WDWNT Reporter Josh Siegel paid a visit to Downtown Disney on Sunday evening and has some newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip:
See folks, this is what happens when you don’t charge admission…
Read More about Josh Siegel’s 1/30/11 Downtown Disney Photo Report
WDWNT Reporter Zach Larson roamed all over Walt Disney World last weekend and has a ton of newsworthy photos to share with us of all the latest happenings:
New clothing at Hollywood Studios features characters with clapboards
Our friend Robert Ashburn of FloridaThrills.Net visited Downtown Disney on Wednesday and has some newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip:
Motion has just about been erased from existence on Pleasure Island
Read More about Robert Ashburn’s 1/12/11 Downtown Disney Photo Report
Max Guggenheim was at The Disneyland Resort today and captured a plethora of newsworthy photos to share. As the parks continue into the slow season, a lot of interesting things are happening around the resort…
Go Wild.. at the Mickey and Friends Tram
After hearing that Pleasure Island was starting to crumble, we sent WDWNT Reporter Banks Lee to investigate the preparation work for Hyperion Wharf and here’s what he saw:
The AMC has closed their side entrance to convert it into the new “Dine-In Theater” entrance
Read More about Banks Lee’s 1/7/10 Downtown Disney Photo Report
Disney World has announced a new, hard-ticket New Year’s Event event taking place in addition to the usual festivities at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios:
New Year’s Eve Special Event
Come to Downtown Disney for a cyber celebration of New Year’s Eve at DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive theme park. Ring in the New Year with favorite games like Virtual Jungle Cruise, Buzz Lightyear’s Astroblasters and CyberSpace Mountain.
The party starts at 8:00 p.m. and goes until 1:00 a.m. Your night includes access to all DisneyQuest attractions and video games, a DJ Dance Party with a New Year’s Eve countdown, party favors and a coupon for a personal pizza and soda at FoodQuest.
Tickets for this family event are available for purchase online or by calling 407-WDISNEY (407-934-7639). Advance purchase tickets are $39 per person (includes tax). Day of the event tickets are $45 (includes tax). Tickets may also be purchased at the DisneyQuest Box Office.
This is an interesting alternative to the larger celebrations at the other parks and actually isn’t a bad value. If you consider that pizza and a soft drink would probably cost somewhere between $8-10, the ticket price for the DisneyQuest attractions is actually between $29-31. For those who have already experienced New Year’s Eve in the parks or are looking to escape the crowds, this may be a good idea.
The renamed AMC Downtown Disney 24 (Formerly Pleasure Island) debuted a new lobby and refreshment area a few days ago, including gourmet popcorn, Coke Freestyle machines, and a vastly expanded menu:
This is only the beginning of changes for the AMC 24. In January, the entrance across from Planet Hollywood will close to be turned into the entrance for “Fork and Screen” theaters which will include theater numbers 21-24 that will be remodeled. Meanwhile, the entrance in the middle of the West Side will be used to access all “regular” theaters, numbers 1-20.
We have a few updates of the Hyperion Wharf project replacing Pleasure Island. First, a few new pieces of concept art floating around the web:
As well, Orlando Attraction Magazine has gathered the following information:
• More than 1,500 new restaurant seats will expand dining options by more than 25 percent.
• The new design makes the waterfront the focal point.
• In the next 30 days, AMC Theater guests will be able to purchase unique, upscale snacks and drinks from interactive, self-service food stations similar to a food court.
• The AMC Fork & Screen Theater will offer restaurant-style dining with seat-side service beginning in spring 2011.
• The projects are expected to create an estimated 600 construction jobs, 500 restaurant, retail and entertainment jobs, and support 100 vendor and supplier jobs.
Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information on Hyperion Wharf becomes available.
Huge announcement from the Disney Parks Blog today:
How about that? New dining, shopping and entertainment experiences are in the works for Downtown Disneyand today we’re sharing a first look at what to expect in the future for the 120-acre complex. Look closely and you’ll see that Pleasure Island will evolve into a vibrant waterfront district called “Hyperion Wharf.”
The district will come to life with a nostalgic yet modern take on an early 20th century port city and amusement pier. By day, stylish boutiques and innovative restaurants will draw you in and by night, thousands of lights will transform the area into an electric wonderland.
Taking its name from Hyperion, the Greek god of light, as well as the street on which Walt Disney built his first major animation studio, the wharf district will also feature a relaxing lakeside park and enhanced pedestrian walkways. And its diverse eateries will expand dining availability at Downtown Disney by more than 25 percent.
Along with the new wharf district, other projects are underway at Downtown Disney, including:
- An extensive renovation of Lego Imagination Center, which will increase its overall footprint by nearly 3,500 square-feet and add new Lego exterior models featuring scenes from classic Disney movies.
- Enhancements at AMC Theatres that will take the movie-going experience at Downtown Disney to the next level with new digital technology, a Concession Stand of the Future and Florida’s first Fork & Screen Theater; and…
- Numerous new or renovated retail shops and merchandise vignettes, as well as additional atmosphere entertainment, throughout Downtown Disney.
Construction on the district begins immediately and it’s scheduled to be completed in 2013.
Pretty exciting, huh?
The Festival of the Masters is wrapping up at Downtown Disney today, but don’t feel too bad if you missed it! WDWNT Reporter Banks Lee was on the scene and has a video of the annual weekend event to share with us:
