Welcome to Streaming Rewind, a weekly breakdown of the new and noteworthy as we work to help readers wade through the absolute deluge of television series and movies in the streaming space.
Welcome to Christmas and New Years limbo, where the time is made up and the date doesn’t matter. There’s a limited number of releases this week, because Hollywood typically just shuts down for the last month of the year, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few surprises.
The Beyoncé Bowl (Netflix)
If you’re not a football fan, you may not have known that Beyoncé did a halftime special for the Ravens vs. Texans game on Christmas (that’s right, Netflix does football now too). In said special, she performed some of the songs from her Cowboy Carter album live for the very first time. If you’re a member of the Beyhive who wasn’t willing to sit through a football game to watch Queen Bey perform, Netflix released a stand-alone special of the performance today. And, for those wondering, Netflix did, indeed, manage to host two whole live events on Christmas day without its typical buffering issues.
Squid Game is Back for Round 2 (Netflix)
It’s been a Netflix week! The highly anticipated second season of Squid Game finally dropped, ironically resulting in many across the industry working during Christmas and continuing the trend of Netflix completely missing the point of the series. Reviews have been mixed due to it being painfully obvious that Seasons 2 and 3 were meant to be one complete story rather than split in half, but our critic Shannon Miller liked the season. If you’ve already finished your binge, check out how Squid Game’s Season 2 ending sets up Season 3.
The Order (On Demand)
Nicholas Hoult has yet another film out on demand, this time alongside Jude Law and Jurnee Smollett. The film’s been met with early acclaim, and is based on a true story (and adapted from Kevin Flynn’s novel The Silent Brotherhood) centered on a string of bank robberies in the Pacific Northwest. You may have seen it during its brief theatrical run when it released on December 6 but, if you missed it, it’s available for purchase now.
New and Notable:
Gladiator II — December 24 (On Demand)
Y2K — December 24 (On Demand)
Doctor Who Christmas Special — December 25 (Disney+)
That’s, well… that’s pretty much it for this week. You can check out the few titles that are available on PVOD up above in the New and Notable section and, if you haven’t caught up just yet, there are a few options from last week that are still noteworthy. The Simpsons Christmas Special, O C’mon All Ye Faithful springs to mind! You can check out our review of the special if you’re not sure if you want to spend your precious lounge time on it. Don’t forget that What If…? Is dropping new episodes weekly, and that Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and Creature Commandos are in the middle of thier runs as well!
The Disney Treasure has officially begun its Maiden Voyage and has become the sixth Disney Cruise Line ship to embark on its first journey across the sea. Disney invited me aboard its latest ship to share with the world why this is one adventure that simply shouldn't be missed, and I'm excited to do so.
This Disney Treasure Ultimate Guide will provide everything you need to know about the ship, from the best food options to which shows can't be missed to which lounges and bars deserve your time, and I'd be more than happy to answer any further questions you may have below!
Before we get started, I do want to share that I discovered the meaning of the name Disney Treasure is not so much gold or gems, but the love we have for each other. I know this may sound sappy, but it's easy to take for granted these once-in-a-lifetime moments we get to share with our loved ones that are worth more than any amount of riches one can ever hope to earn, and this ship really took that to heart.
From the outstanding Tale of Moana with a cast and crew that has many members from the islands that inspired this story to the Plaza de Coco that reminded us our family will be with us forever and so much more, the theme of family, our love for each other, honoring those that mean the most to us, and being proud of where we came from was a part of every corner of the ship and it really made it feel like magic.
So, without further ado, let me share with you why the Disney Treasure is so special, and be sure to let me know your thoughts below!
This all begins with the first few steps as you get to see recreations of the Rivera family’s shoe workshop, pictures of the family, the letters Héctor wrote Coco when she was little and the song lyrics and notes of all the songs we love from the film, and so much more. However, the tears really start flowing when you arrive at Rivera’s Ofrenda, as it is complete with the restored photo of Héctor, Mama Imelda, and Coco and the photo of an older Coco now that she has passed.
This feeling of celebrating those we love reverberates throughout the whole experience, and that’s even before we get to the main event. The Plaza de Coco experience takes place over two nights, with the first reintroducing us to Miguel and the Rivera family and the second night turning the plaza into a Dia de los Muertos celebration that stars our favorite characters and songs from the film.
The show was very good, and they even included an emotional moment where we all got to honor the loved ones we have lost, but I do want to warn that your experience may vary depending on where you are seated. We were in a far corner and it was hard to keep track of everything going on and we didn’t have the best views of what was happening in the middle. Not a deal breaker by any means, but something to be aware of!
And the food! Plaza de Coco had my favorite bite of the entire cruise in the Michoacán Carnitas Tacos. The pork was so tender and crispy in the perfect places and it came with delicious tortillas, pillowy-soft cilantro-lime rice, and a perfectly spicy Salsa Roja Asada. It really was remarkable.
Other highlights included Miguel’s Churros Calientes, which were everything you’d hope a churro would be from its crispy outside and soft inside, the Beef Birria Empanada, which is the perfect appetizer, and the Red Chicken Enchiladas, which hit all the right notes for me. There also is a different menu on the first and second night, so you get the chance to try a ton of authentic Mexican food that has been crafted with a lot of love!
World of Marvel Is a Fun Adventure Through the MCU
World of Marvel is the other big themed dining experience on the Disney Treasure, and it’s a fun journey into the MCU. We were seated for the Marvel Celebration of Heroes: Groot Remix show and it was a fun experience that featured some of your favorite songs from the Guardians of the Galaxy films.
It was fun to see Groot plan a surprise party for Rocket, but the real star of the show for us was the trivia you could participate in on the table. They have these Quantum devices on the table and they ask Marvel questions in-between the big Groot moments, and they were the perfect distraction as we waited for our food. My son, who is 5, was so excited when he got the answer right and couldn’t get enough!
I will say, while the Groot show was entertaining and the payoff was sweet, it wasn’t the most memorable night. I think what it was missing was a big moment where a Marvel character came out to greet all the guests, like in the other show - Avengers: Quantum Encounter. In that show, Spider-Man comes out and runs around to say hi to everyone and it’s a really special thing.
As for the food, it was good meal with the highlight being the Malaysian Chicken Satay appetizer. The chicken was so tender and juicy and it paired perfectly with the roasted peanut dipping sauce and spicy cucumber salad. I was also able to try the Beef Wellington and it was tasty, but could have used a bit more sauce and texture. Everything was just a bit mushy. For dessert, I had the Orchard Peach Tart with vanilla sauce and dulce de leche ice cream and it was a nice end to a fun meal!
1923 Is an Celebration of Disney's Past
1923 is the main dining room experience aboard the Disney Treasure and, while it doesn’t have any show component, it celebrates the over 100-year history of The Walt Disney Company with storyboards, sketches, props, and more.
I got the California Riesling Risotto and it was surprisingly good. What I love most about cruises is trying food you may have never had before, and this combination of Sweet Green Pea, Fava Bean, Malabar Spinach, and Toasted Pine Nuts was the perfect example of that. It’s also home to the Chocolate Lava Cake, which is always a delight.
Marceline Market Is The Gold Standard for a Buffet at Sea
Marceline Market, which is named after Walt Disney’s early childhood home, is the cruise buffet restaurant and it is really wonderful. It’s kind of a tradition for guests to make Marceline Market one of the first stops when you get on the cruise as your room usually isn’t quite ready, and that meal is so special because it is delicious and it means your cruise has officially arrived. And what’s a better feeling than that?
We had one lunch and one breakfast at Marceline Market on our three-day trip and some of the highlights included the Chicken Tikka Masala, chicken fingers, mac and cheese, POG (Passion Fruit, Orange, and Guava) Juice, the charcuterie board, Mickey Waffles, and Eggs Benedict.
There are so many options at Marceline Market that I couldn’t even try the raw bar with crab and shrimp cocktail, all the single desserts, plentiful soup and salad options, and much more. On the Disney Wish, where I was able to to eat at Marceline Market multiple times, I will say it did get a bit old as they didn’t change up the dishes all that much. That being said, it’s a great option for those who want a quick and delicious meal!
Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods Gives You More Choice on Where to Dine
If you leave Marceline Market and head across the pool deck, you will enter Mickey & Friends Festival of Foods. This festival contains Mickey’s Smokestack BBQ, Donald’s Cantina, Daisy’s Pizza Pies, Goofy’s Grill, and Minnie’s Delights, and they are another great option for switching up your dining experiences.
Mickey’s Smokestack BBQ was the best of the bunch for me as the ribs and brisket were so tender, fall apart, and delicious. There are a bunch of other options and a few BBQ sauces to try, and I found myself wanting to come back for more A LOT.
Donald’s Cantina won second place for me as it is the Disney Treasure’s take on a Chipotle-style meal. You can get a burrito, bowl, or tacos, and there is an extensive salsa and hot sauce bar that gives you a lot of customization options to make the perfect dish.
Goofy’s Grill is where you’ll go if your craving a cheeseburger, hot dog, chicken fingers, or some french fries. They are classic and delicious and, like many of these other options, I just wish they were open a bit later. The only stall that is open late is Diasy’s Pizza Pies, and they sadly don’t make the greatest pizzas of all time. It is good as far as pizza goes, but it was probably my least favorite stall.
Lastly, we have to talk about Minnie’s Delights, because this shop is the home of the legendary cruise ship soft serve. You can get chocolate, vanilla, swirl, and more and it hits the spot every single time. 10/10.
Enchanté by Chef Arnaud Lallement Is One of the Finest Dining Experiences at Sea
For those looking for a truly high end dining experience, you all need to look no further than Enchanté by three Michelin-starred Chef Arnaud Lallement. Lallement is also responsible for the menus of Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy’s Remy, and he returns for this Beauty and the Beast-themed multi-course meal that is adult-exclusive and features French-inspired cuisine. I wasn’t able to try Enchanté this time, but I’ve heard nothing but great things!
Palo Steakhouse Is an Adult-Exclusive Meal Worth the Extra Cost
Those who have sailed on the Disney Magic, Wonder, Dream, or Fantasy may be familiar with Palo, the Italian-inspired adult-exclusive restaurant that costs an extra $50/person. However, the Disney Treasure and Wish have Palo Steakhouse, an “evolution” of the original inspired by Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast.
My wife and I were very grateful to Disney for treating us to brunch at Palo Steakhouse, and it just so happened to be one of my favorite meals in years. Beyond offering stunning floor-to-ceiling views of the ocean, this multi-course meal was so fresh, delicious, and inventive that it has me dreaming of my return trip in the future.
$50 gets you everything on the menu minus a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and that includes as many portions as you can reasonably handle. While we’ll get to the food in a second, I also have to applaud the wait staff for their INCREDIBLE service, friendliness, and enthusiasm for guiding us through the menu. We honestly let them steer the ship for this brunch and I’m so happy we did.
We began with both Antipasti Selections - one seafood-focused and one meat-and-cheese-focused - and they were both fantastic. Some of the highlights included the Jonah Crab Claw, Lemon-Marinated Shrimp, Sliced Bresaola, and the Caciotta a Tartuffo. The Bresaola was an air-dried, salted beef that had so much wonderful flavor, and it paired perfectly with the Caciotta a Tartuffo and its divine cheesy and truffle flavor.
We also have to talk about the bread service, because I don’t think I’ve ever had such pillowy soft bread in my life. There was a combination of breads, breadsticks, and more, but the winner was the olive and sun-dried tomato bread that had so many flavors packed into one bite.
We then ordered the non-alcoholic Cipriani Bellini, and let me tell you that I instantly went online to see how I can order these at home. They were SO tasty and had a non-artificial-tasting Peach flavor with a carbonated bite that caused me to drink it way too fast.
The egg course was next and we tried the Rosemary Ham and Hollandaise Benedict and the Spinach, Asparagus, and Mornay Sauce Benedict and they were very good, even if I wish they had a bit more texture and weren’t as soft.
Before our main course we tried the Heirloom Tomato and Basil Soup and it tasted as if the tomatoes were picked right off the vine. There was no filler here, it was delicious tomato flavor that had me looking around for the garden.
Finally we reached the Entree course and we split the famous Parmesan-Crusted Chicken Breast with Creamy Risotto, Veal Saltimbocca, and Lasagna Bolognese. Everyone hyped up the Parmesan Chicken before our brunch, and I’m so happy to report it lived up to it. Chicken Parmesan and Risotto are two of my favorite things in the world and they are somehow even greater when paired together.
The Veal had a very strong wine flavor from the Barolo Wine Jus which I wasn’t the biggest fan of, but I did appreciate how inventive it was with the Black Garlic Rapini. What surprised me the most, however, was the Lasagna. It may look simple, but it was hiding so many layers of flavor and cheese and was the dish we finished the fastest.
To end, we split the Warm Amaretto Chocolate Fondant with Espresso Gelato and the Limoncello Almost Torte. Much like everything else on the menu, these were wonderful and the mix of chocolate and tart worked wonders.
I understand I didn’t have to pay for this particular meal, but I do strongly believe Palo Steakhouse is more than worth the price for the views, impeccable service, as much fantastic food as you’d like, and an excuse to treat yourselves on a beautiful cruise ship day or or night.
Jumbeaux’s Sweets Is a Love Letter to Zootopia
Jumbeaux’s Sweets is a Zootopia fan’s dream come true and is the place to get a sweet treat when aboard the Disney Treasure. While they don’t yet have the Pawsicle (It’s on its way!), they do have Pawsicle-shaped treats, a ton of gelato and ice cream, and specialty goodies like the Judy Hopps Carrot Cupcake, Nick Wilde Raspberry ‘n Cream Cupcake, and more.
The theming is also top notch and features a life-size statue of both Nick and Judy, the adorable Lemmings eating their Pawsicles and hopping up and down their private elevator, and more.
What really sets Jumbeaux’s Sweets apart, however, is how much the team really cares about honoring Zootopia. Pastry Chef Greg McClure shared with me how he was most proud of how they developed the unique Sahara Squares - a whole new cupcake/cake hybrid named after a location in Zootopia that brings the world of the film to the Treasure.
Entertainment
The Tale of Moana Is One of the Greatest Shows I've Seen for One Very Special Reason
This show was not only one of the greatest stage shows I’ve ever seen on land or sea, but it’s truly special because of the story behind it. Much like the film that inspired it, The Tale of Moana is an incredible celebration of the people and culture of Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. And this isn’t just lip-service either as Disney went and recruited much of its cast and crew from those islands, and it was one of the best decisions they’ve ever made.
I was speaking to one of my Disney reps and they shared with me a story about how she was speaking to Jodi Kimura, the Hawaiian actress behind the production’s Gramma Tala, and she asked why she chose to leave Broadway to come perform on a Disney Cruise. The reason was beautiful - it was the first time she was going to be able to perform with her people.
And yes, that means she was able to share the stage with Moana herself, Kaenaonālaniowaianuhea Kekoa. Kekoa is another Hawaiian actress and I don’t know how to praise her any better than saying she is Moana. She had such a command of the stage with power, emotion, and joy and it sailed straight into our hearts.
I had the chance to speak with Kekoa after watching The Tale of Moana, and here’s what she had to say about when she really felt she was Moana, as I think iy strengthens my points better than I could ever hope to;
“It was probably the moment when I'm on the boat with Gramma Tala, right before the song ‘I am Moana’ and she's sings, ‘I'm a girl who loves my island, and a girl who loves the sea,’” Kekoa said. “That really got to me as I am a girl from an island and I love the sea and my people and being able to share that with the world... that's probably the moment I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I am this girl… but we are all this girl!
“We all have ancestors whose legacy we have the honor of carrying on and passing down. So I hope that everybody can see that and a piece of Moana in themselves.”
I strongly encourage you to check out my full write-up on The Tale of Moana so you can hear from more of the creatives, but I think it’s amazing that I’ve gone this far and haven’t even mentioned how remarkable the show itself was. From people dancing and acting as the ocean and carrying Moana across the stage to the massive and unbelievable Te Ka puppet that transformed back into Te Fiti on stage to Gramma Tala as a manta ray soaring across the theater, there were so many moments that all led up to one of the most impressive standing ovations I’ve ever been a part of.
I don’t have enough good things to say about The Tale of Moana, and my only regret is that only those on the Disney Treasure will be able to see it. Here’s hoping one day it is able to sail beyond the reef and make its way to Broadway or elsewhere because the world needs to see this truly fantastic adaptation of Moana.
Beauty and the Beast and Disney Seas the Adventure Are Fantastic Broadway-Style Productions
The other two shows on the Disney Treasure - Beauty and the Beast and Seas the Adventure, were also very, very good, but I want to start with Beauty and the Beast. We all love the story and music from that classic Disney film, but what made this show special is the cast of The Tale of Moana also performed Beauty and the Beast. Why is this special? I’ll let Jenny Weinbloom, VP of Disney Live Entertainment, tell you.
"The Tale of Moana is so powerful, but what I also love about what we do at Disney Cruise Line is that our shows are all performed in rep, which is to say this same cast is performing our other big shows on the ship like Beauty and the Beast,” Weinbloom said. “The first time I saw this cast, who I'd fallen in love in The Tale of Moana, perform Beauty and the Beast, I was struck and I found myself weeping in the middle of that opening number because Belle's little provincial French village looked like Motonui.
“I just thought, what a beautiful little sense of connection that both of these little villages now have, no matter what the people look like, no matter where our performers may be from, these little villages have so much more in common than we might think. It really is beautiful.”
As for Disney Seas the Adventure, it’s a much shorter show that is the perfect kick-off for a cruise. This show sees Goofy steering a ship and getting swept away to the worlds of our favorite films like The Princess and the Frog, Moana, Frozen II, and more. There are also some numbers where they combine beloved characters and songs together in a mash-up, and those were some of my favorites.
AquaMouse Is a Water Slide Ride Starring Everyone's Favorite Mice
AquaMouse is the big water slide ride on Disney Cruise Ships and the Disney Treasure features an all-new Mickey and Minnie Mouse short called Curse of the Golden Egg. This is a very fun water slide that isn’t too scary, and will definitely be a highlight for the younger guests.
Pools and Water Play For All Ages
Speaking of water activities, there are plenty of ways to cool off on a hot day aboard the Disney Treasure. You can hop into one of the 10 pools and play areas inspired by Mickey Mouse and his friends, the younger guests can enjoy the delightful Toy Story Splash Zone, and the whole family can hop on the Slide-a-Saurus Rex slide for a thrilling few moments of fun. And yes, there are adults-only pools for those times you want some peace and quiet.
Hero Zone Is an Incredible Excuse to Have Fun
The Hero Zone is an Incredibles-themed room that transforms and offers a ton of fun experiences for guests of all ages. One of the best times to visit is when the Incred-Games are happening, which encourages families to come and compete in challenges in an inflatable obstacle course. Some of the obstacles include busting through a “brick wall,” getting through Jack-Jack’s Whack-A Rac, testing your flexibility in Elastigirl’s Stretch-O-Rama, and much more.
Hero Zone is also home to the ADORABLE Jack-Jack’s Incredible Diaper Dash, Tink’s Neverland Challenge, and Free-Play Sports.
Sarabi Is a Lion King-Themed Theater With So Many Great Options
Sarabi is just one of the many lounges aboard the Disney Treasure, and it is home to musical performances, comedy acts, family game shows, trivia, dance parties, and so much more. While there are other venues that offer similar activities, the Lion King-themed Sarabi is the main theater for these events that can fill out your cruise day.
The best show I saw during our cruise was the brand-new ‘Choose Wisely! An Indiana Jones Comedy Adventure.’ This show not only went through the events of all the Indiana Jones films and tastefully made fun of them, but the INCREDIBLE and HILARIOUS hosts - Sage and Coriander - led guests through a choose your own adventure.
There would be a choice one of the characters would need to make, and the hosts would be “whipped” back to reality to ask guests in the audience to “choose wisely” and make the right choice. Of course, a lot of the fun happened when we didn’t choose wisely! Strongly recommend this show!
Wonderland and Never Land Cinema Brings the Newest Movies to the Disney Treasure
Considering Disney has created some of the most beloved films of all time, it only makes sense that Disney Cruises would have a way to watch some of them in the middle of the ocean. However, what makes these theaters special is they oftentimes include the newest movies that are still in theaters. During our trip, Moana 2 was showing multiple times and you could bring your loved ones or yourself, grab some popcorn and treats, and enjoy a film at sea!
Lounges and Cafes
The Haunted Mansion Parlor Is the Perfect Extension of the Disney Parks Attraction
One of the things that makes the Disney Treasure so special is it is the first time Disney has brought Disney Parks experiences aboard a Disney Cruise Ship. We’ll get to the Jungle Cruise-inspired Skipper Society shortly, but I can’t wait to talk about The Haunted Mansion Parlor.
