Month: May 2016

Disney’s ‘Mary Poppins Returns’ Gets December 2018 Release Date

Super-cali-fragil-istic-expi-ali-docious.

Disney on Monday announced that its Mary Poppins sequel will open on Dec. 25, 2018, more than five decades after the 1964 classic film first played in theaters. The studio also revealed the movie’s title for the first time: Mary Poppins Returns.

The musical stars Emily Blunt as the magical nanny opposite Lin-Manuel Miranda, star and creator of the Broadway hit musical Hamilton.

Rob Marshall is directing Mary Poppins Returns from an adapted script by David Magee, as well as producing alongside Marc Platt and John DeLuca. Marc Shaiman is composing an all new-score, while he and Scott Wittman are collaborating in writing the original songs.

The character of Mary Poppins was first introduced to the world in P.L. Travers’ 1934 book, which Disney adapted into the 1964 movie starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Travers wrote seven additional books about Mary Poppins that were published between 1935 and 1988.

“I am truly humbled and honored to be asked by Disney to bring P.L. Travers’ further adventures to the screen,” Marshall said in a statement. “The iconic original film means so much to me personally, and I look forward to creating an original movie musical that can bring Mary Poppins, and her message that childlike wonder can be found in even the most challenging of times, to a whole new generation.”

The story will be set in Depression-era London, where a now grown-up Jane and Michael Banks, along with Michael’s three children, are visited by their former nanny following a tragedy in the family that leaves them numb and joyless.

Miranda will play the role of Jack the lamplighter, a new character. He is fast becoming part of the studio fold, having composed the music for Disney’s upcoming animated film Moana and worked on the music for Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

From The Hollywood Reporter

‘Frozen – Live at the Hyperion’ Opens Today at Disney California Adventure

Disney is opening up the gates, and for the first time in forever guests can be swept away by a full-scale theatrical interpretation of “Frozen” on stage at the Disneyland Resort.

ANNA AND ELSA IN 'FROZEN – LIVE AT THE HYPERION' -- A new theatrical interpretation for the stage based on Disney’s animated blockbuster film, Frozen is now playing at the Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure Park. The show immerses audiences in the emotional journey of Anna and Elsa with all of the excitement of live theater, including elaborate costumes and sets, stunning special effects and show-stopping production numbers.(Piotr A. Redlinski/Disneyland Resort)

“Frozen – Live at the Hyperion” officially opens today, bringing to the stage all the heart-warming emotion of Anna and Elsa’s story, along with show-stopping production numbers, elaborate costumes, special effects, surprising scenic transformations and a few unique theatrical twists.

YOUNG KRISTOFF AND SVEN IN 'FROZEN – LIVE AT THE HYPERION' -- A new theatrical interpretation for the stage based on Disney’s animated blockbuster film, Frozen is now playing at the Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure Park. The show immerses audiences in the emotional journey of Anna and Elsa with all of the excitement of live theater, including elaborate costumes and sets, stunning special effects and show-stopping production numbers. (Piotr A. Redlinski/Disneyland Resort)

Of course, nothing beats the magic of experiencing live theater for yourself, so you’ll definitely want to catch a performance on your next visit. “Frozen – Live at the Hyperion” is now playing daily in the beautiful Hyperion Theater at Disney California Adventure.

Marvel’s Iron Man Experience Set to Open Late 2016 in Hong Kong Disneyland

Finally! After getting so ecstatic about the latest installment from the Avengers series Captain America: Civil War, kids and kids-at-heart will get to enjoy one of the first Marvel ride-through attractions in Hong Kong Disneyland late this 2016 as HK Disneyland recently announced that ride system tests have begun for Marvel’s Iron Man Experience.

It doesn’t matter which side you are on, but we’re sure even non-Iron Man fans will love the Disney experience when cult favorite Mr. Stark finally ushers in the Stark Expo, Tomorrowland’s new Marvel-themed area where interactive activities await the eager market. Visitors can experience how it is like to be in the iron suit in the interactive experience “Become Iron Man.”

Before guests get to challenge the evil forces of Hydra, the experience begins when the energetic billionaire industrialist and inventor Tony Stark (aka Iron Man) decides to bring the Stark Expo to Tomorrowland at Hong Kong Disneyland. From here on, one can imagine the adventures that will follow next.

Just like in the movies, guests can visit the Expo and explore the latest and greatest innovations from Stark Industries. Tourists can then go aboard an Iron Wing vehicle, the latest flying transport invented by Stark Industries, and journey through Hong Kong’s streets, which will look like the West Kowloon and Causeway Bay.

During the ride, familiar landmarks will be seen in the attraction like the Tsing Ma Bridge, the city’s pristine mountain ranges, iconic urban taxis and the harbor front. But the ride won’t be as smooth as expected because the guests will battle against the forces of Hydra.

Marvel’s Iron Man Experience is estimated to have cost more than $100 million to build. With the amount of money and effort put into it, fans will definitely get the experience of a lifetime – with everyone waiting for the time when it finally opens to welcome its first riders.

For information on attractions and vacations at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort, visit hongkongdisneyland.com, hongkongdisneyland.tmall.com or call (852) 3550-3388 or download the mobile app Hong Kong Disneyland both available for Android and iOs users.

From The Standard

‘Speak Like A Whale Day’ This June 11th

On Saturday, June 11, 2016 Disney Parks will celebrate Speak Like a Whale Day. Taking a cue from everyone’s favorite forgetful blue tang, Dory, and her new friends Bailey, a beluga whale who is convinced his biological sonar skills are on the fritz, and Destiny, a nearsighted whale shark, guests can learn to speak the language while taking part in some whale-sized fun.

Guests can celebrate in a number of ways:

  • Guests at Disneyland Resort in California, Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disney Cruise Line ships will receive a complimentary button to celebrate the day on June 11 (while supplies last).
  • At the Downtown Disney District at Disneyland Resort and Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort, families can dive into “undersea” themed activities, including a live DJ, games and giveaways. Young guests can attend “Whale Speak University” and give speaking the language a try.
  • At The Seas with Nemo & Friends in Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort, guests can learn about the real-life counterparts of the characters from the film and see them in their massive 5.7-million-gallon saltwater aquarium home. Experts from Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment Team will be on hand throughout the day to help guests find Dory and her friends and get a closer look at their world.
  • Dory and some of her new friends from Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Dory” have joined Crush at the Turtle Talk with Crush attraction at Epcot and Disney California Adventure park. Guests can meet Destiny the whale shark, Bailey the beluga whale and Hank the “septopus.”

Be sure to swim on into Disney Parks to check out all of the fun and don’t miss Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Dory” in theaters June 17, 2016.

Disneyland Annual Passholders to Enjoy a Limited-Time Offer for $1.00 Popcorn and $1.00 Sipper Refills

Your next visit just got a little tastier! When you purchase a special 64-ounce Annual Passholder Refillable Popcorn Bucket or an 18 to 20-ounce Refillable Made with Magic Sipper from May 27 through September 5, 2016—you can receive a refill during that time period for just $1.00, plus tax.

How It Works

  1. Purchase your refillable souvenir vessel(s) at select food and beverage locations throughout Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park, while supplies last. Options include:
    •  64-ounce Annual Passholder Refillable Popcorn Bucket for $15.00, tax included
    •  18-ounce “Fantasmic!” Chernabog Refillable Made with  Magic Sipper for $25.00, tax included
    •  20-ounce World of Color Refillable Made with Magic Sipper for $25.00, tax included
  2. Bring your special Annual Passholder Refillable Popcorn Bucket and/or Refillable Made with Magic Sipper back to select locations at either park on subsequent visits between May 27 and September 5, 2016 and receive a refill of a fountain drink or popcorn for just $1.00, each time you replenish. Frozen lemonade refills are $1.50, plus tax.

Know Before You Go

  • Offer available only at select food and beverage locations in Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park.
  • Check your Passport carefully as blockout dates may apply and affect your ability to be admitted into the theme parks to redeem this offer.
  • A Guest must present a valid Passport at time of purchase and for each refill. Photo I.D. may also be required.
  • Made with Magic Sipper refills valid for fountain drinks only. Frozen carbonated beverage refills are $1.50, plus tax.
  • Subject to change or cancelation without notice.
  • If you have further questions, call the Annual Passport Member Services team at (714) 781-7277.

STK Orlando Opens in Disney Springs

The ONE Group Hospitality, Inc. (“The ONE Group”) is pleased to announce that STK Orlando officially opened its doors to welcome its first guests today at Disney Springs in Walt Disney World Resort at Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

The new location is the 11th STK worldwide, and at more than 14,000 square feet, it is one of the largest to date. Featuring rooftop dining with scenic views, the restaurant boasts both indoor and outdoor seating on two levels, a bistro, bar, private dining room and a fire pit. With a sleek and contemporary design, STK is known for its high-energy fine dining experience.

STK Orlando

“We are thrilled to enter the Orlando market, especially at a premier destination like Walt Disney World,” said Jonathan Segal, CEO of The ONE Group. “Strategic relationships, as well as great real estate, will remain integral to our growth plans as we expand our company footprint, and with an additional nine STK restaurants currently in development, we are excited to bring the STK experience to new cities across the globe.”

Previously announced locations for new STK restaurants include Boston, Edinburgh, San Diego, Denver, Miami, Austin, Ibiza and Toronto.

Magic Kingdom Most Visited Theme Park, Disney Parks Attendance Up

The Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) and AECOM has published the 2015 Theme Index: Global Attractions Attendance Report.

This industry report provides a guide to theme park attendance worldwide, giving approximations of attendance change year by year. Disney and most other large theme parks do not provide any official attendance figures, so this report represents the only published estimate of attendance available.

View the 2015 TEA/AECOM Theme Park Attendance report.

The Magic Kingdom continues as the world’s most visited theme park, with just over 20.4 million guests visiting in 2015, a rise of 6% from 2014 – which is an increase from the 3% rise the prior year.

Adventureland_of_Magic_Kingdom

Epcot saw a increase of 3% with just under 11.8 million guests – which is an improvement on its 2% increase in the previous year.

Epcot-SSE

Disney’s Hollywood Studios was up 5% seeing 10.8 million guests – up from the 2% increase the last year, as was Disney’s Animal Kingdom, which saw a boost of 5% up to 10.8 million guests.

DHS

Over at the water parks, both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach saw 5% rises in attendance, with Typhoon Lagoon seeing nearly 2.3 million visits by guests, and Blizzard Beach just over 2.1 million.

Typhoon Lagoon

Here is a summary of percentage change from last year at the main parks throughout the world.

(1) Magic Kingdom: 6%
(2) Disneyland: 9%
(3) Tokyo Disneyland: -4%
(4) Universal Studios Japan: 17.8%
(5) Tokyo Disney Sea: -3.5%
(6) Epcot: 3.0%
(7) Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 5.0%
(8) Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 5.0%
(9) Disneyland Park at Disneyland Paris: 4.2%
(10) Universal Studios Florida: 16%
(11) Disney California Adventure: 3.0%
(12) Islands of Adventure: 8.0%
(19) Hong Kong Disneyland: -9.3%
(22) Seaworld Orlando: 2%

Walt Disney Studios Paris was not listed because its no longer in the top 25.

Shanghai Releases Etiquette Guide for Disneyland Visitors

Shanghai’s municipal government has released an etiquette guide for visitors to the city’s new Shanghai Disneyland attraction, which opens to the public on June 16.

According to South China Herald, the etiquette guide encourages revellers to queue in an orderly fashion and respect the plants and trees on site – it also warns against some specific anti-social behaviours such as defacing public facilities and, rather strangely, lying down on the ground.

The issuing of these noticeably specific guidelines comes after the uncouth behaviour of park visitors during its soft launch in April and May.

Social media users posted pictures of visitors ‘trashing’ the area outside the park gates when the nearby metro station opened in April.

More than a million visitors visited Disney’s newest theme park during its soft launch, and it is already fully booked for the first two weeks after its official opening.

Construction began in 2011 for the ambitious attraction, which covers 963 acres.

The park will be split up into six themed areas: Adventure Isle, Treasure Cove, Fantasyland, Mickey Avenue, the Gardens of Imagination and Tomorrowland, which will feature Tron lightcycles.

There will also be a Toy Story-themed hotel on site, as well as a general Disney-themed hotel.

 

Disney Cruise Line Returning to New York, California and Texas in Fall 2017

In the fall of 2017, Disney Cruise Line will return to New York with sailings to the Bahamas and the Canadian coast – including a new seven-night Canada cruise. San Diego will serve as a home port with cruises to Mexico, and Galveston will again be a homeport with sailings to the Caribbean and Bahamas.

Bookings open to the public May 26, 2016. More details on the itineraries can be found on the Ports and Itineraries for 2017 page of disneycruise.com.

DCL - NYC

New Canada coast itinerary and new ports from New York

Disney Cruise Line returns to New York City in the fall of 2017, for a mix of voyages that include Canada coast and Bahamas itineraries.

On Oct. 21, the Disney Magic will sail from New York on a seven-night Canada sailing – the line’s longest-ever voyage to the Atlantic Canada coast. This sailing includes a new port of call for Disney Cruise Line – Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

Bar Harbor, Maine, is another new port of call for Disney Cruise Line and part of a five-night sailing that departs New York on Sept. 27. This cruise also will stop at Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada.

A total of six seven- and eight-night sailings to the Bahamas, all including a visit to Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, will be a part of the 2017 New York season.

Adding to the magic on each of the Bahamian cruises will be the opportunity to visit Walt Disney World Resort when the ship stops at Port Canaveral, Fla. Each guest on these sailings will receive a one-day Walt Disney World Park Hopper ticket and round-trip transportation for the short drive between the ship and the resort.

DCL - San Diego

Return to San Diego, California

In September and October of 2017, Disney Cruise Line will return to San Diego with a variety of Disney Wonder cruises to Baja and the Mexican Riviera.

On most Baja sailings, guests can visit Cabo San Lucas and Ensenada, Mexico, to enjoy world-famous beaches and snorkeling. Two-night cruises depart San Diego on Sept. 15, Sept. 22 and Oct. 13, and a three-night cruise departs Oct. 5 and includes a day at sea.

Mexican Riviera itineraries feature snorkeling and scuba diving hot spots, while Puerto Vallerta and Mazatlan are where cliff divers, culture and ziplining through the jungle canopy take center stage. Seven-night itineraries departing on Sept. 24 and Oct. 15, call on Puerto Vallerta, Mazatlan and Cabo San Lucas. Four additional four- and five-night Mexican Riviera cruises set sail during the season in San Diego.

DCL - Galveston

Return to Galveston, Texas

Disney Cruise Line returns to Galveston in 2017, with a line up of eight seven-night cruises to the Caribbean and the Bahamas. All Bahamian itineraries include a stop at Castaway Cay, Disney’s private island in the Bahamas.

On Nov. 10 and Dec. 1, the Disney Wonder will sail a western Caribbean itinerary from Galveston to Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Falmouth, Jamaica.

On Nov. 17, Nov. 24, Dec, 8, Dec. 15, Dec. 22 and Dec. 29, the Disney Wonder will sail from Galveston to Key West, Nassau and Castaway Cay.

To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, guests can visit disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888-DCL-2500 or contact their travel agent.

Via Napoli Serves 1 Millionth Pizza

Today marked a major milestone at Via Napoli at the Epcot Italy pavilion – 1 million pizza pies! Hand-tossed with a thin, slightly charred crust and toppings that start with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and fresh tomato sauce . . . this is the real deal under the watchful eye of pizza guy Charlie Restivo, who’s been throwing pies at Via Napoli since opening day.

“We opened in 2010, and computing the number of pizzas we bake every single day, today someone in the restaurant is enjoying the millionth,” says Restivo, who grew up in a big Italian family in Queens, N.Y. It might’ve been our prosciutto and melon pizza, every bite crisp and tinged with a smoky char. Or maybe our neighbor’s margherita, or the “affumicata,” a pie with mozzarella, smoked salmon, arugula, pomodorini (tomato sauce), stracchino (cow’s milk cheese).

The thin-crust pizzas are made with fresh mozzarella cheese, San Marzano tomatoes and real Caputo flour imported from Southern Italy. Water for the dough is even sourced from a spring similar to Italy’s Campania region. Pizzas are then cooked in serious – 800°F serious — wood-burning ovens cleverly named after the three active volcanoes in Italy—Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius and Stromboli.

The top pie is the margherita, says Restivo, and the all-American pepperoni runs a close second. But you can also get your choice of toppings (we’re partial to the Italian spice sausage and fresh mozzarella).

But the menu Via Napoli goes way beyond pizzas. The eggplant Parmesan is a specialty that Charlie learned as a boy from his dad, with paper-thin slices of eggplant lightly dredged in flour, pan fried, then served with fresh mozzarella, fresh basil and a generous ladle of “Sunday gravy,” red sauce. There’s veal, chicken, lasagna and classic spaghetti and meatballs – and if the linguine carbonara with a hint of truffle oil is the daily special, you won’t be disappointed.

You must continue the carb fest with dessert: there’s plenty to choose from, but learn to say “Coppa Brutti Ma Buoni” (“Ugly but Good”), a sweet ending that ranks in our top 10 desserts ever, a simple sundae with Amarena cherries, vanilla gelato and crunchy Italian meringue cookies.