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, September 30, 2023

“Andy’s Room” to Host Toy Story Funday Football During Falcons-Jaguars Game From London

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 30, 2023

 

I watch football exactly one day a year – and sometimes not even then, if one of my family’s preferred teams hasn’t made it to the Big Game.  Yes, Super Bowl Sunday is the only time I park myself in front of the TV to “enjoy” that American pastime known as football.  On a typical week, I might supply a few “game day foods,” set them out on the coffee table, then disappear into a different room while the other family members yell at the television screen.



This Sunday, though, I might just be joining the family in front of the TV, though it will be a mite bit early for the usual nachos and mini-hot dogs.  At 9:30 a.m. (ET) Sunday morning (October 1, 2023), the Atlanta Falcons and Jacksonville Jaguars will be kicking off from London in Week 4 of the NFL season.  And while the game will be televised traditionally in its usual form on ESPN+ (as well as local broadcast stations in the markets of the participating teams), it will also show up in a slightly different, alternate format, live on Disney+ and ESPN+ (and on mobile with NFL+).

 

Dubbed “Toy Story Funday Football,” the alternate game will simultaneously animate the Falcons-Jaguars game from Wembley Stadium in London, using the NFL’s Next Gen Stats player tracking data and motion-capture technology.  Instead of seeing the typical green, line-marked football field though, the Toy Story version will be brought to you in real time direct from Andy’s room.  (If you’ve been living under a rock – or the nearest bleacher - “Andy’s room” is where the Toy Story characters usually reside in the Disney animated film series, launched in 1995.) 

 

Among the characters appearing in the broadcast will be Woody, Buzz, Bo Peep, Bullseye, Bunny, Ducky, Forky, the Aliens, Jessie, Rex, and Slinky Dog, participating from the sidelines and in “non-gameplay elements.”


The real life football players themselves will appear on screen as animated football figures, and the special “half-time show” will feature Toy Story’s Duke Caboom undertaking a monumental motorcycle jump. While Chris Fowler, Dan Orlovsky, Louis Riddick, and Laura Rutledge will be calling the game from inside the London location for the live game, the Toy Story version of the show will be narrated by its own announcers, with Drew Carter providing the play-by-play, Booger McFarland as analyst, and 12-year old Pepper Persley as a reporter.  For family members who, like me, aren’t all that football-savvy, the day will feature educational elements teaching the game of football, including demonstrations with “how to” videos, trivia, and more.

 

Toy Story Funday Football is a first-of-its-kind NFL alternate presentation. “Fans will view every run, pass, score and all football-related action through state-of-the-art tracking technology,” assures ESPN, for those who might be worried that the Toy Story version might not be taking the game seriously enough, or be accurate in its entirety to the actual Falcons-Jaguars game.  In addition, for those die-hard fans watching the animated game, there will also be pre-recorded segments and interviews with the real Falcons and Jaguar players sprinkled into the broadcast.

 

If you are watching from outside the United States, the special presentation will be available in over 95 markets live and/or in replay, including Brazil, the UK, Mexico and France.  Video on Demand will also be available in many markets 24 hours after the live broadcast ends.


This novel NFL collaboration is a venture by ESPN, ESPN’s Edge Innovation Center, Disney, NFL, Pixar, Next Gen Stats, Beyond Sports, and Silver Spoon.


So, who is with me for my second football game of the year?  Pretty sure there will be a few football players “falling…with style!”

 

__________

 

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

Friday, September 29, 2023

Learning a Few Things with “Living With The Land”

 by Beth Keating

Lifestyle

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 29, 2023

 

It had been a while since I’d ridden Living With The Land in EPCOT.  A gentle boat ride through the EPCOT greenhouses, it is always a learning experience, with a peek behind the scenes at not only how the horticulturists at Disney grow more than 15 tons of food each year for the park’s restaurants like Garden Grill, but also how EPCOT scientists are working with the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop new growing technologies. 



Plus, it is a relaxing time in an otherwise busy park.  It’s also a fun stop during the holidays, when cast members decorate the attraction with colorful lights and festive decorations.


Last weekend, with EPCOT super crowded, and my need to get away from some of the crowds, I headed over to Living With The Land, and noticed something that usually isn’t there.  Studded throughout the sandy pathways were small, easily overlooked signs that informed guests where those particular edible plants and harvests would be showing up during the EPCOT Food & Wine Festival. So cool!

 

Among the signs, I spotted one for the celery being grown in the greenhouse, which I’d be eating later in the day at Canada’s Global Marketplace in the form of their “Canadian Cheddar and Bacon Soup.”  Earlier in the day, we’d apparently already eaten the mustard being grown there, as part of the “Bratwurst on a Pretzel Roll with Mustard” in the Germany Marketplace.



Basil is one of my favorite foods, and I grow lots of it at home, so it was fun to know that the basil in this greenhouse was going to the “Thai Shrimp With Rice Noodles” bowls at the Noodle Exchange.




The cabbage?  Heading to Flavors From Fire to be served on the “Impossible Burger Slider.” Parsley? Served up in the “Croissant Aux Escargots” in France’s Global Marketplace.

  




If you’ve snacked at The Fry Basket near the Creations Shop, you’ve eaten the sweet potatoes grown in the greenhouse!  The tomatoes are shipping out to the Kenya Global Marketplace to be part of the (delicious!) “Kenyan Coffee Barbecued Beef Tenderloin.”


 


The fruits and veggies being grown in the EPCOT greenhouses aren’t just props – they’re real, and you’ve been eating them without knowing it!  The Food & Wine signs I mentioned above are just a few of the many that pointed out where the bounty will be heading.  Just a little extra perk during a relaxing boat ride through the greenhouses! 

 

__________

 

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




 

Thursday, September 28, 2023

Storyteller Inspired by Walt Disney – DisneyBizJournal Ray Keating’s Kickstarter

 by Ray Keating

Commentary

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 28, 2023

 

Hello Disney Friends:

 

This isn’t the usual Disney article that you expect from us at DisneyBizJournal.  

 

If you’ve enjoyed my writing at DisneyBizJournal, or the podcasts I’ve done at “Daily Dose of Disney,” I’d like to ask you to consider my fiction writing, too.  In addition to all the other hats I wear, I’m a novelist, the author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novel series, as well as the Alliance of Saint Michael series.



Indeed, one of the reasons that I admire Walt Disney is the fact that he was a great storyteller, and he created a storytelling company. Along with others in the writing universe, Walt was an inspiration.

 

I love writing novels, and in order to be able to write even more of them, I’ve launched a “Kickstarter” campaign as a challenge to try and reach a certain number of readers to pen 7 new novels, including two additional novels in the Pastor Stephen Grant series, two more in the Alliance of Saint Michael series, and 3 new series, including a series featuring Father Quinn Porter.

 

You can access 10 different levels of participation for the Kickstarter campaign here.  There are options for ebook readers; those who would like signed paperbacks of the new novels; and even a mix of options that include “gift packs” where you can buy a set to keep for yourself as well as a set to send to friends or family as a gift. (It will make a great Christmas option!)  If you sign up, you will receive one of the seven new novels about every 3-4 months throughout 2024 and 2025.

If you haven’t participated in Kickstarter before, you should be aware that your credit card doesn’t get charged for the purchase until the end of the campaign, if it reaches its funding goal.  So, in our case, the campaign ends on November 18, so if you sign up now, you won’t get charged until then, as long as we reach the required number of readers.

 

If you aren’t familiar with the fictional Pastor Stephen Grant, there are more than 18 thrillers already in the series.  Stephen Grant is a former Navy SEAL and a onetime CIA operative, who became a pastor. His previous career often collides with his current career, creating exciting (and frequently dangerous!) adventures around the globe.   The Alliance of Saint Michael novels center around a group of Christians brought together in the early 1930s to work, as best they can, against the rise of fascism and communism.

 

The novels have been well-received, with such comments as:

 

Kirkus Reviews calls Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant “an engaging and multifaceted character” and “a consistently entertaining hero.” 

 

Lutheran Book Review says, “I miss Tom Clancy. Keating fills that void for me.” 

 

The retired host of KFUO radio’s "BookTalk" declares, “Ray Keating is a great novelist.” 

 

David Keene of The Washington Times calls the Pastor Stephen Grant novels “great reads.”  

 

And another reviewer observes, “How I'd love to see Pastor Grant on Netflix!” 

 

In an article titled “If James Bond Became a Pastor” covering Ray Keating’s Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers/mysteries series, author and columnist Gene Veith notes, “Mr. Keating knows how to tell an exciting story. And these books, like the James Bond novels, are ridiculously entertaining.”

 

And regarding CathedralSelf-Publishing Review says, “A stellar depiction of time period and tension. With so many swirling motives and three-dimensional characters in the mix, there is inherent tension for readers, as they eagerly anticipate one of Keating’s classic twists. The depth of historical detail is notable; a good deal of research went into the crafting of this novel, which gives it an authentic and immersive feel. The complex puzzle makes for a page-turning and unpredictable ride, and a firm foundation for Keating’s enticing new series.”

 

To bring this back to Walt, I often wonder how he would have used the various technologies available today to storytellers. Personally, I think he would have put most to good use, and the creator-entrepreneur in him would have seen opportunities via services like Kickstarter.

 

Thanks for taking the time to consider participating in this Kickstarter campaign to help get me to the next level of novel writing.  I appreciate your time, and look forward to writing more for you in the future!


Thanks!


Ray Keating

__________

 

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

 

Consider books by Ray Keating, including…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. There are 18 books in the series now.

 

• Order The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Kindle editions and paperbacks via Amazon here and signed books here. And don’t forget the first book in this growing series, i.e., The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel is at Amazon

 

• 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.

 

• Signed editions of Ray’s books are 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.

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Sampling the New Menus at the 2023 EPCOT Food & Wine Festival

by Beth Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 26, 2023

 

Last weekend (starting September 22, 2023), Disney World added four new food booths to the 2023 EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival, and there were a few intriguing dishes on the new menus. With Saturday being one of the more perfect Florida days in months (low humidity and no rain!), we decided to head to World Showcase to sample our way through dinner.

 

The first of the “Global Marketplaces” that drew our attention was Wine & Wedge, the cheese and wine centric kiosk.  It was a great start to the afternoon!  We opted for the “Assorted Artisanal Cheeses and Accoutrements,” a $7.00 selection in Emile’s Fromage Montage if you are collecting your stamps for the specialty treat at the end of the day.  

 



As cheese lovers, we could have eaten this plate, and then left the park to go home and been happy with our day.  It was a nice mix of four bite-sized cheeses, ranging from mild to more pungent (but not too pungent) bites.  The option came on a flat cardboard “plate” that in the Florida heat could become problematic, because if you aren’t paying close enough attention, your jam and honey trimmings will melt right off the side of the plate.  Just a friendly heads-up, because this plate was worth the wait in line.

  
The Brie wedge was mild and creamy, a little on the soft side in the sun, making it even yummier. The other milder cheeses were perhaps a gouda, a bit smoky in tone, and a crumbly cheddar that was on the blander side.  The last cube, a salty Blue cheese, was a nice contrast to the Brie.  It was a stronger cheese, but not overwhelming in the least.  Several small crostini accompanied the dish, and they were crisp without being stale.  The peanut brittle was waaaay too hard to even bite into, so you should chuck that in the trash can without incurring a need for dental work.  Our last suggestion?  Make good use of that honey comb and jam pooled alongside the cheeses to pair with the squares of cheese.  It gave a completely different taste to each bite.  We’re so happy this booth will be available all the way through the next festival, the Festival of the Holidays, because we will definitely be back for this cheese platter again.

 



The second item we tried at Wine and Wedge was the “Fig and Balsamic Boursin Soufflé with Fig Tapenade ($5.75),” also an Emile’s Fromage Montage item.  This was an unexpected treat, somewhere between a cake and a pudding, not quite as firm as a cake, but not as soft as a pudding, something in the neighborhood of a bread pudding.  We were expecting a garlicky, more savory dish (you know, like Boursin spread!), but the fig component brought a sweeter twist to the soufflé.  We wouldn’t call this a dessert exactly, but it was certainly dessert adjacent.  

 

The new Bubbles & Brine was also on our schedule, where we grabbed the priciest plate of the day, the “Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail with Prosecco Cocktail Sauce and Grilled Lemon ($14.00).” 

