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Dwayne Johnson Takes Over the Jungle Cruise Attraction for A "Research" Endeavor!

by Guide4WDW

Dwayne Johnson Takes Over the Jungle Cruise Attraction for A “Research” Endeavor! 

by: guide4wdw – Collin
As many of you may know, Disney recently green lighted a Jungle Cruise based film developed with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. As a part of what the Rock called an early research project, he boarded a Jungle Cruise boat and and became a skipper for a few hours at the Magic Kingdom! 
Dwayne Johnson posted about the experience this morning on his Instagram account stating the following: (warning: language may not be suitable for kids) 
“.. (I think the lady to my right is snapping a pic of my bootaaaay) 
Surprise! Once I committed to our Disney partners to make the movie based off the JUNGLE CRUISE ride, I wanted to dive head first into the research. 
So I headed to Walt Disney World and surprised tourists by commandeering the JUNGLE CRUISE boat. 

It was a GREAT day on the river. Learned a lot.. for example, it takes approximately 12.6 minutes for all the passengers to get over the shock of me jumping on the boat and thinking I’m a DJ look-a-like. One passenger even said, “Oh the real Rock is much smaller than this guy”. I threw his ass off the boat. 

Jokes aside (and yes, with me as the Cruise Skipper there will be an abundance of puns) this is such an amazing, fantastical and cool world to build out. Best part about this surprise research day was knowing how FUN of an experience we’re gonna work hard to create for families around the world. That’s the part that gets my excited the most. 
The movie. The ride. The experience. 

It’s the cruise of a lifetime. And trust me, you’ll want me as your Skipper. Just don’t forget to bring the Skipper’s beer. 
Next step… we find our visionary director. 
#SurpriseAroundEveryCorner #ResearchDay#DisneyWorld #AllAboard #JungleCruise“

While no further details have been released about the future production, it’s clear that Dwayne Johnson enjoys the Disney environment and hopefully this upcoming film will stay true to the attraction’s story while developing a greater interest in the attraction for guests of all ages.

PHOTO/VIDEOS: Blue Angels Fly Over the Magic Kingdom

by Guide4WDW

PHOTOS/VIDEOS: Blue Angels Fly Over the Magic Kingdom 

by: guide4wdw – Collin
As we mentioned earlier in the week, the Blue Angles flew over the Magic Kingdom this morning and it certainly did not disappoint. I was not personally at the event, but it looks as if the weather was outstanding for the special formation fly by.

(photo: Blue Angels Twitter)

The group made a pass in two different formations which were both equally as spectacular! Here’s a look at some of the first videos that are popping up around social media! 
From the park: (may take a moment to load)

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From the top of the Four Seasons Resort:
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It truly looks like it was a spectacular event and one that created a memory for guests that will last forever. Hopefully that gives you taste of what it was like to be there for those of us that couldn’t make it to the park today!

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Dates Announced for the 2017 Halloween and Christmas Parties!

by Guide4WDW

Dates Announced for the 2017 Halloween and Christmas Parties!  

by: guide4wdw – Collin
Just this morning, Disney has announced the entire lineup of dates for this years Not-So-Scarry Halloween Parties and Very Merry Christmas Parties. While this release seems earlier than usual, that could be due to the fact that the halloween party will begin in August! 
(photo: Disney)
The party has always been a huge guest favorite so this year it will occur on 32 different dates across August, September, October, and November.
  • August 25th and 29th 
  • September 1, 7, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26, 29
  • October 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31
  • November 1st

For many guests, this is the highlight of the fall season, so if you are in the area during any of these dates I highly recommend the event. It’s great for guests of all ages and truly is a one of a kind experience complete with the Boo-to-You Parade and many other outstanding events created just for the halloween parties. Tickets for these dates will go quickly so if you’re interested in any particular dates (especially the early dates or dates near the Halloween holiday) be sure to book as far in advance as possible. Tickets are limited, and in more recent years speculation has risen that the limit is slowly shrinking to create a better guest experience. 

As for the Christmas parties, this years dates will begin in early November just a few short days after the Halloween party concludes. Personally, this is my favorite special event of the year. The decorations are up in all their glory, the snacks included in the event are really enjoyable, and everyone is in the mood to have a great time. After attending last years event the week before Christmas, I have to honestly say I was much more impressed than in previous years. The increased character presence created a much more unique environment (including all Seven Dwarfs in one picture) and the wait times were outstanding. At night, during the week before Christmas, we were able to wait less than 20 minutes for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train. Now, that wasn’t the case the entire night, but a majority of attractions kept a wait time of less than 30 minutes the majority of the night. There’s just something about the event that makes you smile. The snow on Main Street is a truly memorable experience and the joy you get to experience all around you is hard to put into words.  
Here’s this years dates: 
  • November 8, 9, 12, 14, 16, 17, 26, 28
  • December 1, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 22   

On top of all the other wonderful elements of the parties, it appears as if both Hallo-Wishes and Holliday Wishes could be returning despite Wishes being replaced in the near future! 

Once again, if you want to go, get your tickets as soon as possible when they go on sale to guarantee the date you need/want! 
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(Dates: WDWNT)

Lighted Object PhotoPass Opportunities Continue at the Disney Parks

by Guide4WDW

Lighted Object PhotoPass Opportunities Continue at the Disney Parks  

by: guide4wdw – Collin
As many of you may know, Disney recently debuted a simple experience where guests could take a picture that is enhanced by a real life object. The first example of which arrived at Magic Kingdom near the themed Tangled restrooms. The object, which reflected the design of the lanterns from the film, allowed guests to create a one of a kind PhotoPass image that could be purchased individually or included in the Memory Maker package.
The simple addition was met with rave reviews and surprisingly long waits for the limited time offering. Today, Disney has announced that a variation of that same concept will be shifting over to Epcot’s China Pavilion. The new experience will allow guests to create surprisingly unique pictures with the help of a Disney PhotoPass photographer and a glowing Lotus Flower.
The experience appears to be beginning immediately and will take place each night starting at 7:30pm as long as weather cooperates. 
While this will not likely be as popular as the previous offering, these unique photo opportunities can create one of a kind memories for guests to enjoy for many years to come. As they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words!”

(Source: Disney Parks Blog)      

"Stitch’s Great Escape!" to Reopen in it’s Seasonal Role for a Short Time

by Guide4WDW

“Stitch’s Great Escape!” to Reopen in it’s Seasonal Role for a Short Time  

by: guide4wdw – Collin
After a significant amount of down time, the Stitch’s Great Escape Attraction at Disney’s Magic Kingdom will reopen for a short period of time. The attraction went to exclusively seasonal operation due to a decreased guest demand, but reopens during peak weeks virtually unannounced. 
(photo: Disney)
The attraction, which is a more kid-friendly variation of the former Alien Encounter experience has never been received well by guests, but if you’re in the area be sure to give it a fair chance. The attraction is rumored to be closing for good in the not-so-distant future so if you are one of the few fans of this experience be sure to ride it if you happen to be visiting during it’s seasonal operation. 
It will be available the following dates:

-April 10th – April 19th (10am to 6pm)  
Disney has yet to confirm if the attraction will be going away for good or not, but it is typically the next step after an attraction goes to seasonal operation. Many rumors are floating around about the locations future and many have speculated for quite some time that a Wreck It Ralph experience could fill the void in the coming years.    
  

Navy Blue Angels Set to Fly Over the Magic Kingdom April 6th

by Guide4WDW

Navy Blue Angels Set to Fly Over the Magic Kingdom April 6th 

by: guide4wdw – Collin
If you’re traveling to the parks this week or are close enough to make it to the Magic Kingdom, you won’t want to miss a quick event happening this Thursday, April 6th! In a rare display of aerial excellence over a Disney park, the U.S. Navy Blue Angels will fly over the Magic Kingdom between 9:30 and 10:00am. 
(mynews13.com March 19th, 2015)
The event happens on very rare planned occasions and is certainly a spectacle you have to see to truly believe. Personally witnessing the skill of these pilots is one of those one in a lifetime opportunities that everyone should experience at least once. Seeing the short fly over of the Magic Kingdom will certainly create memories of a lifetime for many guests! 
The Blue Angels will be near the area for an event and expo in Lakeland, Florida but plan on making two fly overs of the Magic Kingdom before continuing on their way. Fair warning, have your cameras ready because these extremely capable aircrafts move at very high speeds and the prime photo opportunity will happen quite quickly. 
If you’re in the area, be sure to go check out this display. The sights, sounds, and feel of the Blue Angels’ displays are always truly incredible! 
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Disney Debuts New Update for the My Disney Experience App

by Guide4WDW

Disney Debuts New Update for the My Disney Experience App

by: guide4wdw – Collin
After quite some time, Disney has officially released a new update for the My Disney Experience App. The update, which has been promised and expected for quite some time, simplifies the overall in-app design and improves functionality. 
A similar version of the design, which was released for Android a few months ago, served as a test group for the application. Many users seemed to enjoy the simplicity of the user interphase and the same should be true for IOS (the Apple mobile software). For a look at the new aspects for the app, see the video below. Disney released the video themselves and featured many of the most prominent new features of the in-app experience!

