Disney fans have been watching the Disney100 Decades Collection released in stages throughout the year so far. The excitement started with the 1920s collection, which set the tone for the sets to come, showcasing a small handful of items in meaningful themes and prints according to the decade each one represents.
The next collection to be released will be the 1960s, and we now have a date of when we can expect the new items to drop! At 8 am PT on June 19th, the latest installment of this limited edition merchandise will come online, and one of the themes can already be seen in the promotional image above that shows a Loungefly Mini Backpack in a 101 Dalmations design.
During a Q&A session earlier today, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products chairman Josh D’Amaro responded to an inquiry regarding smaller regional experiences akin to what Universal announced earlier this year. What’s Happening: This morning, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products chairman Josh D’Amaro participated in a Q&A session at the JP Morgan Global Technology, Media & […]
Irish actor Ray Stevenson, best known for his roles as Porthos in 2011’s The Three Musketeers and as Volstagg in Marvel Studios’ Thor and Thor: The Dark World, has passed away at age 58. Stevenson had already filmed his role in Lucasfilm’s highly anticipated upcoming Star Wars: Ahsoka series (set to premiere in August) and was present at […]
Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro spoke on both domestic and international park performance and investments during the JP Morgan Global Technology, Media & Communications Conference.
Domestic Park Investments and Changes
Josh D’Amaro, Disney Parks Chairman for the Walt Disney Company, commented on the current status of both domestic and international parks, including the upcoming park expansions. On the subject of park performance, D’Amaro stated the following:
The business has been performing exceptionally well. You’ve seen that in our earnings. […] We’ve invested aggressively in these parks. We were investing before going into COVID, we continued to invest once we came out of COVID, and the guests have responded to that.
Disney Parks Chairman Josh D’Amaro
D’Amaro also spoke on the Disney Cruise Line investment, reiterating that another three ships are on their way to being added to the fleet. He also said that according to their guest data, as many as 40% of their cruise line guests wouldn’t typically take a cruise at all, and only indulge in this type of vacation because it is offered by Disney.
D’Amaro explained that with intellectual properties such as Marvel and Star Wars continually adding new content, Imagineers and executives are able to bring these to life in the parks just as easily and with as much excitement as their older content. He used Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway as an example of using a very old content property to spark guest delight, stating that all of the properties in their portfolio are “incredibly powerful.” He intends to continue utilizing a range of these properties in parks moving forward.
Internationally, D’Amaro explained that each park continues to perform well financially. In China, both Shanghai Disneyland and Hong Kong Disneyland are experiencing a “good volume” of guest attendance and overall guest spending is up. He also stated that ratings overall were high, and that the company is excited for upcoming expansions to the parks in China. “Zootopia,” the number one animated film in the country, is going to have its own land in Shanghai Disneyland. In addition, a “Frozen”-themed land is currently being built for Hong Kong Disneyland.
Walt Disney Studios at Disneyland Paris is also receiving a “Frozen”-themed land expansion called Arendelle: World of Frozen, and recently saw an addition of the Marvel Avengers Campus, similar to the land found at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim. Disneyland Paris has a lot of new product and commercial transformation going on, and D’Amaro spoke positively of the recent changes and additions to the parks. Ratings, attendance and guest spend is high for visitors at Disneyland Paris, especially within the Marvel Avengers Campus. D’Amaro also stated that the company has needed fewer discounts to attract park guests than necessary historically.
Also during the JP Morgan Global Technology, Media & Communications Conference, Josh D’Amaro claimed that Disney World’s closure of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser in September will enable them to claim a tax write-off of approximately $300 million. Check out the full article on this announcement here.
On Friday, approximately 80% of the Reedy Creek Fire Department’s 185 staff members signed off on a new three-year labor deal. According to union President Jon Shirey via an article in the Orlando Sentinel, the deal paves the way for a “significant bump in starting firefighter pay and benefits, in addition to investment in transportation equipment and addressing safety concerns.”