 


It is possible to go really upscale at this booth, though, and order – brace yourself – a $69.00 glass of Dom Pérignon. We did not “drink our way around the world” at this booth.  That $69.00 flute cost more than we were spending on all our other food samples for the day combined!  (If it turns out that you love this very pricy champagne, you can pick up a full 750 mL bottle for as little as $250 at your local wine shop, though some vintages can go for over $400.)  Comparatively, our plate of three large shrimp seemed like quite the bargain, though it was double the cost of any of the other items we tried Saturday. The trio of shrimp were nested together like a little puzzle, and were fresh and crisp, with a classic cocktail sauce.  We didn’t really get a hint of Prosecco in the sauce, but it was tasty nonetheless.  It wasn’t something we needed to go out of our way for, but we’d never turn down a jumbo shrimp!

 

Swirled Showcase was another of the newly opened Global Marketplaces, and this was the home of lots of soft-serve ice cream, with vanilla, apple-cinnamon, and salted caramel flavors.  We tried the “Cream Soda Float with Vanilla Soft-Serve ($6.25).”   If you are really looking for soft serve on a hot day, there are some fun fall flavors here, but with so many great ice cream and gelato locations further back in World Showcase, this booth was just a standard soft serve spot, so you’d be better off heading back toward France or Italy.  The float at Swirled Showcase was only sampler sized, and while it was fine, it was far smaller than we expected for the price.   (See our full review from opening day here.)

 


While the other two Marketplaces we visited on Saturday weren’t new, we tried dishes that were new to us.  

 

Hawaii was serving up “SPAM Sushi with Sushi Rice, Teriyaki-Glazed SPAM, Spicy Mayonnaise, Eel Sauce and Nori ($6.00),” and for dessert, a “Passion Fruit Cheesecake with Toasted Macadamia Nuts ($4.75).”  The cheesecake is also an item on Emile’s Fromage Montage hunt.

  
Hawaii’s cheesecake was the clear winner in the desserts category for the day – a light, pleasantly sweet version of a fluffy cheesecake. The airy delight contrasted with the stronger, tangier passionfruit sauce on the top of the cake, and the crushed Macadamia nuts added a bit of texture to the dessert.

 



The SPAM selection is such an oddity. We’d tried it before and enjoyed it. Thankfully, the same went for this visit. The small slices of SPAM sandwiched between the sushi rice looked just like your traditional sushi order, but with a bit more of a salty flavor.  While we’re not sure we’d eat a big hunk of SPAM on its own – probably a bit too salty without the other accompaniments – it worked in this iteration.  The little rectangles tasted, well, like sushi, with the traditional seaweed wrap holding it all together. The added sauces had a bit of a kick, not overbearing, but complimenting the rice and SPAM without drowning out the other flavors.

 


The longest wait of the day for us was at the Germany pavilion, where we ordered all three of the featured items.  Who doesn’t love a good mac & cheese?  We sampled the “Schinkennudeln,” which at $5.00 for the plate, was not a bad price for a very hefty serving of cheesy goodness.  While the square footage of the rectangle wasn’t especially big, it is a dense offering, making it feel like a more substantial choice.  The Schinkennudeln is the kind of food you’d get at a German Oma’s house.  Instead of the more typical elbow macaroni you’d see with American mac and cheese, this dish was an egg noodle based pasta gratin with dices of ham and a thick cap of cheese over the top.  A touch on the oniony side, this mac and cheese is worth coming back for.  (Obviously, this was also an Emile’s Fromage Montage item!)  

 


We also chose the “Bratwurst on a Pretzel Roll ($6.00)” in Germany, not as exciting of a selection compared to the Schinkennudeln.  It was more akin to the kind of brat you’d get at a ballpark, but longer and thinner than the bratwurst you’d find in a German restaurant. The flavor was good, with an interesting hint of spices, but the brat was cold and both the pretzel roll and the brat were on the dry side. The mustard didn’t really add much to the experience.

 



Dessert at the booth redeemed the long wait in the line, though. The “Apple Strudel with Vanilla Sauce ($4.50)” was filled with tons of cinnamon-y, juicy apples. The pastry hit the right note, a light crust with just a bit of a chew.  The accompanying vanilla sauce was not overly sweet, but it could have had a bit stronger of a vanilla flavor. 

 



The EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival runs until November 18.  You’ll get a few days off, and then the Festival of the Holidays kicks off November 24 and runs through December 30, 2023.  If you enjoy the menus at the four new booths, you can enjoy them again during the Festival of the Holidays, because they will be back!

 

__________

 

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


  


Monday, September 25, 2023

Spooky Seasonal Activities Popping Up At Disney Springs

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 25, 2023

 

When you think of holiday entertainment at Disney Springs, you probably think of the Christmas Tree Stroll that decorates the shopping and dining complex during the December holidays.


But the Springs is getting festive a little early this year, with some fun Halloween entertainment as well. This year, you might be surprised by the “Skeleton Stiltwalkers” roaming the sidewalks on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from September 29 to October 29, 2023.  Look for them with their pumpkins, skeletons, bats, tricks and treats around the Disney Springs Town Center zone.


Courtesy of DisneySprings.com


Disney Springs always has some fabulous live music for guests to enjoy, either while you are strolling with an ice cream, or sitting on a bench enjoying dinner.  During the Halloween season (also on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from September 29 to October 29), you’ll be treated to some special tunes courtesy of the Zombeats, a 4-piece zombie ensemble, complete with zombie percussionists stumbling their way around Disney Springs.  Join them for an eerie dance party!


Zombies not your thing? Perhaps you’d prefer the more ghostly a capella performances of “Squad Ghouls.”  They’ll be haunting the Waterside Stage (near World of Disney) on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from September 29 to October 29, 2023, as well.


If you have your whole group with you, and would like to have a more tangible memory of your trip to Disney Springs, you can pop in to the Disney Springs PhotoPass Studio for their Halloween-themed photo backdrops.  You’ll get a free professional portrait session with a Disney PhotoPass photographer—no reservations required — and you can add the pictures either to your Memory Maker account, or pay for prints individually. (We hear rumors that there are some “hauntingly” cool backdrops of a certain spooky “mansion” available.)


Courtesy of DisneySprings.com


Obviously, it’s Disney Springs, so you can shop ‘till you drop for Halloween merchandise, but if you are looking for a seasonal treat to enjoy while listening to the Squad Ghouls, head to Amorette’s Patisserie, where you’ll find lots of thematically appropriate goodies, such as the Oogie Boogie cookies & cream cream puff; the Jack Skellington pumpkin cream éclair; or the Sally caramel-chocolate éclair.

 

For more sugary goodness, Swirls on the Water boasts a Pumpkin and salted-caramel soft-serve with caramel sauce and caramel crisp pearls that is also available as a trio flight with other Dole Whip flavors.  The pistachio and purple cheesecake soft-serve ice cream that is part of the trio is also available swirled in a black vanilla cone, and topped with a hitchhiking ghosts chocolate medallion, as the “Haunted Mansion Cone.”

 

Marketplace Snacks will be serving the “Minnie Witch Waffle Sundae,” a bubble waffle filled with chocolate soft-serve, orange sauce, chocolate cream cookies, candy corn and chocolate sticks.


Courtesy of DisneySprings.com


The Ganachery has some higher end treats as well – you may need to take a few of them home to finish! They have the Jack Skellington Ganache,  made with grand cru medium-roasted, custom-blend chocolate; and the Poison Apple Ganache Square, featuring sour-apple ganache enrobed in 65% dark chocolate.  But without a doubt, at their location, the Donald Candy Corn Chocolate Piñata, a white-chocolate piñata filled with pumpkin-spiced marshmallows and crisp pearls, is the height of Halloween treats!


Courtesy of DisneySprings.com


Parking is free at Disney Springs, and it does get very busy on weekends, so be sure to leave enough time to find a spot in the parking garages, clear security, and make it to your dining reservations, or to your chosen entertainment venue, with room to spare. You might just get side-tracked along the way by the ghoulish entertainment!

 

__________

 

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

Sunday, September 24, 2023

Final New EPCOT Festival Marketplace Opened Saturday

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 24, 2023

 

A day late, but ahead of schedule?  It sounds like an oxymoron, I think.

 

The last of the four new Global Marketplaces at the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival opened Saturday (September 23, 2023), a day after the other three new booths, but earlier than Disney’s “date to be announced later.”  The fourth booth is called “Swirled Showcase,” and it opened in the former Starbucks location at the entrance to World Showcase.



The four new booths will stay open throughout the next festival, the Festival of the Holidays, to give guests more time to try them out.  This year’s Food & Wine Festival runs through November 18, while the Festival of the Holidays runs November 24-December 30, 2023.

   
The three booths which opened on Friday were Wine & Wedge; Char & Chop; and Bubbles & Brine. See our DisneyBizJournal article about their menus here.

