The Rainforest Cafe sign inside Animal Kingdom is still missing

Beastly Bazaar is closed to become a character meet and greet experience this Fall

Wreck-It Ralph has taken over the display at the exit of the Magic of Disney Animation show

Vannelope is voiced by Sarah Silverman

That cake looks so real…

The game Fix-It Felix is inspired by games such as Rampage and Donkey Kong

Ralph even started as a monster just like one you would find in Rampage

Niceland is the city in the game

Ralph and Felix

Hero’s Duty might end up being the darkest looking scenes in any Disney animated film ever…

Hero’s Duty is inspired by games such as Gears of War and Halo

Voiced by Jane Lynch

Sugar Rush is inspired by games such as Mario Kart

Looks like a possible villain to me…

They were painting the next Ink and Paint Cell to be released while I was there

A Hatbox Ghost big figure has been released

There’s also a new Stitch figure

For the first time in ages, the decorations in The Studio Store do not represent a single new film!

Nice to see the original intended decorations back for once

Banners for Finding Nemo 3D up

The LEgend of Jack Sparrow building was painted blue

Walls are now up near the front of the building

The menu has been drastically changed at Backlot Express

BUFFALO CHICKEN BREAST NUGGETS! AHHHHHHH!

Next-Gen FASTPASS preparations already made at American Idol

Moving over to Epcot, work continues on the new Disney Vacation Club booth near Canada

A strange wall has popped up in the queue for Journey Into Imagination

Possibly FASTPASS related?

The Kim Possible sign-up areas in Innoventions have been completely removed

While passing by on the monorail we could see that the new parking lot for the Grand Floridian DVC wing is almost complete

Moving on to the Magic Kingdom, the park is ready for Halloween

There is a new banner at the beginning of Celebrate a Dream Come True

I’m not sure when it happened, but Mickey and Minnie are in normal clothing on their float

The Junioe Jungle Boats outside of the Jungle Cruise have reportedly been closed permanently

Next-gen FASTPASS ready to go at the Jungle Cruise

Same at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Meanwhile, some rather drastic queue modifications have been made at Pirates of the Caribbean

There is now a point where the two queues meet

Work continues on the former Fantasyland Skyway site, soon to be home to a new walkway and restrooms

Thought this was an interesting shot as it gives you an idea of where the Mine Train will be as you walk into Fantasyland

Seven Dwarfs’ Mine Train construction

The Castle Walls are nearing completion

Some work being done on the roof of Mickey’s Philharmagic

Most of the Snow White facade is now gone in preparation for Princess Fairytale Hall

Grass continues to be installed on the roof of Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

The signage has been installed on Big Top Souvenirs in Storybook Circus

I LOVE the popcorn lights…

FOOD!

Some new Space Mountain shirts are available

Moving back to Fantasyland, the lights were on inside the Castle Walls

Lights were on in the Beauty and the Beast area as well

They were testing lighting on the turrets of the Castle Walls as well

The Mickey-O-Lanterns are much brighter and actually flicker this year

Star Wars Weekends and Toy Story 3 merchandise at the end of Pixar Place

Star Wars meet and greet lines can be pretty long

This line not so much….

Work continues on the New York Street facade

Nice hat

Star Wars motorcade

A “living character” C-3PO meet and greet has been tested all weekend

On to the next day

Wait times were high

I can’t remember waiting this long for Star Tours, never-mind a meet and greet

Guests were eager to chat with C-3PO and R2-D2

Ever notice these in Backlot Express?

As a Ghostbusters fan, it’s pretty cool to see it mentioned in a Disney park

Hyperspace Hoopla is pretty popular

It was an early morning for Banks

The parades name has officially been changed to the Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade. I hope there is more than 8 minutes at Disneyland then….

