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Highlights from Yesterday at The Magic Kingdom

News flew by so fast this weekend and next week is going to be just as crazy. Still, I want to stop and talk about some of the things I saw at the Magic Kingdom on Sunday. Sort of a snap-shot of what’s going on for those who can’t be there in person. I wish I could do this in more depth, but time is short and I have an early day tomorrow.

First, the grand plan to remake the Small World/Peter Pan side of Fantasyland has begun. Construction walls are up and the razing of the Swiss Chalet has begun. This will eventually be the home of new restrooms allowing for expansion of the Peter Pan queue.

Walls are up all over the park. These surround the old marble ball in Tomorrowland. While it was once a nice feature, I think it’s as much a safety hazard now. A clear walkway would be an improvement. Although who knows if it’s coming back or not. Just no water-fountain for kids to play in, thank you.

The Storybook Circus portion of the Fantasyland Expansion is also progressing. The earth movers were active behind the walls today. It looks like the cement walls of what will be the Circus Tent queue are done. The former station building for Goofy’s Barnstormer has been stripped to its studs. So expect the core of the building to remain the same, but with some pretty serious theme upgrades.

More photos below the jump:

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Animators preview new The Little Mermaid Attraction

The best preview video so far of the upcoming attraction, “The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Undersea Adventure”, has just been released. Ariel’s Undersea Adventure opens June 3rd at California Adventure, Disney World fans will have to wait until some time in 2013. In the video, the… Read More »Animators preview new The Little Mermaid Attraction

Enchanted Tiki Room to return with Original Feel this year

Walt Disney World has finally made official the rumor that will make millions of guests lets loose a few happy tweets (the bird kind). A show that returns to the original look and feel of the Enchanted Tiki Room will indeed be returning this year… Read More »Enchanted Tiki Room to return with Original Feel this year

Star Tours – The Adventures Continue Grand Opening to be Livestreamed

With Cast Member previews of the updated Star Tours attraction underway tonight, details about the changes present in Star Tours – The Adventures Continue are beginning to leak out. There are other Disney fan sites who have an obsession with Star Tours 2.0 for those… Read More »Star Tours – The Adventures Continue Grand Opening to be Livestreamed

Book Review: The Epcot Explorer’s Encyclopedia by R.A. Pedersen

I don’t know if I’ve ever explicitly stated this before, but Epcot is my favorite Disney park. And even though the EPCOT Center I remember loving as a kid bears little resemblance to the Epcot that exists today, that geodesic sphere will always have a… Read More »Book Review: The Epcot Explorer’s Encyclopedia by R.A. Pedersen

ESPN RISE Girls Showcase Inaugural Event Coming to ESPN WWOS in June

This June America’s top female athletes will compete in a multi-sport festival at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World. The ESPN RISE Girls Showcase will include national championships and elite-level events in basketball, gymnastics, softball, taekwondo and volleyball. This is the inaugural year for the three-week event and is expected to draw nearly 15,000 nationally-ranked and recreational female athletes to Walt Disney World.

“ESPN RISE is proud to expand its commitment to high school girls through the inaugural ESPN RISE Girls Showcase,” said Laura Gentile, vice president, espnW and ESPN RISE digital and publishing. “The educational and leadership opportunities are just as important to the student-athletes as the competition.”

Among the events taking place will be national championships such as the AAU Jr. National Girls Volleyball Championships, USA Gymnastics Open Championships, U.S. Rhythmic Classic, Junior Olympic Rhythmic Gymnastics Optional Championships and Invitational, and the USA Taekwondo Women’s Invitational Cup. Other elite-level events will include the AAU Elite Eight 9th Grade Basketball Showcase, the USA Softball National Qualifier, the USA Taekwondo Women’s National Tournament Qualifier, and the USA Basketball U19 World Championship Team Trials, in addition to several recreation-level competitions.

The showcase will also include leadership and education components involving current female athletes as well as marquee former athletes and coaches such as former UCLA softball head coach Sue Enquist, whose teams have won 11 national titles.

“To bring together this many female athletes at an event featuring the nation’s best in a variety of sports will be a unique and inspiring experience for these young girls,” said Gail Brown, senior sports event manager for Disney Sports. “Disney and ESPN RISE value and support female athletes at every level and this event will give these talented young athletes a great opportunity to showcase their skills on a national stage.”

Portions of the ESPN RISE Girls Showcase will be shown online at ESPN3.com, including the AAU Jr. National Girls Volleyball Championship, the AAU Elite Eight 9th Grade Basketball Showcase Championship, the USA Gymnastics Open Championships, the USA Basketball U19 National Team game against Brazil and the USA Taekwondo Women’s National Qualifier.

The creation of the ESPN RISE Girls Showcase comes on the heels of the instantly successful ESPN RISE Games at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. The annual ESPN RISE Games made its debut in 2009 and features some of the leading high school athletes and teams in the nation competing in baseball, football, basketball, lacrosse and softball in a two-week-long sports festival style event. This year’s event, July 13-27, is expected to draw more than 13,000 athletes from around the country.

The ESPN RISE Girls Showcase adds to the growing list of elite-level national youth sports events taking place at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which is widely recognized as the leading multi-sports venue in the nation. This event further cements the sports complex as the preeminent sports destination for female youth athletes, who make up a little more than half of the nearly 300,000 athletes who compete and train annually at the sports complex.

Event details below the jump:

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The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World makes Vacation Planning a Snap

When it comes to planning a vacation to Walt Disney World there are two books the you hear mentioned over and over again as the best – The Unofficial Guide which has a long history and many versions, and The Complete guide, which features beautiful… Read More »The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World makes Vacation Planning a Snap

Disney World reveals plans for Princess themed rooms

Disney World has been experimenting with lightly themed rooms at its resorts for the last few years. You may have stayed in a Pirates or Little Mermaid themed room at the Caribbean Beach Resort. They’re even building a whole new resort (Art of Animation) with… Read More »Disney World reveals plans for Princess themed rooms