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Disney’s Hollywood Studios Offering Star Wars Character Meals in May & June 2014!

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

While not officially announced by Disney yet, anyone who calls (407) WDW-DINE starting today will have the opportunity to book one of two Star Wars character meals at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in celebration of Star Wars Weekends. The meals will be offered daily May 4 to June 15, 2014:

Jedi Mickey’s Star Wars Dine at Hollywood and Vine

The Fantasmic! dinner experience at Hollywood and Vine has been transformed into a Star Wars theme where Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, and Chip & Dale will all be dressed as their favorite Star Wars characters (Jedi Mickey, Princess Leia Minnie, Darth Goofy, Stormtrooper Donald, and Ewoks Chip & Dale). The characters will meet and greet and interact with Guests throughout the evening. Meals are offered from 4:15pm to 8 or 8:30 pm (sometimes 9pm to 9:30 – based on park closing). The price is $59.99 with Fantasmic! Package or $55.99 without for adults, $36.99 with Fantasmic! Package or $32.99 without for children. A digital photo of the party with the Ewoks Chip & Dale on a commemorative PhotoPass card is included.

Star Wars™ Dine-In Galactic Breakfast

The Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater becomes the Star Wars Dine-in Theater for this character dining experience. Characters include Stormtroopers, Jawa, Greedo, and Boba Fett and a Darth Vader Meet & Greet after check-in. Additionally, the traditional Sci-Fi clips will be replaced with Star Wars clips, trailers and music. Meals will be offered from 8am – 12pm daily. Price for adult is $47.99, child is $29.99. A digital photo of the party on a commemorative PhotoPass card is included.

Disney Set To Test Live Karaoke Band Concept at Atlantic Dance Hall

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

For 8 weeks starting March 27th, guests visiting Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney’s Boardwalk can get on stage and rock out, living out their rock star fantasies.

The Tom Casey Band will be presenting “Totally Rockin! Live Interactive Band”, an interesting concept at Atlantic Dance Hall on Thursday evenings through May 15th. The new experience will essentially has guests picking a song and either singing or playing the guitar or keyboards along to it. Think karaoke with instruments and a full 6-person band.

Show times on Thursdays will be 9PM until 1:30AM and costumes will be provided in case guests really want to get into the act.

Whether or not this becomes a permanent addition to Walt Disney World will rely on the success of this test.

New Gameplay, Artists, and Realm Announced for ‘Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved’

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

Disney Interactive and Harmonix Music Systems today reveal new details about the upcoming “Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved” video game. Newly revealed details include multiplayer gameplay, an all-new realm, as well as new songs from award-winning artists, including Lorde, Nicki Minaj, David Bowie and White Stripes, and classical composer Antonin Dvorak.

The two-player multiplayer gameplay for “Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved” is played cooperatively and as part of a friendly competition, allows players to collaborate and engage with the classic hits that they love in an entirely new way. By choosing unique remix paths and discovering musical interactions to create new melodies, beats, and more, “Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved” gives players an unprecedented amount of freedom to be creative while having fun!

Newly announced tracks that will appear in the game are:
David Bowie – “Ziggy Stardust”
Antonin Dvorak – “Symphony No. 9 from the New World”
Lorde – “Royals”
Nicki Minaj – “Super Bass”
White Stripes – “Seven Nation Army”

Disney and Harmonix also reveal an all-new interactive discovery realm, “The Hollow.” This mysterious forest environment comes to life as users perform songs and interact with the world to add light, color, and characters to the scene. From creating their own melody by sprouting musical mushrooms to guiding frolicking fairies through this woodland wonderland, players will be delighted by what they discover in “The Hollow”.

A video demonstration of the “The Hollow” can be found below.

“Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved” is a breakthrough musical motion video game inspired by Disney’s classic animated film “Fantasia,” and will be available for Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and Kinect for Xbox 360 in 2014. Featuring over 30 tracks – including contemporary hits, classic rock, classical music, and more – “Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved” transports players to a breathtaking world where music and magic combine to transform extraordinary interactive landscapes in entirely new and creative ways.

“Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved” will be available in 2014 and is currently not rated by the ESRB.
For additional information about “Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved,” join the Facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/fantasiagame, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @FantasiaGame and view all videos on our YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/FantasiaGame.

