New Luca Merchandise Makes a Splash

By

-

June 19, 2021

Disney and Pixar’s “Luca” has made its splashy debut! To celebrate the release of the new feature-length animated film, you can find lots of new Luca Merchandise! You can follow Luca and Alberto on their summer adventures with all new products available at Disney parks and online at shopDisney.com, as well as exciting items from Mattel, Funko, and more, available at retailers worldwide.

You can recreate your favorite movie memories with the large assortment of toys inspired by Luca. All of your favorite characters have fun action figure recreations!

Remember fond memories of Portorosso and the gang with snuggly plush and a “souvenir” t-shirt!

Related: Luca Toys

If you’re a collector you’ll love the limited edition pin! Bag collector’s will also adore the Luca backpack. It is child sized, but that hasn’t stopped some of us before!

Of course collector’s will also want to check out the Luca Funko POPs too!

“Luca: Silenzio, Bruno! When in Doubt, Shout it Out!” is a story inspired by the Disney and Pixar film “Luca”. This story reminds us that with friendship, we can all learn to be ourselves.

“Alberto Scorfano thinks he’s pretty wise for his fourteen years. And if there’s one thing he’s an expert in, it is getting rid of Bruno. Who is Bruno? He is the voice in your head telling you: “No! You can’t do it! You’ll never make it!” Bruno is sneaky, annoying, and rude, but don’t worry—Alberto is here to help you and his friends send Bruno to the bottom of the sea.” You can find this book now at books.disney.com.

What do you think of all the splashy new Luca Merchandise?

Disney welcomes 400 Summer Interns

By

Kevin Koszola

-

June 19, 2021

Disney welcomes over 400 new Disney Professional Interns and Disney UNCF Corporate Scholars for the summer. These internships are for many different teams across multiple segments.

From ESPN to Disney Studios, Lucasfilm to Disney+, these interns are spread across the Disney company and the country as they work from home!

Joining the Disney Professional Internship is an amazing opportunity for students. The experience allows them to begin their careers at a company they already have a passion for.

Some of these interns are hoping to bring Magic to the Disney Parks by working with the Imagineering team. Others are learning how they can assist the software engineers and software development teams who work at Disney. Meanwhile, the others are learning how to contribute to Disney’s various media entities, such as ABC, ESPN, or Marvel.

Check back here on Chip & Co. for the latest theme park and entertainment news updates!

Eat, Shop and Explore Downtown Disney this summer

By

Sara

-

June 19, 2021

Eat, Shop and Explore Downtown Disney this summer

The Downtown Disney District at the Disneyland Resort is full of dining, shopping, and entertainment experiences for guests to enjoy this summer. Take a look at some fan favorites that you will not want to miss!

Eat!

From innovative and delicious snacks to delectable meals, Downtown Disney District has got your cravings covered!

Soak up the California sunshine dining al fresco at one of the welcoming outdoor patios including La Brea Bakery Café, Tortilla Jo’s, and recently reopened Splitsville Luxury Lanes. Splitsville Luxury Lanes is offering a refreshing Watermelon Smash cocktail and the Ninja Crunch sushi roll, while Tortilla Jo’s is featuring a Baja ceviche, a strawberry-mint margarita and pineapple mojitos. Catal has a Skuna Bay salmon dish and Naples presents a lovely caprese salad. And let’s not forget the Cuban sandwich at Earl of Sandwich. Delish!

Snacking is kind of a big deal at the Downtown Disney District! Sweet choices range from handmade ice cream from Salt & Straw, seasonal beignets from Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen Express, S’more cupcakes at Sprinkles, and the adorable watermelon caramel apple dipped with chocolate and marshmallows at Marceline’s Confectionery.

Most items are for a limited time, so you may just need to try them all!

Shop!

Looking for the latest summer styles that are easy and breezy? Summer shopping is plentiful in the Downtown Disney District.

Make a splash with these cute charms from Pandora Jewelry, while you shop for the latest in footwear at California Sole, beachwear at Curl Surf and Resort fashion at The Disney Dress Shop.
Discover an exciting array of PRIDE merchandise offered at Curl Surf, Sugarboo & Co. and World of Disney, or checkout the latest nuiMOs plush character release.

Explore!

In search of an outdoor family-friendly activity or a photographic scavenger hunt? From anamorphic art installations to photo opportunities, there is a lot to discover!

