MickeyBlog Disney News for May 3, 2018

That’s right! There’s so much going on with Disney that you get two editions of MickeyBlog News this week! Let’s start with the news item we hinted at yesterday.

ALL the Avengers

With Avengers: Infinity War dominating the box office, The Walt Disney Company understands that character meetings are in high demand right now. Every Mickey Traveler wants to hang out with their favorite superhero.

The place to live out this desire is Disney California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort complex. This theme park is slowly evolving into the unofficial headquarters for the Avengers anyway. Having a few character meetings makes sense.

At the start of April, Disney introduced a Doctor Strange character meeting, one that they’d previously held at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Disney has since added seven (!) more superheroes to the mix.

You can hang out with your Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) favorites like Black Panther, Black Widow, Captain America, Gamora, Loki, Spider-Man, and Thor. That is a LOT of meet-and-greets available. If you’re worried about the impending threat of Thanos, Hollywood Land at DCA seems like the safest place in the world right now.

Speaking of Disney Movies…

A couple of months ago, I listed every Disney movie coming out in 2018, noting that the company was poised to dominate the box office. After only three films, this statement is already true, although A Wrinkle in Time was something of a box office disappointment.

The amazing part of Disney’s triumph with Black Panther and Infinity War is that they have three more blockbusters scheduled from now until July 6^th. And one of them is a Star Wars film. A Han Solo Star Wars film! Then, they have another MCU title, Ant-Man and the Wasp. Oh, did I skip The Incredibles 2? Yeah, there’s that, too.

At this point, odds are pretty good that if you go see a movie in theaters, it’s a Disney release. That won’t change in 2019, either. Disney released their movie schedule for next year, and it’s just about as impressive as 2018. Here’s every title they just revealed/confirmed:

• Captain Marvel — March 9, 2019
• Dumbo — March 29, 2019
• Penguins — April 19, 2019
• Avengers Untitled (Avengers 4) — May 3, 2019
• Aladdin — May 24, 2019
• Toy Story 4 — June 21, 2019
• The Lion King — July 2019
• Artemis Fowl — Aug. 19, 2019
• Frozen 2 — Nov. 27, 2019
• Star Wars Episode IX — Dec. 19, 2019

Your jaw is on the floor right now, isn’t it? Yes, that’s two more MCU films, a sequel to Pixar’s biggest franchise, three live-action remakes of seminal Disney animated classics, the much-anticipated Frozen sequel. Oh yeah, there’s the matter of the climactic flick in the latest Star Wars trilogy, too. 2019’s going to be a good year for Disney movie lovers. And Disney stockholders.

Hooked on a Feeling…Five Times a Day!

Do you love the Guardians of the Galaxy? Of course you do! Everyone does! Well, fans of Star-Lord and Gamora are in luck this summer! Epcot will provide a musical celebration of classic rock hits starting on June 9^th. And the star-crossed lovers that once stopped Ronan the Accuser (by dancing, no less!) are the hosts of the event!

Entitled Guardians of the Galaxy – Awesome Mix Live!, this show is available five times a day this summer, ending on August 19^th. That’s more than 300 chances to get Hooked on a Feeling! The concerts are at the World Showcase, exactly where you’d expect them to be. Yes, it’s another show at the America Gardens Theatre at The American Adventure!

Since Epcot needs the space for other events later this year, Awesome Mix Live! is unlikely to get extended. So, you’ll need to visit Walt Disney World this summer to take advantage of this unique opportunity. Plus, with Star-Lord and Gamora in the area, this is the second safest place in the world right now.

Twice as Much Star Wars!

Have you heard about Disneyland After Dark – Star Wars Nite? This event takes place at Disneyland (natch) on May 3^rd. If you wanted tickets, however, you’re in trouble. It’s sold so well that tickets vanished long before the night of the event. And it’s tonight anyway.

Don’t fret, though! Since the special Star Wars celebration sold so well, Disney has decided to double down on the concept. They’ve added a second night next week. Stop what you’re doing and buy tickets for the May 9^th show before it’s too late!

If you don’t have a trip planned to Disneyland right now, speak to a Mickey Travels agent ASAP! They can get you hooked up with a wonderful resort there for your last-minute trip. You can read about the event here. It’s THE Star Wars party for the year and the closest thing we have to Star Wars Nights at the moment.

The Least Surprising Update in a While

Mickeyblog has been all over Disney’s fledgling Minnie Van service since it started. Since the beginning, we’ve stated the belief that this service isn’t a temporary one. We anticipated heavy demand for it, and we weren’t surprised that Disney gradually expanded it to other Disney resorts.

Keeping all of this in mind, we also reported last week that Disney had ramped up the Minnie Van business by hiring/promoting a bunch of new cast members. With so many new driving in training right now, you can guess what we’re about to report.

Yes, Disney has confirmed that Minnie Vans are here to stay! In addition, they finally introduced the service at the various All-Star Resorts. With this expansion, Minnie Vans are now available at all official Disney resorts in the Walt Disney World area.

At this point, the only update that’s yet to be announced involves permanent airport service. Beyond that, Minnie Vans are here to stay and a wonderful way to ride in style while you’re visiting Orlando. The only sticking point is the $25 cost for a one-way trip, but it’s clearly priced right based on demand thus far.

See Africa with Imagineers!

One of the strangest Disney news items in recent memory comes from an unlikely source. Adventures by Disney has scheduled another trip to South Africa. This particular itinerary is unusual for a couple of reasons. One is that it’s an adults-only safari. Disney’s in the business of pleasing families, and so you know that something huge is at play if they’re doing an “Adult-Exclusive” trip.

The other, more important reason why this South African trek is unusual is its host. Well, hosts. Disney Imagineer Dr. Mark Penning, Vice President of of Animals, Science and Environment, will lead the safari. His co-host is the reason why this trip is going to sell out, though.

Legendary Imagineer Joe Rohde, probably THE most famous Imagineer who still works at Disney, is taking part in the journey. The official Adventures by Disney website indicates that he will do the following during the trip:

“Sketching Sessions with Joe Rohde

Get your imagination fired up as Mr. Rohde leads sketching sessions with Guests at South African locations throughout the trip. No prior artistic experience is required, as these sessions will embody Mr. Rohde’s philosophy that sketching what you see captures more detail and helps you to remember these amazing experiences better than a photograph.

Animal Kingdom: Storytelling with Joe Rohde

Hear about Mr. Rohde’s adventures and experiences in Africa that served as inspiration in the creation of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park. This unique opportunity to get insight into the architecture, plants, wildlife and storytelling of the iconic Disney Theme Park from the revered Disney Imagineer is one that Disney fans will treasure.”

Well, if you’re interested, can take the 10 days off this winter, and have the money, speak to a Mickey Travels agent. Their impressive knowledge of Adventures by Disney will ensure that you have the South African safari of your dreams. Just please promise that you’ll put in a good word for me with Joe Rohde, okay?

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