Barnaby T. Bullion – Owner of the Big Thunder Mountain Gold Mine

Disney have started to bring together the story for the pre-ride line at one of Walt Disney World’s most popular attractions with the owner being revealed as one Barnabas T. Bullion, entrepreneur and gold magnate who rules that their mine with his “golden fist.” The Disney Imagineers are working feverishly on the line and will be working overnight so that Mr Bullions portrait will be put in place.

The backstory is a real interesting one:

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad is one of my favorites at Magic Kingdom, not too scary for the kids but just enough thrill to keep them happy. I’m looking forward to the interactive line if it makes standing in it on a hot summers day more enjoyable.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad Landscape

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Be Our Guest Restaurant at Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom

The Menus

Click the links below for the menus:

Of course the “Be Our Guest” restaurant is available on the Disney Dining Plan, withh lunch using up one quick-service credit and the seated dinner service using one table service credit. The restaurant participates in the Tables of Wonderland program.

ADR’s can be made the usual way. Call 407-WDW-DINE for more info.

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Oz The Great And The Powerful Movie to feature at Epcot’s International Flower & Garden Festival 2013

Disney have said that the interactive play area will be able to follow in the footsteps of Oz The Great and the Powerful and participate in midway-style games that will be housed in a number of red and white carnival tents.

Following on from the carnival area is the “Land of Oz Play Area”, where bubbles fill the air, and where you can find: play equipment adorned with giant flowers, The Great and Powerful Oz’s crashed hot-air balloon, and more! Guests can also wander through the “Oz Movie Garden,” which will feature lush, unusual plants inspired by the Land of Oz, perfect for the Flower & Garden festival. We’re promised plenty of photo opportunities in the area with characters from the movie.

Epcot Internationa Flower & Garden Festival 2013

This years festival dates have the event running from March 6th through to May 19th 2013.

Festival highlights are promised to include:

To read more about the movie featuring Zach Braff, visit iMDB.

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The next property to get wired is thought to be Downtown Disney. That could be where the wifi roll-out stops as there are currently no plans to get free wifi installed at either the Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon water parks.

So feel free to tweet, update your facebook profile or drop a comment here when you’re at the parks next.

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Royal Magic Makers debut at Fantasyland, Magic Kingdom

These type of shows which Disney creatively call “atmosphere” are not your full on attractions that make all the headlines at the park, but are really important to give the Disney parks that little bit of sparkle. There’s nothing better than getting a photo with the cast members when they are “playing” the character.

The Royal Majesty Makers sound really fun for the kids, as they’ll be tasked with teaching the boys and girls the laws of the royal kingdom and endowing them with the skills to become princes and princesses.

The Royal Majesty Makers troup members are the brave Sir Sterling (Knight, retired), Lady Llewellyn (expert in royal etiquette), lady-in-waiting Bridget and Tobias the squire. They will be mostly residing in the Castle Courtyard where they’ll be conducting there Knight school, leading royal dances, participating in games of “Sir Sterling Says” and no-doubt delivering fun, mirth and humor to the kingdom.

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to come out with an official response after the number of disappointed comments from

I guess time will tell if the Main Street Bakery and Fountain View maintain their Disney World charm. I certainly hope so. To read the full blog post, click here.

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Guy Revelle and Mark Gibson discuss some of the features of the new bolling alley The 50,000 square-foot location will feature 30 bowling lanes, multiple dining and drinking options and a large selection of entertainment.

Splitsville is expected to open in December 2012, and is located at Downtown Disney’s West Side.

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Starbucks opening at Main Street USA Magic Kingdom & Fountain View at Epcot

You see, the first Starbucks location will be based at the iconic Main Street Bakery on Main Street, USA, slap bang at the entrance of the park. The Main Street Bakery will be closing in January 2013 and when it opens in the Summer of that year, it’ll have turned into a Starbucks.

Fountain View at Epcot Future World will close in March 2013 and return as a Starbucks in midsummer 2013. We’re told that the stores and cast members will be decked out in a fashion that befits the location, for example the cast members at the Starbucks in the Main Street Bakery will retain the early 20th Century look.

That said, in essence these two favorite stop-offs of mine will essentially be Starbucks selling Starbucks “signature beverages, artisan breakfast sandwiches and a wide selection of baked goods, including muffins, scones and specialty treats”. We’re assured that more Starbucks will be coming soon.

Don’t get me wrong, I love my coffee and I’m not so naive that I don’t understand that sponsorship deals are deeply embedded everywhere in Disney World whether that’s Kodak sponsoring rides, Edy’s ice-cream at the stands or even Landry’s operating the Yak & Yeti restaurant. But this is different, this is a brand effectively taking over two iconic locations at the biggest theme parks in the world.

I can get Starbucks anywhere, but I can’t get the giant ice-cream cookie everywhere or the massive Main Street cinnamon rolls. Will these disappear from these locations? In reality will these locations be “Starbucked” beyond recognition?

Lets face it, one of the main draws at Disney World is for the uniqueness of the dining options. I mean, would you book an ADR at Tutto Italia if it was hosted by Pizza Hut or the Macaroni Grill!

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A Sesame Street Christmas

A Sesame Street Christmas Show at Seaworld Orlando

A show with sing-a-longs, festive fun and musical celebration  for all the family. Abby Cadabby doesn’t understand the fuss about Christmas, in fact she’s never heard of it. So it’s Elmo’s job, along with Telly Monster and his Sesame Street friends to teach Abby what Christmas means to them.

Clyde and Seamore’s Countdown to Christmas

If you’ve ever seen the Clyde and Seamore show at Seaworld you’ll know what to expect. A comical display by two of Seaworld’s favorite Sealions. Clyde and Seamore take on the role of Santa’s helpers and with the help of mischevious otter, a comical elf and the huge walrus’s they’re guaranteed to bring you a fun-filled seasonal show.

Winter Wonderland on Ice

With it’s towering dancing water fountains and the finale of the evening fireworks display, this ice-skating show is not one you’ll want to miss. Christmas comes to life on a stage of ice, jewels and light as skaters dazzle and delight in this show-stopping, ice skating extravaganza.

The Polar Express Experience

The Polar Express Experience makes its return again this year. Replacing the Wild Arctic Experience for the festive season, the holiday classic which is based on the Chris Van Allsburg book which was turned into the movie by Warner Bros. The beloved holiday classic comes to life as you and your family are immersed in the heart-warming story of a young boy’s thrilling ride into an enchanted world. The sights, sounds, and scents of the season surround you. At the end of your journey you’ll be whisked to the North Pole where you’ll get to meet Santa Claus and Seaworld’s polar bear and walruses in their wintery habitat.

The Polar Express Experience

Seaworld Orlando’s Christmas Celebration 2012 Dates

The celebration is running between November 17 – December 31, 2012 on select dates.

To learn more, visit the Seaworld Christmas site.

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Pirates of the Carribean: Legend of Jack Sparrow Outside View

The guys over at Walt Disney Imagineering have just released a photo of what you can expect at the new interactive walk-through, where visitors will journey deep into an eerie lost grotto, where a mysterious pirate skull puts them to the test to see if they have what it takes to set sail with the legendary Captain Jack Sparrow. Along the way, they must face all the perils of a pirate’s life as their favorite moments from the films come to life before their eyes. Sounds like Pirates fans will love it!

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow Inside Shot

The  Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow replaced the Journey to Narnia: Prince Caspian attraction which closed in September 2011. You can find the walk-through attraction in the Soundstage 4 building which is adjacent to Toy Story Mania.

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