News From the World of Disney: June 19 – July 3

July 3, 2015May 20, 2016

Deprecated: The each() function is deprecated. This message will be suppressed on further calls in /home/mouseq5/public_html/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/powerpress.php on line 3491

Written by Sue Nowicki

June 19 – Starbucks is now open in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Offering its staple menu of coffee and espresso beverages, this location will also donate a portion of their proceeds on the sale of each Flat White Latte to help preserve the cotton-top tamarin in Columbia. (Link)

June 21 – Any questions about Disney’s bump in the road with the release of “Tomorrowland”, were answered with a resounding ‘so what’ as their new movie “Inside Out” raked in $91.06 million in its opening weekend. Add this to the overseas take of $41 million and you get a gargantuan $132 million weekend. For those keeping count this is the biggest opening week EVER for an original, non-sequel, non-sourced movie. (Link)

June 22 – When the 2016 Walt Disney World vacation packages were released this week they included a few new changes such as four mini golf vouchers instead of two, four vouchers for ESPN Wide World of Sports and discounts at Splitsville Luxury Lanes were reduced to 10% from 20%. The terms and conditions saw some tweaks as well. (Link)

June 23 – The Candlelight Processional Dinner package prices have been released for 2015. However, booking for the dinner package is slated for later this summer. (Link)

June 23 – After a world-wide search we now know the star and director of the new “Spider-Man” movie. The star will be 19-year-old Tom Holland playing the part Peter Parker/Spider-Man and the director will be Jon Watts. The estimated release date for this movie will be July 28, 2017. Holland will actually make his first appearance as the webbed-wonder in “Captain America: Civil War” set for release in 2016. (Link)

June 23 – Fans of Pocahontas can now greet her at the Discovery Island Character Landing at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. (Link)

June 24 – A California man is suing Disneyland because they cancelled his Club 33 membership. One of the original members of the club, Joseph Cosgrove, 84, was terminated after a friend of his allegedly auction off passes to the exclusive club. He claims he has no knowledge the auction of his passes was taking place. A spokeswoman for Disneyland said this was not Mr. Cosgrove’s first offense. (Link)

June 24 – California Screamin’ attraction at Disney’s California Adventure was closed for approximately one hour after a guest pulled out a ‘selfie stick’ while the ride was in progress. (Link)

June 25 – Captain EO will be back on the schedule at Epcot beginning July 19. (Link)

June 25 – Disney has settled the copyright infringement lawsuit over the “Frozen” trailer which bore many similarities to the short film “The Snowman”. While no details of the settlement were release, this gives Disney the ability to continue with their planning of the “Frozen” sequel. (Link)

June 25 – The Walt Disney Company received a prestigious award from the Department of Defense. Disney was awarded, along with 15 other recipients, the 2015 Secretary of Defense Employer Support Freedom Award given to employers who support the National Guard and Reserve employees. (Link)

June 26 – Several weeks ago it was announced that Jay Rasulo, Disney’s CFO, was stepping down. According to SEC filing, Rasulo will stay with The Walt Disney World Company as an ‘advisor’ at his current salary. (Link)

June 26 – After events at Disney’s California Adventure earlier this week, Disney Parks are now completely banning ‘selfie sticks’. Starting on June 30 Disney Parks world-wide are banning selfie sticks from their parks. I have two words for this… THANK GOODNESS! (Link)

June 29 – The Magic of Disney Animation is closing on July 12. A Disney World spokeswoman said work is underway for a new experience in that location. (Link)

June 29 – Disney’s Consumer Product division and Disney Interactive are combining into a new operation called, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media. (Link)

June 29 – If you weren’t wasting enough time on your phone playing Frozen Free Fall or creating pictures of yourself as Maleficient in the Disney Side app, there is a new app called Disney Gif to help fill the void. Disney Gif is a keyboard add-on which allows you to attached gifs and emojis to your messages and emails. (Link)

June 29 – Disneyland is proposing a $1 billion dollar expansion which will include new attractions, parking and infrastructure. In return for this boost to the Anaheim economy, Disneyland wants to extend their abatement of admissions tax for the next thirty years. The Anaheim City Council will vote on this abatement at their July 7 meeting. (Link)

June 29 – As quick as they came, they are now gone. The ‘Match The Species’ treats which resembled animal droppings will no longer be offered in Zuri’s Sweets Shop in Harambe Market at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. (Link)

June 30 – Disney fans attending the D23 conference at the Anaheim Convention Center will get an extra special treat. Author of The Official Mickey Mouse Club Book, Lorraine Santoli, will host ‘Celebrating Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Club—60 Magical Years’. This session will take place Sunday, August 16, at 5 p.m. in Stage 23. Original Mouseketeers Sherry Alberoni, Sharon Baird, Bobby Burgess, Tommy Cole, Darlene Gillespie, Cubby O’Brien, and Doreen Tracey are scheduled to be in attendance. (Link)

June 30 – The rash of closings around Walt Disney World continues as DisneyQuest, Disney’s indoor interactive theme park, is the next victim. It is closing to make way for the new NBA Experience. (Link)

June 30 – The Walt Disney Company has named Christine McCarthy as the next Chief Financial Officer, succeeding Jay Rasulo. McCarthy was formerly Disney’s treasurer. They also promoted Kevin Mayer to the newly-created position of Chief Strategy Officer with roughly the same job duties which include identifying growth opportunities. Mayer was integral in the acquisitions of Lucasfilm and Pixar. (Link)

July 1 – Disneyland is asking their guests so dress like it’s 1955 when they come to the park on July 17th which is the actual 60th anniversary of the park. (Link)

July 2 – Beginning on July 8 Disney’s Contemporary Report will host Disney Family Culinary Adventure. During this hands on experience guests will create a five-course dinner alongside Disney chefs. The cost is $175 for adults and $125 for children ages 9-12. (Link)

July 2 – The ABC daytime talk show The Chew will tapes shows at the 20th Epcot Food & Wine Festival October 7-9. (Link)

July 2 – I want to preface this by saying this is purely RUMOR but a really good one. This blog claims that there are plans afoot to announce the rebranding of Disney’s Hollywood Studios to Disney’s Hollywood Adventure at the D23 conference in August. This plan is said to come with a $3 billion overhaul of the park. (Link)

July 3 – Rumors are rampant that One Man’s Dream, a look at Walt Disney’s life, is closing. Disney fans around the world have started to rally to keep this iconic attraction open. A Change.org petition has started and already has nearly 6,000 signatures. (Link)

That’s all the news for now. Follow me on Twitter @JazzinDisneyMom for more Disney news.

Latest News From the World of Disney: September 25, 2015

Other posts by this author:
”The Descendants” Movie Review
Disney by Land, Disney by Sea: Part 1 & Part 2
”Tomorrowland” Movie Review
Best Walt Disney World Smartphone Apps
Restaurant Review – Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – The Way Life Should Be
A Day in the Life of Disney’s FastPass+ Service

Sue Nowicki 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, treasurer, athletic trainer and team psychologist. You can follow her on Twitter @JazzinDisneyMom.

Behind the Scenes of Disney/Pixar’s “Lava”

March 20, 2015May 9, 2016

Written by: Gayle Turner

“I have a dream I hope will come true that you’re here with me and I’m here with you. I hope that the Earth, Sea, and Sky up above will send me someone to love.”- Lava

After years and years of dreaming what it would be like to visit Pixar Animation Studios last January my wish was granted and suddenly I found myself whisked away on the trip of a lifetime to learn more about Pixar’s upcoming Inside Out and the animated musical short that will play right before the feature, Lava. From the moment you walk through the Pixar gates and into the Steve Jobs Animation Building, you can feel yourself surrounded by the magic that is synonymous with the Pixar name.

Where else would Buzz and Woody greet you along side Luigi and Guido and of course Mike?

And a few steps away, a case full of Oscars and various other awards and achievements. Dinner, of course, was at the Cafe Luxo-because where else would one eat when at Pixar?

Then it was off to go inside the minds of director Pete Docter and producer Jonas Rivera, the creative team behind the sure blockbuster hit of the summer Inside Out and if that weren’t enough, we were treated to our own private screening of the musical short that will play before, Lava.

How did the enchanting love story of Lava come to fruition? We were lucky enough to have both director James Ford Murphy and producer Andrea Warren share their tale with us all.

