Hayao Miyazaki, co-founder of Studio Ghibli, was in Hollywood this weekend to receive a Lifetime Achievement Oscar at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences’ Governors Awards. John Lasseter, chief creative office at Disney and Pixar, introduced the master calling him “the most original… Read More »Animation Master Hayao Miyazaki Awarded Honorary Oscar
A few weeks ago, we went over some of the possible scenarios for expansion at Disney’s Hollywood Studios along with completion of on-going and announced projects (Part 1 and Part 2 if you missed it). Yesterday, news dropped of a deal that will make it all possible.
What we didn’t mention in those posts was a rumored mega-land purchase by Disney that some fans were saying was a clear sign of a fifth gate being built. I didn’t want to breath life into any crazy rumors like that, so I ended up not posting that story. However, events have changed my mind.
As Walt Disney said about building in Florida, Disney has the blessing of space. 43 square miles is just a little larger than the city of San Francisco. But what you may not realize is that quite a bit of that area is dedicated to wetlands and conservation. Most of the resort that isn’t are already developed is zoned for conservation (see map below).
Read More »Disney World makes land grab for additional resort development
Hard to believe, but Disney just announced it will release a new animated film in January of 2015. “Strange Magic” is a feature length animated film from Lucasfilm. The animated musical is inspired by “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and is being presented as a madcap… Read More »Surprise! Lucasfilm to release animated feature “Strange Magic” in January
In 2003 congress put into place a law that restricted flights around Disney’s U.S. theme parks. There’s a 3-mile restricted zone from which helicopters and planes are prevented from entering. Originally put in place to prevent attacks from bad actors (mostly terrorists), the no-fly zone… Read More »Disneyland and Disney World’s No-Fly Zones Under Scrutiny
Disney theme park historian and analyst Foxxy Hooves of the excellent Passport to Dreams blog is known for her long and very detailed articles on the esoterica of Disney’s theme park design. I always learn something, even on a subject matter I consider myself very… Read More »Main Street U.S.A. Music Lesson
Each year during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, the Once Upon A Christmastime Parade makes its journey around the Magic Kingdom bringing the spirit of the holidays to everyone in the crowd. This year, the Kingdom of Arendelle has joined in the celebration including special… Read More »2014 Once Upon A Christmastime Parade Highlights
LEGO ideas is the website where you can go to vote on your favorite fan-created model builds. If a model gets enough votes, LEGO will actually make it into a set (assuming it can get the rights to it). Since LEGO does have a pretty… Read More »20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Nautilus at LEGO Ideas
The White House and First Lady Michelle Obama recently hosted military families for a private screening of a special Veterans Day episode of Disney’s “Doc McStuffins.” The special episode which continues Disney’s legacy of support for military families through a storyline that explores the emotions… Read More »First Lady Michelle Obama Hosts “Doc McStuffins” Screening for Military Families at The White House