Disney News & Links – Sunday Edition

Two sad deaths have hit the extended Disney family this week. First Director Ken Annakin and then Bea Arthur. Annakin directed Disney’s Swiss Family Robinson and Arthur was star of TV’s Maude and The Golden Girls. You may have seen the house of the Golden Girls on the old MGM-Studios backlot studios tour, before it was bulldozed to make way for Lights, Motor, Action stunt show.
Alain Littaye reports on the internal Disney letter announcing Walt Disney Imagineer Legend Marty Sklar’s upcoming retirement. His retirement, July 17th – Disneyland’s birthday.
Scott Joseph has the final versions of the menus for Disney’s newest restaurant Sanaa. It’s located in the Kidani Village, the DVC expansion of Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Definitely looks yummy and adventurous.
io9, the best Science Fiction fan blog out there, has a look at some of the more out-there offerings coming from ABC this fall.
The official opening of SeaWorld’s new Manta roller coaster is May 22nd, but I’m hearing that public soft openings could come as soon as the 1st week of May. SeaWorld cast members have been riding the coaster for more than a week now.
Finally, if you are in Orlando in May you may want to check out the Hasbro Easy-Bake cookoff. I’m trying to pin down the exact date and if it’s open to the public. But here’s the story of one of the lucky finalists.