WDW News Today Celebrates 60 Years of Disney Parks in 2015 with 60-Hour Show, Exciting History Segments, & More!

WDWNT on January 29, 2015

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Orlando, FL – Coming hot off the heels of the most successful year in the website’s history, WDW News Today is proud to announce an ambitious slate of offerings for 2015, all marking the 60th anniversary of the opening of the very first Disney theme park, Disneyland. In the past, WDW News Today’s content has celebrated individual attraction and park milestones, but never before has there been a 12-month period of exciting entertainment and stories centered around the entire history of Disney Parks. From coast-to-coast and continent-to-continent, WDWNT will be taking you on a 60-year time and world traveling journey through every milestone (and even misstep) in the history of the places “where dreams come true”.

The WDW News Today Podcast

Beginning this week on the WDW News Today Podcast, you’ll find multiple segments that mark this important year, including:

  • The 60 Biggest Moments in the History of the Disneyland Resort – A countdown running for the next 6-months where we reveal and rank the 60 most important moments in the history of the Disneyland Resort, as voted by you!
  • The Top 10: Disneyland vs. Disney World – Our Top 10 countdowns go bi-coastal for the very first time, pitting Walt Disney World’s and Disneyland Resort’s very best against each other.
  • Back to the Future – WDWNT’s definitive history segment returns on 6 occasions in 2015 to go in-depth like never before on the stories of some of the most iconic and important attractions in theme park history: Disney’s Monorail, the Matterhorn Bobsleds (including proposed EPCOT Center version), The Indiana Jones Adventure, The Peoplemover, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, and the Liquid Space Adventures (Submarine Voyage/20,000 Leagues Under the Sea).

WDW News Today: The Radio Show

Every week, WDW News Today: The Radio show will present segments and games celebrating 60 years of Disney Parks, including a new game called “Disney Parks Pursuit” which will test listeners knowledge of Disney Parks trivia, music, and much more for prizes provided by Theme Park Connection! WDW News Today: The Radio show can be heard weekly on AM 1520 WBZW in Orlando and online on WDW News Today: On The Air Thursdays from 8-10PM EST (starting January 22nd).

A 60-Hour Celebration of 60 Years of Disney Parks – November 27-29, 2015

Annually, WDWNT has provided a somewhere between 24-30 hour broadcast to benefit the Toys for Tots Foundation on Thanksgiving Weekend. In 2015, we will kick things up a notch by presenting a 60-HOUR broadcast where we will attempt to raise at least $6000 for the charity organization. The event will cap off the year-long festivities with a 2.5 day journey through 6 decades of Disney Parks stories, history, and fun. Both on the air and in-person at the Disney Parks, this is sure to be the BIGGEST event in WDW News Today history!

AND MORE!

We are still working out the details, but special fan meets and other events at the Disney Parks (and 2015 D23 Expo) are planned, including some exciting things we have never done before (details coming soon).

The WDW News Today website will of course be covering all of the excitement of the parks today as we share Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary Celebration, the 2015 D23 Expo, and much more with you this year, so stay tuned for all of the fun and excitement!

WDWNT: The Radio Show Returns LIVE Tonight (01/22/15) at 8 PM EST

WDWNT on January 29, 2015

radio_show_post_logoTonight, on WDWNT: The Radio show, we take a look back at 2014 with the WDWNT staff and come up with the biggest stories of the year and our thoughts on how they impacted and will impact the parks. We also have the latest news including a review on the new interactive Peter Pan queue at The Magic Kingdom

As always, you can win some great prizes from Theme Park Connection by playing our weekly game. Tonight’s game is Fanily Fued.

Hosted by radio veterans and life-long Disney fans Tom Corless and Nick LoCicero, the live radio talk show on AM 1520 WBZW in Orlando focuses on the latest news and current trending topics at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. WDW News Today: The Radio Show can also be streamed live at www.1520wbzw.com. WDW News Today the Radio Show debuted in August of 2013 as a 1 hour broadcast on Saturday evenings and has grown into a 2-hour program by popular demand.

To interact with the hosts during the show, listeners can call in at (407) 774-8255, tweet @WDWNT using #WDWNTRadio, or use the new LIVE chat that will be available at Radio.WDWNT.com.

The show begins at 8PM EDT Thursday night, don’t miss it!

Contestants Needed for WDWNT The Price is Right; Sign Up Now; Win Prizes from Theme Park Connection!

WDWNT on December 30, 2014

During WDWNT’s 25 hour broadcast to benefit Toys for Tots, we will be playing a full game of WDWNT The Price is Right game show… and we are looking for contestants! Here are the details:

  • This is a pre-show sign-up for Saturday’s game show contestants.
  • Send an email to contactnickl@gmail.com with your name, hometown and phone number you can be reached at.
  • The game is played entirely over the phone. We will call you when it is time to play.
  • You need to be available on Saturday, November 29 from 8-10 EST. You need to be available the whole time to play your game, spin the wheel and be a part of the showcase showdown if applicable; although we will not have you on the phone the entire time.
  • You need to be a Disney fan who wants some great prizes from our wonderful sponsor, Theme Park Connection!
  • Not everyone who sends an email will appear on the show, but everyone who does appear on the show will win a prize from Theme Park Connection. And the better you perform, the more you win. Last year’s showcase showdown winners won park used props from the Haunted Mansion and Buena Vista Street at DCA!

Don’t forget to tune into as many hours of this year’s broadcast as you can and even stop by Theme Park Connection if you are in the area. You can find all the broadcast details here.

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“Climb the Mountain” Trivia, Peter Pan Gets a Queue and Unbuilt Swiss Pavilion Concept Art Tonight (12/04/14) on WDWNT: The Radio Show

WDWNT on December 30, 2014

radio_show_post_logoTonight, on WDWNT: The Radio show, we talk about the new Peter Pan queue that debuted at the Magic Kingdom. We will also discuss the plans for a Switzerland Pavilion at Epcot that recently recently landed on Tom’s desk at Theme Park Connection. We have the dates for Star Wars Weekends 2015 and I’m sure will also give our thoughts on the new Episode 7 teaser trailer.

As always, you can win some great prizes from Theme Park Connection by playing our weekly game. Tonight’s game is Climb the Disney Mountain. Test your Disney Mountain knowledge and scale the tallest peaks for some prizes.

Hosted by radio veterans and life-long Disney fans Tom Corless and Nick LoCicero, the live radio talk show on AM 1520 WBZW in Orlando focuses on the latest news and current trending topics at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. WDW News Today: The Radio Show can also be streamed live at www.1520wbzw.com. WDW News Today the Radio Show debuted in August of 2013 as a 1 hour broadcast on Saturday evenings and has grown into a 2-hour program by popular demand.

To interact with the hosts during the show, listeners can call in at (407) 774-8255, tweet @WDWNT using #WDWNTRadio, or use the new LIVE chat that will be available at Radio.WDWNT.com.

The show begins at 8PM EDT Thursday night, don’t miss it!

Frozen Wish, Osborne Lights, & What’s Inside Club 33 and the Disneyland Dream Suite Tonight (11/06/14) on WDWNT: The Radio Show

WDWNT on November 25, 2014

radio_show_post_logoTonight, on WDWNT: The Radio show, we preview the Christmas events at Walt Disney World including “A Frozen Holiday Wish” and the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. Also, Tom is back from Disneyland and he has an update on happenings on the West Coast, including a look inside Club 33 and the well-guardedDisneyland Dream Suite. As always, we will play some games for some great prizes from Theme Park Connection!

Hosted by radio veterans and life-long Disney fans Tom Corless and Nick LoCicero, the live radio talk show on AM 1520 WBZW in Orlando focuses on the latest news and current trending topics at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. WDW News Today: The Radio Show can also be streamed live at www.1520wbzw.com. WDW News Today the Radio Show debuted in August of 2013 as a 1 hour broadcast on Saturday evenings and has grown into a 2-hour program by popular demand.

To interact with the hosts during the show, listeners can call in at (407) 774-8255, tweet @WDWNT using #WDWNTRadio, or use the new LIVE chat that will be available at Radio.WDWNT.com.

The show begins at 8PM EDT Thursday night, don’t miss it!

Christmas at the Parks, The Walt Disney Birthplace & 3 WDW Wishes Tonight (11/13/14) on WDWNT: The Radio Show

WDWNT on November 25, 2014

radio_show_post_logoTonight, on WDWNT: The Radio show, we talk more about the Christmas happenings around Walt Disney World. We will also discuss the fundraising effort underway to restore the Walt Disney Birthplace in Chicago. And we will have a segment called 3 Disney Wishes. If we were granted any 3 wishes that involved Walt Disney World, what would they be. Make sure you call or Tweet us with your wishes as the best one at the end of the night will win a prize from Theme Park Connection

As always, you can win some great prizes from Theme Park Connection by playing our weekly game. Tonight’s game is Name That WDWNTune, so brush up on your Disney Parks music and join us for a great time!

Hosted by radio veterans and life-long Disney fans Tom Corless and Nick LoCicero, the live radio talk show on AM 1520 WBZW in Orlando focuses on the latest news and current trending topics at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. WDW News Today: The Radio Show can also be streamed live at www.1520wbzw.com. WDW News Today the Radio Show debuted in August of 2013 as a 1 hour broadcast on Saturday evenings and has grown into a 2-hour program by popular demand.

To interact with the hosts during the show, listeners can call in at (407) 774-8255, tweet @WDWNT using #WDWNTRadio, or use the new LIVE chat that will be available at Radio.WDWNT.com.

The show begins at 8PM EDT Thursday night, don’t miss it!

BEGINS TONIGHT: WDWNT 25-Hour Live Broadcast (Including HUGE Event at Theme Park Connection) To Benefit Toys for Tots

WDWNT on November 25, 2014

Every year since 2008, WDW News Today has hosted a charity drive to raise money for the Toys for Tots Foundation. To date, we have raised over $15,000 for this amazing organization with donations through our website and those made during our annual WDWNT Live! program on Thanksgiving weekend. This year, we will be doing the same with the help of some new sponsors and partners, and we are asking you to be a part of this holiday tradition where we continue Walt Disney’s dream and try to make a difference in  the lives of those less fortunate.

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Over 60 years ago, Walt Disney became one of the original sponsors of the Toys for Tots foundation, which ensures that every underprivileged child receives a toy during the holiday season. Walt and his animators personally designed the original Toys for Tots train logo that is still used today and the first poster created for Toys for Tots.

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In this spirit, WDW News Today and our many friends and partners are putting on a 25-hour live broadcast this year to raise money for Toys for Tots. We hope you will join us beginning at 11PM ET on November 28, 2014 when the broadcast begins and will help us by making a donation to this great cause at toys.WDWNT.com.

We are proud to announce Theme Park Connection as the official sponsor of this year’s show and charity drive. As part of their sponsorship, they are accepting cash & sealed, brand-new toy donations in-person at their store and providing prizes for all of the many games that will be played during the course of the live program.

New for 2014, a large portion of our 25-hour broadcast will be conducted live from their store on Saturday, November 29th, from 9:00AM until 4:00PM EST during their HUGE Winter Extravaganza event, a day of special sales, celebrity & artist signings, free food & drinks, hourly raffles, and a special auction with proceeds benefiting our Toys for Tots fundraiser. You are invited to watch us broadcast live or even be a part of the show in-person during this period. Theme Park Connection can be visited online at ThemeParkConnection.com or at their physical store location at 2160 Premier Row in Orlando, Florida, near the Florida Mall.

UPDATE: Disney Legend Bill “Sully” Sullivan will be appearing at the event in-person and will sit down with us for an interview during the broadcast.

