deerstalker

https://www.thenerdelement.com/2022/10/11/big-disney-information-updates/

Good evening, everyone! Today I want to discuss some big information that I just saw on the Disney news! So, let’s get started, shall we?! So, Disney World and Disneyland Resort has officially increased their ticket prices, the cost of the Disney Genie+, and Lightning Lane Services. As Disney moves toward its 100th anniversary celebration next year with Disneyland “at the heart” of the festivities, the company Tuesday raised prices of tickets to the Anaheim parks in nearly every category, as well as the add-on Disney Genie+ and Lightning Lane services at both of its U.S. resorts. The ticket increases kick in today. Disneyland ticket-price increases have become an October ritual. The top one-day, one-park ticket (Tier 5) was $124 in 2017. It was raised to $134 in 2018, to $149 in 2019, to $154 in 2020 and to $159 in 2021. The price for that same tier ticket is now $169, a 36% rise in five years. (A Tier 6 was added above at $164 last year, which has now risen to $179.)

 Single-park ticket prices in 2021 vs. the new 2022 rates are as follows:

Tier 1: Was $104, now $115

Tier 2: Was $119, now $129

Tier 3: Was $134, now $144

Tier 4: Was $149, now $159

Tier 5: Was $159, now $169

Tier 6: Was $164, now $179

The Anaheim parks also introduced a new Tier 0 price point with heavily restricted dates for $104.

 Park-Hopper tickets, which allow guests to visit Disneyland and California Adventure on the same day, also cost more, with the following increases now in effect:

Tier 1: Was $164, now $179

Tier 2: Was $179, now $194

Tier 3: Was $194, now $209

Tier 4: Was $209, now $224

Tier 5: Was $219, now $234

Tier 6: Was $224, now $244

The least expensive park-hopper ticket will be $169, a new tier. The cost of multi-day tickets also increased between 9.21% and 11.76%. The one-day Park Hopper add-on option has risen from $60 to $65. The basic Genie service forecasts wait times for various attractions at the theme park and provides recommendations based on user preferences. Adding Genie+ provides access to the “Lightning Lane” line-skipping service for most rides one attraction at a time. Some of the more popular attractions, however, require additional a la carte Lightning Lane fees. The Disney Genie service is available through the Disneyland app.

For Disneyland and California Adventure, which introduced the service last December at $20 a day, Deadline hears that the changes mean:

For guests purchasing pre-arrival as an add-on to their ticket, the price for Disney Genie+ service will go from $20 to $25 per ticket, per day, subject to availability.

For guests purchasing day-of (after they’ve entered a theme park), the price for Disney Genie+ service will start at $25 per ticket, per day, but will vary by date based on demand. That leaves open the possibility for peak-day price increases above $25 for the service. Guests can check the Disneyland app for that day’s price.

Some popular attractions such as Radiator Springs Racers and Rise of the Resistance require additional fees for Lightning Lane access, and Disney says pricing will continue to vary by date and demand, but guests may see some changes in the range. One user at the park today reports that LL access for Rise of the Resistance is currently $25. When Magic Genie was introduced last year, LL a-la-carte access for popular rides was set at between $7 and $20 depending on demand.

At Walt Disney World, Deadline has confirmed that more new pricing is as follows:

The price of Genie+ now varies by date, regardless of when it is purchased. What was $15 now ranges from $15-$22 for the current month.

The price of some individual Lightning Lanes will also rise. When Genie+ was introduced last year, LL a la carte access for popular rides was set at between $7 and $20 depending on demand. The current a la carte LL fee for Rise of the Resistance is $15-$22 for the month of October. On the lower end, Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train ranges from $10-$11 this month.

After a Covid-hampered 2021, Disney Parks, Experiences and Products has been a prime mover in the company’s success so far this year. Revenue in the division surged 70% to nearly $7.4 billion as of August 2022, with operating income up from $356 million to $2.1 billion. Disney brass said domestic parks drove the numbers higher. Spurred by the price increases and add-ons championed by Bob Chapek — himself a former head of the Parks division — guests were spending more per capita on tickets, food and hotels. Revenue was also boosted by new services like Genie+ and Lightning Lane. Today’s increases likely mean more of that to come.

Wow!! Disney sure does increase their ticket prices every year! I know that some Disney fans are not happy about the news, but it is just the way life is. Some things do change and not everything is going to be the same in the future. The Genie Plus increase is very interesting because some of the Lightning Lane attractions like Radiator Springs Racers and Rise of the Resistance require a fee to pay for the return time. I think that the Radiator Springs Racers and Rise of the Resistance individual lightning lanes got my attention because it has a really long line and you would have to actually pay for the return time and skipping the lines.

So, what do you guys think about the ticket price increase, cost of the Genie Services, the Radiator Springs Racers and Rise of the Resistance attractions being individual lightning lanes, and Genie plus increase as well?!

 I would love to hear lots of comments, thoughts, opinions, questions, or concerns down below! Stay tuned for Disney updates.

The post Big Disney Information Updates! appeared first on The Nerd Element.

http://www.afronerd.com/2022/10/blade-reboot-issues-alan-moore-on.html

Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey.....let's go!  Welcome to the latest installment of Afronerd Radio's Mid-Week in Review broadcast, airing each and every Wednesday at 8 p.m. on the BTalk 100 cyber-streaming platform.  Join your ever lovin' AFROnerdist hosts as they dissect this (mid) week's following issues:  the production behind the reboot of your favorite Black dhampir, Blade, appears to be having a false start.  The star of the forthcoming Blade film, Mahershala Ali, is alluding to some difficulties and the recently announced director, Bassam Tariq, has parted ways from the Marvel project; legendary graphic novelist, Alan Moore has some pretty interesting things to say about comics books being in conflict with adulthood and human maturation; our thoughts about a problematic rap PSA entitled, "No Voting, No Vucking", performed by hip hop artists, Trina and Saucy Santana:

    

The highly anticipated manga to anime translation of Chainsaw Man, made its debut this week and we have our thoughts; fashionista/entrepreneur/hip-hop performer, Kanye West has made a stir (again and again) concerning his "White Lives Matter" line of shirts as well as a recent interview on FOX TV:

 And if you need more evidence of our impending doom, a new course of study centering on libidinous rap performer, Nicki Minaj, was announced this week and will be under African-American studies department at UC Berkeley;  Marvel's movie release schedule as changed again; we never did speak about Daredevil's appearance on Disney+'s She-Hulk streaming series;  And if time permits, another Mortal Kombat animated film, Mortal Kombat Legends: Snow Blind was released this week and, of course, we have an opinion..

One thing that Dburt is doing (finally) is investing in cryptocurrency, courtesy of Roundlyx. We would implore our followers to investigate, discern and then explore by using our referral code: afro-87A4BF

https://nerdist.com/article/nicolas-cages-face-giant-blanket-weird/

We all could use a little more Nicolas Cage in our lives. If this year’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent wasn’t enough Nic for you, and your old DVDs of Raising Arizona and Wild at Heart just don’t fill that Cage-sized hole in your heart, then we’ve got the solution. Thanks to Boing Boing, we’ve learned that you can now buy a blanket that features the face of Nicolas Cage. But as if stretched over thousands of square inches of material. This is either the greatest blanket ever made, or the most disturbing. Well, maybe it’s a little bit of both. You can see images of this incredible creation right here:

The stretched-out Nic Cage face sure gives us Brazil vibes. (We mean the Terry Gilliam movie, not the country). And also that one bad guy with the stretchy face from Star Trek: Insurrection. If this particular blanket creeps you out though, would you believe there are other Nic Cage blankets out there? Yes, you can buy one that has the Ghost Rider and Face Off star with his shirt unbuttoned, serving us some “sexy Cage.” And there’s even another one with multiple Nic Cage faces. Some look like Nic Cage as the Hulk, or an Egyptian Pharoah. And there’s even one with Nic Cage as a cheeseburger. Because sure, why not?

