6/24/14 Walt Disney World Photo Report (Polynesian Resort, Magic Kingdom, & Animal Kingdom)

WDWNT on June 29, 2014

WDWNT Reporters Joe Hogarty and John Corigliano visited Disney’s Polynesian Resort, the Magic Kingdom, and Disney’s animal kingdom over the last few days and have plenty of exciting pictures to share with us, so let’s take a look:

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Concept art for the changes at the Polynesian are decorating the walls that cover up the work in the lobby

The entrance to what will be the Disney Vacation Club wing

TRADER SAM’S!!!

Another look at the DVC building

The new look lobby in the Great Ceremonial House

Captain Cook’s new look

Seating area by the outside pool bar

More Trader Sam’s

Captain Cook’s is still closed

Work outside the arrival area at the Great Ceremonial House

A look at the bungalows

Moving to the Magic Kingdom, Anna and Elsa now meet on one side of Fairytale Hall alone, they are also no longer posing with each other

Plenty of Frozen merchandise inside Sir Mickey’s

If you’re afraid of your children going deaf from loud music, buy these

This store really needs a name change… Sir Mickey’s has nothing but female character merchandise

A long line to buy Frozen merchandise…

The Astro Orbiter and the TTA are both closed for refurbishment

The entire Astro Orbiter has been dismantled

Work continues on the massive hub overhaul at the Magic Kingdom

The Gaston fountain is starting to look a little funky… not sure if they’ll leave it for the more realistic look

Aurora now greeting guests next door to City Hall

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Moving over to Animal Kingdom, there are walls up all over the park

The KODAK sign is still up…

Walls near Flame Tree Barbecue

The gate along the path from Asia to Africa, has been demolished…

Maybe a new pathway?

Walls up on Discovery Island

Walls up in Africa where the new pathway should lead

The construction area for the path goes very close to the Wildlife Express Train tracks

The path would go around Tamu Tamu Refreshments and the adjacent seating area

Thanks for the report John and Joe!

Dirk Wallen’s 1/11/13 Magic Kingdom Photo Report

WDWNT on March 17, 2013

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited the Magic Kingdom earlier today and has some great newsworthy photos to share with us (including our first look at the Big Thunder Mountain interactive queue), so let’s take a look:

More RFID entrances being installed at the Magic Kingdom

Kodak references still up at Town Square Theater

Plenty of Valentine’s Day treats available already

Some of the Hall of Champions facade is behind tarps again

The Adventureland Veranda is behind tarps now

This area next to Aloha Isle is behind tarps now too. We think it might be related to the Adventureland interactive game

Splash Mountain is closed until March

The ride is drained and a lot of the ride has already been ripped up

Seemingly overnight, props have been installed in the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad queue

We can see a lot of things labeled “explosives”

For a queue that has always been pretty bland, it actually looks nice now

FastPass+ kiosk in the queue

A look across the Rivers of America at the new Fantasyland/Liberty Square pathway

The Tangled restrooms are looking great

Looks like they are almost done

No visible progress on Princess Fairytale Hall

The Cheshire Cafe sign is back

A new Walt Disney pin set was released with images of him on luggage

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom now has a mystery pin set

The Magic Kingdom map has changed again and for the first time in my lifetime, it does not have a Kodak logo

PhotoPass now graces the back cover instead of Kodak

Dirk Wallen’s 2/23/13 Walt Disney World Resort Photo Report

WDWNT on March 3, 2013

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen takes us to all 4 Walt Disney World theme parks this time around, stopping to check progress on the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train, the Tangled restroom area, the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, the Big Thunder Mountain interactive queue, and more! Let’s take a look:

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RFID entrance installation continues at the Studios

The large electronic scrolling sign at Sounds Dangerous is now gone, looks like we can finally officially say the attraction is dead

The new Disney JuniorL Live on Stage debuted a few weeks ago

Doc McStuffins was added to the show

As was Sophia the First

Whoops…

It was up there for some of the show…

The Epcot 30th reveal/conceal pin set came out recently

New Spring pins

85th anniversary of the Plane Crazy short

EASTER DUFFY!

New Muppet shirt

Moving over to Animal Kingdom

Kodak picture spots are still up…

RFID entrances still being installed at Animal Kingdom as well

More Kodak

Hard to believe, but they are still installing the nets at Tree of Life

This is taking forever…

Some areas look completed

Others look like no work has even started

Beastly Bazaar will soon open as the Adventurers Outpost, a Mickey and Minnie meet and greet

The Character Landing will soon host Donald and Daisy, Pooh and Tigger are heading to Camp Minnie-Mickey

Pocahontas has already moved out of Camp Minnie-Mickey

The old theater for Pocahontas and Her Forrest Friends is still stroller parking

Some walls up in Camp Minnie-Mickey

We believe they are installing FastPass+ behind these walls at Theater in the Wild

Moving to Epcot, Flower and Garden Festival preparation is in full swing

Some scrims still up near the Oz playground

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs near Germany

Toy Story characters in the American Adventure

Lady and the Tramp in Italy

All of the booths are up… it’s so weird to see these out so early in the year…

They are giving out seed packets to promote Oz: The Great and Powerful and the festival

The Mission: Space facade is being refurbished, the ride is open still

Don’t try to park at the Polynesian Resort, there is a ton of construction equipment sitting there…

Work continues on The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort. There’s some strange tower rising on the right…

Another somewhat similar structure is rising outside the building on the other side

It’s starting to look like the Grand Floridian

Moving to the Magic Kingdom, Main Street Apparel is behind tarps again

Work continues on Princess Fairytale Hall

Work continues on the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train

Work continues on the Tangled restroom area

You can see the tree-stump shaped charging stations gusts can use to charge electronics

Work is nearing completion on the exit of “it’s a small world” that has been behind tarps

Columbia Harbour House is still behind tarps

Work continues on Splash Mountain which is closed until mid-March

More and more progress is being made on the interactive queue at Big Thunder Mountain

I see Marc Davis and Blaine Gibson references…

The detail on the new props is stunning

A nod to Western River Expedition, the attraction originally designed for this space

Most of the work on the mountain looks complete

A few tarps still out there…

This looks like way too much fun…

YES… MUST BLOW STUFF UP!

Michael Wada’s 2/17/13 DLR Photo Report

WDWNT on January 3, 2013

DLNT Reporter Michael Wada was at the Disneyland Resort this past weekend and got some great pictures of Fantasy Faire and of the Oz hot air balloon.

As part as a multi-city promotion, The “Journey to Oz Balloon Tour” landed this weekend at the Disneyland Resort
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and yes it is a real hot air balloon (we have been asked multiple times)

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Some filming going on as well. (LOOK AT THE MINI BALLOON!!!!!)

He must have gotten a lot of followers for that twitpic

There it is…

Neat graphic on the side of the trailer

Anyway, on to the theme park, Fantasy Faire is looking great

Maurice’s Treats has showed up

Over in Frontierland, Big Thunder is still closed

The Mark Twain still in dry dock

Michael was nice enough to go around the park and grab some pictures of the Kodak pictures spots

Despite the sponsorship being pulled, Kodak is still has a heavy presence in the park

Sleeping Beauty Castle decorated for True Love Week

Thanks for the report Michael