Under stormy skies, Disney opened a bright and shiny $5.5 billion theme park here Thursday, a bet on the increased spending power of the Communist country’s growing middle class.
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Disney app will narrate ‘Finding Dory’ for blind theatergoers
Disney’s Movies Anywhere app caters mostly to viewers at home, but it has now become especially useful to visually impaired Nemo fans who want to enjoy its sequel in the theaters.
FIND DORY AT DISNEY’S ART OF ANIMATION RESORT BY SAM ALLEN
Thirteen years is a long time to wait for a sequel, but that wait is finally over for fans of “Finding Nemo.” The latest release from Pixar Animation Studios, “Finding Dory,” may have been a long time coming, but that doesn’t mean that Nemo and friends have been out of the public eye all these years. Disney’s Parks and Resorts, for example, have continued these characters’ stories in a number of different ways.
THE GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION OF SHANGHAI DISNEY RESORT TO BE PRESENTED AS SPECIAL TELECAST, TONIGHT ON DISNEY CHANNEL, DISNEY JUNIOR AND DISNEY XD,
Disney will welcome viewers from around the world to experience an authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese celebration — the spectacular one-of-a-kind grand opening celebration of Shanghai Disney Resort, the first Disney resort in mainland China.
Showcasing the beauty of Chinese art and tradition, and bringing magical Disney stories and characters to life for kids and families, the music-filled television special, “Grand Opening Celebration of Shanghai Disney Resort,” will be presented THURSDAY, JUNE 16 (8:00-8:30 p.m. EDT) simultaneously on Disney Channel, Disney Junior and Disney XD and each channel’s App, and FRIDAY, JUNE 17 (10:00-10:30 p.m. EDT) on Freeform, without breaks or commercials.
Actress and recording artist Sofia Carson (Disney Channel’s “Descendants,” “Adventures in Babysitting”) will narrate the telecast.
Bob Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company, will be joined by nearly 3000 distinguished guests, celebrities and government officials at the largest, tallest and most interactive castle at the heart of any Disney Park, The Enchanted Storybook Castle. The occasion showcases creativity, choreography, acrobatics, costumes and technology in grand scale, with dazzling lights, Disney music, pageantry, special effects and fireworks.
The one and only Mickey Mouse will join in the enchanting celebration.
World-renowned pianist Lang Lang will perform a custom arrangement of the musical sensation “Let It Go” (Disney’s “Frozen”) and China’s television and movie superstar Sun Li will take center stage. Each is a Shanghai Disney Resort Honorary Ambassador.
The historic event includes the debut of an original song, “Ignite the Dreamer Within,” written especially for the grand opening of Shanghai Disneyland. Acclaimed composer and conductor Tan Dun, widely known for his stirring scores for the films “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and “Hero,” will lead the Shanghai Symphony with an original composition of the new song, celebrating the occasion’s poetic message. Additional featured music includes “Once Upon a Dream,” “Heigh Ho” and “Some Day My Prince will Come.”
Produced by Disney Parks in partnership with IMG, the television special will be directed by the award-winning Hamish Hamilton. The gala concert from The Enchanted Storybook Castle stage is created by Disney Parks Entertainment in collaboration with Hasbas Entertainment.
Shanghai Disney Resort Celebrates Historic Grand Opening as the First Disney Resort in Mainland China
Shanghai Disney Resort, the first Disney resort in Mainland China and the sixth worldwide, celebrated its historic Grand Opening today, culminating one of Disney’s most ambitious projects ever. The wonder and imagination of Disney greeted the people of China in magical new ways as the gates opened to Shanghai Disneyland, a theme park like no other with the biggest, tallest castle in any Disney park, the first pirate-themed land and Disney’s most technologically advanced park to date.
Bob Iger, chairman and chief executive officer, The Walt Disney Company, celebrated the opening of the one-of-a-kind vacation destination with thousands of distinguished guests, celebrities and Chinese officials. Shanghai Disney Resort reflects Disney’s 60-year history of innovation, creativity and storytelling, in a way that is authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese.
