D23’s Flowers and Fireworks

WDWNT Author on May 14, 2009

D23 members visiting Walt Disney World at the end of the month will be happy to hear about a FREE special event at Epcot that’s just for them:

05.14.09 – Join D23 at Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort to celebrate its Members in all 50 states and more than 25 countries worldwide! Start the evening at the American Gardens Theatre with reserved seating for the Flower Power Concert Series Finale, starring the legendary Tony Orlando, to close the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Next, head to a VIP location to mix and mingle with your fellow D23 Members over desserts and coffee, and then enjoy the spectacular nighttime extravaganza IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth from the pavilion’s private viewing area.

Date: Sunday, May 31, 2009

Location: Epcot, Walt Disney World, Orlando, Florida

Time: 7:15 p.m.

Tickets Available: May, TBD

Cost: FREE! (Theme park admission separate and required.)

Ticket reservation information will be available soon. Please check back here for updates.

* Available only to D23 Members in good standing. Members may reserve a ticket for themselves and one (1) guest. There are a limited number of tickets available. D23 Members will be required to give their membership number when reserving tickets. Tickets may be picked up only with a valid photo ID and their D23 membership card. D23 Members who do not bring their membership card, may not be admitted to the event. All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice.

D23 also announced a plethora of member only events taking place through-out the summer at the Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, and in New York City, Chicago, Las Vegas, and Burbank. You can see a complete list of upcoming D23 events by going HERE.

Celebrate with Dancing, Music, and a Khaki-Clad Cast?

WDWNT Author on April 16, 2009

In usual fashion, Walt Disney World put out a number of new press releases all at once, giving us a lot to talk about after what has been a rather quiet period. The first piece gives us an official time frame and some already announced details about the Stich’s Supersonic Celebration show coming to the Magic Kingdom:

Interactive wizardry that combines comedy, real-time animation and live musical madness will dazzle guests during Stitch’s SuperSonic Celebration in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom.

Beginning in May, Stitch will host a zany interactive experience at the new Rockettower Plaza Stage. Guests are invited to participate in a Galaxy Day celebration when the new outdoor stage comes to life with music and a giant LED screen displays real-time, interactive animation.

The new show incorporates the same interactive technology used in “Turtle Talk With Crush” and “Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor.” Shows will take place six times daily.

Looking for some sweet fun at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa?

There’s a lot “s’more” new fun in store at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa each evening when guests staying at the resort can roast marshmallows around a Mickey-shaped campfire, sing favorite camp tunes on the shore of Seven Seas Lagoon and see the “stars” – both on the silver screen and in the sky – as they watch a family-friendly Disney film on the moonlit beach. S’mores kits and marshmallows are available for purchase during the campfire and movie. For more information about recreational activities at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, visit Disneyworld.com or call 407/824-4321.

The line-up for this year’s Sounds Like Summer Concert Series at Epcot has been released and includes WDWNT’s favorite group, Bjorn Again:

The whole family will be rockin’ and rollin’ to legendary music this summer at Epcot when popular tribute bands take the stage at America Gardens Theatre.

Seven tribute bands will recreate classic hits from musical icons under the stars as part of the Sounds Like Summer concert series. Concerts, which are included in regular Epcot admission, are nightly at 5:45, 7 and 8:15 p.m. (except July 4, when show times will be 5:15, 6:30, 7:45 and 9 p.m.).

Here is the lineup (subject to change):
June. 15-21 – Stayin’ Alive – A Tribute to the Bee Gees
June 22-28 – Hotel California – A Tribute to the Eagles
June 29-July 8 – Slippery When Wet – A Tribute to Bon Jovi
July 9-19 – Bjorn Again – A Tribute to ABBA
July 20-26 – The Sounds of the Supremes – A Tribute to the Supremes
July 27-Aug. 2 – 2U – A Tribute to U2
Aug. 3-9 – Petty Theft – A Tribute to Tom Petty.

Even though it has been runnign for a few week’s now, Disney is finally publicizing the new farwell show at Animal Kingdom:

Disney’s Animal Kingdom guests get so involved in adventures with birds and beasts of many kinds that they tend to put off one of their priorities all day long: a little quality time with Disney characters.

