Breaking
Wealth World News
Archive

2024

Browsing
Business

Target stock falls 21% as big discounting effort falls short

Target reported earnings Wednesday that came in far below Wall Street’s expectations, something the big-box retailer attributed to slower than expected demand.

The company announced profits that fell short of forecasts by 20%, its widest miss in two years. Revenues, meanwhile, came in under expectations for the first time in more than a year.

Target’s stock, as a result, fell more than 21% Wednesday.

The discouraging results came despite a heavily touted campaign to discount thousands of items, as well as a pushed-up holiday sale.

On a call with reporters, Target CEO Brian Cornell blamed the dismal quarter on “lingering softness in discretionary categories,” as well as costs associated with preparing for the short-lived port strike in October.

Target Chief Operating Officer Michael Fiddelke added that it was “disappointing that a deceleration in discretionary demand combined with some cost pressures have caused us to take our guidance back down after raising it last quarter.”

The company lowered its profit and sales goals for the year, though Fiddelke said Target feels confident in its long-term outlook.

Broader stock trading did not immediately react, however, as Wall Street awaits earnings from chipmaker Nvidia, which has helped power the market higher throughout the year. Yet, combined with other indicators like slower holiday hiring, it could be a signal that sales for the all-important final calendar quarter could be softer than hoped.

Target’s report comes a day after rival Walmart reported earnings and revenues that beat expectations.

Yet, even Walmart noted that customers were still holding back in many cases for compelling deals, especially as the cost of food has risen.

“We’re expecting this holiday period to be very consistent with that,” Walmart Chief Financial Officer John David Rainey told CNBC. “They’re focused on price and value.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Sports

New women’s basketball league reveals rosters: See full team list

The newest professional women’s basketball league is a few months away from tipping off, and we now know who will play for each team in the inaugural season.

There are six teams in the league, and while the rosters are set, two squads each have one wild card spot open, meaning there are players who haven’t been announced as playing in the league. With so many of the world’s best playing, the teams are quite stacked. Here are the rosters for each team, as well as their head coach:

Laces

Head coach: Andrew Wade

Kelsey Plum
Kayla McBride
Alyssa Thomas
Courtney Williams
Kate Martin
Stefanie Dolson

Lunar Owls

Head coach: DJ Sackmann

Skylar Diggins-Smith
Allisha Gray
Napheesa Collier
Natasha Cloud
Shakira Austin
Wild card

Mist

Head coach: Phil Handy

Jewell Loyd
DiJonai Carrington
Breanna Stewart
Courtney Vandersloot
Rickea Jackson
Aaliyah Edward

Phantom

Head coach: Adam Harrington

Jackie Young
Marina Mabrey
Satou Sabally
Tiffany Hayes
Brittney Griner
Wild card

Rose

Head coach: Nola Henry

Chelsea Gray
Kahleah Copper
Angel Reese
Brittney Sykes
Lexie Hull
Azurá Stevens

Vinyl

Arike Ogunbowale
Rhyne Howard
Aliyah Boston
Jordin Canada
Rae Burrell
Dearica Hamby

When does Unrivaled basketball start?

The season will tip off on Jan. 17 with the Mist playing the Lunar Owls followed by the Rose taking on the Vinyl. All games will take place at a ‘custom-designed facility’ in Medley, Florida.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Sports

Deion Sanders has ‘kickstand down’ in Colorado, not eyeing Cowboys job

Deion Sanders wants to shut down rumors of him leaving the University of Colorado the same way he shut down wide receivers during his Hall of Fame NFL career.

The latest round of speculation – fueled by Sanders’ former teammate with the Dallas Cowboys, Michael Irvin – had the Buffaloes coach leaving Boulder to take over in Dallas.

Sanders, however, dismissed the idea.

‘I’m happy where I am, man,’ he said at a press conference on Tuesday. ‘I’ve got a kickstand down. You know what a kickstand is? … That means I’m resting. I’m good, I’m happy, I’m excited. I’m enthusiastic about where I am. I love it here, truly do.’