“The grand opening of Shanghai Disney Resort is a celebration of creativity and collaboration, a triumph of imagination and innovation, and a testament to the strong partnership between Disney and China,” Iger said. “Together we have created an extraordinary destination, a magical place unique in all the world, where East meets West, the past meets the future, and anything is possible for those who believe. It is our sincere hope that this spectacular place will inspire wonder and create joy for the people of China for generations to come.”
Honoring the Disney-Chinese partnership that created this resort, Iger and Chinese officials cut a red-and-gold ribbon to dedicate Shanghai Disneyland, the resort’s magnificent theme park. Joining Iger were Wang Yang, CPC Politburo Member and State Council Vice Premier, and Han Zheng, CPC Politburo Member and Party Secretary of Shanghai. Iger also shared a greeting similar to the one Walt Disney said on opening day for the original Disneyland, in 1955: “To all who come to this happy place, welcome.”
Disney developed the Resort in a joint venture with Shendi Group. Fan Xiping, m Shendi Group chairman, said in a statement: “After five years of joint efforts, partners from both China and the United States have created magic together. In the process of combining global standards and local best practices, we integrated with each other and established mutual trust and effective communication. The young team has learned and grown in the process, bringing into full play its role as the local guide. The team worked closely with Disney in the development and construction of Shanghai Disneyland and the resort, jointly building the tallest and largest Disney castle in the world, and providing quality services to our guests. The team members’ dedication and commitment make it an unforgettable chapter in their lives.”
The Grand Opening ceremony marked the moment with music, pageantry and a stream of Disney characters, from Mickey Mouse and Snow White to Baymax and Jack Sparrow, in front of the iconic Enchanted Storybook Castle. A multi-generational choir performed a unique version of the Disney song, “When You Wish Upon a Star,” arranged in a Chinese style to reflect the balance of Disney magic and China’s cultural spirit at Shanghai Disney Resort. The ceremony also featured six performers holding enormous, brightly colored fans to represent the six lands of Shanghai Disneyland.
Shanghai Disney Resort is filled with immersive Disney storytelling, thrilling attractions, spectacular live entertainment and memory-making experiences designed to inspire and delight Chinese guests. The world-class vacation destination includes a magical theme park with six themed lands, two imaginatively designed hotels, a Disneytown shopping and dining district, and Wishing Star Park recreational area.
Walt Disney World Resort Launches Summer Vacation Season with Magical Premieres at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
In the galactic wake of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, new Star-Wars-themed experiences shift into light speed.
- The next generation of Star Wars-themed fireworks shows, “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular,” will premiere June 17 with new themed fireworks, lasers, special effects and video projections of iconic characters and scenes from the complete saga, all set to the unforgettable score of the film series.
- The live stage show “Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away” debuted April 4, celebrating iconic moments from the Star Wars saga with live vignettes featuring popular characters such as BB-8, Kylo Ren, Chewbacca, Darth Vader, and Darth Maul.
- First Order Stormtroopers led by Captain Phasma march from Star Wars Launch Bay to the park’s Center Stage, adding menace to the entertainment. Star Wars Launch Bay showcases large-scale artifacts and encounters with characters including Kylo Ren. The re-imagined Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple experience also features new characters. And at Star Tours – The Adventures Continue, guests buckle up for an enhanced high-speed journey with new Star Wars: The Force Awakens characters and a visit to Jakku.
Walt Disney Records To Release Original Motion Picture Soundtrack For Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Dory” On June 17
Walt Disney Records will release the original motion picture soundtrack for “Finding Dory” on June 17, 2016. The score was composed and conducted by thirteen-time Oscar® nominee and six-time Grammy® winner Thomas Newman (“Spectre,” “Bridge of Spies,” “Saving Mr. Banks”). Rated PG, “Finding Dory” opens nationwide the same day.
“Finding Dory” welcomes back to the big screen Dory, friends Marlin and Nemo—and Newman. “To me, he was one of the cast members of ‘Finding Nemo,'” says director Andrew Stanton. “We formed a close relationship ever since, and now that he is behind the score for ‘Finding Dory,’ it feels like the last member of the family has arrived at the reunion.”
