jedimaster1227

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/os-seaworld-tilikum-20110325,0,141493.story

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/03/new-star-tours-destinations-to-be-announced-soon/ http://wdwnewstoday.com/archives/6742 Star Tours Departure Board

Worlds of Fun has posted a Planet Snoopy construction update online.

http://www.thebradentontimes.com/news/2011/03/29/community/major_water_park_attraction_slated_for_manatee_county/

^Bumping a thread that was four days dormant isn't letting it die.

http://twitpic.com/4ed0x5

The entire tower has been completed. http://twitpic.com/4dnj8o

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?fbid=438094194027&id=45279469027&aid=241457 Here's a view of the fresh, new lift hill. It's just asking you to ride it... Twist, Twistier, Twistiest. Which track is going where?

So as the last part of our theme park crusades from yesterday, we made a quick stop off at Universal Orlando to say our goodbyes to Jimmy Neutron's Nicktoon Blast. For those of you who were unaware of this change, look here. Along the way, we saw a few other pieces of noteworthy news, so read on. Oh, and Larry, this trip report is dedicated to you and the new Park Index! Go test it out people! Driving up Universal Blvd., we noticed something strange... Disco H20 was completely blue a week ago. This is odd! Really strange... Oh, I get it! They are repainting it to match the colors of the ride's marquee! Inside of Universal Studios, a really great band has been placed in front of the Betty Boop store/I Love Lucy museum to entertain guests. No one was really standing around to watch, but the music really did liven up the entryway. This is why we're here, but we've gotta make a pit stop first! (Larry, the rest of this trip report is all yours!) The E.T. Adventure... The only one left! As a promotional tie-in with E.T. 2: Extinction, they've updated this scene to feature the evil aliens from the upcoming picture. Look it up! Oh Botanicus! How I've missed you! "The world is a carousel of color!" I hate to tell you guys, but Orbidon is currently missing in action as his animatronic figure is being refurbished. But you'll be happy to know that Tikli Moots Moots is still safe and sound! He still can't say my name right! Ok, back to our mission! Document Jimmy Neutron for the Index! I hadn't done this in years... Isn't this left over from The Funtastic World of Hanna-Barbera? The signature neutron icon is like the spinning rainbow on a Mac. They have a TV with subtitles in the pre-show room for those who need it. And then there's this weird little prop that dangles from the ceiling without any explanation. Here is the main theater. Prepare to be seated! Time to leave! Here is the "slightly unpredictable" Mark 1 rocket. The post-show features a meet and greet location for Spongebob Squarepants and Patrick. Anyone remember Chalk Zone? Getting ready to power down for good this August... Um... This was supposed to be orange. Recently painted blue? I think so! Coincidence? I think not! "Silly earthlings! Don't you know all rides must end at the gift shop?" So long! Farewell! Aufidersen! Goodbye! Over in CityWalk, the stage for Ellen's upcoming Universal Orlando episode is being set up. Come the day of filming, this place will be swamped!

Kings Island also tweeted the following: http://twitpic.com/4d8qhm

(Continued) It's the minor details that always allow Disney to shine. Would you believe this isn't a real tree? It looks like it blends in perfectly! Onward to the other side! More hidden details... They really do an amazing job here! Tinkerbell and Terrance are now meeting guests here. The lines were actually pretty long for the meet and greet... I'd have to imagine this will remain here after the festival ends. Syngenta is also a major sponsor for this year's festival. It brings so much color into an already wonderful section of the park! This year, the butterfly house has been hugely expanded and moved to the other side of Futureworld. The theme ties into the upcoming release of Bambi on Blu-Ray. The newly widened venue was very busy during our visit--a great sign of its success! It fits! It is insane how much additional space is inside of this new butterfly house! Pieces of the Magic Music Days have been moved next to the Innoventions corridor behind Club Cool. It's be nice to see this stage back in place again! As a promotional tie-in with Cars 2 and the Flower & Garden Festival, a "stamp race" around World Showcase. Those who complete the activity get an exclusive button for their participation. Oh, and clever brand name of the tires! Another impressive topiary! Well done! Topiary flags of the countries represented in Cars 2 have also been placed in the International Gateway plaza. An international Tea Garden has been placed on the backside of the UK Pavilion. And a great way to end our visit to Epcot? A caramel apple from Germany's recently opened Karamell Kuche!

During yesterday's park crusades, we also stopped by Epcot for a taste of this year's International Flower and Garden Festival. The event has been expanded to include several new areas, a few expanded ones and a brand new look and feel that has truly revitalized the already-popular offering. I would like to make a special note (you'll read me reiterating this ten times over in my photo captions) how pleased I was with this year's presentation of the Festival Center (formerly Garden Town). I've always been a fan of this venue at the event, but this year, Disney has stepped up its game. The former Wonders of Life pavilion has finally been gutted of much of the clutter remaining from the closed Future World offering, leaving plenty of room for a comfortable event space that feels welcoming and wide for visitors. It was like the added room to breathe made the experience so much better! Take this, on top of the superbly-handled efforts to better tie the decor and stages into the theme of the event--everything felt like it was meant to be a part of the International Flower and Garden Festival, not just another event offered at Epcot. I can only commend Disney on another incredible year of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. This year has renewed my interest in the annual event, and has me already heavily looking forward to next Spring when it starts all over again! This year's entrance theme is Toy Story 3, tying into the upcoming DVD/Blu-Ray release of the insanely popular film. It actually looks spectacular--one of my favorite entrance displays since the surfing one a few years ago! Lots-O'-Huggin' Bear (also known as Lotso) is represented with a unique topiary that emits a beautiful strawberry smell in the entrance plaza. Forget Horizons L'Orange! This stuff smells way better! It all just looks really nice as a whole! These were supposedly transferred from Pixar Place at Disney's Hollywood Studios for the festival. Another great topiary! Event guides and altered hub tarps help remind guests that the event runs all week long. Time to visit the Festival Center (formerly known as Garden Town). Some kind of work seems to be going on above the Wonders of Life windows. This year's event is sponsored by HGTV, a natural fit. Another really nice touch that took me by surprise! The old map stand has been removed... But as you'll notice in the next few photos, a good many things have also been cleared out. The seating area normally used as an extra event merchandise or book location is without use this time around. The food stand is also closed this year. Back during its time in the Wonders of Life pavilion, this stand used to offer healthier food options. A lone information booth sits at the front of the pavilion. The pavilion feels far more open this year--and it is truly comfortable that way! One of the former Wonders of Life attractions (I believe this one was Goofy about Health) has been repurposed as a stage for University of Florida agricultural experts to give presentations. Go Gators! Food & Wine Festival signs were in storage in the food stand's kitchen, as seen here. So much space--it just feels so great! Interesting... The old lamp posts have been repainted with a great new color scheme that matches the more subtle colors of the pavilion's new look. I really can't get over how much space there is now! The space in front of the old Cranium Command entrance is now being used for a planting demonstrations. While it isn't my cup of tea, the presentation seemed to be well received by the audience. It is nice to see that the stage was designed with an agricultural theme. Everything fits so well! The former entrance queue for Cranium Command is currently being used for storage and pre-presentation preparation. Frontiers of Medicine, the Body Wars post show remains closed off from guest access, as it has been for many years. The exit to Body Wars is also off limits. The red lights from the post show seem to still be on after all these years. The Making of Me Theater has been repurposed as the HGTV Theater, playing videos on the making of the Festival, as well as clips from HGTV shows. Another beautifully set up presentation area within the pavilion. This is the former entrance area for Body Wars. It has been walled off for quite some time now. It is rumored that they are using this area for NextGen Initiative development--and they are clearly being protective about what is behind the wall. The Festival Merchandise area is packed with unique offerings for the year. Probably the busiest area in the pavilion... The Anacomical Players theater has also been repurposed for festival presentations. Notice the projections on the ceiling? The Festival Center has definitely been used to the fullest this year! I approve! New to the Flower & Garden Festival is an exhibit called Sounds of Nature. Sponsored by The Nature Conservancy, the path is a filled with bright colored flowers and a few playable exhibits with sound. Pretty. You are supposed to talk towards the blue wall of this "wonder dish." It didn't work for us, but I think we were doing it wrong. Just in case you wondered who made this. They also offered face painting in the garden. This year, Pixie Hollow has expanded into the area that was formerly Tiana's Enchanted Garden. With Magic Kingdom's Toontown closed, the fairies of Pixie Hollow have begun doing meet and greets here. Surprisingly, it all fits very well! The former site of the old butterfly garden is used merely as a walkway towards the World Showcase this year. It wouldn't be Pixie Hollow without Tinkerbell.

