PHOTOS: First Disney Springs Map Released Today np
With today being the first day of Disney Springs, they have debuted the very first map labeled as Disney Springs at Walt Disney World:
Dates Announced for “Star Wars – Seasons of the Force” Event at Walt Disney World
Disney has confirmed that Star Wars: Season of the Force will arrive at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on January 8th, 2016, running until March 20th, 2016. The event will include special food, drink, and merchandise offerings, as well as a special fireworks show on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. All of the other offerings for the event will have already debuted by December 2015, including a new scene on Star Tours and the Star Wars Launch Bay attraction.
The event will replace Star Wars Weekends in 2016. There is still no word if Star Wars Weekends will ever return.
Pecos Bill’s at the Magic Kingdom Introducing Completely Revamped Mexican Style Menu in October np
Pecos Bill’s Tall Tale Inn & Cafe at the Magic Kingdom is about to undergo a radical menu overhaul.
Beginning October 1st, 2015, the new menu will feature fajitas, burritos, and rice bowls. The changes will come after a 3 day closure of the restaurant September 28th through the 30th.
The current menu features items like burgers, sandwiches and fries for the most part.
Jedi Training Academy at Hollywood Studios Ends October 4th, New Star Wars Show On The Way np
The long-running version of Jedi Training Academy that you know and love will have its final performances on October 4th, 2015 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
To coincide with the upcoming release of The Force Awakens and Season of the Force, a new version of the show will debut later this year. The new show was already formally announced for Disneyland Park:
Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple
Coming in December, experience a twist on the Jedi Training experience when you will encounter new characters and a new villain from the popular Disney XD series, Star Wars Rebels.
The new villain is expected to be the Inquisitor. The new show should debut at Hollywood Studios by Thanksgiving.
Season Of The Force Begins at Disneyland November 16th, 2015 np
The Disney Parks Blog has just provided us with an update of new and exciting information regarding Seasons Of The Force, which is the upcoming Star Wars event that will be celebrated at the Disney parks.
From Disney Parks Blog:
At Disney Parks, we’re preparing to celebrate the excitement around all things Star Wars with brand-new themed experiences. Guests in Tomorrowland at Disneyland park in Southern California will soon be able to experience their favorite Star Wars stories when Season of the Force begins November 16. We’ll have opening dates to share for these new Star Wars experiences at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida soon.
Season of the Force at Disneyland park will take guests to a galaxy far, far away with these special experiences:
Star Wars Launch Bay
This new area will offer opportunities to visit with favorite Star Wars characters, special exhibits, peeks at the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens and much more. Here’s a look inside!
- Choose Your Destiny with Special Character Experiences
- Dark Side – Encounter one of the most iconic villains from Star Wars, Darth Vader.
- Light Side – Fly casual at this makeshift Rebel base, and meet the most famous co-pilot in the galaxy, Chewbacca.
- Explore the Dark and the Light in Themed Galleries
- Dark Side Gallery – Get a look at authentic pieces of stormtrooper armor as well as famous Sith lightsabers once wielded by masters of the dark side.
- Light Side Gallery – Explore a gallery filled with Rebel flight helmets and lightsabers once wielded by Jedi Knights.
- Preview Gallery – See props from the upcoming film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
- Starship Gallery – Discover models of famous starships and their pilots from throughout the Star Wars saga.
- Join the Battle in the Star Wars Game Center – Play the latest games from the Star Wars galaxy, including Disney Infinity 3.0 – featuring park-exclusive Toy Box levels.
Jedi Training: Trials of the Temple
Coming in December, experience a twist on the Jedi Training experience when you will encounter new characters and a new villain from the popular Disney XD series, Star Wars Rebels.
Star Tours – The Adventures Continue
This popular attraction will feature a new scene inspired by the upcoming film, Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Limited-Time Experiences
- Hyperspace Mountain – Climb aboard a reimagined Space Mountain attraction, in which guests will join an X-wing starfighter battle.
- Revisit favorite scenes from classic Star Wars films at Tomorrowland Theater.
- Try new themed food.
