Enchanted Ears - Anything & Everything Disney

Behind the Scenes of Lion King the Musical

This week, in Disney News, we spoke too soon about the smooth opening of the Skyliner a few weeks ago. On October 6^th, six days after opening, it broke down leaving visitors stranded for a few hours. Hopefully, they can work out the kinks soon.

Also, this week, the trailer for Jungle Cruise dropped and so did our jaws. The movie looks like it’ll be as much fun as Pirates of the Caribbean and have even closer ties to the ride which inspired it.

This week, we’re really excited to discuss The Lion King Broadway Musical. At our fourth time to see the show, we received a really nice magazine that tells all about the production of the musical and served as our source material.

We share our five major takeaways from reading the magazine from the musical’s not-so-storied-past to the meaning behind everything you see. It’s incredible how much all of the people involved poured into making this the spectacular spectacle it is!

Thanks for lending us your ears!

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Disney Decade: The 1950s

This week, in Disney News, Kevin Feige is moving on over to Star Wars! He’ll be helping produce a new movie with LucasFilm’s Kathleen Kennedy and we’re really excited to see what he brings to the table.

Spider-Man’s back!!! Sony and Disney finally reach that agreement we’ve been hoping for.

Also, the dates for EPCOT’s Flower and Garden Festival were announced and this year, there’s going to be a Remyiary!!

This week we pick up on our Disney Decades series with the 1950s. This decade is driven by some huge developments in movies, TV, and parks.

Some Disney heavy-hitters came out in the 50s including Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, and Sleeping Beauty.

Also, Walt continues to prove he’s a visionary when he jumps head-first into the newest technology TV and is handsomely rewarded in being able to help fund his newest idea of a theme park.

Then in 1955, Disneyland opens to huge crowds (thanks to thousands of counterfeit tickets) and changes the world as we know it!

Thanks for lending us your ears! We’ll catch you back here again this week.

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Theme Park Tunes: Tokyo Disney Edition

This week, in a snippet released to the public from Bob Iger’s book The Ride is a Lifetime, he mentions how he believes Disney and Apple would’ve merged had Steve Jobs still been alive. We discuss what Disney would be like if this occurred.

Also, Disney patents “capturepult” technology to stop and kick start boat rides to prevent traffic jams.

Also, Tokyo Disney finally announces an epic expansion set to open in April of 2020 before the Olympics.

In this fun episode, Joe tests Angela’s memory of ride music two months after their trip to Tokyo Disney. Never been to these parks? No problem. You can still play along since some of the music includes popular songs from the movies the rides are meant to emulate.

Thank you for lending us your ears! Have a great week!

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WDW Cutbacks and Ranking the Avengers

Hello and welcome! This week, Disney News starts out sweet with the introduction of the Peanut butter brownie at Hollywood Studios Backlot Express. Look up a picture because this incredible little dessert will have you booking your next trip (or buying an endless supply of Reese’s Pieces and Peanut Butter Cups to try to replicate the magic).

Disney World cuts a few shows and moves over more character meet and greets from photographers to Photo Boxes. We discuss why this may be and possible impacts it could have.

Lastly, the MCU is making more changes with the planned introduction of the X-Men. They discuss also using the X-Men to add more diversity to the MCU.

This week, our episode is inspired by a listener question. Rachel R. asked what our favorite Avenger is. So, in this episode, we discuss the heroes who are the strongest and smartest, along with the one with the best superpowers, best dad bod, most underutilized etc.

Thank you for lending us your ears. You rock!!

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Ranking the Pixar Movies

We discuss a heart-warming story of a boy with a dream, who gives it up to help others. (And Disney being involved, is generously rewarded for his selfless actions.) 

Also, the next installment of drama between Sony and Disney over the use of Spider-man in the MCU continues. The two companies are trying to work things out, which includes rumored larger percentages for Disney and the inclusion of Venom in the MCU.  

This week, we discuss and rank Pixar movies in two separate categories: franchises and one-offs. We also point out the magic and genius of the Pixar creative process along with the unique themes and ideas they apply to their works.   

Some of our opinions will probably have you cheering and others will likely have you jeering. Did you know that The Incredibles is a secret mash-up of the MCU with the Fast and Furious Franchise? (Okay, not really, but Joe makes a great argument for that.) 

Since sentimentality seems natural this week, we want to express how grateful we are for your time and listenership. We love talking every week about Disney, prepping notes, and supporting a company we feel does it’s best to make the world a better place. Thank you so much for giving us the opportunity and occasion to do that. You’re magical! 

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Dealing with Hurricanes at Disney World

This week in Disney news, two of the most magical titans of industry unite: Disney and Target! Twenty-five Targets are getting mini Disney Stores inside. (Is anyone else hearing all of the Disney princesses sing in beautiful harmony inside your head?) Hopefully, this venture succeeds and they can roll this out to more stores sooner rather than later.

Disney rereleased Aladdin on Blu-ray, so we take a quiz to prove our Aladdin knowledge.

And the Star Wars hotel’s rumored price has many Disney fans saying “Naw thanks” according to our very scientific Facebook poll. (That’s quite the oxymoron, isn’t it?)

