Welcome to DisneyBizJournal.com - News, Analysis and Reviews of the Disney Entertainment Business!

Brought to fans, investors, entrepreneurs, executives, teachers, professors, and students by columnist, economist, novelist, reviewer, podcaster, business reporter and speaker Ray Keating

Saturday, December 24, 2022

Christmas Work and Play at Walt Disney World

by Ray Keating

Lifestyle

DisneyBizJournal.com

December 24, 2022

 

As the old saying goes, if you enjoy your work, then it’s not really work at all. 

 

I’m fortunate in that I love what I do for a living, and while we all have good and bad days, my work is enjoyable – yes, even fun. I’m reminded of that when, on occasion, I wind up with my laptop at Walt Disney World to get some research and writing done. And it’s particularly nice during the Christmas holiday season.



So, the above video offers a few Christmas takes from the Magic Kingdom, as well as from a few spots where I enjoy opening the computer, that is, at Wilderness Lodge and the Yacht and Beach Club.

 

Merry Christmas!

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, and the Alliance of Saint Michael 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? 

 

Consider books by Ray Keating…

 

 The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks at RayKeatingOnline.com or paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel. Signed paperbacks and/or paperbacks, hardcovers and the Kindle edition at Amazon

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. The latest in the series is Persecution: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel. Get the signed books here, or paperbacks and Kindle editions right here.

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  –  signed books  or at  Amazon.

 

•  Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know is available at  Amazon  in paperback or for the Kindle edition, and signed books at  www.raykeatingonline.com

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of DisneyFree Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast. 

Thursday, December 22, 2022

“Disney 100 Years of Wonder” Marathon Comes to AMC for New Year’s Day

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

December 22, 2022

 

If you are exhausted from all the holiday festivities, and need a chance to veg for the day, AMC may have the answer for you. On January 1, 2023, AMC Theatres will host “Disney 100 Years of Wonder,” a four-movie marathon featuring 3 movies of the Disney Renaissance, and one newer, yet insanely popular, animated classic.  For many younger audience members, this is a great opportunity to see some of Disney’s best animated feature films on the big screen.


Courtesy of AMC Theatres


The marathon is a $30, one-price ticket that includes Beauty and the BeastAladdinThe Lion King, and the newbie (sort of) of the group, Frozen.  Guests at this one-day-only presentation also receive a free collectible mini-poster.

 

The event will be available at select theatres, including the AMC Dine-In at Disney Springs, beginning at noon. (Seats are selling quickly). There is a 6 hour and 40 minute total run time, so settle in!  You can check AMC listings for availability in your area.

   

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Wednesday, December 21, 2022

Tampa Bay Rays Spring Training 2023 Starts at Walt Disney World

 by Ray Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

December 21, 2022

 

It might be the first day of winter, but there’s never a bad time to talk baseball. And baseball news is in the air relating to Walt Disney World.

 

The Tampa Bay Rays have announced that due to damage related to Hurricane Ian, the Charlotte Sports Park complex will not be available for Spring Training 2023. As a result, the team will open spring training at Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.


Courtesy of the ESPN Wide World of Sports website


Pitchers and catchers are set to report for the Rays on February 14, as well as early arrivals scheduled for February 6. Spring training workouts will take place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, along with the first spring training game on February 28. 

 

The Major League Spring Training camp will be at Disney World until March 1, after which it will be moved to the Rays regular season stadium, Tropicana Field.

 

However, the Rays Minor League Spring Training camp will remain at the ESPN complex.

 

The Rays and Charlotte County plan to move the Rays Spring Training activities back to the Charlotte Sports Park complex in 2024.

 

The Disney complex had served as the Spring Training home of the Atlanta Braves for 22 seasons, most recently in 2019. For good measure, the Rays have played there in the past, as noted in the team’s statement: “The Rays also have history at ‘The Stadium,’ formerly known as Champion Stadium. Tampa Bay previously hosted six regular-season games at the Disney ballpark, sweeping a series against the Rangers in May 2007 then winning three games against the Blue Jays in April 2008.”

 

Faron Kelley, vice president of Disney Sports, said, “We are thrilled to be bringing Major League Baseball back to Walt Disney World Resort. We’re always looking for top-tier events, like the Rays’ Spring Training, for our guests to enjoy at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.”

 

On a personal note, as a baseball fan who has absolutely no appreciation for the warehouse-like, soulless Tropicana Field, it’s a shame that the Rays full Spring Training schedule in 2023 won’t be played at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, and the Alliance of Saint Michael 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? 

