Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #184: Stan Lee, Spider-Man and Great Achievements – Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee showed that great accomplishments can come from different situations.
This Tool Offers Daily Disney Fun and Facts While Making Sense for Career, Business, Education, and Family
If you love all things Disney, then why not get a touch of Disney each day of the year with The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution?
Gain inspiration, get organized and set goals using Ray Keating’s “TO DO List Solution,” while enjoying quotes from Walt Disney, other Disney leaders, experts, fans, and hundreds of characters, along with facts about theme parks, movies and much more.
The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more.
The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use, and is available at https://raykeatingonline.com/products/disneyplanner2022.
Ray Keating, who is the publisher, editor and columnist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and a novelist, entrepreneur, podcaster, and economist, explains: “The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution brings a bit of Disney joy into each day, while at the same time offers a handy way to stay organized.”
Keating explains, “Using ‘The TO DO List Solution’ also provides benefits by requiring reflection on goals; prioritization; being more realistic about time management; and serious thought on how to best get things done.”
The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution is one of two TO DO List Solution 2022 planners from Ray Keating. The other is The Lutheran Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #182: Walt Disney and Steve Jobs – How were these two alike and different? Some quick thoughts.
The “Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating” podcast serves up a Disney or Disney-related quote each day, with DisneyBizJournal’s Ray Keating offering brief, additional thoughts on how each dose ties in to life, career, business, entrepreneurship, creativity, storytelling, work, or just plain fun.
by Beth Keating
News/Lifestyle
DisneyBizJournal.com
October 29, 2021
Over the years, there have been a variety of souvenir popcorn buckets at Disney World (indeed, around the Disney world itself, at parks domestic and international), and they make great take-homes. But, as adorable as they may be, the functionality of some of the buckets is better than others.
Last weekend, I arrived at the Magic Kingdom on the hunt for a particular popcorn bucket…. The same one thousands of other guests were looking for as well, I presume. My niece wanted the Mickey 50th Anniversary Popcorn Bucket for Christmas, and so began my search.
A few weeks earlier, I’d been on the lookout for the Mummy Mickey Popcorn bucket, and had hit up both Disney Springs and Hollywood Studios in the search. I was close at Disney Springs. A decades-long (well, maybe not quite that long) line wrapped around the stores at Disney Springs, and since it was later in the day by the time I got there, the bucket was sold out before many guests got to the front of the line. Alas, the Mummy Mickey did not go home with me that day. A search the following day at Hollywood Studios turned up nothing but the standard round popcorn pails.
Because I’d come up empty-handed on Mummy Mickey, the effort to find Mickey in his Anniversary costume became more important. That, plus the knowledge that many items of 50th Anniversary merch were selling out the same day they were released spurred me to “shake a leg,” if you will. Hopefully, with an 18-month long anniversary celebration, 50th Anniversary Mickey in his popcorn bucket will be around for a while, and easily restocked, but with Christmas coming, and both shipping delays and supply chain issues gumming up the works for many families’ gift-giving plans, I wanted to make sure our niece’s Christmas wish list was taken care of.
I entered the Magic Kingdom shortly after park opening, and saw a line of a dozen or so Mickey buckets lined up behind the popcorn cart near Town Hall. And no line of customers. Perfect. It appeared Mickey was in stock. I paused momentarily to decide if I wanted to tote Mickey around all day on the attractions, or wait until a little later in the day to snap him up. I opted to head further into the park, assuming that if Mickey disappeared from the other popcorn carts, I would make a beeline back to Town Hall.
The cart at Cinderella Castle still had Mickey peering over the ledge as I made the turn into Tomorrowland. So, I kept going to take a spin on Buzz Lightyear. An hour or so later, heading through Liberty Square after enjoying a few more rides, I discovered that the popcorn cart there was sold out of Mickey. I started to panic a little, and headed quickly back to the Castle, straight for the popcorn cart there. I was relieved to find a few Mickeys still on their shelf, and spent the rest of the day toting Mickey along with me throughout the park. By the next afternoon, the good people at UPS were transporting Mickey to his new home out-of-state.
