MousePlanetWatch Disney News

MouseStation 126 – MousePlanetWatch news

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Walt Disney World News

• In news that didn’t make it into the Update, Walt Disney World is testing
  a Nintendo
  DS-based interactive park guide called Disney Magic Connection. No word
  yet on when it might be rolled out to the general public, or whether it
  might be rolled out in a form factor that will allow guests to get it as
  a cartridge to run in their own DS.
• In conjunction with with nationally syndicated radio personality Steve
  Harvey, Walt Disney World hosted its first-ever Disney’s Dreamers Academy
  this past weekend. You can check out some of the events through daily
  Web videos.
• Last week, we told you about the new Toy Story ? The Musical coming this
  April to the Disney Wonder. Disney has provided us with some behind-the-scenes
  video from rehearsals. Check it out:
  
• Registration is now open for the 2009 Walt Disney World Marathon, Half
  Marathon and Goofy’s Race-and-a-Half Challenge. If you’re interested in
  the Goofy, though, you’d better act fast. A note on the registration
  page notes that the event is already 65 percent sold out. You should
  have plenty of time to register for the marathon
  and half-marathon
  individually, though. Meanwhile, for a look back at the 2008 Marathon, check
  out the recap video put out by Walt Disney World:
  
• MousePad poster Mousellaneous found out about a planned
  renovation for the Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground.

• Disney has launched their Walt Disney World Moms Panel, an attempt to
  have “official” folks answering questions from trip planners on the Walt
  Disney World web site. Of course, there’s also a lot of great information
  to be gleaned from elsewhere on the Internet, and we highly recommend
  the knowledgeable and helpful members of our MousePad
  discussion forum community.

• This week’s construction
  update includes more work on Mickey Avenues at Disney’s Hollywood Studios,
  a walkway replacement project at the Contemporary’s South Garden Wing and
  more work at the Kilimanjaro Safaris load area 3.
• Quick Takes:
  • There have been intermittent problems with the system integration
    between Disney’s Magical Express Resort Check-in and US Airways, preventing
    remote check-in.
  • The refundable deposit for locker rentals in the theme parks has increased
    150 percent.
  • The cost for a round of miniature golf has also gone up.
  • Those alternative-fuel cars at the Tomorrowland Indy Speedway are
    apparently in cast-only testing.
  • Spaceship Earth’s entry on the refurbishment calendar currently lists
    it as open, with a closure for refurbishment from February 9?14..
  • WDWCelebrations.com has now officially launched. These are the folks
    that put on the Celebration 25 Epcot anniversary event in October.
  • The featured speaker at the February 23 meeting of the NFFC’s World
    Chapter will be Pat Williams.

This and other news can be found in this week’s Walt
Disney World Park Update.

Disneyland News

• MouseAdventure
  registration opens January 29. There will be three levels of play this time
  around.
• Disneyland has changed the days on which Magic Mornings (previously Early
  Entry) is offered.
• A private party for the employees of search engine Google will take place
  inside Disneyland on February 5. In addition to the private party, Google
  employees will likely be at the resort February 4, 5 and 6.
• We have a first-hand
  account of the new Dream Time prize in the Year of a Million Dreams.
• The floral Mickey in front of the train station has received an extreme
  makeover.
• Other stuff:
  • Several new short refurbishments recently been added to the schedule.
  • The former Sierra Tower of the Disneyland Hotel sports a new name.
  • The 2008 Annual Passholder Dining
    Pin series begins with the release of a Lady and the Tramp pin on
    January 27.

This and other news can be found in this week’s Disneyland
Park Update.

The Walt Disney Company News

• Bloomberg News is reporting
  that Disney may increase its stake in Hong Kong Disneyland.
• Reports
  say that actor Kamal Haasan will direct Marma Yogi, meaning Mysterious
  Saint, in India for Disney.
• Disney has signed an IPTV
  deal with BT Vision.
• Disney Mobile launches
  March 1 in Japan.
• Tony Scott, Disney’s Chief Information Officer has
  left to take the same position with Microsoft.
• Apple has premiered iTunes
  movie rentals with all major studios.
• The leads from Broadway’s Mary Poppins will
  perform at the World of Disney next Thursday.
• The Disney Channel’s upcoming “Phineas and Ferb” series appears
  to be a haven for old
  stars of the cult classic “The Rocky Horror Picture Show.”
• The Directors Guild of America has quickly reached a new
  tentative contract with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television
  Producers, which will only put more pressure on the striking Writers
  Guild of America.
• The debut of Stage 9, an online-only production unit at Disney, has
  been delayed indefinitely.
• Penelope Cruz is the latest name to sign on for Jerry
  Bruckheimer’s “G-Force.”
• Everlife will be the special
  guest for the final six shows on the Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus concert
  tour.
• Disney has now finally signed
  all six leads for High School Musical 3, to start filming in April.
• Zac Efron had an emergency
  appendectomy last Tuesday.
• RottenTomatoes.com has rated Ratatouille as the best-reviewed
  movie in wide-release in 2007. Other Disney movies were also genre winners.
• Miramax-coproduced films did extremely well in the Oscar
  nominations, while Disney productions barely enjoyed mild success.
• National Treasure dropped to number 5 at the box
  office this week for the four-day weekend..

Administrative stuff

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