PHOTO REPORT: Magic Kingdom 1/17/17 (New Merchandise, New Food, Refurbishments, Etc.)
Our latest photo report brings us to the Magic Kingdom for new merchandise, new alcohol, and much more.
Happy 2017
In case you missed it, 2017 merchandise is now available everywhere around the resort.
Some new vintage-style Walt Disney World shirts have started to appear.
This and That
A number of locations are removing the “hanging” vertical napkin holders and replacing them with these.
Yes, I ate at Pecos Bill’s again.
And now, a few pics from Once Upon a Time.
Casey’s Corner is now offering a hot dog of the month,. The first one is a macaroni and cheese dog.
This new Mr. Potato Head mug is now for sale, depicting him how he once appeared in Toy Story Midway Mania at Hollywood Studios.
He will return when Toy Story Land opens in 2018, this time located at the entrance of the attraction.
A really neat idea, Walt Disney World is now selling postcard coloring books.
There are also two additional versions, one with Princesses and one with PIXAR characters.
They retail at $9.99 each.
The new ferryboat sign finally arrived at the Magic Kingdom boat dock.
Refurbishments, Refurbishments, Refurbishments…
The Walt Disney World Railroad is closed for refurbishment currently.
The exterior of the Emporium is also under refurbishment.
The City Hall restrooms are closed again.
Our first photo report of 2017 brings us to the Magic Kingdom to see the latest adjustments and merchandise additions around the park. Let’s jump right in, shall we? Good morning Magic Kingdom! They have slowly been repaving the area outside of Mickey’s Philharmagic over the last few weeks. Some new Villains shirts available at Sir Mickey’s. A new Belle shirt for sale as well. Christmas stickers were being given out all around the park. Liberty Square Market has started selling Muppets plush since the show is nearby. They can’t sell baked potatoes anymore, BUT LETS STOCK SOME PLUSH! There has been a pretty vile garbage mound growing in the Rivers of America as of late… Including some dead fish… PADDLEFISH ANYONE? If I haven’t mentioned it before, Pecos Bill’s has recently become my favorite counter service stop at the Magic Kingdom. The fajita dish is pretty good and offers more than enough food. The bowl is pretty good as well, considering you can load it up at the toppings bar. Christmas Party exclusive pins were being sold to the general public before the last party even happened. As I have complained before, they should at least wait until the final party is over… We found some baby ducks hanging out by Tomorrowland. I’ve never seen them this late in the year. “No, don’t eat the cigarette!!!” Stitch’s Great Escape reopened for a bit every day to combat the crowds in the park. It actually was getting quite the line. The walls that have been up since the rock painting began have now finally come down. The decal over the entrance has been falling off for months, but I suppose there’s no reason to invest in something you are closing. We pretty much just went in to say hello to Skippy who stayed over from the Alien Encounter attraction. When seats are broken, you will sometimes still see these XS Tech “Temporarily Seized” seat covers. The new customizable Star Wars name tags are also available at the Merchant of Venus, not just at Hollywood Studios. They are now regularly handing out Zootopia stickers in Tomorrowland for some reason. There its some heavy construction taking place near the Kingdom Cabanas adjacent to Space Mountain, not sure what for as of yet. One of the first MagicBand 2’s available to guests is this “it’s a small world” 45th anniversary band currently available.