As I was hauling Mickey around the park that afternoon, I thought back on some of the adorable and highly sought after popcorn buckets throughout the years, and realized something. Many of those pieces, while amazing in their design, would have been a pain in the neck, literally, to carry around. Despite their handy little carrying strap, they were often beastly awkward for riding rides and watching fireworks. I’m pretty sure that most families didn’t drag those suckers back into the parks for a second day of inexpensive popcorn refills.
50th Anniversary Mickey wasn’t too bad to cart with me. He was fairly light weight, and hung straight up and down in front of me on his lanyard. He even had a convenient little shelf in the back of his head for the popcorn to tip out. But remember the Star Wars Millennium Falcon bucket? It was a foot wide, and nearly a foot and a half long, and it stuck out into the crowd no matter how you carried it. Plus, you had to worry about breaking pieces off. Still, being huge Star Wars fans, we picked it up and brought it home, but surely didn’t take it back to the parks a second time for refills!
Even more awkward was the Cinderella’s Carriage popcorn bucket ($22) at Disneyland. It was gorgeous! It was highly detailed, and every little Princess-wanna-be’s must-have-that-now souvenir in the parks. We did not manage to get our hands on that one. There have been plenty of Toy Story Alien buckets around, in both regular and Christmas attire, but they didn’t excite us all that much, so we left the park without those.
The 50th Anniversary EARidescent balloon style popcorn bucket, in pink, green, blue, or gold (actually more of a yellow), sold out very quickly on opening day (October 1st) of the World’s Most Magical Celebration year. They did restock later in the week, but color availability differed by location as the restocks arrived. They were a little smaller to carry, and $18. In more than a few cases, we saw a poor parent carrying 3 or 4, hanging off various appendages or strapped around stroller handles.
If you don’t find a “fancy” popcorn bucket that catches your imagination, not to worry. The styles of the popcorn buckets change regularly, even seasonally, so you have to be on your toes to catch the ones you really want. It is not an inexpensive souvenir (Anniversary Mickey was $20), but the refills themselves are often pretty inexpensive by Disney snack standards, as little as $2.00. You can keep refilling them for $2.00 each time for the entire length of your stay. As a bonus, if you happen to be in EPCOT, swing by the popcorn stand in Canada, and treat yourself to the maple flavored popcorn. Most of the carts elsewhere carry the just-as-delicious Pop-Secret brand that Disney partners with.
The toughest part of buying a “fancy” souvenir popcorn bucket once you’ve acquired your target? The difficulty of getting it on the plane to go home!
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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.
Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #183: Walt Disney on the Purpose of Money – Like so many other things, Uncle Walt had his thinking straight on money.
The “Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating” podcast serves up a Disney or Disney-related quote each day, with DisneyBizJournal’s Ray Keating offering brief, additional thoughts on how each dose ties in to life, career, business, entrepreneurship, creativity, storytelling, work, or just plain fun.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #181: Walt Disney as a Self-Made Man? – What do we mean when we say a self-made man or self-made woman? Walt gets us thinking.
by Beth Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
October 27, 2021
Mark your calendars (but given Disney’s recent and frequent reshuffling of its movie schedule, do it in pencil) for June 17, 2022, for the release of Lightyear, the animated backstory of the world’s most famous Space Ranger, Buzz Lightyear.
Disney and Pixar today released a visually striking trailer for the new origin tale for Buzz Lightyear – or at least for the man behind the toy. The movie shares the story of the hero on whom the toy was modeled, following the journey of the young test pilot whose mission takes him “to infinity and beyond.”
According to Pixar, “The sci-fi action-adventure presents the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear — the hero who inspired the toy — introducing the legendary Space Ranger who would win generations of fans.”
The “real life” Buzz is voiced by actor Chris Evans of Captain America and Avengers fame, adding a layer of separation between the “Space Ranger” astronaut and the “action figure,” who was famously voiced by Tim Allen in the Toy Story franchise (and by Patrick Warburton in the Star Command series spin-off).
The feature length animated film is produced by Galyn Susman, and veteran Pixar animator Angus MacLane brings his considerable talents to the project as well, including as director.
In an era when Disney has been making movies by doing live-action versions of previously released animated film hits, it’s refreshing to get a new take on a beloved story franchise. Can’t wait to see the final results!
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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.
Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #180: Overwhelming to a Touch of Fear – Gusteau in “Ratatouille” talks about fearlessness and greatness. Is there more to it than that?
by Beth Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
October 25, 2021
Our sympathies go out to our fellow Disney fans on the West Coast. They have not been having a good run lately. On top of the fact that their park was closed much longer than all the other parks (thirteen months!), passholders on the West Coast have been struggling to find theme park reservation availability right now. As in, booked pretty solid for the next two months… There are currently only 2 days open for Disneyland Park, and less than two dozen weekdays available for California Adventure for the highest tier through the end of the year. Even fewer days are available at the lower tiers.
That’s a painful reality on top of the thousands some have shelled out for their new “annual passes,” now called “Magic Keys” on the California shores.
Now comes word that Disneyland’s Dream Level Magic Key (annual pass) has sold out. While that is likely a disappointment for those guests looking for a Key that would allow them unlimited access to Disneyland, it potentially provides some relief for the jammed-up search for open theme park reservations for Key holders.
Dream level ($1,399) was the highest tier of Magic Key passes, giving guests admissions with no block-out dates and entry to both theme parks on any day of the year, as well as 20% off some merchandise, and 15% off some dining. Dream Key guests could hold up to 6 theme park reservations at a time, and standard theme park parking was included.
The Believe, Enchant, or Imagine Keys are still available at this time, with lower tier perks.
For those guests without parking included in their Key passes, it was also announced that the cost of parking at Disneyland Resort will increase from $25 per day to $30 per day.
In other distressing news for guests, Disneyland has changed its ticket tier system, moving from a 5-tier “demand pricing system” for single day tickets to a new 6-tier system. Ticket pricing varies with the time of the year and the day of the week. The highest demand travel times will now be the Tier 6 level, with the highest ticket costs. For example, Tier 6 will cost a whopping $164 for a 1-day, 1-park ticket. Add on the Park Hopper option for the day, and you hit a single day high of $224.
1-day, 1-park tickets on Tier 1 days will stay the same at $104. However, all of the other ticket combinations have been increased by anywhere from $5 to $25. According to the Los Angeles Times,“Daily ticket prices are jumping 3% to 8%, with standard daily parking rates going up by 20%. The parks last raised ticket prices by as much as 5% in February of 2020.”
(The Los Angeles Times also notes that the inflation rate in the U.S. was 5.4% for the 12 months that ended in September.)
Price increases for 1-day adult tickets include:
Price increases for single day Park Hopper tickets are:
Price increases for 1-park per day/multi-day adult tickets are:
Prices increases for multi-day Park Hoppers:
Head to the Disneyland website for prices for specific days and calendars for your travel plans, (or ask your friendly travel agent for assistance in maximizing your travel plans as the Disney tiers and reservations systems get more complex).
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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.
Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #179: Cockerell on Daily, Lifelong Learning – Dan Cockerell correctly argues for learning becoming a daily necessity.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #178: Disney on Partnering with Others – There’s a great deal to consider when partnering with another person or firm, but even a company like Disney has to do it.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #177: Walt Disney on Age and Imagination – If anyone made clear that age matters not to imagination, it was Walt Disney.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #176: Eisner on Best Environment for Ideas – Does the best environment for generating ideas change over time?
by Beth Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
October 21, 2021
While the EPCOT International Food and Wine Festival, currently running through November 20, is the longest of Disney’s festivals, the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts is one of the shortest, lasting just over a month. And that’s a pity because the Festival of the Arts has so much to offer.
This year, the Festival of the Arts will run from January 14 - February 21, 2022. This celebration of the performing, culinary and visual arts is perhaps one of the most engaging of the Festivals, offering face to face visits with working Disney artists, wonderful live music as the DISNEY ON BROADWAY Concert Series returns this year following a COVID pause, and opportunities to sample some of the most creative and beautiful food dishes you will see throughout the Disney parks.
