Football Teams Get The Boot

WDWNT on December 10, 2007

A group of young athletes was kicked out of Walt Disney World in the middle of the night Saturday.

Disney made the decision to kick out three teams participating in the Pop Warner Superbowl competition — two from Hawaii and one from Baltimore — because of a fight between some of their athletes.

According to Disney, it is written into their policy for group packages that everyone will be forced to leave if even one member of the party is involved in a violent act on property.

However, parents said the way they were treated just wasn’t right.

“They could have handled it so much better, you know? They really could have. They could have said look you know what? Fine, you guys have to leave in the morning. Then our babies. We have one year old, two year old, three year olds, that we had to just jerk out of bed and they were just crying. You know it was just a bad scene. It was really a bad scene,” said Labryanna Kubo, a parent traveling with the Hawaii team.

The Orange County Sheriff’s Office is still investigating the incident.

SSE Preview in the Orlando Sentinel

WDWNT on December 7, 2007

Disney makes changes to Epcot’s Spaceship Earth attraction

Dewayne Bevil |Sentinel Staff Writer 6:38 PM EST, December 6, 2007
Epcot enthusiasts will have a ball again soon. Construction walls near Spaceship Earth, iconic sphere of the theme park, will fall sometime next week, after five months of refurbishment, Walt Disney World officials said. Inside are changes in content, new interactive components and enhancements of items that have marked the attraction since day one.

Its theme has shifted from communication through the ages to one of inspiration and innovation. The most recent script, read by Jeremy Irons, has been scrapped — the new narrator is Oscar winner Judi Dench, whose words guide riders through the generations.

“The story is those building blocks that got us to today,” said Bob Zalk, show producer. The plot winds through several scenes familiar to Spaceship Earth fans: the Egyptians, the burning of Rome (that smoky aroma remains), the Renaissance, the switchboard and more. All scenes up through the 1960s living room remain, but elements have been repositioned and upgraded. Each have new lights and costumes. Some Audio-Animatronics are increasingly lifelike.

“We’ve technologically updated the figures so they can move around more than before,” said Eric Jacobson, senior vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering. “That’s something we couldn’t do in the ’80s.” Especially striking are a Greek teacher and a Roman soldier.

Fresh content is most apparent as riders near the top of the sphere. New sets representing the invention of the computer mainframe and the garage where the personal computer was developed lead to the darkened, downward second half of the experience. As the cars coast down the rail, passengers answer seven questions about their future on a touch screen. (Do you prefer the journey or the destination? While away, do you worry more about your home or your pet?) Answers are melded into a customized piece of retro-yet-futuristic cartoon for each row.

Other changes blend old and new. The revised living room steers attention to the 1969 moon landing on TV — featuring reports from Walter Cronkite, a former narrator of Spaceship Earth.

“We think the traditionalists will be happy,” Jacobson said.

Finishing touches continue, but a few Epcot visitors may get a peek before the official opening. Elements to come later include language options selected by passenger (a Disney first) and more post-show goodies, including a game called Power City and a big globe pinpointing where each day’s visitors live.

Insider Video Here: http://www.orlandosentinel.com/video/?slug=orl-wn-disneyvideo1207067

Third Death at WDW

WDWNT on December 6, 2007

From Mickeynews.com:

Walt Disney World suffered a third death late last week but unlike the two previously reported deaths the third was immediately ruled natural. A 71-year-old man died after having a heart attack on a Disney bus, according to officials.

The man’s name has not been released. Shortly before 5 p.m. Friday afternoon he fell unconscious while riding a bus toward Magic Kingdom. A Disney spokeswoman said the bus pulled over at the Magic Kingdom toll plaza and Reedy Creek paramedics arrived but were unable to revive him.

In a previously-reported incident on Friday a 72-year-old man who fell at the Magic Kingdom on Thursday died of his injuries, according to Disney officials. The day before a Disney employee, Karen Price, 63, died from injuries she sustained when she was hit by a Primeval Whirl roller coaster car at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Note: An earlier version of this posting had unfortunately drawn from an earlier report that the 72-year-old man who fell at the Magic Kingdom had slipped. Disney officials said the family advised them that the man did not slip, but had lost his balance and fallen.

