Places to Stay

VIDEO: Villains After Hours Event Breakdown

7 June 2019 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

There is a brand new night-time party going on at Magic Kingdom – Villains After Hours! Join us as we check out everything the event has to offer. Thank you to Disney for inviting us out to this party!

For more information and to get your own tickets to this event, visit: https://disneyworld.disney.go.com/eve…

And check out our footage of the ‘Villains Unite’ show: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrtOx…

This video was filmed on June 7th, 2019, at Magic Kingdom, for the Villains After Hours event. Check it out below!

VIDEO: ‘Villains Unite’ Full Show!

7 June 2019 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

In 2019 Magic Kingdom has introduced a brand new After Hours event, Villains After Hours. This is the main-stage castle show of the event. Join Hades and all of your favorite villains as they try to take over the universe!

This full-show video was filmed on June 7th, 2019 at the Magic Kingdom, for the Villians After Hours event. Check it out below!

D23 Expo 2019 Line Up Announcements

6 June 2019 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Now that the D23 2019 Expo is a little over 2 months away, the updates are increasing. Today we received some of the line ups and locations for the main presentations of the Expo. The most anticipated of the presentations at Expo are always The Walt Disney Studios and Disney Parks presentations, which area always packed, at capacity, and pretty much what keeps twitter going while they take place – the news and updates are fact and furious! Here’s what we know so far:

The Disney Legends Awards Ceremony, hosted by Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger, will kick off the Expo on Friday morning, August 23. Later that same day, Disney+ will showcase its exciting slate of original films and series coming to the streaming service, set to launch in the U.S. on November 12. On Saturday morning, The Walt Disney Studios will give fans a sneak peek at their collection of world-class film labels, including Disney, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Marvel Studios, and Lucasfilm. And on Sunday morning, fans will get a preview of what’s in store at Disney Parks during a presentation hosted by Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Bob Chapek.

These Expo favorites will take place in “Hall D23,” the 6,800-seat venue located in Hall D of the Anaheim Convention Center. The schedule of Hall D23 Events and Presentations is as follows (all events subject to change and additional events to be announced in the coming weeks):

The Disney Legends Awards Ceremony will take place at 10:30 a.m. Friday, August 23. The ceremony, hosted by Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger, will once again honor those visionaries and artists who have made significant contributions to the Disney legacy. This year’s recipients are: Wing Chao, Robert Downey Jr., Jon Favreau, James Earl Jones, Bette Midler, Kenny Ortega, Barnette Ricci, Robin Roberts, Diane Sawyer, Ming-Na Wen, and Hans Zimmer.

On Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m., the highly anticipated streaming service Disney+ will give guests a first look at some of its original content including Lady and the Tramp, The Mandalorian, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and many more during this star-studded presentation.

The Walt Disney Studios will present a behind-the-scenes look at its blockbuster collection of upcoming films on Saturday, August 24, at 10 a.m. Fans will see what’s on the drawing board for the acclaimed filmmakers at Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios and get a peek at the exciting slate of live-action projects, from Disney to Marvel Studios to Star Wars. As always, attendees will be treated to exclusive footage, special guest appearances, and more!

On Sunday, August 25, at 10:30 a.m., step into the magical world of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products with Chairman Bob Chapek to find out what’s new and what’s next for resorts around the globe, including more about the transformational plans for Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

As the D23 Expo gets closer, you’ll be able to download the D23 Expo app (or it will be updated if you never deleted it from your phone like me), which will list all of the presentations and sessions in multiple formats, along with all the info you need to have a fun and (mostly) stress-free Expo experience.

Single-day tickets for Friday and Sunday of D23 Expo 2019 are available for $89 for one-day adult admission and $69 for children 3–9. Gold Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club can purchase tickets for $77 for a one-day adult admission and $59 for children 3–9. Single-day Saturday tickets and three-day passes are sold out. For more information on tickets and D23 Expo 2019, visit D23Expo.com.

AboutD23 Expo 2019
D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings together all the worlds of Disney under one roof for three packed days of presentations, pavilions, experiences, concerts, sneak peeks, shopping, and more. The event provides fans with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, games, theme parks, and celebrities. For the latest D23 Expo 2019 news, visit D23expo.com. Presentations, talent, and schedule subject to change. To join the D23 Expo conversation, be sure to follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and use the hashtag #D23Expo.

