WDWNT Network Announces New Additions to Celebrate 2 Year Anniversary

WDWNT on June 24, 2009

As we kick off the two year anniversary celebration of the WDWNT Network and WDW News Today (running now through August 8th), we are proud to announce a number of exciting new additions and enhancements throughout our family of websites and podcasts. On July 8, 2007, we pledged to find new ways to bring the latest news, information, magic, and fun from the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts directly to you. Over the past two years, we have kept to that promise, launching some of the most popular entities in the Disney online fan community such as the WDW News Today podcast, The Disney Pincast, and Disneyland News Today. We have also innovated with the only fully interactive Walt Disney World Resort focused podcast, the internet’s only podcasts covering current events at the Disneyland Resort and the huge hobby that is Disney pin trading, and most recently, the newest version of our WDWNTube, the premiere location for streaming and sharing your favorite Disney Park videos. Moving into our third year of operation, we plan on being more innovative, interactive, informative, and entertaining than ever before.

The Podcasts of the WDWNT Network

While we could have never imagined it two years ago, our podcasts have been the heart and soul of everything we do at the WDWNT Network. Making use of the utilities that the remainder of our online community provides, we have used things such as our WDWNT Network Community Forums to enhance our already popular weekly productions. Beginning in July 2008, we kicked off a program we call WDWNT Interactive, allowing WDW News Today Podcast listeners to vote for the topics discussed in their favorite segments on the show. The popularity of that program has been unparalleled and has made us sure that every segment we air is one that a majority of our audience will find useful or entertaining. Based on this success, we are proud to announce that the Disneyland News Today Podcast will launch a similar service called DLNT Interactive, where listeners will be able to head to the community forums and vote for the segments that would like to hear on that weekly program. DLNT Interactive will be officially launching on July 2, 2009. In addition to these interactive features, all three of the WDWNT Network produced podcasts offer multiple services on the WDWNT Network Community Forums. WDW News Today and Disneyland News Today Podcast listeners can already view show notes and discuss the shows with those who produce it weekly by posting and reading under corresponding sections. Listeners of the Disney Pincast can not only discuss the show, view show notes, and weekly pin releases while on the forums, but can also discuss Disney pin trading and other Disneyana collecting (such as Vinylmation) while visiting. All of these features make a visit to the WDWNT Network Community Forums a must and enhance the listeners experience each and every week.

Focusing only on the podcasts of the WDWNT Network, some popular segments of these shows are leaving and returning, and a number of new offerings are just on the horizon. The WDW News Today Podcast is proud to be introducing two exciting new segments, titled “The Golden Age” and “World’s Finest”. “The Golden Age” will be a quest to find out which point in Walt Disney World history could be considered the best overall period of the “Vacation Kingdom’s” existence. The “World’s Finest” segment will provide listeners with plenty of opinions and banter, as the WDWNT Podcast team tries to figure out what the very best of Walt Disney World truly is. Two classic segments that haven’t been heard in quite a while will also be returning, in “Back to the Future” and “Disney Don’t Forget the Lyrics”. Since it’s debut in January 2008, “Back to the Future” has allowed the WDWNT Podcast crew to educate listeners on the past, present, and future of Walt Disney World while honoring a favorite film series of the same name. “Disney Don’t Forget the Lyrics” was the first trademark game show on the WDW News Today Podcast and has set an example that many other Disney fan podcasts have tried to imitate, but have been unable to duplicate, a game where contestants must remember the lyrics to the classic songs of the Disney Parks. Over on the Disneyland News Today Podcast, the “What Were They Thinking” segment will find a new home. In this segment, the DLNT Staff will look at the various decisions made by Disneyland Management both past and present and try to figure out “What Were They Thinking?!?”. This segment will also be part of the all new DLNT Interactive program being introduced

At many times during our continuous evolution, we have brought you some new and experimental projects, one of the longer-lasting and well known was “Your Ear to the World”. On June 10th, 2009, the “Your Ear to the World” podcast had its final episode. This was a fun and innovative project for us over the last year, but we have decided to retire it to make room for a more unique method of bringing you audio experiences. The name of our latest and perhaps most exciting project to date is WDWNTunes.

Introducing WDWNTunes!!!

