Kali River Rapids Ride Entrance To Be Relocated During Upcoming Refurbishment

WDWNT on January 29, 2015

Guests always seem to be confused about how to get to Kali River Rapids at Animal Kingdom, so Disney is going to be making it a little easier for them to find it…

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The former home to the old FastPass machines for the ride will be the new attraction marquee and entrance when the ride returns from its refurbishment scheduled from January 20th through February 9th, 2015. Hopefully this will help guests locate the attraction easier than the more subtle signage and location in use today at the park.

PHOTOS: A Look Inside the Trolley Car Cafe Starbucks at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on January 29, 2015

The Trolley Car Cafe at Disney’s Hollywood Studios may not be set to open until next month, but we are taking a look inside the new Starbucks location for the first time today…

 

The facade still looks great and thankfully the patio crammed with plush is no more

The sign mirrors the decorative paint scheme you would find stemming from the light on the front of the Trolley

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The vintage style Starbucks sign was added just a few days ago

 

Menu displays are up as well

 

Great to see neon signs still being made for this section of the park

 The new wrought iron is great too

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Looking inside, the back wall against Sunset Boulevard is the service counter, with guests entering through the front on Hollywood Boulevard and exiting through the side door at the intersection of the two Boulevards

It looks like just some interior decorating and training remain before we see the Trolley Car Cafe open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!

Dates Announced for Sixth Annual Swan & Dolphin Food & Wine Classic

WDWNT on January 29, 2015

Dates for the sixth annual Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Food & Wine Classic have been announced. The popular event is set for Friday October 30, and Saturday, October 31, 2015, at the Swan and Dolphin.

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The two-night, outdoor festival will feature more than 40 stations with culinary selections from the hotel’s award-winning restaurants and wine from more than 30 wineries. Guests will also enjoy live music, a beer garden featuring local and seasonal brews from around the world and food and beverage seminars led by the hotel’s chefs and certified beverage experts.

More details about the event, including specific ticket packages, will be announced later. For the latest information, guests can visit www.SwanDolphinFoodandWineClassic.com, like www.facebook.com/swananddolphin or call 1-800-227-1500.

Frozen Meet and Greet at Epcot to Fill World Showcase Expansion Pad Between Mexico and Norway

WDWNT on January 29, 2015

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Since 1988, we have been patiently waiting for a new pavilion to grace World Showcase at Epcot, filling one of the many expansion pads around World Showcase Lagoon. Well, the addition of Frozen to Norway at Epcot will apparently include a large meet and greet pavilion for the Frozen characters that will take up one of these plots.

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Filings with the South Florida Water Management District discovered this week by StitchKingdom reveal Disney’s plans for the space next door to the existing Norway pavilion.

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The 13,000 square foot building will be located just across from the restrooms, Kringla bakery, and Stave Church. The space at the very least includes a Frozen character meet and greet and new women’s restrooms (we expect the existing restrooms will be remodeled and made into a larger men’s restroom). Behind the building, parking spaces and needed facilities for the pavilion will be constructed. The new building may also house something else because of the size of the structure, but it seems likely Disney will make the most of the space to make sure as many guests could meet Anna, Elsa, and Olaf as possible with a minimal wait.

The former Anna and Elsa meet and greet space in Norway was too small to handle the long queues and guest demand for the characters, thus prompting Disney to build this new facility which will have its very own entrance. While the historical facades of Norway will not be altered, we can expect this meet and greet’s facade to be themed to the fictional kingdom of Arendelle from Frozen.

First-Ever food Truck Takeover Happening This Weekend at Downtown Disney

WDWNT on January 29, 2015

During the first-ever “food truck takeover” January 16-18 at Exposition Park at Downtown Disney, visitors will experience a fun way to get a taste of the new Trattoria al Forno menu.

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Superstar Catering food truck, which usually features tastes of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, will be the makeshift kitchen for the Trattoria chefs to serve three of the restaurant’s most popular dishes: an oversized beef and spinach meatball in a sourdough bread bowl (inspired by the restaurant’s Polpetta Gigante) with housemade “Sunday gravy” ($12.25); lasagna ($10.75), and tiramisu ($6). They’ll also be pouring Sogno d’Italia Chianti from Tuscany, representing the restaurant’s all-Italian wine list and a perfect pairing for the lasagna and meatball.

