Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance is an extremely popular attraction in Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This ride requires guests to obtain a boarding pass in order to experience it and those passes are gone within seconds every day. Now, guests participating in a VIP tour no longer need a boarding pass in order to ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.
The virtual queue system was first introduced at Walt Disney World with the opening of Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance in order to allow more guests to experience the attraction. Guests can try to join the virtual queue and obtain a boarding pass at 7 am and 1 pm the day they will be visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Boarding passes go super quickly and not everyone is able to get one.
Now, guests paying for a VIP tour don’t need boarding passes for the ride. They will be escorted right on to Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. Private VIP tours at Walt Disney World start at $425 per hour and require a minimum of 7 hours duration.
Would you book a VIP tour just to make sure you could ride Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance?
Star Wars Galactic StarcruiserHotel opening date keeps getting closer and closer!
So of course, we are seeing more and more construction updates about this new experience for Star Wars fans. Thanks to @bioreconstruct, we know have an aerial view of a recent change, as you can see in the picture above, some landscaping was added in the upper left.
As well as some berm and trees in the front that hides the view of the buildings. This creates the illusion for guests that they are being transported to a spacecraft for 2 days and get immerse in the world of Star Wars.
And over here, we take a closer look at where the shuttles will dock. These shuttles will transport guests to the planet of Batuu at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
Excited for this hotel to open? The Star Wars Galactic Starcruiser Hotel is set to open in 2022, offering guests the chance to enjoy a two or three day cruise.
Experience a Celebration of Sharks at SeaWorld Orlando July 11-18 With Fun and Learning for the Entire Family. Celebrate all things shark at SeaWorld Orlando for one week only. Seaworld was recently rated as the #1 park for families and Mako was named the #1 Coaster, and now with Shark celebration, it gives you more reason to visit.
A variety of special park experiences are taking place this week for shark lovers of all ages. From free aquarist talks and shark viewing to amazing upgrades and dining opportunities, there is no better place in central Florida to embrace your inner shark this week than SeaWorld Orlando.
Celebration of Sharks at SeaWorld –
Aquarist Talks at Shark Shallows
Hear from SeaWorld’s shark experts every day at 2:15 p.m. as they share their knowledge about all of the different sharks in SeaWorld’s care.
Guests are invited to visit SeaWorld’s recently upgraded and enhanced Shark Encounter. A guest favorite since it opened, this SeaWorld Orlando classic received a complete makeover for 2021. New floors, lights, and interpretive displays, along with brand-new habitats featuring lionfish, Caribbean fish, lobster, and moray eels make Shark Encounter a can’t-miss experience at the park.
Book a Sharks Up-Close Tour
For an additional fee, Guests can dare to peer down into SeaWorld’s 700,000-gallon aquarium to uncover the fascinating world of these perfect predators. Then, follow the team behind the scenes to touch a small shark and explore the dazzling diversity of sharks. Participants in this paid tour will have the opportunity to feed several species of sharks and marine fish in SeaWorld’s Shark Shallows, step up poolside above the main aquarium in Shark Encounter and touch a small shark and learn more about their care.
Sip & Dine Next to Sharks
Enjoy a shark-inspired Mako Margarita at the bar or stay for a full meal at SeaWorld’s award-winning restaurant, Sharks Underwater Grill & Bar. Dine-in an upscale, signature full-service restaurant that puts world-class entrées on your plate and a window into the world of sharks before your eyes. For the full menu visit here: https://seaworld.com/orlando/dining/sharks-underwater-grill/
Shop Sharks
Guests who spend $75 in purchases at shark-inspired Fins Gifts or Reef’s Treasures will get a free gift with purchase.
Best Way to Experience Shark Celebration Week
The best way to experience Shark Celebration Week at SeaWorld Orlando and all the other great events throughout the year is with an Annual Pass, with great benefit options including free parking, free guest tickets, and more. Guests can take advantage of SeaWorld’s July 4 sale—now extended to July 11—to save up to 35% on tickets, Fun Cards, and Annual Passes. The deep discounts are only available for a limited time.
As operations return to pre-COVID normalcy around Walt Disney World, restaurants are not being left behind. Sunshine Seasons is a perennial EPCOT favorite, typically offering a quick cafeteria-style meal. During the initial reopening phase of the restaurant, mobile ordering and social distancing measures were introduced. But all that is gone now and the old Sunshine Seasons is back!
