that color.

Cosmic Cream Orb

 

We’re beyond excited to see these in person soon and test them out ourselves! The new Avengers Campus sounds like it’ll be quite the immersive area with all of these new additions including the new Web-Slingers: A Spiderman Adventure attraction. What are you most exited to experience at Avengers Campus? Stay tuned here for more news to come!

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Filed Under: Disney Dining, Disney News, Disney Parks, Resorts, & Entertainment, Disneyland Resort, Latest News Tagged With: Avengers Campus, avengers campus food, Avengers Campus menu, California Adventure, DCA, Disney California Adventure, Disney's California Adventure, Impossible Spoonful, Not So Little Chicken, Pym Kitchen, Pym Tasting Lab, Pym Test Kitchen, Schawarma Palace, Terran Treats

Disney California Adventure Spider-Man Ride DETAILS ANNOUNCED

11 March 2020 by Christian Ryan Leave a Comment

During a shareholders meeting this morning, Disney CEO Bob Chapek announced new details for the upcoming spider-man themed ride at the Avengers Campus, opening this summer.

Titled ‘Web Slingers: A Spider-Man Adventure,’ the ride will give guests their own web-slinging powers as they team with Spider-Man to take on an army of spider-bots on the loose.

Walt Disney Imagineering creative executive director Brent Strong reveals,

At WEB, young inventors like Peter Parker have been brought together by Tony Stark to help create technologies that allow everyday people like us to have powers just like the Avengers. When we get inside, we find out that they’re not quite as well funded as Stark Enterprises. They’re not quite as militaristic as SHIELD. In fact, they’re not all that organized at all. These are some kids that have some amazing power, right? Vibranium from Wakanda, Pym Particles from Ant-Man. They have arc reactors from Tony Stark. In fact, they probably have a little bit more power than they have responsibility.

In a ride similar to this, Toy Story Midway Mania, guests use a blaster triggered by pulling a cord to hit targets. Superpowers don’t work like this though, and the folks at WDI had to figure out a more natural and immersive way to perform tasks on this new attraction.

What you won’t see is people holding onto a blaster, people holding onto an interface. Believe it or not, with nothing in your hands, you get to reach out and you will sling webs on this ride. In order to do that we invented a brand new interface.

This is the first time we’ve ever shown this outside [of Imagineering]. This is a gesture recognition system that we have built into every slinger vehicle and sixty times a second, we are able to determine where a guest’s head is, their shoulders, their elbows, and even their wrists. We’re able to track the motion of your body so that when you reach out and sling a web, since we know where your eyes are, and we know where your hands are, we can render a virtual web coming right out of the palm of your hand, right out of your virtual web-shooters and into a virtual world.

Strong also said that there are no age or height requirements for the ride, making it more accessible to all families.

This is something where guests of all ages get to live out that epic action, which is wonderful.

The ride will feature Spider-Man himself, as voiced by Tom Holland, who will explain the situation before loading guests into the new ride vehicles, called ‘slinger vehicles.’

Earlier this year, it was also announced that the ride would feature a brand-new, stunt-performing animatronic of the web-slinger himself.

We’re super excited for this brand new experience at Disney California Adventure, so stay tuned for all our future updates on it!

The Avengers Campus opens July 18th, 2020 at Disney California Adventure park.

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Filed Under: Disney Attractions, Disney News, Disney Parks, Resorts, & Entertainment, Disneyland Resort, Latest News Tagged With: Avengers, Avengers Campus, avengers ride, DCA, Disney California Adventure, Marvel, marvel ride, marvel super heroes, spider man, spider man ride, web slingers

MARVEL Avengers Campus OPENING DATE Announced

11 March 2020 by Christian Ryan Leave a Comment

During a shareholders meeting this morning, Disney CEO Bob Chapek has announced that guests will be able to meet some of their favorite adventures beginning July 18th, 2020!

The Avengers Campus is the brand-new Marvel themed area expansion to Disney California Adventure, which replaces the former a bug’s land area. In this new land of the park, guests will be recruited by the Avengers to become the next generation of super heroes.

