The Best Disney Links for June 2019
While the world watched with glee as Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opened, the Disney machine kept on moving. Reporters wrote lots of stories about The Walt Disney Company that didn’t involve Jedis and The Force. You probably didn’t notice, though. That’s okay. It’s why I’m here. I read them all and know which ones are worth your time. Here are the best Disney links for June of 2019.
Polygon Asks a Question
A couple of years ago, Disney famously shut down its videogame division, thereby breaking the hearts of Disney Infinity fans everywhere. You can’t really blame them. The honest evaluation is that the company struggled to create games worthy of the Disney brand. Even CEO Robert Iger acknowledged this point. Polygon isn’t so sure, though. They evaluate whether Disney is bad at videogames.
Let’s Talk Disney Television!
With the Disney+ hype beginning to gain steam, we’ve learned a lot about potential television series and movies recently. For example, Showbiz Cheat Sheet has compiled a discussion of everything that we know about the Monsters, Inc. show thus far. The most crucial part is that the series, Monsters at Work, takes place in the aftermath of the first movie.
Disney Channel enthusiasts won’t get left out in the cold, though. Gravity Falls fans should watch the trailer for Owl House, a program created by Dana Terrace. The artist is best known for storyboard work on Gravity Falls and as the director of six episodes of the 2017 version of Duck Tales. The trailer for the new show even has a few Gravity Falls easter eggs!
On a different television note, Hulu CEO Randy Freer recently indicated that Hulu’s “investment in original programming will increase significantly.” It’s a logical choice since some of that content can share with other Disney properties such as cable channels and the Disney+ streaming service. For her part, new ABC Entertainment chairwoman is awed by the scale of her new job.
Is This Kid the Next Art Smith?
Celebrity chef Art Smith famously grew up as a Disney lover and once worked in the college program. Then, he went out into the real world and proved himself as a chef before making a triumphant return to open Art Smith’s Homecomin’.
A Minnesota teenager may have similar life goals. Isaiah Tuckett is a baker with some serious skills. And he’s an entrepreneur, too. Tuckett’s cupcakes earned such a strong reputation in the community that he set up a Facebook page to sell his wares.
This 14-year-old sold enough cupcakes to pay for a family vacation to Walt Disney World! I don’t know about you, but when I was 14 if I cooked a bowl of soup without setting the house on fire, I felt like Julia Child.
Everyone Dreams of Working at Disney
Art Smith wasn’t the only person whose life’s ambition was to work at Walt Disney World. A recent survey revealed that college students are more excited about the proposition of working for Disney than just about anywhere else.
Universum’s most recent rankings reveal that Disney is the sixth most desirable employer for business students and third most desirable employer for Liberal Arts majors. Disney beat out companies like Tesla, Nike, Netflix, and Morgan Stanley!
The Worst Kept Secret at Disneyland Resort
Did you know that Disney California Adventure (DCA) will soon host a Marvel Land? It’s true. Disney attorneys have carefully combed over every part of the Marvel licensing agreement with Universal Studios. They’ve discovered that a loophole allows for a Marvel presence at the Happiest Place on Earth.
Sure, the addition of Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! confirmed that Marvel characters could be a part of this park. The surprise is that even ones with current Universal Studios rides are possible at DCA! According to the LA Times, Disney has already secured the permits for Marvel Land. More remarkably, a Spider-Man ride will be an integral part of this themed land. Disney’s expected to confirm all of this information at the D-23 Expo in August.
For its part, the Tampa Bay Times has already dashed the hopes of Walt Disney World fans. It’s published an article explaining why Marvel Land won’t be coming to the Most Magical Place on Earth. The one thing I’ll add to this report is that some Disney insiders have indicated that the situation isn’t totally settled.
Disney could always just buy their way out of the contract if they believe they’d earn more from a Marvel Land than they’d have to pay Universal Studios in such an agreement.
Some Theme Park Links of Interest
Have you ever wondered about the worst things that guests have done at Walt Disney World? Insider’s compiled a list for you, although I must admit that I know of a few others that are even worse. No, I’m not confessing, just saying that you could Google around to find much scarier stuff.
Speaking of scary stuff, Fodors has compiled a series of interviews with former Disney cast members. Specifically, they’ve talked to a series of previous employees who wore character costumes as part of their jobs. One of them actually portrayed 22 (!) different Disney favorites. It’s a fascinating read, presuming that you don’t mind having a bit of the magic spoiled for you.
Let’s End the Month with Some Lists…
Who doesn’t love a good Disney debate? I’ve certainly had my fair share of them, and I read pretty much every Disney-based list I come across, generally to sneer and say, “How could you possibly think that?”
Even as a hyper-critical person, I can’t find much wrong with this list. It’s a compilation of the ten most romantic Disney Prince quotes. As you’d expect, Beauty & the Beast and Aladdin have a strong presence here, as does a surprising film that I happen to agree deserves two mentions.
For a stranger, less purely Disney list, take a look at this one. Vulture ranks the musical careers of 25 former Disney and Nickelodeon child actors. I don’t feel strongly about this list one way or the other, although I am amused that some technical issue accidentally cut off #3, which is either Zac Efron or Justin Timberlake. Whichever one it is, Vulture omitted the other one, and that’s…difficult to justify.