PHOTOS: Scaffolding Removed Revealing Beast’s Castle and More Details Across Tokyo Disneyland’s New Fantasyland (1/5/20)
Spencer Lloyd
It has been a long while since we checked in on the New Fantasyland construction at Tokyo Disneyland. And a lot has changed in the past month or so. So let’s take a stroll through Belle’s Village and the rest of the expansion! With the partial opening of another pathway next to Tomorrowland Terrace, we …
PHOTOS: New Astronaut Mickey Plush Needs Some Space at Walt Disney World
Annie Wilson
We’ve been patiently waiting for the new Space 220 restaurant to open at EPCOT and constantly checking for the latest construction changes. Well, it looks like we aren’t the only ones ready to suit up and launch into space. A new Mickey Mouse astronaut plush has landed at EPCOT, just in time for the new restaurant. …
PHOTOS: Latest Construction Update on the Upcoming Remodeled McDonald’s Near Disney’s All-Star Resorts, Walt Disney World
Iain
Some very striking structural updates were made to the McDonald’s under renovation near the Disney All-Star resorts. The restaurant seems to be taking a vintage, 1950s “Golden Arches” direction with its current structure, but let’s take a look at what’s new to the construction framework. Wow, it looks like this McDonald’s could be rather large …
Full List of Participating Disney and Wonderground Gallery Artists and Art Showcase Preview for EPCOT International Festival of the Arts 2020
Jessica Figueroa
With all of the photo ops and specialty food and beverages to sample throughout the park’s many marketplace booths, it’s easy to lose the central focus of the EPCOT International Festival of the Arts, which is the art and the artists themselves. This year’s festival showcases many forms of art and plays host to a …
PHOTOS: East Parking Tram Loop Now Transporting Guests at EPCOT
Iain
In December, we shared photos of the new tram loop drop-off at the eastern parking lot of EPCOT. But there was one key piece missing from the loop: the trams. As of today, trams on the east loop are now transporting guests. As EPCOT continues to transform, more guests visit, which leads to more cars, which leads …
PHOTOS: New Bag Check and Security Screening Area Prepares to Open at the Transportation and Ticket Center
Annie Wilson
We’ve been monitoring the slow but steady progress at the Transportation and Ticket Center for some time now. Since our last update, it seems things are getting even closer to completion. The construction walls seem to be shifting a bit, and the new bag check and security screening area closest to Mickey’s Gift Station looks …
PHOTOS: Latest Aerial Construction Update for Roundup Rodeo BBQ in Toy Story Land at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Iain
With Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge getting all the attention at Disney’s Hollywood Studios lately, we think it’s time we give an update on happenings just down the land’s path. Toy Story Land is preparing to open its first table service restaurant, Roundup Rodeo BBQ, where guests will be immersed alongside Andy’s toys and games in …
PHOTOS: Traditional Japanese Hina Matsuri (Girl’s Day) Merchandise Now Available at Tokyo Disney Resort
Spencer Lloyd
Not too long after the traditional Japanese New Year’s (and the merchandise that accompanied it), we’re already on to the next traditional Japanese holiday! The next special holiday is Hina Matsuri, also known as Doll’s Day or Girl’s Day. Every year on March 3, red carpet platforms are displayed with ornamental dolls known as “雛人形”, …
Bob Matheison, Former Walt Disney World Director of Operations and Executive Vice President of Parks, Dead at 85
Matthew Soberman
Disney Legend Bob Matheison, a key figure in Walt Disney World’s history, from the development process to serving as Director of Operations for the Magic Kingdom at its 1971 opening to Executive Vice President of Parks for the resort in 1987, has passed away at the age of 85. From D23’s Disney Legends page for …
Walt Disney World Resort Room Discount Offer Now Available for Annual Passholders on Select Nights April Through July 2020
Jessica Figueroa
Annual Passholders can save up to 35% on rooms at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels this Spring and Summer! Annual Passholders can save up to 35% on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels for stays most nights April 1 through July 9, 2020 if they book by July 9th, 2020. Passholders must present a valid …
Walt Disney World Resort Room Discount Offer Now Available for Florida Residents on Select Nights April Through July 2020
Jessica Figueroa
Florida Residents can save up to 30% on rooms at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels this Spring and Summer! Florida Residents can save up to 30% on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels for stays most nights April 1 through July 9, 2020 if they book by July 9th, 2020. Proof of Florida residency …
Sun & Fun 25% Off Resort Room Discount Returns to Walt Disney World This Spring and Summer 2020
Jessica Figueroa
Bask in the sun and fun and save up to 25% on rooms at a Disney Resort hotel this Spring and Summer 2020! Guests can save up to 25% on rooms at select Disney Resort hotels for stays most nights Apr. 1-Sep. 12, 2020 when they book by Feb. 26, 2020. To book by phone, …
Free Kids Disney Dining Plan Package Now Available For Select 2020 Bookings at Walt Disney World
Jessica Figueroa
Disney has just announced a new Free Dining Plan promotion offering free dining for the little ones! Check out all the details below. Get a FREE dining plan for kids (ages 3 to 9) when you buy a non-discounted 4-night/4-day Magic Your Way package for you and the kid(s) that includes a room at a …
WDWNT Weekly Recap: New Year’s Eve Celebrations, 2020 Free Dining and Resort Offers, Sam Eagle’s Smokehouse, and Smoke on the PeopleMover
Iain
Every week is a busy week when it comes to Disney news. To help you keep up with all of the updates coming out of Walt Disney World and other Disney resorts, here’s WDWNT’s weekly recap of the Disney news from December 30–January 5! Walt Disney World Earlier this week we noticed that multiple gondolas …
PHOTO REPORT: Disneyland Park 1/5/20 (Crowds, Long Wait Times, Country Bear Remnants, New Wishables, and More)
Iain
Hello everybody, we’re mighty glad to see you here at… Disneyland Park! The Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations may be over, but crowds remain high. Today, we spent some time observing the park. Come follow along! Main Street, U.S.A Crowd control was out on Main Street, U.S.A. around noon. While it didn’t seem too …
PHOTOS, VIDEO: R2-D2 Roaming Droid Now Testing at Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in Disneyland
Jessica Figueroa
So far on Batuu, we’ve seen build-your-own droids, Coke Droids, and plenty of droids on stand-by for photo ops, but one glaring omission still remains months after the land’s opening on both coasts: the roaming, interactive droids that were promised when Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge was first announced. Despite Imagineering recently stating in interviews that …
Limited Bus Service Now Also in Effect at Disney’s Riviera Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort, and Art of Animation Resort in Favor of Disney Skyliner Transportation
Iain
Early this morning, we reported that bus service was reduced from Disney’s Pop Century Resort to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. By limiting bus service, Disney is encouraging guests to instead use the Disney Skyliner. Now, we have learned service has also been cut back at Disney’s Riviera Resort, Caribbean Beach Resort and Art of Animation …
PHOTO REPORT: Magic Kingdom 1/5/20 (Britto Mickey Cookie Jar, New Youth Apparel, TRON Update, and More)
Iain
Hello from the “Most Magical Place on Earth”! We’re at Magic Kingdom today. Lucky for us, the holiday crowds have finally died down. We can actually walk down Main Street U.S.A. without bumping into people! Let’s see what’s going on around the park. At Box Office Gifts, we found the new Figment MagicBand slap bracelet. …
PHOTOS: New Wall Clock Joins the Mickey and Minnie Retro Kitchen Housewares Collection at Walt Disney World
Iain
Last month, a new retro cherry kitchen housewares collection appeared at Walt Disney World. The collection stars Mickey and Minnie and is reminiscent of a 1950s diner. Today, we discovered a new addition to this adorable line of items: a walk clock! Wall Clock ($49.99) The new wall clock has a white and blue face encircled …
PHOTOS: Walls Down, New Concrete in Front of Palais du Cinema in the France Pavilion at EPCOT
Iain
Bonjour from the France pavilion in EPCOT! Today as we took a stroll through the World Showcase, we noticed some peculiar things in front of Palais du Cinema. This theater is home to “Impressions de France” and is getting an interior makeover and a Beauty and the Beast Sing-Along. We can again see the magnifique facade of …
PHOTOS: Even More New “Park Life” Merchandise (Stationery, Leggings, Cards) Arrive at Disneyland Resort
Ali
If there is one thing we cannot get enough of, it is definitely the new “Park Life” line of merchandise. Similar to what recently dropped in Florida, we now have some sweet new stationery items, leggings and dioramas available at Disneyland. Disneyland “Park Life” Travel Journal – $19.99 This fun travel journal is sure to …
“Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker” Remains Top At The Box Office; “Frozen 2” Becomes The Highest Grossing Animated Film Of All Time
Joe Hogarty
“Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker” was #1 at the box office for a third weekend in a row. This weekend, “The Rise Of Skywalker” made $33.7 million domestically and $51 million internationally. So far, “The Rise Of Skywalker” has made $450 million domestically and $469 million internationally, bringing its worldwide total at the box …
PHOTOS: New Pathway Near Innoventions East at EPCOT Partially Open; Extends to Wall-E Green Landing Playground
Iain
New pathways are popping up all over EPCOT. One we’ve kept a close eye on is the brand-new Innoventions East pathway (located behind the original MouseGear). On New Year’s Eve, we published a peek of the walkway. Today, we saw a portion of it is now open to guests. Let’s see where we can go! The …
PHOTOS: Character Spot Officially Closed; Where to Find Characters at the Ever-Evolving EPCOT
Jessica Figueroa
With the present and future of EPCOT ever-evolving, various changes have taken place, including new store locations and modified offerings. This morning, a new temporary MouseGear location opened with the closure of the old fan favorite store. Additionally, the temporary EPCOT Character Spot closed today, and in its stead, a number of new character meet …
T-REX, Rainforest Cafe, Yak & Yeti Restaurant, and More Involved in Landry’s Credit Card Breach at Walt Disney World
Jessica Figueroa
In a recent report from Landry’s Inc., a number of their restaurants have been impacted by a credit card breach, and that includes two of their Disney Springs restaurants and one Disney’s Animal Kingdom restaurant. Potentially affected restaurants include the following brands: Rainforest Cafe, T-REX Cafe, Yak & Yeti Restaurant, Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., and more. The …
PHOTOS, VIDEO: New Mickey Mouse Meet and Greet Inside Disney & PIXAR Short Film Festival Now Open at EPCOT
Jessica Figueroa
The new Mickey Mouse Meet and Greet Inside Disney & PIXAR Short Film Festival at EPCOT has officially opened! Starting today, Mickey will be making appearances at this new location inside the Imagination! pavilion as part of the Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival. You can find the meet and greet inside the entrance to …
PHOTOS, VIDEO: New “Inside Out” Joy Meet and Greet Inside ImageWorks in the Imagination Pavilion Now Open at EPCOT
Jessica Figueroa
ImageWorks inside the Imagination! Pavilion has been fueling the imagination for guests for years, and now the latest addition to this pavilion includes a new meet and greet location for none other than Joy from “Inside Out.” When the Wreck-It Ralph meet and greet was initially announced, there was the promise of new portals to …
PHOTOS, VIDEO: MouseGear Moves Into Temporary Home as Remodeling of Original Store Begins, Including New Club Cool Location Construction
Jessica Figueroa
Yesterday, the beloved fan-favorite MouseGear store at EPCOT closed its doors ahead of a lengthy refurbishment as the park’s transformation continues in stages. In an effort to provide guests with a temporary shopping solution, a makeshift MouseGear has now opened up across the breezeway at Innoventions East. We first saw signs go up for the …
Bus Service to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and EPCOT Reduced in Favor of Disney Skyliner Transportation Starting Today at Disney’s Pop Century Resort
Matthew Soberman
With the Disney Skyliner having been open for months, bus departures from Disney’s Pop Century Resort to EPCOT and Disney’s Hollywood Studios have been reduced to once per hour, effective January 5th. According to WDWClub, the above sign was posted at Disney’s Pop Century Resort on the evening of January 4th. The Disney Skyliner will …
WDWNT is Hiring Orlando-Based On-Air Talent for Original Programming
Jill Diffendal
As WDWNT continues to grow, we are looking for individuals residing in the Orlando area to appear on the weekly WDW News Tonight program, as well as in other WDWNT video content. WDWNT is looking for candidates with a diverse range of skills to: Participate in panel discussions about Disney Parks and the Walt Disney …
