April 23-29, 2023
Let’s get out of the way some amazing Disney (adjacent) news: our favorite space princess is getting a star on the walk of fame. Yes, it was announced on the 25th that Carrie Fischer will get a spot on the Walk near El Capitan. The ceremony will take place on … you guessed it … May 4th. In Star Wars related news this week saw the 40th anniversary of Episode 6: Return of the Jedi. I saw it in my local Alamo Drafthouse, and Carrie was great. She should have gotten the star years ago.
BIG news was announced on Wednesday the 26th. The Walt Disney Company is suing Ron DeSantis, the Republican governor of Florida, along with others claiming retaliation for their stance on the “Don’t Say Gay” bill that was signed into law in 2022 and thus impeding their constitutional 1st amendment rights of free speech, along with jeopardizing their finances.
From Yahoo: The company alleges that a retaliation campaign was "orchestrated at every step by Governor DeSantis as punishment for Disney’s protected speech" and "now threatens Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights."
"Disney regrets that it has come to this," the company said in the first section of the lawsuit. "But having exhausted efforts to seek a resolution, the Company is left with no choice but to file this lawsuit to protect its cast members, guests, and local development partners from a relentless campaign to weaponize government power against Disney in retaliation for expressing a political viewpoint unpopular with certain State officials." Get ready and make sure to wear your poncho while in Fantasyland. Those tea cups will be having a lot to spill.
Disney’s latest live-action remake of an animated film, Peter Pan & Wendy, was released to stream on Disney+ on Friday April 28th and you know what? It’s great! It’s beautiful to watch. I will warn you that some of the scenes that take place at night really are dark so make sure to watch in a dark room. I was hesitant. I’ve watched most of their remakes and thus far the only one I’ve really liked was Cinderella in 2015. This one is sorta like that: the same story yet there are some new elements added. It’s not a shot-for-shot remake of the original. There’s even a new storyline added around Peter and Hook…and it’s great. Tiger Lilly is amazing. Amazing. The costumes and acting are done well. Parts of it remind me of Spielberg’s Hook from 1991. Really, if you haven’t seen it yet, get your popcorn bucket and get ready for a treat.
If you’re a Disney Chase Rewards Card holder like me and, also like me, still haven’t stayed at Galactic Starcruiser then you’re in luck: there will be a 30% discount! Select dates of course.
Some quick other things to note: Live-action Ariel will make appearances at the parks this summer. The main spot in WDW to celebrate the 100th will be EPCOT. You can expect a new light-show on Spaceship Earth. Annual Passes are back on sale at WDW for non-FL residents; the only option for those guests will be to purchase the Incredi-pass, the most expensive option but also no blackout dates. The trailer for Disney’s newest animated film, Wish, is out now and to me this film looks like a lot of fun.
Phew. Believe it or not, there’s more, but I’m not going to take up all of your time. Stay tuned for more!