WDW Daily News

McDonald’s USA and The Walt Disney Company today announced a promotional alliance driven by McDonald’s commitment to improve the nutritional standards of its Happy Meal menus. With this multi-year, non-exclusive agreement, Disney and McDonald’s will collaborate to add more fun to family mealtime with Happy Meal cross-promotional campaigns in the United States for select movies from Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, Disney Live Action, Marvel Studios and Lucasfilm. The promotional alliance will begin in June with Incredibles 2, which arrives in theaters on June 15, followed in the Fall by Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2, which debuts in theaters November 21.

McDonald’s recent “Commitment to Families” announcement is the latest in a series of customer-led changes that created new global nutrition criteria for Happy Meals, which will reduce calories, saturated fat, sodium and added sugar in many Happy Meal combinations. In June 2018, all Happy Meals offered on menu boards in the United States will be in line with Disney’s industry-leading nutrition guidelines.

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For Disney fans looking to take their love to the next level, consider packing your backs and heading out to California. Because on Feb. 14, a new Disney Home store opened at Disneyland’s Downtown Disney district.

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When planning a Disney vacation it can be tough to put together the perfect itinerary for the whole family.

With that in mind, “Good Morning America” turned to the Disney Moms Panel — which recently announced 11 new members — to get the inside scoop on Disney Cruise Line, Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Disney Vacation Club and more.

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Disney announced an expanded collaboration with ‘Her Universe’ and the company’s founder, Ashley Eckstein, that brings new Disney, Star Wars, and Marvel merchandise lines and a new book to a broader set of fans and consumers.

The 360 deal between Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media (DCPI) and ‘Her Universe’ expands beyond the existing licensed lines of Disney, Marvel, and Star Wars apparel, accessories, and home goods and opens up new categories and opportunities including a new, heroic character-inspired athleisure line for kids and tweens called ‘Our Universe’. Featuring activewear, swimwear, footwear and accessories, ‘Our Universe’ is now available exclusively online at shopDisney.com and in-store at all Disney store locations. The first wave of the collection is inspired by Marvel Entertainment’s Black Panther and Disney Princess, with a Star Wars line coming soon for kids, tweens and adults. Pieces include leggings, sweatpants, zip up hoodies and headbands to help encourage kids to get outside and be active.

Beyond apparel, the expanded deal includes an inspirational book authored by Eckstein coming from Disney Book Group in May 2018. The book, “It’s Your Universe: You Have the Power to Make It Happen,” is based on Eckstein’s personal story and her journey to success. The book highlights Eckstein’s road to making her dreams come true and how her personal passions led to the creation of ‘Her Universe’ and the creation of an unrivaled female fan community. “It’s Your Universe: You Have the Power to Make It Happen” is available for pre-order now: http://books.disney.com/book/its-your-universe/.

“Ashley and Her Universe are trailblazers,” said Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media. “We’re thrilled to expand our relationship, and to work together on new ways for fans of all ages to celebrate their love for Disney, Star Wars, and Marvel through unique and authentic products.”

‘Her Universe’ has been at the forefront of creating stylish, fashion-forward, and authentic merchandise for fangirls and Eckstein has been a force in creating a more inclusive environment for science fiction and fantasy fans and opening up opportunities for fangirls to express their fandom and individuality. Through the relationship with Her Universe, DCPI has been able to further reach a broad audience and has tapped into emerging female fans of the Star Wars and Marvel franchises. Her Universe is a strategic partner for DCPI, as the business segment continues to extend the appeal of The Walt Disney Company’s franchises to new audiences through innovative products and engaging experiences.

“As a little girl, I grew up in Orlando, Florida with a father who was a Disney World cast member, and the world of Disney taught me how to make my dreams come true as an actress and a designer,” said Eckstein. “Every item of clothing and this new book draws on my personal passion for the brand and is inspired by that love. Now, I am beyond honored that Disney is allowing me the opportunity to pay it forward to a new generation of dreamers. My goal with this line and book is to inspire fans of all ages to make their dreams come true too.”

Fans can visit select Disney store locations to join Celebrate Your Dreams, a special interactive event featuring a video presentation with Ashley Eckstein every Saturday at 3:00 PM. Please check your local Disney store for details. Connect with Disney store and Her Universe on social media: @shopDisney and @HerUniverse.

The most iconic Disney movie settings don’t just come from animators’ imaginations; they are usually inspired by actual places.

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Lenny DeGeorge is part of a highly creative team that spends much of their days working inside Disney’s Flavor Lab, a relatively secret, hard-to-access space, hidden away somewhere on Walt Disney World property. Their mission? To dream up, create and then help execute every single new food and beverage concept…

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A new year signals a new sports season at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, where thousands of athletes of all ages and abilities will train and compete in 2018. The action gets underway Jan. 4, when the complex hosts the runDisney Health & Fitness Expo during the 25^thannual Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna. This premier runDisney race weekend – featuring kids’ races, 5K, 10K, half marathon and full marathon races – brings more than 100,000 runners and spectators to the Orlando area, making it the largest sporting event in Central Florida.

A week later on Jan. 12, collegiate cheerleading and dance squads will yell, tumble and stunt their way to glory in the National College Cheerleading & Dance Championship, the most prestigious college cheer event in the country.

And to close out a busy January, the top stars representing the AFC and NFC conferences will return to the sports complex for NFL Pro Bowl Week festivities. In addition to team practices, the 2018 Pro Bowl Skills Showdown will take place at the sports complex, pitting AFC and NFC athletes against each other in unique competitions, such as:

• Kick Tac Toe:  A new challenge this year which will test the accuracy of kickers with a version of the classic game.
• Gridiron Gauntlet: A selected number of players from each team will participate in a relay race which showcases strength, speed and agility.
• Drone Drop: A bonus event where one player from each team will attempt to catch footballs dropped from drones from increasing heights above the field.  The player who records the highest catch total wins a monetary prize that will be donated to the charity of his choice.

Pro Bowl Week culminates with the 2018 Pro Bowl, held Jan. 28 at Camping World Stadium.

In February, the Atlanta Braves return for their 21^st spring training season at Disney, with games getting underway at Champion Stadium on Feb. 26. The Braves will host the World Series Champion Houston Astros (Mar. 8), as well as Washington Nationals (Feb. 26, March 1), St. Louis Cardinals (March 3), Miami Marlins (March 4) and New York Yankees (March 9, 24), among others.

For fans in attendance, Disney character appearances and special moments such as kids running the bases after every game are some of the in-game entertainment opportunities that make Braves spring training at Disney a unique experience. Individual spring training game tickets are on sale at www.espnwwos.com/braves, through Ticketmaster outlets (800-745-3000) and at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Box Office. Tickets range from $15 (general admission berm seating in left field) to $59 (lower level reserved seats).

Information on Braves spring training season tickets, suite/hospitality, group tickets and mini-plans is available by calling the premium sales team at (407) 939-GAME (4263) and online at www.espnwwos.com/braves. The popular mini-plans will be available again this season, featuring three three-game options.

Below is a look at all events held at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex through March 2018:

• 25^th annual Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (Jan. 4-7)
• Diamond 9 Sun Classic Winter Showcase (Jan. 11-14): The top travel softball teams in the country will play in front of college coaches in this premier showcase event.
• National College Cheerleading & Dance Championship (Jan. 12-14)
• Disney 3v3 Soccer Championship (Jan. 13-15): One of eight youth soccer events at the sports complex, this tournament offers and Open Division to all 3v3 teams, and an Invitational Division for teams that have qualified by participating in other 3v3 events.
• Disney Field Hockey Showcase (Jan. 19-21): Returning to the sports complex in 2018, this USA Field Hockey-sanctioned event is the ultimate place for top field hockey clubs to be seen by college coaches.
• Sand Dollar/Whitlow Invitationals (Jan. 19-21): The Sand Dollar/Whitlow Invitational is a first-class women’s and men’s competitive gymnastics competition
• NFL Pro Bowl Week (Jan. 24-27)
• National Dance Team Championship (Feb. 2-4)
• National High School Cheerleading Championship (Feb. 10-11)
• Diamond 9 President’s Day Sun Classic (Feb. 15-19)
• Twirl Mania International Championship (Feb. 16-19): A baton twirling championship designed for soloists, pairs and twirl teams.
• Braves Spring Training (Mid Feb.-Mar.24)
• Disney President’s Day Soccer Festival (Feb. 17-19)
• Diamond 9 College Citrus Classic Week I (Feb. 22-25)
• Disney High School/College Spring Training (Feb. 25-April 29): high school and college baseball, golf, soccer, lacrosse, rugby, softball, tennis and track and field teams spend spring break training where the pros train at Disney
• Diamond 9 College Citrus Classic Week II (Mar. 1-4)
• Contest of Champions National Dance Competition (Mar. 2-4)
• UCA International All-Star Championship (Mar. 10-11): An annual gymnastics competition held at the sports complex
• Disney Volleyball Showcase (Mar. 16-18): This USA Volleyball-sanctioned event is a qualifying tournament for the USA Volleyball Girls’ Junior National Championships.
• AmeriCheer & AmeriDance International Championship (Mar. 24-25)
• AAU Boys’ Basketball (Mar. 30-July 29): AAU spring hoops events get underway in March, culminating in the AAU National Championships in July.

Walt Disney Co. plans to charge “substantially” less for its yet-to-launch streaming service than Netflix Inc. at the beginning, and will develop a new “Star Wars” live-action TV show along with other properties for subscribers.

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Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), today announced the vívofit jr. 2 activity tracker¹ for kids with Disney, Star Wars and Marvel-themed bands and mobile app adventures. Featuring designs of kids’ favorite characters including Minnie Mouse, BB-8^TM and Marvel’s Captain America, each band theme offers a corresponding mobile app adventure where children can complete missions to advance in the journey and unlock new character step icons, with the help of their parents, by achieving 60 minutes of activity every day. This exciting collaboration leverages kids’ favorite characters, encouraging children to be active, and ultimately shaping habits for lifelong health and fitness.

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