Roughly 20% of union members did not vote or voted against the new deal. Shirey said the contract has “been in the works for nearly four-and-a-half years, so today certainly feels like a relief, but more still has to occur, so we’re cautiously optimistic.”
Union leadership has said in the past that the department was “increasingly relying on outside agencies to respond to incidents across Disney’s 40-square-mile property.”
If the new contract is ratified, it “will aspire to add 25 firefighters and 12 paramedics within the first year.” The contract would also enhance the existing EMS system by adding two fire rescue vehicles and two ambulances.
In an effort to help recruit more first responders the contract, if ratified, will also increase the starter pay of a firefighter paramedic to $65,000 a year, up from $55,000 a year.
Hasbro is diving into Marvel’s “Heroes Reborn” comic series for their latest addition to their Marvel Legends series. Fans will soon be able to add Nighthawk and Blur to their collection with this new Marvel Legends Series Squadron Supreme two-pack. The high-flying Nighthawk and super-speedy Blur ally with each other and the Squadron Supreme to […]
Some major announcements were revealed by Lorcana France TCG at a Ravensburger demo session for Disney Lorcana today, as French stores enjoyed a close-up experience and new information regarding the upcoming trading card game.
Mushu Report also offered a comprehensive overview of everything that was announced.
No Lorcana Competitions in First Year
In addition to a detailed look at the six foil cards first revealed at GAMA Expo (seen above), multiple tweets went out about the game’s production timeline and anticipated competition element — most notably the fact that Lorcana will not host any organized competitive play during its first year of release.
La carte clochette donnée pour les initiations aux boutiques sera elle aussi en VO. Mais sera identique à celle que l’on trouvera dans les boosters.
Pas de scene competitive la première année. Ils attendent qu’il y est un pool de cartes suffisant et une base joueurs solide.
Pas de scene competitive la première année. Ils attendent qu’il y est un pool de cartes suffisant et une base joueurs solide.
No competitive scene the first year. They expect there to be a sufficient card pool and a solid player base.
For a card game, this decision is somewhat unusual, as competitions are what keep most brands alive and popular — though Ravensburger has continually expressed a commitment to casual players attracted by the game’s wealth of intellectual properties, and has also indicated a desire to build up the card pool and player base before formalizing tournaments.
Usually, an announcement of some sort of judge training program would be made in order to begin the promotion of third party events, though no information on the subject has been released yet.
Regarding the release of future cards, Sets 2 and 3 are being printed now, while Sets 4 and 5 are in the design process. Promotional cards for the first two sets, including the Illumineer’s Trove, will be exclusively produced in English — though other languages should become available from Set 3 onward.
Set 2 will be released in local game stores November 17, followed by major retailers December 1. This delayed access for the big-box chains aims to reinforce a commitment to smaller businesses for the launch.
For anyone unfamiliar with what this game is all about, the rules describe it as a “race to locate pieces of lore scattered across Lorcana,” so they may be collected and protected. Players build decks of sixty cards custom-made through the purchase of packs or can purchase a pre-assembled one. Utilizing characters, items, and songs — players challenge opponents and complete quests in order to win the match with 20 or more lore.
Are you excited for Disney Lorcana? Let us know in the comments. We don’t judge.
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With Disney’s new “The Little Mermaid” film splashing into theaters on May 26, fans can enjoy an assortment of whoozits and whatsits designed with representation in mind.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is ready to arrive in theaters in just a few weeks, and one of those theaters will be the historical showplace known as the El Capitan theater in Hollywood, California. What’s Happening: Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny Tickets are now on sale at El Capitan Theatre […]
This past weekend at the Los Angeles County Fair in Pomona, California, the Walt Disney Company and Marvel Studios partnered to host a pop-up photobooth in promotion of Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’s recent arrival on home media. We stopped by the Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania booth yesterday (Sunday, May 21st) to check out everything […]
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La carte clochette donnée pour les initiations aux boutiques sera elle aussi en VO. Mais sera identique à celle que l’on trouvera dans les boosters.
Pas de scene competitive la première année. Ils attendent qu’il y est un pool de cartes suffisant et une base joueurs solide.
