A World of Ways to Ring in 2011

WDWNT on December 24, 2010

A visit to Walt Disney World is always the best way to ring in the New Year, and this year it is certainly no different. The parks are pulling out all the stops as far as live entertainment, so even if you’re stuck in a giant crowd of people, you can fill your day with something other than long attraction wait times. Here’s the line-up:

Magic Kingdom

  • “Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It!” Street Party at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. & 5:15 p.m.
  • “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” at 12 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.
  • “Main Street Electrical Parade” at 7 p.m. & 10:30 p.m.
  • “Holiday Wishes” fireworks at 8:30 p.m.
  • “Fantasy in the Sky” fireworks at 11:50 p.m.
  • Park Hours: 8 a.m.-2 a.m.

While not listed by Disney, don’t miss the Celebrate the Season castle stage show, and the Club 626 Dance Party & Totally Tomorrowland Christmas in Tomorrowland.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

  • “Block Party Bash” parade at 3 p.m.
  • “Fantasmic!” nighttime extravaganza at 6:30 p.m., 8 p.m. & 10 p.m.
  • Live performances by in-park band “Mulch, Sweat and Shears” at Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat at 8, 9, 10 and 11 p.m.
  • “Lights, Camera, Happy New Year” fireworks starring “Mulch, Sweat and Shears” at 11:55 p.m.
  • Park hours: 8 a.m.-12 a.m.

Epcot

  • Special version of “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” at 7:30 & 11:40 p.m.
  • Park hours: 8 a.m.-1 a.m.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

  • “Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade” at 3:45 p.m.
  • Park Hours: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon

  • Electrical Water Pageant at 10:25 p.m.

At Downtown Disney and Disney’s BoardWalk

Cirque du Soleil at Downtown Disney

  • 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. performances of La Nouba
  • Special New Year’s Eve champagne toasts
  • Guests will receive a limited-edition La Nouba pin created for the New Year’s Eve event
  • More info: 407/939-7328 or cirquedusoleil.com/lanouba

DisneyQuest at Downtown Disney

  • Ring in the New Year at DisneyQuest with favorite cyber attractions and games, a DJ Dance Party with a New Year’s Eve countdown, party favors and a coupon for a personal pizza and soda at FoodQuest
  • Party Hours: 8 p.m.-1 a.m.
  • $39 per person, advance/$45 per person, day of
  • More info: 407/934-7639 or disneyworld.com/disneyquestparty. Tickets may be purchased online or at the DisneyQuest Box Office.

Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney’s BoardWalk

  • Dance into the New Year at Atlantic Dance Hall at Disney’s BoardWalk
  • Party Hours: 8 p.m.-2 a.m., ages 21+
  • $35 for access to the main floor of the Dance Hall, party favors and a champagne toast at midnight
  • $75 for a VIP ticket that adds a private upstairs area with seating; limited viewing for Epcot fireworks with guaranteed seating and coffee, tea or hot chocolate with dessert bar and a premium bar
  • More info: 407/WDW-DINE

There are also some very special dining opportunities available for New Year’s Eve:

La Hacienda de San Angel at Epcot

  • La Hacienda de San Angel is offering a special six-course prix-fixe menu and live music starting at 9 p.m.
  • $199 per person, or $225 with wine and spirits (plus tax and gratuity), $49.95 ages 3 to 9
  • Epcot admission required
  • More info: 407/842-1107 or e-mail lahaciendadesanangel@me.com

Bistro de Paris at Epcot

  • Bistro de Paris is offering a special prix-fixe New Year’s Eve menu
  • $150 per person, $225 with wine pairings with each course
  • Epcot admission required

California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort:

  • California Grill will host a New Year’s Eve party featuring food stations, an open bar, a casino-style game room, DJ, dancing, Disney characters, live entertainment and a great viewing location for the Magic Kingdom fireworks
  • $525 per person, all inclusive
  • More info: 407/WDW-DINE

DisneyQuest Rings in 2011 with a New Hard Ticket Event

WDWNT on December 19, 2010

Disney World has announced a new, hard-ticket New Year’s Event event taking place in addition to the usual festivities at the Magic Kingdom, Epcot, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

New Year’s Eve Special Event

Come to Downtown Disney for a cyber celebration of New Year’s Eve at DisneyQuest Indoor Interactive theme park. Ring in the New Year with favorite games like Virtual Jungle Cruise, Buzz Lightyear’s Astroblasters and CyberSpace Mountain.

The party starts at 8:00 p.m. and goes until 1:00 a.m. Your night includes access to all DisneyQuest attractions and video games, a DJ Dance Party with a New Year’s Eve countdown, party favors and a coupon for a personal pizza and soda at FoodQuest.

Tickets for this family event are available for purchase online or by calling 407-WDISNEY (407-934-7639). Advance purchase tickets are $39 per person (includes tax). Day of the event tickets are $45 (includes tax). Tickets may also be purchased at the DisneyQuest Box Office.

This is an interesting alternative to the larger celebrations at the other parks and actually isn’t a bad value. If you consider that pizza and a soft drink would probably cost somewhere between $8-10, the ticket price for the DisneyQuest attractions is actually between $29-31. For those who have already experienced New Year’s Eve in the parks or are looking to escape the crowds, this may be a good idea.

Imagination Pavilion Lights the Night Sky Again

WDWNT on December 18, 2010

Long time visitors to Epcot may remember that the large glass pyramids of the Imagination Pavilion used to change between a variety of colors. In more recent years when major changes were made to the pavilion, the nighttime lighting was changed to an orange glow. Just this week, the original color changing lights were brought back:

Imagineers stated at the opening of Captain EO in July that it was the start of much bigger things for the Imagination Pavilion. Maybe this is just another step toward something else…

More Art From Disney’s Art of Animation Resort

WDWNT on December 16, 2010

More information on Disney’s Art of Animation Resort released today by the Disney Parks Blog:

If our first peek at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort left you wanting more – take a look at what we’re sharing today. Our newest artist renderings give a better idea of the themes you’ll be able to see when the resort opens in 2012.

Artist Rendering of 'The Lion King' Area at Disney's Art of Animation Resort

Recognize those characters from The Lion King? The three other themed areas at the resort will be Cars, Finding Nemo and The Little Mermaid.

Artist Rendering of the 'Cars' Area at Disney's Art of Animation Resort

Artist Rendering of 'The Little Mermaid' Area at Disney's Art of Animation Resort

Artist Rendering of the 'Finding Nemo' Area at Disney's Art of Animation Resort

Expect to see some amazing sights inside the resort as well. It’ll have themed room interiors in the nearly 2,000 new units — 1,120 family suites in The Lion King, Cars and Finding Nemo wings and 864 themed rooms in The Little Mermaid wings. And once open in 2012, the resort will create 750 permanent jobs.

Booking dates haven’t been announced yet but check back here for updates and more images in the future.

Disney Confirms Toontown Fair Closing February 11, 2011

WDWNT on December 10, 2010

An important Fantasyland expansion update from the Disney Parks Blog:

As many of you know, we’re in the midst of the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history, which will nearly double the size of Fantasyland. In order to make way for this transformation, it’s important to let you know Mickey’s Toontown Fair will close in early February.

Mickey's Toontown Fair

That doesn’t mean we’ve forgotten about some of your favorite characters. Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and the Disney princesses will move to Town Square in the location currently known as Town Square Exposition Hall in spring 2011. Until that location is ready, they will continue to greet guests throughout Magic Kingdom. Meanwhile, Tinker Bell will relocate to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and her other fairy friends will appear later in the spring at Epcot. The Walt Disney World Railroad will stay open, but the Toontown station will remain closed during construction.

We hope you will pardon our dust as work progresses and if you’d like to experience Mickey’s Toontown Fair, you’ll have until Feb. 11 to make those plans. Remember, there are still many other entertainment experiences throughout Magic Kingdom to delight everyone in the family.

Fantasyland construction will be completed in phases with most new experiences open by 2013. This expansion is particularly exciting because it will enable us to share treasured stories with you in a whole new way. We’ll share more with you here as our work progresses.

Video from the 2010 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade Filming

WDWNT on December 8, 2010

WDWNT Reporter Banks Lee attended all of the filming for the 2010 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade over the weekend at the Walt Disney World Resort and has videos from the festivities to share. All of these videos are embedded via our WDWNTube video site:

Don’t forget to watch the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade on ABC on December 25th. Viewers can check local broadcast times online at DisneyChristmasDayParade.com and find out more information about the parade telecast.

2011 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival Celebrate Pixar and Pooh

WDWNT on December 8, 2010

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The heroes of “Toy Story 3” have left the toy box. Woody and Buzz Lightyear meet arch-enemy Lotso the teddy bear on the Future World playground for the 18th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 2 through May 15, 2011, at Walt Disney World Resort.

