All the whispered Rumors, News, and Opinions on all things theme park related in Central Florida. Theme Park Whispers is for all that love and live the amazing events in the Orlando area!!
Christmas at the Magic Kingdom has arrived and tonight will see the seasons first performance of Cinderella's Holiday Wish. The show is simply amazing and a MUST see during the holiday season.
Fireworks, Holiday Music, and Cinderella's Castle covered in over 200,000 dreamlights is fan favorite and a great night out for the whole crew.
The show runs starting tonight through the first week of January and the later in the year you wait to see the show, the more crowded it gets so enjoy it now...and then start your Christmas shopping!!
Halloween at Disney is always a great time for the family but Mickey's Not So Scary is sold out for tonight, so what to do with the family?
Disney's Boardwalk Resort has the answer with The Boardwalk Village Greens Dance Party. Character meet and greets, food, games, festivities, and music by the amazing DJ Tony Z are on the line up for this great event.
Games start around 6:00 pm with music starting at 7:00 pm. Parking at the Boardwalk will be allowed just let security know you are there for the Halloween Party at the Boardwalk.
The major, and a little shocking, announcement of Disney's acquisition of Lucas Films, and affiliates, is sure to start a theme park rumor mill that has not been seen since the days of the Potter announcement over at Universal.
I would like to say with this purchase Disney now holds the keys to one of the most beloved franchises of all time, this of course is not new to the Disney company. Recent purchases of Pixar, Marvel, and the Muppets all indicate that Disney is not afraid to take on entertainment history altering companies with vigor.
Lucas Films however will be one that Disney will have to tread carefully with, because like Potter, the fans of the Star Wars multiverse are die hard to the end. Disney will have to "cross every T and dot every I" as they say, to insure the backlash of Star Wars fandom does not kill any future projects. Lucas is staying on board as creative consultant which will make the transition much easier and will help to insure that projects have that Lucas feel. That being said lets move on to the theme parks and the potential that this acquisition offers.
I will offer my opinion on what we can hope to see in the future and time will tell us how much of theme park dork I really am!!
Disney's Hollywood Studios here in Orlando looks to benefit the most from the new union. I feel that in the very near future, about the time that Universal announces the new Potter expansion, we will see a Star Wars themed land heading to this struggling park. Disney has never been able to turn the numbers it wants at the Studios and it is getting harder each year as Universal draws the proverbial "line in the sand" and expands.
I am going to say that Disney will bring Tatooine to the Florida landscape. Tatooine is a perfect idea as it will allow for both the Jedi side and the Dark Side to co-exist in one location. I am sure that we will see a Mos Eisley Cantina with all its crazy clientele and food that is "out of this world". Learning from the Universal idea that themed areas, such as Potter, are what people desire now makes this an almost guaranteed location.
Mos Eisley is also a spaceport, the one from which the Millennium Falcon departed, can you say "E-ticket" attraction. The story is already in place and known by millions, and lets face it who would not want to ride on the Millennium Falcon?!?! Plus factor in the Falcon has in movie history the starship Enterprise as its only rival to being the best known spaceship of all time!!
Pod Races will also factor into the ride ideas in some form. Disney has been setting on a Tron themed Light Cycle concept for sometime now. A little re-theming should make it easy for you to ride your very own Pod in the galactic race.
A Jedi Training center is a guaranteed idea since the one offered during Star Wars Weekends books to capacity EARLY everyday. Both young and old Jedi will be skilled in the way of the masters in an effort to fight the evil "Dark Side"! Jedis will be trained and then able to build their very own Lightsaber, which you can do now, but these will be much higher end.
Shopping? The already profitable Tatooine Traders will be expanded into a Main Street type Emporium and will offer gifts from around the galaxy this along with numerous other merchandise stands and locations should make shopping on Tatooine an experience like no other.
Ok that is all I am going to speculate on for now. Please remember these are all just "pie in the sky" ideas and have no basis at all. I just wanted to post this early out to see how close I can come to predicting the future when it comes to the theme parks!
The new Test Track opening December 6th (Yes the same day as the Fantasyland Expansion), is getting a new sleek look to match the new theme of the ride and it should be installed this week.
Test Track was closed earlier in the year to allow for a refurb, and while the ride system is staying the same, the ride effects are rumored to be very high end and cutting edge.
In a move that is sure to change the theme park and film industry Dinsey has announced the purchase of Lucas Films, including ILM the groundbreaking special effects company, and other Lucas ventures
Press release follows:
Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas.
Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments.
“Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas,” said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “This transaction combines a world-class portfolio of content including Star Wars, one of the greatest family entertainment franchises of all time, with Disney’s unique and unparalleled creativity across multiple platforms, businesses, and markets to generate sustained growth and drive significant long-term value.”
“For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next,” said George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm. “It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I’m confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney’s reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.”
Speaking later on the topic, Lucas confirmed his pending retirement noting that hiring Kennedy was only the first step and that with her, he had developed the remaining portion of the third Star Wars trilogy as well as enough material ‘for a hundred years.’ The final step in his retirement was to find a caretaker for the company, which he found in The Walt Disney Company. Lucas’ plan is to engage in philanthropy, experimental films and other activities he felt he could not take Lucasfilm through.
Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Lucasfilm, a leader in entertainment, innovation and technology, including its massively popular and “evergreen” Star Wars franchise and its operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products, animation, visual effects, and audio post production. Disney will also acquire the substantial portfolio of cutting-edge entertainment technologies that have kept audiences enthralled for many years. Lucasfilm, headquartered in San Francisco, operates under the names Lucasfilm Ltd., LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound, and the present intent is for Lucasfilm employees to remain in their current locations.
Kathleen Kennedy, current Co-Chairman of Lucasfilm, will become President of Lucasfilm, reporting to Walt Disney Studios Chairman Alan Horn. Additionally she will serve as the brand manager for Star Wars, working directly with Disney’s global lines of business to build, further integrate, and maximize the value of this global franchise. Ms. Kennedy will serve as executive producer on new Star Wars feature films, with George Lucas serving as creative consultant. Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015, with more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future.
The acquisition combines two highly compatible family entertainment brands, and strengthens the long-standing beneficial relationship between them that already includes successful integration of Star Wars content into Disney theme parks in Anaheim, Orlando, Paris and Tokyo.
Driven by a tremendously talented creative team, Lucasfilm’s legendary Star Wars franchise has flourished for more than 35 years, and offers a virtually limitless universe of characters and stories to drive continued feature film releases and franchise growth over the long term. Star Wars resonates with consumers around the world and creates extensive opportunities for Disney to deliver the content across its diverse portfolio of businesses including movies, television, consumer products, games and theme parks. Star Wars feature films have earned a total of $4.4 billion in global box to date, and continued global demand has made Star Wars one of the world’s top product brands, and Lucasfilm a leading product licensor in the United States in 2011. The franchise provides a sustainable source of high quality, branded content with global appeal and is well suited for new business models including digital platforms, putting the acquisition in strong alignment with Disney’s strategic priorities for continued long-term growth.
The Lucasfilm acquisition follows Disney’s very successful acquisitions of Pixar and Marvel, which demonstrated the company’s unique ability to fully develop and expand the financial potential of high quality creative content with compelling characters and storytelling through the application of innovative technology and multiplatform distribution on a truly global basis to create maximum value. Adding Lucasfilm to Disney’s portfolio of world class brands significantly enhances the company’s ability to serve consumers with a broad variety of the world’s highest-quality content and to create additional long-term value for our shareholders.
The Boards of Directors of Disney and Lucasfilm have approved the transaction, which is subject to clearance under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, certain non-United States merger control regulations, and other customary closing conditions. The agreement has been approved by the sole shareholder of Lucasfilm.
I thought that since we showed Disney some love about the Christmas events about to start that I would do the same for Universal. Universal has announced that the world renowned Mannheim Steamroller will be back for this holiday season, along with the mean and heart troubled GRINCH!!
The powerful, instrumental supergroup will perform eight nights in December, up from last year’s six concerts at Music Plaza at Universal Studios. The large crowds last year promted Universal to add more dates. Mannheim will be on stage Dec. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22 and 23.
The Studios will also host the Macy’s Holiday Parade, featuring floats and balloons direct from the traditional event in New York. The daily parade will run Dec. 1-Jan. 1. (Universal’s Superstar Parade, introduced earlier this year, will continue its regular schedule.)
Holiday versions of the Barney show and the Blues Brothers street concert will be presented, as well as many holiday character meet and greets.
Next door at Islands of Adventure, the live “Grinchmas Wholiday Spectacular” returns, featuring Mannheim Steamroller music. IOA will feature a Seuss character breakfast and Grinch meet-and-greets. The Grinch himself will be available for holiday photos and the "snow" will be returning to both parks this year to add to the merriment!!
Holiday programming, which wraps up Jan. 1, is included with regular Universal admission to either park.
There are only 55 days, as of this post, until Santa and his reindeer land at homes all over the world in celebration of Christmas!! I know for most of us that can cause panic, but Mickey and his crew are gearing up for the annual celebration as we speak.
The lights are on the castle and as soon as Halloween is over the Magic Kingdom, then the other parks, will get a magical makeover to celebrate the holiday season. This also means that it is time for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party!!
Mickey's favorite, and busiest holiday event, will run on selected nights November the 9th through December the 21st . Tickets are available now and Florida Residents have select nights that they can get huge discounts.
I advise if you want to attend the event set a date and get tickets early as the event has a tendency to sell out on many nights. Hope to see everyone there and let me be one of the first to say...."MERRY CHRISTMAS"!!
Reminder: Disney will have the Fantasyland Grand Opening on December the 6th so expect crowds to go up significantly after the opening.
