Prices Follow The Crowds

WDWNT on July 31, 2008

We are hearing that Walt Disney World ticket prices may once again rise on Sunday, August 3. While we’re not hearing that the increase will be more than a few dollars, this change should be met with the usual resentment from guests.

In other pricing updates, 2009 Walt Disney World vacation packages should be available soon and rumors already indicate that this year will show one of the smallest single-year increases in Disney history. Again, it appears that Disney is expecting lower crowd levels throughout the year in 2009.

We can also expect changes once again in the Disney Dining Plan, with the addition of a quick-service dining plan and more changes in the infrastructure of the pre-existing plans.

Stay tuned to WDW News Today for more information on these headlines as it becomes available.

Christmas in July

WDWNT on July 30, 2008

As the central Florida temperature approaches 90 degrees outside, Cecil Gordon of Walt Disney World Holiday Services touches up the face of a six-foot-tall angel tree-topper July 30, 2008 inside one of the resort’s holiday warehouses in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The angel will be placed on the top of the giant Christmas tree at the Epcot theme park during the holiday season later this year. Gordon and his colleagues are currently on round-the-clock schedules behind-the-scenes at Walt Disney World Resort, decorating more than 1,500 Christmas trees, unpacking more than 15 miles of garland, testing dozens of snow machines and repainting hundreds of animated and static holiday scenes that will be seen by guests all across the 40-square-mile resort. Gordon, from St. Mary, Jamaica, has worked for Walt Disney World for 19 years. (Garth Vaughan, photographer)

“Make Port at the Caribbean Beach Resort!!”

WDWNT on July 30, 2008

Reported by the Orlando Sentinel:

Walt Disney World has unveiled a rendering and a few details of some retheming and renovations in the works for Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort — theming it after the hugely-popular Pirates of the Caribbeanride/movies/games franchise.

Clients who book through Walt Disney Travel Co. also will receive a new benefit — 30 minute play-cards for Disney’s resort hotel video arcades.

Walt Disney World also is announcing some changes in its Magic Your Way plan, to include Quick Service Dining beginning Jan. 11. Vacationers can get two quick-service meals and two snacks for each night of their stay in a Disney resort hotel, plus a refillable drink mug for unlimited refills of non-alcoholic beverages at Disney resort hotels.

Beds that look like ships. Dressers that look like old crates. Curtains that look like tattered sails. The attached artist’s rendering shows a few of the details.

Caribbeanbeachresort73008

Disney is planning the look for 384 rooms in the Trinidad South Village Area, set to be ready sometime next year. The resort has a total of 2,112 rooms.

These Pirate rooms are an addition to the hotel that has been in progress for a few years now, as are the Finding Nemo themed rooms now beginning to debut at the resort. It’s also interesting to note the inclusion of those Arcade Gaming Cards in the vacation booking, something Disney has never done before. As if all that wasn’t enough to swallow, this article even goes on to confirm the addition of the new Quick Service Dining Plan. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information becomes available on these major headlines.

Mega DLR Update

WDWNT on July 30, 2008

David “Darkbeer” Michael visited the Disneyland Resort today, & saw some of the effects of the earthquake, as well as attending a lot of different events & exhibits in Downtown Disney (of which I don’t have a clue what any of them are, but I have my duty to report them!). Let’s dive on in this mega update:


The Disneyland Monorail was closed due to the earthquake


This Anaheim Ducks exhibit of sorts seems to of replaced the very similar High School Musical: Get in the Picture “exhibit”


The “ducks” are still alive?


Think this is something to do with the earthquake?


A signing of some kind… Maybe it wasn’t to do with the earthquake?


Then inside the ESPN Zone, there was something to do with the Anaheim Arsenal (which I’m guessing is a sports team of some kind)


Some kind of presentation in the ESPN Zone, which judging by the background of the picture, has to do with the NBA


Finally going inside the parks to see the effects of the earthquake… Here we see the Abandoned Tiki Room


And a rare site… NO LINE FOR INDY!


By this point, I’m guessing Pirates of the Caribbean had re-opened, unless everyone stayed in the line


Most attractions had re-opened, but apparently Indy was closed all day!


