Best Disney Links for February 2020
As always, The Walt Disney Company has generated a lot of stories over the past few weeks. You can’t possibly keep up with all of them. So, your friends here at MickeyBlog have done it for you. Here are the best Disney links for February 2020.
Meet the New Boss
The most important story this month comes from Biz Journals. The website has landed an exclusive interview with Josh D’Amaro, the new President of Walt World. He transferred over from the same title at Disneyland.
A Senior Staff Writer for the Orlando Business Journal followed D’Amaro around Walt Disney World and posted details. Frankly, anyone who reads this article will fall in love with the new boss. He seems approachable and down-to-earth.
D’Amaro was famously popular with his staff at the Happiest Place on Earth. This article demonstrates how they demonstrated their affection when he left. I won’t spoil it for you, but you should read to the end to learn about the significance of his pocket squares.
However, the most important takeaway from the article is that the new President of Walt Disney World has invested millions of dollars in improving worker satisfaction among cast members. That’s reason enough for Disney fans to adore him.
A Few Star Wars Updates
Some major websites have recently covered Star Wars news. C-Net discussed details of Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser. Much of the story comes from the YouTube video that Disney published last week, along with previous quotes from park officials. Still, the article pulls together all the pieces to show the full picture in better detail.
By the way, our friends over at Space have also covered Galactic Starcruiser, demonstrating how massively popular this resort will be. Also, Space has published this update about Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance. While it’s nothing earth-shattering, I still love reading Disney updates on such a valuable site.
Frozen Meets Star Wars
Alaska’s Mammoth Film Festival will never be described as one of the big boys. But, you will want to learn about this year’s winners. Talia and Doug Lange somehow married the concepts of Star Wars and Frozen into something new that they called Frozen Wars.
Amusingly, the idea stems from a Disney+ glitch. The duo wanted to watch Frozen, but the audio played for The Clone Wars. At this moment, inspiration struck, as the Lange family plotted out a story Frozen Wars.
Speaking of Frozen, Disney actually created a virtual reality (VR) short! Alas, you may never get to watch it. According to C-Net, Myth: A Frozen Tale adds a bit more backstory for the spirits from Frozen 2.
Yes, Bruni, Gale, and Nokk appear in the second VR short that Disney has ever made in-house. Unfortunately, Disney hasn’t released any VR titles yet. So, we may have to wait a while to watch it.
A Few Disney Digital Updates
The shocking success of Disney+ thus far has Wall Street analysts talking. The Motley Fool is all over this story. Author Beth McKenna has collated six different metrics that prove how well Disney’s doing across the digital landscape.
Meanwhile, another author at The Motley Fool has deduced the most substantial benefit of Disney+. The company can use the data it collects through the service to prioritize specific intellectual properties. The most popular shows and movies are likeliest to receive sequels, reboots, and stronger park presences.
TechCrunch noted something that I didn’t mention about Disney’s latest conference call. CEO Robert Iger and his team confirmed that Hulu will launch internationally in 2021. The company struggled with this sort of global service until it gained full control of Hulu.
Of course, the most interesting Disney+ take comes from Yahoo!’s business section. A contributor believes that Disney+ has become Netflix’s biggest problem.
Someone’s PhotoPass Has a Story
Do you follow NASCAR? If not, you may have no idea who Clint Bowyer is. He’s a modestly successful driver on the NASCAR main circuit who decided to visit Walt Disney World before heading to the Daytona 500.
While there, Bowyer noticed a wallet on the ground, but he couldn’t find the owner anywhere. Well, the charismatic Bowyer has nearly 700,000 followers on Twitter. So, he posted about the situation online. Within 15 minutes, Bowyer had located the individual and returned the wallet. The amusing part is that the lucky recipient had no idea who Bowyer was. Someone’s got a PhotoPass picture of a celebrity, and they don’t even know it.
A Few Disney Entertainment Notes
Anyone who works at Disney has the power to change lives. A recent reminder of this comes from Dover Shores Elementary School in Orlando, Florida. The kids there were preparing for Aladdin Two when a pair of surprise guests arrived.
Speaking of Disney on Broadway, Aida will make a comeback in 2021. The original Broadway show featured talents like Toni Braxton, Deborah Cox, and Michelle Williams. So, the return of Aida is a big deal for all involved.
On a different note, Disney will finally allow brides to live out their fantasies. The company has teamed with Allure Brides to create some absolutely breathtaking bridal gowns. Audiences will see the dresses for the first time in April at New York Bridal Fashion Week.
Of course, the news comes too late for this couple. However, I think you’ll agree that they managed quite well on their own.
Over at Disney’s theme parks, a news station has explored Disney’s recent emphasis on plant-based foods. Meanwhile, Marketwatch argues that now is the best time to visit Walt Disney World and Disneyland. That’s been my mantra my entire adult life.
MSN (remember them?) is apparently still a thing. And this author has posted a bit about Disneyland’s opening day prices. It’s nothing new for trivia buffs, but some of you may find it interesting.
Finally, a Forbes travel writer has won my respect and admiration for speaking truth to power. She maintains that Disney’s most underrated event is…well, I don’t want to spoil it. I totally agree with the author, though.