Virtual Magic Kingdom central insode the Main Street Cinema at the Magic Kingdom is about to be a thing of the past. Permits have been filed to remove certain pieces of the interior, but it remains unclear just what is leaving. One thing is for sure, the VMK will no longer have a home on Main Street U.S.A.. A rumored replacement is a store specializing in Disney Channel and Disney Movie merchandise. More on this as it becomes available.
Some lucky guests were able to ride the Haunted Mansion last night, here are the now confirmed changes:
-The stretching room has recieved some big upgrades. The Gargoyles in the room now turn their heads, and when the lights go out, it appears that bats are flying around the room. Bursts of air are now blown at guests to really make you feel like bats are flying past your head.
-The portrait hall has indeed recieved the window with the wind, thunder, and lightning effects.
-The new floating crystal ball with Madame Leota has been implemented.
-The attic scene is now identical to the Disneyland version, featuring the murderous ghost bride with a bunch of flowers that turn into an axe as your doombuggy passes by.
– All of the other effects in the Mansion have been restored to their original glory, and the audio has been completely repaired
We will have more on the Haunted Mansion as we come closer to September 13th.
In a new article on Jim Hill Media, it has been reported that Disney has patented a new fastpass system. The new system would work with mobile devices and Disney distributed devices to do away with the use of paper and park passes in the system. Guests would electronically recieve their fastpass tickets and just have to flash the message on their device to the cast member in charge of the fastpass queue. The new system would require guests register for attractions the day before they go to the park the fastpass is to be used for. The system could also use your mobile device to tell you 5 minutes before your fastpass is good for use. The system would also give first preference to guests staying at Disney Resorts, and more importantly, deluxe resorts. In effect, depending on how expensive your hotel room, you would be paying for an added perk of priority fastpass. This would be a good way of Disney making sure that guests stay at more expensive resorts such as The Grand Floridian and The Contemporary. There is no date or timeframe for when this new system may begin.
The new Fountainview Ice Cream location at Epcot has been doing so well that it’s hours of operation have been increased to 12:30pm-8:30pm. We may never see breakfast at the Fountainview again unless the sometimes cold winter months slow buisness down at the Ice Cream Parlor.
The new version of O Canada! opened over the weekend at Epcot’s Canada Pavillion. The new version is hosted by Martin Short and is much funnier, entertaining, and contemporary according to reviews and my own personal assesment. For those of you who loved it, the theme song has remained, although it is now a pop version. Even though the show is now extremely entertaining, even the host asks “Now how do I get outta here, I got a fastpass for Soarin’!”Â
The new lighting effects have finally debuted at the Sorcerer’s Hat in the Disney MGM Studios. New strobe lights have appeared on the large stars on the hat and twinkle in patterns after the day turns to night. The new effects are a great addition, look great, and most certainly prove that the Sorcerer’s Hat is staying at the studios for a long, long time.
Today is the last day of operation at Alfredo’s Di Roma in Epcot’s World Showcase. The Italy pavillion’s only eatery has been serving guests since October 1st, 1982. The restaurant opens tomorrow under a new name after almost 25 years of operation.
Today at Animal Kingdom, the Tusker House closed to begin it’s major dining changes. The location is being changed over to a character buffet and is scheduled to open once again about the same time the new Yak and Yeti Restaurant opens in the park in November. The buffet will be open for three meals a day, dining reservations are not available yet for the restaurant.
I can now officially tell of four scene changes to the Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. Here they are:
– The Portrait scene has recieved some minor changes. Some new portraits have been placed in the corridor, as well as what appears to be an open window that will blow wind and flash lightning to guests.
– The other three scene changes are the same as we mentioned before here on the site. The Seance Room now has the floating Madame Leota crystal ball, the attic now has the murderous wife from the Disneyland Version, and the never-ending staircase scene is replacing the giant spiderwebs.
– We will hav more coverage when the Haunted Mansion opens on September 13th.
By Collin Korb           Which is it? Many have their differing opinions. In order to put this argument into perspective we need to consider a couple of key points. First, this is one of the “original†Disney rides that debuted in Disneyland and was then transferred to the Disney parks around the world. Second, Walt himself had a hand in designing this attraction, it was the last he would help design before his death. Third, the ride has already been altered.The first adaptation of the ride was implemented when it was transferred to WDW. It was constructed around the new park, which did have more room, but had a different design. Walt’s vision for his “underground†Disney and his love for railroads changed WDW Pirates. The ride at WDW differs from its Disneyland counterpart in that it only has one drop- this drop literally takes you just underneath one of the WDW Railroad’s overpasses! Why the fewer drops, Walt’s tunnels are part of that equation?The second adaptation happened in the ‘90’s when the ride was changed to make it more “politically correctâ€. Those older fans may remember that in the original town scene various pirates were seen chasing the town women around. With the advent of political correctness, this changed, now the women chase the pirates and one woman was replaced with a pirate and can now be seen carrying a treasure chest with one of his shipmates.
      The third change now involves a few controversial additions. Davy Jones, Captain Barbossa, and of course Captain Jack Sparrow have joined the crew. The highly successful three movie installments and their ensuing earnings prompted Disney designers to include these new characters. One new feature is a very unique, very expensive ghostly image of Davy Jones. Disney was wise to enlist the actors themselves to voice the additions. They also paid careful attention to Captain Jack’s mannerisms when designing the two animatronics that are now included. The Pirates Trilogy has taken off, but not everyone is happy with the changes and additions. Many who are Disney Traditionalists and Historians feel it was a serious break from the original design. Others have the opinion that a portion of Walt’s legacy had been defaced. One aspect to keep in mind though, is the ability of Disney to stay one step ahead of the competition. Epcot itself is dedicated to the idea of what will happen tomorrow. Imagineers are always striving to take attractions to the next level and design stat-of-the-art attractions. Disney has always examined what more they can do to make the experience meaningful and worthwhile.
“Drink up me hearties, Yo Ho!â€
