Force Friday II Has revealed the New BB-9E Darkside Droid

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August 31, 2017

As part of the global Force Friday II celebration that has kicked off around the world, Star Wars lovers in Australia got the amazing first official unveiling of a new dark side character from the upcoming Star Wars: The Last Jedi film, named BB-9E! Like many stores around the world have started doing, and will continue to do, Australia opened their doors at midnight to welcome fans seeking new Star Wars: The Last Jedi products, and attendees got to meet the BB-9E Darkside Droid in both AR and toy form to share with other fans via social media.

Fans will get their first chance to take home products inspired by Star Wars: The Last Jedi over the Force Friday II weekend. The new line is Star Wars’ most innovative yet, infusing technology to allow fans to experience the franchise in whole new ways.

BB-9E is certainly an intriguing new character reveal. This new droid is part of the astromech unit of the First Order. The astromech unit keeps their starships and machinery operational, and is featured across the Star Wars: The Last Jedi product lines. It can also be viewed in life-size AR form at participating retail locations hosting the Find the Force pop-up AR treasure hunt. Using the Find the Force feature in the Star Wars App, fans will be able to unlock an AR version of BB-9E on day one of the three-day initiative (Sept. 1-3), while getting a first look at the new Star Wars: The Last Jedi toys, collectibles, books, comics, apparel, home décor and more.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi over the Force Friday II weekend will give fans their first chance to take home products from the new line. This new line is Star Wars’ most innovative yet. The products infuse technology which gives fans the chance to experience the franchise in whole new ways.

Exciting new technology-led products include:

Force Link Starter Set + Figures, Vehicles & Playset by Hasbro: Hasbro’s new Force Link technology combines wearable tech with the beloved characters and vehicles from the Star Wars saga to deliver a play experience that brings Star Wars stories to life like never before. The Force Link technology unlocks an extensive collection of sounds, phrases and lights with over 30 compatible figures, vehicles, and playsets at launch. Starter Set Price: $24.99 USD
R2-D2 and BB-9E App-Enabled Droids by Sphero: Controlled with a smart device, you can drive these droids, watch Star Wars films together, explore holographic simulations and more. Price: $179.99 (R2-D2), $149.99 (BB-9E) USD
Droid Inventor Kit by littleBits: Kids can create their own droid and bring it to life using littleBits electronic Bits and a smart device. With the droid Inventor app, they’ll give their droid new abilities and take it on 16+ missions. Then they’ll level-up their inventor skills, reconfiguring parts to design any droid they can dream up. The kit comes with everything kids need to create and customize a droid straight out of the box. Initial configuration is easy with step-by-step video instructions to create their droid, then control it in Drive mode, Self Navigation Mode, Force Mode, and more. After mastering these skills, kids continue on to challenges that spark creativity and get them inventing brand-new droids. Price: $99.95 USD
Star Wars Jedi Challenges: A new augmented reality Star Wars product that allows fans to experience Star Wars in ways never before possible. Jedi Challenges features a smartphone-powered Lenovo Mirage AR headset, Lightsaber Controller, and hours of Star Wars gameplay. With this product, players train to perfect their lightsaber skills by taking on some of the most menacing villains the dark side has to offer, command armies in combat missions to defeat the Empire, and outwit their opponents in Holochess, all in augmented reality. Jedi Challenges is compatible with both Android phones and iPhones, will be available this holiday season and is available for pre-order now for $199.99 at Best Buy and Lenovo online.
Star Wars Battle Drones by Propel: This year, Propel revolutionizes its Collector’s edition Star Wars Drones with its new Flight Training app. Players will learn how to fly a drone virtually in the Star Wars universe via Bluetooth. As beginner pilots use Propel’s Flight Training app, they will begin their journey in flight simulator mode: this experience uses 34 training missions to teach beginner pilots to fly like pros. An additional feature of the app is its Live Battle mode, where pilots are able to connect and battle with other Star Wars drone pilots in multiplayer battles, inspired by missions and battles from the Star Wars movies. Price: $179 USD

On the less techy side, there will also be Funko vinyl figures and collectibles featuring many familiar, and even some new characters of the Star Wars Franchise.

BB-9E and Rose are two of the most stand out characters that I saw in the new merchandise, I can’t wait to find out more about them! For more information be sure to visit Star Wars Find the Force

The Force Friday II event will be kicking off at Midnight tonight at the World of Disney, in Disney Springs! Chip will be there waiting to bring us all the out of this galaxy news!

What do you think of the new BB-9E Darkside Droid?

