‘Prop Culture’, the short-lived series detailing movie props from recent and classic films, most of them streaming on Disney+, was removed from the streaming service at the end of May. The show’s host, Dan Lanigan, shared more information on social media about the removal.

“Prop Culture” Removed from Disney+

The single-season series of “Prop Culture” was removed from the streaming service during a recent wave of budgetary scaling. Disney+ shows that were deemed unprofitable were removed, and many didn’t make the list above before meeting their demise. Only a lucky few, such as “Howard,” the 2020 documentary about songwriter and Disney Legend Howard Ashman, were re-evaluated after inclusion on the list and kept on the service.

Keeping movies on streaming services comes with a financial cost, which has to be justifiable. Each time a title is streamed, most contracts require residuals to be paid to the film’s production team, actors, writers, and more. Even if many viewers are enjoying a certain title, the service may deem it unprofitable if they could remove it without impacting subscriptions to avoid paying excess residuals that do not impact the streaming service’s bottom line.

Dan Lanigan, the host of the now-removed serial, “Prop Culture,” spoke about residuals’ effect in a Facebook exchange yesterday in the Movie Props group.

“Prop Culture didn’t have any residual requirements, outside of the short film clips and some of the music used. [It] was a very inexpensive show to keep on Disney+ (relatively speaking) compared to anything else out there, except for some documentary or game show style shows.”

He went on to express confusion about the show’s removal from the service, citing the low cost to defend his thoughts.

“I still don’t understand why they removed it. It was a great promotion for their other films,” Lanigan added.

The series covered many films available on the streaming service, including movies from the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Indiana Jones films, Mary Poppins, Tron, and more.

Do you hope Disney reconsiders this decision and brings back “Prop Culture”? Let us know in the comments.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post ‘Prop Culture’ Host Speaks Out about Removal from Disney+ Streaming appeared first on WDW News Today.

We’re getting ready to ring in the New Year in Disney World, and things are pretty busy right now!

Happy New Year!

We’re getting ready to say goodbye to the holiday season and hello to 2024. We’re already diving into some special New Year’s snacks and navigating all the crowds, but let’s take a look at something else today that we bet you’ll be interested in — the price of Genie+. 

So we already knew that New Year’s Eve was going to be a VERY busy day in the parks. How do we know? Well, it’s New Year’s Eve! But also, we know because park pass availability for three parks, Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and EPCOT are completely gone for the day. That means those parks are likely going to reach capacity. That’s a LOT of people, y’all.

Crowds

So what does that mean in terms of Genie+? Well, it means that there’s high demand for Genie+, so that means the price is going to be higher. Just how high? Well, on New Year’s Eve, the price of Genie+ is $39 for Magic Kingdom and Multiple Parks, $32 for EPCOT, $35 for Hollywood Studios, and $29 for Animal Kingdom.

©Disney

The cost for Individual Lightning Lane for rides is also pretty high today — even with all ILLs but Cosmic Rewind selling out by 9:30AM :

• Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind: $17
• Seven Dwarfs Mine Train: $12
• Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance: $25
• Avatar Flight of Passage: $16
• TRON Lightcycle / Run: $20

TRON Lightcycle / Run

With so many people in the parks, ride wait times are going to be higher, so if you can nab Genie+ and those Individual Lightning Lanes for rides that are your priorities, you’ll end up saving a lot of time. Ultimately, it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth the cost to spend less time in lines, though.

We’ll be keeping an eye on things at the parks and reporting back in throughout the day, so stay tuned to DFB for more.

Why You Should Get a Disney Visa Card Before Your 2024 Disney World Trip

Are you in Disney World for New Year’s Eve? Let us know in the comments!

The post NEWS: RECORD HIGH Genie+ Prices Continue in Disney World on New Year’s Eve first appeared on the disney food blog.

Happy New Year, DFB readers! Whether you’re celebrating on the West Coast at Disneyland, the East Coast at Disney World, or attending special events at Disney Springs restaurants like Raglan Road or The Edison, or just ringing in the new year from the comfort of your own home — tonight we all celebrate with fun, friends, and the thunderous booms of fireworks all over the world!

