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

Friday, September 8, 2023

Annual Passholder Previews Scheduled for New Moana Attraction

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 8, 2023

 

There’s no waiting in a virtual queue on your computer to grab a spot for the newest Disney offering this time around – you can head right to the attraction, no pre-registration required!



EPCOT’s Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana will welcome guests for a special Annual Passholders preview later this month as the attraction gears up to open to the general public.  Cast member previews have also been ongoing.


The Preview Dates for Annual Passholders will take place at EPCOT from park open to park close on these dates:


• September 24 to September 29, 2023


• October 1 to October 4, 2023


“Journey of Water” harkens back to EPCOT’s mission of education as well as entertainment, and offers guests an exploration trail where they can “connect with water and discover its magical personality.” A series of both wet and dry paths encourage participants to interact with the experience, learning about water’s natural cycle from the skies to the seas. Some of your favorite characters from the film Moana keep an eye out for the guests throughout the lush vegetation and pathways. The attraction is located in the World Nature section of EPCOT, at the front of the park, with its entrance across from the Coral Reef Restaurant.


To participate in this preview, Passholders must have a theme park reservation for EPCOT on the day they would like to attend the preview. Reservations for other parks that day do not count; it must be an EPCOT reservation. Disney also notes that, “If you enter EPCOT without a theme park reservation after 2:00 PM, then you will not be eligible to participate in a preview that day.”  That means that even though Annual Passholders can normally come into the park without needing a reservation after 2:00 p.m., they will be unable to participate in the preview without first holding that EPCOT reservation.


To check in for the preview, head directly to the entrance to “Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana.”  There, you will show your active Annual Pass card, Disney MagicMobile pass, MagicBand or MagicBand+, along with valid photo identification to check in.


The preview is limited only to Annual Passholders; you won’t be able to bring guests on your card. Disney reminds, “Everyone in your party must be an Annual Passholder to attend this preview experience.”


“Journey of Water” is currently scheduled to open in late 2023.  There are no age or height restrictions to enjoy the new area.

 

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

 

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Disney and Comcast Accelerating Hulu Negotiations

 by Ray Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 6, 2023

 

Comcast and Disney have agreed to accelerate matters when it comes to finalizing their deal for Disney to purchase the remaining 33 percent of Hulu that Comcast owns. 



According to The Wall Street Journal: 

 

Last week, Disney and Comcast decided to move up the date on which either company can force a sale of the cable company’s Hulu stake to Sept. 30, Roberts told investors at Goldman Sachs’s Communacopia and Technology investor conference in San Francisco. Doing so will provide investors of both companies better clarity of what it will mean for them, he said.

 

As DisneyBizJournal has reported, “Comcast still owns 33 percent of Hulu, with Disney controlling the rest, gaining Fox’s 33 percent Hulu stake in the 2019 acquisition of Fox. As it stands now, Comcast has a passive role in Hulu and has agreed to hold that position until 2024. After that, Comcast can force a buyout by Disney based on a total valuation of $27.5 billion – with Comcast then getting more than $9 billion from Disney – or Disney could choose to execute the buyout. That price tag, however, could go higher if an independent party determines that the fair market value is, in fact, higher.”

 

Roberts, of course, is publicly pushing that the value of Hulu is far higher than that $27.5 billion. CNBC reported:

 

“We are excited to get this resolved,” Roberts said Wednesday at Goldman Sachs’ Communacopia and Technology conference. “And the minimum $27.5 billion that people have bandied about, that was a hypothetical that we picked five years ago because Disney has control of the company. The company is way more valuable today than it was then.”

 

It also was noted in the report, “The deal between Disney and Comcast has set up, in essence, the first-ever sale of a streaming service of this magnitude, Roberts said Wednesday. The two companies will each have their own appraiser, and if their valuations are far apart, a third will likely be brought in.”

 

As noted by the Journal, it’s unclear how long such an appraisal process might take.

 

In its most recent earnings report, Disney reported that Hulu had 48.3 million subscribers.

 

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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. Here are 18 books in the series now with the latest being Under the Golden Dome: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel and For Better, For Worse: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story.

 

• 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. 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 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.

