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WDWNT on June 18, 2008

It seems the founder of Landry’s, the company that owns the Rainforest Cafe, the Yak and Yeti Restaurant at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and the soon-to open T-Rex Restaurant at Downtown Disney, has purchased the company:

 Landry’s Restaurants Inc., owner of dozens of restaurants across the nation including the Chart House and Rainforest Cafe chains, said Monday that it had agreed to a buyout by its founder that values the company at $415 million.

Landry’s stock climbed $2.98, or 18%, to $19.77 on the news, the biggest gain since Jan. 28, when Chief Executive Tilman J. Fertitta first offered to buy the 61% of the company’s shares he didn’t already own.

Fertitta Holdings Inc. made a $21-a-share bid, Houston-based Landry’s said. The CEO reduced an earlier offer by 11%, citing credit-market conditions that made it more expensive for him to obtain financing.

The buyout is set to be completed in four months, Landry’s said. The deal includes Fertitta’s stake and transaction costs. The company also has $885 million in debt.

We’ll have to wait and see if this sale affects the Walt Disney World resort in any way over the next few years, especially with Landry’s in such poor financial shape.

Press Release Mania

WDWNT on June 18, 2008

Walt Disney World has put out a number of press releases today promoting new attractions and seasonal entertainment. The first talks about the great success of Toy Story Midway Mania at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The points are piling up and the spring-action shooters are getting a workout during the first month of operation at Toy Story Mania! — the new 4-D attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

An arcade-style tally at the ride’s conclusion heralds the high scores of the day as guests try their best to beat the top totals. During the first month of daily operation, daily high scores regularly topped 200,000+ points, while all-time highs have reached the 300,000+ point range.

In Toy Story Mania!, guests don 3-D glasses and enter a wild and wooly 4-D world of Woody, Buzz and other favorite “Toy Story” characters. Inspired by the Disney-Pixar films “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2,” Toy Story Mania! raises the bar for interactive ride-game attractions.

As vehicles move among midway-style game booths, guests aim for 3-D, animated targets using their own on-board spring-action shooters. Players pair up and sit side-by-side, scoring points in a friendly competition that delivers an ever-changing variety of targets and surprises.

As they play, guests can actually see the “virtual objects” they’ve launched — everything from pies, plastic eggs and pointed darts … to baseballs, rings and suction-cup darts — leave their spring-action shooters and hit (or miss) the targets. And thanks to the 4-D special effects technology, they may sense objects popping out of the 3-D scenes and whirring past them.

Disneyland Resort in California also welcomed Toy Story Mania! when the attraction debuted June 17 at Disney’s California Adventure theme park.

Disney also made it official that Fantasy in the Sky will not be shown at the Magic Kingdom to celebrate the 4th of July holiday this year. Expect a new firework show to debut on New Year’s Eve this year as Fantasy in the Sky is believed to have made its final performance on December 31, 2007. The release also makes mention of the other spectaculars around the World this year:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — A popular July 4th tradition at Walt Disney World Resort will continue this year as star-spangled salutes to America’s independence are presented all across the Florida Vacation Kingdom.

Here’s some of the fireworks fun scheduled for July 4 this year:

  • A Fourth of July “Concert in the Sky” will light up the night at Magic Kingdom in honor of Independence Day. Featuring a magnificent display of aerial fireworks, dazzling pyrotechnic effects and dynamic music, the show, entitled “Disney’s Celebrate America!-A Fourth of July Concert in the Sky,” is a grand tribute to the United States, its people and traditions. The special show is scheduled for 9 p.m. Magic Kingdom also will feature two performances of the “SpectroMagic” nighttime parade, first at 10:30 p.m. and then again at 12:30 a.m. that same night.
  • A holiday-inspired finale will be added to Epcot’s nightly fireworks extravaganza, “Illuminations: Reflections of Earth.” The park’s American Adventure pavilion also will feature enhanced entertainment throughout the day, with visits from historic characters who will share their stories. American Adventure also will feature additional performances of its signature musical group, Voices of Liberty, performing patriotic classics.
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios will present a special July 4th fireworks show at 9 p.m., with skyrockets and patriotic music filling the air at the showbiz-themed park. The park’s popular “Fantasmic!” show, featuring fireworks, animation, dancing waters and Disney characters, will be presented on July 4 at 10:30 p.m.
  • Downtown Disney will present July 4th fireworks at 10:30 p.m. for the revelers, shoppers and diners enjoying the nighttime entertainment district.

