Here are pictures from the second day of Jose Castillo’s trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. On Friday, Jose visited Epcot:
Another day dawns aboard Spaceship Earth…
With rather long lines
Jose got his funny photo posted somewhere in the middle of the ocean
Over at the exit of Test Track, we’ll take another look at the updated Fuel for Thought
Matt Paul has provided us with more pictures from his latest trip to the Walt Disney World Resort. Let’s see what happening at the world:
Guest Relations at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is decked out for the season
Since I always get yelled at by High School Musical fans for a lack of coverage…
we will fill our annual quota in two pictures
Here with his first photo report from the Walt Disney World Resort is our own Matt Paul, who spent yesterday visiting three of the theme parks. Let’s see what he found at the World:
Let’s begin at Epcot
The new IBM Thinkplace inside Innoventions is still coming soon
With the end of the Food and Wine Festival, this spot waits for its holiday display
This small area is still being worked on, perhaps for the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure
The Christmas display at the park entrance is starting to be put in place
A strange recycling bin now stands near the ramp to the Epcot Monorail station
Now we’ll move over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios
The final Super Soap Weekend at Walt Disney World will take place this weekend
The usual stage has been set-up outside the Sorcerer’s Hat
Because of the stage, the High School Musical show will be performing on the Streets of America
A lot has happened since we last looked at the American Idol Experience
All of the signage is up and the attraction is nearing completion
A large screen stands outside the Superstar Television Theater waiting for the first show to begin
The American Idol Experience sign
I think it looks great
The name of the theater is still way too cool 🙂
Matt thought this was a cool picture
Golden Age Souvenirs has closed again as it prepares for some American Idol merchandise
A new logo has appeared on the trampoline units for Block Party Bash
Finally, over to the Magic Kingdom
Here it is, the first of many Cinderella Castle Dreamlights photos for 2008
Even after seeing it in person, I can’t help but say “WOW”
We’ll end Matt’s report with a very cool 2008 holiday shirt with an awesome tag-line: “Joy from the World”
Hi everybody, John Corigliano here to provide you with some photo updates of my wild weekend at the Walt Disney World Resort, visiting both Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Hope you enjoy it!!!
Spaceship Earth’s wait time for 20 minutes today. Does that look like 20 minutes?
They’ve added this sign to Pin Central at Epcot to tell guests how to trade pins. They’ve also a screen that will soon tell guests how much pins are just by scanning the UPC bar code.
Here’s the new Price Pin Guide that’s being implemented at the Epcot’s Pin Central. Each color is represents a different price.
Here’s what the UPC Bar Codes on the back of the pins look like. This pin has a blue sticker denoting that the price is $8.95.
Here’s another example. The price here is $6.95.
Rumors were circulating that Nestle had their signs removed at The Land, for the time being that is totally and completely FASLE. Here’s the proof.
The only thing that’s gone is the Jr. Chef station.
Here’s the “NEW” EPCOT Center shirt that’s been released around Epcot shops.
The only difference is that there’s a 25th Anniversary logo on inside where the tag would be.
Here’s some of Father’s Day merchandise being sold around Walt Disney World.
Here’s a billboard for Toy Story Mania! that’s just down the street near my home.
Now we move over to the actual attraction and Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
TSMM had a 90 minute wait on opening day (May 31). Sadly, I one got on the ride once since the ride had technical difficulties after I got off it.
Here was my one and only score. Not as good as Tom Corless who actually holds the all-time high score at the moment.
Here’s the newly unveiled directional sign showing where Toy Story Midway Mania is.
Here’s the only reference to the Disney-MGM Studios that I could find in the entire park. I miss you MGM.
More Disney’s Hollywood Studios merchandise continues to come in.
Already, Imagineering has a Toy Story Midway Mania wait time sign pin. Tom wants this pin so bad.
Progress on enclosing the old Hunchback Theater is almost done.
As you can see from looking over the wall.
Nothing really new over at the old ABC Theater, future home of the American Idol Experience.
Does it seem like something is missing?
Anyone know the answers?
Here’s the new DHS watch design by Jason Zucker, only 50 of them available.
One of Jason’s amazing drawings for Star Wars Weekends.
Here’s one of Jason’s unreleased Star Wars Weekends artwork designs featuring Donald Duck.
Here, again you can see the new Playhouse Disney sign at the entrance.
A lot of progress as gone on over at the DVC Tower.
I finally got to eat here for the first time….on the last day in operation. Too bad I can’t come back for seconds.
So, as we end this WDW Update, we say good-bye to the Concourse Steakhouse.
For those of you who are interested, complete coverage of the March 4 re-dedication of Spaceship Earth presented by Siemens at Epcot is available over WFTV. Their coverage of the event includes a full article and video of the small, unannounced ceremony from Tuesday.
Here is what we missed during our short downtime:
-Splash Mountain is once again operating at the Magic Kingdom. The ride was not suppose to re-open until February 18th.
-The Earful Tower at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is recieving its new logo:
Hi Definition Video (720p): Â Click Here
-The Pirate and Princess Parties at the Magic Kingdom may be recieving a new name in the near future, Mickey’s Pirate and Princess Party.
After a short period of closure this week, Spaceship Earth at Epcot has re-opened with an enhanced descent portion.
-The descent now features some triangle panels that light up above you (again matching the panels on the outside of SSE).
-A new video has replaced the stars and trivia segment while you wait for your future to be created on the touch screen.
-The interactive map has returned, and now adds your ride photo to the giant globe in the Project Tomorrow post show area.
-There are some new kiosks near the globe that are not yet operational, but once they are, you will be able to email photos and even the “your future” video from the attraction to anyone.
We will obtain some pictures of these updates as soon as we can, but as you know, we are having our own refurbishment problems.
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.
The new interactive game in the Spaceship Earth: Project Tomorrow post show area, named Innervision, is now open. We do not have any idea at the moment what this new Siemens sponsored game at Epcot entails, but we will inform you as more about it becomes available.Â
The walls surrounding Spaceship Earth at Epcot have finally come down and the attraction is officially open to the public, despite multiple signs noting the official opening still as February 2008.
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Epcot’s iconic white sphere, Spaceship Earth, closed for nearly six months, will reopen to the public Friday with a new story line and digital enhancements. The show’s producer Bob Zalk says the new story is about innovations and how they inspire the next generation. The ride features new show scenes, lighting effects and costumes with a new musical score narrated by Judy Dench. The ride’s vehicles remain the same, but include new touch screens. There will also be an interactive component. Disney officials expect to make minor changes before the ride’s formal reopening in February.
