Disneyland Hotel Renovation Begins

WDWNT on September 4, 2009

According to the OC Register’s Around Disney blog:

Guests staying at the Disneyland Hotel will be sleeping on new beds alongside new furniture.

“We wanted to make the rooms a more immersive experience for our guests,” said David Gill, media relations for the Disneyland Resorts.

Construction crews began work in the Dream Tower last week on the project that will take three years to tackle the entire hotel. Work includes stripping the rooms down to the bare walls, upgrading the electrical and plumbing and then bringing in carpeting, paint, furniture, beds and bathtubs.

The new furniture is being lifted into the tower via a temporary elevator mounted to the exterior of the building.

“Some of the furniture is so big that we want to get it in and out effectively without disrupting the rest of the hotel,” Gill said.

The new look for the rooms was conceived by designers at Walt Disney Imagineering, and includes many Disney touches such as hidden Mickeys in the carpeting, the bathrooms and other niches; and headboards that light up with a fiber-optics display of the world famous Disneyland fireworks above Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Other details include a pair of Mickey Mouse hands holding the lights in the dressing area. Even Tinkerbell is hiding out in the room.

“We wanted the guests to continue to feel the Disney magic when they return to the rooms from our parks,” Gill said.

The rooms will be outfitted with energy-efficient lighting and double-paned, energy-efficient windows that will be tinted blue to give the towers a new look.

The work is being done in phases, with the Dream Tower scheduled for completion in June, followed by the Magic Tower then the Wonder Tower. All the work is expected to be complete by 2012.

Disney officials declined to give a cost for the renovations.

All of the old bathtubs will be donated to Habitat for Humanity, while the beds and furniture will be offered to cast members at a highly discounted rate with proceeds donated to local charities.

Guests Select Ingredients at The New Lucky Fortune Cookery

WDWNT on September 3, 2009

The colorful new Lucky Fortune Cookery, debuting Friday, Sept. 4, 2009, is the newest addition to the variety of dining options at Disney’s California Adventure park. Located in the Pacific Wharf section of the park, Lucky Fortune Cookery offers guests the opportunity to create their own Asian Rice Bowl meals and enjoy them in an outdoor plaza.

  • Lucky Fortune Cookery can be found in the location previously occupied by Cocina Cucamonga, which has relocated directly across the Pacific Wharf outdoor dining plaza.
  • The quick-service restaurant features colorful décor, paper lanterns, oversized pots filled with bamboo and iconic dragon designs.
  • Guests are served at the quick-service windows of Lucky Fortune Cookery and they dine at tables under festive umbrellas in the outdoor plaza at Pacific Wharf. The environment allows for a pleasant and flavorful break in the day at Disneyland Resort.
  • The Menu: Customized Asian Rice Bowls are the specialty of Lucky Fortune Cookery.  It starts with a bowl of steamed white and brown rice and seared Asian vegetables. Guests select chicken, beef or tofu, plus a sauce of their choice: Mandarin orange, spicy Korean, Thai green curry or teriyaki.
  • The spicy Korean sauce is actually based on an old family recipe provided by Gloria Tae, chef de cuisine at the award-winning Napa Rose restaurant in Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. All the sauce options were researched and taste-tested by Disney chefs as well as by cast members from diverse cultural backgrounds so that the final products would appeal to the broad variety of guests dining at Lucky Fortune Cookery.
  • The Price: Each customized Asian Rice Bowl, regardless of ingredients, will cost $9.49. A kid’s meal of teriyaki chicken and rice, including fruit cup and choice of beverage, is available for guests age 9 and under for $6.49.

Disney Characters Celebrate a Small Christmas

WDWNT on September 3, 2009

Disneyland will be releasing an It’s a Small World Holiday mystery pin set, featuring the recently added Disney characters with some holiday decorations as backdrops.

This is the first glimpse we’ve seen at what they’ll be doing with the Disney characters during the It’s a Small World Holiday overlay this year. The mystery pin set will be released on October 1st, containing 4 random pins of the 10 in the collection for $25. Also, It’s a Small World will be closed from October 27th to November 12th for the addition of the holiday overlay.

New Fantasmic Dragon to Finally Debut Tonight!

WDWNT on September 1, 2009

Exciting news from our good friend Brady MacDonald over at the LA Times Travel Blog:

After months of false starts and frustrating anticipation, the Fantasmic dragon will finally take the stage at Disneyland tonight (Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2009) at 8:15 p.m., according to park officials.

Despite top billing, the oft-delayed dragon failed to appear during the Anaheim theme park’s Summer Nightastic promotion.

