Disneyland Monorail in Rough Shape

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Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom

• Today the Liberty Belle got stuck on the Rivers of America, forcing guests aboard to evacuate and preventing rafts to Tom Sawyer Island from crossing.

EPCOT

• Refurbishment on the World Discovery popcorn stand has finally completed and the stand has reopened to guests.

Disney Springs

• A new Super Hero Donut is now available at Everglazed just in time for the new “Guardians of the Galaxy” film.
• Construction continues on the upcoming Summer House on the Lake restaurant.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

• Today we headed over to Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort to try the new Korean Fried Chicken Bowl with Cucumber Namasu.

New Merchandise

• A new headband themed to the park icons has debuted complete with a removable bow!
• Celebrate one of Pixar’s finest films with a new “Finding Nemo” Spirit Jersey we found today.

Other Walt Disney World Resort News

• The new design for Walt Disney World Resort Cast Member nametags has been revealed.
• Complementary stickers and buttons are now available to promote The Villas at Disneyland Hotel from every Disney Vacation Club kiosk.
• Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis today said that his biggest victory in the battle with Disney is silencing the company on political issues.

Disneyland Resort

• Chow down on Drax’s favorite Zarg-Bits, now available in Avengers Campus.
• The new Jeff Granito Star Wars Cantina–themed tableware is now available at the Downtown Disney District.
• As previously promised last year, a plush themed to the cancelled Elee attraction has arrived at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.
• We went and tried everything new available at Pym Test Kitchen for the springtime menu refresh.
• Nutmeg, the Magic Key Terrace cat, has sadly passed away.

Entertainment & Media

• Our professional critic has weighed in on “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3,” and you can read his thoughts.
• Disney is demanding that striking WGA workers continue their other duties, an explicit violation of their union agreement.

The Walt Disney Company

• Disney has introduced the very first canine Imagineer, whose name is “Noodle.” And yes, she is a good girl.

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

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In the nearly 13-minute interview, Gov. DeSantis sits down with Newsmax host John Bachman and kicks things off talking about Disney. DeSantis says the key issue with the company was “they exercised a lot of political influence in this town. And they tried to fight us on things like parents’ rights and things that are really important to the people of Florida. We beat ’em on that, we signed the parents’ rights bill, and we’ve expanded protections, and we’ve done a lot of stuff to go back and fight ‘woke’ ideology.”

DeSantis is of course speaking about the highly-controversial Parental Rights in Education bill, commonly referred to by critics as the “Don’t Say Gay bill,” which kicked off this seemingly neverending tit-for-tat between the company and the Florida government just over a year ago. He additionally is referring to recent legislation expanding the scope of that original bill, which passed last month.

The Governor continues “since our skirmish last year, Disney has not been involved in any of those issues – they have not made a peep. That, ultimately, is the most important – that Disney is not allowed to pervert the system to the detriment of Floridians. So that’s a win for the people of Florida.”

Disney has indeed remained largely silent since their open sparring with the government last year. Former CEO Bob Chapek  initially remained silent and passive on the issue — until massive internal criticisms from Cast Members and controversy over Disney’s practice of making hefty political contributions to campaigns and individuals allegedly against their own stated human principles came into focus.

During this year’s annual shareholder meeting, current CEO Bob Iger admitted they fumbled the response, stating that DeSantis is punishing the company for exercising its First Amendment rights, which is restated in its lawsuit against DeSantis and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, which took over management of the special district encompassing Walt Disney World earlier this year.

DeSantis went on in the interview to talk about his ongoing fight and position against Disney’s development agreements and restrictive covenants, which his hand-picked Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board is currently counter-suing Disney over.

Bachman additionally asks if DeSantis has spoken to CEO Bob Iger, to which he frankly responds “I haven’t” before pivoting back to justifying his current stage of war with Disney. Iger said last month before the lawsuits were filed that he would be glad to speak with Gov. DeSantis regarding the issue.

He continues “I mean look — the way I viewed it was we had the skirmish last year, we said ‘no self-government,’ we implemented that consistent with what I said in the campaign… and that’s where it was headed until Disney pulled this maneuver. So forget about all the issues we had with all that, you can’t have a situation where the Legislature has spoken and one company just decides to contract out against the will of the people.”

“At the end of the day,” he concludes, “they just have to understand — the party is over for them.”

Disney Suing DeSantis & CFTOD Board

In their lawsuit, Disney Parks & Resorts cites “a targeted campaign of government retaliation — orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney’s protected speech.” The plaintiff further argues that this chronology of events “threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights.”

Among other grievances, the Governor’s threat of new tolls and taxes, and the Board’s decision to void the company’s final agreement with the Reedy Creek Improvement District Board were included in the document.