July 18th is the scheduled date for Phase One of the area’s completion. This includes the brand new Spider-Man experience, which is the first Disney-built ride-through attraction to feature the web-slinger himself. Guests can also enjoy the currently open Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission BREAKOUT! attraction, as a part of the land’s adventures.

Phase Two of the land, which will include the new Avengers-themed E-ticket attraction is still yet to come.

Avengers Campus will also feature the Pym Test Kitchen, an Ant-Man and The Wasp themed dining location specializing in growing and shrinking every-day food with Pym Technology.

Stay tuned here for all the latest updates on the Avengers Campus, and all over Disney parks and resorts.

 

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Filed Under: Disney Attractions, Disney News, Disney Parks, Resorts, & Entertainment, Disneyland Resort, Latest News Tagged With: Avengers, Avengers Campus, avengers ride, DCA, Disney California Adventure, guardians of the galazy, Marvel, marvel super heroes, spider man, spider man ride

Raglan Road’s Mighty St. Patrick’s Festival Returns to Disney Springs

10 March 2020 by Christian Ryan Leave a Comment

A great annual event is returning this week—the Mighty St. Patrick’s Festival at Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant returns to Disney Springs! Break out your green and celebrate for five days of fun March 13-17 with non-stop Irish-infused entertainment from morning until night, a mighty selection of beers and cocktails and of course, the most authentic Irish pub grub around.

The Disney Parks blog has released quite a bit of info on this event:

The regular menu will be available during the event featuring your favorite go-to dishes like the Guinness-infused Bangin’ Bangers and Mighty Mash. Planning to stop by over the weekend? The Rollicking Raglan Weekend Brunch will be served March 14 and 15 from 9 a.m. to 3 pm.

Guests who dine on Monday, March 16 can enjoy a new whiskey pairing dinner from 3-11 p.m. featuring a special prix fixe menu with locally sourced dishes like Whiskey Cured House Smoked Salmon and Apple Baked Dumplings paired with the finest Irish whiskey cocktails.

One of the most thrilling highlights of this annual event is the amazing live entertainment hand-picked straight from Ireland. Here’s a look at this year’s line-up:

  • Strings & Things will bring their contemporary Irish Trad/Folk/Roots crossover talent from Tipperary and Galway to the festival stage. Their unique sound and powerful stage energy promise a raucous evening of music and song.
  • TradGad features three talented musicians from Kerry, Dublin and Galway charming guests with their vibrant performances on guitar, fiddle, mandolin, uilleann pipes, tin whistle, banjo and bouzouki.
  • Maca, an Irish sister duo dubbed “Ireland’s next big thing” will rock the Raglan Road Pub stages with their extraordinary talent.
  • Fia Rua, featuring band members from Ireland and Scotland, will blend their musical backgrounds to perform and wow guests with a unique Celtic sound.
  • Mike Waters, from the southeast of Ireland, will perform Irish songs and ballads from traditional to contemporary with a good measure of chat and humor.
  • Emily Furlong, an extraordinary singer and entertainer from Wexford, Ireland will captivate guests with her stunning voice.
  • No Half Measures, an exciting, fresh and vibrant four-piece band from Scotland, Cork and Kilkenny will spin their youthful, contemporary sound for the Mighty Festival audience.

Of course, don’t miss the popular Raglan Road Irish Dancers plucked from the cast and stages of the world’s greatest Irish dance shows! They’ll be performing intermittently during the festival and ready to teach you an Irish jig – no experience necessary! Kids will also have a blast at this family-friendly party so be sure to bring everyone dressed in their best green garb and enjoy complimentary face painting.

For those planning to celebrate on St. Patrick’s Day, be sure to plan ahead for the fun! On March 17, guests will be seated on a first-come, first-serve basis with a cover charge of $10 for each guest 18 and older. Reservations can be booked online for other festival days, including brunch by calling 407-938-0300.

This release was originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog.

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Filed Under: Disney Dining, Official Disney, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Disney Dining, Disney Springs, Disney Springs events, disney springs food, irish disney, Raglan Road, st patricks day

NEW TRAILER for Disney’s Jungle Cruise!

10 March 2020 by Christian Ryan Leave a Comment

Disney has just released a brand new trailer for the upcoming Jungle Cruise, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, in theaters July 24. Check it out below!

Disney also released a new poster for Jungle Cruise alongside this trailer. We’re certainly.. interested to see this one, so stay tuned here to see our review when the live action Jungle Cruise film comes out this summer.

Jungle Cruise movie poster

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Filed Under: Disney Movie News & Reviews, Official Disney Tagged With: disney jungle cruise, Disney movie, disney ride, disney ride movie, dwayne johnson, Emily Blunt, jungle cruise, jungle cruise movie

The Final Trailer for Marvel Studios’ ‘Black Widow’ is HERE!

10 March 2020 by Christian Ryan Leave a Comment

Marvel Studios’ Black Widow is less than two months away, in theaters on May 1! To get you hyped on the upcoming action-packed spy thriller, Marvel has released this brand new final trailer. Check it out below!

In the trailer, Yelena gives more viewers (and Natasha) insight to the mysterious Taskmaster—he controls the Red Room, the program that churns out young women into the most elite assassins. Yelena states the women are manipulated, fully conscious but no choices. Nat hints that during her time, before the Avengers, she had made mistakes and a few enemies.

Nat expresses regret that she should have come back for Yelena. In order to take down Taskmaster, they must go back to where it all began—bringing the fam back together. With Alexei and Melina, their parental figures, Nat and Yelena have a shot in ensuring Taskmaster could never harm young women again.

We look forward to seeing the movie, so be sure to come back here to check out our review when it comes out this summer.

In addition to the trailer, Black Widow also dropped the latest theatrical poster, below:

This is release was originally posted on Marvel.com

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Filed Under: Disney Movie News & Reviews, Official Disney Tagged With: Avengers, Black Widow, Marvel, Marvel Avengers, Marvel Cinematic Universe, Marvel movie, Marvel Studios, scarlett johansen

NIK WALLENDA to Perform Stunt at LEGOLAND’s Pirate Island Hotel Opening

10 March 2020 by Christian Ryan Leave a Comment

World-renown daredevil Nik Wallenda has announced that he will be ‘walking the plank’ at the grand opening of LEGOLAND Florida Resort’s all-new Pirate Island Hotel. The stunt is scheduled to air live on ABC for all to view!

LEGOLAND Florida Resort writes,

In true pirate-fashion, Wallenda will “walk the plank” from inside the theme park to the new hotel to kick off the resort’s opening festivities on Thursday, April 16. LEGOLAND Florida Resort park and hotel guests are invited to take part in the fun and watch the nail-biting stunt safely from the ground.

This event will be no “walk in the park” for the Wallenda Team as they will construct a high wire longer than 500 feet for the walk. They will also work closely with LEGOLAND master model builders to craft LEGO bricks onto Wallenda’s 28-foot balance pole.

LEGOLAND and Nik Wallenda fans alike can stay tuned to Facebook and Instagram as the park releases additional details on how to watch the stunt unfold live on Thursday, April 16.

NEW! LEGOLAND® Pirate Island Hotel Grand Opening – April 17

Located just 130 kid-steps from the theme park entrance, LEGOLAND Pirate Island Hotel will feature 150 LEGO-filled rooms (including four suites), a heated pool (complete with LEGO soft bricks to build in the pool), hundreds of LEGO models, exclusive character experiences and in-room LEGO treasure hunts. Similar to the popular LEGOLAND Hotel, each room will include two separate spaces: a kid’s sleeping area and an adult area.

The five-story hotel will house the pirate-themed Shipwreck Restaurant with family-style dining, Smuggler’s Bar for adult swashbucklers, an entertainment area with kid-friendly nightly programming and LEGO play areas. Directly outside the entrance to the hotel, a pirate shipwreck will greet guests and offer a unique photo opportunity.

LEGOLAND Florida Resort has also prepared a brief video to tell us more about the event!

[videopress hF5wR6Ny]

The Pirate Island Hotel will officially open to the public on Fri., April 17. Reservations are available at LEGOLAND.com/pirateisland

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Filed Under: Florida Theme Parks & Attractions, Latest News, LEGOLAND Florida, Places to Stay Tagged With: grand opening, LEGOLAND, LEGOLAND Florida, legoland florida resort, legoland pirate, nik wallenda, pirate hotel, pirate island hotel

NEW Amorette’s Patisserie Signature Beverage

10 March 2020 by Christian Ryan Leave a Comment

We’re head over “ears” for the new Amorette’s Patisserie Signature beverage featuring Rosa Regale!

Amorette’s Patisserie is located at the Town Center area of Disney Springs. More info including hours, pricing, and a full menu can be found here.

This post is originally from the Disney Springs instagram account.

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Filed Under: Disney Dining, Official Disney Tagged With: amorettes, amorettes patisserie, Disney Dining, disney food, Disney Springs, disney springs food, town center

Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Rundown Review!

4 March 2020 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway neon marqueeThe newest attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – open today – features the oldest and most beloved characters in Disney history (minus Oswald of course, maybe someday he’ll get an attraction). Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway may feature the original Fab 5 – but in a very new and non-traditional way. As I’m sure you know by now, this new ride is entirely drawn from the Mickey Mouse original cartoon shorts that premiered back in 2013. These cartoon shorts really created a whole new world that Mickey and his pals lived in, and we got to see an entirely different side of Mickey and the gang.

Runaway Railway Backstory

As much as I am for the most part a Disney purist and don’t like to see character integrity challenged, I really love these shorts. I found the fact that Mickey had more “human” qualities of not just being perfect and having nothing go wrong, combined with very non-human effects and cartoon physics, a hilarious combo.

Mickey and Minnie are still in love, Donald and Daisy are still in love (but bickering cause Donald has that temper), Goofy was still a class A goof, and Pluto was a loyal best friend. Those character traits are pushed to extremes in these cartoon shorts, all while highlighting obscure Disney or Disney parks history, or poking fun at themselves in the best possible way. Additionally, many of these shorts feature different countries; their traditions, music, culture, and even language. The shorts are little love-letters to their featured country, and Mickey and the gang speak the native language in these episodes, with no translation. I love this because it shows the power of Mickey as a character, how beloved he is across the world, and how he can fit right in anywhere because of his universal appeal and good intentions.

Panda-monium
Panda-Monium
Mumbai Madness
Mumbai Madness
Gubbles Flushed
Flushed
Potatoland
Potatoland!

Anyway, I’m getting a little off track (no Runaway Railway pun intended) but I really do think these shorts are a triumph in character and art style, and show that Mickey can keep up with the times and be enjoyed by a whole new generation, while appreciating the history of the past. For those that aren’t fans of the animation style, or how different the characters may look at times, I like to just look at these set of shorts as a whole separate entity from the Mickey and friends represented in the parks, movies, and comics. Just as some classic Disney attractions and characters received new treatments in the form of comic books in recent years, this is a whole new separate way to enjoy Mickey and pals.

Back to the Runaway Railway…I think if Walt Disney Imagineering tried to create a new ride based on the Fab 5, it would almost immediately be outdated, or look odd. Honestly, even the talking/blinking Mickey characters in the parks looks a little off to me. Seeing tiny, casual, full-of-life representation of these characters is a great way to ensure this attraction can appeal to everyone, because it is linked to these shorts and not tied to any one Mickey Mouse storyline or timeline.

Thanks to Imagineer Kevin Rafferty and the entire Runaway Railway team, the Mickey Shorts we’ve come to love have come to life before our eyes, and we get to be a part of the action and fun. I think there are a lot of spoilers out there already, and I don’t aim to add to that. So this review really just serves as a discussion for my thoughts after riding multiple times yesterday, and its impact on Disney’s Hollywood Studios overall.