 

Consider books by Ray Keating…

 

 The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks at RayKeatingOnline.com or paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel. Signed paperbacks and/or paperbacks, hardcovers and the Kindle edition at Amazon

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. The latest in the series is Persecution: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel. Get the signed books here, or paperbacks and Kindle editions right here.

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  –  signed books  or at  Amazon.

 

•  Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know is available at  Amazon  in paperback or for the Kindle edition, and signed books at  www.raykeatingonline.com

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of DisneyFree Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Saturday, December 17, 2022

New Pandoran Food Offerings Arrive at Satu’li Canteen in Animal Kingdom

 by Beth Keating

News/Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

December 17, 2022

 

One of the first places our family heads for quick service food in Disney’s Animal Kingdom is the Satu’li Canteen in Pandora, as much for the uniqueness of the food as for the immersive theming.  In fact, it’s not unusual to find some of us waiting in the former RDA mess hall, corralling the family members too young to ride “Flight of Passage,” snacking on cheeseburger pods ($8.59 and $13.29) while we wait for the more adventurous park-goers to return from riding banshees.

 
With James Cameron’s new movie, Avatar: The Way of Water, arriving yesterday (Friday, December 16), Disney is celebrating the Valley of Mo’ara by adding a few new selections to the menu at Satu’li Canteen.


Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog


Let’s start with dessert, shall we?  The “Metkayina Mousse” ($6.29) is reminiscent of the beautiful and hauntingly-shaped flowers in Pandora.  It’s a flourless chocolate cake with chocolate mousse, decorated with raspberry gelee, mango coulis, boba pearls, and a milk and white chocolate garnish. Satu’li Canteen is known for its bowl options, so for your entrée, you might want to try the new “Ocean Moon Bowl” ($17.49).  A riot of bright colors, this dish contains tuna, blue noodles (!), watermelon radish, pickled daikon, rainbow carrots, avocado, cucumbers and red cabbage, finished off with a miso and sweet soy drizzle.


Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog


Green seems to be the color of beverages in Pandora, as the Hawkes’ Grog Ale ($9.75 and $11.00) is specially made for Disney, and Pandora is the only place in the world that the beverage is available. It’s been a favorite of Pandoran visitors for a long time now.  Joining it is another forest-hued drink, the brand new “Ilu Splash Margarita” ($13.50), made from kiwi Monin syrup with lime juice, sour mix, Corazon Tequila Blanco, and a floating slice of Kiwi.


Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog


See you at the canteen… If you get there first, save us a bowl. Or maybe the Metkayina Mousse.  It never hurts to save room for dessert, especially at Disney!

   

_______________

 

Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Thursday, December 15, 2022

New Tree of Life Show in Celebration of “Avatar” Debuts

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

December 15, 2022

 

There are a lucky few guests who’ve actually been able to catch the Tree of Life Awakenings show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom during the year, in part because, for a portion of the year, it simply doesn’t get dark enough to see the show before the Animal Kingdom closes up shop for the evening.  If you’ve been fortunate enough to be there when the sun goes down on the savannah, you’ve been treated to a special “kiss goodnight” with Awakenings. The uplifting  scenes of adorable woodland creatures, projected onto the tree, share short vignettes, and are a dazzling way to wrap up your Animal Kingdom day.

 

With the new Avatar: The Way of Water movie premiering this week (Friday, December 16), Animal Kingdom is incorporating a new story sequence into Awakenings as darkness descends on the park. The Tree of Life is celebrating the characters from the new movie, and you’ll even get a sneak peek at scenes from the new film.  We got a look on Wednesday night and the accompanying video at least provides an idea of what it looks like (obviously, it’s far better in person).



Like the Valley of Mo’ara in the Pandora area of the park itself, the tree is filled with vibrant, glowing colors as the scenes unfold on the bark of the Tree of Life. The new limited time segment was produced by Lightstorm Entertainment in collaboration with Disney Live Entertainment.

  

The Tree of Life Awakenings begins at sunset (roughly 6:00 p.m.), and repeats in a continuing loop (about every ten minutes) until park close, so you can stay as long as you’d like, or just pop in for a few minutes on your way through Discovery Island.   

_______________

 

Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Monday, December 12, 2022

Disney Springs Tree Stroll Offers Free Holiday Fun

 by Beth Keating

Lifestyle

DisneyBizJournal.com

December 12, 2022

 

Looking for an inexpensive way to usher in the holiday season with your friends and family?  The 2022 Disney Springs Christmas Tree Stroll just might fit the bill.



