January 2016 – Page 4 – WDWNT Archive

Nine Dragons at Epcot Introducing New Menu and Prix-Fixe Lunch

WDWNT on January 27, 2016

Nine Dragons at Epcot is shaking up their menu for the “Year of the Monkey”, heralding the first major menu changes for the restaurant since it reopened in September 2008.

New to the menu are Chinese “Burgers”, featuring braised pork belly, sweet and sour fish, and general Tso’s chicken on steamed buns.

The new prix-fixe lunch special features appetizer, entree, and dessert for $17.98 per person. The full menu was not available at the time of this announcement but should be available soon.

PHOTO REPORT: Disneyland Park 1/13/15 (Rivers of America Closed, Train Experience, TV Special Filming Paint the Night, ETC.)

WDWNT on January 27, 2016

It has been far too long since we have had a photo report from the Disneyland Resort (in-fact the last one was December 2014), luckily Disneyland Reporter Tim Alcoser has returned to WDWNT to once again bring us the latest from the Happiest Place on Earth. 2016 is going to be a year of major changes here at WDWNT, and bringing back regular coverage of the Disneyland Resort will be among the many new offerings we have planned for thsi year. Without any further delay, welcome back to Disneyland:

“You can’t bring Selfie Sticks, but we actually have discount tickets now…”

Off to Disneyland!

Metal detectors are here too

The Diamond Celebration rolls on through September 2016 at the Disneyland Resort

The Rivers of America closed on Sunday so that work could finally begin on the Star Wars-themed land for the park

The Columbia is stationary, but entertainment is being offered on the ship and you can explore it all you like

Tiana was greeting guests by the petrified tree, rumor has it she will be aboard the dry-docked Mark Twain for a dining experience soon

While the Disneyland Railroad is closed for Star Wars construction, you can hop aboard at Main Street or New Orleans Square stations and check out the trains and talk with an engineer

We have a video tour of the Ernest S. Marsh, which is parked at the New Orleans Square Station for you:

Haunted Mansion Holiday is closed for the season and Haunted Mansion returns later this month

The Explorer Canoes are closed until 2017, if they return…

A quiet Rivers of America, as it will be until 2017

If you feel the need to ride on water, Splash Mountain is still open

And you never know, Tim might end up in the back of your photos…

Big Thunder Ranch is closed too, but this closure is permanent. The back path around Big Thunder should close very soon to accommodate construction.

Hopefully this Big Thunder photo-op will make the move instead of getting scrapped

Season of the Force in full swing in Tomorrowland

Path of the Jedi is the same clipo show you can see at Hollywood Studios

One thing you cant see at Walt Disney World: Hyperspace Mountain

And Marvel Super Hero HQ for that matter, now in the upper level of what was Innoventions

Star Wars Launch Bay occupies the downstairs

It’s been a long time since we’ve visited, so let’s stop and take in the Disneyland Forever fireworks

The fireworks were displayed early to accommodate filming of the Disneyland 60th TV special that will air in February

You still have some time to experience “it’s a small world” Holiday, open until January 25th

Guests filled Main Street to see some castmembers from Dancing with the Stars perform alongside the Paint the Night Parade

Those girls had to be cold…

Tim also took some video of the filming, a full musical number concluding with fireworks above Sleeping Beauty Castle:

If you enjoyed this photo report from the Disneyland Resort and want to see more, let us know!

Welcome back Tim!

SURVEY: Help Improve WDW News Today By Taking Our Annual Survey

WDWNT on January 27, 2016

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Shanghai Disneyland Finally Sets Opening Date

WDWNT on January 27, 2016

Shanghai Disneyland will finally open on June 16th, 2016, according to the Wall Street Journal.

It is unclear what of the already announced attractions will be ready by then, but inside sources have suggested it will open in phases with more attractions coming on line through the end of 2016 and into next year. No official word from Disney has been made as of yet.

Tom Corless’ 1/12/16 Animal Kingdom Photo Report (AVATAR, Rivers of Lights, Riverside Depot, Where’s Dinosaur?, ETC.)