Expect big crowds along the Rivers of America tonight as the news spreads via the blogosphere, Twittersphere and Disneysphere.

During the rest of the week, Fantasmic plays at 8:15 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday and 9 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. over the four-day Labor Day Weekend (Friday-Monday). On high attendance days, Disneyland often adds a third Fantasmic show.

After Labor Day, Fantasmic switches to a weekend-only schedule (Friday-Sunday) until the Christmas holidays.

New Treats at This Year’s Halloween Time

WDWNT on September 1, 2009

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Sept. 1, 2009) – Spooky new fireworks and ghoulish screams at Space Mountain add to the fun when Halloween Time returns to Disneyland Resort Sept. 25-Nov. 1. Halloween Time offers families a chance to celebrate the season as they interact with some of Disney’s most beloved characters decked out in seasonal costumes at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks. Guests will also enjoy a unique opportunity to experience some spooky fun with Disney’s more sinister characters, the Disney villains. In addition, Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party returns for 12 special nights in October.

For older kids and adults, Halloween Time offers a new attraction: Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy in Tomorrowland at Disneyland. The scary new experience will begin as a typical Space Mountain adventure, but will suddenly launch voyagers into an uncharted and haunted section of the universe. Ghosts appear out of the starry darkness and swirling galaxies of Space Mountain, reaching out as if to grab guests as they speed through space. The exhilarating drops and curves of the journey are punctuated by piercing screams, creepy sound effects and haunting music. The Halloween transformation occurs outside the mountain as well, as frightening images, audio and lights illuminate the Space Mountain exterior.

Also new this year is “Halloween Screams – A Villainous Surprise in the Skies.” The new fireworks spectacular will haunt the nighttime sky throughout the Halloween season. To start the show, “Master of Scare-omonies” Jack Skellington appears in a flash of fire above Sleeping Beauty Castle. Thanks to Jack’s ghoulish charm, haunting melodies fill the air and a Halloween pyrotechnics extravaganza explodes into the night. Such classic Disney villains as Maleficent, Ursula the Sea Witch and Oogie Boogie join in the “spirit” of the celebration, and even Zero, Jack’s faithful ghost dog, will make an appearance. Spectators in Disneyland are encouraged to participate in a bone-chilling Halloween Scream-Along during the show.

Jack Skellington also returns to take over the Haunted Mansion and bring back Haunted Mansion Holiday to New Orleans Square in Disneyland. Transformed to a mix of Halloween spookiness and Christmas tradition, Haunted Mansion Holiday is inspired by the classic animated film “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.” Jack and his friends provide plenty of havoc and surprises as they celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Haunted Mansion in their unusual style. Jack’s return to the Haunted Mansion includes the traditional Halloween/Christmas gingerbread house in the Mansion Ballroom, with some special spooky surprises in this year’s design.

For not-so-frightful fun, Halloween Time offers special pleasures for children and parents.

  • Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland is again transformed for the Pumpkin Festival, where more than 300 “non-identical” pumpkins will be on display in shop windows.
  • Visitors to Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland will sometimes find the ranch animals dressed in costume for a seasonal Halloween Roundup, with pumpkin carvers, Halloween décor and activities for youngsters, all presided over by Sheriff Woody.
  • Next door at Big Thunder Barbecue, Miss Chris and the Roundup musicians add Halloween songs to their repertoire.
  • Meeting favorite Disney characters will be easier than ever as Disney villains gather to plot Halloween mischief in “it’s a small world” Mall in Disneyland, while other characters in seasonal costumes greet guests in Town Square, Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland and Sunshine Plaza in Disney’s California Adventure.
  • Also available throughout both parks are special Halloween treats, including menu items such as Zero’s Ghostly Ghoulash served in a dog dish in honor of Zero.
  • Special Halloween Time gifts are offered in Disneyland Resort shops. Gifts include jack-o-lantern mouse ears and collectable pins depicting Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and their friends in Halloween costumes.

More spine-tingling fun can be found in Disney’s California Adventure at The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, where a “supernatural” event happened on Halloween evening, 1939, forever haunting the building.

Also at Disney’s California Adventure, Sunshine Plaza becomes Candy Corn Acres, with Mickey’s pal Goofy up to his tricks again – attempting to wow the world with his unusual candy corn treats. Candy corn carrots, candy corn pumpkins and candy corn grapes are just a few of the candy corn items Goofy is harvesting.

