Uncle Walt's Insider Page 217 – Uncle Walt's Insider

Disney Legend Ella, a feral cat. Inset image by Purrtacular.com.

Feral cat named Disney Legend

"Ella" is the first Legend who actually resides in a Disney park. ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA -- A cat living in California’s Disneyland Park has been officially recognized as a Disney Legend in a recent awards ceremony, after the honor was announced last fall. The brown and white cat, known by some cast members as “Ella” for how she plays with mice (before eating them), has been living in the park for at least eight years. The Walt Disney Company established the Disney Legends Award program ...

Tesla's new self-driving ECV, coming soon to Disney parks.

Tesla bringing self-driving ECVs to Disney parks

No longer will the scooters be driven by humans. Ankles everywhere rejoice. Following the recent announcement of an overhaul of Mission: Space to feature a Tesla Roadster, Disney has announced another partnership with Tesla. Disney has contracted with Tesla to provide the tech company's new self-driving Electronic Convenience Vehicles (ECVs) for rent in the Florida and California parks. The new, fully automated ECVs, code-named ECV+, will completely replace the current fleet. Driver - and everyone else - beware One of the biggest problems with ...

March 9, 2018 by X in California, Florida

Gorton’s to acquire struggling Sea World theme parks

"We know how to best serve the sea life in our care." GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS -- In a statement released Thursday morning, frozen seafood company Gortons, Inc., announced that they had acquired SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment. The SeaWorld parks, which have seen falling attendance following criticism of their handling of the sea creatures in their care, have been looking for a buyer for several months. Gorton's spokesman Rudy Hartell tells Uncle Walt's Insider, "It's synergy. They have sea creatures, we need sea creatures. ...

March 8, 2018 by Marty in California, Florida, Other, World

The real Hogwarts Express makes an unscheduled stop for repairs at Disney's Magic Kingdom.

Hogwarts Express — the real one — diverts to Magic Kingdom

Fans of Universal's Wizarding World are stunned at the train's choice of park. Future wizards who gathered this weekend at London's King Cross station to board Hogwarts Express from Platform 9-3/4 for their journey to the Hogsmeade Station were in for a surprise. Their journey was short lived, as Hogwarts Express experienced a series of magical malfunctions and was forced to divert for repairs. More surprising, however, was the train's new destination: not the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando, but ...

March 7, 2018 by Walt in Florida

The Dapper Dans perform. Inset photo by Daniel Orth via Flikr, Creative Commons (CC BY-ND 2.0).

News Brief: Dapper Dans to add hiphop, grunge to repertoire

The popular music styles have been around for decades, after all. ANAHEIM, CA & WALT DISNEY WORLD, FL -- Sources within Disney Parks and Resorts have confirmed that the Dapper Dans, the popular barbershop quartet that resides on Main Street USA in California's Disneyland Park and Florida's Magic Kingdom Park, will be adding barbershop arrangements of hiphop and grunge classics to their repertoire. While some see the move as controversial and possibly out of place for Main Street's turn of the 20th ...

March 6, 2018 by Marty in California, Florida