Disney “Drops” Plans for Tower of Terror Themed Bar at Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on June 7, 2016

A few weeks ago, we told you about plans moving forward to add a Tower of Terror themed bar at the exit of the Hollywood Studios attraction sometime this summer. The desk had been cleared out, the CDS location had moved, and then suddenly thing stopped happening at the little desk situated between the photo desk and the Hollywood Tower Gifts shop. Well, it appears Disney pulled the plug on the project not too long ago.

Why cancel the addition of the bar? There was certainly a lot of good publicity for the project spurred by our article, in fact, it may be the first time I can ever recall posting a rumor to almost completely positive response by our readers. Well, it seems the merchandising team at the park wasn’t keen on a bar in the middle of their very profitable retail outfit at the exit of one of Walt Disney World’s most popular attractions.

In fact, this isn’t event the first time this happened recently. Food and Beverage was determined to have a location inside Star Wars Launch Bay, in fact, it’s mentioned in the original press release for the attraction, but when Launch Bay actually opened, all guests found was an abandoned false Cantina set footsteps away from a rather large Star Wars shop.

It came ever so close to happening…

So (for now), any hope of a bar at the Tower of Terror is dead, but, if I know the food and beverage department well enough, I’m sure they are looking at other nearby venues at the Tower of Terror to play host to this new bar concept.

Disney Announces “Dory After Dark”; Watch A “Finding Nemo” And “Finding Dory” Double Feature In Select Theaters

WDWNT on June 7, 2016

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DORY AFTER DARK

Fans Invited to Dive into a Double Dose of Dory After Dark on

Thursday, June 16, 2016

Dory won the hearts of fans worldwide in 2003’s Academy Award®-winning “Finding Nemo.” This summer, that forgetful blue tang is back on the big screen in “Finding Dory.” On Thursday, June 16, 2016, the day before the movie officially opens in theaters, Dory’s biggest fans will have an opportunity to see both movies back to back with Dory After Dark.

More than 90 locations in North America will take part in this one-night event, when moviegoers will be treated to a late-night screening of “Finding Nemo” before joining a select few fans as the very first to see the much-anticipated follow-up, “Finding Dory.”

Kicking off at 9 p.m. (exact time may vary by location), Dory After Dark is more than a double feature, it’s a celebration that invites fans to dive in with Dory, Marlin and Nemo, plus new friends Hank, Destiny and Bailey. Guests will receive an event-exclusive Dory After Dark reusable bag and an “I Speak Whale” button. There will also be opportunities to share the experience throughout the evening with custom Snapchat filters.

Tickets are on sale now. Here’s a list of theaters: https://ohmy.disney.com/movies/2016/05/31/see-a-double-feature-screening-of-finding-nemo-and-finding-dory-at-dory-after-dark

REVIEW: Tiffins Restaurant Provides Best In-Park Signature Dining; Jungle Book Package Value?; Every Plate Reviewed

WDWNT on June 7, 2016

Tiffins, the very first signature restaurant ever inside Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park opened recently, and rather then rush to a review, I decided to take a few visits here before summing up my thoughts on it. Of course, I did already present a review of the attached Nomad Lounge which you should check out, but I wanted to tackle the entire menu at Tiffins before letting you know what I thought. Let’s dive in…

The restaurant is situated just behind Pizzafari, on what will eventually be the path to Pandora: The World of AVATAR.

The attention to detail in the art around the restaurant and lounge is impeccable: everything you would expect from Disney’s animal Kingdom at this point.

The restaurant is broken into four sections: The Nomad Lounge, Safari Gallery, Grand Gallery, and the Trek Gallery.

If you would like to see more, we offer a full video tour of Tiffins and the Nomad Lounge as well:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjlByfiGJIA]

OK, enough of that, let’s take a look at the menu…

There is a nice sized drink menu available as well, including a separate wine menu which I’ll highlight towards the end. Many of the specialty beverages are covered in our Nomad Lounge review.

There is also an allergy friendly menu that is bound just as nicely.

Let’s begin with appetizers…

The Lobster Popcorn Thai Curry Soup was my favorite appetizer. It is poured in front of you which is a nice touch.

So unique in presentation and flavor, possibly my favorite soup in all of Walt Disney World.

Not heavy on lobster, but big on flavor.

Black-Eyed Pea Fritters are a restaurant staff favorite and it’s easy to see why. They come with a green zhough sauce and a less spicy Peppadew Sauce which I suppose you can choose between. It’s not a lot, but I was really impressed with the flavor.

The Salad of Roasted Baby Beets was solid, if you like beets I guess…

The Marinated Grilled Octopus is an interesting dish. The octopus is cooked nicely and is very tender and blends well with the rest of the plate. One thing I love about all of the Tiffins menu items is the choice of sauces and accompaniments. It’s somewhat fun to try just the main portion, but then scoop some of the other items on the plate on to it to see what difference they make. A whole lot of thought went into every dish on this menu, and you can taste it.

The following two photos are provided by Josh of EasyWDW.com since my pictures of these two dishes didn’t turn out all that great…

The Archaeologist Salad had my favorite presentation as the presence of crushed pumpernickel bread made it look like it had just been unearthed. A solid salad option, but nothing special for the price.

Flash-fried Icy Blue Mussels are a must if you are a fan of mussels. These featured one of the unique flavor and texture combinations I’ve ever experienced on mussels and I look forward to trying these again.

Josh and I both pretty much refused to try the House-made Head Cheese and Chicken Liver Pâté, so you’ll have to live with just the photo. That being said, the person in my

Sustainable Seasonal Fish Crudo was surprisingly good. I’m not the biggest fan of raw fish, but I would order this again, especially with the Jungle Book dining package for maximum value.

Another favorite of mine was the bread service. While not quite the draw it is at Sanaa, it’s nice to see this make it into the theme parks finally. While it may be disappointing compared to the sister-dish at Sanaa, I was rather happy with the sauce choices here: Harissa Yogurt, Lime Chutney, and Black-Eyed Pea Hummus (along with one more that was not listed in-menu).

Now, some of the sauces have changed since the restaurant opened, with the green sauce being toned down as some guests thought it was too spicy.

Last night we received a yogurt-filled green sauce which lacked the kick of the older offering. However, our server informed us that the darker green, spicier sauce could still be requested since it is still made for use with another dish in the restaurant.

If you don’t want to spend $10 on the bread service, there is a complimentary bread that is served with one of the sauces anyway, so you will get bread one way or the other.

Now, on to the entrees!

The head-on shrimp from Skipper Canteen at the Magic Kingdom is one of my favorites, but Tiffins may have very well done it better. The sea urchin butter sauce has a taste straight out of the ocean, but it was additive good.

the chermoula-rubbed Chicken is the ubiquitous chicken dish for those who aren’t as adventurous, but it wasn’t bad, just a little dry. Not something I would order here, but still fine.

The Berkshire Pork Tenderloin was another solid entry. The “Huitlacoche Tamale” was really dry, but I enjoyed it. Overall a good portion and a worthwhile plate.

The Pan-seared Duck Breast was a big letdown. Small portion and not nearly one of the better pieces of duck I’ve ever had. Stick to Morimoto Asia if you would like a duck dish worth this kind of money.

The most expensive dish is the is the $53 Wagyu Strip Loin and Braised Short Rib (served medium rare), and it is worth it. One of my favorite steak dishes at Walt Disney World an easily your best option on the Dining Plan or Dining Package. I wish the potatoes were better, but the tender and flavorful meat was good enough for me.

I feel like I’ve said this about quite a few dishes lately, but the Roasted Market Vegetable Curry was one of the best vegetarian options on property. A whole lot of spice in this dish which is offset by the side dish.

I ordered the Whole-fried Sustainable Fish the second time at Tiffins just to get this picture really. I had never ordered a fish like this in my life and I decided the time had come to have a fish head on my plate. It’s a yellow snapper with fermented black bean sauce, som tam, and peanuts. You do have to work for your food here to cut it away from bone, but it is worth it for the flavor. If this seems like something you would enjoy, I highly recommend this. Probably my second favorite dish at Tiffins.

