Tidbits
January 2011






A Memorable Show?

1/15/11 The previously announced new nighttime Castle Show will begin performances next week at the Magic Kingdom. Starting January 19th, “The Magic, The Memories and You!” will feature an original musical score and display up to 500 Disney PhotoPass images. The 10-minute show will begin 20 minutes prior to the start of Wishes

A Pixie Place

1/15/11 Tinker Bell is slated to arrive at Disney’s Hollywood Studios next month. Starting February 15th, a new Tinker Bell Meet & Greet location is scheduled to open in the queue area of the Magic of Disney Animation building. This Meet & Greet location was last used for Lilo & Stitch in 2002.

Market Replacement

1/15/11 Construction is slated to begin on the LEGO Imagnation Center at Downtown Disney later this month. The current location is scheduled to close for renovations January 24, 2011. During the closure, a temporary location will operate in the Downtown Disney Marketplace near the Once Upon A Toy location.

12/27/10Three Downtown Disney Marketplace retail locations are slated to close in the New Year, two permanently and one temporarily. Summer Sands, Pooh Corner, and Mickey’s Mart are slated to close January 15, 2011. After renovations to the building, new LittleMissMatched and Mickey’s Mart locations will open in Spring 2011. The LittleMissMatched Downtown Disney Westside location is planned to close and transfer operations to the new Marketplace location.

A Retro Return

1/15/11 Two of Walt Disney’s oldest cartoon characters are slated to begin making appearances at Walt Disney World. Character Cast are reporting that Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Peg-Leg Pete are tentatively scheduled to begin Meet & Greet appearances later this year. Pete appeared as an antagonist in several Oswald cartoons prior to becoming an adversary in the early Mickey Mouse cartoons. Due to the historical connection, the two may appear together.

A View to a Crane

1/8/11 Magic Kingdom Cast have reported that a crane is scheduled to be on-site near Cinderella Castle January 9 – 17, 2011. The crane will be used to remove the Dreamlights and may be visible during some operational hours.

House of Changes

1/8/11 Fulton’s Crab House in Downtown Disney Pleasure Island has recently completed a set of renovations. The lobby area and the individual dining rooms have all been renovated and feature new interior designs. Some of the new additions include a map showing the origins of the seafood the restaurant serves and a new seafood display case.

Speedway Slowdown

1/8/11 Attraction Cast have reported that the Tommorowland Speedway is slated to be operating at reduced capacity, intermittently, from Mid February through Spring 2011. Due to the proximity of the attraction to the Toontown Fair construction site, the lanes nearest the construction zone will likely be closed during times of construction near the area berm. During this time period, Guests should expect potentially longer than normal queue times for the speedway attraction.

Tides of Change

1/8/11 Demolition work has begun at Pleasure Island as part of transforming the area into Hyperion Wharf. Currently, the building that housed the former Motion Dance Club is being razed.

Merchanversary

1/2/11 More 40th Anniversary merchandise is rolling out onto shelves across the Walt Disney World resort. New Walt Disney World 40th Anniversary editions of picture frames, mugs, reversible laptop covers, packaged candies, shot glasses, travel mugs, and snow globes have been released.

11/19/10 Guests wanting to grab garb to celebrate Walt Disney World’s 40th Anniversary won’t have to wait till next year. 40th Anniversary clothing has already been spotted on racks around the Walt Disney World resort. A number of collectible items, including pins and Vinylmations, have been announced to have special 40th Anniversary editions released next year.

Parading Changes

1/2/11 During the parade black-out at Disney’s Hollywood Studios from January 2nd - 15th, 2011; several adjustments will be made to the park’s entertainment line-up. During this period Disney Channel Rocks is planned to be performed 6 times daily at 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm, 3:00 pm and 4:00 pm. Also during this period, character appearances will be enhanced at the Picture Shootin' Corral and Scarefloor Meet & Greet locations. Woody and Buzzlightyear are planned to appear together from 10:00 am till 2:00 pm and 2:40 pm till 7:30 pm or 9:30 am till 2:00 pm and 2:40 pm till 7:00 pm. Mike and Sully are planned to appear together from 11:00 am till 3:00 pm and 3:40 pm till 6:15 pm. Entertainment schedules can vary from the planned times, so Guests should check the Time & Events Guide at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the day-of, for specific entertainment times.

SnackMark

12/27/10 The Walt Disney World resort has rolled-out a new Disney branded snack series over the past few weeks. Chip selections have been replaced with a new Disney-branded line at snack carts and counter service locations. The line features silhouettes of Donald, Pluto, Mickey or Goofy on the package and come in Kettle Cooked Potato Chip, Kettle Cooked BBQ Potato Chip, Baked Cheese Curl, and Nacho Tortilla Chip varieties. At in-park snack carts, the items are priced at $3 each.