MickeyBlog News for February 10, 2020
The Walt Disney Company just experienced one of its most memorable weeks in ages. The company introduced FastPasses for an E-ticket attraction, punished a criminal, hosted a champion, unveiled a trailer, scheduled a starcruise, and even had a fire. A lot’s going on. Here’s what you need to know in the latest edition of MickeyBlog News.
FastPasses! Get Your FastPasses!
All Disney fanatics know that Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway is just around the corner. The first-ever ride starring Mickey Mouse will debut on March 4th. Yes, that’s less than a month from now!
Many folks had wondered whether this attraction would provide FastPasses. After all, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance doesn’t. So, analysts had speculated about whether Disney’s eliminating FastPasses for its latest offerings.
Well, we have our answer. The new Runaway Railway attraction just enabled FastPasses this past week. Obviously, they’re selling quickly, and the first several days are either at or near capacity. However, you should still check. You never know when someone might cancel one and leave you an opening!
To a larger point, you should know that FastPasses are available for your next trip. The moment that your 60-day window opens, try to book a ride on Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway.
I’m expecting it to qualify as one of the most challenging FastPasses to schedule at Walt Disney World for the next year or so. Act quickly in booking to get a jump on the less informed competition!
“I’m Going to Walt Disney World!”
In February of 2013, a little more than seven years ago, a 17-year-old tweeted the following:
I bet it feels amazing to be the quarterback who says "I'm going to Disney World" after winning the Super Bowl #Qbs
— Patrick Mahomes II (@PatrickMahomes) February 6, 2013
Remarkably, the young man fulfilled his own fantasy when the Kansas City Chiefs defeated the San Francisco 49ers in Super Bowl LIV. Standing at the podium after the victory, Mahomes made his intentions clear:
AHHHH @PatrickMahomes pic.twitter.com/8XExTT4OhC
— Erin Sorensen (@erinsorensen) February 3, 2020
Then, he went to Disney World as promised. MickeyBlog was even there for the festivities, which is why you should always follow us on Facebook!
https://www.facebook.com/MickeyBlogCom/videos/215776229461762/
Speaking of the Super Bowl, Disney earned headlines for another reason. The company ran a jaw-dropping Disney+ ad. It shows footage from three upcoming Marvel Cinematic Universe projects. Yes, you can watch quick highlights from The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, WandaVision, and Loki!
Oh, and you should keep reading MickeyBlog in the coming days and weeks. We have a terrific surprise in store for you MCU fans!
Speaking of Disney+
Okay, this story technically has nothing to do with Disney+…yet. However, I’m about to describe a perfect example of Disney CEO Robert Iger’s ability to see the whole board when he makes decisions.
Disney shocked the movie industry this week when the company announced a theatrical release of Hamilton. Theatre fans were pretty shocked, too. It’s been an open secret for a while now that the original cast recorded a performance at Richard Rodgers Theatre in New York City. But, Lin-Manuel Miranda had sat on the footage for a while.
Disney presents:
Hamilton.
With The Original Broadway Cast.
Filmed onstage at The Richard Rodgers Theatre.
In A Theater Near You.
October 15, 2021.#Hamilfilm pic.twitter.com/z4ohfWXzi3— Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) February 3, 2020
In the interim, Miranda has built a strong relationship with Disney, providing songs for Moana and co-starring in Mary Poppins Returns. Apparently, the company won him over and persuaded him that Hamilton belonged with the best movie studio on the planet today.
Miranda wasn’t in any rush to release the film, as the Broadway play continues to sell out across the country. The last estimate placed its earnings at $530 million, and that was nearly a year ago. And I’m only speaking of actual theatrical sales here, not ancillary revenues, which carry Hamilton over $1 billion.
For Disney, this acquisition looks like a masterstroke. The film will earn hundreds of millions of dollars worldwide, while the company paid only $75 million for distribution rights. However, that’s the smaller part of the big picture here.
A few months after the film opens on October 15th, 2021, it will arrive on Disney+. From that point forward, subscribers will know that Hamilton is always available as part of the package. For a modest investment of $75 million, Iger just improved the overall value of Disney+! That dude’s smart.
Fire at Adventureland
I’m resisting my urge to say that Disneyland was hotter than ever this week…although I guess I just did. I sincerely apologize.
Anyway, a potentially problematic situation occurred at the Happiest Place on Earth. A small fire broke out around 6 p.m. on Thursday. The backstage area incident was only a one-alarm fire, meaning that Anaheim officials only needed to send out one fire engine to deal with the matter.
Main Street is on fire @disneyland pic.twitter.com/RhMYoS9O3k
— isabel 🐀 (@isabel_roseee) February 7, 2020
Unfortunately, Disneyland did have to close down Adventureland and part of Main Street, U.S.A. for a while. Amusingly, the fire appeared to involve a section quite close to the Disneyland Fire Department. Alas, that’s not real but merely a staging prop. So, the actual fire department had to come instead.
You Can Book a Starcruise Later This Year!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOGH5fpqStE
Okay, I need to be precise with my wording here. Yes, you can book a vacation at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser later in 2020. Alas, the new, highly themed Walt Disney World resort won’t open until 2021.
Still, everyone knows that the small boutique hotel will sell out for its first few months. So, Star Wars fans will need to sign up as soon as possible to guarantee that they’re among the first citizens of Earth to take a starcruise to the alien world of Batuu.
Seriously, the new Star Wars hotel will blow your mind. You’ll want to visit early and often. You may wish to speak with a MickeyTravels agent now to receive a heads up the moment that you can book a two-night stay at Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser.
#JusticeforBuzzy
One of the strangest stories in recent memory has concluded. Over the past year, MickeyBlog has followed the theft of the Buzzy Audio-Animatronic. It’s taken so many twists and turns by this point that nothing would surprise me now.
Even an NBA superstar and Disney superfan, Robin Lopez, got swept up in the events, accidentally purchasing stolen goods.
Well, we finally have a resolution. Two cousins, Patrick Spikes and Blaytin Taunton, have cut a deal to avoid jail time. The men acknowledged that they stole Buzzy and several other items from Disney property. Then, the duo turned around and sold them online.
For their crimes, each cousin will pay $25,308 in court fees and spend 250 hours performing community service. Spikes also received 10 years of probation, while Taunton got five. Also, as part of the agreement, Disney has banned both men from their theme parks for life, the harshest punishment of all.
This ends the latest and hopefully only episode of Law & Order: Orlando in the history of MickeyBlog News.
