Parks & Resorts – Page 264

PHOTOS: A Look at the Star Wars Weekends Rebel Rendezvous Merchandise Catalog

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

Registration for Rebel Rendezvous, a Star Wars themed merchandise event, opened up earlier today. The event will take place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Thursday, May 15th, the day before Star Wars Weekends 2014 begins and the ticket price is $250. Some of the merchandise is included with the ticket, some is exclusive to the event and some is available for pre-purchase before it becomes available at Star Wars Weekends. This should be interesting even to those not going to the event but going to Star Wars Weekends as it shows much of what will be available to all attendees. Here’s a look at what to expect:

Disney Previews Home Goods for Fans Featuring Orange Bird, Tiki Room & More, Arriving Soon at the Marketplace Co-Op

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

One of the six boutiques inside the Marketplace Co-Op coming to Walt Disney World this summer is Centerpiece, a home goods store with some unique Disney Parks flavor. We already previewed a few select pieces this store will be carrying in a post a few weeks back, but today Disney gave us a look at much, much more of the merchandise we will be able to find there:

Among the items will be these pillows, featuring the Little Orange Bird, Adventureland, the Enchanted Tiki Room, and some Magic Kingdom icons:

Also, a number of Adventureland and Jungle Cruise themed items!!!

Here are some mugs, bowls, plates and such inspired by the Polynesian Resort, Tiki Room, and Adventureland in general:

There is an entire line of attraction poster glassware as well, but my personal favorite is the Splash Mountain plate…

Also, assorted land plates and glasses, a very cue Mr. Toad holding a serving tray, Mad Tea Party salt and pepper shakers, and what appear to be Sleeping Beauty Castle cookie jars:

After many years of complaining it seems like not only will Downtown Disney once again have a home store, but fans will be able to find the type of merchandise they would love to fill their homes with. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information becomes available on the Marketplace Co-Op.

So, what do you think of this upcoming merchandise? Is it exactly what you were hoping for?

PHOTOS: Over 250 Pictures from the 2014 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

WDWNT Reporter Joe Hogarty hit Epcot yesterday to experience the very first day of the 2014 International Flower and Garden Festival and lucky for us, he took over 250 photos! Take a look at every single festival booth (including menus) and character topiary you can find this year around Epcot:

PHOTOS: An In-Depth Look at the Festival of Fantasy Parade Debut at the Magic Kingdom

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

WDWNT Reporters Joe Hogarty, Dirk Wallen, and Nick LoCicero were all on the scene for the debut of Disney’s Festival of Fantasy Parade at the Magic Kingdom yesterday and have nearly 300 photos of the parade to share with us of this new daily spectacle:

Needless to say, the parade was stunning. We’ll have a full review of the parade on this week’s WDW News Today Podcast and talk all about it in depth, including the cool details you should look for when you see it.

Full parade video will be shared this afternoon once we get it uploaded.

VIDEO: Premiere Performance of Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade at Walt Disney World

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

Thanks to our own John Corigliano for this fantastic video of the premiere performance of the Festival of Fantasy Parade at the Magic Kingdom yesterday:

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VIDEO: Moat Drained Around Cinderella Castle in Preperation for Hub Overhaul

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

The very first step in remodeling the hub in front of Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom is draining the moat…

Interestingly enough, some sections of the drained moat still have the remnants of track from the Plaza Swan Boats, an attraction that closed in the early 1980’s. As you can see in the video, the former loading dock for that attraction is already behind walls and should be demolished shortly.

The hub remodeling is slated to be finished in early 2014.

Thanks to John Corigliano for the video.

Nightmare Before Christmas in Disneyland Merchandise Event Details Released

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

Disneyland has finally released more information on this year’s merchandise event called The Nightmare Before Christmas at Disneyland, an event we told you about back in September 2013.

The theme this year involves characters from Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas taking over not just the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland, but the entire park. Disney previewed a few pins from the event today:

The event itinerary is as follows:

“Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” in Disneyland event Package Details – $90
Event Admission Includes:

Registered event guests will have the opportunity to purchase “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” in Disneyland event themed merchandise via the Random Selection Process.

June 13, 2014 (12 p.m. – 8 p.m.)

Early Registration

Event Store & Random Selection Process Merchandise Pick-up

Trading Area

June 14, 2014 (8 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

Event Store & Random Selection Process Merchandise Pick-up

Trading Area

Trading Boards

Trading Activities

Merchandise Artist Signing Opportunity

Silent Auction – featuring pre-production pins, artist proof pins and more

Product Showcase – meet Disney Pin Merchandisers and view upcoming pin releases

Commemorative Gifts (including a commemorative event T-shirt*)

Early Bird Offer:

Don’t miss out! Register early and receive an early bird pin. Available while supplies last.

*Event T-Shirt:
When registering for “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas” in Disneyland event, please indicate your desired T-shirt size. Guests who do not register prior to Thursday, May 1, 2014, will not be guaranteed the desired shirt size.

Frozen Meet and Greet with Anna and Elsa Moving to Magic Kingdom April 20

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

It’s no secret that the meant-to-be-temporary Frozen meet and greet in the Norway pavilion at Epcot ended up a huge success with lines ranging anywhere up to 4 or 5 hours in length sometimes, so with the hotter months in central Florida coming up fast and the lengthy queue being outdoors, Disney seems to have decided a move to the Magic Kingdom is the best solution to the problem…

Starting April 20th, Walt Disney World’s website has listed that you can meet Anna and Elsa as well as a visiting princess at Magic Kingdom’s Princess Fairytale Hall.

It appears Rapunzel and Cinderella will be paired off in the second meet and greet inside the hall. Obviously, Disney has not entered any more information on the meet and greet as there are not even pictures or a description of the attraction on the site yet, but it seems they are getting ready by adding it to the entertainment schedule.

Now, whether or not this is a permanent addition remains to be seen. Rumors indicate further modifications could be on the way to Norway to make room for a larger Frozen meet and greet with an indoor queue (as well as a Frozen attraction somewhere down the line). So, for just how long Anna and Elsa take over a room at Fairytale Hall remains to be seen.

It’s also worth noting that Princess Fairytale Hall features nods to all 11 Disney princesses that existed prior to its opening in 2013. There are currently no references to Frozen’s 2 princesses anywhere in the building. I’m curious to see if some decorative shields or portraits of the sisters end up there sometime soon…

Until any announcement from Disney, this meet and greet is purely speculation, but this slip by the official site makes it highly likely.

UPDATE: Disney has confirmed these changes will be taking place starting April 20th, 2014. The Norway meet and greet will be discontinued at that time, but it is unclear what will come of the shop space that was converted for the meet and greet.

Epcot Adds IllumiNations Sparkling Dessert Party on Select Evenings

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

Starting March 15th, Epcot guests can now add a night of delicious desserts and sparkling wines to their day at the park with a new ticketed party.

The IllumiNations Sparkling Dessert Party offers a sampling of treats and drinks from around World Showcase along with premiere viewing of the nightly Epcot fireworks on select evenings, namely Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The party lasts from 7:45PM until 9:20PM. The price is $49 for adults and $29 for children.

Menu (subject to change):

Italy: Tiramisu
France: Vanilla Pot de Crème
United Kingdom: Shortbread Cookies
Morocco: Traditional Baklava
American Adventure: Sugar Dusted Cronis with Strawberry Sauce and Whipped Cream
Disney Parks ice cream novelties
Lemonade, coffee, teas
Sparkling wine from Washington State and Prosecco from Italy

Aerial Construction Photos of Disney Springs From 3/15/14

WDWNT on March 31, 2014

WDWNT Reporter Nick LoCicero once again takes us high above what is today Downtown Disney so we can see what is happening to make it Disney Springs for the future with his photos from last Friday: