New Additions For The 2011 Osborne Family Spectacle Of Dancing Lights
The Osborne Family lights are something that dazzles guests who visit the Holllywood Studios park every single year. This year Disney have added yet more effects to the show. Instead of me waffling on about all of the fantastic changes that have occurred, why not watch the below video and find out for yourself!
Lightening McQueen Joins The Cast Of Lights, Motors, Action!
This week saw the addition of Lightening McQueen (Cars, Cars 2) into the epic stunt show that is Lights, Motors, Action! It looks like the brand new sequence revolves around the plot of the second movie as it is all about stopping an evil car agent.
Take a look at the video for yourself but for me I have to say that I am sadly not too impressed by this sequence. Disney could have done a better job at showing the explosion off and the whole thing just seems a bit cheesy and unnecessary.
Let me know what you think in the comments!
Fantasmic! To Return In February 2012!
If you are a fan of the Fantasmic! show in Hollywood Studios you can now exhale, the show has been confirmed not to be closing! In fact all Disney are actually doing is closing the attraction for six weeks for refurbishment although haven’t given away too many details as to what work they are going to be completing in this time.
According to Disney sources there is a lot of work behind the mountain that needs to be carried out so instead of ripping out benches and replacing paint it is likely that Disney are going to be doing more work behind the scenes, the things the guests don’t get to see but ensure the cast are safe when performing.
At least I now know that next year I will be able to watch Fantasmic! once again, I think that’s the best bit of Disney news I have heard all week!
More Fantasmic! Closure Rumours For 2012
First of all, I apologize to all Disney fans that couldn’t care less whether Fantasmic is closing or not but for me this will always be my favourite show so even the rumours surrounding all of this are extremely important for this Disney fan!
In just a day there have been yet more rumours surrounding what is going on with the area where Fantasmic currently sits. Although Disney haven’t even confirmed its closure as of yet it would seem there are some strong opinions on what is happening.
Two Rollercoasters?
The big rumour that I have seen pop up time and time again since the post I wrote yesterday is that Disney are planning to build two rollercoasters within the area! This sounds completely insane for several reasons yet many Disney fans think that it is going to be Disney’s answer to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Whilst this makes sense to a certain degree it is just something that would completely tear Hollywood Studios apart. Sunset Boulevard is already the busiest part of the park (perhaps only comparable to Toy Story Mania) so would it really be a good idea for Disney to insert a further two coasters? I personally see this as very unlikely simply because rollercoasters are simply not what people are looking for from Disney, especially from Hollywood Studios.
However, if Disney are thinking about replacing Fantasmic with something new it would make sense to have it rival the awesome Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey attraction at Islands of Adventure. Further rumours suggest that it could be a Monsters Inc. attraction but this doesn’t make any sense either Disney already have the laugh floor in the Magic Kingdom.
So What In Disney Is Going On?
The best piece of advice I can give anyone who is wondering what Disney’s intentions are with Fantasmic is to wait it out and keep an eye on the official Disney blog as they will be the first to announce something. Of course as soon as something official has been announced I will also make sure I post it on here too.
If you have any further thoughts on the future of the attraction then post them in the comments as I would be really interested to read them.
No More Fantasmic! Shows Beyond January 2012?
Fantasmic is one of the best shows at Walt Disney World and my personal favourite too so when I was looking through the January 2012 schedules for WDW (they have just been released) I was pretty shocked to see that Fantasmic hasn’t got any show times at all! What does this mean for the future of the attraction, is it over, will it simply be going into refurbishment or are Disney just behind on updating some of their shows. Let’s take a look at the likelihood of each of these three outcomes.
The Show Closes For Good In 2012
This is extremely unlikely simply because on the nights that Fantasmic is showing you will find that nine times out of ten there are two shows on and both of these shows are full sometimes hours before the show is even set to begin! Even if it isn’t the best seated show in WDW (which I am sure it is) it is certainly the most popular at Hollywood Studios meaning Disney would be very stupid to put an end to it! If they did I and everyone who has ever been to Disney with me will be extremtly disappointed. It would be very hard for Disney to replace such a great show.
