A Cast Member employee at the Walt Disney World Resort is facing felony charges after sending explicit messages to an undercover detective who was posing as a 15-year-old girl.
The Disney employee, Zachary Hudson, 30, told the undercover detective posing as a teenager that he was texting her while he was at work as a bus driver at Disney World on June 4 and June 5, according to an affidavit from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Transcripts of the explicit messages sent by Hudson to the “teen” (undercover detective) reveal the content of those messages, including Hudson’s offer to meet to engage in sexual activity. He also sent her an explicit photo of himself.
Orange County deputies arrested the Cast Member at Magic Kingdom while he was working on June 6. He was charged with third-degree felonies: transmitting material harmful to a minor and using a two-way communication device to commit a felony.
Zachary Hudson is one of 12 people arrested in an undercover investigation by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office that served as a child predator sting operation.
According to records, Hudson and the detective posing as a teenager met on a social media website, and even after she told him she was a minor, he continued exchanging messages with her.
One of the text messages he sent to her read, “I could honestly go to jail for this, but I’ll risk it for you.”
Further messages between the two indicate that Hudson told the undercover detective that he worked at Disney World before he suggested that they meet at her house “in secret and private,” according to the affidavit.
He also told her that they would “need to be cautious” and referenced the difference in their ages. Afterward, he sent her a graphic photo as well.
Idina Menzel, the iconic voice behind Queen Elsa in Disney’s Frozen and Frozen 2, says she’s all about playing the Queen of Arendelle in the third installment of the icy film franchise.
Menzel shared her voice alongside Kristen Bell, who voices Princess Anna, in both installments of the film franchise so far. Both leading ladies possess strong voices that landed them in their roles in the 2013 break-out blockbuster Frozen, followed six years later by Frozen 2 in 2019, which also enjoyed blockbuster success and status.
The franchise also features the vocal talents and performances of actors Josh Gad as Olaf, Alan Tudyk as the Duke of Wesselton, Jonathan Groff as Kristof, and Santino Fontana as Hans.
Though it’s been nearly three years since Frozen 2 debuted at the box office, that’s not an indication that the franchise is finished, according to ScreenRant, which reports that “the hiatus is not a death knell for the Frozen franchise.”
“Since [the release of ‘Frozen’] in 2013, Anna and Elsa have been subject not only to hysteric worship by millions of little kids across the globe but also more ‘Frozen’-related material. In 2015, Disney released an eight-minute short called ‘Frozen Fever’ in between the releases of ‘Frozen’ and ‘Frozen 2.’ ‘Frozen’ was also adapted into a popular Broadway show, and just this March, Disney released a music video for an unreleased Anna and Elsa duet that didn’t make it into ‘Frozen 2.’”
As the movie mill keeps turning at Disney, updates about future Frozen projects, including Frozen 3, have been few and far between. But according to People Magazine, Idina Menzel is hoping a new Frozen film is on the books for release, saying she’s all about being her age and getting to play a much younger girl.
In a statement to People, Menzel said, “I hope [Frozen 3 is in the works], but I don’t know. Anytime I can be 80 and play a blonde animated girl who is, like, 15 — who has amazing arms, by the way, I love that about her.”
There’s been no definitive announcement from Walt Disney Studios about a third installment in the Frozen film franchise, but interest from Idina Menzel would surely mean that yet another sequel to the icy blockbuster isn’t out of the question.
Not only did Menzel lend her voice to Queen Elsa’s spoken lines in the films, but she also lent her singing voice to the Queen of Arendelle as well. In Frozen, Menzel sang “Let It Go,” which won an Oscar in 2013 and raced to the tip-top of the music charts as well. In Frozen 2, the actress sang yet another moving ballad, “Into the Unknown,” which received an Oscar nomination but lost to an original song by Elton John for the film Rocketman.
“A Frozen without Menzel would be nearly impossible,” the post reads. “She is the heart of Frozen, and her powerhouse vocals make the songs soar. With the actress on board for another Frozen film, perhaps Elsa and Anna might just hit the silver screen again.”
It remains to be seen if and when the Powerhouse of Mouse might return for a take-three of Frozen, but a new film certainly wouldn’t be a fool’s errands, as both Frozen and Frozen 2 made more than $1 billion at the box office worldwide. Each has been translated into multiple languages, the music from the films has been rock-solid, and fans seem very open to a third take of the film.
There’s even an adaptation of the film on Broadway. Read more about the show here.
