Destination D: Celebrating Mickey Mouse — The E Ticket

D23 is celebrating Mickey's 90th birthday with Destination D: Celebrating Mickey Mouse taking place at the Contemporary at Walt Disney World Resort, & now it officially has a price tag. D23 Gold members can get a ticket for the bargain price of $215 per person, or $1,300 if you're feeling VIP. There's a bunch of really cool stuff lined up, like exclusive stores, panels, & even a movie night. Most interesting to myself is a Mickey exhibit from the Walt Disney Archives, & a sneak peek of Mickey & Minnie's Runaway Railroad attraction coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios. As of right now, unless I'm telling real celebratey for one reason or another this pricetag is a little too steep for me. Sounds fun though, here's the details as they appeared from D23:

DETAILS

The event will take place November 17–18, 2018, at Disney’s Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World Resort.

Available to Gold and Gold Family Members
You will be required to show a photo ID. Members will be required to show their D23 Membership Card.

Guests will have the opportunity to kick things off on Friday, November 16 with optional early check-in. Once checked in, Destination D guests can enjoy the following:

Mickey’s of Glendale—The famed Walt Disney Imagineering store returns with a pop-up shop at the event for attendees, featuring a selection of exclusive Walt Disney Imagineering merchandise as well as limited-edition pins, apparel, and collectibles themed to the event.
Mickey Marketplace—For the first time ever, D23 is thrilled to debut a Mickey Marketplace inside Disney’s Contemporary Convention Center—exclusively available to Destination D attendees, a handful of retailers will offer limited Mickey-branded products.
Walt Disney Archives—Access to an exclusive exhibit curated by the Walt Disney Archives celebrating Mickey Mouse.

Please note: These experiences will also be available on Saturday and Sunday during event hours.

Then, join us in the Fantastia Ballroom at Disney’s Contemporary Resort on Saturday and Sunday to discover fascinating details about Mickey’s imaginative past, adventurous present, and boundless future as Disney historians, cast members, Imagineers, and artists host exciting panels, presentations, and other fun-filled entertainment. From Mickey’s historic roles in animated films and television shows to merchandise, magic kingdoms, and beyond, get ready to explore the many wonderful worlds of Walt Disney’s most famous creation!

Highlights of the weekendwill include*:

Presenters and panelists, including Legendary Disney Animator Mark Henn,Voice Actor Bret Iwan, Disney Legend Bill Farmer, Imagineers Jason Grandt, Wyatt Winter, and Alex Wright, Animator John Pomeroy, and Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline—plus more to be announced.*
A Mouse in Shorts: Animating Mickey Through the Years—From Steamboat Willie to Get a Horse!, Mickey’s epic film career has taken him on a journey that has endeared him to fans around the world. Join Disney animators and historians as they look back at the films that defined Mickey’s career, and peek behind-the-scenes of some of his most famous roles.

Catching Up with Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway— Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2019, the first ride-through Mickey Mouse attraction, Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway, will push the limits of immersion for the Disney experience. Join members of the Walt Disney Imagineering creative team for a sneak peek of the zany twists and turns of this upcoming groundbreaking attraction!
Collecting Mickey, the True Original—From the first Mickey Mouse wristwatch to the collaborations of today, Mickey has always been in style. We wind the (Mickey Mouse) clock back to take a look at the toys, collectibles, and products that defined the mouse—and what his future has in store!
Hidden Mickeys: Uncovering the Magic of Disney Storytelling—Chronicling some of the lesser known and “lost” adventures of everyone’s favorite mouse, Disney historians will guide guests through an exploration of rarely seen and unusual Mickey projects—including a few that never jumped off the page!
Weird Disney: The Early Mickey Years—Fan-favorite “Weird Disney” returns with an all-new show, as the Walt Disney Archives reveals some of the wildest and wackiest Mickey moments, merchandise, and more! Included is a deep dive into Mickey’s past, featuring some of the most unique appearances, depictions, and pop-culture influences of our favorite mouse during Mickey’s runaway success in the 1930’s.

Additionally, the weekend will feature exciting events, such as Mickey’s Animation Academy, where guests will learn to draw from master Disney animator Mark Henn, and 4 Artists Paint 1 Mouse, where four Disney artists embark upon an “Adventure in Art,” each interpreting Mickey in their individual style—live on stage!
Mickey’s Movie Night—To wrap up a great weekend and celebrate Mickey’s birthday on the evening of Sunday, November 18, we’re throwing the ultimate Mickey movie pajama party— including a visit by Mickey himself! Guests are encouraged to wear their favorite Mickey Mouse pajamas, grab a treat, sit back, and watch some of Mickey’s most iconic and rarest footage from the past 90 years!

All ticketed guests will receive access to the following D23-exclusive experiences:

Guaranteed seats at all panels and presentations in the Fantasia Ballroom
D23-exclusive Mickey’s Movie Night in honor of his 90th birthday on Sunday evening
Access to Destination D-exclusive Mickey’s of Glendale pop-up shop
Access to a handful exclusive retail shops in the Mickey Marketplace
Access to the Mickey Mouse exhibit from the Walt Disney Archives
A specialty gift created exclusively for the event

In addition, a limited number of Mouseketeer VIP tickets will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. VIP guests will receive the above listed benefits, in addition to the following:

Exclusive VIP dinner on Friday, November 16, inspired by Mickey Mouse
Exclusive Mickey Birthday Breakfast with Disney luminary meet & greet at Disney’s Contemporary Resort the morning of his 90th birthday, November 18
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Lounge at Disney’s Contemporary Resort during event hours
Priority seating for all panels and presentations
Early shopping access to Mickey’s of Glendale pop-up shop and Mickey Marketplace on Friday, November 16
Early access to the Mickey Mouse exhibit from the Walt Disney Archives on Friday, November 16
Additional specialty gift
Dedicated VIP Destination D check-in location.

A limited number of specially priced rooms and theme park tickets will be available to D23 Members who purchase Destination D tickets. Further details will be included in the confirmation email.

Jun 18, 2019

Michelle Rejwan Now Senior VP Live Action Development And Production For Lucasfilm

Hollywood Reporter reports Michelle Rejwan is now the Senior VP of Live Action Development & Production. She will oversee new feature films as well Disney+ series while still producing with president Kathleen Kennedy. That seems like a hefty responsibility to drop on someone who's previous credits at Lucasfilm are producing The Force Awakens & The Rise of Skywalker. Kennedy really sees something in her though, having “seen first-hand her skills collaborating with writers and directors, and I've been incredibly impressed with her creative skills and her ability to manage the complexity surrounding these massive projects.” Can she be the Feige of Star Wars? Time will tell. After the hate Kennedy got from the last installment, which I loved by the way, one could think this is just to give her a scapegoat if things don't go as well over the next few projects. Curious to see how much influence this winds up having as a whole. What do y'all think? Trust in Kennedy? Or do you think maybe a more vetted choice would have been better? Put it in the comments, like, & share.

May 21, 2019

Disney Reveals Name of Tokyo DisneySea's 8th Port

After breaking ground in what is to become Tokyo DisneySea's 8th port, we now have its official name. Fantasy Springs will be the title, but that's not all Dismey released on the subject. They also released some beautiful day & night concept art depicting the look of the new lands. Oriental land is investing 250 Billion Yen on this project that will feature lands themed to Frozen, Tangled, & Peter Pan. Frozen's land of post film Arendelle will feature an attraction that tells the story of Elsa and her beloved sister, Anna. Sounding like the familiar Epcot ride, suests will board boats and experience the sisters’ heartfelt journey, enjoying songs from the film, and encountering surprising thrills. There will also be a restaurant set inside the beautiful Arendelle Castle. Tangled's land will naturally feature Rapunzel’s tower rising above the forest. It will also include an boat attraction where guests will board gondolas for a romantic boat tour of Rapunzel’s “Best Day Ever” as she journeys with Flynn to the lantern festival. Flickering lanterns illuminate the attraction’s climactic scene while Rapunzel and Flynn sing an iconic song from the film. The pand will also feature a restaurant, inspired by the hideout of the band of thugs who appeared in the film in the "I've Got A Dream" sequence. Neverland will also be home to two attractions and a restaurant. Featuring landmarks including verdant mountains, Captain Hook’s pirate ship and Skull Rock. One attraction will fly over the jungles of Neverland into a battle with Captain Hook and his crew of pirates to rescue Wendy’s younger brother, John, who has been kidnapped by Captain Hook and his pirates. You'll board boats and follow the Lost Boys down a river until Tinker Bell sprinkles the boats with pixie dust, & you take off flying through Neverland on an adventure that featuring iconic music and dynamic 3D imagery of the characters from the film. The second attraction immerses us in the oversized world of Pixie Hollow, while the restaurant is inspired by the Lost Boys and their hideout. There will also be a new Disney Hllyel in the park. Themed to Disney fantasy, it will rise above and around the magical springs that serve as the core of the new themed port’s story. Offering 475 deluxe-type and luxury-type guest rooms, this park facing hotel will also feature a merchandise shop that helps share the story of the magical springs. One day I'll make it out here to see all the amazingly beautiful things TokyoSea has to offer. Luckily, I have one more reason to postpone that adventure until this amazing new addition is done.