October 2022 – Page 9 – A Walk With The Mouse

Disney Announces Price Change for Genie+

Posted on October 12, 2022 by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Parks, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Disney Genie+ was introduced just about a year ago, and due to its popularity, Disney is increasing pricing for the service effective immediately. The paid service allows you to schedule times to skip the line and use the Lightning Lane at certain attractions at each of the theme parks.

Here is the statement from Disney:

Disney Genie+ service continues to be very popular among our guests. As we continue to manage the strong demand we are seeing for this service, we are introducing variable pricing for Disney Genie+, beginning Tuesday, October 11.

At Walt Disney World Resort, Disney Genie+ will also vary in price based on the date a guest is visiting. Similar to theme park tickets, throughout the year, prices may be lower on less busy days and higher during peak periods like Thanksgiving and Christmas. For example, now through the end of October, prices will be $15 per Guest, per day on less busy dates, $22 on some of our busier dates, and somewhere in between on other dates (plus tax; prices subject to change beyond October). As a reminder, single-day purchases of Disney Genie+ at Walt Disney World Resort are only available directly through the My Disney Experience app on the guest’s date of visit.

At Disneyland Resort, Disney Genie+ will now be $25 per day when purchased in advance as an add-on with a new ticket or vacation packages. Single-day purchases for Disney Genie+ through the Disneyland app will begin at $25 per day, and may vary by date, based on demand.

Additionally, WEB SLINGERS: A Spider-Man Adventure at Disney’s California Adventure Park is now part of Disney Genie+, providing guests with even more options to choose from when using this service.

Disney Appologizes Over “Offensive Joke”

Posted on October 11, 2022October 11, 2022 by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Disney recently apologized for a joke they made in an internal newsletter. A dad joke is a regular feature in Stay Connected, the internal newsletter for Disney General Entertainment. This time, however, it seems the joke of the day offended people in not just one but two different ways!

The joke said, “My four-year-old son has been learning Spanish all year, and he still can’t say the word “please” which I think is poor for four.” They later sent out an apology after apparently receiving complaints about the play on words stating, “In today’s Stay Connected newsletter, there was an inappropriate joke. It was never our intention to marginalize a language or a young person’s learning skills, and we apologize to anyone offended. We strive to maintain a sense of belonging and uphold our belief in diversity, equality, and inclusion within the company. We will do better.”

It’s unclear exactly who was offended by the joke or if Disney was simply attempting to be proactive by issuing the apology. The original memo and apology both made their way to Twitter, and as usual, Twitter had some thoughts on the matter.

One user astutely commented that comedy is impossible in today’s world, with a nod to Orwell’s novel 1984:

Another made an attempt at comedy themselves:

Still, some believe it was a publicity stunt:

While others perhaps took the joke a bit too seriously:

Meanwhile, one user found something entirely different to be offended about:

Others blamed “wokeness” for the apology and, it seems, took some joy in what they considered to be poetic justice:

It seems, like all things, opinions on the subject were varied. Most commentators were simply confused as to why the “dad joke” warranted an apology in the first place. The joke and subsequent apology can be found here:

Disney General Entertainment forced to apologize for…I’m not really sure what. Remember, you can never be woke enough so it’s always better not to try. pic.twitter.com/qJHHnbN4xA

— Karol Markowicz (@karol) October 5, 2022

Disney Princess Gives Emergency Signal

Posted on October 11, 2022October 11, 2022 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks, Magic Kingdom

One of the most magical parts of visiting Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort is meeting your favorite Disney character or Disney princess.

While meeting with a Disney princess or Disney character can be an unforgettable experience, there are also rules in place to ensure that both Guests and Cast Members are safe during the encounters.

YouTubers Cody Ko and Noel Miller’s recently welcomed Twitch streamer QTCinderella– real name Blaire– onto their Tiny Meat Gang (TMG) podcast. During the interview, she revealed that it wasn’t working with the kids that became the difficult part of working at Disneyland Resort.

“You have a zone, and you can’t be out there for too long because you get overheated obviously and kids are aggressive.” she said via quotes in Screenshot Media. But as Ko and Miller are heard laughing in the background, hinting at how awful it sounds to work with children all day long, QTCinderella added, “It’s actually not the kids.”

She shared that the “worst part is the dads.”

“As a princess, if a dad grabs your a**… “You’re taking a photo with the whole family, they will just—,” finishing her sentence with a motion of her hand grabbing ‘something’ harshly.

The Twitch streamer shared that Cast Members aren’t allowed to break character and, so she had an emergency signal that was to let her escorts know when something went wrong.

“Mine was talking about Lucifer—Cinderella’s step mom’s cat. I would just randomly start bringing up Lucifer and they would pull me out of the situation. But if your a** is being grabbed, you can’t be like ‘Stop’ because Cinderella would not say stop…” “That sounded so bad but you know, you’re playing a character, you can’t just ruin the child’s experience by telling their dad to stop grabbing your a**.”

She then went on to explain that there was one instance of a “repeat offender” who had become known for grabbing Disney princesses around the Park and attempting to kiss them. This particular individual was kicked out of Disneyland following their behavior.

