DLW 258: Chatting with Imagineer Mel McGowan

This week, MagicBand+ has come to Disneyland, the holidays are moving in on Halloween, candy cane dates have been posted, Genie+ goes sky high, along with more price increases, we continue our talk with Imagineer Mel McGowan, and more! Please support the show if you can by going to https://www.dlweekly.net/support/. If you want some DLWeekly Swag, you can pick some up at https://www.dlweekly.net/store/. Book your travel through ConciEARS at no extra cost to you! Be sure to mention that you heard about ConciEARS from DLWeekly at booking! DISCOUNTS! If you want some awesome headwear or one of a kind items, be sure to visit our friends over at All Enchanting Ears! You can use the promo code DLWEEKLY10 to get 10% off your order! We have partnered with the Howard Johnson Anaheim Hotel & Water Playground to get great deals for our listeners! Book your stay at the Howard Johnson Anaheim and get 15% off your stay (code 1000022077)! Magic Key Holders get 20% off their stay (code 1000025935) as well! Book now! Need the perfect bag for your days in the parks? Look no further than Designer Park Co.! Purchase the Rope Drop Bag as featured on Episode 222 and get 10% off your purchase! Use coupon code DLWEEKLY to get the discount.

News:

This week, MagicBand+ soft-launched to Magic Key holders, Disney Vacation Club members, and cast members. MiceChat has a great guide to everything MagicBand+. Guests can pre-purchase some bands on shopDisney before their trips, but some of the designs are only available in park. The bands start at $34.99. There are 5 exclusive designs at Disneyland. – https://www.micechat.com/334202-new-disneyland-magicband-set-to-transform-theme-park-experience-this-fall/ The end of October is still about a week away, but the holidays are already moving in around the resort. The most noticable change is the snow covering the roof of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Christmas light installation has begun on Main Street for the trees, New Orleans Square has also started decorations for the holidays. – https://www.micechat.com/337251-disneyland-update-crowd-flux-holidays-collide-blues-too/ As the Halloween season nears an end, we start to look forward to the holiday season at Disneyland. The Candy Cane dates have been announced for this year. Guests can pick up a candy cane at the Candy Palace on Main Street, inside Disneyland on December 4th, 6th, 11th, 13th, 18th, 20th, and 24th. Trolley Treats in Disney California Adventure will have them on December 5th, 7th, 12th, 14th, 19th, 21st, and 25th. There will be a mobile waitlist like last year. Last year, the candy canes were $19.99 each, but Disney has not announced the pricing for this year. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2022/10/21/disneylands-famous-candy-canes-are-coming-back-soon/ and https://www.micechat.com/244458-the-essential-disneyland-candy-cane-guide/ With Genie+ moving to new, on-demand pricing recently, people have wondered how high could it go? This past weekend, it reached $30 per guest. This would add $120 per day for a family of 4. Individual Lightning Lane passes also saw the highest prices yet with Rise of the Resistance going for $25 per guest, and Radiator Springs Racers going for $20 per guest. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2022/10/22/genie-reaches-highest-price-yet-in-disneyland/ Last week, we talked about a lot of the price increases around the resort on a number of things. Even more increases have come to the resort in a lot of categories. Adult Spirit Jersey’s have gone up to $79.99, up from $69.99, kid Spirit Jerseys have gone up from $49.99 to $54.99. Loungefly backpacks have gone up to $85, up from $75. – https://www.micechat.com/336724-merchandise-price-increases-at-the-disneyland-resort/ The new Black Panther movie “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” will be debuting on November 11th, and the Disneyland Resort is celebrating! From November 11th through January 8th, the new warrior taking on the mantle of Black Panther will be greeting guests in Avengers Campus at Disney California Adventure. M’Baky will also be greeting guests, but will also be recruiting for a new experience called The Way of the Jabari. The Black Panther Celebration Garden will be next to Avengers Campus and will be a place that guests can relax and honor the legacy of Black Panther. In the Hollywood Backlot, the Flavors of Wakanda marketplace will have flavorful, spiced traditional African dishes. Props, collectibles, and more will also be available during the celebration. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2022/10/20/new-black-panther-wakanda-forever-experiences-revealed-for-disneyland-resort/ and https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2022/10/20/new-black-panther-wakanda-forever-food-drinks-announced-for-disneyland-resort/ and https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2022/10/black-panther-wakanda-forever-to-be-celebrated-at-avengers-campus-at-disneyland-resort/ Ahsoka Tano herself, Ashley Eckstein, will be at Disneyland on November 5th to celebrate her new book, Star Wars Everyday! The book has recipes, activities, and crafts from Star Wars. Guests who purchase a copy of the book may have the chance to meet Ashley at the Disneyana shop in Disneyland from 10am to noon, and at Star Wars Trading Post in Downtown Disney from 1pm to 3pm. Her book was released on October 25th and is available for $35.49 on Amazon in hardcover, or $13.99 for the e-book version. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2022/10/20/how-you-could-meet-a-star-wars-celebrity-in-disneyland/ Who knew the voice of Mickey Mouse could create some amazing artwork? Bret Iwan created artwork that will be gifted to guests staying at the Grand Californian Hotel and Spa. The artwork features Mickey sitting in a wooden chair, enjoying the hearth at the Grand Californian. – https://dlnewstoday.com/2022/10/bret-iwan-creates-artwork-to-be-gifted-to-guests-staying-at-disneys-grand-californian-hotel-spa/ A long-time Imagineer is retiring after 42 years. Bob Weis, who served most recently as Global Imagineering Ambassador after being the president of Imagineering. Bob said, “I am proud to have been an Imagineer, a collaborator, and someone who loves to do impossible things with impossibly talented people.” – https://dlnewstoday.com/2022/10/imagineer-bob-weis-retiring-from-disney-after-42-years/ The Disneyland Resort has begun a new initiative to help the surrounding community. The Disney Community Workforce Development Initiative will support 19 nonprofits, with 300 VoluntEARS contributing 2,200 hours, 67 Disney mentors, and more. Disney will give 1.5 million in grants to the program this year. – https://www.micechat.com/337251-disneyland-update-crowd-flux-holidays-collide-blues-too/

Discussion Topic:

Imagineer Mel McGowan – https://www.storylandstudios.com/slsteam/mel-mcgowan/