Disney World’s Springs expansion to include ‘NBA Experience’ center
Two Visayan warty pigs nuzzled Thursday in their containment area in the Pittsburgh Zoo. Three females are in quarantine before they are placed in the zoo’s newest exhibit, “The Islands,” now under construction. The zoo says these animals are endangered in their natural range, the Philippines, and are extinct in 95 percent of the islands.
NEW YORK >> The NBA is going to Disney World.
The league says it is developing “The NBA Experience at Walt Disney World Resort,” which will be located at Disney Springs in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
It will include NBA video productions, interactive experiences for fans, plus a restaurant and retail store.
Commissioner Adam Silver says the league “can’t wait to bring the magic of Disney and the excitement of the NBA to guests from around the world.”
Disney Springs, the largest expansion in Downtown Disney history, is set for completion in 2016 and will grow to about 150 shopping, dining and entertainment venues. There is no opening date for the NBA center, though such projects usually take a couple of years to complete.
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek says the NBA Experience “will be a terrific addition to the world-class lineup of shops and restaurants coming to Disney Springs.”
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Transgender folks will be the stars in Tel Aviv’s gay pride celebration
Tel Aviv, Israel >> A crowd of 180,000 revelers from all over the world is expected Friday for this city’s annual gay pride parade, which will focus for the first time on Israel’s transgender population.
The parade is the culmination of Gay Pride Week, a string of events expected to draw at least 25,000 tourists.
Despite the broad acceptance of gays and lesbians in Israel, Maavarim, an Israeli transgender organization, said that 50 percent of the transgender population has experienced physical violence, and a study from the Tel Aviv Ministry of Economy found that 68 percent of transgender citizens face workplace discrimination.
This year’s pride week theme, “Tel Aviv Loves All Genders,” is designed as a show of support.
Conchita Wurst, an Austrian drag singer who won last year’s Eurovision song contest, will be the parade’s headliner and is to perform free at the beachside Charles Clore Park.
