Month: January 2022

Mattel Wins Battle for Disney’s Princess License

In anticipation of the buying power of fans of Disney’s Princess franchise, Mattel shares jumped today after the toy manufacturer said it won the license to make toys based on Disney’s princess lineup, including the very popular “Frozen” franchise.

This announcement marks a significant triumph for Mattel after it lost the license to rival Hasbro in 2016.

Hasbro countered this announcement by stating that it has extended its relationship with Lucasfilm by renewing its long-standing licensing deal for the “Star Wars” franchise. It also struck a new agreement to develop products based on the “Indiana Jones” franchise, which it hasn’t done since 2008.

Mattel’s stock rose more than 6% in premarket trading, While Hasbro was down more than 1%.

Mattel stated that it will start selling the new Disney toys in 2023, and the business will be managed by the same group that oversees its Barbie franchise. Financial terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.

Mattel stated that the new licensing deal builds on its existing licensing relationship with Disney for Pixar Animation Studios’ “Toy Story” and “Cars” franchises, as well as the recently announced global licensing agreement for “Lightyear.”

In the announcement Mattel President and Chief Operating Officer Richard Dickson said –

As the worldwide leader in dolls, we look forward to bringing our unique Mattel Playbook approach to brand management, product and marketing expertise.

Hasbro, meantime, said the “Indiana Jones” items will be on sale in the U.S. in 2023, aligning with the release of the franchise’s feature film.

Disney Cruise Line Announces ‘Pixar Day at Sea’ on Select Disney Fantasy Sailings in 2023

Previously Disney Cruise Line announced the great destinations that they will sail to in early 2023.  Now they are adding yet another reason to trade in your winter blues for the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean… Pixar Day at Sea!

Beginning in January of 2023, select seven-night sailings on the Disney Fantasy will include a day-long celebration dedicated to the beloved tales of Pixar. Guest on these sailings will be able to dine, play, dance, sing and swim with their favorite Pixar pals.

There will be a Pixar film festival, exclusive merchandise and photo opportunities.  Pixar Day at Sea will include a variety of one-of-a-kind experiences, including:

Character Encounters

  • From morning until night, your family will dance, play and interact with your favorite Pixar pals, including Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Bo Peep from “Toy Story”; Mike, Sulley and Boo from “Monsters, Inc.”; Joy and Sadness from “Inside Out”; Dug and Russell from “Up”; and everyone’s favorite supers – Mr. Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone from “The Incredibles.”

Immersive Entertainment

  • A new nighttime spectacular will call upon your family to help the Incredibles save the day.
  • A first-of-its-kind theatrical experience will bring to life the beloved story of Miguel and his family from “Coco” through live music and puppetry.
  • Families will be able to join their favorite characters from the beloved Pixar films for a dance party bash.

Dining Filled with Character

  • A new, interactive character dining experience hosted by Sheriff Woody, Jesse and Bullseye will kick-start your day with sing-a-longs, cowboy serenades and all the country breakfast fixins.
  • Enjoy a Pixar-themed dinner with dishes inspired by the Pixar Animation Studios’ California locale.
  • Immerse yourself in undersea magic while dining in Animator’s Palate with visits from some of your favorite “Finding Nemo” friends, including interactive conversations with Crush.

Walt Disney World is Adding Character Meet & Greets to Genie+

Walt Disney World has announced that three popular character meet and greet locations will be joining Disney Genie+ this week.

The three character meet and greets that will be added to Genie+ on January 26th will be –

  • Mickey at Town Square Theater in Magic Kingdom
  • Princess Tiana and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall in Magic Kingdom
  • Cinderella and a Visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall in Magic Kingdom
  • Olaf at Celebrity Spotlight in Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Currently the meet and greets are standby only, but they will now be moving to offering Lightning Lane access with Genie+ and a standby line.

Disney Announces Performers for Garden Rock’s Concert Series

The Garden Rocks Concert Series will be returning to the 2022 EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival.  The series was missing last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2022 EPCOT International Flower and Garden Festival begins March 2 and runs through July 4 for 125 days.

The line-up will see the return of The Guess Who, Rick Springfield, The Pointer Sisters, Plan White T’s and new for this year The Commodores.

On January 19, guests can make reservations for Garden Rocks Dining Packages.  The packages include guaranteed seating at the show and dining at an EPCOT restaurant.

Shows will be featuring internationally recognized artists Friday – Monday, with local Orlando are bands playing Tuesday – Thursday.

Here is the full line-up –

  • March 4-5 – The Guess Who
  • March 6-7 – Rick Springfield
  • March 11-12 – Melina Leon – NEW to Garden Rocks
  • March 18-19 – Mike DelGuidice, currently on tour with Billy Joel – NEW
  • March 20-21 – Kool & The Gang – NEW to Garden Rocks
  • March 25-28 – The Orchestra starring former members of ELO
  • April 1-2 – The Spinners
  • April 3-4 – The Pointer Sisters
  • April 8-9 – Blue October – NEW to Garden Rocks
  • April 15-16 – Tommy DeCarlo, singer of the band Boston – NEW
  • April 17-18 – Don Felder, Formerly of The Eagles
  • April 22-23 – STARSHIP featuring Mickey Thomas
  • April 24-25 – Claudia Leitte – NEW
  • April 29-30 – Berlin
  • May 1-2 – TobyMac
  • May 6-7 – Blood, Sweat & Tears
  • May 8-9 – The Commodores – NEW to Garden Rocks
  • May 13-14 – Ambrosia with Peter Beckett – NEW
  • May 20-21 – A Flock Of Seagulls
  • May 22-23 – Collin Raye – NEW
  • May 27-28 – Thelma Houston – NEW
  • June 3-6 – Simple Plan
  • June 10-13 – Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone
  • June 17-20 – Plain White T’s

Standby Queue Coming to Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT

Beginning on January 10th, Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure will discontinue the use of the virtual queue, and will offer a standby queue.

Even though the virtual queue is ending, the Individual Lightning Lane purchase option will continue to be available.

With the removal of the virtual queue it means that no Walt Disney World attractions are currently using the system.  Disney did say today that, “virtual queues continue to be helpful with the launch of popular attractions and the debut of new experiences and offerings, so we may use it again from time to time for select attractions in the future.”

Based on Disney’s statement that it would seem likely that we will see virtual queues deployed with the upcoming openings of ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Cosmic Rewind,’ and TRON Lightcyle Run.