PHOTO REPORT: Disney’s Hollywood Studios 1/4/20 (Holiday Crowds, “The World of Pixar” Apparel, Oga’s Cantina Coasters, New Loungefly, and More)
Annie Wilson
Bright suns from Disney’s Hollywood Studios! As always, we’re here nice and early to make our way to Batuu. But we aren’t the only ones. Boarding groups for Rise of the Resistance were gone within minutes of the park opening. Backup boarding groups started to fill quickly due to the holiday crowds. We’ve seen the …
PHOTO REPORT: EPCOT 1/4/20 (Temporary MouseGear Sign, Seasonal Macaron Ice Cream Sandwich, Regal Eagle Construction, Lots of Rain, and More)
Annie Wilson
Welcome to a beautiful day at EPCOT. The walls and paths are always changing. As we arrived this morning, we noticed more walls have gone up around the entrance. On our last visit, there were planters around the area. But now there are actual construction walls. As we made our way into the park, we …
PHOTOS, VIDEO: One Final Look At MouseGear — Take a Journey Into EPCOT’s Go-To Gift Shop Filled with Hidden Mickeys and Future World Easter Eggs
Iain
Today, we say goodbye to an EPCOT institution as we know it. MouseGear — EPCOT’s flagships store — closes tonight for a major remodeling. MouseGear will be moving across the breezeway at Innoventions East starting tomorrow (January 5) and will reopen at its original location by 2022. WDW News Today could not pass up the opportunity to …
PHOTOS: New Youth T-Shirt Designs Featuring Mike Wazowski, Donald and Mickey Arrive at EPCOT
Iain
We love nothing more than a good t-shirt design. Today while on our visit to EPCOT, we came across three new ones for youth (sorry, adults) that feature some familiar faces. The first one is very punny. It’s gray and features everyone’s favorite one-eyed monster, Mike Wazowski, sporting a mischievous smirk. The text reads “Eye …
PHOTOS: New EPCOT Arribas Bros. Glass Stein Featuring New Park Logo Available Now
A glass stein featuring the new EPCOT logo and a stylized Spaceship Earth has made its way into the park. The stein is decently sized and is made of thick glass, leading us to believe it would be a durable drinking vessel. Raise a glass to happy memories of your visit to Epcot at Walt …
PHOTOS: Even More “The World of PIXAR” Merchandise Arrives at Walt Disney World
Annie Wilson
The new “World of PIXAR” collection recently arrived at Walt Disney World, featuring all our favorite PIXAR characters. We can’t get enough of it! That’s why we’re so excited to share there are even more colorful new tops in the collection. Let’s take a look at the latest additions. Men’s Button Down “World of PIXAR” Shirt …
PHOTOS: Work Begins on Themed Pavement at Entrance to Guardians of the Galaxy – Cosmic Rewind Coaster at EPCOT
Iain
It’s time to check in on one of the most exciting upcoming attractions at EPCOT. Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind will be Disney’s first backward-launch roller coaster and will include spinning ride vehicles. We decided to take a trip on the monorail to get the best view of how work is progressing at the construction …
PHOTOS: New Disney Parks Collection Watches Keep Ticking in the Magic Kingdom
Three more watches have been added to the Disney Parks collection we spotted last week. This brings the total number of watches in the collection up to six, which gives anyone wanting to add some Disney flair to their wrist a lot of choices! Let’s take a look at the new watches. Silver Mickey Mouse …
PHOTOS: First Full Wall Segment Being Installed as TRON Lightcycle Run Show Building Enclosure Continues at the Magic Kingdom
Iain
Since the TRON Lightcycle Run vehicle photo op and the first attraction walls were installed at the Magic Kingdom in December, there hasn’t been much visible action at the ride’s construction site. But today, we have a small breakthrough for those of us closely watching: more walls are being erected on top of the show building’s …
REVIEW: New Finding Nemo Creamsicle Cupcake Just Keeps Swimming at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort
Annie Wilson
If you’ve been looking for Nemo, we know where you can find him. You don’t even have to travel all the way to 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney, either. This cute little clownfish has surfaced at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, right here at Walt Disney World. The cute little face just called to us from the …