Parks & Resorts – Page 496

Robert Ashburn’s 12/21 Magic Kingdom Update

WDWNT on December 23, 2008

Robert Ashburn of Figment’s Media.Net and FTN has provided us with some his trip to the Magic Kingdom on Sunday. Let’s take a look at some newsworthy items using this new gallery option:

441459064_nncgz-m

Space in Tomorrowland being prepared for Stitch’s Supersonic Dance Celebration that will debut in the Spring

441461359_ardjn-m

The old Skyway building is also getting some much needed TLC during this time

441459858_vrszs-m

Haven’t seen these signs in a while, I guess this still is 1994 Tomorrowland

441460623_8rl7y-m

Sign directing guests to the restrooms around the walls during this refurbishment

441465563_xkoe7-m

The entire building is not under tarps

441467197_dqoms-m

A closer look

441466772_afn5t-m

Resort-wide sales continue through the holiday season

441472947_epsy7-m

The refurbishment of the second half of Tinker Bell’s Treasures reveals a new shop, Castle Couture

441473390_rsknl-m

Some great new decor can be found in the new shop

441474025_qnphz-m

Aurora’s dress changes colors as Fauna and Merryweather fight over red and blue

441474763_wxsxd-m

This seems to be an extension of the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, selling the princess outfits that parents can purchase

441475197_qptvd-m

There is a section for each princess

441475757_vjgbs-m

The work on the upper level of Pinnochio’s Village Haus is complete and it looks great

441477153_stcnh-m

Work on the lower section continues

441479567_m4qkg-m

The exterior of the Hall of Presidents is now being refurbished in preparation for the July 2009 re-opening

441480183_jqas6-m

The self-service kiosks at Pecos Bill’s have been moved to the center, surprising when the entire restaurant closes for refurbishment in January

441480816_ygrqv-m

It seems people are still afraid to use them

441482288_pq2mj-m

We’ll end this report with a nighttime picture of the new food vendor replacing the Frontierland Fry Wagon

Brian Martsolf’s December 2008 WDW Update

WDWNT on December 21, 2008

Our good friend Brian Martsolf (of Big Brian’s Disney Page) has provided us with some photos taken during Mousefest 2008, so lets take a look:

The Viking play ship outside the Norway pavilion at Epcot is now completely gone

This is about the only remnant

News & Rumor Round-up

WDWNT on December 20, 2008

I have been informed of some very interesting news & rumors of what could be happening (or is going to happen) at the Disneyland Resort in the very near future:

Construction should be beginning on World of Color sometime during the upcoming week, weather permitting of course. The first signs of work will be near the California Screamin’ launch area. Along with that, the change-over from the Orange Stinger to Silly Symphony Swings should start in January 2009, & construction on the The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Adventure will finally begin in April 2009. Also, the Maliboomer will now be removed next year, with nothing replacing it at the moment, except for a nicely designed seating area on the current tower platforms. The “refurbishment” of Burger Invasion seems to be of been pushed along a whole another year, with it supposedly lasting through May 26th, 2011. The building will sit dormant for a while, until work begins on the Beer Garden.
Originally the plans for a new parade route in DCA called for it to go through Cars Land, & then up onto the parade route as it is today. Well now the plan is for parades to start at the gate right by the Tower of Terror, go through the Hollywood Pictures Backlot, through Buena Vista Street, & up along the rest of the regular parade route, which would make it the longest parade route in Disney history! This would prompt the removal of the Hollywood Pictures Backlot arch, however the two giant elephants would stay.
New restrooms will be installed opposite the current ones next to Golden Dreams in the San Francisco style buildings, with work beginning on January 5th 2009, to allow for the current ones to be removed for extra space needed for The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Adventure. The supposed completion day is March 30th 2009, which makes sense if Little Mermaid construction is expected to begin in April.
It’s rumored that a fruit cart will be installed in the former home of the Conestoga Wagon McDonalds fry cart in Frontierland. The only concrete details we have is that it should be opened by late May 2009.
In a rather interesting turn of events, it seems the Royal Coronation Ceremony & Disney Princess Storytelling Shows at the Princess Fantasy Faire will no longer be performed after January 4th 2009. This is yet another sign of how bad the New Year could end up being for Disney. Of course, the Princess Meet ‘n Greets, Princess merchandise area, & Enchanted Cottage food stand will remain open.
Finally, rumors keep persisting that Disney’s Electrical Parade will be returning to Disneyland. But now it seems that a return would cause for quite a few changes. The parade is going to have to get an entirely new name for it to be able to move back to Disneyland, due to the marketing campaign they had in 1996, legally saying that the Main Street Electrical Parade would never return to Disneyland. We however have no idea on what the new name could be just yet. A new version of the Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade: Dreamlights soundtrack could be replacing the classic Electrical Parade soundtrack we know & love. And as we’ve said before, the Pinocchio & Snow White Dwarf Mine floats will be returning to the parade. In fact, we have proof…

The black sort of curtain like structure is the Snow White Dwarf Mine. The Pinocchio Cigar Factory is in the blue draped crate next to the parade storage warehouse. The Pleasure Island float has reportedly already been pieced together.

Well that wraps up this interesting news & rumor report. Stay tuned to Disneyland News Today for the latest developments on these, & all other news & rumors.

PS) Posts may be a little sporadic over the week week, as I’ll be in England from tomorrow through the 29th. I will try to get some stuff to you guys though. Definitely don’t forget to tune into the Christmas Podcast Parade, being released Christmas Day on all WDWNT Podcast feeds!

Chris Lastrapes 12/19/08 WDW Update

WDWNT on December 19, 2008

Chris Lastrapes from Disneyland News Today is now visiting the Walt Disney World Resort and has provided us with some photos from his trip, so let’s take a look:

Tickets were available for the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on that evening, but are sold out for tonight’s final party.

The Magic Kingdom in it’s Holiday finest

The Magic Kingdom tree, which has actually only been in place for a few days now

The mystery food vendor that is replacing the old Frontierland Fry Cart continues to rise over the walls

25 Years of Parades on the 25th

WDWNT on December 18, 2008

Walt Disney World is celebrating 25 years of the Christmas Day Parade this year and has released a small article about the milestone and this year’s edition:

In a way, you could say that it really all started back in 1950, when Walt Disney was welcomed into homes around the country on Christmas Day, appearing in his first-ever TV show. Or you could say it started in 1971, when Walt Disney World Resort opened its doors–and began a tradition of holiday season revelry. One way or another, Disney has been making the yuletide bright for a very long time!

But this year marks a special anniversary, as the Walt Disney World Christmas Parade celebrates 25 years of telecasts. For a quarter-century, watching the Parade on Christmas Day has brought a slice of Disney magic – and Florida sunshine! – to millions of families. We thought it would be fun to look back at some Parade highlights over the years, and see what special events we can look forward to this year as ABC-TV brings us all the festivities on Christmas morning.

Although the earliest telecasts were focused on events at Walt Disney World, today audiences get a peek at events at Disneyland Resort and beyond. We’ll also see a special segment courtesy of Adventures by Disney that gives us a look at Christmas in Italy, hosted by Joey Fatone.

The first official Walt Disney World Christmas Parade took place at the Magic Kingdom Park and included floats celebrating “Jungle Book” Characters, “Herbie the Love Bug,” “Dumbo,” “Pinocchio,” “101 Dalmatians,” and “Alice in Wonderland.” The Toy Soldiers that delight Guests each year have also been a part of the Parade from the very beginning – the tradition started at a Disneyland holiday parade way back in 1955, and they’ve been part of the Christmas Parade every year.

Through the years, Guests and viewers have been treated to some spectacular moments – in 1994, Olympian Nancy Kerrigan ice-skated during the event; a number of Presidents of the United States have offered holiday greetings on the telecast; and stars from Mariah Carey to Andrea Bocelli to Julie Andrews have performed. 2008 might just be the most star-studded year ever, with performers including Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Sarah Brightman, Jose Feliciano, American Idol’s David Cook, and Vanessa Williams. This year, Corbin Bleu will be debuting a brand-new song on the telecast. And, of course, Santa is one Parade performer we can always count on making an appearance – after that snowy trip around the world on Christmas Eve, we’re sure he welcomes a dose of Florida sunshine!

Regis Philbin will be cohosting with Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest once again in 2008. Regis is practically a Parade tradition, having been involved for 18 years, starting as a “man on the street” commentator. Other hosts over the decades have included, Joan Lunden, Alan Thicke, Suzanne Somers, Tom Bergeron, and Jerry Van Dyke.

The Parade has grown and changed through the years, and it’s a bigger, brighter, more spectacular show than ever. The floats change, new performers make their debuts, and Guests and television viewers alike can be sure of new surprises every year. But some things about the Walt Disney World Christmas Parade, we hope, will never change – the magic, the joy, and the warm holiday spirit that makes Christmas morning extra-special for millions.

Back to the Future with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

WDWNT on December 17, 2008

Even though I typically save the “Back to the Future” name for our segment on the WDW News Today Podcast, I thought it was a fitting title for a post relating to an interesting item I found yesterday. While cleaning through some papers, I found some pamphlets from the 1993 edition of the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom I thought I should share with everyone:

img_new1

The front of the 1993 ticket pamphlet

img_0002_new2

The inside fold of the pamphlet

img_0003_new1

Inside of the pamphlet advertising tickets for the four (yes, only four) parties that year

img_0004_new1

There was then this map for the event which is almost like a very large postcard. Here is the front.

img_0005_new

Here is the map on the reverse side, featuring locations for free pictures, hot chocolate, and cookies

DLR Photo Report – 12/14/08

WDWNT on December 16, 2008

I had a lovely, yet cold day at the Disneyland Resort yesterday, & I have tons of photos for you, in a much higher quality I might add! Let’s hop to it:

The new snowflake structures at the entrance to Disneyland.

Main Street USA in its holiday finest.

The beautiful Main Street Christmas tree.

Advertisement on Main Street for the special edition DVD release of The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea.

The majestic Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle.

Matt Paul’s 12/14 Magic Kingdom Report

WDWNT on December 16, 2008

Matt Paul was at the Magic Kingdom on Sunday to attend the Very Merry Christmas Party, and shares with us some very interesting photos:

A huge vending location of some kind is rising up behind the construction walls in the location of the former fry wagon

You can see fixtures for signage and an awning in this picture

construction materials behind the building on the hill

Jose Eber’s 12/13 American Idol Update

WDWNT on December 13, 2008

WDWNT Videographer Jose Eber has provided us with a picture of what we may be seeing the cast members wearing at the upcoming American Idol Experience attraction in Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

picture-3

Jose has also provided us with a short video of the exterior of the Superstar Television Theater he took a few days ago in both normal definition below and high definition at this link: