The cast members on The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios have received brand new costumes. It appears they are wearing grey jackets and red shirts now, a more modern look compared to the classic theater usher outfits they have been wearing since opening day. We will have pictures of the new costumes as soon possible.
You can download episode 21 of the WDW News Today podcast through Itunes as of right now. On this week’s show, we have WDW News and Rumors, a special look at WDWCelebrations.com, and a discussion about the greatest celebrations in Disney World history!!!
If you do not have Itunes, this show can also be downloaded on this page.
The following refurbishment was just announced on DisneyWorld.com:
Liberty Square Riverboat Closed 2/24/08-3/1/08
For more upcoming refurbishments, check out our Attraction Closures page.
Screamscape.com is reporting the following rumor:
“Fans of the Pleasure Island nightlife will want to take note of this latest rumor. According to Screamscape sources we’ve heard that there could be some fairly significant changes to Pleasure Island starting in 2008. In fact, as early as January we could see Disney begin the process of shutting down the various nightclubs one by one. I don’t know if this is just for remodeling, a total revamp of the PI concept, or something else entirely. I’m also not sure if the term “club” applied to just the drinking/dancing clubs or if this rumor also applies to the Adventurer’s Club or the Comedy Warehouse.
I know that in the last year or two Disney completed a new remodeling of Pleasure Island to allow foot traffic to better flow through it from the West End to the Marketplace side. This along with the admission changes were supposed to be just the first step of many for a complete overall remodel of the Pleasure Island concept. Back when that was all still just a rumor I had heard at the time that Disney was in talks with Lucky Strike Lanes to convert the Beach Club into one of their high-end bowling clubs. I’ve got to wonder if that deal is still on the table or if it was just one of many that were in the works. Can anyone shed a little light on just what might be going on?”
I have also been hearing these same rumors, especially on a new bowling alley, about Pleasure Island. This is still a rumor at this moment, but we will keep you posted as more information on this becomes available.
The Thomas Kinkade Company announced today that Thomas Kinkade, the Painter of Light, has unveiled A New Day at the Cinderella Castle, a depiction of the Walt Disney World’s Cinderella Castle as a new morning dawns, the Thomas Kinkade Company announced today.
Kinkade exhibited A New Day at the Cinderella Castle for the first time at an October 20, 2007 event at Walt Disney World. The piece, which offers the discovery of a dawn every bit as festive and delightful as the castle itself, was inspired by the Kinkade family’s annual visits to the Magic Kingdom. “This year, I went in my imagination to explore a vision of the regal castle gently kissed by the golden light of a perfect day,” Kinkade said. “Two of the dream-memories we take from childhood on our life’s journey, if we are fortunate, are the wonder and excitement of Walt Disney World and the soaring majesty of castles,” Kinkade later added.
A New Day at the Cinderella Castle is the second artwork that the Disney organization has commissioned from Kinkade. The first commissioned piece, Disneyland 50th Anniversary, commemorated Disneyland’s half-century birthday.
Kinkade takes a unique and decidedly whimsical approach in this piece. He captures a perfect morning in exquisite detail, from the arc of a double rainbow over the towering castle to the fluffy clouds dappling the castle’s many towers to the lavish, rainbow-hued trees and shrubs framing the building and quaint gas lamps dancing along the walkway.
The piece also offers a host of surprises to curious ones willing to look a little closer. Is that Bambi on the lawn? Tinker Bell above the castle spires? The Ugly Duckling in the pond? Kinkade leaves those answers up to individual interpretation.
America’s Most Beloved Artist called the Cinderella Castle “an enchanting inspiration to young and old.”
A New Day at the Cinderella Castle can be found at Thomas Kinkade Galleries Nationwide or on the web at www.thomaskinkade.com.
Disney announced plans Wednesday to build a $6 million health facility on its property for the use of its cast members and their dependents who participate in the company’s health plans.
The 15,000-square-foot facility will give cast members access to primary care doctors and other medical professionals, as well as a pharmacy, lab, basic radiology and wellness and behavioral health resources.
The facility will open in 2009 and will be operated by a health management company to be chosen in the coming months.
The new health center will provide:
More than 40,000 Walt Disney World cast members and dependents are currently eligible for benefits.
Here is a little look at the Dreamlights parade as promised on the podcast:
In what will probably be the first of many, a permit has been filed to refurbish and change the post show area of the Imagination pavillion at Epcot. This will most likely be the first step in revamping the pavillion, which as spent almost a decade in dismay. These plans have been sitting around for a while, but it appears that the conclusion of work on Spaceship Earth has finally opened the door for this project. This particular permit can be found HERE.
Discuss this developement HERE.
Just wanted to let everyone know that a videocast of the new Spaceship Earth at Epcot is now available for your enjoyment. You can get directions on how to download the video for Itunes by going to our podcast page. To download it for your computer, go to http://podcast.wdwnewstoday.com. This will be the first of many videocasts released by WDW News Today. Enjoy!!!
Walt Disney Home Entertainment continues its esteemed Walt Disney Treasures series with Wave VII — three new 2-Disc DVD volumes available December 11, 2007 in a limited supply, just in time for the holidays and in honor of Walt’s birthday. Each volume, with material all new to DVD, is hosted by film historian Leonard Maltin; each is individually numbered, with an authenticity certificate, and each includes an exclusive lithograph. Adding to the value is the collectible packaging. The Adventures of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit will be housed in a handsome gold tin; Chronological Donald, Volume 3 and Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic in distinctive silver tins.
The Adventures of Oswald The Lucky Rabbit
This double disc set features the legendary and rarely-seen Oswald, Walt Disney’s first big animated star (predating Mickey Mouse), who recently returned home to the Walt Disney Company. Produced from 1926 to 1928 with Walt’s personal touch, this collection of some of these silent shorts are revitalized with brand-new musical scores by well-known silent film accompanist and composer Robert Israel . Several of the shorts offer audio commentary from Animation Film Historians Leonard Maltin, Mark Kausler and Jerry Beck.
“Chronological Donald, Volume 3”
Features the most prolific character of “Walt’s Fab Five,” the short-tempered but hilarious Donald Duck in 31 solo shorts from 1947 through 1950.
“Disneyland: Secrets, Stories and Magic”
This comprehensive look at the “Happiest Place on Earth” features never-before-seen documentaries and featurettes that show the creativity and magic behind one of the world’s most famous and beloved destinations. The set will also include a vintage collectible of one of the original Disneyland Theme Park tickets.
Note: Episode 21 of the WDW News Today Podcast will have a full review of all 3 of these DVD sets.