During the course of the show, we will be presenting many of the shows, segments, and games for which we are known:

  • The only late night Disney talk show, “See Ya’ Real Late” with Tom Corless, will return for one special episode on Saturday, November 29th at 11pm EST to conclude the program
  • Game shows to be played during the event include WDWNT: The Match Game, WDWNT: The Pyramid, and WDWNT: The Price is Right, some of those being played live at Theme Park Connection on the 29th
  • The WDW News Today Podcast will kick-off a new segment counting down the most important moments in the history of Disneyland, counting down to the 60th anniversary of the park in July 2015. The segment will take place at 11:30PM EST on Friday November 29th.
  • WDWNTunes’ Around the Hub (the show of competitive Disney banter) will also be part of the show, taking place Saturday November 29th at 4:30 PM EST
  • WDWNT: The Holiday Price is Right will be broadcast on WDW News Today: The Radio Show, on Saturday November 30th from 8-10PM. WDWNT: The Radio Show is a live, weekly radio program on AM 1520 WBZW in Orlando the began airing in August 2013. The show can be listened to online at 1520WBZW.com
  • The first-ever edition of Marvel & Star Wars Talk with Joe on Saturday, November 29th at 6:00PM
  • Trip planning with Authorized Disney Travel Agents from Magical Travel from 10:00-11:00PM on Saturday, November 29th

This entire broadcast will be streamed live on WDWNT.com, accessed by going to the WDWNTunes tab and clicking listen. You can also go directly to WDWNT.com/listen. As well, WDWNTunes streams through several mobile applications available at WDWNT.com/apps.

We hope you will join is for this fun show starting on November 28th at 11PM EST and will donate what you can to Toys for Tots through our FirstGiving Fundraiser Page or in-person at the Theme Park Connection store.

Maelstrom, FP+ Test and Lumberjacks, Tonight (10/09/14) on WDWNT: The Radio Show

WDWNT on October 24, 2014

radio_show_post_logoTonight, on WDWNT: The Radio show, we say our final goodbyes to Epcot’s Maelstrom attraction as we talk about the emotional final rides. We also usher in a new act at Epcot with a review of the Canada Lumberjack Show. And we talk about the pros and cons of the current FastPass+ testing at Toy Story Midway Mania.

This week’s game is a new one called World Showcase Adventure. Work your way around the lagoon for some great prizes from Theme Park Connection.

Hosted by radio veterans and life-long Disney fans Tom Corless and Nick LoCicero, the live radio talk show on AM 1520 WBZW in Orlando focuses on the latest news and current trending topics at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. WDW News Today: The Radio Show can also be streamed live at www.1520wbzw.com. WDW News Today the Radio Show debuted in August of 2013 as a 1 hour broadcast on Saturday evenings and has grown into a 2-hour program by popular demand.

To interact with the hosts during the show, listeners can call in at (407) 774-8255, tweet @WDWNT using #WDWNTRadio, or use the new LIVE chat that will be available at Radio.WDWNT.com.

The show begins at 8PM EDT Thursday night, don’t miss it!

Have A Hauntingly Fun Time Tonight (10/16/14) on WDWNT: The Radio Show (and talk about Walt Disney World’s Possible 5th Park!)

WDWNT on October 24, 2014

radio_show_post_logoTonight, on WDWNT: The Radio show, we review the new Haunted Mansion gift shop, Memento Mori and talk about the possibility of a 5th Walt Disney World theme park coming by 2021, the resort’s 50th anniversary. We will also play a special Haunted Mansion edition of “WDWNT: The Price is Right” using the prices of items found inside the new, ghostly shop at the Magic Kingdom. Know your prices and play the games for some great prizes from Theme Park Connection!

Hosted by radio veterans and life-long Disney fans Tom Corless and Nick LoCicero, the live radio talk show on AM 1520 WBZW in Orlando focuses on the latest news and current trending topics at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida. WDW News Today: The Radio Show can also be streamed live at www.1520wbzw.com. WDW News Today the Radio Show debuted in August of 2013 as a 1 hour broadcast on Saturday evenings and has grown into a 2-hour program by popular demand.

To interact with the hosts during the show, listeners can call in at (407) 774-8255, tweet @WDWNT using #WDWNTRadio, or use the new LIVE chat that will be available at Radio.WDWNT.com.

The show begins at 8PM EDT Thursday night, don’t miss it!