WDWNT’s own Jose Castillo is back from the Walt Disney World Resort and has plenty of photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:
Jose arrived at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Wednesday evening to enjoy Fantasmic!
Park hours were expanded and a Fantasmic! was added at 10:00 PM
The DCA Project Tracker has some new information on upcoming refurbishments at Disney’s California Adventure:
These dates are far from official and are always scheduled to change, so stay tuned to Disneyland News Today and our Refurbishments page for the latest.
According to the OC Register’s Around Disney blog:
The Mickey’s Fun Wheel ride in Disney’s California Adventure is open for business.
Disney Spokesman John McClintock said this week’s opening was a “soft” one, so the ride may be in and out of service through the week as cast members tweak the operations.
The retrofitting of the Ferris wheel in DCA with a big, vintage Mickey Mouse Face to replace the sun that had originally been there is part of the $1 billion California Adventure expansion.
The ride will have a private grand-opening party for cast members early next week, and will be in full service by mid-week, McClintock said.
The Walt Disney World Resort website now has a page dedicated to the upcoming Pirates League in Adventureland at the Magic Kingdom. Here is the info provided from Disneyworld.com:
Transform yerself from a land lubber into a true buccaneer! Captain Jack Sparrow is looking for pirates of all ages to join the crew of the Black Pearl. Starting June 29, 2009, visit their “secret” recruiting center in the Magic Kingdom Park. Jack’s crew has pillaged the East India Trading Company’s office in Adventureland, loading it up with plundered booty to create The Pirates League, where you can get yerself a whole new identity complete with name, look and pirate portrait!
It’s a Pirate’s Life for You!
Ahoy, mateys! Begin your piratical transformation when you receive your Official Pirate Name as recorded from the leather-bound captain’s log. Next, stop by the Muster Station and leave your old self behind as the Pirate Masters perform a marauder’s makeover. Hear the ways of the scurvy sea dogs as they apply yer buccaneer beard, scars, earrings and eye patches. Or even be ye a boney pirate and wear your skeleton on yer skin!
Once you have fully transformed, enter the Secret Room where your Pirate Portrait is taken for posterity and the Pirate Masters reveal their hidden treasure.
But the fun is just beginning. With your new pirate identity and map case folder, hoist yer colors and embark on a challenge in Adventureland that will shiver yer timbers!
Choose a Package
The Pirates League offers 3 packages—”The First Mate Package,” “The Empress Package” and “The Captain’s Package”. All packages include a sword and sheath, earring and eye patch, tattoo, exclusive pirate coin necklace, map case folder, and a personalized pirate oath!
The First Mate Package at $49.95 plus tax includes:
Bandana (reversible)
Choice of Facial Effect look: Cursed Pirate, Captain Hook or Captain Jack
Fake Teeth
One (1) 5×7 pictureEmpress Package at $49.95 plus tax includes:
Bandana (reversible)
Shimmering Makeup Makeover
Face Gem
Nail Polish
One (1) 5×7 picture
Additional pirate costumes for this package are available for purchase at The Pirates League.The Captains Package at $124.95 plus tax includes:
Choice of pirate costume
Choice of Facial Effect look: Cursed Pirate, Captain Hook or Captain Jack
Fake Teeth
Three (3) 5″ x 7″ pictures
Make Your ReservationsFor ages 3 and up. Starting May 11, 2009, The Pirates League is accepting reservations when you call (407) WDW-CREW (939-2739). Theme park admission required. Open 7 days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Join the crew—it’s a pirate’s life for you!
According to D23:
Mickey’s Fun Wheel will be open to Guests today after a makeover which added five fab characters on the sides of each gondola and a “pie-eyed” Mickey Mouse overlooking Paradise Bay in Disney’s California Adventure Park.
Yesterday, May 1st, was of course the 20th anniversary of the Disney-MGM Studios, now known as Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Our own Tom Corless, as well as other members of the staff were (and still are) at Walt Disney World for the festivities. As soon as they return from the Resort they’ll be providing great high quality photos with us, but for the time being, thanks to our very own WDWNT Twitter, we have a few photos of the official Disney events, festivities, and merchandise for Disney’s Hollywood Studio’s 20th anniversary:
These banners were hung up at the turnstiles
The 20th anniversary times guide, featurings times and the location for the special “A Look Back at the Creation of Our Park” presentation with Tom Fitzgerald, Eric Jacobson, and Bob Weiss from Walt Disney Imagineering
A special rope drop was held for the anniversary with vice president of the park, Rilous Carter, welcoming guests to the park on this special ocassion
The 20 Years of Magic T-shirt
Inside the Premiere Theatre for the “A Look Back at the Creation of Our Park” presentation
The 20th anniversary cupcakes for sale just on May 1st at Starring Roles
The 20th anniversary cell for sale featuring a 20th birthday cake over the original map of the Disney-MGM Studios
For many more photos from his trip to WDW, please visit Tom Corless’ Twitter, the official Twitter for WDW News Today. And as I said, stay tuned for when our staff members return in the week for many photo reports!
The backstage promotional images for this year’s Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios have been released, and they’re quite whimsical:
Star Wars Weekends run Fridays through Sundays from May 22nd to June 14th at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
Seems like Disneyland’s new fireworks show Magical will only be running in the summer, with Remember Dreams Come True returning this fall. According to D23:
We already revealed some of the exciting details about Disneyland’s new fireworks show, Magical, last week, but there’s more to this display than meets the eye!
As with every Disney spectacular, Magical integrates new effects and technologies, including floodlights, customized “Magical” fireworks shells (that will burst both pink and blue — during a delightful “battle” between Sleeping Beauty’s Flora and Merryweather), and, for the first time ever, a flying Dumbo!
First off, Magical has an exclusive run: June 12 through August 23. Disneyland’s Remember… Dreams Come True returns for the fall, so you have a limited amount of time to see the magic of Magical.
Along with soaring vocals from Broadway star Eden Espinosa and a lush score from Greg Smith, Magical features beloved Disney songs including (take a deep breath!): “The Second Star to the Right,” “An Actor’s Life for Me,” “Give a Little Whistle,” “I’ve Got No Strings,” “It’s a Jolly Holiday,” “Chim Chim Cher-ee,” “Step in Time,” “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” “Baby Mine,” “So This Is Love,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “Once Upon a Dream.”
As with every Disney spectacular, Magical integrates new effects and technologies, including floodlights, customized “Magical” fireworks shells (that will burst both pink and blue — during a delightful “battle” between Sleeping Beauty’s Flora and Merryweather), and, for the first time ever, a flying Dumbo!
Dumbo’s soaring techniques are similar to those of Tinker Bell’s (who will still, of course, appear in the show). “But it is a whole new type of technology,” explains Disneyland Entertainment Productions Senior Show Director John Addis. “[Designer] Michael Curry’s eyes got really wide when we went to him and said, ‘We want to do Dumbo on a wire.’ But he’s risen to the occasion. I was just up there Monday and he said it was he best puppet he’s ever done to reflect a character.”
No doubt, the experience will be… Magical.
D23 has put up a couple of interesting things today that I want to share with everyone. First up, a great look at the Disney’s California Adventure renovation is provided in the Summer issue of Disney twenty-three magazine:
In the summer issue of twenty-three, Steven Clark and Jeffrey Epstein take readers on an exciting walk into the future of Disney’s California Adventure, revealing what Imagineers have in mind for park over the next four years. As you might expect, spectacular plans are unfolding — everything from a brand-new entryway and the majestic Carthay Circle Theatre to the spectacular World of Color nighttime extravaganza, the calypso under-the-sea beat of the new Little Mermaid attraction and an entirely new themed land that will be home to Lightning McQueen and his four-wheeled friends! Happy browsing!
Secondly, they have an interview with Disneyland Entertainment Productions Senior Show Director John Addis about the upcoming TLT Dance Club coming to the Tomorrowland Terrace this summer as part of Summer Nightastic:
If a hot nightspot inside Disneyland featuring today’s most popular music sounds like a familiar concept, you have something in common with Disneyland Entertainment Productions Senior Show Director John Addis.
“I opened Videopolis back in ’85,” John says, referring to the vibrant video dance club that once stood where the Princess Fantasy Faire now resides. “They packed the place. Kids would go and learn dances together.” John says they wanted to bring the concept into 2009, and the Tomorrowland Terrace, which has frequently featured contemporary performances throughout the years, was the perfect spot for the new TLT Dance Club (skywalkers-in-training, have no fear, Jedi Training Academy will continue during the day — TLT will heat up nightly from 7–11 p.m. starting June 12). “We’re going to have plasma screens in the venue, and you can actually text and your text messages will go up on the screen… I’m not quite sure how they’re going to police that,” he says with a laugh. Guests will also be able to text in their favorite song to a posted number. “At 8 o’clock at night they do ‘Celebrate at 8,’ and they will take all of the songs that everyone wants to hear and they’ll do a countdown to the No. 1 song.”
John also notes there will be a host who will keep the night grooving with games, trivia and trademarked Disney fun. Music, of course, will be the heart of TLT, with DJs from Southern California radio stations and local bands keeping things lively. “The asks are out, as they say,” jokes John about possible performers and DJs. “But I haven’t heard anything definite. I’m excited about the live music. Friday through Sunday we’re going to have live bands.”
The bands, notes Disney Entertainment Productions Producer Ray Coble, may be familiar to Disneyland-ers. “We’re welcoming bands that we use and know are very successful like the 80z All Stars and also looking at some new ones.”
Adds John, “I’d love to expose people to new groups. It’s great to have a new group come in, people follow them and suddenly… they’re Rascal Flatts!”
Does that mean Miley may turn up at TLT? “We’re looking into Hollywood Records and Disney Channel emerging artists — and maybe even some established recording artists — coming down during that Friday to Sunday time,” John hints. “What we’ve done is taken an area that needed to have some fun, and I think it’s going to!”
The photo reports just keep coming in! Here is yet another report from our very own Chuck Canzoneri:
The parks were more crowded than you would expect today. This was taken at 1pm
The park closed at 6pm, but the Animation Pavillion was closing earlier to prepare for a special wine event with John Lasseter and his wife at 6:30pm
Chuck attended Celebrate Austria at the Chef’s Showcase Stage. Here, Chef Marcel created an Austrian Goulash with a Sweet Onion Brioche
Chuck states: “Chef Marcel works at Club 33, and it was embroidered on his shirt. So does that mean I’ve now tried Club 33 food?”
“The goulash looked messy, but it was terrific. The meat was incredibly tender, and the cabbage and touch of sour cream was a nice touch.”
