Latest news with #DisneyExperiences
Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Walt Disney World Teases Details About New 'Cars'-Themed Land amid 'Largest Expansion' in History of Magic Kingdom
Walt Disney World has released details about the upcoming Cars-themed land, set to launch as part of the Piston Peak National Park transformation The Cars attraction was first announced at the Disney Experiences showcase at D23 on Aug. 10 "Cars from around the country are fueling up to be the wildest racer in the 'wheelderness,'" a Disney Parks Blog post read Walt Disney World is gearing up for the "largest expansion" in the history of Magic Kingdom! On Tuesday, June 3, the Orlando, Florida park released new details regarding the Piston Peak National Park transformation and the upcoming Pixar Cars-themed land, per a Disney Parks Blog post. "Cars from around the country are fueling up to be the wildest racer in the 'wheelderness,'" the post began. "Of course, we know that fans are curious to see how the exciting new backdrop for the big rally race will fit into the waters, landscapes, and storytelling at Magic Kingdom." It was announced that two new Cars-themed attractions would soon be built in Frontierland at the Disney Experiences showcase at D23 on Aug. 10. In the latest post, the park announced that Piston Peak National Park "will continue the sweeping storytelling tradition that has crossed Liberty Square and Frontierland" since it opened in the '70s. The post read, "Since the early days of Magic Kingdom, adventurous guests have traveled across space and time as they pass from Liberty Square to Frontierland." "At the heart of all these stories are heroic characters with a belief in themselves that helped forge a path to their dreams," the statement continued. "To continue this journey in great American storytelling, Piston Peak National Park will be part of the largest expansion in the history of Magic Kingdom," the park said. The post continued, "Imagine an awe-inspiring wilderness filled with towering trees, snowcapped mountains, breathtaking waterfalls, roaring rivers and impressive geysers. While fictional, Piston Peak is inspired by the Rocky Mountain area and the history and iconic sights of the American Frontier and its national parks." The park revealed that Piston Peak visitors would "be able to see and explore the visitor lodge, Ranger HQ, trails and more all set within the Disney and Pixar Cars universe." "To make sure these buildings fit naturally within the surrounding majestic landscapes, Imagineers are using a style of architecture called 'Parkitecture,' which was developed by the National Park Service to create structures that harmonize with the natural environment," the post added. "From the outside, trees will provide a natural barrier between the off-road rally and other parts of Frontierland and Liberty Square. Rugged mountains with dramatic peaks will be nestled along a calming waterway across from Grizzly Hall, and soaring geysers from the famed Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will stretch into the trails of our off-road rally," the description read. The post also confirmed that amid the ongoing work on the park this summer, the attractions Rivers of America, Tom Sawyer Island, and the Liberty Square Riverboat would be closing from July 7. "Imagineers are also hard at work beyond Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, bringing to life the first-ever land inspired by the Disney Villains with two major attractions, dining, and shopping all on an incredibly twisted grand scale," the park added. Details of the off-road Cars vehicles heading to the park were first revealed at The Future of World-Building at Disney panel at SXSW in March, per a previous Disney Parks Blog post. Pixar Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter and Imagineer Michael Hundgen shared the news, with the latter saying, 'Our primary goal is creating an emotional experience for our guests." 'For this Cars attraction, we need to invent a new type of ride vehicle. No one builds these in a factory because it has to do so much more than just carrying you from one place to another. We have to create a car that conveys a feeling when you ride in it," he added, per the post. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The Imagineers worked with a motocross company after taking a trip to Arizona to experience driving in a real off-road vehicle on rocky terrain, the park said. 'We're using a customized production vehicle,' Hundgen explained. 'It has sensors all over it, and we're taking it for test drives on our dirt track to gather data on how the vehicle responds to different terrain. This is where we turn that feeling we want into real-world engineering." A Disney spokesperson didn't immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information. Read the original article on People
Los Angeles Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Walt Disney will live again as a robot. His granddaughter says he never wanted this
Joanna Miller was 10 — no, '10 and three-quarters,' she clarifies — when she lost her grandfather. Even then, in December 1966, she shared him with the world. For Miller's grandad was Walt Disney, a name that would emblazen one of the largest entertainment conglomerates in the world, and come to signify uniquely American storytelling, family-friendly optimism and the creation of the modern theme park. Front-page stories across the globe announced his death, hailing him as a 'world enchanter,' 'amusement king' and 'wizard of fantasy.' But to Miller, he was just 'grampa.' She peppers stories about Disney in her conversations, often going down tangents as she recalls heartwarming moments. Such as the Christmas season when Disney, despite having access to Hollywood's most renown artists, put Miller's drawings on a holiday card. 'The bad art we were doing when we were 6 years old? He treated them like they were great works,' she says. She pauses, a tear forming in her eye. 'He was just the greatest guy. The best guy.' Miller is, to put it mildly, protective of Disney. So is the Walt Disney Co., and as Disneyland Resort's 70th anniversary in July approaches, both share a goal — to remind audiences of the man behind the corporate name. Last fall the company announced that an audio-animatronic of Disney would grace the opera house on Main Street, U.S.A., long home to 'Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln.' The new show, 'Walt Disney — A Magical Life,' will give parkgoers a sense of 'what it would have been like to be in Walt's presence,' Disney Experiences Chairman Josh D'Amaro explained at the announcement. The way Miller sees it, it's an abomination. 'Dehumanizing,' she wrote in a Facebook post that went viral among Disney's vast fandom. Calling the figure a 'robotic grampa,' she wrote, 'People are not replaceable. You could never get the casualness of his talking.' She also argued staunchly that Disney was against such mechanical immortalization. She stands by the post — she's one of the few, she says, to have seen the animatronic in the fake flesh — but also nervously laughs as she reflects on the attention it has brought her. Miller has long lived a private life, noting she considers herself shy — she declined to be photographed for this story — and says repeatedly it pains her to take a stand against the Walt Disney Co. She frets that the company will take away her access to the park, granted as part of an agreement when her father, the late Ron W. Miller, stepped down as CEO in 1984. But as Miller sees it, she has to speak up. 'He's ours,' Miller says of Disney. 'We're his family.' Most robotic figures in Disney parks represent fictional characters or overly-saturated political personalities, such as those in Florida's Hall of Presidents, which includes President Trump and living former presidents. Few speak and most are limited to statuesque movements. And unlike an attraction in which the company has full narrative control, such as a Pirates of the Caribbean, 'Walt Disney — A Magical Life' represents real life and a person who happens to have living, vocal descendants. And real life is complicated. 'When you get older,' Miller says, sometimes when things go wrong in life, 'you just start to get pissed off. And you get tired of being quiet. So I spoke up on Facebook. Like that was going to do anything? The fact that it got back to the company is pretty funny.' Get back to the company it did, as Miller soon found herself having an audience with Walt Disney Co. CEO Bob Iger. These days, Miller is in the midst of remodeling Disney's first L.A. home in Los Feliz, a craftsman bungalow owned in the 1920s by his uncle Robert and aunt Charlotte, who let Disney stay with them when he came from the Midwest. Miller envisions the house hosting events, perhaps workshops and artist talks for arts education nonprofit Ryman Arts. Its feel is of a mini museum. In the garage sits a Mercedes Benz, the last vehicle Disney owned. Black-and-white images of Disney furnish the walls, decorative 'Fantasia' dishware shares space with vintage toys in a glass-doored cabinet, and animation artwork, waiting to be framed, is laid out on one of the beds. 'I have been thinking a lot about this house and what it means,' Miller says. 