“Totally Tomorrowland Christmas” debuts in Magic Kingdom

"Mickey's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas" will no longer run in Tomorrowland.

With the removal of Tomorrowland’s Galaxy Palace Theater, “Mickey’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas” show will no longer run at Walt Disney World.

Beginning Tuesday, November 10 a new show, “Totally Tomorrowland Christmas” will feature Stitch, Buzz Lightyear, and Mike Wazowski trying to discover the true meaning of Christmas.  The show will include classic Christmas  songs but will also feature more contemporary songs.

The show runs on the the stage built for the short-lived “Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration” show.

Disney to expand Fantasyland at Walt Disney World

ANAHEIM, California (Reuters) – Mickey Mouse’s house and his Toon Town world will make way next year for a vastly larger Fantasyland, in the biggest-ever expansion of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Florida, Walt Disney Co said on Saturday.

his rendering of the new Fantasyland at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom was released to the Orlando Sentinel as Disney announced plans for the overhaul at the D23 conference in California on Saturday, Sept. 12, 2009. You can compare it the set of plans below found at the Soft-Opening side of the Disney Report site (click on images to enlarge.)

The Fantasyland expansion, whose price tag was not disclosed, will open in two stages in 2012 and 2013 and builds on the popularity of the Disney Princess and Fairies franchises, which have topped $4 billion in global retail sales.

Disney theme parks Chairman Jay Rasulo said the Fantasyland project, which breaks ground next year, will be paid for from funds designated for the theme park division’s annual capital expenditures.

Plans call for four Disney Princess characters — Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Belle from “Beauty and the Beast” and Ariel from “The Little Mermaid” — to be featured in “fantasy lands” where park visitors engage in dancing, storytelling or a birthday party with costumed characters from the films.

The expansion includes two new dining spots — Gascon’s Tavern and the 552-seat Beast’s Castle. A new underwater ride based on “The Little Mermaid, will be built both in the Florida Fantasyland and at the ongoing expansion of California Adventure in Disneyland.

The second phase of the Fantasyland expansion will be an oversized world based on the fairy world of Pixie Hollow from “Peter Pan,” but no other details were available because the attraction was still in early development stages, Rasulo said.

As part of the Fantasyland expansion, Disney plans to double the size of the popular Dumbo ride to add a covered “three-ring circus” waiting area with interactive games and a play area.

Disney Imagineers, who design rides and attractions, said the Toon Town attraction would be dismantled and its popular Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse houses relocated to another section of Walt Disney World.

Rasulo also announced an upgrade to the Star Tours rides at Disneyland in Anaheim and Disney’s Hollywood Studio in Florida to open in 2011.

Star Tours simulates a ride through space aboard spacecraft like those in the original “Star Wars” film.

The updated version features new digital 3D effects and projectors that let ride operators vary “destinations,” as well as upgrades to the Star Speeder cabins, Rasulo said.

Disney’s Newest Princess, Tiana, Will Have Own Show at Walt Disney World

Anika Noni Rose stands side-by-side with the newest Disney Princess, Tiana.

Disney Princess fans around the world will rejoice when the newest Princess, Tiana, fresh from her new movie, The Princess and the Frog, debuts in her very own show at Walt Disney World and Disneyland! She is also Disney’s first African American Princess so this is a real celebration! “Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee”, is a jazzy new riverboat show based on her movie and debuts on October 26 in Frontierland at Walt Disney World and on November 7 in New Orleans Square at Disneyland. At both parks, the new show will be performed on the Riverboat while it cruises along the Rivers of America. As the boat approaches the loading docks, pre-selected guests will board with Tiana, Prince Naveen, Louis the singing alligator, and the rest of her friends; and then sail down the river occasionally stopping along the way to perform the hit songs from the movie with her own jazz procession in tow. The show will be repeated throughout the day and continue through January 3 at both parks. But don’t worry, this won’t be the last time you see the Princess Tiana for she will find her new home in the Magic Kingdom among her Princess friends. Tiana’s debut at the parks won’t be her first public appearance. Actually that already occurred last week at the National Association of Black Journalists convention in Tampa. It was actually “Tiana squared” because accompanying the new Disney Park Princess was Tony Award winner, Anika Noni Rose who portrayed Tiana in the new Disney movie Princess and the Frog which opens in theatres on December 11.

President Barack Obama moves into the Hall of Presidents

President Barack Obama is going to be hanging out at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World in a starring role for at least the next four years. No, not the real flesh and blood president, but an amazing Audioanimatronic likeness. President Obama is just about ready to become the latest star in Disney’s Hall of Presidents, which re-opens in July. In addition to adding the current president, Disney gave the attraction a little spiffing up.

President Obama joins many recent presidents in actually taking on a speaking role in his own voice. In this incarnation of the Hall of Presidents, he will be joined vocally by “George Washington” and “Abraham Lincoln.” While seeing him in Audioanimatronic form might not be as exciting as meeting him in person, at least you won’t have to go through Secret Service clearance. With the talent of Disney’s Imagineers in recreating lifelike gestures, you might just feel like you’re in the president’s presence.

Above, Imagineer Joe Cutry programs the President in preparation for his debut, which isn’t much more than a month away. He’ll remain in his starring role at the Hall of Presidents for his entire term before giving up the starring role to a future leader.

Walt Disney World’s Space Mountain closing for ‘refreshment’ on April 19

UPDATE: WDW’s Space Mountain has reopened. Early reports are that it doesn’t seem that different.

OrlandoSentinel.com is reporting that one of the more iconic attractions at Walt Disney World is getting a makeover.

Disney said Wednesday it will shut down Space Mountain this spring for what the company described as a months-long “refreshment” of the 34-year-old Magic Kingdom roller coaster.

