Pandora: The World of AVATAR seems to be coming along nicely at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. In a lot of ways, it looks like the project is speeding along now, appearing likely to open by the middle of 2017 should all go according to plan. While visiting Animal Kingdom over the weekend, I captured some pictures and video of the latest progress on the project, including the arrival of a new and intriguing decorative piece inside of the land.
From most angles, it has simply become a lush landscape. While beautiful, it makes it impossible for us to really see what is going on in the construction site anymore.
From the back patio of the Nomad Lounge, something of interest has become visible.
It is an alien lamppost, appearing to constructed of materials one would not find on Earth (in story off course, I’m sure it is made of wood or resin in actuality).
For a better look this strange, alien decorative piece, I invite you to watch the below video update of construction that i recorded over the weekend:
In our latest photo report, we take a dark and dreary evening trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to see the latest progress on the demolition around the back of the park, as well as some other minor changes and newsworthy happenings. Welcome to Hollywood!
New Mugs & Tumblers
For some reason, Walt Disney World is currently rolling out dozens of new mugs and ceramic tumblers at the resort. I know mugs are one of the highest selling items at the parks, but I have never seen so many released at once, including the character sports team variety we had in our last Studios report.
Bye-Bye Backlot
The entrance of thew Backlot Studio Tour and the remains of the tank pre-show are were completely bulldozed over the last week.
The end of PIXAR Place is now just a big open sky and some construction vehicles.
This panorama does a pretty good job showing off the current scene. You may also want to check out this week’s expansion update for video of the area, as well as the removal of New York Street:
Cash Register Turns Dangerous Coloring Station
I have seen some weird and wacky things at the parks in my time, but this is easily one of the weirdest… the second bank of cash registers at the Studio Store has been turned into a coloring station.
That’s right, this store is down from 3 cash registers to 1, and the larger bank of registered was covered into a coloring station.
While it is a nice gesture, it looks pretty terrible as it is a ragged piece of furniture that has been there for 25 years and is fairly decimated at this point. Beyond that, it has had Disney Junior characters shoddily laminated and plastered all over it.
The worst part? There are easily exposed electrical outlets. While we had to peel this one back to find them, they were very much exposed nearby.
I feel like this is something I might find at a Six Flags, but never any a Disney theme park. Hopefully this will be corrected.
Sorry, We Have No Water
During construction on Saturday, a water main was struck, forcing Disney to close all of the park’s water fountains. On the plus side, any guest who asked about the water fountains was offered a complimentary bottle of water from a nearby location.
Streets of America is No More
Just the Chrysler building facade now stands at the end of the street where New York Street once stood.
The walls were expanded outward to accommodate the latest phase of the demolition.
I’m not sure why this one piece got left behind…
New Merchandise Stands
A number of new merchandise carts and stands are on their way to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the first of which arrived in Center Stage over the weekend.
It carries on the art deco styles of the area, and actually is a big improvement over the silver carts that once stood here.
According to cast members who work at Epcot’s Universe of Energy, they have been informed by managers of a closing date for the Ellen’s Energy Adventure attraction.
Epcot’s Universe of Energy
If the cast members are to be believed, the attraction will shutter in January 2017 to make way for the rumored Guardians of the Galaxy roller coaster attraction. The Guardians of the Galaxy ride is likely to be announced at the upcoming Destination D event by Bob Chapek according to internal rumblings at the company.
The Guardians of the Galaxy ride for Epcot was originally slated to be announced at Comic Con alongside the Mission: Breakout attraction replacing Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure. It seems as though the Epcot ride was simply not completely “green-lit” in time to make the announcement a dual one.
Do keep in mind that much of what you read above is still in the realm of rumor at this time (as is anything until finally confirmed by the Walt Disney Company), but with the rumblings growing stronger and stronger each day, it is seeming more and more likely to become a reality.
Time is running out for the heroes of the “Go Rogue” YouTube series, with just two installments left to outwit the Empire in this fan-created, toy-sized adventure. Written, directed and produced by a team of Star Wars superfans, the original four-part stop motion story stars key toys from the new “Rogue One” line before they hit stores Sept. 30. Chapter 3 is live on Star Wars YouTube.
The series follows the imagined adventures (no film spoilers!) of “Rogue One” toys as they try to track down the building instructions to the LEGO Star Wars Death Star set that have been misplaced by the Empire. Chapter 3 features the first look at the Hasbro RAPID FIRE™ IMPERIAL AT-ACT™ in action, which can be controlled remotely by smart device, as well as now familiar characters in new toy forms and scale sizes, such as Hasbro’s 3.75” action figures. Additionally, some special effects in Chapter 3 were created using the Hasbro Star Wars StudioFX™ App that launches for free on Sept. 30*.
Chapter 2 left off with Jyn Erso and an unlikely group of heroes recovering half of the Death Star building instructions. In Chapter 3, the Rebels seek the second instruction book on rain-soaked Eadu, but the Empire has beaten them to the prize. Will they be able to outsmart the scheming Director Krennic to escape with the instructions and their lives?
The four-part “Go Rogue” series has been embraced by fans worldwide, with the first two installments garnering more than 5 million views to date. The series kicks off a global UGC contest beginning Sept. 30 that asks fans to share their own “Rogue Stories.” More information is available at StarWars.com/GoRogue for ages 13+, and for parents of kids ages 8-12, have them visit Disney.com/MyRogueStory.
