Although not really “Disney” news any longer, I thought I’d post the announcement here that Twentieth Century Fox has agreed to co-finance the third movie in the “Chronicles of Narnia” series. Just before Christmas, Disney had decided to no longer partner with Walden Media in the making of the next film in the series as well as any future films.
This spring promise action and adventure on the high seas as Disney Cruise Line features “Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend Lives On.” This cruise will take guests to world’s end and beyond, led by actors Lee Arenberg and Martin Klebba – better known to fans as Pintel and Marty from all three “Pirates of the Caribbean” films.
After being closed for over a year, the former location where you could get McDonald’s french fries has re-opened for business. Known in the past as the Frontierland Fry Cart, the newly re-named “Golden Oak Outpost” opened late last week with a brand theming and a new menu.
It’s official – the Disney Gallery which formerly resided above the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction (which is now the exclusive Dream Suite) will find a permanent home in the building that currently houses the Main Street Bank and part of the Opera House lobby.
Through the release of a new a limited-edition pin collection which features 14 of the approximately two-dozen Disney characters “as they will appear” when the Small World attraction reopens, Disney has inadvertently let the cat out of the bag.
From the China Daily, The Walt Disney Company and the Shanghai municipal government have signed a project proposal to build the first Disney park on the Chinese mainland. This will be the second Disney park in China, the first one being in Hong Kong which opened to guests on September 12, 2005.
What has been long-rumored is finally confirmed – the refurbishment of the original Space Mountain located at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is a go. The attraction will close on April 19 (right after the Easter break crowds leave) and officially return “late 2009,” though a target date of November 22 has been reported.
Disney Parks is offering the chance to meet Tinker Bell and her Fairy friends at your choice of Walt Disney World Resort in Florida or Disneyland Resort in California via a contest they are holding at PixieHollow.com. It’s a celebration of all-things Fairies at the place where dreams come true.
Both ABC and the Disney Channel have landed exclusive rights to televise two of President-elect Barack Obama’s inaugural events, including the Obama’s first appearance at one of an array of inaugural balls on the nights of January 19th and 20th.
The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that Disney has settled a nearly five-year legal fight with a Pennsylvania company over development of the Mission: Space ride in Epcot. The dispute stemmed from a roughly $30 million contract that Disney awarded Environmental Tectonics in February 2000.
