Here’s what has happened so far with Disney’s Orlando relocation
VIDEO: Walt Disney Co. sees spike in Q2 earnings Walt Disney Co. sees spike in Q2 earningsORLANDO, Fla. — Editor’s note: This story is available as a result of a content partnership between WFTV and the Orlando Business Journal. California-based The Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS) has had a major presence in Florida since the 1960s when the early stages of Walt Disney World were under development. The company should make the move to Lake Nona by late 2024, according to information shared on job postings. “By choosing to build a new regional campus in Lake Nona, Disney will become part of this smart city where cutting-edge ideas turn into realities,” Nick Beucher, president of Tavistock Development Co., previously told the OBJ. Read: The super moon is back; here’s when to look upClick here to read the full story on the Orlando Business Journal’s website.
wftv.comWATCH: Special Olympics USA Games athletes get Super Bowl-style treatment in new promo
VIDEO: Special Olympics USA Games athletes get Super Bowl-style treatment Special Olympics USA Games athletes get Super Bowl-style treatmentORANGE COUNTY, Fla. — Athletes participating in the Special Olympics USA Games this weekend are getting the Super Bowl treatment ahead of the event. ESPN and the Walt Disney World Resort are featuring several Special Olympics athletes in a national commercial airing on ESPN and social media sites this week that is a spinoff of Disney’s popular “I’m Going to Disney World” Super Bowl campaign. READ: Team Florida Special Olympics Gymnastics team invited to practice with Cirque Du Soleil performersWe can’t wait to welcome our athletes to the Most Magical Place on Earth - Walt Disney World. Posted by Special Olympics USA Games on Tuesday, May 31, 2022READ: Join 9 Family Connection and Volunteer for the 2022 Special Olympics USA Games! READ: Thousands of athletes to attend Special Olympics USA Games in Central FloridaVideo: Team Florida Special Olympics Gymnastics team invited to practice with Cirque Du Soleil performers Since last November, the Cirque Du Soleil in Disney Springs has showcased nightly productions of their new “Drawn to Life” show.
wftv.comTeam Florida Special Olympics Gymnastics team invited to practice with Cirque Du Soleil performers
Video: Team Florida Special Olympics Gymnastics team invited to practice with Cirque Du Soleil performers Since last November, the Cirque Du Soleil in Disney Springs has showcased nightly productions of their new “Drawn to Life” show. (WFTV)ORLANDO, Fla. — Since last November, the Cirque Du Soleil in Disney Springs has showcased nightly productions of their new “Drawn to Life” show. With the Special Olympics USA Games being hosted in Orlando in just a week, the Cirque Du Soleil team invited some of Team Florida’s gymnasts to practice on stage with the performers. “They’re some of the best at what they do,” Sydes said of the Team Florida athletes. 9 Family Connection presents ‘Shine As One’ The 2022 Special Olympics USA Games will bring athletes from around the country and the Caribbean to compete in Orlando next month.
wftv.comCirque du Soleil plans a new and hybrid Las Vegas show
Cirque du Soleil-New York Show FILE - Cast members from Cirque du Soleil perform on stage during the "KURIOS - Cabinet of Curiosities" premiere in Los Angeles on Dec. 9, 2015. Cirque du Soleil is planning a brand new, eye-popping show, “Mad Apple” on the Las Vegas Strip this spring. (Photo by Rich Fury/Invision/AP, File) (Rich Fury)NEW YORK — (AP) — Cirque du Soleil is planning a brand new, eye-popping show on the Las Vegas Strip this spring that appropriately flips its typical script. “Mad Apple” will feature stand-up comedians, close-up magic and a live band playing pop music onstage alongside Cirque's famous acrobats in a new hybrid form of live entertainment. “I’m the first stand-up comedian to be a part of a Cirque show and doing traditional standup,” said Williams.
wftv.comDisney, Cirque du Soleil open new show ‘Drawn to Life’ to standing ovation
The highly anticipated new collaboration from Cirque du Soleil and Disney, Drawn to Life, premiered Thursday night at Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort to a full house of enthusiastic fans who demonstrated their appreciation with a lengthy standing ovation.
Microsoft wins $22 billion deal making headsets for US Army
Microsoft says it has won a nearly $22 billion contract to supply U.S. Army combat troops with its virtual reality headsets. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson, File)Microsoft won a nearly $22 billion contract to supply U.S. Army combat troops with its augmented reality headsets. Microsoft and the Army separately announced the deal Wednesday. The technology is based on Microsoft's HoloLens headsets, which were originally intended for the video game and entertainment industries. The new contract will enable Microsoft to mass produce units for more than 120,000 soldiers in the Army Close Combat Force.
Blue Man Group close up shop in Orlando after 14 years
click image Photo courtesy Blue Man Group/FacebookWhile this is the end of our run at Universal Orlando, we hope our fans will visit when we safely reopen in Las Vegas, New York, Chicago and Boston. 💙 pic.twitter.com/09Votg0zuu — Blue Man Group (@bluemangroup) February 1, 2021With a tweet — perhaps ironic for a group notable for their stoic silence during performances — posted on Monday , the Blue Man Group's 14-year run in Orlando officially came to an end. Amid growing rumors that the Blue Man Group production at Universal Orlando's CityWalk would not reopen — shows were halted back in March and never restarted — the brief announcement both confirmed "the end of [their] run at Universal Orlando" and hyped eventual reopenings in Las Vegas, New York, Chicago and Boston.Since opening in 2006, the Blue Man Group's Universal outpost has put on more more than 6,000 shows, but in recent years has been plagued with shrinking audiences and financial troubles on the part of parent company Cirque du Soleil (Cirque bought the BMG in 2017). Not to mention, it almost goes without saying, the body blows that COVID-19 has inflicted on Central Florida's tourism industry.Universal Orlando has so far done their best Blue Man Group impression and remained silent as to what will replace the theater and attraction.
orlandoweekly.comBlue Man Group may leave Orlando for good — has Universal outgrown them?
click to enlarge Image via Universal OrlandoBlue Man Group at Universal Orlandoclick to enlarge Image via Universal OrlandoBlue Man Group at Universal OrlandoGuy Laliberte, once a struggling street artist, was now a billionaire. The empty studios allowed Universal to bring in its answer to Cirque du Soleil.The Blue Man Group opened in the space, rebranded as the Sharp Aquos Theater, in 2007. Six days before Blue Man Group's debut, Universal announced it would be opening a new land dedicated to the Harry Potter film franchise. “Blue Man Group was seen as a way for Cirque to diversify, as they knew their core business had hit a plateau. The Blue Man Group theater, rarely filled to capacity, could now be better used as expanded space in the crowd theme parks.
orlandoweekly.comCirque Du Soleil conducts mass lay off after coronavirus pandemic
Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the forced closure of all its shows worldwide, Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group has been forced to make significant temporary staff reductions. According to the company, 4,679 employees will be affected by the lay offs. pic.twitter.com/ywKSX8mUEJ — Cirque du Soleil (@Cirque) March 17, 2020“This was an incredibly difficult decision for the Group, but a necessary measure to stabilize the company for the future,” the company said in a statement. Unfortunately, this decision is our only option as we are forced to position ourselves to weather this storm and prepare for eventual re-openings,’’ Daniel Lamarre, President and CEO Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group said. To keep up with the latest news on the pandemic, subscribe to News 6′s coronavirus newsletter or go to ClickOrlando.com/coronavirus.
Opening date unveiled for new Cirque du Soleil show at Disney Springs
ORLANDO, Fla. – The all new Cirque du Soleil show at Disney Springs is set to debut in a little more than a month and already, tickets are on sale. The new show, which is a collaboration between Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering, focuses on a girl named Julie who discovers that her Disney animator father left behind an unfinished animation. Drawn to Life debuts at Disney Springs on April 17. “During a number of the acts, classic Disney animation sequences come alive via contemporary projections, complementing the spectacular feats of our acrobats." Performances will take place twice a day, Tuesday through Saturday, at Disney Springs.
OSHA investigates Disney Springs' Cirque du Soleil performer's fall
A Cirque du Soleil La Nouba performer at Disney Springs was injured on Oct. 20 after falling during an aerial rehearsal, according to Reedy Creek Fire Department. The call for service at Cirque Du Soleil came in at 10:15 p.m. on Oct. 20. "Safety is our number one priority at Cirque du Soleil. The performer’s condition is unknown and is still receiving medical care, according to Cirque du Soleil. In June 2013, a Las Vegas Cirque du Soleil performer died after a fall from 94 feet in front of an audience during a performance of the show "Ka," the Wall Street Journal reported.
Tony-winning Broadway director makes leap to Cirque du Soleil
Tony-winning Broadway director makes leap to Cirque du Soleil Diane Paulus, who took home the 2013 Tony Award for the Broadway revival of Pippin, is set to direct "Amaluna" in the New York return of Cirque du Soleil. After that, Paulus plans to move into film and television. Jericka Duncan reports.
cbsnews.comFlorida residents can get discount on 'La Nouba' tickets
ORLANDO, Fla. – One of the most impressive and well-known shows in Central Florida just got more affordable. We're talking about Cirque du Soleil's La Nouba at Downtown Disney. The company says that Florida Residents can get 35 percent off tickets for shows between July 31 and August 25. That means tickets will be about $65 for adults, and $46 for kids ages 3 to 9. To buy tickets to La Nouba, click here.