We’re excited to share that Disney Parks & Resorts have once again been named among the top destinations around the world to stay and play in the 29th annual Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards. These awards celebrate the best of the best in travel according to travelers.
Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger has scored a deal with Random House to publish an as-yet-untitled book on leadership and management, the publisher said today.
Disney’s still got the magic when it comes to capturing the imaginations of younger viewers, according to a new survey by investment bank Piper Jaffray.
On Friday, Piper Jaffray released its semi-annual survey of 10,000 US teens, and Disney was king among studios.
Sam Eagle, the fiercely patriotic American eagle who is forever trying to set a high moral standard for the Muppets, joins Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, The Great Gonzo and James Jefferson, town crier of Liberty Square, as they gather outside The Hall of Presidents to present historical tales in hysterical Muppets fashion. From the midnight ride of Paul Revere to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Muppets appear throughout the day to share their own unique take on the founding fathers and the birth of the United States of America. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)
Tennis superstar Serena Williams took a break from her tennis training and put on her sparkly Minnie Mouse ears while having a little fun this past weekend at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Williams, arguably the greatest female athlete of all-time and the holder of a record-tying 22 Grand Slam tennis titles, spent some time at Magic Kingdom Park where she interacted with Princess Merida from the Disney•Pixar movie “Brave.’’ Princess Merida naturally gave Williams some tips on archery.
Williams said she can identify with Princess Merida because her character in the movie is portrayed as being strong and fearless.
On the tennis court, Williams is preparing for next season when she will seek to break the record for career Grand Slam singles titles. Currently she is tied for the record with Steffi Graf at 22 titles.
Photo by: Preston Mack / WDW Photo
Disney has set a new record for its highest-grossing year at the international box office, fueled by “Captain America: Civil War,” “Finding Dory,” “Zootopia,” and “The Jungle Book.”
Nature’s Harvest® bread is stirring up excitement in the bread aisle in support of the in-home release of Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Dory,” releasing on Digital HD on Oct. 25 and Blu-ray™ on Nov. 15. Now through Nov. 13, fans can enter for a chance to win an all-expense paid trip for four to the Monterey Bay Aquarium in Monterey, Calif. and other fun Dory-themed prize packs on the Nature’s Harvest® bread Facebook page.
Select packages of specially marked Nature’s Harvest® breads made with whole grains will feature the lovable “Finding Dory” characters along with a chance to bring home a free, limited-edition Dory TY® Sparkle Eye Beanie Boo™ plush toy. Fans can purchase any two Nature’s Harvest® breads and visit wholegrainsplash.com for instructions on how to complete and submit the offer form and full terms and conditions for the promotion.
“Kids and parents alike love the “Finding Dory” characters, and this collaboration allows us to bring a new level of excitement and magic to breads baked with whole grains,” said Lia Arakelian, Assistant Brand Manager, Nature’s Harvest® bread. “Disney has a very high set of nutritional standards, and with our baked with whole grains platform, we are honored to be able to work closely with their team to help promote this beloved movie.”
Families can also prepare for the in-home release of “Finding Dory” by trying two new delicious and nutritious Nature’s Harvest® bread snack and lunch recipes created by Registered Dietician Heidi Diller and inspired by Dory and her friends. Get these recipes and morehere.
“The ‘Surfing Turtle Open Faced Sandwich’ and the ‘P B & Jolly Octopus Toast’ are fun recipes to get families to eat more whole grains, especially since every variety of Nature’s Harvest® bread has at least eight grams of whole grains per serving,” said Heidi Diller, Registered Dietician. “This makes it an easy choice for parents looking to give their family delicious bread as part of a well-balanced, nutritious diet. Parents can also feel good about serving Nature’s Harvest® breads because they are not baked with artificial flavors, colors or high fructose corn syrup.”
Nature’s Harvest® bread varieties available nationwide include:
There is no purchase necessary and no fee to participate in the Make a Splash with Whole Grains Instant Win Game & Sweepstakes. For official rules, prize descriptions and to enter, fans can visit Facebook.com/NaturesHarvestBreads and click the Sweepstakes tab. Then, follow the instructions to complete and submit the entry.
“Finding Dory” reunites everyone’s forgetful blue tang, Dory, with her friends Marlin and Nemo on a search for her family and features the voices of Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks and Ed O’Neill. For more information on Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Dory,” visit: disney.com/findingdory.
For more information on Nature’s Harvest® bread, visit: naturesharvestbread.com or like us on Facebook atfacebook.com/NaturesHarvestBreads.
This Thanksgiving and Christmas, you can indulge in a traditional holiday feast in paradise, complete with island flair and a dash of Disney magic. Featuring live local entertainment and visits from Disney Characters, who’ll drop by for photo opportunities, the Aulani Thanksgiving Feast and Christmas Day Dinner offer you food, fun and family memories to cherish forever.
Served in the Kaiona Ballroom, the first seating is from 4-6 p.m. and the second seating is from 6:30-8:30 p.m. The cost is $89.50 for Guests ages 10 and up; $43.75 for children ages 3-9 (tax and gratuity included).
Reservations for the Aulani Thanksgiving Feast are now open for Resort Guests, and will open to non-resort Guests (subject to availability) on Nov. 15, 2016, based on availability. Reservations for the Aulani Christmas Day Dinner will open on Nov. 21, 2016 for Resort Guests and Dec. 15, 2016 for non-Resort Guests, based on availability.