Ever since I was a kid, I’ve had this tremendous fascination with Hawaii and Volcanoes as I think most kids do. I was a huge Elvis Presley Fan and I think Elvis had a fascination with Hawaii. I was exposed to that but it wasn’t until my wife and I got married and we went to the big island for our Honeymoon that I really fell in love with Hawaii, Volcanoes, and particularly Hawaiian Music.

About 15 years ago, my wife and I were watching an episode of “ER” that featured a very recognizable song that I had heard and knew from the “Wizard of Oz” but I’d never heard a more hauntingly beautiful rendition of this song, it literally floored me. And I’d go, who – who is this? It just blew my mind and the more – the more I uncovered it, I could believe the power and the beauty of that song. When it came time for me to come up with an idea for a Short Film I thought, well I have this love of Volcanoes and this love of Hawaii and Hawaiian Music, what if I could write a song that makes me feel the way that that song did when I first heard it and feature it in a Pixar Short.

So that’s what I set out to do. As I developed the idea, the story, and the pitch for Lava, I also wrote this song that you’ll see featured In the Film and every single time I pitched, I would sing and play the Ukulele.

And before we knew it, there stood James Ford Murphy, Ukulele in hand, serenading us with the hauntingly beautiful melodies and lyrics that tell the story of Lava, a volcano in love.

“A long, long time ago, there was a Volcano living all alone, I never did see. He sat high above his bay watching all the couples play and wishing that he had someone too. And from his lava came this song of hope that he sang out loud every day for years and years.

I have a dream I hope will come true that you’re here with me and I’m here with you. I hope that the Earth, Sea, and Sky up above will send me someone to love.”

The James sharing with us his song filled our hearts with joy and emotion and by the end, there wasn’t a dry eye in the house. In the way that an old man, balloons and a house could be used to tell the greatest love story ever told, Lava will melt your heart.

Mark your calendars and save the date-both Inside Out and Lava open in theaters everywhere June 19!

In the meantime, don’t miss any of the latest news leading up to these two great summertime spectaculars

Like INSIDE OUT on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PixarInsideOut

Follow INSIDE OUT on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PixarInsideOut

Follow INSIDE OUT on Instagram: @PixarInsideOut

INSIDE OUT opens in theaters everywhere on June 19th.

***Disney invited me to San Francisco to attend a media event for Strange Magic and Pixar Inside Out. All expenses have been paid by Disney, but all opinions are always 100% my own.***

Gayle is a lifelong educator by day and avid freelance writer by night Mom to 5, Grammy to 4 she is blessed to share her life with amazing family and friends who encourage her to chase her dreams no matter where they may lead. When not in the classroom, she can be found following her son as he dances his way through life, or working with young performers in free nationally recognized after school children’s theater program that she founded 13 years ago.

Behind the scenes of Disney/Pixar’s new “Inside Out”

March 12, 2015May 20, 2016

Editor’s Note: The MouseQuest blog is lucky enough to have our very own “Siskel & Ebert” in Gayle Turner and Rich Grady (I will let them figure out who is who:-). Throughout 2015 Gayle and Rich will provide insight and reviews of the great line-up of Disney, Marvel and Pixar films which will be coming out. So grab a bucket of popcorn and enjoy!

Written by Gayle Turner

So just what goes on inside the minds of a creative team that make the transition from the greatest love story ever told, Pixar’s award winning movie Up, to the journey inside the mind of 11-year-old Riley? Last January I traveled to Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California for a special sneak peek at this sure to be blockbuster from the studio that not only gave us Up, but such classics as Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles and Monster’s Inc. to sit down and talk to director Pete Docter and producer Jonas Rivera who have taken on the monumental task of going from the adventurous, famously tear-jerking tale of an old man, a house and a lot of balloons in Up to switching the age focus the other way, chronicling the world of an 11-year-old girl named Riley who, by the way, did I mention, is not the main character- she’s the setting of the movie.

Inside Out takes place within Riley’s mind, exploring how her emotions Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger and Fear deal with a traumatic move from the Midwest to San Francisco when Riley’s family is uprooted by her father’s job. Docter and Rivera immediately put you at ease from the moment they enter the room- it’s like being with the friends from the neighborhood that you grew up with and shared all of life’s moments with-from the biggest down to the smallest.

Docter started the ball rolling by sharing “We both have kids. My daughter was the voice of young Ellie in Up She was nine when we recorded that and was actually a lot like that character. She would walk up to strangers and go, “Hello,” talk to people, and was spunky and bubbly. Then she turned 11 and 12 and things changed a little bit-she got quiet. We talked to her teachers who’d say, “Ellie’s a quiet girl.” And we’d ask, “Who are you talking about?” Sometimes you go through a very difficult time in life from both from the kid’s point of view, and the parent’s point of view.

From those moments in his life, the movie Inside Out was born. It is the story about figuring out just what is going on inside the place known as the mind.

Inside Out, which will be released June 19, 2015, will break new stylistic ground. While previous Pixar movies have aimed for realism, Inside Out came with new challenges and uncharted territory.

“We’re doing stretchy, squashy stuff we’ve never been able to do before,” as it is literally a story coming directly from the inside of the mind of 11-year-old, Riley. It features the central characters that make up her emotions -Joy (voiced by Amy Poehler), Fear (Bill Hader), Anger (Lewis Black), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Sadness (Phyllis Smith), all of whom vie for control of Riley’s decisions when her family relocates from small-town Minnesota to San Francisco. Riley is struggling to cope with the new situation as she hits the age when kids start to lose their childlike sense of happiness and head towards the grumpier tween / teen years. Joy and Sadness find themselves trapped elsewhere in her mind, and must make their way back to “headquarters” even as their colleagues try to hold things together.

We had this idea of using emotions as our main character- Anger, Fear, Sadness, Disgust and Joy. It was this concept that lead to this great research that we got to do talking to psychologists and neurologists, and really deep dive into the how and why we think and feel. A lot of that research has shown up in the film, and then of course we made some stuff up too because after all, we wanted to create something that not only told a story that hadn’t been told before, but that was fun to watch as well.

Rivera shared that the film’s greatest challenge was its multilayered narrative. Docter expanded by explaining “It’s two stories at the same time, and they have to relate to each other,”

So just how difficult was it to bring to life a story that personified the emotions of a tween, especially coming off of the success of Up?

Like all the films we do, it’s built on many iterations of the same thing. It was a concept that was pitched to John Lasseter in June of 2009 and then other projects such as Monsters University came along so it had been tumbling around in the background for a little while. The way we tend to work here is that we’ve been asked to pitch three ideas, and that way we can kind of play around and use them to play off of one another. We knew it was a little unorthodox, but here there are no rules.

Both Docter and Rivera had worked at Pixar since Toy Story changed animation in 1995, and they wanted their new film to push the genre’s limits again without alienating audiences.

The puzzler was, how could we take audiences somewhere that they could relate to, but they’d never been before?

They responded with Inside Out’s animation as well as its story.

The emotions are not rendered as solid—they are composed of tiny particles of light. We wanted them to look like emotions feel, Their unusual texture presented us the opportunity to reject the realism previous Pixar animations had pursued.

Even from the small portions of the film we were treated to, it was clear that the results of their collaboration will take you on a journey in animation unlike any other and will touch something inside of you no matter what your age.

Like asking you which one of your children is your favorite child, it’s hard to say which Pixar movie is your favorite. Each one of them strikes a chord with you and pulls on your heartstrings in their own unique way. They all make you laugh, they all make you cry and they all touch your soul and stay with you long after the lights come back on, but from what I’ve seen of Inside Out, and hearing first hand how the idea became a reality, I may just have a new favorite-by a little bit at least.

In my next post, I share with you some of my behind the scenes glimpses of the Pixar Animation Studios as well as my interview with director James Ford Murphy and producer by Andrea Warren, the team that brings Lava, animated musical short film that will open in front of Inside Out when both come to life in theaters everywhere on June 19, 2015.

Your Guide on the Quest for the Perfect Disney Vacation

Tag: Inside Out

News From the World of Disney: June 19 – July 3

Behind the Scenes of Disney/Pixar’s “Lava”

Behind the scenes of Disney/Pixar’s new “Inside Out”