By Courtney Potter
Disney and Pixar’s Cars on the Road Puts the Peddle to the Hilarious Metal
Beep-beep, yeah! Earlier this week, Disney+ shared a brand-new trailer for Disney and Pixar’s Cars on the Road. In celebration of Disney+ Day, the Original series will debut exclusively on the streaming service on Thursday, September 8.
The series follows Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) and his best friend, Mater (voiced by Larry the Cable Guy), as they head east from Radiator Springs on a cross-country road trip to meet up with Mater’s sister. “The series is a romp across the country with Lightning McQueen and Mater,” director Steve Purcell recently said at the Television Critics Association’s Summer Press Tour. “Like any real road trip, every day is a new mini-adventure with unexpected twists and turns.”
Disney+ Day will, of course, lead into D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event presented by Visa! (Just a lil’ something we’re doing a lot of planning for ’round here.) To celebrate, the streaming service will host special experiences for fans and subscribers, as well as premiere new content from its marquee brands—Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars, and National Geographic. Stay tuned for more Disney+ Day info in the coming weeks!
5 Fantastic Things to Watch This Weekend Presented by State Farm®
Let’s see… what’s there to watch from around the worlds of Disney this first weekend of August? (And how is it already the eighth month of the year? Time is a construct.) Look for the sing-along version of The Lion King on Disney+; the heartwarming film Love, Simon, on FXX; a brand-new episode of The Final Straw on ABC; and more where that came from.
Extra Cheer Coming to Disneyland Resort This Holiday Season
From November 11, 2022, through January 8, 2023, there’s snow place like The Happiest Place on Earth—when it once again transforms into The Merriest Place on Earth, helping to spread joy all season long.
In Disney California Adventure park, holiday décor will light up the night, with a 50-foot-tall Christmas tree on Buena Vista Street and automotive holiday embellishments throughout Cars Land. Plus, the nighttime spectacular World of Color – Season of Light combines nostalgic holiday music with memorable moments from beloved Disney animated films. Disney Festival of Holidays will once again highlight a diverse season of celebrations, including Christmas/Navidad, Diwali, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day. Festival marketplaces across the park will serve a hand-crafted menu, and the Sip and Savor Pass (which expires January 8, and is not valid for theme park admission) will also be available for select food and non-alcoholic beverages at participating marketplaces and dining locations.
The holiday fun doesn’t end there: Disneyland park will once again be chockablock with festive holiday fun, including its iconic 60-foot-tall Christmas tree on Main Street, U.S.A. In Town Square, guests should look out for Disney characters wearing their holiday finest—including a few brand-new outfits! And, of course, Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle will enchant from day to night with sparkling icicles and twinkling lights.
Anna, Elsa, and Olaf from Frozen—along with Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Santa, and many other friends—will celebrate the season in A Christmas Fantasy Parade, and in the evenings, the festivities will continue with the Believe… in Holiday Magic fireworks spectacular, which features magical “snowfall” and colorful projections on Main Street, U.S.A., and the façade of “it’s a small world.”
It’s never too early to plan for some holiday fun! Keep your eyes peeled (and your jingle bells at the ready) for more as the celebrations approach.
All the Summer TCA News That’s Fit to Print…
It’s a tough job, but someone’s gotta do it: D23 attended the recent Summer TCA Virtual Press Tour to get a peek at what’s new and what’s next in streaming and linear content from The Walt Disney Company. Looking for the latest on Andor, Reasonable Doubt, Atlanta, Reservation Dogs, She-Hulk: Attorney at Law, and more? Check out our comprehensive coverage by clicking here!
Hulu Offers Look at New Comedy Reboot
The good folks at Hulu recently released a first look at their upcoming original comedy series Reboot, from creator and executive producer Steve Levitan (ABC’s Modern Family). The eight-episode series will premiere on the streaming service with two episodes on Tuesday, September 20—with new installments launching weekly thereafter.
In Reboot, Hulu does just that… it reboots a popular early 2000s family sitcom, forcing its dysfunctional cast back together. Now they must deal with their unresolved issues in today’s fast-changing world. The series stars Keegan-Michael Key (Disney+’s upcoming Pinocchio), Judy Greer (Hollywood Stargirl), Johnny Knoxville (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles), Paul Reiser (The Kominksy Method), Rachel Bloom (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Calum Worthy (Disney Channel’s Good Luck Charlie), and Krista Marie Yu (Last Man Standing).
15th Annual Tour de Turtles Underway from Disney’s Vero Beach Resort
And they’re off! The Sea Turtle Conservancy’s (STC) Tour de Turtles Marathon is divided into leatherbacks and non-leatherbacks (chelonians), and it’s truly shaping up to be an epic journey for two female sea turtles, Neytiri and Ronal. These turtles, sponsored by the Disney Conservation Fund and Disney Cruise Line, began their “migration marathon” Tuesday morning from their nesting beaches at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort to feeding grounds in The Bahamas, the Caribbean, and beyond. Through satellite telemetry, researchers from STC and Disney Conservation Team Wildlife will track the two turtles to determine how far they swim during the migration season.
Neytiri and Ronal, named after characters in Disney’s upcoming film Avatar: The Way of Water, are “racing” alongside other sea turtles, each highlighting a threat to turtle survival. The turtle to swim the furthest distance wins Tour de Turtles!
The data collected during Tour de Turtles helps researchers, conservationists, and governing agencies make more-informed decisions about sea turtle conservation methods and policies. Since 2008, STC and Disney have studied 26 sea turtles outfitted with satellite transmitters and released from Disney’s Vero Beach Resort.
To learn more and follow the turtles’ migration, visit the Tour de Turtles website—and don’t miss Avatar: The Way of Water, coming to theaters December 16.
ICYMI: How Marvel Studios Is Branching Out with I Am Groot
With adorable Baby Groot getting his own collection of five sure-to-be-just-as-adorable shorts on Disney+ beginning August 10, it stands to reason we should get the scoop on what went into creating such a tree-mendous project. Hear exclusively from writer and director Kirsten Lepore and executive producer Brad Winderbaum right here at D23.com.