The Walt Disney Company is suing for “declaratory and injunctive relief.” Injunctive relief forces a party to act in a certain way or prevents them from doing various things. An “injunction” is sometimes known as a restraining order.

Disney regrets that it has come to this, but having exhausted efforts to seek a resolution, the Company is left with no choice but to file this lawsuit to protect its cast members, guests, and local development partners from a relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials.

The company is demanding multiple items of relief be met, including:

• A. Declare that the Legislative Declaration is unlawful and unenforceable because it abrogates Disney’s rights in violation of the Contracts Clause;
• B. Declare that the Legislative Declaration is an unlawful taking of Disney’s property rights without payment of just compensation in violation of the Takings Clause;
• C. Declare that the Legislative Declaration is unlawful and unenforceable because it was an arbitrary and irrational voiding of the Development Agreement and Restrictive Covenants in violation of the Due Process Clause;
• D. Declare that the Legislative Declaration is unlawful and unenforceable because it was enacted in retaliation for Disney’s speech in violation of the First Amendment;
• E. Declare that the Contracts remain in effect and enforceable;
• F. Declare that Senate Bill 4C and House Bill 9B are unlawful and unenforceable because they were enacted in retaliation for Disney’s political speech in violation of the First Amendment;
• G. Issue an order enjoining Defendants from enforcing the Legislative Declaration;
• H. Issue an order enjoining Defendants from enforcing Senate Bill 4C and House Bill 9B;
• I. Award Plaintiff its attorney’s fees and costs;
• J. Grant such other relief as this Court may deem just and proper.

The federal judge originally attached to the lawsuit recused himself.

CFTOD Board Suing Disney

The CFTOD Board of Supervisors voted to file their own countersuit against Disney. While Disney’s lawsuit is through federal court, the Board’s lawsuit is through state court.

In their 188-page complaint, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District named itself as the plaintiff and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts US Inc. as the defendant. Through nearly 200 pages of legalese, the district asks the state court to render Disney’s development agreement with the Reedy Creek Improvement District as unenforceable, null, and void. They also ask the same to be done of the restrictive covenants, which notably set the benchmark for expiry at 21 years after the death of the last living descendant of King Charles III, living as of the date of the document.

The CFTOB additionally asks that all agreements cannot be enforced on Disney’s end either. Meanwhile, the Florida Legislature, which is controlled by Republicans and typically acts to rubber stamp Gov. DeSantis’ agenda, is working to pass a law that invalidates Disney’s agreement with Reedy Creek. Governor DeSantis said it was well within his power to do so.

Origins of the Feud

The Florida Governor and Walt Disney Company initially clashed over the corporation’s opposition to a much-debated and controversial Florida law regarding classroom instruction and discussion on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools, alongside various other recent state laws and proposals in a similar vein.

In an apparent act of retribution over Chapek’s expression of dissent, the Governor moved forward with various verbal and legal assaults on Disney, including the attempted dissolution of Reedy Creek and the eventual transfer of power directly under his control. DeSantis argues he is attacking a rather vague perception of something he calls “woke politics,” invading the state. He further says he aims to put the people of Florida first through his actions:

Disney has gotten away with special deals from the state of Florida for way too long. It took a look under the hood to see what Disney has become to truly understand their inappropriate influence.

The Governor insists he will double down on efforts to punish the resort through methods both in the Legislature and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board. Notably, he promised to hike hotel taxes and institute tolls on the roads around Walt Disney World Resort property. 

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Nutmeg was one of Disneyland Resort’s feral cats, tasked with keeping the rat population down around the parks and ensuring the only rodents guests see are Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Nutmeg roamed the park quite often, but had an affinity for the Magic Key Terrace lounge at Disney California Adventure.

Nutmeg was so beloved by Imagineers and Disneyland Cast Members like in fact, that they were even integrated into the tiling when Magic Key Terrace was reimagined in 2021. Their frequent perch along the concrete wall is accented with tiling of them, front and center.

Hardcore Disneyland fans may know that feral cats have become a staple of the resort’s after-hours operations. The cats are reportedly well cared for, with Disney providing stations for feeding, medical care, and neutering services. But this cat in particular was so beloved by Cast Members at Magic Key Terrace that there was a drink named for Nutmeg — made with Myers dark rum, Bailey’s Irish Cream, Frangelico hazelnut liqueur, and apricot liqueur and selling for $16 as a “secret menu” drink.

In 2021, the culinary director of Disney California Adventure, Jeremiah Balogh, explained to the Orange County Register, “We have lots of friends that like to visit us, and some of them are four-legged friends. We have a resident cat that will come and visit guests and Cast Members whenever he or she feels lonely.”

