Adam Roth’s 1/20/12 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Epcot on Friday and has some noteworthy photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:

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One of the rock arches is being rebuilt in the Oasis

Major reconstruction

Could we refurb this please?

This water fits the theme, but it is disgusting…

Waterfalls running at Everest

Is this photo from 1971?

The steam is still working

Well, he moves more than Harold…

The new Disney Vacation Club logo is everywhere now

On to Epcot where the old Alfredo’s facade is being ripped apart in the long-delayed remodeling of Tutto Italia

This makes me want to cry…

The quick serve window is open at Via Napoli to accommodate guests

Mmmmmm…

More and more of these new directional signs showing up in Future World

The Seas mural is being repaired

Sleepy cuttlefish…

I think they sponsor a golf event of some kind… or am I confused? 😉

How different will this look come October?

This board could use a good washing

Cast Members wrote on some props, probably will be replaced in the refurb

The heat chamber is rumored to be leaving

As is the cold chamber

And those robots might actually be turned off permanently

Plenty of the Chevy cars out there now

These diplays aren’t super-new, but they are all Chevy-related

Spotlight On: Custom Vinylmation Artist Brian Shapiro

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

We recently put out a call for custom artist designs on the new Vinylmation 95 mold and have received a great response! Keep those customs coming. Today, we feature an artist familiar to DV, Brian Shapiro.

Destination Vinylmation: What inspired you to choose Maleficent as the subject of your first Vinylmation 95 custom?
Brian Shapiro: Maleficent is my hands down favorite Disney Villain.  Whether she’s in Sleeping Beauty, Fantasmic, or even Kingdom Keepers, she never disappoints!  Also, I think she has the most striking features in both her humanoid and dragon forms!

DV: You managed to place all of Maleficent’s iconic features onto the canvas to make it instantly recognizable. Did this take much planning on paper, or were you able to instantly picture it on the mold?
Brian: When I saw the Vinylmation 95 canvas for the first time, I immediately noticed the horn shaped side windows and instantly thought of the Maleficent dragon.  From that starting point, it was easy to imagine her features on the new mold.  The hood of the car worked perfectly for the snout, and the spoiler was a perfect place for wings.  I did sketch out the design, though, before painting it.  I downloaded an image of the canvas from disneystore.com and inverted the colors on my iPad to make it black.  Then I used a paint program to layout the basic design features.  In the end, she came out looking exactly as I imagined her!

CPU Rendering

DV: What was the most challenging part of the this design?
Brian: The most challenging part was the placement of the wings.  While the spoiler on the back of the car was an ideal location, it wasn’t split down the midline to provide two separate wings.  As a result, I had to take some artistic license and make the wings appear pressed together in the midline.  I’m really happy with how they came out.

DV: You pulled off exactly what I hoped an artist would do. You ignored the features of the car itself (tires, windshield, etc.) and just painted a design onto the canvas… sort of like an artist ignoring the placement of eyes, feet or arms on a Mickey shape. Was this difficult to do?
Brian: Not with this particular design, which was pretty obvious to me once I saw the canvas.  As you have previously spotlighted, I created a version of the Maleficent dragon on the 3″ Mickey shaped mold, and Disney recently released a version on the 9″ Mickey shaped mold, but a lot of compromises had to be made in both of those instances.  I think the Vinylmation 95 canvas is ideal for characters with snouts and bills like Figment, Donald, Goofy, and Pluto.

DV: As an artist, what is the major difference between working on a Lightning McQueen shaped mold as opposed to Mickey?
Brian: Other than the shape, I think the biggest difference is that you can’t disassemble the figure into separate pieces like you can with the Mickey shaped mold.  As a result, you are forced to handle the figure in areas that have already been painted.  Because the Maleficent dragon is mostly black in color, it was hard for me to keep the black paint clean.  Every little piece of dust would show, and if I had the slightest trace of yellow or purple on my fingers, it would appear where it wasn’t supposed to.  In this case, once I finished painting in all the features, I placed her on top of a jar of peanut butter and painted back in all the black areas!

DV: Did you enjoy working on the Vinylmation 95 mold enough to do more?
Brian: I really enjoyed working with the canvas a lot!  Ironically, I’m not a huge fan of the Cars movies or even cars in general, but I think the Vinylmation 95 canvas has a lot of potential.  I have another blank that I would like to paint.

DV: Can you give us any hints to what we might see next?
Brian: I have a few ideas, but I’m undecided on which one I will pursue.  I will definitely keep you posted, and I appreciate your generous support of my art!

