2008 Shareholder Meeting News and Notes

WDWNT on March 6, 2008

Here are some notable happenings and quotes straight out of the 2008 Annual Meeting of Walt Disney Company Shareholders:

-An exclusive trailer from the upcoming theatrical release from Disney and Pixar, Wall-E, was aired only for those shareholders present for the meeting.

-The Disney company recently purchased rights to a book titled “Peter and the Star Catchers”, a prequel to the story of Peter Pan. When asked if a movie adaptation was in the works, Bob Iger said the company was actively looking into doing so.

-When asked about the possibility of a fourth Pirates film, the company has nothing to say at the moment.

-When questioned as to if the Walt Disney classic animated feature “Song of the South” would ever be released for home entertainment, Iger said there are no plans at the moment to do so.

-A particular shareholder asked if Disney would ever introduce an annual pass that would be valid at all the Disney Parks around the globe, Mr. Iger seemed to be interested in the idea.

-There are currently plans to bring older Disney archived footage (such as the Wonderful World of Color and the Disneyland program) to Disney.com in the near future.

-Disney is actively looking for new locations to place international parks and location based entertainment worldwide, nothing new on this front to report……yet.

-When asked about Disney fan podcasts out there, such as Inside the Magic or WDW News Today *cough*, Bob Iger said he looks to reach out to the Disney fan community as a whole in ways never seen before (WDWCelebrations? *cough, cough*). Bob Iger also went on to say he deeply appreciates all the devoted Disney fans out there. Yay for us!!!

-Bob Iger acknowledged that they are indeed creating a Rapunzel animated feature for a future theatrical release.

Spaceship Earth Re-Dedication Coverage

WDWNT on March 6, 2008

For those of you who are interested, complete coverage of the March 4 re-dedication of Spaceship Earth presented by Siemens at Epcot is available over WFTV. Their coverage of the event includes a full article and video of the small, unannounced ceremony from Tuesday.

Primeval Whirl Update

WDWNT on March 6, 2008

Scott Powers | Orlando Sentinel Staff Writer

Walt Disney World is tinkering with a roller coaster at Animal Kingdom to improve overall safety after the accidental death of an employee there last fall. Changes are being made in the entry and exit areas of Primeval Whirl — including the installation of sensor mats in a restricted-access area where a Disney worker was reportedly struck by a roller-coaster car Nov. 24. Karen Price, 63, fell and hit her head, and died of her injuries a few days later. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is still investigating the death. The accident, said Disney World spokeswoman Kim Prunty, led the company “to consider additional safety enhancements.” “We are always looking at ways to enhance safety,” she said.

On the off-limits area of the ride platform beyond the passenger loading and unloading zones, Disney is installing sensor mats that will shut down the ride if someone sets foot there, Prunty said. Also, bold striping is being added to delineate the loading and unloading zones. The work, which is being done after hours, should take a few weeks and should not disrupt ride operations, Prunty said.

Primeval Whirl is an old ride design known in the trade as a “wild mouse,” featuring cars that travel independently through a series of close, tight curves. There are dozens of such rides all over the world, some dating back more than 50 years. It is considered a relatively mild roller-coaster design, with a good safety record for riders. Since Primeval Whirl opened in April 2002, there has never been a reported case of a rider hurt seriously enough to require inpatient hospital treatment, though Disney currently faces a lawsuit from a man who alleges he seriously injured his knee while getting off the ride in 2005.

Primeval Whirl, in Animal Kingdom’s Dinoland U.S.A. carnival area, is actually two coasters woven together. According to the independent Web site rollercoasterdatabase.com, each of the two tracks is 1,377 feet long and rises 42 feet in the air, and the cars reach a maximum speed of 29 mph.

Change of Plans and Parades

WDWNT on March 6, 2008

It appears that the final performance of the Stars and Motorcars Parade at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be Saturday March 8, 2008, not March 9th as originally reported. The reason for the change seems to be that the new Block Party Bash parade is ready ahead of schedule and will make it’s first “soft” performance at 3pm on Sunday March 9, 2008. WDW News Today will have coverage of both of these parades throughout the weekend into Monday, be sure to stay tuned for more details on these two major events.

25 Years of Purple Dragons and Bearded Men in Top Hats

WDWNT on March 5, 2008

In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Figment, Dreamfinder, and the beloved Journey Into Imagination attraction, we here at WDW News Today will be celebrating with some very special commemorative events. You probably noticed our bright orange and purple colors we have adopted for this festive occasion (inspired by a certain dragon), but we will also have a bunch of special content prepared for this week’s edition of the WDW News Today podcast, episode 33. So stay tuned for special Imagination themed content over the next two weeks here on the WDW News Today website and podcast!!!

