VIDEO: “Rock the Night” Fireworks Spectacular Lights Studios’ Skies for One Night

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

One of our WDWNT Reporters visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios earlier tonight to see the one-night-only performance of the “Rock The Night” fireworks spectacular, which turned out to be a slightly altered version of the usual New Year’s Eve show. Enjoy a complete video of the show:

The show was an attempt to get guests away from the Magic Kingdom for the day while President Obama visited. Disney’s Hollywood Studios would typically run Fantasmic! in this situation, but it is currently under refurbishment, so running this show was the only other option. Guests seemed to have a great time, so I would deem this a very successful temporary replacement.

History of: The Land, Epcot

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

The Land Pavilion at Walt Disney World opened just about 35 years ago with Phase 1 of the rest of Epcot Center on October 1, 1982. 

Epcot, The Land Pavilion Circa 1982
Photo from Matterhorn1959.blogspot.com



For some undefined reason, this is my favorite pavilion in all of Epcot. It is not the most exciting. It doesn’t have the best food. And it is home to one of the longest wait times and hardest to get Fast Passes in all of Walt Disney World. But I enjoy the Living with the Land boat ride. 



It’s a nice relaxing trip through the greenhouses when the rest of the park is hot and in a rush. I enjoy Soarin’. Not as much as most, but the imagineering behind the ride system make it a special experience. I enjoy the smells of the food court. Not sure why, but the mixture of whatever they are cooking up makes me hungry every time. But most of all, I enjoy the sights. The greenery lining the entrance is inviting. The walls, ceilings and carpets are full of color. And then of course, there are the 4 seasons balloons…

And this is were Caley Hicks took her inspiration when designing the 9″ Park 9 The Land figure.

It is a remarkable figure, brilliantly illustrating summer, winter, fall and spring as seen on the four hot air balloons that hang high over the food court. Caley was able to incorporate all the features of each balloon including the bird on summer and butterflies on fall.

For me it’s the colors of this building that stay ingrained in memory and the colors here seem spot on.

The 9″ Park 9 Epcot, The Land figure will be in stores on July 20. The edition size is 1000 and the retail price is $44.95.

Now for a bit of history about The Land. The pavilion underwent a gradual refurbishment beginning on September 27, 1993. The pavilion’s main attraction, Listen to the Land, which took guests on connected boats through various exhibits within the pavilion, reopened mostly unchanged as Living with the Land on December 10, 1993.

The Kitchen Kabaret another of the pavilion’s original attractions featuring an Audio-Animatronics presentation about nutrition, closed on January 3, 1994. It was replaced with a new show titled Food Rocks, which featured some of the elements from the original show with an updated presentation intended to be more modern and appealing to younger audiences. Food Rocks has since closed down to make room for “The Land”‘s newest attraction, Soarin’. Soarin’s massive movie screens and ride mechanics required the construction of a large physical addition to the pavilion itself.

Symbiosis, the last of “The Land”‘s three original attractions, was closed on January 1, 1995. This attraction, which was a cinematic presentation that discussed both the positive and negative aspects of human relationship with the land, eventually reopened as Circle of Life, a new film featuring characters from The Lion King.

Between 2004 and 2005, the pavilion underwent its second major refurbishment. It received a new color scheme and foliage. The walkways and stroller parking to the pavilion’s entrance were redefined and widened. All of the carpeting in the pavilion was replaced, and the main food court was completely redesigned. The pavilion’s signage was updated, incorporating the new color scheme, new typography, and a modernized logotype.

Former Attractions:
Listen to the Land (October 1, 1982 – September 27, 1993)
Kitchen Kabaret (October 1, 1982 – January 3, 1994)
Food Rocks (1994 – January 3, 2004)
Symbiosis (October 1, 1982 – January 1, 1995)

Current Attractions:
Living with the Land (December 10, 1993–Present)
Soarin’ (May 5, 2005–Present)
Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable (January 21, 1995–Present)
Behind the Seeds Tour

Current Dining:
The Garden Grill Restaurant
Sunshine Seasons food court

Concept Art & Details on Innoventions VISION House Revealed

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

Inspired by Green Builder Media’s VISION House demonstration home series, the experiential exhibit will highlight the major themes of whole-home automation, energy efficiency, water conservation, indoor environment quality, security, multi-generational design, and durability. Visitors will learn that each house is a set of interactive systems, and that proper management of those systems will maximize comfort and minimize operational costs.

Adam Roth’s 1/20/12 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Epcot on Friday and has some noteworthy photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

One of the rock arches is being rebuilt in the Oasis

Major reconstruction

Could we refurb this please?

This water fits the theme, but it is disgusting…

Waterfalls running at Everest

Is this photo from 1971?

The steam is still working

Well, he moves more than Harold…

The new Disney Vacation Club logo is everywhere now

On to Epcot where the old Alfredo’s facade is being ripped apart in the long-delayed remodeling of Tutto Italia

This makes me want to cry…

The quick serve window is open at Via Napoli to accommodate guests

Mmmmmm…

More and more of these new directional signs showing up in Future World

The Seas mural is being repaired

Sleepy cuttlefish…

I think they sponsor a golf event of some kind… or am I confused? 😉

How different will this look come October?

This board could use a good washing

Cast Members wrote on some props, probably will be replaced in the refurb

The heat chamber is rumored to be leaving

As is the cold chamber

And those robots might actually be turned off permanently

Plenty of the Chevy cars out there now

These diplays aren’t super-new, but they are all Chevy-related

Romance Blooms in “The Magic, The Memories, and You!”, Summer Overlay Teased

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

From Shawn Slater on the Disney Parks Blog:

One of the true delights of the recent holiday season at Disney Parks was a special segment during our evening projection show, “The Magic, The Memories and You!” The faces of Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park and “it’s a small world” at Disneyland park were transformed into gingerbread masterpieces, brightly colored packages and palaces of ice.

Well if you enjoyed that, our Creative Entertainment team has another treat in store, just in time for Valentine’s Day! A new show segment is set to debut Feb. 1, inspired by some of the most romantic moments in Disney animation. Cinderella Castle and “it’s a small world” will be covered in red roses for one sequence and turned into a beautiful, star-filled sky for another. During part of the show, spectacular stained glass windows will grace the façades, depicting the stories of Cinderella, Snow White and Belle.

One of my favorite moments comes when the king and queen from “Tangled” appear on a balcony, lifting a single lantern to the sky for their missing daughter. It’s soon joined by hundreds of others, creating a magical sight sure to draw “oohs” and “ahhs” from the crowd. It gives me goosebumps just thinking about it! Of course, the most heart-warming part of any segment of “The Magic, The Memories and You!” is the images of our guests, captured by Disney PhotoPass photographers during the day and incorporated into the show each night.

The romance segment is planned to run as part of “The Magic, The Memories and You!” through mid-April but we’re not stopping there. Wait until you see “it’s a small world” as a sand castle in a segment we’re working on for summer. It’s chock full of detail… right up to the point where Goofy rides a wave across the façade, washing it all away to reveal… well, I don’t want to spoil all the surprises!

Field Trip! Nerds go to Epcot

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

It’s Summer vacation for most kids out there, but the Disney Nerds can’t get enough of school. So they have been sent off to summer camp to keep on learning. Last week, they took advantage of the beautiful Florida sunshine with a field trip to Epcot. Math, Science, Art and History are all at your finger tips at this Walt Disney World park.

The class is on their way to the park entrance.
–

Chip ‘n Dale don’t need too much help in this area, but they picked up some tips on how they can better live with the land.
–
They took in the sights and sounds of nature.
–
Donald was amazed at the physics of an up side down waterfall.
–
Daisy was also drawn to water, but she wanted to learn about The Living Seas.
–
No goofing around here… lets learn about speed!
–
Double bonus! Not only is Pluto a Bill Nye fan, but he also loves energy!
–
This is one thing they do not teach you in class… but Figment is an expert in Imagination.
–
Stitch isn’t looking to escape… he’s just on a mission to learn more about the galaxy.
–
Is an Imagineering degree in the works? Mickey discovers that this shape is everywhere in nature. (at least here at Walt Disney World.)
–
Always excited about culture, Minnie explores the World Showcase.
–
Only the nerdiest of Nerds would be interested in the survey marker found in the parking lot.
–
A “What if” experiment went wrong and Nerd Mickey was super sized!
–
Speaking of experiments… Stitch is in awe of the Mickey Spaceman statue…
–
…so he poses for one of his own.
–
Nerd Figment went home with a bunch of cool souvenirs.

Guests Can “Glow With Show” With New Interactive Ear Hats

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

From Erin Glover on the Disney Parks Blog:

tarting June 15, Disney California Adventurepark guests will have the chance to light up the night when Glow with the Show Ears become available for purchase at select locations throughout the park.

For more than 55 years, the classic, black Mickey Mouse ear hat has been a Disney Parks guest favorite. In 2005, those ears got a golden touch to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Disneyland park, and there have been more than 200 different ear hats including limited-edition and novelty ear hats. Now, using the latest interactive technology, our newest ear hats will quite literally let you “Glow with the Show.” Watch as the iridescent ears change to complement and harmonize with what’s happening around you, allowing you to become a part of the magic of our nighttime spectaculars, such as “World of Color” and Mad T Party. But that’s not all – there are lots of surprises in store when you visit Disney California Adventure park with Glow with the Show Ears, so I’ll let you discover them for yourself!

Here’s a peek at what the new Glow with the Show Ears will look like:

“Rendering
“Glow with the Show now lets our guests become part of the color of our magical ‘World of Color’ at the Paradise Bay lagoon,” describes Steve Davison, Creative Entertainment Vice President of Parades & Spectaculars. “Throughout the show, the Glow with the Show Ears become a set of pixels that dance and play along with each sequence in ‘World of Color’ in a bright and dynamic way. For example, during the show, guests become part of the ocean with the Little Mermaid, a shining galaxy of stars for WALL-E and Eve, an extension of the Genie’s magic in ‘Friend Like Me,’ among other interactive explosions of color throughout the entire show. It truly brings the show’s environment out of the lagoon and into the audience in an amazing and dazzling new way!”

Are you planning to “Glow with the Show” on your next visit to Disney California Adventure park?

This is an interesting concept that has actually been tried before with The Magical Moments promotion in Florida. Guests could buy pins that would light up when you walked past certain buildings in the parks, watched parades, or even went in to certain attractions.For example, on Tower of Terror in the hallway scene, when the walls turned into a star field, your pin would light up as well.

Opportunity to Experience Animal Kingdom with Jane Goodall

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

There is a pretty interesting experience being made available at Disney’s Animal Kingdom around the park’s 14th anniversary for those with a little expendable income:

The 2012 Walt Disney World Safari VIP Weekend
A VIP Family Weekend at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park
April 20, 2012 – April 22, 2012

While many people dream of going to Africa to live like renowned primatologist Dr. Jane Goodall, most of us just don’t have the time to pack up and fly around the world, particularly those of us with children.  The Jane Goodall Institute, together with our longtime friends at Walt Disney World, would like to offer you and your family the next best thing: An Exclusive VIP Weekend at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge® featuring the chance to spend time with Jane.

Trip Highlights

  • Relax around a campfire and swap stories with Jane while enjoying hot chocolate and s’mores;
  • View the wildlife right outside the window of your savannah view room in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge®;
  • Get an up-close and behind-the-scenes view of majestic animals on Disney’s special Backstage Safari Tour;
  • Enjoy breakfast with Jane and some of Disney’s famous characters at Backstage Prop Shop in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge®;
  • Explore all of Disney’s Orlando theme parks with your Park Hopper® passes and much more!

The tickets for this three day, two night adventure include all scheduled events, two nights in a savannah view room in Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge®, select meals, unlimited three-day admission to all Disney theme parks, a Disney Dining Card, and transportation to and from the Orlando airport as well as all of the Disney parks.

The trip costs $5,000 per person for members of Jane’s Peak Society (JGI’s $1,000+ giving circle) and $6,000 per person for new members. A significant portion of this payment is a tax-deductible donation to support JGI’s programs. For more information please contact John Davison, Major Gifts Coordinator, at jDavison@janegoodall.org or (703) 682-9281.