Back by popular demand is Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party, a one-of-a-kind celebration that returns to Disney’s California Adventure for 12 nights in October (2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29, 30 and 31). Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat Party lets adults and children alike dress up and trick-or-treat in the ultimate Disney neighborhood. Highlights this year will include:

  • 25 Treat Stops located throughout Disney’s California Adventure
  • All your favorite Disney’s California Adventure rides and attractions
  • A Hollywood Bat-Lot Bash in Hollywood Pictures Backlot
  • A nightly “Mickey’s Trick-or-Treat on the Street” cavalcade
  • Character photo locations featuring Disney villains, princesses and other favorites
  • Pirate’s Wharf, a transformation of the Pacific Wharf area into an entertainment area, photo location, craft area and games area

This separate-ticket nighttime event gives children and their families a chance to dress as their favorite princesses, goblins or heroes and trick-or-treat throughout the park. Tickets purchased in advance are $32 most days, while tickets purchased on the event day are $39. For Oct. 30 and 31, all tickets to Mickey’s Trick or Treat Party are $42. Favorite Disney characters, including Mickey himself, will be in attendance in their favorite costumes. It’s the ideal environment to have fun, eat special holiday treats, play interactive games, listen to “spirited” music and watch a nightly character cavalcade that celebrates the season.

For more information about Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort, see disneyland.com/halloween. This site will be updated as frightfully fun details become available.

Value-minded vacationers can celebrate Halloween Time with a special travel offer this fall: savings of $400* at the Disneyland Resort. From Aug. 12 through Dec. 19, 2009, guests will save $400 when they book a 4-Day/4-Night Disneyland Resort vacation package, featuring Disneyland Resort hotel accommodations – Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier – and park hopper tickets. The offer is valid for arrivals through Dec. 20, 2009, with a final booking day of Dec. 19. Details are at disneyland.com/Save400.

First Official Pictures of New Fantasmic Dragon!

WDWNT on August 31, 2009

Disney has finally given us our first real look at the new dragon in Fantasmic, after 3 months of waiting:

You’ll be absolutely stunned once you watch this video

There’s still no word on if “Murphy” will debut tonight or not, but stay tuned to Disneyland News Today as we keep up with the latest on Fantasmic’s new dragon.

Finally, Time for Tequila!

WDWNT on August 28, 2009

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LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Tasty tequilas and mouthwatering margaritas are on tap at La Cava del Tequila, a new offering for Epcot guests to explore the heritage and tradition of tequila-making in Mexico.

Tucked away in the Mexico pavilion at Epcot, La Cava del Tequila beckons guests with more than 70 types of authentic tequila, ranging from the simplest to the rarest of them all, aged to perfection and made from the finest distilled spirits from the agave plant. Tequilas range in price from $8 to $50 for a specialty tequila.

Amid warm décor, art work and original artifacts all celebrating the Mexican heritage, a “Tequila Ambassador” is on hand to educate Walt Disney World guests on the history of tequila-making.

Also on the drink menu: Exotic and uniquely blended margaritas, introducing a variety of flavored salts, spices and tropical fresh fruits masterfully prepared by experienced mixologists. A variety of quick tastes, tapas style, will be available, including freshly made guacamole and ceviche as well as mahi mahi tostadas with diced mango and avocado and blue crab tostados with chipotle mayo and Valentina sauce.

The 30-seat La Cava del Tequila is open from noon until Epcot park closing time. It is connected to the famous San Angel Inn as part of the Mexico pavilion, a popular stop for Walt Disney World guests.

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Several “tapas-style” tastings are on the menu including freshly made guacamole, home-fried fresh corn chips, salsas, ceviches and various tostadas.

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Flavorful margaritas and specially prepared flights of tequila take center stage.

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Specially trained Tequila Ambassador, Hilda Castillo, straight from Tequila, Mexico, shares her passion for tequila making at the newly opened La Cava del Tequila at Epcot.

We Were “Totally” Right About Tomorrowland Stage

WDWNT on August 28, 2009

According to the Orlando Sentinel Theme Park Rangers Blog:

A trusted source reports that Disney is reviving a Stitch show that will be presented this year during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom. It’s name: “A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas,” but it will include the rascally character.

Expect it on the stage where Stitch was previously seen for the short-lived, much-panned Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration.

A Disney official told me they have nothing to announce at this time.

In an 8/16 photo report, I remarked that a new show was set to debut on the stage in November and that modifications were currently being made to the stage. It appears my sources were correct and we can expect “A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas” to fill the gap caused by the demolition of the Galaxy Palace Theater and “Mickey’s Twas the Night Before Christmas”. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as we get more information on this breaking story.