Under The Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid – Page 2

Adam Roth’s 8/18/12 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT on December 21, 2012

WDWNT’s diligent reporter Adam Roth was on the scene at Walt Disney World this weekend, visiting Epcot and the Magic Kingdom. Adam took a number of newsworthy photos on his trip, so let’s take a look at what’s new and exciting:

Art of disney at Epcot recently was refurbished and is now open once again, now featuring the Castle Collection merchandise

Looks like they just cleaned up the place a bit

They did rearrange some shelves

Work continues to prepare a new entrance at the Seas with Nemo and Friends

This new wave awning replaces the plain umbrellas that had been here

Work continues on a new entrance, presumed to be a new queue for Turtle Talk with Crush

Work continues on what we believe is a DVC booth near Canada

Bistro De Paris is gone…

It will be replaced with a new restaurant from the same company after 30 years at Epcot

The bakery is also being expanded

Construction walls up inside the shop next door

Food and Wine Festival preparations underway

No more Vanity Fair, now the sponsor is Chase

Nice to know that the new patio at Tutto Italia can be enclosed in bad weather

This fountain outside of La Hacienda has been like this for months…

The new exhibit inside the Mexico pavilion seems to be just about finished

Donald was meeting guests inside

The Cool Wash by Test Track is still behind walls

Work continues on Test Track

Heading over to the Magic Kingdom, we can see Grand Floridian DVC construction

AVENGERAIL!

It now advertises the home video release of the film

It turned into a nice day

The Country Bear Jamboree is closing for a few months this week

Some people seem convinced the show will be shortened and some songs will be removed

Shaker says “Probably not”

Trixie would be sad…

Gomer is befuddled

Some people think Big Al will be cut… yeah, OK…

The Yankee Trader is now behind tarps as work continues on the new path and restrooms in Fantasyland

Next-gen FASTPASS looks ready to go at the Haunted Mansion

The store is open during this

A strange structure has risen on the Skyway site which makes these people angry at each-other…

Chubby Moonliner?

I’m not sure what that is supposed to be

Next-gen FASTPASS installed at Peter Pan as well

People like to lean on things

The castle walls are nearing completion

Seven Dwarf’s Mine Train construction

Work continues on Princess Fairytale Hall

Caught someone picking their nose… fantastic!

Just like in the concept art, Prince Eric’s castle is visible just over the mountain

Next-Gen FASTPASS at Winnie the Pooh

More grass appearing on the roof of Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

Big Top Souvenirs

Next-Gen FASTPASS installed here as well

The presumed Humphrey the Bear counter service location through the trees

Looks like a sign will be installed soon

Another look at the roof grass…

Work continues on the Tomorrowland bridge

And the old Swan Boats dock

Infrastructure for the eventual move to RFID tickets is being installed at the Magic Kingdom entrance

Another look at Grand Floridian construction

Dirk Wallen’s 8/16-19/12 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT on December 21, 2012

WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen was all over the Walt Disney World Resort this weekend, visiting Downtown Disney, the Magic Kingdom, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. He took some great photos on his trip and has them to share with us in this photo report:

Looks like the Earful Tower is being painted or repaired

At the Magic Kingdom the Bakery has been out from behind tarps for a while now

The old Swan Boat dock is getting refurbished at the moment

Work continues on Princess Fairytale Hall

The Castle Walls are approaching completion

We still can’t go on the second level of Village Haus to take photos…

More grass being placed on the facade of Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

The structure for the new Fantasyland restrooms is coming along nicely

The Yankee Trader is open but behind tarps

The Crow’s Nest is still being worked on

Next-Gen FASTPASS has been installed at Haunted Mansion, but it is still covered

Work is wrapping up on the Tomorrowland bridge and we can now see new futuristic railings have been installed

Another look at the Swan Boat dock

Another look at the work on the new bathrooms

Moving over to Epcot, Habit Heroes is still closed!

Epcot 30th anniversary merchandise is starting to hit shelves, like this awesome lanyard!

Perry the Platypus/Phineas and Ferb snacks are available, but I’m more interested in what’s on those Epcot-only popcorn buckets and cups…

A permanent DVC booth is being built next door to the Canada pavilion

Phineas and Ferb topiary still up

A quick stop at Downtown Disney shows us the progress on the new Rainforest Cafe volcano

Moving to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, there’s a Frankenweenie ad in the parking lot

The first sign of work on The Legend of Jack Sparrow is this blue coat of paint on the building matching the colors now used for the Superstar Television Theater complex

Oz billboard behind the Great Movie Ride

Frankenweenie as well

Wreck-It Ralph and Frankenweenie up in the Animation Courtyard

Finding Nemo banners hanging in the courtyard

At the end of PPIXAR Place, you can find this Finding Nemo billboard

Halloween merchandise is out!