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    Meanwhile, more details on The Wave at Disney’s Contemporary Resort are emerging:

    LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — A new Disney dining experience, The Wave, has opened at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily in a 220-seat restaurant that takes casual dining into the health-conscious 21st century.

    The classic American breakfast menu includes plenty of egg creations, but guests also can make their own Wave muesli or sip a Beta Berry Smoothie with raspberry puree and non-fat yogurt blended with Odwalla Berries GoMega (a great source of Omega-3). The Pure Sunshine breakfast cocktail features organic vodka and orange juice topped with Vitamin Energy Drink. Coffee is organic Colombian (fair trade and “Smithsonian-certified bird-friendly”) and teas are whole leaf Pyramid bags in flavors from chamomile blossoms to monsoon chai.

    At lunch, light eaters might enjoy lettuce wraps with sautéed lamb and bay scallops, or a lump crab cake with crispy papaya slaw. Entrées range from oversized salads and a vegetarian sandwich with grilled tofu, roasted veggies and herb goat cheese on multi-grain bread to an Angus chuck burger with cheese and Applewood smoked bacon, or a classic grilled Reuben.

    The dinner menu offers a delicious spin on comfort classics such as pan-seared Alaskan black cod with corn and edamame (soybean) stew with cilantro chutney; braised lamb shank with bulgur lentil stew and red wine sauce, and a nouvelle chicken pot pie with thyme pastry. Sides at both lunch and dinner include braised greens and roasted sweet potatoes and carrots.

    The innovative wine list has a quirky claim to fame — all screw caps, no corks. Cutting-edge wines from around the globe are showcased on the list.

    The schedule for the Sounds Like Summer concert series at Epcot is now available:

    Timeless tunes performed by tribute bands have guests groovin’ at Epcot America Gardens Theatre during the return of the Sounds Like Summer concert series.

    The series, which began June 9 and runs through Aug. 10, features a lineup of ‘tribute’ bands covering famous tunes that have been performed by some of the greatest artists from around the globe. Concerts are included in Epcot admission.

    The lineup of acts for July and August (talent subject to change) includes:

  • June 30-July 10: Bjorn Again (A Tribute to ABBA)
  • July 11-20: Slippery When Wet (A Tribute to Bon Jovi)
  • July 21-27: 52nd Street (A Tribute to Billy Joel)
  • July 28-Aug. 3: Captain Fantastic (A Tribute to Elton John)
  • Aug. 4-10: The Sounds of The Supremes (A Tribute to The Supremes)

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    Some television star will be making an appearance at the Norway pavilion at Epcot:

    The Norway pavilion at Epcot will host Sig Hansen — one of the featured stars on the popular reality series on The Discovery Channel, “The Deadliest Catch” — for an in-park appearance July 10-13, 2008. Hansen will appear inside The Puffin’s Roost, the pavilion’s merchandise location, each day. He will be joined by his brothers, Edgar and Norman Hansen, who also appear on the show.

    A fourth-generation Norwegian fisherman, Sig Hansen is the captain of the Northwestern, one of the crab-catching vessels on “The Deadliest Catch.” He, Edgar and Norman own and operate the Northwestern. Based in Seattle, Wash., the Hansens have fished together for nearly 20 years.

    The Hansens’ crab-catching skills on the television show also have inspired “Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm,” a video game for the Xbox 360 system.

    In addition to signing autographs and posing for photos, the Hansens will have Northwestern merchandise for sale during their Epcot appearance.

    My favorite resort will be celebrating its landmark 20th anniversary soon, with some changes we have spoken about on the way:

    On July 1, 1988, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa opened its doors and invited Walt Disney World guests to rediscover a bygone era of elegance and luxury among the gabled roofs and Victorian balustrades of a turn-of-the-century seaside resort.

    In the two decades that followed, approximately 15 million guests have enjoyed the splendor of its 867 deluxe accommodations and the gracious hospitality of its cast members. Countless others have been enchanted by the creative cuisine of its incomparable restaurants, including Narcoossee’s, Cítricos and Victoria & Albert’s, a consecutive recipient of the annual AAA Five-Diamond Award since 2000.

    Disney’s flagship resort is celebrating its 20th anniversary with plenty of “grand” new magic for Grand Floridian guests, including extensive renovations completed in late 2007 that upgraded its guest rooms with sophisticated new furnishings, carpet, drapes, bedspreads, flat-screen televisions and more.

    Also new is the latest yacht to bear the Grand 1 name, a 52-foot Sea Ray pleasure craft available for chartered cruises across the tranquil waters of Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake, and a floating view of nighttime fireworks spectaculars above Magic Kingdom.

    Coming soon is an opulent marble floor to be showcased throughout the hotel’s main lobby and mezzanine. Designed by the creative minds of Walt Disney Imagineering, the lavish enhancement will add another magical touch to a destination resort created as a fantasy image of Florida’s past.

    The new Journey Into Narnia: Prince Caspian exhibit will finally debut later this month at Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

    Some of the characters from the timeless fantasy “The Chronicles of Narnia” come to life in a new experience at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park.

    “Journey Into Narnia: Prince Caspian,” an all-new soundstage experience (opening in late June), offers an in-depth and unique look into the making of “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian,” the hit motion picture released in May 2008 by Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media Films.

    The journey begins at the attraction queue where guests can test their knowledge of the “Narnia” stories. Next, guests will have an option of participating in a meet and greet with Prince Caspian himself. Or, fans have the option to head directly into the new movie attraction “Journey Into Narnia: Prince Caspian.”

    The soundstage experience features a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film with narration from director Andrew Adamson. Guests also can view authentic props from the movie set and costumes worn by the actors and actresses in the film.

    Here are some more details on the mobile service based on Disney’s water parks we first reported here some-time ago:

    Thanks to a new Disney WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) site, adults and their kids this summer can immerse themselves in the magic of Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach water parks before, during and after they actually visit — and all it takes is their cell phones.

    Thanks to a new Web site customized for the mobile phone, users can download any of four exclusive wallpapers from Toyko-based, avant-garde artist Jesse LeDoux. Also featured: insider tips, an interactive personality quiz and more. Another highlight stars actor-singer Corbin Bleu, famous for his role in the Disney Channel’s hit “High School Musical” films.

    How to get the fun rolling? Guests have several options:

  • In their Disney Resort hotel room, guests can view a video and text H20 to SPLASH (775274). Then their cell phone rings with a message from Corbin Bleu, plus a link to the WAP.
  • Before arriving, guests can text H2O to SPLASH on their cell and get a call from Corbin.
  • Guests familiar with texting on their cell phones can send a picture of their favorite attraction at the water parks to disney@splash.com to receive a special mobile wallpaper.
  • Guests can access a number of interactive features including tips to “surf” Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon or “ski” at Disney’s Blizzard Beach. Other great tips for park-goers can be downloaded onto guests’ cell phones.

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    And finally, a press release on the build your own ear hats, now available at the Magic Kingdom:

    Every Kingdom has its crown jewels, and Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort is no different. But don’t expect rubies or spires of gold: The jewels here — those famous Mouse Ear hats — come with a little extra “character.”

    Guests are finding a new, customized way to enjoy the already blossoming array of Ear hats offered at Florida’s Vacation Kingdom. Exclusively at The Chapeau on Main Street U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom, guests can visit the Build Your Own Ears Hat boutique and fashion a set of ears that represents their individual personality.

    “For the first time, guests can take our traditional, iconic Mickey Mouse Ears — made famous in the 1950s with the Mickey Mouse Club — and customize them,” said Dara Trujillo, merchandise manager at Walt Disney World Resort. “Not only is this a unique product offering, but every set will be different, just like our guests.”

