In this week’s edition of ‘This Week in Disney History,’ we will explore some of the milestones from March 19th-March 25th that helped shape and form the Walt Disney Company as it exists today.
Picture of Ub Iwerks sketching a drawing of Mickey
This Week in Disney History: March 19th-March 25th
On March 19th, 1995, the Penny Arcade, Main Street Bookstore, and House of Magic located on Main Street, USA at the Magic Kingdom permanently close.
On March 20th, 2014, Aladdin on Broadway debuts at the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York.
On March 21st, 1962, actor Mathew Broderick, the voice of adult Simba in all of the Lion King films, was born in New York City.
On March 22nd, 1935, ‘The Golden Touch’, Walt Disney’s 50th Silly Symphony cartoon, debuts to the public.
During the March 23rd, 1975 episode of ‘The Wonderful World of Disney’ , the Walt Disney Company reveals the opening of Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom.
On March 24th, 1901, legendary Disney animator, Ub Iwerks, was born in Kansas City, MO. Iwerks animated the first Mickey Mouse silent cartoon, and subsequently worked on visual effects for Mary Poppins and Song of The South.
Finally, on March 25th, 1986, Don McGrath was honored by the Walt Disney tourist attractions as the 500 millionth guest to enter Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom.
“All our dreams can come true, if we have the courage to pursue them.”- Walt Disney
In honor of the 50th Anniversary of Pirates of the Caribbean at the Disneyland Resort, which was March 18th, Disney has thrown together a special video that highlights some interesting facts about this well beloved ride:
Have you heard this week’s WDW News Today Podcast? If you haven’t, here’s what you can expect:
Join Tom Corless and a cast of others for a variety show dedicated to the Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. Plenty of Walt Disney World and Disneyland information and fun awaits you on this edition of the WDW News Today Podcast!
On this week’s show, we pillage and plunder through all 50 years of Pirates of the Caribbean in Back to the Future. Get ready for nearly 4 hours dedicated the greatest theme park adventure of all time!
In honor of Pirates of the Caribbean’s 50th Anniversary, WDWNT.com presents artist Rob Yeo’s tribute artwork on a limited-release T-shirt, only available for a few more days.
WDWNT.com is proud to present the work of artist Rob Yeo for our next limited release t-shirt to mark this very special occasion. The shirt is available now through March 31st, 2017 at TeePublic.com and then it will return to Davy Jones’ Locker. Various colors and styles (and even a print you can hang up) are for sale now with proceeds supporting WDWNT.com and the artist behind this great design! Get it now before it’s gone!
You may have seen the I was there pirates shirt released at Disneyland Park on March 18. If you weren’t able to scoop one then you can find a version of the red-colored shirt via DisneyStore.com/ParkEvents from March 20-26. Please allow 3-5 weeks for delivery.
Another awesome find over at DisneyStore.com is this Pirates of the Caribbean shirt from 28 and Main. It’s themed after the iconic, “We wants the Redhead” scene.
Today, Disney is sharing the incredible backstories and more information on many aspects of Pandora: The World of AVATAR ahead of its opening on May 27th, 2017:
The Story of ACE
Just like some Cast Members work for the Kilimanjaro Safaris tour company in Africa, or the Kali River Expeditions and Himalayan Escapes in Asia, the Cast Members in Pandora will work for a tour company as well. Alpha Centauri Expeditions, or ACE, is the eco-tour company that brings us to Pandora through a partnership with the Na’vi. Their mission statement: “Our dream is that all those who crave exciting adventures in nature can find that with ACE. We look forward to helping you discover the wondrous beauty that the world of Pandora has to offer.”
Founded by Marshall Lamm, ACE hosts travelers and also provides lodging, food, merchandise establishments, pathways, bridges, safety railings, lights, fans, informational and safety signs, river transportation, as well as park guides who know all about the land, flora, and fauna within the Valley of Mo’ara on Pandora.
The Na’vi
When you visit Pandora – The World of Avatar, you are visiting a specific regional area of Pandora, the Valley of Mo’ara. The native inhabitants, the Na’vi, live in distinct clans throughout the moon of Pandora. Mo’ara is home to the Omaticaya clan.
Here are some key phrases in the Na’vi language you might want to know before visiting:
Kaltxi [kahl-T’IH] means “Hello”
Irayo [ee-RAH-yo] means “Thanks”
Rutxe [roo-T’EH] means “Please”
Oeru syaw [WEH-roo syow] means “My name is “
Alpha Centauri Expeditions (ACE)
Dining
Pongu Pongu was originally built by a former RDA employee who fell in love with the natural splendors of Pandora. Eventually, he built a place where his fellow Expats could gather and socialize. He even placed a retired RDA-era AMP suit outside the building as a sort of landmark. The Na’vi named the place, “Pongu Pongu”, which means, “Party Party,” because of all the wild and memorable times both humans and Na’vi have had together there. The owner eventually collaborated with the ACE tour company to transform this eccentric building into a place for tourists to visit and wet their whistles. Filled with Pandoran treasures and RDA relics, it has quickly become a favorite destination for locals and tourists alike.
The Satu’li Canteen was once the main mess hall of a large RDA base located in the Valley of Mo’ara but now the canteen is owned and operated by the ACE tour company. A restaurateur hired by ACE has redesigned the once utilitarian Quonset hut structure into a beautiful museum-like dining room. Featuring Na’vi art and cultural items, the Satu’li Canteen now reflects a new friendship and cultural understanding that exists between the humans on Pandora and the indigenous Na’vi.
The interior has been transformed, with the colorful Na’vi items filling the walls and hanging from the ceiling. Most of the items were gifted to humans by the Omaticaya clan living in Mo’ara. Hand woven tapestries, natural Pandroan elements, and even cooking tools can all be found inside the restaurant along with sketches and photographs on the walls that help explain their significance. With this unique display of cultural items, the Satu’li Canteen visually represents the positive influence the Na’vi have had on the humans living and working on Pandora.
Shopping
Located at the exit of the Flight of Passage attraction, Windtraders is an old building that used to be part of the base during the conflict between the Na’vi and humans. When ACE took over the old facility, they stripped the interior to just a shell and redesigned it to celebrate the natural world of Pandora. The feeling in the shop is a combination of a national park’s visitor center, a cultural center, and a science museum. The store offers a range of items including science kits, explorers gear, items that feature natural bioluminescence, realistic and plush versions of Pandoran creatures, clothing, and various cultural items from the Na’vi. Many of these Na’vi items come from Na’vi traders that travel all over Pandora and visit with various clans.
Colors of Mo’ara is run by local expats, as wild and eclectic as the creatures they paint. This facepainting kiosk features authentic Pandoran markings – perfect for those arriving to Pandora or ending their visit wanting a memory of their time spent there.
Attractions
Flight of Passage
The Pandora Conservation Initiative (PCI) is a group of scientists who study the world of Pandora. A specialized subset of PCI has inherited and refined the Avatar program which is now offered for tourists. Thanks to PCI scientists and technicians, Guests can connect to their own avatar and fly over Pandora on the back of a mountain banshee. A Na’vi guide helps guests experience their own Na’vi rite of passage.
Na’vi River Journey
With the help of ACE, guests board a woven reed boat and journey down a river into a sacred bioluminescent rainforest. Along their journey they discover the Shaman of Songs; a Na’vi with a deep connection to Eywa (the Na’vi diety). Drawing on the natural energy of Pandora the shaman creates a magical, unified harmony that echoes throughout the entire rainforest and beyond.
Pandora: The World of AVATAR opens May 27th, 2017 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.
Disney will finally be rolling out mobile advance ordering for counter service restaurants, and they will be doing it May 27th at their very newest.