A beautiful stage appears overnight at Cinderella Castle

Some glitter was thrown on the castle

Not being in the production business, I would imagine these are audio related

A piano being moved into place

The crowd was entertained while they waited for performances to begin

The Goodyear blimp was visiting WDW for the event

Yanni would be performing

Unfortunately, we do not have the names of the singers accompanying him

The performances then moved to a stage in the hub

American Idol Kris Allen performing here

Cameras are mixed into the crowd

Shocking news this year that Regis Philbin will not be hosting with Kelly Ripa, Nick Cannon will host along with her instead

The stage is cleared off until the next day of filming

“What time is the 3:00 parade?” 5:00 because of today’s filming….

A new audition video plays on the big screen outside the American Idol Experience periodically. The sign underneath points to the new audition entrance

An audition sign replaces the poster for Sounds Dangerous

I think we can finally declare Sounds Dangerous extinct!!! (Can you tell I’m excited?)

The new audition entrance is located between the old Radio Disney booth and the restrooms

On to the Magic Kingdom and Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

The Main Street Bakery is closed for a refurbishment of the kitchen area

Another circular register has been eliminated from the Emporium to add a normal register

The Stitch’s Great Escape Fastpass distribution area was used to distribute wristbands for the party, since it is never used for anything else…

Space Mountain still looks the same inside

A new coat of paint being applied to the back of the Video Arcade

The Space Mountain sign has been painted lime-green as well. We’re not sure if it will stay in that location or go back up on the pylon sign outside

Work on the roof of the old Skyway station is progressing nicely

The new stage stage in Tomorrowland is being used for the Club 626 Dance Party

Banks was cutting a rug with Chip

Is the song stuck in your head already???

A new float was added to the Haunted Mansion section this year

It features the Madame Leota tombstone floating over some of the other tombstones from the attraction

Happy Hollowishes! fireworks, often imitated, never duplicated…

Happy Halloween from Jedi Master Banks, Carl, and Russell

Starting at Animal Kingdom, Flights of Wonder is closed through October 23rd for refurbishment

Most of the large canopy has been taken down for repair

Walls are up in Dinoland near Dino-Rama

They are building a permanent meet and greet for Pluto and Goofy

If you must…

Grandmother Willow’s Theater may be a thing of the past as it now sits behind these walls

Moving over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the signage at the motor entrance has been changed to include American Idol and Toy Story

The park was pretty empty

The American Idol Experience was actually using their front entrance over the right queue

Luxo Jr. is back performing on Pixar Place

The tram from the Backlot Tour entrance is still missing

A strange barn from the Hannah Montana movie is now on display next to the Pearl Harbor tank

Most of the lights for the Spectacle of Dancing Lights are up on New York Street

The Tin Toy book at the exit of Toy Story Mania has been removed so guests can exit while they work on the left side of the path

Are you going to see the Toy Story double feature???

There is a large balloon promoting “UP” outside the AMC Theater in Downtown Disney West Side

I think the “UP” balloon was fly ing higher than this one…

We managed to grab dinner at the new Paradiso 37 restaurant on Pleasure Island with no wait

A really nice chandelier in the lobby area

You may recognize some parts of the chandelier…

Corks from the bottle

Most drinks come in large glasses

Some specialty drinks come in a “crushed” cup

The food was very good

So was the Paradiso 37 sundae

Characters in Flight and Paradiso 37 have now been added to the Downtown Disney map

The back of the Downtown Disney map and some billboards around WDW feature a new marketing campaign for the area, stating that you can have the night or daytime of your life, a play on some of the lyrics from the “Celebrate You!” theme song

A poster for the upcoming Disney film “G-Force” near the Magic Kingdom entrance

And a poster for “The Princess and the Frog”

The new signage outside the Hall of Presidents makes it much more noticeable

As of July 4th, The Hall of Presidents is officially open

I managed to see the show 3 times while I was there, and It has been vastly improved

This sign was also changed. The new attraction tag-line “A Celebration of Liberty’s Leaders” was added

There was a long line to see the show during the Annual Passholder previews

The lobby has experienced some minor changes

The new tag-line again

A new exhibit featuring some artifacts from the first ladies has been added

It was a packed house

The show now focuses on the Presidents more than American history, featuring a new speech by Abraham Lincoln (who actually appears alone in the middle of the show), a high-definition projection system, a surreal sound system, and much more. Even if you are not a big fan of this attraction, it’s worth a another look.

