Space Mountain On-Ride Audio Recordings!

Yes you read that right we have an exclusive for you right here at WDW News Today we bring you straight from Walt Disney World a recording of the new on-ride audio from Walt Disney World’s Space Mountain!

As announced today on the Disney Parks Blog:

Listen up Space Mountain fans, there’s a new addition to the Walt Disney World Resort attraction that just may be music to your ears. It’s an enhanced audio experience with sounds you’ve never heard before. Walt Disney Imagineering has added a new composition that’s exclusive to the attraction at Magic Kingdom Park that will play with varying sound effects throughout all “flights” on 60 newly installed speakers. “Starry-O-Phonic Sound” compliments a slew of enhancements that debuted on Space Mountain last year, including new lighting, storyline elements and updated decor. Here’s a special message from The Space Mountain Project Team.

Today, Tomorrowland in Magic Kingdom park launches a new era ins Super Sonic Space Travel! Now all flights departing from Space Mountain will zoom across the galaxies in the new dimension of Starry-O-Phonic Sound!

Space was once a silent voice, but now, every twist and turn on your galactic journey will be accompanied by a zippy musical track, the whoosh of passing asteroids, and the rush of interstellar traffic, making your space voyage an all-encompassing cosmic joy-ride.

Space Mountain had a grand re-launch in November of 2009, but Starry-O-Phonic Sound is arriving a bit later, in the Summer of 2010. We needed the extra time to test every aspect of this hyperspace audio technology, without disrupting the continued on-time departures and arrivals of this busy space hub.

We hope you enjoy this new amenity, brought to you by Starport Seven-Five. The future of space travel is sounding better all the time!

As promised we have that new audio right here for you in a WDWNT exclusive, we also have the new exit music as well. Please right click and select save as to download the audio below. Enjoy!

Download Space Mountain On Ride Audio!

Download Space Mountain New Exit Music!

Murphy’s Law Strikes Again…

It seems our favorite little dragon endured a major malfunction last night. During the 9:00 showing of Fantasmic!, Murphy, about half-way through her performance, suddenly leaned forward with her snout almost touching the stage.  The show was immediately canceled and the Mist Screens went up to attempt to block the view. Uh-Oh!!

If you look closely at the picture below, notice the tear in the neck of the figure…

Where'd that mouse go? He was here a second ago..guess I... on Twitpic

The second showing was canceled that night. Disney has announced that Fantasmic! will continue to show without the Dragon. Tonight (8/29/10) is the last night of Summer Nightastic for The Disneyland Resort for 2010. Fantasmic is now only scheduled to show Friday through Sunday through September.

New Segment Coming To The DLNT Podcast

The Disneyland News Today Podcast proudly presents…DLNT FAN-ly Feud!

After the months of waiting, the Disneyland News Today Podcast would like to announce the premiere of our very first GAME SHOW!  It will be modeled after the popular game show Family Feud.  The DLNT podcast team will go head-to-head to find out who knows our fans better.  Where does the FAN-ly part come in?  That’s where you come in.  We need YOU…that’s right, you, the fans…to help us put this show together.  We need you to complete a short survey relating to the Disneyland Resort in order to put together the statistics needed for the show.  The more people we get to complete the survey, the better.  So call up your friends and tell them to do it.  Get your mom to do it.  Get your dog to do it.  Even non-Disney fans can do it.  All the cool people are doing it.  The show cannot go on without your help. The Game Show will debut on Episode 40 of the Disneyland News Today Podcast.

So go to The Survey Site and complete our survey!

Some things to remember:
1. You may only take the survey once per IP address so make it count!
2. This survey ONLY applies to the Disneyland Resort (this includes Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, Downtown Disney, and all Disney owned hotels).
3. Answer honestly with how YOU would answer it and not how you think other people would answer it.
4. You don’t have to answer every question.  If you can’t think of something for any question feel free to skip it.

HAVE FUN!

This survey will close on October 1st, 2010 .  So hurry and fill it out now!

New Fairy at the Magic Kingdom

Though this isn’t earth shattering news in light of the upcoming release of Tinkerbell and The Great Fairy Rescue we do have to consider what this means for the fate of the second phase expansion of Fantasyland.

From the Disney Parks Blog:

Yes, there’s a new fairy in Pixie Hollow at the Walt Disney World Resort and her name is Vidia. She’s known as the fastest-flying fairy there is and beginning today you’ll be able to meet Vidia and her other pixie friends – including the world’s most beloved fairy Tinker Bell – at Magic Kingdom Park. Vidia is one of the stars of the upcoming movie “Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue”set to be released on Blu-ray, DVD and via movie download on September 21.