In addition to enjoying the creative trees and holiday decorations scattered throughout the complex, there are also tasty Christmas goodies you can indulge in along the way. And if you are there at night, you can take in some live music, participate in a DJ dance party, or even experience the “snow” coming down in Town Center (6 p.m.-10 p.m. through December 25).  Oh, there’s shopping, too, if you haven’t completed your Christmas purchases yet, and the kiddos can drop off their lists to Santa himself at Once Upon a Toy, using a virtual queue to sign up for an in-person visit. (Check the Disney Springs website for a schedule of performances and special events… Some nights there are even stilt walkers roaming the grounds!)


In addition, you can add a more competitive edge to your visit by tackling the Play Disney Parks app to share Disney Springs holiday trivia. Which family member can guess the most questions correctly?

 

Presented by AdventHealth, the 2022 Christmas tree stroll has twenty different themed Christmas trees, inspired by Disney characters and films. (It’s actually 19 trees and a Disney Cruise line topiary.) Check out the brightly colored trees of Coco and Encanto, or the more muted décor of the Haunted Mansion tree.  There are also a few cute “sculptures” and assorted other seasonal decorations for guests to enjoy, such as the snowman “bobbers” near The BOATHOUSE, or the peanut moose near Paddlefish.

 

The Christmas Tree Stroll serves as a bit of a scavenger hunt, in addition to being a festive evening out.  Guests can pick up a free Christmas Tree Stroll map and complete their walk by finding each tree and adding a sticker representing the tree’s character or story to the correct place on the  map. Once you’ve located all the trees, maps can be returned to the redemption locations for a special treat. 


This year, maps are available at The BOATHOUSE, Planet Hollywood, City Works, UNIQLO, and Crystal Arts. (You can redeem your prize there as well when you complete your tree hunt.) The back of your map offers up discounts to a number of the shops and restaurants you’ll be meandering past, so it’s worth picking up, even if you don’t end up putting the stickers in the right spots when you find each tree.


Some of the 2022 themes include Frozen; Moana; The Lion King; Raya and the Last Dragon; The Princess and the Frog; Star Wars; Black Panther; Toy Story; The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Guardians of the Galaxy, among the movies, and Haunted Mansion; Mickey and Minnie; Disney+; and even an “Annual Passholder” tree among the rides, characters and other Disney entities.

 
While you might be tempted to bypass the sparkling gold tree of circular ornaments because it doesn’t have all the details of the other trees, spend a moment to visit these spheres.  If you tip your head in the right direction, you’ll no doubt discover a few overlapping hidden Mickeys!  (You’ll find this tree at the base of the orange garage.)

The other trees deserve your time, as well, hunting for the many fun Easter eggs and story sparks hiding among the branches.  Most of the displays are easy to spot, but you do have to look carefully to find a few that are tucked down side paths. Daytime visits will give you a completely different treasure hunt, when the details of each tree are more apparent, but the nighttime hunts, when the trees’ lights sparkle, are just as merry.

 

The Christmas Tree Stroll will be available until December 30.

_______________

 

Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.

 

Friday, December 9, 2022

2023 DISNEY ON BROADWAY Dining Packages on Sale Dec. 13

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

December 9, 2022

 

The EPCOT International Festival of the Arts runs from January 13th to February 20th, 2023, and brings with it a dozen Broadway stars, performing the best of 25 years of Disney’s award-winning Broadway shows during the 2023 DISNEY ON BROADWAY Concert Series.


Taking the stage this year will be Kara Lindsay (Newsies); Kevin Massey (Tarzan); Arielle Jacobs (Aladdin); Adam Jacobs (Aladdin); Patti Murin (Frozen); Robert Creighton (Frozen); Mandy Gonzalez (AIDA); L. Steven Taylor (The Lion King); Kissy Simmons (The Lion King); Josh Strickland (Tarzan); Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins); and Michael James Scott (Aladdin).



The free Broadway concerts take place at EPCOT’s America Gardens Theatre three times each evening (5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8 p.m.), and stand-by lines can get long before concerts featuring the most popular performers.  Seating is on a first-in-line, first-seated basis as capacity allows, so stand-by guests will line up far in advance of concert time to see the shows.  (Check here for the schedule of dates and performers.)

