Magical Kingdoms Disney Blog

Daily Disney Newsbites From the House Of The Mouse

July 24th 2008

Back after a two week hiatus!

Walt Disney World - News has filtered through that guests visiting the Studios in January of next year will find only 2 performances of Fantasmic per week! Beginning January 4th, the nighttime spectacular will show on Monday and Thursday nights only, although like most of Disney’s scheduling, this could change nearer the time. Its not known what has prompted the change, or whether such a schedule is likely to continue beyond the end of January. There’s every chance it is purely a seasonal change during one of WDW’s off-peak months, although there are some who believe it could be evidence of belt-tightening within the company due to the current economic climate in the US (coming off the back of the Pleasure Island closure and Liberty Tree’s character dining removal). On the other hand, it could simply be that Studio bosses want to put more emphasis on their newest attractions, such as Toy Story Mania and the upcoming American Idol show, the latter of which is rumoured to have a big screen outside which will show the performance of the day every evening.

Walt Disney World - Bibbidi-Bobbidi Boutique has revised its price list for its varied offerings at both its Magic Kingdom and Downtown Disney locations. So if your little princess (or cool dude) wants to be suitably attired, expect to be stung by the following :-

• Coach Package - now $49.95 (was $44.95)
• Crown Package - now $54.95 (was $49.95)
• Castle Package - ranges from $185.95 to $245.95 (previosuly $179.95 to $245.95
• Boys Cool Dude Style - now $7.50 (was $10.00)
• The Hannah Montana Package (DTD only) remains at $109.95

Walt Disney World - Is this the name of the Bay Lake Tower’s full service restaurant? A recent licence application by the Disney Vacation Club Management Corp has listed one “Top of the World Lounge” at a neighbouring Contemporary Resort address.
The name may be familiar to some, as it was once that of the ‘A’ frame’s rooftop eaterie prior to it becoming the Califonian Grill. One thing is for certain, the view from this venue will be spectacular, with Bay Lake and its surrounding resorts on one side, and the likes of Cinderella’s castle and Space Mountain visable from the other.

Disneyland - An official announcement has been made about the return of the Sleeping Beauty walkthrough attraction. The attractions ‘reawakening’ will see it return to the unique style of the original 1957 show and motion picture, enhanced with new scenes and special effect magic.
“It is fitting that we are announcing the return of a classic on the 53rd anniversary of Disneyland” said Tony Baxter, Senior Vice President of creative development for Walt Disney Imagineering, who unveiled a model of the castle on July 17,  the birthday of Disneyland park.
For the first time, guests who are unable to climb the stairs of navigate through the passageways of the castle will be able to experiance the walkthough “virtually”in a special room on the ground floor of the castle.
The attraction is set to open in time for the December holiday season, and co-incides with the release of a 2-disc platinum DVD, blue-ray and for the first time ever, High Def disc, the first classic Disney title to do so,  celebrating the films 50th anniversary milestone.

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Daily Disney Newsbites From the House of the Mouse

 July 10th 2008

 A Moderate Change at Fort Wilderness

[WDW] Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort’s cabin accomodations have now been added to the ‘moderate’ resort category, having previously been in the lower end of the deluxe. Despite the change, rates will remain at the same level. Although no official reason has been given behind the switch, its thought its ‘deluxe’ tag was misleading some guests into believing they would be getting deluxe amenities, similiar to that found at Disney’s other deluxe resorts, such as full service restaurants and a themed pool area. Don’t get me wrong, the cabins are still amongst the most spacious accomodations to be found on Dinsey property, and are perfect for larger families who would otherwise need to book 2 rooms (the cabins sleep 6), but there’s no escaping the fact the resort is still effectively a campsite, albeit on the upper end of the scale.

Magic Kingdom Rehab Alert!