Sanders began his tenure at Colorado in 2022, taking over a program that finished 1-11 the season before. In just two years, he has the No. 18 Buffaloes on the verge of playing for a Big 12 title and a possible spot in the College Football Playoff.

NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.

Sanders is currently in the middle of a five-year, $29.5 million contract at Colorado, but that hasn’t quieted speculation that he might want to try his hand at coaching in the NFL – with Irvin even saying he’s ‘PRAYING’ Sanders and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones will get together.

Another former Cowboys wide receiver, Dez Bryant, also chimed in during Dallas’ ugly 34-10 loss to Houston on Monday night: ‘If I’m the Cowboys, I’d fire everyone after this season. There’s young, hungry talent in the upcoming draft. Also, I’d consider @DeionSanders as the next head coach.’

But Sanders threw a blanket over any of that.

 ‘We ain’t going nowhere,’ he said. ‘We’re about to get comfortable.’

The 8-2 Buffaloes next travel to face Big 12 foe Kansas on Saturday.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Stocks

AppLovin’s 1,303% Rise: The Hidden Power of the SCTR Report

How do you find the next big stock before it gains the investing public’s attention?

It’s tricky, but there are only two ways to spot a so-called “hot stock” before the social buzz. One is to scour financial reports and forum chatter to see what Wall Street insiders might be looking at before the general public catches. Another is to use various scans to trace the smart money’s tracks before the news gets out.

Alternatively, you could do both.

(As far as the latter—scanning for stocks exhibiting technical strength—perhaps it’s something you should be doing daily, as you have plenty of tools to scan every sector and stock on the market rapidly.)

Tuesday’s Scan After the Close

On Tuesday, I did an after-market scan to prepare for the following day’s trading session. Pulling up the StockCharts Sample Scan Library from the Charts & Tools menu, I ran a scan for New 52-week Highs and categorized the Symbols by the StockChartsTechnicalRank (SCTR) score.

FIGURE 1. NEW 52-WEEK HIGHS SCAN RESULTS. AppLovin is at the top when sorted by SCTR scores.Image source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

The mobile marketing tech company AppLovin (APP) had the highest SCTR score and a new 52-week high. I realized that APP was also on the SCTR Top 10 report, which is visible on the SCTR Reports Dashboard panel.

FIGURE 2. SCTR REPORT TOP 10 LIST. APP been on this list for a while but its move to the top position is worth noting.Image source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

If you’ve been following the SCTR Reports from time to time, you might have noticed that APP has been occupying the top 10 list for quite some time. APP, though not the most popular stock (perhaps until now), has been abuzz among institutional and tech investors for quite some time. It makes you wonder what other scans APP might have shown up on.

In the Symbol Summary tool, here’s what came up Tuesday afternoon.

FIGURE 3. LIST OF SCANS ON SYMBOL SUMMARY THAT INCLUDED APP. It’s time to do a deeper dive.Image source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

At the least, APP’s appearance on several scans tells you it’s time to do a deeper top-down dive on the stock. Let’s start with a weekly chart to get a big-picture view of APP’s price history.

FIGURE 4. WEEKLY CHART OF APP. The stock price had a parabolic upside move.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

That’s a jaw-dropping 1,303% jump (see percent line measurement in the chart). And it begs two questions: Were there early signs to get into the stock when APP was just at $30, and is it now just a FOMO trade, or is there still room for growth?

Starting with the first question, the earliest technical indication was in May 2023 (see blue dotted vertical line) when two things coincided (green circles highlight each event):

The Chaikin Money Flow (CMF) broke through the zero line, indicating that buyers controlled the market.The SCTR line shot up to around 99, well above the bullish 90 line.

At this point, you’re probably wondering if there’s still room for APP valuations to grow or if it’s now just a FOMO trade. Here, we’ll shift to a daily chart of APP to take a closer look.

FIGURE 5. DAILY CHART OF APP. There are multiple levels of support for the looming pullback.Chart source: StockCharts.com. For educational purposes.

