The wait is over! The 3rd of the 4 wings that makes up Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is now opened allowing guests to step into one of the most successful animated films of all-time, The Lion King!
Well, you have been asking us for months and Disney has finally answered the question: You can make your reservations beginning at noon August 20 at 407-WDW-DINE for Be Our Guest Restaurant in New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom.
You can make reservations for up to 180 days out – the very first seating will be for dinner on November 19 by calling 407-WDW-DINE (3463), or visiting any Guest Relations theme park location or Guest Services desk at a resort. Online reservations will be available beginning two days later on August 22 by visiting www.disneyworld.com/dine.
On the Disney Dining Plan, Be Our Guest is one quick-service entitlement for lunch, and one table-service restaurant entitlement for dinner. Guests will be required to give a credit card number when making reservations and it will be charged if they do not show up for their reservation, as is policy with many other popular Walt Disney World restaurants. Disney also provided a short description of the restaurant:
Lunch is quick and casual, with guest-activated terminals that make ordering a snap (there also will be traditional cashiers for cash orders and special dietary requests). You order, take a seat and lunch is delivered to your table – on china, not paper. Dinner is table service.
Cuisine is French-inspired to match the hit animated film’s theme, with three themed dining rooms: the mysterious West Wing with the “enchanted rose”; the Rose Gallery with twirling, larger-than-life figures of Belle and Beast; and the elegant Ballroom with domed ceiling, twinkling chandeliers and glimpses of softly falling snow outside.
So, who’s ready to wait on hold for a few hours on Monday afternoon?
WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen was all over the Walt Disney World Resort this weekend, visiting Downtown Disney, the Magic Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. He took some great photos on his trip and has them to share with us in this photo report:
Looks like the Earful Tower is being painted or repaired
At the Magic Kingdom the Bakery has been out from behind tarps for a while now
The old Swan Boat dock is getting refurbished at the moment
Work continues on Princess Fairytale Hall
The Castle Walls are approaching completion
We still can’t go on the second level of Village Haus to take photos…
More grass being placed on the facade of Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
The structure for the new Fantasyland restrooms is coming along nicely
The Yankee Trader is open but behind tarps
The Crow’s Nest is still being worked on
Next-Gen FASTPASS has been installed at Haunted Mansion, but it is still covered
Work is wrapping up on the Tomorrowland bridge and we can now see new futuristic railings have been installed
Another look at the Swan Boat dock
Another look at the work on the new bathrooms
Moving over to Epcot, Habit Heroes is still closed!
Epcot 30th anniversary merchandise is starting to hit shelves, like this awesome lanyard!
Perry the Platypus/Phineas and Ferb snacks are available, but I’m more interested in what’s on those Epcot-only popcorn buckets and cups…
A permanent DVC booth is being built next door to the Canada pavilion
Phineas and Ferb topiary still up
A quick stop at Downtown Disney shows us the progress on the new Rainforest Cafe volcano
Moving to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there’s a Frankenweenie ad in the parking lot
The first sign of work on The Legend of Jack Sparrow is this blue coat of paint on the building matching the colors now used for the Superstar Television Theater complex
Oz billboard behind the Great Movie Ride
Frankenweenie as well
Wreck-It Ralph and Frankenweenie up in the Animation Courtyard
Finding Nemo banners hanging in the courtyard
At the end of PPIXAR Place, you can find this Finding Nemo billboard
Halloween merchandise is out!
Awesome shirt featuring the Haunted Mansion and the Fab 5
Another shirt has the Hatbox Ghost
Our last stop is a look at Grand Floridian DVC wing construction
It’s coming along…
Walt Disney Imagineering has provided a video taking a look inside Enchanted Tales with Belle today. Albeit still not as cool as the look we gave you a few weeks ago, it is nice to hear from those behind the project about it and see more of the little details:
WDWNT’s diligent reporter Adam Roth was on the scene at Walt Disney World this weekend, visiting Epcot and the Magic Kingdom. Adam took a number of newsworthy photos on his trip, so let’s take a look at what’s new and exciting:
Art of disney at Epcot recently was refurbished and is now open once again, now featuring the Castle Collection merchandise
Looks like they just cleaned up the place a bit
They did rearrange some shelves
Work continues to prepare a new entrance at the Seas with Nemo and Friends
This new wave awning replaces the plain umbrellas that had been here
Work continues on a new entrance, presumed to be a new queue for Turtle Talk with Crush
Work continues on what we believe is a DVC booth near Canada
Bistro De Paris is gone…
It will be replaced with a new restaurant from the same company after 30 years at Epcot
The bakery is also being expanded
Construction walls up inside the shop next door
Food and Wine Festival preparations underway
No more Vanity Fair, now the sponsor is Chase
Nice to know that the new patio at Tutto Italia can be enclosed in bad weather
This fountain outside of La Hacienda has been like this for months…
The new exhibit inside the Mexico pavilion seems to be just about finished
Donald was meeting guests inside
The Cool Wash by Test Track is still behind walls
Work continues on Test Track
Heading over to the Magic Kingdom, we can see Grand Floridian DVC construction
AVENGERAIL!
It now advertises the home video release of the film
It turned into a nice day
The Country Bear Jamboree is closing for a few months this week
Some people seem convinced the show will be shortened and some songs will be removed
Shaker says “Probably not”
Trixie would be sad…
Gomer is befuddled
Some people think Big Al will be cut… yeah, OK…
The Yankee Trader is now behind tarps as work continues on the new path and restrooms in Fantasyland
Next-gen FASTPASS looks ready to go at the Haunted Mansion
The store is open during this
A strange structure has risen on the Skyway site which makes these people angry at each-other…
Chubby Moonliner?
I’m not sure what that is supposed to be
Next-gen FASTPASS installed at Peter Pan as well
People like to lean on things
The castle walls are nearing completion
Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train construction
Work continues on Princess Fairytale Hall
Caught someone picking their nose… fantastic!
Just like in the concept art, Prince Eric’s castle is visible just over the mountain
Next-Gen FASTPASS at Winnie the Pooh
More grass appearing on the roof of Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
Big Top Souvenirs
Next-Gen FASTPASS installed here as well
The presumed Humphrey the Bear counter service location through the trees
Looks like a sign will be installed soon
Another look at the roof grass…
Work continues on the Tomorrowland bridge
And the old Swan Boats dock
Infrastructure for the eventual move to RFID tickets is being installed at the Magic Kingdom entrance
Another look at Grand Floridian construction
Say goodbye to “The Magic, The Memories, and You!” on September 3rd as Disney prepares for a new nighttime projection show called “Celebrate the Magic”, debuting in November. As the “Let The Memories Begin” campaign draws to a close, the show is expected to be shedding the guest photos in turn of a “storytelling” show like Wishes! or Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.
“‘Celebrate the Magic’ takes us on a journey to the heart of the most beloved Disney stories and characters,” said Show Director Katy Harris. “This amazing show will magically transform Cinderella Castle with spectacular projection effects, choreographed to a new music soundtrack. The show will be full of emotion and storytelling, proving that, with imagination and magic in our hearts, anything is possible.”
Some of the more popular elements from “The Magic, the Memories, and You!” will remain in the show, meaning this is simply a re-packaged version of the spectacle meant to hold over guests for a while. I suspect that the original plan was for there to be no replacement show, but the current program just proved to be too popular at the Magic Kingdom. At Disneyland, they are not replacing “The Magic, The Memories, and You!” after it ends on September 3rd based on the lighter crowds it usually has there. However, I expect this show to go away at Walt Disney World once a new nighttime spectacular is designed to replace Wishes!; one that will combine the projection technology of “Celebrate the Magic” with the pyrotechnic displays of a nighttime foreworkls extravaganza.
So, what do you think of this?
Don’t worry, they aren’t getting rid of the classic Headless Horseman portion of Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade, they are just adding some pre-parade entertainment:
While the dance party-type things aren’t always my favorite, I do enjoy when they actually provide entertainment while guests are waiting for something. So, what do you think of this new Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party offering?
So, I was visiting Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park this past Sunday and took a ride on Kilimanjaro Safari for the first time since the original finale scene was ripped out. Not only was I surprised to see most work completed on the new Zebra habitat, but the safari driver was sharing the new backstory which explains why the zebras are there and why construction is going on at the moment:
So, what do you think of the new backstory?
I visited the Walt Disney World Resort last week covering all four of the theme parks and I have plenty of newsworthy pictures to share, so let’s take a look at what’s happening around the Vacation Kingdom:
The Rainforest Cafe sign inside Animal Kingdom is still missing
Beastly Bazaar is closed to become a character meet and greet experience this Fall
Wreck-It Ralph has taken over the display at the exit of the Magic of Disney Animation show
Vannelope is voiced by Sarah Silverman
That cake looks so real…
The game Fix-It Felix is inspired by games such as Rampage and Donkey Kong
Ralph even started as a monster just like one you would find in Rampage
Niceland is the city in the game
Ralph and Felix
Hero’s Duty might end up being the darkest looking scenes in any Disney animated film ever…
Hero’s Duty is inspired by games such as Gears of War and Halo
Voiced by Jane Lynch
Sugar Rush is inspired by games such as Mario Kart
Looks like a possible villain to me…
They were painting the next Ink and Paint Cell to be released while I was there
A Hatbox Ghost big figure has been released
There’s also a new Stitch figure
For the first time in ages, the decorations in The Studio Store do not represent a single new film!
Nice to see the original intended decorations back for once
Banners for Finding Nemo 3D up
The LEgend of Jack Sparrow building was painted blue
Walls are now up near the front of the building
The menu has been drastically changed at Backlot Express
BUFFALO CHICKEN BREAST NUGGETS! AHHHHHHH!
Next-Gen FASTPASS preparations already made at American Idol
Moving over to Epcot, work continues on the new Disney Vacation Club booth near Canada
A strange wall has popped up in the queue for Journey Into Imagination
Possibly FASTPASS related?
The Kim Possible sign-up areas in Innoventions have been completely removed
While passing by on the monorail we could see that the new parking lot for the Grand Floridian DVC wing is almost complete
Moving on to the Magic Kingdom, the park is ready for Halloween
There is a new banner at the beginning of Celebrate a Dream Come True
I’m not sure when it happened, but Mickey and Minnie are in normal clothing on their float
The Junioe Jungle Boats outside of the Jungle Cruise have reportedly been closed permanently
Next-gen FASTPASS ready to go at the Jungle Cruise
Same at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
Meanwhile, some rather drastic queue modifications have been made at Pirates of the Caribbean
There is now a point where the two queues meet
Work continues on the former Fantasyland Skyway site, soon to be home to a new walkway and restrooms
Thought this was an interesting shot as it gives you an idea of where the Mine Train will be as you walk into Fantasyland
Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train construction
The Castle Walls are nearing completion
Some work being done on the roof of Mickey’s Philharmagic
Most of the Snow White facade is now gone in preparation for Princess Fairytale Hall
Grass continues to be installed on the roof of Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
The signage has been installed on Big Top Souvenirs in Storybook Circus
I LOVE the popcorn lights…
FOOD!
Some new Space Mountain shirts are available
Moving back to Fantasyland, the lights were on inside the Castle Walls
Lights were on in the Beauty and the Beast area as well
They were testing lighting on the turrets of the Castle Walls as well
The Mickey-O-Lanterns are much brighter and actually flicker this year
If you enjoyed Red’s Apple Freeze from Cars Land at Disney california Adventure, you’ll be happy to know that the signiature beverage of Gaston’s Tavern in New Fantasyland is the same: “a no-sugar added frozen apple juice with a hint of toasted marshmallow, topped with all-natural passion fruit-mango foam”. The new drink will be called LeFou’s Brew, named after Gaston’s bumbling sidekick. The drink will also be available in a souvenir stein or goblet as seen above.
If the drink isn’t your thing, Gaston’s will also specialize in fresh cinnamon buns which will be served all day long.
So, are you excited for Gaston’s Tavern?
