Tagged with " Press Release"

From Dewayne Bevil of the Orlando Sentinel: Had a mini-sneak-peek at the revamped Hall of Presidents this afternoon at Magic Kingdom. Showing us around — but not the whole presentation — was Eric Jacobson, senior vice president at Walt Disney Imagineering. Here are some tidbits he shared about HoP, which is set to reopen officially on July 4: + The front room/pre-show has been reorganized a bit. Some of the presidential portraits have been replaced, and the imagery has quotations beneath them. A new display area features dresses from three first ladies: Elizabeth Monroe, Edith Roosevelt (Mrs. Teddy) and Nancy Reagan. (The silk dresses of Monroe and Roosevelt are reproductions). + Reagan sent a selection.  ”Mrs. Reagan actually — at the Reagan [...]

As reported by the Orlando Sentinel: Walt Disney World is now more than a month into the seven-month rehab of Space Mountain, and details are trickling out about the changes in store for the venerable roller coaster. The resort last week filed a construction notice thought to be tied to the Magic Kingdom’s indoor coaster; it calls for the installation of an “interactive queue” and audio-visual upgrades. The notice has touched off speculation that Space Mountain could be in line for an electronic-game-filled queue similar to the one Disney installed at Epcot’s Soarin’ in 2007. Disney officials, who have been relatively tight-lipped about the Space Mountain changes, previously had said only that the 34-year-old attraction would get a new queue [...]

Disney has released the dates and groups performing during this year’s Epcot International Food & Wine Festival: LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – A platinum lineup of popular music acts, including several Grammy-winning bands, will unleash an eclectic mix of classic and current tunes during the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Sept. 25-Nov. 8 at Walt Disney World Resort. The Eat to the Beat! concert series will bring 17 acts – showcasing everything from rock to jazz, funk to pop – to the America Gardens Theatre stage during the 45-day festival. The lineup includes five performers playing the festival for the first time: Richard Marx, Better Than Ezra, Vanessa Carlton, John Waite and Billy Ocean. Concerts, which are included with Epcot admission, [...]

As an Orlando Magic fan, I can’t wait to see Ed Grier walking right down the middle of Main Street U.S.A. at Disneyland park in shame: ANAHEIM, Calif./LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (June 3, 2009) – Walt Disney World President Meg Crofton and Disneyland President Ed Grier are squaring off – all in fun – as their local teams, the Orlando Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers, head for the NBA Finals. With both Disney parks asking guests “What Will You Celebrate?” in 2009, Grier and Crofton are getting in the act, making a celebratory wager on the outcome of the NBA Finals: If the Magic win, Grier will walk down Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland park wearing a pair of [...]

Since there are a few interesting pieces of news making the rounds today, I thought I would cover them all in one post. The first piece is from Jason Garcia of the Orlando Sentinel and talks about Innoventions at Epcot, making brief mention of a new exhibit coming soon on behalf of the Burnham Institute for Medical Research: 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 [...]