The Haunted Mansion just screams (pun intended) authenticity, from the iconic ticking clock sound to a floating Madame Leota to eerily familiar paintings that hide dark secrets to hitchhiking ghosts and the always wonderful 'Grim Grinning Ghosts,' there is so much love and care put into every inch of this lounge. It also has its own story with a nautical twist, and that makes everything happening around you a little more meaningful.
The centerpiece of The Haunted Mansion feeds into this story and it is the ghost fish aquarium. This is a feat of Disney Imagineering marvel and its history is just as impressive as the aquarium itself.
The piece is an homage to Imagineer Rolly Crump and his Museum of the Weird that was set to be a walkthrough experience next to The Haunted Mansion. While it never saw the light of day, this aquarium now lives on in The Haunted Mansion Parlor. This wasn’t an easy thing to build either, as it came down to the wire to get the effects working properly, especially considering you can approach the aquarium from all sides.
The tributes to Crump didn’t end there, however, as there is also a bust of the Imagineer in the parlor that is a nod to the Haunted Mansion and his Museum of the Weird.
"Another character we all loved from the Museum of the Weird was Rolly Crump's Candleman," Joseph said. "Sadly, Rolly passed away during the development of the Haunted Mansion Parlor and we were all saddened by that and the fact he'd never get to see it completed.
"So, we knew we wanted to do a bust in there no matter what just like you'd find in the Haunted Mansion, but we then knew the perfect choice was to make it of Rolly. To make it even more special, one of our team members suggested we do Rolly partially as the Candleman and make sure the side of his head that's melting is next to the fireplace. This was a huge honor and another really detailed thought and the authenticity of the design that follows suit with everything else in the Mansion parlor."
It’s all these little details that make this lounge so special, and that obviously extends into the drinks. I don’t really drink alcohol, but I loved that references the drinks made, from The Chilling Challenge to Regions Beyond to the Happy Haunts IPA and Pallor Mortis Pale Ale to the Spirit-Free Bottled Soda ‘Potions.’
There’s also an awesome secret menu that guests can discover for themselves. I won’t spoil it here for you, but I will say that sometimes the answer requires a different perspective.
Skipper Society Brings the Jungle Cruise to This Disney Cruise
As I previously mentioned, Skipper Society is a lounge inspired by the Jungle Cruise and it’s one of the Disney Parks attractions that now has a home on the sea. Much like The Haunted Mansion Parlor, there is so much love and care put into this lounge that would make even the most die-hard Jungle Cruise fans proud.
One detail that I love is they used exact replicas of the greenery from the actual Disneyland attraction to adorn the ceiling, making it feel even more as if you are in queue getting ready to hop on a Jungle Cruise boat.
Another special addition is the nameplate of the EMS Express Boat in the bar. Many may not realize it, but this is a nod to the Ems river in Germany where the Disney Treasure first sailed to the sea after its construction was finished.
I could go on and on about the radios that feature Skipper talking with their very specific brand of humor, the ‘Missing’ poster for the infamous playwright cat, the stage with a beautiful wooden-carved wall of animals, the art piece that is a map of the Disney Treasure attractions if they were on the river, and so much more, but a lot of the fun is discovering these surprises for yourself.
I will mention the delicious drinks and food on offer at Skipper Society, and some of the notable ones are the Apple Cinnamon or original waffles, the Hippopotomai-Tai, Safari So Good, and Jungle Juice.
Scat Cat Lounge Is a Piano Bar with an Aristocat Flair
The Scat Cat Lounge is a piano bar themed after 1970’s The Aristocats and it is just so great. It’s very classy lounge that has the feel of an old-school jazz club with the little touches that add the Disney Magic.
I particularly like that paint-covered paw prints left by Toulouse on the piano, the ‘Ev’rybody wants to be a cat’ light fixture on the wall, and the poster that features cats from the team that helped bring the Scat Cat Lounge to life.
What also makes this lounge special is that it is right next to the Agrabah-inspired Grand Hall and it takes the Aladdin and Aristocats theming to heart and blends them together wonderfully so the transition isn’t so jarring for guests.
Periscope Pub Is a Wonderful Excuse to Go 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
Periscope Pub is such a cool area that honors 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and the now-closed attraction inspired by the film at Disney World, and it’s meant to make you feel as though you were underwater in a submarine. You can see fish, sharks, and even giant squid swim above you as you are enjoying a drink or grabbing a bite, and can enjoy sporting events and more in this mostly adult-exclusive space.
There’s also a fun Easter Egg to lookout for in Periscope Pub as you can see the number 718 on a pressure gauge. This number is in reference to what Meyer’s Werft shipyard calls the Disney Treasure - 718.
The Rose Is a Beautiful Place to Share a Drink and a View
Right outside of Palo Steakhouse and Enchanté sits The Rose, which may be one of the most gorgeous lounges I’ve ever been in. This Beauty and the Beast lounge, much like Palo, has incredible views of the ocean and it’s all adorned in gold and features artwork inspired by that famous rose from the film. However, the true star of The Rose is the hallway, which has you walk past portraits of characters from Beauty and the Beast until you get to the rose itself under glass. It’s simple, but so, so beautiful.
Jade Cricket and Heihei Cafes Are Delightful Walkup Cafes
Even the walkup cafes have a touch of wonder, and the Disney Treasure has the Moana-themed Heihei Cafe and the Mulan-themed Jade Cricket Cafe. While they aren’t overly themed, there are some incredible little touches, including a jade sculpture of Cri-Kee in a cup of tea and a statue of Heihei.
Oceaneer Club and ‘it’s a small world’ nursery Are the Definition of Disney Magic
On the Disney Treasure, there may be no place that has quite as much magic as the Oceaneer Club and ‘it’s a small world’ nursery. These kids clubs are absolutely incredible and there is so much love and care put into them. My son couldn’t get enough of the Oceaneer Club, which is for kids ages 3 to 10, and I learned why when I got a tour of the space.
The Oceaneer Club is gated and you need to check your child in, so it’s a great place to drop them off if you want to experience one of the adult-exclusive meals or otherwise, and once you enter you have the choice to go right of left. To the left is both Marvel Super Hero Academy and Star Wars: Cargo Bay, and these are both places to meet characters, build your own Marvel Super Hero Suit, interact with creatures from a galaxy far, far away like a porg and Loth-cat, and much more.
When you go right, you can enter Fairytale Hall and visit rooms inspired by Tangled, Beauty and the Beast, and Frozen. And yes, the characters will show up here and interact with the kids. When I was there, Rapunzel and Flynn showed me around Rapunzel’s room and discussed all her drawings and more. It was wonderful.
The Walt Disney Imagineering Lab is next and this was one of my favorites as I love the Imagineers and how they are instrumental in creating real-life Disney Magic. In this room, kids can learn what it takes to build and design experiences and attractions for Disney Parks and Cruise Ships, experience a virtual roller coaster, and even see cool tricks like this butterfly below.
