Disney Vault 28 Signing with Billy Martin
Opening Day T-Rex Restaurant Video
As promised, here is a short video from Jose Eber of the new T-Rex Restaurant, now open at the Downtown Disney Marketplace:
T-Rex Restaurant Now Open
WDWNT Photographer and Videographer Jose Eber made a special visit to the Downtown Disney Marketplace today to see the grand opening of the new T-Rex Restaurant. Here are some pictures of the new “prehistoric” eatery:
The interior is really well themed and has a shop inside much like the Rainforest Cafe’s.
The complex is littered with moving Dinosaurs, only slightly less impressive than the ones in 25 year old Universe of Energy.
As previously reported, the store portion contains a unique Build-a-Bear workshop called Build-a-Dino.
A well themed “underwater” portion of the restaurant.
This huge Octopus looms over the bar area.
A Woolly Mammoth stands in front of the very cool ice cavern area that changes colors.
This Woolly Mammoth is apparently young.
Some frozen fossils in the ice cavern.
“That’s not our Dino…”
“Welcome to Jurassic Dark”
I forget the name of these guys, is it Allosaurus?
Looks a lot like the Rainforest Cafe over in this section.
A family of Triceratops who don’t fly around in a circle or seat people.
“Where’s Nemo?”
A Stegosaurus.
From the looks of it, this place is pretty big.
Again, some leftovers from the Seas with Nemo and Friends.
If you enjoyed these pictures, be sure to stay tuned for a short video of the restaurant that we will have up later tonight. Again, a special thank you to Jose Eber for the photos.
“Countdown to Extinct… I Mean Opening”
The T-Rex Restaurant at the Downtown Disney Marketplace will be opening at 4pm today and our own Jose Eber will be there to cover the opening of the newest dining experience at the Walt Disney World Resort. Expect pictures and video of the “Prehistoric Family Adventure” later this evening.
An Innovative Look at Innoventions
A brand new website devoted to Innoventions at Epcot has opened to give guests an idea of what the mostly updated interactive expo has to offer. You can see this new website by going HERE. This opening of this site coincides with the recently updated Innoventions maps, which tell guests to visit the official website to continue their experiences from the many different exhibits. The website even features details on the new IBM exhibit coming later this year called the “Thinkplace”.
The most recent version of the Innoventions logo that first debuted in 2007
This is yet another piece of the huge revamp that Innoventions has been going through over the last few years (encompassing the additions of Stormstruck, Don’t Waste It!, Slapstick Studios, Kim Possible World Showcase Challenge kiosks and Kidcot locations). The entire project is almost complete, with only a few new exhibits left to be put in place on both the East and West sides. Expect more changes inside and out, as the entire exterior of the Innoventions buildings to be repainted to the new blue and green color scheme sometime in 2009. You may even see the East and West side renamed Innoventions Green and Blue at some point in the future. The entire project is scheduled for Spring 2010 completion. The project has garnered all of Epcot’s attention at the moment, and is the biggest reason why we haven’t seen anything new happening over at the Imagination! pavilion just yet. Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information on this project becomes available.
Your Vacation is Calling
Disney Parks will once again be offering a special Christmas Day perk to guests who are booking their trips in the near future:
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — What could be more exciting than opening presents on Christmas morning? How about this: getting a call from Mickey Mouse announcing the gift of a 2009 Walt Disney World vacation?
Between Nov. 28 and Dec. 23, guests who book their 2009 vacations to Walt Disney World Resort can sign up to receive a call from Mickey Mouse on Christmas Day, surprising their family with the vacation news.
And the time has never been better to visit the Vacation Kingdom in Florida. It’s party time at Disney parks during 2009. As part of a special park-wide celebration, everyone who visits a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort theme park in 2009 gets in free on their birthday. Disney Parks has embraced a new travel trend called “celebration vacations.” Wondrous new entertainment and special services such as character greetings can be booked to help guests transform personal milestones such as birthdays and anniversaries into magical Disney experiences.
“Make it Blue?” and Other News From WDW
Here is a collection of news stories now making the rounds regarding the Walt Disney World Resort:
-Those famous toy guns that have been sold in Adventureland and Frontierland at the Magic Kingdom since opening day back in 1971 will be going through a rather large appearance change soon. Those guns that you probably either own or have seen a small boy walking around with in the parks are going to be turning a bright blue over the next few months, so they won’t be easily mistaken for real firearms. This change is actually coming much later than expected, with laws already passed in most states that require toy guns to be brightly colored. Should be interesting to see how sales of these guns hold up after the change.
-The Walt Disney World Monorail spiel has already been altered to mention the Bay Lake Tower addition to Disney’s Contemporary Resort. The change took place last week, only days after the official announcement of the project.
-The 2009 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival will be running from March 18 through May 31 next year, a few days shorter than last year. Here is the official press release for the 2009 edition:
An elaborate “Cinderellabration” topiary featuring four Disney princesses dressed in “blooming” finery will set the scene for the 16th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 18-May 31.
Cinderella and Prince Charming, Snow White and the seven dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip, and Belle and Beast from “Beauty and the Beast” will debut as the grand front-entrance topiary during the 75-day festival. Princess Ariel from “The Little Mermaid” also will greet guests by the front-entrance fountain.
And that’s just the beginning. More than 70 topiaries in all showcasing the extraordinary craftsmanship of Disney gardeners will dot the park landscape. Sweeping floral beds and exhibits will feature 30 million blooms. The art of bonsai will “wow” guests at the Japan showcase, and a large “green” garden between France and Morocco pavilions will reveal the many ways home gardeners can “go green” with their own landscapes.
Festival highlights also will include:
Disney Gardening at Home presentations: Disney horticulturists share gardening tips and lead guests in a hands-on, take-home activity. The Great American Gardeners series: Gardening celebrities and authors from across the country will share their gardening secrets. The Garden Town festival center: Guests can shop for festival merchandise, attend speaker presentations and demonstrations and ask gardening questions of the experts. The family-oriented Growing Future Gardeners: A garden of delight where kids and parents can get colorful (and tasty) planting ideas. Kids’ activities and character meet-and-greets. Flower Power concerts: Popular bands rock the open-air America Gardens Theatre every Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. The concert lineup is slated to include Davy Jones, Paul Revere & the Raiders, Jose Feliciano and other top acts.
Tom Corless’ 9/24-10/1/08 WDW Update
As promised, here is a photo report from my latest trip to Walt Disney World during WDWCelebrations World Wide Weekend event. I only get to do one of these every few months, so please forgive me if my photos aren’t as good as you are used to seeing:
The Braille map at Pleasure Island was updated to reflect the closing of the 6 remaining clubs almost instantly
Pretty empty at the time being
T-Rex Cafe is being considered Pleasure Island property just to pad the line-up, even though it does not open until October 14.
9/24-10/1/08 WDW Update
While I’m certainly not happy about it, I’m back from Walt Disney World after 8 days, 4 parks, and 1 WDWCelebrations.com World Wide Weekend event that I will never forget. It was another great success for the teams (both WDWCelebrations and WDW News Today) and here are some pictures taken, in chronological order, by WDWNT of the spectacular World Wide Weekend event and some current events from around the Walt Disney World Resort:
While the remainder of the team was on the special Backstage Magic tour Thursday, WDWNT met up with Chris Lastrapes of Disneyland News Today and Jose Castillo of WDW News Today for a day at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot.
Disney’s Super Soap Weekend Final Farewell
Looks like Super Soap Weekends will have it’s finale this year at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as it won’t be coming back next year, at least not to Florida. Here is what we have from The Orlando Sentinel.
Who’s killing ABC Super Soap Weekend at Disney’s Hollywood Studios?
It’s not Zach Slater, the sometimes bad boy played by Thorsten Kaye on ABC’s All My Children. He has pledged to attend this year’s gathering of soap-opera stars on Nov. 15-16. So has John McBain, the sometimes suspect character played by Michael Easton on One Life to Live.
Yet as Walt Disney World prepares to host about 30 daytime-drama characters at this year’s Super Soap Weekend, there’s a shocking plot twist in sight: The event won’t return in 2009. Healthy and popular in this episode, it’ll be dead by the next.
Brian Frons, president of Daytime, Disney-ABC Television Group, appears to be the one writing Super Soap out of Disney World’s script after 15 years.
In a news release issued Monday, Frons said ABC wants to send its soap stars on a national promotional tour next year, rather than sponsor a single weekend at Disney World. “Our fans have told us they want us in their neighborhoods,” he stated, adding: “We thank Walt Disney World for being a wonderful host and partner, and look forward to our plans to send Super Soap off with a bang.”
Rilous Carter, Disney World vice president for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, is promising that this year’s event will be a fitting finale.
But will the tour succeed? Is there a chance the soaps might return to Disney World in 2010? Stay tuned.