Insights Into Entertainment: Episode 30 “Special Event: D23 Expo”

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Speaker 1: 00:01 Insightful podcast by informative hopes, insights into a podcast network.

Speaker 2: 00:27 .

Speaker 3: 00:27 We’ll come to insights into entertainment, a podcast series, taking a deeper look into entertainment and media. Your hosts, Joseph and Michelle Whalen, a husband and wife, team of pop culture, phonetics are exploring all things from music and movies to television and fans.

Speaker 2: 00:50

Speaker 4: 00:51 Come to insights into entertainment. This is episode 30 Special Event d 23 expo. I’m your host, Joseph Waylon and my Disney, a hawk cohost, Michelle Waylon. Hello everyone. How are you doing today dear? I am doing wonderful. How are you? I am fantastic. So yes, we recorded episode 29 yesterday while Saturday. Right. While do 23 was still going on. Yup. There was a ton of information that came out then, but we figured there was going gonna be a lot more coming out. Right. So we will hold off. We would do a special edition podcast to capture as much as we could and I think we have most of the important highlights here.

Speaker 5: 01:40 Yeah. Basically there was something that came out every day from every aspect of, of Disney, you know, be it the movies, television, the parks, the resorts. You know, it was kind of everything. So, you know, obviously if we really wanted to do it justice, we would probably spend a whole weekend just going through, you know, everything. But I think I kinda captured, you know, some of the top things that people were kind of looking forward to and, and some things that people didn’t even know were gonna be changing, that that com is kind of a surprise and a treat.

Speaker 4: 02:19 Four big things that we’re going to talk about and there’s a ton of detail about each of these the first being the new Avengers campus and we’ll get into that, get into details about that. Then there’s the transformation of Epcot forthcoming. Then we’ll talk about the star wars, Galactic Star cruiser, Halcyon, and then new things that we’ve learned about Disney plus. And we have links to details on all these. So if we don’t cover every aspect of it or every detail, you’re welcome to go. Take a look at the links themselves and getting that further information. Absolutely. So with that said, are we

Speaker 5: 02:59 Ready to get started? Let’s do it.

Speaker 5: 03:07 So Avengers assemble, tell us about that. So for a while everyone knew that there was going to be some sort of Avengers land or marvel land or something. They just didn’t know exactly what it was going to be. And obviously they finally announced it that the marvel section which will be at California adventure to start would be called the adventure, the Ed ventures campus. And the idea behind it is that the Avengers have set up places all around the world to recruit people to be able to join their ranks. So, you know, you go to the theme park, you go to this area and you can see if you can become an avenger. The theming will tie together with other Disney theme parks all over the world that already have marvel rides like Paris and Hong Kong.

Speaker 5: 04:05 So in California adventure, it looks like it’s gonna be starting around 2020, and the campus is going to be set up to recruit again the next generation of superheroes. So just to clarify though, when, when this was first talked about and first announced in the news it was rumored to be appearing at Disney land. Well, and, and it is still gonna be at Disneyland, but the way that they, they show it there is actually one of the links that that came up. I don’t know if we have it but we’ll definitely post a link to it. It actually had a map of the campuses. So they had stark expo in Hong Kong then they had a ventures campus in. Yup. That was it in Paris a vendors’ campus in California. And then there would be an outpost in Florida.

Speaker 5: 05:01 So I think what it is is even though there might not be a full campus in Orlando, there’s going to be some sort of outpost and obviously that’s probably going to be linked where the guardians of the galaxy ride will be in Epcot. That there, okay. So they’re there, you know, so there might not be a full campus like I said, but they are going to have, you know, different areas and different little things kinda kind of linked up. But just to clarify, this is accounted, the whole campus itself is in California adventure, not Disneyland, right? Correct. It is going to be in California adventure. Okay, cool. So basically the idea is that you, you get to the campus and they’ll be the worldwide engineering brigade known as web and that’s going to how’s new Spiderman experience which is Disney’s first ride through attraction to feature Spiderman.

Speaker 5: 06:04 So during the open house, aspiring of vendor is, are going to be invited to test drive their latest in latest invention, the web slinger vehicle, which will allow you to sling webs just like Spiderman. The attraction will give you a taste of what it’s like to have actual superpowers as you help Spiderman collect spider bots that have run a mock. Also the campus is going to have the Prim test kitchen pim, a test kitchen and just to like ant man and the wasp use the pym particles to grow and shrink pim technologies or using the latest invention to grow and shrink fruit food at this eatery. So that’s probably going to be like a snack area within. It shows a gourmet tiny food court eight. I need food and obviously there’s going to be different encounters with other superheroes like black widow, Antman and wasp, Dr.

Speaker 5: 07:02 Strange guardians of the galaxy and superheroes from Wakanda and Asgard as well as iron man. So the building is actually going to be part of phase two and they will also be opening another brand new he ticket attraction where you will step aboard a Quinn jet and fly alongside the Avengers in an epic adventure to a Conda and beyond. So sounds really cool if you’re going to be in California. But like I said, I think there they are going to try and link some of the things together if you’re not in, you know, they’re going to have the, the, the different outposts in the other parks that are all gonna Kinda, you know, link together. Okay. So sounds really cool. Sounds, you know, very, you know, next step, you know, and, and some of these newer rides, you know, using the, the newer technologies, so sure.

Speaker 4: 08:00 We going to get the kind of ride technology that we’ve seen in like Hong Kong, Disney, they’ve got some of the coolest room they do and we’ll eventually get them here at some point. So yay for adventure campus. So busy can’t score a licensing deal with Sony for Spiderman movies, but they’re going to use it throughout the park through the park. Yeah. An interesting, I’m curious if this is gonna have any effect on the Spiderman ride at universal? Just

Speaker 5: 08:34 Yeah, I’m sure at some point, you know, it’ll just kind of overpower you know, everything you know at all the other parks that is used that so.

Speaker 4: 08:45 Okay. Well, very cool. Well, I’ll look forward to, it’s very ambitious too to want to tout that out in 2020 considering how long it took them to do star wars land.

