PHOTO REPORT: Disney’s Hollywood Studios 12/12/17 (Star Tours, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, Toy Story Land, Muppet Subtractions, ETC.)

WDWNT on December 21, 2017

Our latest photo report brings us back to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to see the latest progress on this park in transition.

Welcome to Construction

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The new sections of parking lot were completed some time ago, removing greenery and palm trees in favor of more parking spaces that will be needed sorely come 2019.

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This expansion of the lot took place on both sides.

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Work continues on the Disney Skyliner station for Disney’s Hollywood Studios, which you can see the concept art for here.

Welcome to Hollywood

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More stuff was thrown onto the left projection tower in the Center Stage area as Disney tries to make this thing look like it belongs there.

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It’s certainly better than it was, but these things still look completely out of place.

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For the First Time in Forever: A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration now features Olaf and music from the Olaf’s Frozen Adventure short. They might want to change the sign that says it is playing in theaters with Coco.

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Guests can now sit and eat in the former AOTAS Hall of Fame area, while Disney hopes the vines around the former sign grow in at some point…

Nothing but Star Wars…

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Signage at Star Tours was changed to reflect the recent additions to the ride.

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Nearby, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is taking shape. For a better look at this, be sure to check out our latest Disney’s Hollywood Studios Expansion Update video:

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Some palm trees were planted off to the side of the tunnel.

This and That

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The “Muppet Babies” section of Stage 1 Company Store has been closed for a while now, and sadly looks like it will not return. Why must Grand Avenue take everything Muppets away from us?

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Not only is it sealed off from inside, but there is a fairly permanent looking Cast Member access door now visible.

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A brick wall now separates Muppets Courtyard, I mean Grand Park from Star Tours. This will make for the most terrible crowd flow when Galaxy’s Edge opens.

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A new backstage gate has been constructed near the exit of MuppetVision 3-D. This was once a path through the Backlot, but now it will be a dead end.

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Work continues on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

Toy Story Land

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Work continues on the entrance to Toy Story Land, set to open next Summer.

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The corner of the Toy Story Mania building (where the catwalk was ripped off) is now being patched up.

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Mousecellaneous

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Both of the billboards behind the Chinese Theater are for The Last Jedi. I guess this movie needs to be advertised heavily…

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Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge looms in the distance from PIXAR Place.

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The highest point in the land was topped off with a flag and a tree.

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To help guests visiting Toy Story Mania, Disney added these rope signs. This is somewhat helpful as the average guest never seems to know where to go.

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iPhone X cases are now available from D-Tech on Demand at the Star Wars Launch Bay Cargo Bay store.

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The store was also shaken up quite a bit, removing the onstage counter where the D-Tech devices were made. Now they are just made offstage and brought to the checkout counters when they are done.

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Guests can now partake in the Droid Factory here as well.

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More 2018 pins have hit shelves at the parks.

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Despite debuting over a month ago, they are still not finished building the projection booth for Sunset Seasons Greetings…

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BREAKING: Opening Date Revealed for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

With today being the 89th birthday of the one and only Mickey Mouse, it seems like a pretty good day to talk about the first-ever ride to star this immortal icon.

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During D23 Expo 2017, Disney Parks Chairman Bob Chapek announced Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World. The attraction will be the first ever Mickey-themed ride-through attraction, with a new original story and lovable attraction theme song.

Since being announced back in July at the 2017 D23 Expo, Disney has been very quiet about the expected opening date for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, the attraction replacing The Great Movie Ride inside of the replica of the Chinese Theater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Well, we now have some idea when this attraction will be opening…

According to internal documents, Walt Disney Imagineering is scheduled hand over operations of the attraction to the park sometime in April 2019, with the park opening the attraction sometime between April and May. Purely speculation on our part, but it seems likely that the official opening of the attraction be May 1st, 2019 – the 30th anniversary of the park. This may also be used as a good opportunity to rename and rededicate the park ahead of the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge.

With Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opening later in 2019, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway would support the final Summer before the long-awaited Star Wars Land arrives towards the end of the year in Orlando. That being said, we are still 18 months away from this projected opening and things could change if the project falls behind schedule, but Disney is certainly aiming for the Summer of 2019.

