So, if you’ve been to either Disney World or Disneyland, you probably already know about some of the epic Magic Shots available in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge (we’re big fans of the Grogu photo op). However, if you’ve seen Ahsoka and you love the animated Star Wars: Rebels series, you’re going to lose your mind over two NEW Magic Shots.
The first Magic Shot will get you a photo with the most sarcastic droid we’ve ever met in Star Wars. Yep, you can now get a Magic Shot that includes Chopper — seriously, we love that droid.
BUT…if you are now obsessed with Loth Cats, thanks to the live-action appearance of one in Ahsoka, you’ll have to get the Loth Cat Magic Shot, too. Yep, that’s a thing now — and we can’t even. Isn’t it so adorable?
For those who purchase Genie+, you’ll also get access to the Clone Armory PhotoPass Lens in the My Disney Experience and Disneyland apps. So, there’s a LOT for Star Wars fans to get excited about in the parks right now.
In “Invincible Iron Man (2022) #10″ by Gerry Duggan and Juan Frigeri, Anthony Edward Stark will take Emma Grace Frost’s hand in marriage, but the road there is long and filled with danger. Marvel shared a first look the upcoming comic. Following the devastating events of the third annual Hellfire Gala, mutantkind is now almost universally hated […]
Image Source: Vince Valitutti / Disney 2022 (via Deadline)
The decision to no longer move forward with the origin story of the “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” submarine is part of Disney’s streaming content removal plan that was first unveiled back in May of this year. This new plan will see Disney take an impairment charge of approximately $1.5 to $1.8 billion.
Disney+ is currently working with the production team behind “Nautilus” to find it a new home, as the show has already been shot. It began filming back in February 2022 in Australia.
In the series, Nemo (Shazad Latif) is an Indian prince, who has been robbed of his family and birthright and is a prisoner of the East India Company. When he eventually sets sail on board the Nautilus with his crew, he’ll not only face his enemy and the forces at work that ruined his life, but also discover a magical underwater world.
The show also stars Georgia Flood, Thierry Frémont, Pacharo Mzembe, Arlo Green, Tyrone Ngatai, Ling Cooper Tang, Andrew Shaw, Ashan Kumar, Céline Menville, and Kayden Price. “Nautilus” is produced by Xavier Marchand’s Moonriver Studios and Anand Tucker’s Seven Stories.
In 1954, Disney released a film version of “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” starring James Mason and Kirk Douglas, which went on to inspire now-defunct Disneyland and Walt Disney World attractions.
As we gear up for a big storm week, here is the latest on how Tropical Storm Idalia may affect Disney World. Rainy Disney Since Walt Disney World is in Central Florida, rain can happen at any time. It might be a brief sprinkle or a thorough drenching. Fortunately, much of the time its gone almost as quickly as […]
Tropical Storm Idalia formed Sunday morning and its path shifted with Central Florida in the cone of uncertainty ahead of it likely becoming a hurricane. This offers an update you on the system’s status, when it’ll likely be felt in Orlando, Walt Disney World’s policies, what to do, and more. The key thing to know […]
The Universal Orlando Resort is currently celebrating Passholder Appreciation Days, and Passholder Night has returned for the first time since 2019. Passholder Night is an exclusive after hours event for annual passholders at the resort, often known as UOAPs. This year, the event took place at Universal’s Islands of Adventure from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m., offering access to attractions, meet and greets, and exclusive menu items.
Passholder Night Check-In
When Universal Orlando Resort announced the perks for Passholder Appreciation Days, they also announced that UOAPs would need to register to attend this event. Registration filled up extremely quickly, leaving many Passholders disappointed. There was a standby line offered in CityWalk, which stretched down along the pathway in front of the Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Hard Rock Cafe. Guests were lined up quite early to wait for an opportunity to join Passholder Night.
Guests from the standby line would eventually be let in to the park, along with essentially any passholder who showed up, even if they did not have a reservation. This is great for the people who did not get a reservation, though it is also disappointing for guests who expected lower attendance due to capacity.
