A fire broke out at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort on Monday evening.
According to Twitter user Spectro Radio (@spectro_radio), a fire broke out at the Beaches & Cream ice cream shop, and Guests had to be evacuated from the restaurants at Disney’s Yacht Club, including the Yachtsman Steakhouse.
“Apparently, there’s a fire at Beaches & Cream,” the post, tweeted at about 6:00 p.m. local time, reads. “People being evacuated from Yacht Club restaurants, including Yachtsman Steakhouse. #disney#yachtclub“
Apparently there’s a fire at beaches & cream. People being evacuated from Yacht Club restaurants including Yachtsman Steakhouse. #disney#yachtclubpic.twitter.com/adlg58vfil
In the short video clip, Guests can be seen waiting outside Disney’s Yacht Club Resort, and blue lights flash against the structure of the Resort Hotel, signaling an active fire alarm on property.
Another Twitter user, Rob (@robtruslove), had a jovial take on the situation and responded as such.
“Just ordered my steak too,” he tweeted. “Can we go back in yet?
Apparently there’s a fire at beaches & cream. People being evacuated from Yacht Club restaurants including Yachtsman Steakhouse. #disney#yachtclubpic.twitter.com/adlg58vfil
Disney World’s website invites Guests to “delight in the formal grace of a grand New England-style yacht club at this lakeside hotel. Relax in the inviting elegance of a plush lobby replete with nautical touches, explore the whimsical Stormalong Bay and rent a variety of watercraft from Bayside Marina. Sharing many amenities with its pastel-toned sister, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is within walking distance to EPCOT and a convenient boat ride to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.”
At the time of this post, there are no reports of injuries related to the fire at the Resort Hotel.
It’s not immediately clear what led to the fire and the evacuation of Guests from the Resort and restaurants at the Yacht Club Resort, and as this is a developing story, we will follow any further developments and bring those to our readers as more news becomes available.
The days between Christmas and New Year’s Eve and Day are often uneventful, especially when compared to the exciting, high-energy days leading up to December 25. Thousands upon thousands of Disney fans often try to curb their boredom by visiting the Walt Disney World Resort during that time, and such a visit makes for some truly amazing holiday memories.
But regardless of the date on the calendar, life and time march on, and interesting–and sometimes alarming, unexpected–things are often just a moment away, even at Disney World. Such was the case on Wednesday morning when Guests of Disney’s Contemporary Resort began reporting on social media about a major evacuation taking place at the Resort Hotel.
Twitter user @LostBrosTweets was trying to enjoy breakfast at the Contemporary when he heard about the evacuation. In the short clip he included with his tweet, alarms can be heard in the background. He tweeted, “BRB, the entire main building of the Contemporary Resort is getting evac’d [right now].”
Carla Lemieux (@travelingmom92) was also there to witness some of the action leading to the evacuation of the Contemporary. She tweeted, “Contemporary Resort currently being evacuated into the parking lot, including employees. Fire trucks present, and alarms going off for about 30 min.”
Disney describes the Contemporary Resort Hotel as a deluxe Resort and invites Guests to “retreat to this ultra-modern Disney Resort hotel and discover award-winning dining, spectacular views, and dazzling pools. Whether you’re staying in the iconic A-frame Contemporary tower or the nearby Garden Wing, you can walk to Magic Kingdom’s main gate or catch the Resort Monorail as it breezes through the tower. Inside, a 90-foot-tall mural by Disney Legend Mary Blair—responsible for the distinct look and feel of the “it’s a small world” attraction—celebrates the Grand Canyon and the American Southwest.”
Adventures by Disney has some really exciting and (icy) cool news to share with travel enthusiasts all across the globe!
Adventures by Disney is known for bringing unique travel opportunities and experiences to Guests of all ages at locations all around the world. And their newest opportunity is no different. And then again, maybe it’s delightfully different! In one of the most unique offerings from Adventures by Disney, Guests can book a spot on an upcoming expedition cruise to Antarctica!
And travelers who join the expedition will be in good company. Per Disney Parks Blog:
“Roy Conli, a Disney Animation Studios Academy Award winner and a producer on Disneynature’s Penguins feature film, is joining our upcoming expedition cruise to Antarctica and Patagonia!
