News Round Up

[circus4u]

D23 Expo 2015: Walt Disney Studios Presents Upcoming Film Slate And Much More
http://wdwnt.com/blog/2015/07/d23-e...esents-its-upcoming-film-slate-and-much-more/

 

[circus4u]

WATCH: ABC’s ‘The Muppets’ Pilot Presentation
"ABC Television has released the full pilot presentation for the new ABC comedy series, ‘The Muppets,’ which premieres on the ABC television network on September 22. Clocking in at just around 12 minutes, the presentation was originally intended for internal use to test the concept, but ABC has since shown it on a brief tour and has now published it in its entirety on YouTube."

http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disney-watch-abcs-the-muppets-pilot-presentation-75624/

 

[mara512]

What I've been reading is Phil is going to be retiring soon, he is 63 and doesn't have a lot left. Dan is gearing up to probably be the next in line for president of WDW after George Kalogridis. MK would be the next best thing to president so it's like the last step before the promotion.

This makes sense. Thanks Reetz

 

[skier_pete]

Battery chargers the size of a lipstick case are pretty cheap these days, and hold a charge and half. Then there are the ones the same size as your phone that hold closer to 5 full charges.

My DD12 has one of these chargers. I keep forgetting that I should bring it on the trip. I still like the card though. it's smaller than my phone (2" x 1" and the thickness of a piece of paper) and takes 5 seconds to refer to as opposed to the 1-2 minutes to open the app and scroll to where I want to be. Again, I'm not against technology, it's just not always the simplest/most elegant solution to a problem. If I want to change my FP or check wait times, sure. (I also try not to take out my phone a lot on vacation, we are trying to teach our daughter not to be tied/addicted to her electronics. It's sometimes hard to make that argument when I'm constantly looking at my phone.)

 

[skier_pete]

WATCH: ABC’s ‘The Muppets’ Pilot Presentation
"ABC Television has released the full pilot presentation for the new ABC comedy series, ‘The Muppets,’ which premieres on the ABC television network on September 22. Clocking in at just around 12 minutes, the presentation was originally intended for internal use to test the concept, but ABC has since shown it on a brief tour and has now published it in its entirety on YouTube."

http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disney-watch-abcs-the-muppets-pilot-presentation-75624/

I thought this was great! A slightly more adult humor to it. (Actually the original muppet show wasn't particularly geared towards kids, or at least only kids.)

However, I think this show will bomb. There's a contingent of fans that will love this show (myself included) but I think to get ratings big enough for the standards of Network TV is unlikely. I mean, I really hope it succeeds, but I wouldn't pick it in my TV survivor pool. (Not that I'm in one.)

 

[umichigan10]

Ooo I hope you can get your pictures to work there because things are really coming along.

I might try emailing them to myself and then uploading them from my iPad. Very interested to see AK as I think its going to be a legitimate full day experience once everything's done

 

[mcd2745]

That seems a bit over dramatic, don't you think? Plenty of aspects of Disney have specific times, and yet there aren't "floods of people" rushing into them. The notion of a "flood" of wilderness lodge or contemporary guests all rushing their bus at the same time (when they come every 15 min or so anyways) is silly enough to make me laugh.

Most of the day, probably would not be that a huge problem. Right after Wishes/Illuminations/Fantasmic? That's another story. Of course, it also mostly depends on specifically where they would be placed. If only out at the bus stop area...not that big a deal, since you're already there. Inside the gates? Could be problematic.

 

[wareagle57]

Most of the day, probably would not be that a huge problem. Right after Wishes/Illuminations/Fantasmic? That's another story. Of course, it also mostly depends on specifically where they would be placed. If only out at the bus stop area...not that big a deal, since you're already there. Inside the gates? Could be problematic.

People already leave in droves at the end of nighttime spectaculars and parades. Knowing a bus time isn't going to help them. You either get there first to fill up the first bus or you'll be waiting a while. Knowing a time won't change that.

 

[rteetz]

Photo update of Epcot as EO returned and frozen construction is in full force.

http://micechat.com/106804-captain-eo-returns-epcot/

 

[jtowntoflorida]

This may be of limited interest, but Marvel lost a case in Tax Court yesterday and the court ruled that it now owes ~$16.5 million in taxes for 2003 and 2004. The tax opinion is pretty technical once it gets to discussing tax law, but the early factual background is kind of interesting and really highlights how Marvel struggled financially in the late 90s/early 00s.

http://www.ustaxcourt.gov/InOpHistoric/MarvelRuwe.Div.TC.WPD.pdf

 

[rteetz]

Latest look at sprinkles cupcakes in DTD

http://www.wdwmagic.com/dining/spri...prinkles-cupcake-bakery-at-disney-springs.htm

 

[Ismo]

Photo update of Epcot as EO returned and frozen construction is in full force.

http://micechat.com/106804-captain-eo-returns-epcot/

I think they should give up on EO and do Antman instead. It would be similar to Honey I Shrunk the Kids, but more up to date for the kids who don't know what that is anymore. Though the the theater itself needs a complete overhaul.

But in saying all of that, I have no doubt DH and I will be checking out EO just to see the most 80's thing that has every happened again.

 

[rteetz]

I think they should give up on EO and do Antman instead. It would be similar to Honey I Shrunk the Kids, but more up to date for the kids who don't know what that is anymore. Though the the theater itself needs a complete overhaul.

But in saying all of that, I have no doubt DH and I will be checking out EO just to see the most 80's thing that has every happened again.

I don't care what they EO just needs to go.

 

[Ismo]

I don't care what they EO just needs to go.

Does anyone know why they haven't gotten rid of it yet? Is it just because it's something that kind of works so they're leaving it until they have something better to put in its place?

 

[rteetz]

Does anyone know why they haven't gotten rid of it yet? Is it just because it's something that kind of works so they're leaving it until they have something better to put in its place?

I think it's just a placeholder for now because they don't have anything else.

 

[rteetz]

Happy 21st birthday to The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Don't party to hard tonight at the hotel...

 

[DDLand]

The coolest land by far in my own opinion at the forthcoming Shanghai Disneyland is Adventure Isle. While this is mostly art we've seen before, it's all consolidated here in this Disneyandmore article:
http://disneyandmore.blogspot.fr/2015/07/shanghai-disneyland-adventure-isle-camp.html?m=1

That's going to be mind blowing. It has one of the most technically complex backstories of any Disney Attraction.

 

[Reddog1134]

Happy 21st birthday to The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Don't party to hard tonight at the hotel...

Party til you drop!!!

 

[luisov]

The Frozen M&G is coming along very quickly. It's been a while since I last saw an Epcot update. As for Adventure Isle, I agree that it sounds quite exciting. Who says Imagineering can't do cool stuff anymore.

 

[skier_pete]

Does anyone know why they haven't gotten rid of it yet? Is it just because it's something that kind of works so they're leaving it until they have something better to put in its place?

I think it's a case of they don't want to go back to HiSTA because it would involve re-redesigning the theater space, so they are basically stuck with EO. My guess is everytime there is a budget meeting for Epcot they ask for money to do something about EO (and the Imagination space in general) and everytime it gets shot down, so it's just stuck in limbo. (Anyone that works for a big company can tell you about a project or two that this happens to. They don't want to spend the money to reconfigure, but they don't want to spend the money to do it right either.)

Anyways, my hope is that the rumored big-budget makeover that includes rumored funds for Epcot means funds for Imagination, because holy cow it needs it. (Yes - EO is every worst piece of EIGHTIES nostalgia rolled into one. It should be called: "Captain EO - you should've seen the prequels coming". It's possibly the only thing in WDW I will NEVER do again.