TONIGHT on WDW News Tonight (2/15/17) – The Dating Game, Rivers of Light, Gondola Rumors, & More!

WDWNT on February 16, 2017

Tonight on WDW News Tonight, we go in depth on getting around Walt Disney World (including rumors of a Skyway-type gondola system), we review Rivers of Light, and we play WDWNT: The Dating Game…

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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 transportation and getting around Walt Disney World (including the rumored gondola additions)
  • The Wonderful World of Psychotic Comments
  • “WDWNT: The Dating Game”, presented by Theme Park Connection
  • A review of Rivers of Light at Disney’s Animal Kingdom
  • Who’s 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:

New Medals for Disneyland’s Tinkerbell Half Marathon Weekend

WDWNT on February 16, 2017

Tinker Bell Half Marathon Medal

On your marks, get set, run! This year’s sponsor for the Tinkerbell half marathon is PANDORA Jewlery. David Brotherton, who is the Art Director at Disney Yellow Shoes, was the mastermind creator behind this new medal in collaboration with PANDORA jewelry. David has been designing runDisney medals for last 6 years, but he says making this Tinkerbell half marathon was indeed his most favorite. Graphic designers from PANDORA have said that Daivd truly is a genius when it comes to design and that his expertise and knowledge was immeasurable and sparked this amazing creative partnership.

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For the marathon weekend, they have medals for the runDisney kids races which feature Disney Captain Jake and the Neverland Pirates, as well as the adults race medals for the Neverland 5k and Tinkerbell 10k which feature some beloved characters from ‘Peter Pan’. They even have a medal for those brave enough to conquer the Pixie Dust Challenge, which combines the 13.1 mile Tinkerbell Half marathon PLUS the 6.2 mile Tinker Bell 10k.

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Pixie Dust Challenge Medal

Registration is still open for these races including the Pixie Dust Challenge. For registration and more info on these runs, please visit the official site for the Tinker Bell Marathon Weekend, here.

*All of these run events listed are all at the Disneyland Resort.

“Star Wars Force Friday II” Announced, Release Day Of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” Toys And Merchandise

WDWNT on February 16, 2017

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STAR WARS FORCE FRIDAY II FLIES INTO STORES AROUND THE GLOBE ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2017

 Countdown begins for world-wide release of “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” products

 New product packaging revealed today features trio of heroes: Poe, Rey and Finn

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Disney and Lucasfilm today announced Star Wars Force Friday II, a global fan event celebrating the launch of new products inspired by the highly anticipated “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” Toys, collectibles, books, apparel and more will go on sale beginning at 12:01 a.m. on September 1, 2017, with stores around the world opening for a weekend-long celebration of all things Star Wars.  

“The first Star Wars Force Friday event was truly unique, uniting fans across five continents in an unprecedented global live unboxing event ahead of thousands of midnight openings at retail,” says Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media. “We’re excited to confirm that Star Wars Force Friday is back for ‘The Last Jedi’. Plans for this year’s world-wide event are top secret but expect something befitting the excitement around the next episode of the Star Wars saga.” 

Star Wars fans around the globe embraced Force Friday in 2015, with hundreds of thousands turning up to stores at midnight to be the first to get their hands on merchandise from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.” Toys from the new line were revealed via a global live-stream unboxing event that unfolded over 18 hours, 15 different cities and 12 countries, attracting millions of views on YouTube. Fans took to social media to share their experiences with nearly 3 billion Twitter impressions about the events, using #ForceFriday.  

Jill Wilfert, Vice President of global licensing and entertainment from The LEGO Group comments, “It was so much fun to be a part of Star Wars Force Friday, and we can’t wait for fans to join this year’s celebration as we reveal new ‘Star Wars: The Last Jedi’ products during Force Friday II – a global event that will connect fans and families, and allow them to build, create and share their experiences with others.” 

Details of how fans can participate will be revealed closer to the event but the world-wide launch will tap new technology and Star Wars mythology to create a unique experience for fans. Just like 2015, products for “The Last Jedi” will be kept under wraps until Force Friday II to preserve surprises for fans. As well as introducing new characters from the movie in toy form, the line will build on the success of products like Sphero’s BB-8, introducing more innovative technology to bring the characters and stories from the film to life in unique ways. 

“Toys play a unique role in the Star Wars universe, and we’re proud to have been part of that incredible legacy for the past forty years. The new line for ‘The Last Jedi’ is our most innovative yet, and we’re excited to unveil it on Force Friday II,” said Samantha Lomow, Senior Vice President at Hasbro. 

“Star Wars: The Force Awakens” is the highest grossing movie of all time domestically and that success was mirrored at retail. NPD reported that Star Wars was the number one toy property in the U.S. for 2016 and 2015, and that during the week of Force Friday, $1 for every $11 spent on toys was on a Star Wars item. Additionally, the popularity of the movie propelled Star Wars onto the top ten toy list for both boys and girls for the first time ever in 2015. 