Satuli Canteen inside Pandora: The World of AVATAR will be the very first restaurant at Walt Disney World to open with the feature.
Mobile ordering allows you to pay for meals on-the-go with the My Disney Experience app, bypassing the queue to order in the restaurant. Using the app, you can select any of the menu items, customize them as you wish, and pre-pay for the meal. Arriving at the restaurant, guests will simply tap “I’m Here”, which will notify cast members to prepare the meal. When it’s ready, you will be alerted in the app to pick up the food at a designated service window. Only credit card payments will be accepted for this service, with Dining Plan guests still having to use the normal queue, at least as of right now.
Look for familiar dishes with a twist in the fast-casual restaurant, with bowls that allow diners to customize their lunch or dinner. Diners start with a base of quinoa and vegetable salad; red and sweet potato hash; mixed whole-grain and rice or romaine and kale salad. Next is either with wood-grilled chicken, slow-roasted beef, sustainable fish or chili-spiced fried tofu. And the bowl is finished with charred onion chimichurri, black bean vinaigrette or creamy herb dressing.
The menu also offers steamed “pods” – bao buns with either cheeseburger or vegetable curry and served with root vegetable chips and crunchy vegetable slaw.
For little ones, there’s an option of grilled chicken or beef, fish or tofu with greens or rice; a hot dog wrapped in Parker House dough; cheese quesadilla, or a steamed “pod” (cheeseburger bao bun).
To read more about the food at the Satuli Canteen, click here.
Pandora: The World of AVATAR opens May 27th, 2017 at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
“Beauty And The Beast” reigned supreme at the box office this weekend with an estimated $170 million domestically and $180 million internationally resulting in a worldwide gross of $350 million.
“Beauty And The Beast” achieved the following accomplishments:
The highest March opening weekend record.
The largest opening for a PG rated film.
The largest Spring opening weekend.
The 7th largest opening weekend ever.
The 4th largest Saturday gross of all time.
The 6th largest Sunday gross of all time.
The largest IMAX opening for a PG rated film in both domestic and global markets.
Here are the top ten highest grossing domestic movies for 2017:
The parking lot of the Walt Disney World Casting building on Buena Vista Drive will close April 1st, 2017 to accommodate the construction of a new Disney Springs parking garage and pedestrian bridge, as we reported several months ago.
Located next door to the Casting building at Disney Springs, the new structure will contain 3000 additional parking spaces, not just for Disney Springs guests, but also for the Casting building and the nearby Partners (formerly Suntrust) building. In the meantime, those visiting the Casting or Partners building may utilize the 2 and 4 hour parking spaces in the Partners parking lot. Those who work there will be parking in the Cast Services lot by the Team Disney building.
Work on the garage and bridge is slated to be completed in 2019.
It seems as though Disney may be trying to create a better guest flow at the entrance of the Magic Kingdom by moving the security perimeter of the park further out.
If all goes according to rumored plans, guests parking at the Transportation and Ticket Center will go through security bag check and metal detectors after they exit the parking lot trams, but before the board any monorails or a ferryboat to the park. These guests will then be able to walk directly to the Magic Kingdom turnstiles (or touch points as the kids call them these days) once disembarking at the park’s monorail station or ferryboat dock.
Supposedly, this would lead to security screening areas being added at the various monorail platforms at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort, and Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Guests taking a bus or resort launch to the Magic Kingdom would still be screened just outside of the park at new checkpoints. Guests walking over from Disney’s Contemporary Resort on the small walkway between the hotel and the Magic Kingdom will also have their own checkpoint (which is already being done at select times of the day).
Disney has not yet made any comment about the changes, so they are simply in the realm of rumor for now. However, recent construction work being conducted at the Transportation and Ticket Center and at the Magic Kingdom park entrance are pointing towards the change. It is unknown when the changes would take place, if they ever do materialize.
What do you think? Would this be a positive change in your opinion?
