May 2016 – Page 6 – WDWNT Archive

VIDEO: “Happy Star Wars Day” From Daisy Ridley & Characters From “Star Wars: Episode VIII’

WDWNT on May 4, 2016

Daisy Ridley (joined by a few friends) wishes fans a happy Star Wars Day and offers thanks for all the money raised through Star Wars: Force for Change. This marks your last chance to donate — and the chance to win a trip to Ireland and visit Skellig Michael, the iconic location of Rey’s fateful meeting with Luke Skywalker in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Show your Force and donate at https://CrowdRise.com/ForceForChange.

NO PURCHASE OR DONATION NECESSARY. Must be at least eighteen (18) years of age or the age of majority in your jurisdiction, whichever is greater, at the time of entry and an individual legal resident of, and is physically present in, the 50 United States or the District of Columbia. Starts on April 5, 2016 at 4:00am PST and ends on May 4, 2016 at 11:59:59pm PST. To enter, either (1) follow the on-screen instructions to donate or fundraise or (2) email Kennedy@crowdrise.com with the subject line: “Please enter me in the Star Wars Force For Change – Skellig Islands Sweepstakes”, and your full name, birthday, address, email and “I agree to these Official Rules and CrowdRise Terms and Conditions.” Limit 20 entries per person. ARV: $4,900. Odds of winning depend on number of entries received. For complete rules and eligibility requirements, , visit https://bit.ly/1No1bFn. Sponsor: CrowdRise, 130 West 5th Street, Royal Oak, MI 48067. Prize Provider: Tourism Ireland. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Void where prohibited.

Source: Star Wars

Tutto Italia at Epcot Offering Lunch Specials All Summer Long

WDWNT on May 4, 2016

Epcot’s Tutto Italia is ready to ring in the summer with a very special summer menu. From May 2nd through August 28th, guests at Tutto Italia Ristorante can indulge in a limited-time Summer Lunch Menu. Guests will create their own prix-fixe lunch menu that features choice of appetizer, main course, dessert and soft drink. Specials run daily from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the low cost of only $27 per guest.

MouseAdventure “Silly Symphonies” Comes to Walt Disney World May 14th!

WDWNT on May 4, 2016

On May 14th, you are invited to race around Epcot and the nearby resorts in MouseAdventure Silly Symphonies!

MouseAdventure is a quest-based event at the Disney Parks, and is produced by Third Gate Games. It’s part scavenger hunt and part road-rally, testing your knowledge of Disney theme parks, including minutia you may never have noticed before. If you’re ever played Goofy’s Mystery Tour at Walt Disney World, you will enjoy the challenge of MouseAdventure, and your team won’t have to be tethered together!

The recent MouseAdventure in Wonderland event at Disneyland Resort drew over 500 competitors, and challenged teams to solve a series of quests at Disneyland Park in California.

MouseAdventure Silly Symphonies will send teams through the Epcot Resorts in the morning, followed by challenges in Epcot Park in the afternoon. You can explore the “Flowers and Trees,” “Birds in Springtime,” and “Bugs in Love” at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival with MouseAdventure.

For more information and to register, just go to mouseadventure.com. Registration closes Friday, May 6th, so do hurry!

STK Opens This Summer at Disney Springs, First Menu Items Announced

WDWNT on May 4, 2016

With two decades of experience in the kitchen, Chef James O’Donnell’s is the new executive chef for STK Orlando, opening this summer at Disney Springs.

O’Donnell’s career has taken him around the globe and in 10 different cities, and in his new role at STK Orlando he is able to showcase his worldly culinary experience, as well as his love for creating the ultimate dining scene.

About 20 percent of the menu items at STK Orlando will be exclusive to the Disney Springs location, including Florida grouper, chilled rubbed rack of lamb and seared tuna. STK Orlando also will feature signature dishes including bite-sized “Lil BRGs” made with Wagyu beef, lobster mac & cheese, high-quality steaks, seafood and decadent desserts.

A few questions with Chef O’Donnell:

What’s something new you plan to bring to the local culinary scene?
We plan to bring a fine-dining experience, showcasing the high-energy atmosphere along with great food and service we have become known for.

What is your first impression of Central Florida’s food scene? 
The food scene in the Orlando and greater Central Florida area is on a steady rise due to increasing guest demand for sophisticated dining, and STK is excited to be a part of that continued growth.

Will you incorporate the farm-to-table trend at STK? If so, do you plan on getting any ingredients from Central Florida-based or Florida-based farms?
I am looking forward to growing my relationships with local vendors and purveyors to utilize the resources that are available in the area, especially seasonal fruits, produce and seafood.

How will STK Orlando compare to your other locations? 
STK Orlando is going to be one of our largest locations at about 15,000 square feet, with both indoor and outdoor seating. We will feature new dishes specific to Orlando like our Florida grouper, as well as signature STK dishes fans know and love.

Source: Disney Parks Blog

“Frozen Games starring Olaf and Kristoff” Event Coming to Blizzard Beach Starting May 27th

WDWNT on May 4, 2016

Kristoff and Olaf from Disney’s hit animated film “Frozen” will host the inaugural “Frozen” Games at Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park this summer.

Starting May 27 and running through Aug. 21, “Frozen” friends will invite guests visiting Blizzard Beach to join Team Kristoff or Team Olaf each day to participate in a variety of winter-themed activities including:

Ice Pail Relays where teams line up and pass pails of water to one another, trying to be the first to fill a container at the end.
A “Snowball” Toss where pairs compete in a snow-themed water balloon toss.
Ski Pole Limbo, a snowy twist on traditional limbo—using a ski pole as the limbo bar!
Slide Races that allow teams to race down one of the water slides at Blizzard Beach.

Olaf and Kristoff will be on hand, appearing on the Observation Deck near Summit Plummet to take part in the opening and closing ceremonies, and giving updates on their teams’ progress throughout the day.

The “Frozen” Games will be an all-day event that guests can sign up for when they arrive at the park entrance. All activities are included with regular admission to Blizzard Beach.

PHOTOS: Disney Previews New Disneyland 1955 and Ear Hat Ornament Subscription Service Items

WDWNT on May 4, 2016

Disney today shared some news of new Park Pack items that will be joining the Disney Park Pack – Pin Trading Edition offered through the Disney Parks online store. This monthly subscription service delivers collectible Disney Pins directly to your doorstep (note the subscription service for the Pin Trading Edition is currently unavailable but spots do open on occasion).

On May 9, Disney is releasing a one-time-only, mystery-boxed collector’s memorabilia that will take you back to the opening day of Disneyland park on July 17, 1955. The set will have an edition size of 1,200, and the purchase of this item is limited to 2 per household.

Contents for this mystery-boxed package will remain a surprise, but can include a mix of items ranging from sculptured replicas and medallions to paper collectibles. You won’t know which items you’ve received until you open the box. This is not a subscription item, but a one-time-only offering. All Park Packs in this special edition will contain the same elements.

Disney also provided the above sneak peek of a new Disney Park Pack being released starting July 2016. The image above is the top of packaging for a new collection of specially designed ear hat ornaments. Disney teased that these ornaments will be more park specific, including ornaments of the Little Orange Bird, the Haunted Mansion, and more.

To learn more about Disney Park Pack, visit DisneyStore.com/ParkPack.

BREAKING: First Details On How Disneyland’s FastPass+ Will Work

WDWNT on May 4, 2016

Get ready Disneyland, because paper FastPass tickets are about to be a thing of the past…

MagicBands aren’t coming, but digital FastPass is heading west…

Disneyland Resort will soon be ready to rollout their version of a next generation FastPass system, following in the footsteps of Walt Disney World’s introduction of FastPass+ a few years ago.

Unlike the Walt Disney World system, booking for Disneyland FastPass+ reservations can only be made DAY OF, none will be available in advance. The reservations will be able to be booked either via the mobile app, website, or via in-park kiosks. As far as kiosks are concerned, they will no longer require you to visit individual attractions; there will simply be a few of these stations park-wide that you can visit if you need to.

Unlike the WDW system, guests will be able to book just one FastPass at a time. Whether they use that FastPass or not, once a certain amount of time has passed, they may book another. Think of this as the current FastPass system, but gone paperless.

There is no word on how this switch-over will affect distribution for tickets to nighttime shows such as World of Color or Fantasmic! as of yet. It is also unknown if more attractions will begin offering FastPass queues once this new system rolls out (Walt Disney World nearly doubled the number of offerings with FastPass with the introduction of FastPass+).

Originally it was assumed the system would rely on RFID ticketing, and while still possible, it seems more likely it will be a barcode system that can be scanned off of a card or even the Disneyland mobile app.

The Disneyland App already has a digital ticket, so a barcode scan for FastPass make sense

No word has been given on when this system might roll out, but it sounds as if it may be soon, even before the end of 2016. Of course, everything read above is subject to change as Disney moves forward. Stay tuned for more information as an official announcement is expected to be made by Disney in the near future.

VIDEO: Relive “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” As Told Through Emoji

WDWNT on May 4, 2016

Join emoji-fied versions of Rey, Finn, Kylo Ren, Poe, Chewbacca, Han Solo, Princess Leia and more Star Wars characters as they retell “The Force Awakens”:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adgnlbRWo_Y

Source: Disney

PHOTO REPORT: Disney Springs 5/2/16 (Coca-Cola Store, Town Center, New Merch, ETC.)

WDWNT on May 4, 2016

I took a visit to Disney Springs last week to do some shopping and I managed to take some interesting pictures to share while I was there, so let’s take a look:

The Edison construction as seen from the water

An Amphibicar broke down…

Fulton’s is closed to become the Paddlefish

Lots of signs in stock at the Art of Disney

The lost parents sign from Disneyland is fairly new

After a few weeks of searching, I found the magnets with the Star Wars attraction posters, but they are $10 each

The wall seperating Once Upon a Toy from the new Bibbidi Bobiddi Boutique is done and is now shelf space on the Toy store side

Marketplace Co-Op now carries a line of Disney Parks linens

Work progresses on the new parking structure by World of Disney

Looks to be a new drop-off area by the old Marketplace parking

B.B. Wolf’s Sausage Co. opens May 15th

As does the Aristocrepes

Work has begun on the exterior of The Paddlefish

The new section of shops between T-Rex and LEGO should open May 15th

Paddlefish artwork up on the construction walls

Probably will be hard to watch details of the old Empress Lilly erased

A new fountain lies behind walls across from Paddlefish

Walls came down around the Springs this weekend

A look at the Edison from the other side

The STK sign was turned on

Work progresses on the Coca-Cola store

No visible progress on Planet Hollywood

The new bus loop is pretty much finished with the exception of laying some grass down

Galactic Outpost had a few new items in stock, including this Star Wars Vinylmation combo pack

They also had this new Chewbacca phone case

PHOTO REPORT: Disneyland Resort 5/2/16 (Star Wars Land, Autopia Returns, ETC.)

WDWNT on May 4, 2016

Disneyland Reporter Tim Alcoser visited the Resort over the weekend to check out the new Autopia presented by Honda and the latest progress on the Star Wars themed land coming to Disneyland Park, so let’s take a look at what he found along the way: