Plenty of SPACE for Change

As we have been reporting here at WDW News Today for almost a year, Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom is scheduled to go down for an extensive refurbishment beginning in January of 2009. The number one priority for Disney during this refurbishment will be to bring in new, more comfortable ride vehicles and loading gates for added safety to the attraction. However, Imagineering has a few other ideas in store for the attraction. Among those ideas are new lighting effects, a completely new queue and exit, and a unique music track to play through the new on-board speakers that each vehicle will have. We are still 6 months away from what should be the beginning of a lengthy refurbishment, but stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information becomes available.

Midway Mania Walls Coming Down Completely?

According to some of our sources, the Toy Story Midway Mania construction walls will be coming down completely this upcoming Wednesday, revealing the queue, loading area, & Mr. Potato Head to everyone. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the attraction will be open, or open to all guests, but the walls should be down on Wednesday!

Changing 9 Dragons Over 6 Months

Here’s an excerpt from the Orlando Sentinel talking about changes taking place at Epcot’s Nine Dragons Restaurant now through this December:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Orlando Sentinel) Nine Dragons Restaurant, Walt Disney World’s premiere Chi-nese cuisine diner at Epcot, closed late last week for refurbishment. The work is part of ongoing efforts to re-fresh many of the food offerings and experiences in Epcot’s World Showcase. Nine Dragons interior is to be remodeled and redecorated. The restaurant also will be revising its menu. Nine Dragons is expected to reopen sometime in the fall. Meanwhile, counter service of a limited number of Chinese dishes is still available through the China Pavilion’s Lotus Blossom Cafe, and a food kiosk will be added to the pavilion’s courtyard with additional offerings. The main restaurants in Epcot’s Mexico, Japan and Italy pavilions were refurbished in the past year or two. Nine Dragons Restaurant features several styles of Chinese cooking, with entrees ranging in price from $15 to more than $30.

3 Days for $99!

According to Monday in the Parks:

Disneyland has designed a special summer Southern Californian (and Baja California, Mexico) offer to be available if purchased in advance at selected locations, basically Southern California Grocery Stores. (Vons, Ralphs, Albertsons, Stater Bros., and Gelson’s). Based on prior promotions, this offer will also be available at other locations and Disneyland.com.

Some key points.

These tickets go on sale June 16th, and not valid until that date.

The first day of use must be between June 16th and August 30th, 2008. The Summer Fun Pass is Blocked out July 4th (cannot use any of your three days on the 4th).

You then have 45 days to use the other two days. These tickets are ParkHoppers, so you can visit both parks on the same day.

The tickets are clearly marked that each person that uses a “Summer Fun Pass” must have proof of living in the Southern California/Baja California area. (Southern California residents within ZIP codes 90000-93599 and Northern Baja California residents within ZIP codes 21000-22999.)

This is one of the better Summer Discounts that Disney has offered to Southern Californians in a while. It is a 3 day ParkHopper with a longer window (45 days instead of the normal 13 days after first use) and you can apply the Summer Fun Pass to any Annual Pass (of course, the Annual Pass will be backdated to the first day of use of the Summer Fun Pass). But since the Southern California and Southern California Select Annual Passes are blocked out most of the summer. Somebody could buy the Summer Fun Pass, get three visits during the summer period, and then upgrade to a Southern California AP for the rest of the year.

Podcast Episode 45 Now Available

Join Tom Corless and a cast including Jason Diffendal, Steve Swanson, Jose Castillo, Justin Heyman, John Rick and Luke Manning in here somewhere, for a show that Bridges the Gaps Between You and the World. Sit back, relax, and enjoy all of the Walt Disney World information and fun we have to offer on this manic edition of WDWNT.

To kick off episode 45, most of the WDWNT gang joins me in discussing the Walt Disney World News and Rumors. This week, we discuss Toy Story Midway Mania, changes at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, and much more.

After that, we have a very special segment, as we discuss our favorite magical memories from our trips to the Walt Disney World Resort. We thought this would be a fun way to break up the recent run of dining segments and hope you enjoy hearing about our memories.

Our newest segment, Town Square Talk, is back this week with WDWNT community forum administrator Justin Heyman highlighting the hottest topics being discussed this week. Be sure to get in on these and other exciting discussions by heading over to http://www.wdwnewstoday.com/forum!!! We also highlight our new video download site with Luke Manning, WDWNTube, featuring tons of great Disney Parks videos. Be sure to check that out at http://wdwntube.wdwnewstoday.com!!!

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

John Corigliano WDW Photo Update 6/1/08

Hi everybody, John Corigliano here to provide you with some photo updates of my wild weekend at the Walt Disney World Resort, visiting both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Hope you enjoy it!!!

Spaceship Earth's wait time was for 20min today

Spaceship Earth’s wait time for 20 minutes today. Does that look like 20 minutes?

They've added this sign to tell guests how to trade and also a screen that will soon tell guests how much pins are just by scanning the UPC bar code.

They’ve added this sign to Pin Central at Epcot to tell guests how to trade pins. They’ve also a screen that will soon tell guests how much pins are just by scanning the UPC bar code.

Here's the new Price Pin Guide that's being implemented at the EPCOT's Pin Central.  Each color is a different price.

Here’s the new Price Pin Guide that’s being implemented at the Epcot’s Pin Central. Each color is represents a different price.

Here’s what the UPC Bar Codes on the back of the pins look like. This pin has a blue sticker denoting that the price is $8.95.

Here’s another example. The price here is $6.95.

Rumors were circulating that Nestle had their signs removed at The Land, for the time being that is totally and completely FASLE. Here’s the proof.

The only thing that’s gone is the Jr. Chef station.

Here’s the “NEW” EPCOT Center shirt that’s been released around Epcot shops.

The only difference is that there’s a 25th Anniversary logo on inside where the tag would be.

Here’s some of Father’s Day merchandise being sold around Walt Disney World.

Here’s a billboard for Toy Story Mania! that’s just down the street near my home.

Now we move over to the actual attraction and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

TSMM had a 90 minute wait on opening day (May 31). Sadly, I one got on the ride once since the ride had technical difficulties after I got off it.

Here was my one and only score. Not as good as Tom Corless who actually holds the all-time high score at the moment.

Here’s the newly unveiled directional sign showing where Toy Story Midway Mania is.

Here’s the only reference to the Disney-MGM Studios that I could find in the entire park. I miss you MGM.

More Disney’s Hollywood Studios merchandise continues to come in.

Already, Imagineering has a Toy Story Midway Mania wait time sign pin. Tom wants this pin so bad.

Progress on enclosing the old Hunchback Theater is almost done.

As you can see from looking over the wall.

Nothing really new over at the old ABC Theater, future home of the American Idol Experience.

Does it seem like something is missing?

Anyone know the answers?

Here’s the new DHS watch design by Jason Zucker, only 50 of them available.

One of Jason’s amazing drawings for Star Wars Weekends.

Here’s one of Jason’s unreleased Star Wars Weekends artwork designs featuring Donald Duck.

Here, again you can see the new Playhouse Disney sign at the entrance.

A lot of progress as gone on over at the DVC Tower.

I finally got to eat here for the first time….on the last day in operation. Too bad I can’t come back for seconds.

So, as we end this WDW Update, we say good-bye to the Concourse Steakhouse.

DisneyGeek DLR Picture Update

Let’s take a look at some various things going on through-out the Disneyland Resort from the latest Disneyland Update on DisneyGeek:


The section of the Bengal Barbecue that was behind walls is no longer behind walls


The little Guided Tours garden is being worked on


The Pacific Wharf fish-net photo-op is also being worked on


Part of Toy Story Midway Mania queue


The scaffolding is down on the Grizzly River Run waterwheel building, but the walls are still up


Both of the Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage waterfalls are back on


New signs to keep guests out of the Hollywood & Dine area (such a shame)


Strangely enough, the new Official Album for Walt Disney World is available in various stores through-out the Disneyland Resort (I bet the DL Album isn’t available in WDW!)


The Toontown Gas Station & water fountains are behind walls for a little touch up


Food & drinks are still being sold however


Notice new colors?


Monorail Red being towed by the Monorail Tow (what a surprise!)