Cars Land – Page 2 – WDWNT Archive

10/24/14 Disneyland Resort Report: Disney California Adventure, Flying Tires Fly Away, Frozen Fun Coming West

WDWNT on October 24, 2014

On a warm, moonless fall night in Southern Cal, an older gentleman in a crumpled fedora steps off a bus and shuffles through the darkness toward the bright lights in the distance. He passes through a small security check-point, but the small package under his arm draws no attention.

He glances off to the left, and what might amount to a smile slowly crawls across his lips. The visage of the old Pan-Pacific Auditorium reminds him of that part of L.A., those crazy days, and of a woman he can never forget. He shuffles on a bit more, favoring his right leg, before he sees the people he is there to meet. He calls out: “Hey! Hey there! It’s me. It’s Middlebrow.”

Two people, one tall, one not, dressed in dark clothing step out of the shadows. There is a long pause before he speaks again. “I brought you something… I’ve got the information you asked for.” He pauses again before adding, “…and a book recommendation.” The severe, blonde, woman with the buzz-cut, who was the taller of the two, squinted as if to punctuate his statement with a question mark. He pushed a shaky hand forward, toward the short guy. “She only speaks German,” he said. He held out the small package for what seemed a long time, and then the small, flat box was gone from his hand. The woman took the and opened the box, She seemed puzzled to see several sheets of unevenly folded paper. Handing them to her comrade, who found harshly scribbled notes on them, It read as follows:

Crowds at the Disneyland Resort are Halloween huge! That’s no secret, everybody knows it. Maybe even the Anaheim Police Department…

Day Guests to the Disneyland Resort have a great opportunity to take full advantage of the somewhat reduced hours during the ongoing, sold out Mickey’s Halloween Parties this week. Park Hoppers at Disneyland Park, under the tyranny of a regular fall closing time (6 p.m.), can walk the former Trail of Tears to Disney California Adventure which stays open until 8 p.m… and hey, if you haven’t been here in a while, it’s pretty great. In many ways it is a better night-time park than Disneyland at this point since World of Color runs nightly at Park closing. The diminutive Disneyland Resort has the unique advantage of making “Hopping” a breeze. Your mileage may vary. Try the veal!

That’s all it said. Except, there was also a book recommendation.

“Flying” Ride To Be Re-Tired

It was thought to possibly be the long-lost replacement to a short-lived Disneyland favorite, The Flying Saucers, but with less than three years in service, Luigi’s Flying Tires at Disney California Adventure will close at years’ end.

While much of the Disney Blogosphere has bellowed the repeated rumor of the ride’s closure for a week, WDWNT was able to confirm the attraction’s conclusion and inevitable replacement through the release of a park maintenance schedule on October 21st. It listed the ride on a rehabilitation closure for all of 2015. The logical conclusion was also made that the ride’s replacement is possibly now a Walt Disney Imagineering priority, as it could also be used in a Cars Land addition at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World or in off-shore Disney parks.

It looks so peaceful. And that where the trouble started. Image © Disney

The Flying Saucers had their issues too, but possibly avoided an awkward departure due to their removal during a wholesale renovation of Tomorrowland in the late 1960s. Image © Disney

I don’t know much about aerodynamics. I thought the Bernoulli Principle was a show on BBC America, but a lot of the Guest frustration seemed to come with the of steep learning curve to get the double seated “tire” to float. That coupled with the short time to get the hang of it before you got booted certainly conspired to earn the ride low Guest Research marks.

Over-designed? Under-designed? Underwhelming! Image © Disney

Beach balls were added as early during the soft opening period, in what can only be thought of as a purposeful distraction from the lack of lift. Beach balls!! But nothing they did made the ride fun.

Beach Balls did not kill the beast.

Good-bye Luigi’s Flying Tires. At least you were a good Ride Poster. Image © Disney.

Rumors point to the eventual replacement as being a new, trackless “flat” ride starring Luigi and Guido from Cars. While there are several trackless rides in off-shore Disney parks, this would be the first use of that technology stateside.

In the long run the action is honorable. It’s a pretty big goof… maybe, a medium sized goof in the scope of things. But, no matter what happened, it shows that the park doesn’t want to put on a bad show. They know that all of the space has to contribute to a good show and park capacity. Doing the right thing. F.T.W!

