Dave Filoni Named Head of Creative Development at LucasFilm Animation; New Muppets Show Details

Dave Filoni Named Head of Creative Development at LucasFilm Animation:

Director Dave Filoni (Star Wars Rebels, The Clone Wars) has been promoted to Head of Creative Development at LucasFilm Animation. This comes after news recently that he was stepping away from directing "Star Wars Rebels," scaring fans. All is well as Filoni was just promoted. Taking his place will be Justin Ridge, who has previously directed episodes of the show, has been name supervising director for Rebels.

Here is a statement from LucasFilm:

“Dave is still just as involved as ever – overseeing all aspects of Star Wars Rebels production as Executive Producer and occasionally directing episodes.  In many ways, mentoring Justin and moving him into the role as Supervising Director has made it possible for Dave to be even more immersed in the writing and story structure of the show as well as creatively overseeing future animation development. Justin started with Lucasfilm Animation on the first season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and worked with Dave before that on Avatar: The Last Airbender, so they’ve been working together for quite some time.”

Season 3 of "Star Wars Rebels" premiered last Saturday on Disney XD.

More Details on "The Muppets Present... Great Moments in American History":

Update: Here are the official show times for "The Muppets Present... Great Moments in American History": 

9:30 a.m., 10:15 a.m., 11:55 a.m., 1:25 p.m., and 4:40 p.m.

There are less show times then first thought. Disney updated their showtimes on its website. This was first reported by Blog Mickey.

Last week, while I was in Disney, we learned the official opening date of "The Muppets Present.... Great Moments in American History" will in fact be this Sunday, October 2. The new show takes place around The Hall of Presidents in Liberty of Square in the Magic Kingdom. There will be two different shows one focusing on the signing of the Declaration of Independence with an original song and the other focusing on the midnight ride of Paul Revere. 

The shows will be seen several times daily. According a report by Blog Mickey and a member of the DIS Boards these will be the show times: 9:05, 9:15, 10, 10:15, 11:45, 11:55, 12:10, 1:15, 1:25, 2:20, 3:35, 3:45, 4:25, and 4:35. It seems that the show will be somewhat short around I say 5-8 minutes long. 

"Hosted by James “J.J.” Jefferson, town crier of Liberty Square, and Sam Eagle, the fiercely patriotic American eagle who is forever trying to set a high moral standard for the Muppets, this wacky new show is set to take place several times daily, just outside The Hall of Presidents."

I could only wish that this debuted that I was there last week. I can't wait to see what hilarious hijinks the Muppets bring to the Magic Kingdom.

 

Rivers of America Re-Opening Summer 2017, The Muppets Officially Coming to Magic Kingdom, and More

Rivers of America and Disneyland Railroad Re-Opening at Disneyland in Summer 2017: 

The Disney Parks Blog revealed today that Rivers of America and the Disneyland Railroad will be re-opening by next Summer. This includes the famous Disneyland Railroad, Fantasmic!, Mark Twain Riverboat, Sailing Ship Columbia, Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, and Davy Crockett Explorer Canoes. It was revealed in a blog about the area's history and how it was one of the parks original attractions.

Rivers of America and the Disneyland Railroad were closed last year in anticipation of construction of Star Wars Land being built. Here is what to expect when the area re-opens Summer 2017:

"And next year, history will be made on the Rivers of America once again with a gorgeous new riverbank and an elevated trestle over which the iconic Disneyland Railroad will travel. For now, be sure to stop by the Main Street and New Orleans Square stations now to get an up-close look at the steam engines of the Disneyland Railroad, and we’ll be back with a look at how the railroad has changed through the years while remaining a Disneyland icon."

I expect the next news will be finally when Star Wars Land will open. Are you excited for Rivers of America and the Disneyland Railroad to be re-opening next year? 

Source: Disney Parks Blog

The Muppets Officially Coming to Magic Kingdom this Fall:

A rumor that began late last month is now official. A new live show featuring The Muppets will be coming to the Magic Kingdom this October. It is called, "The Muppets Present... Great Moments in American History." Here is what we can expect:

Sam Eagle, the fiercely patriotic American eagle who is forever trying to set a high moral standard for the Muppets, will join Kermit the Frog, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear, The Great Gonzo and James Jefferson, town crier of Liberty Square, as they gather outside The Hall of Presidents to present historical tales in hysterical fashion as only they can. From the midnight ride of Paul Revere to the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Muppets appear throughout the day to share with Guests, their own unique take on the founding fathers and the birth of the United States of America.

The new live show will also feature an all new original song and of course plenty of that Muppets humor we all know and love. I can't wait to see "The Muppets Present... Great Moments in American History" and the hilarious fun it will bring to Liberty Square.

Re-Imagined Flying Fish Opening Next Week, Reservations Begin Tomorrow:

The re-imagined Flying Fish at Disney's Boardwalk will be opening next week on August 3. Reservations will open for the restaurant starting tomorrow July 29. The restaurant has an all new interior that includes the on-stage kitchen with an all new menu crafted by Chef Tim Majoras, a veteran of the Flying Fish kitchen.

"The seafood-centric menu features entirely sustainable fish and shellfish, and includes Chef Majoras’ creations such as corn-crusted wild Gulf shrimp, wild Alaskan king salmon and plancha-seared Hokkaido scallops. For carnivores, there’s Wagyu filet mignon, Kurobuta pork belly and bison striploin. General manager and sommelier Stig Jacobsen has crafted a new wine list with nearly 80 selections by the glass." - Pam Brandon, Food Writer for Walt Disney World Resort & Disneyland Resort, Disney Parks Blog

For reservations that open tomorrow you can visit, DisneyWorld.com/DINE or by calling 407-WDW-DINE.