'I wouldn't be here. Grampa wouldn't have met granny. This all started because people were helping out grampa. Aunt Charlotte was making peanut brittle in this house that they sold at Disneyland. So this house, there would not be Disney company if it weren't for this house.' Miller's relationship with the company has wavered over the decades. She's more excited to share memories of Disney than recall the tumultuous corporate period when her father oversaw the behemoth company. On Saturdays, Disney would often bring her and her siblings to the studio. There, they had the run of the place, cruising around the backlot in their very own mini-cars designed for Disneyland's Autopia ride. Those visits largely ended when Disney died, as her father dedicated his weekends to golf. Championing Disney, and preserving his legacy, runs in her family. Her mother, Diane, who died in 2013, was the guiding force behind the foundation of San Francisco's Walt Disney Family Museum. Miller, who long sat on the board, said the idea of creating an animatronic of Disney is not new, and was once considered for the museum. 'When we started the museum, someone said, 'Hey, let's do Walt as an animatronic,'' Miller recalls. 'And my mom: 'No. No. No. No.' Grampa deserves new technology for this museum, but not to be a robot himself.' Her mother, says Miller, 'wanted to show him as a real human.' Miller says she first heard of Disneyland's animatronic last summer, a few weeks before D'Amaro announced the attraction at the fan convention D23. The show will follow a similar format to the Lincoln attraction, in which a film plays before the animatronic is revealed. Lincoln, for instance, stands and gives highlight's of the president's speeches, doing so with subtle, realistic movements. Disney, promises the company, will be even more lifelike, with dialogue taken from his own speeches. D'Amaro said 'A Magical Life' had the support of the Disney family, singling out Disney's grandnephew Roy P. Disney, who was in the audience. Miller stresses that she does not speak for her five siblings or other descendants, but as she wrote in a letter to Iger, 'I do speak for my grandfather and my mother.' Shortly after her Facebook post, Miller was invited to see the figure and meet with Iger and members of Walt Disney Imagineering, the secretive creative team responsible for theme park experiences. 'He was very kind,' Miller says of Iger. 'He let me do my spiel.' But she wasn't swayed. She says she asked him to create a set of guidelines on how the company would portray Disney, and Iger promised to protect his legacy. 'But I don't think he has. They're different people. He's a businessman, grampa was an artist.' Imagineering and Disneyland discussed the project at a media event in April, but the animatronic was not shown, nor were pictures revealed. Imagineering did display an early sculpt used in modeling the robot to show the care taken in crafting Disney. The sculpt depicts Disney in 1963, when he was 62. One could detect age spots on Disney's hands and weariness around his eyes. Miller recalls her reaction when she saw the figure. 'I think I started crying,' Miller says. 'It didn't look like him, to me.' There are at least two Walt Disneys. There's the company founder, Mickey Mouse designer and Disneyland creator who, later in life, visited millions of Americans via their television sets on the weekly 'Disneyland' show and became known as 'Uncle Walt.' Then there's the man Miller knew, a grandfather who exists to the rest of us only via stories. Sometimes these public-private personalities overlapped, such as the moments Disney would be paraded down Disneyland's Main Street with Miller and her siblings in tow. Miller pulls out a photo showing her face buried in her lap as she tried to hide from Disney's adoring fans. Or the times fans caught Miller looking out from Disney's Main Street apartment, a place where she spent many nights as a child and that still stands today. She recalls Disney stopping to talk to people at the park. 'It was the dearest thing,' she says. He would take photos with fans and sign autographs. 'I never ever saw him not be less than tickled and honored that people loved him so much.' Imagineers argue that the two Walt Disneys are being lost to history. 'Why are we doing this now?' said longtime Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald. He cited two reasons, the first being Disneyland's 70th anniversary. 'The other: I grew up watching Walt Disney on television. I guess I'm the old man. He came into our living room every week and chatted and it was very casual and you felt like you knew the man. But a lot of people today don't know Walt Disney was an individual.' The company also says that animatronic technology has advanced to a point it can do Disney justice. Miller is sympathetic to Imagineering's arguments. It's clear she holds tremendous respect for the division, believed to have been the aspect of the company Disney held dearest to his heart. She gushes about Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge, the most recent major addition to Disney's original park. 