The Entire Experience

WDWNT on January 30, 2009

We have been able to gather quite a bit of information on the American Idol Experience attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios over the last week and we thought we would share it in one large post. Below is the latest picture and videos (embedded from our fantastic WDWNTube video site, of course) released by Disney to promote Walt Disney World’s newest attraction, as well as the complete list of songs that will be available to contestants. Keep in mind the attraction opens officially on February 14th, 2009, but is currently holding soft previews daily.

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TV and radio personality Ryan Seacrest poses in front of The American Idol Experience attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Seacrest, who hosts the popular “American Idol” television show, also stars in the new Walt Disney World theme park attraction which opens to park guests Feb. 14, 2009. In the attraction, park guests can vote on their favorite performance, or audition with the chance to perform on stage. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is one of four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort. (Diana Zalucky, photographer)

Songs Contestants Can Sing in the Show:

Disney Songs

  • Best of Both Worlds (Hannah Montana)
  • Bet On It (High School Musical 2)
  • Breaking Free (High School Musical)
  • Circle of Life (The Lion King)
  • Colors of the Wind (Pocohontas)
  • Ever Ever After (Enchanted)
  • Go The Distance (Hercules)
  • Part of Your World (The Little Mermaid)
  • Play My Music (Camp Rock)
  • Reflection (Mulan)
  • Rock Star (Hannah Montana)
  • This Is Me (Camp Rock)
  • You’ll Be In My Heart (Tarzan)

Country

  • Achy Breaky Heart
  • All-American Girl
  • Amazed
  • Boot Scootin’ Boogie
  • Breathe
  • Do You Believe Me Now
  • How Do I Live (Without You)
  • I Hope You Dance
  • I Like It, I Love It
  • I Told You So
  • Independence Day
  • It’s Good to be Us
  • Life is a Highway
  • Lost
  • Man, I Feel Like A Woman
  • My Wish
  • Our Song
  • Sweet Home Alabama
  • This Kiss
  • Walkin’ After Midnight
  • What Hurts The Most

Disco

  • Dance Best of My Love
  • Fame
  • Hot Stuff
  • I Will Survive
  • Knock On Wood
  • Last Dance
  • Never Can Say Goodbye
  • Turn Your Love Around
  • You’re The First, The Last, My Everything

Latin

  • 1-2-3
  • Bailamos
  • Just Another Day
  • La Bamba
  • Smooth
  • Turn The Beat Around
  • Waiting for Tonight

Rock/Pop Up Tempo

  • Big Girls Don’t Cry
  • Black Horse and a Cherry Tree
  • Bohemian Rhapsody
  • Breakaway
  • Don’t Stop The Music
  • Express Yourself
  • Face Down
  • Footloose
  • Hit Me With Your Best Shot
  • I Can See Clearly Now
  • I Feel The Earth Move
  • I Wanna Dance With Somebody
  • If Everyone Cared
  • No One
  • Old Time Rock and Roll
  • Over You
  • Rock With You
  • Since U Been Gone
  • Somebody to Love
  • Suspicious Minds
  • Sway
  • The Great Escape
  • Walk Away
  • Walking On Sunshine
  • You Really Got Me Now
  • You’re My Best Friend

Rock/Pop Ballad

  • A Moment Like This
  • Alone
  • Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me
  • Drops of Jupiter
  • Home
  • If It Makes You Happy
  • Iris
  • Just Once
  • Kiss From a Rose
  • Looks Like We Made It
  • Stand By Me
  • Unchained Melody
  • Walkin’ In Memphis
  • What a Wonderful World
  • Your Song

Motown

  • 100 Ways
  • Ain’t No Mountain High Enough
  • Ain’t Too Proud To Beg
  • For Once In My Life Meduim
  • Get Ready
  • I Heard It Through the Grapevine
  • I Want You Back
  • I Wish
  • I’ll Be There
  • Midnight Train to Georgia
  • New Attitude
  • Reach Out, I’ll Be There
  • RESPECT
  • Signed, Sealed, Delivered
  • Stop In The Name of Love
  • Superstition
  • Then Came You
  • Vision of Love
  • You Are The Sunshine of My Life
  • You Keep Me Hangin’ On
  • (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman
  • You’re All I Need To Get By

The Audition Process:

The Audience Experience:

Setting The Stage:

Be sure to stay tuned for continuing coverage of the American Idol Experience as we get closer to the official opening day on February 14th, 2009.

Get Ready to Party…. Eventually

WDWNT on January 29, 2009

Disney has published some details (and larger concept art) on two upcoming entertainment offerings for the Magic Kingdom as part of the “Celebrate Today!” promotion. Be sure to take note of the date change on the second show:

Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party
At the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party, you’ll join in on interactive fun in front of Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom® Park. Multicolored “party box” floats roll out as favorite Disney Characters kick your celebration off with music and dancing. Scheduled to open February 12, 2009.

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Stitch’s SuperSonic Celebration
Stitch’s SuperSonic Celebration is for true party animals& and party aliens! Interact with Stitch as he celebrates “Galaxy Day” at his very own electric, intergalactic event in Magic Kingdom® Park. A dazzling jumbo screen and Stitch’s wild antics are all part of a party that’s out-of-this-world! Scheduled to open late Spring 2009.

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Images represent early concept art from Walt Disney World® Entertainment, and are not actual depictions

The Wand is Back!!!

WDWNT on January 28, 2009

I’m sure that’s a news title you never expected to read on this website, but it’s true. In this case, it’s the wand in a form that’s even uglier than the real thing was. However, it was in use for a pretty good reason :

DISNEY HOT AIR BALLOON FLOATS ABOVE MAGIC KINGDOM IN FLORIDA

An 80-foot-tall hot air balloon, shaped like Epcot’s Spaceship Earth icon, floated Jan. 28, 2009 above Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., carrying the Birkett family, of Scottsdale, Ariz. The special flight was one of the dreams awarded as part of Disney Parks’ 2008 “Disney Dreams Giveaway.” On Sept. 17, 2008, Christian Birkett was chosen at random as the dream recipient while experiencing The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction at Disneyland Park in California. In addition to the tethered balloon flight, Birkett’s dream included a VIP vacation to Walt Disney World. The Disney Dreams Giveaway, part of Disney’s Year of a Million Dreams which officially ended Dec. 31, 2008, awarded a million-plus dreams throughout 2008 at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. After today’s balloon flight, Birkett commented, “When you’re up there, it feels like you’re on top of the world. It’s definitely a dream come true.” (David Roark, photographer)

Robert Ashburn’s 1/23/09 WDW Photo Update

WDWNT on January 25, 2009

Robert Ashburn of Figment’s Media and FTN has provided us with another fantastic photo report, this time from the Magic Kingdom area with a full report on the park’s latest parade and some other smaller happenings. Let’s take a look:

We’ll start this report with photos from the debut performance of the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade at the Magic Kingdom. Since the pre-parade vehicle is now in the actual parade, a high school band acted in it’s place

Disney was filming the first performance for some promotional footage

The parade banner leads along with what was the pre-parade Grand Marshal vehicle

Read More about Robert Ashburn’s 1/23/09 WDW Photo Update

Jon Pleszewski’s 1/21/09 Magic Kingdom Update

WDWNT on January 22, 2009

Avid WDWNT Network follower Jon Pleszewski has provided us with a fantastic photo update from around the Magic Kingdom park, so let’s take a look at some news items:

The “Celebrate Today!” banner covers the famous train station plaque that the Year of a Million Dreams banner covered for many months

The castle forecourt stage has been returned to it’s usual look, slightly freshened and ready for Dream Along with Mickey

The walls are finally down around the Golden Oak Outpost in Frontierland, which is ready to open any day now

The new seating area which will shrink the designated smoking area adjacent to it

Construction of Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration continues in Tomorrowland

Is it just me, or does it look like this isn’t going to make a February opening?

We end this great report with the arrival of more “Celebrate Today!” banners outside the Magic Kingdom. A special thanks to Jon for this update!

Disneyland’s New Parade Isn’t a Parade (Even Though It Is!)

WDWNT on January 21, 2009

According to the LA Times Travel Blog:

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Although Disneyland isn’t calling it a parade, the new “interactive street party” debuting March 27 will travel along the parade route, replace the outgoing parade and essentially serve as the daily parade.

In typical punctuation-challenged Disney fashion, Celebrate! A Street Party will feature seven floats and 90 performers in a “celebratory song and dance party.”

Banners and ribbons will connect the floats as if in a long chain, according to Screamscape, with periodic high points punctuated by confetti-cannon fodder. Cue the street sweepers.

The anti-parade will make at least two show stops — on Main Street U.S.A. and in front of It’s a Small World — where singers, dancers, stilt-walkers and Disney characters will shake and shimmy to party songs.

Similar in scale to the Parade of Dreams, which the new whatever-you-do-don’t-call-it-a-parade replaces, Celebrate! A Street Party will typically run twice on busy days and once on slower days.

Supersonic Celebration Comes to Life

WDWNT on January 20, 2009

As we draw closer to it’s debut next month, more details on the new “Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration” show in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom. Here is what can be found on disneyworld.com:

Stitch’s SuperSonic Celebration is a musical Tomorrowland street party celebrating “Galaxy Day” and features a live video version of Stitch interacting with Guests and a high-energy dance troupe. Come join the fun!

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My apologies for the very small concept art image, but it is all that is available at this time. This blurb confirms the rumor we reported a few weeks ago that the Stitch character will be part of the Living Character Initiative program and will have an interactive character on a screen talking to guests very much like the Stitch Live! attraction at the Walt Disney Studios Paris park. The fact that the official description calls this a “live video version” of Stitch is a bit disturbing from a company that has always been about creating solid stories and illusions, considering that is not in the descriptions for the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor or Turtle Talk with Crush.

Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as more details on “Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration” and other new offerings for “Celebrate Everyday!” become available.

The Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary Merchandise

WDWNT on January 18, 2009

Disney has posted pictures of a majority of the merchandise being released for The Haunted Mansion 40th Anniversary event this summer, most of which will only be released at the event. Here are a few of the more interesting ones (you can find the rest HERE):

A figurine of the griffin statues that adorn the staircase at the start of the attraction. The price is to be determined.

The event T-Shirt, on sale for $29.

A shirt featuring the original opening poster used for promotion. The color of the shirt & the price are to be determined.

The event pin for $12.95.

5 pins like this with Constance’s 5 husbands will be on sale for $14.95.

Each of the 4 stretching portraits will be released for $95.

Robert Olszewski’s latest Gallery of Light item on The Haunted Mansion will on sale for $85. This is one of the few items that will be available outside of the event.

Robert Olszewski’s great Pokitpal series continues with this Haunted Mansion themed item, to be on sale for $20.

The last item I wanted to showcase here is this $75 Jim Shore Disney Traditions piece.

The Characters Are Coming!

WDWNT on January 13, 2009

Pin releases aren’t usually something I like to talk about here on DLNT, but I thought these upcoming releases at Disneyland were appropriate to talk about:

On January 25th, Disney will be releasing a 6 pin set (plus 2 completer pins) featuring various Disney characters that will be featured in It’s a Small World come the attraction’s re-opening on February 6th. Most of these characters look the same as they do in the Hong Kong Disneyland version of the attraction, with the acceptation of Cinderella who is in her peasant dress as opposed to her royalty dress.

Bellow are bigger images of each of these individual pins:

The characters are coming, whether you like it or not!