Our first photo report of 2017 brings us to the Magic Kingdom to see the latest adjustments and merchandise additions around the park. Let’s jump right in, shall we? Good morning Magic Kingdom! They have slowly been repaving the area outside of Mickey’s Philharmagic over the last few weeks. Some new Villains shirts available at Sir Mickey’s. A new Belle shirt for sale as well. Christmas stickers were being given out all around the park. Liberty Square Market has started selling Muppets plush since the show is nearby. They can’t sell baked potatoes anymore, BUT LETS STOCK SOME PLUSH! There has been a pretty vile garbage mound growing in the Rivers of America as of late… Including some dead fish… PADDLEFISH ANYONE? If I haven’t mentioned it before, Pecos Bill’s has recently become my favorite counter service stop at the Magic Kingdom. The fajita dish is pretty good and offers more than enough food. The bowl is pretty good as well, considering you can load it up at the toppings bar. Christmas Party exclusive pins were being sold to the general public before the last party even happened. As I have complained before, they should at least wait until the final party is over… We found some baby ducks hanging out by Tomorrowland. I’ve never seen them this late in the year. “No, don’t eat the cigarette!!!” Stitch’s Great Escape reopened for a bit every day to combat the crowds in the park. It actually was getting quite the line. The walls that have been up since the rock painting began have now finally come down. The decal over the entrance has been falling off for months, but I suppose there’s no reason to invest in something you are closing. We pretty much just went in to say hello to Skippy who stayed over from the Alien Encounter attraction. When seats are broken, you will sometimes still see these XS Tech “Temporarily Seized” seat covers. The new customizable Star Wars name tags are also available at the Merchant of Venus, not just at Hollywood Studios. They are now regularly handing out Zootopia stickers in Tomorrowland for some reason. There its some heavy construction taking place near the Kingdom Cabanas adjacent to Space Mountain, not sure what for as of yet. One of the first MagicBand 2’s available to guests is this “it’s a small world” 45th anniversary band currently available.
Disneyland Reporter Conner Purzycki brings us back to the Disneyland Resort to see all that is new and exciting in his latest photo report. The Rivers of America are taking shape quickly, the tarps are growing on Tower of Terror, and a security shake-up of massive proportions is underway at the Resort, so let’s check it all out! The Disneyland Resort has also introduced a preferred parking program. That being said, parking this far away from the parks does seem a bit insane for the price being charged. Construction continues on the Star Wars themed land for Disneyland Park, visible from the Mickey and Friends Parking Structure. Just below Big Thunder Mountain, you can get your first glimpse at the new train bridge (in white) for the Disneyland Railroad, which will take it past some waterfalls on the mountainside hiding the Star Wars Land from view. A closeup also reveals some of the man-made rockwork around the bridge. We can see more rock-work taking shape just on the other side of the ridge. While the new Rivers of America area is speeding along, work has pretty much stalled on the rest of the site. The terrible colored tile in the Mickey and Friends parking structure is finally being replaced with some more pleasant brick flooring. New security checkpoints beyond Downtown Disney are being constructed, but still no word on when they will be completed. There is also a new tram stop being built. It seems the new security checkpoint will be temporarily set up here until a more permanent solution is built. To the fencing class teacher who has a free ad in the background, you can send that payment via check or PayPal. Hopefully the finished product will look better than this… Fences will ensure that guests who have not been screened can not enter. This thing sis a Christmas decoration in Downtown Disney… we think… More fencing up for another checkpoint near the Disneyland Hotel. More Christmas obelisks… Please don’t send hate-mail. The outdoor seating area at Tortilla Joe’s is finished. Walls are up around the former House of Blues, which picked up and moved to the nearby Garden Walk mall. Last we had heard, a version of The Edison might find its way here. Sprinkles opened recently with an awesome Tower of Terror costume on the front if it… Work continues to add Curl Surf and Pandora shops nearby. Mickey Mouse was out and about, meeting guests in Town Square. Set-up for the Candlelight Processional is nearing completion behind the train station. A Moana meet and greet has opened at the Aladdin’s Oasis area. The Jingle Cruise has returned for 2016. Work continues to get the Rivers of America ready for its Summer 2017 return, including the rumored enhancements to Fantasmic. It’s Christmas on Buena Vista Street. All of the staging for the various nighttime parties that were held in the park over the last 6 years is now gone from Hollywood Land. Sadly, the Sorcerer Mickey Mouse fountain was paved over at some point. More scaffolding is going up on Paper Bag: The Ride… I mean the Twilight Zone Tarp of Terror. The attraction will close formally after the new year, but work has already begun for the conversion into Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout. The Festival of Holidays booths may be a bit expensive, but they are popular with guests. Conner does us proud with the customary garbage can picture of the food he ordered. If you thought Epcot price was bad, take a look at the slider price in California… 2017 merchandise has started to arrive at stores around the resort. A selection of California Adventure merchandise was recently released as well. And it features the Hollywood Tower Hotel… The grizzly bear outside of Grizzly River Run has a giant holiday sweater and it lights up at night. This is the #1 reason I am visiting DCA next week. We conclude our report with a look at the holiday decor inside Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. The annual gingerbread display is amazing, as always. In our latest photo report, we take a trip to Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park to see what’s news and exciting as 2016 draws to a close. Merry Christmas from Animal Kingdom! The new dining gazebo at Flame Tree Barbecue finally opened a few weeks ago. The kitschy decor in Dinoland U.S.A. continues to be a favorite of mine. Animal Kingdom boasts some of the best decorations in all of Walt Disney World. DINOSAUR reopened a few weeks ago from its lengthy, multi-month refurbishment boasting a number of upgrades and fixes. The first section of the queue added a number of new display cases, as well as removing the large mural that once stood at the left end of the room. The graphics package for all of the existing displays were updated as well. Here is where the mural once stood. Many of the items on display are on loan from Texas Christian University’s College of Science and Engineering. As for the ride itself, a number of effects were fixed, most notably the laser field that appears over the Iguanadon in the finale scene, indicating that he indeed was captured and transported back to the institute. This effect is simple, but has been broken since the earliest days of the ride’s existence, dating back to Countdown to Extinction. A new effect replaced the long static “Compsognathus” dinosaurs who appeared to jump over the Time Rover, a large screen with video of these creatures doing this action. Overall, the ride looks amazing and the changes are all positive. This is one of the finest attraction refurbishments I have ever seen, and much needed for our beloved DINSOAUR. The graphics along the exit of the attractions were updated as well and look great… other than the fact that the logos get cut off in the frame… I had to pay a visit to my favorite Christmas decoration in all of Walt Disney World on my last visit… IT’S SANTA-SAURUS!!! 2017 merchandise is now available at Walt Disney World. At the New York ComicCon recently, a new line Vinyl Mickey’s were shown off. These are licensed by Disney and produced by a company called Play Imaginative and were debuted at the Singapore Toys, Games and Comics Convention in August 2011. There are 5 different styles to choose from. These new vinyl Mickey’s stand 6.5″ tall, are individually packaged in open window boxes and include a “design your own” figure. No word on price or where to purchase these vinyl figures yet. Now, Vinylmation has been my gateway to a ton of other Disney toy collectibles that I had never seen before, but I think I’ll personally leave these alone for now. I do like the look and a couple of the styles, but would have to see a price point before possibly adding one. Let us know your thoughts on this new collectible The first figure is called Vintage Mickey. Next up is my favorite, Pinocchio Mickey.
PHOTO REPORT: The Magic Kingdom 1/2/17 (“it’s a small world” Merchandise, Tomorrowland Improvements, ETC.)
Welcome to the Magic Kingdom
Stitch’s Great Escape Returns
This and That
“it’s a MagicBand 2.0”
PHOTO REPORT: The Magic Kingdom 1/2/17 (“it’s a small world” Merchandise, Tomorrowland Improvements, ETC.)
Welcome to the Magic Kingdom
Stitch’s Great Escape Returns
This and That
“it’s a MagicBand 2.0”
PHOTO REPORT: Disneyland Resort 12/2/16 (Railroad Bridges Installed, Star Wars Land, New Security Checkpoints, Paper Bag: The Ride, ETC.)
Star Wars Land
Security Changes and Area Enhancements
Downtown Disney
Disneyland Park
Disney California Adventure
PHOTO REPORT: Disney’s Animal Kingdom 12/14/16 (DINOSAUR Returns, Flame Tree Expands, Christmas Decor, Etc.)
Flame Tree Barbecue Expansion
Have a Wild Holiday!
DINOSAUR Reopens
This and That
More Vinyl Collectible Mickeys