    Here’s how it works:

    • Guests start by choosing one of 19 bases in colors and materials such as purple satin, pink fur, blue velvet or green glow-in-the-dark.
    • Next, guests choose two snap-on ears from an assortment such as metallic, rhinestone and holographic — either two ears of the same variety or two different options for a really distinctive look.
    • If they wish, guests can adorn their hat using peel-and-stick patches representing favorite Disney characters, Disney princesses and Disney Channel shows. Custom embroidery and stick-on letters are also available.

    With thousands of combinations possible, it’s easy for guests to create an Ear hat that is uniquely “them.” And once the creation is complete, there’s no fewer than seven mirrors stationed around the shop in which to admire the one-of-a-kind work of art.

    “Guests take pride in showing off their creative talents,” said Trujillo. “It’s their way of saying, ‘These were made just for me.’ ”

    Prices vary based on how elaborate a creation a guest concocts. A basic hat — a base, two ears and a chin strap — starts around $7.50, with patches ($2.95 each), letters ($5.95 for a pack) and embroidery ($3.00) optional. Hats are one-size-fits-all, but can be adjusted to fit smaller guests using the chin strap.

    Certainly a rather large amount of news for what should be a slow summer at Walt Disney World. Hopefully this large amount of news can sustain our appetites until the next new major attraction is announced.

    Old West Eatery Coming to Hollywood

    WDWNT on June 16, 2008

    The new small counter-service/outdoor vending location across the street from Toy Story Midway Mania at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be called the “Hey Howdy Hey Take-Away” and will offer a number of small food options, most of which will be accepted by the Disney Dining Plan as a snack. The space will continue the Pixar Place theming, much like that of the Toy Story Midway Mania queue and the other toys related items around the Pixar Studios. We should have some pictures of the soon-to-open location later this week, so stay tuned!!!

    Crime Doesn’t Pay

    WDWNT on June 14, 2008

    From the Orlando Sentinel:

    A second St. Cloud man accused of helping to obtain a pipe bomb detonated in a Downtown Disney trash can last July surrendered Thursday to federal firearms agents. Brandon Woll, 21, was freed on his own recognizance after a bail hearing before U.S. Magistrate Karla Spaulding. His attorney, Jim Taylor, entered a plea of not guilty.

    On Wednesday, Woll’s stepfather, David Tagg, 40, of St. Cloud, was arrested on charges he aided in the bomb-making. A third St. Cloud man, Michael Morgan, 21, is being sought.

    At Thursday’s hearing, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Wilson asked Spaulding to bar Woll from having contact with other defendants and witnesses in the case, including his live-in girlfriend, Sarah Folsom. But Taylor objected, saying the couple had lived together for a year and that Woll could not move back in with his mother and Tagg. Spaulding ultimately allowed the couple to remain together but ordered them not to discuss the case.

    Catch The Wave

    WDWNT on June 12, 2008

    LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — The Wave, the new restaurant just opened at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, is all about bold ideas, featuring modern American cooking with a dash of world flavors. And an unusual wine program with more than 50 choices by the glass matches the forward-thinking cuisine.

    “The Wave suggests a surge of new ideas,” said Master Sommelier John Blazon, manager of wine sales and standards, Walt Disney World Resort. “It’s a chance to have some fun with a wine list that balances New World flavors and a variety of price points.”

    Blazon put together a taste of the best New World wines with 95 cutting-edge choices that are all screw cap. The approachable list supports sustainable agriculture, he says, with a majority of the wines originating from vineyards where grapes are organically grown, or farmers are using sustainable methods.

    “And the recyclable screw caps are nothing short of a revolution in wine packaging,” said Blazon. Industry experts say that the screw cap is the most significant technical evolution in the wine industry since the glass bottle was introduced 250 years ago.

    “In the forward-thinking wine industry, screw caps are gaining rapid acceptance,” said Blazon. Research shows that the screw cap consistently provides the most reliable wine quality (spoilage is as high as 9 percent for corked bottles). The New Zealand wine industry, for instance, has set high standards for quality and bottles more than 90 percent of its wines with screw caps.

    The options for screw cap wine are growing, said Blazon. The Wave serves no California wines (California Grill on the resort’s 15th floor has a corner on that market), but instead focuses on bright-style New World wines from the Southern Hemisphere, including Argentina, Chile, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa. Prices range from $37 for a bottle of pinot gris from Mendoza, Argentina, to $160 for a syrah from Eden Valley, Ore. By-the-glass prices range from $8 to $20.

    With 45 whites and 40 reds on the list, the biggest challenge was finding Bordeaux-style grapes, said Blazon, because the industry still is hesitant to put expensive reds into screw cap bottles. But when Blazon visited one of New Zealand’s top estates, Craggy Range Winery, he worked with the winery to bottle half bottles of merlot from the Gimblett Gravels region in Hawkes Bay, “arguably some of the finest merlot out of New Zealand,” said Blazon. Exclusively at The Wave guests can unscrew a half bottle of Craggy Range Te Kahu, Gimblett Gravels, and Craggy Range Sophia, Gimblett Gravels.

    Pinot noir standouts on the list from New Zealand include Craggy Range Te Muna, Martinborough; Pegasus Bay, Wairarapa, and Peregrine Wines, Central Otago.

    Because of its range of styles, Australian shiraz (the Australians call it syrah) comprise the biggest collection of The Wave’s wines, said Blazon. “It’s flavorful, satisfying, and superb with food,” said Blazon.

    Among other interesting choices are sparkling wines from Tasmania, Rieslings from South Australia and floral New Wave whites from Argentina.

    The Wave offers flights of three 3-ounce samplings, including syrahs, sauvignon blancs, pinot noirs and crisp whites. The sauvignon blanc flight, for instance, includes sips from three continents: New Zealand, Chile and South Africa, so that guests can compare and contrast the similarities and subtle differences of each, selected from top wineries in their class. “You never stop learning with wine,” said Blazon. “Just around the corner is the next great glass.”

    The 220-seat Wave is open daily for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and features one of the largest lounges at Walt Disney World Resort. For reservations, call 407/WDW-DINE.

    The restaurant is part of a revitalization at Disney’s Contemporary Resort that includes a makeover of the hotel’s fourth floor with a new game arcade and new quick-service eatery for salads and sandwiches (replacing Concourse Steakhouse). The popular Chef Mickey’s restaurant and the monorail station anchor that family-friendly area.

    Hundreds of Open Lanes on the Way

    WDWNT on June 10, 2008

    According to Mark Pino of the Orlando Sentinel, It looks like Walt Disney World will finally recieve its own bowling alley:

    Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex is expanding its strike zone with what could be the biggest bowling stadium in the country. Planned for 100 lanes, stadium-style seating and a restaurant, the facility would be complete in about 18 months. When not used for tournaments, the stadium would be open to the public, Disney officials said Monday.

    “It’s big. It will be big for the area,” said Ray Turgeon of Winter Springs, a bowler who had heard rumors about the facility and the tournaments it will host. “For a lot of new bowlers who have not bowled in a national tournament, it would be great.”

    Disney officials said an unnamed company will build and operate the 160,000-square-foot stadium, which would be used for events or open to guests except during United States Bowling Congress tournaments. The organization will bring 13 events to Central Florida starting in 2011 and running through 2029. Each tournament is played over a four- to six-month period.

    Disney officials said it was too soon to talk about the facility’s name or its cost or the third party under negotiation to build it. A spokeswoman said those details might be available in a couple of months.

    The bowling mecca would be the latest addition to a growing constellation of facilities at the 220-acre Wide World of Sports that includes a basketball arena and baseball stadium — spring-training home of the Atlanta Braves. Other sports played there include football, soccer, softball, track and field, lacrosse, volleyball, martial arts, and endurance events.

    The Disney facility would be complete in early 2010 and would host the 2011 United States Bowling Congress Open Championship — an event guaranteed to put thousands of visitors in Osceola hotel rooms, according to a deal approved Monday.

    The tournaments are widely regarded as the world’s largest participatory sporting event, said Jack Mordini, the bowling congress’ vice president of tournaments and events. Mordini said members want to travel to vacation destinations like Central Florida for tournaments.

    John Berglund, executive director of the Bowling Proprietors Association of America, said the deal would be great for bowling and Disney. “Bowling is a tremendous family sport, and Disney is a tremendous family venue,” he said. The deal is expected to generate $750 million for the area from 2011 through 2029, when the bowling congress will host seven open and six women’s championships, the county said.

    Osceola County will pay the bowling congress, with the hopes of getting bowlers to fill rooms at struggling hotels. The county will use tourist-development taxes to pay $1 million to the USBC on the first day of active competition, with a total of about $13 million over the life of the agreement. The payments will be reduced if the number of hotel rooms booked is lower than set out in the agreement. Other cities in the running for the USBC tournaments were Wichita, Kan.; Tulsa, Okla.; Corpus Christi, Texas; and Reno, Nev.

    Pixar Place Update

    WDWNT on June 10, 2008

    With Toy Story Mania now operating, bigger plans for the entire Pixar Place area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios are firming up. Imagineering is already beginning to work on upgrades for Toy Story Mania, with holiday version of the ride planned to debut in 2011 and an updated Toy Story 3 inspired version coming Summer 2010.

    Across the street, the new shop, small-scale food service area, and the “top secret” Toy Story meet and greet spot are all nearing completion. According to Disney, the waiting area for the meet and greet will feature something they “have never done before”, to quote an Imagineer. Also slated to debut on the street, around the same time in June as the other Pixar Place offerings, is the Wall-E interactive living character animatronic. Plans are to have the “living” character roam the street now through January 2009, where he will be put away until work is completed on the second phase of the Pixar Place project.

    Already rumored for the next phase of the project is a Monsters Inc. roller-coaster to fill in soundstage 1 and a smaller-scale version of the Car’s inspired Radiator Springs Racers attraction debuting Disney’s at California Adventure park in a few years, replacing the Studio Backlot Tour. By the end of the project, Pixar Place will extend from the Narnia exhibit to New York Street, wrapping around the northeast end of the Great Movie Ride. Other minor changes include some minor theme changes, including changing the Honey I Shrunk The Kids Movie Set into a set from “It’s Tough To Be a Bug”, changing the Backlot Caterers food location into a Monsters Inc. or Ratatouille themed eatery, and changing the theme of the small store that used to be “The Loony Bin” to a Monsters Inc. themed shop.

    While most of these points are still completely rumor, many of these plans should eventually be executed. The current plan has the final pieces of Pixar Place (the Cars E-Ticket attraction and Monsters Inc. roller-coaster) being put into place by 2015, with the minor pieces all completed by 2011. Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as more info on Pixar Place progress becomes available.

    Premiere Already

    WDWNT on June 6, 2008

    It seems the new Premiere Theater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is being rushed into service for Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The theater will host previews for the new Clone Wars film and also many of the other events that used to held inside the ABC Theater (now under renovation to become the American Idol Experience) during previous Star Wars Weekends. We will try to get some pictures of the new theater as soon as we possibly can.

    World Premiere

    WDWNT on June 5, 2008

    We finally have confirmation from Disney that the old Backlot theater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has been converted to a closed venue, and we now have a name to call it by:

    “A new indoor concert venue to be called the Premiere Theater is being fashioned from an unused open-air theater.”

    While we still don’t know exactly the uses for the theater, we believe it will first get use for special events and maybe even a Disney film premiere at some point, before finally hosting the rumored “Festival Disney” ticketed stage show concept a few years down the road. Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as more info becomes available; and remember, you heard it here first!!!

    Plenty of SPACE for Change

    WDWNT on June 5, 2008

    As we have been reporting here at WDW News Today for almost a year, Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom is scheduled to go down for an extensive refurbishment beginning in January of 2009. The number one priority for Disney during this refurbishment will be to bring in new, more comfortable ride vehicles and loading gates for added safety to the attraction. However, Imagineering has a few other ideas in store for the attraction. Among those ideas are new lighting effects, a completely new queue and exit, and a unique music track to play through the new on-board speakers that each vehicle will have. We are still 6 months away from what should be the beginning of a lengthy refurbishment, but stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information becomes available.