Here’s the latest news from Disney:
New Attractions and Lands Coming to Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World announced several new attractions and lands coming to its parks in the next few years. Most notably, a brand new land based on Villains will be added to Magic Kingdom. Though not many details were given, concept art shows a castle belonging to a villain like Maleficent or Hades as the icon of the new land. This villain-themed area looks to be taking the place of the previously teased Zootopia land. Additionally, a new Coco inspired land is coming to Epcot’s World Showcase area. This land will likely feature Mexican culture, music, food, and characters from the popular Pixar film. These new lands join the already announced additions like Tron Lightcycle Run at Magic Kingdom and Journey of Water inspired by Moana at Epcot. Disney continues to invest in bringing exciting new experiences to its parks.
Price Increases for Streaming Services
Disney is raising the price of its ad-free Disney+ streaming service to $10.99 per month starting in early December. This marks a 38% increase from its current $7.99 price. The option with ads will remain $7.99 per month. Disney cited the large amount of content coming to the service, including new Star Wars and Marvel shows, as reasoning for the price hike. The company previously raised prices in March 2022 with minimal customer loss. Additionally, Disney is increasing Hulu without ads to $14.99 per month. These moves show Disney’s confidence that customers will pay more for its streaming offerings, even with an economic downturn. The price hikes come right before an expected writers and actors strike could disrupt new streaming content.
Broadway’s Newsies Now Streaming
The Broadway adaptation of the Disney musical Newsies is now available to stream on Disney+. Newsies tells the true story of the newsboy strike of 1899, when a group of child newspaper sellers stood up to powerful publishers like Joseph Pulitzer. The 1992 Disney live action film bombed in theaters but gained a cult following. After huge fan demand, Disney Theatrical Productions created a Broadway stage version which opened in 2012. After a successful Broadway run, Newsies toured North America for several years. Now fans can watch the high energy dance musical from the comfort of home. This behind-the-scenes story of a fan favorite show becoming a hit Broadway musical is streaming exclusively on Disney+.
In other news:
- New Disney themed drinkware like Sorcerer Mickey tumblers and water bottles were released at Walt Disney World and shopDisney.
- Tokyo Disney Resort’s version of Tower of Terror has My Melody and Kuromi themed churros available for purchase.
- Pinocchio’s Daring Journey ride at Tokyo Disneyland has new merchandise including plush toys, notebooks, and more.
