WDWNT Reporter Brandon Struve took a trip around the World on Friday and has a ton of newsworthy pictures to share with us, so let’s take a look at what’s new and notable:
Welcome to the Magic Kingdom, where Halloween is in full swing
With so many refurbishments underway or starting soon at the Walt Disney World Resort, I though we should take a few moments to go over some important notes regarding a few of them:
-The Tomorrowland Transit Authority (TTA) in the Magic Kingdom is still scheduled to open on August 25th. Space Mountain is also on schedule to officially open November 22nd.
-The refurbishment of Donald’s Boat in Mickey’s Toontown Fair during September has been shortened by 3 days, now taking place between September 7th and 13th.
-As mentioned in a previous report, the un-announced refurbishment of the Living with the Land boat ride at Epcot began on August 2nd and will last until October 31st. If you would like to see a video of the attraction taken on August 1st, be sure to visit this link.
-The Flights of Wonder show at Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park will not be performing from September 13th until October 23rd. We do not know the reason for this closure at this time.
As always, you can keep track of all Walt Disney World refurbishments and upcoming events by visiting our Attractions Updates page or Walt Disney World Events Calendar.
WDWNT Reporter Brandon Struve made a late evening trip to the Magic Kingdom last night and has a few photos to share of some on-going projects in Tomorrowland:
Beautiful views of Cinderella Castle from the entrance of…
Read More about Brandon Struve’s 7/23/09 Tomorrowland Report
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 enclosure. They also have said the renovations will include new track — though the layout will remain the same — and a new ceiling.
The Reedy Creek Improvement District puts the rehab’s value at $12.3 million. The ride is scheduled to reopen Nov. 21.
While the interactive exhibits in the queue come as a bit of a surprise, it is has been rumored for sometime that the end of the queue where the attraction loads will be enclosed to make the overall on-ride experience much darker. While the Orlando Sentinel article doesn’t have many details, inside sources have suggested that there will be few other special “surprises” in the queue, ride, and even the exit portion when the attraction returns this winter. Stay tuned to WDW News Today as we get more information on the ongoing refurbishment of Space Mountain.
UPDATE: D23 just posted the following:
New track, a new ceiling and audio-visual upgrades will be in store when Space Mountain re-opens on November 21 after a planned refurbishment.
Our good friend Robert Ashburn of Figmentsmedia.net has provided us with a few photos from his latest trip to the World, so let’s see what’s new and exciting at the Magic Kingdom:
“They’re ripping the top off of Space Mountain!!!” More on that later…
Some Main Street U.S.A. facades are under refurbishment
Read More about Robert Ashburn’s 5/13/09 Magic Kingdom Photo Report
WDWNT Reporter Jose Eber has provided us with two excellent videos (both available in High Definition by hitting the “HD” button at the bottom of each window) from his latest trip to the Magic Kingdom on Monday. The first video features a look at construction of Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration in Tomorrowland and the second features a look inside Space Mountain from the Tomorrowland Transit Authority while the interior lights are on (a view that may no longer be possible come November). Enjoy:
The latest edition of the Mickey Monitor annual passholder publication is now available for viewing and offers a number of newsworthy announcements on some upcoming Walt Disney World attractions and special events. Here are some highlights:
-Passholders are being informed that Space Mountain will be closed for a “Space-Lift” beginning in April 2009. The article confirms that the track layout and the exterior look of the Mountain will not be touched during the refurbishment. While no reopening date is given, an opportunity to own a piece of the classic Magic Kingdom attraction is. For all the details on how to win a piece of Space Mountain, consult the Mickey Monitor and WDW Annual Passholder website.
-The article with top billing in this issue has a lot of information on the 2009 Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, including a complete list of performers for the Flower Power concert series.
-Another article has more details on the upcoming “Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party”. The parade/show will feature contemporary Radio Disney music, as well as some classic Disney tunes as characters emerge from large party boxes around the hub to party with guests in front of Cinderella Castle. The parade/show will perform multiple times daily at the Magic Kingdom beginning February 12th.
-Star Wars Weekends 2009 will be held at Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays between May 22 and June 14, 2009.
More information on all of these special events and attractions, plus much more, can be found in this month’s issue of the Mickey Monitor which can be found HERE.
The staff here at WDW News Today will be keeping you up to date on the latest news through-out the Walt Disney World Resort while Tom Corless is down at the resort for one of his many, many trips. This update is to let everyone know that it has been made official that Space Mountain will indeed be closed from April 19th, 2009 until sometime in Fall 2009. From what we can tell, it will only be a relatively small refurb, with nothing too major happening.
Stay tuned to WDW News Today for the latest on Space Mountain’s finally confirmed refurbishment.
Here are a few news items that have come up over the weekend:
-In case you haven’t heard yet, the window for making Advance Dining Reservations for Walt Disney World table service locations has been set back to 90 days. It appears the days of calling up for reservations 6 months in advance are over and you may now have to time your calls at precisely at 90 days out if you hope to get seating at your favorite restaurant during your trip. It seems that this is in preparation for the system switching to online sometime in the very near future.
-Space Mountain is currently expected to close for refurbishment in April 2009. We do not know the length of the closure at this time, but stay tuned.
-In case you haven’t listened to it yet, the 2008 Christmas Podcast Parade is now available for download through iTunes or through our podcast download page. Be sure to check out our annual comedy podcast if you haven’t already!!!
Here is our first photo report provided by WDWNT’s Head Technician Jose Castillo. Here is what he saw during his first day trek through the world:
The gingerbread display at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
A cool monorail tree inside the Fantasia shop
Some work being done on top of the BVG store
The tree outside the Contemporary