P.S. – Brian sent us a little tease of his next project just before this article went live:

Concept Art & Details on Innoventions VISION House Revealed

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

Inspired by Green Builder Media’s VISION House demonstration home series, the experiential exhibit will highlight the major themes of whole-home automation, energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor environment quality, security, multi-generational design, and durability. Visitors will learn that each house is a set of interactive systems, and that proper management of those systems will maximize comfort and minimize operational costs.

Disney Parks Merchandise on the Horizon for 2012

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

The Disney Parks have some exciting and unique mefchandise offerings coming up in 2012 and Steven Miller was nice enough to share a sneak peek at some of the product on the Disney Parks Blog:

I feel like a time traveler at Disney Theme Park Merchandise. I’m surrounded by developers and artists who are already creating cool things that will arrive in late 2012 (a long development time is essential for many categories). I wanted to give you a sneak preview of their work in what I hope will be a recurring article. The article title is a nod to my favorite Disney attraction, Horizons, which also gave a glimpse into the future. Here are a few of my favorite items currently in production.

I’ve been a long time fan of The Haunted Mansion clock and the timepiece pictured above is a worthy tribute. It’s heavy and the details on the watch and figure are impressive. Disney Design Group artist Caley Hicks, who also designed the Vinylmation – Flags series, created the artwork. Releasing in a few months, this is the last timepiece in our Vinylmation watch series. The set will have an edition size of 750 and a retail of $175.

Our next stop – a new mystery pin set coming this summer to the Disneyland Resort. This limited release set contains 12 pins (plus a few chasers), and was designed by Disney Design Group artists Quynh Kimball and John Henselmeier (from Starspeeder 1000 Vehicle Playset fame). Product developer Jeanne Lewis told me that this collection “highlights favorite Disneyland attractions in license plate form.” Her favorite pin is “World of Color”, while mine is the Jungle Cruise (with Duffy The Disney Bear a close second, of course).

I like wearing ties (as you may have seen in previous Disney Parks Blog articles). That article contained a sneak preview of a new tie coming this year. There are a few additional items arriving in April that I think are super cool – bow ties! All I need now is a hat.

Speaking of hats, here is a first look at the Buzz Lightyear-themed Disney Ear Hat that will be arriving this fall. It is part of the Disney character ear hat collection that was first introduced last August.

Sadly, unlike Horizons, you won’t be able to choose your own ending to this article. But stay tuned as more cool things are coming.

History of: The Land, Epcot

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

The Land Pavilion at Walt Disney World opened just about 35 years ago with Phase 1 of the rest of Epcot Center on October 1, 1982. 

Epcot, The Land Pavilion Circa 1982
Photo from Matterhorn1959.blogspot.com



For some undefined reason, this is my favorite pavilion in all of Epcot. It is not the most exciting. It doesn’t have the best food. And it is home to one of the longest wait times and hardest to get Fast Passes in all of Walt Disney World. But I enjoy the Living with the Land boat ride. 



It’s a nice relaxing trip through the greenhouses when the rest of the park is hot and in a rush. I enjoy Soarin’. Not as much as most, but the imagineering behind the ride system make it a special experience. I enjoy the smells of the food court. Not sure why, but the mixture of whatever they are cooking up makes me hungry every time. But most of all, I enjoy the sights. The greenery lining the entrance is inviting. The walls, ceilings and carpets are full of color. And then of course, there are the 4 seasons balloons…

And this is were Caley Hicks took her inspiration when designing the 9″ Park 9 The Land figure.

It is a remarkable figure, brilliantly illustrating summer, winter, fall and spring as seen on the four hot air balloons that hang high over the food court. Caley was able to incorporate all the features of each balloon including the bird on summer and butterflies on fall.

For me it’s the colors of this building that stay ingrained in memory and the colors here seem spot on.

The 9″ Park 9 Epcot, The Land figure will be in stores on July 20. The edition size is 1000 and the retail price is $44.95.

Now for a bit of history about The Land. The pavilion underwent a gradual refurbishment beginning on September 27, 1993. The pavilion’s main attraction, Listen to the Land, which took guests on connected boats through various exhibits within the pavilion, reopened mostly unchanged as Living with the Land on December 10, 1993.

The Kitchen Kabaret another of the pavilion’s original attractions featuring an Audio-Animatronics presentation about nutrition, closed on January 3, 1994. It was replaced with a new show titled Food Rocks, which featured some of the elements from the original show with an updated presentation intended to be more modern and appealing to younger audiences. Food Rocks has since closed down to make room for “The Land”‘s newest attraction, Soarin’. Soarin’s massive movie screens and ride mechanics required the construction of a large physical addition to the pavilion itself.

Symbiosis, the last of “The Land”‘s three original attractions, was closed on January 1, 1995. This attraction, which was a cinematic presentation that discussed both the positive and negative aspects of human relationship with the land, eventually reopened as Circle of Life, a new film featuring characters from The Lion King.

Between 2004 and 2005, the pavilion underwent its second major refurbishment. It received a new color scheme and foliage. The walkways and stroller parking to the pavilion’s entrance were redefined and widened. All of the carpeting in the pavilion was replaced, and the main food court was completely redesigned. The pavilion’s signage was updated, incorporating the new color scheme, new typography, and a modernized logotype.

Former Attractions:
Listen to the Land (October 1, 1982 – September 27, 1993)
Kitchen Kabaret (October 1, 1982 – January 3, 1994)
Food Rocks (1994 – January 3, 2004)
Symbiosis (October 1, 1982 – January 1, 1995)

Current Attractions:
Living with the Land (December 10, 1993–Present)
Soarin’ (May 5, 2005–Present)
Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable (January 21, 1995–Present)
Behind the Seeds Tour

Current Dining:
The Garden Grill Restaurant
Sunshine Seasons food court

VIDEO: “Rock the Night” Fireworks Spectacular Lights Studios’ Skies for One Night

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

One of our WDWNT Reporters visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios earlier tonight to see the one-night-only performance of the “Rock The Night” fireworks spectacular, which turned out to be a slightly altered version of the usual New Year’s Eve show. Enjoy a complete video of the show:

The show was an attempt to get guests away from the Magic Kingdom for the day while President Obama visited. Disney’s Hollywood Studios would typically run Fantasmic! in this situation, but it is currently under refurbishment, so running this show was the only other option. Guests seemed to have a great time, so I would deem this a very successful temporary replacement.

Park Starz Yeti Rides Expedition Everest

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

Austin and I had the rare chance to tag along with the great and mysterious Yeti as he visited Animal Kingdom to ride Expedition Everest.

Yeti arrives at Animal Kingdom on a beautiful summer day.
It didn’t take him long to find Asia
Like most tourists, the Yeti could not resist a photo in front the fabled mountain range.
First he made sure he fit in the ride vehicle. Plenty of arm room. You know how those Yetis like to move their arms!
Then, with a 90 minute wait, it was wise to grab a Fast Pass. A nimble creature the Yeti is.
Respect the Yeti you will.
While waiting, he shopped at the Serka Zong Bazaar. “How dare they make me look cute!”
“Arrrg! Now I’m a Yeti!” He said it should shrink in the wash.
Now it was time! The anticipation grew! Let’s get in line, our time has come!
“Sorry sir, you must be one Yeti foot tall to ride Expedition Everest.” What!!! Grrrr! What does that even mean!? I AM a Yeti!
A very angry Yeti then spent the rest of the afternoon swatting at guests as they swooped off the mountain side. He didn’t hit much, but it made him feel better.

Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop Open In Pacific Wharf

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

ANAHEIM, Calif. – June 7, 2012 – Disneyland Resort today welcomed a new Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop to Disney California Adventure park. The new location – the first to open inside a theme park – features Ghirardelli’s world-famous hot fudge sundaes and decadent chocolate products, and represents another milestone in the expansion of Disney California Adventure.

 

 

“As we celebrate the culmination of our resort expansion, we are thrilled to welcome Ghirardelli, and to make this unique chocolate experience available to our park guests,” said George A. Kalogridis, president of Disneyland Resort. “Ghirardelli is a perfect fit for our newly reimagined Disney California Adventure, as we both share a rich California heritage.”

The new soda fountain and chocolate shop is located in Pacific Wharf, the San Francisco-inspired area of Disney California Adventure. Guests can visit the location to enjoy treats including sundaes, shakes, and floats,  plus a delicious assortment of chocolates and beautifully wrapped gifts. Each guest can enjoy a complimentary sample of the signature Ghirardelli SquaresŽ chocolate.

“We are excited to partner with the Disneyland Resort to open our Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shop in Disney California Adventure,” said Martin Thompson, President and CEO of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company. “Consumers associate our premium brand with high quality, delicious chocolate and now they will have the opportunity to enjoy both our intense, slow melting chocolate and our decadent ice cream treats inside the park. Our rich heritage began in California 160 years ago this year and opening this store in Disney California Adventure is a perfect way to celebrate.”