When I visited Disneyland on Saturday, I was able to capture video of Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy, Haunted Mansion Holiday, Candy Corn Acres, and The Disney Gallery, all of which are embedded here courtesy of the WDWNTube Disney Parks Video Site:
Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy
Haunted Mansion Holiday
Candy Corn Acres
The Disney Gallery
To our surprise, the Tomorrowland Transit Authority (TTA) at the Magic Kingdom opened today with completely new audio playing on the speakers above the ride track and guests heads. Highlights include:
-A new male voice welcomes you aboard the “highway in the sky” (I thought that was the monorail), points out various sights, and helps describe attractions in Tomorrowland. He also refers to the ride as the “Peoplemover” at one point.
-Stitch, Mickey, Buzz Lightyear, and Roz from Monsters Inc. also interrupt as guests pass their corresponding establishments.
-A female voice comes over the speakers when the TTA vehicles enter Space Mountain. She actually mentions that the ride is currently not in service, she may be replaced with the normal narrator when Space Mountain returns in November.
-Gone are famous lines such as “Mickey’s Star Traders will be glad to rocket-ship your package”, “Paging Mr. Morrow, Mr. Tom Morrow”, and ALL of the previous audio.
If you would like to hear all of the new audio from the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, you can find a full “live recorded” track from our own Anthony Yacullo HERE. We will have a video of the updated attraction up soon with better audio quality, so stay tuned!
ANAHEIM, Calif. (Oct. 2, 2009) – The Disney Gallery reopens Oct. 2 in its new home near Town Square on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland. The first art exhibit, “Enchanting the Classics,” will focus on how the artists of Walt Disney Imagineering have kept beloved Disneyland attractions, such as Jungle Cruise, Submarine Voyage and Pirates of the Caribbean, fresh and exciting over the years with enhancements and surprises.
NEW GALLERY LOCATION: The relocated Disney Gallery is now in the former Bank of Main Street. The design maintains elements of the bank – select pieces will be displayed inside the vault – while building on the charming turn-of-the-century atmosphere of Main Street, U.S.A. Kim Irvine, director of Concept & Show Design for Walt Disney Imagineering, Anaheim, notes that the gallery now features an elegant Victorian interior with chandeliers, fancy moldings and hand-woven carpets.
THREE ROOMS: In addition to the bank vault with its special highlighted artwork, The Disney Gallery on Main Street, U.S.A. will feature three large display rooms.
“It’s great to be able to exhibit the work of our Imagineers and new artists,” Irvine said. “Many of them are still working in traditional media – water color, oils, sculpture – and I think it’s wonderful to showcase all of their talents.”
‘ENCHANTING THE CLASSICS’: The inaugural show in The Disney Gallery will focus on the enhancements that keep classic Disneyland attractions fresh and surprising. Irvine explains: “When we temporarily close one of our popular attractions for refurbishment, our guests expect that there will be some ‘new magic’ added. In the past five years, Pirates of the Caribbean, Haunted Mansion, Jungle Cruise, the Enchanted Tiki Room and “it’s a small world” have all undergone planned enhancements, which our guests have really enjoyed.”
UPCOMING EVENTS IN THE DISNEY GALLERY: Two special events for guests and collectors are planned for The Disney Gallery in October. Both are free with park admission.
‘ART HISTORY’ OF THE DISNEY GALLERY:
Disney has released a video showcasing their community involvement from the September 29th launch day events of the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” promotion. Please note that the speakers not labeled in the video (in chronological order) are “Disney Parks” own Jay Rasulo, Meg Crofton, and Rilous Carter:
In news that seemed like a wild rumor, yet is actually true. According to D23:
The Vineyard Room in Disney’s California Adventure re-opens on October 4th to serve culinary delights that feature some of California’s most prestigious dishes.
Last week, World Showcase at Epcot® went from representing 11 countries to over 26 countries in the blink of an eye courtesy of the International Food & Wine Festival. Celebrating its 14th year, the International Food & Wine Festival, which runs through November 8th, celebrates foods from some of the world’s greatest cities.
Although delicious in their own right, the Walt Disney World Resort is more than just burgers, fries, turkey legs and Mickey premium ice cream bars. Charles Passy recently reported in the Palm Beach Post, “If there’s any proof of how much a culinary mecca Disney has become, it’s the annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival… the festival, now in its 14th year, plays host to scores of prominent chefs, winemakers and celebrities: This year’s participants include famed chocolatier Jacques Torres, master sommelier and television personality Andrea Immer Robinson, and singer-turned-cookbook author Patti LaBelle.”
Navigating the food and wine festival, which happens throughout Epcot®, can be a bit overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. The festival is broken down into four basic categories: demonstrations, seminars, special experiences, and the International Marketplace. In addition there is nightly entertainment with the Eat to the Beat Concert Series. Theme park admission is required, and although some of the events will require an additional fee, others are included with admission.
Read More about “Around the World in 80 Bites” by Chuck Mirarchi
We have been so swamped with news at WDWNT this week that it has taken us 4 days to get to it, but without any further delay, here are some photos that WDWNT Reporter Brandon Struve took on his latest trip to Epcot:
In case you haven’t heard, The International Food & Wine Festival has begun
From The Art of Disney Parks:
The Disney Gallery will open Friday, October 2nd, 2009 in the former Bank of Main Street Building!
Like most, you’ve probably missed visiting The Disney Gallery on your recent trips to Disneyland® park. Well, good news! the hot-spot for viewing original and one-of-a-kind Disney artwork and artifacts is ready to re-open in the fall at its new location – in the former Bank of Main Street, right next to the Disneyland® Opera House.
This new location offers roughly the same amount of area as the gallery’s previous home above the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction (which is now occupied by the Disneyland® Dream Suite). And, just as before, The Disney Gallery will be made up of three separate rooms – two exhibit rooms and a gift shop. “This will allow us to tell on continuous story, or three separate stories, as we used to in the former gallery,” said Kim Irvine, Walt Disney Imagineering and Art Director for this project. She also told us that the unique qualities of the building have been incorporated into the gallery’s theme: “We’ll maintain the bank look and architecture and visually tell the story that this was an old bank that has been turned into an art gallery. Guests will still see remnants of the old bank influence – like the vault!” So be sure to stop in and visit this longtime favorite attraction and store in its new digs.
A huge product release and signing will be held on Saturday, October 10th, 2009:
Join us as we celebrate the opening of The Disney Gallery in its new location on Main Street, U.S.A. with an array of Walt Disney Imagineers and Disney Inspired Artists, including Jim Crouch, Jody Daily, Jeremy Fulton, Kevin Kidney, Larry Nikolai, Maggie Parr, George Scribner, SHAG and Yakovetic. Commissioned artwork by these artists will on display and will be available as part of the product release & signing. The artist signing will take place from 9 AM to 11 AM on Saturday, October 10th, 2009.
Also, a “Nightmare Before Christmas” product release and signing will be held the following Saturday, October 17th, 2009 at The Disney Gallery:
Join us as we celebrate Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and the re-opening of our Haunted Mansion attraction in its “holiday” state. Artists, Dave Avanzino, Brian Sandah and Tim Wollweber will be on hand to sign some of their latest Haunted Mansion Holiday inspired merchandise, including a Haunted Mansion Holiday mixed media sculpture, a Jack Skellington themed mantle piece, changing portrait and stained glass-like sculpture.
Also available as part of the release will be Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas: The 13 Days of Christmas book by authors, Steve Davison and Carolyn Gardner. Show Development and Production Senior Writer, Carolyn Gardner along with Tim Wollweber who helped to illustrate some of the book, will be on hand for a special appearance and signing. The artist signing will take place from 9 AM to 11 AM on Saturday, October 17th, 2009.
We told you earlier today that The Muppets would be featured in the national marketing campaign for the 2010 “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” promotion, so here are two of the commercials featuring Kermit and the gang you’ll be seeing on your television real soon:
This morning on ABC’s Good Morning America program, the “Disney Parks” announced their new promotion for all of 2010, a second year of “What Will You Celebrate?” subtitled “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day”. As was rumored, the promotion will give a free day of admission to Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort theme park for a day of community service. Through the updated “What Will You Celebrate?” website beginning January 1st, guests can search for an approved volunteer opportunity in their area, get involved in their community for a day, and then enjoy the reward of a day at the place “Where Dreams Come True”. The campaign is aiming to give away one million one-day tickets for one million days of community service from January through December of 2010.
NOTE: If WDW/DLR annual passholders or valid multi-day ticket holders participate, they can choose from one of the following special rewards:
Here is more information on the promotion that was posted today on the Disney Parks Blog:
Breaking news… as we just announced on Good Morning America, if you give a day of volunteer service to a participating organization, you’ll get one day of free admission to a Disney Park. It’s a first-of-its-kind program we’re calling “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day.”
And yes, it’s that simple — a free one-day ticket to a Disneyland or Walt Disney World theme park for guests who volunteer a day of service to a participating organization. We’re celebrating you and the good things you do for your communities.
Our program officially begins on January 1, 2010. When it’s live, you’ll be able to visit www.DisneyParks.com or www.DisneyParks.ca and search for an eligible volunteer project. After completing the volunteer work, an e-mail will be sent from Disney with a link to print out a certificate to redeem at a theme park for a free one-day, one-park admission. And if you’re unable to use the ticket, it can be donated to a charity designated by Disney.
With this announcement, we’re looking for 1 million people with a passion to make a difference. And we’re working with HandsOn Network to do it. They’re helping make sure you find the perfect volunteer work. And many of the program’s volunteer opportunities will be for the family.
Also, you’ll notice that we’re raising awareness for grass-roots community volunteerism in more cities than just Chicago. Disney VoluntEARS are joining local volunteers in cities across the United States and Canada today. Work projects involving more than 1,000 volunteers are happening in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami and across Canada — Toronto, Montreal, Halifax and Vancouver.
We’ll be posting more details about the program and how it may involve your city on the @DisneyParks Twitter account and right here.
Of course, there are some official details you should know about: Must pre-register and sign up for eligible volunteer opportunity at disneyparks.com. Ticket quantities for this program are limited. Must be at least age 6 to participate. Other terms and conditions apply. For details, see disneyparks.com in the United States and Puerto Rico. In Canada, see disneyparks.ca.
The campaign website also finally explains why we saw so much in-park filming with The Muppets at Disneyland a few weeks ago. The Muppets are the stars of the marketing for 2010, you’ll be seeing the Jim Henson creations on a special North America tour and on nationally televised ads. The website for the tour (sponsored by Southwest Airlines) is definitely worth checking out for all the Muppet insanity and free downloads you can currently enjoy. Soon the site will have more details on the tour (including dates) that will run throughout the U.S., Puerto Rico, and Canada to spread the word about helping you community. The promotion has even garnered some star power beyond the beloved Muppets. Commercials featuring James Denton, Taye Diggs, and Teri Hatcher working along with their furry friends to help the community are also available on the official site and will probably begin airing on Disney-owned television networks starting this week.
Be sure to stay tuned to Disneyland News Today as we get more information on the 2010 promotion, “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day!”.