The free Disney on Broadway Concert Series takes place at America Gardens Theatre, where entertainers showcase beloved Disney songs. You might just catch a performer belting out a tune they’re known for bringing to life on the Broadway stage in New York! Disney will release a list of performers and schedules as the new year comes closer.
As with each of the other EPCOT Festivals, there will be a myriad of food booths to enjoy. With this Festival, Disney chefs try to outdo each other to present guests culinary delights from the Food Studios around World Showcase that are as gorgeous as they are tasty. “The Wonderful Walk of Colorful Cuisine,” a food stroll featuring five sweet and savory treats, will be returning this year as well.
The Festival of the Arts gives park guests a chance to participate in the art experience, rather than just watch things happen. A wall-sized paint-by-number mural will be on display, allowing guests to pick up a paint brush and join in the creation process. Photo ops where guests can step into the scenes of famous pieces of artwork will be scattered throughout the park for creating unique vacation memories from the Festival. “Figment’s Brush with the Masters scavenger hunt” invites guests to take their time searching through World Showcase for Figment and his paintbrush.
In addition, chalk artists will be turning walkways into amazing landscapes and portraits, and visitors will be able to watch their progress throughout the day. Stand at different spots for completely different perspectives on the artwork.
Disney artists, animators and illustrators will be on hand at various locations, with some artists available to sign their work. Guests can watch the work as the creator shapes the scene right in front of their audience, while also being able to chat with the artist and ask questions along the way.
In addition to being able to purchase work from the Disney artists appearing at the festival, guests will, of course, be able to buy Festival merchandise. It wouldn’t be a Disney Festival without the merch with the special logo!
Additional information about artists’ schedules will be released closer to the new year. A reminder to guests who would like to attend the Festival of the Arts: You need to have a valid theme park admission and a park reservation for the same date in order to attend the Festival.
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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.
Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #175: Disney Storytelling and Hope – A quote from “Saving Mr. Banks” still hits at the truth of storytelling and Disney.
by Ray Keating
Analysis
DisneyBizJournal.com
October 19, 2021
Disney shareholders heard some unusual Monday morning (October 18) blues this week.
First, Disney’s stock received a rare downgrade from a Barclays analyst, going from a price target of $210 per share to $175 per share.
The big worry for this analyst was the slowdown in Disney+ streaming subscribers. (See DisneyBizJournal’s report on Disney’s latest announcements on streaming.) As Reuters noted:
“While the company (Disney) appears to be targeting one new piece of content a week, not every piece of content has the same franchise value or visibility,” Barclays analyst Kannan Venkateshwar said.
Barclays also said the slowdown in Disney+ subscribers could not be solely attributed to a pull forward in additions in 2020, when streaming platforms gained popularity as people hunkering down at home sought entertainment.
To achieve its target of 230 million to 260 million Disney+ subscribers by the end of fiscal 2024, Disney will need to more than double its current pace of growth to at least the same level as Netflix (NFLX.O), according to Barclays.
For good measure, shareholders and movie fans were hit on Monday morning with a long list of movie releases being pushed back by Disney.
“Indiana Jones 5” was delayed, again, being moved from July 29, 2022, to June 30, 2023. Keep in mind that this fifth installment in the Indiana Jones saga was originally supposed to be released in 2019.
As for the Marvel Cinematic Universe:
• Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness moves from March 25, 2022, to May 6, 2022.
• Thor: Love and Thunder will journey from May 6, 2022, to July 8, 2022.
• Black Panther: Wakanda Forever goes from July 8, 2022, to November 11, 2022.
• The Marvels shifts from November 11, 2022, to February 17, 2023.
• Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania shifts from February 17, 2023, to July 28, 2023.
• Also, an untitled Marvel movie is being shifted forward from November 10, 2023, to November 3, 2023.
Assorted untitled films also were removed from the schedule.
Meanwhile, on the MCU slate before Doctor Strange are Eternals on November 5, 2021, and Spider-Man: No Way Home (with Sony) on December 17, 2021.
So, does all of this information warrant longer-run concerns for Disney and its stock? Not really.
The schedule pushbacks on movies should have surprised no one, as Disney and the rest of Hollywood still work to sort out the (hopefully) post-pandemic world of movie releases. Also, a slowing in subscriber growth for Disney+ was predictable, but reaching the subscriber goal of exceeding 230 million by the end of fiscal year 2024 remains well within reasonable expectations. That effort, of course, will be helped by more streaming content, especially of the Star Wars and Marvel varieties, coming to Disney+.
The Walt Disney Company’s stock price closed on October 19 at $171.18.
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Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.
The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?
Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13ththriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Again, get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story – grab it at Amazon.com or signed editions at www.raykeatingonline.com.
Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.
You also can order his book Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York from Amazon or signed books at RayKeatingOnline.com. His other recent nonfiction book is Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know.
Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #174: Howard Stark and the Confident Entrepreneur – Howard Stark on “Agent Carter” makes me laugh, and generates some reflecting on entrepreneurship.
Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating – Episode #173: Walt Disney Influenced George Lucas – The creator of Star Wars, George Lucas, was influenced by Walt Disney. Not surprising!
by Beth Keating
News
DisneyBizJournal.com
October 17, 2021
Following a COVID-19 hiatus last year, the much-loved Candlelight Processional is returning to the Festival of the Holidays at EPCOT. And one of the best ways to ensure your seat, especially for certain uber-popular celebrity narrators, is to grab dining reservations at one of the restaurants offering prix-fixe “Candlelight Processional Dining Packages.”
The “Candlelight Processional” is a Disney Parks tradition dating back to 1958 at Disneyland in California, and Disney World in Florida in 1971. The Processional started at the Magic Kingdom, but moved over to the America Gardens Theatre at EPCOT in 1994. The show features celebrity narrators retelling the traditional Christmas story, surrounded by a massed choir and a 50 piece orchestra. The Processional is free to park guests.
“Candlelight Processional Dining Packages” go on sale online on October 26, and will be available for four EPCOT restaurants, including:
• Biergarten (Germany Pavilion) - $62 per adult, $35 per child
• Coral Reef Restaurant (The Living Seas) - $74 per adult, $25 per child
• The Garden Grill Restaurant (The Land Pavilion) - $71 per adult, $46 per child
• The Rose and Crown Dining Room (United Kingdom Pavilion) - $63 per adult, $25 per child
Dining Packages include an appetizer, entrée and dessert, or one full buffet (depending on the restaurant), along with a non-alcoholic beverage. Guests booking the package also receive one guaranteed seat per person to the Candlelight Processional (held on the same day), and will be given Candlelight Seating badges at the restaurant after their meal. The badge will specify the date and show time they have reserved, and will allow guests to enter America Gardens Theatre in a separate queue. Dining Package guests will be seated on a first-come, first served basis. However, their seating is guaranteed.
Guests without a dining package enter through a different queue, and are also seated on a first-come, first-served basis, but as seating in the amphitheatre is limited, seating for non-dining package guests is based on availability and not guaranteed.
(In order to enter EPCOT for the Processional, both a theme park reservation and valid theme park admission are required. EPCOT admission is not included in the price of the dining package.)
So far, Disney has announced the appearance of seven celebrity narrators, with additional narrators to be announced as schedules are confirmed. The current line-up includes:
• Chita Rivera (November 29 through December 1)
• Jodi Benson (December 2 through December 4)
• Alton Fitzgerald White (December 5 through December 7)
• Lisa Ling (December 11 through December 13)
• Steven Curtis Chapman (December 23 through December 25)
• Blair Underwood (December 26 through December 28)
• Pat Sajak (December 29 through December 30)
Celebrity narrators and dates are subject to change or cancellation without notice.
The Festival of the Holidays takes place at EPCOT from November 26-December 30, 2021. The Festival features traditions from around the world, holiday kitchen booths offering up a wide variety of seasonal flavors, costumed storytellers, and activities such as the Holiday Cookie Stroll, Olaf’s Holiday Tradition Expedition Scavenger Hunt, and lots of live entertainment around World Showcase.
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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.
Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!
