Walt Disney World 2013 – Coming Attractions

WDWNT on January 9, 2013

So, 2012 is coming to a close and you’re probably now asking, “Well, what is happening at Walt Disney World in 2013?” It’s going to be nearly impossible to top all the changes and additions we had in 2012 at the Vacation Kingdom of the World, but there will be a steady diet of exciting offerings coming in 2013:

Princess Fairytale Hall

Princess Fairytale Hall

Disney princesses including Cinderella, Aurora, Snow White, Jasmine, Tiana and Rapunzel will have a new home for meeting their loyal subjects when Princess Fairytale Hall opens in 2013 in the shadows of Cinderella Castle. The castle-like entrance will feature walls of stone and stained glass windows leading to a large, high-ceilinged room where portraits of the princesses adorn the walls. When summoned, Magic Kingdom guests will proceed to elegantly furnished chambers to meet the princesses.

Limited Time Magic

Disney Parks guests will get an extra dash of pixie dust in 2013 with Limited Time Magic. Themed weekly surprises and special offers will surprise and delight Disney Parks guests with 52 weeks of the unexpected. Plans include everything from dance parties, new festivals and character meet and greets to culinary treats, special entertainment and commemorative keepsakes. The bicoastal offering — created to remind guests about the importance of family vacation time together — is full of unique, magical, memory-filled experiences – all available for a limited time only. Special experiences include Valentine’s week with enchanting dinners, or photo shoots with famous Disney character couples; a patriotic salute during July 4th week with red, white and blue lights adorning castles on both coasts and limited edition souvenirs; or the popular Dapper Dans barbershop quartet swapping their old-time melodies for surprise renditions of today’s boy band hits. Each Limited Time Magic offering will have a varying length from a day to a week to a season adding to the element of surprise.

The Kinsey Collection at the American Adventure

The Kinsey Collection Opens at Epcot in 2013

The American story of determination, courage, hope, struggle and inspiration will be told through more than 40 pieces of art, artifacts, books sculptures and documents on display at Epcot. The American Adventure Pavilion will be home to the Kinsey’s personal treasures of African-American art and history, amassed from their travels to 90 countries with some works dating to the 17th century. The Kinsey Collection is the intersection where art and history meet, a virtual history book opened wide, giving voice to untold stories of accomplishment and contribution. After previews during African-American Heritage Month in February, the Kinsey Collection is scheduled to open in March 2013. The Kinsey Collection, at the American Heritage Gallery, will be included in Epcot admission.

Disney Senses Spa Opens at Grand Floridian, Coming to Saratoga Springs
If the new year means a new you, the just-opened Senses – A Disney Spa at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort welcomes Walt Disney World Resort guests to renew and rejuvenate in 2013. The newly-remodeled spa, owned and operated by Disney, blends Grand Floridian Victorian elegance with modern touches – plus a dash of Disney whimsy.

All the senses are engaged in an ultimate relaxation experience – flavorful and soothing elixirs, color variations in lighting and Disney orchestral music harmonize with the treatment selected. Spa-goers walk through the new Victorian-style entryway and indulge in the spa’s relax, renew, or imagine themes aimed at creating a custom experience. The centerpiece of the spa’s lobby is an original mural reflecting old Florida landscape and nature. Glass mosaic tiles in the Jacuzzi rooms further enhance the elegance and sophistication of the spa.

Fifteen treatment rooms offer pampering services such as water therapy, sugar exfoliation body treatment, rejuvenating citrus facial, a restorative hand and foot ritual with Chinese Jasmine oils, plus a Princess Pedicure or Magical Manicure for youngsters ages 4-12. Lounges, whirlpools and treatment rooms all provide rejuvenation through the healing nature of Florida citrus and botanicals.

The new menu of services also includes a signature 80-minute Grand Floridian treatment featuring a special aromatherapy massage.

Guests can book a spa appointment at the new Senses – A Disney Spa at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort by calling 407-WDW-SPAS (407-939-7727) or learn more by visiting www.disneyworld.com/spas

All of the spas, salons and fitness centers will be owned and operated by Disney beginning Jan.16, 2013. On that same day the spa at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort will temporarily close for renovation and reopen in the summer as Senses – A Disney Spa at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort.

“Sophia the First” and “Doc McStuffins” join Disney Junior – Live on Stage
Disney Junior – Live on Stage! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney California Adventure is periodically updated to feature the latest, most popular characters and stories from the Disney Junior line-up on television. In 2013, the top-rated “Doc McStuffins” and “Sofia the First” join the show. The new version of Disney Junior – Live on Stage! debuts at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in mid-February and comes to Disney California Adventure one month later, in March 2013. “Sofia the First” as a regular series premieres Friday, Jan. 11, on Disney Channel and Disney Junior.

Starbucks comes to Magic Kingdom and Epcot
Starbucks will be opening locations at Disney theme parks at the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. The first two Walt Disney World locations will open in 2013. At Magic Kingdom, Main Street Bakery will close for refurbishment in January 2013. When it reopens in early summer, Main Street Bakery will keep its name and theming and continue to serve Disney favorites like cookies, brownies and seasonal cupcakes, in addition to Starbucks signature beverages and other menu items. At Epcot, Fountain View will temporarily close in March 2013. When Fountain View reopens in midsummer, it will serve Starbucks products. Each Starbucks location inside a Disney Park will reflect the theme of its surroundings. At Magic Kingdom Park for example, Cast Members will wear a costume consistent with the early 20th century look and feel of Main Street, U.S.A. At Future World in Epcot, the new Starbucks location and Cast Member costumes will be designed to match the park’s futuristic theme.

New Dining

  • California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort gets a major makeover and will be closed from February 2, 2013 until late-summer 2013. Chef Brian Piasecki also is tweaking the menu, but the focus will remain on fresh, seasonal creations.
  • Upstairs at the France pavilion, Bistro de Paris has reopened with a new name and a completely refurbished dining room and new menu. Still haute French but a bit more casual, with a nod to famed chef Paul Bocuse in the décor and the name – Monsieur Paul. In the meantime, Boulangerie Patisserie bakery is a brand-new building at the back of the pavilion, opening in January 2013.
  • Citricos at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa now offers a private dining experience in The Chef’s Domain for up to 10 guests. Available Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, cost is $155 per person plus tax (includes gratuity) for six courses.

Other 2013 additions Disney has not confirmed at this time include The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, Tapaz (a waterside restaurant to be constructed in the Morocco pavilion at Epcot), and a rather large refurbishment project for the Jungle Cruise. We’ll have more on these projects as they become available.

So… what are you most excited for in 2013?

Robert Ashburn’s 4/12-13/12 Epcot & Magic Kingdom Photo Report

WDWNT on April 19, 2012

WDWNT Reporter Robert Ashburn visited Epcot and the Magic Kingdom this weekend, and he took plenty of photos from both parks to share with us:

Test Track graces the maps during its final days

You still have a month to check out the Flower and Garden Festival

Habit Heroes and the soon-to-open VISION House on the signage inside Innoventions

Still closed…

The VISION House still behind walls

Opens April 22nd, but we’ll have media coverage beginning April 21st

Habit Heroes and VISION House are both not on the wall yet

The ImageWorks at Imagination! looks empty since the new company took over

Amazing Pictures is now in charge of this photo location

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Work continues on the facade of the Seas with Nemo and Friends

This seperate and elevated piece of pavement will take guests to a new queue area for Turtle Talk

A new whole in the facade will be the entrance for Turtle Talk

Inside the queue, a new enclosed area is visible, this will be the Turtle Talk queue

Today was the last day for the original Test Track, it closes tomorrow for refurbishment

MouseGear has an entire section of Phineas and Ferb merchandise

An interesting new shirt

Sorry Oswald, but I like the classic character shirt…

Pretty cool!

Some new shirts with a tropical theme

The “unfriend” shirt is pretty brilliant

A new EPCOT Center shirt

The Southwest Black Bean Flatbread is a fairly new offering

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Moving to the Magic Kingdom, the tarps on Center Street are gone

It looks great

Plaza Ice Cream is back after a lengthy refurbishment

The menu is pretty much unchanged, but the interior was spruced up

A short line for Sorcerers? Wow…

The new menu at Sunshine Tree Terrace

The torches were turned back on after years of just sitting there, which is a very good thing to see

The flash shows the great job they did repairing the facade

The Avengerail passing through the Contemporary

Health and Wellness Rooms Nixed for Disney’s Contemporary Resort

WDWNT on December 1, 2011

From Jason Garcia at the Orlando Sentinel:

Walt Disney World has dropped plans to convert a floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort into “health and wellness” suites that would have included amenities such as in-room exercise equipment and massage tables, a project company officials once hoped to use to tap into a growing market for healthy-lifestyle travel.

The suites, which Disney announced in April, were initially supposed to open last month.

A Disney spokesman said the resort still plans to renovate the 14th floor of the 40-year-old Contemporary, one of Disney World’s original hotels. But the improvements will be “in line” with conventional “high-end suite standards” at Disney’s other deluxe-priced hotels.

The renovations are now scheduled to begin in early 2013 to coincide with a planned rehab of the Contemporary’s roof. The roof-top California Grille is expected to undergo renovations at the same time. The refurbished suites are likely to reopen by the start of the summer.

Disney would not say why it decided to abandon the health-and-wellness theme. Resort executives had previously said they viewed the Contemporary project as a test that could be a precursor to more themed renovations in other deluxe hotel suites.

“We look at new ideas and concepts all of the time. It’s not unusual for changes to be made on major construction projects such as” the Contemporary suite renovations, said Disney World spokesman Bryan Malenius.

The health-and-wellness concept emerged from a broader initiative within Walt Disney Parks and Resorts to carve out more “specialty room” concepts appealing to targeted demographics. Disney World, which has approximately 22,000 hotel rooms, has already converted 384 rooms at the moderately priced Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort into pirate-themed rooms and is in the midst of remaking 512 rooms at the moderately priced Disney’s Port Orleans Resort into princess-themed “Royal Rooms.”

Disney said some of the design features from early renderings of the health suites, such as bamboo floors and low-allergen mattresses, are likely to remain a part of the 2013 renovations. But other touches, such as the in-room cardio equipment and a private yoga studio, will be jettisoned.

The original announcement of these rooms was made back in April 2011.

Haunted Mansion Merchandise Event Coming September 30th!

WDWNT on July 13, 2011

On the eve of Walt Disney World’s 40th anniversary, a celebration of the 40th birthday of the Florida Haunted Mansion is taking place. From Dana Trujillo on the Disney Parks Blog:

Materialize, foolish mortals at the Room For 1 More merchandise event, which will celebrate one of our park’s most beloved attractions, the Haunted Mansion, at Disney’s Contemporary Resort Sept. 30, 2011.

‘Room for 1 More’ Merchandise Event Celebrates the Haunted Mansion

We invite you to step through the graveyard gates of the Haunted Mansion cemetery, recreated with “ghoulish delight” at the resort. Here you can dine in a mist-enshrouded banquet realm hidden among the crypts. While organ music plays, restless spirits will rise to entertain you during a feast provided by our ghoulish gastronomists.

Looking for somewhere to retire? Might I suggest our Ghost Gallery in the Library, where you’ll want to keep the supernatural in suspense by bidding on priceless first editions and other creepy keepsakes in our silent auction.

Room For 1 More event – P“LOTS” includes:

  • Be the first to pre-purchase limited-edition event logo products, Haunted Mansion-themed collectibles and Walt Disney World 40th Anniversary collectibles.
  • A deadly silent auction that includes a performance art lot by Noah.
  • Meet and greets with world-renowned artists such as Robert Olszewski, Jim Shore, Greg McCullough and more.
  • A cryptic conversation with our council of Walt Disney Imagineers.
  • Ghostly dinner feast with haunting sounds and full-bodied entertainment.
  • A deadly departure gift … don’t forget to hurry back!

Mortals dying to attend the Room For 1 More event can request tickets through July 20. For more details and a sneak peek at the treasures that will be featured at the event, visit ArtofDisneyParks.com.

Happy haunting!

UPDATE:

More information can be found (including a look at all of the merchandise) at ArtofDisneyParks.com.

 

Health & Wellness Suites and Royal Guest Rooms Coming to Walt Disney World

WDWNT on April 26, 2011

Walt Disney World has announced two new room types coming soon: One for a health-minded adults being added to Disney’s Contemporary Resort, another offering Princess-themed rooms for younger guests (what we speculated about in a report in a few months ago). Disney has also announced that more specialty rooms will be a part of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort when it opens next year. Here is the full story from the Disney Parks Blog:

Hi everyone. I’m thrilled to start off the day by breaking another exciting announcement here on the Disney Parks Blog about two new Specialty Room offerings coming to the Walt Disney World Resort – health and wellness suites and Royal Guest Rooms.

New Health and Wellness Suite at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Beginning this fall, guests looking for some rest and relaxation can indulge in new health and wellness suites, which will debut at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. These suites will feature bamboo flooring, 100-percent cotton linens, non-allergenic wrapped mattresses – as well as great views of Magic Kingdom Park and Bay Lake. Bathrooms on this floor also will be equipped with rainwater showers and tea tree oils.

New Health and Wellness Suite at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

Guests staying in these suites also can enjoy the benefit of having cardio equipment right in their room. And they’ll have daily access to seasonal and organic fresh foods at the concierge lounge, and can enjoy yoga sessions and spa treatments at the resort’s renovated wellness studio.

Royal Guest Room at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort

Exciting enhancements also are taking place over at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort, with 512 Royal Guest Rooms planned to debut by March 2012. The story behind these lush rooms is that Princess Tiana (“The Princess and The Frog”) invited some of her royal pals – Belle (“Beauty and the Beast”), Jasmine (“Aladdin”) and more – for a vacation getaway. Princes and princesses of all ages can enjoy their luxurious lodging quarters, which will include ornate beds that feature headboards with fiber-optic special effects, and gold and crystal accents. Guests also can enjoy artwork and special mementos left by Tiana’s royal friends.

Pirate-Themed Guest Room at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort

These rooms are the latest in Disney’s Specialty Room line, which already includes pirate-themed guest rooms atDisney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Donald Duck-themed rooms at Tokyo Disney Resort, and more. More Specialty Rooms will be added to the collection when Disney’s Art of Animation Resort debuts in May 2012.

Guests can begin booking the new Specialty Rooms mid-summer. The existing pirate-themed rooms can be booked now by visiting www.waltdisneyworld.com or calling 407-939-7429.

 

“A Contemporary Classic” by Chuck Mirarchi

WDWNT on January 29, 2010

When one uses the words landmark and iconic, they typically refer to objects and places that are instantly recognizable by virtually everyone, anywhere on the planet.  These words can easily be applied to things like the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, and the Taj Mahal. But for a theme park and resort complex?  Never… well except for one place, Disney Parks.

In addition to Mickey Mouse, who is one of the most recognizable symbols in the world, Cinderella’s Castle, Epcot’s Spaceship Earth and a number of other Walt Disney World buildings also fall into that category. Another Walt Disney World landmark that falls into that group is the Contemporary Resort Hotel.

The Contemporary Resort Hotel and the Polynesian Village Resort (as it was known in 1971) were the first two hotels to open with Walt Disney World on October 1, 1971.  On opening day, it truly lived up to its name, but to truly appreciate this resort, one must understand the hotel’s history.

In 1964, Walt Disney puts “Project X” (later known as “The Florida Project”) into motion.  After Walt’s death in December of 1966, Roy put most of Walt’s plans for EPCOT the city on hold; however, he incorporated many of EPCOT’s ideas and companies – already on board – into the creation of the new Florida park and resort.  The birth of the Contemporary Resort Hotel came from Walt’s vision for his “Progress City,” as well as the involvement of US Steel.

Read More about “A Contemporary Classic” by Chuck Mirarchi