“So when guests come out of the park, they are absolutely determined to see our characters,” said Chris Ambrose, general manager of entertainment at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

In a classic example of giving guests what they want, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has launched Adventurers’ Celebration Gathering, an interactive experience near the theme park entrance each evening during park closing.

Khaki-clad cast – including Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse and Goofy – gather to bid farewell to guests with a music-filled celebration. Cast members shake their pom-poms and urge guests to join in the street-party fun by dancing to the music and forming a conga line procession while Mickey, Minnie and Goofy keep the beat from atop their safari vehicle.

“We’ve created a way for our guests to experience our characters … and it’s a way for us to have a fun, exciting way to end the day at Animal Kingdom,” Ambrose said.

Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today for more information on all of these items as it becomes available.

The Summer Shapes Up at WDW

WDWNT Author on March 3, 2009

Wondering if you should visit the Walt Disney World Resort this summer? Disney thinks that you should, and has put out a press release to tell you about everything new and upcoming at WDW:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – From May through August 2009, summer simmers with exciting new attractions and events at Walt Disney World Resort. The smash TV hit “American Idol” inspires a new attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios while, at Magic Kingdom, a Liberty Square icon reopens its doors and street parties turn up the spirit as Disney’s “What Will You Celebrate?” hits full-stride. Treehouse lodging is back, resort guests now can save some time by checking in online before they arrive, Stars Wars Weekends let guests release their inner Jedi, and Downtown Disney unwraps new fun – on the ground and in the air…

Summer Fun at The American Idol Experience

While guests are usually the ones to enjoy the attractions and shows at Walt Disney World Resort, “The American Idol Experience” places Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests in the spotlight, immersing them in the thrill of auditioning and performing or voting on their favorite musical performances.

Modeled after the famous “American Idol” television show, the newly opened Walt Disney World attraction makes dreams come true by showcasing the talents of park guests age 14 and older who have aced the auditions (audition slots are limited and interested guests are encouraged to arrive early).

Like the television show, fans – not the onstage judges – have the final say on who is deemed the best of the best. With seating to accommodate 1,000 audience members, the high-tech theater is wired so guests can vote for their favorite singer.

What Will You Celebrate? Adds Gifting Option, Park Fun

During “What Will You Celebrate?” inviting Disney Parks guests to turn their personal milestones into magical Disney experiences, ways for guests to customize and personalize a visit are endless.

With everything from fireworks cruises, street parties and behind-the-scenes tours to specialty cakes and in-room decorations to choose from, guests who have decided their answer to “What Will You Celebrate?” have more choices as they ponder, “How will I celebrate?” The fun is nonstop, too, with a party spirit stamping the new “Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It!” street party in the Magic Kingdom. Floats, a cast of Disney characters, stilt walkers and more “move it” down Main Street, U.S.A. accompanied by high-energy tunes and an open invitation to guests to come join the fun.

Main Street, U.S.A. also is home to the Celebrate a Dream Come True parade, a tweaked send-up of the former Dreams Come True parade with changes to some of the floats and soundtracks and the grand marshal in the lead role. Singers and dancers as before invite guests lining the parade route to come join in the celebration.

With all there is to do in Disney parks, guests can tailor a celebration with favorite attractions, favorite characters and special experiences. Thanks to new Web planning tools, learning about available choices and then customizing a “celebration vacation” itinerary – or “gifting” a celebrating family member or friend with a personalized Disney experience – is easier than ever. Through www.disneyparks.com, guests (or their travel agents) choose the celebration destination – Disneyland Resort in California or Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. With a click, they access an interactive online celebration “planner” to shop the many experiences that are a cornerstone of a “celebration vacation” at Disney Parks – experiences that transform guests into the stars of their own party whether the occasion is a birthday, anniversary, Quinceanera, personal triumph or any celebration.

Now there is also a way to participate in a guest’s upcoming celebration visit when you can’t be there: by “gifting.” The giver reviews the possibilities using the online planner, then calls a Disney Dream Maker to personalize and customize the gift. At Walt Disney World Resort, Dream Makers can be reached at 407/WDW-GIFT.

Star Wars Weekends Returns to Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Once again, the power of the Force and the magic of Disney combine in May and June for Star Wars Weekends, a sci-fi fan-fest inspired by the popular film saga.

Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 22-June 14, 2009, Disney’s Hollywood Studios becomes the temporary home for a band of out-of-this-world characters, including Wookiees, Sith, droids, Jedi, Ewoks, bounty hunters and Rodians. Dates are May 22-24, May 29-31, June 5-7 and June 12-14.

