Here is the latest News From the World of Disney parks and entertainment including Walt Disney World, Disneyland and Disney Cruise Line for December 1-14.

BREAKING NEWS: The Walt Disney Co. will purchase the entertainment components of 21st Century Fox for $52.4 billion (yes, that’s with a ‘B’). This has also prompted Disney CEO Bob Iger to delay his retirement yet again from mid-2019 to end of 2021.

The deal has Disney buying the 21st Century Fox television and film studios, cable networks including FX and National Geographic Channel, Star India, a 39% stake in Sky, 22 regional sports networks and majority control of streaming-video service Hulu. Fox will retain Fox News, the Big Ten Network, Fox Local TV Stations, the Fox broadcast network and FS1 Sports Channel.

Iger said the deal will help Disney “create more content, serve customers better on the domestic and international level and essentially grow our offerings to consumers in multiple ways”. (Link)

WALT DISNEY WORLD PARKS NEWS

December 7 – In what might be an indication of when Toy Story Land might open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Toy Story Land at Shanghai Disney Resort will open on April 26, 2018. (Link)

December 8 – Disney has released some new info and artist renderings of the Disney Skyliner gondola system. They show the different styles of stations at each location and detailed that the gondola vehicles will each feature character so it will appear as if you are riding along with these characters. (Link)

December 10 – The line-up for the Disney on Broadway Concert Series has been announced: January 12–15 and 19-22 : Kara Lindsay and Kevin Massey with songs from: Tarzan, Aladdin, Newsies and Frozen; January 26-29 and February 2-5: Kissy Simmons and Alton Fitzgerald White with songs from Tarzan, The Lion King, Aida, Aladdin and The Little Mermaid; February 9-12 and February 16-19: Ashley Brown and Josh Strickland with songs from Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Mary Poppins, Newsies and Frozen. (Link)

December 11 – A new show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom will feature the characters from Disney-Pixar’s film Up.  The show will premiere next spring and take place in the Caravan Theater where “Flights of Wonder” currently takes place. Don’t worry about the birds though, they will play a part in the new show.  (Link)

December 13 – The tiger cubs are here! The two tiger cubs born this past summer are slowly being acclimated to their habitat on the Maharajah Jungle Trek.  (Link)

THE WALT DISNEY CORPORATION

December 8 – The Walt Disney Company will add two new board members effective February 1, 2018: Safra Catz, CEO of Oracle and Francis A. deSouza, CEO of Illumina. (Link)

DISNEYLAND

December 7 – Disneyland California Food & Wine Festival will increase to six weeks in 2018. The dates for 2018 are March 2 – April 12. (Link)

December 11 – Disneyland nabbed the top spot on the most Instagrammed locations of 2017. Landing at 5th, 6th and 9th are Tokyo Disneyland, Magic Kingdom Park and Disney’s California Adventure, respectively.  (Link)

DISNEY CRUISE LINE

December 8 – Disney Cruise Line is returning to St. Maarten in January after the devastation experienced during Hurricane Irma. Link

December 11 – Cruise Critic revealed their list of Editor’s Pick Awards and Disney Cruise Line earned awards for Best Entertainment and Best for Families. Link

DISNEY MOVIE/ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

December 4 – Whoopi Goldberg will be hosting Decorating Disney: Holiday Magic which will air on Freeform on December 18. (Link)

December 5 – Do you love old school Disney movies? If so, TCM will be your go-to place when they air Treasures from the Disney Vault. The only problem is it will air overnight beginning at 8:00 PM on December 20^th and finish in the wee morning hours of December 21. (Link)

December 11 – Disney-related projects received several Golden Globe nominations. Coco receive nominations for Best Animated Film and Best Original song for “Remember Me”. Many ABC TV shows were also nominated including the highly popular Black-ish.  (Link)

December 15 – In what is likely going to be the biggest weekend at the box office this year (if not all time), Star Wars: The Last Jedi will be released this weekend. Check out my friend Lola Lambchops’ spoiler-free review: Review.

REFURBISHMENTS

Refurbishments are now located on their own page.

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That’s all the news for now. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest for breaking Disney news.

Sue Nowicki is an alumnae of the 2014/15 Disney Parks Moms Panel. She splits her time between planning her next Walt Disney World vacation and being team mom to ten high-energy volleyball players where she fills the roles of secretary, navigator, head cheerleader, treasurer, athletic trainer and team psychologist. You can follow her on Twitter @JazzinDisneyMom.