Please remember when visiting the Disney Parks to always show the utmost respect Cast Members, including the actors and actresses portraying your favorite Disney character.

Encanto Interactive Experience Opening Soon

Posted on October 11, 2022October 11, 2022 by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Disney is finally bringing the hit film Encanto (2021) to life with an all-new interactive experience opening soon!

Since the hit film’s debut, fans have been eager to see Disney bringing this beloved story to life at Disney Parks, being beyond thrilled when Mirabel debuted at Disneyland Resort and later at Walt Disney World Resort, which was also home to several breathtaking Encanto-inspired topiaries during EPCOT’s International Flower & Garden Festival.

And while Disney teased a possible project bringing a massive new land inspired by Coco (2017), Encanto, and even Disney Villains to Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom, there is still no official timeline for an actual project inspired by the heartwarming Colombian story just yet.

However, Disney just announced an all-new immersive Encanto-themed experience welcoming Guests soon!

Fans can say “¡Hola, Casita!” in the latest collaboration between CAMP and Walt Disney Animation Studios, “Disney Encanto x CAMP.” This 6,000 6,000-square-foot experience, inspired by the film and created in partnership with Disney, will open its doors in New York City on October 8, transporting families into the colorful world of Disney Animation’s Encanto and enjoy an exciting hour-long visit filled with candlelight, cumbia and – most of all – magic.

Per Disney Parks Blog:

Guests will be able to climb up and around Antonio’s room and join the rainforest adventure, spin through Isabela’s flower-filled room, or slide down into the Courtyard. Fans will find new interactive scenes, uniquely created for this experience, including Luisa’s and Pepa’s never-before-seen rooms, and even cousin Dolores’ Soundscape Door!

And fans can shop until they drop in La Placita for exclusive, bespoke, customizable clothing, books, and colorful felt jewelry, all displayed in a series of beautiful, themed merchant carts.

CAMP describes this unique experience as follows:

For the first time ever, La Familia Madrigal are opening their doors … and you’re invited! It’s the world’s first immersive Disney Encanto experience: a real-life Casita, complete with secret passages, interactive magic, live music, and surprises behind every magic door.

From Antonio’s rainforest to Isabela’s floral wonderland and Luisa’s happy place, CAMP’s Disney Encanto experience is bursting with magical fun. Oh, and we don’t talk about this, but you might see Bruno’s room, too!

On top of all that, we brought the fun of the Disney Encanto town square to CAMP. All kinds of merchants have cooked up custom-made, exclusive goods inspired by the world of Disney Encanto, from chain-stitched apparel to handmade flower crowns that you’ll only find at CAMP.

The Disney Encanto x CAMP Experience opens on October 8 at CAMP’s Flagship Store located at 110 5th Avenue, New York. Tickets for this exclusive experience are limited and can be purchased here. The immersive experience will be available in New York for a limited time before moving to another CAMP location near you. You can click here for more information on the experience.

Night Of A Million Lights WILL Return This Year!

Posted on October 10, 2022October 10, 2022 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

If you live in Central Florida, then you may know about Give Kids The World Village — an incredible 89-acre non-profit Resort located in Kissimmee where terminally ill children and their families can vacation for a week at no cost to them. Give Kids the World Village has been in operation since 1986 and, since then, has welcomed more than 177,000 families from 76 countries.

For the past couple of years, Give Kids the World Village has hosted a popular holiday event — Night of A Million Lights. The event attracts hundreds of people, but earlier this year, it was announced that the show would not return due to Give Kids The World Village wanting to focus on providing life-changing vacations to families.

However, we are now learning that Night of A Million Lights WILL return at a brand-new location! According to the Give Kids the World Village website, Night of A Million Lights will happen this year at H2O Water Park — which is also located in Kissimmee. H2O Water Park has only been open for about a year and a half, and this is one of the first big events the Water Park has hosted.

Here is more information on Night of A Million Lights — which will take place from November 11 through January 1.

Come enter a dazzling winter wonderland illuminated with millions of lights and filled with festive family activities and live entertainment for a one-of-a-kind, fully immersive holiday experience.
Named by USA Today the “Number One Thing To Do In December In Orlando” when it debuted in 2020, Night of a Million Lights is a lightscape of spectacular sparkle and mesmerizing dancing lights, where guests of all ages can create priceless holiday memories – and all for a wonderful cause.
Night of a Million Lights has quickly become one of the most popular holiday events in Central Florida and many nights will sell out so don’t delay – get your tickets today.

After the announcement was made, H2O Water Park manager Jim Kunau gave the following statement to WESH2 Orlando:

“It’s an honor to help Give Kids The World deliver happiness and hope to critically ill children and their families by hosting Central Florida’s most popular new holiday tradition at Island H2O Water Park, We invite the entire community to join us at Night of a Million Lights at Island H2O for 52 nights of family fun, live performances, delicious food and holiday cheer, while helping to make wishes come true for families in our community and around the world.”

Tickets for Night of A Million Lights range from $30 for Standard tickets to $40 for Holiday tickets. You can purchase your tickets by clicking here.