We have more details to come your way today for this exciting new attraction, so stay tuned throughout “The Big Cheese’s” birthday for more on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

UPDATE: Details on the Ride System and Vehicles for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

This morning, we told you about the projected opening date for Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Now, we have some details to share on the ride system and the vehicles in which guests will be traveling when this attraction debuts in the Spring of 2019.

As stated at the D23 Expo 2017, guests will literally step through the movie screen and into a Mickey Mouse cartoon. As the concept art below shows, Goofy is the conductor on a wacky train, and it is that wacky train that guests will be boarding. With guests aboard Goofy’s train, only danger can be expected, and that’s why Mickey and Minnie Mouse will be following along in their car on your journey – in an effort to save you from Goofy’s clumsiness.

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The ride system will indeed be a trackless one, much like Pooh’s Hunny Hunt at Tokyo Disneyland and Mystic Manor at Hong Kong Disneyland. Trackless ride technology is becoming more prevalent at the U.S. Disney Parks now, with the opening of Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters in Cars Land, as well as the upcoming “Battle Escape” attraction for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. Although The Great Movie Ride was indeed a trackless ride system, Runaway Railway’s vehicles will not be anything recycled from The Great Movie Ride. In fact, the track layout and placement of rooms in the building won’t even be nearly the same beyond the load area.

Guests will board the 16-passenger train, which consists of four separate cars that hold four guests each (two rows of two), before it departs the train barn at the beginning of the attraction. The part we are unsure of is whether the engine with Goofy at the helm will actually travel with guests through the entire ride. This would be very possible, despite the fact that the four car train can separate at any time, offering a unique ride path for every car. This being a cartoon and all, it wouldn’t be too strange for the train cars to separate and come back together at various points in the ride.

We still have one more post on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway to share with you today, Mickey’s 89th birthday, so stay “tooned”!

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UPDATE: Scene-by-Scene Synopsis of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

To conclude our celebration of Mickey’s 89th birthday and our very early look at Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, why don’t we take a walkthrough of the upcoming ride?

As with any attraction, the story begins in the queue. The facade of the Chinese Theater and the first part of the exterior and interior queue will be the same as they were for The Great Movie Ride, with the original lobby still very much intact. Obviously the displays will be different, but otherwise it will still have all of its original charm.

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Guests will literally step through the movie screen and into the cartoon world in one of two pre-show rooms.

Things start to change where the large pre-show theater showing classic movie trailers once stood, just before guests would board their “journey into the movies”. This large room has been broken down into two identical pre-show movie theaters where guests will be going to see this new Mickey Mouse cartoon about the trio (including Minnie and Pluto) heading to the park for a picnic, with the screen ultimately opening up and guests walking through it to the load area of the attraction. Guests will then board Goofy’s train in a train barn before embarking on the ride.

The attraction begins with a trip through the park, followed by a tunnel. In the tunnel scene, guests encounter Minnie and Mickey in the car driving alongside them. Mickey and Minnie will be audio-animatronics figures here, inside of a physical car that will travel alongside guests through the entire scene. A maquette of the classic duo in the car can be seen at the preview of the attraction currently at Walt Disney Presents.

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An Imagineer works on a maquette of the Mickey and Minnie animatronic figures who will travel in a car alongside guests through a tunnel.

The next scene appears to be a stampede or “running of the bulls” type scenario, where the cars break apart and try not to incur the wrath of the stomping creatures. This is followed by a trip to the carnival, which somehow ultimately ends with Mickey and Minnie caught up in a twister. The twister may or may not be a reference to The Great Movie Ride, which was famously set to have a twister scene before some arguments over the Wizard of Oz led to the scene being cut and replaced with Sorcerer Mickey Mouse.

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Imagineers working on the carnival scene of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

The twister drops guests and the characters in a tropical locale with 4 separate rooms, one for each car of the 4-car train to pull into. These individual rooms have a large screen and water effects that will spray guests as they teeter near the edge of a waterfall.

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Concept art of the waterfall scene, with the train car teetering on the edge via projection technology and water effects.

The train cars then go down a drainage pipe into the big city. Guests somehow end up taking a detour into a dance studio, where an audio-animatronic Daisy Duck is giving lessons. The cars will dance while in this dance studio, similarly to Luigi’s Rollickin’ Roadsters at DCA.

