WDWNT.com Celebrates The Final Wishes and the Debut of Happily Ever After with a Week of Special Events Starting Tonight!

This week, perhaps the most-beloved fireworks extravaganza of all-time is saying goodbye and the most technologically advanced to date will debut at the Magic Kingdom, and WDWNT.com will be celebrating all week long with special content!

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Beginning May 12, 2017, Walt Disney World guests can discover the newest, most spectacular fireworks show in the history of Magic Kingdom Park with “Happily Ever After.” The stunning new nighttime extravaganza will feature more lasers, lights and projections than any Magic Kingdom Park show before it. Characters and scenes from more than 25 Disney films will be featured through state-of-the-art projections, enchanted by more than 50 choreographed spotlights, brilliant lasers and plenty of awe-inspiring fireworks. (Disney)

Here’s the schedule:

  • Back to the Future LIVE!: Wishes and the History of Magic Kingdom Fireworks Spectaculars – Monday, May 8th at 9PM

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Streaming live on YouTube, catch the next edition of WDWNT’s beloved history show Back to the Future, as we delve into the history of Wishes and all that came before it. Fireworks are synonymous with the Magic Kingdom and Cinderella Castle, but how did that come to be? Well, we’ll show you during this multimedia program.

  • LIVE from The Magic Kingdom – Goodbye Wishes and Hello Happily Ever After – Thursday, May 11th & Friday, May 12th

Join Tom Corless and crew live from The Magic Kingdom for the final performance ever of Wishes Fireworks Spectacular on May 11th, and the first-ever performance of Happily Ever After on May 12th. Live streaming information will be shared on those dates.

  • Special Features

A number of special feature articles will appear on WDWNT.com to celebrate the legacy and your memories of Wishes!

Limited Release Wishes and Happily Ever After Magic Kingdom T-Shirts Now Available Online

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Great news for non-Floridians! The Wishes and Happily Ever After shirts that are quite popular at the Magic Kingdom are now available online at DisneyStore.com! There are six styles: three for adults, one in a women’s V-neck style, and two for kids. A special promotion of Buy One, Get One 40% Off makes up for the AP discounts Floridians would get at the Magic Kingdom!
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Get yours today! These are only available until Sunday, May 14, 2017!

PHOTO REPORT: Disney’s Animal Kingdom 4/18/17 (Pandora, Mr. Kamal’s Seasoned Fries, Anteater Returns, Etc.)

Our latest photo report brings us to Animal Kingdom as it draws nearer and nearer to the opening of its largest expansion in its 19 year history…

Welcome to Disney’s Animal Kingdom!

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Annie the Anteater returned to the Oasis recently. She was removed when the construction of Pandora began as she would have been bothered by the noise and such.

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Lots of Animals

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The Tree of Life is trail is closed while Disney is doing some work on the Tree. You can walk up both sides, but you can’t go under the tree.

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And now a gorilla in a bowl…

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BABY DUCKS!!!

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Sleepy lizards…

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A trip to the Maharajah Jungle Trek isn’t complete without seeing tigers.

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Pandora: The World of AVATAR

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The opening of Pandora looms over the park, just a few weeks away on May 27th.

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Walls off to the left of the bridge leading to Pandora were taken down recently.

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The second pin in the countdown to Pandora series was released recently.

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A look at the bridge from Nomad Lounge. Not much change to see these days as the project nears completion.

Nighttime lighting tests continue to happen in the area once night falls:

This and That

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NOW THE BABY DUCKS ARE SWIMMING!

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Some animal socks for sale.

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The Taste of Tiffins menu for lunch was significantly diminished as far as options.

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An up close look at the work happening at the Tree of Life.

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The projectors for the back of the Tree of Life can be seen from the path along the backside of the structure.

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The Mahindi stand in Africa is selling the Lotus Blossom glow cubes now.

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A new carousel horse pin set for sale around the Resort.

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The Digital Disney mystery pin set was also released recently.

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The Feeding Ground on Discovery Island also has the glow cube.

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Trilo-Bites now has a Smokey Bones Chocolate Shake.

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Mr. Kamal’s in Asia now has a seasoned-fries dish…

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Let’s ignore the misspellings…

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I expected this to be one of the worst theme park snacks I’ve ever had, but it honestly wasn’t bad.

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Some new cooling towels for sale at the parks, $16.90 each.

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The bar outside of Rainforest Cafe is now open regularly.

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It’s a nice spot to enjoy a drink.