'It's amazing,' Miller says. Yet she doesn't buy into the theory that the company is simply out to preserve Disney's legacy. If that were the case, she argues, then episodes of his weekly 'Disneyland' show would be available on streaming service Disney+. Worse, she worries an animatronic will turn Disney into a caricature. The robotic Lincoln works, says Miller, because we lack filmed footage of him. She wishes the company had abandoned the animatronic and created an immersive exhibit that could have depicted Disney in his park. 'I strongly feel the last two minutes with the robot will do much more harm than good to Grampa's legacy,' Miller wrote in her letter to Iger. 'They will remember the robot, and not the man.' Miller has a number of letters and emails of support, some from former Imagineers, but has crossed out their names before handing them to a journalist. Most contacted for this story didn't return calls or emails, or declined to speak on the record, noting their current business relationships with the Walt Disney Co. The legacy of Disney is 'precious yet vulnerable,' said one such source, refusing to give a name because they still work with the company. 'Isn't it honorable when a granddaughter defends her grandfather? There's nothing in it for her.' Miller says she simply wants the company to respect Disney's wishes — that he never be turned into a robot. 'In all our research, we never found any documentation of Walt saying that,' Imagineer Jeff Shaver-Moskowitz said in April. 'We know that it's anecdotal and we can't speak to what was told to people in private.' And therein lies a major hurdle Miller faces. Those who Miller says knew of Disney's preferences — her mother, her father and Imagineers he was closest to, including confidant and former Imagineering chief Marty Sklar — are all dead. That leaves, unless someone else comes forward, only her. Miller, however, is realistic. Her family's biggest mistake, she argues, was selling the rights to Disney's name, likeness and portrait to the company in 1981 for $46.2 million in stock. It leaves the family little to zero say in how Disney is preserved in the park, although Imagineering says it has worked closely with the Walt Disney Family Museum and those descendants who are currently on the museum board in constructing the animatronic show. But there's one thing the Walt Disney Co. can't control, and that's Miller's voice — and her memories. On their trips to Disneyland, Miller's grandfather was happy to stop for autographs, but he also signed — in advance — the pages of an office pad. When the crowds became a bit much, he would hand a park-goer an inscribed piece of paper. 'After 10-15 minutes,' Miller recalls, 'he would say, 'Hey, I'm with the grandkids today, and we have things to do.''
Condé Nast Traveler
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Condé Nast Traveler
Disney Is Opening Its First Theme Park in the Middle East, Here's Everything You Should Know
Disneyland Abu Dhabi is officially happening. Disney has announced plans for its first theme park in the Middle East, sparking much excitement from fans in the region and beyond. Disneyland Abu Dhabi is being built on Yas Island, joining existing theme parks, Ferrari World, Warner Bros. World, and Yas Waterworld. It will become Disney's seventh theme park globally alongside Florida, California, Paris, Tokyo, Shanghai, and Hong Kong. From when it will open, to which rides it might have, here is everything we know about Disneyland Abu Dhabi so far. When will Disneyland Abu Dhabi open? The first thing many fans want to know is when Disneyland Abu Dhabi will open. While there is no official date yet, construction on the resort hasn't started, so it will be a few years before fans can don their Mickey Mouse ears. Speaking to news agency Reuters following the announcement on May 7, Disney Experiences chairman Josh D'Amaro suggested it would be at least six years before the park opens, saying a project of this scale could take a year or two to design, and another four to six years to build. So, at the very earliest, Disneyland Abu Dhabi could open between 2030 and 2033. What will be at Disneyland Abu Dhabi? Disneyland Abu Dhabi is still in its design phase, so there has been no confirmation on which rides and attractions from current Disneyland resorts we might see in Abu Dhabi. However, we do know that the park will be home to a selection of Disney hotels, shops, rides, and restaurants. It was also confirmed that Disneyland Abu Dhabi will contain specific cultural references that celebrate the UAE capital. In its statement, Disney said the park would feature 'storytelling in a way that celebrates both the heritage of Disney and the futuristic and cultural essence of Abu Dhabi." An artist impression of how Disneyland Abu Dhabi will look, including a reimagined castle Courtesy Miral Disney's most futuristic park yet While we don't have details of exactly which rides and attractions will be coming to Disneyland Abu Dhabi, we do know that it will be Disney's most high-tech, interactive theme park to date. We also know that the famous Disney castle, a staple at all Disneyland resorts, will be reimagined for Abu Dhabi. 'The concept for this resort will push the boundaries of theme park design, showcasing groundbreaking technology, and visionary architecture, including a modern castle unlike anything we've ever created," D'Amaro said.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Disney Parks Chief Josh D'Amaro Predicts Universal's Epic Universe Will Actually Drive More Disney World Visitors
Josh D'Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, said he's not concerned about NBCUniversal's massive new Epic Universe theme park reducing traffic to Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando — in fact, he thinks the opening of the rival destination will help boost attendance. D'Amaro, speaking at the MoffettNathanson Media, Internet & Communications Conference on Wednesday, when asked about Epic Universe said, 'We're always on the offensive… We're constantly investing for the long term, fortifying each one of our theme parks.' More from Variety Disney's Upfront Went Hard on Sports - With an Off-Key Manning Brothers Musical - but Hardly Mentioned ABC Disney's Dana Walden to CNBC's James Cramer: Streaming 'Is a Growth Business for Our Company' Jimmy Kimmel Takes On Bob Iger, Netflix and Gen Z's YouTube Habits in Upfronts Monologue: 'When You Have Kids, You'll Come Crawling Back to Disney Like Dogs!" He continued, 'If something is built new in central Florida, like Epic Universe,' that draws new visitors to the region, 'that tourist is going to have to visit the Magic Kingdom.' Universal Epic Universe officially opens on May 22, 2025. As part of a 750-acre development, it will be the biggest of Universal Orlando's three theme parks, featuring more than 50 experiences across five themed worlds: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon – Isle of Berk, Celestial Park and Dark Universe. In his talk, D'Amaro also hyped Disney's plans to open the new theme park in Abu Dhabi, announced last week. He noted that Disneyland in Anaheim will turn 70 years old this year. The Abu Dhabi park will be the company's seventh theme park resort — so, he said, opening a new park is a once-in-a-decade decision. 'We knew there was demand for Disney product around the world,' D'Amaro said about the company's scoping out potential locations for its next park. The team focused on the Middle East region and ultimately settled on Abu Dhabi. One-third of the world's population is within a four-hour flight radius of Abu Dhabi, he said. 'This is a crossroads for the world,' he said. Disney didn't provide a timeline for the construction or opening target date for the new park. The project is being developed in partnership with Miral, an Abu Dhabi-based maker of immersive destinations and experiences, which is funding the buildout of the park under license from Disney. Disney, which will have creative control and oversight of the Abu Dhabi park, said 'the waterfront resort will be located on Yas Island, a world-class destination for entertainment and leisure, connecting travelers from the Middle East and Africa, India, Asia, Europe and beyond.' The new park will 'combine Disney's iconic stories, characters and attractions with Abu Dhabi's vibrant culture, stunning shorelines and breathtaking architecture.' D'Amaro has said the resort in Abu Dhabi will be 'the most advanced and interactive destination in our portfolio' and the setting 'will allow us to tell our stories in completely new ways.' Disney in 2023 said it planned to boost capital spending in the Disney Experiences business to $60 billion over a 10-year period, nearly double compared with the previous decade. D'Amaro said that when CEO Bob Iger returned as chief in November 2022, he agreed that Disney has plenty of room to grow the theme parks business. 'Josh, we've gotta turbo-charge this business,' Iger said, according to D'Amaro. 'We've only scratched the surface in terms of the stories we can tell,' D'Amaro said, noting that Disney parks have yet to build attractions based on popular films like 'Coco' and 'Black Panther.' In the first three months of 2025, revenue in Disney's Experiences segment, which includes theme parks, cruises, resorts and consumer products, rose 6% to $8.89 billion. Total segment operating profit was up 9%, to $2.49 billion, with 13% growth in domestic parks and experiences and a 14% rise for consumer products offsetting a 23% decline in international theme parks. For fiscal year 2025, Disney projected 6%-8% growth in operating income for the theme park and consumer products biz. D'Amaro is one of the internal candidates Disney's board is been said to have been evaluating as the successor to Iger, whose contract expires at the end of 2026. The company's board, led by chairman James Gorman, has said it expects to announce a CEO successor early next year. D'Amaro began his career at Disney in 1998 at the Disneyland Resort. Over his 27-year career, he has held leadership positions across the company both internationally and domestically, including CFO for Disney Consumer Products Global Licensing, chief commercial officer for Walt Disney World Resort, and various business planning, strategy, marketing, creative and operations roles. Prior to becoming chairman of Disney Experiences, D'Amaro was president of Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Disney Exec Says He Isn't Worried About Universal's Epic Universe. What It Really Means for Disney World
A Disney executive says that the company is not worried about the opening of Universal's new Florida theme park, Epic Universe, impacting Disney World "If something is built new in central Florida, like Epic Universe" that tour is also "going to have to visit the Magic Kingdom," Josh D'Amaro, the chairman of Disney Experiences, said WednesdayAt least one Disney executive is not concerned about competition from Universal Orlando's new Florida theme park. Speaking at a conference on Wednesday, May 14, Josh D'Amaro, the chairman of Disney Experiences, said that he isn't worried that the new 110-acre NBCUniversal property — Epic Universe — will reduce the number of tourists visiting the nearby Walt Disney World Resort. "We're always on the offensive… We're constantly investing for the long term, fortifying each one of our theme parks," D'Amaro said, according to Variety. "If something is built new in central Florida, like Epic Universe" that brings a tourist to the area, "that tourist is going to have to visit the Magic Kingdom." While Disney doesn't have any major openings imminent at the Florida resort, it announced a slate of buzzed-about new rides and lands for the coming years, including some themed to Monsters Inc. Disney Villains, Encanto and more, at the most recent D23 conference last August. After first announcing it would be adding a fourth park to its central Florida resort in August 2019, the resort is gearing up for the long-awaited opening of Epic Universe on Thursday, May 22. Guests will be able to fully immerse themselves in five new worlds, including Celestial Park, the Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Ministry of Magic, Super Nintendo World, How to Train Your Dragon - Isle of Berk and Dark Universe, home to Universal Monster legends like Dracula, The Wolf Man, Frankenstein's Monster and more. Epic Universe will offer over 50 attractions, including entertainment and dining options, shopping experiences and 11 new rides, PEOPLE previously reported. It is the fourth theme park to join the resort's Universal Studios (the original park), Islands of Adventure and Volcano Bay Water Park. Tickets for the new park are already available for purchase, on the company's official website. D'Amaro also shared more information about Disney's latest endeavor — a new theme park in Abu Dhabi, announced last week that was annoucned on May 7. "We knew there was demand for Disney product around the world," D'Amaro said, opening up about the company's seventh resort and the decision to take their business to the United Arab Emirates. "This is a crossroads for the world." The destination — dubbed Disneyland Abu Dhabi — marks Disney's seventh global theme park resort and its first in the Middle East. It will be built as a waterfront resort on Yas Island, a hub for entertainment that already draws millions of visitors from across the Middle East, Africa, India, Europe and beyond. 'This is a thrilling moment for our company,' said Disney CEO Bob Iger in a statement obtained by PEOPLE, promising the park "will rise from this land in spectacular fashion, blending contemporary architecture with cutting-edge technology to offer guests deeply immersive entertainment experiences in unique and modern ways." 'Disneyland Abu Dhabi will be authentically Disney and distinctly Emirati — an oasis of extraordinary Disney entertainment at this crossroads of the world that will bring to life our timeless characters and stories in many new ways and will become a source of joy and inspiration for the people of this vast region to enjoy for generations to come," Iger said. The park does not yet have an opening date. Read the original article on People
