Disney Parks Live "Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular" Live Stream; Throwback with ABC Live Stream Service

Disney Parks Live "Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular" Live Stream:

Did you enjoy Monday's live stream of "Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire" on the Disney Parks Blog? Earlier this month it was announced that they would be live streaming from the parks each Monday of July. This coming Monday on July 18, the Disney Parks Blog will be live streaming from Disney's Hollywood Studios for "Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular" fireworks show.

The spectacular is the next generation of Star Wars-themed fireworks shows for the park. “Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular,” dazzles with new themed fireworks, lasers, special effects and video projections of iconic characters and scenes from the complete saga, all set to the unforgettable score of the film series.

The #DisneyParksLive stream will begin at 9:20 p.m. ET where the stream will begin minutes before the show where you will learn just how the show was created and designed by its creators. I know I'll be tuning into this live stream.

Throwback with Relaunched ABC Live Stream Service:

Are you missing some of your favorite shows that aired on ABC in the past? Well fear not as, ABC has relaunched its live stream service both on its app and online and you could watch some of those favorite tv shows of the past. Not only will you be able to enjoy 38 of the throwback shows on the live stream but also 7 new short-form original shows. 

It is launching under the new "ABCd" banner, the initiative got underway last year and now is official. The new "ABCd" short form originals were developed in house by ABC Comedy Development, ABC Daytime, and ABC Digital Media. There are 40 more additional series that will be rolling out in the coming months.

Here are the 7 ABCd series:

• “All My Gay Friends are Getting Married”: A celebration of gay marriage through the eyes of only mildly bitter single girl, Michelle Collins, who’s realizing that everyone is now getting married – except her.
• “Boondoogle”: After a life of obscurity, actor Ty Burrell (“Modern Family”) has finally made it big with a starring role in the hit series “Wingbot.” Now he and his “non-tourage” of best friends, Mel, Joel and Johnny, get to enjoy some of the perks of being a TV star. It’s time for these 40-something husbands and dads to cut loose – mostly on weekends and during reasonable hours. Starring Ty Burrell, Joel Spence, Mel Cowan and Johnny Meeks, all as themselves.
• “Forever 31”: Comedian Iliza Shlesinger and her friends struggle with the indignities of dead-end jobs, hangovers, dating, infidelity and all the rest of the absurdities of modern adulthood.  Created by and starring Shlesinger.
• Tastemade’s “Get Cookin’”: Sponsored by Hefty, three creators in the Tastemade network – Erwan Heussaff, Lazarus Lynch, Megan Mitchell – present techniques, tips and recipes to take their food game to the next level. The chefs also will tell personal stories behind these dishes, why they matter and why they should be the next things to devour.
• “I Can Find $3,000 In Your Home”: EBay millionaire Linda Lightman believes that everyone has at least 52 items totaling at least $3,000 in their homes. In this series, she travels to households across the country to find the treasure in their trash.
• “Newborn Moms”: Comedic series about life as a new parent struggling with sleepless nights, self doubt and swollen boobs. Created by Aurora Browne and Nadine Djoury, the series follows two moms, Rosie and Julia, as they reconcile the kind of mothers they thought they would be with the kind they actually are. Starring Browne (Rosie) and Djoury (Julia).
• “On The Record”: An intimate “story behind the song” experience where songwriters perform an acoustic version of the song and share the inspiration behind it. The interviews will reveal the song’s meaning, personal anecdotes of its evolution, and its impact on the artist’s life and career. The first installment in the series features Hollywood Records recording artist Shawn Hook discussing his hit singles “Wonderful Surprise,” “Million Ways” and “Sound of Your Heart.” Future artists include Fancy Hagood and Yuna

Now you may be wondering just what throwback shows which you will enjoy full seasons that will be live streamed. They are:

“8 Simple Rules,” “Benched,” “Betrayal,” “Body of Proof,” “Brothers & Sisters,” “Commander in Chief,” “Detroit,” “Dinosaurs,” “Dirty Sexy Money,” “Ellen,” “Felicity,” “FlashForward,” “Happy Town,” “Hope and Faith,” “I Survived a Japanese Game Show,” “Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution,” “The Knights of Prosperity,” “Less Than Perfect,” “Manhattan Love Story,” “Mixology,” “My Generation,” “My So-Called Life,” “The Neighbors,” “October Road,” “Off the Map,” “Once Upon a Time in Wonderland,” “Perception,” “Reaper,” “Red Band Society,” “The River,” “Samantha Who?,” “School House Rock,” “Secret Millionaire,” “Smart Guy,” “Sports Night,” “Trophy Wife,” “Ugly Betty” and “What About Brian?”

Who's excited for both the new sitcoms and the throwback shows coming to the ABC app and online? I know I am.

Marvel Releases New Details on Season 3 of Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."; Disney Channel Original Movie "Invisible Sister" to Star Rowan Blanchard

Marvel Releases New Details on Season 3 of Marvel's "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D"

Season 2 of Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D sure ended with a bang and now Marvel has released new details for the upcoming season that is set to premiere, Tuesday September 29 at 9 p.m. on ABC. Here is the press release:

“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” returns for an action-packed third season, with Director Phil Coulson (Clark Gregg) and Agent Daisy Johnson (Chloe Bennet) leading the charge as S.H.I.E.L.D. searches the world for more powered people in the aftermath of their epic battle with Jiaying and her army of Inhumans. However, Coulson and the team soon find out that they are not the only group looking for these new Inhumans.

Many months after their war with a rogue group of Inhumans, the team is still reeling. Coulson is again trying to put the pieces of his once revered organization back together while also dealing with the loss of his hand. His confidante and second in command, Agent Melinda May (Ming-Na Wen), has yet to return from an impromptu vacation with ex-husband Andrew (Blair Underwood); deadly superspy Agent Bobbi Morse (Adrianne Palicki) is recovering from her traumatic torture at the hands of Grant Ward (Brett Dalton); Fitz (Iain De Caestecker) is obsessed with discovering the truth behind the mysterious disappearance of Simmons (Elizabeth Henstridge); and all are on high-alert for the next move from Ward and Hydra.

Ever since the existence of super heroes and aliens became public knowledge after the Battle of New York, the world has been trying to come to grips with this new reality. Coulson assembled a small, highly select group of Agents from the worldwide law-enforcement organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. (Strategic Homeland Intervention Enforcement and Logistics Division). S.H.I.E.L.D.’s mission: to protect those who cannot protect themselves from threats they cannot conceive.

But bigger threats loom ahead, setting the stakes even higher for the Agents, including the spread of Terrigen, an alien substance that unlocks superhuman abilities in select individuals; the emergence of new Inhumans who cannot yet control nor understand their powers; the rise of a new government organization that will go toe-to-toe with S.H.I.E.L.D.; the unknown properties of the massive alien Kree monolith, which has taken one of their own; and the constant threat of a rebuilt Hydra terrorist organization under S.H.I.E.L.D. traitor Grant Ward, who is making it his personal mission to take down Coulson and S.H.I.E.L.D.

New faces, both friend and foe, will join the series, including the no-nonsense, highly-skilled and somewhat mysterious leader (Constance Zimmer) of the ATCU (Advanced Threat Containment Unit), her intimidating partner, Banks (Andrew Howard), Lash (Matthew Willig), a monstrous Inhuman whose loyalties remain ambiguous, and new Inhuman Joey (Juan Pablo Raba), who is struggling to harness his newfound abilities, among other surprising characters.

Coulson, with the help of Daisy and Mack (Henry Simmons), will work to slowly assemble a team that is stronger than ever before, combining the highly skilled Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. with powered individuals in the hopes of protecting the innocent in a world where the balance of power is ever-shifting, and new dangers are constantly emerging.

“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” stars Clark Gregg as Director Phil Coulson, Ming-Na Wen as Agent Melinda May, Brett Dalton as Grant Ward, Chloe Bennet as Agent Daisy Johnson, Iain De Caestecker as Agent Leo Fitz, Elizabeth Henstridge as Agent Jemma Simmons, Nick Blood as Agent Lance Hunter, Adrianne Palicki as Agent Bobbi Morse, Henry Simmons as Agent Alphonso “Mack” MacKenzie and Luke Mitchell as Lincoln Campbell.

“Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” was co-created by Joss Whedon, Jed Whedon & Maurissa Tancharoen, who also serve as executive producers along with Jeph Loeb and Jeffrey Bell.

Tune in to the season premiere on Tuesday, September 29 at 9:00 PM ET on ABC! Follow@AgentsofSHIELD on Twitter and like “Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” on Facebook for all the latest news and updates.

Disney Channel Original Movie "Invisible Sister" Set to Star Rowan Blanchard

"Girl Meets World" star Rowan Blanchard is set to star in the upcoming Disney Channel Original Movie "Invisible Sister." It is set to premiere on Disney Channel on October 9 of this year. Blanchard will play the role of Cleo and her sister, Molly, will be played by fellow Disney Channel star Paris Berelc of "Mighty Med."