Happy New Year!

To kick off a lively and spirited New Year celebration, Disney World’s exclusive fireworks are RETURNING to Magic Kingdom and EPCOT. And today, we’re giving you a first look at Disney World’s New Year’s Eve fireworks as we welcome in 2024!

The New Year’s Eve fireworks show at Magic Kingdom is called Fantasy in the Sky, and it’s the only time you can see them throughout the whole year! The show takes place on two nights — December 30th and 31st, and you can catch the spectacle at 6:30PM and 11:50PM.

Of course, we had to check this annual fireworks show for ourselves — and we’re sharing it all with you! We weren’t the only folks looking to ring in the New Year a bit early, as there was quite a crowd gathered for the early showing. If you’re trying to guarantee a good spot, we recommend getting there early!

Waiting for the show to start!

Mickey welcomed us with a voiceover and started the countdown to 2024!

10!

The crowd all counted down from ten together, and before we knew it…

Almost there!

…we were celebrating the New Year already!

Happy New Year!

Of course, the fanfare only continued from there and we saw quite the fireworks display.

Plenty to see.

It’s hard to beat those views! What a way to welcome 2024 — make sure you watch our full video below!

Welcome, 2024!

Check out the full countdown and more in our video below!

Happy New Year from Magic Kingdom! Here’s the first official countdown to 2024! pic.twitter.com/X1ExEtPYoN

— Disney Food Blog (@DisneyFoodBlog) December 31, 2023

You’ll also be able to catch New Year’s Eve fireworks on December 31st at EPCOT! Luminous — The Symphony of Us will begin at 6:30PM, while New Year’s fireworks will start around 11:50PM. Stay tuned to DFB for our full coverage of New Year’s Eve at EPCOT!

Luminous at EPCOT

Be sure to follow along with us for the latest in Disney news, updates, and more as we kick off the 2024 year!

People Have STRONG Opinions About the NEW Fireworks Show in EPCOT

Have you ever spent New Year’s Eve or Day in Disney World? Give us the deets of your experience in the comments below!

The post Check Out the New Year’s Eve FIREWORKS in Magic Kingdom With Us! first appeared on the disney food blog.

If one thing goes hand-in-hand, it’s Disney World and crowds.

We could see less of this in Disney World in 2024

Now, don’t get us wrong — there are still some times during the year when we don’t see as many folks in the parks. However, over the past few years, particularly after 2021, we started seeing more and more people traveling to Disney World. It’s pretty much peaked this week, with crowds and high ride wait times that have us pretty shocked. But Disney World could be a little quieter in 2024.

Okay, let’s talk about revenge travel. This term became a thing soon after COVID-19 travel restrictions started to lift. It’s basically taking a trip that hasn’t been able to happen because of the worldwide pandemic. It’s something we’ve seen in Disney World, as more people are making trips that they put off in 2020 and 2021.

Crowds in Toy Story Land

However, that kind of travel may be coming to an end. The Orlando Sentinel tackled the question, “Will revenge travel end in 2024?” And, well, the answers are contradictory, depending on who you ask. Airlines continue to report that travelers are willing to pay more for business-class seats. Orlando International Airport recently reported that more people are traveling through the airport this holiday season than in 2022. Some hotel executives are stating much of the same.

Orlando International Airport

However, other travel pros are reporting that they’re seeing a slowdown in revenge travel. Some airlines are reporting decreased demand over the past few months, which has led to airlines losing money. Southwest Airlines is even reconsidering plans to grow its flight schedule in 2024 as a result.

©Southwest

Inflation and the tough economy could also be playing into a cooldown in travel. Life, in general, is a little less affordable than it was even a year ago, so travel might feel more like a splurge than anything.

However, life is also relatively returning to normal. So many folks have been taking so many trips to make up for the trips they didn’t get to take in 2020 and 2021 that they’re now ready to return to their regular travel spending habits, which means a little less travel. There’s even less demand for some popular U.S. destinations.

