PHOTOS: Disney Parks Releases NEW The Little Mermaid “Fairy Tales and Sea Shells” Home Collection

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

New at the U.S. Disney Parks is the “Fairy Tales and Sea Shells” collection, a series of home goods themed to The Little Mermaid.

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Plate, $16.99

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Mug, $22.99

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Sculpted mug, $27.99

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Votive, $16.99

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Bowl, $14.99

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Cup and saucer set, $32.99

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Glass, $24.99

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Jewelry box, $29.99

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Most of the items have the “Fairy Tales and Sea Shells” logo underneath.

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Ariel Resin Figurine, $55.00

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Damask Throw, $59.99

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Throw Pillow, $34.99

The entire collection is currently available at the Disneyland Resort, but a few pieces have already been spotted at Walt Disney World, with the entire line expected in Florida very soon.

What do you think of this collection? Will you be picking any of these pieces up?

Disney World Possibly Adding New Resort Room Features: Fireworks Live Stream, PhotoPass Display, Interactive Movies, ETC.

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

In an interesting new survey, Walt Disney World is asking guests about their interest in some interactive features that could be added to their Disney Resort room to make the experience more immersive.

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In the survey, Disney asks for feedback on some possible new features such as:

  • A welcome sequence where curtains will open, lights turn on slowly, music plays, and a custom welcome message with your FastPass+ plans for the day appears on the TV.
  • A brief animated video featuring a character of your choice welcoming you to the resort, playing on a screen themed to look like a picture frame.
  • Immersive on-demand movies with choices based on your FastPass+ reservations. Color-changing light bulbs and a star projector would be used to create an experience themed to each movie.
  • Live feed of nighttime spectaculars, bringing live video feeds of the park nighttime spectaculars synchronized to the show’s music to your resort TV.
  • Your PhotoPass pictures from the day displayed on your resort TV.

As always with a survey, some of this may never happen, but it is also just as possible that some of these features will be added to resort room experiences at Walt Disney World in the not-too-distant future.

What do you think? Would you enjoy any of these features?

Thanks to reader Dan for the photo above!

Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Closed for Several Weeks Starting Today

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

The Summer Course at Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf will be closed from October 9th through October 23rd, 2017 for refurbishment. Both courses (both the Summer and Winter) will be closed from October 23rd through November 10th, 2017, reopening on November 11th.
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During the refurbishment, the carpet of both courses will be replaced, and some of the props seen around the courses will be repainted or replaced.

Mobile Ordering Expands to Sunshine Seasons at Epcot This Week

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

On the heels of the successful rollout at many other restaurants, Walt Disney World will expand the Mobile Order program through the MyDisneyExperience app to Sunshine Seasons inside of The Land pavilion at Epcot starting October 10th.

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The mobile ordering program allows guests to order at Disney counter service restaurants from their mobile devices and then pick-up the order when they are ready to eat. Check out our comprehensive review of the service to see how it works.

REVIEW: New “Italian Trio” at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant at the Magic Kingdom

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

Every week on WDW News Tonight, we poke a fair amount of fun at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant at the Magic Kingdom. Is it warranted? Well, yeah. So why would I keep going back? Tradition. My family has been eating at Tony’s for as long as I can remember. You have to remember that many years ago, there wasn’t a whole lot of options at the Magic Kingdom for table service and Tony’s was actually one of the better ones, comparably at least. However, the Magic Kingdom dining renaissance of the last few years has left Tony’s low on the totem pole, but it remains a popular mainstay of the park with many tourists feeling comfortable with “Italian cuisine”.

Let’s start with something positive, the new menu design.

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The new menu features the window designs with Lady and the Tramp from the exterior of the restaurant.

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The alcohol menu is now inside the folding version of the menu.

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New to the menu is the Italian Trio, essentially a “Taste of Tony’s” dish. More on that later…

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The back of the menu is pretty adorable.

Italian Trio ($32)

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Italian Trio ($32)

Including the Chicken Parmigiana, Baked Rigatoni, and Fettuccine Alfredo, this dish is perfect for the guest who isn’t sure what kind of stomach pain they want to have after the meal.

Honestly, I don’t think the Fettuccine Alfredo is that bad, and if it wasn’t for the tomato sauce, the chicken is a healthy and well-cooked piece. The big issue I have is the baked rigatoni, which is nearly inedible. Again, the red sauce was pretty awful, and it tasted as if it had been blasted with pounds of black pepper.

Tony’s doesn’t offer an authentic Italian meal and it never has, but I can at least appreciate when the American version of Italian cuisine could be enjoyable, and I think the fettuccine is one of those items. Personally, I like to order the Chicken Parmigiana with the Alfredo sauce instead of the red tomato sauce, because I think it allows you to enjoy what I think is a pretty solid piece of chicken that could benefit from not being sold at Tony’s.

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My special order, the chicken with the Alfredo sauce, rather than Parmigiana

Overall, I’m not going to recommend dining at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant at the Magic Kingdom, because I can’t in good conscience do that. That being said, it’s not impossible to have an okay meal here, but why settle for OK in a park the offers Skipper Canteen, and I’d even say Be Our Guest and Liberty Tree Tavern while we’re at it.

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Today Marks the End of the Siemens & Disney Parks Sponsorship, Attractions Left Sponsor-less

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

Today, the “strategic partnership” between Siemens and the Walt Disney Company comes to an end officially. Siemens has released a statement summarizing the twelve years of the deal coming to a conclusion today:

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When Siemens and Disney began to explore the mutual benefits and opportunities of forming one of the largest marketing alliances in the technology sector for the entertainment space, it was a natural fit. The two organizations have many share values such as Innovation, Service, and Quality as well as a worldwide brand presence. Since 2005, the opportunities to leverage this technology alliance extended across The Walt Disney Company including theme parks and resorts, studios, networks, publishing, and digital. On October 10, 2017, the Siemens-Disney Alliance reached a mutually agreed upon conclusion.

Sponsorship Activation Timeline:

  • October 2005 Siemens US and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Sign 12-year agreement
  • October 2005 ABC SuperSign at Times Square, presented by Siemens
  • October 2005 IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth at Epcot, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company [July 2013, presented by Siemens]
  • November 2005 Osborne Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney Hollywood Studios, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company [November 2013 – 15, presented by Siemens]
  • January 2006 – April 2010 Disney’s Electrical Parade at Disney California Adventure, presented by Sylvania, a Siemens Company
  • January 2006 – November 2008 Walt Disney’s Parade of Dreams at Disneyland, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company
  • May 2007 Siemens VIP Center at Epcot Opens [private executive meeting and guest lounge]
  • February 2008 Spaceship Earth, presented by Siemens
  • March 2008 Project Tomorrow: Inventing the Wonders of the Future at Epcot, presented by Siemens
  • April 2008 – March 2015 Project Tomorrow: Inventing the Wonders of the Future at Disneyland Innoventions, presented by Siemens
  • November 2010 it’s a small world at Disneyland, presented by Sylvania, A Siemens Company [August 2013, presented by Siemens]

About Siemens USA

Siemens Corporation is a U.S. subsidiary of Siemens AG, a global powerhouse focusing on the areas of electrification, automation and digitalization. One of the world’s largest producers of energy-efficient, resource-saving technologies, Siemens is a leading supplier of systems for power generation and transmission as well as medical diagnosis. With approximately 351,000 employees in 190 countries, Siemens reported worldwide revenue of $88.1 billion in fiscal 2016. Siemens in the USA reported revenue of $23.7 billion, including $5.4 billion in exports, and employs approximately 50,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Siemens technology was also used to create several new theme park attractions, including Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land.

Disney World Changes Bus Routes to Alleviate Traffic on Buena Vista Drive

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

With all of the road work and traffic on Buena Vista Drive, Walt Disney World is rerouting some buses to take traffic off of the troublesome road and provide a better experience for guests.

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Buses to Disney Springs from Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge and Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort are now traveling north of Epcot from World Drive to Epcot Center Drive, skipping over most of Buena Vista Drive. It is unknown for how long these new routes will be in effect.

PHOTOS, VIDEO: Interactive Roaming Droid Character for Star Wars – Galaxy’s Edge Unleashed on Disneyland, and Children Unleashed Onto It

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

We have seen two separate tests to date of “Jake” the droid by Disney, inside Star Wars Launch Bay at Disneyland and at the Parks and Resort pavilion at the D23 Expo 2017, but now the roaming character developed for the upcoming “Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge” is going through some outdoor testing in Tomorrowland at Disneyland.

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Guests will also encounter some signs pertaining to Jake as they roam around Tomorrowland. The test is occurring on most days, and Jake is being attended to by a undercover Imagineer who is watching over him.

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This is good, because by the looks of the video below, Jake is going to need some protection…

The droid takes quite a beating during the short period where we watched him, getting kicked and pushed around by some children who he meets. Luckily, Jake was designed to handle such events, but one has to wonder just how much such a complicated piece of machinery can take. Well, this is why he is being tested years before his debut in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in 2019.

Disney has stated that multiple droids and alien creatures will be roaming Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge when it opens at both Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Disney Introduces A New Way to Gift A Theme Park Vacation

WDWNT on October 13, 2017

Disney has recently launched the ability to purchase an entire family holiday as a gift, calling it “The Gift Of Disney Vacations“.

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Starting today, you will be able to purchase multiple options, from a $25 Disney gift card to a full vacation abroad with Adventures By Disney.

To introduce the service, you can now purchase a 6 night, 7 day Walt Disney World vacation staying at one of Disney’s All-Star Resorts for $96 per person, per night.

The offer is valid for 2018 and available until November 15th, 2017.

Find out more information here.

What do you think of the service? Let us know in the comments.