September 2016 – Page 14

PHOTO REPORT: Disney’s Hollywood Studios 8/30/16 (Gonzo’s Royal Flush, PizzeRizzo, Star Wars & Toy Story Land)

WDWNT on September 2, 2016

In our latest photo report, we take a trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to see what’s new (and what’s left) of the park, including new additions in the Muppets Courtyard, and the latest progress on the ongoing expansion of the park.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios star

Not sure when this happened, but Launch Bay is now on the star at the park entrance.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios star

Star Wars Land

Streets of America

In case you have been living under a rock for over a week, the Streets of America demolition is in full swing for Star Wars land.

Streets of America

We have both video of the demolition process and an aerial look at the removal of the Streets of America, just in case you have missed them.

Streets of America

PizzeRizzo

Work walls have expanded as construction continues on PizzeRizzo in the Muppets Courtyard.

Signage featuring Rizzo the Rat has been installed.

Gonzo’s Royal Flush, straight out of The Muppets film is now the name of the nearby restrooms. I can’t wait to see how themed these are on the inside…

Food Changes

Echo Lake Eats has come to an end. I guess Food and Wine needed their booths back…

Sunshine Day Cafe

Sunshine Day Cafe has still yet to open, but at least it is Roger Rabbit related, right?

Sunshine Day Cafe

Merchandise Changes

Some new Frozen pins for sale.

Still no sign of the red car trolley cart on Sunset Boulevard.

Halloween merchandise in full swing at Reel Vogue.

Descendants kids’ costumes for sale.

Too many guests were touching the very expensive statues in Star Wars Launch Bay, so they put them behind a railing…

Several new limited release phone cases and MagicBands are available at Star Wars Launch Bay.

Billboards for the new LEGO Star Wars series and Rogue One out in the… Animation Courtyard? Star Wars Courtyard? I don’t even know anymore.

Toy Story Land

The prop shop is being emptied out before the bulldozers come in and level the building.

Most of the tank area of the Backlot Studio Tour has bee removed already.

A look over the walls (extending a tripod mind you).

More work happening backstage…

There’s a new bar by the exit of Toy Story Midway Mania’s 3rd track.

REVIEW: Fairfax Fare at Hollywood Studios Introduces Giant Baked Potatoes

WDWNT on September 2, 2016

Just a few weeks ago, the turkey leg was retired from Hollywood Studios and Fairfax Fare on Sunset Boulevard added some large baked potato dishes to their menu. We decided to head over last weekend to try these out, and here is what we found on our starchy expedition:

Fairfax Fare Menu

Fairfax Fare Giant Baked Potatoes

Southwest Salad at Fairfax Fare

Small Southwest Salad (Side)

The side salad (served with each of the large baked potatoes) was a surprisingly good offering, so much so that I would rather they devise a full entree out of this. Looking at this, I was prepoared for the worst, but it actually was pretty tasty, blending fresh, healthy ingredients with a sweet corn flavor. Seriously WDW, please make this a counter service entree.

Loaded Fairfax Potato ($9.49)

This wasn’t bad, but it was mediocre at best. I love baked potatoes, so even the most poorly prepared one is probably something I can stomach. There was nothing special about this, but it’s probably a good addition in a park with fairly limited counter service options right now. The potato was cooked well enough and the toppings are what you would expect from any counter service location. It is large and filling for the price, but doesn’t deliver on the flavor. It’s not the worst quick serve meal and it’s not the best, it’s just sort of middle of the road. I don’t know how many other ways I could possibly say “meh” in this review.

Loaded Fairfax Potato ($9.49)

Fairfax One-Pound Baked Potato ($10.49)

While the potato was of the same quality here, the tri-tip with brown gravy was fairly gross. It reminded me of the infamous “stewed beef” from the Diamond Horseshoe Saloon at the Magic Kingdom, and if you remember that review, you know why that is a bad thing… a very bad thing.

Vanilla Cupcake with Strawberry Buttercream ($5.59)

The strawberry buttercream on top tasted like warm strawberry ice cream, which somehow isn’t gross. A quality cupcake that blends well with the strawberry cream on top, yet probably pretty forgettable in the grand scheme of Walt Disney World desserts. This is a pleasant dessert offering and a cute photo-op if you love Minnie Mouse, probably no the best dessert option unless you absolutely need a Strawberry snack and are eating here.

Vanilla Cupcake with Strawberry Buttercream ($5.59)

Overall, I’m happy about the loss of the turkey leg from another park (as the sight of them makes me fairly ill), but I was hoping for something more here. Honestly, the loaded baked potato was solid, but would work better as a smaller side item. It is better than the Disney counter service french fries without a doubt, bnut does little to warrant being a full meal at a counter service location. Also, the one-pounders toppings are vile…

OVERALL SCORE FOR FAIRFAX FARE BAKED POTATOES – 3 OUT OF 7

PHOTOS, VIDEO: Aerial View of Demolition at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Star Wars, Toy Story

WDWNT on September 2, 2016

Earlier this week, we flew over Disney’s Animal Kingdom to give you a better look at the construction of Pandora: The World of AVATAR. Today, we take flight over Disney’s Hollywood Studios to view the wreckage and remains of the Streets of America and Backlot area of the park, with demolition now nearing completion. This land clearing is of course to make way for the Toy Story Land and Star Wars themed area coming to the park in the next few years:

An overall view of the work site, including the tree clearing to accommodate the move of the car toll plaza to a new location, making more room for the Star Wars land.

The viewing area of the former Lights, Motors, Action show is being slowly gutted.

This is the area where the cars once performed for guests, now a pile of rubble.

The backdrop for the tank area at the Backlot Studio Tour remains, but a fair amount of it has been leveled.

Most of this area next to the cast parking garage will be Toy Story Land.

The first pipes and pieces of infrastructure have arrived on site for the new areas.

Just a few structures remain of the Streets of America.

This was a street just 6 days ago.

We also have a short video overview of the demolition to share with you:

PHOTOS, VIDEO: Pandora – The World of AVATAR Construction, Aerial Look As of August 2016

WDWNT on September 2, 2016

Since Disney is getting a bit crazy about guests taking photos or video of Pandora: The World of AVATAR construction at Animal Kingdom (we’ll talk more about that later this week), we decided to once again take to the skies to see the work on the new land from above. Still slated to open in 2017, the land based on the hit 2009 film has made some progress since we last checked in from the skies:

AVATAR Construction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

An overall look at the construction site, which looks to have come quite a ways since we last checked in.

AVATAR Construction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

In the back, we see that the dining facility in an “abandoned hangar” is coming along nicely.

AVATAR Construction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The floating mountains are mostly completed above the show building level, no more scaffolding to be found.

AVATAR Construction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The entrance to the Na’vi River Journey still has some progress to make.

AVATAR Construction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Some smaller rock-work is starting to be painted at ground level.

AVATAR Construction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

A lot of foliage has been planted over the last few weeks.

AVATAR Construction at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

If you prefer a video look, we have a quick fly-by for you to view as well:

Disney California Adventure-Only Annual Pass To Be Introduced September 1st

WDWNT on September 2, 2016

Beginning Sept. 1, Guests can purchase a Disney California Adventure Park Fun Pass good for one year of Disney California Adventure Park admission on select days.

Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters at DCA

Here are some details about the pass:

Guests also receive a collector’s pin with purchase.
Guests using the pass get up to 10% merchandise and food & beverage discounts at Disney California Adventure Park only (restrictions apply).
It is valid for one year from first use and first use must occur on or before Dec. 1, 2016.
Blockout dates for 2016 include: 9/3, 9/4, 11/11, 11/24-11/26, 12/17, 12/19-12/31.
Blockout dates for 2017 include: 1/1-1/2, 2/18-2/19, 3/18, 3/25, 4/1, 4/8-4/9, 4/14-4/15, 4/22, 4/29, 5/6, 5/13, 5/20, 5/26-5/28, 6/3, 6/10, 6/17, 6/24, 7/1-7/4, 7/8, 7/15, 7/22, 7/29, 8/5, 8/12, 8/19, 9/2-9/3, 11/10-11/11, 11/23-11/25.
It can be upgraded for an additional fee to a Disney Deluxe Passport, Disney Signature Passport, Disney Signature Plus Passport or Disney Premier Passport only.
Tickets are nonrefundable and nontransferable.

The pass will be sold only through Costco. The cost will be $329.99.

PHOTO REPORT: Animal Kingdom 8/23/16 (AVATAR, DINOSAUR, Chocolate Waffle, ETC.)

WDWNT on September 2, 2016

It has been a little while since we checked in on Animal Kingdom, which is probably because it has been the red-headed step-child of the Disney World parks this Summer, starting with such promise, but then careening into one of the worst Summer campaigns ever experienced in Orlando. September 5th brings the end of nighttime offerings at the park for a little while, but for just how long we do not know. However, work progresses slowly on AVATAR, Rivers of Light is still yet to get a debut date, but yet life goes on at the 4th gate of WDW. Let’s see what’s new and exciting at the park since our last visit…

Pandora: The World of AVATAR

Scaffolding has vanished from the floating mountains of Pandora, giving us a nice look at what should be a rather pleasant looking area.

Pandora: The World of AVATAR

A lot of foliage is going in, making it harder to see the area. Don’t worry, we will take to the skies above Pandora later this week to show you a better look.

Pandora: The World of AVATAR

We also have a video of the AVATAR area to share with you:

Go Wild with Food and Drinks

A quick stop at Nomad Lounge for a Kungaloosh Ale

Pizzafari

Even though what they had before was really very good, the Pizzafari menu was revamped once again to include more flatbread and less traditional pizzas.

Pizzafari

The cheeseburger flatbread… If you haven’t watched our review yet, you can do so below:

Pizzafari

The new menu board wasn’t available yet, so they board outside is just blank right now.

New menu at Tamu Tamu Refreshments

Tamu Tamu Refreshments has an updated menu, including a chocolate waffle.

New menu at Tamu Tamu Refreshments

Tree of Life Trail

Tree of Life trail

Work continues on the path behind the Tree of Life, the only project moving slower than AVATAR. Maybe we should put the beach-rock team on these projects? At least there is a fence now.

New Everest Merchandise

Expedition Everest Adventure Pack

I never noticed this Expedition Everest Adventure Pack for kids, which is kind of neat as each item has the Everest logo.

Expedition Everest Adventure Pack

Everybody Paint the Dinosaur

Hester & Chester’s Dino-Rama

The giant dinosaur in Dino-Rama now has spots to go with the new green paint scheme.

Hester & Chester’s Dino-Rama

DINOSAUR Refurbishment

DINOSAUR remains closed for enhancements through the Fall of 2016.

DINOSAUR Refurbishment

There’s not many attractions where you can just close the blinds to keep people from looking in, but this is one of them.

DINOSAUR Refurbishment

The fountain is off during the refurbishment.

DINOSAUR Refurbishment

Don’t worry kids, you can still pin trade even though the ride is closed.

DINOSAUR Refurbishment

I do love the use of concept art on the board, as well as the picture of Chester and Hester…

Flame Tree Barbecue Expansion

Flame Tree Barbecue

The expansion of Flame Tree Barbecue rolls on…

Flame Tree Barbecue

2017 Walt Disney World Calendar

The always popular Walt Disney World calendar for 2017 is now available.

2017 Walt Disney World Calendar

The Main Street Electrical Parade made it in, as did an image from Star Wars Weekends, both discontinued heading into 2017.

Two Cancelled Epic Mickey Spin-Offs Games Have Been Revealed

WDWNT on September 2, 2016

It appears that Disney cancelled two Epic Mickey spin-offs in 2012 before closing developer Junction Point. Unfortunately, this would not go on to be an isolated incident (R.I.P. Disney Infinity).

Sources: Always Nintendo

The first game was titled Epic Donald, and it seems like it would have been similar to Epic Mickey, only featuring Donald Duck as the main character. Concept art for the game was revealed by Disney comic artist Patrick Block, who posted the images and answered questions regarding the game on the Assembler Games forums.

