April is Earth Month, and Disney has a long history of protecting the environment and finding ways to connect families with nature. From Animal Kingdom to conserving resources to reducing environmental impact from everyday business practices, Disney prides itself on its conservation values. In celebration… Read More »Disney Celebrates Earth Month with “Bears”
Things are still pretty tight lipped when it comes to the new movies but there have been a couple of news bits. First off, Disney Studios chairman, Alan Horn revealed that shooting has already begun on Episode VII. The production is reportedly in Morocco, where… Read More »Around The Galaxy: Star Wars News Update
A story in Jezebel looks at some of the comments being made by upset parents who can’t find merchandise from Disney’s Frozen anywhere in stores and don’t want to pay the high prices on eBay where some limited edition items are going for nearly $2000.00.… Read More »Frozen Merchandise Impossible To Find, Did Disney Drop The Ball?
A group of guests have filed a lawsuit against Disneyland and Walt Disney World alleging the new Disabled Access System (DAS) violates the American with Disabilities Act, specifically for guests with cognitive impairments, such as autism. The main argument of the lawsuit is that prior to the new DAS system, Disney was much more accommodating allowing families to have wonderful experiences together. And because Disney had the knowledge to provide those accommodations then, to not provide them now is discriminatory. The lawsuit gives multiple examples of guests who are unable to comply with the new DAS process without risking a meltdown from the impaired individual.
As you might expect, the lawsuit systematically excludes evidence that doesn’t support its theory. For nearly everything it lists as examples of Disney’s bad behavior, I’ve read first hand accounts of the exact opposite behavior from Disney. But that’s how a lawsuit works.
Some of the facts in the lawsuit are incorrect or border on the incorrect. It mentions that a photo of the disabled guest is added to the DAS, but then states that it is related to the entry to the park, which it’s not. It’s related to making sure the person who is using the DAS is the disabled person, not someone who picked it up off the ground.
They also accuse Disney of sponsoring videos to make the ‘rented invalid’ problem seem worse than it was. I would like to see the evidence for that.
What is true, is that Disney changed their procedures and they are not as accommodating to those with cognitive impairments as they were in the old system. But it does not also follow that that change now places Disney outside the boundaries of the protections the ADA provides.
I guess that is now for the courts to decide.Read More »New Lawsuit Accuses Disney Parks of Discrimination Against Guests With Cognitive Impairments
from Instagram. Ah, one of my favorite floats from the Main Street Disney’s Electrical Parade and one of my favorite trick questions, “who rides Pete’s Dragon?” Usually stumps people for a few moments. My favorite trivia for the Pete’s Dragon float was that before it… Read More »Instapic: Who rides Pete’s dragon?
If no one has told you, Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD on ABC has gotten really good in the last few episodes. It seemed to start slow because they focused a lot of getting the audience emotionally involved in the core set of characters. Now that… Read More »Fall Out from Latest Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD Episode
The relationship between the two domestic Universal theme parks was a rocky one for a long time. They were pretty much left to go their own ways. It’s only since Comcast purchased NBC/Universal that the Hollywood and Orlando are getting on the same strategic plan. Right now the plan includes a lot of development for both resorts and, it’s already well underway.
Yesterday, Universal Studios Hollywood revealed the latest additions which, in addition to the Harry Potter land, will include Springfield to the Simpsons Ride, Fast and Furious: Suerpcharged to the Studio Tour, night time tours and the redevelopment of the Upper Lot as a whole. These will roll out over the next five years.
That’s a whole lot of work, but it’s needed in Southern California, which is one of the most competitive tourist markets in the world.
“This is a pivotal time in the history of Universal Studios Hollywood as we build upon our extraordinary success and expand our vision for the future of our world-class destination,” said Larry Kurzweil, President of Universal Studios Hollywood. “This broad investment in our five-year transformation will further strengthen Universal Studios Hollywood as an economic leader, significantly contributing to long-term employment opportunities and tourism throughout L.A.”
At Universal Studios Hollywood the expansion has been underway for a few years. It started in 2012 with the opening of “Transformers: The Ride” and continued in 2013 with the installation of Universal Plaza, a 37,000 square foot art deco styled piazza. This polygon-shaped entertainment venue sits at the heart of the theme park as a welcoming open air courtyard, architecturally reminiscent of classic Hollywood glamour. Featuring a soaring 70 foot tall tower emblazoned with the word Universal, the venue is large in scope, yet provides a warm and inviting environment to host an array of special events and entertainment.
On April 12, 2014, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land” will open at Universal Studios Hollywood. Based on Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s Academy Award and Golden Globe Award-nominated film franchise, and created in collaboration with Chris Meledandri, founder and CEO of Illumination Entertainment, “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” will resonate with the same endearing qualities and characters that catapulted the franchise to international blockbuster fame.
The footprint for “Despicable Me Minion Mayhem” and “Super Silly Fun Land,” however, will serve as a crucial turning point for the theme park, as the adventure represents its first foray into fully expansive themed environments aimed at immersing visitors from the moment they enter the space. From experiencing Gru’s neighborhood to Miss Hattie’s Home for Girls and the imaginative seaside carnival, this all-encompassing approach is a decisive departure from the park’s more commonly used vignette ride exteriors to create holistic experiences and transport guests to that imaginary place.Read More »Universal Studios Hollywood Announces Ambitious 5-Year Plan
There’s a lot of fun things going on in the world of Marvel, so let’s get to it.
Captain America opened up last week as number one in the box office (no surprise there). Opening with $92.6 million, the Winter Soldier now holds the record for the largest movie opening in April ever.
I don’t normally talk about rumors but this one is fun. At the St. Louis Comic-con, Nathan Fillion was asked if he would accept a role in Guardians of the Galaxy if he was asked. Besides being the epitome of a Joss Whedon alum, Fillion has also worked with Guardians’ director James Gunn on Castle. Here’s his response.
There was also a new clip from Guardians of the Galaxy on MTV.
The weekend of May 6, 2016 will be an interesting weekend at the box office. Marvel announced that Captain America 3 will open that weekend which is the same weekend as their Distinguished Competition’s Superman/Batman movie.Read More »Marvel News Roundup – Life After The Winter Soldier