The Primeval Whirl roller coaster at Disney’s Animal Kingdom added another chapter to its troubled history after a worker injured Sunday while doing repair work on the attraction died today. That worker, identified as 52-year old Russell Roscoe of Webster, FL, died in the hospital… Read More »Disney Worker dies after injuries from accident at Primeval Whirl in Disney’s Animal Kingdom
There’s a lot of magic going on at Walt Disney World, sometimes you have to stop and slow things down to see exactly how much. Disney has just released this video that features some slo-mo footage of pizza being prepared at Via Napoli, the Patina… Read More »Slow Motion Pizza at Via Napoli
Remember when you were young and you didn’t walk and wash your dog? Then your mom would tell you, if you don’t walk and wash your own dog I’m going to give it away? This would go on for weeks and eventually you either started… Read More »Grad Nites Flunk Out, Disney World to End Near 40 Year Tradition
A few years ago the Walt Disney Company tried something new, a yearbook. It was available via special order and in limited locations in the parks. Unfortunately, while initial enthusiasm for the product was high, the actual book that was produced failed to meet expectations… Read More »2010 Disney World Yearbook (excuse me) ‘Earbook, a Great Find
The milk must have soured because Disney just added a new sponsor for the former Milk House at ESPN Wide World of Sports complex. Walt Disney World and HP today unveiled the HP Field House at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex during a ceremony that featured NFL star Jason Witten and soccer legend Mia Hamm, along with ESPN Radio’s Mike Golic and Mike Greenberg and executives from HP and Disney. The project will deliver an immersive sports experience for the nearly two million athletes, coaches and spectators who visit Disney’s sports facilities each year.
Joining in the ceremony: (L-R): Gary Elliott, vice president of Brand Marketing for HP, U.S. Women’s Soccer legend Mia Hamm, Mickey Mouse, Ken Potrock, senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises, and Jason Witten, NFL All-Pro tight end for the Dallas Cowboys.
The 165,000-square-foot HP Field House, a multi-purpose facility that can accommodate virtually any indoor sport and has been the cornerstone of ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex since it opened in 1997, has been outfitted with a variety of innovative HP enhancements, such as touch-screen kiosks and a one-of-a-kind retail imaging area. Additionally, HP technology is being infused throughout the 230-acre complex, enabling athletes, coaches and fans to have an unparalleled “hands-on” sports experience while providing ways to customize their visit with amenities previously unseen in youth sports.
The most prominent feature of the HP Field House is the HP Photo Creation Center, where players and fans can download, design and enhance commemorative photos and images from their events, then immediately produce and print them at an onsite retail location. Guests will also be able to purchase life-size posters of action photos from the complex, wallpaper coverings, multi-page calendars, photo CDs and many other unique photo keepsakes, giving athletes, coaches and fans even more ways to cherish their sports memories long after their competitions have concluded.
“Today’s youth athletes are extremely tech savvy and HP is the perfect partner to help them better capture and savor the lasting memories of their unique sports experience in ways that no other sports venue can,” said Ken Potrock, senior vice president, Disney Sports Enterprises.
I’m not sad to see the milk mustaches go from the pavilion. It sounds like HP will help youth athletes create some neat keepsakes from their trip to the sports complex. I’m just a little sad that it’s turned into yet another merchandise opportunity. I’m a little confused about where they get the name ‘field’ from since the facility houses basketball and similar sport courts. I guess court house had the wrong connotation.
Previously: ESPN WWOS grand opening.
More details on what HP is bringing to ESPN WWOS below the jump:
EPCOT’s 2011 International Flower & Garden Festival opens today. While I won’t be able to make it out until this weekend, I did send a spy today who took these sneak peeks of the preparations still underway for one of my favorite events at Walt Disney World.
Familiar toy shaped Topiaries from Toy Story 3 will great guests as they enter EPCOT.
And there will be sand sculptures again. This year highlighting Wild Cats from the DisneyNature label.
Update: It’s not that often, I’m made to eat my words so quickly… but check out this twitpic from @GDPInvestigator – http://twitpic.com/439m6g Looks like a new sign was installed in the last few days. Have to say that’s a vast improvement over what I complained about below. Anyone know if they’ve fixed the menu item issue? Cheers all around if they’ve fixed that too.
The recent switch of the under utilized El Pirata Y El Perico counter service location to Tortuga Tavern encapsulates what Disney does so right and what is so wrong with Disney all in the same spot. A new overlay ties the restaurant directly to the recent Pirates of the Caribbean movie franchise and converts that section of Adventureland into a whole Pirate mini-land. Yet, at the same time, something went significantly wrong.
Let’s start with some of the good stuff.
It’s a big time for sports at Walt Disney World. ESPN WWOS has been hosting spring training for MLB and pre-season matches in professional soccer. The Princess Half-Marathon was run today and ESPN the Weekend starts mid-week. Congrats to all the 17,000 runners. I hope… Read More »Florida Runner Wins Princess Half-Marathon