Marvel Star Simu Liu Shares Tribute to Late Power Rangers Star Jason David Frank
It’s been a sad week for children of the 90’s who grew up watching Power Rangers. Jason David Frank, the original Green Ranger, passed away at the age of 49 on Saturday, November 19th.
When it premiered on Fox in 1993, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers was an instant surprise hit. But it was the introduction of Jason David Frank as Tommy Oliver, the Green Ranger, which cemented the show’s smash-hit status.
Among those fans is Marvel’s Simu Liu. The Shang-Chi actor took to Twitter to pay tribute to Frank, writing that “this legend played such a massive role in my childhood.”
“Never got to say how absolutely gutted I was over JDF’s passing,” Liu wrote. “This legend played such a massive role in my childhood. He gave so much of himself to the family fandom and seemed genuinely happy. Check in with your friends and family. Don’t be afraid to talk to someone!”
Never got to say how absolutely gutted I was over JDF's passing. This legend played such a massive role in my childhood. He gave so much of himself to the fandom and seemed genuinely happy.
His love for the franchise extended to its fans, and Frank always seemed to take seriously the iconic status he achieved among Ranger fans of several generations.
We give our condolences to the family and friends of Jason David Frank.
Twinkies Candy Canes are a must have for your Christmas Tree
Here’s a surprise for the Christmas season!
Twinkies recently released its own candy cane flavor. Keeping with the classic look of the cream-filled snack, the edible ornaments have white and golden yellow stripes to match the color of the treat. Each box includes 12 candy canes.
According to Delish, the candy canes are described as follows: “Looking for a fun and unique holiday treat, then look no further than these Twinkies Creme Flavored Candy Canes! These candy canes are perfect as stocking stuffers, gift baskets and more.”
The Twinkies candy canes are available in-store at Dollar General and Michaels locations. You can also purchase them from the Blair Candy website as well along with a number of other unique candy cane flavors, including Starburst, Thin Mint, Hawaiian Punch and hot dog.
They’re perfect for Twinkie lovers who can’t seem to get enough and make fun stocking stuffers.
What do you think of the unique flavor choice? Do you plan on trying the Twinkies-flavored candy canes? If so, let us know what you think of them!
Celebrate the season and build holiday memories at Legoland Florida
It’s the most wonderful time of the year to visit and make holiday memories at LEGOLAND Florida Resort with the return of HOLIDAYS at LEGOLAND! Guests can celebrate the season on select dates Nov. 25 through Dec. 31. Celebrate the season and build holiday memories with a full lineup of festive entertainment, including new shows, cheerful LEGO décor, merry meet and greets with LEGO characters, tasty holiday treats and more. Here’s a look at the yuletide fun – all included with general park admission and select Annual Passes.
NEW! Seasonal Shows and Tree-mendous Entertainment
Jump into the holiday spirit with new seasonal shows and holly jolly entertainment across the park. Experience all-new festive flurries set to holiday music in LEGO Kingdoms. Join the King’s Court Carolers as they sing some favorite songs from the merriest time of year. Rock around the giant 30-foot LEGO Christmas Tree as LEGO City comes to life in a holiday spectacular with exciting music and dazzling lights throughout the evening. Children can also stop by the North Pole Postal Service to write a letter to LEGO Santa and then watch it arrive at the North Pole on a digital screen.
Festive LEGO Characters and Holiday Builds!
LEGO Santa is coming to town and he can’t wait to meet families this season. Be sure to visit his festive friends LEGO Gingerbread Man and LEGO Toy Soldier, as well as Emmet, Lucy and Unikitty from THE LEGO MOVIE who will be cheerfully dressed in their holiday attire too! Oh, what fun guests will have building merry memories as they explore seasonal builds and photo spots throughout the park, including a life-size LEGO brick sleigh with reindeer and aLEGO holiday wreath!
NEW! Merry Menu of Holiday Dishes
Tis the season for tasty holiday treats like the Holly Jolly Christmas Cake featuring layers of red velvet cake, cream cheese frosting and festive sprinkles. Spice up the holiday with an order of Granny’s Gingerbread-Spiced Apple Fries with a cookie butter dip. Enjoy all the comforts of a warm holiday meal in a sandwich with the Merry Berry Turkey Burger featuring a cranberry chipotle aioli. And save room for the Wintery Peppermint Milkshake, a cool seasonal treat.
Kids’ New Year’s Eve Celebration + Fireworks
Get ready to ring in 2023 with Kids’ New Year’s Eve fireworks, nightly Dec. 26-31. The kid-friendly celebration kicks off with a DJ dance party in LEGO Technic, followed by the signature “brick drop” near Lake Eloise and 3D LEGO brick-bursting fireworks at 8 p.m.
The best way to unwrap all this festive fun and experience more can’t-miss events in 2023 is by purchasing an Annual Pass, starting at less than $13/month with a small down payment. Annual Passholders will be among the first to ride the all-new Pirate River Quest, setting sail on Jan. 12. Discover swashbuckling adventures during PirateFest Weekends, select dates in January and February.
Will you be celebrating the holidays at LEGOLAND Florida?
SeaWorld Orlando Offers Even More Unbeatable Offerings During Black Friday and Cyber Monday Sales
Just in time for the holiday season, SeaWorld Orlando is offering more savings! Guests can save up to 65% on tickets as well as find incredible savings on Annual Passes and the 2023 Fun Card. Guests can give the gift of up-close animal encounters, unlimited thrills at the Coaster Capital of Orlando and the opportunities to experience SeaWorld Orlando’s vibrant food and music festivals throughout the year during the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales.
Save up to $40 on annual passes. Guests who become a Pass Member will be among the first to ride SeaWorld Orlando’s newest attraction “Pipeline: The Surf Coaster” when it opens to the public in 2023
Save up to 30% on 2023 Fun Cards
Save 50% on Quick Queue Unlimited and Reserved Seating
$100 off Year-Round Quick Queue which will allow guests to skip the line on thrilling attractions at SeaWorld Orlando, including “Pipeline: The Surf Coaster”
Save 40% Off All-Day Dining Deal
Save 50% Off Select Tours
Save $50 on Summer Day Camps
Save 50% of Quick Queue Unlimited and Reserved Seating
Save up to 30% off Dine with Orca, Dinner with Santa or Sesame Street Christmas Breakfast on select dates.
Shanghai Disneyland to Resume Full Operations TODAY
Shanghai Disneyland has resumed full operations today after closing again due to Covid-19. The resort closed on October 31 due to Covid and reopened today at 8:30 am.
“Dear Guests, We are pleased to announce that Shanghai Disneyland will resume operations on November 25, 2022, operating from 8:30 to 20:30 on the reopening day. Toy Story Hotel will also resume operations, with reservation services available starting today for guest check-in from 15:00 onwards on November 25. The re-opening of Shanghai Disneyland and Toy Story Hotel, together with the recent re-opening of Disneytown, Wishing Star Park and Shanghai Disneyland Hotel will mark Shanghai Disney Resort’s return to full operations. We will continue to operate with limited daily capacity and to implement enhanced health and safety measures. Select attractions, live entertainment, restaurants and retail locations may not be available or will operate at reduced capacity.”
This was the second time the resort closed this year due to the pandemic. The resort was closed from March through late June. China has a “dynamic zero-COVID” strategy for preventing any and all transmissions of Covid-19. Shanghai is subject to that strategy.
Disney Park Pass reservations could receive Major Overhaul in 2023
The Disney Park Pass Reservations at Walt Disney World could be getting a major overhaul next year. It appears this will be one of the first changes coming to Disney under Bob Iger’s newest reign.
The current Park Pass Reservation system requires guests to make a reservation for each day of their visit to which park they’d like to enter. This is along with the valid admission required to enter a park. Much of the existing system will be removed and simplified in 2023, providing guests with an experience closer to pre-pandemic conditions.
Guests with date-based tickets will no longer be required to make park pass reservations starting in early 2023. Park entry will be guaranteed with the purchase of date-based tickets. Annual Passholders will still need to make park pass reservations, at least initially.
Park hopping will also change! Right now, guests with park-hopper tickets can’t park-hop until 2 pm. Next year, guests with date-based tickets will be able to park-hop at any time. Annual Passholders will still be restricted but might be able to park hop earlier than 2 pm.
The new system for 2023 will control attendance by limiting ticket sales for a given day rather than selling an unlimited number of tickets and restricting access via a Park Pass.
All of this information is speculation and Disney has not yet announced anything regarding these changes. Keep an eye out for official information to come!
What do you think about Disney World’s Park Pass Reservation system?
If you’d like to visit Walt Disney World soon, contact me today! I am a travel agent with Destinations to Travel, my services are complimentary, and I’d love to help you plan a magical vacation!
In anticipation of Walt Disney Animation Studios new film, “Strange World” Disney Parks is bringing some cool new experiences to guests so they can experience a world unlike they have ever known.
Learn to Draw Splat at Animation Academy in Disney California Adventure Park
You can now learn to draw your soon-to-be favorite blue, mischievous character, Splat, and trusty three-legged dog, Legend when you visit Disney California Adventure Park at the Disneyland Resort! Led by Disney animators, this class at Animation Academy will teach you how to draw either of these two unique characters from the all-new film “Strange World.”
Photo-Op in Disneyland Park
For a limited time in Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park, guests can discover a dimensional backdrop that gives them the opportunity to step into the mysterious, uncharted land of “Strange World” for a photo with the mischievous blob affectionately known as Splat.
Starting today through January 8, guests can take a photo with Splat. Walt Disney World guests will find this PhotoPass offering at the entrance to Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom, as well as at Disney Springs.
This offering will also be available on select sailings with Disney Cruise Line today through January 2.
Sneak Peak at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney Cruise Line, and Disneyland Paris
Guests visiting these Disney locations can see a sneak peek at scenes from the film.
Strange World Merchandise
New merchandise is available on ShopDisney as well as Target, Walmart, and Amazon to celebrate the film’s release.
I think the film looks really unique from other animated movies that have come out and I am looking forward to seeing it. What do you think about the new “Strange World” animated movie?
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Wakanda Forever Expected to Win Thanksgiving Box Office
The Thanksgiving holiday weekend box office is setting itself up to be another win for Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
While Strange Worlds will be new in theaters, it’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever that’s expected to claim the top spot during the Thanksgiving weekend with around $40 million between Wednesday and Sunday.
‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever‘ stars Letitia Wright, Lupita Nyong’o, Danai Gurira, Winston Duke, Angela Bassett, Tenoch Huerta, Martin Freeman, Dominique Thorne, Florence Kasumba, Michaela Coel, Alex Livinalli, and Mabel Cadena, with honorable tributes to the late Chadwick Boseman.
A synopsis of the film reads, “Queen Ramonda, Shuri, M’Baku, Okoye, and the Dora Milaje fight to protect their nation from intervening world powers in the wake of King T’Challa’s death. As the Wakandans strive to embrace their next chapter, the heroes must band together with Nakia and Everett Ross to forge a new path for their beloved kingdom.”
Without spoiling the movie for others, Did you see ‘Black Panther: Wakanda Forever’ in theaters? Or do you have plans to see it soon? We would love to hear about your experience in the comments, but do not post spoilers!
Rumors Swirl about Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy’s Potential Firing
There’s no doubt long-term “Star Wars” fans feel divisive about the franchise under Kathleen Kennedy’s leadership at Lucasfilm.
A recent report from John Campea says that Kennedy will be relieved of her duties in the Summer of next year. The report claims that it could either take place before or after the release of Indiana Jones 5, a project she announced at this year’s D23 Expo.
Her current contract has Kathleen Kennedy in charge until at least 2024, at which point she’ll have to weigh out her options once again. While the theatrical side of the Star Wars franchise has run into setbacks, many wonder what the franchise will focus on when it returns to movie theaters.
Industry insider Matthew Belloni of Puck reported that Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy “was advised by Disney to stop announcing projects and creative partners.”
The reasoning for the blockage comes down to “media management,” an effort to prevent fans and press from further tackling Lucasfilm following the cancellation of a slew of projects in recent years. The Rogue Squadron announcement video by Patty Jenkins and exciting press releases for Rian Johnson and D.B. Weiss & David Benioff’s respective trilogies are examples of Star Wars hype falling flat, an issue Disney is attempting to avoid.
Ever since The Rise of Skywalker premiered in theaters back in 2019, Kathleen Kennedy has announced two live-action Star Warsmovies — on May 4, 2020, the company released an official statement saying that Taika Waititi would be co-writing and directing a new film set in a galaxy far, far away. It’s been two and a half years and the movie is still not written. Later that year, it was also announced that Patty Jenkins would be directing Rogue Squadron. But that movie project is in limbo and possibly canceled.
Since the release of The Rise of Skywalker, Star Wars has lived solely on Disney+ and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
Disney Facing Antitrust Lawsuits Over Rising Streaming Prices
The Walt Disney Company is facing a new antitrust lawsuit.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, YouTube TV subscribers take issue with Disney’s ownership of Hulu and ESPN, which they say has allowed the company to drive up prices across the market.
The lawsuit involves YouTube TV subscribers, who filed the suit Friday in California federal court, against Disney. They point to business dealings that effectively grant the company the ability to “set a price floor” for the market and push up prices across the industry by raising the prices of its own offerings.
“Since Disney acquired operational control over Hulu in May 2019, prices across the [streaming live pay television] Market, including for YouTube TV, have doubled,” the filing reads. “This dramatic, marketwide price inflation has been led by Disney’s own price hikes for Hulu + Live TV.”
The lawsuit also includes the contractual requirement that ESPN be included as part of any basic cable package. The nuts and bolts is that if Disney raises the price for Hulu with Live TV, competitors have to raise prices as well. YouTube TV subscribers claim that the dealings with Disney have caused an increase in cost of the base package from $35 to $65. The lawsuit represents around five million YouTube TV subscribers.
Hot chocolate in 80-degree weather? This isn’t any hot chocolate though, it’s frozen hot chocolate! This frozen treat is just the thing to stay cool in the Florida heat while enjoying the holiday fun.
Hot Chocolate and peppermint are two of the most quintessential holiday flavors. Put them together and you have a unique holiday dessert.
This frozen hot chocolate is topped with a peppermint soft serve ice cream and garnished with peppermint bark and crumbled peppermint.
You can check out this new holiday treat at Swirls on the Water located in Disney Springs just across the bridge in the Marketplace. It is just across from the Rainforest Cafe and next to Goofy’s Candy Company. They also feature traditional Dole Whips.
More Holiday Fun Coming Soon
Speaking of holiday treats the Festival of the Holidays kicks off November 25th at Epcot. There are so many great seasonal dishes and desserts being offered. Be sure to check back with us to see everything that’s coming.
One thing is for sure. Whether it’s the parks or Disney Springs there is nothing better than walking around enjoying all the beautiful decorations with a frozen hot chocolate in your hand. If hot cocoa is more your thing check out the Holiday Cocoa Flight over at Hollywood Studios.
Disney Genie+ Now ‘Subject to Availability’ at Disneyland Resort
Disneyland Resort‘s Disney Genie+ is now “subject to availability”. The Disneyland Resort website now states that the ability to purchase Disney Genie+ will now be “subject to demand” at the park.
“In addition to getting all of the great features that come with the complimentary Disney Genie service, purchasing Disney Genie+ service offers even more convenience and flexibility, starting at $25 per ticket per day. Prices and availability vary by date.
Disney Genie+ service is available for purchase before your visit – as an add-on with new ticket or vacation package purchases – or may be available as a single-day purchase for existing ticket holders through the Disneyland app on the day of your park visit after park entry. Please check the Disneyland app after park entry for pricing and availability, as availability is limited.”
Guests can still purchase Disney Genie+ in advance at Disneyland. Those choosing to wait and purchase on the day they want to use the service might not be able to get it now as availability is limited. Sales of Disney Genie+ might stop after a certain capacity is reached.
Disney Genie+ starts at $25 per person per day but can cost more depending on demand. So far we’ve seen it get up to $30 per person.
Have you ever used Disney Genie+ at the Disneyland Resort?
If you’d like to plan your next Disneyland vacation, contact me today! I am a travel agent with Destinations to Travel, my services are complimentary, and I’d love to help you plan a magical vacation!