Choose your side during Season of the Force, beginning November 16 at Disneyland park in California. And keep an eye on the Disney Parks Blog for dates and details on these new Star Wars experiences coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida.
Source: Disney Parks Blog
FIRST LOOK: Mickey and Figment Celebrate 20 Years of the Food & Wine Festival at Epcot with New Merchandise for 2015
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Even though the Festival doesn’t actually start until tomorrow, merchandise was out in MouseGear today
Shotglass… I mean toothpick holder
Magnet
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They even have a new garbage can salt and pepper shaker for the Festival
We have plenty more photos and coverage from the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival coming over the weekend, so stay tuned!
PHOTOS BY DIRK WALLEN
VIDEO: Preview “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” in NEW 360 Degree Experience np
Today Facebook announced that they’re rolling out 360-degree videos in their News Feed. The Star Wars Facebook Page was one of the first publishers to take advantage of this new 360 degree experience.Disney and Lucasfilm are proud to debut an exclusive 360 experience from the upcoming movie “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” that brings fans inside the beloved universe.
Remember to drag and click the video for an immersive experience!
Source: Star Wars Facebook
REGISTER NOW to play Match Game Tonight (09/24/15) on WDWNT: The Radio Show
Tonight, on WDWNT: The Radio show, you can also win some great prizes from Theme Park Connection by playing The Match Game. Match your answers with those of our WDWNT staff panel to score points. We are giving you the chance to pre-register now to have a chance to play live on tonight’s radio show. Here are some of the rules:
- Send an email to Nick@WDWNT.com with your Name, Address and Phone number with the Subject “Match Game Entry”.
- Sending an email does not guarantee entry into the game. We will randomly select contestants as needed, giving preference to those who have not won a prize in the past 30 days.
- Must be 18 years of age or older or have parents permission to enter.
- Must be available to play anytime tonight, September 24, between 8-10pm EST.
- We will call you at the number you provide when it is time to play.
Hosted by radio veterans and life-long Disney fans Tom Corless and Nick LoCicero, the live radio talk show on AM 1520 WBZW in Orlando focuses on the latest news and current trending topics at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. WDW News Today: The Radio Show can also be streamed live at http://www.1520wbzw.com. WDW News Today the Radio Show debuted in August of 2013 as a 1 hour broadcast on Saturday evenings and has grown into a 2-hour program by popular demand.
To interact with the hosts during the show, listeners can call in at (407) 774-8255, tweet @WDWNT using #WDWNTRadio, or use the new LIVE chat that will be available at Radio.WDWNT.com.
The show begins at 8PM EST every Thursday night, don’t miss it!
New Poster For Walt Disney Animation’s “Zootopia”
Walt Disney Animation Studios has just released a new poster for their upcoming film, “Zootopia”.
The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together — a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when optimistic Officer Judy Hopps arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde, to solve the mystery.
Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Zootopia opens in theaters on March 4, 2016.
Walt Disney World Pulls The Plug on Duffy the Disney Bear np
After over 5 years, Disney seems to be giving up on making Duffy the Disney Bear the must-have souvenir at Disney Parks.
The Duffy the Disney Bear walk-around character will greet guests in World Showcase at Epcot for the last time on October 3rd, 2015. A Daisy Duck meet and greet will replace the current Duffy location.
The nearby Duffy store at Epcot was stripped of the bear a while back and is now a shop that sells Star Wars and Marvel franchise items.
The Disney Bear was reintroduced on both coasts in 2010 as Duffy after years of unbridled success at the Tokyo Disney Resort. Other than the Epcot meet and greet experience, other theme park experiences with Duffy were planned, but never came to fruition. Supposedly, sales of the plush were never quite what Disney expected and those cast members who launched the project were promoted within the company, leaving Duffy in the hands of those who never envisioned leading the charge for the plush bear.
There was even a media event celebrating Duffy’s arrival at the park back in 2010:
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Disney also shuttered the Duffy meet and greet at California Adventure a few months back.
Despite all of these changes, Duffy will still be sold at the parks and there are no plans to retire the nightly bedtime story on Walt Disney World Resort TV as of right now.