This edition of WDWNT Live! is over, but don’t worry, because the episode will be available for download on not just Disneyland News Today, but also WDW News Today this Saturday. Episode 4 of WDWNT Live! will be held on November 2nd, with Episode 5: A WDWNT Christmas coming to you on December 21st.
According to the OC Register:
On Tuesday, Sept. 9, Disneyland will hold auditions for performers to be in a new street show titled High School Musical 3: Right Here! Right Now!. The show is based on the upcoming movie “High School Musical 3: Senior Year”, which is set to release in theaters on October 24.
Disney says they are seeking energetic male and female parade performers with strong dancing skills for a brand new street show inspired by Walt Disney Pictures High School Musical 3: Senior Year. Auditions are scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday at Team Disney Anaheim.
The current High School Musical show titled “High School Musical 2: School’s Out!” has no scheduled performances after Sunday, September 7.
According to MiceAge, the opening of the DCA Preview Center has been pushed back 1 month. There are a couple of factors as to why the date was pushed back. Firstly, Jay Rasulo should be announcing Magical Celebrations, the follow-up promotion to the Year of a Million Dreams on September 18th in New York. Secondly, the Miley Cyrus Sweet 16 event that is happening on October 5th. Basically, Disney don’t want the “DCA message” to be lost in-between these 2 events.
So if everything goes according to plan, Cast Member & Annual Passholder previews should be held around the second week of October, with a grand opening planned to happen on October 20th. The good news in this however, is that the exhibits, as well as the 7 minute video that will play on the screen that used to play the Seasons of the Vine movie are both ready. Marketing however isn’t…
The latest Dateline Disneyland article on MiceAge has a fine update on construction through-out the Disneyland Resort. Let’s take a look at some of the latest happenings:
The King Triton & Ariel statues have been removed, as well as most of the current theming in Ariel’s Grotto.
This is what has become of the turntable where Ariel entered to meet ‘n greet guests. No word on if the turntable structure will remain for Pixie Hollow.
A construction wall has popped up near the old Fantasyland Skyway Station. Don’t get your hopes up though, because there’s no way the Skyway is ever returning.
Let’s take a quick tour of the new Wishing Star Crystals store, which opened August 30th.
A window display.
In the store, you can buy personalized “magic crystals”.
The Conestoga Wagon near Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is still 100% in tact.
This sign is in place at Harbour Galley.
Some of the exterior Haunted Mansion Holiday decorations have already arrived, & are waiting to be installed in the queue area.
Many of the Halloween displays in the shop windows on Main Street USA have already been installed.
Finally, over at Department 56 in Downtown Disney, the new wall sectioning off the store looks to be mostly complete.
Staff member Jason Diffendal of WDWCelebrations.com has provided us with some very interesting pictures from around WDW during his latest trip. Let’s take a look at a few newsworthy items:
Starting at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the new Night of Joy event logo has taken over the entrance billboard. I really like the new logo, something about those colors…
The stage in front of the Sorcerer’s Hat is almost ready for the Night(s) of Joy.
While the temporary stage is set, High School Musical 2: School’s Out will be performing on the Streets of America. This shows final performance is going to be September 13th, with the updated High School Musical 3: Right Here! Right Now! show to debut on October 24th.
Work on something continues at the end of Sunset Blvd.
Mouse About Town, Once Upon a Time, and Sunset Club Couture (Sunset Blvd. Shops) have all closed to be refurbished and change over to selling just clothing. This is a horrible decision, which moves the watchmaker into the Art of Disney over in the Animation Courtyard and leaves the park with more limited options when it comes to collectibles and home goods. It appears the restrooms next door are also closed at this time.
Moving over to Epcot, wait times make the off-season seem a little more off this year.
“These wait times look so good, I want one!”
Food and Wine Festival preparation outside the American Adventure
The Morocco gallery is closed while a new exhibit is added. The new exhibit will open on September 25.
Epcot rushing together the International Food & Wine Festival, which begins September 26.
Exterior work continues on the United Kingdom pavilion.
Moving over to the Magic Kingdom, work continues on the Liberty Bell in Liberty Square
Work on the Fantasyland facades continues, now expanded onto Tinker Bell’s Treasures
Even though the new Liberty Square bridge is complete, work continues in the waters below it.
More columns around Main Street U.S.A. are being painted. Wonder how many average guests even noticed this one…
Even the napkins are getting into the Halloween spirit this year.
We end this special report with a Halloween cup you could get next time you buy a Coke at WDW. Thanks for the report Jason!