Come on down to see how things are “lining up” for Mickey Mouse and his pals. These popular anamorphic art installations have been updated and are back this year for guests to enjoy throughout the summer. Check out the pieces from certain vantage points and you’ll see the whole picture!
Or, pop into the picture with selfie stops including Spider-Man celebrating the opening of Avengers Campus and “Love, Victor” celebrating PRIDE month. Both of these photo opportunities are located near Star Wars Trading Post. There is also a limited-time photo stop of the Cruella-mobile available through August 1, 2021 located toward the east end of the district.

Summertime brings so many great things to see and do in Downtown Disney District. Where will you eat, shop or explore first? Contact me today to start planning your next Disneyland trip!

Disneyland Theme Park Hours released through July 31st

By

Sara

-

June 19, 2021

Disneyland Theme Park Hours released through July 31st

Disneyland Resort theme park hours are now available through July 31, 2021. Park hours for the Disneyland Resort seem to be released one day at a time right now.

Disneyland park is scheduled to be open from 8 am to 10 pm the last week of July.

Related – Disneyland extends theme park hours

Disney California Adventure is scheduled to close an hour earlier than Disneyland. The park will operate from 8 am to 9 pm except on July 4th when the park will close at 10 pm.

Guests will have plenty of time to experience and enjoy the Disneyland Resort theme parks!

It’s An Awe-Summer at LEGOLAND Florida Resort Starting June 26

By

Allison Luna

-

June 19, 2021

LEGOLAND® Florida Resort is the place to be this summer because they’re having an “AWE-SUMMER” celebration! Get ready for six weeks of stage shows, special weekend events, and surprise street performances all over the park. The event will run June 26th through August 8th, so make plans to visit soon!

New experiences include the Birthday Surprise Squad, which is unique to LEGOLAND’s 10th birthday celebration. The Birthday Surprise Squad pops up around the park with surprise performances and even special birthday giveaways.

LEGOLAND always has plenty of activities for the young ones at your travel party. The Florida Prepaid Schoolhouse teachers are bringing new activities and songs filled with science fun and reading and writing. This show is perfect for children aged two to six. LEGO® Friends Weekends in Heartlake Hall will feature an interactive LEGO brick build workshop. There’s also a new Safari Drummers show and a dinosaur quiz show with the Dino Duo.

Related – NINJAGO Days Are Back at LEGOLAND Florida

Guests of all ages will love Brickbeard’s Watersports Stunt Show. As someone who saw this show at its opening, I can honestly say that the water stunts they perform will take your breath away. Watch them wakeboard, barefoot ski, and utilize a flyboard in gravity-defying moves.

The summer fun has just begun, party people! ☀️

Starting June 26, we're throwing an "AWE-SUMMER" bash with special events, fan-favorite shows, and surprises around every corner! https://t.co/0FSX1uI58n pic.twitter.com/H2qOIyR67v
— LEGOLAND Florida (@LEGOLANDFlorida) June 17, 2021

Elemental Masters will return this summer as part of LEGOLAND’s NINJAGO Days. Ninjas will demonstrate their mastery of skills such as kicking, spinning, and tumbling onstage.

Red, White, and BOOM! will be a fireworks spectacular that satisfies our year-long cravings for pyrotechnics. July 3rd and 4th, LEGOLAND will celebrate America’s Independence Day with free fireworks glasses to transform the fireworks into bursting LEGO® bricks. Something you won’t find anywhere else! Beautiful Lake Eloise provides the perfect atmosphere for such a fantastic display. Don’t forget that you can help create a giant U.S. flag out of thousands of LEGO bricks before nightfall!

Heroes Weekend is happening on August 7th and 8th. Your family can learn about safety in a fun way and honor Heroes who keep our communities safe! Information is provided by the National Fire Protection Association.

Don’t forget about the awesome new food offerings this summer! Summer’s Own Watermelon Salad with Feta & Mint, Splash of Summer Watermelon Lemonade, and a bedazzled red, white, and blue ice cream cone will cool off your whole family!

All of these activities are included with LEGOLAND Theme Park general admission and select Annual Passes. For more information on Awe-Summer events, check out LEGOLAND online!

