Christmas in July

WDWNT on July 30, 2008

As the central Florida temperature approaches 90 degrees outside, Cecil Gordon of Walt Disney World Holiday Services touches up the face of a six-foot-tall angel tree-topper July 30, 2008 inside one of the resort’s holiday warehouses in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The angel will be placed on the top of the giant Christmas tree at the Epcot theme park during the holiday season later this year. Gordon and his colleagues are currently on round-the-clock schedules behind-the-scenes at Walt Disney World Resort, decorating more than 1,500 Christmas trees, unpacking more than 15 miles of garland, testing dozens of snow machines and repainting hundreds of animated and static holiday scenes that will be seen by guests all across the 40-square-mile resort. Gordon, from St. Mary, Jamaica, has worked for Walt Disney World for 19 years. (Garth Vaughan, photographer)

“Make Port at the Caribbean Beach Resort!!”

WDWNT on July 30, 2008

Reported by the Orlando Sentinel:

Walt Disney World has unveiled a rendering and a few details of some retheming and renovations in the works for Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort — theming it after the hugely-popular Pirates of the Caribbeanride/movies/games franchise.

Clients who book through Walt Disney Travel Co. also will receive a new benefit — 30 minute play-cards for Disney’s resort hotel video arcades.

Walt Disney World also is announcing some changes in its Magic Your Way plan, to include Quick Service Dining beginning Jan. 11. Vacationers can get two quick-service meals and two snacks for each night of their stay in a Disney resort hotel, plus a refillable drink mug for unlimited refills of non-alcoholic beverages at Disney resort hotels.

Beds that look like ships. Dressers that look like old crates. Curtains that look like tattered sails. The attached artist’s rendering shows a few of the details.

Caribbeanbeachresort73008

Disney is planning the look for 384 rooms in the Trinidad South Village Area, set to be ready sometime next year. The resort has a total of 2,112 rooms.

These Pirate rooms are an addition to the hotel that has been in progress for a few years now, as are the Finding Nemo themed rooms now beginning to debut at the resort. It’s also interesting to note the inclusion of those Arcade Gaming Cards in the vacation booking, something Disney has never done before. As if all that wasn’t enough to swallow, this article even goes on to confirm the addition of the new Quick Service Dining Plan. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information becomes available on these major headlines.

Monday in the Parks Update

WDWNT on July 28, 2008

The latest Monday in the Parks update on MiceAge covers a lot of new happenings at the Disneyland Resort. Here are a few of the more prominent ones:

  • Various members of the USA Olympic Team will be appearing in Downtown Disney this Tuesday Afternoon, from 2:30 to 5 PM at the ESPN Zone.
  • As previously reported, Monorail Red is still operating at limited capacity (15 people per car as opposed to the normal 22). According to the article:Disney is looking at bringing out Mark VII Monorail Blue this week, but only if the Mark V Purple or Mark VII Red cannot run. Mark VII Blue is not yet approved to carry guests, but needs hours of proven operation to get that approval. Disney also does not want 3 trains on the track at one time, so only if there is an available space on the track will you see it, and once again, it is not available to guests.
  • The previously reported Pirates of the Caribbean refurbishment that will start on October 13th, is planned to last for just over a month, & should be open in time for the Christmas season which starts on November 21st.
  • Either this fall or early 2009, the Matterhorn will be getting new bobsleds cars. They will have the same seating arrangement, & the only major difference will be new seat-belts, which will be similar to the ones found in the Indiana Jones Adventure, Star Tours, & Soarin’ Over California.
And now a couple of Darkbeer’s pictures:

The emptiness of the It’s a Small World Toy Shop
Where’s his ear!?

Adam Roth’s 7/27/08 Update

WDWNT on July 28, 2008

Our good friend Adam Roth from WDWCelebrations has provided us with a fantastic photo update from his latest trip to the  Walt Disney World Resort. Let’s take a look at some interesting things going on at the world this weekend:

A new spinning topiary has appeared outside the Imagination pavilion at Epcot. Expect this to be a temporary change…

Something new in Innoventions, most likely for the return of the interactive Kim Possible game at Epcot.

Some exterior work taking place as Nine Dragons Restaurant is refurbished.

While the restaurant is closed, Epcot invites you to enjoy the rest of the China Pavilion, and the restrooms in Norway.

Some construction going on in the Morocco Pavilion as well.

More exterior work on some buildings in the United Kingdom.

Moving over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Drew Carey and Golden Age Souvenirs are closed until August 5th for refurbishment.

As you can see, just having Sounds Dangerous closed has effected the crowds in this area.