 

The new Swirled Showcase is serving:


Food Items:

• Mickey-shaped Liquid Nitro Cake 

• Soft-serve in a Waffle Cone

        • Vanilla

        • Apple-Cinnamon

        • Salted Caramel

• Cream Soda Float with vanilla soft-serve 

• Fanta Grape Float with vanilla soft-serve 


Beverages: 

• Frozen Apple Pie (Non-alcoholic)

• Cinnamon Apple Cider (Non-alcoholic)

• 3 Daughters Toasted Coconut Porter

• 3 Daughters Toasted Coconut Porter Float with salted-caramel soft-serve

• Berry Fizz Fragolino Red Sparkling Wine Float with vanilla soft-serve

 

The lines at many of the food booths at the Food & Wine festival on Saturday were lengthy, perhaps because of the new 100th Anniversary activities kicking off and the superb Florida weather. Swirled Showcase, offering predominantly ice cream selections, was no exception to the extended lines on its first day.

  
We, of course, gave it a try. Would we go back?  Maybe. (The Mickey-shaped Liquid Nitro Cake sounds interesting.) The ice cream at Swirled Showcase was good quality soft serve, nice on a warm Florida afternoon, but the size of the selection that we ordered was on the small size for the price. (You’d definitely get more bang for your buck at one of the year-round locations.)



Our choice was the Cream Soda Float with Vanilla Soft Serve. It was more of a “sampler size,” just slightly larger than our breakfast juice glasses at home at roughly 4 ½ inches tall.  For $6.25, we were expecting a bit larger of a drink. It was good, but gone way too fast. And if you are looking at the photo of the float, yes, it does have a pinkish cast to it, though the flavor was distinctly cream soda.

  
The drink was exactly what you’d expect from a soda float: a bit fizzy, but otherwise a standard combo of cold soda and delicious vanilla soft serve to scoop up with a spoon.  If you’re looking for a cold treat, this is a good one – it’s just going to leave you wishing there was more.

__________

 

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

Saturday, September 23, 2023

6 Questions for Bob Iger

 by Ray Keating

Commentary

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 23, 2023

 


While visiting Walt Disney World on Friday afternoon, I overheard a conversation among Disney cast members either speculating or knowing that Disney CEO Bob Iger was at the Boardwalk Resort.

 

So, as noted in the accompanying video, this got me thinking about what I would ask Mr. Iger if I happened to bump into him. Here are the six questions that came to mind.

 

First, Disney has made a big deal in recent days about pledging to invest $60 billion in parks and cruise lines over the coming decade, could you provide more specifics? What are we looking at in terms of numbers and projects at Walt Disney World, for example? “Frozen” at Disneyland and “Black Panther” have been mentioned in reports, can you give us more?

 

Second, with news and rumors swirling about offers being made to Disney for ABC and other Disney television networks, including Byron Allen’s reported $10 billion offer for ABC, FX and National Geographic, what’s the company’s thinking on a price target for such assets?

 

Third, can you give us some clarity on the future of ESPN and its move to full streaming?

 

Fourth, in light of the Disney deal with Charter Communication, how do you now envision the future of streaming, such as Disney+, as it relates to cable television? (See the recent DisneyBizJournal analysis).

 

Fifth, the quality of Marvel films has fallen off notably since Avengers: Endgame, or at best these films have become far more uneven. What is the plan going forward, and is Kevin Feige in danger of losing his job?

 

Sixth, some recent Disney movies pulled in a decent amount of revenue at the box office – such as The Little MermaidIndiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny and Elemental – but runaway costs made these either box office losers or break-even propositions. What’s being done to get these costs under control?

 

And if I could slip one more question in, it would be: Given the controversy between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, it has been reported that you’ve said that you want to “quiet the noise” on these types of issues. How do you accomplish that given the reality of politics?

 

__________

 

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



Consider books by Ray Keating, including…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. There are 18 books in the series now.

 

• Order The Weekly Economist II: 52 More Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist. Kindle editions and paperbacks via Amazon here and signed books here. And don’t forget the first book in this growing series, i.e., The Weekly Economist: 52 Quick Reads to Help You Think Like an Economist at Amazon.com.

 

• Cathedral: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel is at Amazon

 

• 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.

 

• Signed editions of Ray’s books are 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.