You can put in mobile orders at several restaurants around EPCOT, such as Regal Eagle Smokehouse and Yorkshire County Fish Shop. But as of now, Sunshine Seasons will no longer offer Mobile Ordering. You can walk right up to the counter and make your order in person. There is no more social distancing. You’ll carry your meal out on a tray, cafeteria-style, checking out at the register, as you did before.
Try a Bacon Cheeseburger, Oak-Grilled Salmon, or a Pepperoni Flatbread as your entrée. Sunshine Seasons also has plant-based options, great kid’s meals, and delicious desserts. As time progresses, we hope to see them pull out some of their limited-time offerings again, such as the Festival of the Arts mini peanut butter cake or the Annual Passholder-exclusive ice cream sandwich. But for now, we are happy to see this great quick-service location resume normal operations.
Attention muggles! You can now get a Butterbeer Cold Brew at Starbucks that will make you feel like you are at Hogsmeade!
If you are a fan of butterbeer and coffee then this drink is perfect for you! We know cold brew can have a very strong coffee taste, so make it a bit sweeter with some white mocha, toffee nut and caramel! Magical right?
It’s the most magical time of the year! Disney’s parks Halfway to the Holidays announcement coming tomorrow. With a major post from Disney Parks on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, Disney let the world know tomorrow will be a huge day for Holiday cheer. You can see the posts below.
It looks like tomorrow Disney Parks Blog will be giving us all an early Christmas present. Holiday Cheer is nearly here! Information on Limited Time food and beverages, an upcoming merchandise sneak peek, and also a LIVE Tik Tok on July 14th. More Surprises and announcements from Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products.
It’s the most magical time of the year! Join us for our #HalfwaytotheHolidays merry takeover on the Disney Parks Blog for jolly holly surprises from Disney Parks, Experiences and Products starting tomorrow! https://bit.ly/3AJqWut
Join us tomorrow for #HalfwaytotheHolidays merry takeover for jolly holly surprises from Disney Parks, Experiences, and Products! No rumors, just speculation. The last time they did Halfway to Halloween, they also announced After Hours Boo Bash. Could we be seeing a Christmas Party announcement? Stay tuned to find out.
Thomas Kinkade Studios unveils two Limited Edition pieces from The Mandalorian™ Collection at Disney Springs. Thomas Kinkade Studios Artist Monte Moore will be making a special weekend appearance at The Art of Disney at Disney Springs, Walt Disney World Resort with The Mandalorian™ Collection. Monte will unveil brand new art in this series and will meet with guests, signing and creating original sketches on purchases from The Mandalorian Collection.
I am going to have my husband, Greg, take this one. You will understand why in a moment. If anyone deserves the opportunity to write about a childhood hero in Monte Moore, Star Wars, and Thomas Kinkade it is him.
Chip and Co were on hand yesterday for Monte’s appearance and had the opportunity to talk with him during his break from his meet and greet session. Clearly, Monte is passionate about working with Thomas Kinkade Studios. It was evident with how he openly talked about himself keeping an open mind to become a better artist by doing this work. Talk with him, when you go to the Art of Disney today, you can tell how much he absolutely loves what he is doing.
IMAGE SIZES: 12” x 18”, 18” x 27”, 24” x 36” PUBLISH DATE: July 2021 Grogu™ and the Mandalorian™ have had quite the adventure so far, and some harrowing and touching moments along the way, but up until now Mando’s rules and code are not to be broken even when it comes to the Razor Crest™ and especially not playing with the ship’s knobs. The simple gesture of Mando giving his charge his favorite distraction shows how far he’s come and how close he’s grown to his companion as this bonding moment solidifies their connection. To me this moment is a culmination thus far of this “lone wolf and cub” relationship….or even close to a father and son…
I am going to geek out a little now, and we will get back to Thomas Kinkade and the amazing work they have coming out, and the unquestionably talented artist they are bringing to the Art of DIsney in Disney Springs. Including Janet Cairns – Master Highlighter for Thomas Kinkade and Dirk Wunderlich – Thomas Kinkade Legacy Artist.
I grew up with the Art of Dungeons and Dragons, Dragonlance, TSR before they were bought out by Wizards of the Coast prior to them being bought by Hasbro. Importantly, the impact fantasy art had on me was huge. It led me to discover some amazing artists, then comic books, which led to Marvel which led to as an adult loving Graphic Novels. Funny enough, it led me right back to my childhood and Disney art. Along the way, Monte Moore was a pivotal artist for me personally. Through book covers, trading cards to Zenescope, and now I have discovered who this man really is and how pivotal he has been to my life. Now that I am older and can afford real art, here comes Monte again. This time working with Thomas Kinkade on Star Wars Art I can hang up as an adult and be proud of.
The Reckoning by Monte Moore
The Reckoning by Monte Moore
IMAGE SIZES: 12” x 18”, 18” x 27”, 24” x 36” PUBLISH DATE: JULY 2021 In so many classic Western films there are events building towards a final showdown, and in some of those seminal moments the gunfighter must ride into town to face his foe and put his fate to the test. I loved how this was handled in Chapter 5 as the Mandalorian returns to town on a dewback to rescue Grogu from his former partner turned adversary! The streets before him are completely empty, only light washing out from the doors and windows to illuminate this moment that, to me, feels very ‘a stranger in town,’ and it’s quite a moment, but also a visually powerful one!
MONTE MOORE ARTIST APPEARANCE
Friday, 7/9 – Monday, 7/12
12 pm – 3 pm and 7 pm – 10 pm
JANET CAIRNS ARTIST APPEARANCE
Friday, 7/9 – Monday, 7/12
3 pm – 7 pm
Thomas Kinkade Studios Master Highlighter Janet Cairns will also be at The Art of Disney at Disney Springs, adding oil paint embellishments to all Limited Edition Canvas purchases. Watch the art come to life with these hand-applied highlights, achieving the luminous effect that Thomas Kinkade Studios Limited Edition Art is known for. If you are visiting the Walt Disney World Resort in July, add this special event to your itinerary.
MONTE MOORE
Monte Moore has been a professional illustrator for nearly 30 years for dozens of top-tier companies and properties having worked on book covers, video games, movie posters, card games, and comic books. Along with having 8 books published exclusively featuring his commercial artwork in the pop-culture industries Monte has won the World Fantasy Art show twice for Best Black and White work and has been a guest of honor artist at conventions and art shows around the world including Italy, Scotland, Belgium and Germany and 2001 Guest of Honor at the San Diego Comic-Con International.
Monte’s list of clients that he has created licensed artwork for include: DC Comics, Marvel Entertainment, Image Comics, IDW, Wizards of the Coast, Jose Cuervo, Lucasfilm Ltd., Hard Rock Cafe, The U.S. Marine Corps, Coors, Harley-Davidson, The Boy Scouts of America and many others. Recent projects for Monte have included cover art for Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles #100 and Transformers vs. The Terminator #1 and recently People’s Choice Award Winner in 2019 Western Art Rodeo Association World Finals.
Who is Alligator Loki and Why Do We Love Him? This week Loki series writer Michael Waldron shared the origin story of everyone’s new favorite Loki, Alligator Loki. Waldron shared the inspiration for the new variant, telling Marvel.com:
“We were talking about [how] we want to meet many different versions of Loki in this show,” Waldron explained. “I was just like, there should be an Alligator Loki. And it’s like, well, why? Because he’s green.” He added, “It’s so stupid, but it also makes total sense … You almost have to take it seriously, like maybe he is [a Loki]? Why shouldn’t there be an alligator version of Loki? For all we know, that’s an alligator universe or whatever. It’s just the sort of irreverent thing that, in this show, we play straight and make the audience take it seriously.”
Executive Producer Kate Herron added, “We had some early versions when we were doing visual effects that probably were a bit too cute, in the sense of it was a bit more like a cartoony kind of alligator. But it just became funnier and funnier the more it looked like a real alligator that just happened to be wearing the horns. That was the sweet spot. Once we landed in that spot where it felt like a real alligator, but with a kind of slightly jaunty horns on, that’s where we were like, ‘Oh, there he is.’”
As for the debate featured in the series is Alligator Loki REALLY a Loki, Waldron teased that he wants fans to debate it, refusing to confirm or deny the Alligators true identity. “I know [fans want to know the truth], but I want people to wonder. I want that to be the next great Marvel debate. Is Alligator Loki really a Loki or not?”
Do you think Alligator Loki is a real Loki? Which Variant Loki is your favorite so far? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co. for updates and all things Marvel!
The animal care team at Walt Disney World always finds a way to make birthdays special for their many animals. Celebration is in the air at Disney’s Animal Kingdom as they honor birthday boy Henry the Hippo this week.
The hippo received a fantastic birthday treat from his caretakers. Henry the Hippo certainly loved his treat! You can see how it looked in the image below.
Wildlife conservation is important to protect the Earth’s animal population and biodiversity. The team at Disney’s Animal Kingdom make terrific efforts in taking care of their resident wildlife.
In partnership with Disney’s Animal Nutrition Center, animal keepers made birthday “cakes” with portions of their daily diets and some extra goodies, like watermelon, to celebrate the occasion.
Be sure to look for Henry the Hippo on your next visit to Disney’s Animal Kingdom!
‘Black Widow’ Proves It Was Worth the Wait at the Box Office. After several LONG delays, Marvel Studios’ Black Widow has finally made its way to theaters and its performance proves it was worth the wait. Over the course of opening weekend, Black Widow has amassed $89.9 million at the global box office, with $39.5 Million coming from the domestic box office alone. Disney has yet to release the results of the film’s debut on Disney+ Premier Access. Despite those numbers being unavailable at the time of writing, Black Widow has replaced Iron Man 2 as the number 10 slot for Marvel Studios’ premiere weekend earnings.
The new movie currently has a rating of 80% by critics and 92% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, making it certified fresh by critics and fans alike!
“Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger. Joining Johansson in the new feature film are Florence Pugh as Yelena, David Harbour as Alexei/The Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz as Melina. “Black Widow”—the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe—is directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige.”
What did you think of Marvel Studios’ Black Widow? Would you be interested in more prequels moving forward? Will you see the movie in theaters or did you purchase Disney+ Premier Access for the highly anticipated film? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co. for updates and all things Marvel!
Mickey and Minnie are heading to the Big Apple with the latest Disney Dooney and Bourke design! The new Disney New York Dooney and Bourke showcase our favorite duo enjoying the sights of the big city. This new collection will debut at the Disney Parks on Monday, July 12th. It will also debut online at shopDisney, but no specific date has been announced yet.
Disney New York Dooney And Bourke Collection
The collection features three silhouettes, a large tote, satchel, and also wallet. Each bag has an all-over print of Mickey and Minnie surrounded by the icons of New York City. The duo enjoys a taste of big city life with hot dogs, pretzels, taxi cabs, and even coffee in the park.
At Walt Disney World you’ll be able to find the collection at Ever After Jewelry Co. & Accessories in Disney Springs.
Full list of Disney World & Disney Springs Hotels offering Early Admission. Disney has updated the list of hotels and resorts that will be eligible for Early Park Hours. It includes all Disney World Resorts, DIsney Springs Resorts, Bonnet Creek and will also include the Waldorf and Hilton Resorts.
Disney stopped doing Extra Magic Hours last year when the whole resort shut down for the pandemic. As part of the 50th Anniversary, they are bringing it back in a limited way. All the resorts listed below will be able to go into any Park 30 minutes early. Only those staying at Disney Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resorts are able to stay for nighttime extra magic hours.
Early Theme Park Entry: We know how much guests enjoy extra park time, so coming later this year as part of our 50th anniversary celebration, Disney Resort hotel guests and guests of other select hotels will be able to enjoy more fun with 30-minute early entry to ANY theme park, EVERY day. It’ll be a great way to get a jump start on your Disney day, no matter the day! As a reminder, the Extra Magic Hours benefit was suspended when Walt Disney World Resort reopened last summer, and as we continue to manage attendance with health and safety top of mind, Extra Magic Hours will not return. The new early theme park entry benefit helps us better spread visitation across all four theme parks, while providing added flexibility by giving guests extra early park time on each day of their vacation and in the park of their choosing. Please note that guests need valid admission and a park reservation made via the Disney Park Pass system to enter a theme park.
