Orlando Theme Park News

The Disney Look... to the Past! (May 17-23)

2013-05-18T20:33:00.001-04:00

Hello, and welcome to the latest edition of the weekly feature known as "The Disney Look... to the Past!"
Enjoy reading all of the following interesting facts about the Walt Disney Parks, Resorts, Movies, and more:
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This Week in Disney History: May 17-23

May 20, 1973 - Tom Sawyer Island and the Liberty Belle debut at Magic Kingdom Park

Who’s ready for adventure? Board a log raft and head for the island in the middle of the Rivers of America, where the young rapscallion from Mark Twain’s novels inspired a fun-filled Frontierland hideaway. Dirt trails and rustic bridges lead to landmarks like the stalagmite-filled caverns of Injun Joe’s Cave, the giant waterwheel of Harper’s Mill, and Fort Langhorn, an early frontier settlement. The original Tom Sawyer Island opened at Disneyland Park in 1955, and has the distinction of being the only Disney Parks attraction personally designed by Walt Disney. Circumnavigating the island is the Liberty Square Riverboat, an authentic recreation of a 19th century sternwheeler like the ones that paddled down the Mississippi River. Originally named for Richard F. Irvine, a Disney designer and executive, the ship stands 47 feet tall and has 4 decks for Guests to explore, plus take in picture-perfect views of Tom Sawyer Island, Big Thunder Mountain and Splash Mountain. It opened as Magic Kingdom Park’s second riverboat after the “Admiral” Joe Fowler debuted in 1971, and the two ships sailed the Rivers of America simultaneously until 1980. After an extensive 1996 refurbishment, the Richard F. Irvine was renamed the Liberty Belle.

May 19, 1971 - Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes open at Disneyland Park

Grab a paddle and find a buddy, because you’re about to get an up close and personal view of the Rivers of America. Originally opened July 4, 1956 as the Indian War Canoes, this unique experience allows Guests young and old to pitch in and paddle a 35-foot fiberglass canoe around Tom Sawyer Island. It first required a D-ticket for admission, and featured Native American guides pointing out sights along the way, from wild animals to geographic landmarks like Cascade Rock. In 1971, the attraction took a cue from Disney’s king of the wild frontier, becoming Davy Crockett’s Explorer Canoes with explorer scout guides modeling the hero’s trademark coonskin cap. But prior to the name change in 1963, an Indian War Canoe guide and a Jungle Cruise skipper started a friendly challenge to see which area’s Cast Members were the faster paddlers, the Disneyland Resort Canoe Races were born. The tradition celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this summer on the Rivers of America.

Also this week in Disney history:

May 17

1964 - “Disneyland Goes to the World’s Fair” debuts on Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Color

1991 - Disney’s Port Orleans Resort opens at Walt Disney World

1991 - Touchstone Pictures releases “What About Bob?”

2004 - Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa opens at Walt Disney World

May 18

1951 - “Plutopia” (Pluto cartoon short) debuts

1995 - Disney acquires a 25 percent interest in the California Angels baseball club

2003 - Disney?Pixar’s “Finding Nemo” premieres at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles

2009 - Wayne Allwine, Disney Legend and voice of Mickey Mouse, dies at age 62

May 19

1934 - “Gulliver Mickey” (Mickey Mouse cartoon short) debuts

1960 - “Pollyanna,” Hayley Mills’ first film for the Walt Disney Studios, is released

1984 - Pvt. Donald Duck received an Honorable Discharge from the United States Army (after being drafted in a 1942 short)

2000 - Walt Disney Pictures releases “Dinosaur”

2007 - The world premiere of “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” is held at Disneyland Park

May 20

1973 - The Plaza Swan Boats open at Magic Kingdom Park

1996 - Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf opens at the Walt Disney World Resort

2011 - Star Tours - The Adventures Continue opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

May 21

1948 - The animated short “Donald’s Dream Voice” debuts

2001 - The world premiere of Touchstone Pictures’ “Pearl Harbor” is held in Hawaii

May 22

1998 - DisneyQuest soft opens to guests in Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World

1998 - Rocket Rods, “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience,” Astro Orbitor and Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port open as part of a renovated Tomorrowland at Disneyland Park

May 23

1922 - Walt Disney incorporates Laugh-O-Gram Films, his first cartoon company in Kansas City

1983 - A renovated Fantasyland opens at Disneyland Park, including the new attraction Pinnochio’s Daring Journey

1997 - Light Magic debuts at Disneyland Park

2001 - The Magic Carpets of Aladdin opens at Magic Kingdom Park

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Thank you for reading, and have a great rest of your weekend!

All photos and information subject to the copyright of the Walt Disney Company. All rights reserved.

More Information on Magic Kingdom's 24-Hour Event

2013-05-18T20:17:00.002-04:00

The official Disney Parks Blog recently shared some important information regarding this year's special 24-hour event that will take place at the Magic Kingdom Park on May 24, 2013 as part of the Monstrous Summer:

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24 Hours of Fun and Entertainment in Three Disney Parks

We’re just one week away from our next Limited Time Magic event, the huge Disney Parks Monstrous Summer All-Nighter on May 24! Pam Brandon and Steven Miller will be along later to share details about some of the great food and merchandise you can expect to find, but first I’d like to tell you more about the special entertainment we have in store.

Everything kicks-off with special opening moments in front of the parks, leading up to 6 a.m., and then you’re off and running for 24 hours of fun!* Many of your usual favorite characters and shows will be happening throughout the day, but we also have some extra things planned just for this event.

At Magic Kingdom Park, Mike and Sulley from this summer’s new Disney•Pixar film “Monsters University” will pop in to “scare up” some excitement at the “Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It!” Street Party, and serve as Grand Marshals during a special pre-parade, complete with a cheer squad, flag corps and a marching band playing the MU Fight Song! You can catch this procession just ahead of each of that day’s two performances of the “Celebrate a Dream Come True” Parade. In Tomorrowland, the Rockettower Plaza Stage plays host to a “Monster Mania” DJ Dance Party from 4 – 9 p.m. and “Monsters University Movie Night” from 11 p.m. – 5 a.m., featuring back-to-back showings of the original “Monsters, Inc.” and an opportunity to meet Mike and Sulley! Finally, you can dance the night away at Disney’s Up All Night Dance Party at Cinderella Castle, keeping things lively from 2 – 5:45 a.m.

At Disneyland Resort, the fun spreads out across two Disney Parks! Disney California Adventure park is having a Hollywood Viewing Party, screening “Monsters, Inc.” inside Muppets Theater and hosting Mad T Party outside in Hollywood Land. Both start at 9 p.m. and continue through the night. Elsewhere, the “Monsters University” gang will be out and about with the new MU float from the Pixar Play Parade, happy to pose for pictures with you.

Disneyland park celebrates with a Disney Character Pajama Party, starting after midnight in Mickey’s Toontown with classic Disney cartoons, a Mickey Mouse Party Zone with DJ and activities for kids, plus goodies available for purchase, like hot chocolate, milk and cookies and other treats. Over in Tomorrowland, there will be Star Wars characters to meet and the TLT “Monstrous” Dance Club at Tomorrowland Terrace, where you can keep the party going from midnight to 5:30 a.m. During the All-Nighter, the Royal Theatre at Fantasy Faire hosts a Royal Swing Ball, with a live band from 10 p.m. – 1:40 a.m., and beginning June 15 the “Jump, Jive, Boogie Swing Party” will return to the Royal Theatre for select nights during the summer. Keep an eye on the calendar page on Disneyland.com for dates and information.

So whether you’re heading to Disneyland Resort or Walt Disney World Resort for the Disney Parks Monstrous Summer All-Nighter, you’re in for a monster-sized good time!

*Hours of operation 6:00 a.m. on 5/24/13 to 6:00 a.m. on 5/25/13; subject to capacity restrictions. Only select attractions, entertainment and services will be available. Valid theme park admission required. Subject to restrictions and change without notice.

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If you will attend the event, we recommend you rest the day before to be able to stay in the park the whole day!

WDW Permits Update - May 18, 2013

2013-05-18T09:14:00.005-04:00

This morning we are going to give you a quite extensive update regarding the most recent permits that were filed in the last two weeks by the Walt Disney World Resort. We will start with some work scheduled to be done on the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad roundhouse (where the trains are stored) at the Magic Kingdom Park:

Work is also being done on a section of the roof of Main Street, U.S.A.:

Moving over to Epcot, you can see that the bus lot will receive some attention here and there:

The shores of the World Showcase Lagoon will probably receive some minor enhancements:

Work will be done in the back of the Japan pavilion:

At Disney's Hollywood Studios, work is being done on the big building housing Pizza Planet Mama Melrose's, and other small shops (it's the building located right next to the Muppets shop):

The entire building that include some of the major shops of the park (like Mickey's of Hollywood) and some restaurants (like Hollywood & Vine) is going to receive minor work:

The same is happening to the Hollywood Brown Derby:

...and the Sci-Fi Dine-In Restaurant:

...and the Backlot Express:

Something will be done on the theater housing Indiana Jones' Epic Stunt Spectacular:

Rosie's Red Hot Dogs is also getting some work done:

...and one of the themed photo areas will also get some attention:

At Downtown Disney, the Cirque du Soleil structure is receiving some work while the show is dark:

A lot of permits have been filed for Typhoon Lagoon. Most of them refer to pump stations, confirming the rumors about some major issues with the pumps in the park (that's why the water park had to go down for rehab):

Speaking about hotels, work will be done of the show building housing Disney's Spirit of Aloha Dinner-Show (it is located inside Disney's Polynesian Resort). The entire building is rumored to be relocated soon:

Tiles are being installed on the second floor of the Contemporary Resort:

A behind-the-scenes refurbishment will take place at Disney's Art of Animation Resort:

Thank you for reading, and we hope to see you soon as we have more news and updates to share with you.

"Treasures of the Seven Seas" Now Testing Daily

2013-05-17T09:27:00.003-04:00

Great news! Magic Kingdom's new interactive game, A Pirate’s Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas, will now be testing on a daily basis. Interested Guests can sign up to play-test this new addition by signing up at the enlistment quarters in Caribbean Plaza, just past Pirate’s Bazaar, where they will get a treasure map and start their adventure. The map will lead them on a quest through the land with Captain Jack Sparrow.

Operating Times:

May 17 and 18: 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.
May 19-30: 9 a.m. - park close

Of course, note that testing may be suspended or canceled at any time during this testing period.

First "Madagascar Live! Operation: Vacation" Show

2013-05-17T09:14:00.000-04:00

On May 16, 2013, Busch Gardens Tampa invited the media (including us) and some students from nearby schools to attend the very first performance of the park's newest show, "Madagascar Live! Operation: Vacation", housed in the newly-enclosed Stanleyville theater. That showing was not open to the general public.

The show is incredibly lively, and it is obvious that it was designed with a young audience in mind (the songs used can be definitely likened to the modern music appreciated by the younger generation). Its strengths are, no doubt, the presence of a live band and of many of the beloved characters that made the Madagascar series a very successful one, including Alex the lion, Gloria the hippopotamus, King Julien XIII, Mort, and the penguins. The only minor issues we found were the lack of props (the stage itself looked very bare and simplistic), and the fact that the show can get very loud; too loud in certain circumstances (but that could have been magnified during the first performance by the fact that we were surrounded by hundreds of kids!). That being said, there's no doubt that this show will be a hit at Busch Gardens Tampa.

Now, let's take a look around the theater to see how different it looks at the moment, after having been enclosed:

Before actually getting to the theater itself, Guests can see these banners:

The sticker on top of them will be removed soon to reveal the words "NOW OPEN!":

A new show-time sign has been installed outside the theater:

One of the two entrances of the theater:

The main sign of the show:

Let's take a peek inside:

It was packed!:

Here you are a complete HD video of the entire performance. You will love it:

After the show, some of the park officials came out to for interviews:

Alex was there too!:

Madagascar Live! Operation: Vacation will officially debut to the general public on May 18, 2013. A big "thank you!" to Busch Gardens Tampa for the great media event, and for giving us the opportunity of being among the first people to experience this great addition! See you real soon at Busch Gardens everyone.

Star Wars Weekends: 2013 Event Starts Tomorrow

2013-05-16T17:44:00.000-04:00

The popular “Star Wars Weekends” event will officially return tomorrow (May 17, 2013) at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Here you are some of the special appearances and entertainment offerings for this year:

Celebrity appearances:

Weekend I: May 17 to May 19

Ray Park (Darth Maul – “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace”)
Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett – “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back,” “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi”
Dee Bradley Baker (voice of Captain Rex – “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”)

Weekend II: May 24 to May 26

Ray Park (Darth Maul – “Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace”)
Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok – “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi”)
Jim Cummings (voice of Hondo Ohnaka – “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”)

Weekend III: May 31 to June 2

Warwick Davis (Wicket the Ewok – “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi”)
Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar – “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi”)
Sam Witwer (voice of Darth Maul – “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”)

Weekend IV: June 7 to June 9

Billy Dee Williams (Lando Calrissian – “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back,” “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi”)
Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca – “Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith,” “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope,” “Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back,” “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi”)
Tom Kane (voice of Yoda – “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”)

The official celebrity hosts for this year’s “Star Wars Weekends” are Ashley Eckstein and James Arnold Taylor, known for their voice roles in “Star Wars: The Clone Wars.” Key event details will be included in the event guide map available in the park and on disneyworld.com. Over 60 “Star Wars” characters from the entire saga, including “Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” will roam the park or appear at themed backdrops.

As every year, FASTPASS tickets will be offered to Guests outside the front gate. Those tickets ensure a place in line to get autographs of the various celebrities in the park. FASTPASS ticket will be offered before the park opens, and quantities are extremely limited and are issued on a first-come, first-served basis. Once FASTPASS tickets have been distributed, stand-by tickets may be issued, although stand-by tickets do not guarantee an autograph. Each Guest must be present to receive a FASTPASS ticket.

Specialty merchandise will be available in Darth’s Mall (near Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster), with event-exclusive and “Star Wars” themed merchandise including the D-TECH ME experience. Reservations for the D-TECH ME experience are strongly recommended by calling 407-939-8324; walk-ins based on availability.

Animal Kingdom: Minor Projects Update (PART 1)

2013-05-15T22:46:00.003-04:00

Welcome to a new Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park photo-update. Let's take a look around the park to see how work is progressing in the future new location of the theater housing the Festival of the Lion King:

Welcome to Disney's Animal Kingdom. It was another nice day in the park:

The clouds didn't promise anything good, though:

The small shelter near the Oasis bridge is finally tarp-free:

Then, it started to rain...

The Adventurers Outpost just opened today, but we visited the park a couple of days prior to its opening:

More nets over one of the Kids Discovery Club locations:

The wonderful Tree of Life:

Work on the new theater for the Festival of the Lion King show continue:

A new crane was spotted behind the walls:

This is great. Talking about camouflage:

Harambe:

The Kilimanjaro Safaris:

Some photos of the white rhinos:

The zebras have been moved to a more remote location:

There's a new animal in this area now, but we can't recall its name:

Unfortunately, it is a very shy animal. You really have to work hard to find him!:

Back to Harambe:

CLICK HERE TO PROCEED TO PART 2 OF THIS ANIMAL KINGDOM PHOTO-REPORT >

Animal Kingdom: Minor Projects Update (PART 2)

2013-05-15T22:46:00.002-04:00

Welcome to PART 2 of this new Disney's Animal Kingdom photo-report (PART 1 can be found here).