The film is based on the novel "My Invisible Sister" by Beatrice Colin and Sarah Pinto. The adventure will follow Cleo, whose science project goes wrong causing her sister Molly to go completely invisible. The accident causes Cleo to take on the role of her older sister in an important lacrosse game. This all happens while she is trying to convince everyone that nothing is wrong and continue to try to reverse the accident before her sister's invisibility becomes permanent. 

The film will also star Karan Bar (Disney Channel's Jessie and Bunk'd) as another science whiz kid, George, Rachel Crowe (The X-Factor) as Molly's best friend, Austin Fryberger as Molly's boyfriend, Will Meyers (Bella and the Bulldogs) as Cleo's crush, and Alex Desert (The Avenger's: Earth's Mightiest Heroes) as the science teacher. 

Marvel's"Agents of SHIELD" Spinoff Gets Pilot Order and Spires Return to Great Movie Ride

Marvel's "Agents of SHIELD" Spinoff Gets Pilot Order:

With the success of both Marvel's "Agents of SHIELD" and "Agent Carter" on ABC the studio is ordering a pilot for a third show called "Marvel's Most Wanted" starring Adrienne Palicki as Marvel's Mockingbird.

The show will feature Adrienne Palicki as Bobbi Morse (Mockingbird) and her on again off again love interest Nick Blood's Lance Hunter. Not many more details on the show have been released. The theory of the plot will be to focus on the hunting down of the villains who escaped the "SHIELD" detention center during the short reign of Hydra.

Marvel also has two series coming to Netflix with more in the works and even a chance for a fourth show on ABC.

All Four Spires Return to The Great Movie Ride:

Photo Courtesy of @NarlsMix on Twitter

In a scene that hasn't been seen since before the Sorcerer's Hat was put up at Hollywood Studios, all four spires have returned to The Great Movie Ride. It certainly is nice to see the beauty of the Chinese Theater once again.

Jungle Cruise Movie to Star Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson; Win a Trip to Disney World From ABC's 'The Chew'

Jungle Cruise Movie to Star Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson:

For year's now Disney has been trying to develop a film around one of its classic attractions, The Jungle Cruise. After rumors of Tom Hanks and Tim Allen set to star in the 'untitled' film throughout the years, the film seems to have more traction now with Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson set to star.

John Requa and Glen Ficarra (both of Crazy Stupid Love) are set to write the script. John Davis and John Fox of Davis Entertainment are set to produce the film. Kristen Burr will be overseeing the film for Disney. No plot for the film has been announced yet.

Johnson is also set to star in Disney's animated film "Moana" as Maui the demigod when that film hits theaters in late 2016.

Win a Trip to Walt Disney World From ABC's 'The Chew':

Today, on the Disney Parks Blog in conjunction with ABC's 'The Chew,' you and three guests could win a trip to Walt Disney World during this year's Epcot International Food & Wine Festival.

"The Chew's Magical Culinary Adventure Sweepstakes" will include a visit to Walt Disney World during the week of October 8-12. The winner will get the opportunity to attend a live showing of "The Chew," a stay at Disney's Boardwalk Resort (in walking distance to Epcot), and the chance to dine at one of Disney Spring's newest restaurants in The BOATHOUSE. Yes, you'll even get to ride in an amphicar.

Here is the announcement:

You have until September 18, 2015 to enter with no purchase necessary. Good Luck!

The Muppets Are Returning to ABC and Recap of Disney Infinity 3.0 Live Twitch Reveal

The Muppets Are Returning to ABC with a New Show:

ABC promises that the new Muppets show will be the most exciting Muppet series since the Jim Henson Hour. Today, they announced The Muppets will be returning to primetime this fall. The network said that from what it saw in the pilot they can firmly attest that this is a Muppet project that we can get "really really, ridiculous excited for."

The Muppets were last on primetime almost 20 years ago with "Muppets Tonight" which also aired on ABC. Kermit and the gang have appeared in several tv specials including (2013 Lady Gaga & The Muppets' Holiday Spectacular) and tv movies such as "The Muppet Wizard of Oz." The new series is sort of a faux documentary aesthetic like Christopher Guest movies ("Best in Show," "A Mighty Wind") and also shows the usual Muppets lets-put-on-a-show narrative. The creative team includes "Big Bang Theory" vets Bill Prady and Bob Kushnell who will executive produce alongside Muppet performers Bill Barretta and Randall Einhorn. The new series will take the best elements of the original "Muppet Show," some modernity of "Muppets Tonight" and the gutsy experimentalism of "The Jim Henson Hour." 

