Tag Archives: Lucasfilm

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Adventures by Disney unveils short city tours

By Arnie Weissmann

Responding to changes in consumer behavior, Adventures by Disney is offering a long-weekend product in San Francisco and New York for the 2015 season.

Disney said that some vacationers want just a bite-size sample of their tours.

“We live busy lives,” said Adventures by Disney’s senior vice president and general manager, Ken Potrock. “A lot of people have concerns about whether they want to commit to a seven-, 10- or 14-day experience.”

The three-night, four-day Long Weekends are nonetheless designed to give a “deep dive” of the city, linked to Adventures by Disney’s format of storytelling, said Heather Killingbeck, the tour operator’s director of trip and program development.

Adventures by Disney Video

Adventures by Disney Video

The San Francisco tour will be based out of the Fairmont, and include a tour of LucasFilm, a Disney production partner, which is not typically open to the public; a day trip to Napa Valley and Silverado Winery, owned by members of the Disney family, where adult guests can blend their own private label wine (while their children infuse olive oil in another room); and a bicycle ride from the Embarcadero to the base of the Golden Gate.

A Long Weekend in Manhattan will include a visit to the “Good Morning America” studio during a broadcast (Disney owns the show’s parent company, ABC), dance lessons in a professional studio, a performance of “Aladdin” at Disney’s New Amsterdam Theater (including a hands-on backstage tour), an afterhours tour of the Tenement Museum that includes conversations with matriarchs from several immigrant families, as well as an immersive tour of Harlem which includes a meal of soul food at Amy Ruth’s.

Also, Disney will be going to the Amazon for the first time in 2015 — or more exactly, to the Napo River, a major tributary, in Ecuador. The river cruise will be aboard a new 20-cabin vessel, the Anakonda. In addition to looking for wildlife, the group will stop in villages and create their own souvenirs.

In the next phase of the 12-day/11-night Ecuador trip, guests will fly to Quito and learn to make ceviche in an upscale restaurant, then continue to the Galapagos for a land-based tour based out of the Finch Bay Eco Hotel on Santa Cruz Island. They’ll also take a private yacht to Santa Fe Island to view wildlife.

The inventory will be available for booking on May 21.

Disney plans Star Wars and Marvel attractions for theme parks

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Disney plans Star Wars and Marvel attractions for theme parks

By Michelle Baran

On the heels of announcing the date for the next Star Wars movie — Dec. 18, 2015 — and that it would begin developing a Marvel-themed series for Netflix, executives at the Walt Disney Co. said that its two most recently acquired franchises will eventually have a greater presence at the company’s theme parks.

“Both of today’s announcements underscore the value of two of our major acquisitions, Marvel and Lucasfilm,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call on Thursday.

“As you know, over the last several years, we’ve made a number of major acquisitions and capital investments to drive growth and create shareholder value. Now that some on those investments have been completed and the acquisitions are fully integrated, their positive impact is clear in our results, especially in parks and resorts.”

Iger said that the Disneyland Resort in California had record attendance, revenue and profitability during Cars Land’s first full year of operation at Disney’s California Adventure. It was an example of how the Pixar franchise enhanced the parks experience.

As for integrating the newer franchises, Hong Kong Disneyland will become home to the company’s first Marvel themed attraction, the Iron Man Experience, in late 2016.

Disney’s Parks and Resorts division continues to be a strong and growing segment of the company’s business. Revenue for the fourth quarter, which ended on Sept. 28, increased 8% to $3.7 billion, and segment operating income increased 15% to $571 million. For the year, Parks and Resorts revenue grew 9% to $14.1 billion and segment operating income increased 17% to $2.2 billion.

Walt Disney World set attendance records for the year, assisted by the Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland expansion, which will be fully completed in 2014. Disney has also begun construction on an Avatar-themed area at the Animal Kingdom park in Florida, and is continuing to work on a full rollout of the MyMagic+ program.

The Tokyo Disney Resort and Hong Kong Disneyland also had record attendance this year.

The Walt Disney Co.’s fourth-quarter revenue grew 7% to $11.6 billion, and net income grew 12% to $1.4 billion.

Full-year revenue increased 7% to $45 billion, and full-year net income increased 8% to $6.1 billion.