The Absolute Best Disney Links for November, 2018
The Walt Disney Company has experienced an extraordinary month, and we know that you couldn’t possibly keep up with all of it. To save you some effort, we’ve compiled a list of some of the most fascinating Disney stories and best Disney links from the past 30 days. As usual, we’ll offer a TL:DR (too long, didn’t read) synopsis, too. Let’s get started!
Cast Members Get a Special Night
Disney understands that the magic ingredient at their parks is their cast members. Sometimes, they hold special events to celebrate and reward their employees for many years of dutiful service. The most recent example happened last week. Disney invited 4,500 long-term cast members to a special night at Magic Kingdom. The company closed the park early so that the people ordinarily running the rides could enjoy them for an evening. Disney even literally rolled out the red carpet for its cast members!

Disney Won Big on Election Night
While Robert Iger won’t be running for President in 2020 like he planned, Disney still has plenty at stake on election night each year. The company has spent many years campaigning for the same thing. They want to keep gambling out of Central Florida. They fear the element it might attract, and they’re not crazy about sharing tourist dollars with casinos, either. Fortunately for them, Disney emerged victorious on the ballot measures they had spent millions lobbying to win.

Disney Has a Princess Crate!
A few years ago, everyone fell in love with the concept of the monthly subscription crate. For a set fee, a person “buys” a box of goodies, a care package full of surprise gifts. Some of the most successful subscription services are business worth hundreds of millions of dollars now.


Photo Credit: ABC.com
Disney had previously offered a few specialty crates such as a Marvel subscription box, but their latest offering is the one that will prove most attractive to Disney Princess fans. It’s a bi-monthly crate full of princess gear! You’ll want to click the link to see examples of the merchandise available in the Disney Princess box. Suffice to say that the princess fan in your life will adore it.
For Your Consideration…
Disney’s 2018 movie campaign has shattered countless box office records. The studio is pacing to have the greatest year ever…for *anybody*. While they may fall short, depending on how well Mary Poppins Returns does internationally, they’re already assured of a historic 2018 movie campaign.
With the box office performance already dominant, the company is focused on the one prize it’s found most elusive on the years. To date, The Walt Disney Company has NEVER won Best Picture at the Academy Awards, a shocking oversight. This year, they want to win in multiple categories, preferably majors. So, they’ve lined up a For Your Consideration campaign for their two biggest films of the year thus far.
Yes, Disney is pushing Black Panther and Avengers: Infinity War in major categories like Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Cinematography. In total, they’re campaigning in 11 different categories for the two films! You can read the details here and here.

Happy 90th Birthday, Mickey Mouse!
Disney has done a lot to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the creation of their signature character. Perhaps the most engrossing example is the 16,000-square foot, 13-room exhibit in the Chelsea area of New York City. You can click the link to see some of the most amazing photos and other memorabilia on display. If you live close enough to travel to NYC, however, you should absolutely do so before the exhibit closes. It runs through February 10, 2019.
Another way to commemorate Mickey’s lasting appeal is via commerce. Karen Walker, the New Zealand fashionista, has created an entire line of Mickey Mouse products! Bustle has posted pictures of some of the best stuff, all of which is eye-grabbing due to its colors and playful tone. You may even find some Christmas gift ideas here!
Not All News Is Happy
The most engaging Disney story that I read this month doesn’t have a happy ending. Jalopnik details the exhaustive negotiations between Disney and a pair of autonomous driving companies. The long story short is that Disney wanted 100 self-driving vehicles at Walt Disney World. In 2015, they had brokered a deal to bring this fantasy to life, thereby solving many of the busing woes at the various theme parks.
What blew up the deal? Good ol’ fashioned greed. The two companies had agreed to join together as a combined entity. After a time, the two parties wound up suing each other for as much as $70 million over $595 million in potential lost revenue. Despite the bad news that this deal collapsed in indignant rage, I am optimistic about the turn of events. It displays Disney’s willingness to explore unprecedented options to solve the logistics issues that have cropped up as park attendance has soared.
Speaking of Bad News…
I just had to share this story. Has anyone in your family ever talked about a student trip to a Disney theme park? They’re quite popular…as long as a villain doesn’t embezzle all the money. This actually happened! A parent with access to the trip funds at their child’s school in the greater Indianapolis area just took the money! The story is still evolving, but the students have a few months to regain the needed funds to book their trip.

New Thoughts on Star Wars Land
Disney CEO Robert Iger recently indicated that Star Wars Land will be the largest themed land ever at a Disney theme park. The attractions are also the biggest ones in the history of Imagineering. Venturebeat has concerns about the implications of the situation, though.
The Millennium Falcon attraction will have videogame elements. This article wonders aloud how Disney will address game balancing. The “ride” is effectively a co-op game. The problem is that some of the players will have ridden (or “played) Millennium Falcon many times while others will experience the attraction for the first time.
How can Disney create an attraction that works for both groups? It’s not Toy Story Mania! or any of the Buzz Lightyear rides, each of which is player vs. player. This issue isn’t distinct to their situation, either. As the article points out, Universal will add a Nintendo themed land to several of its parks in coming years. Several of those attractions should face similar issues.
Miscellany
Let’s end this month’s links with some fun, random stuff. First of all, have you ever wondered how a few deleted scenes might impact Disney classic movies? Comic Book Resources has 15 examples that might blow your mind.
Do you love food porn? Delish believes that the latest batch of treats at Disney theme parks is the most Instagram-worthy to date! You WILL want to click this link to look at the pictures. It’s the best kind of eating with your eyes. Just don’t do it on an empty stomach, though, at least not unless you can get food delivered quickly.
Would you like an unbiased opinion about Adventures by Disney? A writer at USA Today traveled to Yellowstone Park. After a week of adventure, he commented, “it’s clear that Disney can deliver eTicket adventures without storybook castles, costumed characters or animatronic pirates.” You should read the full description here. Afterward, you’ll want to contact a certified specialist at MickeyTravels to discover which grand adventures await you.