*About Hasbro Star Wars StudioFX™ App
Create your own Star Wars movie or #GoRogue UGC entry set in a galaxy far, far away with the Hasbro Star Wars StudioFX App! Recreate battle scenes with Hasbro figures and vehicles, and bring the action to life with visual and sound effects from the films. Simply stage the figures, choose which special effects to use, press record, and select when the effects are added to each scene. Unlock additional effects by collecting and scanning compatible Hasbro Star Wars products. With more than 50 unique effects, the Hasbro Star Wars StudioFXApp gives fans the force needed to create their own Star Wars movie magic. Available for free on iOS and Android devices beginning Sept. 30.
It’s time once again for a Disney’s Hollywood Studios expansion update. This is a pretty big one as it includes our final glance at the Streets of America and the removal of all traces of the original Studio Backlot Tour, the headlining attraction from when the park opened back in 1989.
We will have photos of the wreckage later this week in a photo report, but the above video does a pretty good job showing the size and scope of this project.
It has been a while since we’ve heard anything about the Death Star DLC, but we now have confirmation that season pass holders can jump in starting on September 20.
EA posted a new trailer for the DLC, which you can see below, that showcases the new maps, weapons, and yes, Chewbacca.
Of course Chewie isn’t the only new hero that will be added in the DLC. Bounty hunter Bossk makes his debut appearance and offers players more variety in their arsenal of heroes. Each character offers a variety of new abilities, including Chewbacca’s roar, Multi-Bolts, and ground slam, as well as Bossk’s health regeneration and Micro-Grenades.
Battle Station is the DLC’s main attraction though, as it will put players in the action of the famous Death Star battle (who knows which one). Battle Station will feature three distinct phases of action. In phase one, players will fly X-Wings and fight off incoming TIE fighters. Phase two takes place inside the space station where an on foot battle will commence. Finally in phase three, players will fly through the trenches of the Death Star to take it down for good, or until the next sequel.
As usual, the DLC will be available for season pass holders first, so players looking to buy the DLC separately will have to wait at least another two weeks.
The Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter is currently closed for a massive overhaul, but I’m not sure we expected the work to be this drastic…
Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
One of the doors on the restaurant had the covering ripped off from inside (albeit slightly), so we took a peek inside. As you can see in the pictures, the interior has been completely gutted for the most part and new kitchen equipment is awaiting installation.
This is what the interior looked like before:
Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
It is unknown if the original theme of the restaurant will stay, but it doesn’t look reassuring to me. It is possible that the large props and such will be moved back in when the construction is done, but only time will tell.
Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
For those who may be unaware, this location is the main counter service offering for the resort. While it is closed for refurbishment, the former table service location inside the resort has been turned into a temporary counter service location to meet the needs of guests staying here.
Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter
Sassagoula Floatworks and Food Factory at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – French Quarter is scheduled to reopen in the Fall of 2016. No exact opening date has been set by Disney as of this time, so stay tuned for more information.
What do you think? Would you like to see a new theme for this eatery or would you like to see the old theme return with a refreshed look?
Alexandre Desplat was set to compose the score for “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” but due to the reshoots that occurred earlier this year, he has now been replaced by Michael Giacchino.
We have heard for months rumors that Disney executives were not happy with the first cut of “Rogue One” and as a result the film had to go through 6 weeks of reshoots. We still dont know how extensive these reshoots were but I have heard rumors that they may have reshot 40-50% of the film.
It does appear that due to the amount of time that the reshoots took, it created a scheduling conflict with original composer, Alexandre Desplat, and he had to move on to other projects.
I don’t think we could have asked for a better composer than Michael Giacchino, whose list of scores includes Star Trek, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up, Inside Out and Zootopia.
According to The Hollywood Reporter:
Michael Giacchino, the composer behind such films as the Star Trek reboot and Pixar movies ranging from The Incredibles to Inside Out, will score the upcoming pic, stepping in for Alexandre Desplat, who was originally slated to work on the movie.
The recent reshoots are behind the switch, according to sources.
Rogue One underwent extensive reshoots this summer that saw writer Tony Gilroy take on a filmmaker role during the shoot and the postproduction process as Disney and Lucasfilm sought to clarify story and tonal issues for the pic that is set to open Dec. 16.
But the reshoots also altered the scoring calendar and Desplat, who won an Oscar for The Grand Budapest Hotel, was no longer available. Disney and Lucasfilm then turned to Giacchino, who has a long relationship with the studio and its various divisions.
For Pixar, the maestro created the music for Incredibles, Ratatouille, Up (for which he won an Oscar), Cars 2 and Inside Out. For its live-action film division, he has worked on Sky High, John Carter and Tomorrowland. For Disney Animation this year, Giacchino scored its surprise hit Zootopia. And he’s making his Marvel Studios debut with Doctor Strange, which opens Nov. 4. (With Rogue One, he will end up working for all four of Disney’s film arms.)
Giaachino will now become the first composer to work on a Star Wars movie other than the film series’ iconic mainstay, John Williams, who is slated to return for Star Wars: Episode VIII.
