D23 Disney Fanniversary Celebration Dates Announced

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

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For the third year in a row, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will hit the road with D23 Disney Fanniversary Celebration presented by Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection. The live event will visit 11 cities across the U.S. to commemorate dozens of magical Disney milestones celebrating landmark anniversaries this year.

Hosted by Disney archivists and the D23 Team, Fanniversary 2014 will revisit beloved theme park attractions, animated and live-action films, characters, TV series, and more than 90 years of Disney history including Donald Duck, the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair, Sleeping Beauty, Haunted Mansion, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, The Little Mermaid, and many more. The event, which runs approximately 105 minutes, will also feature the never-before-heard track “Evil Evil” from Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection Sleeping Beauty and a demo recording from Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection The Little Mermaid. Fanniversary events will be open to the public, with special admission prices for D23 Members.

In addition, following each show, two rare items from the Walt Disney Archives will be on display for guests to see and photograph: a hat worn by Julie Andrews in Mary Poppins and a “Duckster” award. Created in 1952, this bronze-colored award in the image of Donald Duck honored those who made significant contributions to Disney over the years. Both Walt Disney and Donald Duck himself were among the recipients of this unique prize.

D23 Gold and Silver Members will have the first opportunity to purchase tickets on May 21 for $23 each. Tickets will be available to D23 Free Members on June 11 for $33 each, and remaining tickets will go on sale to the general public on July 9for $40 each. Tickets will be available at D23.com/Events. The touring schedule is as follows:

  • August 9: Burbank, Calif.
  • August 10: San Diego
  • August 16 & 17: San Francisco
  • September 6: Chicago
  • September 13: Seattle
  • September 20: Atlanta
  • September 21: Philadelphia
  • September 26: Washington, D.C.
  • September 28: New York City
  • October 4: Boston
  • October 25: Orlando

For times and locations, please visit D23.com.

Fanniversaries that guests can look forward to celebrating at each stop include:

  • Donald Duck (80th anniversary)
  • Disneyland TV show (60)
  • Sleeping Beauty (55)
  • Darby O’Gill and the Little People (55)
  • Disneyland’s Monorail, Matterhorn Bobsleds and Submarine Voyage (50)
  • Disney’s contributions to the 1964–65 New York World’s Fair (50)
  • Mary Poppins (50)
  • Haunted Mansion (45)
  • The Love Bug (45)
  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (35)
  • Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park (now Disney’s Hollywood Studios) (25)
  • Splash Mountain (25)
  • The Little Mermaid (25)
  • Pleasure Island (25)
  • The Lion King (20)
  • The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ (20)

…and many more!

More details about D23 Disney Fanniversary Celebration presented by Walt Disney Records The Legacy Collection can be found at D23.com/Events.

 

“Winged Encounters” – A New Bird Show Coming to Animal Kingdom This Summer

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

There’s a new animal experience coming soon to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Stars of the show are flocks of macaws in a kaleidoscope of colors flying over and around the heart of the park — Discovery Island. Brought to you by the fantastic team that inspires and delights guests at our Flights of Wonder show in collaboration with Disney Creative Entertainment, “Winged Encounters — The Kingdom Takes Flight,” will debut this summer.

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The macaws, with wingspans up to 60 inches, are now making short flights in the early morning hours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in preparation for the debut of the new experience, which features six types of macaw: hyacinth, green-winged, blue and gold, scarlet, blue-throated and military.

In addition to seeing these colorful birds in flight, during up-close encounters, avian experts will share conservation stories about the macaws, the majority of which are endangered in their native Central and South America.

Magic Kingdom Entertainment Schedule Released for 24-Hour Disney Side Party

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

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While some minor offerings have been left off of the schedule still, here’s when you might catch the larger entertainment offerings during the 24-hour Disney Side party at the Magic Kingdom May 23rd and 24th:

  • Magic Kingdom Welcome Show – 5:50 AM
  • Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It! Street Party – 10:00 AM, 1:30PM, 5:45 PM
  • Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade – 12:00 PM, 3:30PM
  • Celebrate the Magic – 8:45 Pm, 10:45 PM
  • Wishes! – 9:00 PM
  • Main Street Electrical Parade – 11:00 PM,  1:00 AM

The park will be open from 6:00 AM on May 23rd until 6:00 AM on May 24th. Stay tuned for more information on this event as more becomes available.

VIDEO: Disney’s “Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day” Trailer Now Available

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

The Walt Disney Studios today released the first trailer for the upcoming film Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day, which will be released October 10, 2014.

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Check out the trailer:

Based on the book written by Judith Viorst and published in 1972, Disney’s Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day follows the exploits of 11-year-old Alexander (Ed Oxenbould) as he experiences the most terrible and horrible day of his young life—a day that begins with gum stuck in his hair, followed by one calamity after another. But when Alexander tells his upbeat family about the misadventures of his disastrous day, he finds little sympathy and begins to wonder if bad things only happen to him. He soon learns that he’s not alone when his mom (Jennifer Garner), dad (Steve Carell), brother (Dylan Minnette) and sister (Kerris Dorsey) all find themselves living through their own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. Anyone who says there is no such thing as a bad day just hasn’t had one.

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Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is directed by Miguel Arteta from a screenplay by Rob Lieber. The film hits theaters nationwide Oct. 10, 2014.

VIDEO: Little Mermaid Ride at DCA Undergoes Overhaul, Is Magic Kingdom Next?

WDWNT on May 12, 2014

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After a couple weeks of refurbishment, The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure attraction at Disney California Adventure quietly reopened a few days ago with several major changes and additions. This isn’t the first time the attraction has undergone changes since opening in 2011; in 2012 new hand-drawn animation sequences were added to the ride as a copy of the attraction was prepared for Walt Disney World. Now, as Shanghai Disneyland prepares to open their version of the Mermaid attraction, Walt Disney Imagineering has once again decided to make changes to what they felt were problem areas in this new-age dark ride:

For those unfamiliar with the attraction here’s what’s new:

  • A number of static fish figures were added surrounding the first screen with Ariel and as well in the tunnel heading towards the Under the Sea sequence.
  • A picture of King Triton’s Castle now adorns the small ocean scrim before the Under the Sea sequence.
  • The Under the Sea sequence received the most major changes as it now relies heavily on black light like a traditional Disney dark ride (for example, like Peter Pan’s Flight). This was done to make the scene darker and to hide the very visible lighting rigs that more frequent park visitors have complained about.
  • Several other scenes are now relying on black light as well, though it isn’t as noticeable as in Under the Sea. Again, this was to hide infrastructure visible to guests during the ride.

For those of you more interested with Walt Disney World happenings, we fully expect these changes to be made to Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid at the Magic Kingdom. When those changes might happen, well, we don’t know just yet…

RUMORS: What May or May Not Be Announced for Disney Parks at the 2015 D23 Expo

WDWNT on April 3, 2014

In 2009, we saw Disney unveil plans for a New Fantasyland and a new Star Tours, but since then, the Parks and Resorts presentations at the D23 Expo have been almost barren of major announcements. However, 2015 is expected to be a year where Disney uses the event to reveal something big, perhaps simply based on the sheer amount of rumored, yet unconfirmed park projects that seem to be going on. Here’s a list of what’s currently going around the rumor mill and what are the most likely items we will hear something about during the 2015 D23 Expo, taking place August 14th through the 16th:

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Where do you even begin with this one? We are fully expecting the major reveal of the overhaul of this park at the D23 Expo, and if we don’t get one, there may just be a full scale riot at the Anaheim Convention Center that is simulcasted throughout social media. A name change for the park, a massive Star Wars themed land, and new PIXAR attractions are expected to be announced, but there may be even more. Speculation points to a revamped Fantasmic!, the arrival of the Red Car Trolley, a new indoor stage venue on Sunset Boulevard, as well as new parking entrances and multi-level structures also possibly being a part of the makeover plans.

