David Duffy, the Vice President of Entertainment for Disneyland Paris, is leaving the resort to become the Live Entertainment Vice President for Walt Disney World Resort.

The announcement was made on August 24, 2023. A replacement for his role at Disneyland Paris has yet to be announced.

Disney said, “Please join us in congratulating David Duffy as he steps into the role of Vice President, Live Entertainment at Walt Disney World Resort. With more than 30 years at Disney, he’s held roles including show director, writer, artistic director, and creative director. Congratulations, David!”

In a post on LinkedIn, Duffy addressed the news: “After an amazing few years at Disneyland Paris, I am humbled and excited to return to where not only my Disney career but my love of themed entertainment began. I’m still at a bit of a loss for words to express how impactful my time working with the incredible team at Disneyland Paris has been. I have also fallen in love with the city of Paris, the country of France, and the lifestyle it affords. My deep thanks and appreciation go out to the amazing team at Disneyland Paris. Together, we have achieved amazing things! Onward!”

Duffy has been with Disney for three decades and worked on many projects at parks around the globe, including executive producing Frozen – Live at the Hyperion at Disney California Adventure. He most recently worked on the 30th anniversary celebrations for Disneyland Paris, which featured the use of drones for nighttime spectaculars.

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We bring you a lot of stories every single day. Sometimes it’s hard to keep up. So in case you missed anything from our feed, we have rounded up all our stories in one place to get the news at a glance. Here is your Daily Recap for Thursday, August 24, 2023.

Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom

• Further adding to the classic Americana allure of Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World is a slew of new items recently added to the menu at the Plaza Restaurant. 

New Merchandise

• The Italy Pavilion at EPCOT has a new collection of merchandise featuring Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse. 
• Two new LEGO Disney sets are set to release later this year.
• Many upcoming LEGO Star Wars sets planned for release in 2024 have leaked.

Other Walt Disney World News

• The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) has filed a new 2-page document in the federal lawsuit Walt Disney World filed against them and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis hoping the judge will stay the case.
• The updated Walt Disney World dining reservation system is now rolling out on the My Disney Experience app.

Disneyland Resort

• A new Ghirardelli sign featuring Japanese characters has been installed atop the Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop in San Fransokyo Square at Disney California Adventure.
• Refurbishment work on the Cozy Cone Motel sign at Cars Land in Disney California Adventure has concluded.
• In 2024, Disneyland Resort is updating its policy on hotel guests using the early entry benefit to enter parks before other guests.
• With just nine days until Haunted Mansion reopens at Disneyland for Haunted Mansion Holiday on September 1, the outdoor décor for the overlay is starting to take shape.

Tokyo Disney Resort

• The Oriental Land Company has announced the names of the attractions and such that are coming to Fantasy Springs, the massive new eighth port at Tokyo DisneySea.
• The official Tokyo Disney Resort YouTube channel recently uploaded a video offering new looks at progress on the construction of the Fantasy Springs expansion to Tokyo DisneySea as well. 

Hong Kong Disneyland

• Disney Parks shared a new video of World of Frozen in Hong Kong Disneyland, featuring Queens Anna and Elsa traversing the land. 

Disney Cruise Line

• A new map of Disney Cruise Line’s upcoming Disney Treasure ship has surfaced and features some surprising Easter eggs.
• The map’s packaging also had a few teasers.
• The Disney Treasure and the so far unnamed seventh Disney Cruise Line ship will both reportedly feature Worlds of Marvel, a restaurant experience first introduced on the Disney Wish.

The Walt Disney Company

• The Walt Disney Company stock dropped to a new 52-week-low this morning, hitting $83.02, down more than 3%.
• After we reported Disney stock was at a 52-week-low, the stock price continued to drop and The Walt Disney Company (DIS) closed on Thursday, August 24 at $82.47 per share. This is Disney’s lowest closing price in nine years.
• D23 has released the full schedule for Destination D23, which is from September 8 to 10, 2023 at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

WDW News Today

Your First Disney Ride, Man vs. Park – Beverly Challenge, Rejected San Fransokyo Square Attractions

That’s it for today; we hope you enjoyed this Daily Recap. Thanks for stopping by, and we’ll see you tomorrow!

The post Disney Stock Hits Decade Low, Attraction Names Released for Major Expansion at Tokyo DisneySea, and More: Daily Recap (8/24/23) appeared first on WDW News Today.

It’s the end of an era. The rock climbing walls at both Universal Studios Florida and Islands of Adventure have both been closed and permanently removed. For years, both parks have offered climbing experiences for guests at an additional charge. Those looking for a little extra challenge could step up and test their skills climbing a brick wall in a New York alleyway or a rock wall in the jungles of Jurassic Park.