VIDEO: Toy Story Pop-Up Shop at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

5 June 2019 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

Disney’s Hollywood Studios has just opened a new Toy Story themed Pop-up shop, join us as we check out where it is and what they’ve got in store.

This vlog was filmed on June 5th, 2019, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the opening of the new Toy Story Pop-up shop. Check it out below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luGi1Bvm2o8

D23 EXPO 2019 Archives Exhibit-Villains and Heroes

4 June 2019 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Sometimes it feels like just yesterday, and other times it feels like we’ve had to wait, well, two years for the latest D23 Expo excitement. The newest announcement was released today – the subject of the 2019 Walt Disney Archives exhibit. This year it will be all about Heroes and Villains – The Art of the Disney Costume. What exactly does that entail? Let’s see what D23 is telling us:

**More than 70 Spectacular Costumes Spanning 55 Years—from Mary Poppins to this Summer’s Aladdin—Will Be on Display**

The Walt Disney Archives returns to D23 Expo with an all-new exhibit, “Walt Disney Archives Presents Heroes and Villains: The Art of the Disney Costume.” From the classic Mary Poppins to this year’s live-action retelling of Aladdin, more than 70 costumes from 55 years of Disney movies and television shows will be on display from August 23–25 at the Anaheim Convention Center during the biennial event, presented by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club.

Guests entering the 12,000-square-foot exhibit will be greeted by “Cinderella’s Workshop,” a gallery featuring the beloved fairy-tale character’s dresses from her numerous Disney incarnations, including 1997’s Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella; the gown worn by Scarlett Johansson for Annie Leibovitz’s 2007 Disney Dream Portrait series; 2014’s Into the Woods; the 2015 live-action reimagining of the animated masterpiece Cinderella; and the ABC hit series Once Upon a Time.

The main gallery will be broken into three sections: “Disney Heroes,” “Disney Villains,” and “Spaces Between,” reserved for the antiheroes whose fascinating journeys make them among Disney’s most complex characters.

Among the costumes included in the “Disney Heroes” section are Belle’s village dress and ballgown from 2017’s Beauty and the Beast; creations worn by the Genie, Aladdin, and Jasmine in this year’s live-action Aladdin; and—for the first time ever displayed together—three iconic Mary Poppins “traveling dresses” worn in three Poppins productions: the 1964 original film, 2019’s Mary Poppins Returns, and the Broadway musical. “Disney Villains” ensembles include the trio of wonderfully wicked witches from 1993’s Hocus Pocus, the duo of dresses worn by the stepsisters in 2015’s Cinderella, and the dress worn by the incomparable Bette Davis in 1978’s Return from Witch Mountain. And “Spaces Between” includes Maleficent’s gown from the 2014 film, as well as the Evil Queen and Hook’s costumes from Once Upon a Time.

The exhibit includes costumes from some of Hollywood’s preeminent designers, past and present, including Academy Award^®-winners Colleen Atwood, Sandy Powell, and Tony Walton, as well as Emmy^® winner Ellen Mirojnick and Emmy nominees Eduardo Castro and Penny Rose.

Many of the costumes on exhibit will be featured in The Art of Disney Costuming: Heroes, Villains, and Spaces Between, a dazzling new book out this September from Disney Editions. The book will also be available in advance exclusively at D23 Expo.

Disney’s live action Cinderella ball gown
Maleficent – costume, black “Christening” dress
Giselle’s wedding dress from Disney’s Enchanted

Prior D23 2019 Expo announcements have included:

This year’s Disney Legends award recipients: Robert Downey Jr., Bette Midler, Wing Chao, Jon Favreau, James Earl Jones, Kenny Ortega, Barnette Ricci, Robin Roberts, Diane Sawyer, Ming-Na Wen, and Hans Zimmer, will be honored as official Disney Legends during D23 Expo 2019 for their remarkable contributions to the Disney legacy. Hosted by Disney Chairman and CEO Bob Iger, the Disney Legends Awards ceremony will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, August 23, in Hall D23 of the Anaheim Convention Center.

D23 Expo 2019 Ticket Sales: Single-day tickets for Friday and Sunday of D23 Expo 2019 are available for $89 for one-day adult admission and $69 for children 3–9. Gold Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club can purchase tickets for $77 for a one-day adult admission and $59 for children 3–9. Single-day Saturday tickets and three-day passes are sold out. For more information on tickets and D23 Expo 2019, visit D23Expo.com.

AboutD23 Expo 2019
D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings together all the worlds of Disney under one roof for three packed days of presentations, pavilions, experiences, concerts, sneak peeks, shopping, and more. The event provides fans with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, games, theme parks, and celebrities. For the latest D23 Expo 2019 news, visit D23expo.com. Presentations, talent, and schedule subject to change. To join the D23 Expo conversation, be sure to follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube, and use the hashtag #D23Expo.

Fans can join D23 at Gold Membership ($99.99), Gold Family Membership ($129.99), and General Membership (complimentary) levels at D23.com. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

Will you be attending the D23 Expo this year? What are you most looking forward to?

Mermaids in Orlando!

3 June 2019 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Mermaids Sea Life Orlando — Mermaids LIVE at SEA LIFE Aquarium Orlando!

Roving reviewer and videographer Christian recently visited SEA LIFE Aquarium Orlando to experience their newest sensation – Mermaids! Every Friday through Sunday starting May 31 through June 23, visitors can come face to fin with real-life mermaids as they dive into the ocean habitats alongside rays, sharks and all their fishy friends.

Mermaid dive times:

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM

Check out Christian’s video of the Mermaids at SEA LIFE Aquarium Orlando and get your tickets today!

Thanks to SEA LIFE Orlando for having us out to share the Mermaids with you!

VIDEO: Mermaids at SEA LIFE Orlando!

1 June 2019 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

SEA LIFE Orlando is celebrating the summer with a brand new event – there are mermaids at the aquarium! Join us as we check it out.

More info about the Mermaids event, including dates and times: https://www.visitsealife.com/orlando/…

This vlog was filmed on June 1st, 2019, at SEA LIFE Orlando, for the opening celebration of the new event, Mermaids at the Aquarium. Check it out below!

Kick off the Summer at Busch Gardens Tampa Bay!

30 May 2019 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s fabulous summer-long event, Summer Nights begins this weekend! This means extended park hours every night through August 11th and fireworks every Friday through Sunday. Be sure to take advantage of the limited-time Memorial Day Sale to get the best deals of the season.

Starting next Friday, May 31, the thrills go late and the fun lasts longer at Busch Gardens® Tampa Bay with the return of Summer Nights.

Dance the night away with music and more

Music, entertainment and more create a vibrant nightlife atmosphere surrounding Florida’s best thrill rides. In addition to fan-favorite coasters, thrill seekers can now take on Tigris, Florida’s tallest launch coaster, in an exciting new way after dark. The triple-launch coaster takes thrills to new heights as riders face a 150’ upward surge, dramatic heartline roll and top speeds exceeding 60 miles per hour through the night sky.

Park guests can also enjoy special-edition menu items that feature a new twist on traditional summer fare.
Classic popcorn gets a makeover with an infusion of buffalo ranch and white cheddar flavors.

Summer tastes sweeter with a churro sundae or a fireworks ice cream slushy.

The grilled cheese of childhood memories is transformed as a mac and cheese melt, also available with lobster.

Grown-up indulgences include colorful handcrafted cocktails and pop-tails (new frozen treats with alcohol) in addition to the continued free beer offer as a part of the park’s 60^th anniversary celebration.

Enjoy fireworks each Friday, Saturday, and Sunday

Memorial Day Sale:

Now through June 2, guests can enjoy limited-time offers for the best value of the summer season.
Busch Gardens Single Day Ticket – SAVE UP TO 60%!
Price: $49, must visit by June 23
Add Adventure Island for only $10 more

Busch Gardens Fun Card – SAVE OVER 30%!
Price: $65
blockout dates apply

Busch Gardens, Adventure Island & 4-Park Annual Passes
5% off Bronze
10% off Silver
20% off Gold

For more details on limited-time offers, visit BuschGardensTampa.com; Restrictions apply. Be the first to know about new events, special deals and future announcements by following Busch Gardens Tampa Bay’s blog and social media channels on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram.

