WDWNT Podcaster Chris Lastrapes just spent two days at the Walt Disney World Resort and has a few photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:
There’s still a load of construction walls up around the Magic Kingdom
“it’s a small world” is still behind tarps as the facade is spruced up
Matt Paul has just returned from two day’s of fun at the Walt Disney World Resort and has a plethora of photos to share with us from his journeys, so let’s take a look:
“Celebrate Today!” over and over and over again
WDWNT’s own Jose Castillo is back from the Walt Disney World Resort and has plenty of photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:
Jose arrived at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Wednesday evening to enjoy Fantasmic!
Park hours were expanded and a Fantasmic! was added at 10:00 PM
Matt Paul spent a wonderful Earth Day 2009 at the Walt Disney World Resort and has plenty of pictures to share with us:
“Celebrate Parking!”
Some new flags outside of Animal Kingdom
Two very small press releases were just made available by Walt Disney World regarding the “Characters in Flight” balloon and the “Paradiso 37” restaurant at Downtown Disney:
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The fun soars to new heights at Downtown Disney West Side with an iconic new tethered balloon that takes guests on ascents of up to 400 feet above the waterfront.
Guests board a gondola beneath the 105-foot-high balloon from a landing platform on Village Lake at the end of the main promenade at Downtown Disney West Side. Riders can catch flights seven days a week. Hours Sunday-Thursday are 10:30 a.m.-11 p.m. while ascents Friday-Saturday are 10:30 a.m.-midnight. Tickets ($16 for ages 10-up and $10 for ages 3-9) can be purchased on site. Availability is on first-come, first-serve basis.
Characters In Flight operated by Aerophile is a 72-foot-diameter balloon with a whimsical design featuring silhouettes of a dozen of Disney’s “flying characters” – such as Mary Poppins, Peter Pan and Dumbo. The vibrantly colored balloon can lift up to 30 guests at a time on a six-minute trip – thanks to its enclosed volume of 210,000 cubic feet of lighter-than-air gas. The ascents, by day or night, provide guests with an unparalleled, 360-degree view of up to 10 miles.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Paradiso 37, a high-energy restaurant and bar featuring cuisine from North, South and Central America, welcomes guests to its table in May at Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort.
The lakeside eatery will offer a delectable variety of menu offerings representing the 37 countries of the Americas, plus an international wine bar, 37 varieties of tequila and 10 signature frozen margaritas.
The new concept was developed by Orlando-based E-Brands Restaurant Group, a multi-concept restaurant group which currently owns and operates Timpano Chophouse, Samba Room, Taqueria Canonita, Aquaknox, David Burke, Salsa Orlando and Canonita Express in a number of locations across the United States.
The lively Downtown Disney restaurant will feature nightly entertainment and will be open daily from 11 a.m. until late night.
WDWNT Reporter Jose Eber took a short trip to the Walt Disney World Resort this morning and has a few photos to share:
The Characters in Flight balloon at Downtown Disney looks ready to take off any minute now
The Virgin Megastore is almost gone, rumors suggest that this may become an AMC-Imax location
Work continues on “Paradiso 37”, not much progress on the exterior in the last few days
The finishing touches are being applied to the entrance of the Bay Lake Tower wing of Disney’s Contemporary Resort
WDWNT Reporter Jose Eber has provided us with the following video featuring the Characters in Flight balloon still in its testing phase on Downtown Disney’s West Side (The video is available in high definition by clicking the HD button on the bottom of the video window):
WDWNT Reporter Jose Eber spent the early part of April Fool’s Day 2009 at the Downtown Disney District to provide us with an update on some of the area’s latest offerings. Here is the joke free report:
The “Characters in Flight” balloon operated by Aerophile will now open around April 10th
Read More about Jose Eber’s 4/1/09 No Fool’s Downtown Disney Report
UP, UP AND AWAY — Guests will get a bird’s-eye view of Walt Disney World Resort as they soar to new heights in a whimsical attraction that recently opened at Downtown Disney. Characters in Flight, operated by Aerophile, is a giant tethered balloon that ascends some 300 feet into the sky every 10 minutes (depending on weather). Riders can catch the flight daily for $16 ($10 for ages 3-9).
If you look really closely at this press picture, on the bridge you will find a man in a black shirt. That man is actually WDWNT Reporter Matt Paul. Just thought that was an interesting note….
WDWNT Reporter Jose Eber has us a few photos from the West Side of Downtown Disney featuring construction of the latest attraction coming to the Walt Disney World Resort, a tethered balloon ride:
The attraction is operated by Aerophile, but is still called “Characters in Flight
The short flight aboard the balloon will cost $16.00 for an adult, and $10.00 for children
