Disney knew Star Wars would be a merchandising machine for the company when it bought Lucasfilm for $4 billion in 2012. Little did it know that while action figures and apparel were big sellers, the most popular item for Star Wars fans is the lightsaber.
On June 18, 2014, Harry Potter film stars including Helena Bonham Carter (Bellatrix Lestrange), Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy), Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) and others attended an exclusive preview of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley at Universal Orlando Resort.
Arriving on a red carpet that stretched from King’s Cross Station to the picturesque ‘London,’ the cast celebrated the announcement of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter’s grand opening date – recently revealed to be July 8, 2014. Robbie Coltrane led event attendees inside the land by ceremoniously tapping the bricks of Diagon Alley – just like Rubeus Hagrid did in the Harry Potter books and films.
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley will bring even more of Harry Potter’s adventures to life. The new area will double the size of the sweeping land already found at Universal Orlando, expanding the spectacularly themed environment across both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Guests will pass through London and the iconic brick wall archway into Diagon Alley – a bustling, wizarding hub within a Muggle city. Inside the land, guests will enjoy themed shops, dining experiences and the groundbreaking thrill ride – Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.
In a recent story in The New Yorker, Stephen Sondheim revealed several plot changes for the upcoming Disney film adaptation of his Tony Award-winning musical Into the Woods, which will arrive in theatres Dec. 25.
Toontown Online, loosely based on the 1988 Walt Disney Co. (DIS) film “Who Framed Roger Rabbit,” was a multiplayer Internet game for kids and families that drew more than 1 million users after it was introduced in 2003.
A Spanish-language version of the “Sofia the First: The Great Aunt-Venture” appisode is now live in the App Store for $4.99 on the groundbreaking Disney Junior Appisodes app, which allows fans ages 2-7 to touch, tap, swipe, tilt, shake and talk their way through various fun-filled activities embedded into full episodes of some of their favorite Disney Junior shows.
In “Sofia the First: The Great Aunt-Venture,” Sofia reluctantly agrees to help her Aunt Tilly bake a pie, but this is no dull day in the kitchen. In search of the perfect apples, Sofia and Aunt Tilly end up on a journey full of unexpected obstacles that kids can help Sofia navigate, including:
The Disney Junior Appisodes app currently includes a free download of the original “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally” Appisode, as well as additional appisodes for such popular shows as “Sofia the First,” “Jake and the Never Land Pirates” and “Doc McStuffins,” all of which are available for $4.99. Well received by both fans and the industry, the Disney Junior Appisode app topped iTunes charts for weeks – making it to #1 on the Overall Free list – and won the 2012 Mobile Excellence Award for Best Content Extension Made for Mobile, as well as the iKids award for Best Web/App Series.
Disney Junior also recently launched Disney Junior en Español on the industry defining WATCH Disney Junior app, marking the first time the network has made an entire block of programming available in Spanish on mobile devices. Disney Junior en Español kicked off May 30 with the world premiere of the new “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” episode “Donald Jr.” and includes Spanish-language versions of such popular shows as “Sofia the First,” “Doc McStuffins,” “Jake and the Never Land Pirates,” “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse” and “Henry Hugglemonster,” as well as short-form series “Minnie’s Bow-Toons” and “The Doc Files.” Android and Kindle Fire users can also draw, paint and color pages from their favorite Disney Junior shows with Disney Junior Color! en Español.
This week, Universal Orlando Resort will host a series of live webcasts to give viewers a special glimpse at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley and will feature some of their favorite stars from the Harry Potter films.
Wednesday, June 18 at 8 p.m. ~The Diagon Alley Red Carpet Event
Enjoy interviews with some of your favorite Harry Potter film stars as they arrive for the exclusive red carpet preview event for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley.
www.universalorlando.com/DAwebcasts.
Disney Parks Blog has announced some of the 50 Villains that will invade Disney’s Hollywood Studios on August 23, 2014. Which are you excited to see? Let us know on Twitter.
More Details on Villains Unleashed Event
Today, Universal Orlando announced that The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley will officially open on July 8 – allowing guests to experience even more of Harry Potter’s adventures in an all-new, magnificently-themed environment.
Located in the Universal Studios Florida theme park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley will feature shops, dining experiences and the next generation thrill ride, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts. The new immersive area will double the size of the sweeping land already found at Universal’s Islands of Adventure, expanding the spectacularly themed environment across both Universal theme parks – and guests can journey between both lands aboard the Hogwarts Express.
For additional information, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com/WizardingWorld.
Check out this promotional video clip for the opening of Diagon Alley.
During the “Frozen” phenomenon’s first six months, the Disney movie raked in $1.2 billion worldwide at the box office, inspired the sale of countless princess gowns and prompted kids and grownups to wait four hours to meet film heroines Elsa and Anna at the theme parks.
