Disney Actress Fires Agent After Being Brought to Universal Studios

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Uncategorized

It’s not that often that a well-renowned Disney actress is spotted at the competition.

Dame Judith Olivia “Judi” Dench, CH, DBE, FRSA is known for her roles as M in the James Bond films and Miss Lilly in Angelina Ballerina. She also received Academy Award nominations for her roles in Mrs Henderson Presents, Notes on a Scandal, and Philomena.

For Disney, Dench voiced Mrs. Calloway in Home on the Range, and is the current narrator of Spaceship Earth at the Disney Park EPCOT in Walt Disney World Resort. She made a cameo in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, and played Queen Elizabeth in Shakespeare in Love, Queen Victoria in Mrs. Brown and Victoria and Abdul, Armande Voizon in Chocolat, Iris Murdoch in Iris, and Commander Root in Artemis Fowl.

Recently, Dench revealed that when she was last in California, her agent took her to Universal Studios Hollywood.

Though she told her that she didn’t want to do anything that “shoots up into the air,” she did find herself on Jurassic World: The Ride. A ride that does not shoot you up in the air, but does have an 80-foot plunge at the very end.

“I told her I didn’t want anything that shoots me up into the air,” Dench said via Crow River Media. “So we were in little boats, and it was absolutely charming. And then suddenly we dropped 80 feet into a pool of water. I was so angry .. I fired her at that minute. I said, ‘You are f****** fired.’”

Universal Hollywood

Judi Dench was diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition, age-related macular degeneration (AMD), in 2012, and admits it is now “annoying” to learn lines due to her eyesight.

“I can’t read anymore, which is very, very boring. I can’t see. It’s annoying learning parts,” she shared.

However, when asked if she was slowing down, Dench said that she will continue to find a way.

“Slowing down? How dare you! How dare you. I’m slowing down only in that I can’t see to read. But I will find a way.”

Disney Changes Release Date For ‘Disenchanted’

Posted on by Mathew Corn Disney+

Disney has modified the release date for the highly anticipated sequel ‘Disenchanted,’ but is this change really that bad?

Fans had waited 15 years to learn more about the story of Giselle and Robert Philip after the characters captivated the hearts of millions in 2007 when Enchanted was released. While Disney announced the premiere date for the highly anticipated sequel during Disney’s D23 Expo earlier this year, the company has decided to change the release date, previously scheduled for November 24, 2022.

While these changes often mean fans will have to anxiously wait for the film’s premiere for even longer, the recent change was actually for the best, as Disenchanted is now scheduled to premiere on November 18, per a Disney press release, almost a whole week ahead of its original schedule!

Disney Adds Big Cast Member Perk

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Dining, Disney Parks, Disney Resorts, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom, Uncategorized

For some, working at a Disney Resort is a dream job. Being able to be right in the middle of the magic and help families create memories is something not a lot of people get to do. Heck, some people even move across the country — or even the world — for the chance to work at places like Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

However, recently, it seems that Disney is having a little bit of trouble keeping Cast Members happy. Not only does Disney frequently get called out for its low wages — which left some workers living in their cars — but there were also a number of walkouts and protests when Disney CEO Bob Chapek called Florida’s controversial “Don’t Say Gay” bill, “irrelevant to the company”.

Pixar Walkout

There was also the issue of Cast Members and studio employees not receiving the same great perks that they once did. Now, however, it looks like Disney is trying to increase the perks — at least a little bit.

For years, one of the biggest perks was that Cast Members would be able to get into the theme parks pretty much whenever they wanted and bring some of their family or friends with them. They were also given a number of complimentary tickets that they could give to friends and family, so they could get into the Parks without the Cast Member.

Those days have been significantly cut down and last year, Disney told Cast Members they could either have the theme park perk, or they could receive the Disney Bundle — which includes Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+ — for free.

This year, Disney has changed course and has informed Cast Members that they will not have to choose. Cast Members will now be able to have both the theme park access and the Disney Bundle. However, they will only have free access to the ad-supported version of Disney+, which will launch on December 8. Disney has not told Cast Members if they will be able to pay to upgrade to the ad-free tier.

Disney Cast Members also get perks like discounts at other Disney theme parks and Disney Resorts. They also get discounts at Disney hotels. The one exception is Tokyo Disney Resort, which is not owned by Disney.

Genie+ Price Hike Already In Place

Posted on by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

In the early morning hours of October 11, 2022, it was discovered that Disneyland Resort had quietly hiked up the price for its Disney Genie+ service from $20 per person per day to $25 overnight. But the Disney news of the price hikes didn’t stop there.

In addition to Disneyland’s price hike of Disney Genie service (the former complementary line skipping service known as MaxPass or FastPass+), Disneyland Resort bumped up its Park ticket prices for Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure.

Unfortunately, we had a feeling Walt Disney World Resort wasn’t in the clear. Shortly after Disneyland’s news, Walt Disney World Resort quietly update its Disney Genie+ service. Instead of the former sticker price of $15 per person per day, Disney World revealed it would now offer Disney Genie+ pricing that would “vary by date.”

Much faster than Disney has been able to make decisions about the long-lasting construction status of the TRON Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom Park… Disney wasted no time implementing the Disney Genie+ price hike.

As of the morning of October 12, 2022, Disney Genie+ at Walt Disney World has jumped from $15 to $20.

@AshleyLCarter1 took to social media to share, “For today (Oct. 12), Disney Genie+ at Disney World is priced at $20 per person plus tax. Disney recently implemented variable pricing for the service.”

The news of the price hikes didn’t stop there. Furthermore, Disney kept the quiet pricing increase unfolding with select Disney experience price increases at Savi’s Workshop and Droid Depot at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Food and beverage pricing increase has also been spotted throughout the Disney Parks and Resorts.

Individual Lightning Lane attractions that are not included in Disney Genie+ will also increase and vary in price daily, depending on crowd size for each Disney Park. The individual attraction selection and pricing for Lightning Lane attractions include Seven Dwarfs Mine Train (expect $11 per person) at Magic Kingdom, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind (expect $15 per person) at EPCOT, Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance (expect $20 per person) at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and Avatar Flight of Passage (expect $14 per person) at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park.