George Lucas speaks on the possibility of a re-release of the theatrical versions of the “Star Wars” original trilogy, a guide to experiencing Fantasy Springs, and a new musical stage show coming to Shanghai Disneyland — all this and more in today’s daily recap for Monday, May 27, 2024.

Daily Recap for May 27, 2024

Walt Disney World

New Merchandise

• A new line of EPCOT-themed wine glasses by Arribas Brothers is now available in the Germany Pavilion.

Other Walt Disney World News

• A travel agent took to Instagram this week to share her upsetting experience with the updated Disability Access Service (DAS) at Walt Disney World.

Disneyland Resort

• Disneyland Resort celebrated Memorial Day by displaying Missing Hero tables in the park.
• “Fantasmic!” has returned to Disneyland and with it comes dining packages. We reviewed the more affordable option available at Rancho Del Zocalo.

Tokyo Disney Resort

• Tokyo Disney Resort has shared a new guide for how to enter and enjoy Fantasy Springs once it opens on June 6.
• Tokyo DisneySea will host a live stream event with a drone show to celebrate the opening of Fantasy Springs.
• We also have created our own full guide to all things Fantasy Springs at Tokyo DisneySea.

Shanghai Disneyland

• A new limited-time stage show will premiere next month at Shanghai Disneyland, titled “The Adventure of Rhythm.”

Entertainment and Media

• George Lucas has said that he hopes the theatrical versions of the “Star Wars” original trilogy are never restored or re-released.
• The co-directors of the original animated “Moana” have stated that they are not involved with the upcoming live-action remake in any way.

WDW News Today

Bob Iger: “Embrace the Change”, Saying Goodbye to a Disney Legend

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

The post George Lucas Doesn’t Want Theatrical ‘Star Wars’ Films Re-Released & More: Daily Recap (5/27/24) appeared first on WDW News Today.

A hand warmer and blanket have joined the Studio Tour 60th anniversary merchandise collection available at Universal Studios Hollywood.

We found both items in the Universal Studio Store on the Upper Lot, alongside other tram tour merch.

Tram Hand Warmer – $35

This plush depicts a red and white striped Glamor Tram. Some of the Studio Tour’s modern trams have been decorated to look like the old Glamor Trams for the 60th anniversary. The tour also currently includes special photo ops and a tram stop.

There are holes on either end of the plush for putting your hands inside.

The back of the plush features thin blue and white stripes. “Universal Studios Tour” is embroidered with red stars.

Studio Tour Blanket – $60

One side of this soft blanket is red. The Studio Tour logo, featuring a tram, is in a slightly darker red. “Universal Studios” is also printed on this side.

The other side is white with a red border. It’s covered in retro Studio Tour graphics. A tram is in the center with the words “Welcome to Universal Studios Tour.”

There are retro cameras and strips of film.

A teal blue flag reads “Hollywood Visitors Village,” an area of the Studio Tour that later became Prop Plaza. The space is no longer part of the tour.

The iconography is teal, black, and red.

A billboard image features the “Jaws” shark and reads “Part of Universal City.”

A retro Universal Pictures globe logo is in a teal diamond.

There’s artwork of a Glamor Tram on a film set.

The 60th anniversary Studio Tour runs through August 11, 2024. Other anniversary offerings include a Coca-Cola Freestyle mug, Woody Woodpecker BBQ burger and Chilly Willy Snowball, and a Pass Member-exclusive magnet.

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John Musker and Ron Clements, directors of the animated version of “Moana,” will not be involved in Disney’s live-action take on the story currently in development.

‘Moana’ Directors Not Involved in Live-Action Remake

In a new interview with Spanish outlet El Pais, the pair confirmed that they are not involved in the new live-action remake of the 2016 animated film, both starring Dwayne Johnson as Maui.

I hope that they do it well, but we have nothing to do with it.

John Musker, co-director of “Moana”

In the same interview, Musker also criticized Disney’s recent live-action remakes of animated classics — some of which he co-directed with Clements — like 1989’s “The Little Mermaid” and 1992’s “Aladdin.” Currently, a live-action “Hercules” is in the works with Guy Ritchie, who directed the 2019 live-action remake of “Aladdin.” Musker and Clements co-directed the original 1997 animated “Hercules.”

Companies are always like, ‘How do we reduce our risk? They like this, right? We’ll just do it again and sell it to them in a different form.’ Or they think, ‘Well, we could make it better.’

John Musker

The live-action “Moana” was announced in 2023 by Johnson in a video shared during Disney’s Annual Meeting of Shareholders. Original “Moana” writer Jared Bush confirmed shortly after that he was working on the film’s script with Dana Ledoux Miller.

Auli’i Cravalho, the voice of Moana in the animated film, is not reprising her role and instead serves as an executive producer on the project. An open casting call for the title role was released in May 2023. Tony Award-winning director of “Hamilton” on Broadway Thomas Kail will helm the live-action film.