If you are not already aware, My Disney Experience is the system used by guests to book fastpass+ selections, dining reservations, and plan many other aspects of their vacations.
      

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A New Look at the Upcoming Show ‘Happily Ever After’ Has Been Released

by Guide4WDW

A New Look at the Upcoming Show ‘Happily Ever After’ Has Been Released 

by: guide4wdw – Collin

In a short clip released by Disney about the upcoming replacement for ‘Wishes’, Michael Jung (from Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment) simply stated “We’re taking great things and making them even better.” While that’s certainly a bold claim for a nighttime spectacular that will replace a favorite show of guests for over a decade, the newly released details make it appear as if that could be possible.

In the world of nighttime entertainment, Disney recently raised the bar in California with the ‘Disneyland Forever’ show. It had projections, it had incredible music, and it certainly developed a multi-sensory experience that warmed the hearts of guests each and every night. Hopefully, with this new replacement show, for those of us on the east coast, Imagineering will exceed our expectations. It certainly sounds like they are well on their way to doing so if this bold claim plays out as expected.

It’s certainly hard to see ‘Wishes’ leave the Magic Kingdom, but the parks are always changing and developing as new ideas and new technologies develop in the world around us. As the debut of ‘Happily Ever After’ quickly draws closer, we’ll be sure share what we can of the earliest performances.

For now, here’s a look behind the scenes at what Disney is developing. The new show is set to debut May 12th, 2017:

Are you looking forward to the new show or are you sad to see ‘Wishes’ leave the Magic Kingdom? If you like what we’re doing here, help us invite more friends into this Disney community by sharing our posts! Thanks 

Disney CEO Bob Iger States That Attractions Will Augment Reality But Never go "Virtual"

by Guide4WDW

Disney CEO Bob Iger States That Attractions Will Augment Reality But Never go “Virtual”

by: guide4wdw – Collin
Disney’s CEO, Bob Iger, has been an outstanding leader of the company for quite some time. With the recent extension of his contract, there’s surely more of his decisions that will be developing in the parks over the next several years. 
Just last Friday, Iger was posed a question about the presence of virtual reality arriving in the Disney parks in the near future. His answer was a quick “no” with a fairly understandable explanation and one, as an obvious fan of the innovation Disney has created in real life, that I can appreciate. Essentially, Iger responded by referencing the Disney legacy, and how that legacy isn’t about a quick update but rather transporting the guest to places that put them in the story. 
(photo: mighty1090.com)

I can’t blame him for that thought process, and while he certainly hasn’t gotten everything right as a CEO, he’s been incredibly successful in developing immersive “real-life” environments for guests across the country and even across the world (with the creation of Shanghai) that exceed expectations.
Personally, I think this is a wonderful step for the company. In the world of Disney today, it seems that everything is focused on making money and for once this seems to be a decision to avoid the “quick update” so many other parks are developing to make money fast. Disney has always been about the true guest experience and the joy of being in that Disney bubble. Everything has a different feeling, a different level of expectations, and a true attention to detail that could never be developed through a virtual experience. 
Interestingly enough, Bob Iger seemed to hint at a concept in development. He essentially said that he had been involved with a creation of the Disney engineering lab where you could utilize a device to pick up a lightsaber and fight Storm Troopers! While no other details were released, I could certainly see an element of that concept arriving at some point in Star Wars Land. Iger even went as far as to state that he spent his Tuesdays there testing the design. 
Overall, he made a point to state that he had instructed the Imagineering teams not to consider virtual reality but rather augmented reality. While the difference is subtle, one would keep you in a world that Disney could create while the other would place you in a completely simulated world, removing the Disney Magic of the real-life environment. 
So, what do you think? Is this something you’re glad Disney is staying away from, or were you hoping to ride a virtual reality version of Space Mountain, or even Test Track in the future?  
(Source: wdwinfo)

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Pandora Fastpass+ Selections Open Tomorrow!

by Guide4WDW

Pandora – The World of Avatar Fastpass+ Selections Open Tomorrow! 

by: guide4wdw – Collin
It is certainly a big day in the news for Disney World. Just after a new stage show was announced just a few hour ago, it looks as if Fastpass+ selections for ‘Pandora – The World of Avatar” will open for booking tomorrow, March 24th. 
As it stands, selections will only be available on a tiered system, similar to the rest of the park. Guests will not be able to book passes for Na’vi River Journey and Flight of Passage, but rather one or the other for the original 3 selections. 
Per the usual, after using your passes you are able to get another pass if they are available for that same day. As you can imagine, these fastpasses will go extremely quick! If you plan on being in the park for the opening day, be sure to get online early tomorrow morning to even have a shot at securing one (likely 12:01am).
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