Monorail Red Problems Continuing

WDWNT on May 20, 2008

From the OC Register:

Disney’s first new monorail car in two decades — called the Monorail Red or Mark VII — is still being tested by Disney and no opening date has been announced.

Disney Spokesman John McClintock said today that the new train is still undergoing tests and adjustments. That includes the doors and air conditioning. He said both are working, but just not yet to Disney’s satisfaction.

McClintock said there is no date yet planned for the monorail’s public opening. When asked if the monorail might make it out for this Memorial Day weekend, he said that is “not at all likely.”

The Monorail Red’s biggest change is in looks: The first electric cars have blue glass and red stripes that change color in the sunlight. The next two cars will be blue with purple glass and orange with blue glass.

Bench seats will face the windows, allowing visitors a full view of the parks, Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Hotel. The capacity and speed will remain the same.

Everyone’s a Winner!

WDWNT on May 17, 2008

While this isn’t really news, I thought I would share with you all, this pristine quality image of the Toy Story Midway Mania attraction poster:

Predicting The Future With a Doctor, No… A Prince!

WDWNT on May 17, 2008

Our sister site, WDW News Today, has an interesting rumor on how 2 films released this summer could involve 2 attractions across the country (although only 1 of them applies for Disneyland):

The next two weeks of business at your local box office may be determining the future of your favorite Disney Parks and your future vacations. Disney management will be closely watching the performance of two summer blockbusters over the next two weeks, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

For the Narnia series, everything is riding on this weekend and the latest film’s success. If the film doesn’t perform as well as the Walt Disney Company is hoping, we may have seen the last or next-to-last Narnia film. Whether or not that takes place, a decision will be made soon on the now-in-developement Narnia 3-D attraction being planned for Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s California Adventure. If the film shows strong results, then expect the new Narnia 3-D show to debut at both parks around Summer 2010.

And for the rumor on Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, click here!

Mickey’s Halloween Treat Tickets Now Available for APs

WDWNT on May 17, 2008

Tickets to this years Mickey’s Halloween Treats at Disney’s California Adventure are now on sale for Annual Passholders only:

Passholder Discount Available for Event Dates
October 3, 16, 22, 23, 28, 29

Passholder Discount Not Available for Event Dates
October 10, 17, 24, 30

Only Day of Event Tickets Available on Event Date
October 31

Event Times
Monday to Thursday — 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Friday to Sunday — 7:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

Ticket Prices
Passholder Advance Ticket: $25 — Only Available on Select Dates
General Advance Ticket: $29
Day Of Event Ticket: $37
Ages Two and Under: No Charge

MiceAge Picture Update

WDWNT on May 17, 2008

Let’s take a look at some various things going on through-out the Disneyland Resort from this week’s Dateline Disneyland, plus a special Friday edition of Monday in Parks on MiceAge:


The new railings for the Sunshine Plaza Fountain have been installed


A new sign has been installed at the Tomorrowland Monorail Station


A look at the drivers seat for the Mark VII Monorail


The exit waterfall rock work at the Subs is almost finished


Also, the green water hoses feeding the entry waterfall have been half-camouflaged with a covering that is similar to the cavern rock work

Predicting The Future With a Doctor and a Prince

WDWNT on May 16, 2008

The next two weeks of business at your local box office may be determining the future of your favorite Disney Parks and your future vacations. Disney management will be closely watching the performance of two summer blockbusters over the next two weeks, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

For the Narnia series, everything is riding on this weekend and the latest film’s success. If the film doesn’t perform as well as the Walt Disney Company is hoping, we may have seen the last or next-to-last Narnia film. Whether or not that takes place, a decision will be made soon on the now-in-developement Narnia 3-D attraction being planned for Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s California Adventure. If the film shows strong results, then expect the new Narnia 3-D show to debut at both parks around Summer 2010.

As far as Dr. Jones is concerned, Disney is dying to know if Indy can still swing some good box office numbers after 19 years of script battles between George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. If Indiana Jones does as well as many are expecting it to do, I would expect a green light for the long in development Indiana Jones Adventure (same name as Disneyland attraction, but extremely different beyond that), an updated Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectatular, or both. Be sure to keep an eye on box office results the next two weeks, because the newest attractions at Walt Disney World are riding on it.

Star Wars Weekends Gets Cloned

WDWNT on May 15, 2008

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., and SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. (May 13, 2008) — The Star Wars adventures continue on Aug. 15 with the theatrical release of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS from Lucasfilm Animation, and this year’s Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort will offer fans an exciting, in-depth look at the making of this big-screen animated epic.

Among the features at this year’s Star Wars Weekends, which run every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from June 6 to June 29, 2008, will be “Behind the Force — Experience THE CLONE WARS,” an exploration of the creation of this groundbreaking Star Wars feature film. During “Experience THE CLONE WARS,” fans will get a chance to meet a representative of Lucasfilm Ltd. and, at the culmination of the presentation, see an exclusive clip of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS that can be seen only at Disney’s Hollywood Studios during Star Wars Weekends.

“The Clone Wars is Star Wars as you’ve never seen it before, so it makes sense that we’re offering fans at Star Wars Weekends something completely unique — an early glimpse at a Star Wars movie,” said Kayleen Walters, director of marketing for Lucasfilm Ltd. “We’re working with Disney to create an event no Star Wars fan will want to miss.”

In addition to the excitement surrounding Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars will feature celebrities from the classic, live-action movies, who will be on hand each weekend for photos, Q&A, autograph sessions and Hollywood-style motorcades. All four weekends, Star Wars actor Warwick Davis (who portrayed “Wicket” the Ewok) will serve as celebrity emcee and host of the event.

Among the scheduled celebrities and special guests at this year’s Star Wars Weekends are Dave Filoni, director of STAR WARS: THE CLONE WARS; and MatthewWood, who performs voices in the movie and the CLONE WARS TV series debuting this fall.

A weekend-by-weekend lineup of celebrities scheduled to appear includes (subject to change):

June 6-8: Jeremy Bulloch (“Boba Fett”) and Daniel Logan (young “Boba Fett”)
June 13-15: Peter Mayhew (“Chewbacca”) and David Prowse (“Darth Vader”)
June 20-22: Amy Allen (“Aayla Secura”) and Matthew Wood (“General Grievous” and voice artist in THE CLONE WARS)
June 27-29: Dave Filoni (director of the upcoming Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
In addition, Lucasfilm Ltd. and Disney’s Hollywood Studios will offer a host of surprises throughout the four weekends, promising to bring an unprecedented level of “sneak preview” excitement and fun to the popular Star Wars Weekends.

Other activities included in the fan-fest fun: the “Padawan Mind Challenge,” allowing kids under 12 to test their wits before the Jedi Council; “Legends of the Force,” a motorcade featuring favorite Star Wars celebrities; and “Jedi Training Academy,” where young Jedi-wannabes can learn lightsaber battle techniques and test theirnewfound skills against Darth Vader or Darth Maul.

It’s Alive!!!

WDWNT on May 15, 2008

It appears Disney has already tested the Wall-E living character that will start appearing at Disney’s Hollywood Studios over in Los Angeles. Here is a video of the amazing character’s short test:


Wall-E Spotted in LA! from Blink on Vimeo.

Waaaalllll Eeeeee!

WDWNT on May 15, 2008

The latest character in the Living Character Initiative is going to be Wall-E. He should start appearing in Tomorrowland later this year, but a little video from an event in LA has surfaced, & one word sums up this walk-around animatronic… AMAZING!


Wall-E Spotted in LA! from Blink on Vimeo.

Mr. Potato Head Goes to Disney Parks

WDWNT on May 15, 2008

I advise y’all to check out the latest Official Disneyland Resort Vidcast. This latest vidcast takes a look at the new Mr. Potato Head audio-animatronic in Toy Story Midway Mania:

In this video podcast we “peel” back the curtain and watch Walt Disney Imagineers “whip up” a 5-foot version of the popular childhood toy, “Mr. Potato Head.” The famous spud will welcome guests into the new attraction, “Toy Story Mania!,” set to open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at the Walt Disney World Resort in May, and at Disney’s California Adventure at the Disneyland Resort in June.

You can find this, & many other episodes of the Official DLR Podcast here!