Disney World Marks 55 Years, Avengers Hype Hits New Heights
This week marked a milestone for Walt Disney World as it celebrated its 55th anniversary on October 1. To commemorate the occasion, the resort released new merchandise modeled by opening day Cast Members, which is available while supplies last. The celebration also included a special thank you to fans and a look at how the resort has grown from Magic Kingdom and two hotels into the vacation kingdom it is today.
Meanwhile, Avengers: Doomsday hype reached new heights with an $86 million global debut for Avengers: Endgame Encore. The Russo Brothers began teasing big things about the upcoming film, set to arrive on December 18. Marvel also released a humorous 'Silence Your Phones' public service announcement and partnered with Pop Secret for limited edition packaging and a sweepstakes for a trip to New York City.
Disney's leadership was in the spotlight at Bloomberg's Screentime conference in Los Angeles, where Disney President and Chief Creative Officer Dana Walden addressed recent layoffs, calling them 'extremely painful.' She also commented on rumors that Disney could buy Epic Games, the company behind Fortnite. Former Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy stated that selling Star Wars to Disney was 'what George wanted.'
Additionally, former Disney CEO Bob Chapek's memoir, Behind the Castle Walls: My Thirty Years at the Happiest Place on Earth, hit shelves this week.