Tim Alcoser’s 12/8/12 DLR Holiday Photo Report
Tim went to the Disneyland resort and captured some holiday magic!
Special Holiday kiosks have been installed near Earl of Sandwich and ESPN zone.
Splitsville Rolls Into Downtown Disney’s West Side This Fall
Each year, 55 million people try their hand a bowling around the world. Everyone finds a bit of joy in the experience from the avid league bowler to the weekend warrior. But the age-old image of bowling is about to change with the new opening of Splitsville, America’s Bowling Alley, at Downtown Disney this Fall.
”We’re really excited to be opening our doors in such a special place,” said Guy Revelle, co-founder of Splitsville. “Bowling is a perfect experience for groups of all sizes. It’s where families come together to create memories, children can teach adults, and friendly rivalries are born. Guests laugh, shout, cheer and bring back the timeless high-five. And that’s just in the first frame!”
If you think that this is your father’s bowling alley, think again. Splitsville’s 50,000-square foot, two-story Downtown Disney location will have 30 lanes, two kitchens, a dramatic balcony, ample outdoor seating, billiard tables and live entertainment.
”In a world of smart phones, tablets, texting and social media, people need an outlet to connect again,” said Mark Gibson, co-founder of Splitsville. “We believe that a concept centered around the classic sport of bowling, but with an improved atmosphere, upscale food and pleasant service, results in a surprising destination for people to have fun together.”
Located in the heart of Downtown Disney’s West Side, Splitsville puts a whole new spin on bowling with its emphasis on unique design. Guests will be greeted with upscale sushi bars, plush booths and dynamic decor overlooking the bowling lanes. The design blends both hip and retro elements, resulting in an energetic yet comfortable atmosphere.
”One of Splitsville’s differentiating features is its innovative interior design,” said Gibson. “The lanes are separated into several clusters, which create unique lines of sight and allow guests to view bowling from a perspective that you can’t find anywhere else. It makes for a one-of-a-kind entertainment experience.”
”Splitsville is clearly going to be a great place to bowl,” said Keith Bradford, vice president of Downtown Disney. “But I think our guests are going to be surprised that they can also go there for great food and to watch sports. That’s what makes Splitsville a perfect fit and such a great addition for Downtown Disney.”
Splitsville has taken great care to develop an exceptional menu that combines traditional and upscale offerings. With the help of award-winning chef Tim Cushman, Guests will find surprising elements such as fresh rolled sushi, grilled mahi-mahi with “Voodoo” shrimp and hand-cut steaks alongside alley-classics like cheeseburgers, crinkle-cut fries and pepperoni pizza.
“We have created a collection of sharable foods combined with unique beverages and signature desserts,” said Revelle. “Splitsville truly has something for everyone. We invite you to Roll in and Rock out!”
Our first look at the backside of the Splitsville building
The following video shows an existing Splitsville location in Tampa, FL, so you can get a feel for what the interior might be like. There are also a few soundbites from Guy Revelle, Co-Founder of Splitsville:
Adam Roth’s 6/30/12 Animal Kingdom Photo Report
This photo report is a little late as we have been preparing for our fifth anniversary festivities here at WDW News Today, but better late than never. WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited Animal Kingdom on June 30th to catch one of the last Sundowner Celebrations held at the park. The celebration only lasted a month but was a unique offering, almost like the food and wine festival at Epcot. Let’s take a look:
A truck is used as an information board at the front of the park
Things going on in 3 lands
It is Animal Kingdom after all…
Wow… not very crowded…
Some fairly new Animal Kingdom merchandise available
Cool ear hat
Carnotaurus knit cap
Russel and Dug from UP meeting in the old “It’s Tough to be a Bug” FASTPASS area
Work continues on some of the side paths near the Tree of Life after the branch falling of a few weeks back
You can still get plenty of good photos of this…
On to Camp Minnie-Mickey
The dragon waterfall is still there
Hey, Meeko is out and doesn’t have a line!
It’s pretty empty
Word is the greeting trails are going away and these characters are moving to the former Beastly Bazaar in a few weeks
It wouldn’t be a trip to Animal Kingdom if we didn’t stop at Pizzafari to visit the greatest mural ever…
Psycho lion and incredibly nervous Zebra!
On to Harambe
Temporary signs inform guests of the festivities
There’s a wine walk
Beer
There are also some cultural demonstrations
The Henna booth was about the only one that wasn’t free
All kinds of special treats available
Fruit salads available as well
Let’s take a walk to Asia
You can learn how to play this instrument
The carts leading to Asia had special menus for the event
You can learn how to make summer rolls
Ta-da!
You can take home a recipe card
The boneless chicken wings are back!
I guess you can just call this place Anandapur Wild Wings! GET IT?
Huh?
I think I’m gonna be sick…
Live music
What is your Asian language?
Plenty of specialty drinks
Learn how to make fried rice!
They had dancers teaching dance moves to guests as Bollywood style music played in the area
I love the DJ’s decorated computer
Dragon Hollow? Now you’re just rubbing it in…
The water play area in Asia is being refurbished
Another Henna booth
Adam got a drink and decided to hang out in a secluded spot
Let’s see what’s going on at Kilimanjaro Safaris
Wilson is still featured in the queue even though his narration and story is gone from the ride
“WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE”
JUMPING GAZELLES!
Oh, it’s poachers…
It was…
Hiding, Hiding Hippos
“NOM-NOM-NOM”
Holy giraffes!
Here’s the moment you’ve all been waiting for: the backside of giraffe!
No, the bridge doesn’t collapse right now
Hidden Mickey
Awwww, sleepy cheetahs…
That turtle was moving so fast Adam couldn’t get a picture of him
Blurry, but some work was being done on the bridge
Work on the new finale scenes is visible
This is where Little Red once stood, but soon it will be a home to Zebras
A natural barrier being dug-out
Back to Harambe
The dance party is in full swing
Unlike the hated dance parties at the Magic Kingdom, this band performs music from their culture and teaches you their dances, a much better fit for a Disney park
Here’s a video of the dance party:
There is podium where guests can find out more about Wild Africa Trek
Some people seem to believe this will be the new entrance to Festival of the Lion King once it is forced to move out of Camp Minnie-Mickey
Popcone?
It’s the Enchantment in the Jungle Dance!
Gotta love intricate details…
Let’s take a look at the Tree of Life trails
You can still get some great photos of the Tree of Life
Some work continues
The exit of It’s Tough to be a Bug
Over at Expedition Everest, they have been chopping down some of the bamboo
Beautiful
Still no bird…
Still no movement… and no, there are not two of them…
New Everest shirts
More chopped bamboo
This old map of Dinoland U.S.A. is still up. It still includes Dinosaur Jubilee… look it up kids…
No, you won’t…
It’s time to leave
Not sure if Disney did anything, but the water isn’t bright green anymore!
The Rainforest Cafe sign is missing!
Urban Barricades Photoshoot
The Urban Barricades had some fun directing traffic around Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Epcot and the Magic Kingdom.
Traffic at the Indy Speedway can get dangerous, but the proper traffic controls make all the difference.
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Protecting the workers at Hollywood Studios
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No job is too small for the Barricades.
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Standing guard on the Streets of the Americas.
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The Barricades remind guests to watch their step when entering the subway.
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Do Not Cross, or face the Barricade’s wrath.
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Keeping the peace
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The Monorails sneaked past the Barricades.
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Barricades at Test Track
Adam Roth’s 7/6/12 Epcot Photo Report
WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited Epcot on Friday and has some great photos to share with us from his trip:
Phineas and Ferb topiary went up as part of the “Summer to Remember”
I had no idea there was a summer promotion… I imagine guests had no idea either…
Large patches of grass back after Flower and Garden clean-up
The Test Track pizza truck and many props from the area are gone, but the tool sheds remain
Test Track is still closed of course
The signage from Inside Track is gone
A pretty bare exterior right now
I love the people checking out the car while Test Track All-Stars are performing…
Looks liek they are surveying guests about their experience with the new World Showcase Adventure
It’s themed too
The old Kim Possible carts are unrecognizable with the Perry the Platypus layover
Brave Highland Games was in its final days at this point, it closed on Sunday
The Flower and Garden play area looked really out of place…
Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure does use a lot of existing game scenes from the old attraction
Don’t be scared, this is actually the olympic mascot
London 2012 olympics merchandise available in the U.K. pavilion
More props that stuck around
Still spells Kim Possible
A new logo on the phone drop locations
I’m sorry, but this attraction is already funnier and all I have seen is this sign…
The new zip-line for Agent P over the U.K.
That’s neat…
The bakery in France is being expanded due to high guest demand
So, they kept the strange baby robot in Japan?
I hope it fits well into the storyline
Have they always offered American Stripes ice cream with the funnel cake?
This seems new…
FLAG FESTIVAL!
FLAGS!
So, there’s something over here people are upset about?
Oh yeah… apparently the American Adventure cast members are getting new costumes that are a bit more modern
A cool new addition for the game
Work continues on the exterior of Maelstrom
The Organization With A Cool Acronym
The water feature outside of La Hacienda is being reapired
For what i recall as the last 8 years or so, the cultural exhibit in Mexico has been Animales Fantasticos. Finally, a new exhibit has opened!
Some displays aren’t quite finished
Some of the animals stayed as part of the new exhibit
They aren’t selling them up here anymore
The parrot people dancing is freaking me out…
OK, that freaks me out even more…
Same props in here
This freaks me out the most…
Work continues on the exterior of the Seas with Nemo and Friends and the new entrance for Turtle Talk
Innoventions is a mess right now…
Innoventions West is practically empty
The old Kim Possible stations are still walled-up
On the East side, Habit heroes is still covered
At least something new just opened to keep it going
A neat little play area for kids was added to the exterior
Lave a Legacy getting some TLC
Soarin’ is now on the cover of the map,but this time it has a logo. I guess people thought it was Test Track or something…
Goodbye Epcot!
More Epcot 30th Anniversary Merchandise Revealed!
From Steven Miller on the Disney Parks Blog:
One celebration I’m looking forward to this fall is the 30th anniversary of Epcot, which takes place on October 1, 2012. A few months ago, I gave you a first look at artwork created by Disney Design Group for merchandise we will be releasing. While we haven’t finalized all items or release plans at this point, I’m happy to share another look at items that are coming soon. I caught up with product developer Mary Myers to learn more.
In recent years, Mary has developed theme park logo merchandise for Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Epcot. She recently kicked off the 30th anniversary a little early by releasing new items under the “Epcot 82” banner. I found the shirts shown above at Mouse Gear in Future World.
This fall, Mary will introduce four new shirts and a mesh baseball cap. The artwork was created using the style guide originally made for pins. I love the shirt in the lead image as it reminds me of the attraction poster and a shirt I once owned as a child. (The colors in this shirt are amazing.)
Speaking of pins, we recently received several final samples, including the Passholder-exclusive limited edition and open edition pins. I like the stained glass effect of the “I Was There” pin that has Mickey Mouse and Figment sporting their 1980s outer space attire. That stained glass effect looks even better on the super jumbo-sized pin.
One item I’m adding to my collection is the “toothpick holder” set that has logos from some of my favorite Future World pavilions, including Horizons (yes!!).
Stay tuned for additional details about the release of these items as we get closer to October 1.
An Aerial View of New Fantasyland Construction – July 2012
Scott Keating was once again nice enough to provide some aerial shots of the current New Fantasyland construction site after a few month absence, so let’s see all that has changed:
As you can see, everything but the Mine Train is nearing completion
If there was any doubts that the Skyway Station was going to become a Tangled meet-and-greet, the appearance of a tower frame has just about confirmed it…
The framework for Mine Train looks to be just about complete
The castle walls are taking shape
Just the three tent-like structures left to go in Storybook Circus, we expect these to open in the Fall/Winter
A look at Mine Train
As you can see, the beauty and the Beast realm is almost complete as paths and trees are already installed and all scaffolding is down. Trees are up in the Mermaid queue as well.
A closer look at the tents that will be Big Top Souvenirs, Pete’s Silly Sideshow, and a Humphrey the Bear-themed counter-service location
The concept art we say in 2009 is finally coming to life… Stay tuned…
Port Orleans Riverside Glistens with New Beauty After Remodel
The lobby at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside reopened this summer following a two-month renovation. The fresh new look includes new tile, colorful rugs, decorative period lighting and new furniture. This 2,048-room resort depicts the lifestyle of the great Old South with wandering paths, picturesque waterways and the sounds of Cajun music, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside includes mansion-style accommodations and rustic retreats. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
Two colorful new rugs decorate the lobby at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside. The design is part of a recent lobby renovation that included a new check-in, new tile, furniture and decorative fixtures evocative of the period. The new design scheme showcases the essence of the South. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
Disney’s Port Orleans Resort Riverside showcases new lighting fixtures, reflecting the romance of the South, as part of its recent lobby renovation. The moderate resort has a fresh new look in its expansive lobby. (Kent Phillips, photographer)
First Look at Magic Kingdom Map Including New Fantasyland and Cast Member Costumes
So, we have a bit of a New Fantasyland exclusive for you today…
Here’s our very first look at what the Magic Kingdom map will look like in a few weeks when the next phases of the expansion open. Notice that the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train will be on the map despite not opening until 2014. Not earth-shattering news, but still kind of cool. Now let’s look at the cast member costumes that will populate the land:
Storybook Circus merchandise (Big Top Souvenirs)
Daytime busser and server at Be Our Guest Restaurant
Daytime and evening greeter at Be Our Guest Restaurant
Food and beverage (food carts and small vendors)
Fantasyland Forest merchandise (Bonjour Village Gifts and smaller locations)
Attractions (Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train)
Character Attendant (YES! No generic costume for this section of the park!)
While not our most exciting update on New Fantasyland, I’m glad to see thought going into cast costuming as many usually complain that they have gotten more generic over the years. These costumes will fit nicely into the land and I can’t wait to see them in-person! What do you think?
Tom Corless’ 7/25-26/12 WDW Photo Report
I don’t often get to contribute with a photo report, but I took a short two day trip to Walt Disney World stopping at Epcot and the Magic Kingdom so I took some photos. Let’s take a look at a rare Tom Corless photo report:
Work continues on the separate entrance to Turtle Talk
One of the exhibits in the Turtle Talk pre-show is being fixed up
Some work happening between the Refreshment Port and the Canada pavilion in World Showcase
On to the Magic Kingdom, work continues on the former Skyway site, expected to soon be home to restrooms, a new pathway, and the Tangled meet and greet
The castle walls are coming along nicely
This section looks nearly complete
A beautiful lighting fixture has been installed in the passageway
If you were worried about being able to see the corner of the show building for Enchanted Tales with Belle, don’t be, they have covered it with rock-work
More castle wall work
The work to remove a planter in back of the Carousel is complete
The walls have expanded and scaffolding has gone up on the former Snow White’s Scary Adventures, soon to be Princess Fairytale Hall in late-2013
Despite 101-degree temperatures, construction workers are out and about
Work continues on the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train
Be Our Guest Restaurant off in the distance
More Mine Train
Heading into Storybook Circus, you get plenty of notice that Dumbo FASTPASS is available near Philharmagic
With a little paint, the facade for Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid will be complete
The backstage entrance is pretty much done
Big Top Souvenirs
I decided to check out the Dumbo queue
Pictures don’t do it justice, it’s really nice inside
Pull the string and it sets off LED fireworks!
This lights up above the box
Your “ticket”
Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak was awesome!
I took these photos early on Wednesday, but on Tuesday afternoon there was at least 100 guests playing in here
Even the little merchandise cart is intricately themed
These work walls have been here since Storybook Circus opened
I don’t think it is anything of substance as it is simply on the back of the storage shed for the Barnstormer trains