Awesome shirt featuring the Haunted Mansion and the Fab 5

Another shirt has the Hatbox Ghost

Our last stop is a look at Grand Floridian DVC wing construction

It’s coming along…

Adam Roth’s 8/7/12 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT on December 21, 2012

WDWNT Reporter Adam Roth visited the Magic Kingdom and Downtown Disney on Tuesday and has a ton of newsworthy photos to share with us, so let’s take a look:

Work continues on Princess Fairytale Hall

Castle Wall construction rolls on

Plenty of turrets installed now

The Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train is being enclosed

It may look like snow on top of Under the Sea, but they are actually installing real grass as they weren’t happy with how the green paint looked

You can actually see the entrance to Big Top Souvenirs now

The rock-work over the backstage entrance looks good

Let’s see how the Dumbo interactive queue is doing

Pretty cool system the Cast Members sue to track the capacity

It was pretty busy

My favorite part of this queue?

LED fireworks!

Looking beyond Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak…

The canopy is finished on what we expect to be a small food service location themed to Humphrey the Bear

A look back at Dumbo

The photo-op with the ride vehicle has returned

A quick stop at the Contemporary for our first look at the new RFID pay system where guests can use Key to the World cards by just pressing it up to the Mickey icon, provided a credit card is on file

Work continues on Splitsville, set to open in the Fall

Characters in flight is still down for maintenance

But in the meantime, you can buy merchandise to mark the day you didn’t ride it…

No Pleasure Island… No Hyperion Wharf…

Work continues on the new volcano at Rainforest Cafe

Looks like they are getting ready to install the “D-Tech Me” area

Cool castle mosaics available as part of the Castle Collection currently being displayed at the Disney Gallery in California

Thanks for reading!

A Look Inside the Ballroom at New Fantasyland’s Be Our Guest Restaurant

WDWNT on December 15, 2012

Disney has released a stunning video of the interior of the Be Our Guest Restaurant in New Fantasyland. The sound-bites are from Chris Kelly (Show Producer, Walt Disney Imagineering) and Tim Warzecha (Senior Project Manager, Walt Disney Imagineering):

This video is released today as Disney formally announced that Be Our Guest Restaurant, Enchanted Tales with Belle, Gaston’s Tavern, Ariel’s Grotto, and Under the sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid will not open until Holiday 2012. The Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station and the second Dumbo spinner will open July.

Disney Imagineers Provide Tour of New Fantasyland Construction

WDWNT on December 15, 2012

If you’ve been dying to see what’s happening over those construction walls in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom, you’re going to love this video:

Dirk Wallen’s 4/21-22/12 WDW Photo Report

WDWNT on December 15, 2012

We welcome WDWNT Reporter to the team with his very first photo report, a quick look around the parks with some very newsworthy photos:

Work continues on the facade of the Main Street Bakery

The final eges of the rock-work on Under the sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid are rounded out

Work continues on what we assume will be a new Pooh meet and greet area in the former Tigger bounce area

The old/second Dumbo is taking a while to be installed

The rest of the land is taking shape, including more supports for the Seven Dwarves Mine Train

More of the Castle Wall frame has been erected

The basic shape is all there, so you can really get a feel for the layout of the land now

Over at Hollywood Studios, the queue at Disney Junior: Live on Stage is being repaired

The Splash fountain is back from refurbishment

Work continues on the new facade at the Downtown Disney Rainforest Cafe

I saved the Orange Bird for last… he’s back… and he has an attraction poster while not being an attraction

Yep, he’s on the sign…

First Look at Magic Kingdom Map Including New Fantasyland and Cast Member Costumes

WDWNT on December 3, 2012

So, we have a bit of a New Fantasyland exclusive for you today…

Here’s our very first look at what the Magic Kingdom map will look like in a few weeks when the next phases of the expansion open. Notice that the Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train will be on the map despite not opening until 2014. Not earth-shattering news, but still kind of cool. Now let’s look at the cast member costumes that will populate the land:

Storybook Circus merchandise (Big Top Souvenirs)

Daytime busser and server at Be Our Guest Restaurant

Daytime and evening greeter at Be Our Guest Restaurant

Food and beverage (food carts and small vendors)

Fantasyland Forest merchandise (Bonjour Village Gifts and smaller locations)

Attractions (Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train)

Character Attendant (YES! No generic costume for this section of the park!)

While not our most exciting update on New Fantasyland, I’m glad to see thought going into cast costuming as many usually complain that they have gotten more generic over the years. These costumes will fit nicely into the land and I can’t wait to see them in-person! What do you think?

An Aerial View of New Fantasyland Construction – July 2012

WDWNT on December 3, 2012

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…

Adam Roth’s 6/23/12 Magic Kingdom Photo Report

WDWNT on October 30, 2012

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

Magic Kingdom “New Fantasyland” Construction Update – 6/6/12

WDWNT on October 30, 2012

What’s the latest on the New Fantasyland project at the Magic Kingdom? I took plenty of photos during my most recent trip of the progress, so let’s take a look:

Snow White’s Scary Adventures is closed….