“This trip with Roy is available only through Adventures by Disney and is a can’t-miss adventure for anyone who has dreamed about visiting this destination. Imagine experiencing Antarctica and penguins not only in person and with guidance from our expert naturalists, but also through the lens of an award-winning Disney producer! Roy will inspire Guests with his onboard special lecture on Penguins.”
A cruise to Antarctica is bucket list fodder by itself, but a journey with Roy Conli onboard will take the experience to the next level!
Disney Parks Blog details parts of the itinerary:
This amazing journey begins in the beautiful city of Buenos Aires, where upon arrival at the hotel, guests are greeted by the Disney-trained Adventure Guides, who magically take care of all the details throughout the trip. Next, the group travels to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in South America, before boarding the ship and setting sail to Antarctica. Immediately, magnificent panoramic views are seen from vantage points on deck, through the expansive windows as well as up-close when stepping onto the famed continent. Days are carefully planned to respect the environment while adventurers enjoy Zodiac cruises or kayaking through ice caps and past glaciers, hiking, observing penguins, whales, seals and other wildlife, marveling at the bird life flying above and learning from expert naturalists every step of the way.
It seems so hard to believe, but 2022 is now in the rearview mirror and the excitement and potential of 2023 are laid before our feet. I don’t know about you, but my 2023 definitely involves a lot of Disney! Trips to Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, or any other Disney theme park are always memorable, but they are expensive. However, there’s another way to get your Disney fix that’s much cheaper. That’s right, we are talking about Disney movies!
2023 is going to be a big year for Disney films. Let’s take a look at some of the most anticipated Disney movies of the year!
The Little Mermaid
Release Date: May 26
Disney’s new live-action remake of one of its most classic tales may be THE most anticipated Disney movie of the year. The Little Mermaid live-action film will stick heavily to the original animated movie, but there will be unique additions. In the new movie, Prince Eric will have more character development, and his mother will be introduced. Disney Legend Alan Menken and Hamilton creator Lin Manuel Miranda will also write new music.
The Little Mermaid will star Halle Bailey as Ariel, Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric, Melissa McCarthy as Ursula, Javier Bardem as King Triton, Awkwafina as Scuttle, Jacob Tremblay as Flounder, and Daveed Diggs as Sebastian.
Peter Pan & Wendy
Release Date: March 10 (Disney+)
What makes this Disney movie great is that you can watch the premiere from the comfort of your own couch!
It’s been a while since Disney has given us a fresh, new look at the boy who never wanted to grow up. But, come this March, we will no longer be able to say that. At this time, we don’t know much about the story that Disney will tell with Peter Pan & Wendy. However, it will most likely be close to the original story that most of us know and love. Select Guests who attended Disney’s D23 Expo this past September were given an exclusive trailer, which featured the Lost Boys, a look at Peter Pan, with a closeout on the villainous Captain Hook.
Peter Pan & Wendy will star Alexander Molony as Peter Pan, Ever Anderson as Wendy, Yara Shahidi as Tinker Bell, Jim Gaffigan as Smee, and Jude Law as Captain Hook.
The Haunted Mansion
Release Date: August 11
Okay, I’ll admit it. I am most excited to see this movie, not only because of the phenomenal casting, but also to see if Disney can come back from the 2003 disaster version that starred Eddie Murphy. This new live-action remake will take place in New Orleans, where the spirits definitely love to come out to socialize. The Haunted Mansion will tell the story of a single mom, Gabbie, who moves into the old Southern mansion with her son. As you may have guessed, the mansion is haunted and Gabbie hires a priest, a historian, a tour guide, and a psychic to help her expel the spirits.
The Haunted Mansion will star Rosario Dawson as Gabbie, Chase Dillon as Gabbie’s son, Owen Wilson as Kent the priest, Danny DeVito as the historian, Tiffany Haddish as Harriet, and LaKeith Stanfield as Ben Matthias. There will also be some classic attraction characters thrown into the mix — Jamie Lee Curtis will play Madame Leota, and Jared Leto will play the Hatbox Ghost.
Elemental
Release Date: June 16
Much like Inside Out, Elemental will take viewers on a journey they have not been on before. This movie will tell the story of a land where the elements — Earth, Air, Fire, and Water — live together. As with many places, those who are alike tend to stick together, and one element group doesn’t really interact with the other elements. However, fiery Ember and go-with-the-flow Wade will soon realize that they have more in common than they ever would have imagined.
At this time, we don’t have much to share on casting news. All Disney has shared is that Wade will be voiced by Mamoudou Athie as Wade and Leah Lewis as Ember.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Release Date: June 30
This will most likely be the last time we see legendary actor Harrison Ford don his iconic fedora and take on the role of famed archaeologist Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones. Dial of Destiny will see Indy and his goddaughter, Helena, go up against Nazis once again, but this time during the height of the space race. However, this time, the U.S. government has hired former Nazis to help them beat the Soviet Union into space, as well as be the first country to land on the moon.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny will star Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones, Phoebe Waller-Bridge as Helena, Mads Mikkelsen as Jürgen Voller, Antonio Banderas as Renaldo, Toby Jones as Basil, and Johnathan Rhys-Davies as Sallah. Shia LaBoeuf will not return as Mutt Williams, but audiences will learn what happened to Indy’s son.
Wish
Release Date: November 22
This movie is the most recent announcement from Walt Disney Animation. Disney has not given us too many details on what story Wish will tell, but director Chris Buck has said that the film will be “Blending this beautiful, timeless watercolor style with 3D animation, ‘Wish’ has a look and feel all its own, unlike anything Disney Animation has created.” What we do know is that viewers will learn how the iconic wishing star came into existence.
As with Disney movies of the past, Wish will have a selfless hero, a ruthless villain, and a talking goat. Okay, so maybe it won’t be just like the Disney movies we have seen before. Not much casting information has been released, but we do know that Alan Tudyk will voice Valentino and Ariana DeBose will voice Asha.
Of course, if you are a Marvel fan, there will also be several movies released for you to love, including Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3, and The Marvels.
The Walt Disney Company has acquired a significant streaming company for $900M to boost its own streaming platform, Disney+.
Amid a series of changes across The Walt Disney Company, including different price increases for Disney Parks’ admission and experiences, fluctuating pricing for Disney’s Genie+ system, and most recently, the return of Disney’s CEO Robert Iger, the company has paid $900M to buy a significant streaming tech company to boost Disney+, the company’s streaming platform.
The Walt Disney Company reportedly paid $900M to Major League Baseball for the remaining 15% stake in BAMTech, a streaming video tech company that powers Disney+. This jaw-dropping financial movement comes just days before Disney+ is set to launch its ad-supported subscription tier and ahead of planned corporate restructuring under reinstated CEO Bob Iger.
MLB developed BAMTech as an in-house advanced media business before later spinning out as an independent company in 2015. The Walt Disney Company initially acquired a 33% stake in 2016 and then upped its position to 75% upon announcing its Disney+ plans in 2017, gaining majority ownership of BAMTech. The Walt Disney Company subsequently bought out a 10% stake from the National Hockey League and now has acquired the remaining 15%, formerly owned by MLB, to gain full ownership of the company.
Considering all the financial movements involved in BAMTech’s transition, The Walt Disney Company paid $3.48B to gain full ownership over the streaming tech company, per Forbes.
BAMTech, which was officially renamed “Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution” when Disney gained majority ownership of the company, states the following regarding the company:
Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution (DMED) brings together the Company’s best-in-class product, technology, and commercialization teams into one global organization. DMED is responsible for the P&L management and all distribution, network and engineering operations, sales, advertising, data, and certain key technology functions worldwide for the Company’s content engines. DMED also manages operations of the Company’s streaming services including Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ and Disney+ Hotstar; and domestic broadcast and cable television networks.
As stated above, this recent acquisition comes in preparation for the launch of the ad-based subscription tier to Disney+, which will bring a series of changes to the platform, Hulu and ESPN+, Disney’s sister platforms. You can click here to read more about the changes coming to Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+.
