Disney Infinity fans are still coming to grips with last week’s unexpected cancellation of the toy-based video game series. A victim of extreme expectations, Disney Infinity is being shut down because the second and third toy lines, which consisted heavily of Marvel Comics and Star Wars content, failed to hit overly optimistic sales projections.
As Disney Vacation Club nears the midpoint of this 25th anniversary year, Members have discovered an historic array of new offerings, with even more on the horizon.
During the past five months alone, Members have enjoyed complimentary “25 and Beyond Bash” parties at Magic Kingdom Park, a special ticket offer that added a free Theme Park day to multi-day ticket purchases, new Member merchandise items (including limited-edition MagicBands), complimentary anniversary buttons and commemorative photos, and new Membership Cards that unlock an ever-evolving world of Membership Magic…and that’s just scratching the surface.
Up next is the highly anticipated Member Lounge at Epcot, scheduled to open on June 6 and welcome Members and their guests home daily throughout this anniversary year!
Hidden on the second floor of the Imagination pavilion at Epcot (with a Member entrance through the pavilion’s merchandise shop), this centrally located lounge surrounds its casual seating areas with complimentary beverages (including Coca-Cola Freestyle machines), device-charging stations, Wi-Fi, computer stations with printers and mounted tablets pre-set to easily access select Disney websites, including MyDisneyExperience.com.
Anticipation is rife for the grand opening of Shanghai Disney, just weeks away in June – but a select lucky few have already had a sneak peek inside the spectacular park itself.
Never-before-seen pictures show hoards of eager fans exploring the gigantic 963-acre amusement park, which cost $5.5billion (£3.8billion) to build, as part of its six-week-long trial period, which started on May 7.
Dealing content out to third-party platforms such as Netflix Inc. and Hulu has been good business for the Walt Disney Co. and other media companies, but Disney may be considering a future where it keeps a tighter hold on its content.
Hello… can you hear this guy? Brian Hull, who shot to viral fame singing “Let It Go” while switching between the voices of 21 Disney characters, has done it again.
It starts with the blare of an early-morning alarm and a pair of sneakers that can withstand a day of walking. The agenda then might proceed as follows: a quick whip around Space Mountain to get your sea legs, a hair-raising tour of the Haunted Mansion, an aerial view of London from Peter Pan’s perspective and a Mickey Mouse-shaped ice cream pop before the parade.
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Walt Disney Records (WDR) is proud to celebrate its 60th anniversary with the music that has been enchanting and entertaining audiences for generations. To kick off the celebration, Alan Menken will participate in a special event at the Grammy Museum on June 1, “An Evening with Alan Menken,” which includes a Q&A and culminates with a special performance. One of the most admired and prolific musical talents of our time, this Academy Award®, Grammy Award®, and Golden Globe Award® winner is responsible for unforgettable Disney classics including “Part of Your World” (“Little Mermaid”), “Under the Sea” (“Little Mermaid”), “Be Our Guest” (“Beauty and the Beast”), “Beauty and the Beast” (“Beauty and the Beast”), “A Whole New World” (“Aladdin”), “Colors of the Wind” (“Pocahontas”), “The Bells of Notre Dame” (“Hunchback of Notre Dame“), “I Won’t Say (I’m in Love)” (“Hercules”) and “I See the Light” (“Tangled”).
To commemorate the label’s milestone, 60 titles will be available on sale at Apple Music (http://smarturl.it/wdr60thsale), Amazon (http://smarturl.it/wdr60tham), and Google Play, plus Spotify’s playlist highlights the most beloved musical classics and current hits from Disney movies, television shows, and theme parks (http://smarturl.it/wdr60thsp).
The selected albums and tracks represent numerous key releases that have been important to the label and The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) such as “Some Day My Prince Will Come” from Snow White (first soundtrack), “When You Wish Upon a Star” from Pinocchio (theme song for TWDC), “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” (first single from a television show), “Monkey’s Uncle” byAnnette Funicello (the label’s first teen sensation), tracks from Mary Poppins (album held the #1 position on Billboard’s Top 200 Chart for 14 weeks) and “Hakuna Matata” from The Lion King (soundtrack earned WDR its first Diamond Award from the R.I.A.A., certifying sales of 10 million units). Also highlighted is the chart-topping multi-platinum Frozen soundtrack, Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Disney-Pixar classics (Toy Story, Finding Nemo, Inside Out and more), plus albums and songs from Disney Channel Original Movies and series including and High School Musical and Hannah Montana.
The special 60th Anniversary commemorative artwork was designed by UK-based graphic artist Steven Wilson.
Celebrating 60 years, Walt Disney Records has set the standard as the leader in family audio entertainment. The label has earned more than 300 gold, platinum and multi-platinum awards from the R.I.A.A, and several of its releases rank among the top-selling singles and soundtracks of all time. Over the last decade, the label has helped preserve Disney’s rich musical history by the restoration of its earliest recordings and re-mastering of classic soundtracks in an effort to keep the legacy and musical spirit of Disney alive for future generations.
Honoring the continuing legacy of the Disney music catalog, Walt Disney Records’ site, Disney Music Emporium (DME) is the destination for collectible Disney music products. To celebrate WDR’s 60th, a special 10″ Mickey Mouse Club vinyl picture disc (Side A: “Mickey Mouse March“; Side B: “Mickey Mouse Club Alma Mater”) will be available later this year. For more information on Disney Music Emporium, please visit DisneyMusicEmporium.com become a fan at Facebook.com/disneymusicemporium or follow us at Twitter.com/DisneyMusicEmp.
Take a look at some photos of Disney Character Topiaries around Epcot’s 2016 Flower & Garden Festival. Which one is your favorite?
Ample Hills Creamery, a new flavorful ice cream parlor, is now open at Disney’s BoardWalk at Walt Disney World® Resort. Located next to ESPN Club, this whimsical take on the turn-of-the-century ice cream parlor offers 16 signature ice cream flavors, including Ooey Gooey Butter Cake, Coffee Toffee Coffee, Malty Salty Pretzel Punch, Cotton Candy and more! Guests can also indulge in homespun milkshakes, luxurious sundaes and six different ice cream cone options – from the classic waffle cone to the adventurous pretzel cone.
We love Disney princesses. Like, a lot — and for so many different reasons. Each princess has something unique to offer, and we love that. But there’s one Disney princess who stands out among the rest of them.
