WDWNT Reporter Dirk Wallen visited the Magic Kingdom on Saturday and has some fantastic pictures of new progress on the Big Thunder Mountain interactive queue, A Pirate’s Life: Treasures of the Seven Seas, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, and more, so let’s take a look:

While the Main Street Bakery is closed, guests can head to the Tomorrowland Terrace

Plenty of options at Tomorrowland Terrace, including beignets!

The flowers in the hub have gone to Valentine’s Day colors and the ducks love it…

Valentine’s Day cupcakes available at Big Top Treats

I’ve heard of panning for gold…

More props and interactive elements have been installed in the queue at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

The “exploding” crates are no longer under tarps

These huge machines popped up in the second-half of the queue over the weekend

It looks like guests will play some sort of game where they turn a lever

Spinning handles on the back of another machine

The refurbishment of Splash Mountain continues

Lots of painting going on

Golden Oak Outpost is closed again

Work continues on the Adventureland Veranda building

Another area of the building is also walled-off

The Crow’s Nest is out from behind tarps and it looks quite different… we expect it to play a role in “A Pirate’s Adventure”

More props for “A Pirate’s Adventure” have been installed throughout Adventureland

Jack Sparrow’s compass

This was the first prop installed a few months ago

A cannon

Ball and chains

Some props by the Jungle Cruise

Nearby, a pirate skeleton lies under the water near a treasure chest

It appears these skulls near the Pirates of the Caribbean entrance will talk

Another strange set of props

Gun powder

Sleepy Hollow Refreshments is open while the exterior is refurbished

Walls up outside of the Haunted Mansion and Yankee Trader

Tarps still up on Columbia Harbour House

The latest progress on the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train

Valentine’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day lanyards are out

As is the new Test Track logo pin

Over at The Villas at the Grand Floridian, we can start to make out windows

A strange large canopy has appeared near the Magic Kingdom turnstiles… Not sure if it is RFID related or for something else…

Magic Carpets of Aladdin is open while some exterior work is being done

The Yankee Trader is still behind tarps

A view of the new walkway and restroom area from the front of the Haunted Mansion

A look at the former Skyway site

Princess Fairytale Hall construction

The Crow’s Nest is still behind walls

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom shirts are now available and they offer aid in the playing of the game!

OK… if you are buying more than that for Ebay, you are pretty dumb as they are not a limited edition item…

Frankenweenie flopped at the box office, but the shops at the parks are full of movie merchandise

It’s like they knew what the box office would be like…

I would expect to see all this stuff at the outlets and Cast Connection very soon…

Work continues on the Grand Floridian Disney Vacation Club wing

It is now set for a late-2013 opening

The parking lot is almost done

Moving over to Epcot, work is being done on Innoventions Plaza and the Electric Umbrella exterior

Test Track is now set to open December 6th

I expect these signs to vanish soon…

We are happy to continue our series of videos walking you through all of the adventures you can experience at Walt Disney World’s latest attraction, Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. We go on down the bayou to Liberty Square and Frontierland to battle Dr. Facilier and his friends on the other side this time:

Let’s grab a times guide

 The parade route is back to normal

Work continues on the bakery and center street facades

The bakery is open

Plaza Ice Cream still closed

Work continues on the supports in Tomorrowland

This side of the Dumbo queue is finally being painted

Scaffolding coming down on the circus tent queue area

The other Dumbo centrifuge is in place

They are working everyday to get the attraction up and running as soon as possible

Beast’s Castle

The Mermaid rock-work is being extended to hide the show building from view in Storybook Circus

Rooftops and patios are appearing on Prince Eric’s castle

A close-up of the castle

It looks great!

The artwork is back on the great wall of Fantasyland

The Castle Wall is finally showing some progress

The Seven Dwarves Mine shop lives out a stay of execution until the wall moves this direction

Walkways are still tight at the moment

This is the first time we’ve actually seen people working on the wall

We can see some detail at the top of the wall

The Fantasyland Skyway station is gones and now we have a giant pile of dirt

You can clearly see The Hauted Mansion, but this will change

Just a lot of dirt…

Work on the Peter Pan’s Flight queue continues

Walls up where the pathway will go next to the Haunted Mansion

Hard to believe this opened almost a year ago

It has grown in nicely

Some things were changed…

Some things were added as less-than-capable guests walked through…

Other things that were added

The pet cemetary is missing some pieces while the new path is worked on

Time for some Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom

Pongo looks a little angry…

Love the cards

What’s the best part about Sorcerers? Inclusion of often ignored characters

The old Fife & Drum food service location closed for decades is back in use

This is a second location where you can begin your quest

This card has been changed to remove Slinky Dog from the background. Apprently, Disney doesn’t have the rights to use him…

Frontierland Trading Post still behind tarps

The tower that the Barnstormer will now crash through looks finished

The Big Thunder Mountain refurb rolls on

Lift hill replacemtn and roof repairs being done now

Some paint has also been applied to lower level rock-work

Progress is appearing rapidly

The backside of the Be Our Guest Restaurant

A look at Fantasyland Station

Lighting fixtures installed

Hi there

Still there…

Roof is covered

The Barnstormer is just about finished

A fair amount of landscaping left to complete

The backside of the Dumbo building

Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom was testing

There is a window at the head of the queue area to give guests more info

It is still a fire station, just with three added Sorcerers stations

WDWFD used instead of the customary MKFD

Package Pick-up/Chamber of Commerce behind tarps

Pooh and Tigger now greeting guests in the garden

New flowers planted for the season

Roy and Minnie await the move back to Town Square

Some of the Confectionary and The Chapeau facades behind tarps

Sign pointing guests to character FASTPASS

Waits are short

This will soon be a Sorcerers window

A well hidden window

I can’t wait for someone to ask a price on it…

Another window

Yet another… they probably should move that bench…

The WDW/DLR trains merchandise in the window

Center Street behind tarps

The Bakery as well

This will complete the multi-year Main Street facade clean-up

I want ice cream… sniff…

I want soft serve ice cream… sniff…

The Main Street bridge is being repaired

Way too many in the treehouse for a not-so-busy day…

The Sunshine Tree Terrace is still behind tarps

The restaurant is closed, but the Sorcerers window inside is still available

Pecos Bill’s behind tarps

I can’t begin to tell you how happy I am about the Golden Oak Outpost menu returning

Big Thunder Mountain is closed for refurbishment through late-May

Cool pin trading idea

Looks like they are already rebuilding this lift hill

Frontierland Trading Post behind tarps as well

Madame Leota’s cart is now close to the Liberty Belle dock

LOVE this shirt!

From far away, we can see the roof of a tunnel being replaced

Workers out on the track as well

all of the railroad ties were removed to be replaced as well

Work continues on the new Fantasyland/Liberty Square path

The pet cemetery is being moved, it should return later

Walls in Fantasyland

Some trees being removed

Peter Pan’s Flight is being painted before the interactive queue installation begins this week

This will soon be a restroom

Dumbo removal

The beginning of the new Castle Wall

This should begin to grow shortly

A look over the walls

The old gives way to the new

The circus tent top is starting to appear

Another look at the new Dumbo queue, now set to open in March

Less and less scaffolding visible on the Be Our Guest Restaurant

Some final touches of snow being added to the Beast’s Castle

Belle’s Village

Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

Storybook Circus tents

Fantasyland Station

Back to Dumbo

You can see some of the Storybook Circus pavement already

The brick facade is starting to appear and it looks spectacular!

Back to Mermaid

Back to Belle’s Village

Enchanted Tales with Belle

Wide shot

Circus tent covering should go up on these queues soon

Timothy is expected to return as an audio-animatronic living character since he won’t be on the spinner anymore

All of the racks in the Seven Dwarfs Mine store are gone

The store will either be removed or replaced during the Castle Wall construction

Say goodbye to the diamond mine theme

This stroller parking is getting out of hand

The Sorcerers window in Frotnierland has a lighted element

It’s pretty cool

]]> http://wdwnewstoday.com/archives/8543/feed 6 http://wdwnewstoday.com/archives/8237 http://wdwnewstoday.com/archives/8237#comments Tue, 15 Nov 2011 19:26:28 +0000 wdwntadmin http://wdwnewstoday.com/?p=8237 Our good friend Sarah who writes “Eating WDW” for WDWNT: The Magazine and has her own blog by the same name recently tried out one of the new, much discussed, waffle sandwiches at Sleepy Hollow Refreshments. Here is her review:

I had heard about Sleepy Hollow Refreshments’ menu changes via Zach of WDWNT, and I knew I had to try one of the new waffle sandwiches out. With F&W in full swing, I’d been neglecting my other parks. That all had to change yesterday! I wish Matt was with me so I could order the Ham & Prosciutto version as well, but since I was running around property like a nut that day, I had to pick one. I decided to go the more “traditional” route of chicken and waffles, hoping for some heat to the chicken.

I was in awe of the size of this beast, which was only $6.99. Talk about a great value on property!

There really wasn’t any heat to the chicken; it was definitely on the sweet side. It wasn’t overly sweet for me, so I enjoyed it. The waffle tasted like the same batter that is used for the Mickey waffles. Yes, I know the whimsy is in the shape, but these were still on point for flavor.

It was a LOT of food. I ended up just eating the chicken after a few bites. The greens were a really nice addition from a textural point, and really brightened up the sandwich overall. The slaw was quite nice as well for some crunch. I tasted it alone and liked it despite the heavy mayonnaise.

I look forward to trying the ham & prosciutto version, and the Nutella option sounds interesting as well. I’ll have to head back to MK with Matt by my side real soon!

Our thanks to Sarah for permission to use her report, and please go check out her Eating WDW blog!

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

Some of the turnstiles at Epcot are behind walls

The Epcot Christmas tree is up!

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy closing out Eat to the Beat 2011

Christmas all around Epcot

Tree at the American Adventure

The small Christmas village is already being set up

Christmas merchandise is everywhere

Everyone is scrambling for the last taste of the Food & Wine Festival

Holiday merchandise in abundance at MouseGear

The store is decorated

The gift of Vinylmation

New gift with purchase bags and watches available

A strange looking castle hybrid on some merchandise

The latest in the 40th anniversary pin of the month series

The Christmas Party sold out

Ummm, they’re sold out…

Disney Universe ad at the TTC

We start our trip to the Magic Kingdom with a look at Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid

The Toontown tents are still bare

The Dumbo building in Storybook Circus is coming along nicely

The train station and Casey Jr. Roundhouse have really taken shape

More Mermaid construction

The Enchanted Grove is out from behind tarps and is now the Cheshire Cafe

Nice sign

Menu is the same

It now fits the Mad Tea Party theme

Mermaid

Dumbo

A wide shot of construction

Looks like a large tree has arrived on-site

The Beauty and the Beast mountain range is almost done

Another look at the tree

We’re starting to see the finished detail on Be Our Guest restaurant

A wide shot

A wide shot of Mermaid

The cottage for Enchanted Tales with Belle now has some details

The chimneys are decorated!

Still no progress on the Castle Wall

Planters still being eliminated

The Skyway station still being eliminated

Another Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom window in Liberty Square

Hidden speaker

Another game window

Another new game station

The Shootin’ Arcade is back and looks great!

Work continues on the Pecos Bill’s facade

That Big Thunder Mountain refurbishment couldn’t come sooner, the train tracks have looked like plain coaster tracks for too long

Golden Oak is back, but now only has hot dogs, drinks and desserts….

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

The endless refurbishment continues on the Adventureland/Frontierland passage

The covering is no longer on the Sorcerers window near Pirates of the Caribbean

Exterior refurbishment on Sunshine Tree Terrace continues

Another finished Sorcerers window

Work continues on the Swiss Family Treehouse

Apparently this window is finished

Space Mountain gets into the spirit of the Christmas Party

Rocketower Plaza Stage decorated

The sign now has the stage name

Beautiful

Muppetvision 3-D decorated as we move over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Posters for The Muppets are now up

The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is back!

They have completely replaced this canopy with new lights that can be individually programmed to dance with the music

A billboard for Once Upon a Time

The windows tested last year are back with some cool functions

Prep and Landing characters now appear

More Once Upon a Time posters

New cameras were installed on Tower of Terror and the border on the photos was also updated, the pictures look a lot clearer!

Sunset Boulevard decorated

Hollywood Boulevard as well

On to Downtown Disney…

This garland used to be outside of Muppetvision, now it’s here

Work continues on Splitsville

A long way to go

The remodeled Sunglass Icon is open

Blink by Wet Seal is also open

Pleasure Island was full of activity

The renamed Adventurers Hut

KUNGALOOSH!

Festival of the Masters cupcakes available

Getting ready for the festival

Nope…

Nope…

Nope…

Nope… sorry, I mean a tree outside of Fulton’s and Portobello…

Kids being entertained at the marketplace stage

Christmas at World of Disney

Monorail Peach!

That’s where we are going

In-between signs for the different seasonal parties, this sign appears

Work on the train station passage way is done

New sign

Old sign

5 minute wait for Mickey at Town Square Theater

Christmas decorations are going up

Just the lampposts thus far

Dapper Dans

The Emporium now has a directory, just like MouseGear at Epcot

Decorations inside Uptown Jewelers

Center Street facades under tarps

The middle section of the Emporium is ready for Christmas

Jingle Smells Vinylmation, they smell like holiday stuff!

No scratch ‘n’ sniff, rather sniff ‘n’ smell…

The entrance of the Swiss Family Treehouse is being ripped apart

This window in Adventureland for Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom hasn’t changed…

This one now has props!

An exterior refurbishment of the Sunshine Tree Terrace is going on with the restaurant open

All the way to the exit of Tiki room is walled-up

Still open…

An eager guest tries to play Sorcerer’s at this station, even though it doesn’t start until 2012…

The Adventureland/Frontierland passage still being worked on

It looks like Golden Oak Outpost is now closed

The menu has been ripped off the wall

Work continues on Pecos Bill’s facade

A Sorcerer’s window on the exterior of the Frontierland Trading Post looks finished

A lot of detail here

If the game displays will be this detailed, I’m all for it

Frontierland Shootin’ Arcade has reopened since this photo was taken

It is now $1 a game…

Work continues on the other side of the building

Back towards what used to be the smoking area in Liberty Square, several Sorcerer’s windows are in place

These crates were uncovered on October 1st, but I guess they don’t want anyone touching them

After decades of closure, the Fife & Drum food stand has been turned into another game element

The Princess Tiana meet and greet has been decorated

Another game window

Work continues on the Fantasyland Skyway station

Another planter in Fantasyland being eliminated

Work outside of Pinocchio’s Village Haus has wrapped up

Tarps up on the tallest part

Winnie the Pooh FASTPASS closed while work on the queue is being done

Walls up outside of Sir Mickey’s

More walls across the way, outside of Castle Couture

Could these be more Sorcerer’s of the Magic Kingdom windows?

