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Roundtable Contributors: Estelle
Hallick (This
Happy Place Blog), Alan Mize, Blake Taylor (BlakeOnline.com),
Andrew (Disney
Hipsters Blog), and yours truly.
Andrew (Disney Hipsters
Blog)
I am reluctant to include this as Disney news. However, when news is
slow you take any bone thats thrown your way. The merchandising genius behind
Vinylmation at Disney parks has been an unparalleled success. (well, maybe pins
too...) The vinyl figures in the shape
of Mickey Mouse depict everything from park characters to food. When they first
debuted few people thought they would latch on the way other Disney
collectables did. Boy were they wrong.
Just when you think the Vinylmation business is wearing down another
fabulous set are released. In todays case, the second edition of Park Starz!
This variety of Vinylmation are special in that they break the traditional
Mickey shape... taking on a much more adaptable persona, giving the artist more
flexibility. PLUS, the theme is quite stupendous as well. Park Starz represent
various park specific characters... both popular and more esoteric. This new
set includes the "red head" from Pirates of the Caribbean, a Tower of
Terror bellhop, and a troll from Norway! Fabulous.
Estelle Hallick (This Happy Place
Blog)
The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is just about the only thing that
will get me to give up sacred Disney theme park time and leave property.
Wednesday's official news from Universal about the awesome expansion of the
land isn't groundbreaking for internet trolls like me and you (I feel like
that's a safe assumption) but an actual opening date? (Summer 2014 according to Jim Hill.) Huge deal.
In many ways, Universal's news is Disney news too. Where are the
details on Avatarland? Will DHS get a Star Wars land? Will Epcot's Future World
ever be updated? Already, tourists have a reason to skip a day or two at Disney
and head over to Universal in 2014. I hope these details and gorgeous
renderings kick Disney into gear a little bit. (Not to mention Universal's use
of the buzzword "storytelling" in so many of the quotes. Interesting,
right?) Disney fans want an announcement, not just limited time magic either,
but something tangible and epic. I'm crossing my fingers that the D23 Expo this
summer gives us just that.
Alan Mize
Gratulerer!
That means congratulations in Norwegian.
And congratulations were in order this week, as Epcot and the Norway
Pavilion celebrated their silver anniversary together. It was May 6, 1988 when the land of Vikings
and trolls was first introduced to Walt Disney World guests. Designed to resemble a Norwegian fishing
village, the Norway pavilion was the 11th and final pavilion added to World
Showcase. While the Norway pavilion
doesn’t have the “glitz and glamour” of the France pavilion or the live music
of the Canada pavilion or the United Kingdom pavilion, this little section of
World Showcase has always been one of my favorite pavilions. Maelstrom is a short but fun search for the
spirit of Norway where you inevitably find adventure and peril. The Stave Church provides a nice home for an
exhibit about Vikings, which is a prime example of old school Epcot
edutainment. And last, but certainly not
least, Norway is home to Kringla Bakeri og Kafe where you can get some really
great treats for snacking around the world including school bread and my
personal favorite, lefse.
Epcot did
release a celebratory pin honoring the 25th anniversary of the pavilion which I
thought was a nice touch for fans of the pavilion. Clearly, there wasn’t going to be a big
ceremony or announcement honoring the pavilion because in the grand scheme of
the Disney theme parks, this wasn’t that big of a deal. But it was nice to see the pavilion get a
little bit of much deserved love and respect.
I for one will be sure to celebrate 25 years by going toe to toe with
the trolls the next time I’m in Epcot.
Blake Taylor (BlakeOnline.com)
ABC has a hit on its hands
with Once Upon a Time, the drama about fairytale characters entering the real
world, and last week Disney surged some cross-promotional synergy into the series
with a New Fantasyland TV spot. The commercial features Lana Parrilla reprising
her role as Once's Evil Queen, perusing New Fantasyland's attractions and
adding some snark to what she sees. Some of the lines get cheesy, but it's a
pretty fun promo all around.
Once will air its
second-season finale this Sunday evening, and if you're frequenting this
website, then you need to tune in. Every Disney fan should be watching this
show. Its plot, on the surface, seems like something trodden excessively, but its
execution is superb, with layered storytelling reminiscent of Pirates of the
Caribbean and fun character reveals similar to the Robin Williams film Hook.
Season one is on Netflix, while season two awaits on Hulu. The show is
essentially a primetime series all about Disney characters (and it just so
happens to broadcast in The Wonderful World of Disney's fabled timeslot...).
Disney hopes to reel fans in by capitalizing on the Walt-centric nature of the
story. We've seen a D23 feature article (that's what got me!), lead actress
Ginnifer Goodwin at New Fantasyland's opening ceremony, and now this Lana
Parrilla TV spot for Magic Kingdom. Has the spell been cast on you yet?
Ryan P. Wilson (Main Street
Gazette)
Disney Springs is still a ways off, but that doesn't mean some of its
ideals can't start being implemented now. This week Turckeria Rolling Tacos
will be serving guests during the evening hours at Downtown Disney. Food
trucks, or a food truck-like selection of eateries, are being considered as a
viable dining option for the new shopping and entertainment district coming to
Walt Disney World.
We here at the Gazette have long been proponents of getting food
trucks into Walt Disney World in some form or fashion, whether it was an idea
for DinoLand, U.S.A. or at Downtown Disney. Food trucks are a great way to get
great food to guests without the need for the overhead associated with a
restaurant that needs a kitchen and dining hall. The fact that Downtown Disney
is getting in on the action now, possibly as a test run for Disney Springs,
makes me happy.
After all, food trucks have been around for quite a while, but Walt
Disney World being late to the party is better than never showing up at all.
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