Best Disney Links for August 2019
The Walt Disney Company’s preparations for the 2019 D-23 Expo have led to some eventful stories. Seemingly everyone media outlet wants to be in the business of Disney right now. Let’s take a look at the best Disney links for August of 2019.
Two of the Most Unusual Disney Visits of the Month
We all tell terrific stories about unique Disney visits, but a couple of park guests take the cake this month. A mother recently commemorated the start of the school year in memorable fashion.
Do you remember how you would shout the words to School’s Out (For the Summer) when you were a kid? She kind of did the opposite of that, trolling her children in the process. She took pictures of a Walt Disney World visit, going so far as to wear a pin that indicated she was “Celebrating the 1st day of school.” That’s cold.
Somehow, someone had an even better story, though. Tamia Richardson won free tickets to Disneyland during a visit when she was 14 years old. She finally used them recently.
For its 30th anniversary, Disneyland ran a promotional gimmick to give away gifts, including a new Cadillac, to the 30th visitor and every multiple of 30 thereafter. Richardson won the least expensive prize: a paper ticket. ?: Tamia Richardson https://t.co/YzlCkpESnG pic.twitter.com/wMnk3SYjNq
— Los Angeles Times (@latimes) August 15, 2019
No big deal, right? Well, it is when you hear that she won these tickets during the park’s 30th anniversary…in 1985! Yes, she waited 34 years to return to the Happiest Place on Earth and use her free tickets.
Btw, I have good news for those of you who want to prove that you’re better Disney parents than the Taunting Mom. Disney’s currently accepting applications for the 2020 Disney Parks Moms Panel.
The Finer Side of Life
Everyone dreams of that vacation where money is no object, the trip where you can get whatever you want. Travel+Leisure wants its readers to know about Disney’s upscale amenities. The site has published a piece about all of the luxury options available to Disney lovers with a surplus of cash. It’s an impressively comprehensive evaluation of the finer things at Walt Disney World.
The Fox Conundrum
I recently mentioned this in a Disney Earning Report article. But I’m far from the only person in the intersection of movies, media, and economics who is fascinated by the Disney/Fox situation.
Long story short, when Disney purchased 21st Century Fox’s assets, the folks in Fox’s film division stopped trying. Disney officials were caught off-guard by this turn of events, expecting a modicum of professionalism from folks who were effectively fighting for their jobs.
Well, a lot of entertainment writers have opinions on this topic. Variety discusses Disney’s very public reprimand of their new employees. The Hollywood Report examines how Disney has stacked Blue Sky Studios, the developers of the Ice Age franchise, with proven animation producers.
Meanwhile, io9 has taken a different approach. Their longtime ace writer, Germain Lussier, has compiled a list of Fox properties that Disney should reboot.
The Challenges of an International Conglomerate
I always refer to Disney as a company rather than a corporation or conglomerate. I do this because they’re a more approachable, customer-friendly business than most. But Disney earns a lot of its revenue in China, which has led to much awkwardness lately.
The protests in Hong Kong have caused the star of the upcoming live-action version of Mulan to offer her thoughts about the situation on social media. #BoycottMulan has become a thing in China because of it.
The Strangest Part of the Streaming War
Do you remember how much you hated your cable company back in the day? Those folks always finished at the top of the “Worst corporations in America” rankings…and for good reason.
Well, they’re still around, and they’re salty about the whole cord-cutting phenomenon. After all, it cost these businesses billions of dollars. Where am I going with this?
Disney recently renewed its carriage agreement with Charter. The most nefarious part of this contract extension has deservedly earned a lot of headlines. Charter demanded that Disney crack down on account sharing of its over-the-top streaming services.
What does that mean? Have you ever shared your Netflix password with someone or asked for a friend’s? You just wanted to watch a show, right? Well, the old cable conglomerates are trying to sell the premise that a person doing that is the equivalent of movie piracy 15 years ago. Yes, it’s a ridiculous argument, but you didn’t randomly hate cable companies all those years. They’re evil.
ArsTechnica’s headline blames Disney for this decision. However, the writing goes out of its way to mention that Disney’s only planning these practices with Charter, at least for now. And that tells the whole story.
Happy 50th, Haunted Mansion!
MickeyBlog wasn’t the only site to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Disney’s Haunted Mansion. Many media outlets honored the spookiest, silliest Disney attraction with articles about its history. The New York Times talked to superfans about it. The Orange County Register recounted its pre-opening delays. And The Travel explained some of the arcana on display.
The Best Disney Lists of the Month
I’m always on the lookout for Disney listicles that are worthy of reading. This month had a few particularly appealing ones.
I’ve always believed that The Princess and the Frog is one of Disney’s most underrated animated movies. Someone at ScreenRant clearly agrees with me. This person mentions 10 lesser-known facts about the film. I’m not with one of their peers, as this writer’s 10 Best Forgotten Disney Films wouldn’t have many commonalities with my list.
WhatCulture provides a more topical list. The site ranks the live-action remakes that Disney has released thus far. A couple of their mentions aren’t actual live-action remakes, and they’re too hard on The Lion King. Beyond that, it’s a good read.
Over at CheatSheet, they’ve published one of the most debatable Disney articles. The site ranks Disney’s best animated villains. It’s a short list, but it’s also pretty accurate.
On a different note, a friend of mine asked for suggestions about how to improve Disney park attractions. It’s kind of self-indulgent to mention since she used one of mine, but… Check it out anyway!
Finally, just to get you hungry, here are 20 Insta-worthy snacks at Walt Disney World.
Miscellany
Here are a few links of interest that didn’t fit into any tidy categories. Gizmodo is excited about these parts of D-23. The Motley Fool posts an evaluation of the new Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party option on Yahoo! Finance.
The same author of that post also discusses the importance of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge to Disney. Forbes is similarly interested in the new themed land. The site has an interesting opinion about the star attraction there.
Finally, CNBC reveals the four major Disney acquisitions that made Robert Iger look like a genius.