WDWNT and WDWCelebrations Mark 30th Anniversaries of Disney’s Hollywood Studios and More with Special Events
Hi everyone!
WDWNT.com and WDWCelebrations have been offering a variety of events for over 10 years (we’ve been part of a few of them, most recently a final Great Movie Ride evening but also Celebration 25 back in 2007). Now they are working together to celebrate the 30th anniversaries of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon (with the prices now starting at $10!), Delta Dreamflight, Pleasure Island and more! The events begin in less than 2 weeks, and a portion of the proceeds will go to my favorite charity, Give Kids the World. Read below for more information!
Join WDWNT.com and WDWCelebrations April 26-May 1, 2019 at the Walt Disney World Resort as they mark the 30th anniversaries of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, Delta Dreamflight, Pleasure Island and more at “Stage 89”!
ORLANDO, FL, April 14, 2019 —“Stage 89: An Unofficial Celebration of All Things 1989 at Walt Disney World”will take attendees back to a time where guests could take an amazing journey into the movies, fly through the history of air travel, learn to surf without an ocean in sight, or maybe even celebrate New Year’s Eve every night.
WDW News Today and WDWCelebrations have been presenting events for fans of Disney Parks for over 10 years now, but Stage 89 will mark their very first true collaboration. Special interactive games, group rides and shows, and group meals will be featured throughout the schedule for Stage 89, with the event culminating in a commemorative celebration of the 30th Anniversary of Disney’s Hollywood Studios on May 1st, 2019. The event will also feature a number of once-in-a-lifetime ticketed experiences that will allow attendees to see theme parks, nightlife venues, and more like never before.
Guests can register now and peruse the full event schedule at Stage89.com! Just click the “Register Now” button on the homepage, or go to https://stage89.com/register/.
A portion of all the event registration fees from Stage 89 attendees will go to the Give Kids the World Village (givekidstheworld.org). This continues a tradition of over a decade of raising funds for various charitable organizations, for which WDWNT.com and WDWCelebrations have raised over $50,000 combined.
Attendees can also “plus” their experience with three special add-on events:
“Pleasure Beach – Celebrating 30 Years of Party and Adventure”
Celebrate 30 Years of Party and Adventure with WDWNT at this radical beach party! Event includes classic Pleasure Island cocktails, special appearances by many famous Adventurers from the past, a live DJ spinning tunes from all of the PI Clubs, a commemorative gift, and a few surprises! Admission includes 3 drink coupons per guest. This event is taking place on Shipwreck Beach at Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resort from 7-10pm on Monday, April 29.
“The Hollywood That Was – Stories from the Making of the Studios”
This is a private lunch, exhibition, and presentation event at Stage 89, on Sunday, April 28. Enjoy stories from the creation of favorite attractions and shows at the Disney-MGM Studios from those who created the magic! This event includes the following panels and presentations:
- “Backstage Pass” with former Imagineer Brian Collins
As a Disney Cast Member and Imagineer in the early 1990’s, Brian helped create the magic for some of the most beloved attractions throughout the Walt Disney World Resort, including show concepts for such attractions as The Great Movie Ride, Studio Backlot Tour, the Jungle Cruise, and Epcot’s World Showcase. After leaving Disney, he continued to earn his stripes in a variety of creative positions within the ranks of corporate America. A passionate educator, Brian has served on the faculty of several colleges and universities where he has developed and taught courses on entrepreneurship, marketing, innovation, and even “Product Development for Theme Parks.” Through it all, he has always maintained a “dotted line” relationship with Disney and has continued to work for them in a variety of freelance and contractual projects over the years.