Many of these cats stay hidden throughout the day, although guests occasionally spot them out and about during opening time. It’s the overnight shift when they’re on the prowl, keeping the non-animated mice and rats out of the Disneyland Resort parks.

Let us know if you got to meet Nutmeg when they were alive in the comments below.

The Nutmeg Cocktail

This secret menu item is named for the cat who roams the back wooded area of the Terrace. Unfortunately, this was very unmemorable for being a secret menu item.

The presentation was a beautiful cream color with the ground nutmeg sprinkled on top. However, all we could initially taste was alcohol.

After sitting for a bit, this did become more drinkable and we could distinguish the Bailey’s and the cream. If you enjoy creamy drinks then this is worth a try, but ours was definitely boozy. So we would be willing to give this a try again, but not our first choice.

For more Disneyland Resort news and info, follow Disneyland News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news worldwide, visit WDWNT.

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Experiment 7290: Cookies & Cream Cold Brew – $6.79

Chocolate Cookie Cold Brew with Sweet Cold Foam

The cold brew comes with sweet foam and an Oreo on top.

The side of the cup is covered in Oreo cookie crumbs.

Sadly, it’s not one of the best drinks they’ve done. It’s still good, and is a great sweet coffee drink, but the cookies and cream flavor doesn’t really come through that strong. It tastes more like chocolate syrup than anything else. Probably a pass unless you just want chocolate cold brew.

Orloni on a Stick – $17.49

Two Skewered Kebobs made with Ground Beef and Pork, Yellow Harissa Sauce, Rice Pilaf and Pickled Cucumber-Onion Salad

We found the Orloni on a Stick to be excellent, and was our favorite food item that we ordered today. The meat on the skewer was really flavorful, and the sauce accompaniment pairs well.

This dish is a little on the spicy side, so if you are not a fan of spicy food — you may want to skip this. The rice pilaf is a nice addition. It doesn’t have a ton of flavor, but it does compliment the spiciness of the meat.

We then put some of the relish onto our meat and that added a wonderful, sweet tanginess. It was the type of flavor that you’d expect a pickle to add, but it was very good.

Atomic Pretzel: Salmon Poke Pretzel – $15.49

Ponzu-marinated Salon, Sriracha Mayo, Avocado Mousse, Wasabi Mayo, and Watermelon Radish

If you aren’t a fan of fish, you should skip this dish. The saltiness of the salmon was a nice touch to the pretzel, but there was way too much going on flavor-wise.

There are three different sauces on this pretzel and it just makes it too overwhelming. They do add some decent flavors individually, but as a whole it becomes too much.

The Wasabi Mayo and the Sriracha Sauce overpower every other flavor in the dish. It was so overpowering that it was hard for us to even taste the salmon on the first bite. The pretzel tasted stale to us, and it was as hard as a rock — which made it very difficult to cut.

Are you going to try any of these new items at Pym Test Kitchen? Let us know in the comments.

If you’d like to read some more about Disney’s Avengers Campus news, check out these stories:

• PHOTOS, VIDEO: Mantis from ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ Debuts in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure
• PHOTOS: New Guardians of the Galaxy Milky Fizz Sipper at Avengers Campus in Disney California Adventure
• First Signs of Construction for New Shop Coming to Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure

For more Disneyland Resort news and info, follow Disneyland News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news worldwide, visit WDWNT.

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Elee the Cancelled Attraction Plush

Elee comes to us nearly a year after she was announced at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim in May 2022. This version is supposed to be a baby Therii, which is her species.

In the book “The Art of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge,” we got a first look at the attraction’s concept art. Elee was supposed to be a transportation attraction similar to the Main Street Vehicles, taking guests for a ride on her back around Batuu. The creatures are native to Batuu as well as Pacara, incidentally the location new Resistance recruits are trying to reach in nearby Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance.

Therii are herbivores, typically eating leaves and stems from corn, wheat, oats, and popped grains.

The backstory for Elee is she was given to Salju, owner of Black Spire Station near the land’s setting of Black Spire Outpost, as a child by her father. Bina from the Creature Stall helped Salju figure out what to feed Elee and how to brush her tusks. When Elee grew too big to stay at their home in the outpost, Salju took her to live with a herd of Therii in Surabat River Valley near Black Spire Outpost. Elee’s most distinct trait was the way she flapped her ears when she was happy, according to the plush’s info tag. Her favorite treat was also the “popped grains” from Kat Saka’s Kettle, which incidentally is selling a Surabat Valley mix right now. Much of this is documented in the park-exclusive picture book “Elee and Me,” which released in 2020.

The plush rendition of course is nice and fluffy with brown fur. The face and tusks are made of hard plastic.

We found the adorable Elee plush at the Creatures Stall in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland.

Will you bring home Elee when you head off-world from Batuu? Let us know in the comments below!

For more Disneyland Resort news and info, follow Disneyland News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news worldwide, visit WDWNT.

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Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom

• A Florida woman was trespassed from Walt Disney World for pushing several elderly guests while in line for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train in Fantasyland.

EPCOT

• We reviewed the new Guardians of the Galaxy cookie available at the popcorn stand near Cosmic Rewind today in celebration of the movie.
• Over at Connections Café, the Sovereign Waffle Bites were a new treat to try as well.

Disney Springs

• Feliz Cinco de Mayo! For a limited time, you can head to Everglazed Donuts and Cold Brew to try the Oh-My-O donut!

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

• Two new foals were born at the Tri-Circle-D ranch at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground this week.
• Construction has reached the ninth floor at the Disney Vacation Club Villas in Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

New Merchandise

• A new Loungefly backpack themed to the live-action “The Little Mermaid” is now on sale at Walt Disney World.

Other Walt Disney World Resort News

• A male Walt Disney World guest was trespassed for slapping a female Cast Member’s behind, then arrested for sneaking back into his hotel room.
• Florida Governor Ron DeSantis formally signed the bill voiding Disney’s land use agreement into law today.
• The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board members have been officially confirmed by the Florida Legislature.
• Hours for every park except EPCOT were extended through May, and hours for Typhoon Lagoon are out through June.
• Dining reservations around Walt Disney World are no longer modifiable within two hours of seating time.

Disneyland Resort

• Reopening dates are out for Alice in Wonderland, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, and Ariel’s Undersea Adventure.
• We learned today that Mantis was joining the Guardians of the Galaxy Awesome Dance-Off in Avengers Campus!
• Later in the day we met Mantis in the show as she made her Disney Parks debut.
• It has now been confirmed that Incredicoaster and Inside Out Emotional Whirlwind will start operating during “World of Color — ONE.”
• There’s a new Milky Fizz sipper for the new “Guardians of the Galaxy” film at Pym Test Kitchen.
• We also got to sip on a new Chocolate Espresso R&D Martini at Pym Test Kitchen,
• During Star Wars Nite, some guests cosplayed as troopers from the “Star Wars” parody film “Spaceballs.”
• We enjoyed the new surprise Teacher Appreciation Week Cavalcade at Disneyland today!
• More scaffolds have been erected around the “Fantasmic!” stage as repairs continue.
• Meanwhile scaffolding is coming down around San Fransokyo Square, with new signage revealed.

Disneyland Paris

• The previously-announced “it’s a small world” dolls in wheelchairs have debuted at Disneyland Paris.
• New Guardians of the Galaxy-themed food and beverages are on their way to the Paris resort.

Disney Cruise Line

• The Disney Cruise Line 25th Anniversary theme song “Shimmering Seas” is now available for streaming.
• A guest shared their first look into the updated Disney Magic Promenade Lounge themed to “Soul.”
• Later the official announcement of The Soul Cat Lounge came along with a new “Encanto-“themed dining experience.
• We tried the new Jubilee by the Sea cocktail for the 25th Anniversary.

Entertainment & Media

• Carrie Fisher has posthumously received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

The Walt Disney Company

• Disney has announced a trove of new D23 announcements, including a “Mulan” 25th Anniversary screening, an X-Men Hellfire Gala, Halloween events, and more for later this year.
• Destination D23 this year will be livestreamed, and D23 Gold members will also get an exclusive shopping opportunity.

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

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Walt Disney World Dining Reservation Rule Change

The new reservation policy on the Walt Disney World website states the following:

Restaurants offering advance reservations do not allow modifications within 2 hours of the reservation time and most charge a $10 per-person fee to cancel within 2 hours of the reservation time, or if you don’t show up for your reservation. Each restaurant’s policies are provided when you make your reservation.

Previously, guests could not cancel their reservations on the same day online, before changing in November 2022 to allow cancellation up to two hours in advance, while modifications could be made up to around a half hour in advance. Now guests must call the Walt Disney World Dining phone number to make any last minute reservations or modifications.

How do you feel about this new change in the rules? Let us know in the comments below.

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

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Mantis from “Guardians of the Galaxy” Debuts

Mantis comes as part of a mini-show right outside Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: BREAKOUT in Avengers Campus. Her brother Peter Quill, also known as Star-Lord, is here with her to hold a special dance-off with visitors to the campus.

Usually Gamora is Star-Lord’s dance partner, but Mantis is taking her place for a limited time.

We get to see some examples of her ability to change emotions, pacifying her brother.

The two split into teams and select guests from the audience to dance-off against each other. We not only get to see that classic Star-Lord humor, but the naivete and free spirit of Mantis as well.

After, they pose for some short photo ops, although Mantis doesn’t stick around to meet with guests for long.

You can watch the full show below:

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3”

“Guardians of the Galaxy” focuses on a group of extraterrestrial criminals on the run who initially team up for just causes when they tangle themselves in a dangerous struggle between Xandar and Kree fanatical Ronan the Accuser. 

“Vol. 3” is the long-awaited conclusion to a trilogy that began with 2014’s “Guardians of the Galaxy.” A relatively unknown team of superheroes to the general public before this film’s release, the franchise is now one of Marvel’s most popular and critically acclaimed, with the first two films grossing a combined $1.64 billion, as well as scoring 92% and 85% on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively.

The Guardians have also made appearances in “Avengers: Infinity War,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “Thor: Love and Thunder” — plus a roughly half-feature-length Holiday Special on Disney+. They’ve spawned a series of video games, and are now featured in two Disney Parks attractions: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT and Mission: Breakout at Disney California Adventure. 

James Gunn, doubling as writer and director, has repeatedly expressed his profound desire to wrap the trilogy up with the utmost propriety, calling it “the hardest thing I’ve ever done” in an interview with Entertainment Weekly. 

“Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” hits theaters on May 5, 2023.

Guardians of the Galaxy at Disney Parks

As some of the only Marvel characters that Disney can legally use at Walt Disney World, the Guardians are featured in EPCOT’s Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind. The ride replaces Ellen’s Energy Adventure / Universe of Energy, utilizing the same façade for guests to enter the Wonders of Xandar pavilion.

“Guardians of the Galaxy — Awesome Mix Live!” was a stage show previously performed at EPCOT on and off from 2018 to 2020. The show featured Star-Lord and Gamora.

In Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure, guests can ride Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout! This ride is a reskin of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Star-Lord and Gamora also appear for the street dance party “Guardians of the Galaxy – Awesome Dance Off!”

The couple has also hosted a dance-off at Avengers Campus in Disneyland Paris and at Tomorrowland / Stark Expo in Hong Kong Disneyland.

For more Disneyland Resort news and info, follow Disneyland News Today on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For Disney Parks news worldwide, visit WDWNT.

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New 2023 Destination D23 Events

First off, if you can’t make it to the event this year, don’t panic. The entirety of the event will be livestreamed online on D23.com. So no matter where you are in the world, You can still experience the exciting announcements which come from these events.

Also, exclusively for D23 Gold members, a special shopping experience will be set up at Disney’s Contemporary Resort for those unable to attend the full event! Those attending will get first priority on shopping, of course, but D23 Gold members will still be able to pick up special merchandise from Mickey’s of Glendale, The Walt Disney Company Store, and the Ink & Paint Marketplace. Disney said more details will be announced soon for this experience.

2023 Destination D23

This year’s Destination D23 will celebrate 100 years of The Walt Disney Company. “Journey through every era of Disney,” D23 says, “as we venture back through the last century of storytelling and look forward to a limitless future for the company, and its most dedicated fans!”

Presentation Highlights of Destination D23 will include:

• See Disney archivists, historians, Imagineers, Cast Members, Disney Legends and luminaries in two days of programming worthy of the first century of Disney—and beyond!
• Join Disney Parks, Experiences and Products Chairman Josh D’Amaro as he hosts a fun and entertaining presentation about what makes a Disney experience so magical and memorable for guests and fans around the world.
• Dial the clock back to 1923 and learn about Walt and Roy Disney’s Journey to California, and the earliest days of The Walt Disney Company—from the Disney Brothers Studio to the Alice Comedies, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, and how everyone’s favorite mouse became a superstar!
• Get weird with the Walt Disney Archives and experience 100 years of “Weird Disney” moments in the Centennial edition of a Destination D23 fan-favorite!
• Journey through Disney’s history of optimism and innovation with the people that are part of a rich history of storytellers and inventors, beginning with Walt Disney’s relentless optimism and innovative spirit, and leading us to some of the bright minds who are shaping Disney’s boundless future.
• Go down the rabbit hole to discover the “Disney you didn’t know” as the Walt Disney Archives uncovers some of the most astonishing Disney discoveries, connections, and little-known facts that will change everything—or at least some things—you thought you knew about the Disney universe.

Plus, more presenters, presentations, and activities to be announced soon!

Exciting Experiences at Destination D23 will include:

• A special exhibit from the Walt Disney Archives and Walt Disney Imagineering celebrating 100 years of Disney.
• Mickey’s of Glendale—the Walt Disney Imagineering campus store returns with a pop-up shop at the event featuring a selection of exclusive Destination D23 and Walt Disney Imagineering merchandise available for purchase. Trading pins for this event will be offered to attendees through a RSP opportunity.**
• The Walt Disney Company Store—for the first time, D23 Gold Members on the East Coast will have access to a pop-up version of the official Walt Disney Company Store, featuring both employee and D23 member-exclusive merchandise! Please note that limited-edition trading pins for this event will be offered to attendees exclusively through a RSP opportunity.**
• Ink & Paint Marketplace—attendees will also have the opportunity to shop at this marketplace of exclusive Disney partners for exciting products from around The Walt Disney Company!

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New Additions to the Disney Magic

First up, guests can join the fantastical family Madrigal during an all-new immersive experience, “An Encanto Celebration,” designed to engage families through music, crafts and storytelling. The interactive experience gives guests an opportunity to meet and take photos with Mirabel and the family member we don’t talk about, Bruno, during their Disney Cruise Line debut. Families can also join a spirited sing-along of beloved “Encanto” songs and create butterfly and flower crafts inspired by the film. During the show, guests can experience a true taste of South America thanks to a selection of local Colombian beers, cocktails and sodas along with film-inspired mocktails. Disney did not note where on the ship this takes place.

Meanwhile, the heartfelt story of “Soul” was the inspiration for the brand-new Soul Cat Lounge designed to look like Joe Gardner’s favorite music spot from the film, the Half Note Lounge. The space, located on deck three near Rapunzel’s Royal Table restaurant, instantly transports guests to a classic New York jazz club appointed with decorative details like brick walls, wood accents and plenty of rich leather seating around a stage set for live music, so guests can grab their partner and head to the dance floor for a swinging good time each evening. This replaces the former Promenade Lounge. We shared another look at this space earlier today.

The Soul Cat Lounge is adorned with custom artwork from Pixar featuring nods to the film including record labels, concert posters and portraits of jazz legend Dorothea Williams and her bandmates. Thoughtful “Soul”-inspired details are subtly layered throughout the design including record players, instruments and Joe’s hat.

Adults can enhance their big city experience with table-side Manhattans and martinis or choose from a selection of native brews and cocktails made with New York spirits. A fun collection of mocktails, specialty coffees and sodas are also on the menu.

In addition to new drink options, guests can take a bite of Little Italy with an order of zeppoles, the classic Italian pastry similar to a fried doughnut, while enjoying the live music.

For guests seeking the ultimate comfort and service at sea, the concierge spaces aboard the Disney Magic have been enhanced as well. The concierge lounge was reimagined and expanded to feature a sophisticated new theme and tropical color palate inspired by “Moana,” and an additional outdoor covered seating area on deck 10 where guests can relax with a refreshing beverage while enjoying the ocean breeze was added. All concierge suites, including one- and two-bedroom accommodations and the two signature royal suites, have been completely refurbished with fresh fixtures, furniture and elegant artwork, further elevating the premium experience for concierge guests.

Shore power technology was also installed as part of the ship’s dry dock project, continuing Disney Cruise Line’s longtime dedication to minimizing its impact on the environment. When available at the port, this will allow the Disney Magic to “plug in” to the port’s electrical grid, reducing the ship’s emissions.

The Disney Magic is currently sailing its first of three itineraries from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Beginning May 24, the ship will return to Miami for a summer of cruises to The Bahamas and Caribbean including the “Silver Anniversary at Sea” celebration in honor of Disney Cruise Line’s 25th anniversary. This fall, the Disney Magic will head west for its inaugural season sailing out of San Diego.

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A notice was sent out to Disneyland Resort Cast Members today regarding the status update:

Performances of “Fantasmic!” are now paused until at least May 28. Leaders will be contacting affected Cast Members.

As the investigation continues into the April 22 incident, fire effects similar to those in “Fantasmic!” are temporarily suspended out of an abundance of caution.

We previously had reported on rumors of its return as quickly as last weekend with a B-mode dragon, though those whispers were quickly quashed by Disney. The previous timeline for the show’s return was believed to be May 14, but now the Disneyland Resort calendar has indeed been cleared through May 28 for “Fantasmic!”

Maleficent Fire

During the second performance of “Fantasmic!” on Saturday, April 22, the iconic Maleficent dragon used in the climactic nightmare sequence (lovingly known by fans as Murphy for its tendency to break down, a la Murphy’s Law) caught fire during the show and was completely destroyed. The show was cancelled as the blaze continued for several minutes.

The Maleficent dragon was completely destroyed by the fire, so when “Fantasmic!” does return, the show will likely be performed in “B-Mode,” with the dragon projected on a mist screen. Other pyrotechnics could also be suspended, but this has not been confirmed.

“Fantasmic!”

“Fantasmic!” is a nighttime spectacular which first debuted in Disneyland on May 13, 1992. The show stars Mickey Mouse as he explores the possibilities of his imagination, but the Disney Villains team up in an attempt to create an unstoppable nightmare for him. Featuring characters and music from Disney films including “Fantasia,” “The Jungle Book,” and “Pirates of the Caribbean,” the show incorporates projections on screens of water, pyrotechnics, and both the Sailing Ship Columbia and Mark Twain Riverboat as they sail past guests on the Rivers of America.

“Fantasmic!” went into an extended hiatus as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, and finally resumed performances in late May of 2022. Since then, the nighttime spectacular has performed with minimal incident in Disneyland, though it was unexpectedly shut down for just over two weeks this past January. MagicBand+ interacts with “Fantasmic!” as the center puck changes colors and flashes in sync with the show.

Over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World, the show, which premiered at the park in 1998, underwent a longer break, returning last November with new scenes inspired by “Mulan,” “Frozen II,” and “Moana”.

A third version existed at Tokyo DisneySea from April 2011 to February 2020, set on the waters of Mediterranean Harbor and featuring more representation from that park’s characters like the Genie. The show closed permanently at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Disney Cruise Line 25th Anniversary Loungefly Ear Headband – $44.99

Given that the anniversary color scheme is aqua blue and white, much of the merchandise will follow that same color scheme.　This pair of ears features the captain hat for Captain Minnie on the front rather than the traditional bow.

The hat is silver on the bottom with a blue brim, white atop, and has a Disney Cruise Line insignia. The two ears have no designs and are simply an iridescent aqua blue.

A Disney | Loungefly plaque is attached to the left-hand side of the ears.

The back has no design.

Disney Cruise Line 25th Anniversary Spirit Jersey – $79.99

The new Spirit Jersey is mostly aqua blue, with a slow gradient to silver on the lower third. A blue Disney patch sits in the lower left-hand section. On the breast is a silver Disney Cruise Line emblem.

The color gradient appears on the back side as well. The upper back reads “Disney Cruise Line.”

Disney Cruise Line Crislu Set – $165

This new Crislu jewelry set includes a necklace and a pair of earrings. The necklace has a silver chain with two blue jewels and a ship’s steering wheel at the center. The two earrings meanwhile have blue stylized Disney Cruise Line emblems with silver Mickey Mouse insignias at the center, similar to the actual logo for the Disney Cruise Line.

Disney Cruise Line 25th Anniversary Rebecca Hook Necklace – $175

This necklace features aqua blue jewels in a Mickey Mouse shape. The inside has various icons like a life ring, a skipper’s wheel, and an anchor. The inside has a big 25 at the center and reads “Disney Cruise Line.”

Disney Cruise Line 25th Anniversary Rebecca Hook Ship – $125

This necklace shows off one of the Disney Cruise Line ships as its 25th Anniversary continues.

The Silver Anniversary at Sea necklace features jewels which look like portholes along with an all metal design showing off one of the cruise line’s ships in all white.

Disney Cruise Line 25th Anniversary Pandora Charms – $250

The Pandora charm set for the Disney Cruise Line 25th Anniversary comes in a special box with the 25th logo on the side.

There are two charms in the set. One which reads 25 and is attached to a ring. The other two are reversible, with an anchor and a skipper’s wheel on one side.

The other side shows Captain Mickey and regular Minnie Mouse.

All of these items are at Treasures Untold on Deck 3 of the Disney Wish. Keep an eye out for all our coverage of the Silver Anniversary at Sea, including new Cast Member nametags, sailing gifts, and much more!

Let us know what you think of the merchandise in the comments below!

Are you looking to take a Disney Cruise Line vacation? You can have the most magical and stress-free Disney Cruise Line vacation if you book through Be Our Guest Vacations. They are Disney experts and will be able to create the most magical trip at the best price possible. Click here to begin planning!

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The board filed suit today in Orange County, going through state court rather than federal court as Disney is doing in their lawsuit.

In their 188-page complaint, the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, formerly the Reedy Creek Improvement District when under Disney’s control, named itself as the plaintiff and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts US Inc. as the defendant. Through nearly 200 pages of legalese, the district asks the state court to render Disney’s development agreement with the Reedy Creek Improvement District as unenforceable, null, and void. They also ask the same to be done of the restrictive covenants, which notably set the benchmark for expiry at 21 years after the death of the last living descendant of King Charles III, living as of the date of the document.

The CFTOB additionally asks that all agreements cannot be enforced on Disney’s end either. Meanwhile the Florida Legislature, which is controlled by Republicans and typically acts to rubber stamp Gov. DeSantis’ agenda, is working to pass a law which invalidates Disney’s agreement with Reedy Creek. Today the governor said it was well within his power to do so.

Stay tuned for the details as these cases move through court.