If you don’t want to wait in the stand-by line, however, you can guarantee yourself a seat by making reservations for a DISNEY ON BROADWAY Dining Package at a number of EPCOT restaurants.  Dining packages go on sale December 13, and can be booked beginning 60 days in advance of your EPCOT visit. Dining packages include an appetizer, entree, and dessert, or one full buffet, as well as a non-alcoholic drink. They also include a seating badge that provides you with a guaranteed seat per person at a designated concert that same day. Packages are available for both lunch and dinner seatings.

  
This year’s participating restaurants include:

 

• Akershus Royal Banquet (Norway Pavilion)

$74.00 adults; $48.00 children

 

• Biergarten Restaurant (Germany Pavilion)

$60.00 adults; $34.00 children

 

• Coral Reef Restaurant (The Living Seas)

$69.00 adults; $27.00 children

 

• Garden Grill Restaurant (The Land Pavilion)

$66.00 adults; $43.00 children


• Le Cellier Steakhouse (Canada Pavilion)

$95.00 adults; $36.00 children 

 

• Rose and Crown Dining Room (United Kingdom Pavilion)

$59.00 adults; $25.00 children


• Spice Road Table (Morocco Pavilion) 

$47.00 adults; $20.00 children


A limited number of same day dining packages may also be available at Regal Eagle Smokehouse: Craft Drafts & Barbecue in the American Adventure pavilion ($35.00).


In addition to the spectacular music from the Broadway concerts, guests at the Festival of the Arts will be able to meet working artists and purchase their creations; participate in painting enormous murals on EPCOT’s walls; watch chalk artists fashion mesmerizing sidewalk art; step into life-size recreations of famous paintings; and nibble on artistic and tasty specialty dishes at a variety of food booths.


To participate in either the Broadway concert series, or the Festival of the Arts at EPCOT, both a theme park reservation and valid theme park admission are required. EPCOT admission is not included in the price of the dining package.

 

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Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.




 

Tuesday, December 6, 2022

“The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution” Offers Inspiration and Organization - from DisneyBizJournal's Ray Keating

 Get Things Done and Keep the Right Perspective with Ray Keating’s TO DO List Solution



The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution is here from Ray Keating. 

 

Keating, who is an author, economist and entrepreneur, notes, “We all need to get things done each day, while also planning our coming week, month and year. However, it's crucial to keep things in perspective. The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution is a tool for each of us in this ongoing endeavor. And you don't have to be a Lutheran to use and enjoy it.”

 

Get organized and set goals using Ray Keating's TO DO List Solution, while enjoying and reflecting upon quotes from Holy Scripture, the Church fathers and other Christian thinkers. In addition, since you fill in the dates, it's easy to get started in any month, and to use the planner during any year.

 

The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from our Christian faith.

 

Get more information and these great planners at www.RayKeatingOnline.com

 

Review copies, and author interviews and appearances are available upon request. 

 

Ray Keating also is the author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels series (including the recently published Persecution), Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel, and The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Read to Help You Think Like an Economist.

 

Contact: Ray Keating

Phone: 631-909-1122

E-mail: raykeating@keatingreports.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PastorStephenGrantNovels and https://www.facebook.com/AllianceofSaintMichael

Twitter: @KeatingNovels

RayKeatingOnline.com

Friday, December 2, 2022

Could “Avatar: The Way of Water” Be a Money-Losing Hit?

 by Ray Keating

Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

December 2, 2022

 

My mouth fell open when I first read it. In a GQ interview, director James Cameron said that he told the studio that his forthcoming film (which opens on December 16), Avatar: The Way of Water, represented “the worst business case in movie history.” 

 

Excuse me?



But when you look at the numbers, The Way of Water could turn out to be exactly that. The full point from the GQ piece is as follows:

 

The Way of Water was expensive to make—How expensive? “Very fucking,” according to Cameron, who told me he’d informed the studio that the film represented “the worst business case in movie history.” In order to be profitable, he’d said, “you have to be the third or fourth highest-grossing film in history. That’s your threshold. That’s your break even.”

 

The Hollywood Reporter has noted: “The Way of Water's production budget is one of the priciest in Hollywood’s history, and is in the $350 million to $400 million range, according to sources.” And that excludes marketing dollars, which could run double the production costs.

 

And Bloomberg has reported: “But the economics of The Way of Water are tougher. With a production budget that analysts say could be as high as $400 million, it’s one of the most expensive movies ever made. Add in marketing expenses that can reach hundreds of millions of dollars for A-list films, and it’s not hard to imagine Disney needing ticket sales approaching $1 billion before it earns a penny of profit.”

 

Cameron is notorious for running up big production budgets. But he’s also known for bringing in the dollars so that those expensive films turn out to be profitable. Can he do that again with The Way of Water? Disney certainly hopes so, as Cameron’s Avatar was part of their $71 billion purchase of 21st Century Fox in 2019. But there’s a lot working against Cameron this time, including box office uncertainty post-pandemic and the fact that most people can’t recall any characters or much of the story from the first Avatar film.

 

After the Lightyear and Strange World flops, Chapek getting fired, and Wall Street having lots of questions, Disney needs a profitable hit. Weirdly, though, Disney might wind up with The Way of Water being a hit, and yet a money loser. Economics can be such a bitch.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com; and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries, and the Alliance of Saint Michael 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? Also, Keating is a Disney shareholder.

 

Consider books by Ray Keating…

 

 The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Signed paperbacks at RayKeatingOnline.com or paperbacks, hardcovers and Kindle editions at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel. Signed paperbacks and/or paperbacks, hardcovers and the Kindle edition at Amazon

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. The latest in the series is Persecution: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel. Get the signed books here, or paperbacks and Kindle editionsright here.

 

• The Lutheran Planner: The TO DO List Solution combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement, inspiration and consolation from the Christian faith.

 

• Behind Enemy Lines: Conservative Communiques from Left-Wing New York  –  signed books  or at  Amazon.

 

•  Free Trade Rocks! 10 Points on International Trade Everyone Should Know is available at  Amazon  in paperback or for the Kindle edition, and signed books at  www.raykeatingonline.com

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of DisneyFree Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.




Thursday, December 1, 2022

Performers Announced for 2023 DISNEY ON BROADWAY Concert Series at EPCOT

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

December 1, 2022

 

What are you doing in January and February? If you have an open spot in your schedule, you may want to hit up EPCOT during the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts to hear some phenomenal voices during the 2023 DISNEY ON BROADWAY Concert Series. 



If you weren’t able to make your way to New York to hear these artists when they were headlining Disney shows on Broadway, now is your chance to see them in person as they bring the best of 25 years of Disney’s award-winning musicals to Florida audiences.

 

The DISNEY ON BROADWAY concert series takes place at EPCOT’s America Gardens Theater three times each evening (5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8 p.m.) during Disney’s Festival of the Arts.  The Festival of the Arts, the shortest of the nearly year-round festivals, runs from January 13th-February 20th, 2023. In addition to the spectacular music from the Broadway concerts, guests will be able to wander World Showcase meeting working artists and purchasing their creations; participate in painting enormous murals on EPCOT’s walls; watch chalk artists fashion mesmerizing sidewalk art; step into life-size recreations of famous paintings; and nibble on artistic and tasty specialty dishes at a variety of food booths.


Taking the stage this year will be: 

 

  • Kara Lindsay (Newsies) & Kevin Massey (Tarzan) - Jan. 13, 15, 16, 19, 20
  • Arielle Jacobs (Aladdin) & Adam Jacobs (Aladdin) - Jan. 14, 17, 18, 21, 22
  • Patti Murin (Frozen) & Robert Creighton (Frozen) - Jan. 23, 25, 26, 29, 30, Feb. 2, 3
  • Mandy Gonzalez (AIDA) & L. Steven Taylor (The Lion King) - Jan. 24, 27, 28, 31, Feb. 1, 4, 5
  • Kissy Simmons (The Lion King) & Josh Strickland (Tarzan) - Feb. 7, 10, 11, 14, 15, 18, 19
  • Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins) & Michael James Scott (Aladdin) - Feb. 6, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 17

 

On February 20, an extended finale performance featuring Ashley Brown, Michael James Scott, Kissy Simmons and Josh Strickland will wrap up the concert series.

  

The concerts are free, with paid EPCOT admission, and visitors often line up far in advance of concert time to see the shows.  If you don’t want to wait in the stand-by line, however, you can guarantee yourself a seat by making reservations for a DISNEY ON BROADWAY Dining Package at a number of EPCOT restaurants.  

 

Dining packages go on sale December 13 at ArtfulEPCOT.com, and can be booked 60 days in advance. The packages include an appetizer, entree, and dessert, or one full buffet, as well as a non-alcoholic drink. They also include a guaranteed seat per person to a DISNEY ON BROADWAY concert that same day. Packages will be available for both lunch and dinner seatings.

 

_______________

 

Beth Keating is a theme parks, restaurant and entertainment reporter for DisneyBizJournal.