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School’s Finally Out, But Disney Channel Is In
July 29, 2010 at 9:12 PM EST
From the Disney Parks Blog:
Earlier today we announced the extension of Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade at Walt Disney World, and if that’s not enough good news for a Thursday, there’s also a fresh, new show coming to the Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort this Fall.
A live, rock-concert style show will blast popular music from a variety of Disney Channel hits, including the “High School Musical” series, “Camp Rock” and “StarStruck.” The show, which has yet to be officially named, will follow a format that is similar to “High School Musical 3: Senior Year – Right Here! Right Now!” The new show is scheduled to debut at Disney California Adventure park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on October 22.
In order to make way for this exciting addition, the Wildcats from High School Musical will cheer in their last performance of “High School Musical 3: Senior Year – Right Here! Right Now!” at Disney California Adventure park on October 17 and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on October 2. Don’t miss your last chance to sing, dance and cheer with the Wildcats before school’s back in session, but rest assured the Wildcats will be back in a new way on October 22.
Topics: Disney's Hollywood Studios | |
HP “Gets in the Game” at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
July 29, 2010 at 5:12 PM EST
Walt Disney World Resort today announced an expansion to its long-term business relationship with HP, which now includes naming rights for the 165,000-square-foot fieldhouse at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
Beginning today, the fieldhouse will be renamed with the HP brand and will feature several new high-tech elements designed to enhance the sports experience for the nearly 1.5 million athletes, coaches and fans who visit the complex each year. HP also becomes the official imaging, printing and PC partner for ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, the leading multi-sports venue in the nation.
The centerpiece of the soon to be renamed fieldhouse will be the HP creation zone where athletes, coaches and fans can download, design and enhance commemorative photos and images of their events, then immediately produce and print them onsite. The HP creation zone will also include a retail area featuring a variety of imaging-related products and options for youth athletes and consumers, such as creating life-size posters of action photos, custom wallpaper coverings for the home and other photo keepsakes/memorabilia.
“HP’s innovative technologies further differentiate the athlete experience at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in ways that no other youth sports venue can match,” said Ken Potrock, senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises. “The HP technological enhancements in the complex are just the latest in a growing number of technology-driven projects that are at the core of our growth strategy, which centers around continually elevating the sports experience for our athletes, coaches and fans.”
There will also be an HP internet “café” capability inside the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Grill featuring HP TouchSmart PCs. Individual stations will offer online access to a variety of sites, including ESPN.com, ESPNRISE.com, ESPNWWOS.com, Disney.com, Disneyworld.com and others.
The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Welcome Center, an onsite concierge facility, will offer kiosks that also feature HP TouchSmart PCs. The kiosks, which will also be located at additional locations throughout the complex, will enable athletes and fans to access and print a wide range of sports event information, including field assignments and schedule updates, as well as general Disney information and resources, such as dining reservations and vacation planning tools for theme parks, resorts and water parks.
“The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex continues HP’s decades-long collaboration with Disney to captivate audiences through technology innovation and digital entertainment,” said Michael Mendenhall, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at HP. “The HP fieldhouse will deliver the ultimate sports environment, combining state-of-the-art athletic facilities with a rich, interactive technology experience to extend the spirit and passion of sports beyond the field of play.”
The fieldhouse accommodates virtually any indoor sport, including basketball, wrestling, gymnastics, volleyball, martial arts, team handball, roller hockey, cheerleading and dance, trampoline and tumbling, indoor tennis, etc., in addition to concerts and conventions. Opened in 1997, the venue has a seating capacity of 5,500 and room for six full-size collegiate basketball courts.
HP’s presence at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex extends the company’s long-standing relationship with Disney, which began in 1940 when HP worked with Walt Disney to enhance the acoustics in movie theaters before the release of Disney’s “Fantasia” movie. Currently, HP sponsors the MISSION: Space attraction at Epcot and is one of the sponsors of the Disneyland Dream Home at Disneyland Park. Disney is one of HP’s largest customers and utilizes thousands of HP business PCs, servers and printers, in addition to technology services, business intelligence software and storage.
