Spaceship Tierra???

WDWNT on January 29, 2008

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., Jan. 28 PRNewswire- Spaceship Earth, the iconic centerpiece of Epcot, relaunches in February with changes and refinements installed during more than seven months of construction and detailing. Presented by Siemens, the relaunched Spaceship Earth looks on the outside like it did when Epcot opened a quarter century ago. But on the inside, Spaceship Earth has undergone changes since summer 2007 that will treat guests to an innovative “interactive” attraction with many new scenes, new costumes and set decorations, new lighting and special effects, a new musical score and narration, and a totally re-themed interactive post-show.

On a trip through time inside the Spaceship Earth attraction, guests discover how each generation of mankind has invented the future for the next generation, and how the spirit of innovation has moved people from caves to the cosmos. During the journey, new scenes depict: a family in the late 1960s viewing the moon landing on television; a massive, two-story computer room of the late 1960s with reel-to-reel-computers; a garage of the early 1970s where the “personal computer” is born; and a “tech tunnel” in which guests become part of a digital data stream. Even scenes that guests have experienced since 1982 have been touched by the project. “Practically every Audio-Animatronics figure in Spaceship Earth has been updated in one way or another,” said Show Producer Bob Zalk of Walt Disney Imagineering. “To make the figures more realistic, they’ve received a makeover of everything from their hair to their costumes to their movements.” Meanwhile, the makeover of the narration and music benefited from some “star power”:

— The new narration is delivered by English actress Dame Judi Dench, who earned an Oscar as best supporting actress in 1999 for her role in the motion picture “Shakespeare in Love.” While Dench delivers the ride vehicle narration in English, guests can also choose five other languages for their vehicle, a Disney “first” – French, German, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish.

— The new musical score was composed by Bruce Broughton, who has won a record 10 Emmy Awards and has been nominated for an Oscar and a Grammy during a career writing in every medium – from theatrical releases and TV feature films to the concert stage and computer games. A 62-piece orchestra and 24-voice choir brings his latest composition to life. As the ride-through adventure nears its finish, interactive touch-screens in the ride vehicles light up with a series of questions, soliciting guests’ preferences concerning things such as where they’d like to live and work in the future. Then guests are treated to a personalized view of themselves in their idyllic future.

When guests disembark the time travel experience, they are invited to visit “Project Tomorrow: Inventing the World of Tomorrow” presented by Siemens, where interactive exhibits bring to life the ideas and technologies Siemens is developing to help make the world a better place for the future. The space is filled with fun, interactive games and displays that showcase innovative technologies. Here, guests step into the world of tomorrow and glimpse the future of medicine, transportation and responsible energy management across the globe. Project Tomorrow includes:

— Body Builder, a 3-D interactive game that enables users to assemble a digital human body, simulating the Siemens technology developed to perform remote surgeries. — Super Driver, a driving simulation video game that showcases motor vehicle accident avoidance systems developed by Siemens.

— Innervision, a view into the future of medical diagnostics in the home.

— Power City, a game that demonstrates how to manage power in a growing city. Epcot is the Walt Disney World discovery park, where guests are immersed in a celebration of both technological accomplishments and international cultural achievements.

The 305-acre theme park encompasses two unique worlds — Future World and World Showcase — with attractions, shows, entertainment, dining, shopping and architectural wonders. Epcot is part of the 25,000-acre Walt Disney World Resort, near Orlando, Fla. For more information, guests may call 407/824-4321 or visit http://www.disneyworld.com/.

Siemens AG is one of the largest global electronics and engineering companies with reported worldwide sales of $107.4 billion in fiscal 2006. Founded 160 years ago, the company is a leader in the areas of Medical, Power, Automation and Control, Transportation, Information and Communications, Lighting, Building Technologies, Water Technologies and Services and Home Appliances. With its U.S. corporate headquarters in New York City, Siemens in the USA has sales of $21.4 billion and employs approximately 70,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Eleven of Siemens’ worldwide businesses are based in the United States. With its global headquarters in Munich, Siemens AG and its subsidiaries employ 480,000 people in 190 countries.

Imagine This

WDWNT on January 29, 2008

We may have seen the end of the  Journey Into Imagination with Figment attraction at Epcot according to a shocking new permit filed recently. The permit is for “Imagination Demolition”; take the name for what its worth. The scheduled one month refurbishment of the attraction that started today, may be something much bigger. We may finally have confirmation of a major refurbishment for the Imagination attraction that has been anxiously awaited for some time. Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today for more on this breaking story as it becomes available.

Open and Close

WDWNT on January 28, 2008

While Tony’s Town Square Restaurant at the Magic Kingdom and the new and improved Playhouse Disney Live! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios re-opened today, some other attractions have been shuttered for refurbishment. Among the latest attractions to close for refurbishment are Journey Into Imagination with Figment at Epcot, Imageworks at Epcot, and Snow White’s Scary Adventures at the Magic Kingdom. These new attraction closures come in addition to ongoing refurbishments of Splash Mountain, The American Adventure, and Journey Into Narnia. Remember, you can always check our attraction closures page to see what refurbishments are occurring now and in the future.

Upcoming Evolution of Pleasure Island

WDWNT on January 22, 2008

Christopher Boyd | Scott Powers and Jason Garcia, Orlando Sentinel
The slow evolution of Downtown Disney’s Pleasure Island continues with the recent opening of a second specialty apparel shop, the impending shutdown of a live-music nightclub, and the anticipated reuse of a long-closed building. Opening shortly before Christmas was a new, two-story shop called Curl by Sammy Duval, named after the water-skiing legend and featuring name-brand surf and skateboard fashions, boards and gear. Closing Feb. 3 will be the Rock ‘n’ Roll Beach Club, a venue known for its nightly live music. Along with Raglan Road, which often features solo musicians or acoustical combos, the Beach Club has been Pleasure Island’s live-music venue.

Nearly completed is the overhaul of a retail and venue building, along Village Lake, which has been vacant since the Orlando Harley-Davidson clothing store relocated and two other stores closed in 2006. Renovations appear to provide four retail storefronts plus side entrances for a multistory venue behind them. Disney officials would not discuss plans except to say something will be announced soon. Together, the three changes are consistent with a more than 2-year-old strategy pursued by Walt Disney World to broaden the appeal of Pleasure Island beyond nightclub patrons. Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez declined to elaborate on plans for the Beach Club building, which features a panoramic view of Village Lake, though she dispelled rumors that the building would be torn down. All employees are being offered jobs elsewhere in Disney World, she said.

The Beach Club building has undergone major change before. It opened in 1989 as the XZFR Rockin’ Rollerdrome, with a roller rink inside. The rink was deemed too dangerous and was removed in favor of a beach-club theme, according to The Official Encyclopedia Disney A to Z, by Dave Smith.

More Than A Refurbishment

WDWNT on January 12, 2008

It has just been announced that both Journey Into Imagination with Figment and Imageworks at Epcot will be closed from January 28 to February 24. While some minor refurbishing will be done, there will also be testing of some new effects for a BIG planned refurbishment of the attraction in the coming year. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information becomes available on this in the coming weeks.

John Corigliano’s 12/31/07-1/11/08

WDWNT on January 12, 2008

Here are some pictures of some notable happenings at Walt Disney World during my trip from December 31 to January 11:

Due to the stage in front of the Sorcerer’s Hat at DHS, High School Musical was performing in the Fantasmic entrance forecourt.

Playhouse Disney is closed until February as it prepares for an all new updated show.

The old Hunchback Theater at the Studios is being demolished for some future development.

 Here is a look at the major refurbishment going on at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa:

The following pictures show the layout and new design the marble floors of the lobby will be showcasing:

Out with the old…

In with Disney’s Hollywood Studios!!!

Here is the final part of my photo report, sorry it has taken so long:

Splash Mountain is closed for some general refurbishment until February 17, 2008.

Tony’s Town Square Restaurant is closed until January 27 while its kitchen receives some upgrades.

City Hall on Main Street U.S.A. remains open during it’s exterior refurbishment.

Donald Duck has received his wish and has become a real boy.

I hope you enjoyed the photos!!!

Grand Floridian Refurbishment

WDWNT on January 10, 2008

If you visit Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort, you are sure to notice some major renovations going on. In the resort’s main building, a giant tarp spanning two floors has engulfed all of the hotel lobby. On the upper level, most of the floor tiles have been ripped up for the installation of new flooring. This refurbishment is only the first step in a lengthy refrbishment that will see every building of the resort upgraded. All of the resort’s changes should be complete by early 2009. I will have pictures available after I return from WDW this weekend.

Oops!!!

WDWNT on December 29, 2007

It appears Walt Disney World made a mistake when they announced the upcoming refurbishment of Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom, they forgot how heavy crowds will still be for the three days following the New Year’s holiday, The refurbishment of Splash Mountain will now be from January 4, 2008 until February 15, 2008.

If It Ain’t Broken, Don’t Fix It

WDWNT on December 28, 2007

The upcoming refurbishment of Minnie’s Country House in Mickey’s Toontown Fair has been pushed back until sometime in 2008. Small children who will soon be visiting the Magic Kingdom are very grateful.

Backlot Theater Demolition

WDWNT on December 27, 2007

The Backlot Theater at the Disney MGM Studios, formerly home to the Hunchback of Notre Dame show, is now being demolished in preparation for a future attraction. The announcement of this new attraction and some others could come as early as January 7, 2008, where it is believed a press event will be held to mark the shift in the park’s name to Disney’s Hollywood Studios.