A giant, “A to Z” gathering of Star Wars characters – from Anakin Skywalker to Zam Wesell – will roam the streets of the theme park during meet-and-greet sessions. Jedi Training Academy – one of the interactive entertainment experiences featured in the theme park – takes place throughout the day on the event’s main stage and allows young guests to learn from a Jedi Master before testing newly acquired skills in a battle with Darth Vader.

Also featured: the chance to purchase one-of-a-kind Star Wars memorabilia, Star Wars trivia contests, special Star Wars parades, rides on the famed Star Tours attraction, and autograph sessions and star conversations with famous Star Wars actors and creative geniuses.

Event activities are included in theme park admission. For more information, guests may go online to www.starwars.com or www.disneyworld.com/starwarsweekends.

Hall of Presidents to Reopen in July

A July reopening is planned for the Hall of Presidents, an iconic attraction in Magic Kingdom. An Audio-Animatronics version of President Barack Obama will join representations of the previous 43 presidents of the United States as part of an attraction that has been celebrating American history since Walt Disney World Resort opened in 1971. Disney Imagineers are also updating a broad array of show elements.

Whole New World of Lodging Greets Summer Guests

New home-like accommodations presented by Disney Vacation Club are debuting in time for summer guests. New options will combine to revive “treehouse living” at Walt Disney World Resort and immerse guests in the African experience.

Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa – Treehouse living, a cherished Disney World tradition from 1975-2002, returns with the opening (scheduled for summer) of 60 three-bedroom villas elevated 10 feet off the ground on pedestals and beams designed to blend into the forest glens where they are nestled, providing Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa with a new room category.

Kidani Village at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Fresh from the conversion of select rooms at Jambo House (at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge) into vacation villas, Kidani Village is taking shape (for phased openings scheduled in the spring and fall) with thatched roofs and hewn timber design. Kidani means “necklace,” and the building is shaped like a piece of native African jewelry with villas forming the beads, garden-like walkways creating the knots in between and the lobby representing the ornament or jewel at its center. With the spring opening comes Sanaa, a new family dining location, featuring savanna views and serving familiar foods from tandoor ovens and slow-cooked specialties with flavorful spices of Africa.

Disney Vacation Club accommodations can be booked by anyone for overnight stays through www.disneyworld.com or by calling 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639).

Walt Disney World Resort Debuts Online Check-In Service

Walt Disney World Resort has launched Online Check-In Service, designed to simplify and streamline guest arrivals. The new service is complimentary and available to guests staying at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels and Disney Vacation Club resorts.

Within 10 days of their arrival dates, guests are able to provide check-in information, advise the resort of their arrival times and request room preferences (although those cannot be guaranteed). Guests can also register the names of all the people in their party and provide a credit card to cover charges at the resort hotel.

Upon arrival at their resorts, guests visit a special welcome location where their room keys and other registration material are waiting. Disney Cast Members are also available to provide additional information and answer questions.

Meeting professionals can also arrange private group check-in at a Disney resort convention center or other locations.

For more information about the new Online Check-In Service or to make a resort reservation, call 407-W-DISNEY or your local travel agent or click on disneyworld.com.

New and Aloft at Downtown Disney: Aerophile!

Imagine an eagle’s-eye view of the Downtown Disney area, with sweeping, 10-mile panoramas of Lake Buena Vista and environs. Downtown Disney greets summer guests with a new iconic attraction in the form of a giant tethered balloon – Aerophile — that will take guests 300 feet into the air from the waterfront. The 72-foot-diameter balloon can lift up to 30 guests at a time on a six-minute ‘’flight,’’ by day or night. Aerophile made a spring debut at Downtown Disney’s West Side. It joins other newcomers at Downtown Disney for summer:

  • TrenD, a hip new Downtown Disney Marketplace boutique with urban-inspired fashions.
  • Disney Design-a-Tee, presented by Hanes, inviting Marketplace guests to personalize the popular souvenir to their own tastes.
  • T-Rex : A Prehistoric Family Adventure, A Place to Eat, Shop, Explore and Discover – a fun prehistoric environment millions of years in the making.
  • Downtown Disney restaurant from E-Brands, Paradiso 37, a restaurant from E-Brands featuring Mexican and South American cuisine.

