Last Apology for 2007

WDWNT on December 31, 2007

It seems my lack of computer knowledge has caused problems again, so please allow me to apologize. If you tried to download an episode of the podcast through Itunes recently and it did not work, please try again. Our feed was not operating properly, but is now back up and running just in time for our New Year’s Eve Spectacular in Episode 24. Don’t forget you can also still download our critically acclaimed Christmas Podcast Parade on Episode 23 of the WDW News Today Podcast.

I’m just about on my way to WDW until January 11th, but stay tuned to WDW News Today as we continue to provide daily Walt Disney World news even while I am away. I want to wish all our readers and listeners a very happy New Year 2008 and thank all of you for making our inaugural year so successful and so much fun. As our New Year’s Resolution, we promise to make WDW News Today better in the year to come and hope to entertain and inform you as we promised on day one. Also, a special thanks goes out to all of the staff here at WDW News Today, without which we probably wouldn’t even still be around today. So Here’s to 2007, and all the years to come.

See Ya Real Soon!!!

Oops!!!

WDWNT on December 29, 2007

It appears Walt Disney World made a mistake when they announced the upcoming refurbishment of Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom, they forgot how heavy crowds will still be for the three days following the New Year’s holiday, The refurbishment of Splash Mountain will now be from January 4, 2008 until February 15, 2008.

What’s In A Name

WDWNT on December 28, 2007

Name changes seem to be a common theme at WDW these days. The Yacht Club Galley at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is going to be renamed to Captain’s Grille sometime in the near future. There doesn’t seem to be any reason for the name change other than some minor menu adaptations. We will have more on this as it becomes available.

If It Ain’t Broken, Don’t Fix It

WDWNT on December 28, 2007

The upcoming refurbishment of Minnie’s Country House in Mickey’s Toontown Fair has been pushed back until sometime in 2008. Small children who will soon be visiting the Magic Kingdom are very grateful.

Backlot Theater Demolition

WDWNT on December 27, 2007

The Backlot Theater at the Disney MGM Studios, formerly home to the Hunchback of Notre Dame show, is now being demolished in preparation for a future attraction. The announcement of this new attraction and some others could come as early as January 7, 2008, where it is believed a press event will be held to mark the shift in the park’s name to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Christmas Podcast Coverage Now Available

WDWNT on December 25, 2007

You can now download episode 23 of the WDW News Today Podcast for live (well, sort of) coverage of the first annual Christmas Podcast Parade from the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. The parade features appearances by Judi Dench, Amy Adams, Roz, Tom Corless, Steve Swanson, John Corigliano, Brian Sommer, Luke Manning, Nick McLamb, Larry Mongello, Jason Diffendal, Adam Roth, Rascal, The Muppets, Mickey, Minnie, and many more!!! So tune in for Magic, Music, and Mayhem on this most festive of occaisions.

To hear WDWNT’s audio coverage of this special event, subsribe to the WDW News Today Podcast on Itunes, click this link or, if you do not have Itunes, go HERE to download the show after its release.

It’s Not Christmas Without Toys

WDWNT on December 25, 2007

Giving explanation for the concept art released earlier this year, Laughingplace.com is reporting that a new Toy Story Musical will begin playing on the Disney Cruise Line this coming March. Aa most of you may know, opening in the summer of 2008 at Disney’s California Adventure and Disney’s Hollywood Studios is Toy Story “Midway” Mania, an interactive attraction based on the 1995 Pixar film. It appears that Disney is trying to reintroduce the Toy Story characters to the world before the release of Toy Story 3 in the not so distant future.

WDWNT Gains Exclusive Rights to Broadcast Parade

WDWNT on December 24, 2007

LAKE BUENA VISTA,  Fla.— Move over Regis and Kelly, a new Christmas Day Walt Disney World tradition has begun. While the long running Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade taped in early December airs on ABC this Christmas morning, another parade will be making its way down Main Street U.S.A. at the Magic Kingdom. The first annual Christmas Podcast Parade will be broadcast live from Walt Disney World on Christmas day, but it won’t be on any television station. The parade’s creator, Tom Corless, has received the exclusive rights to broadcast the parade on episode 23 of his popular WDW News Today podcast. “Being the creator of this new parade, I felt that I should be the only one airing it, plus, no television channel wanted a parade full of internet stars”, said Corless.

While many people are not aware of the stars of this particular parade, to thousands of Disney fans, they are pseudo-celebrities. Jason Diffendal, Adam Roth, Luke Manning, Steve Swanson, Tom Corless, Brian Sommer and John Corigliano are among the notables from the Disney Online Community to have their own float in this holiday parade. Another star of the community will be taking hosting duties, but he will only be the co-host of a podcasting newcomer, Larry Mongello. McLamb of the Disney News Weekly Podcast gives most of the spotlight to Mongello, who is looking to step out of his brother’s shadow. “With all of my brother Lou’s success, its been hard for me to find my spot in this community”, said Larry. Well, Larry will not have to share the fame this time around, his brother Lou could not make it to the parade due to a scheduling conflict.

This upstart holiday event has garnered some major attention from some big stars, and some people are even looking at this as an opportunity to save face. While Amy Adams and Roz appear in the parade to bask in their fame, Spaceship Earth narrator Judi Dench and Walt Disney Imagineering are using this chance to win over the people. Siemens and WDI have spent the last 6 months working on Spaceship Earth at Epcot as well as a corresponding float for this parade. Judi Dench will ride upon this float in an attempt to gain some good publicity for the attraction, which has been the butt of many jokes over the last few weeks since reopening from its lengthy refurbishment.

Will Larry Mongello become the next big star in the Disney Online Community? Will Disney fans learn to communicate with the new lackluster Spaceship Earth? Will John Corigliano wake up in time for the parade? The only way to find out is to tune in to episode 23 of the WDW News Today podcast on December 25th, 2007 for the First Annual Christmas Podcast Parade live from the Walt Disney World Resort.

To subsribe to the WDW News Today Podcast on Itunes, click this link. Otherwise, go HERE to download the show after it’s release.

Ring in 2008 With A Bang

WDWNT on December 24, 2007

Reported by WDWmagic:

This years Magic Kingdom new Year’s Eve show is set to be one of the biggest and loudest ever at the Magic Kingdom. It features all new firework design by Walt Disney World’s Brad Cicotti, who has designed Magic, Music, and Mayhem, the Peace on Earth tag to Reflections of Earth, Epcot’s 25th birthday tag, and the 4th and New Year’s Eve shows at Epcot. This years show will feature a full 360 degree perimeter firework display, including fireworks launched from the island in the Seven seas lagoon. Each perimeter location around the park will be firing 50 shells – the largest ever for a Magic Kingdom show! Enjoy the show!

Break The Walls Down

WDWNT on December 23, 2007

The walls surrounding Spaceship Earth at Epcot have finally come down and the attraction is officially open to the public, despite multiple signs noting the official opening still as February 2008.