The Hall of…ZzZzZ

WDWNT on March 4, 2008

Our friend Jim Hill over at Jim Hill Media is reporting about some changes that may be coming to the Magic Kingdom’s Hall of Presidents attraction in the next year. According to Jim’s report, whoever the new president of the United States may be, they will not be receiving a speaking part in this latest addition. Instead, Disney may be going for a much shorter show that would cut the current president’s speech from it’s lineup and add the reading of the Gettysburg address by Abraham Lincoln. This would allow the attraction to run three shows an hour and shorten the length of what many say is the most boring attraction at the Walt Disney World Resort. To read the entire report, go HERE.

News & Rumors in Disneyland Park

WDWNT on March 4, 2008

Here’s a few pieces of news & rumors from the latest Monday in the Parks article on MiceAge:

  • Disney recently raised the height requirement for the front seat in Splash Mountain from 40″ to 60″. This was due to, during the drops, kids putting their heads down under the seat, & then bumping their head when reaching the bottom of the drops. Well, they’re going to be installing a new safety feature by the beginning of June, which should lower the height requirement back down to 40″.
  • Due to all of the things that Disney want to do in It’s a Small World, they’re seriously considering pushing the opening from November to January. That means that they won’t have to worry about then re-installing the holiday overlay, & can just have everything ready for January. Please do note though, that this is only a rumor.
  • Even though it looked like the re-opening of Carnation Cafe from it’s short refurbishment was pushed back, it has now re-opened with a brand new brick-looking concrete pattern.

Podcast Episode 32 Now Available for Download

WDWNT on March 4, 2008

To subscribe to the WDW News Today podcast on Itunes, go to this link. If you do not have Itunes, visit our Podcast Download Directory to download or listen to all of our shows

Join me, Tom Corless, and a cast including John Corigliano, Jason Diffendal, Justin Heyman, Luke Manning and Adam Roth for a show that Bridges the Gaps Between you and the World. Sit back, relax, and enjoy all of the Walt Disney World news, information, and fun we have to offer on this episode of WDWNT.

To kick off episode 32, John Corigliano, Jason Diffendal, and Justin Heyman join me in discussing the Walt Disney World news and rumors. This week, we discuss an upcoming Jungle Cruise refurbishment, updates happening at the new wing of Disney’s Contemporary Resort, and the possibility of a new ticketing system coming to the theme parks.

To end this week’s show,we have the first REAL edition of Disney Don’t Forget the Lyrics, as listener Chris Nolin faces off with champion Luke Manning for a fantastic prize package. Who will win this epic showdown, tune in to find out!!! We are still looking for more participants in this fun-filled game show, so please contact us if you would like to know more about being a part of Disney Don’t Forget the Lyrics.

To subscribe to the WDW News Today podcast on Itunes, go to this link. If you do not have Itunes, visit our Podcast Download Directory to download or listen to all of our shows

“But I Want To Sit Inside!!!”

WDWNT on March 3, 2008

The currently under rennovation Wolfgang Puck express location at Downtown Disney’s Marketplace is nearing it’s re-opening on March 6 and appears to be almost complete. While the interior changes remain a mystery, it is now clear that the building now envelopes what was the outdoor seating area. This may be nice during bad weather, but a problem this particular restaurant has always faced is a small number of seating. This place can become quite busy and sometimes even expands into the generic Downtown Disney seating area across the way. My only hope is that this refurbishment has added seating to what is one of my favorite places to grab a quick bite at Walt Disney World.

WDW News Today Podcast Updates

WDWNT on March 3, 2008

Due to some technical difficulties, we have had to delay the release this week’s edition of the WDW News Today Podcast until early tomorrow morning. We also regret to say that there will not be an enhanced version of episode 32. The reasons for these changes are mostly  we are preparing for the release of two new podcasts to our News Today family, The Disney Pincast and WDW HD.

-The Disney Pincast will be an extension of the weekly pin trading segments we have tested for a few weeks on the WDWNT podcast. This show will expand on the concept to include Disney pin trading news and information from around the globe. The Disney Pincast will debut on March 12, 2008 and will be released weekly on Wednesdays starting on that date.

-WDW HD will provide high definition videos of the Walt Disney World Resort. We are hoping to release this new venture sometime around the end of this month.

We thank you for your continuing support and viewership of our site and podcasts and hope that we will make up for this week’s shortcomings with our upcoming expansion.