Here’s a quick look at the new costumes that Disney’s most famous couples will be sporting this halloween during Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party:
Mickey and Minnie Mouse
Donald and Daisy Duck
WDWNT is back from the not-so-crowded Walt Disney World theme parks with another fantastic photo report. Let’s take a look at all the newsworthy happenings from around the world:
Starting at Disney’s hollywood Studios, this special stage has been set up for the Night of Joy events
Construction on the American Idol Experience
They are painting the entire building in a new blue color-scheme
This is where the old poster that featured a few ABC shows such as Good Morning America used to be.
A few color changes on the tower.
Not sure what this is, signage perhaps?
A few more of the statues have been removed.
We expect this exhibit to make a move to somewhere else in the studios soon…
A Bolt billboard up in Animation Courtyard.
As previously reported, Single Rider has been removed from Toy Story Midway Mania.
The current Cars character meet-and-greet by Pixar Place…
The new meet-and-greet being constructed where Al’s Toy Barn was. Looks like it will have some pretty cool, recognizable, movie inspired theming.
A nice looking Tapestry Woven Throw.
And here’s a new Disney’s Hollywood Studios Tapestry Woven Throw.
You can’t see it all that well in this picture, but the Osbourne lights are starting to be put up.
You can get a better look at the lights in this picture.
The Muppet Vision 3-D balloon is still down on the Streets of America.
More painting on the opposite side of the American Idol Experience building.
The limo is back up on the Rock ‘n Roller Coaster sign.
The attraction was closed for 4 hours due to technical difficulties… A rare sight indeed!
Moving over to Epcot… Innoventions might as well be called Construction Land, as there have been so many new projects going on there lately.
This is where the IBM exhibit used to be.
The IBM logo is still there.
We’re less than a month away from this year’s Epcot International Food & Wine Festival!
Another rare sight, the Sheriff of Nottingham from Robin Hood outside the American Adventure!
This sign at Soarin’ could use some fixing up.
Halloween Decorations are now up at the Magic Kingdom
New statues around the hub on Main Street U.S.A.
They even light up in certain places at night
Banners up at the majestic train station.
Banners on the side of the Exposition Hall.
The Exposition Hall.
City Hall.
Work is still being done on these columns outside the Emporium.
Halloween decorations inside the Emporium.
Very, very short wait times for the Magic Kingdom
The off-season is here
The Liberty Square bridge is one again open to guest flow & parades. It looks pretty good.
However work is still going on in the water beneath the bridge.
New concrete in Liberty Square
The Liberty Bell is behind walls.
They’re working on wiring by & beneath the McDonalds Fry Cart in Frontierland. It’s been going on for 7 months now.
They have repainted the castle stone wall above Snow White’s Scary Adventures (the light tone wall). It looks much better in my opinion.
Same work being done on the Mickey’s PhilharMagic facade.
A funky new Mickey Mouse shirt.
A cool new shirt for the 15th anniversary of Nightmare Before Christmas.
Construction on the new north wing of the Contemporary Resort.
And to cap off this photo report, a billboard advertising T-Rex (and new employees) on the way to Walt Disney World.
We once again have some updates to the attraction refurbishment list for you. First up, as previously reported, today is the last day for the Indiana Jones Summer of Hidden Mysteries, which includes the Secret of the Stone Tiger & Random Acts of Indy shows. Various reports have been saying that the Oasis theater (home to Secret of the Stone Tiger) will not have any shows performing in it until next summer. Yet another classic example of cost-cutting!
We finally have dates for when 2 of the 3 former McDonalds locations at the Resort will open without McDonalds. Harbor Galley is planned to re-open on December 16th. Burger Invasion will re-open sometime in May 2009! But we do not yet have a date on when the Conostoga Wagon will re-open. All 3 close tomorrow.
Disney’s Electrical Parade will return on December 19th, & Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular will now return on December 12th, as opposed to December 19th, with a partial new cast.
Finally, a short refurbishment for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad will be conducted from December 1st to the 5th.
Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today for updates on all attraction refurbishments. And for up-to-the-minute information on the various refurbishments, be sure to check our Attraction Refurbishments page!
We’ve have just received official word on when the Sun Wheel refurbishment will end. It will start (as previously reported) on September 11th, & will go all the way through February 26th, 2009! This pretty much confirms that Mickey’s Fun Wheel is coming, & with the amount of time they’re spending on it, this going to be pretty impressive.
Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today as construction on Mickey’s Fun Wheel starts!
day.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/2818851439_749793f477_b-500×375.jpg” alt=”” width=”500″ height=”375″ />