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Loading ...Drew Brees Goes to Disney World for “Saintly” Parade
February 8, 2010 at 4:43 PM EST
Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees joins Mickey Mouse Feb. 8, 2010 in a celebratory parade in the Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Brees, the quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, is the latest celebrity to star in the “I’m Going to Disney World!” and “I’m Going to Disneyland” commercials which aired only hours after last night’s NFL championship game ended. Brees led his team to a 31-17 victory over the AFC champion Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami. (David Roark, photographer)
Drew Brees (left) signs an autograph Feb. 8, 2010 for Paul Grace (center) from Orlando, Fla., as his wife Lisa Grace (right) looks on in the Magic Kingdom.
Topics: The Magic Kingdom | |
Banks Lee’s 2/7/10 Hollywood Studios Photo Report
February 8, 2010 at 3:02 PM EST
WDWNT Reporter Banks Lee spent his Sunday at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and has some newsworthy photos to share with us:
Overcast Blvd.???
Topics: Disney's Hollywood Studios, Photo Reports | |
Disney Officially Announces Two New World Showcase Eateries
February 7, 2010 at 7:02 PM EST
Disney has released a statement regarding the two new restaurants coming to Italy and Mexico in World Showcase at Epcot, including some interesting new details:
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Two exciting additions are coming to Epcot World Showcase, with culinary expansions under way at the Italy pavilion and Mexico pavilion.
In Italy, an authentic Neapolitan pizzeria is under construction with opening planned for fall 2010 in time for the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival. Operated by Patina Restaurant Group, the same restaurateurs who run the pavilion’s Tutto Italia Ristorante, the 300-seat pizzeria is inspired by Naples 45, another Patina Restaurant Group pizzeria on East 45th Street in New York City.
The casual pizzeria will feature wood-burning ovens – and will import water from a source that most resembles the water in Naples, Italy, home of some of the world’s best pizza dough. The menu also will feature pastas, salads, sandwiches and Italian wines.
The 14,000-square-foot space will include indoor and outdoor dining.
At Mexico, the popular Cantina de San Angel restaurant is expanding, and will feature 400 seats with al fresco seating for lunch and a perfect place for viewing “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” the nightly Epcot fireworks spectacular.
The restaurant will feature south-of-the border creations from the culinary team at San Angel Inn LLC, who have run both the outside eatery and the pavilion’s San Angel Inn for more than 25 years. Opening also is set for fall 2010.
Banks Lee’s 2/3/10 Downtown Disney Photo Report
February 4, 2010 at 12:24 PM EST
WDWNT Reporter Banks Lee made a quick trip to the Downtown Disney district last night and took some newsworthy photos to share with us:
The celebration continues at Disney’s Pin Traders
Topics: Dining, General Resort News, Photo Reports, Shopping | |
The Mighty McDonald’s Moves Out for Obscure Chicken Chain
February 3, 2010 at 8:03 PM EST
Both of these articles from the Orlando Sentinel published today tell an interesting story, the story of an obscure fast food chain replacing McDonald’s in the Downtown Disney Marketplace:
Pollo Campero, an international Latin chicken quick-service restaurant chain, has partnered with Levy Campero to deliver a new restaurant concept in Downtown Disney Marketplace at Walt Disney World Resort. The restaurant, which is scheduled to open in late 2010, will feature Pollo Campero’s signature Latin cusine, as well as fresh, and healthful foods. Menu items will include Latin chicken, yuca fries, sweet plantains, and Latin drinks including horchata and tamarindo.
Pollo Campero, the world’s largest Latin chicken restaurant chain, serves more than 85 million customers each year at more than 300 restaurants in 12 countries around the globe. This includes more than 50 locations already open in the United States, with additional stores scheduled to open this year.
Fast-food giant McDonald’s is leaving Downtown Disney.
The McDonald’s restaurant at Walt Disney World’s shopping-and-dining district will close April 30, Disney said this afternoon. It will be replaced by Pollo Campero, a Latin chicken fast-food chain.
Pollo Campero says it serves more than 85 million customers a year. McDonald’s says it serves more than 47 million customers a day.
Representatives for Disney World and McDonald’s said the exit stems from a 2004 decision to end a 10-year exclusive sponsorship agreement between McDonald’s Corp. and Walt Disney Co. The Downtown Disney restaurant was included in that agreement.
“Our alliance partners are ever-changing and this shift in our relationship with McDonald’s reflects the dynamic nature of the sponsorship business,” Disney spokeswoman Zoraya Suarez said.
McDonald’s said all of its employees at the Downtown Disney were offered transfers to other McDonald’s locations and that no one would lose their job as a result of the closure.
McDonald’s will continue to operate its restaurant near the entrance to the Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park.
“We will continue to work with Disney on mutually beneficial opportunities,” McDonald’s spokeswoman Danya Proud said.
Topics: Dining, General Resort News | |
WDWCelebrations Announces Two New WDW Events
February 3, 2010 at 8:06 AM EST
The WDWNT Network is proud to have renewed its partnership with WDWCelebrations, the same group that led fan celebrations for Epcot’s 25th anniversary, Animal Kingdom’s 10th anniversary, and Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ 20th anniversary. The group announced two new upcoming Florida events this week that I think you’ll be interested in:
WDWCelebrations Returns to Florida for a “Holiday Hoopla!” in December 2010, and a Celebration of the Historic 40th Anniversary of the Walt Disney World® Resort in October 2011
Celebrate the holidays and Walt’s birthday during our Signature Event, Thursday-Sunday, December 2nd-5th, 2010, and mark your calendars for our mega celebration of Walt Disney World’s 40th anniversary on October 1, 2011.
The WDWCelebrations Team is excited to announce two new events at the Walt Disney World® Resort for 2010 and 2011. While the summer of 2010 will see WDWCelebrations heading west to celebrate the 55th Anniversary of Disneyland® Park, our return to Florida will be marked by a double-event homecoming of epic proportions.
WDWCelebrations is decking the halls in December 2010 with our Signature Event, “Holiday Hoopla!”. The Walt Disney World® Resort takes on an even more magical feel during the holiday season, and WDWCelebrations is preparing to share it with you!
The four-day event, set for December 2-5, 2010, will showcase the special holiday offerings of all four theme parks as well as the resort hotels. Guests will enjoy their favorite WDWCelebrations signature offerings such as history walks, scavenger hunts, group rides, group meals, and, of course, a few very special surprises, all set to the warmth and glow of Christmastime at Walt Disney World® Resort.
The timing of the event is no coincidence; attendees will be able to enjoy the full holiday splendor of the parks at a more-relaxed pace and still be back home to spend the heart of the holidays with their families. The event schedule also gives WDWCelebrations a chance to celebrate the anniversary of Walt Disney’s birth on December 5th with fellow Disney fans. WDWCelebrations co-founder Jason Diffendal hints, “We’ve got a special celebration in the works for the birthday, but we’re not revealing any of Santa’s secrets just yet.”
Meanwhile, the WDWCelebrations elves are hard at work making their lists and checking them twice, with lots of preparations already underway. Like all WDWCelebrations events, there are always plenty of little surprises, and you never know just who might show up.
Looking ahead to 2011, October 1st marks the historic 40th anniversary of the Walt Disney World® Resort. As with our previous events, this celebration will include our own signature offerings to complement the official activities offered by the Walt Disney Company.
Adam Roth, co-founder of WDWCelebrations, explains, “The 40th anniversary marks the biggest resort-wide celebration since our inception, and we’re planning our most ambitious event to date to honor four incredible decades of magic in Central Florida. Mark your calendars now for October 1, 2010, as this will be a celebration you won’t want to miss.”
Registration for “Holiday Hoopla!” will open in May 2010. Registration for the 40th anniversary event will open in Spring 2011. More information about these events will be released in the coming months via the WDWCelebrations.com website and newsletter as well as the WDWCelebrations official fan page on Facebook and the @WDWCelebrations Twitter feed.
Topics: Site News | |
Banks Lee’s 2/1/10 WDW Report (Includes Pics & Video of Space Mountain Exit Ramp)
February 2, 2010 at 4:35 PM EST
WDWNT Reporter Banks Lee made a trip to the Walt Disney World Resort on Monday and has newsworthy pictures from all around the resort to share with us:
Will you be watching? Most of the WDWNT Network staff will!
