PHOTOS, VIDEO: New Look Mickey Mouse Character Debuts at Town Square Theater Meet & Greet at Magic Kingdom

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

You may recall that Mickey Mouse got a bit of an updated look last year at many meet & greet locations and in various shows around the Disney Parks. Well, now guests can meet the new-look Mickey as a magician in the Town Square Theater at the Magic Kingdom.

Of course, Mickey is still talking to guests, as you can see in our video below.

Town Square Theater is open daily at the Magic Kingdom on Main Street U.S.A., available via both a standby queue and FastPass+ reservations.

New Mission Space at Epcot Launches August 13th with Lower Height Requirement Booster Seats

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

Starting August 13th, Epcot will relaunch the Mission: SPACE attraction with a brand new experience and an enhanced version of the “classic” ride.

The revamped Orange Mission, or Mission Space – Mars, has been enhanced with new HD video produced by the folks over at ILM.

The family-friendly Green Mission, now known as Mission Space – Earth, takes you on an exciting orbit around Earth. On this new adventure, you’ll take in sites like the Hawaiian Islands, Italy’s “boot” and the Northern Lights—as seen from space, of course—before finally landing at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

In addition to all the “mission” updates, Walt Disney Imagineering has also made this attraction more family-friendly. As we reported a few weeks ago, Disney today officially announced that the height restriction will be changed for the Green Mission side with the addition of new “X-2 booster seats”, allowing children 40-44” to ride.

Mission Space relaunches August 13th, 2017, which is also the last day of operation for the nearby Universe of Energy.

VIDEO: D23 Announcements, DHS Updates Reaction, “BREAKING, RUMOR, CONFIRMED” and More on WDW News Tonight

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

Last night on WDW News Tonight…

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Hosted by radio veterans and life-long Disney fans Tom Corless and Nick LoCicero, WDW News Tonight is a live, weekly, audio and video program presented on 105.5 FM, 660 AM, and AM 1520 WBZW in Orlando, Florida, as well as online at WDWNewsTonight.com every Wednesday from 9-11pm EST. The show covers the Walt Disney World Resort and other Disney news. The show combines the latest headlines, comedy, trending vacation topics, call in games, and in-depth discussions to bring Disney fans a one-of-a-kind 2-hour program covering the Disney Parks. While the show is being live-streamed in both audio and video, listeners and viewers also interact via a live chat online. The show is also available on demand as an audio download, online audio stream and can be watched live or recorded on YouTube.

New Limited Release Big Thunder, Mickey’s Starland, and SeaBase Alpha Merchandise Now Available

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

DisneyStore.com has released this month’s shirts in the YesterEars collection, which will be available until August 3rd. There is also a Limited Availability MagicBand 2 this month!

The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad shirt is short sleeve, with a heathered jersey knit and contrast crew neck and cuffs. Big Thunder Mountain Railroad opened at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom on November 15, 1980. There is also an orange MagicBand2 available sporting the same vintage artwork.

The SeaBase Alpha shirt is yellow and sports the original “SeaBase Alpha” logo with the “Future World” tag below.

The Mickey’s Starland shirt sports the original logo, proclaiming it as “The Magical Home of Mickey and Friends,” on a blue tee.

 

The shirts have the Mickey Mouse YesterEars logo on the back, and the MagicBand also has the YesterEars logo on the opposite side.  The shirts and the MagicBand are priced at $27.99, with the Buy One, Get One 40% Off deal still applicable.

 

 

Mission Space Versions Will Have New Names When They Debut, No More Orange and Green Teams

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

When Mission: Space returns to Epcot in a few weeks time, gone will be the Orange and Green Team mission names, replaced with new monikers that will reflect the variations in the two versions of the ride.

The reanimated classic version, or Orange Team mission, will be renamed “Mission: Space – Mars”, while the completely new family-friendly version will go by the name “Mission: Space – Earth”. The new names reflect the destinations of the two different versions of the ride.

You can read much more about the update of Mission: Space here.

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RUMOR: Lights of Winter Returning to Epcot for Holidays Around the World

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

Do you remember the Lights of Winter at Epcot?

Photo by Tom Bricker, Disney Tourist Blog

Photo by Tom Bricker, Disney Tourist Blog

The Lights of Winter were a staple of Holidays Around the World at Epcot for many years. These illuminated arches danced to holiday music on the bridge between World Showcase and Future World, long before even the Osborne Lights were synchronized to music.