Magic Kingdom

However, there are some reasons revenge travel could stick around a little longer. Many airlines are starting to lower their fares and offer more special deals to convince more people to travel. For many, better prices are reason enough to book those next trips. There’s also the consideration that many people prefer to cut back on other expenses to have the money to travel and that it’s become more of a priority now.

Orlando Airport

Whatever the case, we won’t know exactly how crowded Disney World might be in 2024 until we get there. But there are indications that 2024 could be a less crowded year for the resort — but don’t take our word for it because it’s hard to predict these things.

Stay tuned to DFB for more!

The 5 Big Decisions You Need to Make FIRST When Planning a 2024 Disney World Trip

Will you be traveling more or less in 2024? Let us know in the comments!

The post This Could Be the END of Revenge Travel to Disney World first appeared on the disney food blog.

From Tiana’s Bayou Adventure to the Disney Treasure, there are plenty of projects in the works for Disney Experiences. 2024 will bring new attractions and offerings — including some that were supposed to open in 2023. Assuming we don’t see significant delays, here is everything new (as well as some significant returning things and closures) scheduled to come to Disney Parks in 2024.

Walt Disney World

Park Hopping & Park Passes

Major changes to Park Hopping and Park Passes are coming to Walt Disney World in January. On January 9, all-day Park Hopping will return. Any guests with a ticket that has the Park Hopper option will be able to visit any parks without waiting until 2:00 p.m. — as long as they have first visited the park for which they have a Park Pass.

That is if they even need a Park Pass because Park Pass requirements are also changing. Guests with date-based tickets will no longer need to make Park Passes. Annual Passholders and Cast Members will still need to make Park Passes sometimes, but there will also be “good-to-go” dates when they don’t need a Park Pass. Passholders and Cast Members will be able to view “good-to-go” days on their calendars beginning on January 11.

Walt Disney World updated their virtual queue guidelines to reflect these changes, stating, “Guests will be able to join one attraction virtual queue at any theme park where they have valid admission. Guests may hold one attraction virtual queue at a time.” Currently, TRON Lightcycle / Run and Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind use virtual queues.

Dining Plan

The Disney Dining Plan will return to Walt Disney World on January 9, 2024, after being suspended in 2020. There are two plans: Disney Dining Plan and Quick Service Dining Plan. Read more details and the full list of participating restaurants.

Disney Genie+ Service

Disney announced in May 2023 that they are planning an update that would allow guests to make Disney Genie+ and individual Lightning Lane selections before the day of their park visit. They stated they “are working on ways guests may do this for visits in 2024” so that guests can “spend less time planning in the park and more time enjoying your visit with friends and family.” More details have not been shared yet.

Magic Kingdom

The new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attraction will open at both Magic Kingdom and Disneyland in late 2024. The Magic Kingdom version may open first as construction began in Florida before California, but a more specific opening timeline has not been announced yet.

The ride is set a year after the events of “The Princess and the Frog.” Tiana founded the employee-owned food co-op Tiana’s Foods, based out of an old salt dome where employees grow crops. During the ride, Tiana and Louis venture into the bayou to find a key ingredient for their Mardi Gras celebration. Prince Naveen and Mama Odie will both appear.

Check out our most recent Tiana’s Bayou Adventure construction update from Magic Kingdom.

Disney announced at Destination D23 in September 2023 that the Country Bear Musical Jamboree would replace the current version of the Country Bear Jamboree at Magic Kingdom in 2024. The “Country Bear Musical Jamboree” will be inspired by musical revues of Nashville and will see the bears reimagine classic Disney songs into country music. The same old characters will appear in the new version of the attraction, although Liver Lips McGrowl will be updated due to the offensive nature of his name.

A new Pirates of the Caribbean tavern featuring the return of Peg-Leg Pete, a.k.a. the Barker Bird, is in the works for Magic Kingdom. The parrot character used to greet guests at the entrance of Pirates of the Caribbean in Magic Kingdom but was removed in 2006. No opening year was announced for the new tavern, but it could come in 2024.

