The first major tree was added to the Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland Expansion earlier this week. It’s the first of many as the whole area is supposed to have a forested feel. Here’s a photo shared by Walt Disney’s Imagineers. According to the Disney Parks Blog:… Read More »First Tree Planted in Fantasyland Expansion
On Halloween, Disney released an official video of Mickey Mouse talking to guests at Town Square Theater. It appears that Disney is still testing this new form of interactivity, as guest-made videos are now starting to appear. It’s nice to see that Mickey’s interactions are still spot on even without the “filter” of the official parks blog; he barely misses a beat! Take a look for yourself:
One more from our friends at Touring Plans below the jump:
Part of the Fantasyland expansion in the Magic Kingdom is a dark ride based on the one of Walt Disney Animation’s classics – The Little Mermaid. I’m very happy that this dark ride is returning a tradition we associate with classic Fantasyland dark rides, a… Read More »Mural for Little Mermaid Attraction – Behind the Scenes with Disney’s Imagineers
After a number of years with Sharpie (loved those free markers) as the headline sponsor for the popular Festival of the Masters weekend, a new main sponsor is moving in. Michaels, North America’s largest arts and crafts specialty retailer, has signed on as the presenting… Read More »New main sponsor for Disney’s Festival of the Masters
This is the second year Disney has invited HGTV show hosts and experts to speak at the Food & Wine Festival. From the feedback I’ve heard, these sessions are a great addition to the festival, even if they’re not exactly on topic. Next weekend is… Read More »HGTV At EPCOT Food & Wine Festival
Enrichment is a key part of the animal care program at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Often enrichment involves treats, such as foods, toys, or fragrances, that prompt animals to explore, make choices and maintain a level of activity in their habitat similar to their natural behavior… Read More »Disney’s Animal Kingdom Halloween Enrichment
All the adjustments in policy and procedures have already been made, employees disciplined, OSHA fines levied, and the family’s lawsuit settled. All that we have been waiting for is the final federal investigation’s Accident Report. Today the National Transportation and Safety Board released that report putting a period on the end of a long sentence that I’m sure Disney World would like to put behind them.
That sentence started with a conflagration of errors by operators, management, and poor enforcement of existing policies that ended in the tragic death of a Walt Disney World Monorail Operator early on the morning of July 5th, 2009.
The report itself, issued this afternoon (releasing something on a holiday is almost like intentionally burying it, I wonder if that was coordinated in any way?), is written a very factual manner and in a plainly stated way. The facts outlined clearly put majority of the blame on inadequate procedures and failure to enforce the exact safety procedures that would have prevented the accident. To its credit Disney has made a lot of changes to correct what went wrong, but even if Disney had just enforced one of the common sense errors, this tragedy could have been averted.
Read More »Report on Disney World Monorail Accident of July 2009 released by NTSB
In honor of the approaching holiday, here’s a flash to the past with a history of The Haunted Mansion from a few years ago.
Part two is below the jump: