News Views: 10/27/2022

Hi friends!  I'm just stopping by for a quick pop in today.  There were a few fun Disney news announcements this week and I was itching to write about them!  

On Tuesday, Disney announced that Blizzard Beach was (finally!) re-opening on November 13th!  I've been waiting for this news for-ev-er and I'm so excited that it will be opening before our trip in January.  (Hours aren't posted yet... but hopefully it'll be open during our stay!)  And for the first time in forever, they've added elements from Frozen to the park!  I literally squealed out loud when I saw the adorable snowgies that they've added to Tike's Peak!  I definitely have to get a photo with them and Olaf!

Photo Source

This morning, Disney Weddings was featured on Good Morning America.  They did a tie in with GMA where they broadcasted a wedding live from Epcot.  I didn't watch the actual event, but I saw footage of it later and the stunning photos.  I was blown away by the beautiful space theme and all of the modern, celestial decor.

Photo Source

This morning the Magic Kingdom was host to a special kickoff of National Veterans and Military Families Month.  The main event was the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds air team performing a flyover demonstration soaring 500 feet over Cinderella Castle and Main Street USA.  I saw a few videos of it online and it looked incredible.  They framed the castle so well and I'm sure it was a spectacular thing to experience in person!

Photo Source

This afternoon, I finally saw the news that I've been waiting for... the Festival of the Arts is going back to Epcot January 13th to February 20th!!!  Eliot and I have been holding our breath for the official news.  An inside source told us the 13th was the opening day of the festival, but I didn't want to fully believe it until it was announced.  Now, I can say with 100% certainty that we'll be there for the opening days of the Festival of the Arts right at the end of our supersized Walt Disney World trip in January!!!

Photo Source

Finally, in news a little further from home, today Disney also announced the names of the three new ports of Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea.  The three new additions are Frozen Kingdom, Rapunzel's Forest and Peter Pan's Never Land.  The expanded area of the theme park is not scheduled to open until spring of 2024, but it looks like it will be worth the wait.  Every time I see renderings for it, they take my breath away.  I'm obsessed with the Arendelle Castle and Rapunzel's Tower.  I'm also excited that they included so much water and waterfalls throughout the areas.  I think it really brings the lands to life!  I can't wait to see what they look like in person someday!

Photo Source

Ahh, this has been a very exciting few days of Disney news for me since these are all some of my favorite things: Blizzard Beach, shows at Cinderella Castle, Festival of the Arts, Frozen, Rapunzel, theme park renderings, waterfalls and Disney Weddings!!!  I hope you enjoyed today's installment of my News Views blog segment!  °o°

News Views: 10/15/2022

I'm back with another blog post I wasn't planning to write... but somehow it called out to me.  So much for taking a break... I can't seem to keep myself away from writing!  Not only can I not stay away, but I'm over here creating new segments for my blog... 

Today, I'm introducing my newest blog segment, News Views.  I thought this might be a fun, quick way to share Disney news with you and my thoughts or "views" on it.

There's been a lot of news the past two weeks, and I've been so busy that I haven't even been able to digest all of it, much less write actual posts about it.  I came up with the idea to do a quick post here and there so I can share news and my quick takes on it without feeling obligated to write a long post about each thing.  There was just so much information to digest that I wanted to share, but I haven't had the time.  Then, I came up with this new segment idea... so I'm rolling with it!

Now that you know how this post came to be, let's check out some of the latest news!

Photo Source

Guided Tours Are Returning to Disneyland- Yay!!!  I'm so excited about this.  I've wanted to take one of the Walk in Walt's Footsteps guided tours of Disneyland forever, but they've been shut down due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  I'm not sure when Eliot and I will be at Disneyland again, but I'll definitely be looking into this!

Disney100 Celebration Starts at Disneyland in January- It was also announced that the Disney100 anniversary celebration will kick off at Disneyland on January 27th, 2023!!!  They plan to bring limited-time offerings throughout the resort all year.  The parks will have platinum decor.  Mickey, Minnie and their friends will be wearing their new outfits!  And there will be special food, beverages, merchandise and more!  They are also adding two new nighttime spectaculars: "World of Color- One" (at California Adventure) and "Wondrous Journeys" (at Disneyland).   There's so much to unpack about all of this news... but for now I will just say that I am so excited for all of this!  (I'll have to write more about this at a later date!)

Photo Source

Magic Happens Returns Next Spring- Disney also announced that the "Magic Happens" Parade will be returning next spring!  I am so excited about this since it was only able to run a few weeks before COVID forced Disneyland to close for over a year.

Disney Animation Immersive Experience- I recently found out that Disney Animation and Lighthouse Immersive Studios teamed up to create a Disney movie immersive experience that will be in nine cities across North America!  Basically, it's one of the things where they project images on the walls of a giant white room.  Eliot and I did the Van Gogh Experience like this, and it was so cool.  Afterwards, I remember telling him that I thought they should do it with Disney movies because it would be the perfect way to showcase them along with the music we all know and love.  It looks like my dream has come true!  I can't wait to go see this in Boston!!!

Photo Source

Disney Encanto X CAMP Opened in NYC October 8th- This is such a cool concept and I hope that they make it for more Disney movies!  Basically, it's a limited-time 6,000 square foot experience where it feels like you're actually walking through the world of Encanto!  You can go into the courtyard, Isabella's room, Antonio's room and more!  This is amazing; I want to go while it's in New York City the next few months!

Photo Source

Princess Medal Reveal- Disney recently revealed what the 2023 Half Marathon Weekend Medals will look like.  There were mixed reviews since the characters are more artistic looking.  Eliot hates them but I like how they're styled... and I guess that's a good thing since these are the ones I'll be getting for the virtual race weekend!

Photo Source

Price Increases- Tickets for Disneyland Resort and Genie+ have risen.  Food prices have risen.  Merchandise prices have risen.  Everything seems to be costing more, but this doesn't surprise me with the cost of everything going up due to inflation.  Still... it's making it harder for some people to travel to Disney when it's already expensive.

Holidays at Disneyland Resort- Holiday magic returns to the Disneyland Resort from November 11th through January 8th!  There's so much to unpack here, so I'll just go over it all briefly.  Festival of the Holidays returns to California Adventure where you can celebrate multiple holidays including Christmas, Navidad, Hanuukah, Diwali, Kwanza, and Three Kings Day.  "World of Color- Seasons of Light" also returns, along with "A Christmas Fantasy" parade and the "Believe... in Holiday Magic" fireworks over at Disneyland.  Santa will be back!  There are tons of seasonal treats, beverages, merchandise, and souvenirs that will be available.  Finally, Mickey, Minnie and their friends will all have new holiday outfits!  This all looks amazing!  It's been a few years since I went to Disneyland for the holiday season (December 2017 with Jeremy).  Eliot and I won't be able to go this year, but I would love to go again in the next few years!!!

Photo Source

Angela Lansbury Died- Angela Lansbury, known by most Disney fans for voicing Mrs. Potts in the 1991 animated movie, passed away on October 11th at the age of 96.  She was also in Disney's 1971 film Bedknobs and Broomsticks and most recently, she played the Balloon Lady in Mary Poppins Returns in 2018.  I always thought she had the most warm and comforting voice... and she was perfect for Mrs. Potts.  Thank you for bringing this character to life and for leaving a legacy that's a tale as old as time.

Photo Source

MagicBand+ coming to Disneyland- MagicBand+ will debut at Disneyland on October 26th!  I assumed that this would be coming soon since they already had all of the MagicBand stations outside of the rides to scan in.  Eliot and I haven't personally experienced the MagicBand+ yet, but I'm sure that it will be a cool addition and make things that much easier!  I'm excited to see how it interacts with the nighttime shows!

Fantasmic Back in November- Fantasmic is coming back to Walt Disney World sometime in November and I am so excited!!!  I was hoping it would be back by the time we went down in January and I can't wait to see it.  It's Eliot's favorite Disney show so I know he's pretty pumped to see it again too.  Big YAY!!!

Photo Source

The Little Mermaid Poster- On Thursday, Disney dropped the official poster for the new live action The Little Mermaid movie.  On all of their social media accounts, it was accompanied by the text "Halle Bailey is Ariel. Disney's The Little Mermaid, in theaters May 26, 2023."  I think that they wanted to show that Halle is our beloved mermaid regardless of her race.  People have been giving them so much crap about it online... and I'm over here going the girl can sing like no other.  I personally can't wait to see it and I know she is going to completely blow it out of the park... but then again, I'm not a racist that can't handle a black fictional mermaid.  (Insert an eye roll for the haters.)

Photo Source

Dress Shop Removed- It's been reported by mutilple people online that the Dress Shop on Cherry Tree Lane has been removed from the Disney Springs Coop.  I know that the Coop was supposed to be more pop up shops that change over time... but this is depressing.  They have moved all of the dresses next door into Tren-D, but it's just not the same.  Tren-D was supposed to be the hip clothing store, and the dress shop was more elegant and classy.  This doesn't surprise me though, especially since the Dress Shop in Downtown Disney at Disneyland is filled with more shirts and other clothing than dresses.  Still... I'm bummed out because I always loved visiting it.

Robbie Coltrane Died- Our final piece of news is another sad one.  Yesterday, I logged into Facebook to find out that Robbie Coltrane, who played the lovable half giant Hagrid in the Harry Potter movies, passed away yesterday at the age of 72.  This news shocked me, and apparently many others from what I've seen on social media.  I always loved Hagrid and it sounds like Robbie was just as warm and kind-hearted as the character that he played.  He will definitely be missed by all of us muggles.

Photo Source

Whew!  Ok, that was a little longer than a quick post, but there was also a lot of news that I wanted to cover today.  Going forward, I'll probably use this segment to post quick little things here and there whenever I have something I want to share with you!

I hope you enjoyed this post with my quick takes on the latest news!  °o°

Fun Find: 2022 D23 Expo Announcements

It's been a week since the 2022 D23 Expo came back to Anaheim after a three year hiatus.  The D23 Expo is always an exciting weekend filled with Disney fans, fun, panels, merchandise, surprises and announcements about upcoming projects.  This year was no different.  In particular, Eliot and I were both looking forward to all of the announcements about the Disney Parks and upcoming attractions!

Photo Source

There was so much information released over the weekend.  I thought it would be easiest to recap the news from the event with a few videos!  Day One of the expo was pretty quiet on the news front, with the only big panel being the Walt Disney Animation and Pixar event showcasing the new movies coming over the next few years.

Day Two had a little bit more information with the Marvel panel in the morning and a special panel for everything coming to Disney+ in the afternoon.

Day Three had the announcements everyone was waiting to hear about what new shows, attractions, and more are coming to Disney Parks around the world.  Here is a really short recap video of the day and the overall event.

The Disney Parks news is always my favorite part of the D23 Expo.  I did a little bit of research and this video was a great overview of everything that was announced!

Wow!  I am so excited about all of the Frozen, Tangled and Zootopia things coming to the parks all over the world!  I also think that the concept artwork for Tiana's Bayou Adventure looks incredible!  I think it's going to be stunning lit up at nighttime!  I know the concept artwork for Moana (at Animal Kingdom) and Encanto (at Magic Kingdom) are only Blue Sky ideas right now... but I really hope they eventually add them to the parks.  I absolutely love both of those movies too!

As you can see, the 2022 D23 Expo was full of surprises and announcements!  What are you most looking forward to coming to the parks?  °o°

Into the Unknown

Hi friends.  I hope this post finds you safe and most importantly- healthy.  This past week has been one heck of a year, huh?  I've needed a few days to process and get my own thoughts and feelings in order.  I'm still reeling a bit from all of this, but each day I'm becoming more and more comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Text Edit by Me- Original Photo Source

It's been a week since all hell broke loose.  A week since professional sports were all postponed indefinitely.  A week since Disney announced closures of Disneyland and Walt Disney World.  A week since Disney Cruise Line suspended all sailings.  A week since colleges and universities closed and sent students home after spring break.

Since then, there's been a lot more of that.  Disney Resorts, Downtown Disney, Disney Springs and Disney Stores are all now closed.  Adventures by Disney has suspended their trips through April.  Most schools across the country are closed and some kids might not go back to school at all this year.  Businesses all over the country are temporarily closing.  Some counties and cities are forcing people (including both of Eliot's parents) to quarantine at home and not leave the house for 3 weeks.  While other businesses seem to want to push through this until they're forced to close.

Edit by Me- Original Photo Source

Let face it, this is pretty terrifying.  Officials are saying that this could last months, even until July or August.  I'm trying to stay optimistic through it all.  I don't really leave the house that often anyways.  My day-to-day hasn't changed that much over the past week... except that everything has changed.  I'm afraid to leave the house to get groceries and supplies.  I'm afraid every time Eliot goes to work.  I'm afraid the craft stores will close and I won't have what I need for our business.  Let's not get started with how terrified I am of making enough money to pay our bills during all of this.

The truth is that we're all Elsa journeying into the unknown.

Text Edit by Me- Original Photo Source

It's not a journey we chose to take, but it's a path we're all walking down regardless.  I have faith that we'll get through this if we stick together.  The fact that so many people are sitting at home putting their lives on pause is inspiring.  We're all standing together to fight against this virus.  This is unprecedented... and will surely shape our future.

We all need to continue to do our part.  Listen to the health professionals.  Please continue to stay home and protect yourself, your family and our fellow humans.  It's a small world after all.  Let's all pull together and do the next right thing.  °o°

Corona Closures, Cancellations and Confusion

As I'm sure you're all aware, the Coronavirus (also known as COVID-19) has taken over our news.  Over the past few weeks, it's gotten more and more prevalent.  I haven't really wanted to post much to add to it, but I've had a rough day today.  Since this is my little corner of the internet, and because it's therapeutic to me, here I am.

Over the past few weeks, I've been watching all of the fear, hysteria and confusion from afar.  I did think the media was going a bit overboard in the beginning.  I've been amused by silly memes about stores running out of toilet paper (seriously?), how to properly wash your hands (doesn't everyone know how to do that?!?!) and about how we should be hoarding craft supplies, beer and wine in case we get put on quarantine.

I have to admit that up until the past 24 hours, I wasn't really that alarmed about the Coronavirus.  Eliot and I are both young and fairly healthy.  I work at home and am already "socially distanced" simply by being self-employed.  But the past 24 hours have changed everything.  I went from not really all that concerned to somewhat freaking out and spiraling a bit this afternoon.  So what changed?  

For starters, news of closures and cancellations has come repeatedly: 

- Last night, the NBA put their season put on hold while we were watching our San Jose Sharks hockey game on the national broadcast.  That means, Eliot and I were subjected to listening all about that and how the NHL would likely follow suit.  San Jose was already set to be playing hockey in front of an empty arena, but since the NHL usually follows the NBA, it was a matter of time before they weren't playing period.

- Maine was one of the few states without a confirmed case of COVID-19.  Today, our governor held a press conference where she announced we had our first presumptive case of the virus.  She and our CDC recommended that we not have gatherings of over 250 people.  (Since then, Maine has confirmed at least one if not 2 cases.)

- Shortly before 2 pm, the NHL officially suspended their season.  This was expected.

- Around 5 pm, news of Disneyland closing from March 14th to the end of the month was announced.  Shortly after, Universal Hollywood announced it was closing too.

- I also read news that Walt Disney World has a few firefighters at their Reedy Creek Fire Department who are on quarantine after going to a conference in Tampa where someone else was later found to be positive for COVID-19.  (Note: This should not affect anyone at WDW since the firemen are already quarantined at home.)

- Around 7 pm, I found out that Mulan was being delaying on it's release in theaters.  It was supposed to be out on March 27th, and there's no news of the new release date.

- Right before 8:30 pm, I read that Walt Disney World announced plans to close along with Disneyland Paris.  They have also suspended all Disney Cruise Line itineraries set to depart beginning Saturday the 14th through the end of March.

- There have also been countless other announcements of cancellations.  The MLB is delaying spring training and the start of their season.  The Maine Mariners hockey season has been put on hiatus.  The NCAA March Madness tournament is not happening and many other college playoffs are also cancelled.  Universities are sending students home after spring break and finishing their school year online.  I've also seen articles and posts about numerous conferences, theater shows and other things being cancelled.  Broadway is going dark.  There seems to be no end in sight.

People are legitimately scared.  This morning, before we even got out of bed, I told Eliot that I wanted him to talk to his boss and HR department at work.  He's had a few bad cases of pneumonia and the Coronavirus affects your breathing.  A year ago, he passed out at work, was rushed to the hospital and was diagnosed with pneumonia.

We hadn't been worried, but I'm starting to.  The disease spread like wildfire in Italy.  If reports that the virus can live in the air for a few hours are true, we aren't truly safe going anywhere.  Eliot and I aren't going stay hidden away and stop living our lives, but it's time to be a little more serious about it than we have been.

I've had a lot of emotions today- from fear, to confusion, to anger, to frustration.  It seems like there are more questions than answers.  Will this effect our business?  Will I get a paycheck?  Will I be able to pay our bills?  Can Eliot work from home?  Will Elissa be returning to Maine after spring break in South Carolina?  Will she have to be quarantined at school?  What else will be closing or get cancelled?  

I know that a lot of other people are feeling the fear and uncertainty too.  There are still plenty of people who think this is all ridiculous, and I get it.  I really do.  Up until the past 24 hours or so, I thought the media was blowing this all out of proportion.  (I still think their early reports were a bit fear mongering.)  But, it's been proven that by taking measures of social distancing, we can slow the spread of a highly contagious disease.

Is all of this completely insane and unprecedented?  Oh yeah.  Are people upset that things they were looking forward to have been cancelled or closed?  Yes.  Athletes can't, or might not get to, compete in tournaments or events they've worked their whole lives for.  People are having to cancel their once-in-a-lifetime vacations.  Couples getting married aren't sure if they'll even be able to have their weddings.  Students might not get to walk in their high school or college graduations.  Many businesses are taking a really hard hit.  This is affecting a lot of people in different ways.

My travel agent friends have spent all week cancelling vacations that they've spent hours planning and they now won't get paid for.  (Thankfully, I don't have any clients traveling at the moment.)  Eliot's and my Happily Ever Hatter business has been lack luster as of late, and it's hard to tell if it's simply because this is our slow season, or if it's because of the uncertainty surrounding traveling at the moment.  Plus, now that Disneyland, Walt Disney World and Disney Cruise Line have all announced closures, the trip cancellations are only going to get worse...  

In this time of uncertainly, we need to take a beat before we sound off in the comment sections on social media.  You don't know what someone else is feeling and how this is affecting them.  Now is a time for compassion.  Speaking of social media, don't believe everything that you read online.  Know the facts.  Do your own research.  Be prepared, but not paranoid.  For goodness sake, please leave some toilet paper for those of us who really need some.  Listen to your health professionals.  Wash your hands.  Wash them again.  And above all, have courage and be kind.  °o°

Bob Iger Steps Down as CEO

Yesterday afternoon, the world was shocked upon discovering that Bob Iger was stepping down as CEO of the Walt Disney Company- effective immediately.  I have to admit, the news threw me for a bit of a loop too.  It was sudden and the news of it spread quickly.  I first heard when multiple Disney sites that I follow on Facebook all posted about it at the same time and it completely filled my newsfeed.

Basically, here's a quick run down of everything that unfolded yesterday.  Bob Iger stepped down and now Bob Chapek is the new CEO.  Iger will stay on as an executive chairman while still overseeing the creative endeavors.  It sounds like Chapek will start to take over the business side of the job.  Iger will stay with Disney to the end of his December 31, 2021 contract giving Chapek 22 months to fully transfer into the role.

Photo Source

Bob Iger first took over the CEO job in 2005 and he's done so much for Disney since then.  Without him, who knows if Disney would have acquired Pixar, Lucasfilm, Marvel Studios and 21st Century Fox.  He's also been a champion for expanding the creative side of the company.  Under his leadership, we got Star Wars Land, Toy Story Land, Avatar, a re-designed California Adventure, the Shanghai Disney Resort, more Disney Cruise ships on order and so much more.

I have to admit, I'm still a bit dumbfounded.  I suppose, it's something we all knew was coming.  Iger had announced that he was planning to retire at the end of 2021.  But still, I wasn't quite ready for him to be done.  I've been a huge fan of Bob Iger.  I think he's done a lot of great things creatively for Disney and I'm very relieved that he's going to help oversee the creative changes coming to Epcot in the next year or so.

Photo Source

Bob Chapek is only the 7th CEO of the Walt Disney Company.  I'm not really sure what happens next for the company as a whole.  I've heard mixed reviews about Chapek and his philosophy about the theme park experiences.  I'd be lying if I didn't admit that I'm a little anxious, but I'll wait to see what he does before I make any opinions.  The bar has certainly been set very high.

Changes in life are inevitable.  This is just the start of another chapter in the Disney story.  Walt taught us to "keep moving forward" so that's what we do.  And to Bob Iger, Thank you for everything you've done for Disney over the past 15 years.  °o°