Photo courtesy of LEGOLAND

Disney+ to Host ‘This is Me: Pride Celebration Spectacular’ on June 27th

By

Kaitlyn

-

June 18, 2021

Disney+ to Host ‘This is Me: Pride Celebration Spectacular’ on June 27th. Disney+ will celebrate its community of LGBTQ+ creators, employees, and fans with its first-ever virtual variety show, “This is Me: Pride Celebration Spectacular” premiering on the Disney+ YouTube and Facebook on Sunday, June 27 at 8 PM ET / 5 PM PT. The concert will feature one-of-a-kind musical performances of songs from the iconic movies and series available to stream on Disney+, reinterpreted through an LGBTQ+ lens.

Hosted by Nina West (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”), the performance lineup includes: Alex Newell (“Glee”), DCappella (Disney Music Group’s premier a cappella singing sensation), Frankie Rodriguez and Joe Serafini (“High School Musical: The Musical: The Series”), Hayley Kiyoko (Recording Artist), Jackie Cox (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”), Jesse James Keitel (“Big Sky”), Kermit the Frog (“The Muppets”), Nina West, Michael James Scott (“Aladdin” on Broadway), and Todrick Hall (Recording Artist).

“This is Me: A Virtual Pride Month Spectacular” is directed by Ann Marie Pace who most recently directed Disney’s “LAUNCHPAD” short film “Growing Fangs” that is now streaming on the service. The goal of Disney’s “LAUNCHPAD” is to diversify the types of stories that are being told and to give access to those who have historically not had it.

“At Disney+, we believe in the power of inclusive storytelling to bring us together and inspire us to live authentically,” said Joe Earley, global head of Marketing and Content Curation for Disney+. “We are committed to amplifying the voices of our LGBTQ+ creators and talent, and platforming content that reminds people to love loud – and sing louder – in this special event.”

Produced in partnership with Disney Music Group and the Disney PRIDE Employee Resource Group, the assembled team of host, performers, director, and producers is predominantly comprised of members of the LGBTQ+ community, with the support of allies.

The concert will raise awareness for GLSEN, a nonprofit that The Walt Disney Company is proud to support, that works to ensure that LGBTQ+ students are able to learn and grow in a school environment free from bullying and harassment. The Walt Disney Company proudly contributes towards organizations that support LGBTQ+ communities and people.

Subscribers can discover LGBTQ+ characters and stories in the “Celebrate Pride Month” content set now streaming on Disney+ and join in recognizing the community all month long with special spotlights, musical moments, laughter, and love. Also in honor of Pride Month, the Pixar SparkShort “OUT” is now available to watch on YouTube with a special introduction from writer and director Steven Hunter and producer Max Sachar. Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co. for updates and all things Disney+! ?️‍?

Featured Photo Credit – Source: Disney+

Disney World Park Hours have been released through Sept 4th

By

Sara

-

June 18, 2021

Disney World Park Hours have been released through Sept 4th

Walt Disney World theme park hours are now available through early September! Hours were previously released through August 28, but we now know the scheduled hours for August 29 through September 4, 2021.

Magic Kingdom will be open from 9 am to 9 pm daily that week.

Epcot will be open for 10 hours daily for guests to enjoy the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. The park will open at 11 am and close at 9 pm.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios is scheduled to be open from 9 am to 7 pm every day that week.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is scheduled to be open from 8 am to 6 pm every day that week.

Have you planned your fall vacation to Walt Disney World yet? Contact me today for a free, no-obligation quote!

Marvel Disney+ Series Stars Featured in New Hyundai Commercials

By

Kaitlyn

-

June 18, 2021

Marvel Disney+ Series Stars Featured in New Hyundai Commercials. Marvel Fans can not get enough of the new Marvel Disney+ Original Series WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier and Loki. Though we will have to wait to see more of these stars in the MCU we now have new Hyundai commercials featuring our favorite characters in action! Check out the new commercials below:

https://twitter.com/Marvel/status/1405288073060028418?s=20

Watch the full collection of new Hyundai Commercials in the video shared below:

The first seasons of WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, as well as the first two episodes of Loki are now available to stream exclusively on Disney+. Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co. for updates and all things Marvel and Disney+!