Exposition Park hours are noon-11 p.m., weather permitting. More Disney restaurants will showcase menu favorites with upcoming food truck takeovers.

If a taste at Exposition Park should leave you wanting more, Trattoria al Forno on Disney’s BoardWalk is open 7:30-11 a.m. for breakfast, 5-10 p.m. for dinner.

PHOTO: The Top of the Sorcerer’s Hat at Hollywood Studios Has Been Removed

WDWNT on January 29, 2015

Overnight, the top of the Sorcerer’s Hat at Disney’s Hollywood Studios was removed…

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They didn’t even have time to haul the tip of the hat off somewhere

 

We’ll keep you up to date on the progress of the removal of the Sorcerer’s Hat at Disney’s Hollywood Studios every step of the way, so stay tuned!

Upcoming Attractions from Around the World Added to Updated “One Man’s Dream” Exhibit Finale at Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on January 29, 2015

When “The Legacy Continues” section of “Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream” debuted a few years ago, we were promised that the previews of upcoming attractions and such from the company would be updated regularly. Just last week, the boards representing each Disney resort around the world were updated:

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Completed projects and the upcoming Little Mermaid show at Tokyo DisneySea are showcased

Hong Kong Disneyland focuses on the last major addition, Mystic Manor

Disneyland Resort features some recent projects, but also the upcoming 60th anniversary

Shanghai has added artwork for the Garden of the Twelve Friends and the Pirate area of the park

Some recent additions for Disney Cruise Line

Walt Disney World’s section focuses only on Animal Kingdom

The boat ride is happening…

 

Lots of exciting things on the way!

Marvel Entertainment Releases New Trailer For “Avengers: Age Of Ultron”

WDWNT on January 29, 2015

Marvel Entertainment just released a brand new trailer for the upcoming movie, “Avengers: Age Of Ultron” and it looks fantastic.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZoO8QVMxkk]

 

Here are some images that I captured from the trailer:

Cap’s battle scarred helmet:

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Captain America’s new uniform:

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 Bruce Banner and Black Widow:

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Thor in his slightly new costume:

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Nick Fury:

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The Twins, Quicksilver and Scarlet Witch:

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Andy Serkis; it’s still unknown who he is playing, but he doesn’t look good:

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Who is this?

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The Hulk being calmed down by Black Widow:

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The Hulk losing his mind:

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Hulk-Buster!:

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Tony inside the Hulk-Buster:

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Hulk vs Hulk-Buster:

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Ultron:

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Marvel Studios presents “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” the epic follow-up to the biggest Super Hero movie of all time. When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to The Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.

Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” stars Robert Downey Jr., who returns as Iron Man, along with Chris Evans as Captain America, Chris Hemsworth as Thor and Mark Ruffalo as The Hulk.  Together with Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow and Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye, and with the additional support of Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury and Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill, the team must reassemble to defeat James Spader as Ultron, a terrifying technological villain hell-bent on human extinction. Along the way, they confront two mysterious and powerful newcomers, Wanda Maximoff, played by Elizabeth Olsen, and Pietro Maximoff, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson, and meet an old friend in a new form when Paul Bettany becomes Vision. Written and directed by Joss Whedon and produced by Kevin Feige, Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” is based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series “The Avengers,” first published in 1963. Get set for an action-packed thrill ride when The Avengers return in Marvel’s “Avengers: Age of Ultron” on May 1, 2015.

“Lando Calrissian” Will Appear On “Star Wars Rebels”

WDWNT on January 29, 2015

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Here is the first image of Lando Calrissian as he will appear in the upcoming “Star Wars Rebels” episode called “Idiot’s Array”. This episode will air on Monday, January 19th at 9 PM on Disney XD.

Billy Dee Williams will be providing his voice as the classic gambler, smuggler and baron administrator of Cloud City, also known as Lando Calrissian.

The official synopsis for the episode “Idiot’s Array” is ” The crew is forced into transporting some unusual cargo after an issue with a new acquaintance.” From some of the photos and the synopsis, it sounds like Zeb loses Chopper during a card game to Lando and Lando offers another alternative.

Here are some more images and a brief clip from “Idiot’s Array”:

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[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLinMMWXw_g]