For the world’s entertainment giants, this is a time of fear and doubt. These companies are still bringing in piles of money – industry leader Walt Disney Co.’s profits are expected to hit a record $8.7 billion for the fiscal year that ends Wednesday.
Archive for Disney Parks
Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration Extended Through Summer 2016
The Disneyland Resort will continue its 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration through Summer 2016, extending the three spectacular after-dark shows created for the special anniversary – the “Paint the Night” parade, the immersive “Disneyland Forever” fireworks show and the all-new “World of Color – Celebrate! The Wonderful World of Walt Disney.” The exciting celebration, which also features sparkling décor, themed food and merchandise, will conclude on Labor Day Monday, Sept. 5, 2016.
For six decades, the Disneyland Resort has explored the frontiers of immersive storytelling and entertainment technology, bringing exciting attractions and inventive entertainment to life for guests from around the world.
For the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration, Mickey Mouse and some of his friends are dressed up in sparkling Diamond Celebration costumes, and the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland Park and Carthay Circle Theatre in Disney California Adventure Park are glistening with diamond medallions. Ingenious new window displays at the Main Street Emporium in Disneyland provide additional Diamond Celebration surprises, and even the resort cast members, who help make the magic for every guest, have a bit of extra sparkle in their Diamond Celebration name tags.
The three new nighttime entertainment spectaculars raise the bar on creativity and entertainment technology, and they have been enchanting Disneyland Resort guests since they debuted May 22, 2015.
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VIDEO – Wonder Happens Here | Disney Parks
Around every corner, at any second or minute of every day, there’s a magical moment waiting to happen. At Disney Parks, moments both big and little become stories that will be forever told and retold. And never, ever forgotten.
Pop Secret Popcorn and Disney Parks and Resorts Team Up for Multi-Year Alliance
Diamond Foods, Inc. (Nasdaq: DMND) (“Diamond”) announced today that it has entered into a long-term strategic alliance agreement with Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort tied to its Pop Secret brand premium popcorn. Pop Secret popcorn is now the official popcorn of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California.
Diamond Foods also plans to advertise on Disney-owned channels like ABC Family and the Disney Channel. Retail promotions, on-pack sweepstakes and digital content creation are all ways in which Pop Secret popcorn expects to work with Disney.
“We have been looking for an alliance that is in-line with our core brand values and we couldn’t be more delighted to announce this relationship with Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort,” said Burke Raine, Vice President of Marketing, Snacks, at Diamond. “Pop Secret popcorn and Disney both have deep associations with movies and encourage lasting memories shaped by fun family activities.”
As part of the relationship, Disney will begin selling freshly popped Pop Secret popcorn at popcorn carts throughout Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. The Pop Secret brand will also become the title sponsor of the nightly Fantasmic! Show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort and plans to sponsor movie nights held at many of Disney’s resort hotels.
20th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival by the Numbers
Walt Disney World Resort guests will join the 20-year celebration of Epcot International Food & Wine Festival presented by Chase from Sept. 25-Nov. 16, 2015, as they taste global and specialty cuisine, sip new beverages and eat to the beat of live entertainment.
The 53-day festival at Disney’s Epcot theme park will expand with new Future World marketplaces featuring fresh culinary concepts to pair with select wines, beers, cocktails and other beverages. ABC’s Emmy Award-winning lifestyle series, “The Chew,” will broadcast from the festival for the first time and will participate in two of the new Future World festival marketplaces: Sustainable Chew and Chew Lab. The festival is believed to be the largest food and wine event of its kind in the world.
Here are 20 fun facts about the 20th festival celebration.
- Now 53 days long, the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival began in 1996 with a first run of 30 days
- At the 2015 festival, a record 30 global marketplaces will include the new Sustainable Chew, Chew Lab and Artistry of Wine & Cheese marketplaces
- Producers of ABC’s “The Chew” will tape 5 episodes of the show before 5 festival guest audiences numbering in the hundreds for each show
- The 20th festival will feature 32 new marketplace dishes and 75 new cocktails, beers, wines and ciders
- In 1998, 200 domestic and international wines were poured at the festival. This year, at marketplaces and premium events, more than 300 domestic and international wines will be offered
- More than 60 wineries and more than 40 breweries from around the world, including local craft beer operations, will be represented at festival marketplaces
- The 20th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Cookbook by Pam Brandon and the Disney Chefs features 75 recipes from the global marketplaces that span the entire 20 years of the festival.
- 3 Rockin’ Burger Block Parties and 5 Party for the Senses grand tastings will take place at World Showplace during the festival run. In all, the festival will feature 193 premium events ranging from Signature Dinners and Food & Wine Pairings to Beverage Boot Camps and Festival Events in World Showcase pavilions
- Guest chefs and Disney chefs numbering 250 will present culinary demonstrations and will cook for festival events
- Celebrity chefs and visiting culinarians from 6 countries and 26 U.S. states will participate in the festival at culinary demos, book signings, and special tasting events and dinners
- Nearly 400 culinary demos, beverage and mixology seminars will take place during the 53-day festival
- During the new Remy’s Ratatouille Hide & Squeak festival scavenger hunt, guests can help Remy scour the park for the ingredients to make his signature dish, ratatouille. Along the way, they’ll find 12 Remy statuettes hidden in each of 11 countries of the World Showcase and at the African Outpost location. Guests can redeem the 12 stickers they’ve collected for one of 6 special pins at Port of Entry
- 159 Eat to the Beat concerts will be performed; 4 musical acts will appear for the first time at this year’s festival featuring entertainment ranging from rock and soul to funk and blues
- The Marketplace Discovery Passport was introduced in 2010 for the 15th annual festival; today, the free passport will feature pages with all 30 festival marketplaces that guests can have stamped during their dine-around-the-world culinary adventure
- More than 1,200 fireworks will explode each night over World Showcase Lagoon in IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth nightime spectacular
- Chase is the festival’s presenting sponsor for the 4th year; its Chase Lounge at American Adventure Parlor features guest amenities that include complimentary beverages and comfy furniture where guests can chill out and recharge
- The Ocean Spray Cranberry Bog, back for a fourth year, is filled with 900 pounds of the tart red fruit and is accessible to cast members who wear waterproof waders
- 100,000-plus desserts, including the Chocolate Cherry Explosion and Strawberry Basil Champagne “Toast” at Desserts & Champagne Marketplace, are expected to be served
- In 1997, during the festival’s second year, festival planners introduced the first Grand Tasting culinary extravaganza; in 2002, the event was renamed and moved to World Showplace as Party for the Senses, now featuring up to 50 food and beverage stations and breathtaking entertainment by Cirque du Soleil’s “La Nouba” performers
- At the new Artistry of Wine & Cheese, each keg of premium wine on tap will hold the equivalent of 26 wine bottles, eliminating bottle, cork, cardboard and paper waste from labels. Recycling and repurposing of glass bottles and corks from other marketplace locations will be part of the 20th-year festival story
5 Mistakes To Avoid When Planning Your Disney Vacation
You know to put sunscreen and hand sanitizer in your day pack. And you know to break in those new sneakers for at least a week before your family vacation at Disneyland or Walt Disney World so you won’t get blisters.
How Much Does A Disney Vacation Really Cost?
As Disneyland continues to make headlines this summer with its 60th anniversary celebration and the announcement of a $1 billion facelift, we couldn’t help but wonder: How much does it actually cost for a family to vacation at the “Happiest Place on Earth”?
5 New Disney Park Projects to Get Really Excited About
D23 Expo, the massive Disney convention that brings together all facets of the Walt Disney Company every other year, brought no shortage of great news for Mickey Mouse fans recently. Among all the developments in the pipeline, the most game-changing is arguably the major additions to Walt Disney World and Disneyland …
Review: 2015 Wizard World Comic Con Chicago by Becky Donahue
WIZARD WORLD COMIC CON CHICAGO was back in Illinois this weekend. This event is the mecca of pop culture. Whether you are into comics, fan art, superheroes or sci fi, Wizard World Comic Con Chicago has something for you. This trip was slightly different than past years as our Cosplay-loving daughter is away at college (she will have to head to the event in St. Louis next spring). Usually she is our guide as we go from booth to booth checking out merchandise and explaining different characters to us. She also loves creating new Cosplay (role-playing costumes of different pop culture characters) for Wizard World Comic Cons. . Wizard World events are a blast when you express yourself by dressing up as your favorite hero or villain. This year we saw everything from Disney princesses and Marvel Avengers to zombies and Xmen. People are so creative with their looks. Of course, if you aren’t quite ready to cosplay, you can always pick up some cool merchandise at the many vendors and exhibitors throughout the main halls. There is also a gaming lounge where you can participate in an epic video game tournament. The artwork that is displayed and is available for purchase is incredible. One of my favorites was an artist that had different scenes from pop culture with Star Wars Stormtroopers as the main characters. I also loved a painting of Carmen Sandiego and Where’s Waldo having a drink as Boba Fett is walking in to find them. So creative! Don’t even get me started on the “cute” versions of the Avengers and other popular characters. I am a sucker for cuties. What we really like about Wizard World Comic Con Chicago is that is possible to meet some of your favorite celebrities. Guests can purchase VIP Experiences that allow you to meet the person, get an autograph, take a photo, and get guaranteed access to the panel discussion. This is an amazing opportunity. We have been to other comic cons where this is not remotely possible. It is purely luck if you get into the room to see the panel discussion or catch a glimpse of the celebrity. Wizard World Comic Con events allow you to purchase tickets for autographs and photos so you will definitely get that treasured moment without missing the rest of the programming because you have to wait in line all day. We also love that the Wizard World Comic Con Tour is traveling all around the United States, not just Southern California. In t the fall and winter of 2015, there are 9 more dates in 9 cities scheduled, and there are 17 dates and cities lined up for 2016. Go to www.wizardworld.com for more information on these events and to get your admission. Whether you are single, a couple, have a family, or are young or old, there literally is something for everyone at Wizard World Comic Con. Even if you just want to shop and “people watch” you find yourself having a huge smile on your face all day. The people who attend the event as well as the artists and vendors are some of the most positive people we have ever met. They truly want everyone to have an enjoyable experience. So what are you waiting for? Pick a city near you, buy your admission, and start planning your cosplay attire! As they say on the website, WIZARD WORLD is where pop culture comes to life. Don’t miss it!