Let's now enjoy some scenic views of one of the most beautiful theme parks in the world:

The Anandapur food truck is almost ready to come back after receiving an extensive refurbishment:

Moving along:

More walls next to Expedition: Everest:

Work on the extended queue of the theater housing Finding Nemo - The Musical continues:

It's a long, long wall:

A few photos around Dino-Rama!:

Our favorite ride in the park:

At the exit of the park, work is being done on some of the bus shelters:

Some permits filed by the Walt Disney World Resort referred to some major work to be done in that area:

And this is all for now! Thank you as always for reading, and have a great rest of your evening!

CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO PART 1 OF THIS ANIMAL KINGDOM PHOTO-REPORT >

NASA Asks College Students to Develop Technology

2013-05-15T16:31:00.000-04:00

Watch as 50 college teams from across the globe gather at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, May 20-24, to compete in NASA’s fourth annual Lunabotics Mining Competition, a university-level competition designed to engage and retain students in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).

Lunabotics Mining competition is a NASA Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate program that challenges teams to design and build remote controlled or autonomous robots that can excavate simulated lunar dirt. Eighty-one judges and hundreds of spectators will be present to watch the teams’ designs, known as lunabots, go head-to-head to determine whose machine can collect and deposit the most simulated lunar dust within a specific amount of time. The competition provides an opportunity for student engineers to develop innovative ideas and solutions that could potentially be applied to future NASA missions.

Viewing opportunities of the competition and practice sessions will be available daily from designated viewing areas, which include the official viewing tent, LunArenas, and LunaPits in the Rocket Garden and the Show Pit in NASA Central. Competition viewing opportunities are included in regular Visitor Complex admission.

Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex guests can also participate in NASA’s STEM College Recruitment Fair on Friday, May 24 from 1– 4 p.m. The fair is for high school sophomores, juniors and seniors interested in STEM education opportunities available at top colleges and universities across the nation.

For more information on the 2013 Lunabotics Mining Competition or to purchase tickets, call 877-313-2610 and visit www.KennedySpaceCenter.com or www.NASA.gov/Lunabotics.

SeaWorld Designs New Environment-Friendly Cup

2013-05-15T16:10:00.002-04:00

SeaWorld Orlando has unveiled some new themed cups that Guests will be able to use in the new Antarctica realm that will be "conservation-minded." How can they do so? Here's the official press-release with more info:

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SeaWorld Orlando Designs New Conservation-Minded Cup to Interact with Coca-Cola Freestyle

-- Custom Technology Engages Guests on a Personal Level --

Orlando, Fla. – This penguin-shaped cup may look cute and cuddly, but it has a noble purpose: encourage guests to help the planet, one refill at a time. In conjunction with SeaWorld® Orlando's epic new attraction and ride Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin™ opening Memorial Day weekend, SeaWorld has created the Cup That Cares™ -- a new reusable cup program with a twist of technology. The innovative, interactive cup was designed specifically to connect with Coca-Cola Freestyle beverage dispensers in the new realm.

The new Cup That Cares engages guests in a personalized manner to reuse materials and reduce their carbon footprint. An RFID chip embedded in each Cup That Cares interacts with software at Coca-Cola Freestyle® dispensers to calculate and tell guests how they are being more environmentally responsible by choosing to reuse. Plus, SeaWorld will donate $1 from each Cup That Cares purchase to the SeaWorld & Busch Gardens® Conservation Fund, a not-for-profit foundation that helps protect wildlife around the world.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

Technology embedded in the Cup That Cares calculates the amount of CO2 each guest saves from entering the atmosphere when they choose to reuse the cup for refills at Coca-Cola Freestyle machines in Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin. With each refill at the designated machines, exclusive software developed by Coca-Cola and SeaWorld serves up an onscreen message that is customized to that guest’s Cup That Cares history. The message thanks the guest for choosing to reuse, tracks how many refills the Cup That Cares has been used for, and calculates the running total of CO2 the guest has saved from entering the atmosphere.

Each refill with a reusable cup prevents the emission of approximately 27 grams of CO2.

WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE:

There are two options, both available exclusively in the new Antarctica: Empire of the Penguin attraction at SeaWorld Orlando:

Cup That Cares souvenir reusable cup – available at the two beverage stations inside the attraction for $9.99 – is adorned with photos of Puck™ and his penguin family. Puck is the hero penguin character featured throughout the new realm,
Create A Cup That Cares – Guests may build their own personalized penguin-shaped character cup by choosing from more than 40 accessories such as eyes, hair, glasses, hats, bow tie, necklaces and even miniature Shamu ice cream bars and SeaWorld shopping bags. The Create A Cup That Cares will be sold in the Antarctica gift shop, and includes a free first fill at the nearby Antarctica beverage stations. Create A Cup That Cares experience starts at $15.95 with the option to add accessory items.

"Just as penguins do within their colonies, humans also can band together to make a big difference through small actions,” said Dan Brown, Chief Operating Officer of SeaWorld, Discovery Cove and Aquatica Parks. “We see great potential with this new program because it encourages guests to be more aware of their actions – and reduce their carbon footprint -- in an easy, fun and innovative way. Each step may be small, but it all adds up when we work together." Refills throughout the park for both Cup That Cares options are $.99 each.

PLUS -- NEW custom Coca-Cola flavor served up only at Antarctica

The Cup That Cares concept was developed in partnership with the park's beverage partner Coca-Cola, whose Coca-Cola Freestyle dispensers offer guests more than 100 different beverage brands. Also only in Antarctica, Coca-Cola Freestyle will offer an all-new, vanilla-infused choice -- South Pole Chill™.

For more information, visit www.SeaWorldOrlando.com

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As a reminder, Antarctica - Empire of the Penguin will open in just 8 days at SeaWorld Orlando.

PHOTOS AND INFORMATION: © 2013 SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. All Rights Reserved.

WDW: Possible D23 Expo Announcements (2013)

2013-05-14T19:01:00.002-04:00

Our Anonymous Reader is back with some more exciting insider information about the possible announcements that may be made during this year's D23 Expo that will take place in California in August. Here is the entire comment he posted on our home page a few minutes ago (NOTE: The following are all RUMORS that may or may NOT happen, as plans can change at any time. Please, do NOT take these as done deals, as all will be officially revealed very soon by the Walt Disney World Resort):

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It's me again...You know the one who posted the WDW entertainment news/rumors. Anyhow, quite a few juicy rumors have come up in the past few days and I'd like to clear some up and figured I'd post here since part of what I'm going to discuss involves a bigger presence of Tangled. Now, as any Disney Fanboi would have marked on his/her calendar the grandaddy of em all (D23 Expo) is rapidly approaching and that is when many exciting projects/announcements are made available to the general public be it the studios/P&R/etc. I'm just gonna focus on what you can expect to hear at D23 in regards to WDW. First, actual new projects will be announced at this event unlike the last one. The park that will be in the spotlight the most will be DHS. Burbank issued the Studios a $500 million check earlier this year and what you will hear at D23 will be the following for DHS (Disney's Hollywood Studios):

Version of Carsland coming to DHS in 2018 which will be located in the backlot area of the Streets of America. This Carsland will be different then the one from DCA in that the E for this area will NOT be RSR or a clone of it. However, it will be an E-Ticket attraction of RSR quality. Also, expect to see this area in general have Radiator Springs themed to what it looked like in Cars 2. Everything else from the DCA Carsland except Luigi's will be present in this land.
More DHS news that will be announced at D23: Beauty and the Beast stage show will go bye bye and be home to a new musical stage show of The Princess and The Frog. Also the Little Mermaid stage show in the Animation Courtyard will be leaving and will be housed to the long rumored Tangled stage show. Me personally, I would like to see PATF be in TLM building and Tangled be where BATB is, but what can you do.
Expect to see the Sorcerer's Hat in front of the Great Movie ride to come down towards the latter end of this year (I'm hearing this November before Thanksgiving). This won't be announced at D23
Great Movie Ride's refurb has been scaled back and won't be as extensive as what's been thrown around there on the internet. Should be for three weeks sometime beginning next year with the only noticable change coming to the Finale of the ride. Won't be announced at D23.

Now to DAK (Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park):

At D23, we will hear some more details on the "Avatar: James Cameron's World of Pandora at Disney's Animal Kingdom Park". We should get a confirmation that the E ticket for this area will be a flight simulator attraction titled "Flight of Passage" which will be similar to Soarin, BUT NOT IDENTICAL TO SOARIN NOR SOARIN 2.0. Staggs/Vaughn also will probably talk about the C-Ticket coming to this area. They should have a decision by D23 as to whether go with the boat ride or the walk through attraction. There will be a merchandise shop at the exit of the E-Ticket and there will also be an Table Service restaurant where Rainforest cafe is located. Sadly, there will be no nighttime water show nor a nighttime parade as those got axed just recently. I can say that the AVATAR area at night will blow your minds away and will give folks a reason just to come to the AK in the evening.
They'll finally tell folks there that Festival of the Lion King will move to Africa in a new theater behind Tusker House to make room for this Avatar project even though we've known this for quite a while, just without a confirmation to the public from Disney.
There really won't be any huge MK and EPCOT news other than SDMT progress and Fairytale Hall progress much like you saw at Monstrous Summer press event.

One more thing that should be announced for WDW:DVC's are coming to the Polynesian Resort. If you want more information on this development, check out this site: http://www.tikimanpages.com/tiki/news/222-dvc-starting-in-2013

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Most of these rumors sound legit, but we are quite skeptical about one of them (not that we are doubting our Reader, of course. We are just making some personal considerations here). Our Reader said that the Cars Land clone would include a different ride, not a direct clone of Radiator Spring Racers, the popular dark-ride found in the Califonia version of Cars Land. That would defeat the purpose of having a clone of the land, in our opinion, as it would not save a lot of money to Walt Disney World. Why not creating an entire new land at this point? Cars is not a really popular franchise. Star Wars is. Why would they choose Cars over that? Draw your conclusions.

