2020 has proven a difficult year for Walt Disney World and many upcoming projects have been delayed. Disney has recently shared updates on upcoming projects, one of those being Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure at EPCOT, which was supposed to open this year.
Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, recently took the virtual stage at the IAAPA Expo: Virtual Education Conference, where he shared a behind-the-scenes look at the lessons we’ve learned over the past year, and the ways we’re moving forward into 2021 and beyond.
Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure
Plans are on track to open Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure in 2021. Based on Disney and Pixar’s hit film, “Ratatouille,” this family-friendly attraction will invite you to shrink down to the scale of a rat for a culinary adventure with Chef Remy. During each adventure, you’ll race across Gusteau’s kitchen floor aboard special trackless ride vehicles in a thrilling 3D chase.
Exciting news coming out of Disney! Disney has been named as a “Corporation of the Year” by The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC). With Disney’s strong approach to positively impact the community by working with ethnic minority-owned suppliers, the recognition is well deserved!
As shared by Leonard Spencer, Senior Manager of Supplier Diversity:
Earlier this year on the Disney Parks Blog, we shared the tremendous passion that The Walt Disney Company’s Supplier Diversity team has for positively impacting the diverse supplier community. Now, I am thrilled to share that this hard work has been recognized as Disney has been named as a “Corporation of the Year” by The National Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC)!
This award is NMSDC’s highest honor to a major corporation for the utilization of ethnic minority-owned suppliers, specifically those with Asian, Black, Hispanic, and Native-American owners. Our Supplier Diversity team works hard to create an inclusive supply chain where we identify diverse suppliers that help the company deliver world-class entertainment experiences to our guests in our theme parks and resorts around the world. When we identify and work with diverse companies, not only do we contribute to their growth, but we also gain marketplace insights that enrich our content, enhance our offerings and make a difference in the communities where we live, work and play.
The Supplier Diversity team also recently showcased the story of Badia Spices on the Disney Parks Blog. The inspiring story highlighted the business who supplies spices and seasoning blends to our restaurants and has been one of our leading suppliers since 2005. Thanks to the variety of the spices that Badia supplies to our parks, we’re able to create magic through fan-favorite culinary delights. We are proud of our work in ensuring a pipeline of opportunity where minority businesses can participate and thrive in Disney’s economic system, and I am thankful for the entire team’s efforts in making this possible.
I had the honor to accept this award on behalf of Disney and could not help beaming with pride for my team and the immeasurable support and passion that they have for this line of work. Stay tuned for even more stories on our diverse suppliers in the months to come!
Disney Legend Tony Baxter and Disney innovator Greg Hale have been inducted into the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Hall of Fame. Check out their incredible involvement with the Walt Disney Company below as shared by DisneyParksBlog.
Tony Baxter, who is a former Walt Disney Imagineering creative executive, was honored earlier today with the Lifetime Achievement Award from IAAPA for his decades of work on some of Disney’s most memorable attractions.
Tony, who began his Disney career working as an ice cream scooper at Disneyland, started working for Walt Disney Imagineering (then called WED Enterprises) in 1970. Over the next 43 years, he helped oversee and create such attractions as the Land, Seas and Imagination pavilions at EPCOT, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the major refurbishment of Fantasyland at Disneyland in 1983, Star Tours, Splash Mountain, Indiana Jones Adventure and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. He was also the executive producer who oversaw the design of Disneyland Paris, which opened in 1992.
In 2013 Tony received the Disney Legend award as well as a window honoring him on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disneyland. Following his retirement that same year, Tony continues to consult with Walt Disney Imagineering on various projects and mentors the next generation of Imagineers.
Greg was also honored today for his extraordinary accomplishments and contributions as a leader and innovator at Disney.
Greg, who is Disney Parks’ chief safety officer, leads a global team of ride design, operations, maintenance and safety professionals around the world that keep Disney on the leading edge of theme park safety, accessibility for guests with disabilities, and technology advancements. Greg has received a number of previous awards in recognition of his commitment to safety and for fostering innovative practices that increase access to Disney experiences for those with disabilities. He holds dozens of U.S. patents and is credited as one of the inventors of Disney FASTPASS Service. He has served on several industry safety boards and associations and has held a number of leadership roles within IAAPA, including as the organization’s chairman in 2017.
One of the most popular attractions in all of Walt Disney World is the newest attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. As much as we love this attraction, wait times have been rather painful recently, especially without a FastPass option. Good news however, it seems as though wait times are greatly improving with doubled capacity on the attraction.
Disney recently installed plexiglass dividers between each row on the attraction, allowing the train to fill with guests rather than having empty rows between each party.
As reported via Twitter by Walt Disney World Wait Times (@WDWWait) on November 17: “The doubled capacity of Mickey and Minnies Runaway Railroad really evident here – wait times nearly halved compared to yesterday!”
Voice actor and singer, Jess Harnell, is known for voicing attractions at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. The most popular voice role for Harnell is for Splash Mountains’ popular character, Brer Rabbit. As Disney prepares to re-imagine Splash Mountain to a Princess and the Frog theme, Disney recently noted the project is being expedited. Harnell weighs in with his thoughts on the ride’s re-imagining.
“[Splash Mountain] is really, really dear to my heart, because it was the first character voice job I ever did, and I did most of the voices on that ride,” Harnell told ComicBook.com. “And it gave me a great sense of joy knowing that wherever I was, sleeping, awake, whatever condition I was in at that time, somebody somewhere in the world was on Splash Mountain, and hopefully it was making them happy. I loved that idea. Since, then I’ve gone on to do a lot of other stuff at the Disney parks. Those are still going to be there.”
“I’ve had the experience of looking down from above on the Main Street Electrical Parade, watching kids’ faces light up when voices I did come out,” Harnell continued. “And there’s no greater feeling. To know that you gave people that happiness. Now, personally, I don’t believe that Splash Mountain was offensive, and I don’t believe that it alluded to anything offensive, but if it’s going to upset people or make people feel bad about something terrible, then I get it. I’m sorry to see it go, because I loved it. It was an honor to be involved, and I’m happy I had that chance. But I don’t want to be a part of anything that makes anybody hurt.”
Disney has yet to announce a date for Splash Mountain’s closure for re-imagining to begin.