The original animated film grossed nearly $683 million worldwide, making it one of the top five financial performances for a Walt Disney Animation Studios feature since 1994.

The live-action remake of “Moana” is currently slated for release on July 10, 2026. A sequel to the original animated film will be released later this year.

Source: ComicBook.com

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Travel agent Jamie Santillo took to Instagram this week to talk about her upsetting experience with the updated Disability Access Service (DAS) at Walt Disney World.

DAS Complaints

Santillo shared the following video about no longer qualifying for DAS despite having a heart condition and a defibrillator. The Cast Member Santillo spoke to offered Santillo a return-to-queue option where someone in her party would wait in line and then she would meet up with them when it was time to ride.

The Cast Member also suggested getting a callback time from a Cast Member at each attraction. Santillo asked, “Well, isn’t that what DAS does?”

The Cast Members said, “Overall, yes. With this, you just can’t preselect rides.” With DAS, guests can select return times from the My Disney Experience app. The callback option offered to Santillo would mean speaking to a Cast Member at each attraction, potentially explaining her disability repeatedly, and leaving whether she gets a callback time up to each Cast Member. It’s also worth noting that most attractions Cast Members won’t have received specialized training regarding disabilities.

Watch Santillo’s full video or read her caption below.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Jamie Santillo | Accessible Travel Expert (@adventuresbyjamie)

I no longer qualify for the Disney DAS Pass

I have been on pins and needles for the new DAS changes to take effect at Disney World May 20 with the hopes that Disney wasn’t going to alienate those who don’t fall under the neurodivergent umbrella.

Unfortunately, that’s EXACTLY what happened.

First you must agree to their terms and conditions, as well as ensuring that your tickets/reservations are confirmed and everyone who will be going with you (up to 3 in addition to you can be added to the DAS) is also linked on MDE. Once that is completed, you can request the call.

I spoke with a very nice woman who asked why I was applying for DAS. I explained that I’d used it for years. I have a heart condition and a defibrillator, and being overheated isn’t good for me. She asked questions like, “What do you do about the heat on a daily basis?” and “How do you go to the grocery store?”

She offered me a wait in queue option, where someone in my party would wait in the line, and then I could meet up with them when it was our time to ride. She also suggested getting a call back time from a cast member. For that, I said, “Well, isn’t that what DAS does?” She said, “Overall, yes. With this, you just can’t preselect rides.”

So, by the end of the conversation, it was deemed that I did not qualify for DAS and that the intent for the program is to support those with Autism and similar.

Disney’s website says that, “Waiting in line is a regular part of the Walt Disney World Resort experience”, and that neurodivergent guests should “practice waiting with the Guest with a neurodivergent disability at home or in lines at places they might already frequent to get ready for their trip”.

That statement to me is just awful. That is like telling me… Hey, practice not getting overheated so your heart behaves so you don’t need the DAS Pass and can wait in the traditional line.

Changes to DAS went into effect on May 20. The service now significantly restricts who qualifies, which Disney states is due to overuse in the past few years. DAS is now specifically intended to “accommodate only those guests who, due to a developmental disability like autism or similar,” cannot wait in a conventional queue for an extended period of time.

To sign up for DAS, guests must participate in a live video chat with a Cast Member as soon as 30 days before their park visit. In-park sign-up is no longer available. The guest will discuss their needs with the Cast Member, who determines if they are eligible for the service. The maximum party size that can use a DAS pass is four people — the disabled guest and three family members. DAS is now valid for 120 days.

Santillo isn’t the only guest sharing complaints about the service on social media. Many have called into question the new policy and shared how it makes the parks inaccessible to them.

Guests describe their experiences with complex needs due to disabilities like POTS, multiple sclerosis, and PTSD.

Before the changes went into effect, a group of disabled people calling themselves “DAS Defenders” started a petition that now has over 15,000 signatures calling for Disney to not exclude most disabled people from the service.

Disney magic should be for everyone but Disney’s recent modifications to the Disability Access Service (DAS) program have excluded many members of the disabled community and their families. For years, Disney has been a beacon of inclusivity and joy for disabled individuals, offering a safe haven where they could enjoy moments of connection and adventure while having their accessibility needs met.

“Stop excluding disabled people from Disneyland and Disney World with new policy” petition

Many have pointed out that Disney added “Inclusion” to their “keys,” the five foundations of Cast Member training, but they now feel the DAS updates don’t include them.

A Walt Disney World spokesperson said when the changes were announced, “Disney is dedicated to providing a great experience for all Guests, including those with disabilities, which is why we are so committed to delivering a wide range of innovative support services aimed at helping our Guests with disabilities have a wonderful time when visiting our theme parks.”

The DAS updates will go into effect on June 18 at Disneyland Resort.

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