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Hmmmm, looks familiar…

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It seems to have a giant hole in it it, just like a volcano at a certain water park under construction…

VIDEO: Behind the Scenes – Creating the Plants and Creatures of Pandora – The World of AVATAR

As Pandora: The World of AVATAR approaches its opening next month, Disney has released another behind the scenes look into this exotic land. Today the topic is on creating the lush wildlife, as well as the animals that live on the planet of Pandora. You will be able to hear and sense the animals all around you as you explore Pandora. Here is the video below from the Disney Parks Blog:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TdhmjbQS2c]

Pandora: The World of Avatar opens May 27th at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

BREAKING: Disney Creating Star Wars “Starship” Luxury Resort & Experience Attached to Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Disney is surveying guests about a possible Star Wars resort hotel experience at Walt Disney World, which would take place on an “actual” Star Wars Starship…

Concept Art, Star Wars "Starship" resort at Walt Disney World

Concept Art, Star Wars “Starship” resort at Walt Disney World

The survey is not being conducted by Disney, but rather by a contracted third party. The survey includes concept art and many details of what the experience would be like…

This all-inclusive, 2-night immersive resort experience at Walt Disney World would include:

  • The opportunity to experience a 2-day story set in the Star Wars universe
  • Be surrounded in a continuous, story-driven entertainment experience as it unfolds over the course of the 2-night stay
  • Have personal interactions with Star Wars characters, live performers throughout the starship (experience the story or simply observe the action according to personal preference)
  • Engage in the story with programs such as flight training, ship exploration, lightsaber training, and personalized secret missions (both on the starship and throughout the Star Wars themed planet)
Concept Art, Star Wars "Starship" resort at Walt Disney World

Concept Art, Star Wars “Starship” resort at Walt Disney World

While staying aboard an all-inclusive luxury “starship” at Walt Disney World, guests will stay in luxury accommodations offering:

  • All meals during your stay: buffet breakfasts, lunches, & signature evening dining
  • Featured entertainment & dinner shows
  • Exclusive park admission to the Star Wars themed land at the Walt Disney World Resort (a new land opening at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2019)
  • Star Wars starship amenities including pool area & water garden, fitness area, on-board cantina, and robotic droid Butlers

As of right now, the experience would be priced at roughly $900 to $1000 per guest.

Concept Art, Star Wars "Starship" resort at Walt Disney World

Concept Art, Star Wars “Starship” resort at Walt Disney World

So basically, in summary, the experience would include…

  • 2 nights in an immersive luxury resort that looks and feels like a Star Wars spacecraft (set check-in and check-out dates so everyone is immersed on the same “story” timeline)
  • Room(s) that accommodate(s) up to 4 people, with an interactive “view” (galaxy or pool/atrium)
  • Every meal from checking-in on day 1 to check-out on day 3 (5 meals total, including 2 buffet breakfasts, 1 lunch, and 2 signature dinners with evening entertainment)
  • 1 day of Walt Disney World theme park admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to visit Star Wars-themed land on day 2
  • Story-driven entertainment that unfolds over the course of your stay (including live character chance encounters, and the opportunity to watch or engage in the story through things like personalized secret missions, flight training, starship exploration, and lightsaber training)

While this is just a survey at this time, it is worth noting that the presence of concept art and the inclusion of the Star Wars themed land in these plans likely means that this is a pretty serious project at this point. Many of the experiences above also sound very similar to aspects of the the Star Wars land discussed in the panel at Star Wars Celebration Orlando.

Stay tuned as more information on this proposed project becomes available.

REVIEW: Blue Bayou Has Disneyland Charm, But Food to Forget

The Blue Bayou is the most legendary and renowned restaurant at Disneyland (not counting the private Club 33), but why is that? It’s undoubtedly for the ambiance, with seating overlooking the bayou as boats from Pirates of the Caribbean slow fully list by. I’ve been here on four occasions over the years, and only one of those meals did I think was worth the price.

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I will warn you that these won’t be the best pictures we have posted, as we did not want to use a flash inside of the dark restaurant. Regardless, we will do our best to guide you through the menu via text.

Blue Bayou Menu (50th Anniversary Edition)

We visited Blue Bayou on March 17, the evening before the 50th Anniversary. The special menu and entrees were available for several days around the anniversary date, but we don’t know exactly when they reverted to the regular menu.

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Complimentary Bread

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Honestly, this was probably the highlight of the meal. It was warm and fresh, and if that’s a highlight of the meal, well then, we are probably in trouble moving forward in this review.

Blue Bayou House Salad

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The house salad was fine if you like blue cheese, but nothing special.

New Orleans Gumbo

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The gumbo is very good, as it always is. But there’s no reason to come to Blue Bayou for the gumbo when the same thing is served at the Royal Street Verandah. If you do have to chose between this and the salad, I would choose gumbo.

Broiled Filet Mignon ($46)

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Served with Blue Bayou Au Gratin Potatoes, Seasonal Vegetables, and Béarnaise Sauce. Choice of Blue Bayou House Salad or Cup of our signature New Orleans Gumbo

The filet was the best entree out of those we ordered. If everyone in your party wants a filet, then you probably won’t be as disappointed in Blue Bayou as we were.

Royal Street Seafood Jambalaya ($35)

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A robust combination of Shrimp, Sustainable Fish, Tasso Ham, Andouille Sausage, and Chicken with Louisiana Popcorn Rice. Choice of Blue Bayou House Salad or Cup of our signature New Orleans Gumbo

The jambalaya was good, but not great. It’s a decent budget option, but your money would be better spent elsewhere.

Fruits De Mer ($42)

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Pan Seared Red Snapper, Sautéed Shrimp, Scallop, and Hush Puppy, served on a bed of Spinach with Spicy Shrimp Sauce and Remoulade

This limited time dish (which may or may not still be available) was solid, but not fantastic. While nothing on the plate was bad, none of it tasted any better than anything you would order at a Red Lobster. Don’t get me wrong, I like Red Lobster, but I don’t want a $42.00 Red Lobster entree at Disneyland. The hush puppy was very good, too bad they only gave you one.

Bone-In Rib-Eye ($44)

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Blue Bayou House-made Rub, Seasonal Vegetables, and White Cheddar-Smoked gouda Mac and Cheese. Choice of Blue Bayou House Salad or Cup of our signature New Orleans Gumbo

This was not a great steak. It was a little tough and the flavor was almost nonexistent. If you want steak at Disneyland Resort, I’d highly recommend getting the filet instead or going to Steakhouse 55.

OVERALL

The Blue Bayou is a legendary restaurant and very difficult to get into compared to most other restaurants around the Disneyland Resort. However, the selling point here is not the food. Similar to Cinderella’s Royal Table at WDW’s Magic Kingdom, the draw here is the location and the ambiance. Much better meals can be had at Carthay Circle, Napa Rose, and even Steakhouse 55. If you’ve never been to Blue Bayou, it may be worth going once just for the experience, but the food is certainly no reason to come back for a repeat visit.

CONFIRMED: Disney is Officially Building a Gondola System Between Epcot, Hollywood Studios, and Resorts

Documents released to media today by the Reedy Creek Improvement District confirm that the long-rumored gondola transportation system is coming to Walt Disney World. While this comes as no surprise based on the permits and such filled over the last few months, it is nice to have it finally admitted to by a Disney agency.

Proposed route for the gondola system at Walt Disney World.

Proposed route for the gondola system at Walt Disney World.

The system will connect Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, and Disney’s Pop Century Resort when completed.

TONIGHT on WDW News Tonight (4/19/17) – In-Depth Discussion of the Star Wars Land & Resort Hotel, The Pyramid, A Box of Roses, and More

Tonight on WDW News Tonight, we talk about new Star Wars Land details, the possible Star Wars-themed resort experience, we play WDWNT: The Pyramid, and we open a box of roses…

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If you are in the Orlando area, you can tune in to 105.5 FM or AM 1520 WBZW at showtime. For those outside of the Orlando area, the show can be watched via video stream at listen.WDWNT.com on your computer or mobile device. You can also use WDWNT: The App to watch and chat along. The show also utilizes a live chat and the ability to call-in to interact with the show. WDW News Tonight is hosted by Tom Corless and Nick LoCicero, but also features appearances by a number of other WDWNT correspondents and announcer Michelle Wargo.

Coming up on this week’s show:

  • A recap of the week’s news (with a WDWNT comedic twist)
  • An In-Depth Discussion on the Star Wars news and rumors of the last week, including Star Wars Land, the Star Wars themed resort, and more!
  • The Wonderful World of Psychotic Comments
  • “WDWNT: The Pyramid″ for prizes provided by WDWNT: The App
  • Tom opens a box of roses…
  • Who Hates Tom Now?
  • And more!

We hope that you will tune in tonight at 9PM ET for another episode of WDW News Tonight!

If you missed last week’s show, be sure to watch it: