Disney Headlines for April 27th, 2022
This week, Disneyland Paris unveils a new FastPass option, Cotino breaks ground in California, and an enterprising young nanny turns Disney into her day job.
We have a happier outing of Disney Headlines this week.
Well, If It’s Ultimate…
In 2018 Disneyland Paris debuted a new FastPass system. The program came in two tiers, the Super FastPass and the Ultimate FastPass.
With the Super FastPass, guests ensured one time FastPass access to either three family attractions or three thrill rides.
The Ultimate FastPass entitled guests to nine different attractions.
Better yet, you could ride them as often as you wanted.
The program started relatively well, so park officials changed it to a more permanent name that distinguished it from FastPass.
In 2019, Disney Premier Access was born.
Since the program didn’t start until October, it only operated for six months before the pandemic occurred.
You’ll notice that Walt Disney World and Disneyland have adopted the idea in broad strokes for Disney Genie+.
Now, Disneyland Paris has hinted at the future of those parks as well…
Disney’s French location just unveiled Disney Premier Access Ultimate.
You may recall that the park currently uses Disney Premier Access, which is similar to Lightning Lane.
For the price of $8.50 to $16.00, guests can skip the longer lines at a ride of their choosing,
Ultimate service provides the same option for up to 12 attractions. The cost of this service is 90 euros, which is equal to $95.75.
For that price, guests gain access to some of the park’s most popular attractions, like Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure and Phantom Manor.
I’m not saying it’s 100 percent that we’ll get a version of this in the United States, but we did get a variation of the last one.
Disney prefers to test in foreign markets before bringing it to more storied American locales.
Yes, I think that at a time not in the distant future, you can buy a kind of mega Disney Genie+. It will guarantee you 10-15 attractions for just $100 or so.
Cotino Is Coming
A few months ago, Disney announced the plans for Storyliving by Disney, the next business model for the Disney Signature Experiences division.
Disney plans to bring themed neighborhoods to popular American cities. So yes, you’ll enjoy the joys of Mickey Mouse in your own home!
Disney fans had clamored for this possibility for, well, my entire life. I’m honestly unclear why it took so long.
Now that executives have pot-committed to the plan, Disney has reached full throttle. The first project, Cotino, has now broken ground at Rancho Mirage in Coachella Valley.
Rancho Mirage Mayor Charles Townsend appeared as Disney’s guest at the event.
His excitement was palpable, as any decent politician appreciates Disney’s value to the community and its economy.
Meanwhile, Disney confirmed the first homes in Cotino would go on sale in early 2023, less than a year from now.
Executives planning the project expect the first new residents to move into their Cotino homes by the end of 2024. In other words, this will happen fast!
Longstanding Disney fans know that a similar project in Orlando, the Golden Oak neighborhood, proved a staggering success.
Officials have already announced that these homes near one of Walt Disney’s favorite vacation spots will feature a mid-century look to celebrate that connection.
However, Disney holds grander ambitions for its Storyliving business. The idea is to build dozens of communities in popular areas for both residents and tourists.
The blueprint here is undeniably what Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville Cottages have accomplished. That’s a half-billion-dollar industry already!
People’s love of Disney blends perfectly with what the company seeks to do here. Disney seeks to extend the relationship with its fans into their own homes.
I suspect that we will be discussing Storybook Living a LOT over the next decade!
The Disney Nanny?!
Our friends at Insider have posted a fascinating story about an enterprising young woman.
Cyan Nardiello is a 22-year-old who turned a part-time nanny gig into the happiest career on Earth!
When Nardiello promised to take a client’s children to Walt Disney World as a one-off thing, she couldn’t possibly have suspected what would happen next.
The kids obviously loved going to Disney with someone other than their parents! That’s how you get your way and eat all the candy you want!
In fact, the children asked their parents if they could make the Disney trip a weekly thing. At this moment, inspiration struck for Nardiello.
The college student started a website, Once Upon a Nanny. She sold vacationers on the idea of taking care of their children for a while.
Parents loved the idea of a Disney pro spending the day with the kids while the grown-ups could have some time to themselves.
This brilliant idea has paid off in spades, as Once Upon a Nanny expects to open branches at other Disney parks soon.
Currently, Nardiello charges guests a modest $25 per hour for her Disney Nanny services, which strikes me as shockingly reasonable.
I can’t help but wonder if she’s undercharging because she’s doing what she loves anyway.
I mean, for an eight-hour day, she’s earning $200 hanging out at Disney. Who wouldn’t make that deal?
If you’re interested in learning more about the Disney Nanny, you can follow her on TikTok, where some of her clips have racked up millions of views.
Here are a few examples:
@themeparknanny went from working 9-5 to working whenever I want ❤️#greenscreenvideo #PlantersTrickShot #disneynanny #disney
♬ ghost town voice memo (full version out now) – chloe george
@themeparknanny @😾✨✡️Rosie duhh✡️✨😾 love making new friends with my clients!!! #themepark #nanny #disney #themeparknanny #AerieREAL #disneynanny
@themeparknanny pool days at the poly 🌺 #disney #disneynanny #TeamofTomorrow #summer #nanny #nannytok
You have to hand it to anyone who can turn their love of Disney into a full-time career, don’t you?
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Feature Photo: Disney