Also being revealed today is a first look at packaging for “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” products which feature leading heroes: Poe Dameron, Rey and Finn. The trio will be featured on Star Wars packaging beginning September 1, 2017. 

Fans can stay tuned to StarWars.com for more details on Force Friday II events, and can follow the conversation on social using #ForceFridayII.

 

 

VIDEO: Watch As Darth Vader Battles Buzz Lightyear In This Impressive Fan Made Film

WDWNT on February 6, 2017

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Impressive. Most impressive. No, really, this is pretty impressive and I would love to see Darth Vader make his way into Toy Story 4 and possibly team up with Emperor Zurg. Check out this thrilling fan made film that brings forth The Dark Lord Of The Sith and Space Command’s Favorite Space Ranger as mistaken identity leads to a crossover battle that will be long remembered!

 

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, Nukazooka

Off To Neverland! – California Attractions That Never Happened

WDWNT on February 6, 2017

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Neverland is a fictional place in Disney’s “Peter Pan,” where pirates rule the seas, mermaids lurk the waters, fairies are real, and you never grow up. It’s a place of “never.” For a moment, let’s pretend that it is the year 2078. In this time period, Disney has just announced plans for their 6th theme park which would be 500 acres – their biggest park yet. This park would be called Neverland. This park is filled with shows, rides, concepts, ideas and many other things that Disney had plans for, but never fully put into effect. Let me be your VIP tour guide and show you what would be in this fictional Disney park of things that have “never” happened.

We begin our tour in the first land called Failed California. This land has rides and ideas proposed for Disneyland in California but never came to be.

Failed California (Disneyland, California)

  • LILLIPUTIAN LAND- This land was actually proposed by Roy O. Disney. This land was supposed to be based on the book Gulliver’s Travels and in it would be a miniature Americana village populated by 9-inch-tall singing and dancing mechanical people. The main attraction for this land would be a 17-inch-tall locomotive.
  • EDISON SQUARE- This land was supposed to be a side land of Main Street USA and its theme would be 1920 suburbs. The centerpiece in the land would be a statue of Thomas Edison. The main attraction would have been called Harnessing the Lightning, which would consist of retelling the history of electricity and the effect it had on the American society. This idea was scrapped, but some themes were used for Walt’s Carousel of Progress at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.
  • MYTHICA- This land would have a Greek/Roman theme and all the rides, shows and attractions would be based on Greek and Roman mythology. This was an idea by Disney Imagineers but never came into development.
  • ATLANTIS EXPEDITION- In this ride, you would be traveling in a submarine, similar to those in The 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea as well as The Finding Nemo Voyage. Riders would have been able to use a mechanical arm that was attached to the submarine, and grab gems and doubloons. The “area” or underwater part would have been based on Disney’s Atlantis film, but with the horrible box office ratings it had received, the idea was changed and thus The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage was created.
  • TOMORROWLAND 2055- Tomorrowland 2055 would have been an extraterrestrial-themed Tomorrowland, but the plans were abandoned because of budget cuts.
  • BIG CITY USA- A land that was supposed to be New York themed, featuring a giant Broadway theater that would hold live performances each day. This land was scrapped, however, the ideas for this land was inspiration for Tokyo Disney Sea’s American Waterfront.
  • HOLLYWOOD LAND- The theme for this land would have been the 1930’s/1940’s. Rides would have featured ideas and characters from “Dick Tracy” and “Who Framed Roger Rabbit?”.
  • DISCOVERY BAY-  The land would have had elements and been a tribute to Jules Verne and H.G Wells. The idea never came into development, but elements from the plans were later used in Disneyland Paris and Disney Tokyo Sea.
  • LIBERTY STREET- This land was an idea that just never came to be. It was going to resemble Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1776, and even have its own small harbor.

We we will end our tour here for today. In the time to come, I will guide you on more deep into Neverland‘s secrets. Next time,we will be traveling to The Land of Forgotten Countries…

PHOTOS: Paddlefish Restaurant Opens at Disney Springs

WDWNT on February 6, 2017

Officially opening today, the Paddlefish restaurant replaces what was Fulton’s in Disney Springs. The new elegant seafood establishment invited us to take a look inside last night during a special VIP event, so here’s a quick look at what guests will see when they enter the reimagined eatery:

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The check-in area.

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The dining room on the bottom floor near the paddlewheel.

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The dining and bar area at the front of the ship’s 1st floor.

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What I thought was most stunning was this area on the 1st floor, opened up with some fantastic large windows that offer unrivaled views.

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The second floor isn’t bad either though…

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Yes, we had to look in the bathroom (before anyone arrived, mind you). There are little tile paddlewheels on the ground!

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Second floor dining at the front of the ship.

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At sunset, the views were even better.

