As Usual, Celebrities Visiting Walt Disney World

WDWNT on July 16, 2008

Singing superstar Mariah Carey and award-winning actor Nick Cannon are pictured with another famous show business couple — Mickey and Minnie Mouse — July 15, 2008 at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Carey and Cannon spent several days at Walt Disney World Resort, enjoying attractions in all four theme parks, fireworks shows and Disney cuisine. Among their favorite attractions — The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror (Mariah’s favorite) and Space Mountain (Nick’s favorite). (Diana Zalucky, photographer)

Actress Kristen Alderson (right), star of the ABC Daytime drama “One Life to Live,” takes a spin in a giant teacup with her cousin, Colleen Kingston (left), July 10, 2008 on the Mad Tea Party attraction at the Magic Kingdom theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Alderson, who has portrayed the role of “Starr Manning” on the ABC soap opera for 10 years, is vacationing at the Walt Disney World Resort with family this week. (Garth Vaughan, photographer)

Grammy Award-winning musician Dave Matthews (left) shares a laugh with six-year-old daughter Grace (right), July 8, 2008 at the Magic Kingdom theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Matthews, a solo artist and lead singer and guitarist of the multi-platinum-selling rock group “Dave Matthews Band,” spent the day at the Walt Disney World Resort with family and friends. Dave Matthews Band’s 41-city summer concert tour continues in Tampa, Fla. on July 9. (Garth Vaughan, photographer)

Earful Tire

WDWNT on July 14, 2008

A new Grand Marshal vehicle has debuted in the Magic Kingdom theme park, carrying guests of honor down the daily parade route in grand style. To fit the theme of Main Street, USA, the vehicle was designed after a 1912 touring car. The new vehicle’s design also allows guests in wheelchairs to board easily and ride in the main seating area. Also an added touch of the new vehicle — Mickey Mouse tread designs on all four tires and the spare tire attached to the rear. (Garth Vaughan, photographer)

Dateline Disneyland Picture Update

WDWNT on July 11, 2008

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


Billboards around SoCal for Toy Story Mania have been changed to say “Take aim and ride” as opposed to “Opening June 17th”


Some ground work has been done at Goofy’s Gas in Toontown


Goofy’s car has returned outside Goofy’s House

Our Slowest News Day Ever!

WDWNT on July 10, 2008

Today is a very slow news day:

Lindsay Lohan celebrated her 22nd birthday with a trip to Disneyland over the long Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Lohan climbed aboard the Alice in Wonderland dark ride with pal Samantha Ronson, according to paparazzi photos posted by TMZ. Accompanying LiLo and her BFF at the Anaheim theme park: brother Michael Jr. and sister Ali, reported the celebrity gossip website Just Jared.

The former Disney movie star and her DJ friend topped off the birthday fun with a party at Teddy’s nightclub in the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, according to the U.K.’s Daily Mail.

— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer


Photo from TMZ.com

Dateline Disneyland Picture Update

WDWNT on July 4, 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:


The latest map covers, promoting the Summer of Hidden Mysteries & Toy Story Midway Mania


The latest attractions at the Resort are promoted in the inside flap

Adventure Roadmaps are given to guests at the parking lot toll booths, as part of the TSMM/Honda Pilot cross promotion


Really easy trivia questions to answer as you make your way around DCA, & then send it in for the sweepstakes


Toy Story Midway Mania now being promoted at the Mickey & Friends Tram Station


As mentioned yesterday, the Green Army Men are in the Esplanade letting guests know that Toy Story Midway Mania is in fact in DCA, & not Disneyland


Guests can climb into this Honda Pilot & check it out, much like with the post-show at Test Track in Epcot… “DCA or Bust!”


Toy Story **cough Midway cough*** Mania ad in the Esplanade


This toy Spring Action Shooters, that a certain Staff Member of DLNT badly wants, are now available in the Midway Mercantile


Even though the Innoventions Dream Home is now proclaimed open, regular guests can not enter it. I presume all guests must still enter through the exit of Innoventions. Be sure to check out this Dateline Disneyland update (linked at the beginning of this post) for many “up above” pictures!


The Tomorrowland/Fantasyland smoking area has finally been moved from by the Tomorrowland Train Station…


… It’s now the back half of Fantasia Gardens


Work is finally going on at the old Seasons of the Vine theater

Cut-Outs or Virtual?

WDWNT on July 3, 2008

Last night I was watching Toy Story 2, & during the Woody’s Roundup TV show part of the movie, I noticed something I had seen before in Toy Story Midway Mania:


In case you didn’t realize, those are the virtual prizes that you can win in Toy Story Midway Mania

Just an interesting tidbit I thought I’d share with y’all!

Leg Traders

WDWNT on July 3, 2008

From KABC:

ANAHEIM (KABC) — The Anaheim Fire Department responded to Tomorrowland in Disneyland at 7:21 a.m. after reports that a worker fell from a ladder onto a roof.

Officials said the worker fell while working on the roof of a gift shop near the Space Mountain ride.

Rescuers were able to get the worker off the roof using a crane, and he was taken to a local hospital as a precaution.

“A roofing consultant lost his balance and fell approximately 5 feet resulting in a minor shoulder injury. He was transported to western medical center for evaluation,” said Disneyland spokeswoman Betsy Sanchez in a statement.

Authorities said worker is in his 70s and suffered minor injures.

The park was not open at the time of the accident.

AMC-E

WDWNT on June 30, 2008

Dan-Tasmic on MiceChat managed to snap a shot of a giant inflatable Wall-E up in Downtown Disney by the AMC Theaters:

(and no folks, the titles of these posts aren’t getting any more creative!)

Article Mania!

WDWNT on June 30, 2008

Here are 3 articles from the OC Register with information on the Innoventions Dream Home, Wall-E in the parks, & an incident in New Orleans Square:

The Innoventions Dream Home is still closed and will possibly open to the public next week, according to Disney Spokesman John McClintock.

Last week Disney pulled back the curtain on the new Innoventions Dream Home, but the attraction was only open for limited hours and only to annual passholders.

McClintock said today that Disney workers are “making sure that all the technology in the home is working perfectly” before opening the Dream Home to the public. He said that the goal is to open the home to the public next week.

Currently, the second floor of the Innoventions building is open. Just the first floor, the Dream Home level, is closed.

We’ll keep everyone updated on this blog about when the Dream Home will open to the public.

Disney’s Wall-E character debuted in theaters yesterday, but don’t expect the little robot in the Disneyland Resort any time soon.

A Disney Backstage Pass newsletter mailed to Disneyland Annual Passholders a few weeks ago included thata three-foot-tall Audio-Animatronic model of Wall-E would be visiting people in Disney’s California Adventure this summer

But, Disney Spokesman John McClintock said the robot is not expected to be in the park for a few months.

“We don’t expect Wall-E to be in the Disneyland Resort any time soon, especially during the summer,” McClintock said.

treebranchphoto2Update: New photo on the left sent in by someone who was in the park when the tree branch fell. Right click and click view image on either photo to see an enlarged image.

A tree branch broke and fell onto a pathway last night near the French Market restaurant in the New Orleans Square area of Disneyland.

A Disney spokeswoman said it was one branch and that it did not fall directly on anybody. She said that no more than five people were near the branch when it fell. She said those people had minor scrapes.

Irvine resident Vicki Munsell was at the park yesterday when the branch fell. She was there with her family celebrating her and her husband’s 14th wedding anniversary.

Munsell and her family were eating at the Cafe Orleans restaurant when they heard someone shout and she turned around in time to hear the branch cracking and see it fall on a pathway.

She said people ran over right away to help. While Disney said the tree did not fall on anyone, Munsell said people were pulled out from underneath the tree. Still, Munsell agreed that she did not see anyone injured with more than a few scratches.

branchfallsatdisneyland

Munsell took the photo that you see at right with her camera phone, and she sent it to The Orange County Register. After the branch fell, she said the area was blocked off by Disney cast members who removed the branch and checked on people nearby.

This is not the first time trees have fallen on people in theme parks. On Aug. 1, 1997, a large tree limb at Knott’s Berry Farm broke and fell onto four visitors near the Montezooma’s Revenge ride, causing minor injuries to three and leaving the fourth hospitalized. And on May 5, 2001, Jeanne Gill, 73 suffered a broken hip, and 27 others are injured when a 20-foot oak tree falls in Frontierland at Disneyland.