Epcot’s 25th Officially Happening

WDWNT on July 28, 2007

I was informed today that a ceremony rededicating Epcot on October 1st, 2007, is most certainly happening. The Orlando Sentinel has picked up the story and Epcot’s 25th will be officially recognized by the Walt Disney Company. There is still no chance of a  few month long celebration of the anniversary, but at least something is happening. It is a nice change to see Disney recognize such a meaningful anniversary after the snub Walt Disney World’s 35th anniversary recieved last year.

D23 Expo Details, Tickets, and Packages Now Available!!!

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

d23expo_sketch_mickey

D23 EXPO, THE ULTIMATE DISNEY FAN EXPERIENCE,
COMES TO THE ANAHEIM CONVENTION CENTER SEPT. 10-13

Four Extraordinary Days of Live Events, Interactive Pavilions and
One-of-a-Kind Entertainment Celebrate the Past, Present and Future of Disney

ANAHEIM and BURBANK, Calif. – June 3, 2009 – Disney fans will be given unprecedented access to never-before-seen movies, TV shows, park experiences, collectibles and more from Sept. 10 to Sept. 13 at the Anaheim Convention Center when Disney and D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans present the first-ever D23 EXPO.

Tickets to the D23 EXPO are available beginning today at http://www.D23Expo.com.  Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 EXPO and can be purchased for single days or for the full four days of festivities. Admission is discounted for members of D23.

“We hope this will be the ultimate event for the multitude of fans who have been so instrumental in Disney’s success,” said Disney President and CEO Bob Iger. “The D23 Expo represents the finest in Disney entertainment from across our great company and will offer a one-of-a-kind, unforgettable experience for people of all ages to enjoy.”

Anaheim Mayor Curt Pringle added, “The upcoming D23 Expo at the Anaheim Convention Center will serve as an exciting opportunity to present Anaheim to the millions of Disney enthusiasts around the world. For the thousands of inaugural-year D23 Expo attendees who will visit our city in September, this will be a special and a memorable time in the birthplace of Walt Disney’s original theme park.  It is a great honor for Anaheim and the Anaheim Convention Center to host this event.”

Among the centerpiece events of the D23 EXPO will be an extraordinary, exclusive opportunity to get early glimpses of several all-new Disney feature films.  Only at the D23 EXPO will guests preview a wide range of upcoming movie events, including The Princess and the Frog, Rapunzel, Disney’s A Christmas Carol, Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland, TRON, Toy Story 3, Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time and The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.  Walt Disney Pictures will present these special sneak peeks in a state-of-the-art cinema built especially for the D23 EXPO.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will take D23 EXPO guests behind the scenes to explore the rich legacy and exciting future of Disney’s theme parks and vacation destinations worldwide.  Highlights will include a special look at what’s being imagineered for the future of Disney’s California Adventure, a peek behind closed doors at the amazing new technologies defining today’s and tomorrow’s Disney theme park experience, and the opportunity to meet and hear from the Imagineers, Cast Members and key Disney Parks and Resorts executives who create lasting memories for millions every year.

In many different ways, the D23 EXPO will explore the history and heritage of Walt Disney and the company he founded more than 80 years ago.  The D23 EXPO will be home to the 2009 Disney Legends Awards – a 22-year tradition that pays tribute to the talented men and women who have made indelible contributions to Disney entertainment.  This year’s recipients will be honored at a ceremony on Saturday, Sept. 12, marking the first time the prestigious event has been held off Disney property.

In an extraordinary exhibition designed especially for the D23 EXPO, an incredible collection of classic and contemporary Disney props, artifacts and costumes will be accessible to the public for the first time ever. “Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives” brings together such amazing pieces as the fully restored, 11-foot model of the Nautilus from 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; the stunning, jewel-encrusted book used in the opening moments of Sleeping Beauty; and other rare surprises from throughout Disney’s history. Ranging from the original Mickey Mouse Club and the musical classic Mary Poppins to recent hits like Pirates of the Caribbean and High School Musical, the “Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives” is a never-before-experienced exhibition that’s a D23 EXPO exclusive.

The D23 EXPO spotlight will also shine on Disney Channel’s brightest stars in a can’t miss-special event.  There will also be an ESPN Sports Lounge, live broadcasts from Radio Disney, and a preview of ABC’s new fall primetime shows, details of which will be announced in the coming weeks at www.D23Expo.com.

For Disney fans who want to take home part of the magic, Disney Consumer Products will offer myriad opportunities to do just that.  Only at the D23 EXPO will guests be able to walk through the eight-room “Disney Dream Home,” celebrate the holidays Disney-style, see fine art created before their eyes, learn about Disney Fairy Tale Weddings, experience Disney couture fashion shows, meet and hear from the authors of a dazzling array of Disney books, prepare for trick-or-treating with the latest Disney Store Halloween costumes, and more … all under one roof.

The D23 EXPO also will be home to the “Disney Dream Store,” where guests will find exclusive D23 EXPO merchandise and collectibles; the Disney pin-trading headquarters; and much more, including the chance to build your own Mouse ears.

Showcasing Disney’s appeal to fans of every generation, the D23 EXPO has created a multi-layered experience: Avid Disney enthusiasts can attend dozens of specially created panels and celebrity-speaker events, details of which will be announced over the next several weeks.  Younger Disney fans, meanwhile, will be able to experience special interactive play areas, meet their favorite Radio Disney DJs broadcasting live, watch “Princess makeover” demos from the Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boutique, and have fun in the Baby Einstein play area. Together, families can enjoy the Disney Crafts Center and learn about scrapbooking, Disney-style.

The D23 Collectors’ Forum will present a wide range of options for collectors to show and sell their Disney memorabilia, and those interested in exhibiting can visit www.D23Expo.com for more information.

Fans also will be able to view and even take part in the first-ever Disney Fan Art Gallery, which will include the finalists in the Donald Duck 75th Anniversary Portrait Contest, as well as a one-of-a-kind fan art show.  Full details and contest rules can be found at www.D23Expo.com or www.disney.com/D23.

All activities at the D23 EXPO are included in single- and four-day admissions, including the “50 and Fabulous Film Festival,” which honors three classic Disney movies that are celebrating their golden anniversaries this year.  Sleeping Beauty, The Shaggy Dog and Darby O’Gill and the Little People, all originally released in 1959, will be presented on the big screen, one movie each evening, for Disney fans of all ages to enjoy together.  Also featured at the D23 EXPO will be a special screening of Walt Disney Pictures’ upcoming Tinker Bell: Lost Treasure, along with an in-depth exploration of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs: Diamond Edition, which will be released this fall by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

Tickets to the D23 EXPO, which go on sale today, are $37 for a one-day adult admission and $27 for children 3-12.  To experience every bit of entertainment and excitement at the D23 EXPO, four-day passes are also available at $111 for adults and $81 for children. Members of D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans will receive a discount on up to four same-day admissions, as well as early entry to each day of the D23 EXPO for themselves and their guests.

Special vacation packages are available at the D23 EXPO website, from both the Walt Disney Travel Company (including Disneyland Resort hotel accommodations, D23 EXPO tickets and theme park admission), and the Anaheim Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, which is offering a limited number of area hotel rooms at special rates to those attending the D23 EXPO.

Many more details about the entertainment, events and special guests that will be part of the first-ever D23 EXPO will be announced in the coming weeks.  Fans can keep up with all of the announcements by visiting www.D23EXPO.com, as well as by following “Disney D23” at Twitter and on Facebook.

Lakers vs. Magic, Crofton vs. Grier, Disney World vs. Disneyland

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

As an Orlando Magic fan, I can’t wait to see Ed Grier walking right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland park in shame:

ANAHEIM, Calif./LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (June 3, 2009) – Walt Disney World President Meg Crofton and Disneyland President Ed Grier are squaring off – all in fun – as their local teams, the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers, head for the NBA Finals. With both Disney parks asking guests “What Will You Celebrate?” in 2009, Grier and Crofton are getting in the act, making a celebratory wager on the outcome of the NBA Finals:

If the Magic win, Grier will walk down Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland park wearing a pair of specially made Mickey Mouse ears in Magic blue and silver. If the Lakers win, Crofton will don a pair of Lakers’ purple and gold mouse ears and walk down Main Street, U.S.A. at Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom.

Lakers Celebration at Disneyland

“The Lakers are going to make your team very Grumpy this week,” predicted Grier to Crofton.

MORE 'MAGIC' AT THE MAGIC KINGDOM; DISNEY WORLD ROOTS FOR THE MA

“But we have ‘Magic’ on our side,” countered Crofton.  “And isn’t that what Disney is all about?”

Crofton and Grier went through their respective parks Wednesday looking for supporters.  Grier shot some hoops with Donald and Pluto in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, while Crofton (along with Minnie, Goofy, Chip and Dale) drummed up Orlando Magic support in front of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World Resort. The park presidents even pledged to turn the lights of their respective castles to their team colors in celebration of the historic pairing.

Roy E. Disney passes away at age 79

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

Roy E. Disney in his office in 1985

From the Los Angeles Times:

Roy Edward Disney, the nephew of Walt Disney whose commitment to his uncle’s creative spirit prompted him to mount revolts that led to the unseating of two of the company’s chief executives and a revival of the studio’s legendary animation unit, died today. He was 79.

Disney, who had been battling stomach cancer, died at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian in Newport Beach, according to Clifford A. Miller, a spokesman for Disney’s company Shamrock Holdings.

Disney toiled for years in the shadow of his famous uncle and his father, Roy O. Disney, who behind the scenes ran the business side of the Walt Disney Co. for his brother. But the quiet man in the cardigan sweater would emerge as a forceful protector of family traditions.

“People always underestimated Roy,” said Peter Schneider, the former president of Walt Disney Feature Animation. “You underestimate Roy at your peril, as many people have learned.”

Disney devoted the first 20 years of his career to making nature films, among them “Pancho, A Dog of the Plains,” “The Owl That Didn’t Give A Hoot” and an Oscar-nominated short subject “Mysteries of the Deep.” After the death of Walt in 1966 and Roy’s father in 1971, the younger Disney was spurned in his efforts to take a larger role with the company. He finally quit in 1977, but remained on its board as a director, where he was largely a figurehead.

Adrift, Disney hooked up with lawyer Stanley Gold and became a successful financier, investing successfully in a wide variety of businesses that included broadcasting, soybeans and Israeli industrial concerns through Shamrock Holdings, a company named for one Disney’s racing sloops.

During the 1980s, Gold, Disney and Shamrock became one of the better-known corporate raiders, making unsuccessful hostile takeover bids for companies such as the Polaroid Corp. camera maker and the Wherehouse Entertainment chain of music stores. Its takeover of Central Soya, a soybean processor in Fort Wayne, Ind., would yield a sizable $170-million profit for Shamrock and its partners with its subsequent sale to an Italian agricultural concern. Through investments, Gold sought to free Disney of his financial dependence on the Disney company stock he inherited. Most were successful, although Shamrock stumbled on some, particularly a money-losing investment in sneaker maker L.A. Gear.

By 1984, Disney had grown increasingly frustrated with the Walt Disney Co., which he likened to a real estate company that happened to be in the movie business. The company had let its feature animation film business, once the cornerstone of the company, deteriorate. The company, Disney would later say, had lost its creative drive.

“I said to him, ‘Roy, I think you’ve reached a point where you need to get all the way in or all the way out,’ ” Gold said. “He said, ‘What does that mean?’ I said, ‘You either need to sell your shares in Disney and go independent, or you need to put up a fight and get rid of the managers and find real managers for this business.’ ”

Read More about Roy E. Disney passes away at age 79

Let the Adventure begin!

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

This Friday, December 17th D-Street in California will release 2 of the 5 Disneyland exclusive Disneyland ’55 Attraction Poster 9″ Vinylmations ($44.95). Yesterday I told you about Tommowland, today we travel to Adventureland.

Walt Disney loved nature and adventure. This is evident in his award winning True-Life Adventure documentaries. Adventureland was meant to be based on these films and feature real life animals in the Jungle Cruise attraction. Since that was not feasible, Walt had his imagineers create the automatronic animals we all enjoy today. This Vinylmation features the attraction poster from the famous Jungle Cruise ride.

Interesting to note is the placement of the world “Adventureland”. In the original poster, “Adventureland” is under the depticted elephant and boat in the brown space at the bottom of the poster.
What was designer Alex Maher’s reasoning for this? To fill up the empty yellow space on the back? Or was it difficult to write the word across the Vinylmation feet? Also, how about the missing hippo? I would have liked to see the hippo on the finished Vinylmation. There appears to be room to wrap him from the right side to the front, or even on the back… there is some empty green space there as well. Those are 2 questions I will ask him if I get the chance… or if there is an artist signing out at D-Street in California, maybe you can ask for us? A nice Vinylmation gift may be in it for you!

Journey into Awesomeness!

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

The much anticipated Dreamfinder 9″ Figment 3″ combo Vinylmation was released today at D-Street Orlando and California! This is a perfect use of the 9″, 3″ combo and the detailed depiction of these two Disney fan favorites in spot on.

Dreamfinder and Figment were the stars of the former Journey into Imagination ride at EPCOT. The ride opened in 1983 and the pair happily entertained audiences for 15 years. In 1998, the ride was refurbished and Dreamfinder was taken out and Figment’s role was reduced. Guests were very upset. One of the only places in Disney to get your Dreamfinder fix these days is in Mouse Gears. One of Dreamfinder’s flying machines now decorates the EPCOT Mouse Gears store.

And this detail in Dreamfinder’s right ear wonderfully depicts his blimp.
As another imagineer tribute to Dreamfinder, the name Dean Finder, appears on one of the lab doors in the current Journey ride queue. In 2002, Disney once again refurbed Journey and added more Figment for guests to enjoy. Now Vinylmation and Disney fans can enjoy this pair back together again with this Maria Clapsis designed Vinylmation limited to just 1,200 pieces. It retails for $74.95. And here are some of the first up close shots of the new 3″ Figment Vinylmation that accompanies Dreamfinder:
Also released today is the 9″ Retro Magic Kingdom for $44.95 at D-Street California and Orlando.

The Future… as seen in 1961

WDWNT on January 1, 1970

I love retro Disney merchandise… so this Friday, December 17th’s release of 2 of the 5 Disneyland ’55 Attraction Poster 9″ Vinylmations ($44.95) designed by Alex Maher is very exciting! These Vinylmation are only available at D-Street in California. Today, I will talk about Tomorrowland…


Here is Walt Disney’s vision of Tommorwland in his own words: “Tomorrow can be a wonderful age. Our scientists today are opening the doors of the Space Age to achievements that will benefit our children and generations to come. The Tomorrowland attractions have been designed to give you an opportunity to participate in adventures that are a living blueprint of our future.”

Tomorrowland opened with Disneyland in 1955, but didn’t feature many must-do attractions until its 1959 update when the Disneyland Monorail, the Submarine Voyage and the Matterhorn (later part of Fantasyland) opened. Oddly enough, this series of Vinylmation is named “Disneyland ’55”, but the ride depicted on this poster is from a ride that wasn’t built until 1961…

The Flying Saucers attraction only lasted 5 years, but became a cherished childhood memory for many who experienced it. Guests rode in these “Flying Saucers” and played a game of bumper cars. The Saucers floated on a cushion of air, similar to air hockey, and were controlled by the rider leaning in the desired direction of travel. Here is a vintage photo from Disney of the former attraction.
The ride was expensive to operate and was shut down in 1967 when the refurbished Tomorrowland opened. But the memories live on…
Coming to Cars Land at Disney California Adventure in 2012:
Luigi’s Roamin’ Tires concept art