Speaker 5: 08:56 Yeah. So we’ll see. But what else has got what you got going to be, we’re transforming app con. Tell us about that. This was, this was really big. They, you know, a lot of stuff was kind of coming out throughout the weekend, you know, a little bit here, a little bit there. And it wasn’t until Sunday that they actually released the full transformation really of, of Epcot. And it’s kind of historic because they’re really almost redoing the entire park. So you know, if you know anything about Epcot, Epcot stands for experimental prototype community of tomorrow. Originally it was really supposed to be that it was supposed to be a community. It was never supposed to be a theme park. It was never supposed to be anything like that. It was really supposed to be a town and a whole you know, city system and whatnot.

Speaker 5: 09:52 And obviously once Walt had passed away, they had all these ideas and they kind of came together, passed away. They realized they weren’t gonna make any money on his idea. So, so let’s kind of, you know, so then they kind of came up with the idea of these two different lands you had you know, a world showcase to be able to have, you know, various different countries and then, you know, you had the, this area to be able to, you know, showcase, you know, futuristic type things. And the idea, you know, dinosaur, well, the idea was that Epcot was never supposed to be complete. It was always supposed to be evolving. Disney parts are completed every time we go. The destruction that true. But, but that was actually, you know, and Walt Disney and his idea of what Epcot was, it was always supposed to be in a state of becoming is what he was quoted to say.

Speaker 5: 10:55 That it was a place that was going to change, you know, all the time. Whereas really until recently, Disney parks honestly didn’t really change very much till they started getting real competition. Well, and that’s where I was just going to say is that until competition came in with universal, a lot of the rides never got update. You know, you’d have a refurbishment, but you never had anything that really got updated. You never really had anything new. It was tried and true and, and you know, that’s what it was. But then again, like you said, because of universal, that put the pressure on them to need to update and, you know, get new people to come and whatnot. And honestly, Epcot for the longest time, world showcase, you know, was fine the way it was, but future world really was lacking. You had, you know, interventions, you know east and west side that at the time, you know, when things, you know, I remember they had a video phone where you could, you know, make a phone call and, and you know, call a family member and you know, scrape them now.

Speaker 5: 12:03 Right. Exactly. So, so much of what was top notch 25, 40 years ago became outdated and they, they couldn’t update the stuff I think fast enough. So you started seeing different things that were in there. We went to the home of tomorrow. Right. And they shows you all these things. And the one thing that they showed you was this digital guitar, right? And I wanted to go buy that digital guitar for our son. And it was like six years old, right. At this point. It wasn’t even brand new. Right. The thing was that I think in the beginning, cause I remember, you know, IBM had a big, you know, a big display and then over time, you know, everything that was there became obsolete. And I don’t know if it was just the fact that technology was changing so quickly that they just couldn’t keep up with the displays or you know, the partners that they were partnering with just decided after so many years to, to pull out, you know, I don’t know what it was, but you got to the point where, you know, one of the last times that we went, like the one side of interventions was completely shut down.

Speaker 5: 13:13 They didn’t had nothing in it. And then the other one when you walked through, it was almost like a ghost town. So you knew they needed to condition the important yes. And that was the best place have are. So now they are, you know, totally redoing this and basically what they’re doing is they’re now, instead of having the two sections, they’re breaking it up into four different, what their quote unquote neighborhoods is, what they’re calling it. So world showcase, which was the area where all of the countries are, is going to continue to be the celebration of culture and cuisine and architecture and traditions infused with some magic. So some of the little updates with world showcases that the United Kingdom pavilion will be welcoming its first attraction inspired by Mary Poppins. You’ll be able to step in time down cherry tree lane past admiral booms house and enter number 17, the home of the bank’s family where your adventure will begin.

Speaker 5: 14:18 Really nothing else has come out as to what the ride will be. But again, this is the first time for an attraction in the UK pavilion. Obviously most people know that the nighttime show illuminations will be ending and they’re putting in a short term limited run. A nighttime show called Epcot forever. But in 2020, the new show harmonious us. We’ll debut as the parks nighttime, the largest nighttime spectacular ever created for a Disney park. It’ll celebrate how the music of Disney inspires people all over the world, carrying away, carrying you away harmoniously on a stream of familiar Disney tunes reinterpreted by a diverse group of artists from around the globe. It’ll feature float pieces, custom built led panels, choreography. I’m moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics, lasers, and more so that a lot of people are very excited to see. Also summer of 2020, the France pavilion will even have more to discover.

Speaker 5: 15:32 Obviously they’ve been building the remys ratatouille adventure ride which is they actually had that ride in Disneyland, Paris, so that’s coming here. They’re also debuting a few new little restaurants as well. Excuse me. Also in the France pavilion the classic movie that they had, the impressions of France will be joined by a new beauty and the beast sing-a-long which we’ll be debuting in January of 2020. And then the in Canada there circle vision movie will actually be updated in 2020 as well as well as in the China Pavilion. Their movie is actually going to be updated as well. So anybody that’s a fan of the three 60 movies, it’s nice to see that after so many years that they’re finally, you know, upgrading those movies. So that’s everything that’s going to be changing in world showcase.

Speaker 5: 16:38 So world celebration is actually going to be the part of the section that was kind of the front part of Epcot of world showcase. Not world showcase of future world where spaceship earth is. So spaceship earth is actually, you know, still gonna be there. They are revamping the ride. It’s gonna be a totally different. The other, there were a couple of different articles that talked about what was discussed. It was basically going to be that you’re going to follow a magical story light that’ll basically go through a you know, a ride basically through time, but not like a history of communication, which is what a spaceship earth is now. So totally revamping the story. A whole new narrator, but obviously the same ride technology. Some of the scenes are gonna remain and they’re gonna kind of be plussed where new things are going to be coming in.

Speaker 5: 17:43 There’s actually a new pavilion that they’re going to be building. That’ll be where there’ll be doing different live events. It’s basically gonna be the home base for all of their signature fest festivals. So like the food and wine and the, the different, you know ones that they do it’s basically gonna have like kind of like a three tiered level. And the top level you can actually overlook the park from it. So that sounded, you know it’ll have like a plaza level, an expo level, and then a park level that will sit, you know on the, the top level the whole entrance of the plaza, you know, anybody that’s, you know, gone online or have, you know, has visited recently, has seen a whole bunch of construction, you know, going on with the entrance and they’re basically transforming that whole thing, making it, you know, like if you’ve ever gone, you know, they had the the stone, the model with the pictures and the reason those have already been taken out.

Speaker 5: 18:52 Now the pictures they are supposed to be posting, putting them someplace else, just not on the big monoliths. But basically they’re putting in gardens upon gardens and you know, this lush area. Whereas you know, if you’ve ever walked through it before, it was very stone and kind of cold here, it’s going to be lush green. You know, like if you ever go for the, the the, the flower festival, you know, they would put the topiaries out and that would really be the only time that it was, you know, bright colors now. Right? And so now the whole idea is, you know, the walkways and everything will be all lush and green and kind of pay homage to the original idea of what Epcot was. So kind of that community garden type thing. And as you exit spaceship earth, you’ll discover a breathtaking new view of world showcase from dreamers point.

Speaker 5: 19:47 And this is something that a lot of people are very excited about because they’re putting in a statue of Walt Disney. There’s kind of like steps and he’s kind of like sitting on the steps kind of just looking. So, you know, that’s going to be a place that everybody’s going to be going to, to take pictures. Is this the, cause you said they’re replacing the fountain with this right? The one while the fountain, when you not the big giant Fallon, the big giant found as far as I know is still staying. I believe it’s the little fountain when you first walked in before you got to space shipper, that’s completely gone. As far as I know, the big fountain in the back. That one’s still, that’s the part that would make the most sense because you figure from there you get the sea, the vast majority of park though.

Speaker 5: 20:36 That’s where I would’ve put it. Yeah. Well that, I think that’s going to be part of Dreamer’s point. So so they have that whole area. So then to have the new sections, one is world nature and that’s basically dedicated to the understanding and preserving the beauty and awe and balance of the natural world. And this is where the land pavilion decide where the Land Pavilion is and the seas with Nemo and friends. So those are still staying there. But what they’re doing is bringing a Mulana attraction. So it’s journey of water, which is going to be inspired by marijuana. It’s the first experience inspired by the Milana movie. It’ll have less trails where you can go and explore and play with magical living water. And you’ll find out that water has its, its life of its own. The land pavilion will actually be getting a new movie called Awesome Planet, which will showcase the beauty and diversity and Diane dynamic story of the planet.

Speaker 5: 21:47 And that’ll actually debut in 2020 that takes over where the pollution movie was the Simba and tymone and Poon Ba movie that was upstairs that I don’t think we ever went to it. And then when it closed, it was just kind of this, this empty spot. So that’s the world nature spot. Then the world discovery spot, which is on the other side. It’ll be stories about science, technology and intergalactic adventure. And that’s obviously where test track is where mission spaces and where the new guardians of the galaxy cosmic rewind ride will be. So the adventure for the gap guardians of the galaxy basically starts in a planetarium like exhibit and you explore the similarities and mysteries of the Earth’s galaxies and Zandar and you’re invited to learn more about the treasures of that. Zandar has to share until the moment when the guardians of the galaxy arrives. And then the adventure crosses the cosmos, you know, ensues. And that is the the ride for that. It’s actually going to be a 360 degree rollercoaster where you’re gonna end up going in all sorts of directions.

Speaker 5: 23:14 That was really no change. Yeah. I don’t even know if our daughter will go on it. You know, we’ll have to see how many years it takes her to go, so that, you know, is underway. And then they are actually doing an expansion of missions, the mission space pavilion to actually include a new restaurant called space 2020 two 20. It’ll be a culinary experience featuring the celestial panorama of a space station daytime and nighttime views of earth from 220 miles up a you’ll board a special elevator for a journey and a to the space station that is home to an incredible dining experience. So sounds like a, a very cool dining. I know when they were talking about it, they were thinking it was going to be a star wars restaurant. There were rumors about that, but it’s basically just a s a space theme to go with missing mission space.

Speaker 5: 24:14 And then the last area that they have is the play pavilion, which will open in time for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney world. And it’s basically a big giant indoor play area for kids. They’ll be able to have interactive, it’s basically an interactive s a city with games and activities and experiences with Disney characters there. It basically it’s also a chance to help legendary fashion icon Ed Nimal and her quest to rid the rule, rid the world of uninspired style. Or you can have a water balloon fight with Huey Dewey, Louie and Webby. So sounds like a, you know, a nice area for the younger kids to go and play and it’s indoors, so you’ll be able to, to kind of cool off, you know, and, and rest, you know, a little bit. So they’re actually opening up a, so if anybody, you know, who’s ever been to Epcot, one of the little side areas is the Odyssey pavilion and they kind of only use that now really during the special event.

Speaker 5: 25:28 Events that they have, that’s usually the only time that they’re, they have an open, but they’re actually gonna be opening it October 1st of this year to kind of present all of the things that are going to be changing it at cots. I know, like a preview center, so if you happen to be down there after October 1st and you’re interested, go over to the Odyssey and they’ll have, you know, all this and probably much more there for you to take a look about. So that’s cool. Well, I have the site, it makes more sense. You know, when they announced the guardians of the galaxy ride, it made no sense that you would put it there, right? Because without changing everything else why are you putting it there right now with this coming out now it makes a lot more sense how they’re dividing up, you know, the side of the park that was dedicated to the rides and stuff like that.

Speaker 5: 26:23 Right. And now, you know, that’s sense, right? It’s this spacey, futuristic technology side of things. And then you have your nature side of things and so it does, they’re going to leverage that property for it and it’ll, you know, from, from what read it looks like it will fit in fairly well. Yeah. Yeah, definitely. And I’m sure again, with the whole Avengers campuses, they’ll be something there, you know, by that ride. I’m sure, again, that outpost type thing to kind of tie in that it’s connected with all the other Avengers, you know, areas. So cool. Wow. That change is coming. Yeah, definitely. So, let’s move on.

Speaker 5: 27:15 So this was one that I was anxiously awaiting the news off and was utterly disappointed when the news actually came out of it. So why don’t you tell us about this one? So there were lots of rumors about the star wars hotel and what it was going to, to be like. And a lot of people were like, oh, it’s immersive. You can only stay so many days. You know, again, not much information. You know, it basically sounded like if you were going there, that was going to be the only thing you were going to want to do. You weren’t gonna wanna go to the park because you know, it was going to be a 24, seven immersive, you know, experience. So the, they brought this out obviously during d 23. So they said that it’s a star wars vacation experience, unlike anything Disney has ever created before with a fully immersive for, sorry, with fully immersive guests in a galaxy far, far away when Star Wars Galactic Star cruiser debuts at the Walt Disney world resort in Florida.

Speaker 5: 28:29 And basically it’s going to be like a two day cruise is pretend cruise a pretend cruise. So the Galactic Star cruiser will offer a two night itinerary where all guests arrive and depart together. Similar to the Disney cruise line. Unlike any typical cruise though, you can become the heroes of your own star wars story with a new type of a immersive experience that only Disney can create. You will cruise the galaxy and style a board, the house Seon known for. It’s a impeccable service and exotic destinations on board. You’ll stay in a well-appointed cabin experience, onboard dining, makeup, planet side excursion to black spire, a outpost on. But two and much more throughout the journey, you’ll be invited to delve deeper into your personal adventure by participating in onboard activities, interacting with characters, crews, and other passengers you meet and becoming part of the action of the broader Star Wars Saga.

Speaker 5: 29:38 So basically your adventure going to begin as soon as you get to the Galactic Star cruise or terminal at Walt Disney world. So some people were saying that if you happen to fly into Orlando International Airport, there will be a special pickup area for people going to the Galactic Star cruiser. Obviously if you’re driving or arriving elsewhere, they’ll be a special place where you’ll go. And that once you there get there, you’ll be checked in for your two night experience. You will be invited to enter the launch pod for transportation into space and through the windows you’ll be able to see that you’re leaving the real world, real world behind and entering space and you’ll be able to jump to hyperspeed. As you grow, you know, get closer to, to the ship. When you dock the airlocks a lupin and you’ll be able to step onto the main deck and your journey will begin basically your visit becomes kind of a multi-day story that interweaves with members of the crew and other passengers, familiar star wars characters and excursions to star wars galaxy’s edge at Hollywood studio. So that is now they don’t say whether or not it’s a separate ticket that you need for it, you know, or is it part of your package? So obviously, yes.

Speaker 4: 31:15 And, and that’s all gonna depend on pricing obviously.

Speaker 5: 31:18 I’m sure it is. So the all immersive experience also features entertaining activities such as light saber wielding the visiting the bridge to learn about the ship system. Also, every window in the cabins has a space view. And all of the windows on the ship have have different space views. You’ll be you’ll be able to explore and discover hidden spaces deep in the mechanics of the ship. You know, perfect for uncovering secrets in and holding secret meetings. So as you explore the ship, there’ll be different places for you to, to sneak in and go from here to there and, and elsewhere. So it sounds really cool. Some of the speculation was that you’re talking about like $3,300

Speaker 4: 32:18 Per person that it’s going to be priced kind of like a cruise. And obviously that’s where my number one concern right from there simulating a cruise experience, not providing a cruise experience. Right. And since it’s really a hotel, why is there a per person charge? Right, right. There’s, there shouldn’t be a per person charge that should be a per for the two nights of them there is it all you can eat unlimited all inclusive liga. Cruise would be, I don’t know. So this is where, you know, my concern is is that if you look at the numbers and if the numbers are what people are saying, the Disney is basically charging you twice as much per night for a fake cruise than they do for a real crew. Maybe it’ll be one of those things where depending on the size of your room that you know, like a regular cruise, if you get a a small cabin, you’re paying less than somebody that’s doing a larger cabin that that fits.

Speaker 4: 33:24 And what amenities are you passing up here? Right, exactly. I can’t go sit on my balcony if I’m want to star ship. Right, right. Because you would die, you know, you’re not in your space. Is there a pool? Is there an endless pool that goes, they would have some sort of indoor pool or you know, or if there is some sort of outdoor thing, are you kind of closed off? You know, like, oh you’re, you’re going outside, but it’s really the hollow, you know, a holodeck. I know that that’s dark and what are they giving me to justify the cost of it? Because that’s really these days, that’s what it all comes down to. No matter what you get from Disney, there’s a cost associated with it. And the decision the consumer has to make is, is the cost worth the value that you’re getting? And more times than not these days, it’s simply isn’t worth the cost.

Speaker 4: 34:20 And I think for that star wars fan that you know, person that’s always looking to do something different out of the norm, you know, this time that’s typically me, right? The problem that I have is this star wars that they portray, their version of it, their version, they do everything they can to whitewash the traditional original trail. Even the original six movies that were done by Lucas Disney has gone out of their way to eliminate and, and minimize any influence they have on what they think their vision of star wars is. And what you get is a whitewashed version of Disney’s star wars that they want to jam down your throat. And now that they’re finally doing something for all the fans out there, that’s the version that you get. You know, I haven’t been to galaxies Ed, Jeff, but everything that I’ve read shows you might get hints here and there of, you know, the original trilogy. But you know what, if Darth Vader isn’t walking around at galaxies edge, then it’s not star wars. I’m sorry for you. Yes, I understand for for me

Speaker 5: 35:38 Million, many other diehards and I’ve definitely seen that as well from my, you know, various different, you know, a s Disney slash star wars friends who have either been there or you know, they, they’ve had that same, you know, argument. Is that, okay, where’s Darth Vader if he’s not here, it’s not star wars, but yet there’s so much of the star wars galaxy out there. And you being somebody that’s read many of the books and many of the comics and, and Canon and not cannon and this

Speaker 4: 36:13 Then that, you know, that’s right. You know, I think would bothers me the most is that by participating in what they’re offering, I almost feel like I’m contributing to the problem that is Ryan Johnson, Star Wars. That’s what I, I don’t want to, I don’t want to play a part in, in his version of star wars.

Speaker 5: 36:33 You know what, I need to start a drinking game. Cause this is like the third podcast in a row where you’ve managed to, to bring him up. Yeah. So he, he’s the Elsa.

Speaker 4: 36:45 I am holding out hope the JJ Abrams can save the franchise.

Speaker 5: 36:49 I think he will. I, I think he will know.

Speaker 4: 36:52 Okay. So we have one more topic.

Speaker 5: 36:56 One more. Wow. Come back.

Speaker 4: 37:04 So Disney plus, yes. We learned a lot about Disney plus. Tell us what we’ve learned about Disney.

Speaker 5: 37:13 Yeah. So we, we already knew a bunch of different things about Disney plus, but obviously during the expo a lot more came out. So they went through a, a big list of things and you know, again, they want to make sure that, that Disney pluses, you know, something for everybody really. So they had the cast of high school musical, the musical, the series open up the panel. So if you have kids that are of that age that were into high school musical the movie, now, they’re actually coming out with a series about it. So that was, you know, nice to see that they’re, you know, again, this is all of the original stuff that they’re, they’re going to be showing. One of the other things too was that they said that they did confirm that the entire Pixar catalog, all Disney channel series and original movies, basically everything from the Disney vault would be brought out for the launch of a Disney plus.

Speaker 5: 38:22 Then they’re doing a reboot of Lizzie McGuire with Hillary duff coming back as, as the lead. So, you know, fans of Lizzie McGuire get to see, you know, the, the older version, get to see her, you know, with kids. I’m sure. Now being the mom as you know, opposed to the, you know, the teenage kid. The one show that I saw that like totally spoke to me was Kristen bell is going to be hosting a reality show entitled encore, where she will be reuniting old high school theater troops to perform their big shows one more time together as adults. If you haven’t seen the trailer for it if you were ever involved in drama club or chorus or, or anything like that in high school, give a look at it because it really does kind of tug on your heartstrings if you were ever a, a performer in high school.

Speaker 5: 39:25 And just to see, you know, the, these adults come together, you know, 15, 20 years after, you know, they did their show and to see where they are in life, you know, and, and, you know, some people actually did go on to have a performing career and, and some, you know, that was the last time they ever did anything into and to see them come back, you know, really, really is, you know, it got me all choked up. So I, it’s, you know, being a fan of glee, this was kind of like, you know, the adult version of, you know, what happens after graduation. Then they are also coming out with the world according to Jeff Goldbloom where he’ll explore everything from ice cream to tattoos to sneakers and that’ll actually be part of the national geographic part of Disney plus.

Speaker 5: 40:21 So that’s a new show. Then obviously we’ve seen various different things about lady in the tramp. So they had previews of the movie for lady in the Tramp where it’s live action. Obviously there is some computer animation when the dogs are talking. But otherwise they are real dogs. Cause there were stories that came out that the dog that plays tramp was actually adopted from, from a pound. So that was kind of a, a cute little story. So if you’re a fan of the original movie animated, this was really cute. I did see the trailer for that. Then obviously they’re gonna have a holiday movie come out with Anna Kendrick and bill hater called Noel. So they had a trailer for, for that. And then what was really cool was they had been talking about the animated marvel series called if, what if, and they basically got almost every MCU actor to over their character for it.

Speaker 5: 41:35 So one of the cool things was that Peggy Carter would be doing her part and the one episode is where we see Peggy Carter as captain America. So that, that they were able to bring Haley at, well back to play. Yep. Yep. They sure did. So that was really cool. And then also in MCU circles, they found out that another familiar face would be joining the Falcon and winter soldier show. And that’ll be Emily vancamp who is returning as Peggy’s niece, Shannon, Sharon, Sharon, Sharon. So that’ll be, you know, so she’s coming, you know, so she’ll be part of that series also. They gave a, a sneak peak to won division. What that show be like. It’s like some 1960s B movie version of three days. Right, right. And that’s obviously with Wanda and vision and kind of their love story, you know, everything that happened.

Speaker 5: 42:39 And then, not that they really gave much information about it, but they said, hey, here are three new series that are gonna be joining the MCU on Disney plus, and that’s Miss Marvel Moon night. And she hoke. Nice. So, pretty cool. You know, and again, you know, a lot of stuff people kind of knew about but speculated, so it was obviously very cool. Also one of the other things, Kathleen Kennedy, the president of Lucas films, did confirm that the entire star wars collection, including star wars the rise of Skywalker within a year of it being released would also be on, you know, Disney plus as well. All the more reason for him to keep raising the price. I’m waiting for him, I suspect ovaries the fresh before it even launches. Well, they already, I already did because they started the packages. Right. So, you know, so yeah, it’ll be interesting to see how long, you know, if by January 20, 20, you know, everything kind of, you know, it’ll be interesting to see, you know, cause I know I, I believe people that were at d 23, we’re going to be getting some sort of preview to it and could log on to it, you know, now or there was something that was going to be available.

Speaker 5: 44:06 So it’ll be interesting to see, you know, if they do anything, you know, if you’re a DVC member or you know, a d 23 member or something, I doubt it. But it would be throw love to the people that are recurring revenue. Yeah, I know. Yeah, I, I know. And then obviously they had the, the trailer for the Mandalorian and they did confirm the ob won a series as well, which everybody kind of knew. But here the confirmation came out. So again, a lot of good stuff. So people are getting really excited about, you know, Disney pluses are really sounding like it’s going to be a good

Speaker 4: 44:47 Station, a good, you know, app I guess. Cause it’s not a station cause, Huh. Yeah. Time will tell. Time will tell. So let’s come back. I have one more segment I want to do that. It wasn’t originally in the shown. It’s okay.

Speaker 4: 45:08 So I wanted to real quick pay quick tribute to the Digi Disney legends who are honored. Yes. This year you have the list in front of you there.

Speaker 5: 45:21 I have part of it.

Speaker 4: 45:22 All right, let’s go down the list. We’ll just go down quickly. And there were some folks here who are obviously known, very well known. We don’t have to go into the detail, the detail, the folks who might be a little less known, like the first one on the list there, who’s, you know, comes from within the organization itself. So I’ll let you run with the list.

Speaker 5: 45:44 Sure. So this was actually a, the legends award actually Kinda kicked off the expo. And Disney didn’t really do a lot of live streaming of d 23. They actually only did two events a day. We’re live stream, so a lot of videos that might pop up on Youtube or, or personal you know, people’s personal videos. But this was one that that came up in the after early afternoon on Friday, and I was actually watching most of it, which was really kinda cool. So here are the list of the 2019 legends award honorees. So the first one was wing Chao. And again, he, somebody that the name probably doesn’t sound familiar, but he served as the vice chairman of Walt Disney parks and resorts for Asia Pacific Development as well as executive vice president of Walt Disney imagineering where he oversaw master planning, design and architecture as Disney parks worldwide. And when they went through his little bio, you know, they showed his influence of, you know, the architecture from, you know, resorts to parks to rides and everything. And he was a big part of it, you know, not only for the Asia Pacific parks, but as well as, you know, the u s parks as well. Yeah. so it was really nice to, to see that.

Speaker 4: 47:22 To me it’s considering all the other names on this list here. It’s nice to see people like that. Even though, you know, an executive at Disney, right. He started out, you know, as one of those people who, you know, you could as much as I not Bob Iger for, you know, taking credit for all the successes of the company, but not being the guy in the trenches doing the work. Wing Chao was one of those guys in the trenches doing the work, producing for the parks and making the park special and was able to work his way through the system. He’s an excellent example of what a Disney legend really should be. Right. And another park,

Speaker 5: 48:06 You know, employee or executive would be Barnett Richie. And she started her career as a choreographer at Disneyland in the late sixties. She worked on the grand openings for Walt Disney world, Epcot, a Tokyo Disneyland and directed shows like the Golden Horseshoe review at Disneyland and the diamond horseshoe review at Walt Disney world. But her biggest creation was the choreography for phantasmagoric. And she actually retired from the company in 2013. And when she came up, she was just, she was in awe because again, it’s somebody that you, you know, you don’t know her by name if you’re, you know, a, a regular guest, but to see what her impact was you know, like she kinda had the idea to, to do this show and how do we do this here? And of course you know, if you’ve seen fantastic in, in Walt Disney world, it’s a lot different than when you’re in Disney land because in Disney land they didn’t have a special arena for it. It was, you know, how do we do this massive show, you know, in this small, you know, area. So, you know, she was very humble, you know, to, to receive her

Speaker 4: 49:30 Who are the magic makers behind the scenes that really make the difference.

Speaker 5: 49:34 Yeah. and not to say that the rest of the list, you know, aren’t magic makers in their their own way. But they’re obviously more well known recipients. So obviously the, the first that came out was Robert Downey Jr. He kind of stole the show. So two time academy award nominee Golden Globe winner has appeared obviously in more than 80 films, but obviously what he’s known for in the Disney world obviously is Tony Stark. And he was kind of funny because he admitted that he actually got kicked out of the park in one of his first visits to Disneyland cause he was smoking pot. So that’s a good example. Yeah, exactly. Was like, don’t do what I did. And, you know, look how much better my life is associated with Robert Downey Jr we had John Fabro as well. Yes. So it was kind of interesting how they kind of like certain people kinda went together.

Speaker 5: 50:43 So obviously John Five, who is the director of iron man, iron man too, he did the live action remake of jungle book and the Lion King he’ll be he directed the Mandalorian for Disney plus. So tons of you know, work with Disney and is very appreciative of Disney and really paid homage and his speech to the technology, you know, that they’re always moving forward you know, with it. And to kind of tie in with the lion king, obviously the voice, James Earl Jones was inducted. He wasn’t able to be there, but had a recorded speech and again, very humble to be, you know, part of the Disney family. Right. The voice. Right. And obviously, you know, move foster was how he came into the family. And by proxy, you know, technically he did Vader well before he did for fossil.

Speaker 5: 51:52 Right. But, but Vader wasn’t part of the Disney family at that point in time. So that’s why I said by proxy, you know, he got grandfathered in. Huh. You know. So then from there we had bet Midler who obviously, you know, she’s worked with Disney for years on various comedy movies back when touchstone was, you know, kind of separated. Beaches was a Disney movie and obviously is very well known for Hocus Pocus, which has now become a Halloween classic. What was very touching was she wasn’t able to, to make it there. She, I guess, was flying from New York, and there had been really bad weather and she kept trying to get to, you know, La and to Anaheim and just couldn’t make it. But her daughter, I guess, lives somewhere in the California area, or was already there.

Speaker 5: 52:55 So she actually read the speech that was written by that very sweet and you know, very emotional. And it was just a very touching moment. And then we had Kenny Ortega, who is a director and choreographer who did newsies and did hocus pocus and the high school musical movies as well as the descendants. He was awarded as well. And then we had two news anchors. We had Robin Roberts who actually had started on ESPN in the 90s. And Diane Sawyer from ABC News and both of their speeches were very very complimentary, you know, to each other and, you know, thanking, you know, the Disney Company for, for giving them, you know, such an opportunity. And then kind of finishing out, we kinda had the the Milan group of, of, of actors and singers. So Christina Aguilera who was one of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse stars as well as sang from sang the, the title song from Milan.

Speaker 5: 54:21 And then of course we had Milan herself Ming na way who not only did the voice of Milan, but she also is on Marvel’s agents of shield and will also now be in the Mandalorian and actually started her career in joy luck club, which was a movie that Disney had produced and to kind of balance out or not balance out rounded out, rounded out. Thank you. Hans Zimmer the famous musician, a composer, composer. Thank you writer who’s done, you know, the dark knight trilogy, the Lion King, iron man, parts of the Caribbean, and also the newer version of the lion king compose that as well. So a good group of people. And it was interesting to see, again, from all different spectrums, you know, of, of of the entertainment world. All right. So that was a lot of what happened. That was not everything that happened, but that was most of the highlights. Yeah. Feel free to take a look at the links in the show notes and I think that’s it for this one. That sure is. Alright. Thanks a lot. And we’ll talk to you later. Okay.