Star Wars Land

While we aren’t expecting a ton of details, Star Wars Land will likely be announced for Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disneyland Park. While not much solid information is available , all we know is that the land will be HUGE, encompassing one entire side of DHS and taking up land from Critter Country to Mickey’s Toontown in Disneyland.

New Nighttime Spectaculars

With Rivers of Light debuting at Animal Kingdom in 2016, rumors indicate that new nighttime entertainment is on the way to the other three Walt Disney World parks as well. We already mentioned upgrades to Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios, but an IllumiNations replacement seems very likely for Summer 2016. What could be further off is a clone of the Paint the Night Parade for the Magic Kingdom, as well as a new fireworks show in the skies above Cinderella Castle, but these are also things that could be announced in 2 weeks time.

Star Wars Launch Bay

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Announced for Shanghai Disneyland, the Star Wars Launch Bay is “A kind of meet-and-greet mixed with a museum, promising immersion into a state-of-the-art cinematic experience.” This attraction is expected to land inside Innoventions at Disneyland just in time for the holidays and should be coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the not-too-distant future as well.

The MARVEL Universe

“The Marvel Universe is a similar experience, with a chance to meet the famous superheroes, as well as being briefed on a “multimedia mission,” while you can also learn to draw some of the characters.” Also announced for Shanghai, this experience is rumored for the second floor of Innoventions at Disneyland Park. More substansuial

Soarin’ Over the Horizon

It has been filmed and the digital conversion of Soarin’ theaters is completed in California and will be by next year in Orlando. It would be surprising if this updated version of Soarin’ did not debut in the U.S. between 2016-2017.

More About Disney Springs

There are some really interesting shopping and dining concepts rumored for Disney Springs that have yet to be announced.

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Disneyland Resort may never see a MagicBand, but a digital FastPass service and RFID ticket media will be coming to the west coast soon. The D23 Expo seems like a likely place for this announcement to be made, especially since some FastPass+ testing will be taking place in Anaheim soon.

So… which announcements would you like to see happen? Which ones do you actually think will happen?

RUMOR: Walt Disney: One Man’’s Dream and Voyage of the Little Mermaid to Close in September np

WDWNT on April 3, 2014

With the D23 Expo just two weeks away, the announcement of the overhaul of Disney’s Hollywood Studios seems to be imminent. While we expect more concrete details at that point, rumor has it that Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream and Voyage of the Little Mermaid will close at the end of September 2015.

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The exhibits and displays from One Man’s Dream should move to another location at Walt Disney World, meanwhile, guests looking to find the Little Mermaid can swim over to New Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom.

These closures are simply rumors at this point, but it is highly likely that both attractions will close at the end of Disney’s fiscal year on September 27th, 2015.

Garden Grill at Epcot to Begin Offering Breakfast and Lunch Character Dining in November

WDWNT on April 3, 2014

Beginning November 8, 2015, Garden Grill Restaurant inside The Land at Epcot will begin serving breakfast and lunch in addition to dinner.

The new Chip ‘n’ Dale’s Breakfast Harvest Feast will have all the fixin’s served in an all-you-care-to-enjoy family style. The menu includes breakfast favorites like biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, crispy bacon, Mickey waffles, and Chip’s Sticky Bun Bake.

At lunch, look for the all-you-care-to-enjoy favorites from the dinner menu, like “Living with the Land” Harvest-inspired Farmer’s Salad (which utilizes greens from the attraction), char-grilled sliced filet of beef, roasted all-natural sliced turkey breast with freshly-harvested vegetables and various side dishes. The sustainable fish will only be offered at dinner.

For reservations, visit DisneyWorld.com/dine or call 407-WDW-DINE.