Over at the Disney MGM Studios, all of the original name signage has been removed and the first Disney’s Hollywood Studios sign is now in place. If you head over to the Sci-Fi Dine-In Theater Restaurant, the movie poster in the stroller parking area now has a small black title bar on the bottom with the new park name on it. The Disney MGM Studios will become Disney’s Hollywood Studios on January 7, 2008.
The Disney MGM Studios signage over the parking entrance to the park has been removed. The new Disney’s Hollywood Studios name should be up in this and other locations by Monday. WDW News Today will be there to cover all events as they happen on January 7, 2008, as the Disney MGM Studios becomes Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
I was walking through Animal Kingdom earlier today and came upon a large number of park managers in Dinoland U.S.A. with some papers in their hands. Being the good guy that I am, I decided to stand around like a normal lost and clueless guest would. The group was discussing places to put additional lighting in the park, perhaps planning for longer hours to accommodate longer park operating hours. This could be the early planning stages for “Rivers of Light”, a night parade on the rivers of Disney’s Animal Kingdom park. The earliest I would expect anything to be announced on this is Animal Kingdom’s 10th Anniversary on April 22, 2008. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more becomes available.
A number of websites have been discussing a possible script that may be given to cast members in the foyer area of the Haunted Mansion due to some ridiculous complaints. A full story can be read over at Jim Hill Media at this link.
Earlier this week, the dedication plaque at the Disney MGM Studios mysteriously disappeared. It is unclear at this time if it is simply being changed to reflect the new Disney’s Hollywood Studios name or if it will be replaced by a new dedication plaque based on the new goals and mission of the park. We wll have more on this as it becomes available.
It seems my lack of computer knowledge has caused problems again, so please allow me to apologize. If you tried to download an episode of the podcast through Itunes recently and it did not work, please try again. Our feed was not operating properly, but is now back up and running just in time for our New Year’s Eve Spectacular in Episode 24. Don’t forget you can also still download our critically acclaimed Christmas Podcast Parade on Episode 23 of the WDW News Today Podcast.
I’m just about on my way to WDW until January 11th, but stay tuned to WDW News Today as we continue to provide daily Walt Disney World news even while I am away. I want to wish all our readers and listeners a very happy New Year 2008 and thank all of you for making our inaugural year so successful and so much fun. As our New Year’s Resolution, we promise to make WDW News Today better in the year to come and hope to entertain and inform you as we promised on day one. Also, a special thanks goes out to all of the staff here at WDW News Today, without which we probably wouldn’t even still be around today. So Here’s to 2007, and all the years to come.
See Ya Real Soon!!!
It appears Walt Disney World made a mistake when they announced the upcoming refurbishment of Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom, they forgot how heavy crowds will still be for the three days following the New Year’s holiday, The refurbishment of Splash Mountain will now be from January 4, 2008 until February 15, 2008.
Name changes seem to be a common theme at WDW these days. The Yacht Club Galley at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort is going to be renamed to Captain’s Grille sometime in the near future. There doesn’t seem to be any reason for the name change other than some minor menu adaptations. We will have more on this as it becomes available.
The upcoming refurbishment of Minnie’s Country House in Mickey’s Toontown Fair has been pushed back until sometime in 2008. Small children who will soon be visiting the Magic Kingdom are very grateful.
The Backlot Theater at the Disney MGM Studios, formerly home to the Hunchback of Notre Dame show, is now being demolished in preparation for a future attraction. The announcement of this new attraction and some others could come as early as January 7, 2008, where it is believed a press event will be held to mark the shift in the park’s name to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
