Adam Roth’s 7/30/10 WDW Photo Report
WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited Downtown Disney and Epcot on Friday and took a few newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip:
It’s coming…
Rapunzel Coming to the Magic Kingdom? Small World Changes?
From the Disney Parks Blog:
Before we dive into the weekend, there are a few quick updates to share out of Magic Kingdom Park to end the week. First is a new character experience — a “play and greet” with characters Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder at the park’s Fairytale Garden. Beginning Friday, October 15, you’ll be able to interact with both of the stars from the upcoming Disney film “Tangled.”
The Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder experience will replace the current show, “Storytime with Belle” at Fairytale Garden. The final “Storytime with Belle” show will be September 12.
And some of you may have already heard about some downtime scheduled for “it’s a small world.” The attraction will be closed for refurbishment this Sunday, August 1 through Friday, October 22.
We’ll post more details on both of these updates in the future.
Now before anyone starts to worry that Disney characters are being added to “it’s a small world”, remember that Imagineers stated when the refurbishment was announced that “characters will not be added at this time”. However, this is from the same people who stated the Main Street Electrical Parade was leaving after August 14th, so, as usual, take that statement with a grain of salt. All that we can confirm is that Disney is taking this time to reconfigure the queue of “it’s a small world” and will move the entrance back to its original location near Pinocchio’s Village Haus (the entrance was moved during the huge 2004-05 overhaul of the attraction). Anything beyond that is simply speculation at this time. Stay tuned to WDW News Today for more information on these Fantasyland changes as they become available.
All Signs Point to Golden Oak
WDWNT Reporter Jose Eber provides us with pictures of the newly revealed signage that will welcome guests to the Golden Oak development at Walt Disney World:
Mickey’s Soundsational Parade Coming to Disneyland 2011
From the Disney Parks Blog:
A new parade, Mickey’s Soundsational Parade, will stomp, clang and drum its way to Disneyland park next year.
Today, we’re sharing the first preview of the artwork for Mickey’s Soundsational Parade. It gives you a glimpse of the vibrant colors and exciting array of Disney characters that may appear on the streets of Disneyland park in 2011.Plus, there are a whole lot of exciting elements for the new parade that can’t be captured in this artwork:
- The parade is an explosive music festival with thrilling rhythms and bold percussion that will bring to life some of the most beloved melodies from Disney films.
- Live musicians will amplify the fun. Mickey Mouse and some of your favorite Disney characters will play live and will encourage members of the crowd to join a giant jam session.
- Lively dancers will stomp out rhythms as a syncopated drum line, twinkling cymbals, steel drums and more entertain guests with sensational sounds!
The parade promises to be the most foot-stomping, infectious festival of music you’ve ever seen — or heard! I’ve heard it’s “soundsational!”
What do you think of this new parade? Is there a particular parade float in the artwork that you’re most excited about?
Check back on the Blog later today for more news about shows at Disney Parks.
Josh Siegel’s 7/29/10 WDW Photo Report
WDWNT’s newest reporter Josh Siegel visited the Walt Disney World Resort on Thursday and has plenty of newsworthy photos to share in this report:
People look confused by the facade work at the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at the Magic Kingdom
School Is Out…. Finally
From the Disney Parks Blog:
Earlier today we announced the extension of Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade at Walt Disney World, and if that’s not enough good news for a Thursday, there’s also a fresh, new show coming to the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort this Fall.
A live, rock-concert style show will blast popular music from a variety of Disney Channel hits, including the “High School Musical” series, “Camp Rock” and “StarStruck.” The show, which has yet to be officially named, will follow a format that is similar to “High School Musical 3: Senior Year – Right Here! Right Now!” The new show is scheduled to debut at Disney California Adventure park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on October 22.
In order to make way for this exciting addition, the Wildcats from High School Musical will cheer in their last performance of “High School Musical 3: Senior Year – Right Here! Right Now!” at Disney California Adventure park on October 17 and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on October 2. Don’t miss your last chance to sing, dance and cheer with the Wildcats before school’s back in session, but rest assured the Wildcats will be back in a new way on October 22.
Stay tuned to the Blog for more updates on this new show coming to Disney Parks.
School’s Finally Out, But Disney Channel Is In
From the Disney Parks Blog:
Earlier today we announced the extension of Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade at Walt Disney World, and if that’s not enough good news for a Thursday, there’s also a fresh, new show coming to the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort this Fall.
A live, rock-concert style show will blast popular music from a variety of Disney Channel hits, including the “High School Musical” series, “Camp Rock” and “StarStruck.” The show, which has yet to be officially named, will follow a format that is similar to “High School Musical 3: Senior Year – Right Here! Right Now!” The new show is scheduled to debut at Disney California Adventure park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on October 22.
In order to make way for this exciting addition, the Wildcats from High School Musical will cheer in their last performance of “High School Musical 3: Senior Year – Right Here! Right Now!” at Disney California Adventure park on October 17 and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on October 2. Don’t miss your last chance to sing, dance and cheer with the Wildcats before school’s back in session, but rest assured the Wildcats will be back in a new way on October 22.