APP’s runaway gap followed a stellar earnings report. The divergence between the CMF and the On Balance Volume (OBV) lines shows a potential decrease in institutional buying (represented by the CMF) versus retail FOMO (using OBV as a proxy). The Relative Strength Index (RSI) is clearly in overbought territory, but APP’s price action also shows how the RSI can sustain extreme levels for an extended period of time.

In the daily chart, three indicators show potential convergence at support levels. The Ichimoku Cloud provides a dynamic support range that shifts with price action, aligning with the quadrant lines, especially the third quadrant just below the 50% retracement. Keep in mind that the second and third quadrants typically signal bullish levels during a pullback. Lastly, notice the Bollinger Bands, where the middle band also falls within the third quadrant.

If APP starts pulling back, as it seems likely, and you’re bullish on the stock, watch these levels closely. How the price reacts at these points can guide you in making a more informed decision about when to take action.

At the Close

The steps to spotting a potential breakout stock like AppLovin highlight the importance of analysis using differentiated tools to uncover hidden opportunities. From initial scans to spot technical strength to deep dives using SCTR rankings and Symbol Summary insights, the journey of discovery relies on methodical steps. Whether you’re looking to catch the next big move or planning entry points during a pullback, the takeaway is clear: consistent, multi-layered scanning and analysis is the key to finding market gems early on.

Disclaimer: This blog is for educational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. The ideas and strategies should never be used without first assessing your own personal and financial situation, or without consulting a financial professional.

Keep Reading
By
Stocks

Is the USD Setting Up for a Perfect Rally?

After the election, things have hardly settled in the world. New developments in the Ukraine-Russian conflict and the Middle East are still volatile. Worst of all, I am in Redmond, WA this week, where last night’s storm caused a massive power outage in this region.

Needless to say, producing electronic content is a challenge at the moment 😉

But I found a small pocket where things seem to operate decently, so I’ll give it a try.

When market conditions become cloudy, I always like to step back and zoom out to see the big picture.

Weekly Asset Class Rotation

Using Relative Rotation Graphs, I do that, bringing up an RRG for asset classes as plotted at the top of this article. This is a weekly RRG, and the rotations seem pretty straightforward. (Note: I have left out BTC as it is powering way up into the leading quadrant and living a life of its own.) Stocks are the only asset class inside the leading quadrant, and they are on a decent RRG-Heading, suggesting that more relative strength lies ahead.

On the opposite trajectory, we find the three fixed-income-related asset classes in this universe: government bonds, Corporate bonds, and High-Yield bonds. All three are traveling on a southwestern heading and are moving deeper into the lagging quadrant. This suggests further relative weakness for this group in the coming weeks.

We find commodity ETFs and the Dollar Index inside the improving quadrant. DJP and GSG are in the improving quadrant while still in the middle of their respective trading ranges, both in price and relative.

The Dollar index, on the other hand, is interesting, having reached the top of a broad trading range after a significant rally that started at the bottom of that range back in September. It is now pushing against heavy overhead resistance.

Zooming in on the Daily Timeframe

Things are getting more interesting when I zoom in on the daily timeframe. This RRG is plotted above.

A few observations in combination with the rotations as seen on the weekly version. In the daily timeframe, stocks also head deeper into the leading quadrant on a strong RRG heading. This happens after a leading-weakening-leading rotation, which means it is a reasonably reliable start for a new up-leg in the already established relative uptrend. Conversely, the fixed-income asset classes confirm their weaker rotation back into the lagging quadrant after a lagging-improving-lagging rotation.

Overall, the preference for stocks over bonds is firmly shown based on RRG. Commodities are heading further into the lagging quadrant on this daily RRG, which tells me that the positive rotation on a weekly basis might be slowing down soon.

$USD Close to Breaking from Broad Range

This leaves $USD with an interesting rotation. The long tail traveling upward inside the improving quadrant on the weekly is getting support from the leading-weakening-leading rotation that is developing on the daily RRG.

On the price chart, $USD is very close to overhead resistance, and, with its current strength, there is a fair chance of breaking it upward. When that happens, $USD looks set for a strong follow-through that could reach the levels of the previous highs around 114. This target can be calculated by adding the range’s height, around 7 points, to the breakout level, around 107.

