DLW 127: All Enchanting Ears

This week, Magic Happens in your ears!, Disney Parks merch is available online, new Disneyland App features, a new Imagineering video, Frontierland getting a new entrance, we talk to All Enchanting Ears about making Disney ears, and more!

Please support the show if you can by going to https://www.dlweekly.net/support/.

It is that time of year again when we want to hear from you! If you have a few minutes, please head on over to dlweekly.net/survey and fill out our listener survey. This will help us to understand what the community likes, doesn’t like and how we can make DLWeekly even better for everyone!

If you want some DLWeekly Swag, you can pick some up at https://www.dlweekly.net/store/.

Special Offer:

Book your travel through ConciEARS and get your first year of Touring Plans for FREE! Just mention that you heard about ConciEARS from DLWeekly at booking!

News:

Disney has released the title track for Magic Happens at Disneyland on Apple Music, Google Play Music, Spotify and more. Note that this isn’t the full soundtrack for the parade, but the backing track by Todrick Hall. Disney has created a playlist that has tracks that inspired the rest of the parade. The tracks are also accessible through the Play Disney Parks app. – https://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2020/04/this-is-the-moment-magic-was-made-for-disneyland-parks-magic-happens-parade-theme-song-and-playlist-now-available-on-apple-music/

Just because guests can’t get to the parks doesn’t mean that they can’t get the latest Disney Parks Merch. Some limited edition pins and other merchandise has been added to shopDisney available for purchase. New seasonal and limited edition items are added daily, so be sure to keep a lookout! – https://www.micechat.com/256653-disneyland-update-bob-iger-and-the-wild-frontier/

The Disneyland App has been updated to include interactive features that guests can do when not at the parks. At home recipes, interactive games, and more have been added. The My Disney Experience app for Walt Disney World has also been updated. – https://wdwnt.com/2020/04/new-interactive-features-added-to-my-disney-experience-and-disneyland-mobile-apps-for-at-home-recipes-games-and-more-during-parks-closure/

The third in a series of videos showing the inner workings of Walt Disney Imagineering has been posted online. This time, we get to visit the Digital Immersive Showroom. This is a room where they can project a park, attraction, or anything really into the space and Imagineers can visualize the experience before anything is physically built. – https://wdwnt.com/2020/04/video-take-a-virtual-tour-of-walt-disney-imagineerings-digital-immersive-showroom-the-dish-in-latest-journey-into-imagineering-episode/

The opening date of Avenger’s Campus was originally announced as July 18th, 2020. This week, the Disneyland Resort website has updated the opening to “coming soon.” The Disneyland app has been updated with the area now officially marked as Avenger’s Campus. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/04/10/news-avengers-campus-opening-in-disneyland-resort-is-now-updated-as-coming-soon/ and https://www.micechat.com/256224-delayed-avengers-campus-opening-officially-pushed-back/ and https://wdwnt.com/2020/04/breaking-marvel-avengers-campus-opening-delayed-at-disney-california-adventure/

Disney has filed for a permit that will result in a $200,000 plan to renovate the Frontierland marquee that you pass under when entering the land from the hub. No specific designs have been posted yet, but hopefully Disney will share them soon. The permit calls for replacement of the 15 foot tall wooden gates, and the 16 foot long marquee. The bridge leading to the land is also in the permit to be widened. This is most likely a continuation of Project Stardust that was in full force last spring in anticipation of the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/04/10/news-disneylands-frontierland-is-getting-a-new-and-improved-entrance/ and https://wdwnt.com/2020/04/disneyland-files-permit-for-200000-renovation-of-frontierland-entrance-gates-during-extended-parks-closure/

Even though everything else is not normal, the Disneyland flag ceremony is continuing on daily like normal. Disney shared a video of the ceremony on Facebook last week. The post was captioned with “Cast members at the Disneyland Resort are continuing to raise the American flag on Main Street, U.S.A. during the park’s closure. May this simple moment be a source of hope and inspiration for you today. It’s also a heartfelt reminder that our traditions are still very much alive.” – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/04/10/video-watch-the-american-flag-being-raised-on-disneylands-main-street-u-s-a/

Last week we reported on the furlough of Disneyland Cast Members. This week the resort has reached agreements with some of the Unions that represent some of the Cast Members. The furloughs are scheduled to begin on April 19th. Just like with the non-union cast members, Disney will continue to pay health insurance, educational support, and employee assistance programs. There are still other unions that have not reached agreements as of this time. – https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/04/10/disneyland-has-reached-furlough-agreements-with-10-more-unions/ and https://www.disneyfoodblog.com/2020/04/09/disneyland-and-union-security-employees-have-reached-a-furlough-agreement/

The Orange County Register spoke with analysts who warned that the Disneyland Resort could remain closed into June, with an attendance slump through 2021. J.P. Morgan estimates that the Disney Parks, Experiences and Products division will lose $5 billion in revenue in fiscal year 2020. Shanghai Disney could re-open as early as May 1st. – https://www.ocregister.com/2020/04/12/disneyland-coronavirus-closure-could-stretch-to-june-with-attendance-slump-through-2021-analysts-warn/

In a confusing article from the New York Times, former CEO Bob Iger has reportedly asserted control over the company again during this pandemic. The article, linked in the show notes, states that Bob Iger is focused on what the company will look like after the pandemic is over. His vision includes fewer employees, a changed guest experience at the parks with social distancing in place, and more. – https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/12/business/media/disney-ceo-coronavirus.html

In the same New York Times article, with television and film closed down, the parks shuttered, along with no sports for its media empire like ESPN, the company is losing as much as $30 million a day, or almost a billion dollars a month. – https://www.micechat.com/256653-disneyland-update-bob-iger-and-the-wild-frontier/

Discussion Topic:

All Enchanting Ears on Etsy – https://www.etsy.com/shop/AllEnchantingEars