Disney Offering Heavily Discounted 1-Day Park Hopper Tickets for Passholder Friends and Family

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

I don’t remember the last time Disney offered a deal quite this good on 1-day tickets, but friends and family of Annual Passholders can get 1-day park hopper tickets for just $79.00 each. These tickets usually cost about $135.00 for Florida residents.

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The offer is valid August 12th-September 30th, 2016. Annual Passholders must be present with a valid pass and the tickets can only be purchased at Walt Disney World theme park ticket windows.

REVIEW: New Dishes at Captain Cook’s at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

Captain Cook’s at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort recently underwent some menu changes, so we decided to head on over last night and check it out for ourselves.

New Menu at Captain Cook’s

 

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Sandwiches and Grill Menu From Captain Cooks

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Polynesian Favorites Menu from Captain Cook’s

New, but not in this review is the seared chicken breast.

Flatbread, Salad and Soup Menu

Flatbread, Salad and Soup Menu

Fish Tacos ($9.29)

Fish Tacos ($9.29)

Fish Tacos ($9.29)

Before you even say anything, yes, we should have got the chips as a side but someone forgot to ask… anyway, these were surprisingly good. The two tacos are of a good size and heavily doused in the chipotle lime cream, which is a good thing. Everything about these was fresh and delicious, well, except for the awful Disney counter service fries which we should have not ordered.

Fish Tacos ($9.29)

Fish Tacos ($9.29)

Pork Fried Rice ($8.99)

Pork Fried Rice ($8.99)

Pork Fried Rice ($8.99)

A good price for a lot of food. The pork was very well prepared and very tender, the rice however was a little overdone but still tasted fine. This is a really good option, but I saw another reviewer call this their favorite quick service item at Walt Disney World, which to me seems like a bit much. It’s solid overall, not great though.

Pork Fried Rice ($8.99)

Pork Fried Rice ($8.99)

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Pan Asian Noodles and Vegetables with Shrimp ($10.99)

Pan Asian Noodles and Vegetables with Shrimp ($10.99)

If you enjoy the delicious noodles upstairs at Ohana, this may be a good substitute for when you can’t go there. You can chose to add shrimp or chicken for an added charge, we chose shrimp. Overall it was a very good and a nice sized portion.

Curried Seafood Stew ($13.99)

Curried Seafood Stew ($13.99)

Curried Seafood Stew ($13.99)

This was a weird dish, but I ended up eating all of it so I think I enjoyed it. There is a fair amount of seafood in here for a counter service dish, and the rice gets thoroughly soaked in the curry sauce which has a really good flavor to it which is not very spicy. While I would have enjoyed more spice, the dish was good as is and likely something I would order again.

Overall, these are great additions to the menu which are all solid options and fit the theme of the hotel nicely. Unique offerings are always a plus and these are very unique options for an already stellar counter service restaurant.

OVERALL SCORE FOR CAPTAIN COOK’S – 6.5 OUT OF 7

PHOTO REPORT: Magic Kingdom 8/12/16 (Tomorrowland Overhaul, Big Thunder Mountain Closed, ETC.)

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

Tomorrowland slowly gets a new look, Big Thunder Mountain scaffolding goes up, and the 45th anniversary of the Magic Kingdom grows closer in our latest photo report:

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This door to the Confectionery is closed while the Cotton Candy machine is repaired

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Painting of the rocks at the entrance to Tomorrowland continues

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A preview of the finished product can be found HERE

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A tent storing all of the paints is located in the Stitch extended queue and old second theater exit

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Some new Finding Dory D-Tech on Demand cases available at the Light and Power Co.

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A new MagicBand as well

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There is now a Pascal light-up squeeze toy lanyard… thing…

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The ham and cheese stuffed pretzel has made it on the menu board at Gaston’s Tavern, so I guess it is staying

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Enchanted Tales with Belle is open, but still behind tarps

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Tarps are still up at the Haunted Mansion as well

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There si now a Walt Disney World entrance ornament to match the 4 park ornaments, should they ever come back in stock

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Trashcan ornaments in full effect

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They are much smaller than the salt and pepper shakers

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The graduation ornament for this year features Mickey taking a selfie…

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Big Thunder Mountain is now closed through November for sprucing up and the possible addition  of the new finale scene

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The signage on the construction walls is pretty amazing

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The first piece of Walt Disney World 45th anniversary merchandise has hit stores, and it’s a pen

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The Dead Men Tell No Tales banner outside of Pirates of the Caribbean was removed after 10 years…

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I hadn’t seen this chalkboard magnet before

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We did finally find an open flip book notepad…

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“Elena of Avalor” Royal Welcome Show to be Presented Daily for Limited Time at Magic Kingdom

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

Starting today and running through August 27th, 2016, the Elena of Avalor Royal Welcome will be presented daily at Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom.

Princess Elena of Avalor, the first Latin-inspired Disney princess, receives a royal welcome on Aug. 11, 2016 during her arrival at Magic Kingdom Park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Princess ElenaÕs arrival at Walt Disney World follows the debut of the new Disney Channel animated series, ÒElena of Avalor.Ó The adventurous princess appears daily in ÒThe Royal Welcome of Princess ElenaÓ stage show at Magic Kingdom. (Matt Stroshane, photographer)

The show will be presented at 9:05AM, 10:00AM, 12:20PM, and 1:35PM and will be very similar to the ceremony presented yesterday. A Princess Elena meet and greet is still slated to be added to the Magic Kingdom later this month, but no further details have been presented.

PHOTOS, VIDEO: Merchandise for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party in 2016

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

Today, Disney provided a sneak peek of the merchandise coming to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party for 2016.

There is a limited edition retail MagicBand with an edition size of 3,000. It will be released at Emporium and Box Office Gifts on Main Street, U.S.A.

The limited release and limited edition pins will be released in Big Top Souvenirs in the Storybook Circus area of New Fantasyland. The pin assortment includes individual pins, a limited edition box set, a limited edition framed pin set, a limited release mystery pin set, and a limited release pin created especially for Annual Passholders. Guests may also find event apparel and holiday ornaments in this location.

Apparel may also be found in Mickey’s Star Trader in Tomorrowland, or at Emporium on Main Street, U.S.A.

Additional items were previewed in a video on the Disney Parks Blog:

PHOTO REPORT: Disney Springs 8/12/16 (Paddlefish, Planet Hollywood, Star Wars, ETC.)

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

Theefish and Planet Hollywood continue to be remodeled while more Star Wars merchandise invades in our latest Disney Springs photo report:

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Star Wars Galactic Outpost was stripped of all of the former D Street decorations

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Some new Toy Story opened edition pins were released recently

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Some new Fab 5 Pirates of the Caribbean pins as well

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The new other facade for the Planet Hollywood Observatory

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The Empress Lilly is being pretty much ripped apart for the conversion into the Paddlefish

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the new “it’s a small world” Donney & Bourke collection is available at Marketplace Co-Op

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The Star Wars attraction posters are now appearing on yet another piece of merchandise, playing cards

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These new motorized walking toys started showing up at the parks, looks like there will be 4 in total

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Walls by Planet Hollywood now direct guests towards the stores inside the Market Building in Town Center

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The new Billboard for T-Rex in the Town Center is nearing completion

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Additional seating was added between D-Luxe Burger and Blaze Pizza

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BREAKING: The Sum of All Thrills and Stormstruck Closing; Goodbye Innoventions at Epcot

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

On September 14th, 2016, the Sum of All Thrills and Stromstruck exhibits inside Innoventions at Epcot will close.

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Innoventions West exhibits were closed last year and some of the space was utilized for meet and greet areas for Baymax and Joy & Sadness. Colortopia, the newest Innoventions exhibit to open, will remain open at this time, but will close whenever the contract with Glidden concludes. Disney has stated they will make an announcement about the future of the Innoventions space at a later date.

All signs point to a massive overhaul of Future World at Epcot coming in the next few years, and those plans may include the demolition/repurposing of the Innoventions East and West buildings, thus why no replacement exhibits are being added.

James Cameron Will Unveil More of Pandora: The World of AVATAR Theme Park Land at Destination D Event

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

AVATAR-Inspired Land Coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

From io9 on Gizmodo:

As most of us are patiently twiddling our thumbs waiting for Disney to open its Star Wars lands, James Cameron’s Avatar is going to beat it into the parks. Pandora: The World of Avatar will open in 2017 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Florida and io9 can exclusively reveal that Cameron himself, along with his producer Jon Landau and Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde, will be on hand at the upcoming D23 Destination D event in November to reveal brand new details about the 12-acre immersive theme park section.

Taking place November 19 and 20 at Disney’s Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World Resort, D23 Destination D: Amazing Adventures is open only to D23 Fan Club members but you can read more about it here. The event takes place on the years the D23 Expo doesn’t and, addition to the Cameron panel, there will be events based on the Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean and more.

CONCEPT ART: Disney Enhancing Wedding Pavilion With Redesigned Interior

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

Disney today share a look at concept art for the new “enhanced” interior of the Wedding pavilion, nestled on the shores of the Seven Seas Lagoon between Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort:

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No completion date on the project has been announced as of yet. Here is what the interior looked like previously:

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Bob Chapek, James Cameron, Polynesian Panel, and More Added to Destination D: Amazing Adventures

WDWNT on August 18, 2016

DESTINATION D: AMAZING ADVENTURES ADDS JAMES CAMERON, JON LANDAU, AND BOB CHAPEK TO EVENT ROSTER

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Additional panels include an exclusive look at Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Moana, Tales from the Jungle Cruise, and Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort’s 45th Anniversary, happening November 19 and 20 at Walt Disney World Resort

BURBANK, Calif. — August 18, 2016 — The roster of talent and panels continues to grow for D23 Destination D: Amazing Adventures presented by Ethan Allen | Disney, taking placeNovember 19 and 20, 2016 at Disney’s Contemporary Resort at Walt Disney World Resort. AVATAR creators James Cameron (writer, director, producer) and Jon Landau (producer) will join Imagineer Joe Rohde for Pandora – The World of AVATAR, a presentation where they will unveil new details about the immersive, 12-acre land coming soon to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. In addition, the event will include a conversation with Bob Chapek, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. Plus, Moana screenwriter Jared Bush (co-writer/co-director Zootopia) will be on hand to provide guests an exclusive advance look at the making of Walt Disney Animation Studios’ newest animated feature.

Cameron, Landau, and Chapek join previously announced Disney Legends Marty Sklar and Tony Baxter; Walt Disney Imagineers Rohde, Chris Merritt, Jason Grandt, and Wyatt Winter; producer Don Hahn (The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast); and Walt Disney Archives Director Becky Cline. The event, exclusively for members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, celebrates landmarks of the past, present, and future, from the Jungle Cruise and Pirates of the Caribbean to the planet of Pandora.

The Walt Disney Archives will present a special exhibit created exclusively for the event: Walt’s Great Adventures, featuring photographs, props, and models that showcase Walt Disney’s personal voyages, including his trip to South America in 1941, as well as some of his most memorable creations for television, film, and theme parks, such as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. Additionally, during the weekend, guests will be among the first to see the new Ethan Allen | Disney home furnishing line in person.

Additional D23 Destination D: Amazing Adventures presentations announced include:

  • Welcome to Adventureland: Set off on a journey through “Adventurelands” at Disney Parks around the world, beginning with a rare look at artist Harper Goff’s exotic concepts for Disneyland and Walt Disney World.
  • Tales from the Jungle Cruise: Fans of “the backside of water” unite! Discover the legendary history of the world-famous attraction with a panel of wisecracking experts, including a behind-the-scenes look at recent holiday overlays and the new Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.
  • Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort’s 45th Anniversary: From tropical hideaways to enchanting entertainment, celebrate the spirit of aloha as D23 looks back at 45 years of the classic South Pacific-themed getaway.

The weekend event will take place in the convention center at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Tickets, currently on sale, are $190 each for D23 Gold and Gold Family Members. Tickets are also available to D23 General Members for $250 per ticket. All guests will receive a special gift created exclusively for the event, and attendees are guaranteed seats at all panels and presentations. Mickey’s of Glendale, the famed Walt Disney Imagineering store, returns with a pop-up shop at the event for attendees, featuring a selection of exclusive Walt Disney Imagineering merchandise as well as limited-edition pins, apparel, and collectibles themed to the event.

Further details about the program and tickets for D23 Destination D: Amazing Adventures presented by Ethan Allen | Disney can be found at D23.com/Events. Additional details about the schedule will be shared in the coming months.

Events and talent are subject to change.