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Kevin Rafferty and fellow Imagineers at work on the factory scene of Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway

Guests end up in a alleyway leading to a large factory, where they may come up close and personal with a giant furnace before being saved by Mickey and Minnie.

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Imagineers at work with the factory furnace in the background

Once guests are safe, they arrive back in the park for a picnic. This scene includes audio-animatronic figures of Mickey, Minnie and their dog, Pluto. Guests then head to the unload station, disembark, and go back through a movie screen in a new postshow theater, to eventually exit out the same exit doors as The Great Movie Ride.

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An Imagineer working on the park scene for the ride, which could be the area as seen in the first or final scene of the attraction.

Do keep in mind that all of this will be combined with cutting-edge trackless ride technology, an original musical score and theme song, over 10 audio animatronics, and the first-ever “2.5D” effects (think of it as 3-D without the use of special glasses), so text probably does not do every scene justice. Also keep in mind that many of the events that will take place in each scene are still a secret, so Runaway Railway has plenty of tricks up its sleeves.

If all of this sounds exciting, well, sadly we still have 18 months or more to wait for this attraction to open, but it sure does sound pretty cool. Of course, stay “tooned” to WDWNT.com for the latest on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Some screenshots were collected from a video by Attractions Magazine, which you can see here.

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PHOTO REPORT: Disney’s Hollywood Studios 10/28/17 (Rollaway Stage Show, Skyliner, Runaway Railway, Echo Lake, ETC.)

WDWNT on November 2, 2017

Our latest photo report brings us to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to see the latest happenings at the park.

Construction

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Walking over to Hollywood Studios from the Boardwalk, we see 5 cranes dominating the skyline.

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Parking lot enhancements and preparations for the Disney Skyliner continue outside of the park.

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Guests walk through a maze of work fences to get to the park.

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The Skyliner station for the park is under construction, with land near the bus loop currently being prepared.

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And We Are Rolling…

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Star Wars: A Galaxy Far, Far Away has returned with the new mobile, rollaway staging.

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The stage actually looks a little nicer than the one they had used before, even though that one didn’t get removed nightly.

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Following the last show of the day, the process of packing up the stages begins.

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The stage features two “green rooms” where the characters can emerge from during the show, hiding until it is their turn on stage.

Below, we have video of the stages rolling away at 7PM. Disney has made a little show of it, which reminds me of the Backlot Studio Tour quite a bit. An announcer says it is time for a scene change, followed by Gus the crew chief making the order for the stages to roll…

It is nice to see this process turned into a small show that fits the (current? past?) theme of the park. We’ll see if this sticks around once Toy Story Land and Galaxy’s Edge open.

This and That

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Work continues on Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway. There is now this set of expanded construction walls near the old Great Movie Ride exit.

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There are now more work walls up by Grand Avenue, now crossing the path towards Red Carpet Dreams.

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The path from Star Tours to MuppetVision 3-D no longer exists, guests now having to walk down Grand Avenue to get there.

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A planter and a wall will fill in this former path.

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Work continues on Echo Lake.

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Scaffolding has come down on Min and Bill’s, marking that the painting is finished.

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Gertie looks shiny.

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The Holiday 2017 Droid Factory figure has been released.

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PHOTOS: New Preview of “Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway” Ride Debuts, First Look at Animatronic Figures

WDWNT on September 17, 2017

Also debuting today inside Walt Disney Presents at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a preview of the upcoming “Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway” attraction, replacing the Great Movie Ride inside of the Chinese Theater.

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Just across from the Star Wars” Galaxy’s Edge and Toy Story Land models, guests will find this display.

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Most of the display just shows scenes from the Mickey Mouse cartoon shorts.

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This picture shows an Imagineer working on the “2.5 D” backdrops that will make up a majority of the ride.

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For those worried the ride would be only projection-based, here is an Imagineer working on what appears to be a maquette of a set of audio-animatronic Mickey and Minnie figures inside of a car, just like on the attraction poster.

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No, your eyes do not deceive you, those are clearly “Subscribe Here” buttons since these images were just ripped from YouTube… I do hope they fix these…

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No exact opening date has been announced for this attraction as of yet.

Disney Lifting Annual Pass Block-Out Dates to Allow One Last Ride on Great Movie Ride, Universe of Energy

WDWNT on August 2, 2017

Walt Disney World will be lifting block-out dates in August on annual passes that would not typically allow entry to the parks during this time so that guests may say goodbye to two classic attractions.

