Sesame Street has a long history of inclusion and diversity amongst its cast. The show’s latest additions include two new Black muppets named Wesley and his father Elijah Walker.
Sesame Workshop is shifting how they address race and racism on the show, and they’ll do it in the way they have broached so many other weighty topics on the show, a method that allows children to comprehend the core message. Wesley and Elijah are being introduced so that the show can talk about racial identity and what’s it’s like to be Black in America in a greater way, topics that the show has touched on briefly but never in such a focused manner
Also, stay tuned for the documentary highlighting the 50-year impact of this iconic show and the nonprofit behind it.
ABCPRESENTS ‘SESAME STREET: 50 YEARS OF SUNNY DAYS,
A TWO-HOUR SPECIAL ON THE LEGACY AND IMPACT OF THE BELOVED GLOBAL PHENOMENON, AIRING MONDAY, APRIL 26, AT 8|7C
The Documentary Special Chronicles the Creation of a Black Family of ‘Sesame Street’Muppets as Part of New Racial Justice Initiative
Special Appearances by W. Kamau Bell, Gloria Estefan, Dr. Anthony Fauci, Whoopi Goldberg, Christopher Jackson, John Legend, Lucy Liu, Olivia Munn, Questlove, Chrissy Teigen and Usher.
The facade to Peter Pan’s Flight in the Magic Kingdom has been getting an update over the last few weeks, and it looks like the sign is the next thing to be worked on! A themed scrim has been put in place where the main sign once hung.
The scrim has the same lettering we are used to seeing on the sign for Peter Pan’s Flight. The bright orange letters differ from the usual dark colors of the words. Normally, a dark purple title sits on a cloud, surrounded by Peter Pan, Wendy, John, and Michael, in flight. However, because the background of the banner is now blue, the orange stands out better. Tinkerbell still features prominently on the temporary sign, sprinkling pixie dust above guests who enter the queue.
Disney has made great efforts to keep Fantasyland beautiful during the renovations taking place. Peter Pan’s Flight has had decorative scrim up during its outside improvements, that mimic the look of the ride’s exterior. It’s not the only attraction that has had work done lately either! It’s a Small World had some work done on its exterior last year, which required walls and scrim to cover the attraction while it was being repainted. It looks fantastic now, so we are anxious to see the new and improved Peter Pan’s Flight!
Sip in style when you satisfy your thirst with the refreshing Disney Corkcicle Canteens. Featuring Disney art, the triple-insulated design keeps things cold for 25 hours or hot for 12 hours!
After being closed for more than one year, magic is back at the Disneyland Resort theme parks! Disneyland is rethinking how they can expand in the future with Project DisneylandForward.
DisneylandForward is Disney’s effort to work with the city of Anaheim to grow the Disneyland resort, update the blueprint for the resort district, and propel their economic rebound following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thinking big and leading the way is both our legacy and our best path forward. Now is the time to be bold, to dream, to believe, and to lead! The world-renowned Disneyland Resort is poised to bring back jobs to our community as well as new entertainment and experiences to loyal fans and new audiences for generations to come.
Ken Potrock, President, Disneyland Resort
In the 1990s, the City of Anaheim approved specific plans that would guide the growth of the Disneyland Resort and businesses in the newly formed Anaheim Resort area. These specific plans created districts or zones that largely specified what type of development could be built where. It also established strict guidelines regarding development size, height limits and streetscape standards.
The results were dramatic: a second Disney theme park, Anaheim’s first luxury hotel, a Downtown Disney District, a world-class Anaheim Resort with consistent signage and landscaping, an expanded and improved Convention Center, and transformative infrastructure, including parking areas, first responder services and utilities to accommodate future tourist-serving growth, and a comprehensive regional transportation plan.
To this day, Disney continues to invest in the Anaheim Resort with exciting additions like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, and the soon-to-open Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure Park. Unfortunately, the addition of more attractions and experiences in the future may be limited under current inflexible planning restrictions unless we remove and replace treasured rides and attractions in our parks today.
The Immersive Theme Park westside expansion envisions a theme park on the Downtown Disney and Lilo and Stitch parking lots woven amid the Disneyland Hotel and Paradise Pier Hotel.
Disney officials described the west-side site bounded by Katella Avenue, Walnut Street, Magic Way and Disneyland Drive as more of a theme park expansion than a new 3rd theme park.
Concept art of the west-side site shows a central mountain surrounded by water with buildings interspersed on the south end of the property. A mountain ridge to the west separates the theme park from nearby neighborhoods.
The west-side site links up with Downtown Disney near the unused AMC Theater and ESPN Zone.
Concept art of the northern end of the west-side site includes an Autopia-like car course and a Dumbo-like spinning ride.
The Disney Entertainment Destination east-side expansion would bring together theme park experiences, hotels, retail, dining and entertainment on the Toy Story parking lot next to the Anaheim Convention Center.
The east-side site on the 56-acre Fujishige strawberry-farm-turned-Disney-parking-lot has long been discussed as a possible “third park” for future theme park expansion.
Concept art of the east-side retail area features a central lagoon surrounded by shops and a low-rise hotel with a parking structure near the corner of Haster Street & Katella Avenue.
Disney will need more flexibility in Anaheim to accommodate the new integrated experiences. Retail, dining, entertainment, theme parks and hotels are all part of the same experiences in the same place. And Disney will need the space in their lands to create story-rich environments
The DisneylandForward plan also includes possible new parking along Disney Way.
With DisneylandForward and updated approvals, the Disneyland Resort will continue to be an industry leader in bringing first-of-a-kind offerings to Anaheim.
This property could be the perfect location to cater to locals, conventioneers, hotel and Disneyland Resort guests with restaurants, hotels, live music, shopping, ticketed shows and theme park experiences modeled after the popular Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort.
To support future development over the next few decades, Disney plans to significantly invest in transportation, parking, transit and pedestrian safety measures to improve mobility throughout The Anaheim Resort. In the future, Disney envisions creating a new parking destination on the east side of The Anaheim Resort, which would include a pedestrian bridge with upgraded entrance accessibility for hotels and businesses located along Harbor Boulevard. In addition, Disney will continue to work with area businesses and the city to invest in and encourage the use of public transit and ride-sharing for our cast and guests.
Right now Disneyland is at the beginning stages of the process. While the project will be refined over time, they hope to explore the creation of integrated experiences featuring new theme park attractions, dining, retail, hotel, and more. Right now, they don’t have any specific projects planned for the future. To be clear, Disney is not seeking any public funding for DisneylandForward, nor are we seeking additional square footage or hotel rooms beyond what is currently approved and allowed. Rather, they are simply asking to update their existing approvals to allow for integrated development to be located and built on Disney properties.
To read more about Disneyland Forward and to see some of the answered questions from Disney visit here.
California is expanding COVID-19 vaccine availability for all adults over 16 next month!
Adults over the age of 50 can make vaccine appointments starting April 1, 2021. A couple of weeks later, starting April 15, 2021, adults over 16 can make appointments.
Governor Gavin Newsom made the announcement on Twitter today. His post reads:
“NEW: CA is expanding eligibility for the #COVID19 vaccine. Beginning April 1, Californians 50+ will be able to sign up for an appointment. Beginning April 15, eligibility will be expanded to everyone 16 and older. The light at the end of the tunnel continues to get brighter.”
Be our guest and join us while we make an Enchanted Rose Pizza!
This culinary masterpiece features a rustic loaf of French bread just like the one Belle find at the village, some sauce, cheese and a romantic pepperoni rose! Everyone will love it for sure.
So bring out your finest china, light up some candles, grab your pizza and enjoy a magical night with your family watching Beauty and the Beast on Disney Plus.
Cut the French bread loaf in half horizontally. Flip the bottom of the load over to reveal a cloche-like shape of bread. This will be the pizza crust.
Cut the pepperoni slices in half. Roll up one pepperoni half into a tight, cone-like shape. Roll this cone inside another half of pepperoni, then repeat this process with all the pepperoni halves to create a full pepperoni rose. To keep the rose intact, use toothpicks to pierce the base of the rose as you continue adding pepperoni petals to it. Keep the toothpicks in the completed rose and place it in a small bowl to preserve its shape. Set aside.
Using a sharp paring knife, cut out a rose stem from the piece of zucchini.
Cut a small circle of bread out from the top center of the “cloche” pizza crust. This will help to keep the rose in place after the pizza is baked. Spread the pizza sauce on the crust in a thin later, then top evenly with the mozzarella. Bake the pizza for 7-10 minutes, or until the cheese is melted and lightly browned. Remove the pizza from the oven and set aside.
Trim a small slice off each olive so that they don’t roll when placed on the pizza. Select basil leaves that resemble rose petals.
To finish, remove the toothpicks from the pepperoni rose, then place it in the small circle cut out from the top center. Arrange the zucchini “stem”, basil, “rose leaves,” and olive “cloche handles” in place to create an Enchanted Rose Pizza.
Today Disney shared that a series of enhancements will be coming to Magic Kingdom for Walt Disney World’s 50th Anniversary Celebration.
We knew park icons would receive a makeover for the celebration. Now other areas of Magic Kingdom will get a refresh as well.
The Main Street Confectionery will receive a fresh new look, expanded layout, and interactive opportunities to customize your confections. The confectionery and the Chapeau will close March 29 for this refurbishment.
Other enhancements and refurbishments we’ve seen lately are:
Given theme park capacity will be significantly limited to comply with governmental requirements and promote physical distancing, we will manage attendance through a new theme park reservation system that will require all Guests to obtain a reservation for park entry in advance. To enter a park, both a park reservation and valid admission for the same park on the same date will be required for Guests ages 3 and up. Theme park reservations will be limited and subject to availability. Until further notice, only California residents may visit the parks, in line with current state guidelines.
Here is the official word from Disney on Unused Tickets:
Unused non-promotional single day tickets that expire on December 30, 2021 or March 31, 2022 will have the expiration date extended to December 30, 2022. Wholly unused, non-promotional multi-day tickets that expire on January 12, 2022 or April 13, 2022 will have the expiration date extended to January 12, 2023, and the ticket will expire 13 days after first use or on January 12, 2023, whichever occurs first.
Guests with multi-day tickets who used their first visit between February 28, 2020 and March 13, 2020 but did not reach their ticket’s maximum number of uses, will have the 13-day expiration period of their ticket extended to December 30, 2022.
Expiration dates on eligible ticket(s) will be updated prior to the theme parks’ reopening.
Still no details on Theme Park Ticket Prices have been shared online yet. Stay tuned to Chip and Co for more.
It’s starting to look even MORE magical at Disney’s Magic Kingdom! The theme park is fast at working on preparing Cinderella Castle for the 50th anniversary celebration of Walt Disney World Resort. You can take a look at some of the recent photos below.
The new castle redesign features a bolder blue color on the spires and gold accents on top. The inner curtain of the castle also features a new pink hue to help bring new color to the castle.
Disney also added a recent jewel embellishment on top of the castle. But more ornament details are coming soon!
Starting today Disney Hits, a brand-new, first-of-its-kind music channel launched on SiriusXM!
SiriusXM’s Disney Hits channel features everyone’s all-time favorite Disney music from movies, television shows and more, all on one channel. The channel showcases songs from classics such as The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Toy Story to newer favorites such as Frozen 2, Moana, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, Descendants 2, and many more. Listeners can also expect special musical Disney-themed hours and celebrity guest hosts.
Hollywood Records’ artist and Descendant‘s star Sofia Carson will be the channel’s first celebrity guest host taking over with a special Be Our Guest 4 The Day hour. Sofia Carson will be playing and talking through her top 4 favorite Disney songs as well as her new single. Be Our Guest 4 The Day featuring Sofia Carson will air on Friday, March 26 at 9:00 am ET, 12:00 pm ET, 3:00 pm ET and 6:00 pm ET.
Disney Hits will also present a new featured hour premiere every Monday at 12:00 pm ET. The first musical Disney-themed hour, airing Monday, March 29 will be “Disney Princesses,” playing songs from Disney favorite princesses including Tiana, Cinderella, Ariel, Belle and more. Following Disney Princesses, SiriusXM subscribers will be able to tune in on Monday, April 5 for a “Disney Villains” hour, where listeners will hear songs from villains they love to hate including Cruella de Vil, The Lion King’s Scar, The Little Mermaid’s Ursula and more.
Disney Hits is available to listeners nationwide on SiriusXM radios (channel 302) and on the SiriusXM app. For more information on SiriusXM’s Disney Hits channel visit: http://siriusxm.com/DisneyHits. #DisneySXM
Subscribers can listen online, on-the-go with the SiriusXM app, and with Amazon Alexa, the Google Assistant or however they stream at home. Go to www.siriusxm.com/ways-to-listen to learn more.
I’m pleased to announce that beginning this Monday, March 29, all Floridians age 40 and older will be eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Beginning the following Monday, April 5, all Floridians age 18 and older will be eligible.
Earlier this month we shared the news that the Main Street Confectionery would be closing for a long refurbishment. While closed they plan on giving our favorite snack destination a little bit of an update for Disney World’s 50th Anniversary!
This iconic location will soon receive a fresh new look, expanded layout with more room to shop and interactive opportunities to customize your confections like never before.
To bring these concepts to life, both Main Street Confectionery and The Chapeau will close for refurbishment later this month. Along with that, some of the merchandise and goodies will be shifting to other spots in the park.
Now don’t worry, you’ll still have plenty of options to satisfy your sweet tooth once work to transform the locations kicks off on March 29. Many of the treats from Main Street Confectionery will be available at Emporium and Main Street Cinema during the closure.
And have no worries about where to find your favorite Disney hats, including the must-have Mickey Mouse ears. Those will be just across the street at Box Office Gifts, at the Town Square Theater. Finally, if you’re looking for collectibles and artwork, Bonjour! Village Gifts will be the new go-to spot.
