Disney and Charter vs. Cord Cutting?

 by Ray Keating

Analysis

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 12, 2023

 

The Walt Disney Company and Charter Communications came to an agreement on Monday (September 12) just in time for Jets fans with Spectrum cable to see their bad luck continue with a potentially season-ending injury for quarterback Aaron Rodgers during “Monday Night Football.”

But this wasn’t your typical last-minute deal regarding carriage fees cable companies pay for assorted channels. In a joint press release, Disney and Charter called this a “transformative” agreement – and that might not be your typical corporate PR hyperbole.

 

Disney had pulled its cable channels from Charter’s Spectrum cable on August 31. In the deal announced on Monday, the Disney offerings on Spectrum will be reduced from 27 channels to 19, according to the Associated Press. At the same time, Charter’s fees to Disney are “expected to increase, although financial terms were not released on Monday.”

 

But the truly big news in this announcement is about Disney’s streaming services. Here are the four key points from the release:

 

• “In the coming months, the Disney+ Basic ad-supported offering will be provided to customers who purchase the Spectrum TV Select package, as part of a wholesale arrangement.”

 

• “ESPN+ will be provided to Spectrum TV Select Plus subscribers.”

 

• “The ESPN flagship direct-to-consumer service will be made available to Spectrum TV Select subscribers when it launches.”

 

• “Charter will also use its significant distribution capabilities to offer Disney’s direct-to-consumer services to all its customers – in particular its large broadband-only customer base – for purchase at retail rates. These include Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, as well as The Disney Bundle.”

 

So, Disney streaming services are going to be offered through Spectrum cable. This is a striking melding of linear and streaming. Could this Disney-Charter agreement be “transformative” in terms of its effects on cable and streaming? Maybe. 

 

It definitely warrants watching, and keeping an eye on how other streamers and cable companies react, including how Disney works with other cable companies. As AP noted: “While making a direct-to-consumer product available through a cable system may seem counterintuitive, the deal will help the soon-to-be launched ESPN service get established and have more access to advertisers, [ESPN President Jimmy] Pitaro said.”

 

In a joint statement, Disney CEO Bob Iger and Charter CEO Chris Winfrey said: “Our collective goal has always been to build an innovative model for the future. This deal recognizes both the continued value of linear television and the growing popularity of streaming services while addressing the evolving needs of our consumers.”

 

Immediate thoughts? Fascinating. Weird and challenging – given what we’ve heard and assumed about streaming killing cable and accelerating cord cutting. Maybe a game-changer – at least possibly for the near term.

 

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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.

Breaking News from Destination D23 at Disney World

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

September 9, 2023

 

Many of you were glued to your computers this morning watching the Destination D23 livestream from the Contemporary Resort at Disney World in Florida. D23 is the official Disney Fan Club.

This fan-gathering is always the home of breaking Disney Parks news, amidst the fun and interesting discussion panels, entertainment segments and, of course, merchandise shopping, and today didn’t disappoint. Here are some of the bulleted highlights of the Saturday event (September 9, 2023), many of them announced by Josh D’Amaro, Chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products himself.  If you haven’t been hovering over YouTube all day for the latest news, here are some of the scoops.

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

NEW AT EPCOT:

• “Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana” will be officially opening to the general public on October 16th. There will also be a Moana character meet-and-greet there. (DVC and Annual Passholder Previews will be underway shortly.)

 

• World Celebration will open in EPCOT in December.

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

• Figment fans, make your way to EPCOT this weekend – your favorite purple Figment will begin meeting and greeting in person, tomorrow (September 10, 2023) in the Imagination pavilion. Be warned – he is HUGE! The walk-around character was taller than most of the cast who joined him on stage for a rousing chorus of Figment’s “Imagination” theme song.

• In more EPCOT news, the new fireworks show now has a name and debut date:  “Luminous: The Symphony of Us” will arrive on December 5, 2023.

 

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

• The upcoming film Wish will introduce folks to Asha, and she will subsequently be appearing in EPCOT, Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.

• Guests who wax nostalgic about the old version of Test Track will be pleased to hear that Disney will be partnering with Chevrolet to reimagine Test Track and will take as its inspiration the original World of Motion.

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

• At this afternoon’s panel, “EPCOT: Always in a State of Becoming,” it was announced that for a limited time, guests at EPCOT will be able to experience the original cut of “Soarin’ Over California” as part of the Disney100 celebration, beginning September 22, 2023.

NEW AT HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

• The “Star Tours” attraction will be adding “Ahsoka” to the lineup in the spring, including at Disney World, Disneyland and Disneyland Paris.

 
NEW AT MAGIC KINGDOM:

• The “Country Bear Jamboree” will be getting new songs for a new act, with the atmosphere being classic jamboree/Nashville-style in tone. Disney also revealed new artwork for the show, “Country Bear Musical Jamboree,” opening in 2024.

• Over in Adventureland, near Pirates of the Caribbean, there will be a new pirates’ themed tavern introduced, with the name and opening date of the restaurant/lounge to be shared later.

• Construction on his new home has already been underway, but at long last, the Hatbox Ghost will be arriving at Magic Kingdom in late November!

• Imagineer Bruce Vaughn joined D’Amaro and talked about the possibilities with the proposed expansion in the area “Beyond Big Thunder Mountain,” first broached in the Blue Sky projects at the last D23 gathering.  While the specific attractions and shows haven’t been named yet, Vaughn indicated that the scope of the project will be similar in scale to the Galaxy’s Edge and Pandora expansions – in other words, a very large addition to that end of the park!

NEW AT ANIMAL KINGDOM:

• The biggest news out of the Animal Kingdom is the long-anticipated revamp of DinoLand – to “the Tropical Americas.” According to Disney, they are “diving deep into their research” and “New experiences inspired by Encanto – the Academy Award winning Walt Disney Animation Studios film – and the fan-favorite adventurer Indiana Jones are being considered for the reimagined land at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World Resort.” (Before you throw on your fedora and grab your bullwhip, note the wording “are being considered” in the language... though there were very broad hints about these IPs during the discussion of the land.)

Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog

• The Tree of Life will be getting a new show inspired by Zootopia, likely to be replacing “A Bug’s Life” inside the theatre in the base of the Tree of Life, though that wasn’t explicitly stated. Since the show will include animatronics, that indicates to us that it won’t just be an evening projections’ show on the outside of the Tree, but an overhaul of the show inside.

 

NEW AT DISNEY CRUISE LINE:

• Disney Cruise Line announced the name for the new, 7th ship in its fleet: the Disney Adventure.  This cruise, featuring Disney, Pixar, and Marvel stories on board, will be home ported in Singapore.

• In another Cruise Line announcement, the name of Disney’s newest private port will be “Lookout Cay at Lighthouse Point” in the Bahamas. (The first cruise sailing there will be the Disney Magic, on June 16, 2024.)

 

NEW AT DISNEYLAND-CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE:

• Avengers Campus is getting a new attraction, where guests will be able to battle alongside the Avengers, and come face to face with big bad villain Thanos, complete with new ride vehicles in a hub for the multiverse! New Avengers “technology” will allow “recruits” to connect to the multiverse, and will transport participants on a multi-world mission. D23 guests got a peek at the ride vehicles.

 

NEW AT INTERNATIONAL PARKS:

• D23 fans also got a look at Hong Kong’s “World of Frozen,” opening November 30, 2023.

FUTURE FAN EVENT:

 

• Looking forward to the next big D23 event?  It was announced that next year’s event is being called “D23 The Ultimate Disney Fan Event,” and will take place from August 8th-11th in and around Anaheim, California. The D23 kickoff celebration will take place at Disneyland Resort on August 8th, 2024, with other panels and exhibits happening during the day on August 9th through 11th at the Anaheim Convention Center, providing more space for more guests. At night, participants will head to shows in the indoor NHL hockey arena at the Honda Center.

 

Tickets for these events aren’t on sale yet, but mark your calendars now, because when they do drop (sometime in spring 2024), they are certain to go really fast!  They typically sell out in a matter of hours.

 

CLOSING REMARKS:

Josh D’Amaro wrapped up “A Celebration of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” by saying, “We are going to speed up; we are not going to slow down, and over the next decade, we are going to have more projects under way than at any point in our history – any point in our history.  We are planning to invest billions of dollars in our destinations around the world.” 

 

Disney fans will be looking forward to it.

 

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

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.

 

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.

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.

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.