Epcot’s “Guardians of the Galaxy” Ride will be a Roller Coaster Attraction

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

I wish I had better news, but it seems the replacement of the Universe of Energy at Epcot in favor of a “Guardians of the Galaxy” ride is indeed imminent. Today, we are finding out more about what exactly guests may find instead of a slow-moving ride through Dinosaurs and film clips when the blockbuster MARVEL property breaks into the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow (if that even still means that anymore).

Guardians of the Galaxy

Guardians of the Galaxy

Rumor has it that the Guardians of the Galaxy ride at Epcot will be a roller coaster attraction. This attraction would already be historic as it would be the first Future World attraction to break way from the fundamental “edutainment” theme the park has had for nearly 35 years now. However, it could now be an even more profound statement as it would be the very first roller coaster in the park’s history and only the 6th ride that could be categorized under “thrill”.

Apparently the ride would feature both elaborate scenes and a long roller coaster portion, very similar to the rumored plans for a Captain America roller coaster once-slated for the new land at Disney California Adventure. The existing Universe of Energy building and attraction would be demolished.

The one interesting wrinkle is that the words “MARVEL” nor “Guardians of the Galaxy” appear in any renderings of the attraction that exist so far. This is of course a product of the legal restrictions still in place on Walt Disney World by the parameters of the MARVEL/Universal Studios theme park deal.

Sources seem convinced that this attraction will be announced before the end of 2016, possibly by Bob Chapek at the upcoming Destination D event at Walt Disney World. With that being said, it does sound like the project has been approved and will be moving forward barring any unseen problems.

RUMOR: Another “Bay Lake Tower” Vacation Club Wing To Be Constructed at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

While Caribbean Beach Resort will likely be the next Disney Vacation Club addition at Walt Disney World, supposedly Disney is already looking ahead to expanding their DVC presence at the Contemporary Resort with another Bay Lake Tower-type wing.

Bay Lake Tower at Disney's Contemporary Resort

Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

While still a few years off, early design has begun on a new tower for Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The exact location of the new wing is still in-flux right now, but the competing sites range from the planned site of the Persian Resort (a cancelled original hotel planned for the Walt Disney World Resort back in the 1970’s) and the space currently occupied by the convention center at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The Persian Resort site seems far more likely at this time, but other sources are speculating that the convention center would be the site of the new addition.

Separately, the convention center is set to be removed in the coming years in favor of an expanded convention center at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort.

Proposed site for 2nd Bay Lake Tower type wing at Disney's Contemporary Resort

Proposed site for 2nd Bay Lake Tower type wing at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

While the building would have a very different look from the existing Bay Lake Tower, it should have a similar height and size to that of the first addition made in 2008.

The new hotel wing would boast better views of the Magic Kingdom than Bay Lake Tower if constructed, as it would be even closer to the park. Rumor has it that the price point at this new wing would be much higher than Bay Lake Tower, rivaling or surpassing the Polynesian Village Resort DVC additions.

Again, the project is not formally announced by Disney, but is in the design phase at this time. The new resort wing could be more than 5 years from completion at this point and could easily be cancelled at any point prior to construction, but sources close to the project say it is as good as green-lit at this point in time.

TONIGHT on WDW News Tonight (8/17/16) – WDWNT: The Dating Game Returns, Projections, & Armchair Imagineering

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

Tonight on WDW News Tonight, the Dating Game returns, we talk about the overuse of projections in nighttime shows, and we armchair Imagineer a better concept for Wreck-It Ralph

Wreck-It Ralph ride based on Sugar Rush might be coming to the Magic Kingdom, but we can do better!

Wreck-It Ralph ride based on Sugar Rush might be coming to the Magic Kingdom, but we can do better!

If you are in the Orlando area, you can tune in to AM 1520 WBZW at showtime. For those outside the Orlando area, the show can be heard (and now watched via video stream) at Listen.WDWNT.com on your computer or mobile device. The show also utilizes new interactive avenues for our audience, including a live chat, the ability to call-in to the show, and live polling.WDW News Tonight is hosted by Tom Corless and Nick LoCicero, but also features appearances by a number of other WDWNT correspondents.

Coming up on this week’s show:

  • A recap of the week’s news (with a WDWNT comedic twist)
  • Tom & Nick Are Angry About Things
  • “What Did We Just Eat?” – Tom’s Birthday Night Recap
  • “Now That’s Entertainment” with Conner Purzycki
  • The Wonderful World of Psychotic Comments
  • “WDWNT: The Dating Game”, presented by Theme Park Connection
  • Who’s Hates Tom Now?
  • In-Depth Discussion – IMAGINEER THAT – Building a Better Wreck-It Ralph Attraction
  • And more!

We hope that you will tune in tonight at 9PM ET for another episode of WDW News Tonight!

