food IS a theme park
We’ve almost made it to one of our favorite Disney days of the year — 626 Day, also known as Stitch Day!
Surf’s up!
Yes, it’s celebrated every year on June 26th, because Stitch’s experiment number is 626. That’s just a few days around the corner, and if you’re in California, there’s a VERY fun way you can celebrate. This is one event you won’t want to miss!
The newest installment in the Toy Story franchise, Toy Story 5, released in theaters on June 19th, and in the first weekend, the film has already begun breaking box office records!
©Disney
It’s been a bit of a rough run for some Disney films in the box office recently, even for recent releases like The Mandalorian and Grogu, so some people were concerned at how this film was going to do. However, it’s now the franchise’s BEST opening weekend film!
BIG news out of Disney Springs!
The walls are down at Level99!
We’ve been counting down the days until Level99 opens in the shopping and dining district on June 29th, with tickets going on sale June 22nd, but honestly, we’d be lying if we said we hadn’t been a little concerned seeing the walls still up. That all just changed, though, because the walls are DOWN!
It’s no secret that there are many hidden details and reasons why Disney World attractions work the way they do.
The American Adventure
We find ourselves still marveling at the Kylo Ren animatronic in Rise of the Resistance, and our jaws drop open when we ride Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind and realize yet again how smooth it is. Something that has constantly blown our minds, though, is seeing just how many sets and animatronics there are inside The American Adventure in EPCOT, and we know we’re not alone. That’s part of the reason Disney just released this behind-the-scenes video showing how it all works, and we STILL can’t believe it.
We’re just a few short days away from the release of Avatar: Fire and Ash on Disney+, and to celebrate, we just got to do something EXTREMELY cool!
‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ ©Disney
To celebrate the release of the film on the streaming platform, Walt Disney Theater in Orlando, Florida hosted the US premiere of Avatar in Concert, combining the beloved film with the incredibly powerful art of a live orchestra. We were so thrilled to be invited to the event, which left us not only thrilled to see the third installment of the franchise again on our screens at home, but also reminded us just how stunning and immersive the original 2009 film is.
The newest film in the Toy Story franchise, Toy Story 5, released in theaters on June 19th, and Disney is celebrating in big ways!
©Disney
The film is a big reason you can celebrate Cool KIDS’ SUMMER in Disney World with the Jessie’s Roundup in Magic Kingdom, as well as check out a special Toy Story 5 photo op in Disney California Adventure, but there’s way more where that came from. If you’re heading to Disneyland Resort soon and staying on property, there’s a new perk coming to the hotel pools you won’t want to miss!
Sometimes it feels like you can see closures or construction in Disney World practically everywhere you look.
EPCOT
Right now, EPCOT is the park with the least construction, partly due to the fact that it’s the only park not getting an entire new land. However, if you look closely, you’ll find small projects throughout the park, like La Poutinerie, which has a planned opening date of July 1st. Another one is about to join the list, though, and we’ll be without this World Showcase store for a few months.
While there wasn’t much news from inside the actual Disney World parks this past week, we did get TONS of news that will soon affect Disney Springs and Disney’s BoardWalk.
©Disney
For months now, there have been empty buildings over at the BoardWalk, and while there have been permits filed, there has been no official announcement as to what is on the way. Until now, that is, because this past week, Disney revealed exactly what’s coming to the BoardWalk, and we also got some exciting updates about Disney Springs projects in the works!
Disney’s Animal Kingdom is known for having some of the best dining options out of the four theme parks, but we can’t leave out Animal Kingdom Lodge!
It’s time to eat!
Disney World hotels are often home to some great dining options as well, especially Deluxe hotels like Animal Kingdom Lodge. When we heard that there were two new menu options over at the Maji Pool Bar in the Kidani Village section of the hotel, we knew we had to give them a try. Our verdict? Let’s just say that there’s a reason we’re already planning our trip back to get them again!
It’s been a bit of a rocky world when it comes to Disney and AI, especially after Disney pulled out of their deal with OpenAI following the company’s shutdown of Sora.
©Variety
The deal between Disney and OpenAI included a $1 billion investment in OpenAI, but now that that has fallen through, Disney has been thinking of other ways to make use of AI regarding their IP. Now, there’s been an update in the saga, as Disney has begun using Adobe’s Firefly Foundry, which is the commercial version of Adobe’s AI model.
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