Though we have heard rumors that Pixie Hollow maybe off the table a lot may have to do with just how well this latest installment of the Tinker Bell series of DVD movie releases does. Either way it seems that WDW hasn’t thrown in the towel quite yet on this franchise. As always you can see the ongoing progress of the Fantasyland Expansion at our project tracker. Stay tuned right here for more information on the ever changing Fantasyland expansion as it becomes available.

A Look Around Disneyland Hotel’s “Big Thunder Suite”

From the Disney Parks Blog:

Hang on to your hats and glasses because there’s a new signature suite at the Disneyland Hotel – the Big Thunder Suite. Today we’re giving you a sneak peek at the Big Thunder Suite, and in the coming weeks, we’ll also share details of some of the other signature suites, including the new Fairy Tale Suite, Mickey Mouse Penthouse and Pirates of the Caribbean Suite. All are located on the 11th floor of the hotel’s Dreams Tower and boast a distinct design, luxurious amenities and amazing views.

The Big Thunder Suite is the wildest suite in the wilderness and immerses up to six pioneers in 1,400-square-feet of luxurious rustic accommodations inspired by the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad attraction at Disneyland park.

Big Thunder Suite Bedroom

Howling wolves sound to the push of the suite’s doorbell as guests step into a mine shaft foyer inlaid with Fool’s Gold and hear the rumble of a passing runaway mine train. A button on the wall can be pushed to trigger sound effects from the attraction. The mine shaft leads into a living and dining area that separates the suite’s two bedrooms. In many rooms, repurposed wood from a Midwestern barn is used as flooring and paneling, which is complimented by textured earthen walls.

Big Thunder Suite Dining Room

A stone-hearth fireplace in the living area serves as the suite’s centerpiece and houses a mounted flat-panel television. When not in use, the TV is cleverly concealed by one of the many pieces of attraction concept art found throughout the suite. The living area also includes a surround sound-stereo system and displays antique tools once used for mining gold, including an 1850s gold scale and pan.

The centerpiece of the dining area is a knotted table with seating for eight, with a wagon-wheel chandelier. Nearby is a wet bar made of petrified wood and above the bar hangs a “living portrait” of a gold miner who magically changes activities over the course of the day.

Rustic décor belies the luxurious amenities found in the suite’s two bedrooms. The master bedroom is appointed with a desk, sitting area, TV and king-sized bed with a commanding headboard made of rich wood, brown leather and exposed brackets.

The master bath is revealed through a sliding barn door, where a free-standing copper tub is surrounded by a dramatic stone wall. The tub’s copper finish matches the copper piping in the adjacent steam shower, which is tiled with an earth-tone mosaic. A television is concealed behind the mirror above the bathroom’s bucket sinks.

Big Thunder Suite Bathroom

To inquire about prices and availability, please call (714) 956-6425.

Let’s go to Chef Mickey’s for ….. Lunch?

It would seem that as WDW expands it’s free dining promotion to allow more guests the pleasure of dining at the great restaurants around the resort, changes are being made to keep up with the high demand.

For just 14 days in August and 14 days in September-October, Chef Mickey’s restaurant at Disney’s Contemporary Resort is adding a lunch buffet, complete with Disney Characters to meet and greet diners.

High demand for the free dining package necessitates the expanded dining time, but anyone (not just guests on the package) can make a reservation at 407-WDW-DINE or here. Cost is $28.75 including tax, $15.97 ages 3 to 9, under 3 free.

Dates are now through Aug. 28, and Sept. 19-Oct. 2. Lunch hours are 12:30-2:30 p.m. Breakfast and dinner are still offered as usual.

It will be interesting to see what happens to restaurant schedules next year as the free dining promotion is available for most of year with just a few blackout dates if you book before mid-december. As always stay tuned to WDW News Today for this and more news as it becomes available.

Halloween Time Returns to The Disneyland Resort Sept. 17

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Aug. 19, 2010) – Disney villains will invade Disneyland park along with Mickey Mouse and his friends in Halloween costumes when Halloween Time returns to Disneyland Resort Sept. 17 through Oct. 31.  Highlights of the Disneyland Halloween season include the return of Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy – the thrillingly “haunted” version of the popular Tomorrowland attraction – and the longtime favorite Haunted Mansion Holiday, in which Halloween and Christmas collide for an attraction inspired by “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.”  Guests also will enjoy the new, nighttime water spectacular “World of Color,” performing nightly at Disney California Adventure park.
Halloween Time offers families a chance to enjoy seasonal attractions and décor, as well as interact with beloved Disney characters decked out in whimsical Halloween costumes.  Guests also will experience spooky fun with Disney’s more sinister characters, the Disney Villains.  In addition, the private-party celebration that has been so popular with guests will return for 10 special nights in October as Mickey’s Halloween Party.

Moving to Disneyland this year with a new name, Mickey’s Halloween Party is the separate-ticket event that invites adults and children to dress up in costume and trick-or-treat at the resort.  This nighttime celebration is scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays in October (1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26 and 29) plus Halloween night itself, Sunday, Oct. 31.  Highlights include:

·         Trick or Treating in the ultimate Disney neighborhood, with even more treats along “Mickey’s Hide-and-Go-Treat Trails”
·         New dance parties – at Tomorrowland Terrace and the French Market
·         The “Halloween Screams” fireworks spectacular, hosted by “Master of Scare-omonies” Jack Skellington (presented exclusively for guests of Mickey’s Halloween Party)
·         New surprises in “Mickey’s Costume Party” cavalcade, performed twice nightly
·         Character photo locations featuring Mickey and his pals, princesses and other favorites
·         The opportunity to arrive three hours before the party starts to play in Disneyland
·         Nearly all the favorite Disneyland rides and attractions
Tickets purchased in advance for Mickey’s Halloween Party are $49 most days, while tickets purchased on the event days are $54.  For Oct. 31, all tickets to Mickey’s Halloween Party are $59.
Favorite Disney characters, including Mickey himself, will dress up in their favorite costumes.  It’s the ideal environment to have fun, eat special holiday treats, play interactive games, listen to “spirited” music and watch a nightly character cavalcade that celebrates the season.

For Halloween fun at Disneyland, guests will enjoy Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy in Tomorrowland.  The experience begins as a typical Space Mountain adventure, but suddenly launches voyagers into a haunted section of the universe.  Ghosts appear out of the starry darkness and swirling galaxies of Space Mountain, reaching out as if to grab guests as they speed through space.  The exhilarating drops and curves of the journey are punctuated by piercing screams, creepy sound effects and haunting music.

Jack Skellington also returns to take over the Haunted Mansion and bring back Haunted Mansion Holiday to New Orleans Square in Disneyland.  Transformed to a mix of Halloween spookiness and Christmas tradition, Haunted Mansion Holiday is inspired by the classic animated film “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.”  Jack and his friends provide plenty of havoc and surprises as they celebrate the holidays in their unusual style.  Jack’s return to the Haunted Mansion includes the traditional Halloween/Christmas gingerbread house in the Mansion Ballroom, with some special spooky surprises in this year’s design.

Halloween Time offers frightfully delightful fun for children and adults.

·      For spine-tingling fun, drop in at The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure park, where a “supernatural” event happened on Halloween evening, 1939, forever haunting the building.
·      Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland is transformed for the Pumpkin Festival.  More than 300 pumpkins will be on display in shop windows and none of them are the same!
·      Visitors to Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland will find ranch animals, pumpkin carvers, Halloween décor and activities for youngsters, all presided over by Sheriff Woody.
·      Meeting Disney characters will be easier than ever as Disney villains gather to plot Halloween mischief at “it’s a small world” Mall in Disneyland, while other characters in spooky attire greet guests in Town Square, Main Street, U.S.A.
·      Rancho del Zocalo in Frontierland will honor Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead with traditional skeleton figures on display Sept. 19 through Nov. 2.
·      Special Halloween treats will be available in Disneyland, including menu items such as Zero’s Ghostly Ghoulash, served in a dog dish in honor of Zero.
·      Halloween Time gifts are offered in Disneyland Resort shops.  Gifts include jack-o-lantern mouse ears and collectable pins depicting Mickey Mouse and his friends in Halloween costumes.

Scene By Scene Preview Of Radiator Springs Racers

From The LA Times:

Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure

What’s better than an E Ticket ride? How about an F Ticket?

Radiator Springs Racers promises to redefine our expectations of an E Ticket attraction by combining a classic dark ride with a thrilling head-to-head drag race.

Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure

Currently under construction at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim, the $200-million ride, scheduled to make its debut in 2012,  will take passengers on a four-minute journey through stalactite caverns, around hairpin turns and along high-speed straightaways. Each side-by-side race ends with a randomly selected winner.

Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure

On-site ride tests this summer revealed a prototype vehicle based on Epcot’s Test Track technology that moved like a giant slot car along a banked and undulating course. The sleek red sports car, with anthropomorphic headlight eyes and smiling bumper, looked like one of the animated characters from the Pixar movie “Cars.”

Crews continue to construct six acres of rockwork resembling the desert buttes and bluffs of the 2006 film’s iconic Ornament Valley, which will take a year to carve and another year to paint.

Spoiler Alert

What follows is a scene-by-scene breakdown of the Radiator Springs Racers ride:

You can read on over at The LA Times Website…