“In 2012 I had the very great pleasure and honor of working with Warren Spector and Junction Point on the follow up to Disney’s Epic Mickey and Epic Mickey II,” said Block on the forums. “The game was to feature Donald Duck, Duckburg, and the associated classic world clan. I worked hard on a “Carl Barks” based Duckburg, pulling scenes of the town from his comics and doing my best to keep a 1950’s feeling spirit about the game world.”

The game was ultimately cancelled due to Disney’s shift to mobile gaming. It is too bad that we never got to see this game, though in all fairness, we did get Disney Infinity the following year.

Sources: Always Nintendo

The second game was titled Epic Disney Racers, and would have been a kart racer that featured a similar two character system akin to Mario Kart: Double Dash. Little else was known about this game, and few pieces of art exist for the game, but one can only imagine how cool it could have been.

Sources: Always Nintendo

FWC & Orange County Sheriff Offer Final Report on Alligator Attack

WDWNT on September 2, 2016

FWC and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office have released their final reports regarding the death of Lane Graves on June 14, 2016.

Nick Wiley, FWC Director said, “We continue to pray for the Graves family. FWC would like to thank Disney and our partners at the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for the professional collaboration on this thorough investigation. Our agency will continue to work to keep families informed on how they can safely enjoy all that Florida has to offer.”

Here is the official synopsis of the report:

On June 14, 2016, at approximately 2100 hours, children were playing near the water’s edge at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. A witness, Matt Graves, heard a splash and saw an alligator bite his son’s head and pull him into the water. Mr. Graves was close enough to grab the alligator, putting his hands into the animal’s mouth. The alligator began to struggle and broke free from Mr. Graves, injuring his hands. The alligator disappeared into the water with the child. Multiple individuals called 911 for assistance. Fire Rescue personnel and law enforcement officers from Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and Orange County Sheriff’s Office began a search of the area by land, air and water. The body of the missing child was located underwater by a patrol officer involved in the search and recovered by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office dive team in the Seven Seas Lagoon on the afternoon of June 15, 2016, submerged in approximately seven feet of water near where the initial attack had taken place. Six alligators were subsequently captured from the vicinity, euthanized, and had necropsies performed. Examination of the bite pattern on the victim’s body and an autopsy confirmed that the cause of death was injuries sustained from a severe alligator bite.

REVIEW: New Cheeseburger Flatbread at Pizzafari in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Replaces “Good” Menu

WDWNT on September 2, 2016

Remember a few months ago when I positively reviewed Pizzafari at Disney’s Animal Kingdom? With a revamped menu and pizza-making-process, it seemed as if Disney was on the right track to fixing counter service pizza everywhere at the resort. Well, they undid all of that progress with a new menu over the weekend…

New flatbread and pizza menu at Pizzafari

New Pasta, Salad, and Sub Menu at Pizzafari

Kid’s menu at Pizzafari

Desserts and drinks at Pizzafari

We decided to try the most interesting of the items from new menu, which was obviously the Cheeseburger Flatbread. We took a short video as we dug into the new offering, so watch the clip below to see what we thought…

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ruWcWbLw5LI]

Sad that the edible Pizzafari menu was replaced with this…

Cheeseburger Flatbread from Pizzafari

This was bad, unbelievably awful in fact. I would rather eat the now-retired Shrimp Alfredo from Village Haus in all honesty. The flavor was bad as noting on it blended together well, and there was way too much lettuce on it. The pickle flavor overwhelmed so much of it that it was like eating a pickle flatbread, not something meant to taste like a cheeseburger. Steer clear of this offering at all costs…

I would be embarrassed to put up my menu if it was that bad…

PHOTOS: A Look Behind the Walls at the Wreckage of “Streets of America” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on September 2, 2016

As you have probably seen by now, demolition of the Streets of America at Disney’s Hollywood Studios began over the weekend, making room for the Star Wars and Toy Story Lands that will make up the park’s expansion project. On Saturday, we were lucky enough to get a look behind the walls and see the demolition up close and personal. We have some pictures of what we found to share with you today.