Stocks vs. Bonds

SPY continues to make higher highs and lower lows, confirming its uptrend even though negative divergence is still present and weaker breadth data (not shown here). However, at the end of the day, you can only trade SPY.

There was a nice rally in bonds, pushing yields down, but the decline of the 23.50 highs seems to be breaking the rising trendline.

The primary relative trend for GOVT vs. VBINX has been down for a long time, and the recent uptick seems to have ended, once again with a high for the JdK RS-Ratio line below 100, resulting in another lagging-improving-lagging rotation, the fifth since late 2022. So far, the rise in yields has not been damaging to stocks, and as a result, the stock-bond ratio has again accelerated in favor of stocks.

Overall, the preference for stocks over bonds continues while $USD seems to be setting up for a perfect rally!!

#StayAlert –Julius

Keep Reading
By
Sports

WATCH: Knecht ties NBA rookie record with stunning 3-point barrage

Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht tied an NBA rookie record Tuesday night by connecting for nine 3-point field goals in a 124-118 home victory over the Utah Jazz.

But the way he did it was even more impressive than the numbers might indicate.

Over a five-minute span – most of it with stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis on the bench – the former Tennessee Volunteer scored 22 consecutive points for the Lakers, with most of the damage coming from way beyond the arc.

Knecht finished the game shooting 12-of-16 from the field (9-for-12 on 3s) and 4-of-5 from the free throw line for a career-high 37 points.

Who is Dalton Knecht?

Rookie Dalton Knecht is a 6-6 shooting guard from the University of Tennessee, where he was the SEC Player of the Year and a consensus first-team All-American in 2023-24 as a senior.

All things Lakers: Latest Los Angeles Lakers news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.

The Lakers selected him with the 17th overall pick in the 2024 draft.

After Tuesday’s spectacular performance, teammate LeBron James chided the rest of the league for passing on Knecht when they had a chance.

‘They (the Lakers) didn’t ‘find’ DK. The other 16 teams (messed) it up,’ James said. ‘You don’t ‘find’ a SEC player of the year.’

Whose rookie 3-point record did Dalton Knecht tie?

Before Knecht’s outburst on Tuesday, three other NBA rookies had previously recorded nine 3-pointers in a game.

However, the list is not filled with household names.

Keyonte George, Utah Jazz: Feb. 15, 2024
Yogi Ferrell, Dallas Mavericks: Feb. 3, 2017
Rodrigue Beaubois, Dallas Mavericks: March 27, 2010

The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By
Politics

RFK Jr’s abortion ‘issue’: Senate GOP plans to scrutinize Trump HHS pick’s position

Senate Republicans are preparing to probe Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on his pro-choice stance after the former presidential candidate was selected by President-elect Trump to be his nominee to head the Department of Health and Human Services. 

Kennedy, a former Democrat, has concerned a number of Senate Republicans over his espoused views on abortion. His former presidential campaign reportedly said he believed it ‘should be left up to the woman and her doctor.’ 

Over the summer, Kennedy shared a video on social media, writing in a post, ‘I support the emerging consensus that abortion should be unrestricted up until a certain point.’ 

He suggested that this limit should be ‘when the baby is viable outside the womb.’ Viability is understood to occur around 24 weeks gestation. 

Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., a staunch pro-life advocate, told Fox News Digital, ‘It’ll come up in the hearing 100%. There’s no question that this will be an issue. I will raise it if no one else does.’ 

He explained that his office is compiling a list of ‘all of the things that the first Trump administration did for life through HHS, because they were very active in that area.’ 

Lankford pointed to HHS’ work when it came to conscience protections for abortion and taking on Planned Parenthood as examples. 

‘There’s a lot of things that they did during the first Trump administration through HHS. So, we’re compiling that list, and that’ll definitely be my list of questions,’ he said. 

Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., a member of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions, said, ‘There’s several questions I want to talk to him about.’

He explained he wanted to see exactly what RFK Jr.’s position is — ‘How far? What month?’

HELP committee ranking member Bill Cassidy, R-La., said, ‘We’ll do our due diligence, but I’m sure somebody will ask that. How could they not?’ 

Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., told Fox News Digital abortion was a concern of his when it comes to RFK Jr.

While several Republicans are wary about Trump’s pick for HHS, some expressed confidence that he would act in line with the administration. 

‘I would fully expect any of Trump’s nominees to be pro-life, as is President Trump,’ said Sen. Ted Budd, R-N.C.

But, he said, ‘It does need to be addressed.’

‘I believe what he’s going to do is do the right thing,’ Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said of RFK Jr.

Sen. John Kennedy, R-La., told Fox News Digital ‘he’ll be asked a question, and we’ll see how he answers. And we’ll take it from there.’

Katie Miller, a Trump-Vance transition spokesperson, told Fox News Digital in a statement, ‘Mr. Kennedy has every intention of supporting President Trump’s agenda to the fullest extent. This is President Trump’s administration that Robert F. Kennedy has been asked to serve in, and he will carry out the policies Americans overwhelmingly voted for in President Trump’s historic victory.’ 

The concerns aired by Senate Republicans come as some conservative and pro-life groups have already sounded the alarm bell on the HHS pick. 

‘I believe the nomination of RFK Jr. to serve as secretary of HHS is an abrupt departure from the pro-life record of our administration and should be deeply concerning to millions of pro-life Americans who have supported the Republican Party and our nominees for decades,’ former Vice President Mike Pence said in a statement from his organization, Advancing American Freedom, last week.

The president of top pro-life group Susan B. Anthony Pro Life America, Marjorie Dannenfelser, expressed her own worry, saying in a statement, ‘There’s no question that we need a pro-life HHS secretary, and, of course, we have concerns about Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’

But she signaled confidence in Trump’s administration to uphold pro-life values. 

‘I believe that no matter who is HHS secretary, baseline policies set by President Trump during his first term will be reestablished,’ Dannenfelser said. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Politics

House Ethics Committee says no agreement reached on releasing Matt Gaetz report

The House Ethics Committee has not reached an agreement to release its report on former Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., the panel’s chairman told reporters on Wednesday.

The bipartisan panel met behind closed doors for over two hours. Chairman Michael Guest, R-Miss., the last to leave the room, said, ‘There was not an agreement by the committee to release the report.’

Other members who left said little, with Rep. Glenn Ivey, D-Md., telling reporters that deliberations were ongoing but he ‘can’t discuss’ them.

Things took a dramatic turn when Rep. Susan Wild, D-Pa., the top Democrat on the committee, unleashed on Guest for commenting to reporters earlier – despite it being exceedingly rare for a member of the normally insular panel to attack another.

‘We just concluded a two-hour meeting of the ethics committee, and it was not my intention to make any comment. I walked out of this committee without making one and walked back to my office,’ Wild began. 

‘We had agreed that we were not going to discuss what had transpired at the meeting. But it has come to my attention that the Chairman has since betrayed the process by disclosing our deliberations within moments after walking out of the committee, and he has implied that there was an agreement of the committee not to disclose the report.’

She called it ‘untrue to the extent that that suggests that the committee was in agreement, or that we had a consensus on that.’

‘I’d say that a vote was taken. As many of you know, this committee is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, five Dems, five Republicans, which means that in order to affirmatively move something forward, somebody has to cross party lines and vote with the other side – which happens a lot, by the way, and we often vote unanimously. That did not happen in today’s vote,’ Wild said.

The Wednesday meeting comes the same day that Gaetz is visiting Senate offices on Capitol Hill to kick off the confirmation process to lead the Department of Justice (DOJ).

The House Ethics Committee’s inquiry into Gaetz abruptly ended last week when he resigned from Congress hours after being named President-elect Trump’s nominee for attorney general.

‘Matt will end Weaponized Government, protect our Borders, dismantle Criminal Organizations and restore Americans’ badly-shattered Faith and Confidence in the Justice Department,’ Trump said in his announcement last Wednesday.

The probe began in 2021 and stems from accusations of illicit drug use and sex with a minor. 

The DOJ, which Gaetz has been tapped to lead, ultimately did not press charges. Gaetz himself has consistently denied all wrongdoing.

But pressure has been building on the normally secretive ethics panel to release its report, with senators who will be key to Gaetz getting the attorney general role expressing interest in seeing it before making their judgments.

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., notably, has said he does not believe the report should be released.

‘The Speaker of the House is not involved with those things. I am reacting to media reports that a report is currently in some draft form and was going to be released on what is now a former member of the House,’ Johnson said Friday.

‘I do not believe that that is an appropriate thing. It doesn’t follow our rules and traditions and there is a reason for that. That would open up Pandora’s box and I don’t think that’s a healthy thing for the institution, so that’s my position.’

Meanwhile, Rep. Sean Casten, D-Ill., announced he plans to introduce a privileged resolution to force a House vote on releasing the Gaetz report.

‘The allegations against Matt Gaetz are serious. They are credible. The House Ethics Committee has spent years conducting a thorough investigation to get to the bottom of it,’ Casten said in a statement. ‘This information must be made available for the Senate to provide its constitutionally required advice and consent.’

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Business

Disney debuts its latest cruise ship, Treasure, as part of a plan to double its fleet by 2031

The Disney fleet is expanding.

Next month, the Disney Treasure cruise ship will make its maiden voyage from Port Canaveral, Florida, to the Caribbean, officially becoming the sixth ship in the company’s lineup.

The Treasure, which is 221 feet tall and 1,119 feet long, can carry 4,000 passengers and 1,555 crew members. Like Disney’s other cruise ships, the Treasure features themed dining, curated lounges and premium on-board live entertainment.

As the Treasure sets sail, Disney, too, is embarking on its own journey. The company, which hadn’t launched a new ship in a decade prior to the Disney Wish’s debut in mid-2022, is entering an era of rapid expansion.

Disney’s fleet will double by 2031, with two ships arriving in 2025 — the Disney Destiny and the Disney Adventure — followed by four additional Disney-branded vessels and a partnership with Oriental Land Company to bring Disney’s cruise vacations to Japan.

“Disney Cruise Line is going through an unprecedented period of growth,” said Thomas Mazloum, president of Disney’s new experiences portfolio and Disney signature experiences. “The demand that we’re seeing right now for Disney Cruise Line is very strong. We’re a premium brand, occupancy is high, and frankly, the business is doing really, really well.”

Disney cruises are part of the company’s experiences division, alongside parks, resorts and consumer products. According to the company’s earnings report on Thursday, the division posted record revenue and profit for fiscal 2024, with revenue up 5% for the full year to $34.15 billion and operating income up 4% to $9.27 billion.

The Disney Treasure cruise ship.Disney

The experiences segment was the second-highest revenue driver for Disney last year behind its entertainment division, which tallied $41.18 billion in fiscal 2024. However, the entertainment segment’s operating profits were smaller, just $3.92 billion.

Full-year revenue growth in experiences was the strongest of any Disney division, and the company expects to see 6% to 8% profit growth for experiences in fiscal 2025.

Disney has become a leader in the family cruising space, despite its relatively small number of ships. For comparison, the three largest cruise lines are Carnival, with more than 100 vessels, Royal Caribbean, with more than 40, and Norwegian Cruise Line, with around 30.

Disney is considered slightly more expensive than Carnival and Royal Caribbean for base pricing, but if guests choose to upgrade to larger cabins or add food packages or experiences to their itineraries, the prices are quite similar.

Disney’s Treasure offers seven-night cruises starting at $4,277 for two guests and $6,994 for a family of four. These prices increase if travelers select cruises tied to Halloween or Christmas.

What sets Disney apart is its innovations in cruising and its focus on storytelling, said Gavin Doyle, founder of MickeyVisit.com.

“Disney redefined the cruising space when they entered, and that was in the way they were designing the ships in a guest-centric way that they serviced people on board, and also the beloved characters and intellectual properties that they can integrate,” he said.

Doyle noted that Disney accommodates diners using “rotational dining” on its cruise ships. Passengers don’t eat in one large mess hall — they are prescheduled to dine at different themed restaurants. Disney rotates the restaurant staff, too, to follow each group of passengers to their scheduled restaurant. In so doing, guests have the same servers, busboys and restaurant managers throughout their trip, and the waitstaff gets to know the guests — and their preferences.

“They’re able to just deliver this level of customer service that does feel like magic,” Doyle said.

Plaza de Coco, named for the Disney and Pixar film “Coco,” is one of the many themed restaurants on the Treasure cruise ship.Disney

While there are traditional amenities onboard the Treasure that are staples on cruise lines — upscale restaurants, pools, spas and gaming rooms for kids — Disney has integrated storytelling into these services to elevate them for guests.

Its dinnertime restaurants are immersive and feature live entertainment. Plaza de Coco, the first theatrical dining experience themed to the 2017 film “Coco,” invites guests to gather at Mariachi Plaza for a festive meal and music.

Meanwhile, over at Worlds of Marvel, guests will experience two different shows, one called “Avengers: Quantum Encounter” and the other “Marvel Celebration of Heroes: Groot Remix.”

The high-tech venue has a number of screens for diners to tune in to during their meal to experience the heroic adventures.

Worlds of Marvel, a restaurant on Disney’s cruise ship Treasure that was inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe.Disney

There is also 1923, a restaurant named after the founding year of Walt Disney Animation Studios. This location is a bit more subdued and upscale. It features a collection of exploration-themed artwork from modern and classic animated films.

In addition to the three main family restaurants, the Treasure has a number of places for casual dining and to grab quick bites during the journey. Those with a sweet tooth can head to Jumbeaux’s Sweets, which is based on the ice cream parlor from Disney’s “Zootopia.”

The Treasure also features some adult-exclusive dining locations for those traveling without kids or looking for a night away.

Palo Steakhouse and Enchante are upscale restaurants inspired by “Beauty and the Beast” and feature gourmet Italian and French menus. The Rose, a chic lounge at the entrance to the two restaurants, has pre-dinner aperitifs and after-dinner cocktails.

Jumbeaux’s Sweets, inspired by the ice cream parlor in Disney’s “Zootopia,” is a gelato and sweets shop on Disney’s Treasure cruise ship.Disney

The Disney Treasure marks the first time that Disney has brought intellectual properties from its parks to one of its ships.

The Haunted Mansion Parlor is a bar that features ghostly design elements from the famed attraction as well as spirit-filled cocktails, mocktails and zero-proof beverages.

“Walt Disney World has been around 50 years,” said Mazloum. “Disneyland even longer. Many of our guests over the years have been growing up by coming to our parks and over time you have these iconic attractions and experiences … Our Imagineers, and I’ve got to give them a lot of credit, came up with the idea.”

“We were literally thrilled with that idea, and even more thrilled with the reception we’ve received,” he added.

The Haunted Mansion Parlor is an adults-only bar on the Treasure cruise ship that was inspired by the Disney theme parks attraction.Disney

Another fan-favorite parks property coming to the Treasure is Jungle Cruise. Skipper Society is a place to grab themed cocktails and light snacks surrounded by camp-style furnishings.

Other adults-only spots include Scat Cat Lounge, based on “The Aristocats,” and Periscope Pub, based on “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.”

Of course, for many, Disney cruises are a family affair.

“People often say that they have been designed with families in mind, which is absolutely correct,” said Mazloum. “I would go a step further and say they’ve really been designed for multiple generations so that everyone is allowed to enjoy their experiences.”

According to the Cruise Lines International Association, cruises are a top choice for multigenerational travels, with one-third of families sailing with at least two generations. Another 28% of cruise travelers board with three to five generations, the organization said in its annual state of the cruise industry report published in April.

Disney has dedicated spaces for every age group. It’s a Small World nursery offers babysitting services for children ages six months to three years, while older children can head over to Disney’s Oceaneer Club, which features several immersive spaces.

Families can also catch “Disney the Tale of Moana” at the Walt Disney Theatre onboard the Treasure. The Broadway-style production features a massive Te Ka puppet and introduces an all-new song called “Warrior Face.” The stage will also feature “Disney Seas the Adventure” and “Beauty and the Beast.”

Additionally, the Treasure will have Hero Zone and the Wonderland and Never Land Cinemas, popular spaces from the Disney Wish. Hero Zone is a sports and recreation venue with game show-style competitions and physical challenges, while cinemas are luxe screening rooms featuring first-run films from Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Lucasfilm.

Similar to the Wish, the Treasure also has a Toy Story-themed area that includes a splash pool, wading pool and family waterslide. There’s also an adapted version of the Wish’s AquaMouse water coaster called “Curse of the Golden Egg.”

This post appeared first on NBC NEWS
Keep Reading
By
Sports

Projected College Football Playoff bracket sees Colorado join field

This would have been impossible to imagine two months ago and only slightly less improbable as recently as five weeks ago.

But Colorado is in the USA TODAY Sports projected College Football Playoff bracket as the Big 12 champion after winning four games in a row to climb into a first-place tie in the standings with Brigham Young.

Multiple Big 12 contenders have fallen back. BYU lost on Saturday to Kansas after escaping close calls against Oklahoma State and Utah. Kansas State has dropped two in a row. Iowa State also lost two consecutive games before rebounding to beat Cincinnati.

This unpredictability is contrasted by the Buffaloes’ steady improvement. After dropping 49 points on Utah — the Utes hadn’t allowed more than 27 points in a game heading into Saturday — Colorado is up to 26th nationally in scoring. Defensively, the Buffaloes have held its past four opponents to just 4.5 yards per play.

The Buffaloes can clinch an appearance in the title game by beating Kansas and Oklahoma State or splitting these final two games and getting some help. The most likely matchup would come against the winner of Saturday’s game between BYU and Arizona State.

Colorado is one of two new Power Four champions in this week’s bracket:

Projected College Football Playoff bracket

The other newcomer is Alabama. With games against Oklahoma and Auburn to close out November, the Crimson Tide are the safest bet to reach the SEC championship game. That path became much clearer with Tennessee’s loss to Georgia.

Should there no be major upsets this weekend, the title game will pit the Tide against the winner of Texas and Texas A&M.

In a hypothetical matchup with the Longhorns, the Tide have the edge based on each team’s performance against a common opponent, Georgia. While Alabama topped the Bulldogs early in SEC play, Texas was dominated a home in a 30-15 loss.

Texas still lands in the bracket as an at-large pick, joining two other SEC teams in the Bulldogs and Mississippi. The projected 12-team bracket includes another four Big Ten teams, Notre Dame and winners of the Big 12, ACC (Miami) and Mountain West (Boise State).

BIG BUCKEYES FANS: Why the SEC is rooting for Ohio State against Indiana

Four teams to watch

Army

Army has a huge game on Saturday against Notre Dame that could shake up the playoff picture in the Group of Five. A win as roughly 17-point underdogs against the Irish would vault the Black Knights ahead of Boise State heading with three games to play: Texas-San Antonio, the American Athletic championship against Tulane and Navy. An unbeaten regular season capped by this run might even put Army ahead of the Big 12 champion and into one of the top four seeds, earning a bye through the opening round.

Arizona State

What Kenny Dillingham has done in his second year at Arizona State has gotten lost in the shuffle in the Big 12 with Colorado’s success. But with two games to play, the Sun Devils are position to play their way into the Big 12 title game. After beating Kansas State, the Sun Devils can move into second place with a win on Saturday against BYU.

Arkansas

Arkansas is going to play a role in determining the playoff field despite being 5-5 heading into Saturday’s game against Louisiana Tech. That’s because the Razorbacks are a useful common opponent to help compare Texas, Tennessee and Ole Miss. They beat Tennessee, lost to Texas 20-10 but were obliterated by the Rebels in a 63-31 loss. These results could help the committee break the tie between multiple two-loss SEC teams.

Syracuse

Like Arkansas, Syracuse could settle the race in the ACC by beating Miami in the season finale, setting up Clemson and SMU for the conference championship. The Orange would be in the mix themselves if not for a last-second defeat to Stanford back in September and a sloppy 37-31 loss at Boston College earlier this month.

This post appeared first on USA TODAY
Keep Reading
By