Come Party With Some Imagineers!!

WDWNT on February 25, 2010

From D23:

02.24.10 – In addition to D23 Members — major stars in their own right! — the D23 First Anniversary Party, to be held March 10 inside Fantasyland at Disneyland, will play host to a number of VIPs who have contributed significantly to Disney’s legacy, including:

Bob Gurr. Named a Disney Legend in 2004 for his decades of innovative work at Walt Disney Imagineering, Bob specialized in vehicle design and worked on the designs of the Autopia automobiles and the antique cars and double-decker buses used on Main Street, U.S.A. He also played a lead role in the design of the Monorail, Matterhorn Bobsleds and Flying Saucers attractions and more.

Tony Baxter. A legendary Imagineer, Tony has played a key role in the design and creation of many Disney attractions and theme parks of the last 40 years, including Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Splash Mountain, the Indiana Jones Adventure and the overall creative role for Disneyland Paris.

Kevin Corcoran. Named a Disney Legend in 2006, Kevin has enjoyed a long and distinguished acting career with Disney, starring in such classic films as Old Yeller, The Shaggy Dog, Swiss Family Robinson and more.

Bill Farmer. Named a Disney Legend at the inaugural D23 Expo in 2009, Bill’s voice is familiar to cartoon fans around the world as the voice of Goofy and Pluto. He has also lent his talents to a long list of Disney favorites, including Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Beauty and the Beast and such Disney·Pixar films as a bug’s life, Toy Story and Toy Story 2.

Margaret Kerry. Margaret was the original live-action model for Tinker Bell.

Dave Smith. Named a Disney Legend in 2007, Dave Smith, chief archivist, the Walt Disney Archives, founded the Disney Archives in 1970.

Dan Roebuck. For more than two decades Dan has enjoyed a successful acting career. He currently shines in the role of Dr. Leslie Arzt on the hit ABC series LOST.

David Stollery. Named a Disney Legend in 2006, David Stollery enjoyed a solid acting career before he came to the Walt Disney Studios but it was there that he made his biggest mark. He played Marty Markham, the spoiled rich boy, in The Adventures of Spin and Marty and Dan Thompson in Westward Ho The Wagons!

Denny Newell. A senior show director at Disneyland, Denny is a 24-year Disneyland Cast Member who has played a directorial role for Celebrate! A Street Party, Disney’s Electrical Parade, A Christmas Fantasy Parade, Drawn to the Magic and Pixie Hollow.

Tickets are still on sale for the Anniversary and you can find the link Here.

Several DLNT Staff Members will be attending the event so stay tuned to DLNT for video and a photo report from the event.

New Manager at Napa Rose

WDWNT on February 24, 2010

From the OC Register

Disney selected a manager of a steakhouse at the Bellagio in Las Vegas to head its upscale Napa Rose restaurant.

Philippe Tosques, who worked at the Prime Steakhouse in Las Vegas for about three years, is set to begin his job as general manager at the Disneyland Resort restaurant on March 1, Disney announced Wednesday on Twitter. The award-winning Napa Rose sits inside the Grand Californian Hotel.

Betsy Sanchez, a Disneyland Resort spokeswoman, said Tosques was unavailable for an interview Wednesday. Disney did not release further information about Tosques. The Prime Steakhouse could not be reached.

Tosques previously worked as a consultant and manager at other Las Vegas restaurants, as well as the Hotel Sofitel in Los Angeles and Chicago, according to his LinkedIn account. Tosques won restaurant awards in both Las Vegas and Chicago.

The previous Napa Rose general manager, Michael Jordan,  left his job at Disney in September. He now is the president of The Beachcomber restaurants in Crystal Cove and Malibu.

WDWNTube Upgrades Videos to Full High Definition

WDWNT on February 24, 2010

The WDWNTube video site recently added the capability to post videos in full High Definition (1080p resolution), so we thought we would share a few of the updated videos here and show you just how awesome these videos now look (trust me, you’ll agree if you watch some of them):

Disney’s Electrical Parade (2009) at Disney’s California Adventure

Disneyland’s Fantasmic! (2009)

Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade version 3 (January 2010)

Fantasy in the Sky fireworks (New Year’s Eve 2009)

WDWNTube Upgrades Videos to Full High Definition

WDWNT on February 24, 2010

The WDWNTube video site recently added the capability to post videos in full High Definition (1080p resolution), so we thought we would share a few of the updated videos here and show you just how awesome these videos now look (trust me, you’ll agree if you watch some of them):

Disney’s Electrical Parade (2009) at Disney’s California Adventure

Disneyland’s Fantasmic! (2009)

Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade version 3 (January 2010)

Fantasy in the Sky fireworks (New Year’s Eve 2009)

The NEW DLNT Podcast Episode 7 (2/22/10) – Enhanced Edition

WDWNT on February 24, 2010

An enhanced podcast is a podcast with added features that standard podcasts do not have. Enhanced podcasts include advancements such as Chapter listings, this allows you to skip through segments or see all of the contents of this show. Enhanced podcasts also contain images allowing you to differ the chapters by or actually see a picture of what the podcaster is talking about. Enhanced podcasts have only one negative feature, you can not play them on most basic mp3 players. The file format for an Enhanced Podcast file is .m4a, which can play on an Apple iPod or a Microsoft Zune. If you need or would like a standard show, download the normal edition listed below this file. We hope you enjoy this WDWNT Network Enhanced podcast.

Join me, Sean Dickey, and a cast including Brian Martsolf, Jamie Nakagiri, Stephen Katherman, and Homan Hashemzadeh for a variety show dedicated to the Disneyland Resort and its many fans. Plenty of Disneyland information and fun awaits you on this edition of the Disneyland News Today Podcast!!!

On this week’s show, we’ll have the return of the weekly Disneyland Resort News & Rumor Report, the premier of Disneyland Graveyard, this weeks Disneyland Events Calendar, and much more.

If you would like to contact us with any questions, suggestions, comments, or concerns you can email us atwdwnewstoday@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail message at (206)-666-2982.

Discuss this show, see our show notes, and vote for the segments you want to hear every week by going over to the WDWNT Network Community Forums at www.wdwnewstoday.com/forums.

Please visit the official “WDWNT: The Weekend” website and sign up for the WDWNT: The Weekend event newsletter at WDWNTtheWeekend.com. Be sure to visit often as event details are updated quite regularly.

Be sure to visit the entire WDWNT Network of Disney inspired websites and podcasts by visiting WDWNT.com, where “Anything is Possible!”

icon for podpress Enhanced Podcast [56:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

The NEW DLNT Podcast Episode 7 (2/22/10) – Normal Edition

WDWNT on February 24, 2010

Join me, Sean Dickey, and a cast including Brian Martsolf, Jamie Nakagiri, Stephen Katherman, and Homan Hashemzadeh for a variety show dedicated to the Disneyland Resort and its many fans. Plenty of Disneyland information and fun awaits you on this edition of the Disneyland News Today Podcast!!!

On this week’s show, we’ll have the return of the weekly Disneyland Resort News & Rumor Report, the premier of Disneyland Graveyard, this weeks Disneyland Events Calendar, and much more.

If you would like to contact us with any questions, suggestions, comments, or concerns you can email us atwdwnewstoday@gmail.com or leave us a voicemail message at (206)-666-2982.

Discuss this show, see our show notes, and vote for the segments you want to hear every week by going over to the WDWNT Network Community Forums at www.wdwnewstoday.com/forums.

Please visit the official “WDWNT: The Weekend” website and sign up for the WDWNT: The Weekend event newsletter at WDWNTtheWeekend.com. Be sure to visit often as event details are updated quite regularly.

Be sure to visit the entire WDWNT Network of Disney inspired websites and podcasts by visiting WDWNT.com, where “Anything is Possible!”

icon for podpress Standard Podcast [56:18m]: Hide Player | Play in Popup | Download

Captain Lastrapes’ 2/23/10 Captain EO Tribute Report & Review

WDWNT on February 23, 2010

DLNT Reporter Chris Lastrapes headed to Disneyland earlier today to see the return of a former attraction in the “Captain EO Tribute” and took a few photos of the attraction’s debut to share:

The exterior of the theater has been slightly updated

The original poster returns, slightly modified to say “tribute”

New attraction sign

A decent-sized crowd showed up in the afternoon

Illuminated posters in the waiting area

Still sponsored by Kodak

Clips from the original pre-show are shown on the monitors, without narration

The Captain EO logo graces the screen as you enter

A few pieces of merchandise available in the Star Trader

TomorrowLanding also has the merchandise

Chris Lastrapes also wrote a short review of his experience:

Captain EO’s return to Tomorrowland is a glimmer of the original attraction, but holds up to the test of time. Before the film begins, the cast member up front gives a brief spiel on the history of the attraction and its return to Disneyland. The film print itself looks fantastic with the music and sound effects resounding well throughout the Magic Eye Theatre. For anyone who remembers the original run, some of the special effects — like the lasers blasts and smoke — will seem lacking. However, the excitement of the film is not lost without these elements. Guests will experience a few wind gusts and the movement of the audience seats used in Honey, I Shrunk the Audience. Clocking in a nearly 17-minute, the film seems shorter, indicating how engaging it is by itself.

The film itself seems dated, especially compared to recent 3-D attractions. Some of the special effects used — like the claymation, — are almost laughable. Still, it shines through with its unique story and strong influence by George Lucas that draws many parallels to Star Wars. But it is the film’s star that stands out beyond anything else. It is amazing to see Michael Jackson doing what he does best, singing and dancing in the style from an era that was the height of this success. The songs “We Are Here to Change the World” and “Another Part of Me” are vintage Jackson and sound like they belong on Thriller or Off the Wall. And guests in the audience were laughing at the sight of many of the 80’s hairstyles.

I think Captain EO will appeal more to the older crowd who draw on fond memories of this attraction and a Disneyland (or Walt Disney World) of the 80’s amd 90’s. While it may be enjoyable to younger guests, I don’t see many of them clamoring to see it. I saw some kids who thought they were about to see Nemo. But I think this nostalgic feel like the one Main Street USA evokes will keep Captain EO around Tomorrowland longer than many might have anticipated.

Captain EO Reopens

WDWNT on February 23, 2010

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Feb. 23, 2010) – “Captain EO,” the classic musical spectacular that thrilled Disneyland park guests from 1986-1997, is now open at Disneyland. The attraction’s return to Tomorrowland provides new audiences the opportunity to experience the original 3D production for the very first time, as well as a nostalgic look back for longtime fans wanting to see “The King of Pop” in a rare performance created for the big-screen.

Twenty-three years ago, at the height of his phenomenal entertainment career, Michael Jackson joined forces with Disney, producer George Lucas and director Francis Ford Coppola to create a groundbreaking 17-minute 3D film experience starring Jackson as Captain EO performing two original songs, and featuring Academy Award®-winning actress Anjelica Huston, and a cast of merry, mythical space characters with dual personalities who undergo magical transformations to become Jackson’s electronic band in conquering the forces of darkness.

The colorful Disney-created characters include: Hooter, the little green elephant-like creature who sneezes wild musical notes through his flute-like trunk; Fuzzball, the orange-haired space monkey with butterfly wings; the Geex, a golden-haired, two-faced personality with two left feet, one right foot and two shaggy heads named Idy and Ody; Major Domo, whose mirrored silver costume becomes a complete set of drums, and Minor Domo with his sparkling purple torso that turns into an electronic synthesizer played by Hooter.

For all its technology, “Captain EO” is first and foremost a musical spectacular and a thrilling space-fantasy adventure. The realism of the 3D process will once again make it seem that Jackson dances right out of the screen into the theater. While it’s not possible to replicate some of the special effects elements from the original presentation, it will boast a new 70mm print of the film and sound better than ever thanks to acoustical enhancements made to the theater since the film last played there. The total effect is one of motion, color and high energy filled with Jackson’s musical brilliance and various illusions to create an exciting and realistic journey in space for the audience.

During the journey, Captain EO and his merry crew discover a colorless planet where they are confronted by the Supreme Leader (Huston) and her forces of darkness. Using the power of music, dance and light to fill the planet and the theater with all the shades of the rainbow, the EO crew turns the black and white land into a magical world of color and happiness.

“Captain EO” makes use of more famous-name talents than any other film of its length ever produced. The production called on Hollywood’s finest choreographers, set designers, costume creators and special effects artists – all of them excited by the challenge of shooting this kind of imaginative film in three dimensions.

“Captain EO” is presented multiple times daily at Disneyland.

Pins Move Further “Uptown” at Magic Kingdom

WDWNT on February 23, 2010

From the “What’s HapPINing Blog” at DisneyPins.com:

It was an early morning for Julie, Jeanne and Sylvie, Product Developers from the Disney Pin Team. They joined members from Magic Kingdom® Park Merchandise to help set a “new” location for Disney pins. We call this location the “Tip Board Cart” as it is located directly across from the tip board at the end of Main Street U.S.A.® toward Cinderella Castle. This “new” location means that we have retired the Uptown Jewelers as a location for pins.

Tip Board Cart

As you can see from the image below, this location contains an assortment of various trading pins and accessories. If you are looking for a larger selection of items, make sure you stop by Frontierland Trading Post in the Frontierland® Area.

Close Up Look

Julie told her and the team arrived around 4:15 a.m. to set the location. It only took a couple of hours to set but we think it looks great. Next time you are in Magic Kingdom® Park, please stop by.

“We Are Here to Sell You Stuff”

WDWNT on February 22, 2010

From the Art of Disney website:

Captain EO Merchandise – Available beginning February 23rd!

Disney enthusiasts will be excited to find special Captain EO inspired merchandise created in celebration of the re-opening of the attraction. Merchandise will include, ladies and men’s tees, fleece, military and beanie style hats, posters and souvenir items. In early March, be on the lookout for a specially created Captain EO embroidered nylon jacket. See merchandise and prices listed below.

Captain EO Logo Ladies Tee – $26.95

Captain EO Logo Men’s Tee – $24.95

Captain EO Poster Men’s Tee- $ 26.95

Captain EO Logo Crew Fleece – $42.95

Captain EO Logo Military Cap – $24.95

Captain EO Logo Beanie Hat – $24.95

Poster – $7.95

Captain EO Logo Button – $3.95

Captain EO Embroidered Nylon Jacket – Coming in early to mid-March!

Merchandise will be available at the following Disneyland® park locations and other select locations:

Emporium on Main Street, U.S.A.

Star Trader in Tomorrowland

Tomorrowlanding in Tomorrowland

Merchandise items may vary. Available while supplies last. Separate admission is required to enter Disneyland® park. Please note, the merchandise listed above is available for purchase at Disneyland® park only and will not be available to purchase via Disneyland Merchandise Guest Services. Information subject to change without notice.