[WDW] More rehab news, this time its the turn of Big Al, Liver Lips and co. to go into temporary hibernation, with Disney listing the Country Bear Jamboree as being closed from Sept 28th thru Oct 31st 2008. Initial speculation reckoned this could signal a return of the Country Bears Christmas Jamboree which has been absent from the park for the last two festive seasons. unfortunately, this doesn’t appear to be the case and the timing is merely co-incidental. Work is likely to concentrate on the attraction’s much maligned audio system, with general maintenance and sprucing-up along side.

Hong Kong Disneyland launch “Double Fun” Ticket

[HKDL] Hong Kong Dinseyland have announced the launch of a “Double Fun” Ticket, that will allow guests to experiance the park TWICE with one ticket this summer.

As of July 1st 2008,  guests who purchase the “double fun” ticket, by adding HK$100 to a peak day admission ticket will be able to visit the park twice during the summer season. The ”Double Fun” ticket is priced at HK$450 (adult), HK$350 (children) and HK$300 (senior) and will be available for sale at the parks’s main entrance as well as the Hong Kong Dinseyland Ticket Express at MTR, Hong Kong Station. Guests can re-visit the park on any day of their choice, on or before September 17, 2008.

Kidani Village Reservations Available Soon To DVC Members

[WDW] DVC members who selected the Disney Animal Kingdom Lodge Villas as their ‘home’ resort will soon be able to make reservations at the new Kidani Village accomodations. As of August 10th 2008, any bookings for stays beginning May 1st 2009 can be made by calling member services.
All other DVC members will be able to make reservations from November 1st onwards.

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Daily Disney NewsBites From The House of the Mouse

June 09 2008

Walt Disney World - Eat To The Beat Concert Line Up 2008

Eighteen different acts from the world of rock, jazz, funk and pop will take their turn on the American Gardens Theatre stage as part of this years ‘Eat To The Beat’ concert series, a highlight of Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival Celebration.
Amongst the line up are Eight Grammy winners, such as Sheena Easton, David Sanborn, Kool & the Gang, Boyz II Men and Los Lobos.
‘Eat to The Beat’, which runs daily from Sept 26th until Nov 9th 2008 with acts on stage at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 each night.

The Lineup (subject to change):

Sept. 26-27 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy (NEW) “You & Me & The Bottle Makes 3 Tonight (Baby)”
Sept. 28-30 Sheena Easton (2 Grammys) “Morning Train (Nine to Five)”
Oct. 1-4 Starship starring Mickey Thomas “We Built This City”
Oct. 5-7 En Vogue (NEW) “Hold On”
Oct. 8-9 Jonny Lang (NEW, 1 Grammy) “Lie to Me”
Oct. 10-12 Peabo Bryson (NEW, 2 Grammys) “If Ever You’re in My Arms Again”
Oct. 13-14 Sister Hazel (NEW) “All for You”
Oct. 15-16 David Sanborn (6 Grammys) “Lesley Ann”
Oct. 17-18 Jon Secada (2 Grammys) “Just Another Day”
Oct. 19-21 Spyro Gyra (NEW) “Morning Dance”
Oct. 22-23 Otis Day & the Knights “Shout”
Oct. 24-26 Exposé “Point of No Return”
Oct. 27-28 Kool & The Gang (1 Grammy) “Celebration”
Oct. 29-30 Boyz II Men (NEW, 4 Grammys) “End of the Road”
Oct. 31-Nov. 2 Atlanta Rhythm Section (NEW) “So Into You”
Nov. 3-5 David Cassidy “I Think I Love You”
Nov. 6-7 Night Ranger (NEW) “Sister Christian”
Nov. 8-9 Los Lobos (NEW, 3 Grammys) “La Bamba” 

Walt Disney World - Temporary Food Outlet Opens In China

Epcot’s China Pavillion has opened a temporary food and beverage kiosk nearby its Nine Dragons Restaurant which is currently undergoing a lengthy rehab.

On the menu are a handful of Nine Dragon’s favourites, such as Mongolian Beef, Honey Sesame Chicken, Pot Stickers and Shrimp Fried Rice.A kids meal offering of Beijing barbeque drumsticks and a choice of beverage is also available.The kiosk is expected to remain until the completion of the Nine Dragons rehab, scheduled to re-open Dec 1st ‘08. 