The last space in the Oceaneer Club is Mickey and MInnie Captain’s Deck and it’s a wonderful indoor playground themed to Disney Cruise Line. As you can see, there is something for everyone, and we didn’t even mention the dance parties or themed games and activities that happen all throughout the cruise. I was so amazed by the details and care put into this space, and that was all before I wandered into the nursery.
The ‘it’s a small world’ nursery literally brought me to tears, especially considering I have a one-year-old. This whole room is themed after the beloved Disney Parks attraction, but this time it features characters from all your favorite Disney, Pixar, and Marvel characters. Oh, and Disney lullabies are being played at all times which caused my waterworks to go into high gear. It’s such a beautiful and lovely space and, combined with the outstanding staff, is a place I feel so comfortable leaving my most important little ones.
Staterooms and The EPCOT-Themed Tomorrow Tower Suite
The Disney Treasure has very comfortable staterooms in 4 main categories - Inside, Oceanview, Verandah, and Concierge. We stayed in a Deluxe Family Oceanview Stateroom with Verandah and it had a beautiful balcony that let you sit and enjoy the ocean breeze whenever you desired. The rooms were also pretty spacious and featured a variety of different themes based on Disney movies. We had a Luca room, and there was a beautiful mural above the bed and other nice touches all around.
Disney Cruise Lines also have a multi-bathroom set-up, where there is one room with a toilet and sink and another with a sink and shower/bath. This is all designed to let guests get ready in stages and get people going as quickly as possible.
While we didn’t get to stay in one, we were able to tour the Concierge-level Tomorrow Tower Suite, and it was a stunning tribute to EPCOT.
This two-story suite is placed inside the ship’s forward funnel and has its own private elevator and a two-story window that can be dimmed for extra privacy. The nearly 2,000-sqft suite can comfortably accommodate up to eight guests and features two main bedrooms, a library/bedroom that is fully accessible, and children’s room with a ceiling filled with stars and constellations. There are also 4.5 bathrooms to go with them.
The living room is perhaps the most impressive part of the Tomorrow Tower Suite as it features a breathtaking iridescent chandelier that is a kaleidoscope of colors and, when the sun is at the right position, it causes a dance of rainbows to light up the room.
In addition to all of this, there is a fully stocked fridge with Mickey Bars and other goodies, the ability to order Palo Steakhouse to the suite, and so many nods to EPCOT including the iconic geodesic sphere, Figment, The Lands, and so much more.
Disney Treasure Merchandise
You can’t have a Disney experience without a good collection of merch, right? The Disney Treasure obviously understands that and you can check out some of the coolest items in the slideshow below, including inaugural sailing merch and items inspired by the Haunted Mansion Parlor!
There is so much more to say about the Disney Treasure, and I encourage all guests to check out its main page to learn more about the ship, where it sails, and so much more.
Have a tip for us? Want to discuss a possible story? Please send an email to newstips@ign.com.
Adam Bankhurst is a writer for IGN. You can follow him on X/Twitter @AdamBankhurst and on TikTok.
On December 26, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment announced that Wicked would be available for purchase or rent at home as of December 31, with the physical release hitting February 4 of 2025. The digital and physical versions are packed with goodies, including deleted scenes (one of which I discussed with director Jon M. Chu in the video below), a singalong, two commentary tracks — one with Chu and one with stars Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande — and a ton more. There’s no question of the value here (even if you don’t actually own anything you purchase digitally), but what has come up is whether or not it’s too soon for the theatrical wonder to offer an at-home option with how well it’s doing at the box office, with the digital release falling barely a month after the film opened in theaters.
I am of two minds here.
The first is that I really like movie theaters, so of course I want them to continue to get what they can out of any blockbuster hit available. I know this in and of itself is a complicated conversation, given how expensive corporations and studios have made seeing things theatrically over the years is coupled with incessantly abhorrent behavior from theater-goers (put the damn phone away). But, to that I mostly just say visit your mom-and-pop theaters whenever and wherever you can. Big releases like Wicked help them tremendously too.
The flip side of this conversation is way more complicated. Yes, I want movie theaters — particularly smaller ones — to survive, and they need every single win that they can get in this day and age, but I also want the people who cannot attend movie theaters to be able to experience art.
I’m not here to preach, and I’m not here to have a debate. The fact of the matter is that COVID remains a tremendous risk for anyone who is immunocompromised, and long-COVID can impact anyone. Because of this, there are significant swaths of communities across the planet that simply cannot afford to risk their health over stepping foot into a movie theater with abysmal ventilation and a bunch of unmasked occupants.
Additionally, attending the movies simply isn’t an expense that many American families can afford with prices being what they are. Even matinees are enormous expenditures in major metros across the country. In L.A., a trip to AMC for a family of four (two parents, two children) will run you an astronomical $110.72. I can't drop that every time I want to go see a movie, and I can’t expect others to do so when they’ve got mouths to feed.
Of course, there's always the understanding that this is a business decision on Universal's part, and that decision is ultimately beholden to the almighty dollar. Because of that, it may seem obtuse to consider the people who cannot afford to attend. But, in this instance, I believe that impact matters more than intent. Whether or not the decision is financial or otherwise, it is still easier for a family to afford a single rental or digital purchase than it is for them to pay for a trip to the movies.
I want movie theaters to survive, but I also want people to be able to see movies. I wish we lived in a world where it was easy to say that Wicked should keep taking up screens for as long as it’s financially viable for theaters but there’s way more to the conversation than that. It’s because of the human element that I just can’t say that it’s too soon for Wicked to be rushing to digital release. Everyone deserves their one short day in Oz. (Even if the wizard is a tyrant.)
Even with Christmas over, there are still many great deals available that you can score before they're gone. Here are the best deals for Friday, December 27.
Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Definitive Edition for $44.99
If you recently completed the Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, this is the perfect game for you. Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age - Defintive Edition is the newest mainline title in the series, and there is so much it offers. For many, this is one of the best Dragon Quest games out there, and you can't go wrong picking this up for only $44.99.
Gran Turismo 7 for $19.97
Walmart has Gran Turismo 7 available for $19.97 today, and this is a perfect last-minute gift for the racing fan in your life. This is still one of the PlayStation 5's best games, with hundreds of hours worth of fun at your hands. You can test and drive over 500 cars in total. Plus, you can even play Gran Turismo 7 in VR with PlayStation VR 2!
Persona 3 Reload for $24.97
Persona 3 Reload is one of the best RPGs of the year. This remake recreates one of the most praised Atlus titles ever, with loads of new quality-of-life and gameplay features. An all-new voice cast debuted with this release, and each cutscene was remade with new assets for higher quality. If you've never jumped into the world of Persona before, this is a great place to start, especially at this price.
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for $39.99
Final Fantasy VII Rebirth was one of 2024's biggest games, continuing the story from 2020's Final Fantasy VII Remake. Cloud, Tifa, Aerith, Barret, and Red XIII begin their journey outside Midgar, meeting characters like Yuffie, Vincent, and Cid along the way. This experience offers well over 100 hours of content, with 36 sidequests and a main story over 40 hours long. Plus, there are dozens of minigames to discover.
Save on WD_BLACK Xbox Series X|S Expansion Cards
Both Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S cannot use standard NVMe SSDs. Instead, you can expand the storage of the internal SSD by plugging in an expansion card. Today, you can save on both a 1TB and 2TB model from WD_BLACK, which is perfect for downloading many more games to your system. If you find yourself quickly running out of storage, don't pass up this sale.
Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics for $34.99
You can score Marvel vs. Capcom Fighting Collection: Arcade Classics for only $34.99 this weekend at Amazon. This collection packs in seven different titles, including the beloved Marvel vs. Capcom 2: New Age of Heroes. At last, you can play these classic titles on modern platforms.
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for $39.99
The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD is the long-awaited remaster of the classic Wii game. Set at the beginning of the Zelda timeline, Skyward Sword takes Link to the skies as he traverses across the world to save his childhood friend Zelda. You'll uncover the Master Sword was created as part of this journey, among other things. For $39.99, this is an excellent title to add to your Switch collection.
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven for $39.99
Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven is arguably the best entry point into the SaGa series at this time. Acting as a full 3D remake of the 1993 release, this game features English and Japanese voiceovers, rearranged music, retooled gameplay, and more. If you're still unsure about Romancing SaGa 2: Revenge of the Seven, you can check out the free demo across all platforms!
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 for $44.99
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 follows the story of Rex and the Aegis, who aim to reach the fabled land of Elysium. This massive RPG takes place across the world of Alrest, a land covered in clouds, where there are only a few landmasses remaining. With incredible music, exciting gameplay, and a memorable story, this is a fantastic deal for only $44.99. Simply put, Xenoblade Chronicles 2 is one of the best games available on Nintendo Switch. I've put over 600 hours into the massive adventure, with all sorts of quests and exploration to be discovered.
WD_BLACK NVMe SSDs On Sale
Finally, you can save on WD_BLACK SN850X NVMe SSDs. These are perfect for any gaming PC, and you can even use one of these in a PlayStation 5, as long as you have a heatsink attached. The SN850X has speeds up to 7,3000 MB/s acoss all models, which is essential for quick and speedy load times. If you're purchasing for PS5, there are heatsink models available, though the sale on the standard models makes these SSDs much cheaper.
After 12 months of big hitters such as Helldivers 2, Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree, Dune: Part 2 and Shogun, it’s not unreasonable to consider 2024 a good year for pop culture. But the smooth always comes with the rough, and the past year really has been a rocky one for the things we love and the people who make them.
From layoffs and studio closures to costly consoles, underwhelming adaptations and struggling sequels, these are the biggest disappointments in 2024.
Gaming Industry Layoffs and Closures
The games industry found itself facing a crisis in 2023 as many publishers and studios, both large and small, made scores of staff redundant in an effort to cut costs. But the pains of that year would be repeated in 2024, which has seen an estimated 14,600 job losses - a 39% increase year-on-year. The cuts have seen thousands of talented studio staff thrown into the most difficult job market the games industry has ever seen, with developers attempting to find new roles in a landscape where companies are slimming down.
Among the major companies cutting staff loose have been Riot, Microsoft, Bungie, Unity, TakeTwo Interactive, EA, and PlayStation. Such businesses have reduced their staff numbers for a variety of reasons and factors, be that rising development costs, shifting player habits in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, and the global impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Whatever the reasons, remaining staff at these publishers and studios must continue to work in uncertain times without the aid of their former colleagues.
Another developer closed for good is Firewalk Studios, the team behind what is certainly PlayStation’s biggest disaster of the generation: Concord. A PvP hero shooter, its long and costly development meant it arrived long after the genre had peaked in popularity. But, despite being developed by many FPS veterans hailing from the likes of Bungie and Activision, what could have been PlayStation’s next big multiplayer phenomenon struggled to stand out from the likes of Overwatch and Apex Legends thanks to its lacklustre character kits and standard fare objective design. From the outside Concord simply looked like another typical hero shooter, which meant few wanted to see what was going on inside.
It’s not an exaggeration to say that almost no one turned up for its August release – it achieved a high of just 697 concurrent players on Steam during its first week. Less than two weeks later, Sony pulled Concord from sale, refunded players, and shut the game down. By the end of October, Firewalk Studios was closed for business. It all sadly means Concord is gone without a trace. Well, almost – an episode of Amazon’s Secret Level animated series serves as a prequel to the ongoing Concord in-game story that never happened.
A similar, thankfully less tragic story also happened earlier this year with Rocksteady’s Suicide Squad: Kill The Justice League. After months of poorly-received marketing, Sucide Squad launched as a critical and commercial bomb. As with Concord, much of Kill The Justice League’s failings were due to chasing trends that players have long since largely tired of – in this case, the Destiny-style live-service shooter grind. It didn’t help that Suicide Squad resembled Crystal Dynamics’ ill-fated Avengers game from a few years back, which similarly annoyed players for being a repetitive multiplayer PvE game. In Suicide Squad’s case, it was a shattering fall from grace for a studio that previously made beloved single-player Batman games. Many of us just wanted more of that best-in-class superhero action with a villainous twist, but sadly Warner Bros’ chase of live-service revenue seemingly got in the way. Not that it paid off - an initial lack of sales and dwindling players has contributed to a significant revenue decline for the company.
Hardware Hiccups
The time-compressing effect of the pandemic years has disguised the fact that, yes, we’re already at the midpoint of the current console generation. Right on cue, Sony delivered its mid-cycle refresh PlayStation 5 Pro, and it’s safe to say that practically no one was pleased by its $700 price tag. That’s not just down to the cost of living squeezing everyone’s wallets – Mark Cerny’s presentation that apparently showcased the console’s ability to render The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered so much better than the base console was basically the “They’re the same picture” meme from The Office in action.
While there’s definitely time for the PS5 Pro to prove why it costs $200 more than the regular PS5, the initial results have been pretty disappointing. Rather than eliminate the need to decide between quality and performance modes, developers have added even more options to Pro-patched games, with confusing names such as ‘Fidelity Pro’ and ‘Versatility’. Remember when you just plugged in a console and it worked? Halcyon days. Plus, all the Pro’s extra power can’t even make Bloodborne look any better.
At least Sony fans got a console, though. After months of rumours that Nintendo was due to announce its successor to the Switch, the company announced a brand new piece of hardware: an alarm clock. Yes, the Alarmo is a $100 clock with game-themed alarms and a motion sensor that can detect when you’ve got out of bed. It’s hardly the Switch 2 we were hoping for. And even when it comes to Nintendo’s history of weird hardware, Alarmo is far from the most interesting or bizarre. A true disappointment from the house of Mario.
Unreliable Reliables
Over in the realm of television, things have largely been bright thanks to the likes of Arcane, Shogun, and Fallout. But 2024 also saw some traditionally reliable shows struggle to maintain their quality. Season 3 of The Bear certainly wasn’t bad – it once again provided some solid character drama and beautifully-shot kitchen nightmares. But, compared to the incredible highs of the first two seasons, this third chapter fell significantly short. Its frustratingly slow pace clashed with the lightning speed of previous years, and the focus being almost entirely on Carmy’s inner crisis forced valuable characters like Sydney into the sidelines.
Similarly, we saw this year’s Star Wars project struggle to hit the highs of The Mandalorian and Andor. The Acolyte was built on a fascinating premise that delved into the galaxy’s past, exploring the late High Republic era. It was packed with Jedi and featured one of the coolest lightsaber battles in the entire franchise, but even that couldn’t save the series from its sloppy and often infuriating storytelling.
The Acolyte’s saving grace could have been Manny Jacinto’s Sith lord The Stranger, who sports one of the most menacing helmets in all of Star Wars. But while deeper exploration of his character could have resulted in a much-improved season two, we’ll never get to see that thanks to Disney axing the show entirely. This isn’t just a Disney problem – Netflix has also continued its habit of cancelling shows after barely giving them a chance to realise their full potential. 2024’s Netflix cull included Kaos and Dead Boy Detectives, which join last year’s Lockwood & Co in the “cancelled after a single season” club.
Awful Adaptations
This year’s Fallout was a stellar exercise of how to adapt a video game for television, with Amazon’s wasteland show being among our TV highlights of 2024. But it seems like Fallout’s success isn’t a guaranteed indicator that every Amazon video game show will be fantastic, as proven by the dreadful Like a Dragon: Yakuza show that landed on the service several months later. Featuring no karaoke, far too little Majima, and far too much melodrama, Like a Dragon totally failed to capture the stark contrast between serious and silly that the Yakuza games thrive on.
It wasn’t just Japanese RPGs that were treated poorly for TV this year, though. Famed Japanese manga Uzumaki also received its long-awaited animated adaptation, and the results couldn’t have gone any worse. The four-part Adult Swim show turned Junji Ito’s monochrome horror into a rushed mess that sprinted to the finale, undermining plot points, character arcs, and scares on the way. The biggest disappointment, though, was the severe drop in animation quality following a visually rich episode one. Uzumaki transformed from beautifully chilling into a low-budget nightmare in the space of a week – it was a rug-pull scarier than anything Junji Ito could write.
Box Office Bombs
Unfortunately, terrible adaptations weren’t limited to the small screen. One of the biggest box office bombs of the year came in the form of Borderlands. Gearbox’s wacky looter shooter was transformed into a hideously miscast Guardians of the Galaxy rip-off for its live-action big screen adventure. Many of the games’ best-know qualities, such as its sweary sense of humour and love of turning humans into piles of goopy gore, were toned down to the point of vanishing completely. The result was bland, recycled MCU-ish ideas geared toward mass marketability. In short: a complete disaster. Unsurprisingly it died an unceremonious death when it launched in cinemas – with Lionsgate’s CEO saying “nearly everything that could go wrong did go wrong.”
It’s arguable that an FPS like Borderlands was never going to survive the transition to cinema. A sequel to the most profitable comic book movie of all time and the first R-rated film to pass a billion-dollars at the box office, though? Surely a second Joker was going to be an easy win. Not so much. Joker: Folie à Deux turned out to be a miserably dull follow-up, with director Todd Phillips undoing almost all the good he established in the first film. When not even Lady Gaga can save your kinda-sorta musical from its snoozefest courtroom drama scenes, you know you’re in trouble.
For the classic-mould movie buff, though, almost certainly the biggest disappointment of the year is Megalopolis. The years-in-the-making, self-financed magnum-opus from The Godfather director Francis Ford Coppola was (perhaps, if we’re honest, somewhat predictably) an indulgent catastrophe. Some people have seen method in the madness (including our own reviewer, who gave it a 9/10) but for many this opulent fable set in a futuristic, Rome-like New York City was a bloated, pretentious, dull mess. Quite how the creator of the quintessential Mafia movie got here may prove to be one of the universe’s greatest mysteries.
From studio closures to box office catastrophes, 2024 has had some real low points. It’s hard to find a silver lining in some of them, and we continue to hope that the industries that make our favourite things will turn a better corner in 2025. But in other instances it’s the downs that make the ups shine brightly – and you can find many of those bright stars in our roundup of the best reviewed games of 2025.
Netflix’s Squid Game isn’t a particularly subtle TV show. It’s a screed against capitalism and wealth inequity to the point that characters say this all out loud, in the dialogue, in the very first episode. Yet since it premiered in 2021, both viewers and even Netflix itself have been gleefully engaging with the show as a capitalist enterprise. So why does everyone keep missing the point of Squid Game?
There are likely a few reasons for this, but to spoil the eventual conclusion here: it proves the central thesis of writer/director Hwang Dong-hyuk’s series, that we are all ultimately trapped by capitalism. It’s darkly funny, in a way, that the culture of fandom and corporate engagement that has grown around Squid Game is the same that leads the players in the show to play the Squid Game in the series… But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.
Squid Game first hit Netflix on September 17, 2021 – and it might be hard to remember now, given the show is a global sensation, but at the time at least in America, it was one of those classic “drop it on Netflix and see what happens” series that wasn’t really promoted by the streamer. No screeners for the press, no rabid red carpets full of screaming fans… And yet it caught on and grew almost immediately. On Nielsen’s report for the week of September 20-26, the show clocked 1.9 billion minutes – and that was only on TV screens, and only in the US. The next week, it garnered over 3.2 billion minutes on Nielsen’s chart, growing to become a clear viral success.
The show itself didn’t seem like a likely breakout hit, given its ultra-violence and dark subject matter. Squid Game (in case you forgot over the past three years, or have yet to check out Season 2) revolves around a death game played by 456 players competing for cold, hard cash. Run by the mysterious Front Man (Lee Byung-hun), the games are framed as a way for the players to even the playing field. They can by majority vote decide to leave at any time – and even do, in Season 1, Episode 2, before promptly returning to the game – but whoever wins gets a sum of cash equal to the amount of people who died playing. Time and again, it’s clear the game is rigged for the enjoyment of the billionaire VIPs who bet on it from the safety of their cushy lounge. And in the middle of this all? The sometimes good-hearted, perhaps naive loser Seong Gi-hun (Lee Jung-jae), who goes on to – spoilers here – win the game, though perhaps at the cost of his basic belief in the goodness of humanity.
Capitalism controls even the existence of democracy and freedom of choice,
Season 2 widens things out further. We get to see what economically drives one of the Squid Game guards to join up and become a stone-faced murderer. We see a lot more of the outside world in Korea, and how every interaction, no matter how small, is a game driven by commerce. And the Squid Game itself changes to allow a majority vote to leave after every challenge. That latter tweak allows Hwang Dong-hyuk, throughout the season’s seven episodes, to dig into how capitalism controls even the existence of democracy and freedom of choice, and our divides (political, gender, monetary) are exacerbated by the very existence of money dangling over our heads. In this case, literally, thanks to the omnipresent piggy bank hanging over the room where the Squid Game contestants sleep and eat.
While there was some international promotion for the series when it first launched, including an appearance by the Red Light/Green Light doll in a mall in the Philippines, and a replica of the jungle gym set in a Seoul subway station, for the most part, the show traveled by word of mouth. Netflix had to play catch-up over the next few months. In an interview with the New York Times in advance of Season 2, Marian Lee, Netflix’s chief marketing officer, copped to as much. “Everything we did outside of Korea was reactive, because we didn’t know,” she said. “Even the content executives didn’t anticipate that it would be such a global phenomenon.”
What followed was total Squid Game domination. Dalgona, the honeycomb candy at the center of one of the games in the series, began showing up at homegrown candy stores and even official Netflix pop-ups in malls everywhere, alongside costumes from the show, just in time for Halloween. The press tour eventually caught up, too, leading to the stars of the series growing to international sensations “overnight” (check with your local Korean TV and movie viewer to hear them furiously explain how many of these “overnight sensations” have been celebrities in non-US countries for years). Then came the Golden Globes wins, SAG Award wins, and 14 Emmy nominations, of which the show won five. The Funko Pop!s followed the next year, and as Netflix proudly includes in all of its press releases about Season 2 of the series, based on the footwear of the mostly deceased contestants in the show, “Vans slip-on sneakers sales increased 8,000%.”
While Dong-hyuk was mulling plans for a second, and third season of the series, Netflix began referring to a Squid Game “universe” as early as January of 2022. And they paid off on that promise. Squid Game: The Challenge, a reality game show that reproduced the initial TV series without all the killing hit the service in November 2023, though it was marred by multiple safety and health issues, as well as (per the point of this article) critics pointing out it vastly missed the whole thesis of Squid Game. Similarly, the online multiplayer game Squid Game: Unleashed is a 32-player party game for Netflix subscribers (currently free for everyone in time for the release of Squid Game Season 2) which the streamer’s own press outlet, TUDUM, describes as “takes all the thrills of the hit Netflix show and puts them in your pocket.” To be clear, there is no option in the game to hang yourself in anguish and shame after you’re forced to take your wife’s life in a deadly game of marbles, so perhaps not all the thrills.
Why do people keep engaging with Squid Game as something “fun?” Why is Netflix able to make a cottage industry out of products sold around the show? How are there corporate retreats where actors dress up as the Front Man and Squid Game guards and have employees run through games from the show, ostensibly for team-building purposes? There’s even an official Netflix Squid Game Experience that claims it’s perfect for “School and Camp Visits,” and if the thought of children playing the games from the hyperviolent TV show Squid Game doesn’t make you viscerally uncomfortable, you may be entirely devoid of human empathy.
Part of the issue is that Squid Game, for all its cultural cache, is nothing new. Gladiatorial battles go back millennia. More to the point, everything from Battle Royale to Hunger Games thrives on the idea of people – usually children – fighting to the death for a possible prize, and rich people’s amusement. Those, too, are often misinterpreted by the public (see any of the Hunger Games theme park rides worldwide). Like how society gets dulled by repeated violence in the real world, so too are we inured to it on screen. Squid Game is perhaps not as shocking as it could be, because it’s not the first out of the gate; it’s just another death games series in a long line of series and movies. And like any genre, it has its fans, detractors, and culture that surrounds it.
There’s the question of why we like to watch these things, though, with at least two major reasons. One is the broad sense of why we watch horror movies, violent action spectacles, or even ride rollercoasters: to confront our own real fear of death and overcome it. But to the point of the death game genre, it raises the question of what you would do in the situation, something that Squid Game confronts head-on.
There’s a deeper, more horrifying reason why both viewers and Netflix are able to engage with Squid Game on the most surface level possible, though, and it’s that Hwang Dong-hyuk… Is right. We are under the yoke of corporations and billionaires. They inure us into thinking that capitalism is a game we can win, but it’s rigged to their benefit, and not ours. Think about how the central action of the show features humans, reduced to numbers instead of names, forced to kill each other playing children’s games.
Dong-hyuk distills it down even more simply in Seong Gi-hun’s first encounter with the Squid Game in the series premiere. Penniless, defeated, and beaten up, he encounters a clean-cut man in a business suit (Gong Yoo) on the subway. The man tells Seong Gi-hun he can play a simple children’s game (called ddakji), and after losing the first round is told that if Seong Gi-hun wins, he gets money. If he loses, the businessman gets to slap him. What follows is a series of increasingly harder, more humiliating slaps as the businessman beats down Seong Gi-hun. When he finally wins, Seong Gi-hun goes to slap the businessman back – but no, the game is over. He gets paid. It’s done.
In Season 2, Dong-hyuk drives this home even harder, throwing any sort of subtly out the window in a desperate attempt to get his point across to the section of the audience who saw “die for money” as too opaque a metaphor. The businessman has graduated from ddakji to giving hungry homeless people the choice between bread, and a lottery ticket. Would you rather eat, or have the chance for money you’ll likely never receive? Guess which most of them choose (and lose)?
As the second season continues, in small ways and big Seong Gi-hun is as controlling of the men he sends on a treasure hunt city-wide to find that businessman as anyone running the Squid Game. There’s a major sequence early in the season set on Halloween that is clearly pointed at anyone who thinks it might be fun to dress as a Squid Game guard. Once Seong Gi-hun is back in the game, his seeming heroism turns self-centered, and his vision of bringing down the game is less about saving people than redeeming himself for his own complicated actions. It muddies the waters of the conversation, but also turns the camera towards the audience, practically screaming that if you thought you were a hero like Seong Gi-hun… Well, you’re bad, too.
But what can you do about it? The game is rigged. The billionaires are in charge of it all.
But what can you do about it? The game is rigged. The billionaires are in charge of it all. Netflix is able to sell you those Funko Pop!s, the Vans, and the Red Light/Green Light Mattel doll for kids because the alternative – you cannot beat the system, we will all die in here – is too horrifying to contemplate. Netflix is worth nearly $400 billion. They are the VIPS in this scenario, seeing no repercussions for their actions. While they’re not literally making us walk a glass bridge until we plummet to our deaths, they are hiding behind their golden animal masks, and reducing us to streaming numbers controlled by the algorithm.
As the Front Man explains early in Season 2 when Seong Gi-hun tells him he wants to end Squid Game once and for all, the key isn’t killing one man, or even multiple men, as Seong Gi-hun has planned. It’s so much bigger than that. “If the world doesn’t change, the game doesn’t end,” the Front Man says. So how do you change the world? How can anyone?
To grasp that in any fashion is to know the system is everywhere, and it’s overwhelming. That’s what the contestants in the show realize during their brief sojourn back to Seoul in Season 1, that dying playing a children’s game is essentially the same as living in society. For us here in the real world, it’s easier to giggle about the actor dressed as the Front Man telling everyone on our corporate team that the Squid Games have begun, taking selfies and eventually heading back to our safe, identical hotel rooms, than contemplate we’re all trapped in one, large Squid Game ourselves, every day of our lives.
Connexion
