Cinco de Mayo is as American as Chop Suey, Pasta Primavera and St. Patrick’s Day, but that’s no reason to sit it out May 5th. Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort is going to be full of comida, gente y diversión! Crossroads at House of Blues will feature a “Menu Especial” through May 5 with “street tacos”, a chorizo burger with avocado and egg, strawberry empanadas and, of course, margaritas. California’s own Patina group (Napoli/Napolini, Via Napoli, Catal, Tutto Italia etc.) will be part of the celebration at Tortilla Joe’s, which will feature an extensive holiday menu, including special salads, a shrimp appetizer, entrees that include Tricolor Dorado Filete – Mahi-mahi in the festive colors of the Mexican flag and Pollo Adobado – chicken in a savory vinegar and chile sauce. For dessert, there will be gelatina de Tres Leche – like a flan or custard, also in the colors of the Mexican flag. Add in special margaritas in blanco (white), rojo (red) and verde (green) and you’ve got a great reason to party on Tuesday night like it’s the weekend!
A Dali-ance with Disney
Walt Disney and Salvador Dali had an unlikely friendship and mutual admiration, and this July 10, the Walt Disney Family Museum will present Disney and Dali: Architects of the Imagination in the Diane Disney Miller exhibition hall. It’s slated to run until January 3, 2016. Not that any of us need an excuse to visit “The Museum,” but this is a pretty darn good one, isn’t it?! Here’s the project Dali and John Hench worked on and shelved in the fifties, finished decades later by the next generation. You’ll also get to see how other Disney artists were inspired by this collaboration, like Mary Blair and Eyvind Earle.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GFkN4deuZU
Breaking News: Water is Wet
Comcast’s NBC/Universal found profits rising in their theme park business, which in the past four years they’ve been devoted to improving in terms of quality and service. I’m guessing the latter has something to do with the former. Out here in California, they’re doing a total revamp of the “glamour trams”, making them sleeker AND cushier. The inside-the-park tram tour entrance is getting a shiny new Art Deco treatment, and an all-new, only-in-Hollywood grand finale featuring The Fast and the Furious. Universal Creativeers built a 65,000 square foot building on the backlot just for this 3-D HD attraction. Vin Diesel, Dwayne Johnson and the rest of the remaining cast will be part of the action as well.
But wait, there’s more! Springfield is open, and really gorgeous! Read MiceChat’s coverage of it here. Plus, there’s a new Nighttime Tour running from the Fourth of July until Labor Day, weekends only. You’ll see the iconic sets lit up for the night as well as Hollywood icons like Marilyn Monroe and Norman Bates – and Frankenstein’s monster Adam, too! There’s also some construction going on…looks like a castle of some sorts. Should be ready next year. Salazar’s shorties, I wonder what it is?
Kennywood Opens with a Bash
But not the kind with the open bar. The good news: Pennsylvania’s treasure, Kennywood, is open for the season! The bad news: a bunch of jerks started a fight in Kiddie Land, of all places, and moved it across the street to the parking lot of a fast-food joint. There were at least fifty morons fighting, and the police had to break it up. To Kennywood’s credit, they got the idiots off property quickly and kept the injuries down to a few minor scrapes. Serious about safety, they closed an hour early and are consulting with the Department of Homeland Security and local police to ensure this doesn’t happen again, also reinstating the rule that underage kids have to be accompanied by an adult. The former trolley park will re-open May 9, and their media folks issued a statement: “The first and foremost priority of Kennywood is providing a safe and family-friendly atmosphere for our guests.” Way to handle a horrible situation, Kennywood staff!
September the Fourth Be With You!
Get out your sleeping bags or grab some coffee and prepare your fastest fingers for online shopping: Star Wars: The Force Awakens merchandise will be released en masse September 4, 2015 at 12:01 AM, and many merchants will be opening their doors at that time for hardcore collectors, online auction carpetbaggers and savvy Santa’s Helpers to purchase the newest action figures, Lego sets and more! Shoppers are urged to use the hashtags #ForceFriday and #MidnightMadness.
From Starwars.com:
“Every lightsaber, every action figure, every LEGO set tells a story for generations of Star Wars fans, and this global event is a celebration of those stories. We’re excited to be part of the countdown to this enormous movie moment,” said Josh Silverman, executive vice president, global licensing, Disney Consumer Products.
Just in case you have trouble finding the Star Wars items, look for our new buddy Kylo Ren on the package!
You DO follow Avengers with more Avengers
Avengers: Age of Ultron made an impressive opening, almost hitting the biggest opening ever, but just barely (by about only 100X the average American’s income) missing the record opening set by its predecessor, Avengers. Will Civil War come in third? Will any movie ever make more than the one billion dollar opening? Speculators are speculating about for Star Wars: The Force Awakens? Stay tuned.
What upcoming movie are you most looking forward to? More Avengers? Moana? Avatars? Let me know in the comments!