VoluntEARS Build Ten Foot Maleficent Dragon Out of Cans for Charity in Orange County

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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August 31, 2017

VoluntEARS Build Ten Foot Maleficent Dragon Out of Cans for Charity in Orange County

has returned returning to Maleficent’s iconic dragon. the sculpture will be

Star Wars-BB-8

VoluntEARS Build Ten Foot Maleficent Dragon Out of Cans for Charity in Orange County

Sadness- Inside Out

VoluntEARS Build Ten Foot Maleficent Dragon Out of Cans for Charity in Orange County

The Mad Hatter- Alice in Wonderland

VoluntEARS Build Ten Foot Maleficent Dragon Out of Cans for Charity in Orange County

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Have you been to CANstruction Orange County? Share your pictures of this amazing art below.

SOURCE: ITM

PHOTOS: canstructionorangecounty

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The Spirit of Halloween Extends to Cars Land, California Adventure This Year!

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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August 31, 2017

The Spirit of Halloween Extends to Cars Land, California Adventure This Year!

Halloween Time at Disneyland has been expanded! New for this year, guests attending Halloween Time will still be able to find all of their favorite spooks of the past at Disneyland Park while new frights are in store over at California Adventure.

The Spirit of Halloween Extends to Cars Land, California Adventure This Year!

In Cars Land, the residents of Radiator Springs are transforming their little road town into a Haul-O-Ween celebration. Each establishment will be decorated for the season, with Fillmore showing off his Jack-Oil-Lanterns and ghostly folk art, a Spider-Car spinning webs all over Flo’s V8 Café and more.

Two Cars Land attractions will also transform for the first time ever this Halloween season. Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters will become Luigi’s Honkin’ Haul-O-Ween, an all-new spooktacular dance celebration where Luigi and Guido will entertain the cugini (cousins) with Halloween twists on traditional Italian festival songs like the “Terror-antella,” “The Chop Top of Carsoli” and more. Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree will become Mater’s Graveyard JamBOOree, where guests will whirl around the graveyard to the tune of creepy new songs and fun haunted twists on favorites such as “Monster Truck Smash” and “Welcome to Radiator Screams.”

At Buena Vista Street, a new 10-foot-tall statue of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow, holding his jack-o’-lantern head up to the sky, will haunt Carthay Circle. Mickey Mouse and his friends bring more Halloween fun to this stylish avenue, donning new costumes, with Mickey Mouse as a bat, Goofy as a ghost, Daisy Duck as a witch and more!

The Spirit of Halloween Extends to Cars Land, California Adventure This Year!

Discover these new experiences along with returning favorites during Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort, September 15 through October 31!

It’s not too late to start panning your visit to Disneyland for Halloween Time! CLICK HERE , fill out the form below, or send an email for a FREE, no obligation quote with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. I offer rate monitoring to ensure you are receiving the best available rate offered by Disney and my services are 100% FREE!

The Spirit of Halloween Extends to Cars Land, California Adventure This Year!

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Source: Disney

Disney/ABC Television Announce Layoffs

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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August 31, 2017

Disney/ABC Television Announce Layoffs

Per reports, Disney/ABC Television will be laying off around 300 people due to budget cuts. Employees who work for ABC Network, its production studio, local ABC affiliates, and cable stations such as the Disney Channel and FreeForm will be affected by these cuts. These cuts are due to Disney/ABC President, Ben Sherwood, promising Bob Iger he would cut $300 million from his budget.

Both the Disney Channel and ABC have had their fair share of troubles in recent months. It’s been reported that the Disney Channel and FreeForm have seen a 20% decrease in viewers. ABC has also been coming in around third or forth in ratings against other networks. Earlier this year, ESPN – who is separate from Disney/ABC Television, also announced they were laying off several of their popular reporters and anchors.

Disney does appear to be trying to restructure their television presence when they announced they would be pulling all of their programming and movies from Netflix and start their own streaming service. The Disney service is expected to go live sometime in 2019.

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Image Credit: Disney/ABC Television

‘Red Cards’ at Disney World Soon to be a Thing of the Past

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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August 31, 2017

Say it isn’t so! The Inquistor is reporting the infamous “red cards” given to guests at Disney World to track attraction wait times are being phased out. (An interesting tidbit: Did you know the official name of the “red cards” are FLIK cards?) The famous “red cards” are given to a guest entering the queue. Then, once the guest reaches the end of the line, the guest turns the card over to the Cast Member to see how long they waited. Disney has elected to use the already existing technology in MagicBands to gauge wait times for attractions instead.

The folks at The Inquistor were able to confirm this with a few different Cast Members at Disney World. A supervisor in Future World at Epcot confirmed that the RELAUNCHED! Mission Space already did away with the cards. This Cast Member also stated they would soon be removed form Test Track. Another Cast Member also stated that the cards were being replaced by the MagicBand technology. Finally, a Guest Services Cast Member confirmed the elimination of the cards but stated there was no timeline for their removal.

I don’t know why, but it’s always a little exciting to get one of these. #magickingdom #waltdisneyworld #wdw #disneyworld #disneygram #disneyredcard

A post shared by I ♥️Disney (@_must_love_disney_) on Jul 21, 2017 at 11:24am PDT

Are you sad to see the “red cards” leave the parks? I know people love being the chosen one. It almost seemed like you won a prize when a Cast Member handed one over to you. I know I will miss them!

Let’s start planning your trip to Disney World before the “red cards” are gone for good! CLICK HERE , fill out the form below, or send an email for a FREE, no obligation quote with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner. I offer rate monitoring to ensure you are receiving the best available rate offered by Disney and my services are 100% FREE!

'Red Cards' at Disney World Soon to be a Thing of the Past

Click here for your FREE no obligation quote!

As an agent with MickeyTravels, I’ll be on hand to help you with everything from finding your perfect package to nabbing those hard-to-get dining and FastPass reservations. I work with all Disney Destinations. Best of all, my services are absolutely FREE. Get in touch at 1.954.401.9577, via email at [email protected], or follow along on Facebook.

Dockside Margaritas at Disney Springs is Serving Up Out-of-This World Libations as Part of Force Friday II

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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August 31, 2017

Star Wars fans at Disney Springs this evening are in for a special treat. Visitors to Dockside Margaritas can indulge in one of the amazing (limited) Star Wars-themed cocktails being served up as part of the Force Friday II promotion.

Here’s a quick taste of the amazing drinks you’ll find!

Let’s start with the Scarif Punch which features Parrot Bay Coconut Rum, Midori, Pineapple Juice, and Orange Juice and served with a Death Star Glow Cube.

Then there’s the Scoundrel’s Swill which is a tasty mix of Midori, Blue Curacao, Dekuyper Sour Apple Pucker Sour Apple and Sweet and Sour served with a Millenium Falcon glow cube.

Both cocktails retail for $13.50.

There’s also a Grab-and-Go cart with other Star Wars-themed offerings including: Lightspeed Lemonade featuring Ciroc Vodka, a Rebel IPA, and a Tie Iced Tea featuring Captain Morgan’s Spiced Rum

Our very own Chip paid a visit to Dockside Margaritas this afternoon and found out that not only were these specialty drinks already being served but that the glow cubes were going fast.

So if you plan on heading to Disney Springs this evening for Force Friday II, be sure to stop by and stock up as early as possible. The drinks will be on offer until 12 midnight just in time for the exciting retail event that follows.

For those wondering what Force Friday II is, it’s a special merchandising event held at Walt Disney World. Here’s a quick clip that gives you a sense of what it’s all about.

For guests attending the event at Disney Springs, registration for Force Friday II will take place outside the World of Disney store entrance across from Basin and started at 6:00 p.m.

Guests will be given a numbered wristband on a first-come, first-serve basis. Once a wristband is received, guests are invited to return to World of Disney by 11:30 p.m. where they will be lined up in sequential order. Doors open at 12:01 a.m. on September 1. Guests are advised to park in the Lime Parking Garage at Disney Springs for shopping convenience.

May the Force (Friday) be with you!

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Images copyright Disney

Starbucks and Star Wars Collide at Disney Springs for Force Friday

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

August 31, 2017

Force Friday kicks off tonight at midnight in Disney Springs. While you are waiting in line to check out all the latest Star Wars merchandise, make sure to head over to Starbucks and try out their specialty drinks they have concocted just for the special, out-of-this-world occasion!

Here’s what is on the menu:

The Green Master

Green tea Frappuccino with java chip and caramel drizzle

Galactic Smoothie

Strawberry with fresh blueberries

The Trooper

Vanilla bean Frappuccino with java chips and mocha drizzle

The Dark Side

Java chip Frappuccino with toffee nut syrup and an espresso shot

OB One Cannoli Frappuccino

Carmel mocha with cinnamon dolce syrup, mocha drizzle and caramel whipped cream

If none of those wet your whistle, there are also rumors that the iconic Pumpkin Spice Latte will be making it’s long awaited return tomorrow!

May the force be with you!

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Starbucks and Star Wars Collide at Disney Springs for Force Friday

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As an agent with MickeyTravels, I’ll be on hand to help you with everything from finding your perfect package to nabbing those hard-to-get dining and FastPass reservations. I work with all Disney Destinations. Best of all, my services are absolutely FREE. Get in touch at 1.954.401.9577, via email at [email protected], or follow along on Facebook.