A huge "Thank you!" to our Reader for sharing these very interesting rumors with us!

Epcot Update: Starbucks Is Coming (PART 1)

2013-05-14T18:10:00.004-04:00

Good afternoon Orlando Theme Park News Readers, and thank you for being with us (at least virtually). Today, we will take a look around Epcot to check out all the (small) projects taking place in the park. It has been a while since we last visited the park (there's a lot more going on in other parks, sadly), so let's start:

The central plaza is becoming more and more cluttered:

Last few days to experience this year's International Flower & Garden Festival!

Let's go inside INNOVENTION West:

Sadly, there seems to be nothing new to report:

Walls are still up in the former Rockin' Robots exhibit:

The refurbishment of Fountain View continues, as it will become the park's Starbucks location:

As you can see from the Communicore building, the inside of the ice cream parlor has been completely gutted:

The refurbishment of the Epcot Character Spot continues:

It looks like there may be a new, secondary entrance to this meet-and-greet space:

A peek inside doesn't reveal much:

Moving on:

We thought this sign might have to be moved:

The companion restroom is actually all the way around this small building:

This sign makes it look like the companion restroom consists of... bushes:

Nothing serious, we just found it funny.

The Melody Gardens:

The Imagination! pavilion is undoubtedly very photogenic:

What a truly spectacular environment. It should be like this all year round:

CLICK HERE TO PROCEED TO PART 2 OF THIS EPCOT PHOTO-UPDATE >

Epcot Update: Starbucks Is Coming (PART 2)

2013-05-14T18:10:00.003-04:00

Welcome to PART 2 of this new Epcot photo-report (PART 1 can be found by clicking here).

Let's continue to take a look around the park, focusing on the beautiful flowers, plants, and topiaries:

Disney - The Great and Powerful:

Let's now take a look around the World Showcase countries:

Peter Pan flies above the United Kingdom pavilion:

...while Captain Hook has to deal with Tick-Tock:

New RFID-enabled entrances have been installed in the International Gateway area:

Going to France:

Le Palais du Cinema:

The new ice cream shop should be almost ready:

A look behind the walls:

Work on the new Moroccan restaurant continues:

A closer look:

The temporary stage for Mo'Rockin:

CLICK HERE TO PROCEED TO PART 3 OF THIS EPCOT PHOTO-UPDATE >

Epcot Update: Starbucks Is Coming (PART 3)

2013-05-14T18:10:00.002-04:00

Welcome to PART 3 of this new Epcot photo-report (PART 2 can be found by clicking here).

Let us continue to take a look around the future site of the new Moroccan restaurant:

The shop that had to be removed due to the construction has found a new, temporary home:

It's inside the Tangierine Cafe:

Japan:

The American Adventure pavilion:

This looks like new merchandise:

Work on the new restrooms also continues:

Italy:

Germany:

The Outpost:

China:

These must have been installed recently to avoid having people sit on the brick wall:

It's funny that they have to use the same system that is used to get rid of birds from the top of the buildings:

Acrobats:

Norway:

The Maelstrom waterfall continues to receive attention:

If we didn't know any better, we would say that they are extending the ride's track:

...but they are not, of course:

The smallest area in the world for dogs to rest. Seriously, what can the do here?:

Mexico:

Viva Mexico (what a blurry picture...)!:

Never seens such a long line for Gran Fiesta Tour other than on December 31:

This should be all for today. Thank you as always for reading, and remember to post your comments!

CLICK HERE TO GO BACK TO PART 1 OF THIS EPCOT PHOTO-UPDATE >

Winter Summerland Mini Golf Advisory

2013-05-14T08:15:00.001-04:00

Please, note the following advisories for the next few days affecting Walt Disney World:

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Be advised that the Winter course at Winter Summerland Miniature Golf will be closed from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. through Friday, 5/17. The course will be open to guests after 4:00 p.m. The Summer course will remain open.

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Please check back here on Orlando Theme Park News for any additional updates.

Merida Officially Becomes a Disney Princess

2013-05-13T10:08:00.003-04:00

Merida, the main character of one of Disney's latest animated features known as "Brave," has officially joined the other 10 Disney Princesses last Saturday (May 11, 2013) with a pompous ceremony at the Magic Kingdom Park here in Florida. Here you are some photos and a video of the occasion, from the official Disney Parks Blog:

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Merida Crowned as the Eleventh Disney Princess at Magic Kingdom

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new official Disney Princess!

Merida, the heroine from the Disney●Pixar film, “Brave,” was officially welcomed into Disney royalty earlier today in a ceremony held at Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park.

Presiding over the ceremony was Gymnastics gold medalist Gabby Douglas, and of course, our Disney Princesses: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana and Rapunzel, were in attendance.

Check out the video below to see the royal ceremony for yourself!

