With Barack Obama set to visit Walt Disney World later today, Disney was nice enough to provide some historical video of former presidents Richard Nixon, Jimmy Carter, George Bush Sr., and Gerald Ford during their visits to the Vacation Kingdom:
The forth installment of the Disney Funko Pop! line is due for a July 2012 release. After seeing some previews at Comic Con, this is another can’t miss for myself. The line up is incredible. We get the traditional mix of Pixar, classic Villains, 1000 Acre Woods and a pop culture icon.
Besides Carl and Ellie from Up, this is Pixar’s cutest couple. Wall-E and Eve are paired up for Series 4. I really enjoy how Funko gives us pairs from movies in each series. Wall-E looks perfect, all scared with the droopy eyes.
Although these two never actually meet, they are from the same animated classic… Fantasia. So while the pair up isn’t traditional, I think putting one of the most revered Villains with perhaps the most beloved form of Mickey is fantastic. Chernabog looks menacing even in Funko’s traditionally cute form. Sorcerer Mickey has nicely sculpted robes, a hat with a touch of character and a classic look to his face.
We already have Jack and Sally, now we have two more inhabitants of Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas world. Brilliant job by giving the Mayor two faces. Oogie Boogie looks spectacular with some definition to his sack body and dice in hand.
Jack Sparrow is the first POTC character in the Funko series. Looks like they got a bunch of clothing detail in there.
We already have Snow White, so Funko decided to pair up two other characters from Disney’s most storied classic. Grumpy looks… well, grumpy. The Evil Queen looks as good as Series One’s Maleficent. Her over sized crown is a nice touch and you can’t forget the apple.
Cinderella is our princess for this set.
Tigger hops in to give us another Winnie the Pooh figure.
And it took four series, but Goofy finally makes the cut. His eyes look absolutely awful. I know they could not go with the traditional Funko black eyes because his whole body is black, but at least give him black pupils, come on.
Something HUGE is going to happen at Walt Disney World this week and in response Disney is preparing with some major entertainment changes. The following information was sent to cast members today:
Due to an event this week, please ensure Cast Members are aware of the information attached regarding updated operating information for this week. Note that updated Guest collateral will be delivered to operational areas beginning Tuesday evening, Jan. 17. In addition, an in-room letter is being placed in occupied Disney Resort Guest rooms starting tomorrow morning. Channel 19 (on in-room TVs) will be updated daily to reflect these changes.
The changes are for Thursday, January 19th and they are pretty significant. First off, Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be running a fireworks show since Fantasmic! is not currently performing. The show is being called “Rock the Night! Fireworks Spectacular” and will perform at 7PM that evening. Three parks are also offering Extra Magic Hours that day: Animal Kingdom from 8-9 AM, Epcot from 9PM-12AM, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios from 7-10PM.
UPDATE: The Magic Kingdom’s Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade will also be moved to 3:30PM that day.
While we can not confirm it at this time, rumors are circulating of a special guest visiting the parks on that day. This news article may shed some light on the subject.
So, is President Obama heading to Walt Disney World with the family? It certainly is an interesting rumor since he admitted to having never visited when recording his lines for the Hall of Presidents back in 2009. We’ll let you know more as it becomes available…
1/17/12 UPDATE: It has been confirmed that President Barack Obama will visit Walt Disney World to “unveil a strategy that will significantly help boost tourism and travel.” Walt Disney World was chosen because it welcomes over 45 million guests a year, possible the most popular tourist destination in the world.
Over at Vinylmation Kingdom they posted this picture taken by Jennay Gooney (Click on image to reveal). They are saying that it’s the chaser from Under the Big Top.
We got this better picture from The Playwright. Check it out.
Well, both of them are! And a neck piece! This is just crazy!
So if there is a Jr coupled with the chaser, what does this mean? Well, for one thing, those collectors with a good feel will be able to easily pluck this much heavier blind box. I don’t think that should be a deterrent from Disney Artist incorporating this idea, because I do enjoy the creativity. To accompany a Jr with a 3″ inside a blind box opens up many realms of possibilities. As for the design of the figure itself, this is now the second figure we see use the neck extension in this way. Vampire Goofy in Spooky Series 1 also has an open mouth so his jaw and chin extend down onto the neck piece. Until now, the neck has always just been used to represent a long neck or body. I’m not 100% sure I’m on board with the execution of these two figures yet, but I love the idea of it.
The Disney Parks Blog has just previewed more Epcot 30th merchandise. No vinyl yet, but let’s keep our fingers crossed.
Perhaps the greatest shirt ever printed… the 8-bit Figment tee. And for sure my next Disney cap. I just opened a new savings account at my bank and called it Epcot 30th Relief Fund.
That jumbo pin will find it’s way into my collection as 100 plus dollars find their way out of my wallet. And that set of Epcot logo shot glasses will be collecting dust on my shelf for years to come. There are many more pins on preview for the Epcot 30th celebration. Check them out at OnceUponAPin.com. No release date or details have been announced yet.
WDWNT Reporter Josh Siegel visited the Magic Kingdom on Sunday to complete his Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom quest and he took some newsworthy photos from his trip to share with us:
Pain and Panic disguised as happy woodland creatures
DEFEATED!
Merlin has statues of all of the villains
Hades has another challenge for us…
Chernabog!
Time to rest after defeating all of the villains
Ooooooo, a badge!
Hades isn’t happy
He’s trapped…
All of the Villains are stuck in a snowglobe
Progress on the old Dumbo
Mostly intact still
The Castle Wall waits to grow over this plot
The construction site is still a bit messy
The stroller parking situation is getting bad
Work ont turning the Skyway into a new path and restrooms continues
PLEASE… there will be nowhere to walk…
Land clearing for the new path
Most of the pet cemetery has been moved to accommodate the work
WDWNT Reporter visited the Magic Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Friday the 13th, so get ready for a not-so-spooky look at what’s new in the parks:
A new Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom window has appeared under the Main Street train station
Some new wall art was added to the Town Square Theater queue
Very creative
I think we’re going to see an elephant fly!
There he goes
He seems happy about it
Moving on to Studios
A look at the wait times
The stage is still up in front of the Sorcerers Hat
A pretty long wait for Star Tours
Most of the Muppetvision posters were replaced with posters for  The Muppets
The lenticular Muppets poster was also replaced inside the pre-show area
Osborne Lights are being taken down
Some Narnia props were moved to the Backlot Tour
The Block Party Bash cones are still sitting back here
The old fire truck that used to be located near the exit of Muppetvision 3-D was restored and is now along the Backlot tour route
Some minor changes over at the Magic of Disney Animation
The animation studio theme is being embraced with new signage
There is a campus map as if it were a real studio
We may be just days from the opening of Cars Land’s E-ticket attraction Radiator Springs Racers, but we’re just now getting our first look inside this gate-busting extravaganza:
The sign for the attraction
The mountain range is as close to the real thing as you can get
Right out of the movie
Even the bridge with the waterfall from Lightning and Sally’s drive is here
As day turns to night, the facade takes on a magical appearance
Inside Radiator Springs Racers, Doc Hudson talks you through a tire change
Through a projection effect, Red is watering his plants
Lizzie at the Curio shop
Sarge and Filmore at Flo’s V8 Cafe
The finale of the ride, your car rolling through taillight caverns
WDWNT Reporter Josh Siegel visited the Magic Kingdom on Thursday and has a ton of newsworthy photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom was testing
There is a window at the head of the queue area to give guests more info
It is still a fire station, just with three added Sorcerers stations
WDWFD used instead of the customary MKFD
Package Pick-up/Chamber of Commerce behind tarps
Pooh and Tigger now greeting guests in the garden
New flowers planted for the season
Roy and Minnie await the move back to Town Square
Some of the Confectionary and The Chapeau facades behind tarps
Sign pointing guests to character FASTPASS
Waits are short
This will soon be a Sorcerers window
A well hidden window
I can’t wait for someone to ask a price on it…
Another window
Yet another… they probably should move that bench…
The WDW/DLR trains merchandise in the window
Center Street behind tarps
The Bakery as well
This will complete the multi-year Main Street facade clean-up
I want ice cream… sniff…
I want soft serve ice cream… sniff…
The Main Street bridge is being repaired
Way too many in the treehouse for a not-so-busy day…
The Sunshine Tree Terrace is still behind tarps
The restaurant is closed, but the Sorcerers window inside is still available
Pecos Bill’s behind tarps
I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am about the Golden Oak Outpost menu returning
Big Thunder Mountain is closed for refurbishment through late-May
Cool pin trading idea
Looks like they are already rebuilding this lift hill
Frontierland Trading Post behind tarps as well
Madame Leota’s cart is now close to the Liberty Belle dock
LOVE this shirt!
From far away, we can see the roof of a tunnel being replaced
Workers out on the track as well
all of the railroad ties were removed to be replaced as well
Work continues on the new Fantasyland/Liberty Square path
The pet cemetery is being moved, it should return later
Walls in Fantasyland
Some trees being removed
Peter Pan’s Flight is being painted before the interactive queue installation begins this week
This will soon be a restroom
Dumbo removal
The beginning of the new Castle Wall
This should begin to grow shortly
A look over the walls
The old gives way to the new
The circus tent top is starting to appear
Another look at the new Dumbo queue, now set to open in March
Less and less scaffolding visible on the Be Our Guest Restaurant
Some final touches of snow being added to the Beast’s Castle
Belle’s Village
Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
Storybook Circus tents
Fantasyland Station
Back to Dumbo
You can see some of the Storybook Circus pavement already
The brick facade is starting to appear and it looks spectacular!
Back to Mermaid
Back to Belle’s Village
Enchanted Tales with Belle
Wide shot
Circus tent covering should go up on these queues soon
Timothy is expected to return as an audio-animatronic living character since he won’t be on the spinner anymore
All of the racks in the Seven Dwarfs Mine store are gone
The store will either be removed or replaced during the Castle Wall construction
Say goodbye to the diamond mine theme
This stroller parking is getting out of hand
The Sorcerers window in Frotnierland has a lighted element
It’s pretty cool
Have you checked out our new pin podcast? Once Upon A Pin is a podcast all about Disney Pins. Pins Charming and Rapinzel deliver all the latest news, release dates and reviews with a fun Disney magic twist.
This week we dive into all the pins shown off at the last WDW Trade Night including Epcot 30th, Disney Princesses and Fantasyland pins.
