Thursday evening brought some major news on Disney’s new streaming service, Disney Plus. Just 24 hrs earlier, reports began coming out that this new rival to Netflix would be launched in November of this year and some of the possible content on that new service.
Thursday evening, those rumors were put to rest as Disney not only announced the launch date but also the price and some of the new content that will be coming soon.
Courtesy of Disney
Disney+ will officially launch November 12th, 2019 and will cost $6.99 a month. This was all announced at Disney’s 2019 Investor Day in California.
When it launches, Disney+ will include 7,500 episodes of current and off-air TV shows; 25 original series and 10 original movies and specials; 400 library movie titles; and 100 recent theatrical films release, according to Agnes Chu, senior VP of content, Disney+.
It will be available on virtually any platform and will also be ad-free.
Disney+ will be the home for new releases from Walt Disney Studios, Pixar, Lucasfilm and Marvel beginning with the 2019 lineup, which includes “Captain Marvel,” “Toy Story 4,” “Dumbo,” “Avengers: Endgame,” “Frozen II,” the live-action remakes of “Aladdin” and “The Lion King,” “Maleficent: Mistress of Evil,” and “Star Wars: Episode IX.” It also features a lineup of original series and films.
It will also offer movies from Disney’s video library including all of the Star Wars films, content from NatGeo, and hundreds of episodes from Disney channel shows.
Maybe the most exciting part of this new service will be its brand new original content. Some of the programming that Disney is ramping up includes “The Mandalorian”; a prequel to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”; the next season of Star Wars animated series “Clone Wars”; and a new series based on Pixar’s “Monsters Inc.” called “Monsters at Work.”
In addition, Disney+ is set to get several Marvel live-action series, including one centering on Loki (starring Tom Hiddleston); “WandaVision,” with Elizabeth Olsen returning as Wanda Maximoff and Paul Bettany reprising his role as The Vision; and “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” starring Anthony Mackie as Falcon and Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier. In addition, shows are in the works featuring Scarlet Witch, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Hawkeye, with Jeremy Renner set to reprise the role.
They will also debut new nonfiction series and behind-the-scenes looks at some of the latest in Disney movie making.
With Disney now owning a majority stake in the popular streaming service Hulu, they are looking at launching 3 separate streaming services in Disney+, ESPN+, and Hulu. While not confirmed at this meeting, there is the thought out there that Disney could bundle these services together.
I don’t about anyone else but with a price tag of $6.99 and 3 young children, this will more than likely be a must in our household. It seems Disney has taken a shot at its main rival in Netflix (even as Netflix has a price hike going into effect next month).
According to reports from various news outlets, Disney+, the new streaming service, is set to debut in November of this year.
While no set date or specific price has been announced, software developers have been rumored to have been told to make sure that the service can handle millions of new subscribers when it launches.
The new service, which will rival Netflix, will feature a ton of new content including content centered around some of its more popular franchises, such as Star Wars, High School Musical, and The Marvel Cinematic Universe. News Outlets have reported that Disney+ would add a new TV series based around the Marvel character, Hawkeye, starring Jeremy Renner.
Will the new Disney+ streaming service dethrone Netflix or Hulu in the streaming war?
Walt Disney World announced on Tuesday the date of the final showing of “Illuminations: Reflections of Earth” show that has made a 20 year run of closing Epcot each night.
Like everything associated with WDW, dates matter, and this one is no different. “Illuminations” will come to a close on September 30th later this year. The new show which will be titled “Epcot Forever” and will begin on October 1st.
Illuminations: Reflections of Earth
Epcot opened on October 1st, 1971, so they are ushering in a new nighttime spectacular to celebrate the 37th anniversary of the park’s opening.
“Illuminations” has been a fan favorite for the last 20 years. It has wowed and dazzled fans alike with its combination of pyrotechnics, fire, giant globe, laser lights, and soundtrack.
The new “Epcot Forever” show will start its run and will feature never before seen elements. Some of the fireworks and flying kite displays have already begun their testing.
“Epcot Forever” will be showing into 2020 when the next nighttime spectacular will be unveiled. Stay tuned for any new updates. Subscribe to receive email updates of the latest news and blog posts!
So you have decided to take a trip to Walt Disney World, the first question that must be answered is…WHEN? What are the best times of the year to visit WDW?
Most of the time, the answers to these questions are dependent on your family’s schedule. Here is a short list of some of the other questions you need to ask yourself before setting a time of year to go.
When can I get time off of work?
When are the kids not in school, or are we OK with taking them out of school for a vacation?
What type of weather do we want to encounter in central Florida?
How much do we want to spend?
What type of crowd size are we comfortable with?
What special events do we want to experience at the parks?
There are pros and cons to going at different times of the year. You need to weigh out all of your options and understand the cons that do exist at certain times.
When we went to Disney World for the first time as a family, our daughter was 2 years old. We wanted this trip to be special for her (even though, I am sure she doesn’t really remember much from that first trip). We chose to go during Christmas Week. We understood the cons associated with this time of year but felt the special atmosphere of Disney at Christmas time outweighed the cons.
Since that time, we have went a few different times of the year. My wife and I decided, early on, that we were willing to take our kids out of school for a week (and by the way, I am an elementary school teacher). The memories we have made on these trips have far surpassed the 1 week a year that the kids have missed of school.
We have visited Disney in early December, February, April, and May. We refuse to go in the summer time and have planned on going in October in the next couple of years.
Knowing the pros and cons can save you time, money, and frustration.
“The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing!” –Walt Disney
Note: 2019 ushers in the opening of Galaxy’s Edge in Hollywood Studios so expect heavy crowds here even at times which are normally low crowd times.
Summer (June-August)
This is probably the most convenient time for people to go to Walt Disney World. Schools are out for summer break for June and July and even early August. Less scheduling conflicts for families in the summer months, means more people visiting the parks. These are 3 of the busiest months of the year which will mean longer ride wait times (some being well over 2 hrs) and less dining accommodations and choices.
Because of the larger crowd sizes, the parks will extend their hours to accommodate longer wait times and have more in-park shows available. However, with the longer hours comes a higher cost.
Early June sees the end of the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival which features amazing topiaries around the park and the last few concerts in the Garden Rocks Concert Series. July 3rd and 4th will feature a special Fourth of July fireworks show at the Magic Kingdom. Mid-August begins Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on select nights which means early park closure at Magic Kingdom for those without event tickets.
The weather in these summer months can be grueling with the Florida heat and humidity. This can be a true test for even the biggest Mickey fan combined with very long wait times due to the heavy crowds. Make sure to prepare accordingly. This is also the rainy season in Florida as well as June being the beginning of hurricane season.
Winter (December-February)
The winter season can bring some lighter crowd sizes depending on the week. The holidays bring a heavy crowd but if you plan it right, you can find some light crowd levels during this season.
The parks are decorated festively and there are always special holiday themed events throughout the month such as Mickey’s Very-Merry Christmas Party.
One highlight of December at Epcot is the Candlelight Processional. This retelling of the Christmas story features a celebrity guest narrator and full orchestra.
Early December also welcomes hundreds of youth groups as the ESPN’s Wide World of Sports hosts the Pop Warner youth football championship tournaments and Cheer and Dance National Championships
While the holidays bring heavy crowds, there is just something about being at WDW on Christmas day.
Daylight temperatures hover around 70 degrees which makes walking the parks and standing in lines less of a frustration. The park hours will, however, decrease as the New Year begins and the festive decorations will begin to come down. The two Disney waterparks are also closed during this time.
Aside from the Holiday weeks, prices during this season are some of the best that you will find all year.
Fall (September-November)
***Galaxy’s Edge Opens August 29th — Expect much larger crowds during a typically low crowd season***
Magic Kingdom and Epcot both celebrate their birthdays October 1st. The Fall season typically brings low crowds and the heat of the Florida summer begins to subside. September brings low wait times for attractions while also giving visitors the option of visiting the 2 waterparks with temperatures still higher but not as grueling as July and August.
Schools are now back in full swing which means that Disney needs to provide an incentive for people to still visit. This incentive is Free Dining Plans during the month of September. This is a huge cost saving opportunity if your schedule allows for a September trip. Overall, these months provide the best financial opportunity if you are wanting to save some money.
Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is in full swing. Special parades, characters, and fireworks help celebrate the experience of Halloween magic throughout the parks and resorts.
Children AND adults are able dress up and go trick-or-treating during this evening party session.
November can be a great time to go with the exception being Thanksgiving Week. It is a transitional month for the parks as they go from Fall decor to celebrating the Christmas season.
Overall, these months provide a ton of advantages to visiting.
Spring (March-May)
This time of year is our typical destination time. Choosing your week carefully is a must. If crowd size is an issue, avoid late March and early April with school letting out for Spring Break during these times.
The weather begins to trend warmer as this season progresses. With warmer temperatures comes more events and celebrations in the parks. Epcot’s International Flower and Garden Festival runs a majority of these months with flowers blooming and character topiaries taking form.
Prices have not reached their Summer hike so good deals are still able to be found.
The waterparks also begin to reopen in early March giving crowds more options.
As May rolls around, crowd sizes begin to trend upwards to moderate levels, as does the potential for an afternoon thunderstorm becoming a common occurrence.
Understanding what you want out of your trip is key in picking the appropriate time of the year to visit. There are always going to be challenges to a Disney trip. However, by prioritizing what is important to you and your family, the positives can far outweigh any negatives. Just understand your choices.
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