January 2024 – Page 14 – A Walk With The Mouse

Disney Officially Loses Rights To Mickey Mouse, Multiple Characters Next

Posted on January 8, 2024January 8, 2024 by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Is Disney losing the rights to Mickey Mouse? That seems strange. Well, sadly, it is true Mickey Mouse will be returning to the public domain.

2024 will mark a significant milestone in the world of copyright and intellectual property as Mickey Mouse, the beloved and iconic character created by Walt Disney, is entering the public domain in the United States. This means that anyone, including individuals, artists, and creators, could now use the Steamboat Willie version of Mickey Mouse as a character in their works as long as he resembled the 1928 incarnation.

This may leave fans wondering if Disney is losing the rights to beloved Mickey: Who will be the next character to go? The most popular FAB 5 character that will be returning to the domain soon is Pluto, first seen in 1930 and projected to enter the public domain in 2025. Mickey’s girlfriend Minnie Mouse came alive in 1928 and is projected to enter the public domain in 2024, as well, alongside Mickey. Well, at least this early version of Minnie Mouse.

Last but not least, Donald Duck became a lovable, funny character in 1934, which means Disney will be letting him go in 2029.

Globaltoynews shared a list of the next characters who will be entering to the public domain. The amount of characters that will soon be heading into the public domain is astounding, and includes Superman, Daffy Duck, Batman, The Flash, Captain America, James Bond, Aquaman, and several other characters that will be heading towards the public domain by 2036.

While these characters may go into the public domain, they may be trademarked and protected. Such as Disney may still hold trademarks on the name Mickey Mouse and his distinctive image, which includes his red shorts, large yellow shoes, and white gloves. This means that while you can use the character, you may need to be cautious about how you use his name and likeness to avoid infringing on Disney’s trademarks.

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Since Mickey Mouse going into the public domain means creators can only recreate his image from 1928 this means Mickey will most likely look like the 1928 version of Steamboat Willie, which was the first image of Mickey Mouse.

Mickey Mouse was created in 1928 and saw multiple copyright extensions, leading to his entry into the public domain in 2024. However, the rules are different for characters created later, such as Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, and other Disney characters.

Body of Florida Mother Who Disappeared in 2012 Resurfaces Outside Walt Disney World

Posted on January 8, 2024January 8, 2024 by Mathew Corn Disney Parks

Every year, millions of fans find a peaceful refuge at Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. There, families feel that they can relax and escape the horrors of the regular world. Unfortunately, no amount of Disney magic can completely disguise the potential dangers of the world outside.

This week, we reported that police solved a “12-year-old mystery” when they discovered the body of a missing Florida woman outside Walt Disney World Resort. This tragic incident has shaken the Orlando community as police reveal more information about what happened to this mother.

The body of a Florida mother, who went missing in 2012 under mysterious circumstances, is believed to have been discovered in a pond just outside the renowned Walt Disney World Resort. The shocking revelation has sent shockwaves through the community and reopened the investigation into her disappearance. Now, just days after the body was discovered by police, the public is learning more about how the ongoing search for one Florida mom came to an end on a fateful December day. While numerous online groups have spread information about the incident, the police have just recently fully revealed what many believed to already know about this discovery.

The woman, who is believed to be Sandra Lemire, vanished without a trace nearly a decade ago, leaving her loved ones and authorities perplexed. For years, her family tirelessly searched for answers after she disappeared after leaving a restaurant in Kissimmee.

It was an astonishing twist of fate that led to the grim discovery. Divers from Sunshine State Sonar found the body and car after roughly a year and a half of searching for her in 63 bodies of water around Florida. They looked in this particular body of water, which was a retention pond just by the Walt Disney World Interstate 4 exit, because of a tip from the Orlando Police.

As of January 2, 2024, we now know that this tip was given because an Orlando detective was able to trace Sandra’s last call to a cell tower near Walt Disney World Resort.

On Saturday, December 30, the minivan belonging to Sandra Lemire was discovered submerged by divers. Soon after, the remains of a woman, presumed to be Sandra, were discovered as well.

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As the investigation into Sandra Lemire’s disappearance and death unfolds, the Orlando Police Department, in conjunction with other relevant authorities, will leave no stone unturned to bring clarity and closure to this long-standing mystery.

Disney Lands Huge Blow as Billionaire Investor Attempts Hostile Takeover

Posted on January 8, 2024January 8, 2024 by Mathew Corn Uncategorized

Nearly one year ago, billionaire Nelson Peltz announced that he would be trying to gain a seat on Disney’s Board of Directors. He said that he didn’t think Disney was going in the right direction and wasn’t making its shareholders enough money. He gave up his fight when Disney CEO Bob Iger announced that he would be eliminating thousands of jobs and cutting $5.5 billion from Disney’s budget.

However, Peltz recently picked up the fight again, but this time, he announced that he wasn’t just targeting one seat on Disney’s board, he was going after several. Peltz said that he had given Iger a chance to “right the ship,” but the embattled CEO had not done so.

But Iger and Disney weren’t going to back down without a fight. The company released a statement, claiming that Peltz only wanted seats on the board because of his close relationship with fired Marvel executive, Ike Perlmutter. They said that Perlmutter had a vendetta against the company and was using Peltz to make that happen.

And now, Disney just got some big backup in its fight against Peltz and Perlmutter. According to Disney, the company has entered into an agreement with investment group ValueAct. Per The Hollywood Reporter:

Disney and ValueAct have entered into a “confidentiality agreement that enables the company to provide information to the investment firm and consult with ValueAct on strategic matters, including through meetings with the Disney board and management,” the company said on Wednesday.

As part of the arrangement, ValueAct also confirmed that it would support the Disney slate of nominees for the company’s board of directors at Disney’s upcoming annual shareholder meeting. The news comes amid Disney’s proxy battle with Nelson Peltz and his firm Trian Partners, an effort backed by ousted Marvel mogul Ike Perlmutter.

Peltz is hoping to get enough shareholders to vote for him and his loyalists so they can have at least two, if not three, seats on Disney’s Board of Directors. Should they be successful, this could mean that massive changes might take place within the company. Ike Perlmutter is an outspoken conservative and a large supporter of Donald Trump.

Disney has been making more content that reflects the world we currently live in — meaning more diverse characters and family units. The company has frequently been accused of being “woke”, which Peltz and Perlmutter might put an end to if they gain those coveted seats.

Nominations for new board members will take place until January 4, 2024.

Disney World Clarifies Its Free Dining Plan Offer

Posted on January 8, 2024January 8, 2024 by Mathew Corn Animal Kingdom, Disney Dining, Disney Resorts, Disney+, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom

Disney World is clarifying the offer of free Disney Dining plans for Disney+ subscribers that the company first shared last Tuesday, and guests might not be happy with some of the newly-released details.

On Tuesday, the Walt Disney World Resort announced a brand-new promotional offer that includes free Disney Dining plans for Disney+ subscribers, following the announcement in May 2023 that the Disney Dining plan was scheduled to return to Disney World on January 9, 2024. Bookings including the new dining plans were available as of May 31, 2023.

This week, Disney World shared news about a new offer for Disney+ subscribers who purchase select vacation packages at Disney World. Per the announcement, the offer applies to non-discounted 4-night, 4-day vacation packages that include a room at select Disney Resort Hotels, as well as theme park tickets with the Park Hopper option added on. The promotional offer extends to packages purchased for travel between July 1, 2024 and September 30, 2024.

But on Wednesday, Disney World made another announcement, this time clarifying the specifics about eligible stays that will net guests the free Disney Dining plans–and which Disney Dining plan is available to guests, depending on where they’re staying on property.

The following points are the highlights of Disney World’s clarification:

Guests who select a Disney Value or Moderate Resort Hotel or The Cabins at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort will receive the Quick-Service Dining plan, but they can pay to upgrade to the Disney Dining plan.

Guests who book their stays at a Disney Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resort hotels will receive the Disney Dining Plan.
Guests who book at The Campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort will not be eligible for the free Disney Dining plan promotion.
Guests who book three-bedroom grand villas at Disney Deluxe Villa Resort hotels are also excluded from this offer.
The free Disney Dining plan promotion is only available to Disney+ subscribers in the U.S. and Canada. Subscribers in other countries are not eligible for the promotion.

It’s worth restating that in order to receive the free Disney Dining plan promotion, guests must include the park hopper option with their theme park tickets.

The following locations are available to guests as part of the Disney Dining plan. They are categorized by Disney World theme park. A notation of two asterisks (**) is included next to the name of each restaurant that requires two table-service credits.

Magic Kingdom Locations