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Up to the third floor, which has a rather large lounge area in the front and back.

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PHOTOS: New Disney Castle Art & More Added to Lobby at Boardwalk Inn Resort

WDWNT on February 6, 2017

 

Upon visiting Disney’s Boardwalk Inn last night, we were greeted by some significant changes in the hotel’s lobby…
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In addition to some new carpet, couches, and chairs, three new pieces of Castle artwork were added to reflect the three other Disney Castles that did not have representation in the lobby’s fantastic carousel style ornamentation.

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The Castle art above the check-in desk represented the 4 Disney Castles around the world at the time the hotel opened…

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Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park…

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Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Resort Paris…

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And Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World (which also represented Tokyo until now).

Disney decided to represent all 6 castles in the lobby now, so those added recently include…

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Hong Kong Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty Castle (at least for now, until the castle is altered)…

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Enhanced Storybook Castle at Shanghai Disney Resort…

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And finally Cinderella Castle at Tokyo Disney Resort, with the new enhancements in the brickwork added several years ago to differentiate it from the other just across the lobby.

So, what do you think? Pretty cool, huh?

REVIEW: Olaf Marshmallow Cupcake at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on February 6, 2017

The latest seasonal specialty cupcake at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is celebrating Olaf from Frozen. The cupcake features chocolate cake with a marshmallow topping, and a white chocolate Olaf on top.

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The cupcake is available currently at all of the Sunset Ranch Market eateries including Fairfax Fare, Rosie’s All-American Cafe, and Catalina Eddie’s for $5.59.


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The chocolate cake is not of the usual taste, it was lighter in the flavoring, more akin to a german chocolate actually.

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The frosting is marshmallow flavored and features crunchy “sugar crystals” on top of it.

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Overall, it is a pretty solid cupcake, but not my favorite. A marshmallow filling in the middle would have been neat and maybe helped with the lighter chocolate flavor of the cake. The icing also has a somewhat strange, toothpaste like consistency. It’s a good cupcake, but you should probably just save room for a different snack at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

PHOTO REPORT: The Magic Kingdom 1/27/17 (More Tomorrowland Makeover, MARVEL, Waffle Fries, Remembering Kingdom Cabanas, ETC.)

WDWNT on February 6, 2017

Our latest photo report brings us back to the Magic Kingdom to see the ever-changing Tomorrowland, new merchandise items, and more, so let’s dive right on in…

IT WAS CROWDED

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Luckily we had parked at the Contemporary and had a private security line to enter, because every other line in front of the park was overwhelmed. Every weekend in January has been fairly busy thus far.

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This disaster was the Will Call line. They estimated that some guests waited 90-120 minutes.

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The new security screening area wasn’t helping as it was colliding with the line.

Refurb Street U.S.A.

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The tarps on the Train Station are finally themed.

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The exterior refurbishment on the Emporium continues as well.

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Yes, we’re open!

This and That

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Waffle fries are back at the Golden Oak Outpost.

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Tortuga Tavern was open and selling Turkey Legs and Hot Dog combos.

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It was easily the worst smell combination on this or any planet.

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The Adventureland food carts no longer have Cheeseburger Egg Rolls, but now sell churros.

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I knew our server at Skipper Canteen hated us when the stains on the menus were real and not “themed”…

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That’s real food. We had terrible service on top of this, which was a first for me in my many trips to Skipper Canteen.

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These signs were added to Magic Kingdom restaurants when they added alcohol.

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No, these people don’t think that a nighttime parade is coming, they are just electing to wait for fireworks while sitting on the curb.

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The Future of Drinking

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Work continues on what we suspect will be the Joffrey’s coffee location at the Magic Kingdom.


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A peek over the walls show a foundation in place.

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The Cool Ship and Cool Scanner are closed for refurbishment.

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Looks like more Tomorrowland TLC to me.

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This new Lightning McQueen animated glow headband is for sale around the parks for $16.

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The ticket sales location in the Tomorrowland Light and Power Co. is gone, but the sign remains.

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New Disney Boutique hoodies for sale.

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The 45th Anniversary Sale

Don’t Miss the January WDWNT TeePublic Sale! Shirts are Now Just $14!

WDWNT on February 6, 2017

Don’t miss your chance to score some great WDWNT merchandise during the January sale at the WDWNT store on TeePublic. Everything in the store is 30% off until Sunday with no coupon code needed!

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You can get anything and everything in our store for 30% off the regular price. Even better, every purchase you make helps keep WDWNT.com going and supports all of the great coverage we provide every single day. Gear up with stylish Disney fan apparel while supporting the Worldwide Leader in Disney Parks News? DOES IT GET ANY BETTER? Actually it does, when you get complimented on wearing these amazing shirts at the parks…

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The sale ends Sunday January 29th at 11:59 PM EST, so don’t delay! Get your WDWNT gear now!