News & Rumors 9/23/09 - 9/27/09

With just having done a news update on Wednesday, it appears as if no real news has come out over the past few days. With one minor exception. It appears as if they are testing cars on at least one track of Space Mountain.

News & Rumors 9/7/09 - 9/23/09

Hello all! And welcome to a massive News & Rumors update! Sorry for the delay, but we've got lots to talk about, so let's dive right in! :)

News

• First off...all the news about D23...a brand new Fantasyland expansion is coming! Included in this brand new expansion will be a brand new Little Mermaid attraction, a few new restaurants, including a sit-down restaurant called Be Our Guest and is based off Beauty and the Beast, a new Dumbo area, including 2 Dumbo attractions with a brand new type queue (where you will receive a feather to hold your place in line while you and your kids play in a 3 ring circus atmosphere...when it's your turn to ride, the feather will let you know...much like they do in restaurants with the pager system), and a Pixie Hollow area. The first half of the expansion is expected to be done in 2012 while the second part is expected to be done in 2013. For more information, visit my previous blog post about this topic. Or to see the full announcement, see this video
• Star Tours II has officially also been announced. Not too many details about this, except for the fact that it will be shown in 3D and it will include Pod Racing. It's still being rumored though that you will get to experience the attraction in multiple ways with multiple scenarios being present each time. The attraction is expected to go down Oct. 2010 and reopen in 2011. For the official announcement, click here.
• Also announced was that the Muppets will be getting some love. First off, it appears as if they are going to digitally remaster the MuppetVision 3D film. Next, they are going to include a Muppet WhatNot Workshops at WDW where you can build your own Muppet, and they will be having a Muppet Mobile Electric Mayhem Band being introduced as well.
• In non-D23 news now...LaNouba is set to have a price increase starting Oct. 6th.
• Luxo Jr. is now once again doing shows at DHS in the Pixar Place courtyard.
• The Oct. 31st Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party is officially sold out.
• The Night of Joy will be returning to the Magic Kingdom in 2010.
• Cat Cora's new restaurant, Kouzzina is now officially open. For an idea of what is on the menu, visit here.
• A suspicious device was found underneath one of the buses at WDW on Sept. 17th. This halted all bus service around the resort while they checked each bus. Turns out the device was an tire pressure monitor that had been left on the bus from year's past. For more info on the story, click here.
• A new tour is set to take place during the holiday season. From Nov. 30th through Dec. 16th guests can discover how the twinkle of holiday magic is created for celebrations like the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, get an insider’s look into the transformation of Cinderella Castle to a sparkling holiday masterpiece and bask in the holiday glow of the Candlelight Processional, one of the longest-running Disney holiday traditions. The tour costs $179 for ages 16 and up and theme park admission is not required. The tour is expect to last 4 and a half hours.
• There's a new and more affordable way to enjoy some private time at Typhoon Lagoon. On the tail of the Beachcomber Shacks, Disney is now offering Premium Beach Chair Spaces. The cost is $40 and you will receive 2 lounge chairs, and umbrella, 2 beach towels and a small table.
• The Wishes Dessert Parties at the Tomorrowland Terrace at the Magic Kingdom's dates have been extended yet again. This time, the Dessert Parties are expected to run through Dec. 29th.
• In refurb news, the Magic Carpets of Aladdin is expected to be down for refurbishment from Dec. 6th - 19th.
• Reported as a rumor earlier this year, it is confirmed that Crystal Palace will be down for refurb from Jan. 3rd - Feb. 13th.
• The Living With the Land boat ride in Epcot's The Land pavilion was expected to open Nov. 1st from it's refurb. That date has now been moved up to Oct. 4th.
• Thumper and Miss Bunny will be doing meet and greets in Camp Minnie-Mickey at DAK starting Oct. 4th.
• Lastly, as noticed from my trip: the TTA has officially reopened and while there were no major changes besides some new lighting effects, it was cool to go into Space Mountain and see what little could be seen. They do have boards up so you can't see most of the work, however, there are a few spots where you can just sort of peek through for a second, if you know where to look. Also, I could smell fresh paint and construction in Space Mountain and you can hear them working during work hours.

Rumors

• It's being rumored that we may be seeing another discount from Disney sometime within the next week or so.

Update!

Alright all, I know I said I'd have this week's News & Rumors update up today, but with the live show and just getting back from my trip, that didn't end up happening. However, with that being said, I will post all of the latest News & Rumors on Wednesday, once I get the chance to process everything and (unfortunately) join back to real civilization. (I want to live with Mickey!) Thanks for the patience! I really appreciate it. :)

I'm Going To Disney World!

Well, it's officially that time of year. The time of year that I look forward to the most.

No, it's not Christmas...although I do look forward to that. And it's not my birthday...Instead, it is my annual vacation time again. The time of year I love the most. And I am very much looking forward to it because this trip affords me some new experiences, along with some of the things that we love doing and have of course done for multiple trips now. I'm just thrilled that I get to go to the most Magical Place on Earth and my happy place yet again!

Now, let's get down to it...the details...

Who: Brian and I
Where: Pop Century
When: Sept. 11-19
What: Lots and Lots of free food...oh...and let's throw in some theme parking
Why: Um...fun...

We have lots of great things planned and of course, there will be lots of things that will just crop up since I'm not really a big planner. (Meaning, I'll plan the nuts and bolts, but I don't plan what ride to go to when or bathroom breaks or things like that.)

So, for our park schedule, which of course, is tentative, but is relatively what the plan is:

Friday 9/11: EPCOT (EEMH) - Beaches and Cream
Saturday 9/12: ANIMAL KINGDOM/MAGIC KINGDOM - 1900 Park Fare dinner
Sunday 9/13: DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS - 50s Prime Time dinner
Monday 9/14: MAGIC KINGDOM - Liberty Tree Tavern dinner
Tuesday 9/15: BLIZZARD BEACH/EPCOT - Yachtsman (2 Table Service) dinner
Wednesday 9/16: Couples Massage at the GRAND FLORIDIAN/DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS or MAGIC KINGDOM -Kona dinner
Thursday 9/17: EPCOT/MAGIC KINGDOM - LeCellier lunch with some of the podcast listeners/Whispering Canyon dinner (Maybe a stop at ANIMAL KINGDOM that afternoon as well, but not 100% sure...that's gonna be a wing it day for sure.)
Friday 9/18: DISNEY'S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS/EPCOT(EEMH) - LeCellier dinner

In all, it's going to be a very hectic trip, but I think a very relaxing one as well, once we get down to it all. And a very deserved trip for both of us as we've both has some big stresses in our lives during the past couple of months.

So, for a few housekeeping notes...first of all, I will posting trip updates on Twitter. To find me, click the link in the column next to this one.

Also, because I'll be in WDW, there will obviously be no updates next week. Updates should return starting Sept. 20th, but I'm not 100% on that. It will of course depend on what that Sunday is like once I'm back.

So, with that being said, Rikki, what are you doing this weekend? I'M GOING TO DISNEY WORLD!!!

News & Rumors 8/31/09 - 9/6/09

News and Rumors are gathered from various different websites. One particular website is not favored over another. All rumors are rumors and are to be taken with a grain of salt.

News

• The Tomorrowland Skyway is currently coming down.
• Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade will be shown in the parks as the afternoon parade, starting Dec. 19 - Dec. 30th. Also look for HolidayWishes to be shown during this time period as well.
• Space Mountain's exterior sign has now been removed.
• You can now catch the Chicken Coop that was featured in the Hannah Montana movie along the Backlot Tour at Disney's Hollywood Studios

Rumors

• Mary Poppins will be removed from the Magic Kingdom starting in Oct.
• There are supposed to be some big changes for Downtown Disney. Look for new Food & Beverages locations soon.
• The Prince Caspian meet and greet at the Studios will be leaving either the end of this year or sometime during the first half of next year.