Stitch enjoyed the “Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It! Street Party”

Some of the facades in Liberty Square are still under tarps

The Diamond Horseshoe is open for the holiday weekend, with a fake sign up for some reason

The location serves a few interesting items as an extra option for guests during the busy weeks

There were actually quite a few people eating at The Horseshoe

Where’s the Diamond?

A new stage was built for Captain Jack’s Pirate Tutorial, but it isn’t yet in use

The Rum’s not gone!!!

The Pirates League is now open inside Caribbean Plaza

The shop is beautifully themed to the film series

Faded away above the entrance is the insignia of the East India Trading Company

There are also two “damaged”" icons

The map from “Dead Man’s Chest” makes an appearance

A damaged flag from “the company”

You can find all of the Brethren Court flags throughout the location

The shop blends beautifully into the 36 year old

The prices and details are explained in this pamphlet

The characters usually in the “Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party” boxes were out of the boxes as the parade was rolling out, presumably due to the extreme heat

Many of the facades on Main Street U.S.A. are still under tarps

Main Street U.S.A. is decorated for the holiday weekend

Donald and Goofy were at the beginning of the “Celebrate a Dream Come True” parade, and there was no Lilo, Stitch, Woody, Jessie, Baloo, or King Louie appearing that day

Due to the weather, the Princess floats were not in the parade, so the Princesses were on the Castle unit instead

I managed to get a perfect score on “Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin” pretty early on…

So I decided to take some on-ride photos, since I had never taken any

Can you find the hidden Mickey?

Something was wrong with this banner outside of Stitch’s Great Escape, rust or something more?

As usual, 5 minute wait…

I tried to be artsy with some of these pictures….

The Magic Kingdom map now features Splash Mountain

Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration, the Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party, The Pirates League, and the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade are all on the map

Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration is on the Times Guide, it’s just not performing

The exterior’s of many of the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa buildings are being worked on

Moving over to Epcot, the pavement in the Innoventions breezeway is being changed

Definitely more futuristic….

But I am really going to miss this!!!

As many of you know, my main reason for going to WDW was to attend this year’s pin event

Bobby Pinback welcomed everyone to…

A giant T-Rex greeted traders

With Pluto at the guard

While you can’t see it here, the top of the building had a Rebel Alliance logo from Star Wars on top of it

The Haunted Mansion

Donald was making a Chernabog statue

A large Sphinx stood in the background

Some of those icons look familiar…

R2-D2, C-3PO, and an icon I’ll leave for you to solve

The stage area had plenty of seating

The art area had some interesting artifacts

Statues of Pain and Panic from Hercules

A sculpture of Sorcerer Mickey’s hat

Some props from the classic shorts “Plane Crazy” and “Steamboat Willie”

A large Figment stood over the preview area

A very cool auction piece

One of the grand prizes

One lot contained a Hollywood Studios 20th Anniversary jumbo pin that was never produced

Notice the Alien Encounter/Stitch’s Great Escape pin that was never made

Another prize package

Another auction lot

A White Glove pin auction lot

A lot full of surfboard pins

On to some pin previews!!! Here are some pins coming to the Disneyland Resort

A boxed set featuring the World of Color construction walls at California Adventure

There is also a load of pins coming out at the D23 Expo in September

A limited Release pin that will be member exclusive

Some of the public merchandise

The “One Man’s Dream” collection covers company milestones

The Magical Destinations collection looks really cool

As well, Alex Maher and Tyler Dumas designed 4 artist choice pins that will be released each day of the Expo

There is also a Legends Ceremony limited edition pin

Some merchandise being released at both DL and WDW to commemorate ten years of Disney Pin Trading

The EPCOT Center set we previewed a few weeks ago will be released on October 13th

A new Figment set also coming in October

Some new Marquee collection pins

A Big Al White Glove pin is on the way

The pins from this year’s “Not So Scary Halloween Party”

I love the Spaceship Earth apple pin for Food and Wine 2009

More Vinylmation pins are on the way

The 2010 logo pins

Some new lanyards on the way

A look at some pins coming to the Soda Fountain & Studio Store in California

Haunted Mansion action figures are coming

As well as the game of “After-LIFE”

Moving on to some Vinylmation previews, you can see the NYC exclusive piece coming soon

The Carnotaurus from Dinosaur

A preview of some upcoming 3 inch figures

The Vinylmation plush are coming later this year

There are also 3 exclusive pieces for the holiday offerings this year

On Saturday, I attended Scoop Sanderson’s One O’clock Pin Chat

Scoop’s guest for the chat was Steven Miller, project manager for Disney Pin Trading

They discussed the tenth anniversary of pin trading

10th anniversary open edition pins

10th anniversary limited edition pins

The tribute collections featuring some classic Disney pins

Some special limited edition of 100 pins will be released on the tenth of every month in 2010 at WDW

Disneyland will have a Limited Edition of 10 framed set

There will also be a purchase with purchase promotion for WDW

and for the Disneyland Resort

Next year’s WDW Pin Celebration will be titled Trade City U.S.A.

The event will take place in August 2010

Some retro-style WDW pins are coming soon

Notice the Carousel of Progress 35th anniversary pin

As well as pins of the Little Orange Bird from Adventureland

The summer pin festival at Disneyland next year will be titled “Dateline Disneyland 1955″

As noted earlier, there is a plethora of pins being released at the D23 Expo

8 special hidden mickey pins were created just for this year’s Pin Celebration

A new viral marketing campaign interrupted the pin chat multiple times

Start searching!!!

This appears to be the DeeBees language, looks familiar…

For more coverage of the 2009 Pin Celebration, tune in to The Disney Pincast and go to the WDWNTube for video from the events

On Monday, I was able to take part in a tour of the new Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

The tour began with a presentation in the Contemporary’s Ballroom of the Americas

A character called the “Wish-Meister” made appearances throughout the show, granting wishes

We were then transported to Hawaii

Some new concept art for the Hawaii Disney Vacation Club property

We were then taken on an Adventures by Disney trip to Italy

A quick look at the Treehouse Villas

All of the attendees were given a few small gifts

We then saw a short presentation about Bay Lake Tower

The wall behind the presentation room opened at the end, revealing a dance and dessert party!!!

After some dancing and dessert, it was on to Bay Lake Tower

A sign welcomes guests home

This glass is actually temporary and will be removed before the tower officially opens

I really wanted to buy a lot of the artwork

The pool area looks phenomenal

The water slide will actually feature special lighting effects at night

We were then taken into a Grand Villa

The Grand Villa has two floors

The kitchen

Even though you couldn’t see the Magic kingdom, the view was phenomenal

A hidden Mickey in the carpet

A look down into the living room

It was then on to the “Top of the World” lounge

Guest will need to use their key to access the lounge and viewing platform

The terrace is HUGE

I love the speakers that will pump in the fireworks soundtrack

The view from inside the lounge

The chandelier in the lounge

The Monorail mural behind the bar is phenomenal

The view from out on the terrace is astonishing

Some benches have large speakers under them

Can you spot the Magic Kingdom skyline?

Bay Lake Tower may be the nicest Disney Resort ever built

Moving over to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, “The Good Times Gathering Spot” has replaced the “Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends” show

It appears to be similar to the Belle’s Storytime show at the Magic Kingdom, with appearances from other characters such as Koda and Kenai from Brother Bear

What’s this?

Not only does Restaurantosaurus in Dinoland offer 10 different soft drinks, but they are a t a self-serve station

I thoroughly enjoyed free refills of Sprite Zero….

I then went to see Festival of the Lion King, believe it or not, for the first time

It was a very good show, not as good as Finding Nemo: The Musical, but very good

In another personal first, I got to ride Expedition: Everest at night, an experience I highly reccomend

A look at Primeval Whirl at night

Finally over at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the San Francisco facade has been replaced

“The Incredibles” Blockbuster Weekend has been replaced by “UP”

Sounds Dangerous (thankfully) remains closed

Luxo Jr. has been experiencing problems and has not come back out in quite a while.