The popular Disney•Pixar characters hit the sandbox as seven- and eight-foot-tall topiaries at the Epcot front entrance flower bed featuring a sand castle, strawberry-scented field and playground toys. Created by Disney gardeners and topiary experts with bold strokes of seasonal color, the topiary display marks the first time “Toy Story” characters have been showcased at the festival which, along with more than 100 topiaries, features seminars and gardening demonstrations, gardens bursting with millions of blooms, “flower power” music and more.

The “Toy Story” display marks the first time in seven years that the front-entrance floral spectacle showcases all-new topiary characters, says festival horticulture manager Eric Darden.

“It created unique challenges,” Darden says, “and it’s meticulous work. Woody is skinny, and it was a challenge to create his legs. The detail on Buzz is pretty daunting.” And the buzz on the pink-floral Lotso (a.k.a. Lots-o’-Huggin’ Bear) is that he will smell like strawberries, just like his big-screen character, when guests stroll by.

Among the expertly crafted topiaries, another show-stopper will be the brand-new “Cars 2” display at the World Showcase plaza, Darden says. Large floral topiaries of “Cars” characters Mater and Lightning McQueen will park their colorful chassis beneath a black-and-white checkered arch. To complete the scene, gardeners will create floral flags representing Japan, France, Italy and the United Kingdom – destinations of the car characters in the sequel due in theaters June 24.

And Winnie the Pooh, Tigger and pals appear in topiary splendor among a Hundred Acre Wood wildflower display between Future World and World Showcase. They’re just in time to spread the happy news about the “Winnie the Pooh Movie” debuting summer 2011.

New in the Park!

An expanded Bambi’s Butterfly House, a new Healthy Living Garden, special gardener appearances on a new Festival Center stage and first-time Flower Power performers add fresh twists to the 18th annual festival:

· A roomier-than-ever Bambi’s Butterfly House grows three-fold this year in its new location along Imagination Walkway by Innoventions West in Future World. It’s the first time the popular garden has expanded since its 2005 debut, and guests will see more butterflies than ever, Darden says.

· The Healthy Living Garden invites park guests to join in fun activities designed for improving their health and well being. Areas of the garden, presented by Syngenta, focus on healthful eating, fitness, relaxation and meditation. An adjacent children’s play area keeps it all in the family.

· A new Festival Center stage brings nationally recognized garden personalities to the festival twice daily.

· Rapunzel lets down her hair at Rapunzel’s Tower in the Tangled Magical Garden inspired by Walt Disney Pictures’ animated film, “Tangled,” located between the Germany and Italy pavilions.

· Flower Power grows with new-to-the-festival pop acts. Melissa Manchester, March 25-27 (Don’t Cry Out Loud), Marilyn McCoo & Billy Davis Jr., April 8-10 (You Don’t Have to Be a Star) and Juice Newton April 15-17 (Playing with the Queen of Hearts) are set to light up America Gardens Theatre with their timeless tunes.

· A new Festival Special Weekend is slated for May when Disney/Pixar presents a Pixar Animation Studios celebration in conjunction with the upcoming “Cars 2” big-screen debut set for June 24.

Throughout the festival, elaborate floral beds and entertaining exhibits will decorate the park landscape and showcase the extraordinary talents of Disney gardeners. A blooming Guerlain Fragrance Garden at the France pavilion returns with its never-ending “love story” of the relationship between plants and perfume. At the Japan showcase, the art of bonsai will mesmerize guests who stop at the pavilion’s vermilion torii gate.

Don’t miss:

· Flower Power concerts – Popular bands will rock the open-air America Gardens Theatre every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. Jose Feliciano is scheduled to kick off the concert series March 4-6. The Flower Power lineup also will feature pop favorites such as Davy Jones, Chubby Checker & The Wildcats, and Paul Revere & the Raiders.

· The Festival Center– Guests can shop for festival merchandise, attend demonstrations and get ideas and tips from master gardeners. Includes Disney Gardening at Home and other presentations.

· Pixie Hollow Fairy Garden –Fabulous Disney fairies alight to greet young fans who enter this whimsical garden designed with play structures for children ages 2-5.

· Disney Gardening at Home presentations – Disney horticulturists will share gardening tips and lead guests in a hands-on, take-home activity.

· Special Festival Weekend Celebrations – An Art in the Garden celebration of plein air artists is scheduled March 25-27; the popular I Dig Bugs event is set for April 15-17; and a Fresh from Florida Farmer’s Market salute is slated for April 29-May 1. A date will be announced for the May Disney/Pixar weekend celebration.