Runaway Railway Rundown

Location

Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is located in the former home of The Great Movie Ride, at the Chinese Theatre. This end of the park has gone through its own ups and downs. Once seen as you first entered the park, welcoming you at the end of Hollywood Blvd., it was then hidden behind a giant hat, providing a merchandise and pin trading location. We finally got rid of the hat, and an even larger, movable stage popped up, for Star Wars performances. This stage is still in use today, but I hope that the new attraction opening will see the end of that stage. There is no shortage of Star Wars content around the park, having it block the iconic Chinese Theatre just seems silly.

Of course its new home meant the end of a classic and much beloved attraction – The Great Movie Ride. I have countless memories of this ride, both of myself as a child, and with my own children. I’ve been lucky enough to attend a few events inside the former attraction, and getting to roam the track and get up close and personal to the amazing details that went into The Great Movie Ride are some of my most treasured memories.

Do I wish Runaway Railway could’ve found a new home elsewhere in the park? Yes. But alas I don’t make the decisions, and it’s here now. I do think that The Great Movie ride was sorely in need of updating and more TLC, and I don’t know that it ever would, in an age of IP drawing in the crowds and being the reasons for vacations being planned. The majority of folks were not flocking to Walt Disney World because of the Great Movie Ride, and right or wrong, Disney decided to change that by taking it out of the equation altogether.

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway neon marquee

Disney’s Hollywood Studios, along with EPCOT, have had an issue with the parks not being able to live up to their original messages, themes, and experiences. Much like EPCOT Center was a place for inspiration, understanding and discovery, Disney’s Hollywood Studios was originally a love note to the past, and a guidebook for the present, in the form of the movie-making industry. That all changed when the Studios were no longer studios at all. The tours were still there, but soon those became stagnant as well, and unable to properly represent the process of making movies. So the focus shifted, to rides vs. experiences. Thrills vs. nostalgia. What we were then left with, in both those parks, was a mishmash of different themes, different messages, different stories. Both parks are now in flux and perhaps in the future will tell a more cohesive story overall.

Runaway Railway Queue

The facade of the Chinese Theatre is for the most part unchanged with this new attraction. Yes, there is a new sign out front, reminiscent of old Hollywood neon, with nods to the former marquee within the Great Movie Ride load area. The taller palm trees that flanked the main entrance have been replaced by shorter trees, presumably to keep from blocking the sign, while still keeping some foliage in the plaza.

The queue itself is pretty similar in the first portion, looking to the original Chinese Theatre for its decor. However, once you make the turn into the former pre-show area for The Great Movie Ride, where you’d see the “coming attractions” on the big screen, you’ll notice a big change. The room is now only perhaps a quarter of that size, and is walled off. That is the very end of the queue, and there are I think 3 pre-show rooms that you will be ushered into for the first portion of the ride. It’s a very small room because it’s basically just the amount of guests that will fit on one train, which is much less than the old people-eating GMR moving theaters.

The queue itself does not seem very big, but while it’s hard not to compare it to The Great Movie Ride, it really shouldn’t be done as it’s a completely different experience from pre-show to load to ride to exit. It’s no longer a slow-moving queue where you would sometimes see the coming attraction movies multiple times in that room. And it’s no longer loading two huge cars full of guests at a time, but then keeping them in there for 18 minutes or so.

Pre-show

I won’t get into spoilers here, since it literally just opened today, and the spoiler potential starts right with the pre-show. As someone who had the pre-show spoiled for me, I wish I hadn’t and don’t want to do that to anyone else. It was still fun, but why not preserve the magic whenever possible? Anyway, as mentioned above this is a smaller room and there are I believe 2 of them, but in the madness of the media event, I may be getting that wrong.

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway preshow

The premise here is that you are arriving at the theatre to see Mickey and Minnie’s newest short, Perfect Picnic. Then in classic Disney fashion, something goes very wrong. But it’s all good, Goofy’s in charge!

Ride Rooms

There have been quite a few video clips and images released by Disney at this point, and we’ve included some in our Runaway Railway Review video. More than what’s shown there, I don’t want to reveal. I wouldn’t do it justice by describing it, or showing it on video. It is best experienced in person, and as difficult as it may be to do for a while, experiencing it multiple times to really take it all in.