‘’Stitch’s SuperSonic Celebration’’ Dance Party Debuts

He’s the Guru of Gross-Out, the Maker of Mischief. Now, everybody’s favorite galactic pal stars in ‘’Stitch’s SuperSonic Celebration,’’ a high-energy, retro-futuristic music video dance party in Magic Kingdom. The fun features Stitch, an interactive dance troupe and a DJ celebration host who invites all Tomorrowland guests to come party, dance and celebrate.

Some new details that can be found throughout this release include:

  • Renaming the upcoming “Characters in Flight” balloon “Aerophile”
  • The new TrenD store will sell Disney-made urban fashions
  • E-Brands’ new restaurant on Pleasure Island will be called “Paradiso 37”, not “El Dolbe” as originally reported

Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as we continue to gather details on these upcoming offerings at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Disney’s Night of Joy 2009 Information

WDWNT Author on February 28, 2009

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Multi-platinum Christian rock band P.O.D., currently on hiatus following a lengthy world tour, will make its 2009 concert debut as part of a 14-act lineup announced today for Disney’s Night of Joy Sept. 11-12 at Walt Disney World Resort. The musically diverse event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park also will feature MercyMe, newsboys, Skillet, Flyleaf, Chris Tomlin, Kutless, Jars of Clay, Grits, Leeland, NEEDTOBREATHE, Superchick, Mandisa and Family Force 5.

Seven acts will perform each evening between 7 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. at stage locations throughout the park.  Night of Joy begins after regular park operating hours, with concerts and select park attractions available exclusively for the enjoyment of event ticket holders.

P.O.D. is among four acts new to Night of Joy (along with Grits, NEEDTOBREATHE and Family Force 5), joining a legacy of 134 Christian music acts that have played Night of Joy since 1983.  While a Disney “newbie,” the southern California-based band that fuses hard rock with hip-hop, reggae and Latin music is well known in music circles.  They’ve been a hit on MTV, won two GMA Dove Awards, been Grammy-nominated, had two platinum-certified albums – one triple platinum – and in past summers played some of the north’s biggest Christian festivals.

But in spring/summer 2009, P.O.D. is chillin’: Vocalist Sonny Sandoval and the rest of the band are home in SoCal enjoying family life following a seven-month world tour that wound up in South America in December, making their Sept. 11 date at Disney P.O.D.’s first gig of the year.

“In the past year we’ve been blessed to play all around the globe but performing at Disney World excites me most of all,” Sandoval said.

The complete Sept. 11 Night of Joy lineup: P.O.D., newsboys, Kutless, Tomlin, NEEDTOBREATHE, Leeland and Superchick.

On Sept. 12, the Studios’ stages will present: Skillet, MercyMe, Jars of Clay, Flyleaf, Family Force 5, Grits and Mandisa.

Eight of the acts are nominated for Gospel Music Association Dove Awards in 2009, topped by Tomlin with seven nominations including artist of the year.  Other nominees are Kutless, Leeland, NEEDTOBREATHE, Skillet, MercyMe, Mandisa and Grits.

For Mandisa, Night of Joy will mark her second “guest appearance” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2009.  On Feb. 12, she was among an unprecedented gathering of 27 “American Idol” finalists – including the winners from each of the show’s first seven seasons – who participated in a Hollywood gala-style event to premiere “The American Idol Experience.”  The new attraction immerses guests in the excitement of the hit TV show “American Idol,” with some guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios auditioning to take the spotlight onstage, while fellow guests cheer them on from the audience and vote for their favorite singer with instant results.

With an innovative ticket – exclusively for groups of 10 or more – that combines a “day” visit to Disney’s Hollywood Studios with Night of Joy admission that evening, guests will have a chance to participate in “The American Idol Experience.”  And by booking on or before Aug. 12, the Studios day/Night of Joy group ticket costs just $44.95 plus tax (beginning Aug. 13, it costs $49.95).

There’s also a two-day ticket exclusively for groups of 10 or more that combines Night of Joy admission on both evenings (Sept. 11 and Sept. 12) with two “day visits” to the guest’s choice of Walt Disney World theme parks (one per day) on Night of Joy weekend (Sept. 11-13).  Booked on/before Aug. 12, that ticket costs just $89.95 plus tax (beginning Aug. 13, it costs $99.95).

