Tom visited the Magic Kingdom this morning to see the first showing of The Muppets Present Great Moments in American History.
I’m incredibly impressed with the show and am excited to see what the entertainment department has in store for us. What did you think?
On Saturday, the Magic Kingdom celebrated 45 years of operation at the Walt Disney World Resort. In honor of this milestone, a few special events and offerings took place at the park, and of course, WDWNT was on the scene to check them out.
Guests were greeted just beyond the Magic Kingdom’s turnstiles by a slightly altered version of the daily welcome show, complete with a very nice banner hanging from the train station:
A special one-time-only ceremony was held at Cinderella Castle, featuring 45 Disney characters, the Walt Disney World ambassador team, and president of the resort, George A. Kalogridis:
Two specialty food offerings were available on Saturday: a “Celebration Dog” at Casey’s Corner on Main Street U.S.A., and a 45th anniversary cupcake (in two flavors) that was available throughout the park. Here is a short video review of both of those items:
Reportedly, the Muppet Mobile Lab show will return after to Epcot after a several year hiatus today. The show will only be at the park for the next four weeks.
Muppet Mobile Lab is a free-roving, audio-animatronic entertainment attraction designed by Walt Disney Imagineering, that was tested at Disney California Adventure, Epcot at Walt Disney World and at Hong Kong Disneyland for an extended period. It was shipped back to Walt Disney World with the intention of adding it to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, but for some reason it is simply going to Epcot for now. It should head over to Hollywood Studios at the conclusion of this test.
The project began as a continuation of Disney’s “Living Character Initiative,” a program that has generated other interactive shows at Disney theme parks including Lucky the Dinosaur, Turtle Talk with Crush, Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, and Stitch Encounter.
In 2009, the attraction was honored with the Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement (Technical) from the Themed Entertainment Association.
Disneyland Reporter Conner Purzycki brings us back out to the Disneyland Resort in his latest photo report. Today, we check in on Star Wars Land, the “desecration” of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, and a number of smaller projects taking place around the resort.
Work on the Star Wars themed land for Disneyland Park rolls on (as it will be a few years).
This looks familiar…
The tunnel above is likely the one that will greet guests at the entrance to the land. An X-Wing and assorted items will greet guests just outside on the passage from Critter Country and Frontierland.
The cannon in Town Square is moving into a planter to make more walking space for guests, something much needed during parade and fireworks time.
Here is the new pedestal that the cannon will call home.
Work on the Market House facade has wrapped up.
The sidewalk work on Main Street has already wrapped up.
While the Diamond Celebration ended over a month ago, the castle decorations will remain until November.
The facades behind the New Orleans Square train station are being touched up.
Mickey’s Toontown is getting some TLC (and I don’t mean tables, ladders, and chairs).
Roger Rabbit’s Cartoon Spin is open while the facade is being fixed up.
On Friday, Disney Parks released dozens of new items inspired by the upcoming Rogue One – A Star Wars Story film.
The Crush sipper cup is now available on the West Coast at Award Weiners.
The Doctor Strange preview will be opening soon, but Disney is already stating that a Beauty and the Beast preview will occupy the space in the Spring.
The Mad T Party/Jammin’ on the Backlot/elecTRONica stage is finally coming down.
AP Days are rolling on through the Fall.
Scaffolding is now going up around the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. Odds are that it won’t even look like the attraction by the time in closes in January.
The attraction is being replaced by Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission Breakout, opening Summer 2017.
Quicksilver is now closed as well… WILL THIS BE THE SPRINKLES LOCATION???
While many of us love Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, but it would be hard to deny that the food menu at the Florida location has just never quite lived up to the delicious meals offered at the California counterpart. Well, the “east coast family tree” has introduced 3 new items this week which may change your mind about dining with your drinks at the Grog Grotto or exterior Tiki Terrace bar and lounge.
Thai Chicken Flatbread ($12.00)
This is a thai chicken flatbread with a peanut sauce and bacon and tomato. This is particularly unique and as delicious as it is a strange offering. You wouldn’t necessarily think that a peanut sauce on a flatbread with cheese is a good idea, but this dish really pulls it off. This might be my new favorite dish at Trader Sam’s.
Sticky Wings ($10.00)
The world’s most ubiquitous bar food, wings have finally arrived at Grog Grotto and Tiki Terrace. These wings are the very same that you will find around the resort’s other eateries, and that’s not a bad thing. This is what the Polynesian is known for, so you should be able to get them throughout the resort.
Sticky Wings ($10.00)
For $3.50, this is a pretty good deal. The fried wonton chips (known by some as “Poly Chips”) go well with the accompanying duck sauce and are a good size bar snack, something not really offered on the prior Trader Sam’s menu.
I love these additions to Trader Sam’s. I love the drink menu here so much, but the food menu was always missing a better variety of items that aren’t sushi or a rather dry taco. These new items in addition to what is already offered make an evening at Trader Sam’s, for both food and drink, a more viable option.
No matter who enters the White House in 2017, the Magic Kingdom show will close for 6 months to be reworked and add the new leader of liberty.
The Hall of Presidents is scheduled to be closed from January 17th, 2017 through June 30, 2017.
It’s hard to believe that it was only done as a short test over 9 years ago with how much people talk about loving the Muppets Mobile Lab that once appeared at Epcot. You would think it had appeared at the park for years based on the legacy it has developed amongst fans. Well, starting today, guests can see the “living character” show at Epcot daily through the next 4 weeks.
The Muppets Mobile Lab returns to Epcot in 2016 for another test run
The show is critically acclaimed for its technology, including fully interactive characters who are a free-roaming audio-animatronics unit on wheels. The show also features that trademark Muppets humor that doesn’t miss even though the characters aren’t manned directly by human beings, much like The Muppets present Great Moments in American History over at the Magic Kingdom (which debuted yesterday).
Here is a video of one of today’s performances:
Now that is it back, I implore Walt Disney World to keep this offering. Please move this to Hollywood Studios and make this a regular offering. I have never met anyone who wasn’t wowed by the technology or who wasn’t amused by the humor of the program. Muppet Mobile Labs deserve a permanent home at the Disney Parks after this second testy run at Epcot.
Walt Disney Imagineering today shared an in-depth look at the model for the Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: Breakout attraction which will be replacing the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure.
The model pictured here was created by Walt Disney Imagineering to guide the transformation currently taking place on the exterior of the attraction. Every shade and detail you see here will be replicated in full size, as designers, builders and artists work to bring The Collector’s realm to life here at the Disneyland Resort.
This “warehouse, fortress-like power plant” (as described here by Joe Rohde, Creative Executive, Walt Disney Imagineering) is designed to be intimidating and imposing, but also shimmering and regal. It will be the ideal location for The Collector to secure and show off his most prized acquisitions, the Guardians of the Galaxy.
It does seem odd that Disney is acknowledging that they are changing the facade while the Tower of Terror is still open, but it is happening (see our photos from earlier today of the current state of the facade). It also is strange to see Disney devoting so much publicity to a facade that so many have taken to social media to attack. Regardless, it should be interesting to watch the rest of this process unfold over the next several months.
Our latest photo report brings us to the Magic Kingdom on its 45th anniversary weekend, but changes in the park certainly didn’t stop for the festivities. Rapid progress on the look of Tomorrowland continues, Stitch’s Great Escape has closed, and OK, we have some duck pictures.
A special commemorative map was given out to mark the day.
The opening day resorts and the park also had complimentary buttons for guests.
The day began with a special welcome show at the Train Station:
Plenty of specialty merchandise was available (the line lasted over an hour at some points though).
The line wrapped around the Emporium and went down most of the street.
The main event of the day was a special anniversary ceremony at Cinderella Castle:
A special “Celebration Dog” was being served at Casey’s Corner:
Big Top Treats had some special candy apples.
Gaston’s Tavern and the Main Street Bakery were serving the infamous anniversary cupcake.
This time, guests could choose chocolate or vanilla cake.
The only piece of the open edition merchandise that came out on the 1st was this lanyard and pin set. That being said, most of the open edition items are currently sold out.
The Stitch related Tomorrowland murals in Merchant of Venus were covered up with giant Rogue One art when the merchandise was released (I’m sure it helps that Stitch’s Great Escape is now closed and only operates seasonally).
There’s a Tomorrowland mural under there, and no, it’s not by Mary Blair.
The Carousel of Progress finally got its new marquee sing, but you probably already saw that post…
The often congested Fantasyland bottleneck is now equipped with permanent signage for cast members to use. This only took 45 years.
Only 8 days before it happens, Disney releases a “Glowing Away Soon” shirt for the Main Street Electrical Parade. This shirt will be outdated in less than week. Why not put the final day on it? Oh, in case it gets rained out this weekend…
There is a fantastic photo-op at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe right now featuring Sonny Eclipse, “the biggest little star in the universe”.
After years of waiting, LED lighting was finally installed on the exterior of Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom and it looks fantastic!
Right after we reported that they were off, many interactive elements returned to the Magic Kingdom. The goodbye at “it’s a small world” was turned on, but has still been breaking a lot.
Starting Sunday, Stitch’s Great Escape now operates seasonally. The attraction will return for two short stretches at the end of 2016, but after that it should close to make way for a Wreck-It Ralph ride.
Work on the Tomorrowland rocks is wrapping up.
The new grass is still rough, but we probably need to give it some time to grow in.
The ducks decided it was ready for them.
The Magic Kingdom wildlife was being particularly photogenic.
Some extensive work is being done to the Express Monorail load platform at the Magic Kingdom, but the service remains open through the work.
It looks as though the Doctor Strange meet and greet at Walt Disney World will be held inside Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream during a preview of the film.
A large section of The Legacy Continues area is blocked off. This could be for a new exhibit, but this space is right next door to the theater where the Dr. Strange sneak peek is being shown.
Cast members at the exhibit have not yet been informed what is going on behind the walls. The One Man’s Dream exhibit is located inside of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