Walt Disney Imagineering has teased a Magic Kingdom expansion for “beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad” multiple times. We likely won’t see significant progress on this expansion in 2024 although Disney may make more announcements and could begin construction.

EPCOT

CommuniCore Hall and Plaza will finally open in 2024 as the final element of the years-long EPCOT reimagining. The rest of World Celebration opened in December 2023 but CommuniCore was delayed. The hall will house a permanent Mickey & Friends meet and greet space, gallery, mixology bar, and demo kitchen. Check our most recent CommuniCore Hall construction update.

Disney plans to reimagine Test Track with inspiration from World of Motion, the ride Test Track replaced. Disney did not announce further details or provide a timeframe for this reimagining but it’s possible the current iteration of Test Track could close in 2024.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

At Destination D23, Disney made several announcements regarding Disney’s Animal Kingdom. While they did not announce when these changes would take place, we could see closures in 2024 if construction begins.

A “Zootopia” 3-D show is in the works for the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom to replace “It’s Tough to be a Bug.”

A Tropical Americas land featuring “Encanto” and Indiana Jones is set to replace DinoLand U.S.A. with DINOSAUR being rethemed to Indiana Jones.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

In 2024, Star Tours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris will add new destinations including some we’ve never seen before. Ahsoka Tano will be added to the ride in the spring.

Disney finally announced a replacement for “Voyage of the Little Mermaid” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The show closed with the rest of the park in March 2020 and never reopened. The new show is “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure.” It will be inspired by the animated film and feature the songs “Kiss the Girl,” “Part of Your World,” and “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” “The Little Mermaid – A Musical Adventure” will open in the “newly refreshed” Animation Courtyard theater in the fall of 2024.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

Disney’s BoardWalk Inn and Villas are undergoing a refurbishment that has been delayed but will hopefully be wrapped up in 2024. Work at the BoardWalk also includes the construction of the new Cake Bake Shop by Gwendolyn Rogers. The Cake Bake Shop was originally scheduled to open in 2023 but was delayed to 2024.

It’s the same story with Blue Ribbon Corn Dogs, which announced their first Walt Disney World location would open at Disney’s BoardWalk in 2023. The opening was later pushed to 2024. It will take over the BoardWalk To Go kiosk.

Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is also undergoing a refurbishment culminating in a remodel of the resort lobby in 2024. Disney originally announced the update would be for the resort’s 35th anniversary, but this passed in July. Disney stated the lobby will “maintain the classic theming you know and love with some fresh new enhancements.”

A new Disney Vacation Club tower is under construction at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort. The tower is projected to open in 2024. We got our first look at room layouts this past September.

The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort are being remodeled to become 350 DVC cabins. They will open in the summer of 2024. Check out concept art.

Disneyland Resort

Pixar Fest returns to Disneyland Resort from April 26 through August 4, 2024. The festival will include the new daytime parade “Better Together: A Pixar Pals Celebration!” at Disney California Adventure. “Together Forever – A Pixar Nighttime Spectacular” will return to Disneyland Park with new scenes.

In early January, Disneyland Resort will host the Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend, their first runDisney event since 2017. Registration sold out within 90 minutes of opening. A new Halloween Half Marathon Weekend will take place from September 5 through 8, 2024. Registration for Club runDisney members opens on February 6, and general registration will open on February 13.

Disneyland

Among returning Disneyland After Dark events will be the first-ever Disney Channel Nite, taking place on March 5 and 7, 2024.

The new Tiana’s Bayou Adventure attraction will open at both Magic Kingdom and Disneyland in late 2024. The ride is set a year after the events of “The Princess and the Frog.” Tiana founded the employee-owned food co-op Tiana’s Foods, based out of an old salt dome where employees grow crops. During the ride, Tiana and Louis venture into the bayou to find a key ingredient for their Mardi Gras celebration. Prince Naveen and Mama Odie will both appear. Check out our most recent construction update.

In 2024, Star Tours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris will add new destinations including some we’ve never seen before. Ahsoka Tano will be added to the ride in the spring.

The Haunted Mansion will be closed for a long-term refurbishment beginning on January 22, 2024. The refurbishment project will include an expansion to the Haunted Mansion grounds with an expanded outdoor queue, new gardens, a fountain, a gazebo, a greenhouse, and a new retail shop themed to a carriage house. Rumors indicate the regular version of the attraction will not return until early 2025 but the new grounds could potentially open in the fall of 2024 with the Haunted Mansion Holiday.

Disney California Adventure

Though unlikely to open in 2024, Imagineering is planning a multiverse attraction featuring King Thanos for Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure. Concept art released in September 2023 shows the ride’s world-jumping vehicle.

Disneyland Paris

Disney Village & Hotels

Disney Village is in the midst of a reimagining and some more of the district’s new shopping concepts could open in 2024.

The Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris will reopen on January 25, 2024. The hotel’s reimagining has been described as a “royal transformation,” with inspiration coming from Disney Princesses. The hotel’s restaurants will debut new menus.

Disney Sequoia Lodge will be refurbished next and could potentially close in 2024, although an exact timeframe was not announced.

Disneyland Park

The Main Street Electrical Parade-inspired Disney Electrical Sky Parade drone show will premiere at Disneyland Park on January 8. The show is part of Disney Symphony of Colors, a celebration that will also include new character costumes, decorations, and the daytime parade/show A Million Splashes of Color, which will premiere on February 10.

In 2024, Star Tours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disneyland, and Disneyland Paris will add new destinations including some we’ve never seen before. Ahsoka Tano will be added to the ride in the spring.

New “Frozen” and “Winnie the Pooh” scenes will be added to Le Pays des Contes de Fées, the Parisian version of the Storybook Land Canal Boats, in honor of the attraction’s 30th anniversary. It seems “Frozen” will replace the “Peter and the Wolf” scene and “Winnie the Pooh” will replace the “Hansel and Gretel” scene.

Queue and seating enhancements are planned for Casey’s Corner and Peter Pan’s Flight.

Walt Disney Studios Park

Exterior construction began a few months ago on Studio 1 and the Theater District in Walt Disney Studios Park as part of a major overhaul of the park. Exterior work will be completed in April 2024. Studio 1 will then close for interior construction and reopen in April 2025. Work on the entire Theater District will be completed around the same time, coinciding with the park’s major expansion including the Kingdom of Arrendale.

An “Alice in Wonderland”-inspired BMX show will open at Walt Disney Studios Park in the spring of 2024. The “modern and flamboyant” show will bring together various types of performers. Guests will have “the unique opportunity to influence the outcome” of the show. It is replacing the Moteurs… Action!: Stunt Show Spectacular, which permanently closed in 2020.

Queue enhancements are also planned for The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

Tokyo Disney Resort

Tokyo Disneyland

Tokyo Disneyland’s current version of Space Mountain will close permanently on July 31, 2024, at the end of a months-long celebration of the attraction called “Celebrating Space Mountain: The Final Ignition!” The new Space Mountain won’t open until 2027.

Disney Pal-Palooza begins on January 10, 2024, with Minnie’s Funderland. The second series of the event will begin on April 9 and run through June 30, focusing on a different character presenting their world of fun and excitement.

“Entrusted Fate,” the second installment of the “Disney Story Beyond” Haunted Mansion experience that expands on the attraction’s backstory, will take place from February 7 to April 30.

A new castle projection show is coming to Tokyo Disneyland, although we don’t know when.

Tokyo DisneySea

Tokyo DisneySea will see a massive expansion with Fantasy Springs, a new eighth port made up of Peter Pan’s Neverland, Rapunzel’s Forest, and Frozen Kingdom. It will open on June 6, 2024, and also include an in-park hotel. Each land of the port will have a boat ride, along with restaurants and shopping venues. Check out our last construction update.

Tokyo Disney Resort will host their first-ever Tokyo DisneySea Food & Wine Festival from April 1, 2024, through June 30.

Hong Kong Disney Resort

A 20th anniversary parade is in the works for Hong Kong Disneyland. Hong Kong Disneyland opened on September 12, 2005. A 20th anniversary celebration could begin early in 2024.

Hong Kong Disneyland has made no announcements about the Avengers Quinjet Experience in years, but the final Stark Expo attraction was supposed to open by 2024.

Shanghai Disney Resort

A third themed hotel is under construction at Shanghai Disney Resort but an opening date and further details have not been announced.

Disney Cruise Line

Disney Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point, a new private Disney Cruise Line destination, will open in the summer of 2024. Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point is on the island of Eleuthera in The Bahamas and will include spots like Mabrika Cove, the Goombay Cultural Center, Triton’s Trumpet Stage, and Serenity Bay. Check out Lighthouse Point concept art.

Crews recently completed construction on the last block of the Disney Treasure. The new Disney Cruise Line ship will set sail on its maiden voyage on December 21, 2024. Read more about the new adventure-themed ship.

What Disney attraction, experience, or offering are you most looking forward to? Let us know in the comments.

For the latest Disney Parks news and info, follow WDW News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

The post Everything New Coming to Disney Parks in 2024 appeared first on WDW News Today.

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 Saturday, December 30, 2023.

Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom

• Multiple accounts online report that a guest shoved or potentially punched a Cast Member at the Magic Kingdom Monorail station on Friday night.
• Frozen Ever After isn’t the only ride to have problems with screen-based animatronic faces. On Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Magic Kingdom this week, at least one dwarf’s face experienced a malfunction, causing him to go completely dark.
• The annual return of “Fantasy in the Sky” fireworks lit up the night at Magic Kingdom tonight.

EPCOT

• Many tents have been erected throughout EPCOT to house artwork during the 2024 EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, which runs from January 12 through February 19.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• Disney Genie+ Service is sold out for Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the fourth day in a row. Genie+ sold out for the park for the first time ever on December 27 and has continued to sell out every day since. 

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

• The Disney Genie+ Service has sold out for Disney’s Animal Kingdom on December 30, marking the third day in a row the service has sold out for the park.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

• We recently stayed at Cascade Cabin at Copper Creek Villas & Cabins at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, a Disney Vacation Club resort, and we’re taking you on a virtual tour through this outdoorsy oasis filled with the Wilderness charm you know and love.

New Merchandise

• If you’re looking for something to wear as you traipse up the North Mountain in deep, deep, deep, deep snow, this new “Frozen” embroidered Anna ear headband won’t keep you warm… but it may keep you stylish. 
• Some classic Disney characters have been turned into plants in this new mystery pin series available at Walt Disney World. 
• A light-up shoulder plush of Star from Walt Disney Animation Studios “Wish” has landed at Walt Disney World.
• Pandora has a new “Zootopia” charm inspired by the “pawpsicles” that Nick Wilde sells in the film.

Other Walt Disney World News

• The multiple parks option of Disney Genie+ Service at Walt Disney World, which provides access to the line-skipping Lightning Lanes, has sold out on its own for the first time. In the past, multiple parks has only become unavailable when a park option sells out, effectively removing the option for multiple parks.

Tokyo Disney Resort

• We have over six months until Fantasy Springs opens at Tokyo DisneySea, but significant landmarks in the new area including Pixie Hollow and Arendelle Castle are visible from the Disney Resort Line Monorail, as is the Fantasy Springs Hotel.

Disneyland Paris

• Although the ride doesn’t exist at Disneyland Paris, a stage themed to Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! has been erected in front of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror in the resort’s Walt Disney Studios Park.

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

The post Guest Reportedly Assaults Cast Member at Magic Kingdom, Doc’s Facial Projection Technology Fails on Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, & More: Daily Recap (12/30/23) appeared first on WDW News Today.