Hyperion Wharf ??

After closing Pleasure Island's clubs, demolishing Motion and the Rock & Roll Beach Club, everything stopped.

It was announced that changes were being made to the changes - and now there is Nothing, zero, zip, nada going on. 

Hopefully some of the new changes will include NOT demolishing the Adventurers' Club and/or Comedy Warehouse!!  Maybe Mannequins, too!

Because not only kids come to WDW and sometimes adults need entertainment/something to do, too. 
   

Save the Adventurers Club

Confession # 19: I Love Dug

Pluto has long held the position of my favorite Disney character. He never spoke - except for two brief words *Trivia alert*, so he had to rely on a multitude of facial expressions and body language. 

But now I must confess: Dug the dog (from "UP") has equalled Pluto's place in my affections.

Who could resist those eyes! That nose. The voice. ("I have just met you and I Laaahve you!"

 The making of Dug the Dog

Meet Dug

*Trivia: the two words spoken by Pluto: "Kiss me"

Confession # 18: J.R. Martinez

 J.R. Martinez , Army veteran, soap star, and Dancing champ, recently visited Universal Studios' Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

Photo:  Orlando Sentinel

I'm not generally impressed by celebrity, but I do think J.R. is a special guy.
I do wish I had been there that day to shake J.R.'s hand and thank him for his service to our country.

'Bye Little Red

WDW has announced a change coming to the Kilimanjaro Safari at DAK.

The 'poacher' storyline will be changed with no more Little Red (baby elephant animatronic).

More live animals - the zebras return (yay!) - on a new savannah space (with watering hole) will take its place.

The refurbishment will begin this spring.

The attraction will remain operating.

Good! I never much liked the whole "catch the poacher" storyline.

Real Life Disney: Royalty

This is just uncanny!!

Disney World 2012

2012 Major Disney World Events

March 7-May 20

9th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

Flower Power concerts!!

May

a partial (phased) opening of the new value resort, Art of Animation

May 18-20  &  May 25-27

June 1-3  &  June 8-10         

Star Wars Weekends 

 May the Force be with us!

Sept 28-Nov 11

17th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

International food kiosks!        

             Eat to the Beat concerts!!

September - November

Mickey's Not-so-Scary Halloween Party

Boo to You  ...  and you !!

October 1st

Epcot's 30th anniversary 

November-December

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party

aaaaaaand ...

the (phased) opening of the new expanded (almost doubled)

Fantasyland

Be Our Guest!

a new Test Track experience

Splitsville

(a 50,000 sq ft upscale bowling alley/entertainment center)

Sounds Great!

....  But  .....

whatever happened to Hyperion Wharf  ??

The Disney Holiday Spirit

Disney really gets into the Holiday Spirit:

Disneyland: Downtown Disney Holiday Trees to be Donated to  Local Military Families

 In less than two weeks, the joy of the holiday season will come in the form of a fully decorated tree to 17 local military families from the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit!

Disney Cast Members send postcards to U.S.Troops
 

 Founded by a Disneyland Resort cast member in 1995, Operation Uplift was inspired by a letter from a soldier serving in Operation Desert Storm. That note said the troops didn’t receive much mail, but when they did, it meant the world to them because they knew people back home cared.

Since that time, Disney VoluntEARS around the country have sent more than 90,000 postcards of support and thanks to servicemen and servicewomen serving domestically and overseas.

Disney VoluntEARS donate 30000 toys to Toys For Tots

Mickey Mouse and Disney VoluntEARS began to deliver a collection of more than 30,000 new toys to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Central Florida Toys for Tots headquarters. Gunnery Sergeant Jose Rodriguez tells me that the sizable donation is the largest received to date and will help make the holiday season brighter for more than 20,000 children in Orange and Seminole counties

Thank you, Disney, Disney Cast Members, U.S. Marines, and the writers at Disney Blog!

CWHS @ DHS *

Comedy Warehouse Holiday Special

 

So does this indicate a possible change at the Studios:

     no more Drew Carey's Sounds Dangerous ??

 

Or .... even better, a reopening of the Comedy Warehouse at DTD ? 

Star Tours 2011

Finally had a ride on the improved "Star Tours" attraction over at the Studios.


The wait time was shown as 5 minutes (even though the end of the line was right at the entance). Nuh-uh. Although the line moved fairly steadily, it was quite a bit more than 5 minutes.

A high point of the line-wait: we were at the spot just opposite the door where the Storm Troopers emerge for the Jedi Training Academy session ... when they emerged!  They 'played' to the line, who loved it (yes, me too!), while waiting for their entrance cue.

The ride itself was much improved! No more herky-jerky. But if you don't like Mission:Space (even the green, less intense, side), don't bother. It's a lot like that.

Disney Rumors

The expectation is high that these hot rumors may be answered at the D23 Expo this week in California:

* The return of the Adventurers' Club
    Remember when Disney announced changes to the changes at Pleasure Island/Hyperion Wharf?  I bet this is one!

* A new land at the Animal Kingdom
   The popular guess is for a Beastly Kingdom (dragons & unicorns, etc);  I personally would love to see Australia added!

* A new country in the World Showcase at Epcot
   Brazil announced earlier that they would have a pavilion, but nothing official from Disney; Maybe now! Or, if Oz is not added to the AK, how about an Aussie pavilion??

* Monsters Inc. roller coaster at DHS
  Oh, Yeah, and I know just where it would go - Animation Courtyard (Pixar Alley) in that space next to Toy Story Mania, where the sign says "Hot set".
 

* More DVC resorts
  
* A World of Color fountain show

* An updated Imagination pavilion at Epcot
    This would be about time, too.


Read more  HERE