Disney/Marvel and the Top 30 Must Sees Part 4!

Alright! This is it! We've made it to the final 5 things I'm most excited about for my upcoming Disney trip!!! I'm excited...are you?!

But, first, let's talk about Disney and Marvel.

As many of you know...Disney recently bought Marvel for $4 Billion. A lot of people are excited about this and it's implications for the theme parks. Me...not so much. Although I am trying to have an open mind about the whole issue. I mean, I don't mind Star Wars, Aerosmith, Twilight Zone, and even Winnie the Pooh, who wasn't an original Disney character, but yet, I now immediately associate with Disney...so why does this merger bother me so?

I believe it's because of what I associate SuperHeroes with, which is "the other parks." Because Superheros are so prominent in parks like Six Flags and Universal, I immediately associate them with "cheap." Of course, that's not saying they are cheap or that Disney would use them in a cheap manor...but unfortunately, that's where my mind automatically goes, because that's where it's been in the past. It's going to take a really GREAT ride from Disney for me to change my mind about this...and I am sure, that if and when said ride is announced, I'm not gonna be super thrilled about the idea...but as I mentioned before, I'm going to try to look at it with an open mind, the way I attempt to look at everything else.

The one thing to note though, is that Universal has a standing agreement that it is to be the only theme park with Marvel ties east of the Mississippi (at least for current characters they already use...it's not really clear if this is true for character that aren't used, such as Iron Man). What this means for WDW is that it's not at all likely we'll be seeing a Hulk or Spiderman attraction in our parks anytime soon. However, because Disneyland is West of the Mississippi, I wouldn't be surprised if Disney decides to incorporate Marvel comics in there.

But now...what you've really come here for...(sure it is...lol!) the final Top 5 Must Sees for my WDW trip this month!

5. The Fireplace at the Wilderness Lodge. Yes, I'm aware it will be summer, but there is just something so relaxing about going to visit the fireplace on the (I believe 4th floor) of the Wilderness Lodge. We found this gem on our last trip and it really is the perfect way to end an evening...curled up in front of a fire...even if it's 80 degrees outside.

4. Yachtsman Steakhouse. This is our first time eating at a 2 table service restaurant...and boy are we excited. We would have never eaten here if we didn't have free dining. I can't wait to try the deliciousness that this restaurant has to offer.

3. Our Instructional Couples Massage. Now, I know what you're thinking. This sounds dirty...but really, it's not. This was a gift from my hubby for my birthday and it was an incredibly thoughtful (and expensive!) gift. With this, we get to go the Grand Floridian Spa and they will teach us, in a three hour instructional "class", how to give each other proper massages. It sounds so decadent...and something that I would have never thought of myself...so I'm glad the hubby did!

2. Pop Century. Yes...we are excited about our hotel. And why? Because to us, Pop Century is home. It is the place that screams Disney for us. It is filled with great whimsy and delight and stepping in that lobby just makes me happy. (And the smell, which this hotel does have, makes me happy too.) I love the food court and shop here and the theme, which is just larger than life icons, is fantastic. I'm getting excited just thinking about being there!

And the number one thing we're looking forward to the most while at WDW is.......



1. Spending un-interrupted time with each other. Yes, I know it sounds sappy...but this is the thing we look the most forward to. Getting to be with each other with no one else clamoring for our attention. Getting to focus on spending great quality time together is the best perk about going on vacation and here, we really get to focus on being kids with each other. And the best part is, when we get back from our vacations, we are never sick of each other. We're actually sad that our quality time together has to end. (I know, you're all thinking...gag me! lol!)


So, that's gonna do it...the Top 30 Must Sees for our WDW trip! I hope you had as much fun following along as we did making up this list.

Next week, I'll talk in a bit more detail about what our trip entails! :)