Tom Corless’s 9/21/15 WDW Photo Report (Disney Springs, Food & Wine, Star Wars, Hub, Etc.)

WDWNT on September 3, 2015

I managed to visit the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios over the last week and I have some great newsworthy photos to share with you from my trip, so let’s take a look at what’s new and exciting around the Vacation Kingdom of the World:

Disney Springs is now on all of the I-4 road signage

The new exit ramp heading West hasn’t opened yet though

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Over at Epcot, there is a lot of work happening in front of the park

A ton of new big figs have arrived at the Art of Disney

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New Princess lithographs

A ton of merchandise is left over from the recent GenEARation D pin event

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The 2nd Star Wars countdown pin was released this week

New Pirates of the Caribbean MagicBand

New updated Jack Skellington MagicBand

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France has an entirely new booth for Food and Wine this year

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Looks great!

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Work continues on the FROZEN expansion in Norway

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The facade should appear here in no time

The Spirited Beasts exhibit in Japan is gone and a new exhibit is coming

Moving to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I got a peek backstage where construction will eventually be taking place for Toy Story Land

Not much happening yet, but crews working on the Toy Story Mania expansion were all over the place

Work continues on the Star Wars Launch Bay

New Star Wars shirts released recently

Force Awakens merchandise has made it into Tatooine Traders

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New gluten, nut, and dairy free snacks are available in the parks

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Moving over to the Magic Kingdom

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Dream Along with Mickey is back, but the stage area is still a disaster

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The building expansion for the Skipper Canteen is coming along nicely

New Peg Leg Pete bandanna for sale at Pirates

Merchant of Venus in Tomorrowland has become a Star Wars shop

They even have Force Awakens balloons at the Magic Kingdom

New Jingles big fig featuring mickey on sale

Tom Corless’s 9/4/15 WDW Photo Report (Rivers of Light, AVATAR, Star Wars Launch Bay, Food & Wine, Magic Kingdom, Etc.)

WDWNT on September 3, 2015

I managed to visit all 4 of the Walt Disney World theme parks within the last week, so let’s see what’s new and exciting around the Vacation Kingdom of the World in our latest photo report:

The large columns in MouseGear are being refurbished

Cool light-up Oogie Boogie for sale

This great Pirates of the Caribbean coaster set was just released. It comes in a resin treasure chest.

Some new t-shirts have been released recently

There’s now a Winnie the Pooh MagicBand

There are also now Magic Sliders featuring theme park attractions

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There’s now a hard plastic iPhone 6 version of this case

A Maleficent hoodie…

With horns

The MyMagic+ credit card readers across property have been replaced with new versions featuring a flatter Mickey icon and a credit card chip reader on the side

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The monorail is open, but there are construction walls all over at the TTC

Moving over to the Magic Kingdom, work continues on the Skipper Canteen restaurant in Adventureland

A rather large expansion of the building taking place

The facade of the Country Bear Jamboree is being fixed up

A look at what will be the entrance to the Skipper Canteen in Adventureland

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New monitors for the safety pre-show at Space Moutain are being installed throughout the loading area

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No time was wasted in removing the Walt Disney World Speedway

This land will be used as part of changes to the entrance of the Magic Kingdom toll plaza

Over at Hollywood Studios, you’ll find this new Han Solo shirt

There’s also now a ladies’ section in Tatooine Traders

The Indiana Jones Adventure Outpost is now selling some of the displaced art from the Animation Gallery

They are also carrying Adventureland merchandise

Work continues to convert the Magic of Disney Animation into Star Wars Launch Bay

With the entrance now moved, the old entrance to Disney Junior is looking odd

More and more props are vanishing from One Man’s Dream as it is rumored to close. The temple head from Jungle Cruise is now gone too

Moving on to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

The new building on Discovery Island is nearing completion

The repainting of the existing buildings continues

Work continues on the new nighttime spectacular Rivers of Light

AVATAR construction as seen from the top of Everest

A rock formation to hide projectors for Rivers of Light is now in place

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Lots of work happening on Kilimanjaro Safaris as they prepare for the new nighttime version debuting in the spring of 2016

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Work continues on the hyena area

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GIRAFFE!!!

The Addax have been moved out of the former Zebra Glen area

The Scimatar-Horned Oryx now fill the finale scene

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Pizzafari is currently closed for refurbishment

Lots of work and repainting around Discovery Island right now

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Another look at Rivers of Light construction

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Just one owl post remains with the original color scheme

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AVATAR construction as seen from the park entrance

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Spotted this new shirt at MouseGear

Booths have started going up for the Food and Wine Festival starting on the 25th

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Tom Corless’s 8/26/15 WDW Photo Report (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Etc.)

WDWNT on August 3, 2015

I visited the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios this past weekend and have some newsworthy photos to share with you from my trip, so let’s take a look:

At the Magic Kingdom, the map displays have been moved out from under the train station

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This is an attempt to get guests to use the app more and rely less on paper maps

The dispensers underneath the posters are gone

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Another section of the new hub opened to guests recently

There’s still work to be done, but at least the path is open

In Tomorrowland, the color changes continue with the installation of these new, red lightpoles

Disney Springs road signage is popping up. The name change will go into effect October 1st.

Construction continues on the new Frozen meet and greet in the Norway pavilion at Epcot

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We were shown concept art for this building at the D23 Expo

The large “T” banner outside of Test Track was fading, so they replaced it

The second in the Haunted Mansion stretching room statue series has been released

There’s a new billboard on Hollywood Boulevard featuring Donald Duck

The large decorative pillars on the top of the Chinese Theater are back

They have been gone since 2001 when the Sorcerer’s Hat was installed

The signage from the Magic of Disney Animation is gone

This will soon be the Star Wars Launch Bay

The large film reel sign is gone as well

Dirk Wallen’s 5/28/15 WDW Photo Report (Magic Kingdom, Soarin’ Expansion, Flamingo Crossings, ETC.)

WDWNT on June 5, 2015

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and the future site of Flamingo Crossing this week and has some newsworthy photos to share with us:

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A panoramic view of Hub construction

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Not much progress to see around the north sides yet

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The new castle tower control booths are still being constructed

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New pavement is finally being poured around the south side of the Partners statue

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At Epcot, construction of the third Soarin’ theater is visible from the monorail

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Out at Flamingo Crossing, work continues on the two new Marriott hotels: TownePlace Suites and SpringHill Suites

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PHOTOS, REVIEW: PIXAR “Inside Out” Preview Opens at Epcot

WDWNT on June 5, 2015

Captain EO may still be gone, but guests at Epcot can now preview the first new PIXAR film in over 2 years, Inside Out. The roughly 15-minute preview opened to guests on Saturday, May 30th.

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Concept art adorns the walls in the first room of the queue

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You can’t see the outline of the Captain EO sign anymore…

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A special introduction from the filmmakers (sporting Captain EO buttons to assure guests it will return) is played in the pre-show room before guests enter the main theater

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While only a few minutes long, the preview is pretty spectacular. Not only are the clips enthralling and entertaining, but the in-theater effects (such as lighting and floor movement) are absolutely perfect. The entire crowd was clearly emotionally invested throughout the preview, crying and laughing along with the characters. At the end of the preview, thunderous applause rang out from the entire crowd. I have seen a fair amount of in-park movie previews in my time, and I can’t recall a crowd reaction like this EVER. If the rest of Inside Out is anything like this preview, I think we are in for an emotional roller-coaster ride that will be a Frozen-sized hit at the box office. We will have to wait and see when PIXAR’s Inside Out hits theaters in the U.S. June 19th (although the film is sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes with 20 reviews in already).

PHOTOS BY JOSE CASTILLO

Dirk Wallen’s 4/13/15 WDW Photo Report (Frozen, AVATAR, Rivers of Light, Harambe Marketplace, ETC.)

WDWNT on May 5, 2015

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited Animal Kingdom and Epcot this week and has some newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip, so let’s take a look:

 Work has begun on the Frozen meet and greet pavilion between Mexico and Norway at Epcot

Still no visible progress on the Frozen attraction

Moving over to Animal Kingdom, the annual DisneyNature sand sculpture can be found outside of this park instead of at Epcot this year

Walls came down around Island Mercantile revealing new planters

It doesn’t look like the pin cart will be returning to this spot anytime soon

Rivers of Light construction from above… looks like something is being constructed out in the water

AVATAR construction as seen from the parking lot at Animal Kingdom; this building will hold the flying Banshee ride

The building from afar

What appears to be construction of an outdoor seating area for the Beastly Bazaar Starbucks

The viewing area for Rivers of Light is coming along slowly

Meanwhile, a hyena habitat is being constructed on Kilimanjaro Safaris

Should be a cool addition when the nighttime safaris debut

The Africa Marketplace and Harambe Marketplace restaurant should be opening soon

 The water tower looks ready to go, but some work remains on the ground level

PHOTOS & REVIEW: Tomorrowland Movie Preview Opens at Epcot Replacing Captain EO

WDWNT on May 5, 2015

The sneak peek of the upcoming Disney film TOMORROWLAND began at Epcot’s Imagination! pavilion over the weekend:

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 Captain EO was removed from the main sign and replaced with simply “Magic Eye Theater”

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The strange stripe on the back wall was replaced with concept art for the film

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You can clearly see where the Captain EO sign was…

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While you wait, there is a countdown clock and some audio clips of Brad Bird talking about the film

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 There is a costume and rocket pack from the film on display in the waiting area

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The sneak preview is 12 minutes long and focuses on a part of the film that includes many famous Disney attractions and characters. I won’t spoil it, but if you attended Destination D: Attraction Rewind, you have seen most of this preview. However, the in-theater lighting, wind, and water effects are a nice touch. The preview is worth a watch the next time you visit Epcot, and certainly if you are a big Disney Parks fan. You have until May 24th to catch the sneak peek at Tomorrowland in the Magic Eye Theater.

Tomorrowland hits theaters May 22nd.

Photos by Jose Castillo and Kelly Derda

More Details, Opening Dates, and Annual Pass Previews Announced for 12 Minute Sneak Peek of Disney’s “Tomorrowland”

WDWNT on April 13, 2015

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Walt Disney Studios announced today an unprecedented collaboration between the Studio, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort to offer park guests a 12-minute sneak peek of Disney’s upcoming thrilling, mystery-adventure film, “Tomorrowland,” opening in U.S. theaters on May 22. Guests will also enjoy an impressive exhibit that features the making of the movie with props, concept artwork and photos from the filming of the movie plus exclusive images from the Disney Archives. The sneak peek and exhibit will open April 17 in Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park and on April 18 in Future World at Epcot and will be available to the public for a limited time. There will be an annual passholder preview at Walt Disney World on April 17th, but no details have been provided on that offering yet.

The must-see event marks the first time that a sneak peek has been offered at Epcot in Walt Disney World and the first time Walt Disney Studios has teamed up with both parks to showcase an upcoming Disney film with footage and an in-depth look at the making of the film. Sure to spark the imagination and curiosity of all, the special exhibit details the process of bringing director Brad Bird’s vision to life and will show how filmmakers created the world of Tomorrowland, along with archival images of iconic Disneyland attractions featured in the movie.

In the movie, the premise that the futuristic city of Tomorrowland could actually exist pays homage to Walt Disney’s vision for both Tomorrowland at Disneyland Resort and Epcot at Walt Disney World Resort where ever-evolving technologies are showcased along with ideas to make the world a better place for all.

Commenting on the exclusive “Tomorrowland” sneak peek event, Brad Bird, the film’s two-time Oscar® winning director, says, “We are excited that park guests will be the first to get an extended look at ‘Tomorrowland’ in the part of Disneyland that inspired the film. Tomorrowland is the one section of the park that Walt Disney himself designed to be tied inexorably to constant change. After all, the future is always in motion, continually shifting as humankind’s choices of the present remake the world ahead of us. ‘Tomorrowland’ is a state of mind. My hope is that the exhibit will convey some of the magic that went into bringing this land… and this movie, to life.”

“Tomorrowland,” a riveting mystery adventure starring Academy Award® winner George Clooney, tells the story of former boy-genius Frank (Clooney), jaded by disillusionment, and Casey (Britt Robertson), a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, who are bound by a shared destiny and embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space known only as “Tomorrowland.” What they must do there changes the world—and them—forever.

Featuring a screenplay by “Lost” writer and co-creator Damon Lindelof and Brad Bird, from a story by Lindelof & Bird & Jeff Jensen, “Tomorrowland” promises to take audiences on a thrill ride of nonstop adventures through new dimensions that have only been dreamed of.

The film also stars Hugh Laurie as brilliant scientist David Nix, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key and Thomas Robinson.

“Tomorrowland” is produced by Damon Lindelof, Brad Bird and Jeffrey Chernov and directed by Brad Bird, with John Walker, Bernard Bellew, Jeff Jensen and Brigham Taylor serving as executive producers.

Dirk Wallen’s 3/20/15 WDW Photo Report (Polynesian Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Hollywood Studios, Disney Springs, ETC.)

WDWNT on April 13, 2015

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen was all over the Walt Disney World Resort this week and has a ton of newsworthy photos to share with us, so let’s take a look at what’s new and exciting:

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Starting at the Polynesian, the right side of the entrance is out from behind walls and looking good

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The pool area is nearing completion also

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Moving to the Magic Kingdom, work on the center of the hub is picking up speed

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New planters await railings

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The old Rose Garden is now being demolished as part of the hub expansion

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The final remnants of the Plaza Swan Boats are being erased

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Moving over to the Studios, walls are up around the former site of the Sorcerer’s Hat, at least through late-April

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Strange to see this sight again, but if Echo Lake is demolished, it won’t be a sight for long

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Over at Epcot, work continues on the mysterious “colorful” new Innoventions exhibit

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Meanwhile, there is no visible progress on the Frozen attraction

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Moving to Disney Springs, the Marketplace Co-Op has these Adventurer’s Club signs back in stock

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These photos were taken just before the first pedestrian bridge was installed yesterday

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The Town Center will rise upon this site over the next 12-14 months

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One large structure is already rising

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The small park area in front of Planet Hollywood and the Orange Garage entrance is nearing completion

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New planters being installed outside Harley Davidson

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No visible progress on STK Orlando, the supposed replacement for the BET Soundstage

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The Hangar restaurant is now completely sealed, but still no announcement from Disney

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The new Margarita Bar and pier in the Marketplace is coming along nicely

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The BOATHOUSE, as seen from the Village Causeway

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Still to early to tell, but this looks like one fo the facades that will hide the second parking garage from view

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A lot of work still to be done on Morimoto Asia

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Meanwhile, flags have gone up outside of the BOATHOUSE, leading us to believe it is nearing completion

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Work on the dock is wrapping up

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Another look at the Hangar Restaurant, whatever it might be…