A few months back, Disney informed us that they would be removing the “little red” story-line from Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom and replacing it with a new zebra area now being referred to as “Zebra Glen”. Well, the new finale scene finally opened recently and we have video to share with you of the addition:
General Motors released a number of photos and a press release about Test Track presented by Chevrolet opening at Epcot soon:
DETROIT – Chevrolet designers and Walt Disney Imagineers have joined forces to give Walt Disney World Resort guests a deep look inside a professional design studio creating a first-of-its-kind multi-sensory virtual experience in automotive design.
Chevrolet and Disney tapped their best design talent with expertise ranging from industrial and automotive design to architecture and animation. The design collaboration began 18 months ago with a few guiding principles – create an experience that is personal, future-focused and optimistic.
The two teams met regularly throughout the development process in both GM’s Design studios in Warren, Mich., and at Test Track in Epcot in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The collaboration allowed for the greatest level of innovation yet ensured the values of both brands were accurately represented in the new attraction, while allowing both teams to learn from each other’s expertise.
“At Chevrolet, the diversity of talent on our team allows us to consistently produce sophisticated, refined and detailed design – but we don’t typically design through the eyes of a 12-year-old,” said Jeff Mylenek, GM Design manager, Global Exhibit and Merchandising Design. “Working with Walt Disney Imagineering, we were inspired to see our brand story from a more youthful perspective and really opened the parameters on how to approach this design challenge.”
The result is a unique experience that gives an authentic, inside-the-studio look at the actual automotive design process, while empowering guests themselves to create their own designs, possibly inspiring the next generation of automotive designers.
“The re-imagined Test Track portrays an optimistic view of the future, and reflects the deep collaboration between Disney and Chevrolet on both the design and the overall experience,” said Eric Jacobson, senior vice president, Walt Disney Imagineering. “It’s a thrilling attraction supported by rich exhibit displays and interactive elements that bring guests directly into the design process – with a few surprises thrown in.”
The teams used multiple mediums throughout the re-imagined attraction for storytelling, including:
- Visual cues inspired by Chevrolet’s expressive vehicle design language throughout the architectural elements in the space as well as in the interactive displays; speed forms and concept vehicle displays, like EN-V and Miray, provide a glimpse into the future of Chevrolet design.
- Advanced computer technology – similar to that used by Chevrolet designers every day – powers the guest design experience, while radio frequency technology allows them to take their unique vehicle design with them through the entire ride.
- A thrill-ride that provides the test experience where each guest’s vehicle design is evaluated.
- Social media sharing extends the experience beyond the day at the park.
- Test Track Presented by Chevrolet offers Disney guests a three-part experience:
- First, guests will have the opportunity to design their own vehicle – car, truck or crossover – with some helpful hints from the Chevrolet designers built into the process. “Designing a successful vehicle requires some careful thought about how to balance capability, efficiency, responsiveness and power – some of the key elements that Chevrolet designers must consider with every new vehicle they imagine,” said Mylenek.
- Next, they will have the chance to test drive their vehicle design, through the ride, on track surfaces that simulate the actual vehicle validation process that Chevrolet engineers use to ensure every new vehicle meets the highest performance standards. Each guest’s vehicle design will be evaluated and scored based on how well their design balanced the core attributes.
- Finally, guests have the opportunity to race their vehicle over changing terrain and extreme conditions on a digital driving table, produce and share a TV commercial starring their custom vehicle and pose for action shots in front of their design.
The re-imagined Test Track Presented by Chevrolet will open on Dec. 6, 2012.
The really interesting part is the new concept art and press photos released today:
The queue
More queue and design studio
More queue
More queue
The SimCar which we already familiar with
A little bit of the Test Track we know mixed with the one we do not
Design stations
Driving tables in the post show
More driving tables… reminds me a bit of the World of Motion finale scene
A glimpse of what the showroom will look like, including what appears to be a game called “Showroom Showdown”
Imagineers and GM officials confer around the model
I have to admit I wasn’t sold on this project for a while, but this new batch of concept art has me pretty excited. What do you think?
UPDATE: Some additional press photos were released by Disney later in the day –
Exterior
What is will look like when your vehicle gets scored
A scene where a vehicle gets tested for efficiency
As we speculated, the Main Street Bakery at the Magic Kingdom and Fountain View at Epcot will become Starbucks locations in 2013.
The Main Street Bakery will close in January and re-open as a Starbucks location in early-summer 2013. Fountain View will close in March and re-open midsummer.
Both locations will be themed to the existing environment. At Main Street bakery, cast members will wear a costume consistent with the early 20th century look and feel of Main Street U.S.A. At Fountain View in Epcot, the new Starbucks location and cast member costumes will be designed to match the park’s futuristic theme.
The two locations will both offer the full complement of Starbucks signature beverages, artisan breakfast sandwiches and a wide selection of baked goods, including muffins, scones and specialty treats.
Stay tuned for more on this story as it becomes available.
The new Cinderella Castle projection show entitled “Celebrate The Magic” finally debuts tonight at the Magic Kingdom! The Disney Parks Blog provided more information today:
As the show begins, Tinker Bell appears to fly around Cinderella Castle, weaving in and out of the turrets. She splashes pixie dust on the castle, transforming it into a spectacular piece of living art. As the pixie dust subsides, we are taken back to the beginnings of pencil animation, and we see Walt Disney, the original magic maker, drawing Mickey Mouse. With a little magic from Tinker Bell, Walt’s paintbrush flies off the page and comes to life, creating imagery that carries us away on a fantastic journey.
We travel down the rabbit hole with Alice, soar high above the Big Top with Dumbo and visit the African savanna with Simba. Our adventure takes us into the worlds of “Pirates of the Caribbean” and “Brave,” and at one point, Cinderella Castle is even reimagined as the 8-bit video game home of the Nicelanders in Disney’s newest smash, “Wreck-It Ralph.” The whole show comes full circle for a magical finale filled with wonder and emotion.
“’Celebrate the Magic’ draws its inspiration from the love we all share for Disney’s memorable characters, their stories and the imagination that brought them to life,” says Show Director Katy Harris. “The team has been able to combine advances in technology with spectacular imagery and a stirring musical score to create a stunning and immersive way of storytelling. ‘Celebrate the Magic’ takes us on a journey full of wonderful moments our guests will never forget.”
As a special treat, “Celebrate the Magic” debuts with a segment of the show created just for the holiday season, featuring the return of the gingerbread castle seen during our original projection show, “The Magic, The Memories and You!”
Fans of the seasonal updates to that show will also be pleased to learn the tradition will continue with “Celebrate the Magic.” Look for the arrival of favorite Disney couples in January, a trip to the beach with “Lilo & Stitch” and“The Little Mermaid” during the summer months, and an influx of Disney villains in time for next Halloween.
WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited Epcot and the Magic Kingdom on Sunday and has a bunch of newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip, so let’s take a look:
Habit Heroes – still closed
The exterior of Test Track is making quick progress as we race towards soft openings
Signage about to go up
They finally painted the exit
A look over the walls
Epcot Christmas tree
Food and Wine is now over, but at least we have the memories…
The temporary Epcot Character Spot is in the old Epcot 25th Anniversary exhibit space
The backdrop is retro-tastic…
Some remnants of the exhibit remain
The actual Character Spot in down for a lengthy refurbishment
Looks like it is going to be a while
Still using the same entrance
Walls still up near Electric Umbrella
The Epcot 30th window display is still up at Art of Disney
FastPass Plus at Spaceship Earth
The podium was uncovered
BYE!
It’s Christmas at the Magic Kingdom
Some tarps up on the Adventureland Veranda
The Magic Carpets of Aladdin refurbishment is done
The old steel drum bandstand is behind tarps, probably related to the upcoming Pirates interactive game being installed in Adventureland
Work continues on the new Fantasyland restrooms
Let’s check-in on New Fantasyland
The Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train
New tarps are up on Princess Fairytale Hall
Looks like these 5 princesses will be greeting guests when it opens in late-2013
Mesh for the rock-work going up on Mine Train
Cinderella Castle Dreamlights are back
The exit test is back in use
Goodnight Magic Kingdom!
From Michelle Baumann on the Disney Parks Blog:
A soothing escape into a world of pampering and relaxation is just steps away from Disney theme park fun at the newly re-imagined Senses – A Disney Spa at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort.
The fully remodeled spa, now owned and operated by Disney, is set to open December 17.
