Walt Disney World Resort – Page 363

New Year’s Eve 2009 Line-Up

WDWNT on December 29, 2008

Here is the current line-up for New Year’s Eve entertainment at the Walt Disney World Resort:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — A kaleidoscope of colors and elaborate light displays will decorate the skies on the final night of 2008 at Walt Disney World Resort.

Dazzling fireworks showers, live entertainment and extended park hours throughout the Vacation Kingdom on Dec. 31 make it a popular spot to ring in the new year.

At Epcot, a special version of “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” the laser-light spectacular featuring dancing flames and cascading fountains orchestrated to an original musical score, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. and 11:40 p.m. The park’s Dec. 31 operating hours are 8 a.m. to 1 a.m.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will host “Fantasmic!,” the lavish spectacular of water animation, lasers and fireworks, at 6:30 p.m. and 8 and 10 p.m. Revelers can “rock on” with live performances by in-park band “Mulch, Sweat and Shears,” plus a DJ spinning tunes at Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat. A special “Lights, Camera, Happy New Year” fireworks show brings in the new year at 11:50 p.m. The park is open from 8 a.m. until midnight on Dec. 31.

Late-nighters can party at Magic Kingdom until the wee hours with parades and fireworks galore. The park is aglow with “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” at 12 noon and 3:30 p.m., followed by the wondrous “SpectroMagic” parade at 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. “Holiday Wishes” fireworks, the boldest and brightest pyrotechnics show at Disney, takes place at 8:30 p.m. capped with the grand finale “Fantasy in the Sky” fireworks at 11:50 p.m. On Dec. 31, the park is open from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 31. Guests can enjoy one of the final presentations of the romping character cavalcade “Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade” at 3:45 p.m.

Matt Paul’s 12/27 Mini-Report

WDWNT on December 28, 2008

Matt Paul was at Epcot yesterday for a very special reason and captured a few shots to share with us all along the way:

The large sign outside the Epcot 25th exhibit is now gone, but the timeline remains

Disney Design-a-Tee Shop Photo Report

WDWNT on December 27, 2008

Robert Ashburn of Figment’s Media.Net and FTN has provided us with some photos of the updated Wonderful World of Memories store in the Downtown Disney Marketplace, including the new Disney Design-a-Tee shop:

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The exterior has been updated with signs for the “Build Your Own Ear Hat” feature

The Other Parade From Yesterday

WDWNT on December 26, 2008

It seems that the WDWNT Christmas Podcast Parade was not the only parade taking place yesterday :), there was of course the 25th annual Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade on ABC. Disey has put a number of clips from the parade and the holiday season on Youtube, so I thought I would share them with you:

You can also download this version of “Celebrate You” HERE

Robert Ashburn’s 12/21 Magic Kingdom Update

WDWNT on December 23, 2008

Robert Ashburn of Figment’s Media.Net and FTN has provided us with some his trip to the Magic Kingdom on Sunday. Let’s take a look at some newsworthy items using this new gallery option:

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Space in Tomorrowland being prepared for Stitch’s Supersonic Dance Celebration that will debut in the Spring

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The old Skyway building is also getting some much needed TLC during this time

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Haven’t seen these signs in a while, I guess this still is 1994 Tomorrowland

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Sign directing guests to the restrooms around the walls during this refurbishment

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The entire building is not under tarps

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A closer look

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Resort-wide sales continue through the holiday season

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The refurbishment of the second half of Tinker Bell’s Treasures reveals a new shop, Castle Couture

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Some great new decor can be found in the new shop

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Aurora’s dress changes colors as Fauna and Merryweather fight over red and blue

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This seems to be an extension of the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, selling the princess outfits that parents can purchase

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There is a section for each princess

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The work on the upper level of Pinnochio’s Village Haus is complete and it looks great

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Work on the lower section continues

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The exterior of the Hall of Presidents is now being refurbished in preparation for the July 2009 re-opening

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The self-service kiosks at Pecos Bill’s have been moved to the center, surprising when the entire restaurant closes for refurbishment in January

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It seems people are still afraid to use them

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We’ll end this report with a nighttime picture of the new food vendor replacing the Frontierland Fry Wagon

