Update: 4/24/11 – Orlando Sentinel reports that the woman is still in intensive care at the hospital but is showing signs of recovery. She was on the ride with her two children and was visiting from Cromwell, England. Again, The Disney Blog wishes a speedy… Read More »Space Mountain at Disney World shut down after woman found unconcious on coaster
Friday May 20th marks a big day in Disney themepark history. It’s the official opening for the first 3D motion simulator attraction. Star Tours – The Adventures Continues. A lot of big names are expected (Anthony Daniels, George Lucas, Bob Iger to name a few) and the legions of fans are many. To add an extra level of craziness to the big event, it’s the first day of Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
They’ve added a queue to the Streets of New York (excuse me, America) that looks like it could stretch for hours. At least they’ve provided shade, fans, and a big screen TV for some entertainment value. The stand-by queue will probably be a little longer than expected because they’re also doing fast pass today.
Which leads me to a small bit of excitement. I have two Star Tours 2.0 Fast passes for the first person who finds me in Disney’s Hollywood Studios today.
In the meantime, check back throughout the day as I’ll be adding photos and more details of the event to this post.
The park has prepared for a 6 hour queue. However as of 12:15 the wait was only 100 minutes in standby. That will likely be a lot longer tomorrow since it’s a Saturday.
The had a big screen on a truck for overflow crowds at the grand opening ceremony.
More images from the grand opening below the jump:
Tonight is the Gala event for the opening of Star Tours – The Adventures Continue. This is the 3D version of the memorable motion simulator attraction based on the Star Wars franchise. As such is blends the two worlds of Disney and George Lucas, which… Read More »Star Tours – The Adventures Continues Gala Event
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:
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
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
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
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