HP “Gets in the Game” at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Walt Disney World Resort today announced an expansion to its long-term business relationship with HP, which now includes naming rights for the 165,000-square-foot fieldhouse at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Beginning today, the fieldhouse will be renamed with the HP brand and will feature several new high-tech elements designed to enhance the sports experience for the nearly 1.5 million athletes, coaches and fans who visit the complex each year. HP also becomes the official imaging, printing and PC partner for ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, the leading multi-sports venue in the nation.
The centerpiece of the soon to be renamed fieldhouse will be the HP creation zone where athletes, coaches and fans can download, design and enhance commemorative photos and images of their events, then immediately produce and print them onsite. The HP creation zone will also include a retail area featuring a variety of imaging-related products and options for youth athletes and consumers, such as creating life-size posters of action photos, custom wallpaper coverings for the home and other photo keepsakes/memorabilia.
“HP’s innovative technologies further differentiate the athlete experience at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in ways that no other youth sports venue can match,” said Ken Potrock, senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises. “The HP technological enhancements in the complex are just the latest in a growing number of technology-driven projects that are at the core of our growth strategy, which centers around continually elevating the sports experience for our athletes, coaches and fans.”
There will also be an HP internet “café” capability inside the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Grill featuring HP TouchSmart PCs. Individual stations will offer online access to a variety of sites, including ESPN.com, ESPNRISE.com, ESPNWWOS.com, Disney.com, Disneyworld.com and others.
The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Welcome Center, an onsite concierge facility, will offer kiosks that also feature HP TouchSmart PCs. The kiosks, which will also be located at additional locations throughout the complex, will enable athletes and fans to access and print a wide range of sports event information, including field assignments and schedule updates, as well as general Disney information and resources, such as dining reservations and vacation planning tools for theme parks, resorts and water parks.
“The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex continues HP’s decades-long collaboration with Disney to captivate audiences through technology innovation and digital entertainment,” said Michael Mendenhall, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at HP. “The HP fieldhouse will deliver the ultimate sports environment, combining state-of-the-art athletic facilities with a rich, interactive technology experience to extend the spirit and passion of sports beyond the field of play.”
The fieldhouse accommodates virtually any indoor sport, including basketball, wrestling, gymnastics, volleyball, martial arts, team handball, roller hockey, cheerleading and dance, trampoline and tumbling, indoor tennis, etc., in addition to concerts and conventions. Opened in 1997, the venue has a seating capacity of 5,500 and room for six full-size collegiate basketball courts.
HP’s presence at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex extends the company’s long-standing relationship with Disney, which began in 1940 when HP worked with Walt Disney to enhance the acoustics in movie theaters before the release of Disney’s “Fantasia” movie. Currently, HP sponsors the MISSION: Space attraction at Epcot and is one of the sponsors of the Disneyland Dream Home at Disneyland Park. Disney is one of HP’s largest customers and utilizes thousands of HP business PCs, servers and printers, in addition to technology services, business intelligence software and storage.
The expansion of the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex’s relationship with HP comes on the heels of the complex’s most comprehensive redesign since it opened in 1997. In February 2010, the complex, which was already the leading multi-sport venue in the world, was re-imagined with the ESPN brand, bringing the signature elements of ESPN to the complex to create a one-of-a-kind sports experience that lets athletes, coaches and fans feel as if they’ve reached the big time with ESPN.
Electrical Parade Not Ready to “Glow Away” Yet
Not surprising, but I’m sure many of you will be excited to hear this news from the Disney Parks Blog:
Just as scores of you had hoped – we’re leaving the lights on and extending Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” at Walt Disney World. By popular demand, the parade at Magic Kingdom Park will continue an open-ended run when “Summer Nightastic!” ends on August 14.
It’s probably no surprise to hear that the parade has been one of our highest rated entertainment experiences at Magic Kingdom Park since returning in early June. It’s been an “overwhelming success,” according to Park Vice President Phil Holmes. And now, you’ll be able to continue cheering and humming “Baroque Hoedown.”
Of course, new elements of Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” will continue during the encore phase of the run. Those include:
- Tinker Bell leads the eye-filling procession, waving from the basket of a balloon floating gracefully above a magical garden shimmering in fairy light.
- Pinocchio and the boys from the classic film’s Pleasure Island sequence join the parade, and Snow White joins the Seven Dwarfs on a diamond mine float.
- There are new lighting effects, and the parade’s highly recognizable musical theme is brightened by new technology.
Will you take advantage of the extended run?
Breathtaking View of World of Color
From the Disney Parks Blog:
Today’s video gives a unique look at the new, nighttime spectacular at Disney California Adventure park, “World of Color.” This is a VIP view that most of us will never have the chance to see. While you can get FASTPASS tickets for a ground view of “World of Color,” there’s no FASTPASS ticket that will get you access this high up.
The footage was shot from a fixed-wing aircraft recently at approximately 1,800 feet above Disney California Adventure park. I particularly like the wide shot where you can see Glow Fest, “World of Color,” and the whole city of Anaheim around Disney California Adventure park.