News Round Up

[rteetz]

STK steakhouse rendering released

http://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/...k-at-disney-springs-newest-steak.html?ana=twt

http://m.wdwmagic.com/dining/stk-or...-coming-to-disney-springs-later-this-year.htm

 

[rteetz]

Disney infinity 3.0 preview now open at DHS

http://m.wdwmagic.com/events/star-w...ea-now-open-at-disney's-hollywood-studios.htm

 

[rteetz]

New soarin queue coming

http://www.orlandoparksnews.com/2015/06/soarin-expansion-update-work-on-new.html

 

[circus4u]

From Walt Disney Animation Studios comes an extraordinary new collection of award-winning and beloved short films featuring

• Frozen Fever (2015) – Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, Peter Del Vecho, Aimee Scribner

• Feast (2014) – Academy Award® Winner, Patrick Osborne, Kristina Reed

• Get A Horse! (2013) – Academy Award® Nominated, Dorothy McKim, Eric Goldberg, Adam Green

• Paperman (2012) – Academy Award® Winner, Kristina Reed, John Kahr

• Tangled Ever After (2012) – Nathan Greno, Aimee Scribner, Mark Kennedy

• The Ballad of Nessie (2011) – Kevin Deters, Stevie Wermers-Skelton, Dorothy McKim

• Tick Tock Tale (2010) – Dean Wellins

• Prep & Landing: Operation Secret Santa (2010) – Kevin Deters, Stevie Wermers-Skelton, Dorothy McKim

• How to Hook Up Your Home Theater (2007) – Kevin Deters, Stevie Wermers-Skelton, Ian Gooding

• The Little Matchgirl (2006) – Academy Award® Nominated, Dave Bossert, Tom MacDougall

• Lorenzo (2004) – Academy Award® Nominated, Mike Gabriel

• John Henry (2000) – Mark Henn

http://www.stitchkingdom.com/disney-shorts-collection-75515/

 

[circus4u]

New Clip Released For PIXAR’s “Inside Out”
http://wdwnt.com/blog/2015/06/video-new-clip-released-for-pixars-inside-out/

 

[circus4u]

Does C3PO Have A Red Arm In “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”?
http://wdwnt.com/blog/2015/06/does-c3po-have-a-red-arm-in-star-wars-the-force-awakens/

 

[KYMickey]

Does C3PO Have A Red Arm In “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”?
http://wdwnt.com/blog/2015/06/does-c3po-have-a-red-arm-in-star-wars-the-force-awakens/

It just got rusty after sitting around so long! A little Brasso polish and it will be as good as new.

 

[ThurlFan]

Does C3PO Have A Red Arm In “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”?

If so, that is brilliant merchandising. I mean, what Star Wars fan doesn't already have a C3PO? But all of them will need to go out and get at least one red-armed C3PO!

Kind of like how sports teams these days seem to have about a dozen 'alternate' or throwback jerseys in the course of a season...

 

[Alice Royal]

Does C3PO Have A Red Arm In “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”?
http://wdwnt.com/blog/2015/06/does-c3po-have-a-red-arm-in-star-wars-the-force-awakens/

Or maybe this is simply knockoff merchandise using an image snatched from the Internet...

 

[rteetz]

Spirit has now said that two more DHS attractions will close before the holidays this year. Rumors have been back that LMA is closing no word on what else could close.

 

[Lee Matthews]

Certainly wont miss LMA

 

[cel_disney]

Certainly wont miss LMA

Aw - we will! This is a great attraction/show for our family - it's been one of my sons favorites seen every year since he was 3 (so 5 times now). He doesn't mind that it's rarely changed - and liked the herbie version just as much as the cars2 version.,,,it's far better than beauty and the beast, little mermaid, Indy, or F! For his age group/gender I think - he has seen all of those shows but never asks to see a princess anything and Indy isn't a movie he knows yet (probably soon though! Just in time for it to leave too!). My daughter (almost 5) also appreciates it so the entire family can enjoy!

 

[Fantasia79]

Ok, I give up, what's LMA?

 

[rteetz]

Ok, I give up, what's LMA?

Lights motors action at DHS

 

[Josh Hendy]

Len Testa on the WDW Today podcast cited an unnamed source which told him, "BTW the latest project to build a Star Wars land in DHS is completely dead." To paraphrase him from memory, a couple of years ago a proposal was made and taken to the board of directors, who did not approve it. [I think this was the one whose concept art was leaked showing a diving-type coaster and which was rumored to include a Forest of Endor speeder-simulator race.]

Well another proposal was made more recently, and again the board of directors said, "No". Supposedly it was turned down because it wasn't ambitious enough. That may sound like good news ... hey, we're going to get an even bigger Star Wars land! But what it actually means is that the imagineers go back to the drawing board and they couldn't possibly come up with another detailed proposal before sometime 2016. Even if it was approved and funded immediately, according to Len, construction couldn't begin until 2016 therefore, and given Disney's history of developing new lands extremely slowly (Fantasy Land, Avatar Land), you won't be riding anything new until maybe 2022 or 2023.

For Len, an "unnamed source" usually means Jim Hill ... which you can take FWIW. But this lines up with everything else that we've been hearing. All kinds of people are talking as if Star Wars land is practically a done deal, but officially there is nothing happening whatsoever ... except "extreme deliberation".

I would say that the situation isn't hopeless ... if they really want a new land in a hurry, say because of a worrying trend in market share or advance bookings, all they have to do is allocate the capital and they could get a new land as fast as you can say "Diagon Alley". Meaning about 2 years after they (hypothetically) greenlight the new proposal in 2016. Or maybe it could happen even sooner, if the imagineers are keeping most elements of their existing proposal(s) and simply adding to them (probably adding more retail space ... C-3PO's getting a new arm you know)

 

[101disneyfan]

Jim Hill recently tweeted that the Board of Directors shut down the most recent version of Star Wars Land replacing Echo Lake due to the price tag of it being half a billion dollars worth of atmospheric theming before the rides. I will be back with the link.

Here it is!
https://mobile.twitter.com/JimHillMedia/status/596327282698014720

 

[Josh Hendy]

Thanks for the link.

If redwoods figured prominently in the cancelled concept then I suppose that one of the featured rides would have been an Endor based thing where you're either sitting on a speeder looking at simulator video screens, or else a hybrid dark ride zipping around among some combination of solid and video-based "trees". Either way, that doesn't do it for me.

So now what? The beloved episodes IV to VI don't give too much choice in the way of environments that could be practically emulated in a Star Wars land. Endor and Tatooine. I rule out the ice planet.

Mos Eisley would be simpler to do and could have interesting details, and the Cantina is a slam dunk. Of course the ridiculous "circus comes to town" overlay of Mos Eisley in the special edition would have to be ignored. I'm going to insist that a state of the art Tatooine coaster be built, along the lines of Cheetah Chase but longer and with better theming. Go through the canyon past Ben Kenobi's cave and then shoot right into the ramp of the Jawa sandcrawler, circle around the moisture farm and finally return to the used speeder dealer's lot. Q.E.D.

Indoor environments could include Cloud City or Death Star. I think Death Star is better. It has very cool architecture and lighting. You could make a sort of indoor mall and food court for Star Wars fans, on the scale of Sunshine Seasons at Epcot. Even (dare I say) a Death Star canteen featuring Penne a al Arribiata on blue trays.

Given the limitations and choices, I would go for a (1) Tatooine themed area with a state-of-the-art coaster and (2) a Cantina, plus (3) Death Star mall and food court, leading to (4) a dark ride with an advanced omnimover or other sophisticated vehicle presenting really superb reproductions of SW interior sets such as the Death Star vertical shaft, Bespin carbon chamber, Hoth ice cave, Dagobah swamp, etc. Sort of a Little Mermaid meets Mine Train, but significantly longer with more sets and with generous detail to promote repeatability. I would consider anything shorter than Splash Mountain to be insufficient. And of course, (5) Star Tours and Jedi training.

If I do say, that's a pretty good Star Wars land. It would give you maximum fun, maximum capacity, sufficient retail and dining, and not too much wasted on elaborate atmosphere.

 

[wareagle57]

Jim Hill recently tweeted that the Board of Directors shut down the most recent version of Star Wars Land replacing Echo Lake due to the price tag of it being half a billion dollars worth of atmospheric theming before the rides. I will be back with the link.

Here it is!
https://mobile.twitter.com/JimHillMedia/status/596327282698014720

Well that's infuriating if true. I guess I can officially give up hope for Disney every trying to do anything anywhere nearly as impressive as Universal did with WWOHP.

 

[rteetz]

Len Testa on the WDW Today podcast cited an unnamed source which told him, "BTW the latest project to build a Star Wars land in DHS is completely dead." To paraphrase him from memory, a couple of years ago a proposal was made and taken to the board of directors, who did not approve it. [I think this was the one whose concept art was leaked showing a diving-type coaster and which was rumored to include a Forest of Endor speeder-simulator race.]

Well another proposal was made more recently, and again the board of directors said, "No". Supposedly it was turned down because it wasn't ambitious enough. That may sound like good news ... hey, we're going to get an even bigger Star Wars land! But what it actually means is that the imagineers go back to the drawing board and they couldn't possibly come up with another detailed proposal before sometime 2016. Even if it was approved and funded immediately, according to Len, construction couldn't begin until 2016 therefore, and given Disney's history of developing new lands extremely slowly (Fantasy Land, Avatar Land), you won't be riding anything new until maybe 2022 or 2023.

For Len, an "unnamed source" usually means Jim Hill ... which you can take FWIW. But this lines up with everything else that we've been hearing. All kinds of people are talking as if Star Wars land is practically a done deal, but officially there is nothing happening whatsoever ... except "extreme deliberation".

I would say that the situation isn't hopeless ... if they really want a new land in a hurry, say because of a worrying trend in market share or advance bookings, all they have to do is allocate the capital and they could get a new land as fast as you can say "Diagon Alley". Meaning about 2 years after they (hypothetically) greenlight the new proposal in 2016. Or maybe it could happen even sooner, if the imagineers are keeping most elements of their existing proposal(s) and simply adding to them (probably adding more retail space ... C-3PO's getting a new arm you know)

I don't believe its been canned indefinitely but again like you said put on hold until a good enough plan comes along. Lens main source is Jim Hill and that info is pretty much what he has said recently. Other sources say disney will open this in 2021 and coin it as their big thing for the 50th.m

 

[rteetz]

Well that's infuriating if true. I guess I can officially give up hope for Disney every trying to do anything anywhere nearly as impressive as Universal did with WWOHP.

I wouldn't have hoped for much under current management and knowing how they operate.