Topics: Dining, Epcot, Photo Reports, The Magic Kingdom | |
D23 Spring 2010 Magazine Reveals “Fantasyland Forest” and Possible 40th Plans
February 1, 2010 at 7:38 PM EST
The Spring 2010 issue of Disney Twenty-Three magazine features a huge article on the Fantasyland Forest expansion (as it is now being referred to according to the article), featuring some never before released details on the project. Here are just a few interesting notes from the article that should be arriving in members mailboxes any day now:
-In early 2006, Walt Disney Imagineering’s Eric Jacobson, creative lead for the Walt Disney World portfolio, and members of WDI’s Blue Sky Studio, led by Jon Georges, began brainstorming new E-ticket-like attractions for the Magic Kingdom. Imagineering’s creative leaders quickly determined that a bold reimagining of Fantasyland would have a far greater and longer-lasting impact on the Magic Kingdom experience than any one E-ticket attraction could ever hope to make.
-That physical separation is a stone wall that will lead from Fantasyland proper into a heavily forested realm that will be far more organic and natural than the bricks, mortar, and asphalt of the existing land. “The expansion area won’t be built over the Utilidor,” Eric says, “so we’re able to plant trees and create water features, which we were never able to do with the rest of Fantasyland.”
-The expansion, which has come to be known as Fantasyland Forest, will provide more fully realized homes for such longtime Magic Kingdom residents as Ariel and Dumbo as well as make room for some new additions to the neighborhood, from Belle and east to Tinker Bell and the fairies of Pixie Hollow. And that was part of the Imagineering team’s goal from the beginning.
-”Our anchor is the Little Mermaid,” Jon explains. “The centerpiece of that area is Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid, an E-ticket attraction we codeveloped with the Disney’s California Adventure expansion team. It’s a ride-through experience that celebrates the characters and music from the animated classic.” And true to Imagineering’s goal to create the most immersive fantasy environments possible, the attraction is housed in an elaborately and highly detailed rockwork grotto behind a fully rendered version of Prince Eric’s castle from the film.
-The Beauty and the Beast area is composed of three major show elements. The first is Enchanted Tales with Belle, one of three fairy-tale experiences created for Fantasyland Forest. The adventure begins when guests arrive at Maurice’s cottage, where they step through an enchanted mirror and are magically transported to the Beast’s library for an interactive storytelling session with Belle. At the Be Our Guest Restaurant, guests are invited to dine inside the Beast’s castle in one of three fully rendered environments, including a faithful re-creation of the ballroom. And once outside the castle, guests can explore Belle’s Village, an entire corner of the expansion area that includes Gaston’s Tavern.
-Dreams Come True with Cinderella takes place within the Tremaine Chateau from the 1950 film, and A Birthday Surprise for Sleeping Beauty is tucked away inside Briar Rose Cottage, deep within a lush, Eyvind Earle-inspired forest. “Cinderella’s Chateau is fully realized,” Jon explains. “When you step through the doors of that attraction, your interaction is immediate. You arrive at the moment she realizes she won’t be going to the ball, and her dress will transform from rags to a ball gown before your eyes, and then she’ll step down and have a 15-minute interaction with the guests.” For the Sleeping Beauty experience, that entry point happens as Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather prepare to celebrate Briar Rose’s 16th birthday, smack dab in the middle of the action from the original film. Guests are treated to all sorts of interactive fairy magic inside the cottage, with Aurora herself as the guest of honor.