The line for Toy Story Mania! got pretty bad

Soundstage One is now a “Hot Set”

The popularity of Toy Story Midway Mania seems to be helping the line for the Backlot Tour

The Backlot Catering Coke bottles have returned from refurbishment

Nothing going on at the Premiere Theater at the moment

A new area designed for kids has opened outside Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster

It’s called Walt Disney Records: On The Road

Kids get to make their own cardboard “album” while the more adventurous go on the ride

A new lighting effect is in use in the Rock ‘N’ Roller Coaster queue

Lights now “dance” around the G-force Records album on the ceiling

Mickey was caught off-guard by the rain

While I didn’t have it in mind when I took this photo, notice the new signage on Playhouse Disney Live on Stage!

I had to take time this trip to visit the characters from “UP” at the Magic of Disney Animation

There are now posters up from “Rapunzel”,

“Toy Story 3″,

and “The Princess and the Frog”

Over at the Animation Gallery, you can pick up the latest Gallery of Light piece, Splash Mountain

The DHS maps have been changed to urge guests to ask about American Idol Experience auditions

The map also has a 2A and 2B, separating and promoting both the show and the audition area

That concludes my report, I hope you enjoyed it!!!

]]> http://wdwnewstoday.com/archives/3906/feed 0 http://wdwnewstoday.com/archives/3690 http://wdwnewstoday.com/archives/3690#comments Tue, 02 Jun 2009 01:02:36 +0000 wdwntadmin http://www.wdwnewstoday.com/?p=3690 Robert Ashburn of Figmentsmedia.net has provided us with photos from his trip to Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Friday, May 29th, to see the stars of the saga (and one in particular from American Idol):

Stormtroopers greet guests above the entrance during Star Wars Weekends

“Achooo!!!”

For some reason, Block Party Bash was not on the schedule, despite there being enough room for it

Fairfax Fare was offering breakfast that morning

Some filming was taking place in front of the American Idol Experience since the season winner Kris Allen was there

Plenty of guests were snapping shots from far away

Follow those balloons!!!

Ladies and gentlemen, WDWNT proudly presents the backside of Kris Allen…

The host awaits the end of Kris’ motorcade

Some balloons left to invite you to celebrate your birthday at Disney Parks

Kris was with Mickey Mouse in the car

Kris makes his way to the stage

There goes the Idol-mobile

Kris performed the song “Heartless”

He then had his picture taken with Minnie Mouse

During the next American Idol Experience show…

Kris made a “surprise” appearance

Kris then appeared again at the end of the show

He presented the winner with their prize

Back to Star Wars Weekends!!!

The rebels attacked the base during the ceremony

The San Francisco Street facade is coming along in front of the Premiere Theater

The walls sport a Star Wars Weekends emblem

Wicket’s Warehouse has taken over Soundstage 1 again this year

It is 50% off….

Some sketches and watches for sale designed by Jason Zucker

The Star Wars big figures

Star Wars toys

Even the fire extinguisher is themed

Bobba Fett was doing some meet and greets across from Soundstage 1

The Luxo Jr. “living character” animatronic is being installed on Pixar Place

Of course WDWNT told you about this first in late 2008

90 minute wait for Toy Story Midway Mania!

“Squirrel!”

Up merchandise for sale, looks like Dug is selling better than Alpha, Beta, and Gamma. No surprise.

Cool “UP” hat featuring Dug

Vinylmation Park Series 2 is now available

A look at the 3 inch designs

So long from the Studios!!!

“American Idol” season eight winner Kris Allen performs May 29, 2009 his rendition of the Kanye West song “Heartless” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. Allen performed the hit song for thousands of theme park guests. On May 20, 2009, Allen was crowned the newest “American Idol” on the season finale of the popular television show. Following his win, Allen looked into a television camera and triumphantly shouted “I’m Going to Disney World!” for the iconic Disney ad. Fittingly, Allen’s visit occurred as Disney Parks asks guests, “What Will You Celebrate?” Disney’s Hollywood Studios is one of four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort. (Garth Vaughan, photographer)

“American Idol” season eight winner Kris Allen gets into the celebratory spirit May 29, 2009 by singing a song to Minnie Mouse during a photo opportunity at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. On May 20, 2009, Allen was crowned the newest “American Idol” on the season finale of the popular television show. Following his win, Allen looked into a television camera and triumphantly shouted “I’m Going to Disney World!” for the iconic Disney ad. Fittingly, Allen’s visit occurred as Disney Parks asks guests, “What Will You Celebrate?” Disney’s Hollywood Studios is one of four theme parks at Walt Disney World Resort. (Mark Ashman, photographer)

Speaking of cows, Innoventions, the corporate-sponsored showcase at Epcot, is quite a cash cow for Walt Disney World.

A story in Friday’s Sentinel revealed just how much companies like T. Rowe Price and Raytheon pay to be part of the exhibits that Disney bills as platforms for advanced technology: about $1million a year, generating about $10 million a year in revenue for Disney.

In at least one instance, though, Disney is giving away some of the space. It pledged to do so as one of the lesser-known components of the incentive package to lure La Jolla, Calif.-based Burnham to Orlando three years ago.

Disney may make good on that promise as early as this summer with a “three-dimensional” display devoted to Burnham, though a Disney spokeswoman said a date had not been set.

Public documents related to the incentive deal never put a dollar figure on the donation of space at Innoventions, but Disney clearly considers it to be a primo marketing stage.

In case you ever wondered how deftly Disney pitches its sponsorship opportunities, this should give you an idea: The company goes as far as to boast of a “halo effect” for companies associated with the Disney name.

The story cited a document written by a Disney salesman to pitch a potential client on space at Innoventions.

“Our research shows that guests perceive a company inside Innoventions as a world-leader in their specific field,” he wrote. “From a psychographic standpoint, guests entering Innoventions enter with an open mind that is ready to be entertained. This is simply a different mind-set from that of a consumer inside of a store, watching television at home or sitting in front of a sales agent.”

As part of the upcoming rebranding of Disney’s Wide World of Sports complex into the ESPN Wide World of Sports, a new sports research facility will be constructed on-site. Also from Jason Garcia of the Orlando Sentinel:

Walt Disney World and ESPN are building a new research facility at the Wide World of Sports complex.

Dubbed the “ESPN Innovation Lab,” the facility will allow the cable-sports giant to test new applications such as virtual graphics during events staged at Disney’s sports venues. Think concepts such as the “EA Virtual Playbook” that ESPN has used as part of its pro football and basketball coverage or the strike-zone graphics used during baseball games.

Because the Wide World of Sports venues are in year-round use, ESPN believes they will make an ideal spot to test and tweak new broadcasting concepts during actual in-game conditions. Disney World and ESPN are both owned by the Walt Disney Co.

The lab, which will be housed in a renovated building at Wide World of Sports, won’t be a typical tourist attraction. ESPN intends it to be a working research facility, though it’ll likely include big bay windows that allow people to look in and see the company’s emerging-technology staff at work.
ESPN has already moved five employees to Orlando from its Bristol, Conn., headquarters to work at the lab, and more could follow. The Innovation Lab is expected to formally open this fall.

The final news piece from the Orlando Sentinel’s Dewayne Bevil tells us when we can see American Idol winner Kris Allen at Walt Disney World:

This just in: American Idol winner Kris Allen, true to his TV commercial word, is coming to Disney World on Friday, May 29. Disney confirms that — but other details have not been announced. We’ll share when they do, but a safe bet certainly includes a stop by the American Idol Experience, which opened earlier this year to much Idol fanfare at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Stay tuned.

Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as we continue to get more information on all of these breaking news stories.

The winner will also be heading to Disney’s Hollywood Studios at some point to film some promotional material, as well as to film some spots that will be used in the various video packages in the American Idol Experience attraction.