 

 

The main experience here is that you are IN a Mickey Mouse short, and enjoying a trip from Runnamuck Railway Station to the park to meet up with Mickey and Minnie. And that does happen, eventually. Along the way you’ll see stunning visuals, albeit in the style of the Mickey shorts mentioned above. There are some character animatronics, which are also in that style. As a result, they may look a little odd from certain angles. It’s best to try different train cars when you can to see things from different angles. And even if you don’t, you may find that you end up in a different car than you started in.

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway ride photo
Engineer Goofy says hello to Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway

There are 8 rows of seats, 2 rows in 4 cars, plus Goofy driving the train. Each seat is a good view, but the perspectives will be different if you are further up or further back.

Characters on the Ride

    • Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse – These true originals are ready to take their little red convertible for a leisurely drive through Runnamuck Park in search of the perfect picnic spot. What could possibly go wrong?
    • Pluto – The dutiful dog just wants to bring Mickey and Minnie their lost picnic basket.
    • Engineer Goofy – Mickey and Minnie’s lanky pal invites guests into the cartoon world for what surely promises to be an uneventful train ride through Runnamuck Park.
    • Daisy Duck – The proprietor of Daisy’s Dance Studio is ready to teach guests some fancy new moves.
    • Donald Duck – Everyone’s favorite hot-headed “problem child” is steaming again, as someone made off with the sign from his hot dog stand at the carnival.
    • Jackhammer Pete – The big brute’s vibrations may have some unforeseen consequences for Mickey and Minnie.
    • Chuuby (pronounced “choo-bee”) – This adorable little bird – created exclusively for the attraction – likes to sing and dance in Runnamuck Park.

Runaway Railway Music

If you are a fan of the cartoon shorts, then you’ll know that the music is very catchy and gets stuck in your head. Many episodes have their own original songs, which are brilliantly memorable. Even just the tune of the theme song and end credits get stuck in my head all the time. Runaway Railway is no exception. There is a new song composed just for the ride, and I think Disney knew it was going to be so catchy that they put the lyrics on multiple merchandise items. So get ready for “Nothing Can Stop Us Now…” to be rolling around your brain as you ride other attractions throughout the day! (You can hear the composer Chris Willis speak about the process in our video above!)

Runaway Railway Merchandise

We’ll have another post up soon highlighting all the exclusive ride-themed merchandise for Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway. For now you can see the Runaway Railway merchandise in our video or on our instagram and facebook too.

Speaking of instagram and facebook, we are giving away an exclusive MagicBand that we received for the Runaway Railway media event on our instagram and facebook page. The MagicBand has not been linked to any account so it’ll be good to go for whoever wins! Head to our zannaland instagram or zannaland facebook page to enter to win!

Runaway Railway MagicBand
Runaway Railway MagicBand

We  hope this review and rundown give you some backstory and helps with your planning to experience Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

Runaway Railway Tips:

  • We’d definitely advise getting FastPasses if you can. These can be reserved up to 180 days in advance if you are staying on property. For locals, we only have 30 days in advance, but it’s better than nothing!
  • If you can’t get a FastPass, get to Disney’s Hollywood Studios super early. Then head straight to Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway first and you shouldn’t have too long for standby.
  • We’d advise riding in the first two cars the first time you ride, if you can request it. We preferred the second or third row of all the rows we tried.
  • Be on the lookout for some nods to The Great Movie Ride including a prop from the ride along with other visual Easter eggs.
  • And while you’re waiting, there’s a fun new Mickey & Minnie trivia game on the Disney Parks Play app, so be sure you’ve got that ready to go and you can test your knowledge while you wait to ride!

 

If you’ve experienced this ride, let us know what you thought in the comments below! 

Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railway

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Filed Under: Disney Attractions, Disney News, Disney Parks, Resorts, & Entertainment, Latest News, Top Stories, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Disney-MGM Studios, Disney's Hollywood Studios, Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, mickey mouse cartoons, Mickey Shorts, MMRR, Runaway Railway, Runaway Railway planning, Runaway Railway Review, Runaway Railway Tips, The Great Movie Ride

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