Hitchhiking Ghost Card Coming to Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom at Halloween Parties

WDWNT on September 13, 2013

Starting the opening night of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom Park on September 10th, guests will be able to  pick up an event-exclusive Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game card!

This new Hitchhiking Ghost Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom spell card, in concert with other spell cards, enables players to guests join Merlin’s quest to defeat Disney Villains who are scheming to take over Magic Kingdom Park. This limited-edition spell card lets players use their supernatural power from the Haunted Mansion’s graveyard.

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When asked to “Cast Your Spell,” players can  use these three ghosts to frighten away any Disney villains they come across on their adventures.

This new Hitchhiking Ghost spell card will not be available in the regular card packs distributed daily at the Magic Kingdom Firehouse. Guests will be able to pick up card packs and the Hitchhiking Ghosts card only during the Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, both at the Firehouse and the Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom location behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe. Guests will have to still register with their party ticket and event wristband to play and get their cards.

Are you a fan of the Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom game? How many spell cards do you have in your collection? Are you excited to add the Hitchhiking Ghost card to your available spells?

PHOTOS: FountainView at Epcot Re-Opens as Starbucks Location

WDWNT on September 13, 2013

FountainView at Epcot re-opened yesterday after several months of remodeling for the Starbucks takeover. Let’s take a look at this new location:

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The exterior keeps the round shape, but looks very different

At night, the signage is a different color depending on where you are looking at it from

Yes, there is a big Starbucks logo in Epcot…

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The menu is identical to the Main Street location, offering 4 breakfast sandwiches, assorted pastries, and drinks

The inside looks really sharp and has a feel very much like current Spaceship Earth or Test Track

An assortment of Starbucks products here as well

Overall, there is nothing really special about this location, but we think it looks really nice. Now the question is when is Starbucks coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom and where will they be going?

Joe Hogarty’s 8/29/13 Magic Kingdom Photo Report

WDWNT on September 13, 2013

WDWNT Reporter Joe Hogarty visited the Magic Kingdom on August 29th and has some great photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:

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It’s Halloween at the Magic Kingdom

September 18th, Princess Fairytale Hall will finally open

Each of the 11 princesses has an icon on the facade

Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train construction rolls along

Prince Eric’s Village Market has opened since this photo was taken

Triton’s Treasures is still being worked on

Hope you enjoyed this photo report!

New Fantasyland’s Princess Fairytale Hall Opens September 18th

WDWNT on September 13, 2013

The DisneyParks Blog shared with us today more details about the upcoming Meet-n-Greet opening in New Fantasyland at The Magic Kingdom. They officially announced that the Princess Fairytale Hall will be opening on September 18 for all guests to enjoy. Princess Fairytale Hall will feature two separate character experiences, guests will be able to choice between Cinderella and a visiting princess or Rapunzel and a visiting princess. Walt Disney Imagineering shared a video with a sneak peek at the new attraction with Imagineers Pam Rawlins and Jason Grandt.

Princess Fairytale Hall will feature a castle-like entrance, high ceilings and elegant wood-paneled rooms, the space will feature beautiful princess portraits, themed wallpaper, glittering stained glass windows and accessories that have been inspired by props seen in films like Cinderella and Tangled. Princess Fairytale Hall will feature Disney FASTPASS and Disney FastPass+.

“Glow with the Show” Mouse Ears Debut October 15th at Walt Disney World!

WDWNT on September 13, 2013

“Glow with the Show” mouse ears have been stunning guests at the Disneyland Resort for over a year now, but the magic is about to begin at Walt Disney World next month!

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Glow with the Show ears will debut first at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on October 15th to commemorate the 15th anniversary of Fantasmic!, and they’ll be glowing along with that show starting then. The ears will then operate along with Wishes! and Celebrate the Magic starting October 19th. Disney has also announced that the “Glow with the Show” ears will work with the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights this coming holiday season.

In case you have never seen the “Glow with the Show” ears in action, here are full videos of World of Color and Fantasmic! at the Disneyland Resort using the technology:

So, are you excited about Glow with the Show mouse ears coming to Walt Disney World?

The Food Truck Craze Is Coming to Downtown Disney

WDWNT on September 13, 2013

Calling all Walt Disney World Foodies!  Food trucks are all the rage these days, and now they are coming to Downtown Disney. These trucks will be rolling in later this Autumn.

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Chef James Kleinschmidt and Downtown Disney Area Manager for Food & Beverage, Matt Fisher, have been working together with the Walt Disney World Food & Beverage partners on the food truck concept. According to these two, there will be four food trucks, each truck to represent the essence of a different Disney Park.

The food trucks are:

“Enchanted Fare” — this food truck will serve favorites from Disney Parks; for example, Croque Monsieur from Magic Kingdom Park, Glass Noodle Salad from Hong Kong Disneyland and Hand-Dipped Corn Dogs from Disneyland Park.

“The World Showcase of Flavors” – this food truck is will include feature menu items from the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, such as Grass-Fed Beef Sliders, Pierogies with Kielbasa and Lobster Rolls.

“Superstar Catering” — Meatballs will be the “star” of this food truck! A variety of meatball dishes, like the Lamb Meatball Flatbread with Tzatziki, will be showcased on this truck’s menu.

“Namaste Café” — this food truck will infuse a mix of spices into their menu items, such as Butter Chicken, Slow-Cooked Beef Short Ribs and Tandori Spiced Shrimp.

Are you a fan of the food truck craze? From which Downtown Disney food truck will you be sampling?

Joe Hogarty’s 9/10/13 Magic Kingdom Photo Report

WDWNT on September 13, 2013

Hearing walls had come down around Princess Fairytale Hall in New Fantasyland, WDWNT reporter Joe Hogarty decided to visit the Magic Kingdom on Tuesday this week and he has a number fo newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip:

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A beautiful day

work on the curb by the emporium is finished, so work has now moved across the street to the Confectionery

Walls came down around Princess Fairytale Hall, giving us a look at the gorgeous facade

A closer look at the 11 Princess shields on the facade

The exterior queue

Let’s move over to the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train

Plenty of workers up on the mountain

An Imagineer checking out some details

These posts have appeared recently

Prince Eric’s Village Market is now open

This wall was recently completed on the back of the mountain

I wonder what the story is with these areas that look like someone broke through them

Another mine opening is now visible

Scary…

For the first time we can see an awning where we assume the entrance to the queue will be

The Jungle Cruise is closed for refurbishment, mostly queue modifications being made

Over at Pirates of the Caribbean…

A few weeks ago, these new boats arrived

They are very nice, but there are a few issues

First off, they are going down the flume awkwardly and taking on a lot of water

Secondly, the ruber on the front and back of the boats make an awful noise when they touch another boat… hopefully all of this will be resolved

Facade work still taking place on the Adventureland Veranda

Tom Corless’ 7/12-14/13 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT on August 7, 2013

I spent a majority of last weekend visiting the Magic Kingdom and I took a number of newsworthy photos to share, so let’s take a look at what’s new around the park:

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The Villas at the Grand Floridian are looking great

Moving to the Magic Kingdom, the MyMagic+ service center is sitting dormant in Town Square Theater for now

Speaking of Town Square Theater, some guests decided to write on Mickey’s hand…

This is not alright people…

A few new character banks are now on sale

There is also now a kid’s Toodles shirt

Another pair of giant glasses has come out, this pair looks like Minnie’s bow

The gutters have returned to Sleepy Hallow Refreshments, meaning work is finally done on the facade

The new ear hat ornaments can be found at Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe

The shoe ornaments are still in stock as well

There is now a Haunted Mansion candlestick holder available

Everything but the Haunted Mansion throw blanket is currently available

Some new Winnie the Pooh merchandise has arrived at Hundred Acre Goods

Some new shirts with Pooh, Tigger, and Eeyore

FastPass+ signage at the Tomorrowland Speedway

Work is speeding up on the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train in New Fantasyland

So, after the new FastPass+ merge point at “it’s a small world”, there is currently a free-for-all of people in line with no divider… hopefully this will be fixed before FastPass+ rolls out

The stroller name tags currently feature Disney Planes

You can now get Monster Energy Drink at some food carts

In an effort to keep strollers away from Pirate’s Adventure kiosks, signage was added. People don’t read…

The replica of the Be Our Guest Restaurant music box has finally been released and retails for $90

Walt Disney World (And Disneyland) Resort-Inspired Signs Now Available

WDWNT on August 7, 2013

One of the most difficult things for me to face is saying farewell to my “happy place” at the end of a Walt Disney World vacation. The sights, the smells, the sounds —  fun and happiness all around you.

One of the ways I try to combat post-WDW sadness is to try and recreate some of my favorite dishes from the restaurants.  I’ve perfected the New England Clam Chowder from Cape May Café at Disney’s Beach Club Resort, and the Key Lime Pie from Olivia’s Café at Disney’s Old Key West Resort, and the Buttermilk Fried Chicken from the Hoop De Doo Review at Fort Wilderness.

Now Walt Disney World has a new way to recreate the feeling of the Disney Resorts at home – with a line of art-inspired signage from the Disney Parks. Created by the Disney Imagineers and the Disney Design Group, these signs are following the trend of vintage sign replicas.

various signs

David Whitaker, senior merchandiser, says, “The sign program has been wildly popular with guests. We wanted to offer oversized replicas of Disney Parks’ signs printed on wood-like material or metal… we had plenty of options for us at Disney Parks. The fun part was selecting the most iconic signs for this first program.”

aloha sign

For some signs, the artists reproduced the sign almost exactly how it looks at Disney Parks, like the Aloha Isle sign.

tiki room combination sign

Other signs combine elements from several signs for an attraction to create an original piece of artwork, like the Enchanted Tiki Room sign.

“We took the attraction sign and combined it with shields found both on the Adventureland bridge in Magic Kingdom Park in Florida and on the attraction building in Disneyland park in California,” explained David. “I thought the addition of the shields made the sign more aesthetically pleasing.”

Look for the new vintage resort signs at the Art of Disney location in Downtown Disney Marketplace and Animation Gallery at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The Gaston’s Tavern sign is located in the new Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom.

cars gaston sign

There are also two Disney•Pixar’s “Cars“-inspired signs found at select locations in Cars Land at Disney California Adventure park.

Unfortunately, the vintage signs will not be available at the Disney Parks online store, but  some of these signs will be offered at the Disneyland Resort at a future date.

Downtown Disney Plans Parking Changes To Accommodate Disney Springs Construction

WDWNT on August 7, 2013

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Walls are up all around what is currently Pleasure Island and work is expected to begin in some sections of the Downtown Disney Marketplace next month, but Disney Springs construction is about to get a lot messier and Disney is ready for it.

With several of the parking areas in Downtown Disney set to close over the next few weeks, you can expect visiting any section of the area to be a hassle anytime after noon for quite some time. In fact, the first parking structure won’t even be completed and open for Disney Springs until the Fall of 2014.

The first lot that will be constructed will be on the West Side, so the amount of parking spaces on the West Side will be greatly diminished for the next year. This work is expected to begin any day now.

Disney is aware that there will be several days over the next 15 months when Downtown Disney lots will not be able to accommodate everyone who visit. The current plan is to offer overflow lots across the street at Team Disney, Casting and SunTrust on certain afternoons to allow Guests to have convenient parking. Disney will also offer a shuttle service for Guests who park at Team Disney to make it easier for them to get to the West Side.

Even with all of this planning in place, guests may still want to utilize Disney transportation to get to Downtown Disney, or even maybe a taxi cab.

In the meantime, Disney is doubling the amount of cast member parking in the Hess lot across the street, so cast members should not be affected by this construction. Disney has also added communication tools for Cast to help them know where to park, including text messaging, a parking hotline and signage along Buena Vista Drive that will let them know when Cast parking in lot P is full.

So, what do you think of this parking plan? Will you still visit Downtown Disney during this construction project or will you wait for the new parking structures to open?