Guests at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort (or at least what is left of it at this point) can now find a small advertisement for the Disney Skyliner gondola system in their room.
The advert apologizes for the construction related to the new transportation system (nevermind the massive overhaul of Old Port Royal and all of of the other construction around the resort) and gives guests information about what exactly the Skyliner will be.
When completed, the system will connect Disney’s Caribbean Resort to Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the new Riviera Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort.
With Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway set to replace it, The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will close forever on August 13th, 2017. As a farewell, the Disney Parks Blog hosted a special event this week where guests were able to walk the track of the ride, take in some special entertainment, and even enjoy desserts in the picturesque Wizard of Oz scene.
We spent a majority of the party walking the attraction and filming some parts that may either be hard to see or where the ride vehicle simply doesn’t stop in order to preserve the ride for future enjoyment long after it is gone. While we recorded over an hour of footage (most of which will be featured in a later video project), we do have a half-an-hour video from the walkthrough of the attraction to share with you today. Enjoy, and we’ll see you at the movies!
To mark the closing of The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (as it will be replaced by Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway), Disney is producing some special commemorative merchandise before the attraction fades to black on August 13th.
The merchandise will be released at Walt Disney World late next week, while some of it will be available online through the Disney Parks online store starting August 10th, 2017.
The Fountain View Starbucks located in Future World at Epcot regularly changes up their specialty cupcake seasonally, so for the Summer season, they now have an Orange Creamsicle Cupcake. It looks pretty interesting, so we decided to try it.
Orange Creamsicle Cupcake, $5.99 at the Fountain View Starbucks at Epcot
So, how was it?
Orange Creamsicle Cupcake – $5.99
Orange Creamsicle Cupcake, $5.99 at the Fountain View Starbucks at Epcot
The cupcake is vanilla, featuring an orange-and-vanilla flavored icing, as well as a custard filling that has an orange peel zest.
Orange Creamsicle Cupcake, $5.99 at the Fountain View Starbucks at Epcot
Orange Creamsicle Cupcake, $5.99 at the Fountain View Starbucks at Epcot
Wile I’m personally not one for orange-flavored desserts, this one is absolutely incredible. The custard makes this quite special, and the cake was soft and fresh. The icing can be a bit much at time, but nothing you can control by eating this with a fork and controlling your icing distribution. Yes, I do take cupcakes this seriously as it is my job to do so.
Please do yourself a favor if you are visiting Epcot anytime soon and pick this cupcake up for a snack, especially if you love orange-flavored treats.
D23: The Official Disney Fan Club is hosting an amazing free event for Gold Members on August 12th to say goodbye to The Great Movie Ride.
OVERVIEW
D23: The Official Disney Fan Club and TCM Backlot: The Ultimate Turner Classic Movies Fan Club are joining together to invite members of both fan clubs to celebrate the farewell of The Great Movie Ride!
DETAILS
Experience begins promptly at 7:15 a.m. at the entrance of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Check-in will begin at 7 a.m. Please do not arrive before 7 a.m. Due to the nature of this unique experience, late arrivals will not be accommodated. Event is available to Gold and Gold Family Members.
D23: The Official Disney Fan Club and TCM Backlot: The Ultimate Turner Classic Movies Fan Club are joining together to invite members of both fan clubs to celebrate the farewell of The Great Movie Ride!
Attendees will have the opportunity to experience the star-studded cinema attraction one last time during a behind-the-scenes experience before Disney’s Hollywood Studios opens to the public on Saturday, August 12.
This complimentary event will include a private attraction experience with special guests, a delicious breakfast at The Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant and a one-of-a-kind gift created just for attendees!
NOTE
D23 Gold and Gold Family Members may register a ticket for themselves and one (1) guest.
Due to the nature of this experience, all attendees must be at least 21 years of age or older to partake in this D23 experience.
This experience does not require admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests will need to have or purchase admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios if planning to return to the theme park once the experience concludes.
Food allergy and restrictions must be communicated to our Guest Services team prior to the event.
There is a limited number of reservations available. D23 Members will be required to provide their membership number when reserving tickets. Tickets may be picked up only with a valid photo ID AND D23 MEMBERSHIP CARD. D23 Members who do not bring their membership card may not be admitted to the event. Ticketed Members who do not attend the event forfeit their place as well as all experiences, benefits, and gifts associated with the event.
All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice. There are no cancellations or refunds, and tickets are not transferable.
Just as was done at Rock ‘ N’ Roller Coaster a few months ago, Disney has added a pre-show video to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train attraction at the Magic Kingdom, hoping it will help guests load into the carts faster, thus reducing wait times.
The screen is located just before the load area, as the line splits into even and odd-numbered parties of riders. The video is animated in a rather clever style, as if the Dwarfs built an automated device in the style of some of the other props found in the ride.
Similar videos were also added to Space Mountain and Toy Story Midway Mania over the last year.
Legendary Disney Imagineer Martin A. “Marty” Sklar passed away in his Hollywood Hills home on Thursday. He was 83. During an illustrious career spanning 54 years, Marty worked closely with Walt Disney and was instrumental in creating, enhancing and expanding Disney’s creative vision. Named a Disney Legend in 2001, he is best remembered and revered by fans around the world for his work bringing Disney’s theme parks to life.
“Everything about Marty was legendary – his achievements, his spirit, his career,” said Bob Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “He embodied the very best of Disney, from his bold originality to his joyful optimism and relentless drive for excellence. He was also a powerful connection to Walt himself. No one was more passionate about Disney than Marty and we’ll miss his enthusiasm, his grace, and his indomitable spirit.”
Born in New Brunswick, N.J., on February 6, 1934, Marty was a student at UCLA and editor of its Daily Bruin newspaper when he was recruited to create The Disneyland News for Walt’s new theme park in 1955. After graduating in 1956, he joined Disney full-time, and would go on to serve as Walt’s right-hand man—scripting speeches, marketing materials, and a film showcasing Walt’s vision for Walt Disney World and Epcot. During this period, he also joined WED Enterprises, the forerunner of Walt Disney Imagineering, and he would later become the creative leader of Imagineering, leading the development of Disney theme parks and attractions for the next three decades. He retired as Executive Vice President and Imagineering Ambassador on July 17, 2009, Disneyland’s 54th birthday. Disney marked the occasion by paying tribute to Marty with the highest Parks and Resorts recognition, dedicating a window in his name on Disneyland’s City Hall.
“Marty was the ultimate Disney Imagineer and Cast Member. From his days working as an intern with Walt to just two weeks ago engaging with fans at D23 Expo, Marty left an indelible mark on Disney Parks around the globe and on all of the guests who make memories every day with us,” said Bob Chapek, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “He was one of the few people that was fortunate to attend the opening of every single Disney park in the world, from Anaheim in 1955 to Shanghai just last year. We will dearly miss Marty’s passion, skill and imaginative spark that inspired generations of Cast, Crew and Imagineers.”
Bob Weis was one of those Imagineers. “Marty was one of Walt’s most trusted advisors and helped turn his most ambitious dreams into reality. For us, it’s hard to imagine a world without Marty, because Marty is synonymous with Imagineering,” said Weis, President, Walt Disney Imagineering. “His influence can be seen around the world, in every Disney park, and in the creative and imaginative work of almost every professional in the themed entertainment industry.”
Marty’s impact and achievements were recognized with a number of prestigious awards and accolades, including the Lifetime Achievement award from TEA (Themed Entertainment Association), induction into the Hall of Fame of IAAPA (International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions), and the prestigious Professional Achievement Award from UCLA.
He also authored several books about his experiences and adventures at Disney: Dream It! Do It!: My Half-Century Creating Disney’s Magic Kingdoms (2013), and One Little Spark!: Mickey’s Ten Commandments and The Road to Imagineering (2015).
Marty is survived by his wife of 60 years, Leah; son Howard and his wife, Katriina Koski-Sklar; grandchildren Gabriel and Hannah; daughter Leslie; and grandchildren Rachel and Jacob.
Marty and Leah were two of the founders of the Ryman Program for Young Artists, a project of Ryman Arts, a nonprofit foundation whose purpose is to teach and mentor “traditional” drawing and painting skills to talented young artists in Southern California. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in Marty’s name to Ryman Arts at www.rymanarts.org.
We were lucky enough to capture Marty’s final public appearance at the Expo on video, and you can enjoy hearing about his career at Walt Disney Imagineering during that presentation below.
Personally, words can not describe what Marty’s work has meant to myself and everyone here at WDWNT, especially since so many of us were shaped and molded by our experiences at EPCOT Center, a project Sklar played a pivotal role in. We can never possibly repay Marty for all of the memories and joy he brought us on countless visits to the Disney theme parks over the last 60 plus years. He will be missed greater than words can describe.
After a recent refurbishment of the enclosure, Disney welcomed two new tigers to the Maharajah Jungle Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom with the idea being to breed them. Well, rather quickly, the female tiger is already expecting and should be delivering some tiger cubs to the park next month.
Here’s the announcement from Disney:
Disney is involved in efforts to save critically endangered Sumatran tigers. To date, the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) has provided nearly $2.5 million to protect tigers and their habitats. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Sumatran tigers Sohni and Malosi have been actively breeding, and we are delighted to announce that Sohni is pregnant and expecting cubs sometime in August.
It is unknown when the cubs might go on display at the park, but it will likely be a few weeks after they are born. The tigers that used to live in the enclosure were moved to a new home permanent outside of Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Gainesville, FL.