Recap of Live ToyBox TV on Twitch About Disney Infinity 3.0:

On Wednesday, we learned that Star Wars was finally coming to Disney Infinity. Today, on Twitch our favorite ToyBox TV hosts John Vignocci and Allison Petrek along with Disney Infinity team members gave out more details on the new game and answered questions from the community. In the hour long event they showed off new packaging of just some the characters to come Disney Infinity 3.0. Mickey and Minnie Mouse will be in purple packaging and Han Solo will be in red packaging. 

There will be just one starter pack release this time as they said it caused confusion last year with the two versions. There will be a digital version of the game that will be released at launch. Here are just some of the highlights of what will be on 3rd version of the interactive game:

• No four-legged or swimming in the game
• 1.0 characters have not received full upgrades
• Play sets still not forward compatible
• Power Discs will be revealed in a future episode of Toy Box TV
• Still only 4-player online and 2-player on offline with Play Sets
• No confirmation of Collectors Edition but something will be announced at a later date
• There will be an Ultimate Unlock on 3.0
• Mickey will be able to summon the gang to help him such as Goofy, Pluto, and Oswald for an attack
• Mickey will use her purse to attack

I am certainly excited for what 3.0 brings and think that will be the best version of the game yet. What does everyone else think about Disney Infinity 3.0? What characters are you most excited to see in the 3.0 edition?

Your Daily News from Around Disney 4/6

Today was a beautiful day here in Northeastern, PA and the warmest day yet this Spring. It's Monday and I am ok with that with the weather being so nice. I am just under 7 weeks away from being in Disney World since I was last there in December of 2013. I can't express to all of you how excited I am to get down there. Anyways enough of me rambling on, let's get into your news from around Disney. Mostly news from the weekend.

Walt Disney to Invest Big into DraftKings:

On Friday, it was announced that the Walt Disney Company would making a big investment into fantasy sports. The company announced that it would invest $250 million into the fantasy sports company DraftKings. DraftKings, Massachusetts based, is an online fantasy sports website that was founded in 2011. DraftKings allows users to use cash to enter into daily fantasy contests to win cash. With the acquisition of DraftKings, the online based company is said to be worth over $900 million. 

The plan is for DraftKings to invest heavily into ESPN and its family of networks. Disney according to Business Financial News now has a 27% stake into DraftKings. DraftKings now has the means to overtake its main competition in another online fantasy website Fan Duel. They will get preferred space over Fan Duel on ESPN with the new deal. 

This is just another foot in the digital media market for Disney as last year it acquired network partner to Google's Youtube in Maker Studios. Disney in recent years has acquired Marvel and Lucasfilms. All of the acquisitions have done well under Disney. 

"Big Bang Theory" Co-Creator Trying to Revive the Muppets:

First reported by The Hollywood Reporter, ABC is filming a proof of concept for a revival of "The Muppets." Bill Prady, co-creator of "The Big Bang Theory," is co-writing a script for a pilot of the show. Bob Kushell, "3rd Rock from the Sun," will also co-write with Randall Einhorn to executive produce and direct the show. ABC's "Muppets" will be produced by both ABC Studios and The Muppet Studios, which the Walt Disney Company owns. 

The supposed concept is the Kermit and the gang (minus Ms. Piggy) are at ABC Studios to meet about a new show for "The Muppets." The show however will not go on unless Ms. Piggy signs on for the show too. Kermit and Piggy's love for each other is on the rocks which is preventing the show from going on. The early plan is for two celebrity cameos - including Ms. Piggy's current co-star and new roles which will include Fozzie Bear's girlfriend and her parents. 

"The Muppets" have been around since Jim Henson created them back in 1955. They have had 8 feature films which its most recent film last year, "The Muppets: Most Wanted." They have also been part of many tv shows such as "The Muppet Show" (1975-1981), "The Jim Henson Hour" (1989), and "Muppets Tonight" (1996). 

This Day in Disney History:

On this day (April 6) in 1991, "Darkwing Duck," a new animated series, premieres on Disney Channel. 

Also on this day in 2007, Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros! opens at the Mexico Pavilion at Epcot in Walt Disney World.

Daily Disney Quote:

"You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."

- Christopher Robin

That just about does it for today's news for April 6. I hope everyone enjoyed their Easter or just plain enjoyed the weekend. As always I end with the words of Mickey Mouse, "See Ya Real Soon."