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NBA looking at Orlando/Disney World as ‘clear frontrunner’ to resume season

NBA resume season

The 2019-2020 NBA season came to an abrupt halt in mid-March this year. It seemed the season would not be finished given the pandemic. However, there’s renewed hope that a solution is at hand. Sources in the league have told The Athletic that the NBA is looking at Orlando to finish the 2020 basketball games at Walt Disney World.

The Athletic’s duo of Sam Amick and Shams Charania say that NBA sources tell them how Walt Disney World is the current frontrunner for the rest of the season. Although it hasn’t been confirmed, this would be an interesting development for the basketball league.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has previously mentioned his idea of seeking a “campus environment” to utilize for the remaining games. Their bubble-isolation plan would enable teams to gather in one place and help players follow safety protocols.

Of course, the league would have to decide whether they would continue with the same list of remaining games or if they would shorten it to get to playoff games. Several players have confirmed their interest in going forward, but it’s up to the league officials to reach a set date to return. Health and safety are the primary concerns, but it would be quite thrilling to see basketball resume at Disney World!

Source: Yahoo Sports

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: News, Parks & Resorts, Resorts, Universal, SeaWorld, Legoland and More, disney sports, ESPN, ESPN Sports Complex, nba, NBA Experience, Walt Disney World

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Disney News Disney Parks Other

Margaritaville’s Island H2O Live! Water Park will reopen to Guests on Saturday, May 23rd

Margaritaville's Island H2O Live

It is with great anticipation that Margaritaville‘s Island H2O Live announces its reopening on select days beginning Saturday, May 23, 2020. As required, Island H2O Water Park submitted a reopening plan to the State of Florida that includes a proposed date for resumption of operations and proposed guidelines to ensure guest and staff safety, which was endorsed by the Osceola County Administrator.

“We are excited to reopen and provide an entertaining break from the day-to-day world,” states Island H2O Water Park General Manager Jim Kunau. “We look forward to providing wonderful memories for our guests and their families. Our entire team has been working hard to prepare the park and welcome our guests back.”

The park is raising their already demanding standards to an even higher level with new protocols and procedures. “The health, safety, and well-being of every guest and team member is our utmost priority,” states Kunau. “To ensure the safest experience for everyone, we also need our guests to help by adhering to social distancing practices, washing and sanitizing hands frequently, and following safety guidelines provided by our trained staff.”

Island H2O Water Park is implementing new Safe-Splash Guidelines to continue delivering a great guest experience while ensuring the park operates safely, responsibly and sustainably. Island H2O Water Park will:

  1. Manage Park Capacity: The number of guests admitted each day is limited. Guests who arrive after park capacity is reached are not guaranteed admittance to the park and may be asked to wait or visit on a different day.
  2. Implement Daily Wellness Checks: Team members and guests undergo a verbal screening upon arrival each day. Team members also receive a temperature check and are sent home if their temperature exceeds 100.4 °F.
  3. Require Face Masks: Team members are required to wear a face-covering in virtually every area of the park. Between rides and attractions, guests are recommended to wear face coverings. Due to safety constraints, face coverings are not permitted while in the water or on slides.
  4. Practice Social Distancing: Signs and ground markers are provided to assist guests with social distancing practices while in line at the park entrance, attractions, restrooms, food service locations, and more. Deck layouts are modified to ensure distancing in all lounging and dining areas.
  5. Promote Hand Hygiene & Respiratory Etiquette: Additional hand sanitizing stations are placed throughout the park, and signs are displayed to encourage all employees and guests to wash their hands often and cover their coughs and sneezes.
  6. Clean, Disinfect and Sanitize on a Continuous Basis: The CDC states, “disinfection with chlorine… should inactivate the virus in the water.” The water in all attractions at Island H2O Water Park is double treated with chlorination and ultraviolet light to maintain the healthiest water conditions. All water that circulates through the water park is exposed to UV light in the filtration process. UV light works by disrupting the DNA or RNA of specific organisms, such as viruses, which in turn, kills or inactivates the virus completely. Team members are assigned additional duties that support cleanliness throughout the park, including the disinfection of handrails, loungers, tabletops, tubes, mats, door handles, and other surfaces.
  7. Encourage Electronic Payments: Guests are encouraged to purchase admission tickets online prior to arriving at the park to minimize interactions during the park entry experience. Guests are also encouraged to use cashless payment methods while visiting.
  8. Manage Use of Indoor Areas & Communal Spaces: Homeland Security’s biodefense research laboratory states, “sunlight seems to be very detrimental to the virus,” and “within minutes, the majority of the virus is inactivated on surfaces and in the air in direct sunlight.” Our guests spend their entire day outdoors in the sunshine or in shaded areas, except for restroom buildings and other minor service areas which are disinfected regularly throughout the day.
  9. Provide a COVID-19 Response Team: A team of supervisors and managers is available to respond to COVID-19 concerns from guests or employees. The team trains staff on all safety protocols and ensures that they are socially distanced during meetings and training.
A complete list of all health and safety measures can be found at www.islandh2olive.com.
The park will continue to coordinate with local, state and federal agencies as well as public health officials and is prepared to make any and all adjustments as necessary, now and after re-opening, to maintain the highest standards of health and safety for all.
“We know the finances of several of our guests have been impacted, so we are extending a special discount on our season passes this summer,” commented Kunau. “A 2020 Season Pass is currently available for just $10 more than a one-day admission ticket, and guests can even split their purchase into 2-monthly payments when they buy online by May 31.”
For details on park hours, season passes, events and offers, please visit www.islandh2olive.com.