- “Special Effects Workshop” with former Imagineers Jack Gillett and James Mulder
Jack Gillett, a 26-year Imagineering veteran, was a Principal Special Effects Designer for Walt Disney Imagineering. In that role, he took the creative lead on developing, designing, and installing special effects for Walt Disney Imagineering projects spanning from the opening of EPCOT Center and continuing up to recent special projects and opportunities. Beginning as Cinetechnician at Walt Disney Studios, Jack quickly transitioned to WED/MAPO in order to bring his one-of-a-kind technical know-how and creativity to Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Among the highlights of Jack’s portfolio is his work as lead on projection effects for Horizons at EPCOT Center, work on projection technology for Star Tours, field installation for Euro Disney, design and installation of special effects for Space Mountain Paris, work on projection and interactive effects for Mickey’s Philharmagic 3-D show, effects work on Expedition Everest, and effects work on Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage. Jack worked closely with WDI R&D and was part of the “hit squad” that was responsible for the design, implementation, and installation of special effects as part of the Disney-MGM Studios project. As part of this team, Jack lent his expertise to the classic early Studios attractions including the Backlot Tour, Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular, and The Great Movie Ride. Jack and his team are three-time TEA award winners for outstanding achieve for Special Effects for Space Mountain in Paris, Expedition Everest, and Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage.
James Mulder, a 30-year veteran of the themed entertainment industry, was a Senior Principal Designer and Principal Special Effects Designer for Walt Disney Imagineering for more than twenty years.In that role, he took the creative lead on developing, designing, and installing special effects for Walt Disney Imagineering projects beginning with the opening of EPCOT Center and continuing up to recent opening of Shanghai Disneyland.Among the highlights of James’s portfolio is his work on visual effects for Journey Into Imagination, The American Adventure, Spaceship Earth, the Living Seas, and the Norway pavilion’s Maelstrom attraction at Epcot Center; management of design, production, and installation of visual effects and theatrical systems for Mickey’s Philharmagic 3-D show at Disney parks around the world; and management of design, production, and installation of visual effects and theatrical systems for It’s Tough to Be a Bug at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.As part of the Disney-MGM Studios project, James contributed extensively to the design, fabrication and installation of visual effects for The Great Movie Ride and MuppetVision 3-D. For their efforts, James and his team won the TEA award winners for outstanding achieve for Special Effects for It’s Tough to be a Bug.James continues to work at the vanguard of visual effects technology in the themed entertainment industry for a variety of clients including work on the Shanghai Disneyland project and with Universal Studios Creative.
- More presentations TBA
Event also includes a special catered lunch with iconic Studios treats, as well as displays filled with rare park props, merchandise, and more from the past.
Private Screening of “Avengers: Endgame” at AMC Disney Springs
A private screening of Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame will be held for attendees on Friday, April 26 at AMC Disney Springs!
Note that you must be registered for the Stage 89 event in order to then be eligible to purchase tickets for these 3 add-on experiences. Guests will be asked to input their Stage 89 event registration ticket code during the checkout process.
Standard event registration also includes two special interactive games:
WDWNT Dreamflight
While Stage 89 may have a large focus on the 30th anniversary of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, a very special attraction opened in the Magic Kingdom on June 23rd, 1989 – Delta Dreamflight. Take part in a game that sends you on your own Dreamflight around Walt Disney World!
WDWNT proudly presents WDWNT Dreamflight, an interactive game that departs from The Magic Kingdom and lands in World Showcase at Epcot (with a few layovers along the way). See the sights, get your passport stamped, and try not to hit any turbulence! (Note that park admission to both the Magic Kingdom and Epcot is required to play.) Teams will receive a keepsake passport, along with a prize package based on how well they perform!
Starring Roles – Making a Movie In A Theme Park
There’s probably no better way to celebrate all the amazing things Disney’s Hollywood Studios has given us through the years than by making a movie about it. While the park has evolved dramatically since it opened, many of us fondly remember the golden age of a place many still call “MGM.”
WDWNT proudly presents Starring Roles: Making a Movie in a Theme Park, an interactive game in Disney’s Hollywood Studios on April 30! On the eve of the park’s anniversary, you and your team are the stars of a movie that pays tribute to Disney-MGM Studios and it’s opening-year attractions. You’ll star alongside the Great Movie Ride, the Backlot Tour, Star Tours, and the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. But movies need budgets, and they need props. You’ll need to solve puzzles and complete tasks throughout the park in order to get the resources to film each scene. And you might run into a few characters in the process…