REVIEW: ‘Aladdin’ Could’ve Used a Magical Lamp

22 May 2019 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

To begin, I’ll say that this movie entertained me. To be fair, most Disney movies do – they’re lighthearted, often fairly funny, and usually have a bit of a spectacle to them/their experience. 2019’s Aladdin definitely checks all three of those boxes, but it does little outside of that.

Aladdin was fun to watch. From a design point of view, it was very interesting. I’m already very invested in Middle Eastern art and culture, and this film certainly managed to live in that world, arguably far more than the original did. And visually, it’s the equivalent to seeing a well developed Broadway show, like the ones Disney puts on (Aladdin, for example). That is to say, every musical number was a big show stopper that is definitely worth watching.

But outside of that, this film really lacks anything worthwhile.

Even after seeing it, I still wholeheartedly believe that this movie really did not need to be made. I don’t know that anyone was really clamoring for a live-action remake of a movie that’s only 27 years old, and didn’t really have many problems. Fans of the original are better off still watching the original, which is largely more charming than this version. And if you’re specifically seeking a bigger spectacle of Aladdin, the Broadway version still already exists, and while it’s not my favorite musical in the world, I think there is definitely good fun to be had, making this movie ultimately unnecessary.

This movie is admittedly more entertaining than the original, which to me never really stood out from that era’s other animated works. Like I said, the musical numbers are all as big and epic as you could ever want them to be – with all of the CGI in the world assisting Prince Ali make his big entrance. But those don’t necessarily add up to something worth more than the sum of its parts.

Will Smith is Genie in Disney’s live-action ALADDIN., directed by Guy Ritchie.

The musical numbers are actually, to me, the best parts of the film. They take Alan Menken’s wonderful original soundtrack and bring a vibrant new life to it, which fits perfectly in the vivid world the characters now live in. This is of course not including the two new songs written just for this film, both of which are sung by Jasmine. They were stylistically very clashing with the rest of the soundtrack, and felt almost as if Disney was just trying to make a song as “empowering” as ‘This is Me’, from The Greatest Showman, just because of how popular that song has become. Additionally, most of the ‘Prince Ali’ scene has actually already been posted to YouTube, and I think watching that clip is really all you need from this movie. It gives you a taste of exactly what to expect.

Will Smith’s performance is what actually keeps this movie from sinking under though. The musical numbers are great, but they are few and far between. Every time Smith was on screen he stole the show, which is actually important because most of the other performances felt nearly lifeless. Before the release of this, there was a lot of controversy about his appearance in the movie, and how they would pull it off. I didn’t really care one way or the other, but I definitely had no issue with him in the end.

Aladdin (Mena Massoud) meets the larger-than-life blue Genie (Will Smith) in Disney’s live-action adaptation ALADDIN, directed by Guy Ritchie.

Overall, it was indeed entertaining, but lacked any real purpose. The plot was more or less the same as the original, so it’s not as if they’re making any groundbreaking leaps or bounds in storytelling, which is bold for a remake of a movie only 27 years old. You can watch this movie and have fun, but you can watch the original and get the same emotional beats/moments. And simply listening to the soundtrack is enough to be satisfied for a “new” Aladdin.

There is something beautifully ironic about this movie being entirely surface-level though, as it mirrors Prince Ali’s character arc in the original film.

Parts of it felt like a Hallmark movie, parts of it felt like a Disney Channel Original Movie. It was just an odd thing that exists, but I’m not sure why. It was fun in the same way a direct-to-video sequel is fun. It exists purely to be looked at, and will be enjoyed largely because people like the original, and this movie didn’t change anything.

While it’s not a spoiler in any way, this movie ends with a black screen, you hear the words, “DJ Khaled… Anotha one!!” and the credits roll, and that should really speak for itself.

VIDEO: TODAY Cafe Grand Opening!

16 May 2019 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

The TODAY Show-inspired ‘Today Cafe’ is now open at Universal Orlando Resort! Join us as we check out some of the festivities including behind the scenes of filming the TODAY Show.

This vlog was filmed on May 16th, 2019, at the Universal Studios Orlando Resort, for the opening of the TODAY Cafe. Check it out below!