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: News, Island H2O Live!, Margaritaville Orlando, Margaritaville Resort, Margaritaville Resort Orlando, Margaritaville’s Island H2O Live

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Disney Business Disney Movies Disney News Marvel

Secret Marvel Movie In the Works at Sony Pictures

Secret Marvel Movie In the Works at Sony Pictures. According to an exclusive report from Variety, Sony Pictures is working on a new Marvel Film and has tapped S.J. Clarkson to direct. Sony has yet to comment on the scoop, but signs point heavily to Sony’s interest in developing a Madame Web led film, potentially starring Charlize Theron or Amy Adams, whom are reported to be the top interests for the lead role of Cassandra Webb/Madame Web.

The character is unlike any we have seen in Marvel movies and is frequently characterized along with her chair connected to vital life functioning tubes that take the form of a spiderweb due to her life long battle with Myasthenia Gravis. Myasthenia Gravis is a neuromuscular disorder that causes weakness in the skeletal muscles, which are the muscles your body uses for movement. It occurs when communication between nerve cells and muscles becomes impaired.

In a synopsis of the character, Marvel shares, “Though Cassandra Webb suffered from a lifetime of blindness and many years of neurological deterioration due to Myasthenia Gravis, she compensated with her profound psychic abilities, establishing herself as a medium.”

Photo Credit: Markus Schreiber/AP/Shutterstock

Other than Clarkson, no other production team members, such as producers, writers, etc., have been announced at this time and it was confirmed by Variety that even the potential stars for the film have yet to meet with the Studio at the time of writing.

Should Sony decide to bring Madame Web into the Spider-Man film franchise it is unknown if the character would be considered canon with the Marvel Cinematic Universe, despite possibly appearing with Tom Holland‘s Spider-Man/Peter Parker.

Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co. for updates and all things Marvel!

Featured Photo Credit: Sony/Marvel

Source: Variety

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: Marvel, Movies, News, Madame Web, Sony, Sony Pictures, Spider-man

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Disney News Disney Parks Other

Disney World & Disneyland is cancelling reservations through Mid-June

Disney Parks

Walt Disney World® and Disneyland® Resort Guests with resort hotel bookings during the week of June 7-13, 2020, are receiving notifications that their stays will be impacted by our temporary closures, and they may modify or cancel their Disney Resort hotel reservations or Walt Disney Travel Company packages. Disney is asking Guests who didn’t book directly with Disney to call their Travel Professional.

Here is the sample letter being sent out to Disney World and Disneyland Guests

Sample letter – Walt Disney World Resort Guests

Important: Disney Resort Hotel Closures

In keeping with our focus on the well-being of our Guests and Cast Members during these rapidly changing times, Disney Resort hotels and theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort are currently closed until further notice.

Your upcoming travel dates are impacted by these closures. You have the option to modify or cancel your Disney Resort hotel reservation or Walt Disney Travel Company package up to your original check-in date. If no action is taken, we will process any refund due to your original form of payment if a payment had been made. If you did not book through Disney directly, please contact your Travel Professional. Note that cancellation fees imposed by third-party suppliers, including airlines and rental cars, as well as nonrefundable products like travel protection plans, are deducted from refundable amounts for Walt Disney Travel Company packages.

If you wish to reschedule your vacation for a later time this year, please call 407-939-4251 or your Travel Professional.

Rest assured, we will continue to monitor the situation and make timely decisions based on expert guidance. For the latest information, please visit DisneyWorld.com/Updates.

We thank you for your continued understanding, and we hope to see ya real soon!

Sample letter – Disneyland Resort Guests

Dear Guest,

We are sorry to inform you that your upcoming visit with us will be impacted by several closures.

While there is still much uncertainty with respect to the impacts of COVID-19, the safety and well-being of our Guests and employees remain The Walt Disney Company’s top priority.

As a result of this unprecedented pandemic and in line with direction provided by health experts and government officials, the Disneyland Resort is currently closed and a reopening date has not been identified.