As a huge Pixar fan and specifically a fan of the Toy Story movies, I was excited for this new addition to the franchise. I thought the concept of this movie was different but would be a refreshing take on what we already knew of Buzz Lightyear, the toy. As I watched this movie, I was underwhelmed by the entirety of the movie. Now, before you gather the bucket of tar and bag of feathers, let me, hopefully, explain why.
I went into this movie understanding that this was not going to be the same as any of the Toy Story movies. This was not going to be filled with the bits of humor that permeate the franchise. This movie wasn’t going to have the nostalgia of the toys, themselves, that so many of us grew up playing with and the feelings that we got seeing them come to an animated life. I knew this was going to be a different kind of movie separate from the franchise but still involving one of its most loved characters. To compare this movie to the rest of the franchise is unfair to this movie. It’s not the same type of movie. Because of this, I was excited for the possibility that this movie could be, separate from the others.
Visually, it is stunning. The sci-fi look and feel of the movie is great. This movie is a direct testament to how far animation has come in the last 25-30 years since Toy Story made its way to our hearts. Pixar has always been top-notch when it comes to the animation itself and this movie delivers.
Let me address a couple of the controversies that have troubled the movie before it even had a chance to get to theaters. First, Chris Evans replacing Tim Allen as the voice of Buzz. I thought this was kind of a faux issue of sorts. I didn’t expect the “real” version of Buzz Lightyear to sound exactly the same as the “Toy” Buzz, so I wasn’t in that camp where this was a huge issue for me to start with. I thought Evans was fantastic and there were times where I thought he sounded like Allen in some of the ways in which things were said or expressed.
The second controversy more plaguing this film is the same-sex scene that has gotten this movie banned in many countries. This scene was done in a way that didn’t take away from the rest of the movie. People have strong opinions on both sides of this topic and Disney and Pixar have to continue to make a decision whether they want to risk money at the box office in place of putting forth their social agenda. This controversy will ultimately be settled by the box office numbers and whether the company’s willingness to continue to create content that some people deem to be controversial will outweigh its pocketbooks. Disney’s decision making right now is under intense scrutiny as their stock continues to trend downward over the last year, going from nearly $200 a share to now being under $100 a share.
The storyline is where this movie loses me. The jumps in time, while seeming like a great concept was just poorly used. I was left wondering what happened in between those years. Instead, it just jumps and things happen and it goes to the next jump in time, until finally, a spaceship is seen above inhabited world. I thought the first half of the movie provided so much potential and then the last half just kinda seemed flat and long. There were good moments but those good moments were surrounded by moments that just seemed dull. This movie could have cut about 15-20 minutes out and still provided the same effect. I remember sitting there 2/3 of the way through the movie and wondered if I really was enjoying what I was watching. The storyline at times seemed like an episode of a TV series that is meant to set up the next episode. Assuming there will be a sequel, maybe the combination of movies will make the storyline work better. I am skeptical.
Besides Buzz, Alisha Hawthorne, and her granddaughter Izzy Hawthorne, the other characters were very poorly developed. I can’t even tell you what the other characters names were. I thought this was a complete miss. Even Zurg and his band of robots were also a miss for me in the way in which they were introduced and used. Sox, Buzz’s robot cat, was a great addition and made the movie bearable at times.
Overall, after letting this movie marinade for half a day, this was a disappointment for me. “Lightyear” is a decent to average sci-fi film with great visuals. However, it was not up to Pixar standards in terms of storytelling and if the movie didn’t contain a beloved Pixar character, it would be one that I would say, don’t see. But, being in the Toy Story franchise, give it a try and see what you think.
If I had to rate this, it would maybe get a 5 out of 10 only because of my love for the character and Pixar films in general!
When most people think of the Walt Disney World Resort, they usually think of the four incredible theme parks and two great water parks. They may also think of the amazing restaurants or all of the merchandise they can add to their collection. One thing they may not think of is playing sports. That’s right, every year Disney hosts a number of sporting events — including the Warrior Games — at its ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. From gymnastics to baseball and softball, basketball, and more, almost any athlete can complete at the Wide World of Sports Complex.
While the Wide World of Sports is in Disney World and the Disney magic is all over the place, accidents can still happen there. And those accidents can be serious, as was the case with a young boy who recently participated in a basketball tournament there. According to a lawsuit filed by the boy’s parent, he hurt his hand on a metal sign at a baseball field. The injuries he suffered were so severe that he had to have several fingers amputated.
“We have begun a thorough investigation to determine what led to this incident and what could have been done to prevent it. Our client’s life, as a child, has now been changed forever, and we will fight for accountability to ensure this does not happen again,” Morgan & Morgan attorneys John Morgan and Tyler Kobylinski said in a statement.