Show Notes

• Introduction
  • Insights Into Entertainment: Episode 30 “Special Event: D23 Expo”
  • My Disney-aholic co-host Michelle Whalen
    
    
• Discussion Topics
  • Avengers Campus (Marvel Land)
  • Transformation of EPCOT
  • Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Halcyon 
  • New things we learned about Disney Plus
    
    
• Avengers Campus (Marvel Land)
  • Everything We Just Learned About Avengers Campus, Disney’s New Marvel Land
  • https://io9.gizmodo.com/everything-we-just-learned-about-avengers-campus-disne-1837451242
  • http://bit.ly/2ZtXw3J 
  • https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2019/08/details-revealed-for-avengers-campus-and-other-new-experiences-coming-to-disneyland-resort/
  • http://bit.ly/2UeFPAl 
    • First, Cars got a land. Then Avatar got a planet. Pixar got a pier, Star Wars got a world and now, it’s Marvel’s turn.
    • For years we’ve known Disney was planning on adding a Marvel section to their Disney California Adventure theme park and, on Thursday night at the D23 Expo, we finally learned more about it.
    • It’s called “Avengers Campus.” And it’s only the beginning.
    • The idea behind Avengers Campus is that the Avengers have set up places all over the world to recruit special people to join their ranks. Special people like…everyone who visits a Disney park. The theming will tie together other Disney theme parks all over the world that already have Marvel rides such as Paris and Hong Kong. 
    • You can soon suit up alongside your favorite Super Heroes at the Avengers Campus, beginning in 2020 at Disney California Adventure park. This campus is set up by the Avengers to recruit the next generation of Super Heroes.
    • “In some ways, these new campuses are like the Avengers themselves: a group of diverse individuals who have teamed up for the same purpose,” said Scot Drake, Creative Executive, Marvel Global Portfolio, Walt Disney Imagineering. “This collection of unique addresses—each dedicated to a different discipline—have been brought together to champion the next generation of heroes.”
    • The first key address at the Avengers Campus will be the Worldwide Engineering Brigade – also known as “WEB” – which will house our new Spider-Man experience, the first Disney ride-through attraction to feature this iconic Super Hero.
    • During an open house at WEB, the aspiring inventors are excited to invite you for a test drive of their latest invention: the “Web Slinger” vehicle, which allows you to sling webs just like Spider-Man! The attraction gives you a taste of what it’s like to have actual super powers as you help Spider-Man collect Spider-Bots that have run amok.
    • Avengers Campus will also feature Pym Test Kitchen. Just as Ant-Man and The Wasp use “Pym Particles” to grow and shrink just about anything, Pym Technologies is using the latest innovations to grow and shrink food at this eatery!
    • You will also find heroic encounters throughout the campus, including Black Widow, Ant-Man and The Wasp, Doctor Strange, the Guardians of the Galaxy, Super Heroes from Wakanda and Asgard, and Iron Man.
    • This building, which will open in phase two, will become the future entrance to a brand-new E-Ticket attraction where you will step on board a Quinjet and fly alongside the Avengers in an epic adventure to Wakanda and beyond! You will team up alongside the Avengers in a battle to save our world against one of the most powerful villains they have ever faced. Imagineers are hard at work conceiving an all-new innovative ride system to put you in the middle of this action

• Transformation of EPCOT
  • New Details Revealed for the Historic Transformation of Epcot Underway at Walt Disney World Resort
  • https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2019/08/new-details-revealed-for-the-historic-transformation-of-epcot-underway-at-walt-disney-world-resort/
  • http://bit.ly/2Hpsgc4 
    • Walt Disney once said Epcot “would always be in a state of becoming” – it is a place that changes with the times. Over the next several years, the Walt Disney World Resort theme park will live up to that promise in a whole new way as it continues the biggest transformation of any Disney park in history, bringing the next generation of immersive storytelling to life through a plethora of new attractions and experiences.
    • Walt Disney once said Epcot “would always be in a state of becoming” – it is a place that changes with the times. Over the next several years, the Walt Disney World Resort theme park will live up to that promise in a whole new way as it continues the biggest transformation of any Disney park in history, bringing the next generation of immersive storytelling to life through a plethora of new attractions and experiences.
    • World Showcase will continue to be a celebration of culture, cuisine, architecture and traditions – infused with new magic.
      • The United Kingdom pavilion will welcome the first attraction inspired by Mary Poppins. You will step in time down Cherry Tree Lane past Admiral Boom’s house, then enter Number 17, home of the Banks family, where your adventure will begin.
      • In 2020, following the limited-time run of “Epcot Forever,” the new “HarmonioUS” will debut as the largest nighttime spectacular ever created for a Disney park. It will celebrate how the music of Disney inspires people the world over, carrying you away harmoniously on a stream of familiar Disney tunes reinterpreted by a diverse group of artists from around the globe. “HarmonioUS” will feature massive floating set pieces, custom-built LED panels, choreographed moving fountains, lights, pyrotechnics, lasers and more.
      • In summer 2020, the France pavilion will offer even more for you to discover, including the much-anticipated attraction Remy’s Ratatouille Adventure, where you’ll shrink to the size of Chef Remy and race through Gusteau’s restaurant on a wild adventure. Summer 2020 will also see the debut of a delicious new restaurant in the France pavilion, La Crêperie de Paris, offering both table- and quick-service options featuring a menu from celebrity chef Jérôme Bocuse.
      • Also in the France pavilion, the classic Impressions de France film will be joined by the new “Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along,” debuting in January 2020 and directed by Don Hahn, producer of both the animated and live-action versions of this tale as old as time.
      • Canada Far and Wide in Circle-Vision 360” will debut in January 2020 in the Canada pavilion with new scenes and a new story.
      • In the China pavilion, “Wondrous China” will take guests on a spectacular journey across the country, filmed and presented in a completely seamless 360-degree digital format.

• World Celebration will offer new experiences that connect us to one another and the world around us.
  • The iconic Spaceship Earth will remain a voyage through time as the journey transforms to reflect the power of storytelling to unite the human experience. New narration and an entirely new musical score will focus on the moments and ideas that define our story. You will follow a magical “story light” that brings the entire experience to life in dynamic ways, giving each scene energy and beauty that ties the entire journey together.
  • A new pavilion will be the perfect place for live events, and the home base for Epcot’s signature festivals. It will provide a stunning elevated view of the entire park and an ideal spot to witness Epcot’s nighttime spectacular. This beautiful three-level structure will have one of the most remarkable architectural designs at any Disney park, featuring a plaza level, a middle expo level, and a park that sits in the sky on the top level.
  • Epcot’s entrance plaza will be transformed with new experiences that connect us with the world, welcoming you with a reimagined fountain, new pathways and sweeping green spaces that beautify the entryway. The design will pay homage to the origins of Epcot.
  • As you exit Spaceship Earth, you’ll discover a breathtaking new view of World Showcase from Dreamers Point. World Celebration will also feature a new statue celebrating the legacy of the original dreamer, Walt Disney, plus beautiful natural environments and global design elements filled with Disney magic and surprises, including a wishing tree in an enchanted forest and a story fountain celebrating the power and music of iconic Disney storytelling.
    
    
• World Nature is dedicated to understanding and preserving the beauty, awe and balance of the natural world. It will include The Land and The Seas with Nemo & Friends pavilions.  
  • Journey of Water, Inspired by “Moana” will be the first experience inspired by the hit Walt Disney Animation Studios film. This lush exploration trail will invite you to meet and play with magical, living water. The water will have a life of its own – just like Moana’s friend, the ocean – and you’ll learn about the importance of the natural water cycle.
  • The Land pavilion’s new film, “Awesome Planet,” which showcases the beauty, diversity and dynamic story of the planet, will debut in January 2020.
    
    
• In World Discovery, stories about science, technology and intergalactic adventure come to life.
  • Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will be the first “other-world” showcase pavilion at Epcot. The adventure starts in the “Galaxarium,” a planetarium-like exhibition that explores the similarities and mysteries of the formation of Earth’s galaxy and Xandar. You will be invited to learn more about the treasures Xandar has to share – until the moment when the Guardians of the Galaxy arrive, and adventures across the cosmos ensue. The attraction will feature a new innovation from Walt Disney Imagineering – a storytelling coaster that rotates 360 degrees to focus your attention on the action, including the first reverse launch on a Disney coaster.
  • An expansion of the Mission: SPACE pavilion, the new restaurant Space 220 will be a culinary experience featuring the celestial panorama of a space station, including daytime and nighttime views of Earth from 220 miles up. You’ll board a special elevator for a journey to a space station that is home to an incredible dining experience. Along the way, viewports will give you a real-time perspective as you travel high above the planet. Once you arrive, you’ll enjoy fantastic meals and drinks while taking in views that are truly out of this world. Opening this winter, Space 220 will be operated by the Patina Restaurant Group.
  • The PLAY! pavilion will open in time for the 50th anniversary of Walt Disney World. In this digital metropolis, you’ll discover an interactive city bursting with games, activities and experiences that connect you with friends, family and beloved Disney characters – both real and virtual – like never before. As part of this new pavilion, you’ll have the chance to help legendary fashion icon Edna Mode on her quest to rid the world of uninspired style, or make a splash competing in a water-balloon fight hosted by Huey, Dewey, Louie and Webby.
• You’ll be able to visualize these exciting plans for Epcot when doors open Oct. 1, 2019, for Walt Disney Imagineering presents the Epcot Experience in the Odyssey Events Pavilion. You’ll discover engaging and interactive exhibits that showcase the relentless innovation, energy and excitement driving the park’s future throughout this unprecedented period of transformation.

• Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Halcyon 
  • Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser Will Take Walt Disney World Resort Guests to a Galaxy Far, Far Away
  • https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2019/08/star-wars-galactic-starcruiser-will-take-walt-disney-world-resort-guests-to-a-galaxy-far-far-away/?CMP=SOC-DPFY19Q4wo0822190828190024C
  • http://bit.ly/2Zk71mL 
    • A Star Wars vacation experience unlike anything Disney has ever created before will fully immerse guests in a galaxy far, far away when Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser debuts at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Exciting new details were shared Sunday live from D23 Expo 2019 by Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks, Experiences and Products, and Ann Morrow Johnson, executive producer and creative director for Walt Disney Imagineering.
    • Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser will offer a two-night itinerary where all guests arrive and depart together, similar to Disney Cruise Line. Unlike any typical cruise, though, you can become the heroes of your own Star Wars story in a new type of immersive experience that only Disney could create.
    • You will cruise the galaxy in style aboard the Halcyon, known for its impeccable service and exotic destinations. Onboard, you will stay in well-appointed cabins, experience onboard dining, make a planet-side excursion to Black Spire Outpost on Batuu, and much more. Throughout the journey, you will be invited to delve deeper into your personal adventure by participating in onboard activities, interacting with characters, crew, other passengers you meet, and becoming part of the action and the broader Star Wars saga:
    • The adventure begins when you arrive at the Galactic Starcruiser Terminal at Walt Disney World and check in for your two-night experience.
    • You will be invited to enter a Launch Pod for transport into space. Through windows above, you’ll see yourself leave the real world behind as you jump to hyperspace and draw closer and closer to the Halcyon.
    • When the Launch Pod docks with the Halcyon and the airlock opens, you will step into the ship’s main deck Atrium to begin your journey through a galaxy far, far away.
    • A visit aboard the Halcyon becomes a multi-day story that interweaves with members of the crew, other passengers, familiar Star Wars characters, and an excursion to Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. 
    • The all-immersive experience also features entertaining activities, such as:
    • Wielding a lightsaber while facing off against a training remote, where you may discover your own connection with the Force.
    • Visiting the starcruiser’s Bridge to learn about ship systems and how to operate them, including navigation and defense – skills that may come in handy during a journey through this adventure-filled galaxy.
    • Every window in the Halcyon – including those in each cabin – has a view of the galaxy beyond, with ever-changing vistas as the ship progresses from place to place.
    • You’ll be able to explore the Halcyon and perhaps discover hidden spaces deep in the mechanics of the ship – perfect for uncovering secrets … or holding secret meetings.
    • Choices you make during your adventure will help determine how your Star Wars story progresses.
    • For more information, visit www.starwarsgalacticstarcruiser.com

• New things we learned about Disney Plus
  • 16 Brand New Things We Learned About Disney+ During Disney’s D23 Expo
  • https://www.buzzfeed.com/ehisosifo1/disney-plus-presentation-d23-recap?fbclid=IwAR14R3hT7wQZA5CBjaan2w1Hnze9FGaxU5shdiGCB6zOObmmM3HM1PvTq7I
  • https://bzfd.it/2Zrd08J 

Twelve new Disney Legends to be honored at D23 Expo 2019