Baby Tiger Cubs are Coming This August to Disney’s Animal Kingdom

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

After a recent refurbishment of the enclosure, Disney welcomed two new tigers to the Maharajah Jungle Trek at Disney’s Animal Kingdom with the idea being to breed them. Well, rather quickly, the female tiger is already expecting and should be delivering some tiger cubs to the park next month.

Here’s the announcement from Disney:

Disney is involved in efforts to save critically endangered Sumatran tigers. To date, the Disney Conservation Fund (DCF) has provided nearly $2.5 million to protect tigers and their habitats. At Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Sumatran tigers Sohni and Malosi have been actively breeding, and we are delighted to announce that Sohni is pregnant and expecting cubs sometime in August.

It is unknown when the cubs might go on display at the park, but it will likely be a few weeks after they are born. The tigers that used to live in the enclosure were moved to a new home permanent outside of Disney’s Animal Kingdom in Gainesville, FL.

VIDEO: Pre-Show Video Added to Seven Dwarfs Mine Train In Hope of Shortening Wait Times

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

Just as was done at Rock ‘ N’ Roller Coaster a few months ago, Disney has added a pre-show video to the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train attraction at the Magic Kingdom, hoping it will help guests load into the carts faster, thus reducing wait times.

The screen is located just before the load area, as the line splits into even and odd-numbered parties of riders. The video is animated in a rather clever style, as if the Dwarfs built an automated device in the style of some of the other props found in the ride.

Similar videos were also added to Space Mountain and Toy Story Midway Mania over the last year.

D23 Announces Free Special Event to Commemorate the Closing of The Great Movie Ride

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

D23: The Official Disney Fan Club is hosting an amazing free event for Gold Members on August 12th to say goodbye to The Great Movie Ride.

OVERVIEW
D23: The Official Disney Fan Club and TCM Backlot: The Ultimate Turner Classic Movies Fan Club are joining together to invite members of both fan clubs to celebrate the farewell of The Great Movie Ride!

DETAILS
Experience begins promptly at 7:15 a.m. at the entrance of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Check-in will begin at 7 a.m. Please do not arrive before 7 a.m. Due to the nature of this unique experience, late arrivals will not be accommodated. Event is available to Gold and Gold Family Members.

D23: The Official Disney Fan Club and TCM Backlot: The Ultimate Turner Classic Movies Fan Club are joining together to invite members of both fan clubs to celebrate the farewell of The Great Movie Ride!

Attendees will have the opportunity to experience the star-studded cinema attraction one last time during a behind-the-scenes experience before Disney’s Hollywood Studios opens to the public on Saturday, August 12.

This complimentary event will include a private attraction experience with special guests, a delicious breakfast at The Hollywood Brown Derby restaurant and a one-of-a-kind gift created just for attendees!

NOTE

  • D23 Gold and Gold Family Members may register a ticket for themselves and one (1) guest.
  • Due to the nature of this experience, all attendees must be at least 21 years of age or older to partake in this D23 experience.
  • This experience does not require admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Guests will need to have or purchase admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios if planning to return to the theme park once the experience concludes.
  • Food allergy and restrictions must be communicated to our Guest Services team prior to the event.
  • There is a limited number of reservations available. D23 Members will be required to provide their membership number when reserving tickets. Tickets may be picked up only with a valid photo ID AND D23 MEMBERSHIP CARD. D23 Members who do not bring their membership card may not be admitted to the event. Ticketed Members who do not attend the event forfeit their place as well as all experiences, benefits, and gifts associated with the event.
  • All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice. There are no cancellations or refunds, and tickets are not transferable.

More information can be found at the official website.

REVIEW: Epcot’s New Orange Creamsicle Cupcake Sweetens Up the Summer

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

The Fountain View Starbucks located in Future World at Epcot regularly changes up their specialty cupcake seasonally, so for the Summer season, they now have an Orange Creamsicle Cupcake. It looks pretty interesting, so we decided to try it.

Orange Creamsicle Cupcake, $5.99 at the Fountain View Starbucks at Epcot

Orange Creamsicle Cupcake, $5.99 at the Fountain View Starbucks at Epcot

So, how was it?