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Reminder: Magic Kingdom Refurbishments This Week

2013-05-12T15:45:00.002-04:00

Please, note that the following locations that will receive short refurbishments at Magic Kingdom this week:

Walt Disney's Carousel of Progress will be closed May 13-15, and will reopen on May 16, 2013;
Cinderella’s Royal Table will be closed May 13-16, and will reopen on May 17, 2013.

In addition to that, we also remind you to keep in mind that the following locations are also currently still under refurbishment: Mad Tea Party (reopening May 22) and Main Street Bakery (reopening Summer 2013).

Discovering Florida: A Look Around St. Augustine

2013-05-12T14:51:00.002-04:00

Florida is a truly beautiful and diverse state. From gorgeous beaches to beautiful and mysterious forests, there is a lot to see other than theme parks and other family-friendly attractions. There are also some great man-made places that have had a big impact in the past, and that are still very relevant today. One example is St. Augustine, one of the oldest cities in the continental United States. Today we are going to take a quick look around this wonderful place. We hope you will enjoy this photo-gallery:

The entire city certainly shows the European influence in the style of the buildings:

Truly beautiful architecture:

The great Flagler College:

The main street of St. Augustine, St. George Street:

This place sold some really good sweet items:

More historic buildings:

This was a truly beautiful-looking restaurant, especially inside:

One of the town's trolleys:

There are a lot of themed restaurants around the main street:

The oldest wooden school in the United States:

The Castillo de San Marcos:

We will soon post a separate photo-gallery of the city's museum dedicated to pirates:

...as well as some photos of the great Ripley's museum of St. Augustine:

That is all for now! See you very soon with more photo-updates and news in the next few hours.

Possible Delays Along Hotel Plaza Blvd. Today

2013-05-11T12:57:00.001-04:00

Please, take note of the following advisory regarding the Downtown Disney area:

We anticipate to see a large number of motorcycles traveling through the Walt Disney World Resort property this afternoon (Saturday, May 11, 2013), from approximately 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. The group is expected to ride down Hotel Plaza Boulevard, onto Buena Vista Drive, passing the Downtown Disney area, then to Osceola Parkway after passing Disney’s All-Star Resort. Expect road congestion and traffic delays to occur in these areas.

Thank you for your attention, and be especially careful when driving around that specific area today. be safe!

The Disney Look.. to the Past! (May 10-16)

2013-05-11T12:49:00.001-04:00

This Week in Disney History: May 10-16

May 12, 1932 - Goofy makes his debut appearance in “Mickey’s Revue”

During this classic Mickey Mouse animated short, an unidentified dog with a raucous laugh yuks it up at the on-stage antics of Minnie Mouse, Clarabelle Cow and Horace Horsecollar, much to the rest of the audience’s chagrin. The inimitable chuckle made such an impression on Walt Disney and his staff that they paired him with Mickey and others characters in further shorts throughout the 1930s. The Mickey Mouse newspaper comic first identified him as Dippy Dawg, but when he starred in his first solo animated short, “Goofy and Wilbur” (1939), he officially received the name we know him by today. First voiced by Pinto Colvig, Goofy is often bumbling, silly and prone to pratfalls, and in moments of confusion is quick with his trademark “Gawrsh!” But he can also play a devoted family man, intelligent and charismatic, and is perhaps best known for his series of “How To” shorts, illustrating his one-of-kind perspective on everything from driving a car to setting up a home theatre. In recent years, Goofy has been a fixture on Disney Junior’s “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” and also starred in the animated series “Goof Troop,” which introduced his good-natured son, Max.

May 13, 2009 - Disney•Pixar's "Up" debuts at the Cannes Film Festival

Cranky septuagenarian Carl Fredericksen wants to fulfill his lifelong dream of travelling to South America, just like his childhood hero, explorer Charles Muntz. Driven by the memory of his late wife, Ellie, he sends his house soaring by attaching thousands of helium balloons. There's just one small problem: talkative 9-year-old Russell, a Wilderness Explorer working on his "assisting the elderly" badge, accidentally gets taken along for the ride. As they negotiate jungle landscapes, encounter endangered birds and talking dogs (squirrel!), Fredericksen learns that adventure is indeed out there - but also that some of life's best stuff is the boring stuff. Directed by Pete Docter, "Up" notched Pixar's fifth Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, along with only the second nomination of any animated film for Best Picture. Docter also directed "Monsters, Inc." (2002), whose prequel "Monsters University" lands in theatres June 21.

Also this week in Disney history:

May 10

1929 - “Skeleton Dance,” the first Silly Symphony cartoon, debuts

2006 - The musical “Tarzan” opens in New York City at the Richard Rogers Theatre

May 11

1935 - The Silly Symphony short “Water Babies” debuts

2002 - Bill Peet, author and storyboard artist credited with writing Disney’s “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” and “The Sword in the Stone,” dies at age 87

May 12

1956 - The Horseless Carriage opens at Disneyland Park

1967 - The cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista are chartered by the state of Florida to perform municipal functions within the Reedy Creek Improvement District (clearing the way for construction of the Walt Disney World Resort)

May 13

1933 - “The Mail Pilot” (Mickey Mouse cartoon short) debuts

1992 - “Fantasmic!” debuts on the Rivers of America at Disneyland Park

1997 - The Magic Kingdom II ferryboat at the Walt Disney World Resort is renamed the Richard F. Irvine

May 14

1923 - Walt writes Margaret J. Winkler in hopes of her distributing the Alice Comedies film series (first correspondence with his future distributor)

May 15

1928 - Walt Disney’s animated short “Plane Crazy” is first screened

1972 - The Frontierland Train Station opens at Magic Kingdom Park

1987 - Disneyland Park introduces Disney Dollars currency

1995 - The California Grill opens at Disney’s Contemporary Resort

May 16

1990 - Jim Henson, creator of The Muppets, dies at age 53

1991 - “Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3-D” debuts at Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Universal Files Trademark for "Super Silly Fun Land"

2013-05-10T10:12:00.001-04:00

Universal City Studios LLC recently filed an application for a new trademark that may interest us theme park fans. In fact, the new "Super Silly Fun Land" trademark refers to something related to "amusement park services." Here are some background information regarding this new application, from Trademarkia.com:

SUPER SILLY FUN LAND

By: UNIVERSAL CITY STUDIOS LLC

Amusement park services

Status Update! On Saturday, May 4, 2013, status on the SUPER SILLY FUN LAND trademark changed to NEW APPLICATION - RECORD INITIALIZED NOT ASSIGNED TO EXAMINER.

On Wednesday, May 01, 2013, a U.S. federal trademark registration was filed for SUPER SILLY FUN LAND by UNIVERSAL CITY STUDIOS LLC, Universal City, CA 91608. The USPTO has given the SUPER SILLY FUN LAND trademark serial number of 85920625. The current federal status of this trademark filing is NEW APPLICATION - RECORD INITIALIZED NOT ASSIGNED TO EXAMINER. The correspondent listed for SUPER SILLY FUN LAND is MONIQUE CHENG JOE of UNIVERSAL CITY STUDIOS LLC, 100 UNIVERSAL CITY PLAZA, UNIVERSAL CITY, CA 91608. The SUPER SILLY FUN LAND trademark is filed in the category of Education and Entertainment Services. The description provided to the USPTO for SUPER SILLY FUN LAND is Amusement park services.

Word Mark: SUPER SILLY FUN LAND

Status: NEW APPLICATION - RECORD INITIALIZED NOT ASSIGNED TO EXAMINER

Status Date: 5/4/2013

Serial Number: 85920625

Filing Date: 5/1/2013

Goods and Services: Amusement park services

Type Of Mark: Service Mark

Last Applicant/Owner: UNIVERSAL CITY STUDIOS LLC

Universal City, CA 91608

Mark Drawing Code: Standard Character Mark

Now, the trademark page includes some photos of "Super Silly Fun Land," which seems to be the amusement park seen in the first Despicable Me movie. For this reason, this might be related to some exterior theming of the clone of the popular Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem ride currently being built at Universal Studios Hollywood. That being said, is there a possibility that we might see some more minor attractions (or an extended Despicable Me themed area) at Universal Studios Florida? Who knows...

Magic Kingdom Park Map Now Includes Tangled Area

2013-05-10T09:52:00.000-04:00

The latest Magic Kingdom park map was recently released to the public, and it shows the new Tangled area (which includes some nice photo-spots and restrooms). Here's a copy of the current map (FULL-SIZE):

Here's also a closer look at the Tangled themed area, as seen on that same map:

We will keep you up-to-date in case there should be more changes in the various park maps of the Resort.

Typhoon Lagoon Refurbishment (May 12-17, 2013)

2013-05-10T08:36:00.001-04:00

Please, note that Disney's Typhoon Lagoon will be closed for about a week starting from May 12, 2013:

Beginning May 12, 2013, Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park will be temporarily closed for refurbishment until May 16, 2013. The water park is expected to reopen on May 17 (dates subject to change). During this time, Guests are encouraged to enjoy Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park as an alternative.

It is very unusual for a water park to close in the middle of May. The park may need some important work.

Symphony in the Stars Fireworks at DHS (May 4, 2013)

2013-05-09T23:26:00.002-04:00

A beautiful Star Wars-themed fireworks spectacular was shown at Disney's Hollywood Studios on May 4th, 2013. It was called "Symphony in the Stars," and it was absolutely great (albeit quite short). This evening we share with you a complete high-definition video of this fireworks show. We hope you will enjoy it:

So, what do you think? Do you personally find it very good, or were you expecting something bigger for the occasion? Share your thoughts and opinions with us. You know we love hearing your opinions!

Disney's Fantasia Gardens Golf Advisory (May 10-11)

2013-05-09T09:52:00.000-04:00

Please, note the following regarding Disney's Fantasia Gardens miniature golf courses:

Be advised that the Garden and Fairway courses at Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Courses will be closed for a private event on Friday, May 10, from 4:30-8:30 p.m. In addition to that, the Garden course will also be closed on Saturday, May 11, from 5:00-8:30 p.m. Both courses will promptly reopen to Guests at 8:30 p.m. (on May 10 and 11, 2013). The Winter Summerland Miniature Golf courses will remain open to Guests on both days.

Thank you very much for your attention once again, and check back here on OTPN for any additional updates.