What is WDWNTunes? WDWNTunes is a streaming online radio station that will bring listeners audio from the Disney Parks, as well as exclusive content from the WDWNT Network. The main site for WDWNTunes will also provide listeners with a chat room, a full listing of our current audio library, a broadcasting schedule (coming soon!), and much more. In addition, WDWNTunes will be the new home of our WDWNT Live! shows, an opportunity to join us join us each month for a live interactive podcast. The first WDWNT Live! presented on WDWNTunes will be taking place on July 8, 2009, and will be a special show to commemorate our two year anniversary. Be sure to stay tuned for more details on this special show as we get closer to that date. In the mean time, you can find WDWNTunes online at www.wdwntunes.com and follow WDWNTunes on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wdwntunes and on Facebook at this link.

More To Come

If all of this news wasn’t enough from the WDWNT Network, we invite you to join us for the Town Square Talk segment during Episode 100 of the WDW News Today Podcast and Episode 70 of the Disneyland News Today Podcast for a few more pieces of news, as well as a blockbuster special announcement that will shake the very foundation of the WDWNT Network.

WDW News Today and the WDWNT Network is proud to present this full line-up of changes and additions to you, our audience, and hope you will continue to be a part of our still growing community. We are truly thankful for your devotion to our websites and podcasts and would like you to know that the last two years would have never been possible without your support. We hope you are as excited as we are about these new efforts in continuing to “Bridge the Gaps Between You and the World”.

Tom Corless
Owner of the WDWNT Network

WDWNT Network Announces New Additions to Celebrate 2 Year Anniversary

WDWNT on June 24, 2009

As we kick off the two year anniversary celebration of the WDWNT Network and WDW News Today (running now through August 8th), we are proud to announce a number of exciting new additions and enhancements throughout our family of websites and podcasts. On July 8, 2007, we pledged to find new ways to bring the latest news, information, magic, and fun from the Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts directly to you. Over the past two years, we have kept to that promise, launching some of the most popular entities in the Disney online fan community such as the WDW News Today podcast, The Disney Pincast, and Disneyland News Today. We have also innovated with the only fully interactive Walt Disney World Resort focused podcast, the internet’s only podcasts covering current events at the Disneyland Resort and the huge hobby that is Disney pin trading, and most recently, the newest version of our WDWNTube, the premiere location for streaming and sharing your favorite Disney Park videos. Moving into our third year of operation, we plan on being more innovative, interactive, informative, and entertaining than ever before.

The Podcasts of the WDWNT Network

While we could have never imagined it two years ago, our podcasts have been the heart and soul of everything we do at the WDWNT Network. Making use of the utilities that the remainder of our online community provides, we have used things such as our WDWNT Network Community Forums to enhance our already popular weekly productions. Beginning in July 2008, we kicked off a program we call WDWNT Interactive, allowing WDW News Today Podcast listeners to vote for the topics discussed in their favorite segments on the show. The popularity of that program has been unparalleled and has made us sure that every segment we air is one that a majority of our audience will find useful or entertaining. Based on this success, we are proud to announce that the Disneyland News Today Podcast will launch a similar service called DLNT Interactive, where listeners will be able to head to the community forums and vote for the segments that would like to hear on that weekly program. DLNT Interactive will be officially launching on July 2, 2009. In addition to these interactive features, all three of the WDWNT Network produced podcasts offer multiple services on the WDWNT Network Community Forums. WDW News Today and Disneyland News Today Podcast listeners can already view show notes and discuss the shows with those who produce it weekly by posting and reading under corresponding sections. Listeners of the Disney Pincast can not only discuss the show, view show notes, and weekly pin releases while on the forums, but can also discuss Disney pin trading and other Disneyana collecting (such as Vinylmation) while visiting. All of these features make a visit to the WDWNT Network Community Forums a must and enhance the listeners experience each and every week.

Focusing only on the podcasts of the WDWNT Network, some popular segments of these shows are leaving and returning, and a number of new offerings are just on the horizon. The WDW News Today Podcast is proud to be introducing two exciting new segments, titled “The Golden Age” and “World’s Finest”. “The Golden Age” will be a quest to find out which point in Walt Disney World history could be considered the best overall period of the “Vacation Kingdom’s” existence. The “World’s Finest” segment will provide listeners with plenty of opinions and banter, as the WDWNT Podcast team tries to figure out what the very best of Walt Disney World truly is. Two classic segments that haven’t been heard in quite a while will also be returning, in “Back to the Future” and “Disney Don’t Forget the Lyrics”. Since it’s debut in January 2008, “Back to the Future” has allowed the WDWNT Podcast crew to educate listeners on the past, present, and future of Walt Disney World while honoring a favorite film series of the same name. “Disney Don’t Forget the Lyrics” was the first trademark game show on the WDW News Today Podcast and has set an example that many other Disney fan podcasts have tried to imitate, but have been unable to duplicate, a game where contestants must remember the lyrics to the classic songs of the Disney Parks. Over on the Disneyland News Today Podcast, the “What Were They Thinking” segment will find a new home. In this segment, the DLNT Staff will look at the various decisions made by Disneyland Management both past and present and try to figure out “What Were They Thinking?!?”. This segment will also be part of the all new DLNT Interactive program being introduced

