VIDEO: Little Mermaid Ride at DCA Undergoes Overhaul, Is Magic Kingdom Next?

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

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After a couple weeks of refurbishment, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure attraction at Disney California Adventure quietly reopened a few days ago with several major changes and additions. This isn’t the first time the attraction has undergone changes since opening in 2011; in 2012 new hand-drawn animation sequences were added to the ride as a copy of the attraction was prepared for Walt Disney World. Now, as Shanghai Disneyland prepares to open their version of the Mermaid attraction, Walt Disney Imagineering has once again decided to make changes to what they felt were problem areas in this new-age dark ride:

For those unfamiliar with the attraction here’s what’s new:

  • A number of static fish figures were added surrounding the first screen with Ariel and as well in the tunnel heading towards the Under the Sea sequence.
  • A picture of King Triton’s Castle now adorns the small ocean scrim before the Under the Sea sequence.
  • The Under the Sea sequence received the most major changes as it now relies heavily on black light like a traditional Disney dark ride (for example, like Peter Pan’s Flight). This was done to make the scene darker and to hide the very visible lighting rigs that more frequent park visitors have complained about.
  • Several other scenes are now relying on black light as well, though it isn’t as noticeable as in Under the Sea. Again, this was to hide infrastructure visible to guests during the ride.

For those of you more interested with Walt Disney World happenings, we fully expect these changes to be made to Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid at the Magic Kingdom. When those changes might happen, well, we don’t know just yet…

VIDEO: Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” Trailer Now Available

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

The Walt Disney Studios today released the first trailer for the upcoming film Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, which will be released October 10, 2014.

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Check out the trailer:

Based on the book written by Judith Viorst and published in 1972, Disney’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day follows the exploits of 11-year-old Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life—a day that begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by one calamity after another. But when Alexander tells his upbeat family about the misadventures of his disastrous day, he finds little sympathy and begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him. He soon learns that he’s not alone when his mom (Jennifer Garner), dad (Steve Carell), brother (Dylan Minnette) and sister (Kerris Dorsey) all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Anyone who says there is no such thing as a bad day just hasn’t had one.

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is directed by Miguel Arteta from a screenplay by Rob Lieber. The film hits theaters nationwide Oct. 10, 2014.

Magic Kingdom Entertainment Schedule Released for 24-Hour Disney Side Party

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

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While some minor offerings have been left off of the schedule still, here’s when you might catch the larger entertainment offerings during the 24-hour Disney Side party at the Magic Kingdom May 23rd and 24th:

  • Magic Kingdom Welcome Show – 5:50 AM
  • Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It! Street Party – 10:00 AM, 1:30PM, 5:45 PM
  • Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade – 12:00 PM, 3:30PM
  • Celebrate the Magic – 8:45 Pm, 10:45 PM
  • Wishes! – 9:00 PM
  • Main Street Electrical Parade – 11:00 PM,  1:00 AM

The park will be open from 6:00 AM on May 23rd until 6:00 AM on May 24th. Stay tuned for more information on this event as more becomes available.

“Winged Encounters” – A New Bird Show Coming to Animal Kingdom This Summer

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

There’s a new animal experience coming soon to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Stars of the show are flocks of macaws in a kaleidoscope of colors flying over and around the heart of the park — Discovery Island. Brought to you by the fantastic team that inspires and delights guests at our Flights of Wonder show in collaboration with Disney Creative Entertainment, “Winged Encounters — The Kingdom Takes Flight,” will debut this summer.

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The macaws, with wingspans up to 60 inches, are now making short flights in the early morning hours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in preparation for the debut of the new experience, which features six types of macaw: hyacinth, green-winged, blue and gold, scarlet, blue-throated and military.

In addition to seeing these colorful birds in flight, during up-close encounters, avian experts will share conservation stories about the macaws, the majority of which are endangered in their native Central and South America.

D23 Disney Fanniversary Celebration Dates Announced

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

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For the third year in a row, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will hit the road with D23 Disney Fanniversary Celebration presented by Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection. The live event will visit 11 cities across the U.S. to commemorate dozens of magical Disney milestones celebrating landmark anniversaries this year.

Hosted by Disney archivists and the D23 Team, Fanniversary 2014 will revisit beloved theme park attractions, animated and live-action films, characters, TV series, and more than 90 years of Disney history including Donald Duck, the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair, Sleeping Beauty, Haunted Mansion, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, The Little Mermaid, and many more. The event, which runs approximately 105 minutes, will also feature the never-before-heard track “Evil Evil” from Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection Sleeping Beauty and a demo recording from Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection The Little Mermaid. Fanniversary events will be open to the public, with special admission prices for D23 Members.

In addition, following each show, two rare items from the Walt Disney Archives will be on display for guests to see and photograph: a hat worn by Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins and a “Duckster” award. Created in 1952, this bronze-colored award in the image of Donald Duck honored those who made significant contributions to Disney over the years. Both Walt Disney and Donald Duck himself were among the recipients of this unique prize.

D23 Gold and Silver Members will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets on May 21 for $23 each. Tickets will be available to D23 Free Members on June 11 for $33 each, and remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public on July 9for $40 each. Tickets will be available at D23.com/Events. The touring schedule is as follows:

  • August 9: Burbank, Calif.
  • August 10: San Diego
  • August 16 & 17: San Francisco
  • September 6: Chicago
  • September 13: Seattle
  • September 20: Atlanta
  • September 21: Philadelphia
  • September 26: Washington, D.C.
  • September 28: New York City
  • October 4: Boston
  • October 25: Orlando

For times and locations, please visit D23.com.

Fanniversaries that guests can look forward to celebrating at each stop include:

  • Donald Duck (80th anniversary)
  • Disneyland TV show (60)
  • Sleeping Beauty (55)
  • Darby O’Gill and the Little People (55)
  • Disneyland’s Monorail, Matterhorn Bobsleds and Submarine Voyage (50)
  • Disney’s contributions to the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair (50)
  • Mary Poppins (50)
  • Haunted Mansion (45)
  • The Love Bug (45)
  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (35)
  • Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park (now Disney’s Hollywood Studios) (25)
  • Splash Mountain (25)
  • The Little Mermaid (25)
  • Pleasure Island (25)
  • The Lion King (20)
  • The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ (20)

…and many more!

More details about D23 Disney Fanniversary Celebration presented by Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection can be found at D23.com/Events.

 

Final Performance of Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade on May 31

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

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The final performance of Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade at Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be on May 31, 2014. There is currently no new parade scheduled to take its place but this will be due to heavy construction happening around the park including around the parade route. In the meantime, Rivers of Light is scheduled to debut sometime in the future with no current timeframe set.

If you’re a fan of the parade at Animal Kingdom, go check it out before it goes away forever!

“May The 4th Be With You” Celebrated All Over The World, And Out Of It Too!

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

Star Wars fans all over the world celebrated Star Wars Day- “May the 4th Be With You!”

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Earlier this week Lucasfilm announced the cast for episode VII of the Star Wars saga, as well as premiered a trailer for the new animated series Star Wars Rebels. The trailer was broadcast in more than 160 countries and reached over 439 million households worldwide. Talk about a Death Star-sized debut!

Star Wars literally took over the planet as Star Wars themed rugby matches were held in Australia, Star Wars 5k runs took place in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico, character appearances occurred in London, fan events in Shanghai, China and an intergalactic takeover of the Roman Colosseum happened in Italy.

Star Wars Day also took to the stars as the astronauts on board the International Space Station, with a little help from R2-D2, delivered a special Star Wars Day message to Star Wars fans around the world through a special collaboration with NASA and Space Center Houston.

And Hollywood celebrities got in on the festivities with celebrities such as Simon Pegg, Charlize Theron, Tony Hawk & Robbie Williams sharing photos and wishing fans a happy Star Wars Day.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Very Merry Christmas Party Dates & Prices

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

Dates and Prices have been set for both of Magic Kingdom’s holiday hard ticket events: Mickey’s not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party! Sales for both parties begin Monday May 5, 2014

 

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party: 

Dates:  September 1, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, & 28

October 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 13, 16, 17, 19, 21, 23, 24, 26, 28, 30, & 31

Pricing:                            Sept Advance     Oct Advance      Sept Same-Day        Oct Same-Day            Oct 31    

Guests Ages 10 & Up       $62 + tax           $67 + tax                   $68 + tax                        $71 + tax                 $77 + tax

Guests Ages 3-9                 $57 + tax          $62 + tax                    $63 + tax                       $66 + tax                  $72 + tax

**Note: Tickets are subject to availability. Advance Sales Pricing is available for all events except 10/10, 10/17, 10/24, 10/30, and 10/31. For events on these dates only Same-Day Pricing applies. For events on all other dates, Advance Sales Pricing is available and Same-Day Pricing will be only on the day of the event (if available).

Passholder and DVC Member Offer:

  • Specially priced tickets are available to Disney Vacation Club Members and Annual Passholders for the following event days: September 1, 9, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21, 23, 26, 28, October 2, 5, 9, 13, 16, 19, & 21.
  • Specially priced tickets must be purchased in ADVANCE
  • Passholders may purchase discounted tickets for themselves and up to three guests.
  • DVC Members may purchase discounted tickets for themselves and up to five guests
  • Passholders may purchase discounted tickets by calling 407-560-PASS and via DisneyWorld.com/Passholder
  • Disney Vacation Club Members may purchase tickets via DVC Member Services bu calling 800-800-9800
  • All Discounted tickets will be set up for Will-Call. A valid Annual Pass of Disney Vacation Club Member ID must be shown at the time of ticket pickup

Passholder and DVC Member Prices:

  • Guests Ages 10 & up: $58.00 + tax
  • Guests Ages 3-9: $53.00 + tax

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party:

Dates:  November 7, 10, 13, 14, 16, 20, 21, & 30

December 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, & 19

Pricing:                                 Advance Sale                  Same-Day                     Dec 19

Guests Ages 10 & Up       $67.00 + tax                  $71.00 + tax                $74.00 + tax

Guests Ages 3-9                 $62.00 + tax                  $66.00 + tax                $69.00 + tax

**Note: Tickets are subject to availability. Advance Sales Pricing is available for all events except 11/21, 11/30, 12/5, 12/12, 12/18, &12/19. For events on these dates only Same-Day Pricing applies. For events on all other dates, Advance Sales Pricing is available and Same-Day Pricing will be only on the day of the event (if available).

 

Passholder and DVC Member Offer

  • Specially priced tickets are available to Disney Vacation Club Members and Annual Passholders for the following event days: November 7, 10, 13, 14, 16, 20, December 2, 4, & 9.
  • Specially priced tickets must be purchased in ADVANCE
  • Passholders may purchase discounted tickets for themselves and up to three guests.
  • DVC Members may purchase discounted tickets for themselves and up to five guests
  • Passholders may purchase discounted tickets by calling 407-560-PASS and via DisneyWorld.com/Passholder
  • Disney Vacation Club Members may purchase tickets via DVC Member Services bu calling 800-800-9800
  • All Discounted tickets will be set up for Will-Call. A valid Annual Pass of Disney Vacation Club Member ID must be shown at the time of ticket pickup

Passholder and DVC Member Prices:

  • Guests Ages 10 & up: $62.00 + tax
  • Guests Ages 3-9: $57.00 + tax