WDWNT Reporter Joe Hogarty visited the Magic Kingdom yesterday and has a ton of newsworthy photos (including A Pirate’s Adventure, the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train, Princess Aurora’s new costume, and more) to share with us, so let’s take a look:
Stage set for the AFV taping
I love that it actually fits Main Street U.S.A.
Beautiful day at the Magic Kingdom
Jack Sparrow What-Not?
The Crow’s Nest will be the starting point for A Pirate’s Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas
There is a queue set up now
The sign above the entrance is covered
Tangled tower
It has become a popular photo spot
No visible progress on Princess Fairytale Hall
Work continues on the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train
More scaffolding going up on the west side
Meanwhile, the facade on the east side is nearing completion
It looks nearly complete from this side
The track was wrapped to accommodate other work
Triton’s Treasures should be open by the Summer
New rock work going up
Other than a few walls that were enclosed, nothing new over here
The Mad Tea Party is closed for refurbishment
IRON MAN-O-RAIL
WOOSH!
Princess Aurora has received an updated costume as well now
WDWNTÂ Reporter Tom Corless visited the Walt Disney World Resort last week and has some newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip, so let’s take a look:
There is now an official Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card book, $34.95
WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited the Magic Kingdom earlier today and has some great newsworthy photos to share with us (including our first look at the Big Thunder Mountain interactive queue), so let’s take a look:
More RFID entrances being installed at the Magic Kingdom
Kodak references still up at Town Square Theater
Plenty of Valentine’s Day treats available already
Some of the Hall of Champions facade is behind tarps again
The Adventureland Veranda is behind tarps now
This area next to Aloha Isle is behind tarps now too. We think it might be related to the Adventureland interactive game
Splash Mountain is closed until March
The ride is drained and a lot of the ride has already been ripped up
Seemingly overnight, props have been installed in the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad queue
We can see a lot of things labeled “explosives”
For a queue that has always been pretty bland, it actually looks nice now
FastPass+ kiosk in the queue
A look across the Rivers of America at the new Fantasyland/Liberty Square pathway
The Tangled restrooms are looking great
Looks like they are almost done
No visible progress on Princess Fairytale Hall
The Cheshire Cafe sign is back
A new Walt Disney pin set was released with images of him on luggage
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom now has a mystery pin set
The Magic Kingdom map has changed again and for the first time in my lifetime, it does not have a Kodak logo
PhotoPass now graces the back cover instead of Kodak
Today Disney revealed some information about two of the Animation 3 LE sets.
First, The Fox and The Hound will be at D-Streets and online on May 10, 2013. There will be a LE of 2,500 and each pack will go for $26.95.
I like the tail on the fox a lot. The side of Copper is great, showing long ears on the arms. Good job Monty Maldovan.
Next up are the Stabbington Brothers from Tangled. The will be released a fortnight later on May 24, 2013 at D-Streets and online. There will only be 1,000 of these bad boys, so catch them while you can.
The artist is Thomas Scott and they will cost you $26.95 for the set. These guys are some rough looking dudes and they come with knives, which is interesting for a Vinylmation.
So, what do you think Disney was thinking with these when they made the Brothers an LE of 1000 and the Fox and Hound an LE of 2500? Is it just that people probably know the Fox and the Hound better?
We’ve been giving you peeks into the new Fantasy Faire coming to Disneyland park here on the Disney Parks Blog, and today, I’m pleased to let you know that this area will officially open for guests on March 12.
One of the highlights of Fantasy Faire will be the Royal Theatre, where you’ll be treated to two unique shows relating the tales of “Beauty and the Beast” and “Tangled,” as told by a pair of Renaissance Storytellers, Mr. Smythe and Mr. Jones.
Messieurs Smythe and Jones are men of the theatre and lovers of legend and lore. The storytellers present the tale as old as time and the hair-raising tale of Rapunzel, with the assistance of some fellow villagers, all to the musical accompaniment of Sir Samuel of Morocco. Even Belle, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider appear onstage to help tell their own stories.
“We’re using our imaginations to create these stories,” said Show Director Chris Utley. “The storytellers will play a variety of roles, filling in as the other characters. They may put on a costume accessory to pretend to be Beast, or Gaston or Mother Gothel. ”
“The stories are told in a fast-paced, whimsical kind of way – very fun and theatrical,” said Chris. “It’s kind of a Renaissance vaudeville style, and the two guys are reminiscent of the old comedy duos of Gallagher & Shean, Abbott & Costello and Laurel & Hardy. They tell their stories with a lot of humor and heart.”
The storytellers will take to the stage of the Royal Theatre when Fantasy Faire opens on March 12.
If you’ve visited Disneyland park recently, you may have noticed that Fantasy Faire is quickly taking shape next toSleeping Beauty Castle. Opening this spring, Fantasy Faire will not only be a home for Disney princesses, but it will also be a natural extension of Fantasyland. To find out how the look and architecture of this new area will be designed to flow with Sleeping Beauty Castle and Fantasyland, I went to the creative lead for the project: Michel Den Dulk, Creative Director, Walt Disney Imagineering.
“My goal,” he said, “was that the new Fantasy Faire would meld over into the existing Fantasyland naturally.” He said that his intention would be for first-time visitors to never suspect that this addition came later than the rest of Fantasyland.
“I took a lot of inspiration from the classic Disney movies like ‘Pinocchio.’ There’s some reference that’s in the architecture to the way the backgrounds of ‘Pinocchio’ are drawn. I took inspiration from the castle – you’ll see that there’s a lot of gold finials and beautiful banners and turrets that are similar to Sleeping Beauty Castle … So it really looks like it’s all part of the existing Fantasyland.”
Another key piece of architecture in Fantasy Faire will be the Royal Theatre, which was the former Carnation Plaza Gardens Stage. “My main inspiration there,” Michel explained, “was a Gothic kind of fair. King Arthur Carrousel and all the structures surrounding Dumbo – those were the main inspiration for the theatre structure.”
We’ll have more updates on Fantasy Faire – including the opening date – here on the Disney Parks Blog in the coming weeks, so keep checking back!
WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited the Walt Disney World theme parks over the last three days and has some newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip. We’ll take a look at New Fantasyland, Star Wars Weekends preparation, and more from around the Vacation Kingdom of the World, so let’s get started:
The Main Street Bakery is still behind tarps (I’m starting to think this has something to do with Starbucks moving in)
Facade work continues on the Confectionary and Chapeau
The temporary Tangled meet and greet rolls on
Work was completed on the Main Street bridge
Work on the Princess Merida meet and greet has been completed
A nearby cart has Brave merchandise
I find it hard to believe that they will sell much before the movie is released
I fully expect to get shot with arrows by smaller guests on a regular basis now…
The second Dumbo spinner is rapidly nearing completion
If I were a betting man… and I am…
I’d wager that the second spinner will be open by Memorial Day
The official opening is July, along with the interactive queue
The Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station looks nearly complete
We’re still not entirely sure if the center portion will spin at a slow speed like a roundhouse
98? An Animal Kingdom reference? We think about these things too much…
A look at Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid
Near the construction of what we assume is a new Pooh meet and greet, a mysterious box has appeared
The Castle Wall is rising…
More scaffolding finally went up on the detailed portion near Village Haus
This steel frame should be covered soon
This side is further along
Some walkway work being done near the Carousel as well
I had to stare at this for a while to realize what I was seeing… this is the view from the Haunted Mansion across the old Skyway site. I assume this will be addressed as construction moves forward.
Construction of the Grand Floridian DVC wing continues
A new parking lot being built across the way
Going up!
Star wars Weekends preparation underway at Studios
“NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!”
You can still become an unwanted action figure… ZING!
The Droid Factory recently opened at Tatooine Traders. You can make your own R2 unit toy!