Brian Martsolf’s December 2008 WDW Update

WDWNT on December 21, 2008

Our good friend Brian Martsolf (of Big Brian’s Disney Page) has provided us with some photos taken during Mousefest 2008, so lets take a look:

The Viking play ship outside the Norway pavilion at Epcot is now completely gone

This is about the only remnant

Chris Lastrapes 12/19/08 WDW Update

WDWNT on December 19, 2008

Chris Lastrapes from Disneyland News Today is now visiting the Walt Disney World Resort and has provided us with some photos from his trip, so let’s take a look:

Tickets were available for the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on that evening, but are sold out for tonight’s final party.

The Magic Kingdom in it’s Holiday finest

The Magic Kingdom tree, which has actually only been in place for a few days now

The mystery food vendor that is replacing the old Frontierland Fry Cart continues to rise over the walls

25 Years of Parades on the 25th

WDWNT on December 18, 2008

Walt Disney World is celebrating 25 years of the Christmas Day Parade this year and has released a small article about the milestone and this year’s edition:

In a way, you could say that it really all started back in 1950, when Walt Disney was welcomed into homes around the country on Christmas Day, appearing in his first-ever TV show. Or you could say it started in 1971, when Walt Disney World Resort opened its doors–and began a tradition of holiday season revelry. One way or another, Disney has been making the yuletide bright for a very long time!

But this year marks a special anniversary, as the Walt Disney World Christmas Parade celebrates 25 years of telecasts. For a quarter-century, watching the Parade on Christmas Day has brought a slice of Disney magic – and Florida sunshine! – to millions of families. We thought it would be fun to look back at some Parade highlights over the years, and see what special events we can look forward to this year as ABC-TV brings us all the festivities on Christmas morning.

Although the earliest telecasts were focused on events at Walt Disney World, today audiences get a peek at events at Disneyland Resort and beyond. We’ll also see a special segment courtesy of Adventures by Disney that gives us a look at Christmas in Italy, hosted by Joey Fatone.

The first official Walt Disney World Christmas Parade took place at the Magic Kingdom Park and included floats celebrating “Jungle Book” Characters, “Herbie the Love Bug,” “Dumbo,” “Pinocchio,” “101 Dalmatians,” and “Alice in Wonderland.” The Toy Soldiers that delight Guests each year have also been a part of the Parade from the very beginning – the tradition started at a Disneyland holiday parade way back in 1955, and they’ve been part of the Christmas Parade every year.

Through the years, Guests and viewers have been treated to some spectacular moments – in 1994, Olympian Nancy Kerrigan ice-skated during the event; a number of Presidents of the United States have offered holiday greetings on the telecast; and stars from Mariah Carey to Andrea Bocelli to Julie Andrews have performed. 2008 might just be the most star-studded year ever, with performers including Miley Cyrus, the Jonas Brothers, Sarah Brightman, Jose Feliciano, American Idol’s David Cook, and Vanessa Williams. This year, Corbin Bleu will be debuting a brand-new song on the telecast. And, of course, Santa is one Parade performer we can always count on making an appearance – after that snowy trip around the world on Christmas Eve, we’re sure he welcomes a dose of Florida sunshine!

Regis Philbin will be cohosting with Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest once again in 2008. Regis is practically a Parade tradition, having been involved for 18 years, starting as a “man on the street” commentator. Other hosts over the decades have included, Joan Lunden, Alan Thicke, Suzanne Somers, Tom Bergeron, and Jerry Van Dyke.

The Parade has grown and changed through the years, and it’s a bigger, brighter, more spectacular show than ever. The floats change, new performers make their debuts, and Guests and television viewers alike can be sure of new surprises every year. But some things about the Walt Disney World Christmas Parade, we hope, will never change – the magic, the joy, and the warm holiday spirit that makes Christmas morning extra-special for millions.

Back to the Future with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

WDWNT on December 17, 2008

Even though I typically save the “Back to the Future” name for our segment on the WDW News Today Podcast, I thought it was a fitting title for a post relating to an interesting item I found yesterday. While cleaning through some papers, I found some pamphlets from the 1993 edition of the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom I thought I should share with everyone:

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