The Nic Cage face blanket features a premium microfiber selection. This soft blanket uses 100% Anti-pilling fleece, so all layers can last for long use and provides fade resistance much better. The manufacturer describes it as “super soft, skin-friendly, and fuzzy.” Basically, words that spring to mind when we think of Nic Cage. It’s also suitable for all seasons. It comes in three sizes as well, including 40×50 Inch, 50×60 Inch, and 60×80 Inch. You can buy yours now from Amazon for a mere $27.99.

The post Nicolas Cage’s Face Stretched Out Makes for One Disturbing Blanket appeared first on Nerdist.

https://blackgirlnerds.com/starting-the-path-to-partnership-on-twitch/

For many streamers Twitch is a fun hobby.  It’s a way to express yourself within the confines of your home whether it is through gaming, podcasting or being super creative with a fun activity like teaching your community how to sew up your latest cosplay wardrobe. However, for some streamers, Twitch is a business, and the path to becoming a partner is a primary goal and focus for many affiliates. When you first start off as a streamer for Twitch, you can apply to become an affiliate. This is where the community building starts and you start to grow your channel.  However, when becoming a partner, that is where monetization begins and depending on how far you want to go as a streamer, you can use Twitch as a side hustle to supplement income part time or you can make live streaming become something you do for a living.

In a room filled with affiliates and one partner, the Path To Partner panel was led by Anish, the Director of Community Partnerships and Community Marketing Manager RayApollo. The two ​​Twitch strategists gave a fundamental overview of what it takes to become a partner on Twitch. Both moderators have assisted with providing educational programs, workshops, webinars, and writing processions to the Twitch community. Twitch is also working to create a safe space for users as more streamers join the platform. One thing the moderators make clear at the beginning of the panel is that the path the partnership or affiliate status is not guaranteed. Applications are reviewed manually by the partnerships team and it may take up to 7 days to review based on the volume of applications received.  The key is reading why you were denied and taking that feedback and using that to improve your channel.  RayApollo encourages affiliates that the process here is a marathon, not a sprint, so take your time when building and creating your channel.

Most of the information below was taken from slides presented from the panel, so this language may overlap language that is currently a part of Twitch’s educational workshops.

So What Are The Requirements To Become A Partner?

In order to become a partner of Twitch, all applicants must meet all three requirements within the same 30 day period, excluding Premieres, Reruns and Subscriber Streams

• Stream for 25 hours
• Stream on 12 different days
• Average of 75 CCVs (concurrent viewership)

While the idea of maintaining these stats for new streamers may be daunting, the idea is to pace yourself and not to solely focus on the numbers, but to redirect that focus to your community. Ultimately, you want to make sure that you’re building your community and being authentic and passionate about the content you are creating, the numbers and audience will organically rise as long as you are enjoying what you are doing! 

Selecting Your Categories

Choose categories you think best suits your interest and skills, and stream in them consistently. And while consistency is important, you don’t have to be pegged to stream in one category.  In fact, Twitch discourages this! The Twitch team wants you to stream in more than one category to help expand your reach and to give you more options as a streamer to create more creative content for your community.  And don’t stream in big categories for the sake of growth. You can be successful in any category on Twitch.

Setting A Stream Schedule

Fill out your stream schedule in your Creator Dashboard to make it easier for viewers to find and watch your content. A regular schedule lets viewers fit your stream into your routines, and helps discovery by reaching the same group of viewers when you go live. 

Adding Tags 

This may be a familiar process to users who create content on YouTube or have used WordPress as a CMS platform for blogging. Tags are instrumental in helping users find your content.  It’s a form of SEO (search engine optimization) and tells users about your specific stream. Tags make browsing viewers more likely to click on your stream, by giving them more information about your content. 

Promote Your Channel

In a short hook, send live notifications about what you’re streaming. You can verbalize your CTAs (call to actions) by telling your viewers where they can follow your channel and to turn on their notifications. And don’t forget to let them know when the next time they can tune in and keep them posted on your streaming schedule. 

The Twitch staff does offer some words of wisdom for the path to partnership.

The best time to apply is when you are feeling really invested in streaming and confident in the community you’ve built. Use your application to pitch yourself and your community and link your social media if you have them. And most importantly, if you were denied partnership, read the email why you were denied and apply those changes to your channel.