At many times during our continuous evolution, we have brought you some new and experimental projects, one of the longer-lasting and well known was “Your Ear to the World”. On June 10th, 2009, the “Your Ear to the World” podcast had its final episode. This was a fun and innovative project for us over the last year, but we have decided to retire it to make room for a more unique method of bringing you audio experiences. The name of our latest and perhaps most exciting project to date is WDWNTunes.

Introducing WDWNTunes!!!

What is WDWNTunes? WDWNTunes is a streaming online radio station that will bring listeners audio from the Disney Parks, as well as exclusive content from the WDWNT Network. The main site for WDWNTunes will also provide listeners with a chat room, a full listing of our current audio library, a broadcasting schedule (coming soon!), and much more. In addition, WDWNTunes will be the new home of our WDWNT Live! shows, an opportunity to join us join us each month for a live interactive podcast. The first WDWNT Live! presented on WDWNTunes will be taking place on July 8, 2009, and will be a special show to commemorate our two year anniversary. Be sure to stay tuned for more details on this special show as we get closer to that date. In the mean time, you can find WDWNTunes online at www.wdwntunes.com and follow WDWNTunes on Twitter at www.twitter.com/wdwntunes and on Facebook at this link.

More To Come

If all of this news wasn’t enough from the WDWNT Network, we invite you to join us for the Town Square Talk segment during Episode 100 of the WDW News Today Podcast and Episode 70 of the Disneyland News Today Podcast for a few more pieces of news, as well as a blockbuster special announcement that will shake the very foundation of the WDWNT Network.

WDW News Today and the WDWNT Network is proud to present this full line-up of changes and additions to you, our audience, and hope you will continue to be a part of our still growing community. We are truly thankful for your devotion to our websites and podcasts and would like you to know that the last two years would have never been possible without your support. We hope you are as excited as we are about these new efforts in continuing to “Bridge the Gaps Between You and the World”.

Tom Corless
Owner of the WDWNT Network

Disneyland Resort Roundup

WDWNT on June 24, 2009

Here is a quick bit of news to hold you all over while Luke Manning is away on vacation. Justin “The Mayor” Heyman is here to keep you up to date on everything happening around the Disneyland Resort:

  • It would appear the new Dragon isn’t the only thing experiencing some issues. During Monday’s performance the new Fantasmic, the Marc Twain caught fire. Luckily no one was hurt, but Disney had this to say about the accident:

During a showing of Fantasmic last night, exhaust from the Mark Twain caught on fire from a show element in which flames ignite on the Rivers of America. The Disneyland Fire Department noted that such a minor fire typically would extinguish itself, but that they were on scene to assist. There was no damage.

  • In Celebration of the Matterhorn’s 50th anniversary, the OC Register has an interesting article and look inside the mountain here.
  • Finally, though Studio Disney 365 did hold some very limited cast member previews today, it look like the earliest any guest will see it may be this Friday.

As always stay tuned to Disneyland News Today as we will keep you up to date with the latest news and information from around the Disneyland Resort!

Hall of Presidents Details Emerge

WDWNT on June 24, 2009

From Dewayne Bevil of the Orlando Sentinel:

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Had a mini-sneak-peek at the revamped Hall of Presidents this afternoon at Magic Kingdom. Showing us around — but not the whole presentation — was Eric Jacobson, senior vice president at Walt Disney Imagineering. Here are some tidbits he shared about HoP, which is set to reopen officially on July 4:

+ The front room/pre-show has been reorganized a bit. Some of the presidential portraits have been replaced, and the imagery has quotations beneath them. A new display area features dresses from three first ladies: Elizabeth Monroe, Edith Roosevelt (Mrs. Teddy) and Nancy Reagan. (The silk dresses of Monroe and Roosevelt are reproductions).

+ Reagan sent a selection.  “Mrs. Reagan actually — at the Reagan Library — picked out six dresses for us to rotate through the collection,” Jacobson says. “She picked them out herself.” Her outfit will change every six months, but she’ll start off in a black-sequined number. The gown area is flexible. “Maybe some day we’ll have one of Michelle Obama’s outfits in here,” Jacobson says.

+ New wording has been placed on an interior wall. It now reads “Welcome to the Hall of Presidents, a Celebration of Liberty’s Leaders.” Outside, the building gets its first marquee (still covered, as seen in photo above. Photo by Joe Burbank, shot Tuesday.) (Previously, there was merely a sign in the planter.)

+ The film, now narrated by Morgan Freeman, is a bit trimmer, and the Animatronic section expanded. “That’s what they [park guests] come to see,” Jacobson says.

+ The emphasis of the attraction is more about the history of the presidency and the presidents as people. Before, it was more of a history lesson, and this change will help distinguish the Hall from the American Adventure presentation at Epcot.

+ The film still will end with the Space Shuttle as the curtain rises to reveal the presidents.

Luxo Jr. Daytime Show Video

WDWNT on June 23, 2009

As promised yesterday, here is the video of the short daytime show that the Luxo Jr. character is performing on Pixar Place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

Luxo Jr. Debuts at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on June 23, 2009

WDWNT reporter Brandon Struve (a warm welcome to the latest addition to our staff) made a trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios earlier today to take some pictures and video (coming soon) of the new Luxo Jr. audio-animatronics character that is now performing in the Pixar Place area across from the Toy Story Midway Mania attraction:

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We’ve seen this before, this sign has been up since Pixar Place was completed last summer

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Now Luxo Jr. actually comes out to greet guests with a short show

Read More about Luxo Jr. Debuts at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

A Reason To Watch High School Musical 3

WDWNT on June 22, 2009

Those of you who follow this site regularly know I have little love for the High School Musical film series, but it looks like Starz has given me a reason to perhaps watch High School Musical 3:

For more details on the contest and Starz, visit this link

Have “Wishes” for a Magic Kingdom Dessert Party?

WDWNT on June 22, 2009

According to Mark Goldhaber’s “Mark My Words” blog on MousePlanet.com:

Apparently, Disney will be testing a new Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party in the Magic Kingdom starting on Tuesday.

The test will run from June 23 through Saturday, August 29, “near” the Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station. Our guess is that it probably will be in the Noodle Station’s lower seating area and possibly the middle level, as well. There’s really no other area that can accommodate the 160 people (maximum) that the party will allow aside from the smoking area, which would either tick off the dislocated smokers or the non-smokers forced to put up with the smokers.

The party will feature an all-you-can-eat dessert buffet and beverages, and will run from 1 hour prior to Wishes through the end of Wishes.

The cost will be $17.99 for adults and $9.99 for kids. Booking opens on Monday, and you can call the Disney Dining Line (407-WDW-DINE/407-939-3563) to make those reservations.

Party attendance is prepaid, and (as with the Fantasmic dining package), there will be no refunds if the weather causes a cancellation of Wishes. The dessert reception will be held regardless of weather.

I was indeed able to book this “un-announced” dessert party offering this morning and will be attending it on the evening of June 24th. You can expect a full review with photos at some point this week, so stay tuned.

Disney Dining Planning Online

WDWNT on June 20, 2009

As many of you probably already know, Walt Disney World guests now have the ability to make advance dining reservations for select table service restaurants online at DisneyWorld.com. After a few days of testing the system and seeing the in-and-outs of it, I think I’m ready to give a review. Let me just say that I was extremely skeptical that this system would work well after having made my ADR’s by phone for as long as I could remember, but I must say that I have been extremely impressed thus far. Guests can simply go to the Walt Disney World website and look under the dining section (or go via direct link here) and click a small box under each of the corresponding table service restaurants:

dining1

After clicking book a reservation, you are taken to a page where you will enter the date, number of people in your party, and time you would like to eat at the restaurant of choice. After entering all of the proper information and waiting for a few moments, you will get your results, either granting you with your preferred seating time or giving you alternative times for the chosen restaurant or other available eateries. One complaint I do have is that when I had a rejected reservation for a restaurant, I was offered alternatives reservations at restaurants in far away places. Shouldn’t the system suggest other restaurants that are near-by???  After selecting whatever reservation is right for you, you can complete your planning or add more restaurant reservations. Once you are done, you will be emailed your reservations for future record.

Again, the system is extremely convenient and will make sure that you’re never stuck waiting on the phone to make an ADR. It seems, for once, that the Disney World website is offering a truly unique and convenient service to the public.