Rumors are that the Sword in the Stone show may return in some form soon…

The Toontown tents have been stripped down to the bare structure

A look at the Dumbo entrance with the Barnstormer building in the background

Work continues on Enchanted Tales with Belle

The mountain looks almost complete

Work on Bonjour Village Gifts

Gaston’s Tavern behind the pile of dirt

Only stand-by lines at Winnie the Pooh right now, using the FASTPASS line for the queue

Small walls up at the interactive queue

No visible work on the Tigger Bounce area…

Looks like it won’t be addressed this time around

Those very bare frames from 1988 will soon be turned into the Storybook Circus

Work continues on “Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid”

The entire Beauty and the Beast village

Not sure if this is a door or a window

Back to Mermaid

The Fantasyland Train Station is moving along quickly

The Dumbo building has been covered now

Work continues on the Enchanted Grove

These little walls are still up in Tomorrowland

The stage is set for a Totally Tomorrowland Christmas

The Tomorrowland Newspaper robot is being refurbished

Walls still up near the Peoplemover entrance

The Lunching Pad is back, but the menu didn’t change

What could possible be under there

Dream Along with Mickey at night taking place due to some filming in the park

Main Street Vehicles have been staying out a lot more

The fire station is still closed

Brave poster outside

It’s almost here…

We’re on the monorail heading to Epcot…

Work continues on the upcoming Grand Floridian DVC wing

Nothing much has changed

The “whirly-gigs” are still sitting on the ground next to the Universe of Energy

Ads up for the Very Merry Christmas Party

Welcome to Epcot

Food and Wine Festival still going

The Cranberry Bog continues to be popular

I want this sign…

New, larger signs up at he Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure kiosks

Germany

It’s also the Food & Wine Festival at this small village

Full of zombies…

There’s even a cranberry bog!

Work on the former Yakitori House is wrapping up as it is set to re-open in less than 2 weeks

Welcome to the Transportation and Ticket Center

Some monorail service reminders

To the Magic Kingdom!

Even from a distance, Fantasyland construction is visible

Beast’s Castle is clearly visible from the monorail

Pavement at the bus stops being replaced

A year to go, but Brave posters are already up outside of the park

It is close…

The roof of the Locker Rentals being replaced

Work continues on the WDW Railroad Station

Talking Perry the Platypus plush now available

You can now purchase the strange looking Tiana plush in two dress colors…

Special Agent Oso

Mickey and Minnie 40th anniversary plush

The new Vintage collection has dumped a ton of trendy hats around the resort

The new character ear hats have already arrived!

Very cool!

LOVE the dog tag!

Retro Mickey Mouse clothing

The merchandise from the now closed Fire Station can be found in the Emporium

Some new retro shirts

On to Adventureland!

Various pieces of the new Magic Kingdom interactive quests have already been installed, including this Adventureland window and the speakers surrounding it

Beware the Liki Tikis!

Yes, we can’t get enough…

JOSE!

FRITZ!

MICHAEL!

PIERRE!

Work continues on the Frontierland Shootin’ Gallery

There’s a wall missing…

Many of these facades haven’t been touched in 40 years, so the work was needed

Walls up near the Riverboat dock

Something new at the Mansion?

A somewhat more permanent sign, still bound to confuse normal guests…

The 2011 Halloween merchandise is a departure from the norm

The characters take on a much more sinister look

The creepy version of Cinderella Castle is a nice touch

A cool candle set

Cookies and a cookie tin

I think I have to pick this up…

Cool flag

Skyway demolition continues

Looks like there has been more progress

Fantasyland is still a bit messy with all of this construction

Almost all of the planters are gone in the land

Work continues outside of the Village Haus

Storybook Circus off in the distance

Not sure what those blocks are, but nothing too interesting…

The new Dumbo entrance looming over the current

Work continues on the Be Our Guest restaurant and Enchanted Tales with Belle

Work continues on the Castle Walls

The village is coming along as well

Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid construction

A crane being used once again

Bonjour Village Gifts has a roof!

We get very excited at the smallest bits of progress…

The crane is in Storybook Circus

A great look at the new WDW Railroad station under construction

The facade of Mermaid being extended

A lot of work going on in Storybook Circus, set to open in about a year

Work continues on the facade of Enchanted Grove

The Dumbo queue is almost ready to be covered

A look t construction from the TTA

Some pavement being worked on outside of Carousel of Progress

Back in Frontierland, the entrance of Pecos Bill’s is out from behind tarps and looking great!