New Century Timepieces is a thing of the past, as previously reported, Fortuosity Shoppe will open up in that space this October


Toy Story Midway Mania re-opened by 12:30PM along with most of DCA… Seems Mr. Potato Head grew back his ear!


Finally, the Maliboomer was closed all day, as it can’t test when the park is open for some reason

Due credit goes to Mr. Darkbeer & his lovely SmugMug page! Be sure to check out his gallery from today, at this link.

Tinker Bell Is Getting a New Home

WDWNT on July 29, 2008

According to the Orlando Sentinel:

Walt Disney World is planning to add actresses playing Tinker Bell and her friends from an upcoming series of “Disney Fairies” movies – and might be creating a new attraction based on them.

Disney held auditions last week for actresses to play the Disney Fairies characters in the parks, including Tinker Bell, Silvermist, Rosetta, Iridessa, and Fawn.

In a prepared statement, a Disney spokeswoman explained: “Disney Imagineers are currently creating a special new home for Tink and her friends which promises to immerse guests in the world of Pixie Dust at Walt Disney World.

Spokeswoman Andrea Finger would not elaborate about whether this meant the fairy characters will have their own attraction, nor did she specify which park they might appear in.

Except for Tinker Bell, the characters are based on a new “Disney Fairies” entertainment franchise that the Walt Disney Co. has been developing in recent years through children’s books, Internet Web pages, games, toys, and a series of straight-to-DVD movies that will begin emerging this fall.

This news was first reported here on WDW News Today a few months ago, but it seems larger news-outlets have finally caught up with us. There was even an official confirmation of this project in the August issue of the annual passholder publication, Mickey Monitor. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information becomes available on this project.

September 27th Will Be Doomsday for Some Favorites

WDWNT on July 28, 2008

While it is already official that the 6 remaining Pleasure Island clubs, as well as the Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, will be closing forever on September 27, that may not be the full list of Walt Disney World attractions and shows departing for yesterland on that day. Rumors are now circulating that two of the Magic Kingdom shows brought to the park for the Year of a Million Dreams celebration may be making their final performances on September 27, 2008. If the rumors we’re hearing are true, this fateful Saturday in September will also be your last chance to catch Woody’s Cowboy Camp and the Main Street Family Fun Day Parade. Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information becomes available on these rumors.

For those of you also interested, during the very same weekend that these attractions are saying goodbye, the wonderful group over at WDWCelebrations will be putting on yet-another fantastic event titled “World Wide Weekend”. To get more information on this event and how you can be a part of It, head on over to WDWCelebrations.com. We hope to see you there!!!

Podcast Episode 52 Now Available for Download

WDWNT on July 28, 2008

Join me, Tom Corless, and a cast including John Corigliano, Justin Heyman, Jason Diffendal, Steve Swanson, Jose Castillo, and Luke Manning 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 energetic edition of the WDW News Today Podcast.

To kick off episode 52, we have all Walt Disney World news and rumors from the last week to discuss. This time around, we’ll discuss changes to Fantasmic, rumors of a new roller coaster for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and the cancellation of a popular Magic Kingdom party.

“It’s Time to Go Back” as our Walt Disney World history segment, Back To The Future, returns this week on the WDW News Today Podcast. On this journey, we embark on a 25 year through The Universe of Energy at Epcot. Join me and the usual crew (with special guest Steve Swanson) to take an in-depth look at a Epcot classic experience.

Town Square Talk is back this week with WDWNT community forum administrator Justin Heyman highlighting the hottest topics around our family of websites. Be sure to get in on exciting discussions by heading over to http://wdwnewstoday.com/forum!!! Luke Manning and John Corigliano also highlight our video download site, WDWNTube, featuring tons of great Disney Parks videos. Be sure to check that out at http://wdwntube.com!!! I also have some details on our next live show and remind you how to win a Walt Disney World Vacation.