Night of Joy tickets for individuals also are available.  One-night tickets purchased in advance (up to the day prior to the event) are $49.95 plus tax (on event day, if available, tickets are $54.95).  Two-night tickets (providing admission to Night of Joy on both Sept. 11 and 12) are $84.95 plus tax.

All the details about tickets for groups and individuals are available online at www.nightofjoy.com.

Celebrate Eating at Tutto Italia

WDWNT Author on February 20, 2009

Even though I strongly dislike the restaurant, I applaud the effort to keep the experience at the “Tutto Italia Ristorante” in the Italy pavilion at Epcot fresh with special dining events like this one:

Carnevale di Venezia is February 23 to March 4 at Tutto Italia Ristorante at Epcot

A special lunch and dinner menu will be available to guests featuring scrumptious Italian cuisine. During the celebration, guests can choose one of two pre-selected appetizers, entrees and desserts. Lunch is served daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with dinner from 4:30 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. A special performance by “Viva Venezia” will occur each evening during dinner inside the restaurant – see weekly times guide for show times. The musical trio, known as the “strolling musicians”, will serenade guests with traditional Venetian music. Call (407) WDW-DINE for dining reservations.

News from the February 2009 Mickey Monitor

WDWNT Author on February 2, 2009

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.

New Year’s Eve 2009 Line-Up

WDWNT Author on December 29, 2008

Here is the current line-up for New Year’s Eve entertainment at the Walt Disney World Resort:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — A kaleidoscope of colors and elaborate light displays will decorate the skies on the final night of 2008 at Walt Disney World Resort.

Dazzling fireworks showers, live entertainment and extended park hours throughout the Vacation Kingdom on Dec. 31 make it a popular spot to ring in the new year.

  • At Epcot, a special version of “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” the laser-light spectacular featuring dancing flames and cascading fountains orchestrated to an original musical score, will be presented at 7:30 p.m. and 11:40 p.m.  The park’s Dec. 31 operating hours are 8 a.m. to 1 a.m. 
  • Disney’s Hollywood Studios will host “Fantasmic!,” the lavish spectacular of water animation, lasers and fireworks, at 6:30 p.m. and 8 and 10 p.m.  Revelers can “rock on” with live performances by in-park band “Mulch, Sweat and Shears,” plus a DJ spinning tunes at Mickey’s Sorcerer’s Hat.  A special “Lights, Camera, Happy New Year” fireworks show brings in the new year at 11:50 p.m.  The park is open from 8 a.m. until midnight on Dec. 31.
  • Late-nighters can party at Magic Kingdom until the wee hours with parades and fireworks galore.  The park is aglow with “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” at 12 noon and 3:30 p.m., followed by the wondrous “SpectroMagic” parade at 7 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.  “Holiday Wishes” fireworks, the boldest and brightest pyrotechnics show at Disney, takes place at 8:30 p.m. capped with the grand finale “Fantasy in the Sky” fireworks at 11:50 p.m. On Dec. 31, the park is open from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m.
  • Disney’s Animal Kingdom is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 31.  Guests can enjoy one of the final presentations of the romping character cavalcade “Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade” at 3:45 p.m.

“Commercial” Appeal

WDWNT Author on November 30, 2008

Just thought we would take a moment to look at some recent commercials the Walt Disney World Resort has put together for a variety of topics:

  

Holidays at WDW

  

A more recent “What Will You Celebrate?” commercial

  

3-D Theaters on the Disney Cruise Line

Passholder Tour Experience

WDWNT Author on November 13, 2008

I’ve been hesitant to post the following news since registration for this event has closed once already and could close again at anytime. The event I’m speaking of is a 25 minute Walt Disney World Annual Passholder only tour of the Superstar Television Theater at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, home to the upcoming American Idol Experience attraction. The tour is happening at various times during the day on December 14th, 2008 and the following times are still available as of this reports posting:

Updated at 6:15 PM EST on 11/14- every half hour from 3:30-7:30 PM now remaining

Space is limited and filling up fast, so if you are interested and can attend, you should rush over to disneyworld.com/passholder and sign up under “News & Upcoming Events”. The American Idol Experience attraction is expected to have full Annual Passholder previews sometime in January 2009 and open to the public the following month.