                                                                               Walt Disney World - Pirates To Invade Caribbean Beach?

Hot on the heels of the announcement that several of the Disney Resorts are to undergo a substantial refurbishment programme (beginning this summer), there have been unconfirmed claims that one resort in particular, Disney’s Caribbean Beach is to get some radical new themeing. The suggestion is that around 900 of the rooms will be decked out in Pirate of the Caribbean décor, whist the remaining 300 or so rooms will have a kid-friendly ‘Finding Nemo’ theme.Given that the Caribbean Resort’s main pool area will open soon with a Totuga-esque fort as its centrepiece, it sounds feasible that this may actually happen, and that Disney Imagineering just might be looking to re-brand the resort in its entirety.Disneyland Paris -When Two Become One

Cost cutting measure, practical solution or environmentally sound decision? Whatever the reason, guests visiting either of the two Paris parks will discover new park maps which feature both parks on the same handout.

The pocket-sized guides of old have been replaced with a new fold-out leaflet style map, with one half dedicated to the Disneyland park and the other, the Walt Disney Studio’s.

As far as content goes, the maps are much the same as before, with listings of attractions, dining and shopping venues and of course, the 2-D layout of the parks themselves.

Will the idea catch on at some of the other Disney parks around the globe? Perhaps, although a Walt Disney World version, with its 4-parks-in-one would probably require a crash course in origami to fold and unfold!

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Daily Disney Newsbites from the House of the Mouse

July 08 2008

[TD] Tokyo Disney Debuts Two New Night-time Spectaculars for the Summer 

Tokyo Disney kicks off its summer entertainment programme today with two new night-time shows. At Tokyo Disneyland, a special this-year-only show “Starlight Dreams”, which continues the resorts 25th anniversary celebrations, will illuminate Cinderella’s castle and the skies above it in a spectacular display of colour and light, which is said to reflect the dreams and memories of Disney guests.
Meanwhile, at neighbouring Disney Sea, a brand new show “Bon-fire Dance” begins. The theme centres around ‘matsuri’ or ‘Japanese festival’ at the Arabian Coast. Mickey and friends join a host of dancers and performers for a lively performance guaranteed to turn the heat up every evening.
Both Starlight Dreams and Bon-fire Dance show nightly through till August 31st 2008.

[WDW] Lagoon Goes Limp For Surfers

Typhoon Lagoons surf school, which takes place in the main wave pool has been put on temporary hiatus due to a crack in pool. As it is, operators don’t want to risk the problem getting any worse by cranking the waves up to ‘super choppy’,  we are unlikely to see the water parks surfing programme return until after Typhoon’s annual refurbishment closure this winter.
The pool will remain open however, albeit with much quieter wave conditions for the time being.

[WDW] Spectro No Go

…But only for a short while. Liberty Square’s bridge situated on the edge of the Rivers of America will be undergoing strengthening work next month and as a result, Spectromagic’s floats will be unable to complete the normal parade route through Liberty Square and into Frontierland. To compensate though, Disney will be running the ‘Disney Dreams Come True’ parade in both its regular 3pm slot and again at 7pm, but will redirect through Tomorrowland, Fantasyland and ending in Toontown.

 [WDW/DVC] To BLT Or Not To BLT?

With guides now announcing that Disney’s Saratoga Springs resort DVC sales are now sold out, the focus will soon shift towards it’s, as yet, still unconfirmed Bay Lake Tower at the Contemporary resort. Rumours have sales officially beginning in mid August (the 15th has been mooted) but its expected points will cost at least $10 more than other locations, with some sources claiming it to likely be nearer $120 per point. It has also not escaped my attention that the Acronym for Disney’s Bay Lake Tower is BLT. What are the chances of being sold a BLT BLT at the lakeside resorts food court?

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Audio-Animatronics technology features heavily in many of the attractions at Disney parks around the world. Imagine Pirates of the Caribbean ride without all of the Audio-Animatronics figures, or the Haunted Mansion without it’s ghostly residents. But where did it all begin?

It was in the early 1950s that Walt Disney purchased a mechanical bird while he was on vacation in Europe. That souvenir spurred Walt on to give life-like movement to 3D figures, just as he’d given life to the characters in his animated films.

In 1951 Roger Broggie and Wathel Rogers began work on “Project Little Man,” a miniature 9-inch tall figure programmed to mimic vaudevillian tap-dancing routines, using cams, cables and tubes. The technology was primitive and movement limited, but when Imagineers combined the cam-and-lever principle with an electronic-hydraulic-pneumatic approach, they achieved greater movement in the figures which were used in two of Disneyland’s early attractions, Nature’s Wonderland and Jungle Cruise.

The first true Audio-Animatronic technology was used for the birds in The Enchanted Tiki Room at Disneyland, which opened in 1963. for this the Imagineers had devised a system to control the actions by means of magnetic recording tape and solenoid coils. The signals recorded on the tape triggered solenoid coils inside the figures, producing action.

By 1964 the first fully animated human figure had debuted at the New York World’s Fair. That figure was Abraham Lincoln, and it incorporated  57 moves, including 22 different head movements. But the work had been painstaking and involved animator Wathel Rogers being rigged up with a harness-like device and his every movement captured and recorded. The programming harness was a precursor of the motion capture systems that are used today. A duplicate of that Abraham Lincoln Audio-Animatronic figure went on to be used in the Disneyland attraction Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln which opened in 1965.

The 1964 film “Mary Poppins” saw the appearance of two Audio-Animatronics birds, Robin and Umbrella, and the profits from that film were used to invest in an organization, MAPO, set up to create Audio-Animatronics figures.

The Digital Animation Control System (DACS) came into being in 1969, making use of the now rapidly developing computer technology. DACS involves the movements being recorded onto computer disk, which animators then use to manipulate the figures’ movements via a console. Using this system the animators are able to adjust or delete actions at the touch of a button. DACS technology has moved on a long way since then, and a more sophisticated version is now used to control all of the Audio-Animatronics figures we see at the parks today. All of the Audio-Animatronics figures in Epcot and Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World are controlled from a system composed of multiple DACS from a single remote location in the Magic Kingdom.

1989 saw the first A-100 Audio-Animatronic figure in the form of the Wicked Witch of Oz at Disney Hollywood Studio’s Great Movie Ride. The A-100 figure enables movements and gestures that the figure makes to be more realistic than ever before, and it takes around eight hours to animate just one second of movement.

Meeko was the first portable, all-electric Audio-Animatronics figure, and made his debut in 2002 in Animal Kingdom’s Pocahontas and Her Forest Friends show.

2004 saw a huge step forward with Lucky the Dinosaur, the world’s first free-roaming Audio-Animatronics figure. Lucky made his debut at Disney’s California Adventure park and was able to roam around interacting with guests. This technology continued to evolve with the appearance of the Muppet Mobile Lab at Epcot, which saw much smaller versions of the free-roaming Audio-Animatronics characters, that were not only able to move around, but could also converse with each other as well as with guests.

These days Audio-Animatronics figures can be found in many Disney rides and shows, including an A-100 Captain Jack Sparrow in the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction, an 18 feet tall yeti in Animal Kingdom’s Expedition Everest, and the most complex A-100 figure to date in the form of Stitch at Magic Kingdom’s in Stitch’s Great Escape.

The newest Audio-Animatronic figure to feature in Disney attractions, both in California Adventure and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, is Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story Mania! This figure is so advanced that he can remove and re-attach his ear, has lips with a wide range of movements and his eyes are digitally animated so he is able to look directly at a guest he is talking to. The figure took more hours to program than any other Audio Animatronic figure ever has before.

It’s difficult to imagine what possibilities lie ahead, but I’m sure that Imagineers and animators have something even bigger and better already on their drawing boards. A walking, talking life-like Audio Animatronic man could be just around the corner.

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