At this time, Disney has not responded to the lawsuit, but that is not unusual. With the Parks being back to nearly full capacity and events once again taking place at the Resort, lawsuits are coming back in full force. One woman recently sued Disney, claiming that they were responsible for a severe injury she suffered when she was hit by a scooter rented out by Disney.
Another Disney Resort hotel Guest also launched a lawsuit against the company for an injury that she suffered at a hotel swimming pool. The Guest said that Disney’s negligence caused her to hit the bottom of the pool, and she will now suffer from lifelong injuries. Disney is also fighting a “deceptive practices” case for the sale of its Magic Keys at Disneyland Resort.
According to the lawsuit filed on behalf of the young boy who lost his fingers, the family is requesting more than $30,000 in damages. The lawsuit was filed in the Orange County Circuit Court.
The battle between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis continues, and now members of the federal legislature are stepping in and taking their own measures to make a statement to the House of Mouse, this time proposing legislation to end a nearly 20-year statute at Disney World and Disneyland.
Congressman Troy Nehls (R-TX) immediately went to work on attempts to remove the “no-fly zone” status in the skies over the Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida and the Disneyland Resort in California.
Representative Nehls penned letters to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and to Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg regarding Disney’s current restricted airspace. The flight restriction was put into place in 2003 and not in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks, as many believe.
It’s why Guests can look up into the skies over Magic Kingdom, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios, and Disney Springs, and they won’t see any airliners.
In his letter to Buttigieg, Congressman Nehls points out that Disney is the only theme park resort owner to have such privileges.
“In 2003, Congress passed Section 352 of Public Law 108-7, which was later amended by Section521 of Public Law 108-199. These acts created permanent “temporary” flight restrictions in the airspace over Disney’s resorts in Florida and California. These restrictions only applied to Disney’s parks. No other theme parks have restrictions on airspace, including neighboring competitors like Universal Studios.”
In his letter, Nehls calls the no-fly zones “preferential treatment” to Disney, saying U. S. Disney Parks don’t meet the standard requirements for having the status. He also asks for a response from Buttigieg’s office by June 3, 2022.
On Monday, according to The Daily Caller, Nehls introduced legislation that, if passed, would require the Secretary of Transportation to abolish the no-fly zones over both U. S. Disney Parks. Called the Airline’s Independent of Restrictions Act, or AIR Act, the proposed legislation has 5 co-sponsors: Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert, Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde, California Rep. Doug LaMalfa, Florida Rep. Scott Perry, and Florida Rep. Gregory Steube.
Just before introducing the new legislation, Nehls gave a statement to The Daily Caller, saying, “the federal government should not grant special privileges and pick favorites for powerful, well-connected companies like Disney.” He went on to say that “measures designed to protect our national security and public safety should not be co-opted by corporations looking to gain.
It’s been months since Florida passed the controversial Parental Rights in Education law–a move that set a chain of events into motion, beginning with an inflammatory public statement from The Walt Disney Company immediately following news that the bill was signed into law.
In the statement, Disney criticized DeSantis’s move, saying the bill “should never have passed” and that the company’s goal “is for this law to be repealed by the legislature or struck down in the courts.”
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis immediately fired back, saying, “For Disney to say that the bill should have never passed and that they are going to actively work to repeal it–I think one, was fundamentally dishonest, but two, I think that crossed the line.”
DeSantis took things a step further, saying that Disney’s “woke ideology” could cost the company its special privileges in the Sunshine State, referring to Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District in parts of Orange and Osceola Counties, which allows the company to function as its own government. Within days, members of the Florida legislature introduced a bill that would effectively dissolve any Florida special districts–like Reedy Creek–that were created prior to the ratification of Florida’s state constitution in 1968.
The bill quickly passed in Florida’s House and Senate and was signed into law by DeSantis in the last days of April, and will take effect July 1, 2023.
In response to Florida’s “treatment of Disney,” governors from other states like Colorado and California posted proverbial welcome mats on social media, letting Disney know they could move to these states and be welcomed with open arms. A judge in South Texas went so far as to pen a letter to Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek, inviting him and the company to open a brand-new theme park resort in the Lone Star State following the passing of Florida’s new law.
At the same time, some members of the federal legislature stepped into the ring with Disney and DeSantis, taking aim at the company’s rights to Steamboat Willie, which are set to expire in 2023, saying they won’t take steps to extend Disney’s rights (as they did in the late 1980s) in response to Disney’s stance on Florida’s Parental Rights in Education law.
It remains to be seen how far the state and federal governments will go in using their power to take power from The Walt Disney Company.