The ride will close April 19, just after the Easter holiday. It is expected to reopen late in the year, Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger said, though a specific reopening date has not been set.

The timetable means Space Mountain will be closed throughout the busy summer-travel season.

The construction work will include installing new track inside the enclosed coaster, which carries guests in the dark through a series of sudden drops and sharp turns. The layout of the track will remain the same, however. The construction work will include installing new track inside the enclosed coaster, which carries guests in the dark through a series of sudden drops and sharp turns. The layout of the track will remain the same, however. Read more.

Cinderella Castle Royal Suite will stay open in 2009

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Walt Disney World confirmed Wednesday that the Cinderella Castle Royal Suite — created in early 2007 for overnight stays by winners of Disney’s two-year “Million Dreams” promotion — will remain open for selected guests next year, though on a more limited basis.

The suite is in a tower of Cinderella Castle, in the middle of the Magic Kingdom theme park. During the Million Dreams promotion, which ends Wednesday night, there has been a nearly daily sweepstakes prize for a family picked at random on Disney World property.

The suite’s creation captured the imagination of Disney fans worldwide, and its availability as a daily door prize for Disney World visitors created enormous buzz for Disney’s marketing campaign.

Set into space originally reserved as a possible apartment for company founder Walt Disney’s family when the castle was first built, the 650-square-foot, three-room Royal Suite offers a mix of 17th-century French luxury, 21st-century convenience and 1950s-era motifs from Disney’s Cinderella movie.

Almost from the start, the suite inspired widespread speculation about what Disney might do with it once the Million Dreams promotion ends.

On Jan. 1, that campaign is to be replaced with the “What Will You Celebrate?” promotion that strives to get people to bring their personal celebrations to Disney World.

The room will continue to be available for use as the prize for promotions, including some run by outside companies, Disney spokesman Rick Sylvain said Wednesday.

For starters, the room is being offered as a prize in a sweepstakes called “Inside Your Celebration,” organized by the Internet travel portal Orbitz.

“This ties in nicely with our ‘What Will You Celebrate?’ ” Sylvain said. “Other uses and opportunities for the suite are still to be determined.

“We will continue to evaluate all options,” he added. “It’s all about ‘right fit.’ Not unlike a certain glass slipper.”

Renovations to bring Disney World’s Hall of Presidents into 21st century

The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that in order to make room for a new, Animatronic version of the 44th president of the United States, Disney will close the 37-year-old Hall of Presidents after today for an extended refurbishment. The show will stay shuttered for more than eight months so Disney can update the hall’s aging light, sound, mechanical, projection and show systems, just as the company has done in recent years with other “classic” Magic Kingdom attractions such as It’s A Small World, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion. Read more and see video here.

Meet Tinkerbell in Mickey’s Toontoon Fair

The Orlando Sentinel has an article about Pixie Hollow, the new meet and greet area where guests can see Tinkerbell and her friends. Read more about it here.

The Magic Kingdom’s newest attraction — Pixie Hollow — features Iridessa (from left), Rosetta, Tinker Bell, Silvermist and Fawn. The Disney Fairies are a new set of characters, developed for books, movies, Internet games and merchandise. (WALT DISNEY WORLD)

The Haunted Mansion

My favorite attraction at WDW is the Haunted Mansion, period.

Why? Well, for one thing it’s a dark ride, and I really like dark rides. For another it’s just lots of fun – it has a great storyline that has a beginning, middle, and end, and the song (Grim Grinning Ghosts) is, to say the least, very catchy.

But the best thing about the HM is the way every inch of the attraction contributes to the story. It’s one of a very few attractions where the exterior is part of the show (the Tower of Terror is one of the notable others).

When you enter Space Mountain you don’t enter a mountain, you enter a large building. When you enter Pirates of the Caribbean (one of my favorites), you enter a large building. But when you enter HM, you enter a haunted mansion (all right, so the one in Florida appears to be a split-level, but it still looks like a real house). There’s a graveyard, a pet cemetery – all sorts of details that add to the story.

When my daughter and I took the “Keys to the Kingdom” tour a few years back, our guide led us into the HM through the “chicken exit” It’s a door off of the loading area next to the two (yes, there’s two) stretch rooms. Before you leave, you walk down a short corridor that’s decorated as a servant’s entrance. There’s a row of bells on the wall, and each one is labeled with the name of one of the house’s inhabitants (Master Gracey, Madame Leota, etc.). And this is an area that practically no one ever sees!

The ballroom scene is the single coolest visual display that I’ve ever seen anywhere. Based on a magician’s illusion that was devised 130 years ago, it still amazes first-time visitors today.

I never said that the Haunted Mansion was the single best attraction in Walt Disney World – that’s a subject for another day – but it’s always been, and probably will always be, my favorite.

Grumpy Old Fool’s Haunted Mansion Wedding Ring video

Pirates of the Caribbean

When Walt Disney World opened on October 1, 1971, most of the biggest attractions from Disneyland had been reproduced for its only park, The Magic Kingdom. In addition, there were some new attractions, such as the Country Bear Jamboree, that were created for Walt’s new world.

Conspicuous in its absence was Disneyland’s newest and biggest attraction, Pirates of the Caribbean. PotC was the first Disneyland attraction to utilize full-scale realistic people-like Audio-Animatronics figures (Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln was the first ever, but at that point had only been seen at the 1964-65 New York World’s Fair), and it was the hottest ride in Anaheim.

One story goes that during the planning of WDW in the late 60’s, Roy Disney decided that Florida tourists were already up to their eyebrows in pirate lore, and since there wasn’t the time or money for another E-ticket blockbuster anyway, Walt Disney World could do without PotC.