Did You Know That The Lion King and The Godfather Are Connected?

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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August 31, 2017

Did You Know That The Lion King and The Godfather Are Connected?

Did you know that The Godfather and The Lion King are connected? It’s true! Ernie Sabella, the voice of ‘Pumbaa’ from Disney’s The Lion King, revealed for the first time today the unlikely inspiration for the warthog’s distinct voice: The Godfather. In “Watch A Disney Movie With…” – a new digital series that invites fans to rewatch iconic Disney movies with the beloved film stars – Sabella explains how Pumbaa’s voice emerged from Godfather character Frankie Pentangeli, played by Michael Gazzo.

Sabella grabs some popcorn and sits down with Oh My Disney to uncover golden nuggets from the iconic 1994 Disney film:

3:34: How he and ‘Timon’ voice actor Nathan Lane initially read for the roles of hyenas. (And how their undeniable chemistry won them praise from the producers.)
2:28: How the voice actors achieved a “Disney first,” working on each scene, each line – together.
4:16: The Pumbaa actor’s favorite Lion King scene and why.
4:40: The warthog’s more than two-decade legacy and where it’s headed.

“Watch A Disney Movie With… Pumbaa ” is the first episode in the new series produced by Disney Digital Network. The show will take a deep dive with the legendary actors of Disney films; reveal exclusive stories from filming; and capture film talent’s genuine reactions to iconic scenes.

Are you ready to start planning your amazing Disney vacation? Our friends at MickeyTravels (designated with Platinum Earmarked status by Disney) can help! Click Here for your FREE No Obligation Quote from one of their Authorized Disney Vacation Planners.

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Ready to experience Disney for yourself? There are still fantastic 2017 Summer and Fall packages to be had. Click here or send an email for a FREE, no obligation quote with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner.

Want more help planning your next Disney vacation? As an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, my goal is to help you plan the Magic your way. I create customized itineraries, book advanced dining and FastPass+ reservations, monitor for discounts for your vacation, and much much more! And did I mention that my services are FREE? Get in touch toll-free at 1-800-454-4501, via email at [email protected] or follow along on Facebook.

Churros Now Available at Dino Diner in Animal Kingdom

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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August 31, 2017

AK Churros

For visitors to the Animal Kingdom over the next couple of weeks looking for your churro fix, you’ll find this iconic tasty treat at a new location within Dinoland U.S.A. Located over by the DINOSAUR attraction, churros are now on sale at Dino Diner where you can pick one up with chocolate sauce for $5.19 or 1 snack credit for those on the Disney Dining Plan.

Check out the official tweet released by Disney yesterday:

Don’t worry! Churros aren’t extinct at Disney’s #AnimalKingdom – they’ve simply roamed over to Dino Diner! pic.twitter.com/LivFrNrikl

— WDW Today (@WDWToday) August 30, 2017

So next time you are roaming the savannas, exploring Pandora, or climbing Everest, be sure to stop by and indulge in one of Disney’s much-loved sweet treats.

Tasting Sampler

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Thinking about a visit to Disney World? There are still great 2017 packages to be had and 2018 packages are now on sale! Fill out our form below to receive your FREE quote!

Find articles like this helpful? Then why not consider working with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner? As an agent with MickeyTravels, I’ll be on hand to help you with everything from finding your perfect package to nabbing those hard-to-get Fastpass and dining reservations and sharing tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your time at the parks. Best of all my services are absolutely FREE. Get in touch at 1.800.801.4025 via email at [email protected] or follow along on Facebook

Images copyright Disney

Take a Photo Tour of the New 2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Merchandise

By

Danielle

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August 31, 2017

2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Merchandise

The 2017 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is finally here, and that means all new merchandise! The New 2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Merchandise is filled with deep purples, blues and reds, as well as plenty of Figment and Remy!

The festival center is filled with all different kiosks dedicated to the many different items available this year. Take a look at our walk through the festival center to see all the different items and themes available.

For a more in depth look at the new Food and Wine merchandise check out The Disney Fashionista!

Which item is your favorite from the new 2017 Epcot Food and Wine Festival Merchandise?

Could ‘The Light Lab’ Be The Most Popular Destination At The 2017 EPCOT Food and Wine Festival?

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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August 31, 2017

Light Lab

The Light Lab is one of the brand new booths at the 2017 EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival. I can already tell you that it is going to be extremely popular. The entire space is lit by black lights so you can’t “glow” wrong with this one!