While we don’t have the exact dates yet, Disney should be distributing that information to guests later this week. The adjusted block-out will allow these guests to enter Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios to ride the Universe of Energy and the Great Movie Ride one last time. Of course, guests will get to experience other things in the parks as well, not limited to these rides.

The Universe of Energy (Ellen’s Energy Adventure) and the Great Movie Ride both close forever on August 13th, 2017. The Universe of Energy will be replaced with a Guardians of the Galaxy thrill ride, while The Great Movie Ride will be replaced by Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway.

UPDATE: Silver and Weekday Select Annual Pass will have access to all 4 Walt Disney World theme parks starting August 1st. Weekday Select passes still will not admit guests on weekends, however.

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Massive Lineup of New Rides, Hotels, and More Announced for Disney Parks Around the World at D23 Expo 2017

WDWNT on July 22, 2017

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek Announces Extraordinary Line-up of Experiences Coming to Disney Parks around the Globe 

Star Wars, Marvel, Pixar and a seventh cruise ship among the experiences coming for guests  

Today at D23 Expo 2017, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts announced an extraordinary line-up of brand new attractions and experiences coming to its parks and resorts around the world as it continues to revolutionize the guest experience, starting from before guests even arrive for a Disney vacation to the many memories that last a lifetime.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Bob Chapek welcomed nearly 7,000 fans as he unveiled more than a dozen new experiences coming to Disney parks and resorts and gave a sneak peek at much-anticipated projects in development. Several Imagineers joined the presentation by providing details of the creativity, imagination and innovation in development around the world. Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios John Lasseter also shared his enthusiasm for plans to include a larger Pixar presence at Disneyland Resort.

In addition to the announcement that Fantasmic! will return to Disneyland Park tonight, two nights early in honor of the Expo, fans were treated to a glimpse of the new “Beauty and the Beast” musical production coming to the Disney Dream on Disney Cruise Line, currently in production in Toronto, and a special one-night-only medley of nostalgic entertainment numbers showcasing the heritage of Disney Parks.

“On the heels of the many new and incredibly popular experiences that just debuted this year, the best is yet to come. We have ambitious plans for our parks and resorts around the world,” said Bob Chapek, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.  “We’re investing in the guest experience like never before, and we’re doing it all in way that is only possible at Disney!”

From new lodging and transportation options that make getting around more fun, to original storytelling and immersive experiences based on guests’ favorites, Disney continues to provide unparalleled vacation destinations for guests across the globe in even more exciting ways than ever before.

Immersive Theme Park Experiences and Attractions

An Unprecedented First Look at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge

Fans were elated to hear their Star Wars stories will come to life in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, the newly announced name for the Star Wars-themed lands. Chapek shared exciting new details and a glimpse inside the two anchor attractions, including one that puts guests right in the middle of a battle between the First Order and the Resistance where guests will feel like they are inside a hangar bay on a Star Destroyer. Guests will also have the chance to fly the Millennium Falcon, where each guest is critical to the mission’s success. Chapek also revealed many characters that guests will meet, including BB-8, Chewbacca, Rex and Kylo Ren. Representing the largest single-themed land expansion at 14 acres each, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open in 2019, with the first land debuting at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, then at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Orlando.

Timeless Transformation of Epcot Revealed

Looking ahead to the 50th Anniversary of Walt Disney World, there are grand plans to complete the transformation that started with the debut of New Fantasyland in 2014. Chapek announced exciting plans across Epcot to realize the original vision of the park while making it more timeless and relevant than ever before.

Patterned after the number one family attraction at Disneyland Paris, Ratatouille will be added in an all-new space in the France pavilion at World Showcase.

AT D23 EXPO 2017, DISNEY PARKS CHAIRMAN BOB CHAPEK ANNOUNCES

Epcot will also see the addition of a brand new E-ticket attraction based on the rockin’ and action-packed world of Guardians of the Galaxy, the next step in how guests can encounter these characters at Walt Disney World Resort.

In Future World, a new Green Mission at Mission: SPACE will take guests on a stunning tour around the Earth, and an updated Orange Mission will make the trip to Mars even more spectacular.

Adjacent to Mission: Space will be a new restaurant that will invite guests to travel high above the earth for an unforgettable dining experience.

More Thrills than Ever Planned for Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom

Disney remains at the cutting edge of deeply immersive, creative storytelling that draws guests into new worlds, and it is a legacy that lives on in every new Disney Parks experience.

The first-ever Mickey-themed ride-through attraction, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, will come to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. With a new original story and lovable attraction theme song, this new state-of-the-art ride-through attraction will take guests on a journey inside the wacky and unpredictable world of Disney Channel’s Emmy Award-winning “Mickey Mouse” cartoon shorts using new technologies that transform the flat cartoon world into an incredible dimensional experience.

Chapek also announced that the highest rated attraction at Shanghai Disneyland is coming to Walt Disney World Resort. A thrilling, TRON-themed attraction will be added in a new area near Space Mountain at Magic Kingdom.

Additionally, a new live entertainment theater coming to Main Street, U.S.A., based on the iconic Willis Theater in 1920s Kansas City, will bring world-class entertainment to the world’s most popular park.

Pixar Fun at the Happiest Place on Earth

In addition to announcing the summer 2018 opening of Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Chapek was joined by Chief Creative Officer of Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios John Lasseter to unveil plans for Pixar Pier at Disney California Adventure, where the pier will take on a brand new look as more favorite Pixar characters and stories come to life, from The Incredibles, to Inside Out to even more Toy Story. Chapek also announced there is more Pixar in store during Pixar Fest at Disneyland Resort. Starting in 2018, this limited-time offering will include a new fireworks spectacular as well as special characters and entertainment moments.

As part of the celebration, the Pixar Play Parade will return to Disneyland Resort – this time at Disneyland Park – and the fan favorite Paint the Night Parade will move to Disney California Adventure, one of Disney’s longest parade routes.

Disney Cruise Line to Nearly Double the Size of its Fleet by 2023

Chapek surprised the crowd by announcing that Disney Cruise Line will add one more ship in its expansion to take family cruise vacations to a whole new level, giving the line a total of seven (yeah, seven!) ships. Joining the other two new ships that were announced just last year, all three new ships will be powered by one of the cleanest-burning fuels available, liquefied natural gas. When all three ships are completed by 2023, Disney Cruise Line will have nearly doubled the size of the fleet.

Immersive Hotel Concepts

Among the announcements were projects that infuse even more exciting experiences for resort hotel guests in ways that are only possible at Disney.

To the delight of fans, Chapek confirmed ambitious plans to create the most experiential concept ever in an immersive Star Wars-themed hotel at Walt Disney World Resort. Dedicated entirely to the galaxy of Star Wars, it will be a one-of-a-kind experience where a luxury resort meets a multi-day adventure in a galaxy far, far away.

Adding to the immersive resort hotel slate, Disney’s Hotel New York – The Art of Marvel at Disneyland Paris will transport guests to the action-packed world of Super Heroes, including Iron Man, The Avengers, Spider-Man and more. Guests will be able to explore the Marvel Universe through its comic art, films, Super Hero costumes and more, displayed in the style of a contemporary art gallery.

Leading up to the July 17 opening of Copper Creek Villas & Cabins, Chapek also announced the proposed 15th Disney Vacation Club property, Disney Riviera Resort, coming to Walt Disney World Resort near Epcot.

Seamless Transportation Options

Completing the immersion so guests never have to leave the story while on a Disney vacation, Chapek announced plans that will make getting around Walt Disney World Resort even more fun.

An all-new Minnie Van service will provide a point-to-point transportation service in a way that only Disney can do, giving guests an even more seamless resort vacation from start to finish.

Additionally, a whole new transportation system called Disney Skyliner will give guests a birds-eye view of Walt Disney World Resort. This brand new system will connect Disney’s Art of Animation, Pop Century and Caribbean Beach resorts, as well as the proposed new Disney Riviera Resort, with Disney’s Hollywood Studios and the International Gateway at Epcot. 

Honoring the Heritage of Disney Parks

In a memorable tribute to the legacy of beloved attractions, entertainment and characters, fans enjoyed a special one-time-only performance of entertainment numbers from Disney Parks through the years. Following the return of the Main Street Electrical Parade, Chapek hinted there are even more fan favorites in store from Disney Parks’ storied past.

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