Many guests lined up outside of Islands of Adventure to check in and get a wristband, but there was also a location inside the park. Just across from Confisco Grille, by the water, signs for the event indicated reservations were required. We walked up with no wait and got our wristband around 6 PM.
The park was not cleared of guests before the event started, though the wristband was used to identify who would be able to access parts of the park or the attractions. It’s a very good thing we got our wristband when we did.
Closer to 7 p.m., the queue to check in stretched all the way to Seuss Landing. Get your wristbands early! Guests could get their wristbands as early as noon.
Special Food and Beverage
Starbucks offered a specialty Cookies and Cream Cold Brew for UOAPs, so we decided to make a stop and give it a try. This is a very strong cold brew coffee with a touch of vanilla and a sweet cookie cold foam. The caffeine definitely kicked in and we were ready to start our Passholder Night adventure.
We initially went in with expectations of low crowds, but this was really the opposite. The place was packed. At the start of the event, with day guests mixing into the queues, the wait times were exorbitantly high for Jurassic World VelociCoaster and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure. These are the most popular attractions in the park, so it was a little disappointing that the wait times were just as high as any average day. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure had an 80 minute wait at the start of the event.
Instead of queuing for rides, many chose instead to get in line for the specialty food and drink offerings. In Jurassic Park, Jurassic Pop had a Jalapeño and Cheese Stuffed Pretzel available for purchase. The line for the pretzel moved quickly, though the stand was consistently busy throughout the night.
This pretzel was amazing and we hope it becomes a permanent addition to the menu. The melted cheese inside paired with the crispy, hot exterior was a delicious combination and the perfect pairing to the drink from the Watering Hole. Additionally, the Lemon Slush stand in Port of Entry had a Spinach and Feta Stuffed Pretzel, but we did not get a chance to try it.
Extracting a drink from the Watering Hole was a challenge, and well worth the wait. The Watering Hole usually has a long line, but tonight, it was wild. This drink contains mango rum, spiced rum, mango puree, pineapple juice, and smoked chili bitters.
Backwater Bar in Port of Entry had a Cachaca Punch available, which consisted of Brazilian rum, grenadine, lemon juice, pineapple, and raspberry. This was another delicious drink we would love to see on the menu permanently.
Coca-Cola Zone
The Lost Continent was transformed into the Coca-Cola Zone with a lounge area, DJ, and giveaways. Red lighting was set up throughout the land and the Coca-Cola logo was projected onto the side of Poseidon’s Fury. A colorfully-lit vehicle was parked near Poseidon’s Treasures.
Tables were set up around the area for guests to hang out and relax. Near the entrance to Mythos Restaurant, Team Members handed out free samples of Fanta Strawberry and Fanta Orange.
The DJ played music and hyped the crowds up while Team Members on stilts gave out freebies and encouraged guests to dance. This was one of the best spots to hang out during the night.
Coke cup coolers, mouse pads, pins, and buttons were only some of the gifts handed out in this area. Other than the items handed out in the Coca-Cola Zone, there were no other gifts for attending the event.
Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle
Hogsmeade was by far the busiest area in the entire park. The line for Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure consistently stayed around 80 to 90 minutes throughout the entire night. The Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle closed for refurbishment earlier this year, but Passholder Night offered a special opportunity to witness the show.
Due to this experience being closed all summer, this was another big draw for the crowds. Hogsmeade was packed during the first showing.
The show was exactly the same and we didn’t notice any differences. Still, it was nice to be able to enjoy this again and we have the perfect view, too. Watch the Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle performance during Passholder Night in our video below.
There sure are a ton of Annual Passholders at Universal Orlando! The turnout for this event was massive.
Character Meet and Greets and Photo Ops
There were several different meet and greets around the park, including Marvel characters, Woody and Winnie Woodpecker, and the Whos! These were just a few of the roaming characters out for the night.
There were also some photo ops set up around the park, including giant UOAP letters in Toon Lagoon and the UOAP Night neon sign in Port of Entry. There were photographers at these locations to help you capture the moment. Most of the characters and photo ops had exceptionally long lines, though.
Several buildings around the park had different Passholder themed images projected on their sides. This was a nice touch to make the night feel special and unique.