 

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

Tuesday, September 5, 2023

Disney Unveils Details for New “Disney Treasure” Cruise Ship

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 5, 2023

 

Disney often gets kudos for the level of service on its cruise line, and today (September 5, 2023), Captain Minnie and friends shared some of the fun features for their new ship – but not quite all of the details cruisers were waiting for.  Disney is celebrating its 25th anniversary of cruising this year, and the Disney Treasure is the 6th ship to join the Disney Cruise Line fleet. It’s also the sister ship to last year’s launched Disney Wish, and the second of the three ships in the Triton class.  


Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line


The Treasure will set sail in December 2024 with longer seven-night itineraries to the Eastern and Western Caribbean from Port Canaveral, Florida.  The booking window opens September 20, 2023, though, so you won’t have long to wait to start planning your trip.   (Early booking for Castaway Club members begins as early as September 12.)


To help kick-off their journey to ship’s launch, Disney dropped a virtual reveal of some of the ship’s details online this morning.  We were getting some serious S.E.A. (Society of Adventurers and Explorers) vibes with this video introduction, helmed by the newly imagined explorer “Arthur Quinn.”  And certainly the S.E.A. feel fits right in thematically to the Disney Treasure.

  


The video tour begins in Arthur Quinn’s study, a definite call out to the Adventurers’ theme, and Arthur receives a map (helpfully shaped like a ship!) that encourages him to follow various character-shaped clues to uncover some of the new details of the ship.  (Since the Treasure is still under construction in Germany, most of the visuals are from artist renderings, but they’re shockingly realistic.)

 

The Disney Treasure honors Walt Disney’s love of travel and adventure, and becomes a gathering place for some of the characters most associated with the spirit of adventure. Think of Aladdin, for example, who just happens to be joining Princess Jasmine on a magic carpet as the focal point of the Grand Hall.  (Captain Hook and Peter Pan are on the stern of the ship.)


Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line


Among the newly revealed dining options on board is the “Skipper Society,” a Jungle Cruise-themed watering hole complete with punny jokes told by Jungle Cruise Skipper-esque cast members.  (Look for the monkey-shaped chandelier.)  The Treasure will also be home to a brand new venue called the “Periscope Pub,” the first venue inspired by the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.  Watch out for the giant squid in this “under the sea” Jules Verne-branded space with submarine décor and artifacts.


Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line


Restaurants are a big deal on board cruise ships, and Disney Treasure will bring Santa Cecilia to life from the Disney/Pixar movie Coco at the new “Plaza de Coco.” It will give diners the feel of being in the middle of a great big family celebration in the plaza, with lots of music to enliven your “theater-in-the-round” dining experience.  Live performances tell the story of Miguel and his family in two different versions over the course of your sailing. 

 

As on the Disney Wish, there will also be a version of the “Avengers: Quantum Encounter” at the Worlds of Marvel restaurant during the rotational dining, this time with a Spider-Man appearance. More details will be released at a later time.


The Wish’s popular “1923” restaurant, named for the year The Walt Disney Studios was founded, will grace the Treasure as well, providing storyboards, sketches and props from various adventure-themed Disney films to create an elegant Hollywood atmosphere in the room.


French cuisine at “Enchanté,” and  the Beauty and the Beast-themed “Palo Steakhouse,” both from the Disney Wish, will be claiming space on the Treasure as well.

 

Looking for desserts?  A new dessert venue is themed to Zootopia, and called “Jumbeaux’s Sweets.” It will serve up scoops of specialty ice cream and 20 different flavors of gelato!

   
“Heihei Café,” named after Moana’s rooster, and “Jade Cricket Café,” named after Mulan’s cricket, will be supplying snack and coffee-shop walkup options for guests.

 

The Walt Disney Theater will be hosting two shows from previous ships, the “Beauty and the Beast” live performances, and “Disney Seas the Adventure” with a host of Disney characters showing off.  A third, new Broadway-style stage show will be announced at a future date.

 

The ship will also have the 760 foot-long AquaMouse water coaster ride, and in addition to the Mickey Mouse animated shorts introduced on the ride on the Disney Wish, this AquaMouse will debut a new story, the “Curse of the Golden Egg.”

  

If you prefer your entertainment on the drier side, the Disney Treasure carves out a space called “Sarabi,” drawing its name from The Lion King.  This savannah-styled entertainment area will host daytime activities such as games for the whole family, but will cross over to more adult-exclusive live entertainment at night.

 

The Oceaneer’s Club will also make an appearance on the new ship, with activities aimed at children ages 3-12. It’s where you’ll find  things like the Marvel Super Hero Academy, Imagineering Lab, Fairytale Hall, and Star Wars: Cargo Bay.  Vibe and Edge will be there, too, to offer up tween and teen-geared entertainment.

 

When you are ready to head to bed, you’ll have a wide variety of options from which to choose. The biggest and best will be the EPCOT-inspired “Tomorrow Tower Suite” with 2,000 square feet of space, set in the forward funnel of the Disney Treasure. It sleeps eight guests and has a full kitchen and private ensuite elevator. Did we mention the stunning two-deck high window?


Courtesy of Disney Cruise Line


Not quite ready to fork over that much money for the week?  Maybe you’d rather opt for one of the 1,256 staterooms, or the concierge suites with private sundecks. There’s room for 4,000 passengers on board the Treasure!


The virtual detail drop was a fun and creative peek at some of the new offerings for the Disney Treasure, and you can get a closer look at it here while you wait for Disney Cruise Line to share the rest of the news about the newest ship in the fleet. You can find more details, sailing dates, and deck layouts on the Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Treasure page.

 

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

Kickstarter Coming from DisneyBizJournal Editor! "7 Exclusive Novels from Ray Keating"


Sign up to get notified when Ray Keating’s Kickstarter books project officially launches right here. The Kickstarter campaign will launch in mid-September featuring SEVEN limited-release novels available through the Kickstarter project. Here’s a quick take on each…

 

#1. Put Not Your Trust in Princes: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

 

Pastor Stephen Grant isn’t crazy about politicians, but a race for the White House gets personal for Grant, as well as for his wife, Jennifer, and his former CIA partner, Paige Caldwell. Political and physical dangers swirl as the campaign spins out of control.

 

#2. Evil Triumphant: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel

 

The Alliance of Saint Michael loses a key supporter, while Adolf Hitler takes control of Germany. The Alliance finds itself dealing with the dire consequences, including parts of the Church in Germany  becoming an accomplice to evil.

 

#3. Wrath: A Quinn Porter Novel

 

Quinn Porter, a Catholic priest, suffers horrors and descends into a dark place. He struggles with loss, with evil, and with the call to forgive. He even fights with God. Porter isn’t sure if he ever wants to find his way back to where he was before – or whether he should.

 

#4. Freebooters: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel

 

Jennifer Grant treats her husband, Pastor Stephen Grant, to a classic films cruise. But Stephen’s love of movies gets interrupted by a hijacking on the high seas. Grant must use his experiences as a Navy SEAL and CIA operative to stymie the plans of these modern-day pirates.

 

#5. Clement Point: A Berger & Knight Novel

 

Clergy are dying in the small New England town of Clement Point, and no one has a clue if this is coincidence, a series of murders, or a mix of both. Sutton Knight heads up the small police department, but her history makes her a suspect. Nick Berger left behind a career as a policy expert in Washington, D.C., to become a pastor, and just accepted a call to the local Lutheran church. He has to rebuild a congregation, but also finds himself pulled into this mystery. Berger also is trying to figure out if he can trust Knight, and vice versa.

 

#6. Wittenberg: An Alliance of Saint Michael Novel

 

Adolf Hitler wants to use the Berlin Olympic Games to show the superiority of the “Aryan” race. The Alliance of Saint Michael is looking to use the Games as an opportunity for its most ambitious effort to save Christian and Jewish thinkers and artists, as well as precious relics and artwork, from the threats closing in from the Nazis. 

 

#7. Disruption: A Decker Files Novel

 

Kyle Decker, a hard-boiled private detective in 1940s New York City, finds his uninspiring life turned upside down. His existence had been about solving sordid crimes, protecting people not worthy of protection, drinking and womanizing. Only an appreciation for fine food and an incongruous compulsion to wander into churches for prayer helped him stay somewhat grounded.  Then a naïve nephew from the Midwest arrives, and a mysterious, sharp-tongued woman, Gloria Chance, shows up for work, even though Decker never hired her. As Decker tries to deal with these changes, Chance hands him a case that has him pursuing clues and suspects across time.