Fantasmic! Is Receiving Refurbishment
Out of the three options this is going to be the most likely simply because January is a time where Disney World is completely out of any of it’s peak seasons so it would make a lot of sense to refurbish such a popular show at this time. However is there really a lot that Disney could do with the show shut? It is only on a few times a week at most and is a nighttime event that is closed off from public sight during the day, surely they could do what they needed to do during this time? The only thing I can think of is if they are putting brand new seating into the amphitheater as it would certainly have to shut for this.
Disney Are Behind On Scheduling
Out of the three possible outcomes I actually think that sadly this is the least likely. If Disney have announced the complete schedule for January 2012 then it does seem very strange that they have missed out performances of one of their biggest shows, however it wouldn’t be the first time that Disney have purposely left out something to keep the fans guessing.
I really hope that January 4th 2012 isn’t the last ever performance of Fantasmic! because if I had known this I might have shed a few extra tears when I last saw the show in May.
What are your thoughts on this?
Star Wars Weekends June 10-12 2011- What Is Going On?
Luckily I was over in Hollywood Studios this year for the first Star Wars Weekend of the year and the opening ceremony of Star Tours 3D but the weekends are still going on right now and if you are going to be in Disney World and more importantly, Hollywood Studios, over the weekend then here are some of the things that you might want to do this weekend.
Celebrity Autograph Sessions
If you want to meet some of the Star Wars stars from all across the movies, television shows and more, then Star Wars Weekends is where you want to be. Be warned though, the queues to get autographs are crazy, when I was out there some of the people out there were waiting until 3am just so they could secure a FastPass to get to see their favourite star.
On the weekend of June 10-12 my favourite, Ashley Eckstein will still be there (the voice of Ahsoka Tano) along with other famous stars including James Arnold Taylor (voice of Obi-Wan), Ray Park (played Darth Maul in Episode I), Peter Mayhew (famous for playing Chewbacca) and of course Tom Kane (the voice of Yoda only in the Clone Wars).
Celebrity Shows
You will also find that the above celebrities will be hosting in depth shows taking a look at their own characters or a certain aspect of the Star Wars Universe. Shows for this weekend are as followed:
Behind The Force
Join host Ashley Eckstein in Clone Wars: Behind The Force which takes an in depth look behind the scenes of the award winning Clone Wars animated series.
Visit To The Maul- Starring Ray Park
Experience a master class from the action film icon, Ray Park
Obi-Wan And Beyond- Starring James Arnold Taylor And A Galaxy Of Voices
During this show James will perform over 150 difference voices, most of which from the Star Wars Franchise, do you think you will be able to guess them all?
Of The Saga- Star Wars Celebrity Talk Show
This stars Peter Mayhew and James Arnold Taylor as they take you through a fascinating movie making adventure.
Shopping/ Character Greeting
No Star Wars weekend would be the same without meeting your favourite characters and you can do this in a number of locations across the park. There will be characters from both the light and dark side of the force and bear in mind that the waiting times for these may be up to 30 minutes.
On top of this you will find that a temporary shop entitled Jabba’s Hutt has been setup and let me tell you this, the queue is a long one to just get inside but is well worth it as the store is packed with Star Wars goodies for old and new fans alike!
Star Wars Hoopla
Of course no Star Wars weekend could possibly even be a Star Wars weekend without the Hyperspace Hoopla! This year it is all based around classic rock and can be viewed on the new stage. Here it is just because it is awesome!
As you can see, there is a lot to do this weekend, remember it is going to be busy and remember, the force is with you!
Star Tours 3D Opening Ceremony
Friday the 20th was a big day for Hollywood Studios in Disney World, Florida as it marked the opening of the brand new Star Tours ride. If you have never been to an opening ceremony of a ride in Florida before (I hadn’t before this) then it is something well worth attending. In fact I booked the trip partly so I could see just what an opening to a ride was like (even better was the fact it was from one of my favourite things in the world, Star Wars).
So what happened on the day and was it worth a wait in the heat and the thousands of people also waiting to see exactly what Disney had planned?
The Wait
In order to celebrate the fact that the ride was opening and indeed the fact that Friday was the first day of the first weekend of the famous Star Wars Weekends, Disney opening the park at 6am! This is something that hardly anyone knew about and when we arrived at 7.20 we managed to get right to the front of the small queue that had started outside of the Sorcerers Hat stage. I had actually assumed that the day’s events were going to start at 8am but after talking to a couple of other fans it was all going to kick off at roughly 10.15, this meant we had to stay out in the open in the Floridian heat for just under 3 hours!!!
You would have thought that the time would tick by really slowly, especially when my girlfriend somehow managed to full asleep on the curb but because everyone waiting around me were in good moods and all loved Star Wars it meant that the conversations kept me going until the time came. One of the guys even had a wife that was playing one of the Stormtroopers!
The Parade
Before the opening ceremony came the Star Wars parade that took many of the most loved Star Wars characters to the stage where they waited for the event to kick off. Here are just some of the pictures that I took up close of these guys, as you can see, I was very close indeed considering the thousands of people that were there with me!
The Ceremony
There were a few unexpected surprised with the opening with Darth Vader coming in and shutting down Star Tours before it had even re-opened! This ended with two Jedi’s battling their way through Stormtroopers and entering the stage turning out to be none other than Bob Igor, President of Disney and George Lucas himself!!!
As you can see by the below video, it was awesome!!!
This was well worth the wait and something I would do for every major opening for a ride in future, it has to be one of the best Disney experiences I have ever had!
Star Tours II Poster Goes Up Outside Of The Ride
With the opening of Star Tours II just a couple of weeks away now (have I mentioned I will be there for the opening?) it would seem that Disney are putting together final preparations for the ride and this includes putting the brand new poster at the front of the ride.
As you can see the poster takes from both new and old with a lot of focus on the older movie posters of the first trilogy. I really cannot wait to ride this and see what Disney have done to make this ride seem new again.
I am almost certain it is going to be my new favourite ride but will it beat other popular attractions at Hollywood Studios like TOT and Rock n Roller Coaster? You can bet money on it doing just that at least for the first few months!
Tatooine Traders Is Closing For Two Weeks In April
In case you are unaware of the fantastic store that is Tatooine Traders it is the store just outside of the Star Tours ride (the one you walk into after the ride) and it looks like it is set to close for a couple of weeks in April.
The Star Tours II opening date is set to be 20th May (I will be there for it!) and it makes sense to not only have the ride refurbished but also the store that people walk into. What can really be done in two weeks though?
Whilst there hasn’t been any official word from Disney here are the possibilities.
Stock Change
Whilst I don’t see much changing on the inside there could be an overhaul of the stock that is sold here in time for the new ride. Don’t forget Star Tours II is set between prequel movies and the older films so better stock from both movies could be featuring in the store. I have always found the store to be a bit lacking in terms of merchandise, perhaps there will also be more stock from the Clone Wars also?
A Simple Paint Job
The fact is that I doubt anything has been worked on in this store since the ride’s opening a good few years ago. It makes sense to close the store for a couple of weeks even if it is just a painting. If they don’t close it there is bound to be someone that ends up complaining due to paint fumes or something ridiculous like this.
No Longer Tatooine Traders?
The last possibility is perhaps one that I am hoping for the most and it involves the store being completely re-skinned into something brand new. I am a massive fan of the older movies and hope they keep it to something from the original movies but walking around the store now it just seems a bit dated.
What do you think will happen to Tatooine Traders in April 2011?
New Disney Juniors Show To Debut In March 2011
In terms of really young kids at the parks you are pretty much restricted to Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom right? Well yes and no because a lot of people will not realise that most of the shows at Disney World are more than suited for the really young kids from Lion King to Finding Nemo the musical. With all of this in mind Disney are bringing in a new show to Hollywood Studios.
Disney Junior Live On Stage
This is the next show planned to replace the old Playhouse Disney show and is set to include new characters from the new television series Jake and the Neverland Pirates as well as including old favourites from the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Handy Manny.
So although this is by far a big step towards looking after the really young kids at Disney make sure you do not forget that the new Fantasyland is on the way and this is going to be aimed at everyone in the family!
