MouseStation 138 – MousePlanetWatch news
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Walt Disney World News
- Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be getting
a new attraction later this year, based on the hit reality/game show
“American Idol.” - The Treehouse Villas will be upgraded and replaced, thanks to a new design
that reduces the footprint on the 100-year flood plain while expanding the
upstairs square footage. You can see the application to the South Florida
Water Management District here.
Images of the villa profile and floor plan taken from the application are
in the Park Update. A color-enhanced
image of the floor plan that makes it easier to see the outlines of the
individual rooms can be found at DVCNews.com. - The 20 finalists for the Dream CMO contest have been notified, and at
least two MousePlanet readers have made the cut! Check out the videos from
Justin
M and DisneyDD2.
And if you’ve also made the cut, please let
us know! - So what’s the deal with the “Walt Disney World Tickets” link in the left-hand
column under the navigation bar? Now that the deal is set, we can tell you
that MousePlanet has a new partnership with Orlando
Fun Tickets, the premier discount ticket broker in the Orlando area.
We’ve turned down other offers in the past because we didn’t feel comfortable
with the other brokers that approached us. Orlando Fun Tickets sells over
700,000 tickets each year. And right now, they’re running a limited-time
special offer where you can buy a three-day Park Hopper and get automatically
upgraded to a five-day Park Hopper for free! - A new exhibit called “StormStruck: The Tale of Two Homes” is
coming to Innoventions later
this year that will put guests into the middle of a hurricane to see the
effects of the storm on houses and what technologies now exist to minimize
the damages. - On April 27, Mark will be walking to raise money for the March of Dimes
again. The March of Dimes mission is to improve the health of babies by
preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. Last year,
through the generosity of friends, family, co-workers and MousePlanet readers,
we managed to raise $4,025. This year, let’s beat that. Let’s see if we
can raise $5,000. For more information, or to donate, go
here. - This week’s construction
update includes a major refurbishment for Cinderella’s Golden Carousel,
a nearly complete redo of the restrooms near Pinocchio Village Haus, upgrades
to the Illuminations: Reflections of Earth laser booths and spotter locations,
major work at the Pocahontas and her Forest Friends stage, installation
of accessibility facilities at the Polynesian’s feature pool, installation
of a flue for a pottery kiln at the BoardWalk Resort, replacement of the
kitchen floor at the Yachtsman Steakhouse and much, much more. - Quick Takes:
- We’ve heard that the Contemporary Resort has discontinued the use
of refillable mugs for sale to the general public. The report said that
the mugs are now being restricted to those on the Deluxe, Premium and
Platinum Disney Dining Plans, which include free mugs for everyone on
the plan. - A rumor that won’t go away says that Space Mountain is up for an 18-month,
$30 million refurbishment starting in May. The Jungle Cruise reportedly
would get a $13 million makeover. The fifth theme park rumor is gaining
traction again, too. - Check out this New
York Times article about the design and construction of Toy Story
Mania. While it’s focused on the version at Disney’s California Adventure,
it’s still a good read and a lot of the information is likely still
valid for the East Coast edition of the attraction. (Make sure you check
out the time-lapse video of the ride construction.)
- We’ve heard that the Contemporary Resort has discontinued the use
This and other news can be found in this week’s Walt
Disney World Park Update.
Disneyland News
- Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning missed
his appearance at Disneyland due to weather delays. When he finally
does make good on his Super Bowl commercial, it
may well be with a trip to Walt Disney World. - The “Year of the Mouse” photo
location with Mickey and Minnie in Town Square has proved extremely
popular. - Since the Google staff trip to Disneyland turned out to be a non-event
in terms of effect on crowd levels, we offer a list of the Top
10 Signs that Google has visited the Disneyland Resort. - Monsters, Inc.: Mike and Sully to the Rescue reopened
a week early. - Merchandise in the various Frontierland stores has been shifted around.
Meanwhile, new “Art on Demand” kiosks have been installed in both Disneyana
in Disneyland and Off the Page in DCA. - Tucked in a rather unflattering portrait of the current state of Disney’s
California Adventure in the New York Times last week was a preview of the
upcoming $80 million Toy Story Mania attraction, including an under-construction
photo of a brand-new Mr. Potato Head Audio-Animatronic figure (link). - Other stuff:
- Senior Vice President of Operations Greg Emmer retired last Friday,
February 8. To commemorate his 40-year career with Disney, Emmer will
be honored with a Main Street window. - Anaheim GardenWalk’s 14-screen cinema, to be operated by The Movie
Experience, will feature a 21-and-over lounge serving alcoholic beverages,
according to a principal in the project and reported by the Orange County
Register (link). - Monday was the last chance to see the current version of the Playhouse
Disney show at Disney’s California Adventure. - There is still room for first-time teams to register for the inaugural
MouseAdventure
101 division, designed exclusively for new teams and players (returning
teams should not register for this division). - A Disneyland Dream Time event has been scheduled for today. Happy
Valentine’s Day!
- Senior Vice President of Operations Greg Emmer retired last Friday,
This and other news can be found in this week’s Disneyland
Park Update.
The Walt Disney Company News
- Disney has apparently agreed to buy 20 percent of a Spanish Internet television
network, according a story in Forbes
magazine. - Disney has
launched the Touchstone label for the release of “Turok,” which features
lots of weapons, fights and lots of blood and gore. - Ratatouille won 10 Annie
Awards. - The Writers Guild has adreed not to strike while they conduct
a ratification vote on the proposed new contract that Disey CEO Bob
Iger was instrumental in bringing to a close. - After winning the top prize with the Directors Guild, Producers Guild
and Screen Actors Guild, Miramax’s “No Country for Old Men” won the best
adapted screenplay at the Writers Guild awards. - The Hannah Monana movie pushed its own total while dropping from number
1 to number 3 in this week’s box
office totals.
Administrative stuff
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or by calling our toll-free feedback line at 1-866-939-2278. Don’t forget
that we love voicemails because then we can put your voice on the show!
Wrapping up
On April 27, Mark will be walking to raise money for the March of Dimes for
the third time. Please consider supporting him. The March of Dimes mission
is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature
birth, and infant mortality.
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Thanks to our West Coast correspondent Andrew Rich, and audio engineer and
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