Some portions of the queue for the Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at the Magic Kingdom have opened following the recent refurbishment, revealing some new interactive elements in addition to a very elaborate theme. Banks Lee visited the Magic Kingdom earlier today and has some pictures of the queue to share:
The signage
WDWNT Reporter Zach Larson visited Epcot yesterday and captured a few newsworthy photos to share with us:
Work continues inside MouseGear
WDWNT Reporter Banks Lee visited three Walt Disney World theme parks on Wednesday (take a WILD guess which one he did not go to) and took plenty of photos to share with us in a lengthy photo report:
The gingerbread house is up and open at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
From the Disney Parks Blog:
Beginning Nov. 26, Wine Country Trattoria will offer a “World of Color” prix fixe menu for lunch, which also includes reserved viewing for Disney’s “World of Color.” Reservations may be made by calling 714-781-DINE.
Take a look at the menu below. It looks fantastic to me!
Starters
- Salad: Arugula, Fennel, Red Onion, Spiced Walnuts, and Goat Cheese with a Fig-Balsamic Dressing OR
- Chef’s Soup Selection
Entrees
- Tuscan Salad with Grilled Shrimp or Chicken – Blend of Romaine and Radicchio, Red and Yellow Grape Tomatoes, Celery, Green Beans, Cannellini Beans and Roasted Peppers tossed in Creamy Italian Dressing
- Lasagna Rustica – Served with House-Made Bolognese
- Grilled Chicken Sandwich – Herbed Chicken Breast, Arugula, Caramelized Onions, Provolone, and Walnut-Porcini Aioli on Toasted Ciabatta with a Green Salad
- Broccolini Aglio Olio – Campanelle Pasta lightly tossed with Spinach, Arugula, Tomatoes, Garlic, Chili Flakes, and Olive Oil
Desserts
- Trattoria Tiramisu
- Mini Fruit Crostada
- Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Fresh Fruit
- Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse with Lemon Cream
The price for the prix fixe lunch is $29.99 for adults and $18.99 for children ages 3 to 9.
You can also get more details about our other dining options for “World of Color,” including picnic boxes and prix fixe dinners in our earlier post. We’ve updated the post with the latest information.
We have a few updates of the Hyperion Wharf project replacing Pleasure Island. First, a few new pieces of concept art floating around the web:
As well, Orlando Attraction Magazine has gathered the following information:
• More than 1,500 new restaurant seats will expand dining options by more than 25 percent.
• The new design makes the waterfront the focal point.
• In the next 30 days, AMC Theater guests will be able to purchase unique, upscale snacks and drinks from interactive, self-service food stations similar to a food court.
• The AMC Fork & Screen Theater will offer restaurant-style dining with seat-side service beginning in spring 2011.
• The projects are expected to create an estimated 600 construction jobs, 500 restaurant, retail and entertainment jobs, and support 100 vendor and supplier jobs.
Stay tuned to WDW News Today as more information on Hyperion Wharf becomes available.
Huge announcement from the Disney Parks Blog today:
How about that? New dining, shopping and entertainment experiences are in the works for Downtown Disneyand today we’re sharing a first look at what to expect in the future for the 120-acre complex. Look closely and you’ll see that Pleasure Island will evolve into a vibrant waterfront district called “Hyperion Wharf.”
The district will come to life with a nostalgic yet modern take on an early 20th century port city and amusement pier. By day, stylish boutiques and innovative restaurants will draw you in and by night, thousands of lights will transform the area into an electric wonderland.
Taking its name from Hyperion, the Greek god of light, as well as the street on which Walt Disney built his first major animation studio, the wharf district will also feature a relaxing lakeside park and enhanced pedestrian walkways. And its diverse eateries will expand dining availability at Downtown Disney by more than 25 percent.
Along with the new wharf district, other projects are underway at Downtown Disney, including:
- An extensive renovation of Lego Imagination Center, which will increase its overall footprint by nearly 3,500 square-feet and add new Lego exterior models featuring scenes from classic Disney movies.
- Enhancements at AMC Theatres that will take the movie-going experience at Downtown Disney to the next level with new digital technology, a Concession Stand of the Future and Florida’s first Fork & Screen Theater; and…
- Numerous new or renovated retail shops and merchandise vignettes, as well as additional atmosphere entertainment, throughout Downtown Disney.
Construction on the district begins immediately and it’s scheduled to be completed in 2013.
Pretty exciting, huh?
It has been a few weeks since we’ve had a phot report on WDW News Today, but WDWNT Reporter Josh Siegel visited the Magic Kingdom yesterday and took some newsworthy photos, thus ending our photo report drought:
Let’s hop on the monorail…. or not…
Read More about Josh Siegel’s 11/16/10 Magic Kingdom Photo Report
From the Disney Parks Blog:
Today, the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) announced that this year’s Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement-Nighttime Spectacular goes to “World of Color” at Disney California Adventure park. “World of Color” is recognized by TEA as “a visual and technical marvel,” that combines stunning Disney and Pixar animation with music, lights, fog, lasers, fire and nearly 1,200 programmable fountains spanning an area that is bigger than a football field. Please join me in congratulating the hundreds of talented people from around the world who worked on this project for the past five years!
And that’s not all. Longtime Disney Imagineer Kim Irvine was recognized for a lifetime of distinguished achievements with The Buzz Price Award. Kim began her career at Walt Disney Imagineering in 1970, where she worked alongside many of the Walt Disney Imagineering legends such as John Hench, Mary Blair, Marc Davis and Claude Coats. She worked on many attractions for both Magic Kingdom and Epcot at Walt Disney World before joining Imagineering’s Disneyland Design Studio team in 1980.
Kim has long been the Art Director for Disneyland park and was responsible for projects such as Disneyland’s 50th anniversary celebration, including a new look for the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle. Recent projects include adding ‘new magic’ to classic attractions such as ‘it’s a small world’ and in locations like the Rivers of America. Kim also created designs for the new Disney Gallery and interiors for the new The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln attraction on Main Street, U.S.A.
TEA announced the 17th Annual Thea Award recipients during the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attraction’s (IAAPA) annual conference. The Thea Awards recognize achievement, talent and personal excellence within the themed entertainment industry. To date, Walt Disney Imagineering has received a total of 34 awards throughout the Thea Awards’ 17-year history.
From the Disney Parks Blog:
If you’re visiting Magic Kingdom Park this week, you’ll be the first to see a series of new enhancements to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. The changes begin with a re-designed load area and a re-imagined gift shop called Hundred Acre Goods specializing in apparel, toys, plush characters and collectibles featuring Pooh and his friends.
Also this week, the attraction entrance will be temporarily relocated to the FASTPASS return lane while enhancements continue on several interactive elements being added to the queue. And beginning Thanksgiving week, young guests will start their adventure through the Hundred Acre Wood by jumping with Tigger, crawling through Eeyore’s house and playing in Rabbit’s garden before they board the attraction. And there’s more to come, with new elements debuting throughout the next month.
These enhancements will have a temporary impact on FASTPASS distribution which will not be available until the enhanced queue opens. Soon, we’ll resume FASTPASS distribution for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh at Mickey’s PhilharMagic where it will remain during Fantasyland’s expansion.
The Mad Tea Party in Fantasyland has re-opened from a lenthy reurbishment with a brand new roof and an entirely new pastel color scheme. WDWNT Reporter Banks Lee was on the scene and has some video to share of the recently refreshed attraction (embedded via the WDWNTube):
