Disney Is Bringing ‘Hercules‘, ‘The Princess Bride‘, The Jungle Book and More to Broadway! In a letter addressed to the staff at Disney Theatrical Productions, DTP President Thomas Schumacher, shared new that Disney has decided ‘Frozen‘ will not return to Broadway after theaters reopen this year, and outlined the future of Disney on Broadway and shared exciting news about productions currently in the works for the theater group.
The letter addressed how it is believed Frozen would not bring in the audiences needed to recoup losses due to the COVID-19 pandemic and has subsequently been cancelled. Having performed the “weakest” out of the three shows featured on Broadway in 2020, it seems natural the company would chose to close Frozen in favor of a new title that is more in demand by future audiences. “This difficult decision was made for several reasons but primarily because we believe that three Disney productions will be one too many titles to run successfully in Broadway’s new landscape,” shares Schumacher in the letter.
The letter also outlined that the company remains committed to “The Lion King” and “Aladdin” on Broadway, to “The Lion King” and “Mary Poppins” in London’s West End, and to touring productions of “The Lion King” and “Frozen” in North America and “The Lion King” in Britain. Schumacher shared a bit of insight into future shows and shared several new adaptions are currently in the works for the company including: The Jungle Book, The Princess Bride, Bedknobs and Broomsticks and Hercules.
Disney Legend and famed composer Alan Menken has been hard at work with adapting Hercules for Broadway, but this is the first we have heard of The Jungle Book, The Princess Bride, and Bedknobs and Broomsticks being adapted for the stage! Disney Theatrical Productions is also working on overseas projects such as a revamping of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast and Aida.
Though we are sorry to hear DTP “Let it Go” sooner than expected, we can’t wait to see what the future holds for Disney on Broadway, and will still be able to enjoy Frozen during the North America tour later this year. Be sure to check back here at Chip and Co for all things Disney!
Planning a Disney vacation can be a daunting task. There’s so much to think about!
Epcot Monorail
Well, do not fear! We at DFB are here to help YOU plan the best trip you can possibly plan. We don’t want you to forget ANYTHING and trust us, it can be easy to miss some things when you’re in the midst of Disney scheduling! There is one piece of planning that we definitely want you to remember though, because it can help you not forget anything else: considering a travel agent!
Why You SHOULD Be Thinking About Using a Travel Agent
For some Disney travelers, using a travel agent doesn’t even cross their minds. That’s perfectly understandable but you should AT LEAST be looking into using one! Why? In short, Disney World is complicated. Even the experts (like us!) can mess up when planning since there are just so many options!
Mickey Bar
A travel agent can be a serious life-saver when it comes to planning your trip. We’re talking general planning, reservations, discounts, and even damage control! The DFB Team LOVES to turn to our friends at Small World Vacations whenever we’re getting ready for a big trip to see the Mouse!
They’re Free!
So let’s talk about why you should be using (or at least thinking about using!) a travel agent for YOUR trip! First of all, using a travel agent is completely FREE. That’s right, you heard us. The amount you’ll pay for expert advice is zip, nada, and also zilch .
Scrooge McDuck
You might be wondering, “But DFB, how can such a COMPREHENSIVE and PERSONAL service cost me absolutely nothing???” We’ll tell you! Travel agents work on commissions from suppliers (read: Disney), so they get paid when they get YOU booked, without a cent extra out of your pocket. Pretty sweet, huh?
They’ll Catch ALL Those Little Discounts
Not only are travel agents free, but they’ll also work to save you money on your trip! Your expert agent wants you to have the best time possible and they want you to be able to do Disney at a price that works for you! That means they’ll help you make decisions about when to go, travel options, resort hotel choices, and park-tickets!
Your travel agent will give you PERSONALIZED advice on the best way to Disney it up on your budget and then they’ll see if they can save you even MORE money! Travel agents are always in-the-know about ALL of the Disney discounts and deals!
Hollywood Studios
If a deal or discount applies to your trip, you can bet your travel agent will know about it!
Plus, say there are a few discounts that you can opt into, but you’re not sure which one is the best deal. Forget handling all that math on your own — your travel agent will run the numbers on what the best deal is for YOUR trip so that you don’t have to do it yourself!