If you have already modified or cancelled your upcoming Disneyland Resort hotel room reservation or Walt Disney Travel Company vacation package, no further action needs to be taken. If you’re interested in modifying your existing travel dates or making a new reservation for a future vacation, reservations are currently available for travel dates July 1, 2020 and later.

To provide additional flexibility, we are waiving Disney-imposed change and cancellation fees up to the date of check-in for reservations with arrivals through June 30, 2020. If you are unable to reach us before your check-in date for such time period, you will not be penalized or assessed Disney-imposed fees for cancelling your Disneyland Resort hotel room reservation or Walt Disney Travel Company vacation package after your check-in date.

Note that some package components are nonrefundable and subject to third-party operator cancellation policies. You should work directly with any third-party operators you have used to book any parts of your vacation package that were not booked through the Walt Disney Travel Company, including flights, travel protection and car rentals.

A Special Offer for Eligible Guests

Eligible Guests of the Disneyland Resort Hotels may receive a $50 per night resort credit* for stays between July 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020. In addition to the resort credit, eligible Guests may also take advantage of a special Disneyland Resort offer to save up to 35%** on stays most nights July 1, 2020 through October 3, 2020.

The resort offer is valid for Guests who booked a room reservation, or a Walt Disney Travel Company vacation package, to stay at a Disneyland Resort hotel during the period from March 16, 2020 through June 30, 2020 and on dates that the Disneyland Resort theme parks are closed. Offer is not valid for room reservations or packages cancelled before March 1, 2020, or for multiple rebooks of the same room or package reservation.

To receive more details about this offer, and to cancel or modify your reservation, please contact the Walt Disney Travel Company at (714) 520-5050 between the hours of 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM, 7 days a week. If you originally booked through a Travel Agent, please reach out to them directly if you have questions or would like to reschedule. Be sure to ask about the special offer above!

We do anticipate heavy call volume and appreciate your patience as we work hard to respond to all inquiries.

Sincerely,

Disney Destinations LLC

*Resort credit is valid for select food and beverage, spa services, and merchandise from any Disney owned and operated location at the Disneyland Resort that offers room charging privileges to Disneyland Resort hotel room accounts. Resort credit is not valid for Disney Gift Cards and other select items; please ask about eligible items at participating locations. Room credit will be applied against charges made to the room account, and Guest is responsible for any balance due after the credit has been applied. Not valid for payment of room rates or associated fees or taxes, must be used during the Guest’s stay, and expires on day of check out. Nontransferable, and may not be redeemed for other credit or for cash, in whole or in part. Subject to other restrictions and change without notice.

**Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same room at the same hotel from 7/1/20 through 10/3/20.  Book through 5/31/20.  Savings not valid on select suites. Subject to availability as the number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Excludes applicable fees and taxes.  Limit two (2) rooms per reservation and occupancy restrictions apply per room. Not valid in combination with any other hotel discounts or offers, except the resort credit offer for eligible Guests. Subject to restrictions and change without notice.

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: Parks & Resorts, Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cancelling Reservations, Disney World

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Disney Movies Disney News Other

Kennesaw State University Re-Imagines Disney Princesses as Engineers

Kennesaw State University Re-Imagines Disney Princesses as Engineers. To celebrate Women in STEM, Kennesaw State University shared photos featuring the Disney Princesses as various types of engineers. The associated positions were inspired by the Disney Royals unique talents, interests, and abilities.

KSU shared the photos via social media with the caption: “If Disney Princesses Were Engineers…”

If Disney Princesses Were Engineers… #WomenEngineers #WomenInSTEM #KSUEngineering #KennesawState bit.ly/PrinEng

Posted by Kennesaw State Engineering and Engineering Technology on Thursday, May 14, 2020

Check out the re-imagined Disney Princess in the Photo Gallery from KSU below:

1.) Ariel: The Biomedical Engineer

2.) Aurora: The Chemical Engineer

3.) Belle: The Computer Systems Engineer

4.) Cinderella: The Mechanical Engineer

5.) Elsa: The Civil Engineer

6.) Mulan: The Materials Engineer

7.) Jasmine: The Aerospace Engineer

8.) Merida: The Electrical Engineer

9.) Pocahontas: The Environmental Engineer

10.) Rapunzel: The Signalling Engineer

11.) Snow White: The Mining Engineer

12.) Tiana: The Project Engineer

We love seeing re-imagined Disney Princesses, especially those highlighting unique talents and “real world” potential for the characters. We hope you enjoyed this photo gallery too and be sure to check back here at Chip and Co. for all things Disney!

Featured Photo Credit/Source: Kennesaw State University

From our friends at chipandco.com
Filed Under: Characters, Do and See, News, Photos, Disney Princess, Disney Princesses, Engineers, Kennesaw State University, KSU, Reimagined