Our latest photo report brings us to the Magic Kingdom for one last look at the Halloween season before Christmas settles in next week.
Welcome to the Magic Kingdom
The last Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Part is on November 1st, and then it’s full speed to the Christmas season at the park.
A section of the Emporium is still behind tarps.
Items in the Vera Bradley Alice in Wonderland collection are buy one, get one 50% off at Uptown Jewelers.
The Little Mermaid collection is also available here.
A smaller version of The Dress Shop has opened towards Casey’s Corner. Many of the dresses, purses, and more from the Disney Springs shop can be found here now.
For some reason, this limited release shirt from ShopDisney is being sold in the parks concurrently. The location makes sense as this space was the House of Magic many years ago. Hopefully, more limited release shirts like this get released at the parks as well. Sadly, the matching MagicBand is online only.
The more confusing part is putting the shirt in a window that’s currently boarded up and no one can see…
Even though a few parties remain, any guest at the Magic Kingdom can now buy select items from the event.
As I said last year, I don’t agree with this. At least wait for the last party to end or send it to the outlets. It takes away one of the parks of the very expensive party ticket.
The Club That’s Made Not for You and Me
As we reported over the weekend, work has begun on what will likely be the Club 33 locations for the Magic Kingdom, the remainder of the old Adventureland Veranda.
The path into Adventureland is quite narrow right now due to the work.
Some are speculating that this work is actually for a permanent Moana meet and greet, but it seems way too extensive for something so minor.
Giant sections of awning that have been there since the 70’s have been removed. This wouldn’t be necessary for a meet and greet and could have been kept.
With a little tree clearing, the patio would offer some unique fireworks views for Club 33 guests.
This and That
All of the trees between Be Our Guest Restaurant and the village had to be removed due to hurricane damage.
In fairness, it doesn’t look terrible since all of the walls the trees covered are well-themed.
We’re still hoping they plant some new trees, at least to cover this speaker tower.
Work continues on the outdoor covered seating area at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe. Should open very soon.
Pecos Bill’s has added an menu with pictures… it’s a window cling.
Splash Mountain is still closed for refurbishment.
Some new holiday plush for sale. Goofy’s sweater features bulbs that actually light up.
You can get the blown-glass Monorail ornament personalized at Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe.
For some reason, they have a Haunted Mansion merchandise cart out in front of the store selling accessories. I suppose this is to capitalize on Halloween Party guests.
Princess ApparelÂ
A number of new Princess items were released recently, including this Snow White line.
$36.99
$39.99
$36.99
$39.99
Sir Mickey’s has the new Little Mermaid line as well.
The collection also includes this hoodie, $49.99.
Jasmine top, $36.99
Aurora top, $36.99
Belle long sleeve top, $44.99
There are also 4 new Tinker Bell shirts. They range in price from $36.99-39.99.
A large section of Sir Mickey’s is now selling items from Olaf’s Frozen Adventure.
This pillow is exclusive to the parks.
It retails for $27.99.
Shop ‘Till You Drop
The Jungle Cruise may not be getting a store anytime soon, but it is getting its own restaurant…
Image courtesy WidenYourWorld.net, Adventureland Veranda many years ago
The Adventureland Veranda restaurant opened with the park in October 1971, and despite several widespread menu changes and the arrival and departure of Kikkoman as a corporate sponsor, continued to operate until 1994. Since then, it has been used for many things, mostly character meet and greets and treat stations for the Magic Kingdom’s party events. After most recently serving as home to Tinker Bell and her fairy friends before she flew on over to Town Square Theater, the establishment will finally return to food service after 21 years of being lost in the shuffle. The recent swap of Sunshine Tree Terrace and Aloha Isle was indeed a measure to alleviate traffic in front of the restaurant’s entrances and exits.
The space being used as Tinker Bell’s Magical Nook
The new restaurant will be tentatively called the “Skipper’s Cantina”, themed around the near-by Jungle Cruise attraction. The back story would revolve around Jungle Cruise skippers being paid pretty poorly by the Jungle Navigation Company (or Disney in real life, but that’s enough of that…) and needing to operate the restaurant to make a little more money. This would be significant as it would be the first restaurant at the domestic Disney Parks inspired by an original Disney attraction and not an animated or live action film.
Who’s hungry for some Jungle Cruise-inspired cuisine?
Current rumors speculate that the restaurant will operate in a similar fashion to “Be Our Guest” in that is will offer a counter service lunch and a table service dinner. With the annual Magic Kingdom park attendance continually rising, the once unnecessary establishment will now serve a real purpose in helping out the overburdened park-wide dining facilities in the Magic Kingdom of 2015.
Disney would like to have the new restaurant open by November 2015, but that is purely speculation at this time. That being said, the interior of the building was never damaged too heavily by any of the tenants over the last few years, so the conversion shouldn’t take very long.
Stay tuned for more on this breaking story…
WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited the Magic Kingdom on Monday and has plenty of newsworthy photos to share with us, so lets take a look:
Work is still in the early stages for the third bus loop at the Magic Kingdom
A look at the Villas at the Grand Floridian from across the lagoon
An up-close look
The Main Street Bakery should re-open as a Starbucks location any day now
]The former Hall of Champions is still behind tarps
The unexplained tarps are still up on the facade of the Adventureland Veranda
Some work taking place on the second level of Grizzly Hall required the removal of the Jamboree sign
Tarps still up at Sleepy Hallow Refreshments
Columbia Harbour House is also still behind tarps
Some walls up by the boat dock as well
Nothing new over at the former Peter Pan restrooms
The absence of tarps at Princess Fairytale Hall may mean we are just a few weeks away from a soft-opening
The new signage was quickly installed and un-installed recently at the Mad Tea Party, it should be back soon
Slowly the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train facade is looking more and more complete
the section on the backside that is finished opened as a stroller parking area
HEY! Lone Ranger pins are put already if you want them. Oh, you don’t? Well, they are here if you change your mind…
WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited the Magic Kingdom on Tuesday and has some newsworthy photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:
The Villas at the Grand Floridian are starting to match the Grand Floridian skyline
They are racing towards an October opening
Work continues on the third bus loop at the Magic Kingdom
The first awnings for the bus loop have started to appear
Yep…
Tarps still up on the Adventureland Veranda
It looks like A Pirate’s Adventure is going to have FastPass+ at some point
Guests can’t board at the Frontierland Railroad Station currently as they work on the stairs
Sleepy Hollow Refreshments… say it with me… IS STILL BEHIND TARPS
Walls still up on the waterfront in Liberty Square
FastPass+ entrance at “it’s a small world” ready for testing this week
You can now buy your own Gaston’s Tavern sign at Bonjour Village Gifts
Things have been so crazy around here at WDW News Today lately that we’ve had some minor news stories slip through the cracks. In an effort to get you up to speed on some of the stories we haven’t covered on the site lately, here are newsworthy photos from myself and Dirk Wallen taken earlier in March:
Some new “flat” snowglobes for sale
There are some new hot sandwiches in Liberty Square
Most of the arcades at Walt Disney World are replacing their prize counters with one of these
An automated prize machine is a pretty cool concept
The new purchase with purchase item for sale is an expandable duffle
Wriost gift cards are available for the Flower and Garden Festival
Work continues on expanding the Boardwalk Bakery
The arcade next door is gone
The sign is still up and the door still enters the small ESPN shop
The arcade section is covered by a curtain
A few weeks ago, Test Track introduced a new car type guests can choose
Triton’s Treasures behind the Mine Train now has shutters on it
An ADA compliant ramp was installed on the Yankee Trader
Some of the new Haunted Mansion merchandise is for sale in Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe
Picture frame
Hourglass
Coasters
Work continues on installing A Pirate’s Adventure in Adventureland
Work continues on the exterior of the Adventureland Veranda
Rumors indicate that this may finally become a Pirate restaurant in 2014 once the Disney Fairies move out
More tarps on the front of the building
St. Patrick’s Day shirt
Spring Break and graduation merchandise out
Two new Oswald shirts for sale
Mr. and Mrs. Easter Bunny are in town square
Awwwwww
More Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train construction
Some trees up on the mountain
We can finally see some rock work
In preparation for FastPAss+, a large section of the Pirates of the Caribbean queue has been re-routed
Work continues on the Villas at the Grand Floridian
Thanks for reading!
WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen has been all-over the Walt Disney World Resort as of late and has a ton of newsworthy photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:
While most of the new parking lot at the Grand Floridian Villas is open, some is still closed to accommodate construction
Work continues on the Villas at the Grand Floridian
This appears to be the drop-off area
Iron Man-O-Rail running
Moving to the Magic Kingdom, work continues on the Main Street Bakery
The new Dumbo popcorn bucket available on Main Street
Purty
Work continues on the exterior of the Adventureland Veranda
The glass canopy on the other side of the building is still missing
Some work happening at the Swiss Family Treehouse while it is open
Kodak picture spots are still up around the parks
Some new Splash Mountain shirts have come out
Work continues on Columbia Harbor House
The other side looks completely new
More rock-work appearing everyday on the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train
A new shirt featuring Main Street U.S.A.
Some new sports shirts
They put a cardboard popcorn bucket inside the Dumbo popcorn bucket
Moving over to Epcot, work continues on the facade of Mission: Space
Walls are already up and work has begun on the Spice Road Table restaurant in Morocco
A temporary stage is now up for Mo Rockin’
Work continues on turning the old France bakery into an ice cream parlor
Moving over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios…
Kodak signage is gone from Muppetvision 3-D
A dance party truck was rolled out on Streets of America to deal with the heavier crowds recently
The Disney Truck Shop at Downtown Disney
The latest pin in the 2013 poster collection was released last week
Huey, Dewey, and Louie are now 75 years old
Disney-PIXAR Vinylmation pins are now on sale
Rumors have been persistent that a new tree backdrop was being built in the Adventureland Veranda at the Magic Kingdom since the Princesses moved out, looks like those rumors are true. From Jennifer Fickley-Baker on the Disney Parks Blog:
I have an update today for all of you Disney Fairies fans.
Tinker Bell and the rest of the Disney Fairies will return to Magic Kingdom Park for meet-and-greets beginning July 28. The Pixie Hollow gang will be stationed at the Adventureland Veranda in the Adventureland area of the park.
Until that time, the fairies will continue greeting families at Epcot.
Tip: For the most updated information on meet-and-greet locations for any Disney character, pick up a Times Guide at any Disney theme park.