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

This episode is also available in an enhanced version. An enhanced podcast is a podcast with added features that standard podcasts don’t have. Enhanced podcasts include many features like Chapter listings, this lets you skip through chapters or see what is in store for this weeks show. Enhanced podcasts also have images to let you differ the chapters by. Enhanced podcasts have one negative feature, you can not play them on most MP3 players. The file format for this is a .m4a which can play on Apple’s iPod and Microsoft’s Zune. You will also need iTunes or Windows Media Player to be able to skip through chapters. If you need or would like the standard edition, download the normal edition listed below this file both on Itunes and in our podcast directory.

Monday in the Parks Update

WDWNT on July 28, 2008

The latest Monday in the Parks update on MiceAge covers a lot of new happenings at the Disneyland Resort. Here are a few of the more prominent ones:

  • Various members of the USA Olympic Team will be appearing in Downtown Disney this Tuesday Afternoon, from 2:30 to 5 PM at the ESPN Zone.
  • As previously reported, Monorail Red is still operating at limited capacity (15 people per car as opposed to the normal 22). According to the article:Disney is looking at bringing out Mark VII Monorail Blue this week, but only if the Mark V Purple or Mark VII Red cannot run. Mark VII Blue is not yet approved to carry guests, but needs hours of proven operation to get that approval. Disney also does not want 3 trains on the track at one time, so only if there is an available space on the track will you see it, and once again, it is not available to guests.
  • The previously reported Pirates of the Caribbean refurbishment that will start on October 13th, is planned to last for just over a month, & should be open in time for the Christmas season which starts on November 21st.
  • Either this fall or early 2009, the Matterhorn will be getting new bobsleds cars. They will have the same seating arrangement, & the only major difference will be new seat-belts, which will be similar to the ones found in the Indiana Jones Adventure, Star Tours, & Soarin’ Over California.
And now a couple of Darkbeer’s pictures:

The emptiness of the It’s a Small World Toy Shop
Where’s his ear!?

New & Old Friends Are Here!

WDWNT on July 28, 2008

Today’s been a great day for additions to the site & podcast. Not only has the Image Gallery finally returned, but we’re also introducing Enhanced podcasts to the Disneyland News Today podcast!

An enhanced podcast is a podcast with added features that standard podcasts do not have. Enhanced podcasts include many features like Chapter listings, that lets you skip through chapters or see what is in store for this weeks show. Enhanced podcasts also have images to let you differ the chapters by. Enhanced podcasts have one negative feature, you can not play them on most mp3 players. The file format for Enhanced shows is .m4a which can play on an Apple iPod or a Microsoft Zune.

Episode 23 is the first episode to feature the Enhanced option. We do have everything ready, but as this is a new feature, problems are to be expected. We’ll hopefully have all of the kinks worked out for you tomorrow, so you’ll be able to download the Enhanced show. In the meantime, you can download the normal mp3 version of the show at this link.

Also be sure to check out the newly “re-opened” Image Gallery, with the newly added full size versions of my pictures from my July 13th trip to the Disneyland Resort. Check it out here!

Adam Roth’s 7/27/08 Update

WDWNT on July 28, 2008

Our good friend Adam Roth from WDWCelebrations has provided us with a fantastic photo update from his latest trip to the  Walt Disney World Resort. Let’s take a look at some interesting things going on at the world this weekend:

A new spinning topiary has appeared outside the Imagination pavilion at Epcot. Expect this to be a temporary change…

Something new in Innoventions, most likely for the return of the interactive Kim Possible game at Epcot.

Some exterior work taking place as Nine Dragons Restaurant is refurbished.

While the restaurant is closed, Epcot invites you to enjoy the rest of the China Pavilion, and the restrooms in Norway.

Some construction going on in the Morocco Pavilion as well.

More exterior work on some buildings in the United Kingdom.

Moving over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Drew Carey and Golden Age Souvenirs are closed until August 5th for refurbishment.

As you can see, just having Sounds Dangerous closed has effected the crowds in this area.

Al’s Toy Barn has been completely removed and is set to become a backdrop for Lightning McQueen and Mater from Cars.

The back-side of Pixar Place is complete and looks like a pretty picturesque spot to end this photo report.