Scott Smith just died
Brave banners up in the Animation Courtyard
Work was completed on the Disney Junior queue
Looks like they just replaced the awning
The same seems to be happening to the meet and greet area
Goodbye Kim…
Work continues on the new, separate Turtle Talk entrance at the Seas
Scott Keating was once again nice enough to provide some aerial shots of the current New Fantasyland construction site after a few month absence, so let’s see all that has changed:
As you can see, everything but the Mine Train is nearing completion
If there was any doubts that the Skyway Station was going to become a Tangled meet-and-greet, the appearance of a tower frame has just about confirmed it…
The framework for Mine Train looks to be just about complete
The castle walls are taking shape
Just the three tent-like structures left to go in Storybook Circus, we expect these to open in the Fall/Winter
A look at Mine Train
As you can see, the beauty and the Beast realm is almost complete as paths and trees are already installed and all scaffolding is down. Trees are up in the Mermaid queue as well.
A closer look at the tents that will be Big Top Souvenirs, Pete’s Silly Sideshow, and a Humphrey the Bear-themed counter-service location
The concept art we say in 2009 is finally coming to life… Stay tuned…
WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited the Magic Kingdom on Saturday and he has a ton of newsworthy photos to share with us. Dueling Dumbos are flying, Casey Jr. is splashing and soaking, and whole lot is going on at the park, so let’s take a look:
Let’s get right to Fantasyland
Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train
More steel rises
Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid looms in the distance
The new Winnie the Pooh meet and greet is open, replacing Tigger’s Bouncy Place
Dumbo FASTPASS is running and at Philharmagic’s old machines
Another look at Mine Train
Mermaid rockwork extending down towards Storybook Circus
Big Top Souvenirs
We finally have dueling Dumbos!
Timothy now spins and moves on the sign
Only 30 minutes for stand-by… it’s working…
A large wall has appeared on the Mine Train structure
Back to Dumbo
FASTPASS return will skip the tent queue
Love the magic feather on the clock…
The old Dumbo is back as the new Dumbo! Wait… what?
“Transformers: The Ride was much better!”
No interactive queue today 🙁
A photo with two Dumbos? MIND BLOWN!
Disney released some footage of the dueling Dumbos for you to enjoy:
More Mine Train
Big Top Souvenirs
Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station is open
Casey Jr. got fenced in… apparently there were some safety issues with the water and guests climbing in
Other than that, the area looks great!
The animals spin and spray, much nicer than other water play areas
Poor Casey sits in a time out…
The attraction sign is pretty cool too
The backs of the 4 train cars have the years that each WDW park opened – 71, 82, 89, and 98
A nicely themed new merchandise cart sells fitting water-play merchandise
and hats…
This car will be the most popular with the fanboys… they will gather here and tell tales of Horizons
The area behind Casey still needs some work…
This PIXAR short reference was added a few weeks ago
You may recognize this emblem from Town Square Theater
Casey does look pretty great though
He even blinks!
This is always pretty disturbing…
Looking into Mermaid, you can see trees and ship wreckage are now visible
The new Winnie the Pooh meet and greet
Castle Wall construction
Mystery walls still up by the Carousel
Snow White is still closed… and it ain’t reopening anytime soon…
Only visible change is the missing attraction sign which we assume has gone to the archives
Dumbo FASTPASS, that way!
It isn’t going to open, so I’m not sure why he turned around…
If you haven’t exited by now…
Winnie the Pooh and Dumbo now share the Philharmagic FASTPASS distribution
The new signs are cool, and they give you the standby wait for each ride
More Castle Wall work
Vertical construction has begun on the old Skyway area
Looks like Rapunzel’s tower to me 😉
For the nerd in your family, anything on this shelf will do
The Crow’s Nest is closed! The sign is down… it would be a shame to lose one of the park’s oldest shops, formerly sponsored by Kodak…. We’ll keep an eye on this
Wendell!
Not sure what happened here
Skyway construction visible from across the park
Work continues on the Main Street Bakery
I still think this has something to do with Starbucks…
Package Pick-Up still behind tarps as well
As is The Confectionary and the Chapeau
Looks like the Snow White poster is finally down and now Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom has its own poster
Big Thunder Mountain is on the maps now… I can’t remember the last time that happened