In this episode, we batten down the hatches!With Dorian ripping through the Caribbean and southeast, it made us curious what Disney’s hurricane preparation plans are. So, we discuss what happens when a hurricane blows through the Most Magical Place on Earth.

As expected, they do as much as they can to make you comfortable and keep your trip as magical as possible, which includes rarely seen characters, discounts, and free things!

And if you’re able to donate to help rebuild and clean up the Bahamas, you can transfer money to The Bahamas Disaster Relief Fund or the American Red Cross.

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D23 Expo Recap

This week is ALL news. We cover the announcements made at D23.

There were tons of movie announcements. Black Panther will finally get a sequel in 2022. Pixar announced Soul, a movie that will feature Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey. Also, he might not know much, but Kit Harrington knows he’s going to play the Black Knight in the Eternals.

Some new trailers came out for movies going straight to Disney+ and provide yet another reason to buy it come November. Most excitingly, Anna Kendrick stars as Noelle Claus in a new Christmas movie. Check out the trailer. It looks so cute!

Also, the new Star Wars trailer has some crazy buzz surrounding it. Joe and Angela speculate why Rey’s wearing that hood and has a red lightsaber.

The parks are also receiving some cool updates. There are new parades and logos. Also, Epcot’s getting a massive facelift.

Finally, the Star Wars hotel is announced and its speculated to be awesome and to break the bank!

And in possibly the biggest news, Disney announces the Disney Genie app. It sounds like it’s going to help make trip planning far easier and more personalized.

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Is Disney Getting Too Big + Must Dos at Disney World

This week in Disney news, pour one out for Spider-man. Since Sony and Disney can’t reach an agreement moving forward to allow Disney to continue to use Spider-Man in their movies, Tom Holland has officially been kicked out of the MCU. This leads into a discussion about whether Disney is becoming too large and is throwing their weight around. Or if their size could cause potential issues with creativity.

This week we talk about our Disney World must-dos. We surprise each other with our typical and some more...eclectic choices.

Also, serious request, if you have recommendations on places for us to eat, we’d love to hear them! Send us a message on our social media sites.

Thanks for lending us your ears!

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Tokyo DisneySea Trip Recap

This week in Disney News, "it's a small world" in Disney World is rumoured to be getting some new Disney character animatronics.

 

A big secret will be revealed at D23 on the 22nd. We speculate what that may be and hold out hope that another park is getting built in India!

 

This week, we talk DisneySea, Disney's second park in Tokyo. Sea's sea-based (duh) with many different lands. We take a counterclockwise walk through the park and discuss our experiences in each section. 

 

Like Disneyland Tokyo, the shows reign supreme in Sea. Be sure to check out their Big Band Beat and King Trident's Concert shows for some spectacular choreography and music. 

 

Again, Duffy is everywhere and even our pal Gelatoni isn't as bad as previously thought. As Joe says, "The camera adds 10 nightmares.)

 

Thank you for lending us your ears! Don't forget to send us your questions about the Japanese parks or just anything Disney on our social media outlets.

 

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Tokyo Disneyland Trip Recap

Konnichiwa! We're back from Japan and so excited to share our trip to Tokyo Disneyland with you! We did so much in the short day and a half we were there. (The other day and a half were spent at Disney Sea. Stay tuned for that episode next week!)

 

Environment-wise, the Tokyo Disneyland park was like an even cuter, less commercialized version of the American parks. Duffy the Disney Bear is king and Donald is his royal knight...sorry, Mickey, but you deserve a break from all the hard work. Duffy and Donald merchandise are everywhere from headbands to purses to keychains. 

 

The setup of the park is similar to Disneyland in California or the Magic Kingdom in Florida, which makes navigating the park a little more intuitive. Language-wise, there are some cast members who speak English, but even those who don't are easy enough to communicate with (for things like ordering food or asking directions) as long as you don't have any special needs. The Japanese are excellent at using emphatic hand signals that really help to convey their points.

 

 

Ride-wise, Disneyland has some really cool, original rides like Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek! and Pooh's Hunny Hunt (yes, I spelled that correctly). If you ever go to this park, you have to ride Hunny Hunt! The trackless ride system is incredible! The cars weave in and out of each other in near-Broadway-choreographed fashion. Monsters, Inc. is a fun ride that adopts the style of the old shooting gallery: you shoot at a target and the target moves. There are some serious cool animatronics in there, too!

 

Also, a pretty cool experience unique to this park your ability to go into Cinderella Castle to see the dioramas and sit on the royal throne.

 

In addition to these new rides, many of the classics got really fun and interesting upgrades. For example, "it's a small world" not only includes the same animatronics as the American parks, but also includes many familiar faces from the Disney movies.

 

One of the best upgrades to the Japanese parks were the abundance of and quality of shows. Judy and Nick's Jumpin' Splash takes place directly in front of the castle and is a dance party with a (much needed) splash zone! Also, One Man's Dream 2 features many of the Disney characters you know and love dancing and singing to both original songs and songs from the movies.

 

And, of course, the food! Popcorn and popcorn containers were the biggest story in both of the parks. The tins ranged from alien claw machines to Stitch to Steamboat Willie on his boat! 

 

Thank you so much for lending us your ears! Tune in next week to hear our experience at Tokyo DisneySea! And as always, interact with us and see some awesome trip photos on our social media outlets on Facebook and Instagram.