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    (2/10/12) I’ve warned everyone for months… and now it’s official. According to a report at Orlando Attractions Magazine, starting March 7th Disney will begin to enforce (MORE...)
    (2/7/12) Screamscape insiders tell us that training classes are being scheduled for Cast Members at the end of the month for an ‘update’ on a new FastPass procedure. (MORE...)
    (2/3/12) Theme Park Foodie has posted a report about what kind of food and goodies you can expect to find at the new Disney’s Art of Animation Resort (MORE...)
    (2/1/12) While the American Disney parks lack the creative flavored fresh made popcorn stands hat the Tokyo Disney parks are known for, the Disney Parks Blog does take (MORE...)

Resort Rehabs - The following information is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate.
Typhoon Lagoon – NOW CLOSED through 3/17/12

General Resort News - (2/10/12) I’ve warned everyone for months… and now it’s official. According to a report at Orlando Attractions Magazine, starting March 7th Disney will begin to enforce the end of the FastPass return window. So if your FastPass says to ride between 2:00pm and 3:00pm, and you don’t show up until 3:45pm… your FastPass is now invalid. CMs will have the ability to make exceptions for special circumstances, such as a ride being broke down during your return window and such.
    (2/7/12) Screamscape insiders tell us that training classes are being scheduled for Cast Members at the end of the month for an ‘update’ on a new FastPass procedure. It is thought that this may be the new official policy about enforcing the end time on the Fastpass ticket windows. The rumor going around the CMs is that the new official FastPass window policy may allow for guests to arrive up to 5 minutes early… and only up to 15 minutes late. More as this develops.
    (2/1/12) While the American Disney parks lack the creative flavored fresh made popcorn stands hat the Tokyo Disney parks are known for, the Disney Parks Blog does take a quick look at some of the special flavored popcorn you can pick up in the parks in pre-packaged form.
    (1/30/12) La Nouba is offering discount show tickets to Florida Residents for select performances between January 31st and March 30th, 2012. Category 2 seats will be sold at 25% off the regular price ($66.75 for adults, $54 for kids) on select performances on Tuesdays through Fridays. Call (407) WDW-SEAT (939-7328) for details and to buy tickets.
    (1/25/12) Guests to Disneyland and Disney World may notice things getting more hairy starting this week. Management has relaxed grooming standards for Cast Members to allow them to grow beards and goatees. (Moustaches were already legalized a few years ago). That said, you wont pass through Frontierland and think you’ve just been loaded onto Splash Mountain by the ZZ Top guys anytime soon, as the new regulations still require a well groomed look with a maximum length of a quarter-inch.
    (1/19/12) About Theme Parks tells us about some new Royal room décor coming to select rooms at the Port Orleans Riverside Resort. According to the report, the hotel is convering 512 rooms into new Royal Guest Rooms that will include a variety of features such as Aladdin’s Magic Carpet, furtniture that appears as if from Beauty and The Beast and more. Look to pay about $30 more a night to book one of these special rooms.
    (1/18/12) If your thinking of visiting the Magic Kingdom this Thursday, you may want to make other plans. According to ABC News (owned by Disney no less) President Obama will be visiting Walt Disney World to deliver a speech about boosting tourism and travel in America, likely with Cinderella Castle in the background. Given the huge security likely to be in place for the visit, roads blocked off for the motorcades and such… Walt Disney World in general may not be the best place to be on Thursday.
    There may be some benefits however, as Inside the Magic reports that the Entertainment and Extra Magic Hours schedules have all shifted on Thursday because of this. The Magic Kingdom will no longer have the Extra Magic Hours that were previously scheduled, but now Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios will have Extra Magic Hours that day instead. The Studios will also put on a special one night only ‘Rock the Night” fireworks show at 7pm.
    (1/4/12) TimeStream Software has released Version 1.4 of their popular “Walt Disney World Pro” app for the iPhone. The new version includes updated information, photos and menu’s for dining locations, special annual event info and more.
    (12/13/11) The latest update over at JimHillMedia brings to light a new term to describe a new weapon in Disney’s closet that has been rumored for years, but could come to light in late 2012. Jim calls it the XPass… a new option for premium WDW vacation packages that would add in pre-planned FastPass options for attractions, reserved viewing areas for various shows and parades, and more. According to Jim, the new XPass will only be offered to guests saying at Disney’s top tier Deluxe Resorts at first, while they work out the kinks and integrate the concept into their already stacked to the brim tiered guests system. This kind of goes along with a previous rumor we had back on 10/31/11 where it was said that Disney management may be preparing to finally enforce the closing window time for FastPass guests, as now it seems obvious that FastPass guests will no longer the top tier once XPass comes into play.
    (12/12/11) For one night only, it the Adventure’s Club returned… kinda. The old cast reunited to perform one more time at Disney Hollywood Studios for the Cast Members. You can catch a video of the performance, as recreated on the stage of the Indiana Jones show arena, embedded below.

    (12/1/11) WESH reports that Walt Disney World announced plans to expand the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex by early 2012. The 25 acre expansion will feature more large outdoor playing fields, lights, video screens, and more.
    (11/7/11) I received a little good news about DisneyQuest this week. For an attraction that has been on the edge of being removed more than once over the past few years, it looks DisneyQuest is there to stay… for a bit longer at least. According to a DQ guest this past week, Disney has actually dropped some new capital into the site, sprucing up the décor in some areas of the arcade, and upgraded some of the games as well with new units. On the fourth floor I’ve been told that new air hockey tables have appeared (including a 4-player table), two new 4-player Pac-Man tables and two new Fruit Ninja game stations. A couple of new ‘old school’ game units were added to the fifth floor as well as some new pinball machines as well. So if Disney was willing to drop some new capital in DQ… then they must not be thinking of removing it anytime soon. Of course once they revitalize the former Pleasure Island area, their gaze may shift once again to the DQ cube.
    (10/31/11) I’ve heard a few early rumblings from the rumor mill that a possible change to the way Fastpass works may be coming down the pipe soon. Technically, this is not a true change… it would just be Disney finally enforcing the rule of the Fastpass Return Time window. Officially, whenever you get a Fastpass ticket you are told to return to ride within a one hour window. (ie: Return Anytime between 10:15am and 11:15am). However Disney has never enforced the closing of this window and has allowed guests to come back hours later and still use their Fastpass tickets. According to the rumor mill, there is a movement afoot to drop the hammer on this and begin to enforce the return window rule as originally intended. Anyone know more about when this might go into effect?
    (10/21/11) Interested in hearing some predictions about what we may see from the next decade at Walt Disney World? Check out this article by Jeff Kober.
    (10/21/11) Love to take in some fine dining when you visit Walt Disney World? Those who do know that reservations typically are a must to get into your favorite spot, but according to the Orlando Sentinel, you better make sure your going to make it otherwise it could cost you. Starting Oct. 26, guests will have to provide a credit card number to make a reservation at many of WDW’s signature restaurants… and if you miss your reservation your card will be hit up for a $10 per person charge, unless you can cancel out at least 24 hours in advance. I don’t have the complete list yet, but they say that nearly 20 top Disney eateries will begin this policy in both the parks and resort hotels.
    (10/17/11) According to the latest update over at Orlando Parks News, Walt Disney World started to offer free WiFi Internet access on October 14th at the following Resorts: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Beach Club, Boardwalk, Contemporary, Coronado Springs, Grand Floridian, Old Key West, Polynesian, Saratoga Springs, Wilderness Lodge and Yacht Club. If this “new design configuation” is successful, this will expand to other resorts down the line.
    (9/30/11) MouseSteps drops by Walt Disney World this week to check on the Grand Flo construction progress, a little Fantasyland rehab work and the install of the Osborne Lights at the Studios.
    (9/19/11) According to an article on the OBJ, Animal Kingdom’s Tusker House Restaurant will be the site of a new Donald’s Dining Safari Lunch, an all you can eat session with Africa-inspired cuisine. For those going on vacation for Thanksgiving, you may want to look into a special Thanksgiving meal option being prepared at Downtown Disney’s Raglan Road Irish Pub, only on Nov. 24th.
    In other news, Disney fans with iPhones, take note because the new Walt Disney World Pro app is now available on iTunes from TimeStream Software. The app feature wait times, interactive maps, dining options, menu lists, park hours, parade and show times as well as basic descriptions for over 120 attractions and events. And for all the Android fans out there, I double checked and was told that an Android version is also planned to be in the works.
    (8/29/11) This sounds like the most bogus excuse of all time, but when a reader quested a DisneyQuest CM about why the Genie launch effect video wall had been removed from the Cybrolaters, they were told that the effect was removed “due to weight issues”.  If you never got to see the video effect, you can find a nice video of it on YouTube. The elevator would sit and wait until the rocket launch segment and then rumble, shake and rise to the appropriate floor in time with the rocket launch on the screen.
    Since the effect has been running without fail since 1998 when DisneyQuest opened at Walt Disney World, I’m not really buying the “weight issues” excuse, as I can’t see it suddenly becoming an issue after 13 years.
    (8/26/11) It’s been a number of years since I’ve been to DisneyQuest myself, but a report reports that on their visit not long ago the old ‘Genie’ video footage you got to watch in the elevator you board at the entrance was no longer there and the video screens were covered up in both elevators. Anyone know what’s going on?
    (8/25/11) In an interesting move, Walt Disney World has just signed a 20-year deal with an outside company (Arnold Palmer Golf Management) to take over the day to day operations of their five golf courses. The deal includes the operations of the Osprey Ridge course, which Disney has a deal in place to sell off that entire course to the Four Seasons Hotel group as part of that project, which is mentioned as being delayed until at least 2014 at this point. The turnover of the courses will start Sept. 25th.
    (8/18/11) Screamscape source tell us that Wilderness Lodge will begin to undergo its own 18 month long refurbishment project starting later this year. Lots of new wallpaper and carpet will be replaced all over the resort. The rooms will receive some nice makeovers as well from what I’m told, with new carpets, bedding, and a focus on redoing the bathrooms as well. Don’t worry, the resort will stay open during this process, they will just close sections down one at a time to work on them.
    (8/17/11) A very interesting news story involving some NextGen Disney Tech that we might expect to see announced as early as this weekend can be found at DizFanatic today. According to the article, Disney is testing some new and very colorful RFID encoded wristbands that they are hoping to have guests begin wearing in the parks.
    You can pick the color of your plain band, or even spend a little extra to buy a band with your favorite characters on them, but it’s what inside that counts. The RFID bands are thought to serve not only as your theme park ticket, but will be used with the FastPass system, an upgraded PhotoPass system, possibly with new interactive games in the parks as well as trigger some special and very personal reactions from various technology set up in the parks throughout the day. (Like… how would you like to have Davy Jones call you out by name the next ride you ride through Pirates? Talk about spooky…)
    Click here to read all the details and see photos and concept artwork of the new bands.
    (8/3/11) La Nouba is currently offering special $50 tickets to Florida residents for performances between August 2 – October 29 on “category 2 seats”. You can buy tickets by phone at 407-939-7328 or at the box office in person.

2012 - Splitsville at Downtown Disney’s West End - Under Construction - (9/6/11) A reader has sent in a picture of the new construction wall and banners up for the new Splitsville location taking over the former Virgin Megastore.
    (9/1/11) A local sources tell me that construction walls are going up in front of the RideMakerz location, which means that the start of construction for Splitsville is starting right on time to take over the former Virgin MegaStore site and RideMakerz will likely move into a new site very soon, if not already.
    (7/13/11) Disney has announced that the former Virgin Megastore building will be turned into a new attraction called Splitsville, a 50,000 sqft. bowling alley that will also feature billiards, dining and music. If this sounds familiar… it should, as Orlando will see the very similar in concept Dave & Busters open in the near future, minus the bowling in this particular location.
    Construction of Splitsville is expected to begin this fall, though no opening date has been announcement yet. There are currently four existing Splitsville locations in operation: Tampa (FL), Miami (FL), Fairview (TX) and Fredericksburg (VA). Disney will also open a new fashion store called Apricot Lane Boutique later this summer in the former Harley-Davidson store at P.I.

2012 - Disney’s Art of Animation Resort - Opening in May - (2/3/12) Theme Park Foodie has posted a report about what kind of food and goodies you can expect to find at the new Disney’s Art of Animation Resort when it opens later this year.
    (1/24/12) A new construction update from the Art of Animation Resort has been posted to MouseSteps this week.
    (1/13/12) About.com Theme Parks has new pictures taken during a construction tour of the new Art of Animation Resort. Check it out here.
    (1/9/12) A new construction update from Disney’s Art of Animation Resort has been posted to MouseSteps this week. According to their report, the themed buildings will open to guests in phases, Finding Nemo in May, Cars in July, Lion King in September and Little Mermaid at the end of 2012.
    (12/8/11) A new construction update on Disney’s Art of Animation resort can be found over at the latest update at MouseSteps.
    (10/25/11) The latest pictures of the Art of Animation Resort progress have been posted to MouseSteps.
    (10/14/11) WDI takes everyone for a sneak peek inside the new Art of Animation Resort this week, where the first phase is now set to open on May 31st. Check out the video below.

    (9/28/11) A new construction update from Disney’s Art of Animation Resort can be found at MouseSteps.
    (12/21/10) Walt Disney World reports that the first wing of the Art of Animation Resort will be ready to open in May 2012, with the rest of the resort to be completed by the end of the year.
    (12/17/10) New concept art for Disney’s Art of Animation hotel has been posted to Inside the Magic showing off some impress set pieces to be built alongside the numerous hotel buildings.
    (9/17/10) Disney has released some new artwork for the Art of Animation Resort here.
    (5/13/10) Walt Disney World has finally confirmed the plans for the long-rumored Disney’s Art of Animation Resort project that will take over the site one slated for the second-half of the Pop Century Resort. According to the official Disney report the new resort will feature nearly 2000 rooms… 1120 of them will actually be “family suites” at this new Value priced resort. The resort will be divided up into four themed areas based on some of the most popular modern Disney films: The Little Mermaid, Cars, Finding Nemo and The Lion King. The new resort is expected to be ready to take on guests by late 2012.

2012 - Disney Cruise Line / Disney Fantasy - (1/18/12) New pictures of the Disney Fantasy can be found over at RCPro this week.
    (1/13/12) The Disney Fantasy was “floated out’ earlier this week in Germany. You can catch some video of the newest addition to the Disney Cruise Line fleet, shot both inside and out below.

    (12/2/11) The Disney Fantasy will feature a new Muppets Adventure Game on board, an interactive adventure quest inviting guests to solve  “The Case of the Stolen Show”. Guests are given a map and a RFID game card, which they can hold up in front of various pieces of “Enchanted Art” on board which will come to life, as well as hunt down other props and clues throughout the ship. The game will feature several different possible endings as well as some randomized events, making the adventure play out a little differently each time. You can read a few more details about this adventure game as well as see other unique features coming to the Disney Fantasy over at DizFanatic.
    (11/2/11) Disney has posted a bit of new info about the unique features going into the new Disney Fantasy as well as a timelapse construction video here.
    (10/14/11) According to the Orlando Sentinel a new feature coming to the Disney Fantasy will be the AquaLab, a water playground on Deck 12 (near the AquaDuck) that will feature water geysers, bubblers and more with a backstory involving Donald’s three nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie.
    Meanwhile Deck 13 will feature the Satellite Sun Deck in the fore section, along with the Quiet Cove Pool and Cove Bar… all just for Adults.
    (10/5/11) The Disney Cruise Line has released a new video showing off the current progress on the new Disney Fantasy while under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany as they attach the bow to the ship, the final piece of the ship’s hull structure. They also talk about the changes and improvements being made to the Fantasy’s design, based on what was learned from the launch of the Disney Dream. The maiden voyage for the Disney Fantasy will be on March 31, 2012.

    (6/29/11) For those who can’t wait to see how things are progressing on the new Disney Fantasy, check out these webcams from the shipyards.
    (6/13/11) Want to know more about all the little features and extras that will be unique to the new Disney Fantasy when it launches in 2012? Check out the video presentation below, showing off the latest details that will make the Disney Fantasy a unique experience like the Animator’s Palate, or the presentation of the same stage version of Aladdin showing at California Adventure. They also talk more about the unique new destinations that the Disney Cruise Line will undertake during 2012 from new home ports. The Disney Wonder will return in Los Angeles in 2012 on Fall, Winder and Early Spring cruises before hearing north to Seattle for the Summer for some Alaska cruises.
    The Disney Magic will come to New York City in May 2012 that will feature cruises to the Bahamas, that can even include a day at Port Canaveral that will include an entire day experience at the Walt Disney World theme parks. Other trips from here will head up to New England and into Canada. In the Fall the Disney Magic will port in Galveston, TX to take on some western Caribbean cruise itineraries to Grand Cayman, Costa Maya and Cozumel.

    (5/24/11) With the new Disney Dream wowing guests on a daily basis now, the Disney marketing machine has turned it’s focus onto next year’s amazing follow-up… the Disney Fantasy. According to this Disney Blog posting, the sister ship will feature many of the same innovations as seen on the Disney Dream. This includes an AquaDuck, Magical Portholes and Enchanted Art shipwide. The Disney Fantasy will have a few new tricks as well, such as something called Animation Magic at the Animator’s Palate dinner where guests can draw their own characters on placemats which will be incorporated into the bigger show later on.
    Guests 18 and up can also enjoy Europa, a new nighttime entertainment and lounge district. Inside will be themed areas called La Piazza, Skyline, O’Gill’s Pub, Ooh La La and The Tube. For the younger guests, the Disney Fantasy will also feature a Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique salon.
    The atrium lobby on the Fantasy will also be very different from the Disney Dream. Instead of the Art Deco style, the Fantasy will be inspired by Art Nouveau patterns, filled with hight blue, green, pink and gold hues. You can see some images of this as well as the new Royal Court restaurant and the featured bronze Disney character cast just for the Fantasy, which will be Mademoiselle Minnie Mouse dressed in vintage fashion.
    (4/11/11) Disney Cruise Line fans may be interested to know about some new temporary home ports the ships will depart from in 2012 on select cruises: New York City, Seattle and Galveston. Read more details here.
    (1/13/11) A Screamscape source who got up close and personal with the Disney Dream discovered a little something interesting onboard. Take a close look at this picture found within a a rug or carpet aboard the ship. Do you see what I see?
    I see the two larger Disney Cruise Line ships (Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy both docked by the red star that represents the official Florida home port. One of the smaller ships, the Disney Wonder, is shown next to it’s new home port in Long Beach, California. So that leaves the very interesting third red star to represent the Disney Magic, which appears destined to depart for a new home port in Europe, likely somewhere in France, once the Disney Fantasy goes online in 2012.
    (10/30/09) Disney released some great details about the new Disney Dream ship coming in 2011. For starters, take a look at this page and you’ll notice one major difference in particular, the addition of a large and long water coaster style slide that runs around the top deck of the ship… in a CLEAR tube, even hanging over the edge at one point. They call it the AquaDuck.
    Yes, the rumor I posted back on 2/26/09 has come true, “the ships may feature a crazy new waterslide design that will use a clear acrylic tube that will extend quite a ways over the edge of the ship before turning back in towards the ship again for the splashdown. So the only thing between your rear end and the ocean far far below will be a thin clear tube. Creepy… and very cool.”
    Well… mostly true, as even then I had not heard that it was a water coaster, much like the Crush ‘n Gusher slides at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, so there will at least be a raft between your rear end and the see-through tube hanging over the edge of the ocean. According to the official description, “Guests are propelled at high speeds from Deck 12, Aft through an acrylic tube on a breathtaking journey up, down, around and off the side of the ship, through the Forward Funnel and—following a mammoth drop—into a lazy river.” The AquaDuck is 765 feet long and will feature a “4 deck drop”.
    One more interesting feature of the Disney Dream is the “Virtual Porthole” added to the interior staterooms. This faux porthole HD video screen will show off real-time views of the outside world that will actually match up with the location of your stateroom’s position within the ship. From time to time, select Disney characters will also make surprise appearance in the porthole… such as the starfish from Finding Nemo, Captain Hook’s pirate ship out on the waves or even Mickey could drop by. Anything is possible, but if you get tired of it, you can turn off the Porthole at any time.
    (2/23/07) The Disney Cruise Line confirmed plans yesterday afternoon to build two new unnamed ships that are planned to go into service in 2011 and 2012. The two yet-to-be-named ships will actually stand two stories taller than the Disney Wonder and Disney Magic and weighing in at an impressive 122,000 tons compared to the 83,000 tons of the older ships. The new twins will be built in Germany's Meyer Werft shipyard and feature 1,250 staterooms compared to the 877 staterooms on the first two. Right now they have not yet set the specific itineraries for the ships, but a previous rumor suggested that one might be sent periodically to the West coast to make the Alaska runs since the Wonder and Magic are not outfitted for that kind of environment.

Late 2012 - Rainforest Cafe Upgrade - (1/30/12) MouseSteps reports that the Rainforest Café at Downtown Disney is currently undergoing a major refurbishment that will not be complete until at least Fall 2012.  Once complete, the restaurant will feature an all new Volcano structure that will offer more of a show experience outside, as well as a new Lava Lounge area inside.

???? - Hyperion Wharf - (7/13/11) The Orlando Sentinel reports that the Hyperion Wharf style revamp of Pleasure Island has been put on indefinite hold while they reevaluate the Master Plan for the area. A forthcoming announcement regarding any revamped plans for the site was also teased.
    (3/22/11) Detailed official plans for the conversion of Pleasure Island into Hyperion Wharf have been discovered and posted to the Save Pleasure Island Blog this week. Unfortunately, while there will be changes all around... it also looks like there is going to be a lot of empty unused space instead of all those big promises of major developments, attractions and restaurants on the way.
    (11/22/10) A Screamscape source tells me that along with the introduction of the Hyperion Wharf concept to Downtown Disney, there are also plans being considered to add a small trolley system to run along the lengthy complex, similar in style to what is being added to the California Adventure park.
    (11/19/10) Disney dropped a bit news today… a new plan for the former Pleasure Island site, which will be named Hyperion Wharf. The entire model of the area is promised to be complete by 2013, and will transform the area into a new district that will ‘come to life with a nostalgic yet modern take on an early 20th century port city and amusement pier. By day, stylish boutiques and innovative restaurants will draw you in and by night, thousands of lights will transform the area into an electric wonderland.” In addition the area will feature a “lakeside park” and enhanced walkways, and the new eateries to be added will increase the dining opens in Downtown Disney by more than 25%.

2013?? - Bowling Stadium - On Hold - (2/22/10) It looks like that Bowling Stadium project has been pushed back until at least 2013. I missed this article at the time, but looks like when the economy went south back in 2008, the plans for the 100 lane facility were also put on hold due to financing problems from the unannounced backer of the facility.
    (6/10/08) Disney’s Wild World of Sports, or whatever new ESPN brand name it will have in the near future, will begin to host a huge bowling tournament starting in 2011 for the United States Bowling Congress. To handle the huge 20 week events each year from 2011 to 2029, Disney will build a huge “Bowling Stadium” that will feature at least 100 lanes, stadium style seating, a new restaurant and more.
    Yes, you read that number correctly! At least 100 lanes of bowling… and according to this article that could make this the biggest bowling stadium in the country, and when the lanes aren’t being used for the competition, they will be open for all us regular folks to go play on. Disney has only said that an unnamed company will build and operate the 160,000 square-foot center. They expect it to be open by early 2010.
    There seems to be some debate over what the biggest bowling alley in the country is right now as some older centers that had over 100 lanes have closed in the last few years, including the 106 site at the Las Vegas’ Showboat. The current world leader (as far as I can find) is the 156 lane Nagoya Grand Bowl in Japan, but even that was dwarfed by the previous world record holder, the now closed Tokyo World Lanes that once claimed to have 252 lanes of bowling under one roof.

2013 - DVC Villas at the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa - Under Construction - (1/16/12) DizFanatic has posted a new aerial pictures of the construction site at the Grand Floridian Resort, giving you a better grasp of how big it is.
    (12/19/11) Thanks to one of our readers for sending in some new pictures of the Grand Floridan DVC Villas construction si te.
    (12/12/11) The official Disney Vacation Club newsletter sent out to members this week confirmed the plans to build new Villas for the Grand Floridian Resort. “Disney Vacation Club has announced plans to build an estimated 147 villas as part of the previously announced expansion of Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Estimated to open in late 2013 near Disney's Wedding Pavilion, the resort's slated to become the 12th Disney Vacation Club property.”
    Speaking of which, MouseSteps has posted some new construction pictures showing off the ground work still taking place for the new DVC expansion site.
    (8/17/11) The Orlando Sentinel reports that the “Spa” at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort will close down Sept. 19th for the next 18 months as part of a expansion and planned renovation to the resort. This pretty much locks in that they will begun construction on the rumored DVC expansion wing in this area. Meanwhile a new photo update from MouseSteps also shows that the nearby tennis courts have also been demolished already.
    (3/24/11) According to the Orlando Sentinel, plans have been submitted to the county detailing an expansion to the Grand Floridian Resort. The plans describe a 6 to 7 story T-shaped building that will be connected to the main structure by an elevated walkway. The early speculation is that this could be an official DVC-Wing being added onto the resort, much like we’ve seen them add onto the Contemporary, Wilderness Lodge and Beach Club Resorts.

2013/2014 - New Cirque du Soleil - Rumor - (1/18/11) Remember that rumor about a new Cirque du Soleil show under consideration for Walt Disney World? Apparently Cirque has sent out a few survey’s this week to not only get feedback about La Nouba, but also asked a couple of very interesting questions as well.
    One asked, “Let’s imagine that Cirque du Soleil opens a new show in Downtown Disney at the Walt Disney World Resort, right next to where you attended La Nouba. How likely would you be to attend this new show if you were to go back to the Walt Disney World Resort?”
   The other one asked for opinions on several types of show concepts “that Cirque du Soleil could open in Downtown Disney”. The very interesting list of options has been posted below, verbatim.
A show created specifically for kids ages 6-14
A Water Show
An adult sensual cabaret
Another family-friendly show (comparable to La Nouba)
A true classic Cirque du Soleil production
A magic show
A show based on a Hollywood blockbuster movie (like Avatar)
A show based on the Disney characters.
    (11/22/10) I’ve been told that Cirque is currently planning a whole new show to eventually replace the long running La Nouba show as early as 2013.

2014 - Four Seasons Resort - (9/14/11) According to the Orlando Sentinel, the $360 million deal to build a Four Seasons hotel on WDW property has been finalized at last, and is now set to begin construction on the overdue project this December. The 444-room hotel will not be ready to open until mid to late 2014 however.
    (9/2/08) We finally get a peek at just what the new Four Seasons resort on Walt Disney World property will look like, posted over at the Orlando Sentinel. According to the article, site prep has already started and the hotel is looking to open in 2012 instead of 2010.
    (3/1/07) Walt Disney World made two surprise announcements today about a major expansions planned for the resort. Disney has struck a deal to construct a 900 acre luxury resort and commercial district on the site of the current Eagle Pines and Osprey Ridge golf courses. The new site will be anchored by an official Four Seasons hotel and include an 18 hole golf course, like keeping one of the two existing courses or perhaps some kind of combination of the two. The site will also include an area for “single and multi-family vacation homes and fractional ownership vacation homes.” Screamscape has heard that the land itself for that has been rezoned from Reedy Creek to Orange County to prevent anyone else’s agenda from getting in the way of Disney and Reedy Creek which is pretty much their unofficial district they maintain control over. Work on the new hotel is supposed to begin later this year, though it wont be ready to open until 2010.

2014/2015 - New Disney DVC Resort Hotel - Rumor - (2/14/11) According to one of our readers, new survey markers were spotted in the Fort Wilderness area along the “nature trails near the marina” and near the Settlement Trading Post. Could this be more signs of forward traction on that proposed new DVC Resort?
    (9/1/10) According to our sources, Disney engineers have been spotted going over the site, to determine just what will need to be done to remove the remains of Water Country. Others have been seen near the front of Fort Wilderness talking about plans to build new barn facilities to move the current Tri Circle D Ranch to a new location. As for the resort itself, I’ve been told that this will be a new DVC Resort, with the design being based on the old Buffalo Junction plans from years ago (minus the now defunct Fort Wilderness Railroad and other extra features), filling the gap between the Wilderness Lodge and Fort Wilderness. You can find a nice article about the once proposed Buffalo Junction (aka: Wilderness Junction) concept at Progress City USA.  (Note: Previous rumors about the next DVC Resort indicated they were looking at a site across from the Coronado Springs Resort that may have had some kind of California theme with a special pathway to Blizzard Beach).
    (8/31/10) Screamscape has been sent an interesting rumor that claims Disney’s Tri Circle D Ranch area, the nearby beach area along the lake and the former River Country property may all be planned to be leveled sometime next summer, to clear the site to make way for a brand new mega Disney resort project. Anyone else know more about this?

OTHER WALT DISNEY WORLD PROJECTS:
 
Golden Oak - Under Construction - (6/24/10) Disney unveiled details about their new Golden Oak residential area set up on Walt Disney World property. Read more here.
    (1/27/10) According to this report following the different internet domain names Disney has registered for of late, Disney has nabbed up 20 different domain names referring to the Golden Oak brand names, rumored to be used for the new residential community next to the Four Seasons hotel. The names include DisneyGoldenOak.com, GoldenOakAtDisney.com, GoldenOakAtWaltDisneyWorld.com and many more.
    (12/30/09) A Screamscape source has come to tell us a bit more about an small residential area being built as part of the Four Seasons Resort on WDW Property. They tell us that it will be named Golden Oak, a reference to Disney’s Golden Oak Ranch in California, and that it will be fairly small, consisting of only between 30 to 50 homes. Of course these ‘homes’ will apparently all cost in the 7-figure range and will be within a completely gated community that may come with special benefits such as annual passes for the residents. Of course many of these “homes” are likely to become vacation property rentals or things picked up by higher end corporations as a perk for their executives. A sales center and model home building is already under construction. Look for them to start trying to pre-sell the homes sometime in 2010.

Monorail System News - (10/17/11) More good news, it looks like Monorail Peach has gone into active service over the weekend, as it was spotted hauling guests around on the Resort Express Line on Saturday. This move finally will bring the system back up to a full 12 trains.
    (10/14/11) Here you go… proof on YouTube that Monorail Peach is now running the beam… empty of course. But with the stripe in place, it shouldn’t be much longer before Monorail Peach takes it’s first passengers, if it hasn’t already.

    (10/12/11) While I have yet to see a picture of it in action, I’ve heard from one reader today claiming to have spotted the new Monorail Peach being taken off the line early Tuesday morning. According to the report, it did look to have a colored stripe on it, though I’d really like to see a picture of this to be sure. If true, the new Monorail may be preparing to come online for guests in the next few weeks, assuming the test runs are going well.
    (9/14/11) There has been a lot of talk over the past day or two about the Walt Disney World Monorails. Over the past few days, there have been several reports sent in about system-wide shutdowns as well as all kinds of heightened security measures during the 9/11 anniversary weekend.
    However, beyond all this has been several new reports coming in about what may be near daily breakdowns in the system. I’ve reported in the past on how the WDW Monorail fleet has aged to the point where it is beyond its expected life span and in need of replacement, though to date, it does not seem as if any orders have gone out to construct a new fleet. Even if those orders were issued today, it would likely be another two years or so before the first new monorail could begin test runs on the beams. Case in point… it’s already been over two years since the deadly monorail accident of 2009, and Disney is just now getting the rebuilt monorail back on the beam for testing.
    Lets hope Disney is ready to starting ordering some new trains soon, otherwise we could be looking at a repeat of how Disneyland’s Monorail system was just driven to the breaking point, and trains were cannibalized for parts to keep others running until even that wasn’t enough any more. At least the Disneyland Monorail is primarily used for entertainment purposes… unlike the WDW system which is quite vital to ensure the transportation of guests from the Magic Kingdom to the parking lot, as well as shuttling guests between Epcot and the Magic Kingdom.
    (8/15/11) Disney accidentally sent out a tweet for a new blog update a little early it seems, as they announced “BREAKING: Monorail Peach will be added to the fleet at Walt Disney World this fall.” and then immediately pulled it off the web. Apparently this was intended to be news for the D23 convention next week.
    From what I’ve been led to understand, Monorail Peach will be seen testing (empty) on the beams soon, though without a colored stripe until they are ready to make it an active part of the fleet, returning the line to having 12 active monorail trains. The WDW Monorail was down to 10 trains following the July 2009 accident that too Pink and Purple out of service when they collided, killing the pilot. Disney was able to piece together the unaffected cars from Pink and Purple and re-commissioned them as Monorail Teal in late 2009. The remaining pieces from the retired Pink & Purple trains are said to have been repaired and merged to form the new Monorail Peach.
    (7/15/11) According to the Orlando Sentinel, Walt Disney World has begun to trim back the operational schedule of the Monorail fleet. They claim it is due to the age of the current monorail fleet (Mark VI Monorails launched in 1989) and the extended summer hours mixed with the necessary time (90 minutes) to start-up and shut-down the line, can reduce the amount of downtime to as little as one hour per day. The new schedule will see the Monrails shut down 1 hour after the scheduled public park closing time. The new hours are already in effect for the Epcot line and will begin on the Magic Kingdom line starting August 1st. While this will not affect most park guests, those affected most will be the resort guests staying late for the Extra Magic Hours who will be forced to use the Boat or Bus transportation options when leaving.
    I do have to wonder just how much longer WDW will be able to continue to run the Mark VI fleet. For comparison’s sake, the Disneyland Mark V Monorails ran between 1987 before being retired in 2008, 21 years later with the introduction of the new Mark VII Monorails. While the WDW Fleet is now older than the last retired Disneyland fleet, I believe they did undergo some kind of system controls upgrade in the mid 2000’s. Eventually though, the Mark VI line is going to be in need of replacement.
    (6/27/11) Chad Emerson sparked a bit of controversy in certain circles with an article posted to BlooLoop last month pondering just how much of an impact high fuel costs are having on the mother of all theme park resorts, Walt Disney World. The article does have some interesting points, where it seems the Eisner era’s refusal to expand to WDW Monorail System and rely on a massive fleet of Busses may be costing them dearly in today’s world. Meanwhile the compact nature of the Disneyland Resort and Universal Orlando are seen as being very ideal projects by keeping the costs of mass transit to a minimum.
    Personally, I’ve seen bits and pieces of several proposed plans to expand Disney World’s mass transit system over the years that would have not only added more Monorail lines, but also a very nice Light Rail system in order cut Bus transportation to a minimum. Disney has had lots of smart planners working on this problem for years now… only waiting for when the time was right to have management pull the trigger on one of them. Perhaps today’s high fuel costs will finally be what is needed to get the job done. In any case, give the article a quick read, as it does paint an interesting picture.

Western Beltway Development - (12/4/07) According to the Orlando Sentinel private developers and merchants will be able to run their own small restaurants, a grocery store, retail shops and even a few “value” level hotels as part of Walt Disney World’s new Western development project. Disney has begun to offer parcels for sale for the 450 acre development project that they are calling Flamingo Crossings off Western Way that will be built up over the next decade.
    (3/12/07) Disney released some artwork of the Western Beltway Development project area with maps this week. For some reason it all looks very similar to the retail development off 192 just outside Celebration,
    (3/1/07) Walt Disney World made two surprise announcements today about a major expansions planned for the resort: The new Four Seasons resort and their Western Beltway Development plans. Disney is planning to develop a 450 acre retail and commercial development just outside the gateway near where Western Way meets the Western Beltway. This new area will include even more 3rd party branded hotels (4,000 to 5,000 rooms), restaurants and gift shops that will be built in phases over the next 10 years with site work also to begin before the end of the year.