Your Guide to the Best Disney Links for October 2018
MickeyBlog knows that you’re busy people, but we also know that you have a voracious appetite for all things Disney. You may not have the free time you’d like to hunt down every fascinating news item about the company. That’s okay, though. That’s our job! We’re starting a new monthly feature today, one where we describe some of the most fascinating recent Disney updates. Don’t worry. We’ll give you the CliffsNotes just in case you don’t have time to read everything. Here are the most fascinating & best Disney links of the month.
The Future Is Solar
You may know that Disney is in the process of going green. They’ve introduced many environmentally friendly initiatives in recent years, most recently reducing the volume of plastic consumption in their parks.
The most significant change that they’re making is one that you can see from a plane. Alternately, you can glance at it on Google Maps. Disney’s building a solar farm capable of powering two full theme parks! They’re adding a 50-megawatt solar power facility that is scheduled to go online by the end of 2018.
The New York Times has chronicled Disney’s ambitions for a post-utilities company world, one where a company takes care of its own power consumption needs. You can learn a lot about the future of Disney in this piece.
Disney/Fox Deal Coming Sooner Than Expected
Our site has previously discussed the details of Disney’s upcoming acquisition of Fox. We’ve even gone into detail about how the deal affects Disney fans. Along the way, we’ve mentioned that the expectation is for Disney’s purchase to execute at some point in the summer of 2019. Our belief was based on potential tax implications, ones that Disney might want to cushion in the middle of the fiscal year, say May or June of next year.
Nope!
Peter Rice, the current President of 21st Century Fox, surprised business analysts everywhere with an announcement in Variety. Rice suggested that the two parties will be ready to close the deal on January 1st, 2019! While the date is shaky and might be a few days, possibly even weeks early, it does indicate that both sides want the acquisition to execute quickly. You can read details of the story here.
By the way, last week was a great one for Rice. He learned that he will become the Chairman of Walt Disney Television. You can read this article to understand just how powerful this role makes Rice. While the head of Fox already had a great title and a lot of influence, his new position places him in charge of many of your favorite programs.
Whether you watch ABC, ESPN, or Freeform, Rice will have a large hand in picking your viewing options. Also, Rice is now the leader of Hulu and Disney’s upcoming streaming service. He gains these roles in addition to his current one as head programmer for the Fox Network and FX.
While he’ll no longer be a Fox employee, most of those titles will go into the Disney catalog at the start of 2019. You should learn Peter Rice’s name if you didn’t already know it. He’s just joined Bob Chapek in the race to become the next CEO of The Walt Disney Company after Robert Iger retires.
Speaking of Mr. Iger…
A longstanding tradition in Hollywood is to rank the most powerful people in the industry. Reporters from organizations like The Hollywood Reporter, Variety, and Forbes compile lists of who the movers and shakers are in the industry. To some folks, it’s a big deal, and falling a few spots on the charts can have a devastating impact on their career outlooks. To others, it’s a huge exercise in narcissism. Before you decide that you fall into the latter category, let me tell you something that you’ll like.
According to The Hollywood Report, Bob Iger is the most powerful person in the entertainment industry. As part of the selection process, he performed a wide-ranging interview with the magazine. You can and should read it here. The head of Disney addresses several issues facing the company while also laying out a roadmap for its future.
You Can Do Better Than Club 33
For many years before the internet became a global sensation, Club 33 stood out as one of the best kept secrets at Disneyland. This exclusive restaurant requires a hefty membership purchase followed by significant annual dues. It’s fair to say that a new member will pay between $35,000 and $50,000, depending on whether they join at Disneyland or Walt Disney World…and yes, you must buy a membership at both places. Membership at one doesn’t entitle you to privileges at the other.
While Club 33 has claimed its justified title as snootiest of all Disney restaurants for many years, it’s no longer the champion. Less than two years ago, Imagineers converted the legendary Disneyland Dream Suite into a new dining experience. And it comes with sticker shock.
Think fast, would you rather have a late-model Honda or a meal? To eat at this place, you’ll pay the equivalent of the former to relish in the latter. This dining experience costs $15,000, and the price is the same whether you dine alone (which would be weird) or with 11 of your closest friends. So, you’re deciding to pay more than $1,000 per friend to buy them a meal here. At that price, you should make them sign a contract swearing never to unfollow you on social media.
The meal is 21 Royal, and Disney recently invited a group of journalists to dine here. The idea was to build awareness for the concept, although it’s apparently selling so well that this didn’t seem like a needed step. The best recap of the event comes from Eater, where a mystified writer wonders why a $15,000 meal doesn’t come with FastPasses. If you only read one of the linked articles this month, choose this one. At a minimum, you’ll want to look at the pictures of luxurious former residence located in the same space as Pirates of the Caribbean.