Work has now begun on the side

The Adventureland/Frontierland archway still under tarps

Back to the Emporium to find… more Fire department stuff!

Talking Phineas and Ferb have joined Perry

Interesting to note that some Disney Store produced merchandise is being sold in the parks…

This is a first, so we only can hope that they stick to merchandise like this and not try to throw too much Disney Store product into the parks

The Fire Station is still closed

The temporary test signage pointing guests to park transportation is gone, but we have to wonder if it worked and we will see permanent signs here soon…

From the monorail, we can see walls up around the site of the upcoming Grand Floridian DVC wing

Work continues on the tram unloading station at the TTC

John Carter is arriving, but unfortunately, we are leaving…

]]> http://wdwnewstoday.com/archives/7897/feed 6 http://wdwnewstoday.com/archives/7516 http://wdwnewstoday.com/archives/7516#comments Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:47:24 +0000 wdwntadmin http://wdwnewstoday.com/?p=7516 WDWNT Reporter Robert Ashburn visited the Magic Kingdom on Tuesday and has a ton of newsworthy photos to share with us from his trip (including lots of Fantasyland progress), so let’s take a look:

The spur beam for the Monorail is complete

Pretty nifty, eh?

Work has begun on the rumored location of the Disney Vacation Club wing at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

Plenty of workers already on-site

This will all look very different soon

We expect the new wing will be announced at the D23 Expo

This very scenic area is about to get very busy

On to the Magic Kingdom, the Confectionary facade is complete and looks fantastic

The park has been running a lot more of the Main Street Vehicles, they may even start running them at night soon

Can’t remember the last time I saw this

Time for Fantasyland!

Under the Sea: Journey of the Little Mermaid is looking great!

Work continues on the roof of Pinocchio’s Village Haus

No visible progress over at the Skyway for quite some time now

It will be interesting to see this area once work is completed on the new path

The Castle Wall construction and the Village Haus refurb interfere with some views of the construction site

Imagineers and construction crews out and about, working on New Fantasyland

The walls just keeping coming closer and closer…

Walls out in front of Village Haus… why so many different colors?

It’s amazing how many guests stop to look at the concept art

Walls closing in on the restrooms

You can see Maurice’s Cottage (home to Enchanted Tales with Belle) over the walls

If they were any closer, you would be using Maurice’s bathroom…

Castle Walls have made little progress

A look at the Beauty and the Beast realm

Plenty of workers out

Trees help with the scale of the Beast’s Castle

I see you back there…

This guy ruins the scale…

Bonjour! Village Gifts will have a roof shortly

The rock-work is pretty big

Construction workers out on the Mermaid facade as well

Looking good

Eric’s castle is coming along nicely

Beautiful

Some work being done on the facade of Enchanted Grove as well

On to the Storybook Circus

Big Top Souvenirs

Structures continue to rise

Winnie the Pooh and Tigger and now crammed in this corner

It will have to do for now…

Still working…

The Balzac vendor in Tomorrowland was there for so long that the concrete under it needs to be replaced

Other merchandise carts remain

Let’s take a ride on the Peoplemover to see more Fantasyland construction

The Mermaid rock-work continues to grow

Dumbo queue

Off in the distance, we can actually see Gaston’s Tavern

More Dumbo

It’s an inside joke…

This suspicious pair were out and about near Adventureland

Working on the Adventureland quest perhaps? Or are we just crazy?

Work continues on the Enchanted Tiki Room before it re-opens in just a few days

Still no sign change…

Walls still up in Frontierland

Constructions walls are really an art form…

The Liberty Tree Tavern… now presented by Ocean Spray Craisins? WHAT? Apparently they are already on a salad at the restaurant…

The flower beds near first-aid were recently replanted

They look great

It’s amazing how many people don’t even know that this area exists

Phineas and Ferb merchandise in the Emporium

Fire Station (or Quest Central) still closed…

Work continues on the tram area at the Transportation and Ticket Center

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