Disney Suing DeSantis & CFTOD Board

In their federal lawsuit, Disney Parks & Resorts cites “a targeted campaign of government retaliation — orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney’s protected speech.” The plaintiff further argues that this chronology of events “threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights.”

Among other grievances, the Governor’s threat of new tolls and taxes, and the Board’s decision to void the company’s final agreement with the Reedy Creek Improvement District Board were included in the document.

The Walt Disney Company is suing for “declaratory and injunctive relief.” Injunctive relief forces a party to act in a certain way or prevents them from doing various things. An “injunction” is sometimes known as a restraining order.

Disney regrets that it has come to this, but having exhausted efforts to seek a resolution, the Company is left with no choice but to file this lawsuit to protect its cast members, guests, and local development partners from a relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials.

The company is demanding multiple items of relief be met, including:

• A. Declare that the Legislative Declaration is unlawful and unenforceable because it abrogates Disney’s rights in violation of the Contracts Clause;
• B. Declare that the Legislative Declaration is an unlawful taking of Disney’s property rights without payment of just compensation in violation of the Takings Clause;
• C. Declare that the Legislative Declaration is unlawful and unenforceable because it was an arbitrary and irrational voiding of the Development Agreement and Restrictive Covenants in violation of the Due Process Clause;
• D. Declare that the Legislative Declaration is unlawful and unenforceable because it was enacted in retaliation for Disney’s speech in violation of the First Amendment;
• E. Declare that the Contracts remain in effect and enforceable;
• F. Declare that Senate Bill 4C and House Bill 9B are unlawful and unenforceable because they were enacted in retaliation for Disney’s political speech in violation of the First Amendment;
• G. Issue an order enjoining Defendants from enforcing the Legislative Declaration;
• H. Issue an order enjoining Defendants from enforcing Senate Bill 4C and House Bill 9B;
• I. Award Plaintiff its attorney’s fees and costs;
• J. Grant such other relief as this Court may deem just and proper.

CEO Bob Iger previously accused DeSantis of violating the company’s First Amendment right of free speech. 

Origins of the Feud

The Florida Governor and Walt Disney Company initially clashed over the corporation’s opposition to a much-debated and controversial Florida law regarding classroom instruction and discussion on sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools, alongside various other recent state laws and proposals in a similar vein.

Bob Chapek was Chief Executive Officer at the time and initially remained silent and passive on the issue — until massive internal criticisms from cast members and controversy over Disney’s practice of making hefty political contributions to campaigns and individuals allegedly against their own stated human principles came into focus.

In an apparent act of retribution over Chapek’s expression of dissent, the Governor moved forward with various verbal and legal assaults on Disney, including the attempted dissolution of Reedy Creek and the eventual transfer of power directly under his control. DeSantis argues he is attacking a rather vague perception of something he calls “woke politics,” invading the state. He further says he aims to put the people of Florida first through his actions:

Disney has gotten away with special deals from the state of Florida for way too long. It took a look under the hood to see what Disney has become to truly understand their inappropriate influence.

The Governor insists he will double down on efforts to punish the resort through methods both in the Legislature and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board. Notably, he promised to hike hotel taxes and institute tolls on the roads around Walt Disney World Resort property. Additionally, a bill was recently put forth that would require state inspections of the property’s Monorails.

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Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom

• Repainting has begun on the mountainside of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure in Frontierland.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

• The seats in Muppet*Vision 3D have been left in a revolting state, with black grime coating many cushions.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

• Yet another new structure is rising on the site of the Disney Vacation Club tower of Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.

New Merchandise

• We found several new “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” merchandise available at EPCOT this week.
• There’s also plenty of Walt Disney World-themed apparel now on sale at the Magic Kingdom.

Other Walt Disney World Resort News

• One of the judges in the case between Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has recused himself, and a new arbiter will preside.
• A Walt Disney World Cast Member has been reported missing, and deputies are requesting citizens to keep an eye out.

Disneyland Resort

• A new pin commemorating 40 years of Pinocchio’s Daring Journey is now available.
• The courtyard of the Hyperion Theater has been cleared as preparation for “Rogers: The Musical” continues.
• Following the reopening of Tom Sawyer Island, the “Fantasmic!” stage has been walled off.

Shanghai Disney Resort

• A guest has been banned from Shanghai Disneyland after smoking in the park, confronting police, and eventually forcing the parade to be cancelled.

The Walt Disney Company

• Starting May 4, guests will be able to pick up a special Dok Ondar-themed Black Series action figure on shopDisney.

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

The post Federal Judge in Disney-DeSantis Lawsuit Recuses Himself, Walt Disney World Cast Member Constance Lynn Campbell Reported Missing, & More: Daily Recap (4/29/23) appeared first on WDW News Today.