WDWNT Network Coverage of the D23 Expo 9/10-9/13/09

WDWNT on September 7, 2009

When D23: The Official Disney Fan Community debuted on March 10, 2009, we had a pretty good idea that it was something that would forever change what it meant to be a “Disney Fan”. We were made a ton of promises and I think Disney has come through on just about all of them, to their credit. The biggest promise they made was that the first ever Disney fan convention called the D23 Expo would be “the ultimate Disney fan experience”. In our continuing effort to bring you Disney news as it happens (who are we kidding, we wouldn’t miss this for the world anyway), the WDWNT Network crew is heading to the D23 Expo in Anaheim to provide you with as much coverage of the event as we possibly can. Mind you, we can’t bring you everything because there is just far too many panels, presentations, and exhibits spanning the 4 days of the event (as you can see by the 74 pages of guide book it takes to explain and showcase all that the D23 Expo has to offer). To follow live coverage from the various events of the D23 Expo, you can regularly check the WDW News Today and Disneyland News Today news blogs, as well as follow the WDWNT Twitter and myself on Facebook for the most frequent updates we can possibly provide.

For those who are actually coming to the D23 Expo in Anaheim, we are proud to announce that we will be having yet another WDWNT Fan Meet in Disneyland Park on Friday, September 11th. The meet is a great opportunity to escape the Anaheim Convention Center for a few hours after the floor closes and take in Disneyland with fellow Disney fans and WDWNT Network staff. You can find out more information about this meet on Facebook and on the WDWNT Network Community Forums.

There will also be a special post-Expo review podcast (featuring audio from the various events, interviews, and much more) on WDW News Today Podcast episode 111 and Disneyland News Today Podcast episode 81.

We hope you will join us for and enjoy all of our coverage from the D23 Expo!

Tom Corless
Owner of the WDWNT Network

WDWNT Network Coverage of the D23 Expo 9/10-9/13/09

WDWNT on September 7, 2009

When D23: The Official Disney Fan Community debuted on March 10, 2009, we had a pretty good idea that it was something that would forever change what it meant to be a “Disney Fan”. We were made a ton of promises and I think Disney has come through on just about all of them, to their credit. The biggest promise they made was that the first ever Disney fan convention called the D23 Expo would be “the ultimate Disney fan experience”. In our continuing effort to bring you Disney news as it happens (who are we kidding, we wouldn’t miss this for the world anyway), the WDWNT Network crew is heading to the D23 Expo in Anaheim to provide you with as much coverage of the event as we possibly can. Mind you, we can’t bring you everything because there is just far too many panels, presentations, and exhibits spanning the 4 days of the event (as you can see by the 74 pages of guide book it takes to explain and showcase all that the D23 Expo has to offer). To follow live coverage from the various events of the D23 Expo, you can regularly check the WDW News Today and Disneyland News Today news blogs, as well as follow the WDWNT Twitter and myself on Facebook for the most frequent updates we can possibly provide.

For those who are actually coming to the D23 Expo in Anaheim, we are proud to announce that we will be having yet another WDWNT Fan Meet in Disneyland Park on Friday, September 11th. The meet is a great opportunity to escape the Anaheim Convention Center for a few hours after the floor closes and take in Disneyland with fellow Disney fans and WDWNT Network staff. You can find out more information about this meet on Facebook and on the WDWNT Network Community Forums.

There will also be a special post-Expo review podcast (featuring audio from the various events, interviews, and much more) on WDW News Today Podcast episode 111 and Disneyland News Today Podcast episode 81.

We hope you will join us for and enjoy all of our coverage from the D23 Expo!

Tom Corless
Owner of the WDWNT Network

Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee Concept Art

WDWNT on September 5, 2009

Concept art has been released for the new Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee show coming to New Orleans Square from November 6th, 2009 through January 3rd, 2010:

From this concept art, you can see that the band and Louis the Alligator will be at the front of the boat, Prince Naveen and Princess Tiana will be on the 3rd level, the performers will be on the second and third levels, and the guests will be on the bottom level (be sure to click on the image to see a bigger version of the concept art)

An “Eggcellent” Addition to the Backlot Tour

WDWNT on September 5, 2009

Disney has made a short press release regarding the newest prop on display as part of Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Backlot Tour attraction:

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The Studio Backlot tour at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has a new prop on display, and it’s eggcellent! Guests can see the colorful chicken coop that appeared in Hannah Montana: The Movie. In the film, Miley Cyrus’ character stays up all night to rebuild the coop for her farmhand friend Travis.

Buena Vista Construction Company, Walt Disney Imagineering, and the Scenic Shops partnered to bring the movie prop to the Studios.

“Jackie Herrera is our WDI curator, and when she saw this was available, she jumped at the chance to get it here for Studios guests.” said Wyatt Winter, Walt Disney Imagineer.

Guests can see the chicken coop, which is one of the largest props on display at the Studio Backlot Tour, as they exit the Special Effects Water Tank and enter the queue for the tram tour.

Disneyland Hotel Renovation Begins

WDWNT on September 4, 2009

According to the OC Register’s Around Disney blog:

Guests staying at the Disneyland Hotel will be sleeping on new beds alongside new furniture.

“We wanted to make the rooms a more immersive experience for our guests,” said David Gill, media relations for the Disneyland Resorts.

Construction crews began work in the Dream Tower last week on the project that will take three years to tackle the entire hotel. Work includes stripping the rooms down to the bare walls, upgrading the electrical and plumbing and then bringing in carpeting, paint, furniture, beds and bathtubs.

The new furniture is being lifted into the tower via a temporary elevator mounted to the exterior of the building.

“Some of the furniture is so big that we want to get it in and out effectively without disrupting the rest of the hotel,” Gill said.

The new look for the rooms was conceived by designers at Walt Disney Imagineering, and includes many Disney touches such as hidden Mickeys in the carpeting, the bathrooms and other niches; and headboards that light up with a fiber-optics display of the world famous Disneyland fireworks above Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Other details include a pair of Mickey Mouse hands holding the lights in the dressing area. Even Tinkerbell is hiding out in the room.

“We wanted the guests to continue to feel the Disney magic when they return to the rooms from our parks,” Gill said.

The rooms will be outfitted with energy-efficient lighting and double-paned, energy-efficient windows that will be tinted blue to give the towers a new look.

The work is being done in phases, with the Dream Tower scheduled for completion in June, followed by the Magic Tower then the Wonder Tower. All the work is expected to be complete by 2012.

Disney officials declined to give a cost for the renovations.

All of the old bathtubs will be donated to Habitat for Humanity, while the beds and furniture will be offered to cast members at a highly discounted rate with proceeds donated to local charities.

Guests Select Ingredients at The New Lucky Fortune Cookery

WDWNT on September 3, 2009

The colorful new Lucky Fortune Cookery, debuting Friday, Sept. 4, 2009, is the newest addition to the variety of dining options at Disney’s California Adventure park. Located in the Pacific Wharf section of the park, Lucky Fortune Cookery offers guests the opportunity to create their own Asian Rice Bowl meals and enjoy them in an outdoor plaza.

  • Lucky Fortune Cookery can be found in the location previously occupied by Cocina Cucamonga, which has relocated directly across the Pacific Wharf outdoor dining plaza.
  • The quick-service restaurant features colorful décor, paper lanterns, oversized pots filled with bamboo and iconic dragon designs.
  • Guests are served at the quick-service windows of Lucky Fortune Cookery and they dine at tables under festive umbrellas in the outdoor plaza at Pacific Wharf. The environment allows for a pleasant and flavorful break in the day at Disneyland Resort.
  • The Menu: Customized Asian Rice Bowls are the specialty of Lucky Fortune Cookery.  It starts with a bowl of steamed white and brown rice and seared Asian vegetables. Guests select chicken, beef or tofu, plus a sauce of their choice: Mandarin orange, spicy Korean, Thai green curry or teriyaki.
  • The spicy Korean sauce is actually based on an old family recipe provided by Gloria Tae, chef de cuisine at the award-winning Napa Rose restaurant in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. All the sauce options were researched and taste-tested by Disney chefs as well as by cast members from diverse cultural backgrounds so that the final products would appeal to the broad variety of guests dining at Lucky Fortune Cookery.
  • The Price: Each customized Asian Rice Bowl, regardless of ingredients, will cost $9.49. A kid’s meal of teriyaki chicken and rice, including fruit cup and choice of beverage, is available for guests age 9 and under for $6.49.

Disney Characters Celebrate a Small Christmas

WDWNT on September 3, 2009

Disneyland will be releasing an It’s a Small World Holiday mystery pin set, featuring the recently added Disney characters with some holiday decorations as backdrops.

This is the first glimpse we’ve seen at what they’ll be doing with the Disney characters during the It’s a Small World Holiday overlay this year. The mystery pin set will be released on October 1st, containing 4 random pins of the 10 in the collection for $25. Also, It’s a Small World will be closed from October 27th to November 12th for the addition of the holiday overlay.

New Fantasmic Dragon to Finally Debut Tonight!

WDWNT on September 1, 2009

Exciting news from our good friend Brady MacDonald over at the LA Times Travel Blog:

After months of false starts and frustrating anticipation, the Fantasmic dragon will finally take the stage at Disneyland tonight (Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009) at 8:15 p.m., according to park officials.

Despite top billing, the oft-delayed dragon failed to appear during the Anaheim theme park’s Summer Nightastic promotion.

Expect big crowds along the Rivers of America tonight as the news spreads via the blogosphere, Twittersphere and Disneysphere.

During the rest of the week, Fantasmic plays at 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. over the four-day Labor Day Weekend (Friday-Monday). On high attendance days, Disneyland often adds a third Fantasmic show.

After Labor Day, Fantasmic switches to a weekend-only schedule (Friday-Sunday) until the Christmas holidays.