I though ti might start signing “take me to the river” at some point…

The Berbere-spiced Lamb Chop was tender and cooked to perfection as well, a wonderful option if you love lamb-chops.

I saved the best for last – The Hoisin-Glazed Halibut. This might be the best seafood dish I’ve ever had in my life. The forbidden rice is a perfect side, and anything that touches the Turmeric sauce is instantly enhanced. I would drink a cup of this sauce if it were provided, but it certainly helps that it was with the most perfectly cooked piece of white fish I’ve ever had. I’m currently plotting a return trip to Tiffins just to eat this again…

Now, to the dessert menu:

The Lime Cheesecake with Almond-Sesame Tuile and Green Tea Sponge was light, but flavorful. Probably a good choice after eating a full appetizer, bread, entree, and drink.

The Passion Fruit Tapioca Créme was a multi-layered delight. Much better than I thought it would be.

The Sorbet Tasting with Kaffir Lime Syrup, Passion Fruit Curd, and Crunchy Vanilla Crouton was OK, but confusing in that you select two flavors from four choices that aren’t even listed in the menu. I ordered passion fruit and jack-fruit flavors as they were the only two I even recognized as real flavors (and I only knew jack-fruit from Living with the Land). This was nothing special, but healthier than most of the others I guess. I wouldn’t recommend it.

The South American Chocolate Ganache is my favorite of the desserts. It’s just perfect: rich chocolate tastes blend perfectly with all of the accompaniments, which also makes each bite of this dessert a little different from the last.

The Calamansi Mousse is as beautiful as it is forgettable. I honestly don’t even remember a flavor (other than being dared to eat the flower).

Coffee and teas are pressed tableside, providing roughly just over 2 cups. A nice touch.

While we did not order any wine, here is the full wine list for you to peruse…

In review, Tiffins is everything this park needed in a table service restaurant. The addition of a signature restaurant to the existing line-up was much needed (although I’m hoping for a lower-end table service addition to the park in Pandora next year). I appreciate that the theme and menu were not regurgitated from Jiko, and also that we truly have the first restaurant ever designed for designers. Who would have ever thought we would get a restaurant about Imagineers designing a theme park?

The menu has some really top notch offerings you really can’t find anywhere else (a few could use some work of course) and the drink menu might be the best from top to bottom of any location on property. Same as Skipper Canteen, I’m proud of Disney for letting the chefs create a menu like this for theme park consumption, and I feel like Tiffins will succeed where Skipper Canteen couldn’t being located in the Magic Kingdom.

As far as pricing, it is a signature restaurant, so the prices are as you expect. That being said, I felt like the prices here were slightly more reasonable than Brown Derby (which I would most closely equate as the only signature in a park of limited options). Of course, I always feel like Brown Derby is worth the price, but I think Tiffins boasts a stronger menu and may have been a better choice for a dining package should the show offered after it had been “Fantasmic!” and not Jungle Book: Alive with Magic. Let’s talk about that package…

If you haven’t read my review of The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic, I think it’s a good preface to what I’m about to say. Now, leaving out that I’m apparently a “get off my lawn” type for not thinking the show is worth a dining package (according to another blog), I will say the value of the package really comes in your meal at Tiffins. Looking at Tiffins prices, there are many options that would leave you with a really tremendous value for your money. Lunch or dinner at Tiffins in the dining package is $67 for adults and $32 for children 9 years of age and younger (tax and gratuity not included) and includes your choice of appetizer, entrée, dessert and non-alcoholic beverage. Considering the combination of the most expensive entree and appetizer alone can cost $69.00, with the proper choices, you can end up saving a nice penny on a Tiffins meal, regardless of whether or not you see the show later.

The viewing area location for the dining package is good, likely one of the best spots to see this show from (and hopefully Rivers of Light someday). So, the consensus the informal survey I took after the show of the guests around us was that Tiffins was worth the price of the package alone, even if the show wasn’t all that great, and I agree. Tiffins is worth visiting at Animal Kingdom regardless of any package, so why not save a few bucks and get a saved seat at this show? Even if you don’t go to the show, I think you will come out ahead.

Via Napoli at Epcot Adds New Menu Items In Celebration of Serving 1 Millionth Pizza

WDWNT on June 7, 2016

Via Napoli at Epcot recently celebrated the serving of their 1 millionth pizza pie since the restaurant opened back in 2010. In celebration, the menu has undergone a minor shakeup, including the addition of some new signature pizza pies.

They’re even offering a limited time pasta special – Truffled fettuccine carbonara with guanciale “italian Bacon” egg noodle and pecorino cheese.

New Pizzas include Affumicata – White pizza, smoked salmon, arugula, pomodorini, and stracchino, as well as a Broccolini pie which includes fresh cherry tomatoes, mozzarella, porchetta robiola, and broccoli rabe.

These additions to the menu do not detract any offerings that have made the restaurant a hit at Epcot over the last 6 years, meaning guests have more than ever to choose between. MAybe you can even leave some room for dessert…

Emily Blunt Will Star in “Mary Poppins Returns”, Sequel to Disney Classic

WDWNT on June 7, 2016

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EMILY BLUNT AND LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA TO STAR IN

“MARY POPPINS RETURNS,” THE SEQUEL TO THE STUDIO’S 1964 CLASSIC,

DIRECTED BY ROB MARSHALL

Golden Globe Award® winner Emily Blunt (“Into the Woods,” the upcoming “Girl on the Train”) and Emmy®, GRAMMY®, Tony Award® and Pulitzer Prize winner Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “In the Heights”) are set to star in “Mary Poppins Returns,” a sequel to the studio’s 1964 classic, “Mary Poppins,” which will be released on December 25, 2018.

Reuniting the director and producing team behind Disney’s hit film musical “Into the Woods,” the film will be directed by Oscar® nominee, Emmy® and DGA Award winner Rob Marshall and produced by Marshall, Emmy winner and Golden Globe® nominee John DeLuca and Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award® nominee and Golden Globe winner Marc Platt. The screenplay will be written by Oscar nominee David Magee based on The Mary Poppins Stories by P.L. Travers, with Oscar nominee and Tony Award winner Marc Shaiman composing an all-new score and Shaiman and Emmy nominee and Tony Award winner Scott Wittman writing original songs.

Blunt has been cast as Mary Poppins and Miranda will play a new character, a street lamplighter named Jack. Drawing from the wealth of material in P.L. Travers’ seven additional novels, the story will take place in Depression-era London (when the books were originally written) and follows a now-grown Jane and Michael Banks, who, along with Michael’s three children, are visited by the enigmatic Mary Poppins following a personal loss. Through her unique magical skills, and with the aid of her friend Jack, she helps the family rediscover the joy and wonder missing in their lives.

“I am truly humbled and honored to be asked by Disney to bring P.L. Travers’ further adventures to the screen. The iconic original film means so much to me personally, and I look forward to creating an original movie musical that can bring Mary Poppins, and her message that childlike wonder can be found in even the most challenging of times, to a whole new generation,” says Marshall.

P.L. Travers introduced the world to the no-nonsense nanny in her 1934 book “Mary Poppins,” which Disney adapted for the screen and released in August, 1964. The film, which was directed by Robert Stevenson and starred Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, won five Academy Awards®, including Best Actress for Andrews. However, the subsequent adventures of Mary Poppins remained only on the pages of P.L. Travers’ seven additional books, which she published between 1935 and 1988.

“Mary Poppins Returns” To Be Released December 25, 2018

PHOTO REPORT: Epcot 5/31/16 (Soarin’ Returns, Frozen Facade Revealed, DVC Lounge Nears Completion, ETC.)

WDWNT on June 7, 2016

There was so much happening at Epcot over the weekend that I just had to make a visit, so let’s see what’s new and exciting around the park in our latest photo report:

The original Soarin’ is now back until June 16th

There was quite the rush to get in line for Soarin’ the first day back

The new men’s restrooms downstairs by the attraction also opened

A new elevator was also added to the left of the attraction entrance

Some minor changes were made to the Soarin’ queue

Screens installed

New wallpaper and lighting

We will return shortly…

Work continues on the new Disney Vacation Club lounge at Imagination

The sign was being installed while I was there

There it is…

Now back to Soarin’

New carpet

The queue games appear to be gone in favor of screens, at least for now…

The new theater, Concourse C, is now open and functioning

Instead of remastering the Florida-only pre-show, they are simply running the HD version of the pre-show from California

Will Patrick return? We hope so…

The new theater reminded me of all the reasons I love Soarin’ when it’s new: the smells work and the projections looked fantastic

The new digital projections are amazing, crystal clear

The third theater does leave a lengthy exit process back to The Land

Select SHAG Star Wars merchandise is now available at the Art of Disney at Epcot

This new limited edition MagicBand debuted over the weekend

Work continues on the Royal Sommerhus meet and greet, the Margarita stand will close permanently tomorrow to make room

The facade of Frozen Ever After has been revealed

Quite different from Maelstrom

The old waterfall was sealed up as well

While stopping in the U.K. pavilion, I couldn’t help but notice that the Rose and Crown has more merchandise than most Walt Disney World attractions…

Over at Turtle Talk with Crush, characters from Finding Dory have been added to the show

There are entirely new segments based around new characters, even though the movie isn’t out yet…

I always found it strange that Squirt did not appear, but that has been fixed now

Disney Not Happy With First Cut Of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”

WDWNT on June 7, 2016

Disney executives have viewed the first cut of “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” and feel that the film does not live up to expectations. The film will undergo reshoots this summer in order to address issues before it’s December 16th release date. With this being the first “Star Wars” spinoff film, it has to establish a good precedent and Disney does not want to leave anything to chance.

From Page Six:

One Hollywood source told us, “The execs at Disney are not happy with the movie, and ‘Rogue One’ will have to go back into four weeks of expensive reshoots in July.”

‘Rogue One’ has fallen short of what J.J. Abrams did with ‘Star Wars: Episode VII — The Force Awakens.’ So Disney has ordered reshoots.”

Gareth Edwards is well-known as a risk-taking director, but has also been reported to prefer to keep studio influence at a minimum. The source added, “Disney won’t take a back seat, and is demanding changes, as the movie isn’t testing well.”

A Disney source added, “The filmmaking team and the studio always anticipated additional shooting and second unit work to make the film the absolute best it can be, and the actors were aware there would be additional shooting. Coming off The Force Awakens, there’s an incredibly high bar for this movie and we have a responsibility to the franchise and to the fans to deliver the best possible movie we can.”

Source: New York Post

REVIEW: “Alice Through The Looking Glass” is a Visually Stunning Blunder-land

WDWNT on June 7, 2016

Visually Stunning, Ultimately Mind Numbing

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Back in 2010, Disney released Tim Burton’s version of Alice In Wonderland. It was a divisive film in which some people loved it and some people hated it. It was never meant to be a true adaption of the Alice books and the best way to look at it was like the TV series, Once Upon A Time, which is a series that contains characters that we enjoy but not cannon to the original story. So if you sit back and watch Alice In Wonderland as a fictional tale based on the original fictional story, you can enjoy the characters, the locations and Tim Burton’s vision. You will also realize after watching Alice Through The Looking Glass that Alice In Wonderland is a masterpiece compared to this film.

Alice (Mia Wasikowska) returns to the whimsical world of Underland in Disney's ALICE THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS, an all-new adventure featuring the unforgettable characters from Lewis Carroll's beloved stories.
It starts off where Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is captain of her own vessel evading attackers and treacherous waters. We soon see Alice reunite with people from her past which causes her career to fall into shambles. Fortunately, she is summoned by the blue butterfly and oracle, Absolem (the late Alan Rickman), who informs her that she needs to desperately return with him because all is not well in Underland. Alice is informed that her best friend, The Hatter (Johnny Depp), has grown even madder and darker since she last saw him and the residents of Underland fear for the Hatter’s life. Alice journeys throughout time in order to correct events in the past that could lead to saving The Hatter’s life. Along the way she has to face the likes of The Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and a new character, Time (Sasha Baron Cohen). Can Alice save The Hatter and Underland before she runs out of time?

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It sounds like a good premise and I think it really had great potential but it was poorly executed. Tim Burton did not return to direct this film, which is always a bad sign, and instead we get director James Bobin (The Muppets). The good news is that everyone from the original movie returns and they all do a fine job. Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter jump right back into their characters as if they had never left them. The problem is that the story becomes so confusing and boring at times, that it becomes a chore just sitting through it hoping for it to just end soon. I heard a kid in the audience asking her father, “How much longer is this?” I wanted to know that answer too. For the record, the film is almost two hours long but feels like three. I felt Sasha Baron Cohen’s character and performance just sucked the life out of the film whenever he was on screen. He isn’t necessarily a bad guy as the trailers would have you believe, he’s just weird and boring. The previous Alice film was filled with weird characters, and that’s OK as long as they are fun and clever. Nope. Not this time (or should I say Time).

I’m going to have to get into SPOILERS in order to explain why this movie was so bad, so if you are planning to see the movie, skip the following paragraph.

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Hatter finds evidence of the first hat that he ever made and he believes that if the hat was not destroyed by The Red Queen’s Jabberwocky in the first film, this must mean that his family was not either and they are still alive. Alice and the residents of Underland believe the Hatter is really losing it and by not believing in him, he becomes darker and is slowly dying. Alice is informed by The White Queen (Anne Hathaway) that if she goes back in time and prevents The Hatter’s family’s death that she may save The Hatter. Again, it sounds like a good idea, until it begins. Alice steals the Chronosphere, a portable time traveling machine, from Time which enables her to travel to the past but in the process also puts actual time in danger. What they were trying to do here is do their own version of Back To The Future, but it fails miserably. Alice first goes back in time to prevent the Jabberwacky from killing Hatter’s family, but she fails. She then goes back in time several times in order to change the past with hopes that it would alter the present and fails each time. It becomes annoying each time to see Alice fail over and over but instead of giving up, she just goes back in time to another event and tries to prevent that event from happening and fails every single time. She finally learns that you can’t change the past. That’s great, but why did we have to see her fail so many times? We also are introduced to back stories of characters we have no interest in learning about. We learn about the Hatter and his family and how his father always thought he was a disappointment. Other characters we learn about are the two sisters, The White Queen and The Red Queen and how The Red Queen became so angry. They were definitely ripping parts of this story off from the play, Wicked. Turns out that The Red Queen should have been the real Queen all along but The White Queen as a child lied to her parents about leaving crumbs under her bed and the Red Queen runs off into the village, bumps her head and that is why she has such a big head. Alice tries to stop The Red Queen from bumping her head and guess what? She fails again. Then Time introduces this idea that if someone from the past sees someone from the future it destroys them and all of time. Why? Because he said so. It also turns out that Hatter’s family was alive all of this time and shrunk down to the size of ants and The Red Queen is holding them prisoner in her ant farm for all of these years. You put all of this together and it just makes for a boring, confusing and frustrating story.

End of SPOILERS.

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Another problem with this film is that there is a 6 year gap between this film and the original. Six years is an awful long time for people to wait for a sequel. The original was a financial success and the old saying is true, “strike while the iron is hot.” Most fans have moved on and are not interested in a sequel to Alice In Wonderland. Back then Johnny Depp was a superstar and lately he has fallen out of favor with the movie going public. Look at his recent films Mordecai, Into The Woods and Transcendence. All of those movies under performed at the box office. Depp hasn’t had a hit since the last Pirates movie.

What could have made this movie work is if we got to see Alice return to Underland and be sent on a quest and meet “interesting and fun” characters. Coming back to prevent Hatter from dying is a bit morbid and didn’t really work. Other than The Hatter, the previous familiar characters have very minuscule supporting roles. I would have loved to seen more of The Cheshire Cat and The Tweedles. They bought back the voice actors for this sequel, use them. One thing that you have to appreciate about Tim Burton is he has a way of creating new characters, or altering classic characters, to be fun, sometimes weird, but again fun. With Burton not directing this time, it’s like the cast had to remember how they performed their character from the original movie and hoped that they got the same magic back. It’s not all bad. Like I had mentioned the performances are great. The 3D that occurs while Alice travels through the oceans of time is fantastic but other than that, the 3D doesn’t add anything. The visuals are beautiful and if you are one to appreciate cinematography, you will enjoy what is on screen. Danny Elfman also returns to do the musical score and he does another fantastic job.
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Unfortunately, it’s one of those movies that after you have seen it once, either once is enough, or you wish you had never seen it to begin with. If you enjoyed the first film, it wont ruin that experience for you at all but it just makes you feel that a sequel was not necessary or it’s too bad we didn’t get a better sequel. What would have been nice was to get a prequel of a young Alice’s adventure in Wonderland, which most thought the original was going to be.

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They introduced a lot of puns for the character, Time. Like “How Time flys”; “I have too much Time on my hands”; “Time is on my side”; “Time waits for no man.” Here is mine. “Don’t waste your Time.”
I give this 2 out of 5 stars.

VIDEO: “Tree of Life Awakenings” Steal the Show When Night Falls at Animal Kingdom

WDWNT on June 7, 2016

While The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic may not be a smash hit, there is one nighttime show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom that is now getting a standing ovation nightly: the Tree of Life Awakenings.

This projection show takes place only on the very front of the Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom after night falls and runs continuously until sometime after park close. The show is similar in technology to “The Magic, The Memories, and You!” and Celebrate the Magic presented at the Magic Kingdom, but that’s really where the similarities end.

This show doesn’t stop. The Tree is alive throughout the evening changing colors and coming to life with short silent vignettes and longer, music-filled segments. Some of the segments are absolutely amazing, such as this one that pays homage to a number of Disney animated films (and AVATAR):

Others are more on the artistic side (less IP driven), but present beautiful stories on the giant canvas of the Tree of Life:

The longer vignettes happen every 15-20 minutes or so, but there is always some sort of movement happening on the Tree of Life, from a slight animal move, to the presence of falling leaves or snow.

Everything about this show is pretty much perfect: the music, the imagery, and the use of technology effectively. If there is any reason to visit Disney’s Animal Kingdom at night, this is it.

REVIEW: “Jungle Book – Alive With Magic” Disappoints, Big Problems Lie Ahead

WDWNT on June 7, 2016

When Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom was indefinitely delayed (at least until the Fall at this point), Walt Disney World found themselves in a tremendous predicament. They had announced there would be a brand new nighttime show for the park, in fact its very first, and developed an entire nighttime entertainment roster around it. So, when the headlining act goes down, what do you do?

If it were a concert, I’m sure you realize that the opening act is no real replacement for the headliner, but maybe someone can fill in? That’s essentially what happened here. Rather than give up on the Summer, Walt Disney World realized they had a perfectly good, new nighttime show venue in the Discovery River Theater and still had a tremendous line-up including nighttime safaris, Tree of Life Awakenings, a brand new signature restaurant, and lots of atmospheric entertainment. Why not put something temporarily in the theater as a replacement offering? The park’s first late-evenings would be saved and all of the dining packages and such Disney had their hearts on could still be sold. Could it be done in just 41 days?

In a little over a month, Walt Disney World and Disney Imagineers put together a show called The Jungle Book – Alive with Magic, which promised to use nighttime lighting effects created for Rivers of Light and blend them with some sort of live entertainment. In a short preview of Rivers of Light given to media back in April, we saw that many effects from that show could still operate, so maybe the working effects combined with good music and a solid entertainment act could create something worth seeing. I’m sure it could have, but that didn’t happen.

The best description I can give for this show is it is essentially Glow Fest on water. Glow Fest was a short-lived event at California Adventure which included a Bollywood-style dancing act on a stage in the evenings. Jungle Book – Alive with Magic was basically this act presented on barges with a half-functioning giant mist screen behind it. The show has music from The Jungle Book infused with an Indian influence playing as choreographed dance takes place on stages and barges (and even in the aisles) around the theater, but that’s pretty much all that happens. There are none of the “wow” moments of grandeur or technical effects that you would find in IllumiNations, Fantasmic, or even Wishes for that matter, something that has categorized every nighttime spectacular in the history of Disney Parks, even the worst ones.

Now, before I get any hate mail from anyone involved in this thing, let me talk about the positives (which surprisingly there are): the performers are very talented, the soundtrack is good, the live singing is a nice touch, and the choreography is enjoyable. This isn’t a bad show, it’s a bad show to put in this situation. If it was 4:00PM and I’m between FastPasses and I’m walking by this theater and this was performing during the day (with little to no advertisement other than a mention in the times guide perhaps), I would love to sit and watch this. As unscheduled atmospheric entertainment for this park, this show would be the absolute best they have to offer. However, it is being marketed as a nighttime spectacular, they are selling rushed merchandise for it, they are distributing FastPasses, and there is a very pricey dining package being offered.

Imagine if you bought a Fantasmic dining package and then went to the theater to find the Dapper Dans performing in the giant Hollywood Hills Amphitheater. Sure, Disney had added some fountains to the Dapper Dan’s show, but this isn’t worth what you spent on your dining package, no matter how much you might love this act. It isn’t a spectacle worth spending money to have reserved seating for. That’s the problem with Jungle Book – Alive with Magic; it isn’t worth a FastPass, it isn’t worth sitting there for any amount of time while you wait for it to start, and it for damn sure isn’t worth the price of an expensive dining package, even if they sit you on the barges in the river… OK, that might actually be kind of cool, but you get my point.

Tiffins is a spectacular restaurant (review to come) and I have no problem with the great buffet at Tusker House, but that isn’t going to resolve any cheated feelings guests are going to have walking out of this show. Last night alone, I encountered at least two dozen guests who were less-than-enchanted with what they had just waited an hour for, most of which were those with small children. I’ve sat with kids for an hour until Fantasmic! has started and that can be rough, but there is a payoff. Fantasmic is a wonderful spectacle and typically, watching a child take-in that 27-minutes of color and explosions is worth all of the stress and time-investment that you put into it, and that’s why people keep going back. At Jungle Book – Alive with Magic, children looked the same as I did: confused.

With the dining packages starting tonight, I am anxious to see what happens. I will be seated in that reserved dining viewing section as I have my reservation at Tiffins later today and I will give this show another chance to “wow” me, but based on my first viewing and the reviews of countless other who I asked about the show last night, I doubt very much that I will feel like I got my money’s worth out of that dining package, just as I felt like I had wasted time and a FastPass seeing this show last night. Standing in front of the Tree of Life and watching the awakenings projection shows would have been a far better investment of my time and energy. But I am anxious to witness the response of less-informed guests in that viewing area, who paid over $50 a person to see this show from a premium viewing area. There may very well be a riot (or at least a Light Magic style guest march to guest relations). These packages are being offered through September… is this going to continue to be offered through then if guests complain nightly in droves? I can’t imagine a scenario where wither the show or the package both continue to exist until then.

In short, this isn’t worth your time. Skip Jungle Book – Alive with Magic (but not Tiffins, you should still eat there regardless) and enjoy a nighttime safari, take in the splendor of the Tree of Life at night, or just ride Expedition Everest under the moonlight. Animal Kingdom is beautiful at night, don’t cancel your trip to the park just because of this show, just don’t make this show a priority unless you feel you absolutely must see it for some reason (like you really, really love this style of music and dancing).

If you do want to still see it, all you need to really know is that FastPass seating enters on the Expedition Everest side while Standby is located on the Theater in the Wild side. I wouldn’t worry about showing up too early… Showtimes are nightly at 9:00PM and 10:30PM.

The clock is now ticking on Summer 2016 and I anxiously wait a debut date on Rivers of Light. It has to be better than this Discovery River Disaster…

Author: WDWNT

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