Al’s Toy Barn has been completely removed and is set to become a backdrop for Lightning McQueen and Mater from Cars.

The back-side of Pixar Place is complete and looks like a pretty picturesque spot to end this photo report.

Weekend Round-Up

WDWNT on July 19, 2008

It’s been a news filled past few days, & there’s been a few things that we haven’t reported, as well as some updates, that were covered in this week’s Monday in the Parks update on MiceAge. Let’s take a look through some of the news pieces brought up:

  • After going missing for a second time in a year, the Goat in Big Thunder Mountain Railroad has returned.
  • We here at Disneyland News Today reported earlier this week on the closing of the Vineyard Room at Disney’s California Adventure on August 31st. Well apparently, for the last few years, the restaurant has only been opening on weekends, & it seems that these last few weekends that it’s supposed to be opened… Well basically, it won’t be. Again, it’s not confirmed, but highly likely.
  • Last Friday, both the Green Army Men stand before the security check & the Honda Pilot display in the Esplanade were removed, & everything is back to normal in that general area.
  • Also, the All-American College Band had its last performance at Disneyland last Friday, due to the performers heading back to school.
  • The Magic Morning early entry to Disneyland Park for Disneyland Resort Hotel guests that is usually offered on Sundays, will not be offered Sunday August 31st due to the Disneyland Half Marathon. It will instead be offered Saturday August 30th.

And now a couple of pieces of news in pictures:


As we reported earlier this week, the Grand Marshall Pre-Parade to Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams no longer features the dancers, characters, or the Year of a Million Dreams banner at the beginning


Yesterday at 5:45pm, Ariel made her final ever exit from Ariel’s Grotto

New Bread ODV Cart in DCA

WDWNT on July 18, 2008

There is now a new ODV cart selling Boudin Bakery bread (obviously from the Bakery Tour in Pacific Wharf) under the Golden Gate Bridge in DCA. This is something I noticed on my last visit, but I forgot to take a picture of it. MouseTimes however did:

Be sure to check out the latest DLR Pictorial on MouseTimes for more coverage from through-out the Disneyland Resort, including the festivities for the 53rd anniversary!

Dateline Disneyland Picture Update

WDWNT on July 18, 2008

Let’s take a look at some various things going on through-out the Disneyland Resort from this week’s Dateline Disneyland on MiceAge:


A peek behind the construction walls outside the old Sleeping Beauty Castle Walkthrough


For about a couple of weeks now, Power City in Innovention’s Project Tomorrow hasn’t been operating


And the Future Choice Stations seem to be “coming soon” again


The vintage ticket display in Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years has returned

I would like to advise everyone to check this article to see some of the lovely merchandise released for the 45th anniversary of the Enchanted Tiki Room (the link is at the top of the post).

Taste Test Track

WDWNT on July 17, 2008

Remember the old Leave a Legacy kiosk over at Epcot? If you do, then you probably know it was shutdown last summer and has been a dead-zone pretty much since that time. However, as you can see by the picture below, work has already begun on fixing up the area:

If the rumors I’m hearing are true, we should see some representatives from the food and beverage division of the Walt Disney World Resort setting up shop here in the near future. The reason: this spot is set to become a taste-testing area, where different food and beverage ideas and concepts can be tested with the general public. While we’re not sure if this means guests can line-up to taste what’s next for the World, I’m thinking that they will just be pulling random guests out of the crowds to do all the testing (much like they do for all of the other different “experiments” they perform around the resort). While none of this is confirmed as of this moment, It is highly likely to happen in some way, shape, or form. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information becomes available on this Epcot location.

EpcotServo’s 7/15/08 Photo Update

WDWNT on July 17, 2008

Our good friend EpcotServo has posted yet another fantastic photo update from Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios, here are a few of the pics from the report:

Dino-sue is getting repainted over in Hester and Chester’s Dino-Rama

New Hollywood Studios merchandise featuring the park’s skyline, the fab five, the Genie, and a number of Pixar characters

The Hanes sponsorship has finally begun at Rock ‘N’ Rollercoaster

Three new Toy Story Mania mugs are now available for purchase

They actually say Midway Mania

I’ll be sure to pick up all three of these my next visit to the studios

New kids shirt

Note: you can’t ring children in Toy Story Midway Mania, only Little Green Men

Pixar Animation Studios merchandise is now also being sold here

The smaller spring-action-shooters are now for sale, still no sign of the bigger ones. Notice that there are still plenty of opening day pins and shirts available at the shop.

For the remainder of EpcotServo’s great photo report, head HERE