About Harmonix Music Systems, Inc.
Harmonix Music Systems, Inc., based in Cambridge, MA, and established in 1995, is the leading developer of groundbreaking music-oriented videogames. Harmonix was founded by Alex Rigopulos and Eran Egozy, who formed the company to invent new ways for non-musicians to experience the unique joy that comes from making music and have pioneered music and rhythm gaming in the US. For more information please visit www.harmonixmusic.com.

About Disney Interactive
Disney Interactive, one of the world’s largest creators of high-quality interactive entertainment across all platforms, is the part of The Walt Disney Company responsible for the global creation and delivery of interactive entertainment, multi-platform video games, and family-focused content across all current and emerging digital media platforms. Disney Interactive produces and distributes a broad portfolio of content from Disney Interactive Games and Disney Interactive Media. Products and content released and operated by Disney Interactive include blockbuster mobile, social and console games, online virtual worlds, #1 kid’s entertainment destination Disney.com and the #1 Family/Parenting portfolio on the Web.

VIDEO: “Nothing’s Impossible” Disney Art Gallery Overview

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

Oh My Disney, the pop culture blog from Disney.com, partnered with Mondo, the collectible art division of Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, to present Nothing’s Impossible, a gallery event at this year’s SXSW festival that celebrated classic and contemporary Disney films.

To celebrate the end of the exhibit at SXSW, the team created a wrap-up video of the gallery opening, featuring some cool Disney-related posters, a few of Mondo’s talented artists and interviews with some of the fans at the exhibit. Check it out below.

Oh My Disney brings classic and current Disney characters to life for digital audiences through humorous and heartfelt original artwork, stories, articles and videos. Be sure to visit Oh My Disney to check out all the new posters like the ones below.

Disneyland Paris Set to “Swing Into Spring” with new Festival Starting April 5th, 2014

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

From April 5th until June 22nd, 2014, Disneyland Paris will celebrate spring with the Spring Festival, a new event you might as well call “Flower and Garden Festival Lite”…

Topiaries representing 101 Dalmatians, Bambi, Simba and Nala from the Lion King, the Aristocats, and Mary Poppins will brighten the streets of Main Street U.S.A. during the event.

A daily highlight will be a musical event with over 90 dancers and Disney characters in new, specially-created costumes. Mickey and Minnie, Alice and the Mad Hatter, Woody and Jessie from Toy Story, Pinocchio, Clarabelle, Stitch, Rapunzel and many more will delight park guests along with the “Jolly Holiday Band” and “Swing into Spring Orchestra”.

This is the first time such an event has been held at the park and it is expected to become a new, annual offering.

Tom Corless’ 3/19/14 Magic Kingdom Photo Report (Hub Changes, Mine Train, Polynesian DVC)

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

WDWNT Reporter Tom Corless visited the Magic Kingdom yesterday afternoon and has a number of newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip, so let’s take a look:

It was a really beautiful day in Central Florida yesterday

With the monorail out of service in the afternoons for maintenance, the old Discovery River Boats are making trips between resorts instead of the smaller boats

The bungalows at the Polynesian are coming along nicely

I know everyone isn’t a fan, but these will have the be the coolest rooms at Walt Disney World

Maintenance vehicles out on the monorail beams

Moving to the Magic Kingdom, the hub redesign is in full swing

Tarps now block the view into the moat for guests

Cinderella Castle is getting fixed up while all of this is going on, getting ready for a new nighttime show rumored to happen in 2015

The turrets are being stripped and repainted among other changes

An empty moat

Plenty of tarps up in Adventureland

Walls also up at the Tiki Room still

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train could be soft opening any day now, some Cast Members got to ride during recent training

It is starting to look like the finished product

Another section of construction walls came down, revealing more track

Back in the hub, the expanded Casey’s Corner seating area is being enjoyed by guests

Most of the work on enclosing the balcony at Cosmic Ray’s in Tomorrowland is done

No more outdoor seating

The popcorn stand in the hub has already closed

New MALEFICENT Trailer Released

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-XO4XiRop0

A third and new MALEFICENT trailer has been released today for your viewing pleasure. You can find it embedded above and below you’ll find more details about the movie.

“Maleficent” explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty” and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever.

The film stars Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, Sharlto Copley, Elle Fanning, Sam Riley, Imelda Staunton, Juno Temple and Lesley Manville.

“Maleficent” is produced by Joe Roth and directed by Robert Stromberg, with AngelinaJolie, Don Hahn, Palak Patel, Matt Smith and Sarah Bradshaw serving as executive producers. Linda Woolverton wrote the screenplay. “Maleficent” opens in U.S. theaters on May 30, 2014.

2015 D23 Expo Advance Ticket Sales and Dates Announced!

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

All the magic and excitement of the past, present, and future of Disney entertainment will come together once again under one roof when D23: The Official Disney Fan Club presents the D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center the weekend of Aug. 14–16, 2015. Each of Disney’s wonderful worlds will unite to celebrate what’s new and what’s on the horizon from theme parks, television, music, games, and films, including Pixar, the Muppets, Star Wars, and Marvel.

“The D23 Expo is the ultimate Disney fan event, created to honor and celebrate your love of all things Disney,” Disney Chairman and CEO Robert A. Iger told shareholders and D23 Members at the Company’s Annual Meeting today in Portland, Oregon. “And we hope to see you there.”

The fourth event promises to be the biggest ever, following the success of D23 Expo 2013, which drew more than 65,000 Disney fans for three star-studded days and nights. Fans were treated to appearances by such superstars as Angelina Jolie, Chris Evans, Billy Crystal, Natalie Portman, and Tom Hiddleston; watched performances by Idina Menzel, and R5 featuring Ross Lynch; enjoyed a once-in-a-lifetime concert from Disney Legends Alan Menken and Richard M. Sherman; explored the inner workings of Walt Disney Imagineering; looked back at Disney’s rich history through extraordinary panels, presentations, and exhibits; and discovered the newest entertainment, technology, and products from The Walt Disney Company.

Highlights planned for D23 Expo 2015 include the 2015 Disney Legends Ceremony, which honors the talented men and women who have made significant contributions to the Disney legacy; Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives, a collection of one-of-a-kind assets, props, and costumes curated by the Walt Disney Archives; and the Collectors Forum, where Disney fans can buy, sell, and trade Disney collectibles, memorabilia, and merchandise. Once again the event will feature a massive show floor full of special opportunities to see what’s on the horizon for Disney around the world—and guests may run into their favorite Disney stars, characters, Imagineers, animators, and filmmakers. Plus, the event will once again feature StagePass, the popular ticket distribution system that allows attendees to obtain a guaranteed seat for some of the Expo’s most popular presentations.

Advance tickets for D23 Expo 2015 will go on sale at D23Expo.com beginning August 14, 2014. D23 Members will receive special pricing on both one- and three-day tickets to the event, which is open to the general public. D23 Gold and Silver Members will also be entitled to early admission to the Expo show floor. D23 Charter Members will enjoy access to the Expo’s Charter Member Lounge. Members will also have an opportunity to purchase the Sorcerer Package, which provides a host of special benefits and amenities.

About D23 Expo 2015

The D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings the entire world of Disney under one roof, providing attendees with unprecedented access to Disney films, television, and theme parks. For the latest D23 Expo 2015 news, visit D23Expo.com. To join the D23 Expo conversation, make sure to follow @DisneyD23 on Twitter and use #D23Expo.

About D23

The name “D23” pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney’s 90-plus-year history. D23 gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication Disney twenty-three and a rich website at D23.com. D23 Members enjoy exclusive discounts and special events, highlighted by the D23 Expo in Anaheim, California, August 14–16, 2015.

Fans can join D23 at D23.com and at DisneyStore.com/D23. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow @DisneyD23 on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and YouTube.

Pixar Working on Cars 3 and Incredibles Sequel; Star Wars Episode 7 Details

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

During the Walt Disney Company Shareholders Meeting, CEO Bob Iger announced that Pixar Studios is working on 2 new upcoming movies. The first movie is a third sequel to the Cars franchise and the second movie is a sequel to the 2004 hit movie, The Incredibles. The sequel for The Incredibles is being written by Brad Bird. No more details about when these 2 movies will be released. Stay tuned to WDWNT for more information on these announcements.

Additionally, Iger didn’t give many details for the upcoming Star Wars Episode 7 film with the exception that it will take place 30 years after “Return of the Jedi”. As of now, the only officially casted robot for the movie is R2-D2.

Aerial Construction Photos of Disney Springs From 3/15/14

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

WDWNT Reporter Nick LoCicero once again takes us high above what is today Downtown Disney so we can see what is happening to make it Disney Springs for the future with his photos from last Friday: