“Frozen Fun” Formally Announced for Disney California Adventure, Frozen Invades Fantasy Faire and Storbookland

WDWNT on December 30, 2014

We’ve been waiting a while for this one, but Disney has finally put the word out to the public on “Frozen Fun” at Disney California Adventure…

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Beginning on December 20th, despite an “official” start date of January 7th, Disney California Adventure will play host to the following as part of “Frozen Fun”:

“For the First Time in Forever – A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration” – The Muppet*Vision 3D theater in Hollywood Land has been transformed for this event into the beautiful Crown Jewel Theatre from Arendelle. You’re invited to step inside and join the Arendelle Historians – along with special appearances by Anna, Elsa and Kristoff – for a fun and comedic retelling of the unique history of their kingdom, filled with delightful, sing-along moments from “Frozen.”

“Olaf’s Snow Fest” – Stage 17 in Hollywood Land plays host to an immersive winter wonderland straight out of the Kingdom of Arendelle, complete with a giant snow play area and musical performances by The Frolicking Fjords and The Tubadors. You can glide down a snow slide, build a snowman of your own and visit everyone’s favorite snowy pal, Olaf, and give him a warm hug. “Olaf’s Snow Fest” has so much to offer, from beautiful photo opportunities to scrumptious treats and special “Frozen” souvenirs. It’ll be a great spot for making memories that’ll warm your heart.

Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post – Head back outside, and nearby you’ll find Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post, where you can pick up the latest “Frozen”-inspired apparel, plush, toys, mugs and more.

“Anna and Elsa’s Royal Welcome” – Anna and Elsa, the beloved sisters from “Frozen,” move from Fantasyland to an elegant new location inside the Disney Animation attraction at Disney California Adventure park, where you can meet them as part of a special royal greeting. The colorful and varied display in the Animation Courtyard will also now include scenes and music from Disney’s Academy Award-winning blockbuster hit, “Frozen,” and at Animation Academy, a Disney artist asks, “Do You Want to Draw a Snowman?” It’s a unique opportunity to learn how to draw your very own sketch of Olaf or Marshmallow.

“Freeze the Night! A Family Dance Party” – Each evening, you’re invited to “chill out” in Hollywood Land with music, dancing, interactive fun and more in this new, family-friendly experience. You’ll arrive at the party through an icy archway to find wintry décor, dazzling lighting effects, cool photo spots, yummy treats and frosty beverages for all ages. Throughout the night, a giant thermometer registers the drop in temperature, as things get so cool they ultimately reach the freezing point when everyone lets it go in a spectacular “Frozen Fun” crescendo! UPDATE: A Marshmallow walk-around character will be appearing during this event.

Starting January 7th, something new and Frozen will debut, a show at Fantasy Faire at Disneyland Park. The Anna and Elsa pre-parade prior to Soundsational will also return on this date.

Before that, a Frozen section is being added to Storybook Land Canal Boats on December 20th, featuring the fjord-side village of Arendelle, including the stately castle where Anna and Elsa grew up, Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post, and Elsa’s mountaintop ice palace.

So, is this enough Frozen for the west coast now?

ApplePay coming to WDW December 10th, Full Details

WDWNT on December 30, 2014

When ApplePay rolls out at Walt Disney World on December 10th, guests will be able to use the service at Merchandise locations, guest relations, ticket sales, quick service dining locations, lounges and bars.

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Table service restaurants and resort front desks will come on-board at a later date.

Operating participants (locations not operated by Disney) are not rolling out the service with Disney on the 10th.

Tom Corless’ 12/8/14 WDW Photo Report (Hub Remodel, New Magic Kingdom Merchandise, Animal Kingdom Construction, ETC.)

WDWNT on December 30, 2014

I recently visited the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom theme parks at Walt Disney World and have plenty of newsworthy photos to share with you from my trip, so let’s see what’s new and exciting:

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We begin with the latest progress on the Hub at the Magic Kingdom

It may look rough, but with some dirt moved, some lamps installed, and some concrete poured, this is done

The other side looks a lot more complete

Most of the lamp & speaker towers are already installed here, leading us to believe this side will open by Christmas week

The new lampposts are nice, but I will miss the green coloring on everything…

A look over the walls from the other side

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So… this happened…

Anyway… there are touch-points at the exit of Splash Mountain now to claim your photos

Provided everyone kept their clothes on, you can tap this to get your pictures

The “Made with Magic” wand is now out

You can change the color of other Made with Magic items

An incredible new line of Magic Kingdom merchandise has been released

I LOVE this notebook

Not related, but a new shirt

Some 2015 items are out

iPhone 6 Plus cases have arrived in GIANT packaging

Moving over to Animal Kingdom, work continues on the new pathway on Discovery Island

Walls in front of the Tree of Life were pushed back

So there’s a new area with planters that has been revealed

New Animal Kingdom merchandise

Not much new to see at the walls to AVATAR

Can’t see much at the future site of the Africa Marketplace either

Rivers of Light construction still isn’t much to look at yet…

The other side of Disney Outfitters and the new walkway through Discovery Island

Some people believe the work near Flame Tree BBQ is for a covered queue, but it looks like a service window to me…

It’s fairly small, but has openings on each side…

I’m guessing Starbucks or maybe a place to offer picnic packages once Rivers of Light begins in 2016

A look at the new path in front of the Tree of Life

Expedition Everest also has touch-points to claim photos as well

Not quite as well themed as some of the other ones…

I at first was excited about this Expedition Everest shirt

Until I saw that i had the wrong year…

Animal Kingdom is open after dark most nights currently, so if you can, get over there and do some walking around with the park’s light son (yes, they have lights)

 

See? LIGHTS!

Creature Comforts to Become Starbucks? Joffrey’s Coffee Moving to a New Location at Animal Kingdom

WDWNT on December 30, 2014

If you enjoy a good cup of coffee with your day At Animal Kingdom, you’ll definitely want to read this…

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A new Joffrey’ location is being built next to Flame Tree Barbecue

The existing Joffrey’s operated coffee cart on Discovery Island is closing and Joffrey’s will be taking over a new service window attached to Flame Tree Barbecue fairly soon(unrelated to the 3 month refurbishment of the restaurant coming in early 2015 to better accommodate viewing of the Rivers of Light show when it arrives in 2016).

The reasoning for this is Joffrey’s would lose its prime spot in the center of the park, leaving a fair market for another coffee company to open shop on the west side of Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

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Creature Comforts will close on January 5th, 2015

Creature Comforts operated as just a store until recently when some of the shop was turned into a MyMagic+ Service Center. The Service Center inside is rarely used by guests, and most of the merchandise left in the store can be found elsewhere in the park, so the store is closing its doors on January 5th, 2015. In June 2015, it is quite possible a Starbucks will open in the space currently occupied by Creature Comforts.

If true, Animal Kingdom will be home to the 6th and final Starbucks location planned for Walt Disney World.

While none of this has been confirmed by Disney as of yet, it is highly likely at this time. Stay tuned for more information as it becomes available.

Meg Crofton Announces Retirement from Disney Parks in 2015

WDWNT on December 30, 2014

Meg Crofton, former Walt Disney Workd president and current president of Operations for parks & resorts in the U.S. and France has just announced her retirement in 2015:

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After spending 35 years with Disney, Meg Crofton recently shared with her team that she has decided to retire on June 1 of next year. She has served as President, Operations, US and France since 2011, after serving as President of Walt Disney World Resort since 2006. She sat down with us at Chairman’s Corner to talk about her plans.

Why did you decide to retire?
Well, I never really had a plan for retirement. But I did, over the years, develop a couple of guiding principles. One of the most important was that I wanted to leave while I still had plenty of juice left for the next chapter in my life. I didn’t think about it very much until my 60th birthday, which was last year.

Looking back on it, I realize that it was a decision that I came to very gradually and almost not consciously. I loved what I was doing. I had just made a major move across country and was happily embracing my professional and personal growth opportunities and focusing on our parks and resorts in Florida, California and France. But my husband, Rich, has been retired for some time now, and I became increasingly aware that I really wanted to build our new west coast life with him in San Francisco.

I have so much respect and affection for those I am privileged to work with. As much as I will miss them and the many exciting projects ahead for our Company, the pull to start the next chapter of my life is stronger.

What do you want to do in retirement?
I want to continue my “heart” work of mentoring and helping others, enjoy lots of family time, take advantage of all that my new home city and surrounding countryside offers, do more traveling for pleasure and have a flexible calendar. And I am looking forward to doing all of that!

You have worked closely with your leader, Tom Staggs, for a number of years. Here is what he said:

Anyone who knows Meg knows how much she cares about this company and the dedication she has to anything she does. When she told me a while back about her decision to retire, it was clear that there was conviction in her decision. Her face lit up when she talked about how ready she was to start her next chapter with her husband, Rich. I couldn’t be any happier for her.

There are few people within Parks and Resorts who have inspired as many people and made as significant an impact as Meg has. She has devoted her career to nurturing countless cast members, encouraging them to achieve new heights, coaching them to succeed and helping them down the path, no matter where they wanted it to take them. She has amassed innumerable achievements over the years, literally spanning the globe. And for all that she has accomplished and all of whom she has helped, Meg has done it with an amazing sense of grace and humility, which is what I appreciate and respect the most about her.

Meg is not retiring until June 1, 2015, so we will be naming her successor at a later date. We have many more months to celebrate her and wish her well. I am thrilled that she will be working at Parks and Resorts until then.

Meg, any reaction?
I cannot thank Tom enough for his leadership, friendship, kindness, and unwavering support over the years. I am very excited to be a part of and continue working alongside this tremendous team for the months ahead. I intend to be fully present and enjoy every minute of it!

This is such an amazing company! With the passing of every year, I am more aware and grateful for the blessing of working for an organization whose purpose it is to bring happiness to people and give them cherished memories that last a lifetime. I collect wonderful quotes and found this one years ago…”Memory is a child walking along a sea shore. You can never tell what small pebble it will pick up and store away among its treasured things.” We are so fortunate that at Disney it is their memories with us that our Guests store among their treasured things.

I am deeply proud of every moment I have spent here and feel richly blessed to have had a ringside seat to watch our Company’s special brand of magic touch hearts. I am so excited and confident about the future of our company and the direction of Parks and Resorts. Candidly, it is that excitement that makes my decision to retire so bittersweet.

Disney Releases Backstory for Trattoria Al Forno, Opening December 18th

WDWNT on December 30, 2014

The newest Disney dining experience,  Trattoria al Forno, as with anything at Walt Disney World, will have a back-story crafted by Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Parks Food & Beverage Concept Development. Such story elements as authentic food and ingredients, a wine list featuring 100% Italian wines, and décor have been brought together to create an exciting new dining experience for Walt Disney World Resort guests.

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“The Trattoria al Forno story was inspired by the Italian menu and the rich storytelling of the turn-of-the-century boardwalk setting,” says Missy Renard, Walt Disney Imagineering resorts art director. “Working closely with the Food & Beverage Concept Development team throughout the project was critical to the seamless merging of the story, menu and design – it was a shared vision.”

The story begins with an Italian family that ran a modest tavern and boarding house on the boardwalk, which expanded over the years into a popular restaurant. The menu’s mix of authentic and innovative dishes supports the story of the restaurant being handed down, with each generation adding their own touches to the meals and the restaurant’s design. The fresh ingredients used to make the flavorful dishes inspired the color palette throughout the restaurant.

Arranged as a series of separate rooms, starting with the original Entrata, or entrance, is where the restaurant’s immersive story begins. An arched brick wall with an aged keystone medallion anchors the room and introduces the traditional building materials used throughout the restaurant. Along the back wall, a custom wine cabinet displays authentic regional wines offered on the menu. Vintage family photos line the walls and introduce the generational story.

“As the restaurant was growing, boardinghouse rooms were converted into additional dining spaces,” explains Renard. “There are four distinct dining rooms, with furnishings, finishes and lighting relating to the character of each original boarding house room.”

The first room, the Cucina, is designed as the eat-in kitchen for the boarding house guests. The forno, or oven, with its rustic wood mantle and copper hood, is the centerpiece. Next, the Sala da Pranzo, or formal dining room, showcases the family’s fine silver, glassware and eclectic china in a grand hutch, with two crystal chandeliers above in the vaulted ceiling.

“The finishes are more opulent – carpet, draperies, settee-style seating and a communal table in front of the show kitchen,” says Renard.

The Sala da Pranzo leads into the Salotto, or living room, of the old boarding house, now a dining area with tufted circular booths and upholstered chairs, and photos of vintage Italian market scenes decorating the walls.

Finally, the Taverna is a secluded dining area located in the structure’s original tavern, where the mirrored back bar still hangs in front of exposed brick walls.

“The three main dining rooms are open to the show kitchen and to each other, but the styling differences in each create individual dining experiences,” says Renard. “The result is combination of intimate and lively dining spaces with a tailored progression of storytelling.”

Trattoria al Forno opens at Disney’s Boardwalk on December 18, 2014.

AVATAR at Animal Kingdom: New Details on Banshee Attraction; Boat Ride Canned?

WDWNT on December 30, 2014

Bob Iger was certainly busy telling everyone about the plans for the Disney Parks yesterday, and the long-running, controversial, and enormously-budgeted AVATAR project wasn’t left out. Iger recently scaled some scaffolding at Walt Disney Imagineering and took a test-ride on a mock-up of the Banshee ride for the new Animal Kingdom theme park land.

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“It felt so real, so lifelike, there’s never been anything like it.”

The vehicles will be the banshees themselves, with movements that should “mimic a breathing beast”. Think of it as a next-generation Soarin’, but the environment on-screen will be presented hi-def 3-D as you ride in a giant alien creature.

The boat ride attraction for the AVATAR land was not mentioned as many report rumors that it may no longer be part of the project.

Disneyland Park to Serve Alcohol to Guests at New 21 Royal Street Upscale Restaurant

WDWNT on December 30, 2014

As soon as work wrapped up on the new Club 33 at Disneyland earlier this year, work began on a new establishment on the other side of the Club’s kitchen, located at 21 Royal Street in New Orleans Square. The location was originally intended to be part of Walt Disney’s apartment, but was most recently used as an executive dining room before the remodel.

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The restaurant is expected to be the first in Disneyland history to serve alcohol to non-Club 33 members. Andrew Sutton will be the executive chef for the restaurant in what will also be the first true upscale restaurant open to regular park guests in Disneyland Park’s 60 year history.

No official announcement has been made by Disney yet.

UPDATE: Disneyland has since responded to this story and has stated the space will be a new private dining space for executives and Club 33 members only.

New Concept Art and Details Revealed for “Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows”, Part of the Disney Vacation Club

WDWNT on December 30, 2014

Today, disney released concept art and details on the Disney Vacation Club expansion of the Polynesian Village Resort, now known as “Disney’s Polynesian Villas and Bungalows”.

The bungalows will be the first of their kind on any Disney property. The 20 Bungalows will sleep up to eight guests each and be just steps away from the new plunge pool overlooking Seven Seas Lagoon, not to mention an unparalleled view of the Magic Kingdom’s nightly fireworks.

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The Polynesian bungalows

On the mainland, the villas will feature largest Deluxe Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort. The 360 Deluxe Studios will sleep up to five guests each and have the ability to connect to another Deluxe Studio, the first time this has been done at a Disney Vacation Club Resort. Similar to Disney Cruise Line ships and The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, the rooms will each have a bathroom separated into two areas, one with a shower and sink and the other with a sink and tub/shower. Plus, they also will have kitchenettes and enhanced storage space for convenience and comfort.

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Inside the rooms at the Polynesian villas

The first phase of the Polynesian Villas and Bunglaows will open in early 2015.

RUMOR: “Star Tours: The Adventures Continue” To Add Planets & Characters from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”

WDWNT on December 30, 2014

The site Star Wars Underworld is claiming that an inside source has informed them that the first Star Wars additions coming to Disney theme parks post-purchase will be additions to Star Tours: The Adventures Continue at Walt Disney World, Disneyland, and Tokyo Disneyland  based on characters and locations from “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”.

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Star  Tours: The Adventures Continue was designed by Disney Imagineers and members of Lucasfilm to easily insert new destinations and characters at any time. With the current iteration of the attraction, any new film sequences could be created and programmed separately and then exported to the ride. meaning any addition would result in little-to-no downtime for the attraction. We have speculated about these additions several times on our podcast, but this is this first outside report.

Recently, we reported that Disney CEO Bob Iger revealed that there will be a much larger presence of Star Wars themed attractions based on the new sequels and spin-offs. Adding new destinations based on “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” to Star Tours would seem to go along with his plans.

Stay tuned as more information becomes available