Character Dining Changes

WDWNT on June 28, 2008

Some interesting rumors about dining changes to Walt Disney World are making the rounds this weekend, claiming that the Magic Kingdom’s Liberty Tree Tavern restaurant will be removing its character dinner as an option in January 2009 and that Epcot’s Garden Grill Restaurant inside The Land pavilion will remove the lunch option and only offer a character dinner starting this October. While we can-not deny or verify these rumors at this time, we will keep you informed on the subject as information becomes available.

Details on The American Idol Experience

WDWNT on June 23, 2008

Our good friend Jim Hill over at jimhilllmedia.com has put up a great article today giving away some of the details on how the new American Idol Experience attraction will run once it opens officially at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in January 2009. Jim goes through most of he details for this attraction in the article, giving us a good idea of just how many Disney Cast Members it will take to operate this “huge” attraction everyday. While Jim spills most of the beans on this long-awaited replacement to Superstar Television and Doug Live, there are still many details that Disney has still not even straightened out yet. While we wait for details direct from Disney, you can read through and enjoy Jim’s report HERE.

Plenty of SPACE for Change

WDWNT on June 5, 2008

As we have been reporting here at WDW News Today for almost a year, Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom is scheduled to go down for an extensive refurbishment beginning in January of 2009. The number one priority for Disney during this refurbishment will be to bring in new, more comfortable ride vehicles and loading gates for added safety to the attraction. However, Imagineering has a few other ideas in store for the attraction. Among those ideas are new lighting effects, a completely new queue and exit, and a unique music track to play through the new on-board speakers that each vehicle will have. We are still 6 months away from what should be the beginning of a lengthy refurbishment, but stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information becomes available.

Lights, Camera, Rumor Control!!!

WDWNT on May 30, 2008

Just wanted to take a moment to clear up two rumors about the future of Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

-The space next to Toy Story Midway Mania (known as sound-stage 1) is not being prepared for Pixar Place area expansion at this time. As we reported in April, the space will be the merchandise location for Star Wars Weekends at the Studios beginning in June. I even took a peek inside the studio this week to be sure, and all that I saw were boxes and shelves full of merchandise.

-Of course there has been another leak about the new Star Tours attraction in development (as if there was any doubt this was happening) this week. From what I have been told, the attraction will either close later this year or right after the conclusion of the 2009 Star Wars Weekends at the Studios. Either way, the current feeling is that the attraction can not miss a Star Wars Weekend event during this lengthy refurbishment, so It can only be closed for a year at the most.

Predicting The Future With a Doctor and a Prince

WDWNT on May 16, 2008

The next two weeks of business at your local box office may be determining the future of your favorite Disney Parks and your future vacations. Disney management will be closely watching the performance of two summer blockbusters over the next two weeks, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian and Indiana Jones and The Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.

For the Narnia series, everything is riding on this weekend and the latest film’s success. If the film doesn’t perform as well as the Walt Disney Company is hoping, we may have seen the last or next-to-last Narnia film. Whether or not that takes place, a decision will be made soon on the now-in-developement Narnia 3-D attraction being planned for Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s California Adventure. If the film shows strong results, then expect the new Narnia 3-D show to debut at both parks around Summer 2010.

As far as Dr. Jones is concerned, Disney is dying to know if Indy can still swing some good box office numbers after 19 years of script battles between George Lucas and Steven Spielberg. If Indiana Jones does as well as many are expecting it to do, I would expect a green light for the long in development Indiana Jones Adventure (same name as Disneyland attraction, but extremely different beyond that), an updated Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectatular, or both. Be sure to keep an eye on box office results the next two weeks, because the newest attractions at Walt Disney World are riding on it.

Details Emerging on Toy Story Mania

WDWNT on March 17, 2008

Here are some details emerging on Toy Story Mania at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, opening soon:

-The vehicles for the attraction will be called “Toy Story Trams” and will be equipped with “Spring Action Shooters”.

-Each vehicle will feature the name and picture of a different Toy Story film character.

-The inside queue will reportedly carry on the theme of the real-life Pixar Studios.

-A new Pixar Studio Store will be located on Pixar Place, selling a lot of merchandise from the new attraction and other Disney-Pixar films.

While none of the previous notes are confirmed, they are all highly likely. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information on Toy Story Mania becomes available.

Living Robot Initiative

WDWNT on March 17, 2008

The latest in the line of “living characters” at Walt Disney World (Such as Muppet Mobile Labs, Lucky the Dinosaur, and Mr. Potato Head) will be debuting soon at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Rumors are swirling that a living character of Wall-E from the upcoming Disney-Pixar film of the same name will begin roaming the streets of Pixar Place within a few weeks. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more info becomes available on this story.

Jim Makin’ Headlines

WDWNT on February 18, 2008

Our good friend Jim Hill over at Jim Hill Media has reported to extremely interesting stories this week:

-Disney may be purchasing the old Dixie Stampede building in Orlando and converting it into a High School Musical themed dinner show: LINK

-Walt Disney World may be opening a fifth theme park called Night Kingdom, that will only open for evenings and for a very small number of guests: LINK

While these two major projects may be just rumored at the current time, more than a few inside sources have been confirming this information. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information becomes available.

Journey To the Center of the Earth

WDWNT on January 23, 2008

In a wild rumor, it appears that the next expansion for Disney’s Animal Kingdom park may be a whole new land replacing Camp Minnie-Mickey. With the possible decision that Cars Land will not be a part of Disney’s Hollywood Studios in the future, another oppurtunity to use the Test Track ride system may arrive in the form of a Tokyo Disney Sea park attraction. The Journey to the Center of the Earth E-Ticket attraction may find it’s way across the sea to the park just in time for Walt Disney World’s 40th Anniversary Celebration in 2011. This is still strictly rumor at this time, but here is a link to the official webpage for the attraction currently running at the Tokyo Disneyland Resort.

Haunted Mansion Update

WDWNT on July 26, 2007

The Haunted Mansion refurbishment seems to be much bigger than Disney had originally let on. In addition to new audio and lighting upgrades, it appears the attic scene has been completely remodeled with the addition of the new bride scene similar to the changes that took place at Disneyland last year. Also exported from Disneyland, the floating Leota Crystal Ball has been put into the seance room. Finally, the Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion will receive an effect that has yet to be seen in any mansion around the world. The giant spider staircase scene has been removed for the addition of a brand new scene with impressive special effects creating an illusion of neverending stairs. Disney has not made any of these changes official, but there are strong reports in their favor.