The Science Behind Pixar,” a multimedia exhibit that opens Saturday at the California Science Center in Exposition Park, shows that for the artists at Pixar, like their counterparts at the Walt Disney Studio in the ’30s, scientific research is a key element in the creation of quality animated films.
Hawaiian Airlines, in collaboration with The Walt Disney Studios, today unveiled the first of three custom Airbus A330 aircraft being adorned with imagery from the highly anticipated, CG-animated comedy adventure “Moana.” The inaugural decal design features four characters from the movie on Hawaiian’s fuselage as they take off on a wayfinding journey, including the demigod Maui, the adventurous teenager Moana, and her two friends: Heihei the rooster and Pua the pig.
“At Hawaiian Airlines, we are modern navigators, carrying guests across vast oceans to experience the unparalleled beauty of our home and richness of our culture,” said Peter Ingram, chief commercial officer for Hawaiian Airlines. “In important ways, Moana’s voyage of discovery parallels that of our guests’ own travel adventures, and we’re pleased to work with Disney to take this wonderful story to the skies.
Hawaiian Airlines today revealed the first of three “Moana”-themed planes at its home base at Honolulu International Airport (HNL).
Dwayne Johnson, the voice of demigod Maui, and Auli’i Cravalho, the Hawaiʻi-born actress who is the voice of Moana, were among the first to see the inspiring design when the plane was revealed earlier today in a hangar at the airline’s home base at HonoluluInternational Airport (HNL). The surprise reveal was hosted by Hawaiian Airlines CEO Mark Dunkerley at a special event attended by several hundred members of the airline’s Team Kōkua program — employees and their families who have volunteered their time and service to give back to the local community.
Next month, Hawaiian will reveal two additional livery designs featuring custom-made decals that show the characters interacting with the planes in dynamic and engaging ways. The unique artwork, created by Walt Disney Animation Studios in collaboration with Hawaiian’s team, reimagines each aircraft as a modern-day voyaging canoe, flying Moana, Maui, and their friends to new and exciting destinations. A time-lapse video of the first decal application and images of the first new livery can be found here.
The overhead luggage bins on all three “Moana”-themed Airbus A330s are also being decorated with characters and artwork from the film. The planes will fly on Hawaiian’s regularly scheduled U.S. domestic routes as well as to international destinations includingBrisbane and Sydney, Australia; Osaka and Tokyo, Japan; and Auckland, New Zealand through March of 2017. Fans can track the course of each “Moana”-themed plane in real time at HawaiianAirlines.com/Moana.
Guests traveling to any of Hawaiian’s domestic or international destinations will enjoy special inflight entertainment to include an exclusive welcome video inspired by the film, the “Moana” movie trailer, and Cravalho’s casting video. The airline will also offer co-branded, limited-edition products such as blankets, towels and children’s and adult apparel. These items and more will be available for purchase inflight on select Hawaiian routes or online at Shop.HawaiianAirlines.com.
Hawaiian also announced the Hawaiian Airlines Wayfinder Caption Contest which begins today and runs through Oct. 23 for fans in the United States, Australia and New Zealand. To enter, contestants will be asked to select one of three “Moana” illustrations and, in 150 words or less, capture the spirit of voyaging and wayfinding. Based on the quality and creativity of the caption, the winning entry will receive a Grand Prize trip for two to attend the Los Angeles premiere of “Moana” on Nov. 14. One runner-up will receive a First Place prize of 80,000 HawaiianMiles and a Second Place winner will receive a Hawaiian Airlines and Disney Moana co-branded gift pack. For more information and to enter, follow #SoaringWithDisneyMoana and visit HawaiianAirlines.com/Moana.
According to “Moana” producer Osnat Shurer, the story of Moana, Maui and their heroic journey sprang from the imagination of the filmmakers, who were deeply inspired by the glorious people of Oceania.
“We were inspired by the history of the great Polynesian voyagers,” said Shurer.
“They were the greatest navigators in the world, voyaging across the vast Pacific without the use of modern instruments. They would do all of this using their knowledge of nature – the stars, the waves, and the currents. We’re very excited to work with the modern-day voyagers of Hawaiian Airlines to help bring this story to the world.”
Though it operates with today’s state-of-the-art technology, Hawaiian honors the courage and ingenuity of skilled Polynesian navigators, who were guided by the waves, wind, stars, moon and sun, by naming each of its A330 aircraft after celestial objects. Today’s branded aircraft is N392HA, christened as Hikianalia, the sister star to Hōkūle’a. Both are part of the constellation Iwikuamoʻo, and rise together above the Hawaiian Islands to help guide travelers back to their island home.
Hawaiian invites its guests and Moana fans interested in learning more about today’s celestial navigation to explore the Mālama Honua Worldwide Voyage sponsored by Hawaiian Airlines. Mālama Honua, to care for our Island Earth, is a four-year journey by the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hōkūle’a and the research canoe Hikianalia across the Earth’s oceans. Powered by the wind, guided by the stars, and steered by the knowledge of ancient Polynesian navigators, the voyage will cover a total of 47,000 nautical miles and visit 85 ports in 26 countries.
A full list of Hawaiian’s aircraft names can be found here. Stay tuned to find out the names of the two other aircraft that will be outfitted with the special #SoaringWithDisneyMoana design.
