Best Disney Links You May Have Missed from March
A couple of Disney news items dominated the landscape this past month. With Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge information prevalent and the conclusion of the Fox acquisition pending, you may have missed other interesting Disney updates. Don’t worry! I’ve collated all of the important ones for you. Here are the best Disney links from the past month.
Meet the New Boss…
For many of us, working for The Walt Disney Company is the dream. To countless Fox employees, however, Disney’s acquisition represents a terrifying time in their careers. Layoffs are confirmed as Disney seeks to reduce the number of redundancies. Variety has written a fascinating update about the transitional phase’s impact on current Fox staff members.
Some Updates at the Happiest Place on Earth
Disneyland has a lot going on right now. They’ll open their version of Star Wars Land first, which makes them the central theme park destination on the planet, at least until the end of August when Disney’s Hollywood Studios opens their version. In anticipation of the influx of traffic, park officials are working hard to improve all other aspects of Disneyland Resort.
Disney recently opened Sugarboo & Co. at Downtown Disney. It’s a place that Walt Disney World fans know well. This space came available when the Downtown Disney hotel project collapsed. Meanwhile, the upscale Disney Princess Breakfast Adventures at Napa Rose will open in less than two weeks. The local newspaper has written a synopsis of what you can expect.
As for Star Wars Land itself, Polygon is marking out over some recent news. They love the idea of building your own lightsaber. The site correctly compares the new lightsaber experience with Ollivanders Wand Shop, the pride of Islands of Adventure at Universal Orlando Resort.
Universal’s high-end wands delight Harry Potter fans, but let’s be honest that they’re glorified pieces of wood (I say as I look at mine over on the shelf). What Imagineers will do with lightsabers embodies state-of-the-art merchandising. You’re going to want (at least) one of these, my friend.
Finally, Travel+Leisure has chimed in with their thoughts about the reservation system in place at Galaxy’s Edge. They draw the same conclusion that MickeyBlog has. Your safest bet is to reserve a room at one of the official resorts at Disneyland. Speak with an agent at MickeyTravels to get a free quote for your trip.
This Used to Be My Playground
YouTube and Instagram channel operators love to show pictures and videos from abandoned landmarks. The images provide insights into how civilization works, populating a previously empty spot and then departing it with little warning. The remnants of these mass exoduses are visually stimulating albeit emotionally challenging.
This Is Insider has collected a group of pictures from an abandoned Disney spot. It’s one hidden in place sight at Walt Disney World. Guests who visited the park back in the 1970s-1990s inevitably made a stop at Discovery Island aka Treasure Island.
My family called it Bird Island because that’s what it was known for. Rare birds once flocked to this Bay Lake destination. When Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened, the birds re-located to the new, more fitting zoo-themed park. In their absence, Discovery Island has become a dilapidated location that Disney blocks everyone including cast members from visiting. You’ll want to look at the images. They’ll blow your mind.
Speaking of Disney Islands
Eleuthera is the new Castaway Cay. During Disney cruise voyages, guests delight in the atmosphere at Castaway Cay, the private island that the company owns. Soon, Disney will add a second port to their collection.
Disney Cruise Line and the Bahamas have signed the paperwork to turn Eleuthera into another exotic island destination. The project is called Lighthouse Point, and Disney has spent as much as $400 million to secure 190 acres of land here for cruise guests.
The interesting reveal in this article is that Disney will turn around and give part of its new property back to the government for a national park. Lighthouse Point will be beautiful and exclusive while also having a connection to the park to the south. It sounds lovely.
Disney+ and Other Movie Updates
One of my other writing gigs is as a television/streaming service ratings analyst. One of the hottest topics is the future of Disney+. A shocking number of non-Disney fans don’t see the appeal. To them, Disney is a bunch of children’s classics, and that’s it. They lack the vision to see the company as an amalgam of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars, Pixar, live-action, et al.
While the cynics continue to predict doom and gloom for Disney+, J.P. Morgan’s analysts recently painted a much different picture. They projected 160 million eventual subscribers to Disney+. Yes, that number would surpass Netflix’s best numbers ever. I agree with J.P. Morgan. Disney’s marketing machine and their sheer volume of content should give them a strong presence in the marketplace sooner rather than later.
Of course, films are always a struggle for Disney. Their reputation comes with a downside in that they’re a huge target online. Here’s an article about how the company fought back against sexist trolls trying to tank Captain Marvel. And here’s another about the work done to improve the marketing on the upcoming Aladdin.
Miscellany
Here are a few other Disney links from the past month that you should enjoy. The Disney x Coach Spring 2019 collection will somehow make you want a new wallet while emptying the money out of your current one. The Thumper and Dumbo totes make my wife’s heart flutter.
A few years from now, Bob Iger will retire as CEO of The Walt Disney Company. When that happens, countless stories will discuss his genius. You can get a jump-start on these pieces by reading a detailed examination of his career from Investors. You’ll understand why Disney is in such great shape as an organization. I’m of the opinion that Iger’s the best CEO of the 21st century.
Speaking of Disney’s greatest employees, Variety wrote a tribute to Dave Smith. He’s the founder of Walt Disney Archives and the truest Disney legend imaginable. You should buy one of his books on Amazon to learn more about the history of the Disney empire.
Finally, you can trigger a huge flame war on any message board by starting this discussion. CNN Travel ranks the best resorts at Walt Disney World…and they get the Deluxe Tier very, VERY wrong.