Animal Kingdom Lodge
A good, reliable agent will catch ANY discount that applies, even if it comes out after you book. If a new discount comes out that could apply to your vacation, they’ll do the heavy-lifting to rework your reservations so you save as much money (and time!) as possible.
They’ll Handle It If ANYTHING Goes Wrong!
Even if you can plan the perfect trip, that doesn’t mean that things can’t go wrong prior to your arrival and during your vacation! The good news is that a travel agent can handle anything that goes awry. If any troubles arise, just give your agent a call and they’ll put everything back on track as best they can!
Check in at Trattoria al Forno
Whatever you need, an experienced and knowledgable travel agent should be able to either handle it themselves or give you advice on how to handle it. Seriously, travel agents can even be there to handle the craziest and most unexpected circumstances!
First Aid
Take the shocking closure of Disney parks in response to the global health crisis for instance! Small World Vacationsagents have been spending HOURS daily on the phone with Disney to reschedule and iron out their clients’ vacations so that the clients are free to do what’s important in their lives at this time — whether that’s work, homeschool, or start to plan that rescheduled Disney trip.
International Gateway Guest Relations
Agents are working HARD in the wake of the closures. They’re communicating with clients and Disney, absorbing all those long hold times with the Disney phone lines. You can bet that guests with travel agents are having all of their updates, reschedules, and cancellations handled for them without having to lift a finger.
Ever been worried about getting a refund if something goes wrong? A travel agent can handle that for you.
Plus, agents have access to information and scheduling options that regular folks don’t. With all the craziness right now, Small World Vacations agents are working to rebook guests for 2021 vacation packages; we can’t even book those online yet!
They’re the NUMBER ONE Tip for Making Planning and Your Trip Stress-Free!
All in all, travel agents have all the bases covered so that you can focus on the FUN part of the planning and going on a vacation. Your agent will help you make choices that are best for YOUR fam.
Happily Ever After
See? You don’t want to forget about this amazing (and don’t forget free!) service. Agents, like the ones at Small World Vacations, make all decisions simple as can be so that you can actually enjoy every moment of your Disney trip.
Thinking about using a travel agent? Tell us in the comments!
This week’s SATURDAY SIXcautiously celebrates the re-opening of Universal CityWalk! With both Walt Disney World and the Universal Orlando Resort closed since the middle of March, this past week brought the first good news in a while for theme park fans. When Disney announced a week ago that it would begin a phased opening of Disney Springs on May 20th, many in the theme park fan community were looking forward to getting a piece of their “happy place” back into their lives in the near future. However, on Tuesday, Universal put out the news that it would start its road to recovery even sooner, with CityWalk starting its phased opening on Thursday, May 14th at 4PM.
Both Disney and Universal received pushback on their plans, as a significant segment of society believes it is too soon to re-open anything that involves the type of crowds that theme park resorts are built upon. In fact, TouringPlans held a poll asking readers if they wanted us in Disney Springs on the 20th to cover the re-opening of the shopping and entertainment district. With over 2,000 votes tallied, the cautious “wait until a later date” option received more than 75% of the votes. That said, Disney and Universal are moving forward with their plans, with more stores and restaurants announcing their re-opening plans every day.
# 6 – Coverage
When anything related to Disney or Universal opens in Florida, it’s generally regarded as “news.” With the resorts re-opening from being shuttered for two months, we can file that under the category of “big news.” Television stations and various other forms of media were in Orlando to cover the re-opening of Universal CityWalk.
Media members on the ground in Orlando outside the Universal Orlando Resort.
No less than three news helicopters were seen overhead at CityWalk on the day of the re-opening, circling the area for several hours.
These copters were bringing those of us at home “BREAKING NEWS” of the re-opening.
# 5 – Parking Garages
For guests traveling to CityWalk, it was a whole new world. Normally, Universal Orlando charges a parking fee for vehicles parking inside the garages. With the theme parks still closed, the parking fee has been waived.
Vehicles approaching the Universal toll plaza are directed to certain lanes.(photo by @Nitro230)Universal toll plaza. (photo by @Nitro230)
Once inside the garages, cones have been placed strategically in places so that two vehicles can not park directly next to each other at first. This is so that when the guests get out of their vehicle, there isn’t someone immediately next to you. Once the row has been “parked,” the cones are removed and a second wave of vehicles are then parked into the empty spots.
Universal Orlando parking garage. (photo by @Nitro230)
There is temporary signage informing guests of where to go.
