Dirk Wallen’s 11/3/14 WDW Photo Report (Walls Down at Disney Springs, New Concept Art, Big Hero 6, Christmas Merch, ETC)

WDWNT on November 25, 2014

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited Disney Springs, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Animal Kingdom, and Epcot this week and he has a ton of newsworthy photos to share with us in this HUGE photo report, so let’s get started:

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Plenty of roadwork still to be done for Disney Springs

A new piece of elevated track is rising on the West Side, between Splitsville and Wolfgang Puck

We now know this large building with be the Boathouse

Disney announced this new restaurant concept last week

They wasted no time in adding ads to the walls for the restaurant

Concept art for the façade of the Boathouse

The small waterside park in The Landing opened this weekend

A nice little area for relaxing and live entertainment

Some of the buildings are out from behind construction walls in The Landing

New concept art for the area now on construction walls

There is a giant inflatable Baymax from Big Hero 6 on the West Side…

These storefronts in The Landing are just about done

The bridge in the Marketplace is also nearing completion

Two small, temporary stores operated by Something Silver opened by Fulton’s recently

The Marketplace bridge with the Rainforest Café façade refurbishment in the background

Shifting gears, Christmas merchandise has invaded the resort

Ornaments

Some Star Wars holiday pins were released

Plenty of Big Hero 6 merchandise is available around the resort

2015 calendars available

New “I Conquered” shirt

Iron Man and Captain America shirts

New Star Wars character glasses

New Darth Vader t-shirt

Some new merchandise was released at the Art of Animation Resort

Over at Epcot, walls finally came down around the area that was closed when a water main was hit after the Flower and Garden Festival

No visible progress at Norway’s Frozen attraction

We tweeted these weeks ago, but if you haven’t seen, some new retro EPCOT Center merchandise has been released

A quick stop at Animal Kingdom reveals work walls near Pangani Forest and Kilimanjaro Safaris

No visible changes at AVATAR, it’s impossible to see from inside the park

Moving to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, work continues on Starbucks and the Trolley Car Café

Nah nah nah nah, nah nah nah nah, hey hey hey…

Big Hero 6 merchandise carts replace the Frozen carts

Banners up in the Animation Courtyard

Work has finally begun on the Big Hero 6 meet and greet inside The Magic of Disney Animation

Big Hero 6 billboard by The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow

Let’s journey inside the new Wandering Oaken’s

Purchase with purchase Frozen bag available

Jim Shore has released some Frozen statues

Osborne Lights are ready to go

No more Backlot Tour…

CONFIRMED: The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow at Hollywood Studios Closing November 6th, The Sorcerer’s Hat to Follow?

WDWNT on October 24, 2014

Evidence continues to mount that Disney’s Hollywood Studios is about to undergo a major facelift…

IMG_02111

With the Studio Backlot Tour now shuttered and most of the smaller offerings in the Backlot section of the park slated for demolition by early 2015, rumors are now circulating that the Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow attraction at the park has only a week left to live. The show opened in December 2012 to fairly poor reviews as most guests expected a full-blown attraction and were instead met with a confusing interactive projection show. In order to combat waits, Disney has offered this attraction by return times only for the past several months. Apparently things have not improved and/or Disney feels the space could be better utilized for something else now green-lit for the park on a verge of a full overhaul.

Rumors still persist that time is almost up for the Sorcerer’s Hat, but other than its usual exclusi0n from merchandise and a single map, there has been no solid information. However, older expansion plans for the park did include the removal of the current park icon, so if an expansion is coming, it would be likely that the Sorcerer’s Hat would finally be demolished.

Stay tuned as we will keep you updated as more information becomes available.

UPDATE: The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will close at the end of the operating day on November 6th, 2014. No other information has been released at this time.

Robert Ashburn’s 4/19/12 Hollywood Studios Photo Report

WDWNT on December 15, 2012

WDWNT Reporter Robert Ashburn visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios yesterday and has some newsworthy photos to share with us:

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

The Sorcerer topiary is still out front

Wait times were fairly average

Temporary lighting structures still up

The temporary stage is gone though, even though it will probably return for Star Wars Weekends in a month…

The studio gate booth is still missing

The DVC logo was updated on this booth

The Hunger Games is being sold at the Writer’s Stop… it’s right above John Carter, just like at the box office…

The logo was updated on this window display as well… the Disneyland attraction posters are a nice touch

Plenty of Phineas and Ferb merchandise in Stage 1

Some fairly new Muppet shirts on sale as well

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

Time for something new already…

The sign on the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular was replaced a few weeks ago and it looks great!

Time for an emotional stop

A makeshift memorial to Dick Clark forming

His legacy lives on…

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

The Legacy Continues section of One Man’s Dream has some new park wall displays

The last Narnia sign is finally gone! YAY!

Adam Roth’s 12/1/11 Hollywood Studios Photo Report

WDWNT on December 6, 2011

WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Thursday and has some newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip:

Photo & Video Sharing by SmugMug

First stop: The Backlot Tour…

Posters for War Horse, John Carter, and The Muppets up

Muppets ad inside the Backlot Tour tram

Block Party Bash cones still sitting around

You’ve probably already read our story about it, but here is another look at the Beauty and the Beast statue

There appears to be a damaged or unfinished Beast statue off to the side as well

Pan-Am poster

KUNGALOOSH!

Happy birthday Walt!

It may be time to take down the TRON Legacy billboards…

Phineas and Ferb are dressed for the holidays

Lines remain long

OOOOOO, my favorite part!

“No you don’t Ethan… Ethan, no you don’t!” BANG!

If you need me to tell you where we are, you’re visiting the wrong site…

If I have to tell you this one, you might have larger problems…

I suggest a room on the 13th floor, views are sublime

Current day citizens of Hollywood were out filming

Looks like they are having fun

Time to make another flip book!

AMAZING!

The Disney difference is in the details

Plenty of alcohol available for the season

Everyone awaiting the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights

Duffy is hidden in this year’s holiday cup…

The only show where a switch is the star

TA-DA!

The new canopy really is stunning

Prep and Landing on TV in one of the windows

Kind of scary…

Cupcakes complete with light-up ice cubes available

Cookies!

Yes Adam, we’ll include this photo!

The window screens have not ben working nightly, but were on at this time

A tribute to Jennings Osborne

The booth by the stage in front of the Sorcerer’s Hat has a very neon glow

The stage is up already and will be until 2012

Goodnight Studios