New theater coming to The Magic Kingdom, show yet to be announced

Image copyright Disney.  All rights reserved.

Disney announced at the D23 Expo 2017 that a new venue for world-class entertainment is coming to Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom.

According to the Disney Parks Blog, the new entertainment venue will be based on the iconic Willis Wood theater in 1920s Kansas City, where Walt lived after he left Marceline.  As the blog states, "it’ll fit well right off Main Street, U.S.A."

“Across Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, we’ve been upping the game in Entertainment with shows like Frozen Live at the Hyperion,” Bob Chapek, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts said. “It’s been a huge hit at the Disneyland Resort, and I’m sure many of you have seen it. This new theater at Walt Disney World continues that streak by bringing a new venue for world-class entertainment to the world’s biggest park.”

So far, there have been no announcements about what this new theater will be used for.  Based on the size depicted in this concept art - it will be huge, so there will be a lot of room for a major production.  It also appears that this will go in Town Square, which means the probable end of Tony's Town Square restaurant and yet another move for the Mickey Mouse meet and greet (unless it is incorporated into this new plan).

What do you think may be coming to this space? 

Photo Friday: Happy Fourth from Disneyland!

Happy 4th of July!

For this week's Photo Friday, let's head back in time to July 4th, 2013 and this shot from Disneyland's 4th of July fireworks celebration!

It's amazing how much fireworks can light up the night sky, this shot has not been altered at all (aside from resizing) - the sky was really that red during the fireworks.

Enjoy and happy birthday America!

Tip Tuesday: Some of the Hidden Mickeys of Main Street USA

 

Time for another Tip Tuesday!

A few weeks ago, I shared a few of my favorite hidden Mickeys from Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom.  This week, let's head to Main Street USA for a few more of my favorite hidden Mickeys.

Right off the bat, (seen above) is one of my all-time favorite hidden Mickeys in all of Walt Disney World - partly because it's a two-fer and because it's part of a tribute to Walt Disney.  This door can be found along the western side of Main Street outside the Emporium.  A tribute to every Disney Cast Member, this door includes two hidden Mickeys at the top and bottom.  I always make it a point every trip to stop by this door and say a silent thanks to Walt and to the countless Cast Members for creating the world I love and cherish.

Next up is an example of hidden Mickeys in plain sight.  This is a display window along Main Street from a few years back.  Notice the spilled bucket of Mickey-shaped antenna toppers?  There you go!  Hidden Mickeys can take any form.

Speaking of windows, there are hidden Mickey's to be found in several of the window displays along Main Street.  This display of Agrabah from Aladdin has a clever and hard-to-find Hidden Mickey tucked away in a small part of the left side of the city.  Look closely and see if you can see Mickey hiding in there!

Finally, many hidden Mickeys are up to interpretation.  Take this one for example.  While searching for photos of some of the hidden Mickeys mentioned above, I ran across this shot from the Main Street Confectionary.  See that tile mural in the back?  I wondered if Mickey might be hiding there and, sure enough, I saw something that might be considered a hidden Mickey.  It could just be me though.  What do you think?  Hidden Mickey?  Yes or no?

These are just a few of the many, many hidden Mickeys to be found along Main Street USA.  Hidden Mickeys come and go, so some of these might not be around anymore while new ones have popped up.  Another great place to search for hidden Mickeys is the Main Street Train Station.  There are quite a few there (I just don't have shots of them yet - perhaps on the next trip...).

Until next time - keep a sharp eye out - you never know when you might find our favorite mouse!

Photo Friday: An apple a day...

It's time for another Photo Friday!

This week, I'm going to torture you (and me) with a shot of this scrumptious Mickey Mouse apple found a the Confectionary at the Magic Kingdom.  I've had one of these apples and they are every bit as good as they look!

Yum!!!

Photo Friday: A southern Easter

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

Being Easter weekend, I thought I'd share a photo from 2008 when I was at Walt Disney World for Easter.  This is part of the Easter Day parade at the Magic Kingdom.  As you can see, dozens and dozens of female cast members don antebellum southern belle dresses and parade down Main Street USA to help celebrate Easter.

The photo above doesn't do this sight justice.  It's really something to behold - another great reason to be at Walt Disney World for Easter!

Happy Easter everyone!

Photo Friday: What's behind the Magnificent Mickey?

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

This photo is of the bulletin board located in the preshow area of the new Mickey Mouse meet and greet location at Town Square.

While this may just look like some additional decoration, there are a few subtle tributes here.

Most obvious are the tributes to Disney Legends Fred Joerger (Imagineer and model maker) and Ward Kimball (animator, Imagineer and good friend to Walt Disney) seen at the bottom of the far right poster:  "Opening act:  Fred & Ward."

If you look closely, the letter in the center is signed by an "S.A. Tilley."  While I'm not sure about this one, it's possible this is a reference to current Disney publishing artist Scott Tilley (though I don't know if his middle name starts with an A).  Tilley has illustrated several children's books for Disney.  What makes this a possibility is that the letter refers to the artwork (left part of the picture) not being final and requiring Mickey's approval.

Below Tilley's letter are two smaller mock ups of posters.  The one we can see completely should look somewhat familiar -- it's likely and early version of the interactive poster that's on display in the queue.  In that interactive poster, Mickey asks you to pick a card... much like what's displayed here in the mock up.

Oh, and the crystal ball that's referenced in the big poster on the left?  Look for that once you're in the meet and greet area.  It's there.

Photo Friday: A "Magic"al Christmas Tree

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

With just over a week to go until Christmas, I think it's time to start enjoying some Christmas trees!  Here is a nice view of the Magic Kingdom Christmas tree from the 2nd floor balcony of the Main Street Railroad Station.  There's nothing so magical and wonderful like a huge Christmas tree full of lights...

Oh, and if you like Christmas trees, just wait until you see the shot I've been saving for the final Friday before Christmas!

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas....

Photo Friday: MK entrance at the holidays

Welcome to another Photo Friday!

We're another week closer to Christmas.  This week, I thought I'd share a shot from Dec. 2008 showing the entrance to the Magic Kingdom all decked out for the holidays.  I especially like the rich blue sky in this shot.

Enjoy!

Tip Tuesday: A great view for parades

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

This week, I wanted to delve a little more into something I talked about during a recent PhotoFriday post. 

Photo Friday: Mickey and Main Street

Welcome to another Photo Friday!
(and it's actually on a Friday! How about that!)

This week's photo comes from the Magic Kingdom (like you couldn't tell) during the afternoon parade. This photo is taken from the Main Street Train Station balcony centered nearly perfectly down Main Street. What I like most about this shot is how the flagpole bisects Cinderella Castle with Mickey Mouse in the foreground.

As we celebrate 40th anniversary of Walt Disney World tomorrow, I thought this would be a most appropriate shot.

Happy birthday Walt Disney World!

Tip Tuesday: The Dapper Dans

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

This week, we're heading to Main Street USA to take a listen to one of the true gems of the Magic Kingdom -- the Dapper Dans!

If you've never heard the Dapper Dans before, you're really missing out on a great show! The Dapper Dans are a barbershop quartet that sings acapella (perhaps with a few musical props), often with guest interaction.

The Dapper Dans date all the way back to the early days at Disneyland when they debuted in 1959 and have been a staple at Walt Disney World since opening day in 1971.

At Walt Disney World, the Dapper Dans usually can be found in the horse-drawn trolley in the morning, all along Main Street USA in the afternoon and at Town Square at 5 p.m. daily for the flag retreat ceremony.

It's common to find the Dapper Dans hanging out in the Main Street Barber Shop (appropriately) as well as near Casey's Corner.

If you do happen to catch a Dapper Dans performance, I encourage you to stick around and appreciate the sounds of yesteryear as the Dapper Dans truly bring the turn of the (20th) century to life.

Take a listen for yourself!

Tip Tuesday: The windows on Main Street USA

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

It's generally accepted that Walt Disney considered Disneyland (and, later, Walt Disney World), to be living stories -- stories that guests could actually walk into and interact with. That was the genesis for Disneyland.

The opening credits to this living movie are the numerous windows that line Main Street USA in each Magic Kingdom/Disneyland park around the world. Each window pays tribute to the contributions of those who worked so hard to make the park a reality. There are different windows in each park, though windows dedicated to some key individuals can be found in all parks.

I can't begin to count the number of guests who hastily rush down Main Street USA, trying to get to the next attraction and don't take a moment to appreciate the special tributes to the Imagineers who turned a dream into reality.

At Walt Disney World, the beginning to the opening credits has to begin with the man who started it all: Walt Disney. High up atop the Main Street Train Station is a window dedicated to Walt Disney. The window reads, "Railroad Office, Keeping Dreams on Track. Walter E. Disney, Chief Engineer." This window pays tribute not only to Walt Disney, but also to Walt's love of trains. That's why there is a railroad at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

As you pass underneath the train station, you will see windows all over the place along Main Street USA.

Each window gives a bit of a hint about what contribution that person made to the creation of the park. For instance, the window seen above is a tribute to Walt Disney's long time friend Ub Iwerks. Iwerks was instrumental in developing new technologies for many different facts of the Disney company.

Perhaps my most favorite "window" isn't really a window at all, but a door. It's the Casting Agency door, which was dedicated to the cast members at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. I seek this door out every time I'm on Main Street. It's one way to give a brief nod to Walt himself and pay tribute to the man who started it all.

Of course, there are a LOT of windows at Disneyland (more than 60) and Walt Disney World (more than 85) to try to see. Discovering the backstory for each window can be an even greater task. Fortunately, Disney has a resource for you.

Disney and D23 recently published a small book with brief stories about a few windows on Main Street USA in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. This book, "Windows on Main Street" can be found in many stories all over Disneyland and Walt Disney World and but scratches the surface on all the windows and tributes on Main Street.

The next time you start "walkin' right down the middle of Main Street USA," take a moment to look around and appreciate the tributes to the various Imagineers who used their own brand of pixie dust to make incredible magic a reality.

Tip Tuesday: Honoring our veterans

Welcome to another Tip Tuesday!

As Veterans' Day approaches, I wanted to take a moment and mention a brief ceremony that takes place at the Magic Kingdom each day promptly at 5 p.m. It's called the "Flag Retreat" and it is a ceremony where the United States flag located in Town Square is lowered, folded and taken away for the night.

Each day, a "Veteran of the Day" is selected who accompanies the WDW band and security service to lower and fold the flag. Before the actual lowering, the Main Street Band plays several patriotic tunes. The veteran of the day joins the band and the WDW security service in marching from the Main Street Train Station to the main flagpole at the center of Town Square.

After a bit more music, the band surrounds the flagpole area and plays the national anthem as the flag is slowly lowered and then folded.

After the flag has been properly folded, it is presented to the veteran and there is a quick photo opportunity. The veteran's military service is announced to the crowd and the veteran then carries the flag with the WDW security service to the Exposition Hall where the flag is put away until the next day (after a few more photos).

The veteran is given a special pin commemorating the event (it's interesting to note that the veteran is asked not to sell or trade the pin, but to keep it) as well as a certificate noting that he or she was the veteran of the day.

In all, the flag retreat ceremony runs a little less than 10 minutes and it's a nice way to show honor and respect for our nation's flag (once again to my international friends, please pardon my bit of nationalism here).

You may be wondering how you can become the "Veteran of the Day" and participate in the flag retreat ceremony. Well, it's mostly luck, but you can improve your odds by simply asking. If you happen to be at the Magic Kingdom at rope drop, head straight to Guest Services at Town Hall and ask if the veteran of the day has been selected. If not, you have someone to recommend. The veteran doesn't have to make the request in person, a friend or family member can do so. There's no guarantee you (or your friend/family member) will be selected, but your stand a decent chance, so it's worth trying.

See for yourself! You can see photos and watch video of the flag retreat ceremony from AllEars.net's Jack Spence.

I hope you will take a moment to remember, honor and thank veterans this Veterans' Day. These people have made incredible sacrifices (some the ultimate sacrifice) to keep freedom and liberty alive so that we all can enjoy a wonderful place like Walt Disney World.

To any readers who are vets, my most heartfelt thanks to you for serving our nation! You are true American heroes. To those readers who have lost veterans, you have my most heartfelt sympathies. I join you in remembering those who gave their lives to defend this nation.