Universal Orlando parking garage. (photo by @Nitro230)Universal Orlando parking garage. (photo by @Nitro230)
The closer guests get to the main hub at CityWalk, the more safety signage they begin to see.
Before bag check, each guest is stopped for a temperature reading. Those with a temperature of over 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit will not be allowed to enter.
Once cleared, guests are able to enter Universal CityWalk.
Once arriving in CityWalk, guests are again informed of the new guidelines in place. These include helpful reminders of social distancing and hand washing, but also strict rules such as required face coverings.
Throughout CityWalk there are markers on the ground showing guests the 6 feet social distance rule.
One of our favorite parts of CityWalk is the various photo-ops in the area, including the large donut throne outside Voodoo Doughnut. Guests can still get their picture taken on the throne, and it is disinfected by a Team Member after each person.
There has been live music in the main area of CityWalk to entertain guests.
The bathrooms in CityWalk have new signage alerting guests to the enhanced cleaning procedures.
CityWalk restroom signage. (photo by @Nitro230)CityWalk restroom signage. (photo by @Nitro230)
The sink in the middle has a sign above it alerting guests not to use it, so that social distance measures can be maintained.
CityWalk restroom sinks. (photo by @Nitro230)Restroom sing signage. (photo by @Nitro230)
How did these new safety measures make everyone feel?
As a person who lives and works in Florida, I can completely agree with the above two statements. In any given trip to Publix/Target/Wherever you will see many customers not wearing face masks, none get their temperature taken by the store, and many ignore the safety signage inside the store.
What does all this mean? It means guests can feel much better about having fun again…
# 3 – What’s Open
While not everything is open in CityWalk, many of the dining venues are, including the SATURDAY SIX’s beloved Voodoo Doughnut.
Voodoo Dougnut in the center of the photo with the mobile order pick-up cart to the right.
Outside the Voodoo Doughnut store, there are social distance markers in the queue.
There are markers inside Voodoo Doughnut as well. I’m torn on this one. On one hand, I love the option to mobile order my donuts and just pick up the box (or two) without waiting in line. On the other hand, there is nothing like being inside the Voodoo store, immersed in sugar and seeing all these donut options.
Like Voodoo Doughnut, one of the nice surprises upon the re-opening of CityWalk was venues offering mobile ordering that did not have that option before. Cinnabon was one of the venues which did not open on Thursday, May 14th, but instead re-opened on Friday, May 15th (along with Toothsome Chocolate Emporium and Cold Stone Creamery).
Cinnabon, open for business. (photo by @Nitro230)Cinnabon, mobile order pick-up area. (photo by @Nitro230)
The next two photos show that Universal is making incremental changes each day. Red Oven Pizza Bakery re-opened with social distancing measures on Thursday. In the picture below you can see an area taped in front of the Red Oven host area. Guests stop here and are directed to when they can proceed to go inside and order.
By Friday, tape had also been placed around the photo-op outside Red Oven, letting guests know this is one object they can not sit on to get a picture.
While Toothsome Chocolate Emporium did re-open, only the Dessert Foundry and Candy Smith areas were available to guests. This means you can order one of the E-Ticket milkshakes, but the actual restaurant area is still closed to guests.
Toothsome Chocolate Emporium. (photo by @Nitro230)
How great is this?! The walk-around characters of the restaurant – Penelope Toothsome and her robot companion Jacques – are still meeting guests outside and are wearing themed face masks! Reason #6,743 of why I love Toothsome.
Penelope Toothsome talks to a young guest. (photo by @UBetJurassic)
Inside Toothsome, there are social distance markers on the floor.
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. was seating guests inside the restaurant.
Bubba Gump. (photo by @Nitro230)Social distance markers outside. (photo by @Nitro230)Bubba Gump patrons being sat away from each other. (photo by @Nitro230)
The open-air seating area in CityWalk was available to all, with a reminder to practice social distancing.
The Universal Studios Store was open, with limited capacity. When the store filled up, Team Members would have guests wait outside until they could go in.
The Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company was open. While you couldn’t get a tattoo, you could see various designs and make an appointment for a later date.
As a connoisseur of mini-golf, I have been on the record many times saying Hollywood Drive-in Mini-Golf at CityWalk is the BEST place to play in Orlando (and we have a lot of great options down here). Guests are pulsed through the course so that they are not too close to each other.
Hollywood Drive-In Mini-Golf. (photo by @bioreconstruct)We all know The Golden Bear Jack Nicklaus and the Great White Shark Greg Norman, and here we have The Mighty Minnow Matthew Miller and “Crazy Legs” Taylor Strickland of Orlando Informer playing a round at Hollywood Drive-In.
Taylor earned the nickname “Crazy Legs” from all the exercise he gets walking outside the course to retrieve his golf ball.
“Gonna have to take a Mulligan on that one.” (photo by Matthew Miller)
The putters and golf balls are thoroughly cleaned after each use.
Hollywood Drive-In Mini-Golf. (photo by @UBetJurassic)
The Hollywood Drive-In golf cart is available for a photo-op
Several stores in CityWalk – including P!Q – were closed shortly before the COVID-19 shutdown. Universal has not announced what will be replacing them, but “rumors and innuendo” suggest that a more family-friendly shopping experience featuring brands like Nintendo will take over this space.
As of right now, construction walls stand in front of the closed shops.
As of this writing, Hot Dog Hall of Fame hasn’t re-opened, but they are definitely getting things in order. Social distance markers have been placed in the queue.
Before Thursday, the word going around was that the bridges leading from Universal CityWalk to Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida would be roped off. In a nice surprise, this did not happen and guests were allowed to walk around the area. While just being in the atmosphere was nice, it also allowed for some great photos without a ton of extra guests in your shot.
The iconic archway to Universal Studios Florida. (photo by @bioreconstruct)
With Disney stopping so many construction projects, it’s interesting to see that Universal went the other way and started a whole new project outside the front entrance to USF during the shutdown.
Several people took advantage of this time to get pictures in front of an empty Port of Entry.
# 2 – Team Members
Shout out to the real heroes of this re-opening, all the Universal Team Members working hard to bring a little bit of normalcy back into our lives.
Drummers welcome guests back to CityWalk. (photo by @bioreconstruct)Everywhere you look in CityWalk you’ll see a Team Member diligently cleaning. (photo by @Nitro230)Team Member cleaning moving walkway rails. (photo by @Nitro230)
A staple of any Universal Orlando Resort vacation experience is seeing the various Team Members taking surveys at the parks and CityWalk. The survey takers are still out and about, and even they have a new procedure.
Maybe the only Team Members more ubiquitous than survey takers are the stilt walkers, and they were also back!
Stilt Walkers outside the not yet re-opened BigFire Restaurant. (photo by @bioreconstruct)
Stilt walkers dancing with a guest. (photo by @bioreconstruct)
# 1 – The Globe Spins Again (Pssst, it’s a metaphor)
During the coronavirus shutdown, the Universal globe was stopped. We’re happy to report it is now spinning again as we take our first step back into the Universal Orlando Resort.
Whether day or night, there’s not a more beautiful sight.
So there you have it: The SATURDAY SIX Cautiously Celebrates the Re-Opening of Universal CityWalk!See you next weekend for the latest installment of the SATURDAY SIX, where we’ll look at something fun from the world of Disney and Universal. If you enjoyed yourself, be sure to check out The Magic, The Memories, and Merch! articles covering the latest from the Disney Outlet Stores. You can also follow Your Humble Author on Twitter (@derekburgan).
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It looks like the Haunted Mansion game isn’t the only Disney game we can look forward to from Funko! There is also a new Nightmare Before Christmas Game from Funkoverse coming soon too! This spooky new game a Funkoverse Strategy Game, that even comes with POP! inspired figures.
Nightmare Before Christmas Game
While we don’t know much about this game, we do know it is for 2-4 players, and will come with four POP figure game pieces. Generally in a Funkoverse Strategy Game, you go head-to-head with your favorite characters in exciting game scenarios. Different character abilities gain points as you work towards your victory. The exact setting for this game isn’t known yet, but this is about how the Harry Potter, DC, and Rick and Morty games have played. The games also usually consist of four-character sets that are exclusive Funko Pop! Figures you won’t find available anywhere else. Previously we have seen the games have a double-sided board, tokens, cards, dice, etc.
We are frightful with suspense wondering what the details and release date of this game will be!
What do you think of this spooky new Nightmare Before Christmas Game coming soon from Funkoverse?
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