Friday, September 1, 2023

Time for a Great “Hooley” at Raglan Road This Weekend

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 1, 2023

 

It’s a party weekend for many families, whether you are celebrating the start of school, toasting good-bye to summer, or just gathering with family and friends for the long three-day holiday.  If you’re Irish, you might be taking the time to celebrate the “Great Irish Hooley,” returning to Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant at Disney Springs this weekend for its 11th year.



From September 1-4, 2023, Raglan Road will be offering up an even bigger helping of its usual festive atmosphere.  For those who don’t speak Gaelic at home, a “Hooley” is another name for a party – a great, big party – and the Raglan Road version will be bringing more of its live music, specialty entrées, and even free face painting for the kiddos to help you get into the Celtic spirit.



Raglan Road is already famed for its high-energy performances, including its award-winning Irish step dancers and a multitude of musical acts in various genres, but this weekend will have a few unique and much-anticipated touches.  Among them, Sina Theil will be gracing the stage at this year’s Hooley. According to Disney Parks Blog, this multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and winner of several Irish music awards “was named ‘Rising Star of 2022’ at the American Celtic Listener Supported Music Awards, so you won’t want to miss her performance kicking off the festival!”


Also bringing the entertainment will be Irish folk/trad four-piece band Strings & Things; Sam Carey and Orla Leavy, The Connemara Ramblers; the transatlantic trio One for the Foxes with their blend of Irish and American folk music; and County Down’s own Oliver Havlin, sharing his special mix of rock music on guitar, fiddle and vocals. If you happen to be at Raglan Road in time for Brunch, the Byrne Brothers will be on stage.



While the music and dancing are undoubtedly a core part of the celebratory atmosphere, food is the primary focus of the party.  Raglan Road’s menu always offers up the chance to experience authentic Irish fare, and the Hooley menu will include classics like their Fish & Chips ($19.95 lunch/$27.50 dinner) and the Shepherd’s to Die for Pie, a scrumptious pulled beef and lamb pie with red wine jus ($20.95 lunch/$27.50 dinner). Oh, and if they bring a basket of bread with the unbelievably delicious whisky sauce for dipping, go ahead and indulge!  We have enjoyed this complimentary starter on a number of occasions, and it is one of the things we think of first when we reminisce about great Raglan Road dishes!  And if you are going all-out and adding dessert to your meal, be sure to snatch up Ger’s Bread & Butter Pudding ($12.00), a heavenly and shareable bread pudding with a phenomenal sauce you can drizzle over your portion.


But in addition to the classics, you’ll also get to choose from a handful of new menu offerings, like the Crispy Cream Goats Cheese Salad, the Guinness & Onion soup, and the Sea Board – a sharing board for two filled with savory seafood bites. (If you miss the Great Hooley this weekend, the newbies will stay on the fall menu, so you’ll get a little longer to try them.)

  
Did we hear someone ask about drinks?  Of course, we did. After all, Raglan Road is an authentic Irish pub, with the restaurant’s components actually built in Ireland and shipped over to Disney Springs!  This weekend, Raglan Road will debut its new Irish-American collaborative, an aged-in-stout-barrels “Stars & Hearts” Keeper’s Heart Whiskey flight, and the “Heart of the Hooley,” made with Keeper’s Heart Irish Bourbon and blackberry. There’s also the popular and returning limited release “De Fesht” Hooley brew.


Raglan Road is always a busy place, especially on weekends, so you’ll want to snag an Advanced Dining Reservation on your My Disney Experience app quickly.  Raglan Road is serving lunch from 11:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m., and dinner from 3:05 until 11:00 p.m.  On Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for the Great Hooley, Brunch runs from 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.

 

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

Thursday, August 31, 2023

Some Iconic Additions to the “Indiana Jones: Adventure Series”

 written and photographed by Jonathan Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 31, 2023

 

Despite the box office performance of Dial of Destiny, the Indiana Jones merchandise train seemingly continues full steam ahead. 



The Adventure Series, a line of 1:12 scale highly detailed action figures in the same vein as Hasbro’s other toy lines, Star Wars: Black Series and Marvel Legends, features Indy and his surrounding cast of characters depicted in plastic form. The first wave, which DisneyBizJournal already covered, was mostly made up of characters from Raiders of the Lost Ark. With a new set of releases, the Adventure Series covers some familiar ground, as well as expanding into new territory. 



The least interesting of these new releases must be the Indiana Jones Temple Escape figure. Now, to clarify, this is not a bad release. In fact, it’s the same original (very good) Raiders of the Lost Ark Indy that was released by himself in the first wave. The “new” draw for this version is the inclusion of the pillar that holds the fertility idol from the opening of that film along with a few additional accessories. The problem with this figure is the price point. Retailing for $39.99, this release of Indy is almost double the price of the standard Raiders Indy. If that figure was hard to come by this might be a good release for those who missed out on the standard Indy. However, you can currently find that Indy for its retail price, so the “Temple Escape” release has a few interesting additions, but I would say it is not worth it given the price point. If this set eventually comes down in price, it might be worth picking up for a standard Indy and a small diorama piece. 



The only other new figure from Raiders is another variant of Indy. This is the Cairo version of Indy that appears during the iconic swordsman “fight” and chase for Marion throughout the streets of Cairo. This is a great figure. It does not seem like much at first – another slightly different version of our protagonist. But once you get it in-hand, there is a certain rugged quality to this particular version of Indy. It’s Indy in the midst of an adventure – not all cleaned and polished. This figure comes with a few alternate hands, the standard whip and gun, and a repack of the Raiders monkey that was originally released with Marion. Once again, the only thing keeping me from recommending this figure is the price point. Even more so than with Temple Escape Indy, the “extras” here do not justify (in my mind) the additional cost. Cairo Indy retails for $33.99 which is almost ten dollars more than the standard “Adventure Series” release.

 

Now, to move on to the positives (which is virtually everything else), this most recent wave of figures has dialed in on Temple of Doom as the movie that comprises most of the release slots. Three of the five figures are all from Temple of Doom. Two of those three are different versions of Indy. 




The first is the iconic look that most people will associate with that awesome theatrical poster for Temple of Doom, you know the one where he’s holding the machete and his shirt is all torn up. Awesome. It is also the same look that is featured at the end of the film on the bridge where he says, “Prepare to meet Kali…in hell!” Iconic. This figure is a fantastic representation of that look, coming with previously mentioned machete so you can recreate your own bridge scene. The other Indy look is the hypnotized Indy that I feel most people will simply deem shirtless Indy (ooh lala). Made for only completionists and Calista Flockhart, the shirtless Indy is an iconic sequence from Temple of Doom, but is still sure to give you some odd looks when purchasing or displaying. 




Finally, to add to the character roster beyond Doctor Jones himself, the final character from Temple of Doom is the best Indy sidekick: Short Round. Short Round is one of my favorite releases from all of the Adventure Series. Not just because I think he is one of the best parts of Temple of Doom (if not the best part), but also because they make up for the small stature of the figure by packing the box with accessories: removable jacket, removable New York Giants (not Yankees, sorry) hat, the first removable Indy fedora of the figure line and a whole host of other little additions that make the purchase well worth it. 



The other two figures in this most recent wave are both from the fifth and final Indy film, Dial of Destiny. One, of course, is Indy in his main look from that film. It’s an update on his iconic look from all films, except the figure is notably detailed to be older. This Indy does not feature the gun holster, and the whip has changed from the other releases to reflect the movie, but otherwise it is mostly similar to the standard release Indy. He comes with the adventure backpack (the one Disney got sued over) and a flashlight, both of which are featured in the third act of Dial of Destiny. 



Also from that film, the final figure in this wave is Helena Shaw – Indy’s goddaughter and adventurer in her own right. Like the release of Indy, they used the look she has in the third act of the film for the basis of this figure. She also comes with her own backpack and flashlight. Both are solid figures and, in my mind, the main figures people will want from Dial of Destiny. 

 

To go back to Temple of Doom, this wave’s build-an-artifact is the skull structure that houses the Sankara stones (note: if you pick up the whole wave you can get both the standard Sankara stones and glow-y orange scary ones). Not as impressive as the original wave’s Ark of the Covenant, this is still a worthwhile reason to pick up the whole wave and adds some life to your overall display. 




Finally, also from Temple of Doom, is the Club Obi-Wan Indy figure. This was not part of the most recent wave, but was instead a Target exclusive release. I had pre-ordered mine months ago, but Target inevitably cancelled my order. I was not alone in this, as it seems that Target is particularly terrible in terms of randomly cancelling people’s preorders. I still got the figure, but it was through a third party and was not officially through Target. It’s a shame that Target botched the release of this figure for so many because it really is an interesting addition to the line. Indy is sporting that inspired-by-Bond look from the best opening to any Indy film. The Club Obi-Wan Indy is a figure that is visually different in a sea of browns and tans.

 

There are still plenty of Indiana Jones Adventure Series figures slated to be released, but with the box office performance of Dial of Destiny I do wonder if this line is long for this world. Despite the mostly positive fan reception (myself included), does Indy still have the financial draw to sustain an entire collectible toy line? Hopefully the answer to that question is yes, but only time will tell.

 

The figures that are announced, but have yet to be released, include: Indiana Jones (Map Room), Marcus Brody & Rene Belloq (Ark Showdown 2 pack), Doctor Jurgen Voller, Renaldo, Dr. Elsa Schneider, Grail Knight, Henry Jones Senior, and Indiana Jones (Last Crusade). These figures can be pre-ordered virtually wherever you get your collectibles, with the exception of Map Room Indy which is another Target exclusive. 

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Jonathan Keating is a contributing writer and photographer to DisneyBizJournal.

 

Wednesday, August 30, 2023

Disney Announced “Ahsoka” Viewership … in an Unusual Step

 by Ray Keating

News/Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

August 30, 2023

 

Yesterday (August 29, 2023), The Walt Disney Company decided to announce its estimate for viewership of the first episode of the Star Wars show Ahsoka on Disney+. This was a very unusual step for Disney, which rarely – and I mean rarely – shares audience numbers for shows or movies on Disney+.



At StarWars.com, Disney announced “that Part One of Ahsoka, 'Master and Apprentice,' was the most-watched title on Disney+ this past week. The debut episode garnered 14 million views, making the series number one globally on the streaming platform.”

 

Kathleen Kennedy, Lucasfilm president, was quoted, “Ahsoka has become a fan favorite with people of all ages and it’s wonderful to see her continue to resonate with viewers in her very own headlining series. I want to recognize the fantastic work done by our creative team, led by Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau, the incredible cast led by Rosario Dawson, and our talented crew — and on behalf of the team and all of Lucasfilm, we give our thanks to all the fans who have been with Ahsoka on every step of her journey and to all those who are just learning about her now in Ahsoka on Disney+.”

 

So, why did Disney take this unusual step? It seems that there are two possible reasons. One is that the online buzz was saying that the Ahsoka debut numbers were unimpressive, and Disney had to move to counter that. Or, Disney wanted to take a small victory with some good numbers. Of course, it could be both.

 

Deadline reported the following on outside estimates of Ahsoka’s audience: “Samba TV reports that the Live+5 day viewership for the first episode of Disney+/Lucasfilm’s new series Ahsoka drew 1.2M households. Disney+ dropped the first two episodes of the Dave Filoni-created series on Tuesday, August 22. The second episode clocked 956K U.S. households.”

 

How does that compare to other Star Wars projects on Disney+? Deadline reported:

 

“Ahsoka‘s first episode ratings are even with the first episode of the Tony Gilroy-created Star Wars series Andor, which also pulled in 1.2M households over its live+5 day. Andor debuted on Disney+ on September 21, 2022. However, the ratings for Ahsoka Episode 1 “Master and Apprentice” are down by 50% from the Live+5 day of Obi-Wan Kenobi, which dropped on May 27, 2022, with that Jedi force pulling in 2.4M households. Ahsoka Episode 1 also is down from the first episode of Season 3 of The Mandalorian by 29%, with that series from Filoni and Jon Favreau earning 1.7M U.S. households in its L+5D.”

 

Samba TV tweeted the following:

 


So far, on RottenTomatoes.com, Ahsoka has rated 89% fresh with critics, and 76% fresh with audiences.

 

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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…

 

• The Pastor Stephen Grant thrillers and mysteries. Here are 18 books in the series now with the latest being Under the Golden Dome: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel and For Better, For Worse: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story.

 

• 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. 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 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 Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.