Passholder Lounge
The Passholder Lounge was open during the event, though there was nothing particularly special happening inside. Free Jurassic Park art prints were still available, as well as the new UOAP merchandise, but there was nothing unique to UOAP Night. There was a ridiculously long queue snaking through Toon Lagoon, which may be a good indication that this new Passholder Lounge is not big enough.
Overall
We have mixed feelings about Passholder Night. Depending on what your expectations were, you may or may not have been disappointed at this event. The event was free, though it did require reservations and those reservations filled up swiftly. This may have given people the impression there would be a limited capacity with eased crowds. Our experience was the opposite, and the park was actually busier than a normal night. We spotted many guests without wristbands lingering in Islands of Adventure and at one point in the night, the entire standby queue was admitted — in addition to any other passholders who showed up.
The two most popular rides in the park had high wait times, but everything else was almost a walk-on. Lines for the specialty food and drinks were long, but they moved quickly and everything we tried was well worth the wait. Seeing the Nighttime Lights at Hogwarts Castle was a nice treat we truly enjoyed. The Coca-Cola Zone and Port of Entry DJ areas were a blast! Simply enjoying the party vibes among other Passholders was fun for us.
Overall, we had an amazing night. Passholder Night is what you make of it. We skipped the rides and enjoyed dancing and snacking around the park in the dark. If you went to the event thinking you would walk onto Hagrid’s without waiting, this was going to be a huge letdown for you. Personally, we would much prefer smaller Passholder events, such as the Mardi Gras Token Experience Party or separately ticketed events rather than these crowded ones. Regardless, we would definitely attend the next event and hope to see more Passholder Nights in the future.
Did you have a chance to attend UOAP Night at Islands of Adventure? Would you be interested in seeing more after hours events at Universal Orlando Resort? Let us know in the comments.
For more Universal Studios news from around the world, follow Universal Parks News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news, visit WDWNT.
Halloween festivities kick off September 5 at Disneyland Resort, and in addition to all the delicious culinary treats, Disney is offering a bevy of Halloween novelties for park guests to take home, including the Minnie Mouse: Hocus Pocus Halloween Dress-up Sipper. From sippers to popcorn buckets, and more, here are the spooky novelties and where… Read More »A 2023 Guide to Halloween Novelties at Disneyland Resort
Taking effect today, Walt Disney World Resort has transitioned its Floral & Gifts operations to a new Central Florida third-party vendor, Florida Fresh Floral. News of this switch to Florida Fresh Flora was first reported back in June. As of today, the Disney Floral and Gifts website simply redirects to guests to the Magical Floral & Gifts […]
On CNBC’s “Squawk Box,” Rosenblatt Securities Senior Analyst Barton Crockett appeared to discuss Disney’s falling stock prices, and suggested an option The Walt Disney Company could consider to turn things around.
Analyst Suggests Breaking Up Disney
On “Squawk Box,” Crockett was asked what Disney could do in order to improve its stock price, which hit a three-year low yesterday, closing at $82.83. At other points in the past week, it has reached decade lows. Crockett responded with two possible options.
Look, I think one thing or the other is going to happen with Disney stock […] They’re either going to find some kind of solid footing underneath the business that’s going to support the stock, or the pressure is going to build on this company to restructure and to break up.
I think in the latter scenario, you’ve got certainly an opportunity for value to be created from these levels, and I don’t think the management team wants that. I think they believe they can turn the business around so it doesn’t get to that point.
Crockett went on to explain the latter situation, sharing his suggested strategy for improving stock value at the company.
In my mind, the right structure is a break up […] The right structure is a theme park-anchored equity; the TV networks moved off into a structure where, perhaps, private equity that traffics in challenged assets, cash flow-challenged assets at low multiples would be interested; and a content library that’s exceptionally valuable, and could be of great use to any number of tech platforms.
Co-anchor of “Squawk Box” Andrew Ross Sorkin immediately brought up the difficult question with making the theme parks separate from Disney’s content library: how can you make a Disney park without Mickey Mouse and other familiar IPs? Crockett had a suggestion for this as well.
I’m not saying that you lose Mickey in Disney [Parks] at all. I’m saying, and I think it’s really not complicated, to set up the licensing deals in perpetuity as part of a separation.
Source: ABC
Crockett also suggested that the first separation should be of Disney and its TV networks, which are “declining assets” that the company has acknowledged, and that the second separation should be between Disney and its content library.
I do think that they do not want to lose [their content library], but I think they’ll lose the right to keep that if the business doesn’t turn around and they don’t take the necessary steps.
I do think, over time, that content of this quality, of this caliber, the pressure is going to build for those to be married to tech platforms. Does that take the form of a full separation? Potentially, and I think that’s a process that, from here, creates value for shareholders.
While The Walt Disney Company has shared no intention of restructuring at this time, it is certainly an interesting prospect to consider when looking ahead to the future of the Disney Parks. You can watch the full interview for yourself here.
A photo from Disney Pin Traders in the Downtown Disney District of Disneyland Resort seems to confirm this, as an advisory sheet of paper indicates discounts will not be allowed for any Lorcana products. While cut off in the image below, the word beneath “Discounts” is confirmed as “None.”
While we currently have not yet seen this in Walt Disney World, it is highly likely the policy will be the same, especially considering high demand and short supply for this new trading card game. Disneyland Paris has also refrained from discounts, making it more odd if Florida were left out of the decision.
Starter decks and gift sets will be available at World of Disney in Disney Springs at Walt Disney World and at Disney Pin Traders in the Downown Disney District at Disneyland Resort.
Difficult Choices for Local Stores & Mass Market Embargo Violations
Disney Lorcana stock allocation concerns have left Friendly Local Game Stores (FLGS) with challenging decisions to make ahead of the release.
One of our writers attended a FLGS Learn To Play release at Dragon Fire Games in Lynchburg, Virginia. The event was sold out, and the owner, Evan Garrett, decided to sell his entire stock allocation at MSRP, using a raffle drawing for event attendees to choose one additional item from his small allocation and up to 12 booster packs.
“I chose to sell [our Lorcana stock] at MSRP because I wanted to grow the community here for gameplay,” said Garrett.
Selling at the highest price point might create a short term benefit, but long-term it would prevent the people who want to play the game from playing the game, and if this game is to succeed, it needs players playing the game!
The high market values of the limited Lorcana stock have led other shops to go in a different direction. MSRP for a Gift Set, for example, is $29.99; as of the writing of this article, TCGPlayer.com has the market value of that same set for $61.50, more than double its MSRP.
Some FLGS owners have defended their decisions to price their Lorcana stock competitively with online resellers, citing that the shop making the money instead of the resellers keeps their brick and mortar doors open and provides a space in the long term for players to play. Still, others have broken down multipacks to sell individual boosters from within these sets to ensure players have enough cards to participate.
When Ravensburger chose to give the game first to local game shops, it withheld Lorcana stock from mass markets such as Target, Walmart, and Best Buy; however, to hit shelves on September 1st, shipments to these big box retailers have to arrive prior to that date so they may be stocked. Whether intentional or not, Florida, Idaho, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Louisiana have Disney Lorcana product for sale at big box stores.
Source: dit_le_renard on Reddit.
Lorcana: The First Chapter starter decks and booster packs were spotted at a South Carolina Walmart store. The booster packs (MSRP $5.99) were being sold for $7, and the starter decks (MSRP $16.99) were being sold for $20 each.
Welp… let the madness begin. Went to Walmart when I saw the pictures and this was ALL the @DisneyLorcana they had. For those of you who were hoping to get product in Sept. 1st and for singles to drop… might wanna start checking your stores. pic.twitter.com/nL0ssr9NfS
In addition to releasing several days before the approved September 1 date, the image from BSquared24 on X above shows the gift set price below the product as $34.98 in Ruston, Louisiana. This is a markup from the MSRP of $29.99.
Will the lack of discounts in Disney Parks and general shortage at other retailers dissuade you from obtaining Disney Lorcana, or are you determined? Let us know in the comments.
Learn to play this exciting new game with us in the video above, or, if you’re interested in following the narrative of the game, Ravensburger has released a teaser video for the story.
Miami TCG Con (@BSquared24YT)