Since being retired back in 2009, many Epcot fans have lamented the loss of these arches, mostly because Disney simply never replaced them with anything. The bridge has been barren ever since, remaining dark during the holiday season over the last eight years.

So it is very interesting that there is a pin being made for Holidays Around the World 2017 that features the long-lost Lights of Winter from Epcot’s past:

While the pin design could just be for nostalgia, it does seem strange to make an item dated for 2017 based on a past offering from eight years ago.

So, while there is no other evidence of their return, the existence of this pin does raise some questions. Disney has yet to formally announce the entire Holidays Around the World lineup for 2017 as of yet. And, the bridge where the arches once resided looks like it will be gone in the not-too-distant future thanks to the overhaul of the park that is on the way. Could this be a final farewell for the Epcot holiday offering and the park that once was?

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TONIGHT on WDW News Tonight (7/26/17) – RUMOR, BREAKING or CONFIRMED, Weird World Showcase Food, D23 Expo Fun, and More!

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

Tonight on WDW News Tonight, we review, I mean, insult all of the news from the D23 Expo 2017, eat some gelatinous World Showcase food, and digest what’s happening to Disney’s Hollywood Studios…

If you are in the Orlando area, you can tune in to 105.5 FM or AM 1520 WBZW at showtime. For those outside of the Orlando area, the show can be watched via video stream at listen.WDWNT.com on your computer or mobile device. You can also use WDWNT: The App to watch and chat along. The show also utilizes a live chat and the ability to call-in to interact with the show. 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 month’s news, including the D23 Expo 2017 (with a WDWNT comedic twist)
  • The debut edition of “Weird World Showcase Food Item of the Week”, where Tom and Nick try something strange from Epcot
  • An In-Depth Discussion of the future of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, what is, was, and what it will be
  • The Wonderful World of Psychotic Comments
  • “Who Hates Tom Now?” returns
  • “RUMOR, BREAKING, or CONFIRMED?!?” for prizes provided by WDWNT: The App
  • And more!

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

If you missed our last show, be sure to watch it:

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Modern-Day L.A. Coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios In New “Grand Avenue” Area, Baseline Tap House Replaces Writer’s Stop

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

Debuting this fall, the new Grand Avenue area at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is being re-imagined by Walt Disney Imagineers to capture the spirit of present-day Downtown Los Angeles, showing vintage office buildings and warehouses representing the different vibrant districts and cultures of the city. This new area will be home to Baseline Tap House, a cheerful corner pub specializing in beer and wines from California.

In a quaint brick building, Baseline Tap House celebrates the revitalization of Downtown Los Angeles by paying homage to the building’s former life as the Figueroa Printing Company, a mom-and-pop print house that had ties to the Disney studios in nearby Burbank. The space retains many of its cool architectural and mechanical details with exposed walls and old printing equipment and artifacts, blending the past and present in an inviting space. Outside will be a charming tree-shaded terrace.

The drink menu will be made up of California craft ales, lagers and cider. California wines on tap along with specialty cocktails will be available as well. A gourmet non-alcoholic lemonade and soda on tap round out the drink selection. Small bites including a Bavarian pretzel with mustard and beer-cheese fondue, spiced almonds or a charcuterie board featuring California cheeses will also be sold.

Baseline Tap House will open daily at 11 a.m. Baseline Tap House replaces the former Writer’s Stop next door to the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater (and sadly also looks like it will keep the Writer’s Stop lounge menu), while Grand Avenue takes up shop in a renovated remaining section of the adjacent New York Street.

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Her Universe Releases Star Wars Collection Corporate Wear

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

Ever wish you could wear your ever growing Disney tee shirt collection to work? I do! Even on our casual Fridays people still stay away from graphic tees. Well of course the mastermind Ashley Eckstein, behind Her Universe, came up with a great solution. The whole goal of the collection is pieces that are suitable for corporate work environments.

Here are just a few pieces from the collection. The rest of the Her Universe collection can be found on Thinkgeek.com

Star Wars Symbols Blazer $59.99 | Rebel Alliance Print Infinity Scarf $24.99

Star Wars Ships Blouse $39.99

R2-D2 PrintTunic Blouse $34.99

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