I recently had a chance to duck in for a sneak peek and our Imagineers did a splendid job of blending Grand Floridian turn-of-the-century elegance with modern touches – plus a dash of Disney whimsy. Here are some of the highlights:
Spa-goers first walk through the new Victorian style entryway and indulge in a relax, renew, or imagine journey that’s determined by your treatment choice.
The centerpiece of the spa’s lobby is an original mural reflecting old Florida landscape and nature. Glass mosaic tiles in the Jacuzzi rooms further enhance the elegance and sophistication of the spa. All the senses are engaged in an ultimate relaxation experience – flavorful and soothing elixirs, color variations in lighting and orchestral music harmonize with the treatment selected.
Some 15 treatment rooms offer full-service pampering services such as watertherapy, sugar exfoliation body treatment, rejuvenating citrus facial, a restorative hand and foot ritual with Chinese Jasmine oils, plus a Magical Manicure or Princess Pedicure for youngsters. Lounges, whirlpools, and treatment rooms all provide rejuvenation through the healing nature of Florida citrus and botanicals.
The new menu of services also includes a signature 80-minute Grand Floridian treatment featuring a special aromatherapy massage.
Guests can book spa appointments at the new Senses – A Disney Spa at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort beginning November 15, by calling 407-WDW-SPAS (407-939-7727) or learn more by visitingwww.disneyworld.com/spas.
Incidentally, all of our spas, salons and fitness centers will be owned and operated by Disney beginning January 16. On that same day, the spa at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort will temporarily close for renovation and reopen in the summer as Senses – A Disney Spa at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort. More to come on that soon.
The Fab Five are having a party, and everyone’s invited to join the fun during the 20th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 6-May 19, 2013 at Walt Disney World Resort. Colorful, whimsical topiaries of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Pluto and Donald Duck will welcome topiary Daisy to their Epcot front-entrance celebratory barbecue. The 14-foot-tall topiary Goofy will bobble an anniversary cake while Donald and Daisy play badminton, Mickey fires up the grill, Pluto swipes a link of hot dogs and Minnie chills out on a colorful blanket of blossoms.
And that’s just the festival opener. New topiaries, gardens, children’s play areas and interactive gardening seminars will set the stage for 75 days of festival fun as Disney’s horticulture team revs up for its 20th year of beautiful blooms and creative whimsy.
For the first year ever, Mike and Sully from Disney-Pixar “Monsters Inc.” will join the festivities with their DisneyŸPixar “Monsters University” topiary on the walkway from Future World to the park’s World Showcase. A new Disney-Pixar “Cars” playground– Radiator Springs–brings favorite movie characters to life in topiary on the Test Track Walkway. And 2013′s Fawn’s Butterfly House flits to life with hundreds of butterflies and eight fairy topiaries including Tinker Bell, Fawn, Vidia and Terrence.
The opening weekend Flower Power Concert Series at America Gardens Theatre will present fan favorite Micky Dolenz (“I’m a Believer”) March 8-10. Other pop acts set to perform include Chubby Checker & the Wildcats, The Guess Who, Paul Revere & The Raiders and Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone.
More than 100 topiaries, 240 floating mini-gardens, dozens of flower towers and sweeping beds of multi-colored blooms will add floral splendor to the park landscape. Daily hands-on gardening seminars, HGTV celebrity presentations, and other Festival Center events will offer innovative ideas, design tips and gardening know-how to park guests.
UPDATE – Disney has since announced the presence of “Oz The Great and Powerful” at the Festival as well:
We’re happy to announce today that guests visiting the 2013 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival this spring can visit this Land of Oz in the form of an original interactive play area that will be one of the festival’s newest offerings. Here, guests can follow in the footsteps of Oz The Great and Powerful by playing carnival games in a circus-themed area. Here red-and-white tents will offer all kinds of midway games, plus fun photo opportunities.
The next stop is the “Land of Oz Play Area”, where bubbles fill the air, and where you can find: play equipment adorned with giant flowers, The Great and Powerful Oz’s crashed hot-air balloon, and more! Guests can also wander through the “Oz Movie Garden,” which will feature lush, unusual plants inspired by the Land of Oz.
Disney is adding several new entertainment groups to Fantasyland leading to the December 6th grand opening of New Fantasyland, the first of which was announced today. Meet the Royal Majesty Makers who will meet guests starting November 19th:
The Royal Majesty Makers engage boys and girls in random acts of “royaldom,” endowing them with the skills to become princes and princesses. These royal consultants, official ambassadors of Cinderella’s court, inspire and delight visiting villagers with magical moments throughout the land. Led by retired knight Sir Sterling and royal etiquette expert Lady Llewellyn, the Royal Majesty Makers also include squire extraordinaire Tobias and flirtatious lady-in-waiting Bridget. They may be found in the Castle Courtyard, conducting Knight School, delivering invitations to a royal ball, leading royal dances or even playing a game of “Sir Sterling Says.”
It sounds like this show will be a mix of Hollywood Studios streetmosphere and the short-lived “Let’s Have a Ball” show that was performed behind Cinderella Castle back in 2006. We’ll provide a look at this new entertainment group next week when they debut, so stay tuned.
From the Disney Parks Blog:
Last week, we shared an image of a portrait that’s a part of a new project our Walt Disney Imagineers are currently working on – and today we’re happy to reveal the identity of that man and share details on the role he’ll play in the enhanced storyline of a certain Magic Kingdom Park attraction, Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.
The fellow’s name is Barnabas T. Bullion, and he’s the gold magnate who rules the Big Thunder Mining Company with a golden fist. Imagineers have already begun working overnight in the park on the attraction’s new interactive queue, where you’ll be able to see this portrait, as well as an additional landscape portrait of the mountain itself.
According to the enhanced backstory: “Barnabas T. Bullion is the founder and president of the Big Thunder Mining Company. The longtime mining magnate comes from a powerful East Coast family and considers gold to be his very birthright by virtue of his oddly appropriate name; in fact, he considers the ultimate gold strike to be his destiny. And that is why he is having so much trouble with Big Thunder Mountain. According to superstitious locals, Big Thunder Mountain is very protective of the gold it holds within, and the unfortunate soul who attempts to mine its riches is destined to fail. And so far that prophecy is coming to pass. The mine has been plagued by mysterious forces and natural disasters ever since. And yet the Big Thunder Mining Co. is still in operation. In fact, Bullion is discovering new veins of gold and digging new shafts every day, offering a closer look at the Big Thunder mining operation than ever before. But a word to the wise for anyone attempting to visit the mountain: watch out for runaway trains.”
Look for these new additions and a number of additional interactive elements in the coming months at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, the wildest ride in the wilderness!
It sounds like the new interactive queue that we have been talking about for Big Thunder Mountain will be ready for guests soon with an extra dose of a certain Imagineer. As we all know the Big Thunder Queue is one of the worst queues anywhere on property so I think we are all anxiously awaiting this change. What do you think of the enhanced back story?
Despite being billed to open on December 6th, The Legend of Jack Sparrow has now soft-opened at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The attraction is located on Mickey Avenue between Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream and Toy Story Midway Mania and is pretty hard to miss with its spiffy new facade:
The attraction begins with a short pre-show where guests are introduced to the narrator: a talking pirate skull that should be recognizable from the original attraction at Disneyland and from the film’s logo:
Guest then enter the main show room, a circular set where projection mapping (think Cinderella Castle during Celebrate the Magic) is used to bring scenes from the films to life for about 8 minutes. After recreating some famous scenes from the film series, guests finally get to see Captain Jack Sparrow via projection technology very similar to what brings talking fish to life in The Seas with Nemo and Friends at Epcot. In my 3 experiences, I have seen differences in this portion of the show, meaning you will see a different Jack Sparrow introduction portion in the show from time to time (think Star Tours randomization).
Personally, I think the attraction is very well done. Guest interactions throughout thew show are a bit corny, but the projection technology that brings you into each scene is amazing. Bullets leave marks on walls, sails swing and sway, and the entire room even becomes submerged at one point, all simply through projections. The computer animation is spotless and the novelty of living envoronment around you is sure to entertain guests for years to come. I was ready to hate this attraction based on previous experence with various movie-set walkthroughs that have existed within this soundstage, but I have to say I really enjoy this one. It’s not just publicity for a movie, it’s actually a fun show with great modern technology that does its very best to leave guests smiling. It’s not going to be something you do every time you visit Hollywood Studios, but it is another worthwhile attraction in a park that probably needs some more.
This attraction is a bit of a challenge to film, but we have video of the entire attraction which may help you judge it a lot better. Regardless, you should see this next time you visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios:
