Guilty pleasures
By NewsPress Now
Disney to debut new Lightning Lane Premier Pass this month
The Walt Disney Co. is set to pilot a new pass for guests to get on rides faster at its domestic theme parks, but the cost might be a bit out of reach for some people.
Disney said Wednesday that its Lightning Lane Premier Pass, which will be available in limited quantities, is set to debut at Disneyland on Oct. 23 and Disney World on Oct. 30. The pass is for one-time entry to each available Lightning Lane experience at the theme parks, and guests will still need to purchase a separate admission ticket to enter the parks.
The pass is similar to Disney’s existing Lightning Lane Single Pass and Lightning Lane Multi Pass in that it lets guests skip the standby line and use the Lightning Lane entrance to join what is typically a shorter line. Many guests like to use such passes to try to save time so that they can attempt to ride more attractions and partake in more park experiences, like shows and character meet and greets. The new pass, which is similar to offerings at other rival theme parks, is meant to provide a convenience that some guests have been requesting.
One of the perks for guests who purchase the Lightning Lane Premier Pass is that they will not have to choose a specific arrival time for an attraction. This is different from Disney’s Lightning Lane Single Pass and Lightning Lane Multi Pass options, which require guests to select a specific arrival time.
At Disneyland in Anaheim, California, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass will cost $400 per person, per day for visits to both Disneyland and Disney California Adventure through the end of the year as long as the guest also has a valid admission ticket with a Park Hopper benefit. Starting next year, pricing will vary by date and demand within a $300 to $400 range, the company said. Guests will be able to see pricing in the Disneyland app up to two days before a park visit.
At Disney World in Orlando, Florida, the Lightning Lane Premier Pass will be available to guests staying at its deluxe resorts, deluxe villa resorts and certain other hotels. Pricing will vary, depending on the date and which theme park is being visited (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios). Disney said that prices will range from $129 to $449 per pass at launch, with the highest prices occurring on a limited number of days over peak travel periods.
The Lightning Lane Premier Pass for Disney World will give guests one-time entry to each available Lightning Lane entrance in one park for one day. There is currently no option to use the pass at multiple Disney World parks on the same day.
Aside from the various passes that Disney offers, guests will still be able to use standby lines at most of its attractions and experiences. A virtual queue is also available for a limited number of rides, and those rides don’t have standby lines.
The world’s second Sphere will be built in the UAE capital
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates | The world’s second Sphere is planned to be built in the capital of the United Arab Emirates after the opening of the first giant dome entertainment complex in Las Vegas.
Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism and Sphere Entertainment Co. announced the plan late Tuesday to bring a Sphere to the Middle East.
Under the deal, Abu Dhabi will pay a franchise fee to Sphere Entertainment to build the second location using its designs. Abu Dhabi’s government will pay to build the structure, as well as annual fees to Sphere Entertainment “for creative and artistic content.”
The announcement offered no financing information, nor did it say where the Sphere would be built in the Emirati capital. Abu Dhabi’s government did not immediately respond to questions about the project Wednesday. Sphere declined to comment beyond the initial announcement.
The massive $2.3 billion Las Vegas Sphere opened in 2023 as the gambling capital’s most expensive entertainment venue. A high-resolution LED screen wraps halfway around the 17,500-seat audience. It has hosted concerts and sporting events inside the world’s largest spherical structure standing at 366 feet (111 meters) tall and 516 feet (157 meters) wide.
However, efforts to build a second Sphere abroad have been choppy. London Mayor Sadiq Khan rejected a plan to build one in the city’s east over multiple concerns last year, including light pollution.
Abu Dhabi has been trying to differentiate itself as a travel destination from neighboring Dubai in the UAE, an energy-rich federation of seven sheikhdoms on the Arabian Peninsula.
The UAE is also preparing to open the first casino in the country. While the only one currently under construction is in the emirate of Ras al-Khaimah, other sheikhdoms in the country are believed to be actively considering having their own.
Sphere is the brainchild of James Dolan, the executive chair of Madison Square Garden and the owner of the New York Knicks and Rangers.
Stock in Sphere closed more than 6% higher Tuesday on the New York Stock Exchange to $48.91 a share. That’s a major boost after Benchmark last month downgraded Sphere Entertainment to “sell” over “concerns over the Sphere’s “scalability, high production costs and a potentially underwhelming profitability outlook.”
Meanwhile, some projects in the UAE have failed to be built or been delayed for years after being announced in economic downturns.
Trademark filings show Sphere Entertainment Co. trademark filings made as well in Japan, Oman and Qatar, though there’s no announced plans for similar venues. Companies often protectively trademark their names in other markets without necessarily having business there.
Family looks for missing Broadway dancer Zelig Williams
COLUMBIA, S.C. | A family in South Carolina pleaded for help Wednesday in finding Broadway dancer Zelig Williams, whose disappearance nearly two weeks ago has also drawn the concern of the broader theater community, including Hugh Jackman.
Williams, who danced in New York productions of “Hamilton” and “MJ The Musical,” was last seen Oct. 3 in Columbia, when he left his home. Friends said they got an automatic emergency notification from his iPhone minutes later, Williams’ family said.
They reached out but did not hear back. Williams’ empty car was found undamaged in an isolated parking lot for the Palmetto Trail a day after deputies determined he was driving at the nearby Congaree National Park about 15 miles from downtown Columbia, according to the Richland County Sheriff’s Department.
Williams’ family said at a news conference that they think he stopped taking his medication just before he disappeared and are worried he might be behaving erratically or even could appear in a trance-like state to people looking to help him.
Tips from the community are likely going to be critical to finding Williams, Sheriff Leon Lott said at a news conference at the department’s headquarters, joined by family members of the dancer.
Deputies said nothing, including foul play, has been ruled out in the case.
“We have used every means of manpower and technology that is available,” Lott said.
They also are asking churches to pay special attention to anyone new, because Williams was visiting in an effort to find a place to worship. Williams, 28, had moved back to his hometown of Columbia a few months earlier.
Williams is the light for his family, cousin Mieoki Corbett-Jacobs said Wednesday. His two sisters died in a car crash 20 years ago and inspired him to start dancing, she said.
Williams’ mother “is having some serious pain in her heart missing her son in this moment,” Corbett-Jacobs said. “That’s why it is so special when you see him perform. He is dancing with his sisters in his heart.”
The family’s remarks ended with Williams’ mother, Kathy, who started sobbing as she spoke.
“I just want Zelig to come home. He’s all I got. He’s all I got. He’s all I got,” she said. The sheriff and Corbett-Jacobs helped her out of the room.
Williams’ colleagues on Broadway are also asking for help. Jackman, who worked with Williams in “The Greatest Showman” tour, posted Williams’ picture on his Instagram feed this month.
“Zelig we love you and are praying for your safe return,” Jackman wrote.
—From AP reports