The expansion of the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex’s relationship with HP comes on the heels of the complex’s most comprehensive redesign since it opened in 1997. In February 2010, the complex, which was already the leading multi-sport venue in the world, was re-imagined with the ESPN brand, bringing the signature elements of ESPN to the complex to create a one-of-a-kind sports experience that lets athletes, coaches and fans feel as if they’ve reached the big time with ESPN.
Topics: General Resort News | |
Electrical Parade Not Ready to “Glow Away” Yet
July 29, 2010 at 10:49 AM EST
Not surprising, but I’m sure many of you will be excited to hear this news from the Disney Parks Blog:
Just as scores of you had hoped – we’re leaving the lights on and extending Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” at Walt Disney World. By popular demand, the parade at Magic Kingdom Park will continue an open-ended run when “Summer Nightastic!” ends on August 14.
It’s probably no surprise to hear that the parade has been one of our highest rated entertainment experiences at Magic Kingdom Park since returning in early June. It’s been an “overwhelming success,” according to Park Vice President Phil Holmes. And now, you’ll be able to continue cheering and humming “Baroque Hoedown.”
Of course, new elements of Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” will continue during the encore phase of the run. Those include:
- Tinker Bell leads the eye-filling procession, waving from the basket of a balloon floating gracefully above a magical garden shimmering in fairy light.
- Pinocchio and the boys from the classic film’s Pleasure Island sequence join the parade, and Snow White joins the Seven Dwarfs on a diamond mine float.
- There are new lighting effects, and the parade’s highly recognizable musical theme is brightened by new technology.
Will you take advantage of the extended run?
Topics: The Magic Kingdom | |
WDW Monorail System Adds a “Line”
July 27, 2010 at 6:58 PM EST
From the Orlando Sentinel:
Walt Disney World is preparing to expand its iconic monorail system — at least a little bit.
Disney said Tuesday it will build a 62-foot maintenance spur off of the system’s Epcot line to serve as a permanent staging area for one of the work tractors used by the resort to tow broken-down trains and inspect and repair track.
The extension will be built next to an existing track switch that is used to transfer trains between the Epcot line and a separate spur leading to one of the system’s two Magic Kingdom loops. Disney currently keeps all of its work tractors in a maintenance bay behind the Magic Kingdom.
The expansion plans were first reported by The Monorail Society, an organization that promotes the use of monorails.
Disney said it wants to have a tractor permanently stationed near the Epcot line in order to allow workers to begin inspections of that track earlier in the evening. Right now, crews typically must wait until the Magic Kingdom closes before they can dispatch a tractor to the Epcot line.
The Magic Kingdom is usually open several hours later than Epcot each night.
“We can begin our routine inspections of the Epcot beam as soon as the Epcot line cycles down for the night, before the Magic Kingdom park closes and with no impact to guests,” Disney World spokesman Bryan Malenius said.
Another advantage: The new spur should allow for faster responses when a tractor is needed to tow a broken-down monorail train to a station.
Last December, several of Disney’s trains were brought to a standstill after a computer hard-drive failure shut off power across the 15-mile-long monorail system. About 300 passengers were left stranded by the power outage, which occurred at about 1 a.m.; the last of them weren’t evacuated until close to 4 a.m.
Malenius said the addition will make it easier to get tractors to monorail trains that are stuck anywhere along the Epcot line or on the outer Magic Kingdom loop near the Transportation and Ticket Center.
Construction crews will begin excavation work soon. Disney expects to complete the project by the end of the year.
Topics: General Resort News | |
Cody Smith’s 7/23-7/25/10 WDW Photo Report
July 27, 2010 at 3:08 PM EST
Cody Smith, who reports for The Disney Pincast and The Vinylmation Station, visited the Walt Disney World Resort this weekend and has a few newsworthy pictures to share with us:
The water seems to be staining Everest…
Topics: Dining, Disney's Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Photo Reports, The Magic Kingdom | |
Sneak Peek at Celebration V Merchandise from the Disney Parks
July 26, 2010 at 1:22 PM EST
Here’s a look at just a few of the items Disney theme park merchandise has created especially for Star Wars Celebration V event in Orlando:
Topics: General Resort News | |
Banks Lee’s 7/24/10 WDW Photo Report
July 25, 2010 at 4:08 PM EST
WDWNT Reporter Banks Lee made a short trip over to the Walt Disney World Resort yesterday to check out the final Taste of Africa street party at Animal Kingdom and check progress on some projects over at Epcot:
It was the final party in the initial test run
Topics: Disney's Animal Kingdom, Epcot, Photo Reports | |
Banks Lee’s 7/23/10 Magic Kingdom Photo Report
July 23, 2010 at 8:44 PM EST
WDWNT Reporter Banks Lee visited the Magic Kingdom earlier today and has some newsworthy photos to share with us:
The facade of The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is being worked on while the attraction remains open
Topics: Photo Reports, The Magic Kingdom | |
Windows of the World – Part II by Chuck Mirarchi
July 23, 2010 at 2:04 PM EST
Continuing our detailed coverage of the names behind the windows on down Main Street U.S.A. from Part I, we’re still heading down the western side of the street, about half-way up towards the castle. Right after Cecil Robinson’s name is:
JACK LINDQUIST
Jack Lindquist’s window reads Peterson Travel Agency / Reservations by Cable Anywhere in the World / Passages Boarded By Sea & Rail / “Exclusive Representatives for the Titanic” / Jack Lindquist, Purser
Lindquist started as the advertising manager at Disneyland in 1955, was named Vice President of Marketing for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World in 1971, and became President of Disneyland in October 1990. He retired in 1993, and was named a Disney Legend the following year.
As a former child actor who appeared as an extra in the “Our Gang” series and danced in the Lucille Ball film, “Best Foot Forward,” in 1955 Jack Lindquist was hired by Walt Disney as Disneyland’s first advertising manager. He was originally working in an LA-based advertising firm for corporate client at Disneyland. One day Jack had a meeting at the Park and fell in love with the place. He was working there the very next month. Jack was eventually involved in nearly every aspect of Disneyland including marketing the original “E tickets.”
In 1955, while working for a Los Angeles advertising firm as a consultant to one of the original Disneyland corporate participants, Jack had a meeting at the Park prior to its opening and “fell in love with the place.” One month later, he was working there.
He continued to move through the Disney ranks and later he set the course for marketing Walt Disney World, and in 1972, was named vice president of marketing for Disneyland and Walt Disney World. In 1976, he was named vice president of marketing for Walt Disney Attractions, and in 1982, was promoted to executive vice president of marketing and entertainment for all of the Company’s outdoor recreation activities.
Jack went on to set up the Marketing Division for Tokyo Disneyland, and a executive vice president of creative marketing concepts for Walt Disney Attractions he developed promotional and entertainment ideas for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Tokyo Disneyland and Disneyland Paris. During his 38 years with the company, Jack was responsible for a number of classic Disney projects including, Walt Disney’s Magic Kingdom Club, Disney Dollars, the Disneyland Pigskin Classic, the Ambassador Program and Grad Nites. He was also one of the big supporters for Disney’s California Adventure.
After Jack’s window comes a window honoring Dave Gengenbach, Bob Gurr, George McGinnis, and Bill Watkins. Their window reads: The Big Wheel Co. / “One-of-a-Kind” / Unicycles – Horseless Carriages / Dave Gengenbach, Bob Gurr, George McGinnis, Bill Watkins.
Topics: Articles, The Magic Kingdom | |
Another Haunted Mansion Movie???
July 22, 2010 at 6:21 PM EST
From the Disney Parks Blog:
The original Disneyland park attraction, the Haunted Mansion, that debuted in August of 1969 has now inspired a new film for The Walt Disney Studios by well-known filmmaker Guillermo del Toro. A new piece of artwork was also unveiled by the Studios and is featured below.
Announced at Comic-Con today, del Toro surprised thousands of fans with the news. In speaking about the new project, del Toro said, “I couldn’t be more excited to be a part of my own adaptation of the original theme park attraction Walt envisioned and that remains- for me- the most desirable piece of real estate in the whole world!”
Rich Ross, Chairman of The Walt Disney Studios, remarked “Millions of people from around the world visit The Haunted Mansion each year, but no one has ever had a tour guide like Guillermo del Toro. Guillermo is one of the most gifted and innovative filmmakers working today and he is going to take audiences on a visually-thrilling journey like they’ve never experienced before.”
Topics: General Resort News, The Magic Kingdom | |