-”You know, the ability to go to Cinderella’s Chateau and Belle’s Cottage to meet them is very exciting. As Imagineers. we don’t get to build those kinds of iconic locations very often. We’re going to look at this model as our template for other Fantasylands world-wide as we build new Magic Kingdom’s around the world”
-The final area, or neighborhood, is Dumbo’s Circus, which will relocate Dumbo the Flying Elephant from it’s current location and-get this, patient parents-double capacity by adding a second attraction, effectively cutting guests’ wait time in half! Imagineers are also air-conditioning the entire experience by moving the queue indoors-under the big top, as it were. “We’ll provide a fully immersive circus environment inside Dumbo’s Big Top,” says Jon, “where guests are invited to engage in a series of interactive experiences, from sideshow acts to carnival midway games, while they wait. We really endeavored to begin the guest experience the moment they entered the queue.” The Dumbo area, built on the former site of Mickey’s Toontown Fair, will also absorb Goofy’s Barnstormer and transform it into a Dumbo-centric, clown themed coaster.
-And-drumroll please-Fantasyland forest won’t be limited to four neighborhoods for very long. Although the new expansion is slated to open in the fall of 2012, at the tail end of Walt Disney World’s 40th anniversary celebration, Imagineers already have their eyes on 2013, when Pixie Hollow will bring Tinker Bell and her fairy friends to Fantasyland Forest in the expansion’s second phase.
Topics: D23, The Magic Kingdom | |
WDWNT Podcast Episode 128 Now Available for Download
January 31, 2010 at 4:50 PM EST
Join me, Tom Corless, and a cast including Jason Diffendal, Anthony Yacullo, Banks Lee, and Scott Smith for a variety show dedicated to the Walt Disney World Resort and its many fans. Plenty of Walt Disney World information and fun awaits you on this “Silver Screen″ edition of the WDW News Today Podcast!!!
To kick off this week’s show, we have your Walt Disney World Resort News and Rumor Report. In this week’s huge report, we’ll be discussing a plethora of refurbishments taking place at the Magic Kingdom, the calendar of D23 member events for 2010, and a number of other topics.
Following that, we have another installment of our Walt Disney World history segment, Back to the Future. In this week’s trip through time, we’ll be looking at the history of Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ centerpiece attraction, The Great Movie Ride. It’s a fun discussion as we delve into the fascinating story of the attraction’s evolution from Epcot pavilion to the E-ticket of Walt Disney World’s third gate.
To subscribe to the WDW News Today podcast on iTunes, go to this link. If you do not have iTunes, visit our Podcast Download Directory to download or listen to all of our shows.
This episode is also available in an enhanced version. An enhanced podcast is a podcast with added features that standard podcasts don’t have. Enhanced podcasts include many features like Chapter listings, this lets you skip through chapters or see what is in store for this weeks show. Enhanced podcasts also have images to let you differ the chapters by. Enhanced podcasts have one negative feature, you can not play them on all mp3 players. The file format for this is a .m4a which can play on Apple’s iPod and Microsoft’s Zune. You will also need iTunes or Windows Media Player to be able to skip through chapters. If you need or would like the standard edition, download the normal edition listed below this file both on Itunes and in our podcast directory.
Topics: Site News, WDWNT Podcast | |
“A Contemporary Classic” by Chuck Mirarchi
January 29, 2010 at 3:16 PM EST
When one uses the words landmark and iconic, they typically refer to objects and places that are instantly recognizable by virtually everyone, anywhere on the planet. These words can easily be applied to things like the Statue of Liberty, the Eiffel Tower, and the Taj Mahal. But for a theme park and resort complex? Never… well except for one place, Disney Parks.
In addition to Mickey Mouse, who is one of the most recognizable symbols in the world, Cinderella’s Castle, Epcot’s Spaceship Earth and a number of other Walt Disney World buildings also fall into that category. Another Walt Disney World landmark that falls into that group is the Contemporary Resort Hotel.
The Contemporary Resort Hotel and the Polynesian Village Resort (as it was known in 1971) were the first two hotels to open with Walt Disney World on October 1, 1971. On opening day, it truly lived up to its name, but to truly appreciate this resort, one must understand the hotel’s history.
In 1964, Walt Disney puts “Project X” (later known as “The Florida Project”) into motion. After Walt’s death in December of 1966, Roy put most of Walt’s plans for EPCOT the city on hold; however, he incorporated many of EPCOT’s ideas and companies – already on board – into the creation of the new Florida park and resort. The birth of the Contemporary Resort Hotel came from Walt’s vision for his “Progress City,” as well as the involvement of US Steel.