Featured Photo Credit: Marvel / Hyundai

Source: Marvel Entertainment

Star Wars and Marvel Actors to Receive Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

By

Kaitlyn

-

June 18, 2021

Star Wars and Marvel Actors to Receive Stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The list of recipients for the 2020 Hollywood Walk of Fame Stars has been announced and there are plenty of stars from the Star Wars and Marvel Cinematic Universes! Honorees include Carrie Fisher (Posthumous), Ewan McGregor, Salma Hayek, Willem Dafoe, Ming-Na Wen, Tessa Thompson, and Micheal B. Jordan.

The stars took to social media to share their excitement for the announcement, as well as the honor bestowed upon friends who had passed and will receive their stars posthumously. See their reactions below:

Carrie WILL get her well-deserved Star on the Walk of Fame, it's only a matter of when. The rule is a 5-year wait when awarded posthumously. A letter to the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce wouldn't hurt, urging them to time it to the release of #EpIX⭐️#AlwaysWithUs pic.twitter.com/CVMX1csDwJ
— Mark Hamill (@MarkHamill) October 9, 2018

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ming-Na Wen (@mingna_wen)

Check out the recipients of the 2022 Hollywood Walk of Fame Stars:

In the category of MOTION PICTURES: Francis Ford Coppola, Macaulay Culkin, Willem Dafoe, Salma Hayek, James Hong, Helen Hunt, Michael B. Jordan, Regina King, Ray Liotta, Ewan McGregor, Adam McKay, Jason Momoa, Tessa Thompson and Carrie Fisher (posthumous)

In the category of TELEVISION: Byron Allen, Greg Berlanti, Ricky Gervais, Peter Krause, Bob Odenkirk, Holly Robinson-Peete, Norman Reedus, Tracee Ellis Ross, Jean Smart, Ming-Na Wen and Kenan Thompson

In the category of RECORDING: Black Eyed Peas, George E. Clinton Jr., Ashanti Douglas, DJ Khaled, Avril Lavigne, Los Huracanes Del Norte, Martha Reeves and Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Asghedom (posthumous)

In the category of LIVE THEATRE/LIVE PERFORMANCE: Patti Lupone, Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis, Jr. and Angelica Vale

In the category of RADIO: Richard Blade

In the category or Sports Entertainment: Michael Strahan

Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co. for all things Star Wars and Marvel!

Featured Photo Credit: Marvel Studios / Lucasfilm

Source: ITM

Scentsy Entering New Multi-Year Relationship With Walt Disney World

By

Danielle

-

June 18, 2021

After almost three years together with Disney, Scentsy has announced a new partnership with Walt Disney World! Scentsy and Walt Disney World are beginning a new multi-year relationship, that will designate Scentsy as the Official Home Fragrance of Walt Disney World® Resort.

Related: Beauty and the Beast Scentsy

Scentsy and Walt Disney World t will also be working together to bring a new guest experience to life within the Fantasyland area at Magic Kingdom Park! This new experience will create rich storytelling opportunities through fragrance.

We’re so curious and excited to see what this new partnership will bring!

What do you think of the new Scentsy and Walt Disney World relationship?

All Disney Theme Parks reopen for the first time in 17 months

By

Greg Gately

-

June 18, 2021

All Disney Theme Parks reopen for the first time in 17 months. Without a doubt, we are Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. With all the major parks reopening we get some of our lives back! Let’s just lay it out on the table. This past year has been rough. Our job here at Chip and Co. is to report news about Disney. Clearly, our jobs can only be done so much when half of our stories were closed off to us. More importantly, we watched friends lose jobs and had to start reporting a good amount of negative stuff. Not just job losses, but park closures, people going hungry, lack of employment, and also furloughs.

So, now that our cards are on the table, we can finally start moving into positive times. Articles about friends being rehired, parks reopening for us to write again, job fairs, and local employment rising again. So let us take a trip back and make a timeline for posterity’s sake. What the heck just happened, it seems like it was yesterday we heard the words Coronavirus.

As we start this, there are 12 Disney Theme Parks around the World we are counting, whereas we are not counting Disney Springs along with Water Parks. Furthermore, we are not listing Hotel reopenings. We are also gonna take a detour and not mention whatever Disneyland tried to do out west for those few weeks with no rides or shows.

Please come along for a ride through the past year and some months as we delve into the closings, openings, and subsequently, closings and some reopening’s again. Until we get back to June 15, 2021. On the first day, all the parks have been open together in the past 17 months.

CLOSURES

JANUARY 25TH, 2020 Shanghai Disneyland is the first park to close
JANUARY 26TH, 2020 Hong Kong Disneyland closes
FEBRUARY 29TH, 2020 Tokyo Disneyland closes
FEBRUARY 29TH, 2020 Tokyo DisneySEA closes
MARCH 14TH, 2020 Disneyland, CA closes
MARCH 14TH, 2020 California Adventure closes
MARCH 16TH, 2020 Magic Kingdom closes
MARCH 16TH, 2020 Animal Kingdom closes
MARCH 16TH, 2020 Epcot closes
MARCH 16TH, 2020 Hollywood Studios closes
MARCH 16TH, 2020 Disneyland Paris closes
MARCH 16TH, 2020 Walt Disney Studios Park closes

Now that we have all the closures out of the way, let us see how the roller coaster that goes on for the next few months with a few false starts.

Reopening and Closures

MAY 11TH, 2020 Shanghai Disneyland is the first park to reopen and will stay open.
JUNE 18TH, 2020 Hong Kong Disneyland Reopens for the first time.
JULY 1ST, 2020 Tokyo Disneyland Reopens and will stay open
JULY 1ST, 2020 Tokyo DisneySEA Reopens and will stay open.
JULY 8TH, 2020 Hong Kong Disneyland Closes for the second time.
JULY 11TH, 2020 Magic Kingdom Reopens and will stay open.
JULY 11TH, 2020 Animal Kingdom Reopens and will stay open.
JULY 15TH, 2020 Epcot Reopens and will stay open.
JULY 15TH, 2020 Hollywood Studios Reopens and will stay open.
JULY 15TH, 2020 Disneyland Paris Reopens for the first time.
JULY 15TH, 2020 Walt Disney Studios Park Reopens for the first time.
SEPT 22ND, 2020 Hong Kong Disneyland Reopens for the 2nd time.
OCT 29TH, 2020 Disneyland Paris Closes for the 2nd time
OCT 29TH, 2020 Walt Disney Studios Park Closes for the 2nd time.
DEC 12TH, 2020 Hong Kong Disneyland Closes for the 3rd time.
FEB 19TH, 2021 Hong Kong Disneyland Reopens again and stays open.
JULY 15TH, 2021 Disneyland Paris Reopens again and stays open.
JULY 15TH, 2021 Walt Disney Studios Park Reopens again and stays open.

Finally, that brings us to today with all the Disney World theme parks open! We are as excited as you all are about the openings of all that parks. We would like to thank you for keeping up with us over this past crazy year. Drop us a line here or on Facebook and let us know what park you have been waiting to see reopen. Or give us a good story about your first trip back. All positive! Lastly, we want to congratulate all the Cast Members who have returned to work or the new ones who are just starting.

We have a lot to celebrate today, as for the first time in 17 months, all of our theme parks around the world are open and welcoming guests to share the magic of Disney with their loved ones!
— Disney Parks News (@DisneyParksNews) June 17, 2021

Which COVID-Era changes are remaining at Disneyland

By

Sara

-

June 18, 2021

Which COVID-Era changes are remaining at Disneyland

This week California lifted most of its COVID restrictions and Disneyland made some changes as well. Not all COVID-era changes are gone though. Some will be around for a while.

Related – Disneyland extends theme park hours

“I don’t want to say we are going to go back to the way it was,” Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, said Thursday about managing the parks. “I want to be really smart in the way we do this.”

One of the biggest changes that is here to stay at the Disneyland Resort is the park reservation system. This system helps control the number of guests visiting the parks each day. Virtual queues are also remaining in place for the foreseeable future. Virtual queues allow guests to reserve a spot in line for some of the most popular attractions.

The annual passholder program was suspended in January but will be replaced with a new membership program. D’Amaro said the new program “will reflect the behavior of our superfans” and that more details will be released soon.

Rides and attractions in the parks continue to reopen, temperature checks are no longer required for guests, vaccinated guests can now enjoy the parks mask-free, and nighttime fireworks will return on July 4th!

Parades and opportunities to meet costumed characters are expected to come back at an unspecified later date. The Disneyland Monorail and the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage ride remain closed, with no reopening date announced. Now that park capacity has increased, crowd size has gone up along with ride wait times.

D’Amaro says the pent-up demand of Disney fans is the reason for the crowd increase. “The yearning for the Disney experience has grown stronger over the pandemic,” he said.

Have you been to Disneyland since the parks reopened?