“Fairies” Meet The Press

WDWNT on October 30, 2008

Walt Disney World has issued a press release, including pictures and a video, on the new Pixie Hollow meet-and-greet inside the Toontown Hall of Fame at the Magic Kingdom:

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To celebrate the animated film “Tinker Bell,” Disney’s most famous fairy and four of her best friends are featured in a meet-and-greet experience in Mickey’s Toontown Fair at Magic Kingdom. To meet Tinker Bell and her fairy friends, guests enter a magical forest called “Pixie Hollow,” a special place deep in the heart of Never Land. Tinker Bell (center), made famous in the 1953 Disney animated classic “Peter Pan,” for her “hostess” role in Disney television specials and for “flying” above the Disney theme parks, is joined inside Pixie Hollow by four fairy friends: Iridessa (left), a light fairy; Fawn (second from left), an animal fairy; Rosetta (second from right), a garden fairy; and Silvermist (right), a water fairy. (Diana Zalucky, photographer)

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Jose Eber’s Panoramic Photo Report

WDWNT on October 30, 2008

WDWNT Photographer Jose Eber has put together a few nice panoramic pictures for your enjoyment from the Magic Kingdom Resort area, including an updated photo of continuing construction of the Bay Lake Tower (be sure to click on the images for bigger versions of the panoramic pictures):

Press Release Mania

WDWNT on October 30, 2008

Here are 3 press releases that have recently been released by Disney. The first is on the opening of Pixie Hollow:

To celebrate the animated film “Tinker Bell,” Disney’s most famous fairy and four of her best friends are featured in an all-new meet-and-greet experience at Disneyland Park.

To meet Tinker Bell and her fairy friends, guests enter a magical forest called “Pixie Hollow,” a special place deep in the heart of Never Land.

Tinker Bell, made famous in the 1953 Disney animated classic “Peter Pan,” for her “hostess” role in Disney television specials and for “flying” above the Disney theme parks, is joined inside Pixie Hollow by four fairy friends: Fawn, an animal fairy; Iridessa, a light fairy; Rosetta, a garden fairy; and Silvermist, a water fairy.

In addition to meeting the Fairies guests can learn more about the Disney Fairies at disneyfairies.com.

 PIXIE HOLLOW — The magical realm of Pixie Hollow has been revealed at Disneyland. Guests will get the strange feeling that they are shrinking to fairy size as they make their way to Tinker Bell’s home where they they will meet Tink and her pixie pals.

TINKER BELL IN PIXIE HOLLOW — Disneyland guests can now meet one of the most beloved Disney characters of all time at the all-new “Pixie Hollow.”

FAWN IN PIXIE HOLLOW — Fawn, the animal fairy, is just one of Tinker Bell’s pixie pals Disneyland guests will encounter at the all-new “Pixie Hollow.”

SILVERMIST IN PIXIE HOLLOW — Silvermist, the water fairy, is just one of Tinker Bell’s pixie pals Disneyland guests will encounter at the all-new “Pixie Hollow.”

IRIDESSA IN PIXIE HOLLOW — Iridessa, the light fairy, is just one of Tinker Bell’s pixie pals Disneyland guests will encounter at the all-new “Pixie Hollow.”


ROSETTA IN PIXIE HOLLOW — Rosetta, the garden fairy, is just one of Tinker Bell’s pixie pals Disneyland guests will encounter at the all-new “Pixie Hollow.”

The second is on the new High School Musical 3: Right Here! Right Now! show at Disney’s California Adventure:

Fans of the “High School Musical” can join the fun as “High School Musical 3: Right Here! Right Now!” is rockin’ at Disney’s California Adventure.




The new, interactive street show invites Guests to dance, sing along and celebrate the music of the new theatrical motion picture “High School Musical 3: Senior Year.”

Featuring a cast of 14 dynamic singers and dancers, the Disney show takes place on a traveling stage that creates a live-concert experience, complete with stacks of speakers and rows of lights. Entertainment featuring six new songs from the movie will draw guests into the streets of Disney’s California Adventure for an exciting, high-energy dance party.

Three shows will be perfomred daily at Sun Plaza, near the main entrance, and the Golden State Stage.

Teens and tweens who are big fans of the “High School Musical” score will sing along with two of the movie’s hottest numbers, “A Night to Remember” and the theme song, “High School Musical.”

And the final press release is on the new personalized merchandise that is available, & will be available as part of the upcoming What Will You Celebrate? campaign:

It’s Time To Celebrate “You!”
Celebrate “you” every day. Stand out in the crowd with our personalized t-shirts commemorating special celebrations in your life (i.e Happy Birthday, Just Married, Family Reunion), or maybe we can lend you a hand or even better an “ear” with our Create-Your-Own ear hat program. But if its pins that are your “trade” then be sure to find that special character pin and personalize yours today.

Personalized T-shirts
Beginning November 14, 2008, be sure to stop by our newest personalization location on Main Street, U.S.A., Celebration Custom Printers – Specializing in Wearable Memories. Here you can have your name imprinted on specially designed commemorative t-shirts. So, whether you are celebrating your birthday, commemorating your recent nuptials or identifying your family members with our special “Family Reunion” tees, you’re sure to come away with a special memory that will last a lifetime. And for our younger Jedi Knights in Training or Disney Princesses to be, now you can choose to personalize your own t-shirt with our special kids only imprinted tees.

An Ear-Ful of Fun!
You’ll be grinning from “ear” to “ear” with our Create-Your-Own Ear Hat program. It’s just FOUR (4) easy steps: Find An Ear Hat Base, Select Your Desired “Ears”, Accessorize, and last but not least, remember the signature of any ear hat, to have your name embroidered on the back. To learn more or to create-your-own ear hat, visit The Gag Factory located in Mickey’s ToonTown at Disneyland® park.

Personalize Your Pin
Celebrate friends, family or even yourself with a variety of Disney character pins, names and phrases, including Happy Birthday, Feliz Cumpleanos, #1 Mom and more. Base pins will retail between $6.95 to $8.95 (plus tax). The PVC Nameplates will retail at $2.00 each (plus tax). Personalize your own pin is available at select locations at the Disneyland® Resort, including Little Green Men Store Command and Disney’s Pin Traders. Here’s How it Works!

1. Start by choosing a base pin
2. Next select a PVC name or phrase plate
3. Attach the magnetic base plate to the base of the pin
4. Congratulations! Your pin is complete

For more information on personalized pins, please click here.

Festival of the Masters 2008

WDWNT on October 28, 2008

Here is a press release featuring details on the upcoming Festival of the Masters at Downtown Disney:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The lakeside setting of Downtown Disney becomes the backdrop for more than 150 artisans displaying original creations during the 33rd annual Festival of the Masters at Walt Disney World Resort, Nov. 7-9, 2008. Festival of the Masters, presented by Sharpie®, is a nationally recognized art show which is ranked among the country’s best outdoor art festivals each year.
 
To qualify for Festival of the Masters, artists must have earned a primary award in a juried art festival within the last three years. Prospective exhibitors submit award verification and samples of their art to a jury of art experts who select the participants. This process ensures that visitors to the festival will be treated to one of the finest collections of art in the nation. 

Sculpture, jewelry, painting, photography, glass, and digital art are just some of the art genres showcased at this year’s event. Street painters from the Florida Chalk Artists Association will decorate some 6,000 square feet of sidewalk with unique drawings. Youngsters can take in the fun with live music, face painting and interactive kid’s zones.

House of Blues will celebrate the creative spirit of folk art during the 10th annual “Where the Art Meets the Soul” Folk Art Festival at Downtown Disney West Side. 

To add an international flair to the festival, Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant will host the works of three artists associated with the Cherrylane Fine Arts Gallery in Delgany, County Wicklow, Ireland.

Festival hours are 9:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. each day of the festival. Admission is complimentary. For more information about Festival of the Masters, contact 407/824-4321 or visit www.disneyworld.com/artfestival.

Bridging the Gaps Between You and the Globe

WDWNT on October 27, 2008

Even though it has been performing in the show for a while now, WDWNT Videographer Jose Eber brings us a video of the upgraded LED-covered Earth globe from Illuminations: Reflections of Earth at Epcot:

 

Adam Roth’s 10/25/08 Epcot Update

WDWNT on October 25, 2008

Adam Roth was at Epcot today & has a photo report for us. So let’s get to it:

New LED lights have recently been added to the earth globe in IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth.

The rest of these photos are all related to the upcoming Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, which opens to guests sometime in November… A golfball cleaner has been added to one of the shops in the United Kingdom pavilion. The little green box is a video screen.

This is the King’s Court in the United Kingdom. When the players in the game come up to it, the scene will react accordingly.

This is Duff Killingans’ (from the Kim Possible show) golf club. There’s a spindle at the bottom on top of the grass, which will spin the crest around to reveal a clue.

This is the display for the game, in the window of the Toy Soldier shop. What’s seen here is very different than that seen in the test from 2 years ago. The toy soldier is large, & far more rounded, with the original looking much more like a nutcracker.

This is a video screen, that when not used, the screen displays the logo from the store.

This is an audio-animatronic character that will speak to guests playing the game.

The difference is pretty much night & day from the original.

Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as we continue to get more details on the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure, opening sometime in November at Epcot.

Walls, Walls, and More Walls…

WDWNT on October 25, 2008

We received some very interesting new refurbishment dates, & I want to take the time here to go through some of them. First up, the walls around the Plaza Pavilion are scheduled to come down on November 7th, so we’ll finally see something nice in that corner of Main Street. It’s a Small World will now re-open on November 29th, as opposed to the previously scheduled November 21st, as they probably still have quite a bit of work left to do on the attraction. Finally for Disneyland Park, Fantasy Faire Gifts over at the Princess Fantasy Faire will be closed from October 27th, through November 21st. Being closed for a month, they must be doing something pretty extensive, seeing as it’s just a small outdoor shop.

Over at DCA, the Midway Games close on Monday for their conversion over to the new Games of the Boardwalk. Both the Games & Mickey’s Fun Wheel will re-open on April 24th, 2009. The really interesting thing, is that Burger Invasion is now scheduled to be closed all the way through May 7th, 2010! That pretty much confirms that they’re doing much more than just ripping out the kitchen, & are probably re-theming it to the Beer Garden during this time. The Vineyard Room is listed as closed through October 3rd, 2009, so there’s a pretty good chance it could re-open around that time. Finally, the Orange Stinger will be closed just for November 4th, most likely so that Imagineers can look at what they’re going to do with it when time comes for the Silly Symphony Swings.

As always, keep an eye out on our Attractions Refurbishments page, as we’ll update it with any new information we get, when we get it!

Pixie Hollow Opens at the Magic Kingdom

WDWNT on October 24, 2008

From the Orlando Sentinel:

The Magic Kingdom's newest attraction -- Pixie Hollow -- features Iridessa (from left), Rosetta, Tinker Bell, Silvermist and Fawn. The Disney Fairies are a new set of characters, developed for books, movies, Internet games and merchandise.

Tinker Bell and four new Disney fairies get a home at the Magic Kingdom this week when Walt Disney World opens up its new Pixie Hollow meet-and-greet attraction.

The attraction is set to open Friday in Mickey’s Toontown Fair area, just in time to preview the release, also Friday, of the first Tinker Bell straight-to-DVD movie, based on stories developed for the old Disney character and her four new friends, Iridessa, Rosetta, Silvermist and Fawn.

Until now the four new fairy characters and their story have been known through a new line of books, toys and a Web site, introduced by the Walt Disney Co. over the past couple of years.

Tinker Bell was first introduced to Disney audiences in the 1953 movie Peter Pan. In anticipation of the new line of movies, Disney also is introducing a new line of costumes for young girls.

The Disney Fairies’ “Pixie Hollow” meet and greet will open inside the Toontown Hall of Fame at Mickey’s Toontown Fair in the Magic Kingdom tomorrow, October 24.

Old Enemies and New Friends

WDWNT on October 23, 2008

Brady MacDonald over at the LA Times Travel Blog has posted exclusive sneak peeks at High School Musical 3: Right Here! Right Now! & Pixie Hollow, which are both scheduled to debut tomorrow:

The new “High School Musical 3” parade debuting at Disney’s California Adventure on Friday features six new songs from the movie, including a pair of step-by-step reproductions of elaborate dance numbers.

A cast of 60 performers has been preparing three weeks for the new show — officially called “High School Musical 3: Senior Year: Right Here, Right Now” — enduring six-day-a-week, eight-hour-a-day rehearsals that start at 4 a.m. before the Anaheim theme park opens to the public, show director Randy Wojcik said.

Disney doesn’t call the show a “parade,” even though it travels along the Anaheim theme park’s parade route. A self-described “Wildcat geek,” Wojcik dubs the latest incarnation a “traveling rock concert” and a “street party.”

Just like the similarly themed “High School Musical 2″ show it replaces, the new “HSM3″ production will make stops at the Sun Plaza near the main entrance and the Golden State Stage near the former Golden Dreams attraction. A 14-person cast will perform three shows daily from the late morning to early afternoon.

The live show replicates two iconic production numbers from the upcoming movie — “A Night to Remember” and the “High School Musical” theme song.

Audience members are encouraged to participate during two songs — busting out their own signature dance moves during “A Night to Remember” and donning top hats, canes and feather boas during “I Want It All.”

The songs performed in the California Adventure “HSM3″ show include:

  • “Now or Never” (opening drum cadence)
  • “I Want It All” (Broadway show tune)
  • “A Night to Remember” (upbeat prom dance number)
  • “The Boys Are Back” (urban R&B)
  • “Just Wanna Be With You” (pop anthem)
  • “High School Musical” (finale theme song)

Personally, I can’t get “I Want It All” out of my head. My 8-year-old daughter, Hannah, has been listening to the song nonstop since she got the CD earlier this week.

“High School Musical 3: Senior Year,” starring Zac Effron, Vanessa Hudgens, and Ashley Tisdale opens in theaters on Friday.

How do you sit down for a photo with Tinker Bell without actually sitting on the palm-size pixie? We’ll soon find out when Peter Pan’s fairy friend gets her own meet-and-greet area at Disneyland.

Pixie Hollow, which takes the place of Ariel’s Grotto near the Matterhorn Bobsleds, is expected to soft open on Friday, Oct. 24, 2008 in advance of an official opening next week.

Visitors walking past an “enchanted” pond will feel as though they are shrinking to the size of a fairy through a series of visual and audio cues. Bronze statues of the five Disney fairies — Iradessa, Rosetta, Fawn, Silvermist and, of course, Tinker Bell — line the pathway. Along the way, whispers and echoes emanate from the fantasy fairy world. Tinker Bell, played by a 5-foot-tall face character, poses for photos in front of her home, an upside-down tea pot.

Most folks won’t think twice about posing for a picture next to a pixie that can fit through a keyhole. After all, Disneyland is a place where dogs walk on their hind legs, pants-less ducks swear like sailors and squeaky-voiced mice run the place.

Life-size Tinks already appear in Disneyland’s Parade of Dreams and high above Sleeping Beauty Castle in the nighttime fireworks show.

The evicted Little Mermaid will be shedding her tailfin and donning a dress over in the Princess Fantasy Faire at the Fantasyland Theater.

Celebrate Along with Mickey?

WDWNT on October 22, 2008

The very popular Dream Along with Mickey stage show that currently performs in front of Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom will be going under the knife in January for reasons that are still unconfirmed at  this time. As part of a two week long rehab, it is rumored that the show will be receiving a few minor costume and music changes to better fit the 2009 “What Will You Celebrate?” campaign (or at the least not clash with the new theme). These changes would probably have to take place since the show was designed for the Year of a Million Dreams that began in October 2006 and will be ending on the last day of this year. Because of this, it is completely possible that a totally new show may debut later in the month of January. To keep up to date on this and other refurbishments coming up soon at the Walt Disney World Resort (*cough* Space Mountain *cough*) stay tuned to WDW News Today and our fantastic attraction updates page.