Famous Disney Character Voices Added to 2016 Candlelight Processional Lineup at Epcot

WDWNT on October 31, 2016

Five additional narrators have been revealed for 2016 edition of the Candlelight Processional at Epcot starting November 25th.

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Among the newly listed are actors sure to be familiar with those reading this story, some who have given voice to Disney animated characters. Participating are Ming-Na Wen (speaking voice of Mulan), Jodi Benson (Ariel in The Little Mermaid), and Robby Benson (Beast from Disney’s Beauty and the Beast).

The additions fill out most of the season for the event. There is still a three-day gap in the schedule beginning Dec. 7.

The Candlelight Processional lineup, subject to change, currently looks like this:

  • Nov. 25-27: Steven Curtis Chapman
  • Nov. 28-Dec. 1: Neil Patrick Harris
  • Dec. 2-3: Whoopi Goldberg
  • Dec. 4-6: Edward James Olmos
  • Dec. 10-12: Robby Benson
  • Dec. 13-15: Meredith Vieira
  • Dec. 16-18: Jim Caviezel
  • Dec. 19-21: Joe Morton
  • Dec. 22-24: Ming-Na Wen
  • Dec. 25-27: Jodi Benson
  • Dec. 28-30: Cal Ripken Jr.

Candlelight Processional is included in regular Epcot admission. Disney of course also sells a dinner package for the event that guarantees seating. More info can be found at DisneyWorld.com.

The Famous Muppets Courtyard Fountain at Hollywood Studios is Becoming a Planter

WDWNT on October 31, 2016

Without a doubt, you are familiar with the iconic fountain outside of MuppetVision 3-D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Well, that iconic piece of Studios history is now becoming a planter…

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Don’t worry though, the change is only temporary. The fountain will return in some form at some point in the future, but Disney is not stating when. It is believed that the nearby Star Wars construction requires the pipes for the fountains to be temporarily removed and the rerouted.

The temporary Miss Piggy planter will be completed by October 28th.

Disney World Theme Parks Adjust Security Screenings Following Guest Attempting to Bring In Loaded Gun

WDWNT on October 31, 2016

Following Monday’s incident where a Louisiana man attempted to bring a loaded gun into Epcot, Walt Disney World Security has altered the way in which they are screening guests entering the park.

Gates force all guests without bags to funnel into a now mandatory metal detector screening at Hollywood Studios

Gates force all guests without bags to funnel into a now mandatory metal detector screening at Hollywood Studios

At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests without bags are now being directed down a new route where they are forced to be screened a metal detector. Previously, these screenings were at random, although it was not uncommon at select times to find occurrences where Disney security cast members would send everyone coming in through metal detector screenings.

It is unknown if this will be the new standard procedure or if it is just being done temporarily placate guests fearful after Monday’s incident.

CONFIRMED: “Once Upon a Time” Replaces “Celebrate the Magic” Nighttime Show on November 4th

WDWNT on October 31, 2016

As we reported yesterday, “Celebrate the Magic” at the Magic Kingdom is on its way out, and “Once Upon a Time” from Tokyo Disneyland is on its way in.

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In this new-to-the-U.S. show, Mrs. Potts from “Beauty and the Beast” shares bedtime stories with Chip, taking them on a magical trip through the most adventurous scenes from favorite Disney films like “Cinderella,” “Peter Pan,” “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.”

Scenes include a flight with Peter Pan from London to Never Land, the Mad Hatter’s whimsical tea party, and a daring duel between Gaston and Beast. Mrs. Potts and Chip end their bedtime story with a grand finale that includes appearances by characters from even more Disney films.

The show, which is a version of what currently operates at Tokyo Disneyland Park (minus a lot of pyro as the Tokyo show is essentially the park’s nightly fireworks show), uses projection mapping technology to cover every nook and cranny of Cinderella Castle in vibrant images that appear almost three-dimensional.

“Once Upon A Time: Where Stories Take You Anywhere” will replace the 4-year-old “Celebrate the Magic” projection show, which will end its run on November 3. “Once Upon a Time” debuts November 4th.

TONIGHT on WDW News Tonight (10/26/16) – Scariest Things Ever at WDW, Halloween Match Game, and Cornac the Magnificent

WDWNT on October 31, 2016

Tonight on WDW News Tonight, it’s a Halloween Spooktacular Celebration with the return of the Match Game, Cornac the Magnificent, and a countdown of the spookiest and scariest things ever at Disney theme parks…

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If you are in the Orlando area, you can tune in to AM 1520 WBZW at showtime. For those outside the Orlando area, the show can be heard (and now watched via video stream) at Listen.WDWNT.com on your computer or mobile device. The show also utilizes new interactive avenues for our audience, including a live chat, the ability to call-in to the show, and live polling. WDW News Tonight is hosted by Tom Corless and Nick LoCicero, but also features appearances by a number of other WDWNT correspondents.

Coming up on this week’s show:

  • A recap of the week’s news (with a WDWNT comedic twist)
  • A visit from Cornac the Magnificent
  • The Wonderful World of Psychotic Comments
  • “WDWNT: The Halloween Match Game”, presented by Theme Park Connection
  • Who’s Hates Tom Now?
  • The Scariest Things Ever at Walt Disney World
  • 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:

“Muppet Babies” Are Back!; New Series Coming To Disney Junior in 2018

WDWNT on October 31, 2016

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Variety has announced that the classic Muppet series “Muppet Babies” is returning with a reboot to Disney Junior. This reboot will stay faithful to the series with CGI animation reminiscent of the hand drawn animation that we were all familiar with from the original series.

According to Variety:

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Disney Junior is rebooting the 1980s children’s cartoon series “Muppet Babies.” Production on the new show, slated to premiere on the cable channel in 2018, has already begun.

The original “Muppet Babies” was a hand-drawn animated series featuring pint-size versions of Jim Henson’s classic characters. The series ran on Saturday mornings on CBS from 1984 until 1991.

“We are proud, and a little bit giddy, to begin production on our new version of the much-loved ‘Muppet Babies,’” said Nancy Kanter, executive vice president, original programming and general manager, Disney Junior Worldwide. “Parents will delight in seeing their favorite Muppets in the mixed animation style they remember from the original series, and kids will be introduced to this warm and zany world made just right for the Disney Junior audience.”

The new, CG-animated revival will, like the original, be geared toward children ages 4-7 and feature two 11-minute adventures per episode. The show will be a co-production between Disney Junior, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media’s Content & Media group, and The Muppets Studio.

Tom Warburton (“The 7D”) will executive produce the series with Eric Shaw (“SpongeBob SquarePants”) serving as story editor.

“Bringing ‘Muppet Babies’ to Disney Junior is a wonderful opportunity to reach a new generation of viewers and to creatively build on the innovative original series,” said Debbie McClellan, vice president, the Muppets Studio. “We hope to engage and delight the nostalgic fans while also entertaining new kids, parents and diverse audiences through heart and humor as only the Muppets can deliver.”

Source: Variety

Disney May Be Buying Twitter After All

WDWNT on October 31, 2016

As reported late last night by Investor’s Business Daily:

Twitter (TWTR) shares rose late after a report that Walt Disney (DIS) is once again interested in buying the struggling social network.

The website Betaville reported, citing sources, that Twitter and Disney are “thrashing out a deal” after agreeing on a price “thought to be in the high 20s per share” late last week.

Later, Benzinga, citing a source “familiar” with the matter, downplayed the “chatter” and questioned the source.

Twitter shares rose 3.2% to 17.82 in late trading on the stock market today. But that followed the 4.3% regular-session decline to 17.26 amid a report of big job cuts this week. Twitter rose as high as as 25.25 on Oct. 5, the best since December 2015, amid  speculation that Disney, Google parent Alphabet (GOOGL), Salesforce.com (CRM) and even, by some accounts, Apple (AAPL), might make a bid for Twitter. But they all appeared to drop out, with Disney apparently wary of the caustic comments and abuse by Twitter trolls.

Yet Disney CEO Bob Iger has made no secret of his desire to boost Disney’s digital distribution channels.

Disney & Ice Cube Are Making A New Musical Version Of “Oliver Twist”

WDWNT on October 31, 2016

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The Hollywood Reporter has announced that Disney has joined forces with Ice Cube to bring “Oliver Twist” to the big screen yet again.

This time around, Ice Cube will star as the criminal mastermind, Fagin. Thomas Kail, who was the director of “Hamilton”, is set to direct the film.

From The Hollywood Reporter:

Disney Studios is teaming with Ice Cube and Thomas Kail, the Tony-winning director of Hamilton, for a modern and musical take on Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist.

Marc Platt, the veteran movie producer who also was behind Broadway’s hit musical Wicked, and Jeff Kwatinetz of The Firm are producing. Cube also will produce via his Cube Vision banner.

Oliver Twist is one of Dickens’ most famous works and tells of an orphan boy who moves from a life as an exploited child laborer to being under the wings of Fagin, a leader of a gang of London pickpockets. Hardship, murders and secrets waiting to be revealed follow the boy.

The popular story was already adapted by Disney as an animated movie, 1988’s Oliver and Company. But perhaps the biggest impact on popular culture has been through the never-ending iterations of the stage musical Oliver!

The new Oliver Twist will be a modern musical with sources describing it as crossing many genres, including hip-hop. Cube and Kwatinetz are writing the treatment, with Cube attached to play Fagin.

The project is in able hands with Cube, the former co-founder of seminal rap group N.W.A turned actor and producer, most recently producing Straight Outta Compton and Ride Along 2. Cube next stars in Fist Fight, the New Line comedy which he also executive produced that is set to open Feb. 17.

Kail is known for collaborating with Lin-Manuel Miranda on the rapper-composer’s musicals In the Heights and Hamilton. He also directed Grease Live!, Fox’s live TV take on the classic movie musical that starred Julianne Hough and Vanessa Hudgens and that was produced by Platt (whose next film outing is the upcoming Ryan Gosling-Emma Stone musical La La Land).

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

UPDATE: Woman Attempted to Bring Gun into Animal Kingdom Monday, Same Day as Epcot Incident

WDWNT on October 31, 2016

As it turns out, our first report Monday of a person bringing a loaded weapon into a Walt Disney World Theme Park was correct.  There were actually two incidents Monday morning, one at Epcot and one at Animal Kingdom.  We had initially reported the Animal Kingdom incident, news of which we received from an inside source at the park, but as the Epcot incident unfolded, we had assumed our source was confused, as we would have never thought such an occurrence would happen twice within hours of each other.

But indeed our source was correct.  Court records show an Alabama woman, Baleigh Turner, was arrested on a charge of carrying a concealed firearm, after Disney security found a .380 caliber pistol in her backpack. Apparently the woman did have a concealed weapon permit in Alabama, but it had expired.  Even if the permit had been valid, weapons are not permitted in Disney theme parks.

“The Incredibles 2” Coming Sooner And “Toy Story 4” Coming Later; Two Highly Anticipated Pixar Sequels Switch Release Dates

WDWNT on October 31, 2016

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There is good news if you are an “Incredibles” fan and not so good news if you are a “Toy Story” fan. Both of these highly anticipated sequels to two of Pixar’s most popular franchise are doing the old switcharoo with “The Incredibles 2” now opening on June 15, 2018 and “Toy Story 4” will now open on June 21, 2019.

According to Variety:

“The Incredibles 2” will hit theaters a year before it was originally slated, while “Toy Story 4” will move from 2018 to 2019, Pixar said Wednesday.

The two animated releases will switch release dates. “The Incredibles 2” will debut on June 15, 2018 — the same day that “Toy Story 4” was originally slated to bow in theaters. “Toy Story 4” will then move to June 21, 2019, filling a slot that “The Incredibles” follow-up was supposed to occupy. Both films will have their dates entirely to themselves. The new “Incredibles” will premiere between the releases of “Transformers 6” and the sequel to “Jurassic World.” “Toy Story 4” will bow between an untitled DC Comics film and “Transformers 7.”

Source: Variety