Now A Beautiful Swan

So, in some kind of metaphor, if I’m Disneyland Park, then Disney California Adventure is my sister-park, right? My Sister.

…And I don’t want you talking bad about my Sister! Got it!?

Would you like to see a couple of photos I took, to show how beautiful she has become? I’ll bet you would.

An Elysian setting in the Eureka section of the Park. This vantage point, near the Rushin’ River, makes for one of the most beautiful smoking areas in any park in the country.

Some of the “original” assets in the Park, like this approximation of “Devil’s Post Pile” are very ambitious.

The Food Court in the Pacific Wharf area is a highly effective central meeting place and is appointed in a rustic California style.

Even the (Over) Painted Ladies are looking more comfortable with themselves. The trees have grown in, softening the look of the block.

There are some great, sometimes lightly traveled vistas along the way.

Frozen Almost In Place

Here at FRZN-FM, we are all Frozen, all of the time! With news about new Frozen merchandize, new Frozen experiences and future Frozen Parks and Resorts on the “eights!”

This just in! Frozen fun will be in abundance later this year when our Frozen friends take over the DCA Disney Animation building on HollywoodLand’s Hollywood Blvd. A Fastpass-only character meet n’ greet will move into the Turtle Talk lobby, the Animation Academy will be drawing pretty much all Frozen, while visions of Frozen video clips playing in the lobby will dance in our heads! A new Frozen musical stage show will be installed in MuppetVision theatre, and Frozen-themed ice skating will go into Stage 17. I thought all ice-skating was Frozen-themed?

Have we missed anything? Watch for these additions as the Park moves into what is sure to become known as the Frozen season in late-December 2014, carrying through to the start of the 60th anniversary in the spring.

Book Recomendation

In my various ramblings through the halls and vacant rooms here at Middlebrow Manor, many times I’ve pondered the unending irony of the classic Mansion manifestation being absent for the Pre-Hallow. No matter how tasty the Nightmare Pumpkin Spice flavor is. But, to manor’s extensive library has come a fine read about the Haunted Mansions. Plural.

Master Illusioneer Yale Gracey with one of his creations.

Master Illusioneer Yale Gracey with one of his apparitions. Image © Disney

If you “dig” all strains of Haunted Mansion-ism, and also want to mull over that tiny injustice in the world, you will want to read Jeff Baham’s The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney’s Haunted Mansion. It takes its job of acquainting you of the rather convoluted path the Haunted project took to open in 1969 at Disneyland seriously. It also compares/contrasts the various Mansions and relates the process of those productions in the other “stores” around the world.

Marc Davis, Rolly Crump, Yale Gracey, Claude Coats, Sam McKim, X Atencio and other classic Imagineers take star turns in this tale of professional rivalry and downright creepy creation in the time of Walt Disney’s life and death.

It’s on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle versions. A truly great Halloween read.

That’ll do it for now…

See ‘ya real soon!

BREAKING: Luigi’s Flying Tires in Cars Land to be Removed; New Attraction in Development for Florida Cars Land?

WDWNT on October 24, 2014

Disneyland released an upcoming refurbishment for early 2015 today, and interestingly enough, Luigi’s Flying Tires in Cars Land is listed as closed January 12th through December 1st, 2015.

Rumors have been circulating lately that the ride would be remodeled or replaced with a new, trackless “flat” ride starring Luigi and Guido from Cars, but this is the first confirmation from Disney that the attraction is closing. What exactly is planned is still a mystery, but it would seem that it may be connected to Cars Land clones being developed for other Disney resorts around the world. Rumors persist that part of the overhaul at Disney’s Hollywood Studios would involve Cars Land, or at least some of the offerings from the popular California Adventure offering and it’s likely they wouldn’t want to make any mistakes that they made the first time around by building this ride again. For Disney to invest so quickly in a replacement, there would have to be strong financial reasoning for change, and developing a new ride for multiple locations makes sense.

Luigi’s Flying Tires never scored very well as far as guest satisfaction as the lines were very long for a ride that had a bit of a learning curve to it. Guests were often burnt-out on the attraction after waiting over an hour just to play with the tires for the first time, probably only getting the hang of it just seconds before their ride was over. Luigi’s Flying Tires was meant to finally be the spiritual successor to Disneyland’s ill-fated Flying Saucers from the 1960’s, but it seems it will suffer the very same fate.

To add excitement to the attraction, large beach balls were placed on the ride floor when the ride opened in June 2012. Guests could send the balls high into the air by bumping into them throw the balls at one-another. The balls were unfortunately removed shortly after the ride opened as a few guests who were hit with the balls complained to guest relations cast members. Lines for the attraction dwindled following this removal and they have never quite recovered.

So, is this the end of Luigi’s Flying Tires? It seems so. If you would like to say goodbye to the attraction, you have two-and-a-half months to do so. If you can’t make it, you can relive the experience through our video:

2013 D23 Expo and Disneyland Resort Rewind

WDWNT on September 17, 2013

Once again, a trip to the D23 Expo was more about the experience outside the convention center than the expo itself. Sure, the expo had some memorable moments (Imagineering Pavilion, “Working with Walt” panel, live action panel celebrities and meeting fellow Disney fans just to name a few) but it was Cars Land that stole the show. Here is a brief recap of what was at the expo, with a focus on Vinylmation, but also my thoughts about Disneyland, DCA and other D23 Expo happenings.

The 2013 D23 Expo was held in Anaheim, CA from August 9-11. This time around, I went with my Once Upon a Pin Podcast co-host Rapinzel. Since we spent the first day in merchandise lines, I’ll take you from store to store to review the vinyls and some other merchandise that stood out to me.

The DREAM STORE was the event shop with logo merchandise and other Disney Parks products including Vinylmation and Pins. The line was never too long here. On the first day you could enter in under a half hour. Most of the weekend there was no line. Only a few vinyl items were sold out. Traditionally, the rest of the inventory makes its way over to Downtown Disney at DLR and WDW. Here is a list of the Vinylmation that were released here:

Angel & Devil Donald Duck
Retail Price: $29.95
Artist Name: Thomas Scott
Edition Size: 2,000

Beauty and the Beast Set
Retail Price: $29.95
Artist Name: Caley Hicks
Edition Size: 1,500
This set was sold out at Expo.

Black & White Minnie Mouse
Retail Price: $16.95
Artist Name: Eric Caszatt
Edition Size: 2,000

D23 Sorcerer Logo’s
Retail Price: $16.95
Artist Name: Caley HIcks
Edition Size: 2,000
Yellow 3/4, LE 1500
Blue 1/5, LE 400
Clear 1/20, LE 100
These were also sold out at Expo.

Monsters University Set
Retail Price: $29.95
Artist Name: Ron Cohee
Edition Size: 1,500

Paul Bunyan & Babe the Blue Ox
Retail Price: $29.95
Artist Name: Ron Cohee
Edition Size: 1,000

Silly Symphony Set
Retail Price: $29.95
Artist Name: Thomas Scott
Edition Size: 1,000

Blank: A Vinylmation Love Story
Retail Price: $24.95
Artist Name: Thomas Scott
Edition Size: 1,500

There were various Artist Signings at the Dream Store throughout the weekend that included Vinylmation artists Thomas Scott, Caley Hicks and Ron Cohee. This is were the Marvel Vinylmation series was officially revealed though Trading Cards that were handed out.

Iron Man, Thor, Hulk, Captain America, Black Panther, Black Widow, Vision, Spider-Man, Spider-Woman, Dr. Strange, Nick Furry, a Mystery Chaser, 2 Variants, and a Combo Pack with Hawkeye were all confirmed with Thomas Scott as the artist. The Trading Card Set included 1 card for each character and a variant art card for Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, plus a checklist. October 11th was confirmed as the release date.

There were some customs around the Dream Store including the show stopping Alice in Wonderland Chess Set by Miss Mindy.

And John Henselmeier’s 9″ Sour Oswald.

Noah had a few Wild West Mickey airbrushed customs in the shop, among some other artwork. He also had a shop in the Collector’s Corner area of the expo floor where he would meet and greet with guests.

I also enjoyed a few pieces of other art work that adorned the Dream Store walls. Among those were the Disney Red Heads print by Amy Meeberson of Pocket Princess fame.

And Disney Afternoons by James Silverman.

The DISNEY STORE averaged a 2.5-3 hour wait much of the weekend. This was a small shop with some exclusive and first purchase opportunity items. They released some very limited pins and Funko Pop! as well as the Fairytale Couple product line along with Ariel and Jack Skellington merchandise. The Vinylmation released here were very coveted. The Little Mermaid Blind Box Series was released first at D23 for $12.95 per blind box. A limited release Ursula 3 Pack retailed for $39.95.

And a limited release Ursula 9″ with King Triton Jr. retailed for $80.

The Ursulas were not LE and the 9” is rumored to eventually be sold at the DisneyStore.com. The 3 Pack did sell out at the event. The Little Mermaid blind box series is now available at all Disney Stores, Online and at D-Streets.

There was also a Black and White Mickey and a Black and White Minnie. Both sold as open window for $24.95 each and were packaged with a Disney Store pin. Mickey was available all weekend at an LE of 2000.

Minnie, an LE of only 300, was released and sold out on Saturday. Mickey did not sell out and is now up for sale at the Burbank Studio Store.

WDI MICKEY’S OF GLENDALE was my most anticipated store. I loaded up on WDI pins and picked up the intriguing Vinylmation set that instantly became one of my favorite sets ever produced. Check out my full review here. The Imagineering Vinylmation set consisted of 8 figures sold in Open Window boxes behind the checkout counter. They were limited to 1000 of each design and retailed for $14.95.

David Buckley (black shirt, facing camera) and Justin Hamana (black shirt on left), a couple WDI Graphic Designers, were the artists for the set and held a couple meet and greet opportunities.

A few other Vinylmation stories made headlines over the weekend. Blank: A Vinylmation Love Story premiered. Blank is a stop motion animated series that will consist of twelve, 3 minute webisodes and should be available soon at Disney.com/blank. It feels wrong to like it, because I understand that it is advertising disguised as entertainment and art… but what isn’t these days? It was beautiful animation and had a heartwarming story. Check out my full review here. During the Disney Interactive panel, we saw concept art and the first full episode of Blank.

Blank also had a set up on the expo floor where they played videos, talked about the making of the film and had one of the sets from the filming.

We also discovered that the Sorcerer Level D23 guests (a $1500 ticket) received a Radio Disney Ardy in their gift pack! Remember those? Ya, they did not sell out back at the Radio Disney Music Awards, but supposedly, this was the last of them they had in stock. It appears a box of Junior Pairs 2 were also among the gifts.

photo from Stitch Kingdom

Participants in the D2.3 Fun Run received a runDisney Mickey Vinylmation with a limited edition D23 medal. Although the Vinylmation isn’t exclusive, it seems this would be the only place to get that D23 medal to put around its neck. It was free to sign up and guests had the opportunity to take a 2.3 mile fun run through Disney California Adventure park on the Friday of the D23 expo, and a meet and greet with Sorcerer Mickey and Ali Vincent, host of “Live Big With Ali Vincent” and season 5 winner of the “Biggest Loser.”

Over in the collectors corner section of the expo, we saw many booths with Vinylmation for sale. We also happened upon a booth manned by custom Vinylmation artists Evilos and NRB Relic.

But the expo was not all about Vinylmation of course. In fact, for the second D23 Expo in a row, my favorite purchase was not Vinylmation or Pins! Two years ago, Mattel sold this Woody’s Roundup puppet box.

This year, Mattel sold a Buzz Lightyear Small Fry Poultry Palace happy meal box! It is amazing.

Mattel also had this Dinoco die cast set. It was very popular, but at $100 I passed.

Zoe of course freaked out all weekend because there was so much Ariel, including artwork, tees, dolls and a new Sephora makeup line.

Rapinzel was drawn to the large Tink section and picked up a nice Tinkerbell tee.

I was taken, being a manly man of course, by the Cinderella’s carriage monster truck!

This was just one of the many props and stages advertising the new Disney Infinity video game that was released this past Sunday. Thousands of guest got hands on play time with the game and if you waited in a long enough line, you got a free Disney Infinity figure.

The Disney Interactive panel unveiled a ton about the game, including a Toy Story play set and new figures that include Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Jack Skellington, Wreck it Ralph, Vanelope, Phinieas, Agent P, Elsa, Anna, Rapunzel and Sorcerer Mickey.

Like any great marketing tool, there will be variant and limited edition figures. One such figure, a special Sorcerer Mickey, was given to the guests of the Disney Interactive panel and was limited to 5,000. Sorcerer Mickey will be available for purchase in January 2014, but this one (I’ve heard two stories) either has a different pose or has silver stars and moons in the ears instead of white.

As always, there were some great costumes.

And the Waffle-inator!

Outside the convention center, Ursula was crawling out of the ground ready to shop!

But it was the Imagineering Pavilion that stole the show.

Avatar tease

Disney Springs model

Blueprints for ONE attraction

Yale Gracey’s desk mock up

Early model for Spaceship Earth

Star War tease

Early model for The Land at Epcot

After a busy weekend, the 2013 D23 Expo was over, but the fun was just getting started. Well, actually, the fun started a few hours off the plane back on Thursday. You see, although Monday was our first scheduled day to visit Disneyland, I could not wait to see Cars Land, so we went directly from the airport and were walking around Radiator Springs on day one. It exceeded every single expectation. While Radiator Springs Racers is probably my new favorite Disney attraction, the highlight was just being immersed into the interactive environment. Every detail from the movie was there. And the fact that Lightning and Mater drive down the street and talk to everyone… pure magic.

I miss eating and drinking out of cones

Very cool queue row numbers all over DLR

I got to see a real Piston Cup!

The queue for Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree was a nice treat

On Monday, we did make it back to DCA where I was able to meet up again with Zoe and, for the first time, Annemarie. Vinylmation fans know her as a talented custom Vinylmation artist, and although we have known each other for two years and became very good friends, we had never met in person until this trip. Zoe, Annemarie, Rapinzel and myself had diner at Carthay Circle Restaurant that day and were treated to a very special surprise. Our table was not ready, so they gave us the Buena Vista VIP booth! Walt Disney’s daughter ate in that very booth the night before the Grand Reopening of DCA. It was the best service I’ve ever had. Amazing food, drinks and friends in the a wonderful atmosphere.

Talking about atmosphere… Trader Sams at the Disneyland Hotel. Wow, we had a blast there. The bartenders and the bar itself perform a show based on what drinks are ordered. And I left the place with two tiki themed mugs.

Besides Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, I was able to go on a few attractions for the very first time. Grizzly River Run was super fun. Even first thing in the morning while the August chill was still in the air. We found out really quick why there was no wait at park open. And I see what all the fuss is about over the Matterhorn Bobsleds (Annemarie’s favorite ride). It was so fantastic, I had to take the trip twice. Mickey and the Magical Map is a must see show at Disneyland. The soundtrack was great with good on stage performances.

What a great trip! And I met lots of great people too. I’m already missing Cars Land and my friends and looking forward to 2015!

Conner Purzycki’s 1/17/13 DLR Photo Report

WDWNT on January 3, 2013

I was at the Disneyland Resort this afternoon and captured some newsworthy photos from all around the resort to share.

A giant crane is in place right over Big Thunder.

It looks bigger in person

Work on the center Fantasmic fountain is underway

New Orleans Bayou Bash has already been setup getting ready for the event kickoff tomorrow

Very temporary looking speaker setup

Mark Twain still in dry dock for its annual refurbishment

Christmas decorations still coming down in New Orleans Square

Blue sky and no more snow on the castle

Now for the juicy stuff, Fantasy Faire

A new structure has sprung up where previously a path led to Fantasyland

A closer look at that new structure

Over in DCA, it seems the Hyperion Bridge which crosses over Buena Vista Street was painted overnight to a new darker beige color

I don’t particularly mind the color change, I’m just curious why?

Over in Cars Land, one side of Mater’s is being resurfaced

Over in Flo’s the giant rotisserie out front has been removed

Odd to see this in the middle of the day

Thanks for reading

WDWNT: The Magazine Issue 16 Released

WDWNT on December 3, 2012

We’re happy to announce the release of issue 16 of WDWNT: The Magazine. This is clearly turning out to be the Summer of Disney. Although the calendar may not agree, the Disney Summer kicked off with The Avengers, and now hits the highest of high points with the opening of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street. The transformation of Disney California Adventure has been nothing short of spectacular, and it’s given us fans something to enjoy for years to come.

With that in mind, this issue summarizes WDWNT’s coverage of the Grand Re-Opening of DCA. We also take the opportunity to look at some of Disney’s other large projects, such as the newest DVC resort, Aulani, and Pixar’s latest film, Brave. We also cover a diverse range of other topics such as Disney voice actors, a look at a Disney Wedding, ticket prices over the years, attempting the ultimate Avengers marathon, and finally, a look at the tremendous work being done by Give Kids the World.

We hope that you will find the articles within both entertaining and educational. If you have any suggestions or feedback, we are always happy to hear from our readers. Just send an email to WDWNTthemagazine@wdwnt.com and share your thoughts.

As a reminder, the magazine is available in digital form from our website (http://www.wdwntthemagazine.com) or in printed form from MagCloud (http://www.magcloud.com). If you like what you read, please share it with your friends.

Is A Huge Expansion “In Production” For Disney’s Hollywood Studios?

WDWNT on December 3, 2012

Well, I think Disney tried their best to keep it a secret, but it seems that more observant park-goers have spotted some of the creative minds behind Cars Land at Disney California Adventure walking around Disney’s Hollywood Studios the last few days. What does this mean? Well, long before Cars Land ever opened at DCA, I had heard that Cars Land was coming 5 years later to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. Walt Disney Imagineering and company management know Cars Land is a big winner (selling tons of food, merchandise, and park tickets) and understand it can be just as big a hit, if not bigger, in Orlando. Even while I was wiritng this article, things have progressed even further with Kathy Mangum, one of the creative minds behind Cars Land, being promoted to an “executive producer” position at Walt Disney World.

Hollywood Studios has been in the midst of an identity crisis over the last 10 years as film production came to an end, the Disney animation studio shut-down, and the Residential Street section of the Backlot Tour was bulldozed. Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show has been a disaster since it opened 7 years ago, now only performing 2 shows a day and the Backlot Tour is an expensive attraction that doesn’t serve many guests on a daily basis. This plot would be perfect for Cars Land, and here’s where we think it will go (along with some of the other rumored additions we’ll be telling you about here):

Cars Land along with its attractions Radiator Springs Racers, Luigi’s Flying Tires, and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree would certainly be enough to finally convince people that Hollywood Studios is a full-day park. So I know what you’re saying, “Tom, some sites have already been saying Cars Land is coming to Florida, so none of this is new.” You’re right, Cars Land isn’t exactly a stretch, but the larger plan to revamp the Studios over the next 6 years is much more than one large land…

Hollywood and Sunset Boulevard will finally see the arrival of the Red Car Trolley if all goes according to plan. The cars will be stored behind Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster, where they will then come through the gate near the attraction’s entrance, turn onto Sunset Boulevard, and ride down to Hollywood Boulevard. Now, as for where they will travel from here, I have heard two scenarios: either they will swing left to the park entrance and then turn back towards Sunset Boulevard down a new street taking them past the Theater of the Stars or they will take a trip up to the Great Movie Ride, passing over what used to be the Sorcerer’s Hat before returning down Sunset Boulevard. I tend to think the route illustrated above is a little more realistic considering guest flow in certain areas.

I like the idea of a new street cutting towards Sunset Boulevard as it would make is much easier to get from the park entrance to Tower of Terror, Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster, the Hollywood Hills Amphitheater, and Theater of the Stars. Speaking of Theater of the Stars, enjoy Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage while you can because that is currently scheduled to be the first thing leaving once work starts on this giant project. Similar to what happened to the Theater in the Wild at Animal Kingdom back in 2006, this theater will close for 10-12 months to be enclosed before a new show debuts. That new show? Tangled: The Musical.

I already mentioned that the Sorcerer’s Hat icon is history, but then what will be the park’s icon? Well, the old Chinese Theater facade on the Great Movie Ride is leaving as well since Disney no longer has the rights to use that on merchandise or in publicity materials. Since it works so well at the new and improved Disney California Adventure, expect to see a modified version of the Carthay Circle Theater plopped on front of the giant show building of the Great Movie Ride. Again, here’s a crude quick image I made to illustrate the location:

Unlike the Carthay Circle Theater in California, this facade will actually lead to a real theater: the existing pre-show room for the Great Movie Ride. However, just above the new loading area on the second and third floors will be a restaurant and lounge, just like the new building at DCA. Walt Disney World is always looking to add more fine dining and with Cinderella’s Royal Table inside the castle still as popular as ever, another restaurant inside a park icon would be a great idea. While the Great Movie Ride is closed to change the exterior, it is believed the interior will receive some much neeed TLC, and maybe even a new scene or two, hopefully just in time for the park’s 25th anniversary on May 1, 2014. Maybe it’s wishful thinking, but refurbishments like this often aren’t announced too far in advance, so it’s is likely that the Great Movie Ride could close sometime in early 2013 for these changes.

Moving beyond the Hollywood of the 1930’s, one of the most anticipated pieces of the project has to be “Star Wars Land”. I don’t think that will be the name, but a new show and dining experience should round-out the Star Wars offerings in the park nicely. The beloved Backlot Express restaurant will be converted into the Mos Eisley Cantina from Star Wars: A New Hope, allowing guests to interact with strange creatures at the bar and order even stranger menu items, maybe even some blue milk. Meanwhile, Jedi Training Academy will move into the former Sounds Dangerous theater for an entire new version of the show that incorporates an audio-animatronics living character figure of Yoda. I’ve also heard Disney will be looking to either expand the existing shop or build a new larger Star Wars store near-by as the current store just can’t hold all of the merchandise they have available, including space for things like the Droid Factory or the “Carbon Freeze Me” process.

Moving north, Muppet Studios is in for some investment as well, albeit not nearly as major as anything else that might happen in the park. Pizza Planet will become a counter service location themed to the Muppets, while Mama Melrose’s should become some sort of table service experience with the Swedish Chef. While The Muppets have proven popular, the safe investment would be in converting dining locations rather than constructing a new attraction to showcase them. I also expect to see a few Muppets living character shows roll around this area as well, such as the returning Muppet Mobile Labs with Bunson Honeydew and Beaker, or the long rumored Electric Mayhem band.

The final piece of the puzzle should be the long-rumored Monsters Inc. suspended roller-coaster including a giant scene in the door room from the film. This ride would still be heading to Soundstage 1 from what I am hearing. I know, it may be hard to believe this one as we have been hearing about it forever, but now that the company is looking to invest in the park, it seems likely that a ride already somewhat developed would be cheaper to add than something still in the early stages of creation.

There are also rumors of changes to Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster, Tower of Terror, and Fantasmic!, and the possible replacement of PIXAR Pals: Countdown to Fun with the PIXAR Play Parade currently running at Disney California Adventure. I won’t get into these simply because they are smaller projects and items being discussed in other places, but they should not be forgotten in the grand scheme of things. As for the time frame on this entire project, it should all be competed by 2018 with Cars Land being the final phase. I don’t have any more information than that.

We usually stay away from too much speculation on this site, but a good majority of this report has been substantiated from various sources over the last few months. I feel the need to point out that all of this is simply rumor at this point and it is possible that the entire project be cancelled much like numerous other projects over the 57 year history of the Disney Parks. So what do you think? Is this the extreme makeover Hollywood Studios needs to finally shed the old working studio theme?

Live Coverage of Cars Land, Buena Vista Street, and the Re-Dedication of California Adventure!

WDWNT on October 30, 2012

While it may not be happening at Walt Disney World, WDWNT will be heading out to California to cover all the festivities at the Disneyland Resort over the next week. From the grand opening of Cars Land and Buena Vista Street, to the premiere of new entertainment such as the Voices of Liberty, Streetmosphere, and more, the WDWNT Network will bring you closer to the excitement than anyone else. We’ve even set up a special live coverage site at www.DisneylandNewsToday.com/DCALive to make it easier and faster to connect with everything going on. The page brings together the in-depth coverage that will be found on Disneyland News Today’s website, the up-to-the-minute tweeting from @DLNT, and even live video streaming which we will be offering from a few select events during the week.

Coverage begins tomorrow at the official media festivities for Cars Land. Even once the media events wrap-up on the 15th, we will continue our coverage of what’s happening at the Disneyland Resort through June 20th. We hope you will join us as The Happiest Place on Earth Gets Even Happier!

PICTURES: First-Look Inside Radiator Springs Racers!

WDWNT on July 27, 2012

We may be just days from the opening of Cars Land’s E-ticket attraction Radiator Springs Racers, but we’re just now getting our first look inside this gate-busting extravaganza:

The sign for the attraction