Earlier this year, we noticed the closure of the New York climbing wall at Universal Studios Florida, but the Jurassic Park rock climbing wall has remained open, until now. The Jurassic Park location has been removed, meaning all rock climbing options have officially ended at Universal Orlando Resort.

Jurassic Park Rock Climbing Wall

The rock climbing wall located in Jurassic Park was set up just across from the entrance to Camp Jurassic, near the splashdown area of Jurassic Park River Adventure. The wall itself has been completely removed from the fenced-in area, but the desk and signage still remain at this time.

The check-in stand with rules and pricing is also still in place. Before the closure, rock climbing was $15 per person. Guests would be fitted into a safety harness and hooked up for their climbing attempt. There were different levels of difficulty, depending on which section you climbed.

Below is what the rock wall looked like in 2021, when the price was $10:

New York City Wall

The climbing wall in New York was tucked away in an alley next to the Palace Arcade and Rosie’s Irish Shop. This experience was slightly different than the wall in Jurassic Park, giving guests the feeling of climbing the outside of a brick building in New York. There were different levels of difficulty at this wall climbing challenge as well.

This is a look at the New York brick climbing wall at Universal Studios Florida from 2021. It was intricately themed, all the way down to the safety signage on the side of a mailbox. After putting on a harness and hooking in, guests could find their footing among different bricks sticking out of the wall. This was a fun and challenging climb for many park guests.

Back in March of 2023, the area was barricaded off and the wall climbing pieces removed.

The alley looks a bit different now that the fire escape and ladder have been removed. At this time, the area is being used as storage for barricades that will be used during Halloween Horror Nights 32.

What do you think of rock climbing ending at Universal Orlando Resort? Are you a fan of these sorts of experiences? Let us know in the comments below if you ever had a chance to do either of these wall climbs.

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You can now take some of the furry friends introduced in two of Pixar’s most popular films both home with you and on the go, as Dante from “Coco” and Remy from “Ratatouille” were recently released as Park Pals at the Disneyland Resort.

Dante and Remy Park Pals

We found each of these Park Pals at Pooh Corner, a shop located near The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction in the Critter Country section of Disneyland Park. Disney Park Pals are small figures that serve as both collectibles and decorations; each Park Pal comes with a display stand but can also be clipped to a keychain, backpack, or anything of the sort.

Dante Park Pal – $11.99

The Dante Park Pal is covered in vivid shades of purple, blue, green, yellow, and orange and takes visual inspiration from Alebrijes, which are traditional Mexican sculptures that depict creatures in vibrant colors. Similar depictions of Dante have appeared in Disney Parks before, as a plush portraying Miguel’s dog as an Alebrije was released as part of the Disney Babies line in 2021.

The bright purple base is interrupted by sporadic blue dots. That shade of blue is replicated on Dante’s tongue and is complemented by a darker shade of the color on the figure’s right ear and around its multi-colored eyes. Bright blue wings with orange detailing emerge from the figure’s back.

As is the case with all Disney Park Pals, film-specific imagery appears on Dante’s packaging. Miguel’s guitar is printed on the card.

Remy Park Pal – $11.99

The chef who re-introduced Anton Ego to the wonder of food is also available in Park Pal-form. The gray figure has bright tan features and white whiskers, these attributes complemented by a detailed white chef’s hat sitting atop its head.

Remy sports a tail that matches his ears, hands, and feet in color. A cooking spoon appears on the back card as his unique packaging art.

Disney Park Pals

Disney launched the Park Pals line in 2019 with a figure of the Orange Bird that appears on the Sunshine Tree Terrace sign at Adventureland in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. The line has grown to include characters from several Disney produced and owned films such as “Cinderella,” “Pocahontas,” “Lilo & Stitch,” “The Lion King,” and even the “Star Wars” franchise. Additional Disney Parks icons like Figment and the three Hitchhiking Ghosts from the Haunted Mansion attraction have also been included.

The line expanded to include “Park Pals Collectabuilds” in 2020. These particular figures cannot be clipped to things like belt loops or keychains but do include “surprise attraction vehicles” that serve as their stands. Series 1 included a Monorail train, Kilimanjaro Safari truck, Peter Pan’s Flight pirate ship, Disney Parks train, and the Space Mountain rocket ship, while Series 2 included Monorail Blue, Mr. Toad’s red car, a red and green train engine, and an Astro Orbiter ship.

Will you be checking out the new Dante and Remy Park Pals? Let us know in the comments.

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