If you missed the last show, you can watch it here:

Journey Into Imagination, Alien Encounter, and More Vintage T-Shirts Coming in NEW YesterEars Line

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

Yester Ears A Vintage Collection by Disney Parks

Yester Ears A Vintage Collection by Disney Parks

Disney today announced “YesterEars” coming to the Disney Parks Online Store on August 18. This collection was inspired by a shop with the same name once found at the former Downtown Disney Pleasure Island area when it first opened. During the next three months, you’ll find limited release apparel inspired by classic Walt Disney World Resort attractions and locations. Here’s a look at what you will find from August 18-25, 2016 at DisneyStore.com/ParkEvents.

Journey Into Imagination t-shirt

Journey Into Imagination t-shirt

The first shirt in this collection is inspired by the original Dreamfinder and Figment shirt that was sold at EPCOT Center in the 1980’s.

Walt Disney World Preview Center Raglan

Walt Disney World Preview Center Raglan

There is also a Raglan with artwork inspired by a Walt Disney World Preview Center advertisement. The Center was open from January 10, 1970, until September 30, 1971. At the location, guests could learn about the project firsthand through displays of models and drawings, and a short filmed presentation. There was also a snack bar and merchandise shop. The original Preview Center building can still be found on Hotel Plaza Boulevard near Disney Springs.

Alien Encounter X-S Tech T-Shirt

Alien Encounter X-S Tech T-Shirt

Finally, you can “seize the future” with this X-S Tech shirt inspired by ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter. This classic Tomorrowland attraction was open from June 20, 1995 to October 11, 2003 in Magic Kingdom Park. Housed in the Tomorrowland Interplanetary Convention Center was the laboratory of X-S Tech, a corporation from a distant planet intent on demonstrating its interplanetary teleportation apparatus. But the demonstration was marred by difficulties and an alien creature was accidentally teleported into the laboratory.

Additional apparel from the “YesterEars” collection will be released over the next 3 months.

Star Wars Battlefront VR Will Center Around “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

During EA’s livestream at GamesCom, it was announced that the upcoming Star Wars Battlefront VR mission will be getting a bit of a Rogue One facelift.

Star Wars Battlefront VR

Star Wars Battlefront VR

The experience will now be called Star Wars Battlefront Rogue One: X-Wing VR Mission. Short and sweet, right? James Svensson, producer at Criterion Games, went on to discuss the new changes, “Rogue One is in the same time period the base game covers, so to be relevant in the ever-evolving Star Wars universe we’ve since been able to work with Lucasfilm to make the connection here.”

The VR mission will put players in the cockpit of a X-Wing as they take on TIE fighters and a Star Destroyer. The Rogue One theming will be quite fitting since the game already takes place during the events of the originally trilogy.

For those that do not remember, the VR mission is an expansion coming to the PS4 version of Star Wars Battlefront and can only be used with the PlayStation VR headset. The VR experience is expected to launch sometime this Holiday season, while PlayStation VR will release on October 13.

VIDEO: Steven Tyler’s “Obscene Hand Gesture” Removed From Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

Have you ever noticed that Steven Tyler’s hand in the Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster pre-show video kind of looks like something that could be considered an “obscene hand gesture”? For the sake of any younger members of our audience, I won’t write the name of it here, but you likely know what I am talking about if you have been on this attraction. Well, Disney has now digitally removed the gesture after 17 years…

Here is how it used to look:

Steven Tyler Hand Gesture on Rock 'N' Roller Coaster

Steven Tyler Hand Gesture on Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster

It does seem kind of odd to remove it digitally 17 years later, but enough of the world has noticed it by now. From time to time I’ve ever heard guests yell out the name of the hand gesture, so I can somewhat understand Disney’s decision to keep the attraction family friendly.

What do you think? Is it ridiculous that Disney removed it? Or was it the right decision?

Live Action Version Of Disney’s “The Little Mermaid” Being Worked On By Lin-Manuel Miranda & Alan Menken

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

Menken and Miranda are working on the live action version of The Little Mermaid for Disney

Menken and Miranda are working on the live action version of The Little Mermaid for Disney

“Hamilton’s” Lin-Manual Miranda is joining forces with legendary Disney composer Alan Menken to compose additional songs for an upcoming live action version of the Disney animated classic, “The Little Mermaid”.

From Deadline:

Disney is pairing Hamilton‘s Lin-Manuel Miranda with iconic songwriter Alan Menken for a live action feature adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid. Miranda and Menken will write the music together. Marc Platt will produce the film along with Miranda, in a configuration just set by Sean Bailey, president of Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture Production. Deadline revealed in May that Disney was figuring out a way to add the classic title to a slate of films based on the studio’s animated films. This one is being orchestrated as a mix of pre-existing songs from the 1989 Disney animated classic movie, for which Menken won two Oscars, sharing Best Song with Howard Ashman, and winning Best Score on his own. Menken has eight Oscars in his storied career.

Source: Deadline

RUMOR: Wreck-It Ralph VR Attraction to Replace Stitch’s Great Escape at the Magic Kingdom

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

According to the latest Unofficial Guide’s Disney Dish podcast, Stitch’s Great Escape will be removed in favor of a VR racing game Wreck-It Ralph attraction based on “Sugar Rush”:

Is a Wreck-It Ralph Sugar Rush ride set to replace Stitch's Great Escape?

Is a Wreck-It Ralph Sugar Rush ride set to replace Stitch’s Great Escape?

If the rumor is to be believed, the two theaters inside Stitch’s Great Escape would be gutted (they have been basically the same in layout since 1971’s Flight to the Moon with minor modifications over the years) to make room for a number of simulator based racing carts which guests could board wearing virtual reality headsets that would transport them into the video game world of Wreck-It Ralph. Guests may even get to design their cars in the pre-show area, similar to Test Track presented by Chevrolet.

If it comes to pass, guests will be racing virtually with Ralph and Vanellope in the Magic Kingdom

If it comes to pass, guests will be racing virtually with Ralph and Vanellope in the Magic Kingdom

The investment would make sense with a sequel to Wreck-It Ralph on the way in 2018 and the box office for the original film was quite strong worldwide. Also, Stitch’s Great Escape has been one of the least popular attractions in Disney history, often testing negatively with guests who experience it.

The Stitch theater has been pretty much the same since Alien Encounter opened in 1995

The Stitch theater has been pretty much the same since Alien Encounter opened in 1995

The project would be part of a larger overhaul of Tomorrowland expected over the next few years leading into the 50th anniversary celebration for the Magic Kingdom park (which would be in 2021 for those not willing to do math), which could include an E-Ticket attraction the likes of the TRON Lightcycle Power Run at Shanghai Disneyland next door to Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress or Space Mountain. Tomorrowland has recently undergone a number of cosmetic upgrades including the repainting of Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress and the currently ongoing entrance area rock-work, all of which could be just the first phase of this overhaul.

Disney of course has said nothing about this project as of yet, so we will have to wait and see if we will be getting a virtual Sugar Rush at the Magic Kingdom, or if we will just have to settle for a Plaza Ice Cream sundae…

Disney Offering Special Character Meet & Greets for PhotoPass Day on August 19th

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

On Friday, August 19, the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort will celebrate the first-ever #DisneyPhotoPassDay, a one-day celebration that will feature special one-day offerings and experiences for guests.

Disney PhotoPass Day

Disney PhotoPass Day

Special Character Experiences At Magic Kingdom Park & Epcot

Enjoy special character experiences at Magic Kingdom Park and Epcot, where Disney PhotoPass photographers will capture your encounter with Pinocchio, Gideon and Foulfellow in Storybook Circus from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

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Foul fellow and Gideon will appear for World PhotoPass Day

At Epcot, a friend or foe will join some of your favorite Disney characters around World Showcase, including Mushu and Mulan in the China Pavilion; Snow White and Dopey in the Germany Pavilion; and the Queen of Hearts, who will join Alice in the United Kingdom Pavilion. Check the My Disney Experience app or the Epcot Times Guide on August 19 for these Disney characters’ schedule.

Disney PhotoPass Day

Disney PhotoPass Day

Complimentary Photo Locations at All Disney Parks & Disney Springs

There will be one location at each of the four theme parks (and Disney Springs) at the Walt Disney World Resort and at both parks at Disneyland Resort where a Disney PhotoPass photographer can capture your special moment. That photo will be available in the My Disney Experience app at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland app at Disneyland Resort to download and share at no charge as part of the #DisneyPhotoPassDay celebration. (Normal My Disney Experience registration is required to access the image). Check out Disney’s PhotoPass Service Facebook page on Tuesday for a list of participating photo locations.

Participate in a Disney PhotoPass Challenge

Complete a Disney PhotoPass Challenge at any of the four parks at the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort to get a Disney PhotoPass photo for free. All you need to do is get your photo taken by a Disney PhotoPass Photographer at each of the designated challenge locations on August 19. Once you’ve stopped by all of the locations, visit a Disney PhotoPass Sales Center to claim your Disney PhotoPass photo. At the Walt Disney World Resort, participants will receive a voucher for one Disney PhotoPass download. Participants at Disneyland Resort will receive one 5×7 print of a Disney PhotoPass photo. Challenge locations and details will be posted on the Disney’s PhotoPass Service Facebook page on Wednesday.

Disney Researching Possible MagicBand Replacement Concept

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

A new style of MagicBand is in development according to MagicBandCollector.com.

Prototype New Design for MagicBand-type Media

Prototype New Design for MagicBand-type Media

A new post on the FCC shows some pictures of a prototype MagicBand puck that would, in theory, fit into an interchangeable strap or other items. This would allow guests to simply keep this puck and interchange different straps and accessories to their pleasing. The change would decrease pricing in custom “On Demand” straps, and mean Disney would have to buy less devices with RFID chips in them. This would also better control the number of linked ticket media east guests would have on their MyDisneyExperience account, as new their is no real limit.

When or if these will ever be rolled out remains to be seen, but it is at least being kicked around by Disney.