Though Disney has shared films such as Free Guy and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings will only premiere in theaters this fall, with the new titles joining Disney+ around 45 days after the theatrical debut, we can’t help but wonder what Disney’s plans are for Disney+ Premier Access.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Disney+ Premier Access was a welcome option for fans to still enjoy new movie titles while theaters remained closed. For example, At the time of Mulan‘s release, my family sat down and cuddled on the couch as we munched on our popped popcorn with extra butter and a little bit of salt, while enjoying our own drinks and other snacks, all in the comfort of our own home. We didn’t even have to pay for a babysitter! As a parent, that aspect was a win-win.
Now as we grow closer to “business as normal,” we are excited to return to theaters for movie premieres, but what will this mean for Disney+ subscribers? The Disney+ Premier Access program has been subject to praise and opposition from Disney+ subscribers. Some find it a welcome treat to enjoy new titles from the comfort of their homes, but others feel it detracts from the experience of going to the theater and may just be a death sentence for movie theaters long term.
Disney had previously announced the upcoming and highly anticipated titles Cruella and Marvel Studios’ Black Widow will premiere simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access this Summer. Despite theaters reopening, Disney also announced this week that Jungle Cruise starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt will also debut in the same manner.
Do you think Disney should keep Disney+ Premier Access or should they return to theatrical premieres only starting this Fall? We would love to hear your thoughts in the comments and be sure to share which titles you plan to see or access when they debut this summer!
Today Disney Cruise Line has given us a sneak peek inside the first of its kind storybook in the Sky Funnel Suite on the Disney Wish.
See the line where the sky meets the sea? It’s calling guests home to the Wish Tower Suite, a first-of-its-kind accommodation set high in the forward funnel of the Disney Wish, which debuts in summer 2022. With an elegant design inspired by Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Moana,” incomparable ocean views and premium Disney service, this 1,966-square-foot penthouse in the sky will be a celebration of the enchantment and spirit of the sea.
“Each of our theme parks has a majestic icon that captures our guests’ imaginations,” said Laura Cabo, portfolio creative executive, Walt Disney Imagineering. “On a Disney cruise ship, that beacon of magic is our signature red funnels. For the first time ever, guests aboard the Disney Wish will be able to book an incredible two-story suite that’s actually located within one of our funnels. With the Wish Tower Suite, we are creating a breathtaking experience that continues our tradition of the most unique and enchanting accommodations at sea.”
The Wish Tower Suite is the latest addition to the new Disney ship, where every storybook-inspired stateroom will be a luxurious, peaceful retreat designed with ample room for families, plenty of storage and upscale amenities. Every guest will find their perfect home-away-from-home aboard the Disney Wish — 90% of the 1,254 staterooms will offer ocean views, more than 900 rooms will connect to accommodate larger families and more premium concierge accommodations will be available than ever before.
Wish Tower Suite
The Wish Tower Suite will be Disney Cruise Line’s most unique accommodation yet. With nearly 2,000 square feet of living space, it will comfortably sleep up to eight guests with two main bedrooms, a children’s room, a library that converts to a bedroom and four-and-a-half bathrooms.
The magnificent living room will be flanked by an open dining area, a large pantry and a bar, all offering extraordinary views across the upper decks to the horizon through an expansive two-story window wall.
Located on the upper-level loft, the main bedrooms will be lavish and serene with king beds, walk-in closets and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out over the living area below to the views beyond. The main bathrooms will each have double vanities, soaking tubs and rain showers.
Enchanting Design
The Wish Tower Suite is being designed with artwork, iconography and materials that evoke the Oceania-inspired world of “Moana.” A soothing palette of calm blues, soft whites and deep corals will lay the foundation for family rest and relaxation, while creative ornaments and custom artwork will convey sophisticated nods to the characters and locales of the film.
The piece de resistance will be a hand-crafted porcelain sculpture that comes alive in an only-Disney-can-do way. When guests arrive home to the Wish Tower Suite, they may discover the statue pulsing in myriad hues of green amid soft chimes that recall the film’s distinctive soundtrack, revealing itself as the heart of Te Fiti. The special lighting and audio effects will eventually fill the room to provide a truly magical, one-of-a-kind greeting.
Other film-inspired decorations include a custom canvas piece depicting Moana sailing on the sea; dimensional props that celebrate the treasures of the ocean and the local crafts of Moana’s village; and a glittering sculpture composed of shiny objects – a playful interpretation of Tamatoa’s dazzling collection. The children’s room, which will feature uniquely designed built-in bunkbeds, will enchant kids of all ages with a sparkling constellation pattern that lights up the ceiling to reveal imagery from the movie composed entirely of stars: Moana’s oar, Gramma Tala, Maui’s hook and the heart of Te Fiti.
Unparalleled Service and Amenities
Guests can expect the royal treatment while staying in the Wish Tower Suite, marked by the expert service of a personal concierge team, an elegant array of curated experiences, a delightful selection of daily treats and a private elevator.
The Wish Tower Suite will feature plush Frette duvets, bed linens, bath towels and robes; motorized sheer and block-out curtains; a wet bar stocked with water and sodas; complimentary internet access; and a deluxe menu of hypo-allergenic, feather and therapeutic memory foam pillows. Guests will also enjoy VIP access to the concierge lounge and sun deck with two whirlpools, a wading pool, a bar, lush lounge furniture and the superlative service of a pool deck host.
Maiden Voyage and Inaugural Season
The Disney Wish will sail its maiden voyage on June 9, 2022, followed by a season of three- and four-night cruises to Nassau, Bahamas, and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, from Port Canaveral, Florida. Bookings open to the general public on May 27, 2021.
To learn more about the Disney Wish or to book a vacation, guests can visit disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888-325-2500 or contact their travel agent.
Marvel Star Kat Dennings Announces She is Engaged to Andrew W.K. Shortly after revealing that the pair were dating, WandaVision and Thor actress Kat Dennings shared the news that rocker Andrew W.K. had proposed and she said “Yes!” Dennings made the announcement via Twitter with a photo of her stunning ring along with the caption: “Don’t mind if I do @AndrewWK”
You can currently catch Kat Dennings in the Disney+ and Marvel Studios Original Series, WandaVision, but be on the lookout for Dr. Darcy Lewis in the upcoming Marvel projects. Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co. for updates and all things Marvel!
Brightline Expansion to Disney is under heavy fire from many sides. With Universal and I-Drive businesses wanting a stop and now a lawyer for Hunter’s Creek in south Orange County. The new issue is the railroad tracks along State Road 417.
“Our residents and business owners are expressing concerns about the noise, safety, dirt, and property values,” the lawyer said in an email to the Central Florida Expressway Authority, which owns and operates the tolled S.R. 417. “The proposed route through the SR-417 would impose all of the burdens of a high-speed train on the Hunter’s Creek community with none of the benefit.”
Brightline is already under negotiations with Central Florida Expressway Authority who owns SR-417 about paying for losses of toll revenue from drivers switching to rail transportation.
According to the Orlando Sentinel:
The privately-owned company also is pursuing planning and permits for an additional expansion from Orlando’s airport to Tampa, most of which would follow public right-of-way along Interstate 4.
That would make Orlando the central hub in Brightline’s Miami-to-Tampa service, the only privately owned, higher-speed passenger rail in the nation.
Brightline is also facing challenges of everyone wanting something from them, besides being a major hub for the company, the Orlando area wants 3 stops now, a local passenger rail service to the airport and to the International Drive and Orange County Convention Center area, and Disney Springs. Plus they want to change how Brightline spends its money by bypassing the 417 route and going more expensive with a 528 to I-Drive, which is double the cost.
Just for context, Brightline is not asking for local or state funding, they are funding the project fully. With expected opening summer of 2022.
This has turned into a hot button issue locally, with Disney fans and vacationers just wanting a quick easy way to get to the resort area, now that Magical Express will no longer be operating next year.
As live entertainment and Disney performers continue to return to Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., “A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King” will debut May 15, 2021, at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. Presented in a modified format to be mindful of the current environment, the show features music and characters from the classic Disney film “The Lion King.” (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
“A Celebration of Festival of the Lion King” is officially opening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom on May 15th! This past weekend guests were able to get a sneak peek at this majestic show!
In celebration of the Festival of the Lion King returning to the Animal Kingdom, Disney will be hosting a special live stream tomorrow on the Parks Blog! A special one-time live stream will be available on May 15 at 12:25 p.m. ET for those at home to see the Festival of the Lion King once again!
The epic Spaceship Earth Cookie Jar has been spotted once again! It is now showing up at Disney Springs, and while it may sell out, it seems to keep being restocked. This amazing cookie jar sold out quickly on shopDisney, but if you happen to be around the Disney Springs area you may be able to snag it now!
The cookie jar retails for $55.00, and is a very large size! It is made from ceramic and over a half foot tall, It also has a glossy glaze finish, and comes complete with a lid that has a silicone gasket for a snug fit. After all, if our cookies are going to be grand and miraculous, they have to be fresh!
I personally really want this for my collection, so I’m excited to see it popping up more often again! What do you think about the gorgeous Spaceship Earth Cookie Jar?
Special thanks to our friend Kevin for the grand and miraculous photo! As well as Wright Touch of Magic for the Video!
Epcot Cast Member Honored by Jeff Vahle President, Walt Disney World Resort and Vice President of Security, Linda Reid, and Vice President of EPCOT, Kartika Rodriguez. EPCOT Security Cast Member Joe Diaz leaped into a pond, entered a partially flooded car, and kept a trapped four-year-old’s head above water until emergency teams could arrive and free him.
Jeff Vahle posted on his Instagram account honoring Joe Diaz with the story of his heroics from 2020, and photos of the Disney Heroes Award, given to Cast Members who save a life or prevent serious injury.
Emergency preparedness and safety are highly valued here at Disney, so much so that a special award — the Disney Heroes Award — was introduced to recognize employees who save a life or prevent serious injuries.
The five-year-old program was established to commend heroic acts performed by Disney employees in and outside of the workplace. Any employee from across The Walt Disney Company can submit a nomination on behalf of a colleague who performs a life-saving act, whether it’s clearing the airway of a choking victim or reporting a life-threatening security issue to authorities. Since the program launched, more than 100 Disney Heroes Awards have been awarded to teams and employees around the world — from Tokyo to Germany and in the U.S.
With Disneyland reopening and capacity increasing at Walt Disney World, more and more cast members have been recalled to work. Yesterday, during Disney’s quarterly earnings call, CEO Bob Chapek shared that 80% of cast members asked to return to work have done so.
This is fantastic news considering tens of thousands of cast members were laid off or furloughed due to the pandemic. During the earnings call Chapek said, “In terms of labor, we had about 80% of our cast members return that we’ve asked to return. And obviously one of the gating factors is to continue to get more and more cast members back, it thrills us to be able to do that. We’ve had no problems whatsoever in terms of trying to get our cast to come back and make some magic for our guests.”
When Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts reopened, cast members lined Main Street to welcome guests back to the magic. Cast members are an integral part of making magic for guests at the theme parks and we are so glad to have them back!
Walt Disney World theme parks currently require all cast members and guests ages 2 and up to wear masks while on Disney property. Now that the CDC has updated its mask guidelines, Disney World could end its mask mandate as early as this summer.
Disney World has made changes to its health and safety measures recently. Yesterday Disney CEO Bob Chapek spoke about some of these changes during Disney’s earnings call. Chapek mentions how Florida will be more pleasant in the summer if masks are not required. He said the CDC’s new guidance regarding vaccinated individuals not needing to wear masks is “big news” for Disney.
“In terms of the parks, and when we’re going to sort of be able to raise our capacity limits, we’ve actually already started that, given the guidance that just came today, from the CDC, and earlier guidance that we got from the governor of Florida, we’ve already started to increase our capacities, those obviously today’s guidance that we got from the CDC in terms of those that were vaccinated do not necessarily need to wear masks anymore, both outdoors and indoors. Is very big news for us, particularly if anybody’s been in Florida in the middle of the summer with a mask on. That could be quite daunting. So we think that’s going to make for an even more pleasant experience and we believe that as we’re now bringing back a lot of people back to work, that it’s going to be an even bigger catalyst for growth in attendance, and we’ve been quite pleased to date,” Chapek said.
Tomorrow, Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings is expected to drop the county’s mask mandate for everyone when outdoors. Disney has been changing and phasing out some of its health and safety measures recently and now might even be willing to modify or remove the mask requirement.
Tri-Circle-D Ranch got a special visitor for its 1 year anniversary. Mickey Mouse himself made an appearance wearing his Cowboy Outfit, complete with a cowboy hat for the occasion. Tri-Circle-D is located at The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort and is home to Cinderella’s Ponies. In a Facebook post shared by Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment they shared a few photos of Mickey. You can see the whole post below.
Today marks the first anniversary of the new barn at the Tri-Circle-D Ranch and what a year it’s been! Congratulations to the Ranch Hands who in the past year helped reopen Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground welcomed the arrival of our newest foals Violet, Obie, and Patches, and continue to make magic as a part of character cavalcades at Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. You can visit the barn daily between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., book a Trail Ride, or enjoy a Pony Ride to see these horses for yourself.
Mosey on over for trail, pony, wagon and carriage rides amid the rustic beauty of Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort. Tri-Circle-D is a great place to schedule pony rides, horseback riding, wagon rides, carriage and sleigh rides.
Stroll through the stables to see Cinderella’s Ponies and the majestic horses of Main Street, U.S.A. Discover the Dragon Calliope—the horse-drawn musical instrument that Walt Disney purchased for the Mickey Mouse Club Circus Parade at Disneyland Park in the 1950s.
Animal lovers of all ages will delight in the variety of breeds that live at Tri-Circle-D Ranch, including Appaloosas, Arabians, Belgians, Clydesdales, paint horses, Percherons, and quarter horses, plus Shetland ponies.
The Walt Disney Company today reported their earnings for its second fiscal quarter ending on April 3rd, 2021. Diluted earnings per share (EPS) from continuing operations for the quarter increased to $0.50 from $0.26 in the prior-year quarter. Excluding certain items(1), diluted EPS for the quarter increased 32% to $0.79 from $0.60 in the prior-year quarter. EPS from continuing operations for the six months ended April 3, 2021 decreased 64% to $0.52 from $1.43 in the prior-year period. Excluding certain items(1), EPS for the six months decreased 48% to $1.11 from $2.13 in the prior-year period. Results for the quarter and six months ended April 3, 2021 were adversely impacted by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). The most significant impact was at the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products segment where since late in the second quarter of fiscal 2020, our parks and resorts have been closed or operating at significantly reduced capacity and our cruise ship sailings have been suspended.
“We’re pleased to see more encouraging signs of recovery across our businesses, and we remain focused on ramping up our operations while also fueling long-term growth for the Company,” said Bob Chapek, Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “This is clearly reflected in the reopening of our theme parks and resorts, increased production at our studios, the continued success of our streaming services, and the expansion of our unrivaled portfolio of multiyear sports rights deals for ESPN and ESPN+.”
Disney Parks, Experiences and Products revenues for the quarter decreased 44% to $3.2 billion, and segment operating results decreased $1.2 billion to a loss of $406 million. Lower operating results for the quarter were due to decreases at our parks and experiences business, partially offset by growth at our consumer products business.
As a result of COVID-19, Disneyland Resort and Disneyland Paris were closed and our cruise business was suspended for all of the current quarter, whereas these businesses closed in mid-March of the prior-year quarter. Hong Kong Disneyland Resort was open for approximately 30 days during the current quarter, compared to approximately 25 days in the prior-year quarter. Walt Disney World Resort and Shanghai Disney Resort were both open in the current quarter. In the prior-year quarter, Walt Disney World Resort closed in mid-March and Shanghai Disney Resort closed in late January. Our parks and resorts that were open during the quarter operated at significantly reduced capacities.
At our consumer products business, operating income growth was driven by increases in merchandise and games licensing revenues. Growth in merchandise licensing revenues was driven by higher revenue from merchandise based on Star Wars, including The Mandalorian, Disney Princesses and Mickey and Minnie, partially offset by a decrease in revenues from merchandise based on Frozen. The increase in games licensing revenues was primarily due to the fiscal 2021 release of Marvel’sSpider-Man: Miles Morales and higher royalties from Twisted Wonderland, partially offset by lower royalties from Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order.
We estimate the total net adverse impact of COVID-19 compared to the prior-year quarter was a decrease in segment operating income of approximately $1.2 billion.
If you would like to read the complete earnings report for the 2nd quarter of 2021 click here.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said today that the state will end the mask mandate for most circumstances on June 15, 2021. This announcement comes after the CDC changed guidelines for vaccinated individuals in regards to mask wearing.
“We’re not wearing face coverings. We’re not restricted in any way, shape or form from doing the old things that we used to do, save for huge, large-scale indoor convention events like that, where we use our common sense,” Newsom said in an interview with Fox 11.
Back in April Newsom announced he would lift most of the state’s coronavirus restrictions on June 15 but at the time he was not budging on the mask mandate. Today, he changed his stance saying masks would be required “only for those massively large settings where people from around the world, not just around the country, are conversing.”
Newsom also said the state would make recommendations but there would be no mandates or restrictions on businesses. It looks like California will be like Florida and allow businesses to decide what health and safety guidelines to enact.
Disneyland and Universal Hollywood are private businesses and will still have their own guidelines and rules. Theme parks might also fall under Newsom’s “large settings” which would still require guests to wear masks.
For now, face masks are required for all guests age 2 and up visiting Disneyland.
