Dirk Wallen’s 4/21-22/12 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT on December 15, 2012

We welcome WDWNT Reporter to the team with his very first photo report, a quick look around the parks with some very newsworthy photos:

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Work continues on the facade of the Main Street Bakery

The final eges of the rock-work on Under the sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid are rounded out

Work continues on what we assume will be a new Pooh meet and greet area in the former Tigger bounce area

The old/second Dumbo is taking a while to be installed

The rest of the land is taking shape, including more supports for the Seven Dwarves Mine Train

More of the Castle Wall frame has been erected

The basic shape is all there, so you can really get a feel for the layout of the land now

Over at Hollywood Studios, the queue at Disney Junior: Live on Stage is being repaired

The Splash fountain is back from refurbishment

Work continues on the new facade at the Downtown Disney Rainforest Cafe

I saved the Orange Bird for last… he’s back… and he has an attraction poster while not being an attraction

Yep, he’s on the sign…

Disney Releases New Concept Art & Details for Test Track

WDWNT on December 15, 2012

The new logo for Test Track presented by Chevrolet

As you can see. they are changing the entire ride completely. The first image is clearly the hill climb. The top right looks to be the first break-test zone. The lower two pictures look like replacements for the environmental chambers.

Ride icons? I assume these are categories you will be graded in after designing your vehicle.

Yep, the Test Track you once knew is gone…

If you look closely at tis image, you can see plenty of concept art for the Chevrolet Design Studio, where guests will design their SimCars

Disney also released some new details:

When complete, the reimagining of this attraction will allow guests to design their own custom concept vehicle, and then put it through its paces on the exhilarating hills and switchbacks of the Test Track circuit. In the post-show, guests can make a TV commercial featuring their concept car or truck, race their car or truck on our virtual track and take a picture with their custom concept vehicle.

So, it looks like Test Track will be very different when it opens (tentatively set for December 1)… so what do you think of this new look?

A Look Inside the Ballroom at New Fantasyland’s Be Our Guest Restaurant

WDWNT on December 15, 2012

Disney has released a stunning video of the interior of the Be Our Guest Restaurant in New Fantasyland. The sound-bites are from Chris Kelly (Show Producer, Walt Disney Imagineering) and Tim Warzecha (Senior Project Manager, Walt Disney Imagineering):

This video is released today as Disney formally announced that Be Our Guest Restaurant, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Gaston’s Tavern, Ariel’s Grotto, and Under the sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid will not open until Holiday 2012. The Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station and the second Dumbo spinner will open July.

“The Legend of Jack Sparrow” Opening This Fall at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on December 15, 2012

As mysterious as Jack Sparrow himself, the latest issue of the Mickey Monitor passholder publication includes details and the first formal announcement of what we assume to be the replacement for the Narnia walkthrough experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The most intriguing part is that some passholders have already been mailed this particular issue, but the page with this story was noticeably missing. Regardless, the story is out there now and the Mickey Monitor had plenty to say on the new addition:

Opening this summer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow has elicited something of a legend of its own. The word around the Parks is that this mysterious new attractionwill be a first-of-it’s-kind sensory experience in which guests will have a chance to be enveloped by the world of the Pirates of the Caribbeanas seen in the four feature films. Sounds intriguing.

To find out more, we had a chance for a friendly “parley” with Jason Roberts, Walt Disney Imagineering Project Manager and Show Producer for the new attraction. “This is going to be an immersive experience,” Jason told us. “We’ll really delve into the story of Captain Jack Sparrow and put our Guests in the middle of it all in new and exciting ways.

“Story is always the most important thing for us at Walt Disney Imagineering,” Jason continued. “But we’re always looking at new ways to tell the story that our Guests have never seen before. In this attraction, we’ll let you walk in the footsteps of Jack Sparrow. “It’s not ‘the making of’, not ‘behind the scenes’…it is really a firstperson experience.”

Jason wouldn’t divulge any of the state-of-the-art special effect trickery used in the attraction, but he did assure us that the attraction is certain to elicit a “Wow! How’d they do that?” from our Guests. A long-time fan of the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction and films, Jason was delighted at his shot to work on the attraction. “We worked with the archives as well as the filmmakers while they were shooting the last movie,” Jason said. “And as a fan, I just loved sitting through those films again and again, going through all the details and leveraging them for this new experience. It’s really been a blast.”

The most interesting part is that it sounds like this is more than just a simple walkthrough attraction and clip show (unlike the two Narnia attractions before it). A Pirates of the Caribbean attraction where guests can see actual movie props and get their fill of the infamous Jack Sparrow sounds like a home-run to me, but what do you think?

UPDATE: Disney has since confirmed this attraction, but it will open this Fall, not during the course of the Summer.

Tutto Italia Re-Opens with Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar

WDWNT on December 15, 2012

Patina Restaurant Group officially opened Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar and re-opened Tutto Italia at Epcot earlier today.  Located in a reproduction of the Medici Palace in the Italy pavilion, the new wine cellar is a space that was “discovered” as Tutto Italia was being built. This “unearthed treasure” features 200 Italian wines and a selection of authentic Italian small plates.

“Tutto Gusto offers a refreshing place to relax and sample authentic tastes of Italy during a day at Epcot,” said restaurateur and CEO of Patina Restaurant Group, Nick Valenti. “It is a welcome addition to the popular dining options at the Italy pavilion.”

“We are always looking at ways to keep Epcot fresh and vibrant for our Guests,” said Erin Youngs, vice president of Epcot. “The new Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar and refreshed Tutto Italia are excellent enhancements to World Showcase. Both nicely complement Via Napoli and offer Guests a chance to enjoy the richness of Italian culture as they savor the authentic flavors of Italy.”

Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar offers a variety of delectable small plates, perfect for sharing, to pair with its wines.  Menus feature sections devoted to simple, flavorful piccoli piatti such as bruschetta di Capri, pizze fritte, polenta funghi e taleggio. Artisanal Italian cheeses are on offer in the formaggi section, with everything from soft, creamy La Tur to salty-sweet aged Parmigiano Reggiano. Fresh hand-crafted mozzarella will be made in bufala and fior di latte styles.  Also featured are cured, sliced meats in the affettati section – including prosciutto di Parma, mortadella, sopressata and more. The corkscrew-shaped cavatappi pasta is highlighted in its own section, with different preparations.

Chef Renzo Barcatta grew up in Cavalese, Italy and honed his skills in restaurants in Venice, Milan and Rome. He will prepare authentic dishes with choices sourced across Italy, offering the best of each region. In addition to pairing well with wine, Chef Baracatta’s creations also match nicely with family-friendly agua frescas and other non-alcoholic beverages.

Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar was unveiled as part of Tutto Italia’s grand re-opening.  The architecture of both properties reflect classical antiquity and symmetry emblematic of the Italian Renaissance period.  Tutto Italia has been completely refurbished along with a new enclosed patio to offer al fresco dining.  Both the restaurant and wine cellar are furnished with authentic design elements directly from Italy: chandeliers, marble and limestone floors, wall hangings and more.

 

Celebrating Epcot’s 30th

WDWNT on December 15, 2012

October 1, 2012 is a big day in Walt Disney World history… Epcot celebrates it’s 30th anniversary. We got hints of a few Vinylmation customs, but today the Disney Parks Blog finally showed us some pictures of these inspired pieces.

Noah will have a few 9″ and 3″ customs with this design scheme. No word on numbers or prices. The 9″ will come on a stand with a print back drop. That Epcot print will also be available for purchase.

Artist Unknown

Artist: Javier Soto

Artist John Henselmeier (who created the greatest pin set known to man, see below) designed the above set of customs for the event as well. All of these items will be released at MouseGear starting at park open on October 1. No Disney production piece Vinylmation announced. Now, if you are also into pins, you may have seen all the Epcot 30th pins that will available on October 1. We covered them extensively on the Once Upon a Pin podcast and have them all in a photo album on our Facebook page, but here is a quick look.

That is the John Henselmeier designed pin set I was talking about. It is Spaceship Earth, it is innovative, it has multiple Donalds… it is the coolest thing I have ever seen.

I also love the above double hinge, triple circle pin. Below are a few more Epcot pins that will be released on September 28. All LE pins come out on October 1, but some open editions come out a few days earlier.

Also from the Disney Parks Blog:

On Monday, October 1, we will release several “day of” items including three shirts that have “October 1, 2012” and the “Epcot 30” logo, as seen in the first image above. For those who can’t attend that weekend, those three dated shirts and the 11 World Showcase shirts will be sold via the Disney Parks online store from September 28 through October 4.


One of the more interesting items is something new called “Cover Your Ears.” This Spaceship Earth-inspired cover will fit over a regular Mickey Mouse ear hat. Additional special ear hat embroidery will be offered at Mouse Gear through October 1.


Now here, again from the Disney Parks Blog, is a schedule of events:

Throughout the day on October 1, guests can attend Epcot history presentations in World Showplace courtesy of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club. These presentations are included in park admission and are limited in seating.


1-2 p.m. – Designing the Future – Past and Present: A panel of Disney Imagineers remembers 30 years of building tomorrow!
4:30–6 p.m. – Epcot: How it Changed the World with Marty Sklar
6:30–8 p.m. – Epcot: How it Changed the World with Marty Sklar


Guests can also attend an anniversary moment at the America Gardens Theatre at 3 p.m., which will feature appearances by Disney leaders and include performances by Mariachi Cobre and Voices of Liberty. (Seating for this presentation is also limited.)


That evening, the October 1 presentation of “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” will feature a special 30th anniversary tag.


I’ll see everybody there! What time will you be arriving?

Select Disney World Guests Testing Next-Gen RFID FASTPASS System

WDWNT on December 15, 2012

Starting on May 1st, select Walt Disney World guests checking-in for Magical Express at Orlando International Airport have been asked to complete a survey. If they choose to answer the survey, well, then the fun begins. A guest relations cast member will provide the family with two lists of select Magic Kingdom attractions, asking them to pick 2 from each list. Here are all of the attraction involved in the test:

  • Mickey at Town Square Theater
  • Princesses at Town Square Theater
  • Stitch’s Great Escape (Does not currently offer FASTPASS)
  • Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
  • Space Mountain
  • The Many adventure of Winnie the Pooh
  • Mickey’s Philharmagic (Does not currently offer FASTPASS)
  • Peter Pan’s Flight
  • The Haunted Mansion (Does not currently offer FASTPASS)
  • Splash Mountain
  • The Jungle Cruise

After selecting 2 from each list, the cast member will ask the guest what day they will be visiting the Magic Kingdom, if they are celebrating anything, and then give the guests some plastic yellow cards that says FASTPASS. These cards contain a small RFID-chip inside that contains some information based on what information was provided. Among that info will be reserved FASTPASS times on the 4 attractions selected from the list above. Guests are to be sent an email at a requested address with their final itinerary.

Here’s what the email guests are receiving looks like

Guests then take their cards to the Magic Kingdom and are invited to put them to good use. When you head over to a corresponding attraction at the proper time, you will be scanning your card at a temporary pole with a Mickey icon on it or at a PDA device also sporting the same Mickey icon (Town Square Theater is using this system and not the poles). When the card is scanned, the icon should turn green to enter. If you get a blue icon, you have done something wrong.

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One of the readers installed at The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

At every location they have an iPad or a PDA that will tell them if you are too early, too late, or on-time when you swipe your card at the reader. Should you be wrong or need to check your schedule, they will refer you to one of 5 locations where you can currently do this. The 5 locations set-up to help guests throughout the park are City Hall, and kiosks near Jungle Cruise, Stitch’s Great Escape, Splash Mountain, and Mickey’s Philharmagic.

Another interesting factoid is that cast members will see all kinds of information about you when you scan your card at the reader. They can see your name and even if you are celebrating anything. You’ll recall rumors we’ve discussed of Disney using the same RFID technology in attractions to make them actually acknowledge your name or what you are celebrating that day. Yes, the future has arrived, but only for a short time. The test is scheduled to end May 15th.

Finish Your Holiday Shopping With Unique Merchandise Deals at Disney Parks

WDWNT on December 15, 2012

By Steven Miller from Disney Parks Blog:

“Disney

With Christmas right around the corner, I’m almost finished with my holiday shopping. The only things I have left to find are small items for stockings. During my recent travels around Walt Disney World Resort, I found several deals and unique gift items that may help you complete your holiday shopping.

“Disney
Get Two MousekeEars for $20.00
I first shared news about MousekeEars – the miniature Disney ear hats that you can collect, wear and share – back in August. You can now get two MousekeEars for $20.00 (plus tax) at selection locations in Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts. The mini-hats are normally priced at $12.95 each.

“Disney
Two Scarves for $35.00
There are a variety of colorful and decorative scarves available at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts. You can get two scarves for $35.00 (plus tax); the offer only applies to scarves ticketed at $21.95.

Buy Two Antenna Toppers for $8.00
I recently gave a look at my new favorite antenna topper, the Orange Bird, when my fellow Disney Parks Blogauthor Jenn Fickley-Baker visited me at Disney Theme Park Merchandise headquarters. You can get two antenna toppers for $8.00 (plus tax) at select Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort locations.

Three Disney Racers for $15.00
When I was younger, I recall receiving die-cast cars in my holiday stocking. For fans of Disney Racers, you can get three Disney Racers for $15.00 (plus tax). This offer applies only to single Disney Racers ticketed at $5.95 each.

“Disney
In addition to the special deals, I found some items that would fit nicely in a stocking. I liked the luggage tags that look like Disney characters because I travel often and need a way to speed up that baggage claim experience. The Disney•Pixar “Cars”-themed chocolate squares would be a hit with me mostly because I love chocolate! The colorful Mickey Mouse acrylic bracelets could easily add a splash of color to the top of a wrapped present. Finally, I thought the round bottle opener with Mickey Mouse’s face was a unique kitchen item.

Please note – special promotional deals valid only while supplies last and are subject to change without notice.