PHOTO: Production Begins on Han Solo Star Wars Movie, Cast Takes to the Millennium Falcon Cockpit

Production on the Han Solo standalone Star Wars movie has officially begun.

The cast and crew got together for the first time at Pinewood Studios in London on February 20. Alden Ehrenreich (Han Solo), Donald Glover (Lando Calrissian), and Emilia Clarke (role TBA) were all present along with directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller for the crew’s first picture together.

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Plot details are slim at the moment. All we really know is that the movie takes place before the events of A New Hope, and features a young Han Solo and his Wookiee friend Chewbacca. Obviously Lando Calrissian will be involved, but there’s not much else to tell currently.

The co-directors had the following to say regarding the movie:

Watching such inspired people from all over the world, with such unique voices, come together for the sole purpose of making art, is nothing short of miraculous. We can’t think of anything funny to say, because we just feel really moved, and really lucky.

The untitled Han Solo movie is currently set to release on May 25, 2018, just five months and change after Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi.

PHOTO REPORT: The Magic Kingdom 2/21/17 (New Hotel Roadways, The Haunted Mansion, 70’s Tomorrowland, ETC.)

Our latest photo report brings us on a short trip to the Magic Kingdom to see what’s new and exciting inside (and outside) of the world’s most visited theme park.

Road Work

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While taking the monorail from Epcot to Magic Kingdom, we got a nice view of the ongoing roadwork to alter the way guests leave and enter the Magic Kingdom resort area. This will alleviate the current Magic Kingdom toll plaza, leaving it just for guests parking at the Transportation and Ticket Center. You can see the plans for the roadwork HERE.

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A ton of trees on the right side of the toll plaza are cleared for a new road to take guests to Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.

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To the left, more trees are being cleared just after the toll plaza, where the new flyover will be.

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Monorail red was looking really rough, and its wasn’t just on the doors either. The front of the nose cone was just as marked up as this. When things look like this, it is unacceptable. This is the kind of maintenance I expect from Six Flags, not Disney.

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Welcome to the Magic Kingdom

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Work continues on the Main Street Railroad Station and the train remains closed.

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The Haunted Mansion MagicBand 2 was released recently. For more details on it (and link to buy it), check out our post on the limited edition collectible. If you click the link to buy, WDWNT even gets a few bucks to put towards more fantastic Disney World coverage for you.

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Work continues on the new covered seating areas outside of Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe.

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The D-Tech on Demand kiosks inside the Tomorrowland Light and Power Co. now also have a matching Haunted Mansion 45th anniversary phone case.

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There are also some new MagicBand designs inspired by the upcoming Beauty and the Beast film.

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Sadly, these are still going to be printed on the old MagicBands.

Tomorrowland Gets “Revive”d

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The Joffrey’s Revive coffee kiosk in Tomorrowland just got really interesting, now with a tall marquee reminiscent of those that were found in the land back in the 1970’s.

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If You Had Wings, Flight to the Moon/Mission to Mars, and the Circlevision 360 theaters all had similar marquees back in the day.

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This and That

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Some nice flowers were planted in Town Square, perfect for the spring weather which has already descended upon Orlando.

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On the way back aboard the monorail, we could see more work happening just outside of the Magic Kingdom toll plaza, along the road which leads guests away from the park. Apologies for the dirt monorail window, but it was the hand we were dealt.

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New Voyages Setting Sail in 2018 for Disney Cruise Line

Setting sail in summer of 2018, Disney Cruise Line is embarking on some new adventures, adding more stops and adventures in Europe, Norway, Iceland, Alaska, the Caribbean, and the Bahamas.

First Time Visits to Milan

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Duomo di Milano, the famous cathedral of Milan and Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II at night against blue sky. Beautiful sunset at Piazza del Duomo. Milan, Italy.

For the first time ever, Disney Cruise Line will be setting sail for Milan as a part of special and unique sailings from Barcelona and Rome. The Disney Magic will be stopping in Genoa, Italy, which is the gateway into Milan. Milan has top-designer clothing stores, boutiques, open-air markets, art galleries, and more to enjoy. Milan is truly a diverse and beautiful city.

New Sailings from Rome and Barcelona

Setting sail June 2018, here will be new adventures where you can set sail between Barcelona and Rome and experience the rich history of both cities. In Rome you can explore the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain and the local Vatican as well as taste the local cuisine. Barcelona offers beautiful beaches, the market streets of Las Ramblas, the artistic architecture of Gaudi and the framed Sagrada Família church.

First Visits to Cork, Ireland

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Blarney Castle which houses the famous Blarney Stone in County Cork

For the first time ever, there will be a 7-night British Isle Cruise voyage. The cruise will bring you into the heart of the British Isle and explore Cork, Ireland. In Cork, there is an abundance of pubs, shops, and cafes as well as the opportunity to explore Ireland’s ancient past and visit historic sites such as the Blarney Castle, pictured above. Additional ports on this sailing include Dublin, Ireland; Greenock, Scotland; and Liverpool, England.

Return to Alaska

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In 2017, Disney Cruise Line guests set sail to Alaska’s Icy Strait Point on new itineraries departing from Vancouver, British Columbia. Pictured here, the Disney Wonder sails through Alaska’s Tracy Arm Fjord. (Kent Phillips, photographer)

Returning again for 2018, awe inspiring Alaskan cruises will set sail aboard the newly re-imagined Disney Wonder. A variety of itineraries departing from Vancouver, Canada, include stops in Juneau, Skagway, Ketchikan, Icy Straight Point, and Tracy Arm Fjord.

More opportunities to relax at Castaway Cay

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Families create magical moments and memories together on Disney’s own private island, Castaway Cay. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)

In 2018, there will be even more voyages that will make 2 stops at Disney’s private Island: Castaway Cay. In June and July, the Disney Dream will sail four and five night cruises to the Bahamas, each with the 2 stops to Castaway Cay.

Bookings are open to the public starting on February 23rd, 2017 and can be made here. There you will also find a full list of itineraries.

REVIEW: Turkey, Salmon, and Pimento-Cheese BLT Sandwiches Arrive at The Smiling Crocodile, Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The Smiling Crocodile food kiosk on Discovery Island at Disney’s Animal Kingdom recently introduced a new menu.

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The former home of the wonderful smoky cheddar grits and the chicken drumstick is now serving up three varieties of “BLT Sandwiches”. Why did I put that in quotes? Because I’m still not sure that is how I would describe these dishes…

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On the bright side, they are all snack credits on the Disney Dining Plan and sizable for such an offering.

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Pictures of the three new dishes hang on the walls inside of the kiosk, just to assure that they turn out looking as they should.

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With the proximity to the Flame Tree Barbecue seating area, there is always a nearby place to bring the food & drink from these stands and be able to sit in peace and quiet enjoying them.

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If you don’t like birds, then you may want to go eat elsewhere. While we were taking these photos, several winged-creatures tried to eat the “sandwiches”. We probably should have let them in hindsight…

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First off, I wouldn’t call them sandwiches, even if using the term “open-faced”. They are what you might refer to as tostadas: a crispy toast with a blend of cold toppings. With that out of the way, let’s try them.

Pimento-Cheese BLT ($5.29)

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Open faced sandwich with hand-crafted pimento cheese, thick-cut, smoked, house-roasted bacon on ciabatta bread, topped with chives.

I wish I had some more positives other than these being sizable for snack credits, but there isn’t much else to say of a good nature. The bacon is too thick to bite and delivers almost none of the flavor you might expect for getting such a lengthy description on the menu. These aren’t terrible, but they aren’t something I would ever recommend to someone looking for a quick bite at Animal Kingdom.

Salmon BLT ($5.49)

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Open faced smoked salmon sandwich made with thick-cut, smoked, house-roasted bacon on ciabatta bread.

The salmon quality isn’t bad, but the bread and other toppings do nothing to enhance that flavor. These are really hard to eat as the toppings simply do not stay on, often with most of the snack falling apart during your first bite. While these are meant to be a grab-and-go option, you will need to sit and eat these, otherwise the floor will be getting more of the food than you are.

Turkey BLT ($5.29)

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Open faced turkey sandwich made with thick-cut, smoked, house-roasted bacon on ciabatta bread.

This was my favorite of the three, but that isn’t saying much. Again, the turkey is good, but the rest is nothing special. Despite not being advertised, the chives somehow ended up on this one as well.

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I lament the loss of the really enjoyable cheddar grits here, especially with these offerings that simply pale in comparison. Hopefully these will be removed fairly quickly and replaced with something more enjoyable… or Disney can just bring back the cheese grits and we’ll pretend this whole thing never even happened…

Jack Sparrow Is Front And Center In 3 New Posters For “Pirates Of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales”

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Trends International has released new wall posters of characters from “Pirates Of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales’. Along with a Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp), we get a better look at Captain Salazar (Javier Bardem), Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), Carina Smyth (Kaya Scodelario) and Henry (Brenton Thwaites).

 

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“Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales” opens May 26th.

Source: Trends International

Funko Announces Disney Treasures Subscription Box

Disney has partnered with Funko to release another new subscription mystery box service called Disney Treasures.

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Disney Treasures will come with entirely exclusive collectables and accessories, all themed to moments that are Disney movies and parks related. The first box will be pirates themed. Already announced, the box will include a Mr. Smee Funko Pop! figure. While other items in the box have yet to be announced, we wouldn’t be surprised to see some Captain Jack Sparrow in there.

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The first box is being called Pirates Cove, and while Funko isn’t taking orders quite yet, you can sign up at DisneyTreasures.Funko.com to be notified right before orders begin. Funko will also be awarding random daily prizes to newsletter subscribers to win a “special Disney surprise.” The winners will periodically be announced on Funko’s Twitter and Facebook pages.

No word yet on whether this subscription will be monthly, bimonthly, or something entirely different, though these subscription services usually tend to be a monthly offering.

Academy Award Photo-Op Now Open at One Man’s Dream

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Starting today and running until February 26th, 2017, guest visiting Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be able to ‘act like a super star’ in a one of a kind photo-op.

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This photo op features a backdrop complete with the iconic statuette from the Oscars, and will be located inside Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream.

Guests are encouraged to share their Disney’s Hollywood Studios “My Oscar Moment” using #Oscars @WaltDisneyWorld on twitter.

Jimmy Kimmel hosts The Oscars LIVE Oscar Sunday, February 26 at 7e|4p on ABC.

 

PHOTOS: Haunted Mansion 45th Anniversary MagicBand 2 Released

The second in the 45th Anniversary series of MagicBand 2 bands featuring opening day attractions was released recently. This one features The Haunted Mansion and Madame Leota.


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The band retails for $32.99 and is a limited edition of 2500. It is available at select locations inside the Magic Kingdom, including Memento Mori and The Emporium.

The band is also available for order online through DisneyStore.com HERE.