Orange Creamsicle Cupcake – $5.99

Orange Creamsicle Cupcake, $5.99 at the Fountain View Starbucks at Epcot

Orange Creamsicle Cupcake, $5.99 at the Fountain View Starbucks at Epcot

The cupcake is vanilla, featuring an orange-and-vanilla flavored icing, as well as a custard filling that has an orange peel zest.

Orange Creamsicle Cupcake, $5.99 at the Fountain View Starbucks at Epcot

Orange Creamsicle Cupcake, $5.99 at the Fountain View Starbucks at Epcot

 

Orange Creamsicle Cupcake, $5.99 at the Fountain View Starbucks at Epcot

Orange Creamsicle Cupcake, $5.99 at the Fountain View Starbucks at Epcot

Wile I’m personally not one for orange-flavored desserts, this one is absolutely incredible. The custard makes this quite special, and the cake was soft and fresh. The icing can be a bit much at time, but nothing you can control by eating this with a fork and controlling your icing distribution. Yes, I do take cupcakes this seriously as it is my job to do so.

Please do yourself a favor if you are visiting Epcot anytime soon and pick this cupcake up for a snack, especially if you love orange-flavored treats.

Great Movie Ride “That’s a Wrap!” Merchandise Hits Walt Disney World, Online Store Soon

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

To mark the closing of The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (as it will be replaced by Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway), Disney is producing some special commemorative merchandise before the attraction fades to black on August 13th.

The merchandise will be released at Walt Disney World late next week, while some of it will be available online through the Disney Parks online store starting August 10th, 2017.

VIDEO: Take a Complete Walking Tour of The Great Movie Ride Just Two Weeks Before It Closes Forever

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

With Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway set to replace it, The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will close forever on August 13th, 2017. As a farewell, the Disney Parks Blog hosted a special event this week where guests were able to walk the track of the ride, take in some special entertainment, and even enjoy desserts in the picturesque Wizard of Oz scene.

We spent a majority of the party walking the attraction and filming some parts that may either be hard to see or where the ride vehicle simply doesn’t stop in order to preserve the ride for future enjoyment long after it is gone. While we recorded over an hour of footage (most of which will be featured in a later video project), we do have a half-an-hour video from the walkthrough of the attraction to share with you today. Enjoy, and we’ll see you at the movies!

Remember, you have just 14 days to enjoy this classic attraction, and soon Disney will be releasing merchandise to commemorate its closing.

PHOTOS: Disney is Distributing Promotional Pamphlets on the Skyliner Gondola System

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

Guests at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort (or at least what is left of it at this point) can now find a small advertisement for the Disney Skyliner gondola system in their room.

The advert apologizes for the construction related to the new transportation system (nevermind the massive overhaul of Old Port Royal and all of of the other construction around the resort) and gives guests information about what exactly the Skyliner will be.

When completed, the system will connect Disney’s Caribbean Resort to Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the new Riviera Resort, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort and Disney’s Pop Century Resort.

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The Magic Kingdom is Launching a Park-Wide Food Tour This Fall

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

Starting October 1st, 2017, The Magic Kingdom will be launching an all new tour called “Taste of The Magic Kingdom”.

How can there be a food tour without Dole Whip?

How can there be a food tour without Dole Whip?

While details are scarce right now, the new paid tour will take guests on a culinary tour through the popular snacks and dishes of the park. Disney is expected to announce the tour and the details of it sometime in the next month.

Join Us Tonight for a Spectacular Journey Through the History of The Great Movie Ride

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

Tonight, we celebrate the incredible history of the icon attraction from Disney’s Hollywood Studios, The Great Movie Ride, just days before it closes forever on August 13th, 2017.

Back to the Future LIVE!: The Great Movie Ride – Monday, July 31st at 8PM ET

Tonight at 8PM, streaming live on YouTube and at Listen.WDWNT.com, catch the next edition of WDWNT’s beloved history show “Back to the Future”, as we delve into the history of the Great Movie Ride. The Great Movie Ride wasn’t always planned for the center of a park, so how did this come to be? Well, we’ll show you during this multimedia program.