WDWNT on January 27, 2016

I recently visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom to check out the progress on all of the new projects in the park, so here are some newsworthy photos of what’s happening at Disney’s “wildest” theme park:

The floating mountains of Pandora: The World of AVATAR visible from the parking lot

Riverside Depot opened on Discovery Island recently

New Monstro and Figment ceramic figures on sale

Some of the little details in the store are really cool

The store sells mostly pins, toys, home-goods, and smaller souvenirs

What was the Art of Disney a few years ago is now just filled with toys, mostly Star Wars

Disney Outfitters next door has now closed for remodeling

SPOILER ALERT

The construction walls for AVATAR don’t say anything, but at least they show something now

Work continues on Tiffins on the backside of Pizzafari

The spotted dogs are now out on Kilimanjaro Safaris

They were very active, running around and being playful

Construction continues on Rivers of Light, debuting this spring

Here we see moving lights with waterproof domes have been installed

The Thirsty River Bar opened recently, replacing the old FastPass distribution for Everest

The bar serves a number of pre-made food and drink items

My camera didn’t want to focus for some reason…

Lots of stickers decorate the bar

The Ole Elephant Foot IPA was quite good

The Himalayan Ghost was nothing special, had very little flavor

The Khumbu Icefall might be my new favorite drink at Disney World. Very sweet and just the right amount of alcohol, not bad for pre-made.

I also got one of the pre-packaged turkey sandwiches…

It was cut in half the wrong way and barely stayed together, but it was good. Why was I in Dino-Rama? Because there is nowhere to sit and eat and drink at the Thirsty River Bar…

It’s still Christmas here…

Guests apparently are having a hard time finding Dinosaur, there are several of these signs up in Dinoland

The speakers for the Rivers of Light seating area are being installed now

Peep holes were put in the construction walls, yet the walls still don’t tell guests what is coming…

Not sure if this is new, but all of the food stands on Discovery Island were named and received menu updates at some point…

With Disney Outfitters gone, Island Mercantile is now selling just apparel

The store’s selection has been pretty much the same since 1998, so this is a bit of an adjustment

We have to wonder what exactly will happen to Disney Outfitters during the remodel if all of their merchandise is now here.

Princess Leia Will Make Her “Star Wars Rebels” Debut

WDWNT on January 27, 2016

We have seen Star Wars Original Trilogy character such as Darth Vader, Yoda, R2D2 and C3PO and Lando Calrissian make guest appearances on Star Wars Rebels, now the latest to make an appearance will be Princess Leia Organa. The Episode, A Princess In Lotahal, will air on January 20th at 9PM EST on Disney XD:

From TV Insider:

Before Season 2 of Star Wars Rebels began, executive producer Dave Filoni teased that he was bringing another major legacy character from the films to his animated series. We can now reveal that guest star is Princess Leia Organa (who is going by General Organa in the current blockbuster Star Wars: The Force Awakens).

The iconic character—who was introduced in the very first scene of the first Star Wars movie back in 1977 (aka A New Hope)—will be featured in the January 20 episode of the Disney XD series, which is set prior to that film, just as the Galactic Empire is beginning its ruthless oppression. The teenage princess is sent to Lothal—the base planet for the series’ main characters, a group of rebel fighters—on a secret mission to bring ships for the rebel fleet. Unfortunately an Imperial lockdown throws that plan into chaos.

“We thought we had an opportunity to show her learning to be a leader, experimenting with the personality that becomes the stronger more resolute character you see in A New Hope,” Filoni says. “One of the complex challenges of depicting Leia in Rebels is that we have to remind the audience that at this point she is part of the Empire. She doesn’t believe in the Empire, but she is acting the part, almost a double agent.”

This will be Leia’s only appearance this season, and it is unknown yet if she will appear again on the series. The voice will not be provided by Carrie Fisher (the live-action actress who created the role), but instead is by Julie Dolan, who also played Leia in the video game Star Wars: Uprising.

Source: TV Insider

PHOTO: Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort Updating Guest Celebration Buttons

WDWNT on January 27, 2016

If you enjoy any of the current designs used for the guest celebration buttons at the U.S. Disney Parks, I suggest you grab some soon because new designs are on the way. As the inventories of the old buttons begin to run out, new designs will be introduced.

To streamline the process, the current “Just Married”, “Happy Anniversary”, and “Happily Ever After” buttons will be condensed into one new “Happily Ever After” button.

These buttons can be found at Disneyland Resort guest relations locations, while Walt Disney World is now urging guests to obtain theirs at retail locations rather than wait in a line at guest relations.

CONCEPT ART: Beautiful Waterfalls, Peaks, and Train Trestle to Grace the New North Banks of Rivers of America

WDWNT on January 27, 2016

RIVERS OF AMERICA — As part of an ongoing, planned expansion at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., the Rivers of America at Disneyland Park will receive a brand-new waterfront, just outside the location of the new Star Wars-themed land. The new riverbank will also feature an elevated trestle over which the iconic Disneyland Resort Railroad will travel. (Disney Parks)

When the Rivers of America return to Disneyland Park shortened in 2017, they will feature an incredible nod to the park’s past. A new elevated train trestle will take guests aboard the Disneyland Railroad over the water as beautiful waterfalls run off the nearby rockwork and mountains of the new north shores. In many ways, this will be a nod to the now lost vistas of the Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland attraction:

The new, shortened Rivers of America project is part of the expansion of the park, namely the 14-acre addition of a Star Wars-themed land.

The Rivers of America is now closed at Disneyland Park and will return in 2017.

RUMOR: Star Wars Fireworks Show to Add Projection Mapping Effects and Flamethrowers?

WDWNT on January 27, 2016

This rumor is a bit out there, but it comes from some good sources, so I believe it has some truth to it. If it is to be believed, the Star Wars fireworks will become a very permanent addition to the nighttime show lineup at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Apparently there has been some late night testing in the park to see if projection-mapping of the Chinese Theater and the facades of Hollywood Boulevard would be feasible. If so, expect to see full street-wide projections just like those in the Disneyland Forever fireworks show that debuted in May 2015. One downside to this addition would be the probable removal of the tall palm trees along Hollywood Boulevard, but that is still up for debate among the cast members working on this project.

Another possible item being added to the show would be flamethrowers on the rooftop of the Chinese Theater, much like the ones used during the Finding Nemo sequence in the Disneyland Forever fireworks show.

If approved, we expect the additions to be made to the show sometime in the Spring/Summer of this year.

RUMOR: Disney Files to Add Drones to Fireworks; Tangled Lanterns & New Epcot Show?

WDWNT on January 27, 2016

A few months ago, Disneyland tested autonomous flying lanterns high above the park to see if they would be a viable element for the new Disneyland Forever fireworks show. The lanterns were patterned after those seen in the animated film Tangled, and for whatever reason never made it into the show. The Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts are now filing for an exception to FAA rules so that similar show elements can be tied into new entertainment offerings.

Autonomous lanterns floating on the water will make their debut in Rivers of Light this Spring at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, but it seems flying versions of these show pieces are on the way to a new show at the Vacation Kingdom, most likely at Epcot. The rumored lanterns from Tangled may also finally debut in Disneyland Forever if the exception is made by the FAA.

For guest safety, the drones would never go within 100 feet of active guest areas, with flight paths sticking to water elements and restricted areas. The drones would reach a max height of 150 feet as well, making it more likely we will see such technology in Florida over World Showcase Lagoon rather than around Cinderella Castle or the Chinese Theater.

The drones, which Disney is calling a Flixel, would weigh less than 10 pounds and Its airspace would be no more than 600 feet in diameter, remaining in use for roughly 10 minutes. The Flexels would only fly if wind speeds are less than 10 mph and gusts are less than 15 mph.

Will these drones soon be joining Tinker Bell in the skies above the Disney Parks? Well, we’ll have to wait on an FAA decision to find out.

Month: January 2016

Nine Dragons at Epcot Introducing New Menu and Prix-Fixe Lunch

PHOTO REPORT: Disneyland Park 1/13/15 (Rivers of America Closed, Train Experience, TV Special Filming Paint the Night, ETC.)

SURVEY: Help Improve WDW News Today By Taking Our Annual Survey

Shanghai Disneyland Finally Sets Opening Date

Tom Corless’ 1/12/16 Animal Kingdom Photo Report (AVATAR, Rivers of Lights, Riverside Depot, Where’s Dinosaur?, ETC.)

Princess Leia Will Make Her “Star Wars Rebels” Debut

PHOTO: Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resort Updating Guest Celebration Buttons

CONCEPT ART: Beautiful Waterfalls, Peaks, and Train Trestle to Grace the New North Banks of Rivers of America

RUMOR: Star Wars Fireworks Show to Add Projection Mapping Effects and Flamethrowers?

RUMOR: Disney Files to Add Drones to Fireworks; Tangled Lanterns & New Epcot Show?

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