UPDATE: Details on the Ride System and Vehicles for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

This morning, we told you about the projected opening date for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Now, we have some details to share on the ride system and the vehicles in which guests will be traveling when this attraction debuts in the Spring of 2019.

As stated at the D23 Expo 2017, guests will literally step through the movie screen and into a Mickey Mouse cartoon. As the concept art below shows, Goofy is the conductor on a wacky train, and it is that wacky train that guests will be boarding. With guests aboard Goofy’s train, only danger can be expected, and that’s why Mickey and Minnie Mouse will be following along in their car on your journey – in an effort to save you from Goofy’s clumsiness.

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The ride system will indeed be a trackless one, much like Pooh’s Hunny Hunt at Tokyo Disneyland and Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland. Trackless ride technology is becoming more prevalent at the U.S. Disney Parks now, with the opening of Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters in Cars Land, as well as the upcoming “Battle Escape” attraction for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Although The Great Movie Ride was indeed a trackless ride system, Runaway Railway’s vehicles will not be anything recycled from The Great Movie Ride. In fact, the track layout and placement of rooms in the building won’t even be nearly the same beyond the load area.

Guests will board the 16-passenger train, which consists of four separate cars that hold four guests each (two rows of two), before it departs the train barn at the beginning of the attraction. The part we are unsure of is whether the engine with Goofy at the helm will actually travel with guests through the entire ride. This would be very possible, despite the fact that the four car train can separate at any time, offering a unique ride path for every car. This being a cartoon and all, it wouldn’t be too strange for the train cars to separate and come back together at various points in the ride.

We still have one more post on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway to share with you today, Mickey’s 89th birthday, so stay “tooned”!

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BREAKING: Opening Date Revealed for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

With today being the 89th birthday of the one and only Mickey Mouse, it seems like a pretty good day to talk about the first-ever ride to star this immortal icon.

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During D23 Expo 2017, Disney Parks Chairman Bob Chapek announced Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. The attraction will be the first ever Mickey-themed ride-through attraction, with a new original story and lovable attraction theme song.

Since being announced back in July at the 2017 D23 Expo, Disney has been very quiet about the expected opening date for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the attraction replacing The Great Movie Ride inside of the replica of the Chinese Theater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Well, we now have some idea when this attraction will be opening…

According to internal documents, Walt Disney Imagineering is scheduled hand over operations of the attraction to the park sometime in April 2019, with the park opening the attraction sometime between April and May. Purely speculation on our part, but it seems likely that the official opening of the attraction be May 1st, 2019 – the 30th anniversary of the park. This may also be used as a good opportunity to rename and rededicate the park ahead of the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

With Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opening later in 2019, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway would support the final Summer before the long-awaited Star Wars Land arrives towards the end of the year in Orlando. That being said, we are still 18 months away from this projected opening and things could change if the project falls behind schedule, but Disney is certainly aiming for the Summer of 2019.

We have more details to come your way today for this exciting new attraction, so stay tuned throughout “The Big Cheese’s” birthday for more on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

New Made with Magic 3.0 Ear Hats Now Available; Glow With The Show At Home Via App

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

Just released on the Shop Disney Parks app, the new “Made With Magic 3.0” ear hats (that we first told you about last month) are the first of the new “connected” Made with Magic items to become available. These new generation interactive glow items are designed to connect to the Shop Disney Parks app via Bluetooth so that users can control the lighting effects even when they are not at the Disney Parks.

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To demonstrate this new home use, the app will sync with ABC’s The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration on November 30th at 9PM EST to “complete the event experience with a glowing, synchronized display.” The same synchronization will be available during the broadcast of the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade on December 25th.

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You must order your new ear hat by November 20 in order to have it arrive at your home in time for the Nov. 30 television special.

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Disney Springs Introducing Hands-Free Shopping This Holiday Season

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

Starting this week, guests at Disney Springs can take advantage of a hands-free shopping experience.

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With any purchase a guest makes at a participating location, guests may request that the items be tagged to be retrieved later. The guest is then given a ticket so they can retrieve their purchases from the Disney Springs Welcome Center anytime before 11pm.

Disney Springs has not offered a package pickup system of this kind in recent memory, but the Walt Disney World Theme Parks do.

PHOTOS: Tons of Treats Available at Walt Disney World for Mickey Mouse’s Birthday Weekend

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

Mickey Mouse turns 89 years old on Saturday and Disney is celebrating with tons of treats that can be found throughout Walt Disney World from November 17-19.

From the Parks Blog:

Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Found at Trolley Car Café:

  • Mickey’s Birthday Cupcake – Cookies and cream-flavored cupcake with cookies and cream frosting

Magic Kingdom Park
Found at Main Street Bakery, Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe, Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café and Pinocchio Village Haus:

  • Steamboat Willie Cookies ‘n Cream Cheesecake – Cookies and cream cheesecake with chocolate glaze, whipped cookies and cream panna cotta and Steamboat Willie garnish

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Found at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant, Cinderella’s Royal Table, Be Our Guest Restaurant and Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen:

  • Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat Chocolate Cake – Layers of flourless chocolate cake with caramel mousse, milk chocolate pearls and a red glaze

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Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Found at Contempo Café:

  • Mickey’s Red Velvet Cake – with cream cheese filling and white chocolate glaze
    Disney’s Yacht and Beach Club Resorts

Found at Beach Club Marketplace and Market at Ale & Compass:

  • Mickey’s Birthday Celebration Cupcake – Large peanut butter cupcake
    Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Found at Narcoossee’s:

  • Happy Birthday Mickey Dessert – Almond-crusted cheesecake

Disney Springs

Found at the Ganachery:

  • Strawberry Ganache Lollipop
  • Mickey Mouse-themed Milk Chocolate Bar

Found at Amorette’s Patisserie:

  • Mini Mickey Dome Cake – Chocolate chiffon, milk chocolate mousse and orange blossom pâte de fruit
  • Mini Pluto Dome Cake – Banana and peanut butter-flavored
  • Mickey-Shaped Chocolate Macaroon

Epcot
Found at Sunshine Seasons:

  • Mickey’s Cookies ‘n Cream Cheesecake

Found at Rose & Crown Dining Room:

  • Kid’s Bangers and Mash with Mickey-Shaped Potatoes
  • Scotch Egg with Mickey-Shaped Puff Pastry
  • Mickey-Shaped Cheese in Cheese Plate
  • Mickey Banoffee Tart – Banana, Jameson Irish Whiskey-Caramel, sweet cream and chocolate

Found at The Garden Grill:

  • Mickey-Shaped Cucumber Salad

Found at Fountain View and Kringla Bakeri Og Kafe:

  • Mickey’s Celebration Cupcake – Vanilla cupcake with white chocolate mousse and vanilla buttercream

Found at Le Cellier Steakhouse:

  • Mickey Nanaimo – Chocolate cake with peanut butter cream covered in red glaze with graham cracker-coconut streusel and toasted coconut ice cream

Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Found at Kona Café:

  • Mickey’s Hau’oli lā Hānau – Coconut mousse, crispy vanilla pearls, tropical fresh fruits and dragon fruit sorbet

Found at Capt. Cook’s:

  • Mickey’s Chocolate Celebration Birthday Cupcake – Chocolate cupcake filled with strawberry guava ganache and topped with white chocolate mousse

Disney’s All-Star Resorts
Found at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort:

  • Mickey’s Pumpkin Mousse Marshmallow Tart – Pumpkin mousse with spiced marshmallow dipped in chocolate

Found at Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort:

  • Steamboat Mickey’s Cupcake – Chocolate cupcake with Oreo buttercream

Found at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort:

  • Mickey’s Pumpkin Whoopie Pie – Pumpkin whoopie pie with cream cheese buttercream

Disney’s BoardWalk

Found at BoardWalk Bakery:

Heritage Mickey Dessert – Black and white tart with white chocolate mousse and topped with a dark chocolate Mickey dome adorned with chocolate ears, tail and buttons

Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
Found at Roaring Fork:

  • Mickey’s Mischievous Rice Krispy Treat – Mickey-themed crispy treats

Found at Whispering Canyon:

  • Mickey’s Birthday Dark Chocolate Dome – Dark chocolate Mickey dome with raspberry sauce and Chambord cream

Found at Geyser Point:

  • Mickey’s Birthday Celebration Brownie – Mickey brownie with dark chocolate mousse and white chocolate face

Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Found at The Mara:

  • Mickey’s Charm – Lemon rose cremeux, caramelized milk chocolate mousse tart

Found at Jiko – The Cooking Place:

  • Fantasmic Entremet – Spiced chocolate and cherry entremets

Found at Boma – Flavors of Africa:

