Walt Disney World Resort – Page 239

Construction Has Begun on New Home for Festival of the Lion King

WDWNT on April 24, 2013

Behind Tusker House in Africa at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park, construction has begun on a new home for Festival of the Lion King. The new location will house the show once it closes in Camp Minnie-Mickey so work can commence on the AVATAR-themed land sometime later this year. The moving of the check-in area for the Wild Africa Trek experience a few weeks ago was the just the beginning of the changes to make way for the project:

There are some questions we have about the theater. Will it have the modern conveniences of the Festival of the Lion King theater built in 2005 for Hong Kong Disneyland?

Now that the show is staying and moving to a structure not meant to be temporary, it sure would be nice to see improvements to the theater and maybe even the old parade floats from Disneyland that are in the show.

What do you think?

PHOTOS: “Limited Time Magic” Brings Egg Hunt to Epcot

WDWNT on April 24, 2013

This week at Epcot, guests can purchase an “egg” hunt map at Heritage Manor, International Gateway, Pin Central and Port of Entry for $4.95 plus tax. Guests can then hunt around the park as part of “Limited Time Magic” looking for hidden character eggs. Whether or not you finish the quest, you can return your map for a Vinylmation prize! Let’s take a look at the hunt:

Here’s the map

Figment egg

If you don’t want to know where the eggs are, you should look away now…

“He’s gonna jump!”

Creepy Mickey egg…

I don’t see one, canoe?

Signs are up around the park advertising it

When guests are done, they pick one of the eggs and get a 2-pack of Vinylmation Jr. keychains for participating

So, what do you think? Is this a good “Limited Time Magic” offering?

Tom Corless & Dirk Wallen’s 3/13 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT on April 24, 2013

Things have been so crazy around here at WDW News Today lately that we’ve had some minor news stories slip through the cracks. In an effort to get you up to speed on some of the stories we haven’t covered on the site lately, here are newsworthy photos from myself and Dirk Wallen taken earlier in March:

Some new “flat” snowglobes for sale

There are some new hot sandwiches in Liberty Square

Most of the arcades at Walt Disney World are replacing their prize counters with one of these

An automated prize machine is a pretty cool concept

The new purchase with purchase item for sale is an expandable duffle

Wriost gift cards are available for the Flower and Garden Festival

Work continues on expanding the Boardwalk Bakery

The arcade next door is gone

The sign is still up and the door still enters the small ESPN shop

The arcade section is covered by a curtain

A few weeks ago, Test Track introduced a new car type guests can choose

Triton’s Treasures behind the Mine Train now has shutters on it

An ADA compliant ramp was installed on the Yankee Trader

Some of the new Haunted Mansion merchandise is for sale in Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe

Picture frame

Hourglass

Coasters

Work continues on installing A Pirate’s Adventure in Adventureland

Work continues on the exterior of the Adventureland Veranda

Rumors indicate that this may finally become a Pirate restaurant in 2014 once the Disney Fairies move out

More tarps on the front of the building

St. Patrick’s Day shirt

Spring Break and graduation merchandise out

Two new Oswald shirts for sale

Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny are in town square

Awwwwww

More Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train construction

Some trees up on the mountain

We can finally see some rock work

In preparation for FastPAss+, a large section of the Pirates of the Caribbean queue has been re-routed

Work continues on the Villas at the Grand Floridian

Thanks for reading!

Joe Hogarty’s 3/21/13 Magic Kingdom Photo Report

WDWNT on April 24, 2013

Today we welcome WDWNT Reporter Joe Hogarty to the team with his very first photo report! Joe visited the Magic Kingdom to catch Splash Mountain now that it has reopened from refurbishment, but he also got some pictures of progress on the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train and A Pirate’s Adventure to share with us, so let’s take a look:

The scariest opening photo of any report ever…

Don’t worry, it’s just a prop for “A Pirate’s Adventure”

Make sure to brush your teeth kids

Jack’s compass

Letter from Sparrow

We suspect this bird (similar to the one from World Showcase Adventure) will talk to guests… is it Cotton’s parrot?

Something yet to be installed?

This large shell just recently appeared

Splash Mountain just re-opened from refurbishment and it looks fantastic!

The clothes look brand new

Every animatronic is working flawlessly

Some shrubbery was added around Brer Fox

Oooooo, new lighting…

The store is pretty much unchanged

The blue shirt is new

Otherwise, a lot of the same merchandise

Work continues on Princess Fairytale Hall in Fantasyland

Work also continues on the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train

The track is almost done!

This side hasn’t changed much

The other side has made some major progress

It looks like this side is finally going to be covered soon

Some new steel near Storybook Circus

The backside is starting to look like a mountain

Triton’s Treasures is also coming along nicely

Chimneys now up on the shop which may open before the Summer

I see a mountain…

It’s nice to finally see rock work

Thanks for your first report Joe!

PHOTOS: A Walk Around the 2013 Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

WDWNT on April 24, 2013

WDWNT Reporter Joe Hogarty visited Epcot this week and took a few hundred photos of the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival to share with us, so let’s take a look:

Next-Gen “Memory Maker” To Help Guests Make Video Memories While They Wait In Line

WDWNT on April 24, 2013

While we have heard plenty about MyMagic+ offerings like MagicBand, FastPass+, and MyDisneyExperience, there is still another piece of the puzzle that remains somewhat a mystery…

While we don’t have a lot of details on exactly what Memory Maker (or My Memory Maker) will encompass, it seems that guests will be able to interact with certain props in queues for attractions and create video memories that they can see on their phones or when they return home. A prop recently installed at MuppetVision 3-D may give us some clues to how Memory Maker works:

If what we have heard is correct, guests could walk up to this mirror and prompt an interactive moment with The Muppets that will be video recorded by stationary hidden cameras. The guest’s MagicBand would be read and the system would connect the guest with their account on MyDisneyExperience, sending their video right into their app on their phone. Guests without the app should receive an email with the video.

The idea behind this is guests are often so busy doing attractions and sticking to a schedule to get everything done in a given day that they forget to take out their cameras and record moments from their vacation. This offering would be an interactive and fun way to save guest’s the hassle and make sure they have some video from their vacation when they return home. Also, what guest won’t want to interact with some of their favorite characters while they wait in line?

We will share more information on this story as it becomes available.

So, what do you think of Memory Maker? Good idea? Bad idea?

A Look at the Past and Future of WDW Offered to Passholders Updating to RFID Tickets

WDWNT on April 24, 2013

Annual Passholders upgrading their tickets at the Odyssey Center at Epcot received a pleasant surprise when they showed up… (Thanks to Jose Castillo and Dirk Wallen for the photos)

The set-up is a little nicer than we expected

Kudos to Disney for putting the effort in to make the exchange process pleasant

The tickets… you actually get to pick what character you get!

Signage talks about what the new pass can do and will do

BUT WHEN?

The MagicBands and the box they will be delivered in was on display. The black MagicBand now appears to be grey…

One of the original Figment animatronics on display

A Kitchen Kabaret character as well

Walt Disney World tickets through the years on display

Some recent innovations

Tom Morrow 2.0 from Innoventions

Cast name tags through the years

Pegleg Pete is back at Disney World! He was recently spotted at Disneyland

The history of audio-animtronics discussed

After they get their new pass, Passholders can test it out on some of the new entrance touch points

Zebras Removed Permanently After 4 Months from Kilimanjaro Safaris

WDWNT on April 24, 2013

As big of a deal as Disney made about the new finale including Zebras on Kilimanjaro Safaris at Animal Kingdom, the Zebras were quietly removed from the attraction recently. Disney has sited “acclimation” issues for the animals, deciding that thew new home just wasn’t working out. Some insider reports claim that the zebras were troublesome and would constantly block the vehicle path or bite each-other and attack vehicles filled with guests. Whatever the reason, they were removed and will be replaced with Addax:

Here’s video of the Zebras from when they debuted in “Zebra Glen” back in November:

Merchandise Revealed for Star Wars Weekends 2013

WDWNT on April 24, 2013

When Star Wars Weekends lands at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on May 17th, there will be an armada of new, exclusive merchandise for guests to purchase:

The title scroll from the films play a big role this year

We heard there wouldn’t be many more 9″ Vinylmation, but one of the last will be Jabba the Hutt with a Salacious Crumb 1.5″ junior

Some logo merchandise… notice the green customizable name-tag for this year

New action figures featuring Disney and Muppets characters playing… well, I guess they are now playing Disney characters…

A poster calendar, carbonite Vinylmation, and a annual passholder exclusive black name tag among other items

Jumbo pin

The Star Wars Weekends logo characters in plush form

Salacious Crumb collectible

The long-awaited series of Cars/Star Wars die-cast vehicles is coming

Jedi Mickey and R2-MK in Mickey’s Starfighter toy

Thermal Detonator hot potato game

Star Wars Vinylmation Series #3

Star Wars Droids Vinylmation Jr. series

At Star Wars Celebration VI in 2012, we got a closer look at some of the collectibles being released this year at Star Wars Weekends. We have video of the presentation where most of these items were announced for you to enjoy: