MickeyBlog News – December 13, 2017 Edition
With only three weeks left in 2017, Disney news has hit a fever pitch. The company’s revealed all sorts of news about their upcoming projects.
Let’s Talk Movies and Television!
The Hollywood Foreign Press Association announced their selections for the Golden Globe Awards on Monday. Disney received great news, as Coco earned two nominations. It’s listed in the categories of Best Animated Feature and Best Original Song – Motion Picture. The song nomination is for the obvious choice, Remember Me, the musical piece integral to the movie’s plot.
Disney also earned four nominations in the People’s Choice Awards. The lauded film is different, though. It’s the 2017 live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. The current number one film of 2017, at least until Star Wars – The Last Jedi arrives on Friday, Beauty and the Beast received nominations for Best Song (Evermore), Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, and Best Hair and Makeup.
Finally, Disney has had enough of the controversy about Olaf’s Frozen Adventure. After pulling the harshly criticized 21-minute short from Coco screenings, Disney’s doing what they’d originally planned. They’re airing it on ABC on Thursday at 8 PM EST. You can watch it and see what all the fuss is about.
As a movie analyst by trade, I’d suggest that the problem was never with the short itself. Instead, it was that Coco already had 20 minutes of preview trailers. Combined with the lengthy animated short, Coco screenings weren’t starting until 40 minutes after the scheduled show-time. Moviegoers HATE that.
Let’s Talk Festivals!
While the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival steals most of the attention, Disneyland hosts its own exhibition each year. Disney recently announced the dates for the Disney California Adventure Food & Wine Festival’s 2018 edition. This year’s festivities will last six full weeks from March 2 through April 12, 2018.
According to the Disney Parks Blog, a new event will debut this year. Called the Disney Family of Wines Dinner, it sounds delicious. There’s also great news for proud parents. The Junior Chef experience will return. Chef Goofy will also again train kids aged 3 to 11 in the arts of kitchen skill. If you’ve dreamed of the day when your child will create rather than destroy stuff in the refrigerator, the Junior Chef classes are certainly worth your time.
Other than the dates, the most notable aspect is the name, as it shows Disney California Adventure’s name won’t be changing in the first quarter of the year as some had speculated. The park is clearly in flux as it moves to a celebration of Disney intellectual properties such as Pixar and Marvel, but no name change is in the offing, at least during the first half of the year.
Let’s Talk Business
The Walt Disney Company has garnered plenty of attention in recent weeks. A rumored purchase of Fox’s media assets has hypnotized the business world. You basically can’t read Seeking Alpha without getting somebody’s opinion about the potential acquisition at the moment. While the deal could still fall apart, which is why MickeyBlog hasn’t covered it in detail yet, it’s far enough along to discuss potential ramifications.
One of them is that Chief Executive Office Bob Iger might have to extend his contract yet again. Less than one week after saying that his most recent extension was the last one, CNBC reported that if the Fox deal happens, Iger will stay on at least another two years, pushing off his retirement until 2021 or 2022.
In an interesting turn of events, this potential change has ramifications for Iger’s replacement as well. Bob Chapek is no longer assured of succeeding Iger at Disney. Instead, a current Fox executive such as James Murdoch could helm Disney instead. CNBC also added that Iger won’t run for President of the United States if the Fox acquisition occurs. Other corporations with an eye on content are still potential suitors, however, so this deal is far from a certainty right now. Rest assured that should Disney acquire Fox, MickeyBlog will provide a detailed explanation of what that means for you as a Disney fanatic.
Let’s Talk Theme Parks!
One of the most exciting parts of a new Pixar film is comparing the movie’s themes to various Disney parks. It’s a great way to anticipate future themed attractions. Coco’s an obvious one, and its ties to the Mexico Pavilion at Epcot were readily apparent for more than two years. Some have unique tie-in opportunities, though.
One of them is Up, which takes place in the great outdoors. Up’s had a presence at Disney’s Animal Kingdom for a while now, and I have the pictures of my wife hugging Dug to prove it.
In 2018, that connection will intensify. Disney intends to add an Up show to the park. Russell and Dug will star in their own production at Caravan Theater in Anandapur village, but the details of the exhibition will sound familiar to you. They’ll interact with exotic species of birds.
Yes, Disney’s “closing” Flights of Wonder, replacing it with a similar event themed to Up. The last date for the current iteration of Flights of Wonder is New Year’s Eve, 2017. The Up version will debut almost immediately afterward. I take this as great news. I’m firmly of the opinion that literally anything in the world is better with Dug.
Finally, holiday guests at Walt Disney World theme parks and resorts are in for a treat this month. Many Quick Service and Table Service restaurants are currently offering special holiday entrees, desserts, and drinks. Disney’s updated all of their menus to reflect these temporary additions. After perusing YouTube and social media today, I can confirm that a lot of these flavors look spectacular (and extremely festive). Check the website to see what’s special when you’re eating out at Disney!
Moana at Aulani!
The Walt Disney Company is always on the lookout for better ways to enhance the customer experience. Over the past few years, they’ve chosen to accentuate vacation options with premium experiences. For a set fee, you can do something unique at a Disney theme park or resort.
Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, has the newest premium experience. Guests visiting Aunty’s Beach House can pay for a 90-minute interactive learning session for children. The official Disney Parks blog describes the Moana playdate as:
“Moana is eager to learn more about her new friends, especially the games they play. During the interactive 90-minute experience, young guests will learn to play children’s games from Hawai‘i, as well as a game from Moana’s home island of Motunui: the Kakamora Relay”
Disney hasn’t provided details about charges yet. If you’re planning to visit Aulani, you can book the experience by calling (808) 674-6200. If you’re not sure about a Hawaiian vacation but want additional details, speak with an expert at MickeyTravels to learn more.
The Disney Springs Patina Quartet (Not a Musical Group)
The Patina Restaurant Group wants to turn their new restaurant quartet into the must-dine hot spots at Disney Springs. They’re currently trying to build a buzz for their offerings, with two unique ideas in place for this month.
A few lucky guests can take a walking tour of Maria & Enzo’s, Enzo’s Hideaway, Pizza Ponte, and The Edison. The Patina Restaurant Group is holding a contest at the Patina Tours website. You can be one of the first non-Patina employees to see what the fuss is about.
In a previous edition of MickeyBlog News, I mentioned just how high-brow Patina is. The walking tour gives you an opportunity to see for yourself. If you’re not one of the lucky few contest winners, you still have a Plan B option. The Edison is (finally) having what it’s describing as a “dazzling gala Grand Opening on New Year’s Eve.”
For the not-so-modest fee of $150, you can have the experience of a lifetime as an opening night guest at The Edison. The nightclub will only hold 350 visitors, meaning that you’ll be one of the select few who can make this claim. The stiff admission fee also includes food, beer, and wine. Given the cost of a New Year’s Eve parties at upscale establishments, it’s not the worst deal. I would do it if I were in town that night. You can read full details and decide for yourself at Patina’s site.
Finally, if you can’t do any of the above, you can still see why Patina has such a strong reputation. The latest season of Top Chef just began. One of the contestants, Fatima Ali, received her training through Patina Restaurant Group and was once the youngest executive chef in the company’s history.