  • Steamboat Willie Cheesecake – Oreo cheesecake tartlets

Found at Sanaa:

  • Tropical Mickey Tart – Coconut lime cremeux, passion fruit mousse tart

Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Found at Creature Comforts, Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery and Isle of Java:

  • Safari Mickey Cupcake – Yellow cake filled with banana pastry cream, dipped in chocolate ganache and topped with buttercream and fondant and red chocolate balloon
    Safari Mickey Cupcake at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

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Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
Found at Leaning Palms and Happy Landings Ice Cream:

  • Mickey’s Birthday Cupcake – Vanilla cupcake with white buttercream icing and Happy Birthday Mickey chocolate topper

Found at Typoon Tilly’s and Snack Shack:

  • Mickey’s Birthday Cupcake – Chocolate cupcake with buttercream icing and red chocolate Mickey glove

Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort
Found at Trail’s End Restaurant:

  • Mickey’s Birthday Celebration Cupcake – Yellow cake with strawberry filling, buttercream icing, sugar cookie Mickey Ears, chocolate buttons and tail

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Found at ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill:

  • Mini Mickey Dome Cake – Chocolate chiffon, milk chocolate mousse and orange blossom pâte de fruit

Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Found at Everything POP Shopping & Dining:

  • Mickey Cupcake – Vanilla cupcake covered with buttercream frosting and topped with Oreo cookies and crumbles

Disney’s Art of Animation Resort
Found at Landscape of Flavors:

  • Mickey Cupcake – Vanilla cupcake with buttercream icing, Oreos and white chocolate buttons

Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
Found at Artist Palette:

  • Happy Birthday Mickey! – Funfetti cake with vanilla buttercream

Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Found at Good’s Food to Go:

  • Mickey Funfetti Mini Cake – Yellow cake with vanilla bean filling

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
Found at Centertown:

  • Mickey’s Birthday Celebration Cupcake – Red velvet cupcake filled with chocolate mousse and fondant Mickey topping

Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside and French Quarter
Found at Riverside Mill Food Court and Sassagoula Float Works and Food Factory:

  • Mickey’s Birthday Celebration Cupcake – Red velvet cupcake filled with chocolate mousse and fondant Mickey topping

There is no way anyone will be able to try all of these treats over the course of a weekend.

VIDEO: Dining at DHS, More Star Wars, Disney Parks Pursuit and More on WDW News Tonight

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

Last night on WDW News Tonight…

    • Lots, and lots and lots of Star Wars
    • Margaritas in Mexico… finnaly
    • Ale & Compass opening soon
    • Our dinning series continues with Hollywood Studios
    • “The Wonderful World of Psychotic Comments presented by The WDWNT Inner Globe Society
    • We play Disney Parks Pursuit for great Disney themed prizes

[sc name=”YouTube Embed 825w” id=”7D7nprmcWPw” ]

Subscribe on iTunes

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.

REVIEW: Hot Chocolate Ganache with Bailey’s, The Ganachery at Disney Springs

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

The Ganachery at Disney Springs is now offering a Hot Chocolate Ganache with Bailey’s.

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Hot Ganache with Bailey’s ($9)

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It’s unbelievably creamy and rich, exactly what we’ve come to expect from Ganachery. It’s topped with crunchy beads and whipped cream making for a thicker sip to begin with.

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The chocolate is warm without being overly hot, the Baileys poured in at the exact right time to be heated when you receive the drink. We recommend stirring the whipped cream right into the drink to make it a frothy mixture. At $9, this stands FAR above the offerings at Hollywood Studios, which come off as watery imitations of a potential real hot chocolate. Don’t miss this one, it’s a real treat.

Also, starting 11/25, the s’mores will return, this time though, it will be gingerbread.

Star Tours Now Ends On Galaxy’s Edge Planet, Previewing New Star Wars Land at Disney Parks

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

Guests riding Star Tours today not only got a look at Crait from The Last Jedi, they also got a sneak peek at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

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The new Crait scene in Star Tours actually concludes the ride by making a hyperspace visit to the safety of Batuu, the now-named planet guests will visit in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios In 2019.

Other changes to the ride include two new opening sequences featuring Kylo Ren and the First Order Stormtroopers in place of the original opening scenes. There are also two new transmission sequences featuring Maz Kanata and Poe Dameron, in addition to the pre-existing BB-8.

All of these changes were detailed in a report we posted earlier this week.

 

 

Limited-Release Shirt Celebrates Mickey’s Birthday on November 18

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

ShopDisney.com is celebrating Mickey Mouse’s 89th birthday with a limited-release t-shirt featuring the iconic character. Priced at $27.99, the shirt features Mickey jumping for joy, as most spry 89-year-olds would do on their birthday. The Buy One, Get One 40% Off promotion is applicable to these shirts.

  • Mickey TV cartoon screen art
  • Proclaims ”Happy Birthday Mickey 2017”
  • Soft jersey knit
  • Short sleeves
  • Ribbed crew neck
  • Mickey Mouse made his screen debut in Walt Disney’s Steamboat Willie on November 18, 1928
  • 100% Cotton

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There is also a kid’s version available at a price of $22.99.

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Both shirts are available through November 23, 2017.

New Christmas Offerings, End of “Disney in the Stars” Fireworks at Hong Kong Disneyland

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

Hong Kong Disneyland Resort is celebrating “A Disney Christmas” through January 1, 2018. This year’s Christmas celebration will feature a brand-new castle stage show, snowfall, caroling, special food and shopping options, and more. It also marks the finale of the park’s “Disney in the Stars” nighttime spectacular, which will be presented for the last time on Jan. 1st. 

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New this year is “Mickey and Friends Christmastime Ball,” a fun-filled yuletide musical extravaganza presented two to three times daily at the forecourt of Sleeping Beauty Castle. The 20-minute stage show kicks off with a quartet of singers, after which Mickey, Minnie and other Disney pals take the stage to celebrate with music and dancing. Meanwhile, Donald is extra grumpy because his Christmas wishes have not come true yet. Each performance ends with a delightful snowfall moment.

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On select days during the Christmas season, guests can watch special performances from nine different community choirs from around Hong Kong. The “Community Castle Sing Along” showcases these community choirs on stage in front of the castle before the “Mickey and Friends Christmastime Ball” as a special tribute to the many community moments the castle has embraced over the years.

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There are even more special holiday events once evening arrives. Disney friends and townsfolk will wish for snow at “A Magical Twilight Snowfall” and in “A Holiday Wish-Come-True” Tree Lighting Ceremony as a live quartet shares renditions of some holiday classics. Giant projections will then transform Main Street, U.S.A. into a breath-taking winter wonderland. Like magic, the Christmas tree and Town Square will be illuminated with sparkling lights, bringing the town to life with yuletide joy.

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The Christmas season in Hong Kong Disneyland also includes special character encounters. Olaf from Frozen returns to the park for Christmas, and Duffy’s new friend StellaLou will make her first holiday appearance. Santa Goofy will greet guests at the Christmas Post Office, where he’s handing out new postcards with a one-of-a-kind commemorative stamp. Guests can send unique holiday messages to loved ones around the world by dropping their postcards in the Santa Goofy Holiday Mailbox. Other Disney friends throughout the park will be decked out in festive new costumes as well.

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More than 100 unique merchandise items will be available throughout the park and resorts, including over 70 items that are exclusive to the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort. There will also be festive frames for PhotoPass photos and a line of newly-launched personalized imaging items such as postcards, door signs and photo albums.

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The park will also feature more than 70 unique food and beverage creations just for the holidays, including a special Coca-Cola Christmas Menu at the Main Street Corner Cafe. The resort hotel restaurants will also feature special Christmastime menus. New this season is the “Christmas Dessert Party at the Train Station,” where guests can sample a variety of sweet treats and enjoy a special viewing area for the “Disney in the Stars” Fireworks Show.

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January 1, 2018 will mark the final showing of the “Disney in the Stars” nightly fireworks extravaganza. Sleeping Beauty Castle will begin a transformation in early January that will include a makeover of the castle along with a completely new daytime show and nighttime spectacular that will feature brand-new entertainment experiences. Farewell memorabilia for “Disney in the Stars” will be available at Hong Kong Disneyland beginning November 17; guests will also be able to collect “Disney in the Stars” commemorative stickers beginning November 18.

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Guests staying at a Hong Kong Disneyland during the holidays will receive a collectible souvenir set in their rooms, including a Christmas amenities box, Disney slippers, a door sticker and a postcard. The resorts will also be decked out in with extensive decorations and offer Christmas-themed activities including arts and crafts workshops, a “Little Santa” training workshop, and more. Resort guests can also enjoy an exclusive Extra Magic Hour from December 21-23 from 8:30 am to 9:30 am.