“There was no way I could not do ‘Finding Dory,’ says Newman, who was nominated for an Oscar® for his work on “Finding Nemo” and won a Grammy® (best song written for motion picture, television or other visual media) on Stanton’s “WALL•E.” “It’s ironic that a movie about fish—some in aquariums, some in open water—has such a huge range of emotive possibilities—from the hysterical to the deeply profound and primally frightening. That’s exciting to ponder musically.”
The “Finding Dory” score features both an orchestral and electronic approach, allowing the composer flexibility. He employs dulcimer guitars, tympani drums and soprano vibraphones to support the storytelling in a unique way. “I have such a love of percussion color,” he says. “I like the high-metal rhythms and quirky sounds.”
Five-time Grammy® nominee singer-songwriter Sia performs the film’s end-credit song, “Unforgettable.” American songwriterIrving Gordon wrote the song in 1951, and in 1992 won a Grammy® for it when Natalie Cole included the tribute to her late father on her album of duets. “Unforgettable” remains revered worldwide today.
Sia performed the song last month on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.” DeGeneres, coincidentally, is the voice of the much beloved and forever forgetful blue tang Dory. “Dory’s story makes me teary,” said Sia. “When Ellen asked me, I couldn’t refuse!”
Andrew Stanton has long been a fan of the native Australian performer. “In the same way Robbie Williams did his own unique twist on a classic song for ‘Finding Nemo,’ Sia captures the soulful truth of the Nat King Cole classic ‘Unforgettable,’ and makes it all her own,” said Stanton. “They are a perfect complement to one another, just like the two films.
The “Finding Dory” soundtrack, featuring Thomas Newman’s score and Sia’s rendition of “Unforgettable,” will be available fromWalt Disney Records on June 17, 2016, wherever music is sold. The soundtrack is available for pre-order HERE and can be streamed HERE. For more information on Walt Disney Records’ releases, like us on Facebook.com/disneymusic or follow us atTwitter.com/disneymusic.
Walt Disney Co. Already Expanding Shanghai Disney Resort, Says Bob Iger
The Walt Disney Co.’s Shanghai Disney Resort hasn’t even opened yet, but the Burbank, California-based media giant is already working on expansion plans.
Watch – Disney’s ‘Pete’s Dragon’ – Official US Trailer
Some secrets are too big to keep. Watch the brand new trailer for Disney’s Pete’s Dragon, starring Bryce Dallas Howard, Robert Redford, and Oakes Fegley. See the film when it flies onto the big screen in 3D August 12!
A reimagining of Disney’s cherished family film, “Pete’s Dragon” is the adventure of an orphaned boy named Pete and his best friend Elliott, who just so happens to be a dragon. “Pete’s Dragon” stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Oakes Fegley, Wes Bentley, Karl Urban, Oona Laurence and Oscar® winner Robert Redford. The film, which is directed by David Lower, is written by Lowery & Toby Halbrooks based on a story by Seton I. Miller and S.S. Field and produced by Jim Whitaker, p.g.a., with Barrie M. Osborne serving as executive producer.
For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham (Robert Redford) has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard), who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales…until she meets Pete (Oakes Fegley). Pete is a mysterious 10-year-old with no family and no home who claims to live in the woods with a giant, green dragon named Elliott. And from Pete’s descriptions, Elliott seems remarkably similar to the dragon from Mr. Meacham’s stories. With the help of Natalie (Oona Laurence), an 11-year-old girl whose father Jack (Wes Bentley) owns the local lumber mill, Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he belongs, and the truth about this dragon. Disney’s “Pete’s Dragon” opens in U.S. theaters on August 12, 2016.
Disney Banks on ‘Finding Dory’ Swimming Past Soggy Openings of Recent Movie Sequels
In Finding Dory, the Walt Disney animated film that opens in theaters on Friday, the lead character is a blue tang fish that can’t swim against the tide.
