Monsters Inc. Sequel and Attraction in Development

WDWNT on August 6, 2008

It appears that Pete Docter and the people at Pixar are keeping busy working on some Monsters Inc. projects, according to IGN:

The collective clever clogs over at Pixar are hinting that one of their most successful flicks —Monsters Inc. — could soon receive the sequel treatment.

Speaking to MTV, Pete Docter, the director of the original, said, “We’ve thought about it. We’ve got a couple of ideas.”

He failed to elaborate further, instead saying that much of his team’s resources are currently being poured into the forthcoming Monsters Inc.ride at Walt Disney Resorts.

If you recall, we talked about a rumored Monsters Inc. themed roller coaster to be built for Disney’s Hollywood Studios sometime in the not-so-distant future. A number of Disney cast members also reported that a preview video of this proposed attraction was available on the Cast Member Hub website for a few hours about two weeks ago. With these two apparent leaks of confidential information about a future Walt Disney World attraction, we could expect an official announcement on the project very soon. Stay tuned to WDW News Today for more information on this rumored project as it becomes available.

One Monster Coaster

WDWNT on July 21, 2008

Just as we briefly mentioned at the end of last week, rumors are swirling that an inverted roller coaster themed to Disney Pixar’s Monsters Inc. will be the next major new attraction for the Walt Disney World Resort after the opening of the American Idol Experience this January. Our good friend Jim Hill over at Jim Hill Media had a lengthy article about the proposed Hollywood Studios roller coaster today, although he did go into more detail on some other upcoming projects as well.

Jim also mentioned two new attractions that were first rumored to the public right here on WDW News Today over the course of the last year. First mentioned was that the Honey I Shrunk the Kids Movie Set Adventure will be themed to “A Bug’s Life” (probably in the very-near future), and next was the Little Mermaid dark ride that will most likely be heading over to Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom in October of 2011. Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today for updates on all of these very strong rumors, and be sure to read Jim Hill’s article HERE.

Pixar Place Update

WDWNT on June 10, 2008

With Toy Story Mania now operating, bigger plans for the entire Pixar Place area of Disney’s Hollywood Studios are firming up. Imagineering is already beginning to work on upgrades for Toy Story Mania, with holiday version of the ride planned to debut in 2011 and an updated Toy Story 3 inspired version coming Summer 2010.

Across the street, the new shop, small-scale food service area, and the “top secret” Toy Story meet and greet spot are all nearing completion. According to Disney, the waiting area for the meet and greet will feature something they “have never done before”, to quote an Imagineer. Also slated to debut on the street, around the same time in June as the other Pixar Place offerings, is the Wall-E interactive living character animatronic. Plans are to have the “living” character roam the street now through January 2009, where he will be put away until work is completed on the second phase of the Pixar Place project.

Already rumored for the next phase of the project is a Monsters Inc. roller-coaster to fill in soundstage 1 and a smaller-scale version of the Car’s inspired Radiator Springs Racers attraction debuting Disney’s at California Adventure park in a few years, replacing the Studio Backlot Tour. By the end of the project, Pixar Place will extend from the Narnia exhibit to New York Street, wrapping around the northeast end of the Great Movie Ride. Other minor changes include some minor theme changes, including changing the Honey I Shrunk The Kids Movie Set into a set from “It’s Tough To Be a Bug”, changing the Backlot Caterers food location into a Monsters Inc. or Ratatouille themed eatery, and changing the theme of the small store that used to be “The Loony Bin” to a Monsters Inc. themed shop.

While most of these points are still completely rumor, many of these plans should eventually be executed. The current plan has the final pieces of Pixar Place (the Cars E-Ticket attraction and Monsters Inc. roller-coaster) being put into place by 2015, with the minor pieces all completed by 2011. Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as more info on Pixar Place progress becomes available.

Weekend Round-up

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

What is already starting to be a very interesting weekend has begun here at WDW News Today, and here are some news and notes to bring you up to speed:

-Rumors are swirling about a video that appeared on the Walt Disney World cast member website that provided full details on the next attraction coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, a Monsters Inc. themed roller coaster. The video was apparently pulled from the site fairly quickly, yet we can still not confirm that these reports or that the video actually exists. Be sure to keep you eyes on WDW News Today as more info becomes available on this rumored project.

-Here’s a picture of the progress of the new north wing at Disney’s Contemporary Resort (provided by Jason Diffendal’s sister):

Notice that the glass and exterior on most of the building is nearing completion

-On a final note, if you are attending the MagicMeets fan gathering this weekend, be sure to look out for myslef and Jason Diffendal who will be representing WDW News Today and WDWCelebrations.