I returned to the Magic Kingdom yesterday to catch up on the week's latest progress, and to attempt to see the new Haunted Mansion queue with my own two eyes. Unfortunately, the interactive queue was still closed for Imagineer tweaking, but surprisingly enough, the animatronic hitchhiking ghosts at the end of the ride had returned, looking better than ever! [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=MAH02238_r56z[/coastertube] The new gift shop built as the exit for the upcoming meet and greet for the Town Square Theater will be called Curtain Call Collectibles. New wait time displays have been installed under the new marquee. With two installed, one will likely be for Mickey Mouse and the other for the Disney Princesses. The Fastpass Distribution point will be located near Tony's. It has been noted that late Fastpasses will not be accepted for this attraction. You stay classy, Fastpass! Kodak will remain as a sponsor for the new meet and greet location. Tony's Restaurant is still under wraps (although it is still open) during the Town Square refurbishment. What's this? This is actually a themed cover installed to disguise the new high-definition projectors used for the Magic, Memories and You! castle projection show. The temporary bridge to Adventureland is still open... That being said, the new Adventureland bridge has reopened and new props are added daily to further theme it. I love the look of it! Do you? Definitely a nice touch! Still pulling in the lengthy wait times here... Fresh concrete was also poured in the area recently. I don't believe it is finished yet, considering how raw it seemed to look and feel. Plus, dust was flying through the wind from it, which made for an odd walk towards Pirates of the Caribbean... No changes out front, but there have been some guest reports of hearing "Let's all sing like the birdies sing" coming from the exit of the attraction. Work of some kind continues on the pre-show coop... Further proof. Not open today... A minor detail that is probably overlooked. The Haunted Mansion interactive queue was closed again during my visit. But the tarps around the queue have come down, revealing some great looking refurbished sections of the main queue. Whispering busts are a part of the interactive queue, supposedly telling the stories of how they met their fatal ends. Imagineers were out and about conducting further work on the queue. During our time here, they seemed to be focusing on the sailor's tomb. The handicapped access sign has been lit with a fittingly eerie red. With the tarps down, it could be seen that the new graveyard had been greatly expanded, with new and old tombstones scattered along the hill. The new tombstones add some extra humor and tie in some of the characters from the ride into the queueing experience. Ezra for example, is one of the three hitchhiking ghosts. Some more stones... Phineas Pock is related to another Pock whose poetry will be featured in the new interactive queue. Always clever... The signature Leota tombstone has returned to the graveyard as well. The visible corner of the show building was also aged slightly to better fit the rest of the theming of the building. Work continues on the changes to the handicapped access path for the ride. A better glimpse at one of the new busts. While it is hard to see it all over the fence, the level of detail in the new area is clearly present. Maybe next time, I'll actually get to see the area for myself. The sailor's tomb features bubbles and water effects, some of which could be seen during our visit. The drowning sailor actually sneezes, unleashing a splash of water from the top of the tomb. A better look at the new organ... Another glimpse of the new graveyard on the hill. The projections are still up in the old mirror scene... Something I hadn't noticed before--the two projections turned to look at each other before returning their glances at the guests. Progress continues to be made in New Fantasyland. And we have our first signs of rock work! A good number of trees have been placed along the edge of the fences to prevent guest from seeing the raw magic at work. The Barnstormer's lift hill has been uncovered. Nothing different here, right? Actually, the Toontown sign is now gone! It looks like the old farm building will remain. It almost looks like the building has been repainted, or at least freshened up. It wouldn't be a bad thing for the building to remain. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. It will certainly be interesting to see what happens next!

http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2011/03/follow-the-clues-to-discover-the-new-rundisney-race/

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay has sent us a press release and hi-res photos from the ride envelope pull-through of the first train of Cheetah Hunt.

^From what has been reported, I believe it will be the new talking Mickey that comes to the meet and greet.

Thanks for the shout out! They also sell them outside of Voyagers at SeaWorld Orlando.

I don't think you all have scanned our clues properly...

^You may need special ggoogles to really see that.

Disney has added new information about this special offering to its website. http://disneyland.disney.go.com/disneyland/pirates-sneak-peek/

(Continued) Not just busy because of the parade, but because of the Spring Break crowds. The parade's run has reportedly been extended for the foreseeable future, citing its popularity. We were at the park from opening til close, spending time all over the park, but much of the time was spent in Tomorrowland. Streamers from the parade were stuck in the tree after the show... We rode the Walt Disney World Railroad for the first time since Toontown's closure. It's now-two-stop tour provides great views of Big Thunder Mountain. Such a fun ride! On the backside of the Fantasyland Expansion, minor construction work has begun alongside the Railroad. Not sure what it is or what it means, but it is here... You can see the outlines of the new buildings through the scrims, but at least for now, WDI doesn't want you seeing the raw construction from the train. Pulling up into the old Toontown Station to briefly refilled the steam engine, the entire area is walled off. The same covered station that was here a week ago is now gone completely. The train's narration has been updated to reflect the expansion, and when stopping to refill, the conductors announce that guests can see what's to come by looking to their right, at the billboards. The themed steam station remains, at least for now. The new Fantasyland will be very different from what we've got now... The backside of the Barnstormer also remains untouched. Both tents will be kept for use in the Storybook Circus, though their purposes have not yet been announced. The signs in the Tomorrowland/Toontown paths have not yet been taken down. When the former Tomorrowland Skyway building was remodeled, the trees along the backside of Tomorrowland were removed. Now, riders of the railroad can get a glimpse at my favorite land without leaving their seats. The new marquee for the Town Square Theater is now secure in its new home, and has lit up at night consecutively since its installation. Clips have been installed on the building's columns to secure the future banners that will be hung when the refurbishment is complete. The new Mickey Mouse meet and greet is still being worked on, but will be the first meet and greet to have its own Fastpass system. Club 626 wasn't extremely popular during the day, but later in the evening, we saw a stark contrast. An overview... During our ride on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Peoplemover (that's the full name now), the ride stopped briefly and the work lights came on. Not uncommon, but very neat! Another look at Belle's section of New Fantasyland. While his new meet and greet is finalized in Main Street, Mickey is greeting guests in Tomorrowland. He is also doing brief stints daily in the Hall of Presidents lobby. It may be a little hard to see, but this little dugout is where guests see Mickey. Workers were consulting each other atop the show building for The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Undersea Adventure. Initial work on the "retaining walls" that mark the divide between Fantasyland and the Fantasyland Forest has gone vertical. The castle's backside is currently being refurbished... A little detail I hadn't noticed before... Work on the path on the backside of the castle leading to Frontierland is also ongoing. And this wasn't the worst wait time of the day... The steps on the Castle Forecourt Stage have been painted to look like the surrounding bricks. They were previously distinguished with a different look before the paint. It blends in pretty well, right? Tortuga Tavern was open for business today! Here's the menu of the renamed location. Some details I hadn't noticed before... And an area of the quick service location I hadn't seen before. A little nook that reminded me of New Orleans Square's Court of Angels at Disneyland Park. I miss California! One last piece of theming remembers the former name... Despite it being open, the location is still undergoing some work. Over in Adventureland, the stroller parking area was completely redone with new wooden boards. The power of the Disney Princesses! In a matter of hours, more progress had been made on the Adventureland sign. Not anything like our earlier visit, Club 626 was hoppin'! Stitch and Goofy were up on stage for the festivities. Chip and Dale were out in the earlier show. Wave your hands in the air! They played a great mix of music for all tastes, and had some interesting video playing in the background! On an unrelated note, they have chicken parmigiana at Pinocchio's Village Haus.

So I went back to the Magic Kingdom yesterday to see what had changed in a week, and surprisingly, it was a lot! Spring Break crowds were out in full effect, pushing the originally announced park hours from an 11:00 pm closing to it staying open until 1:00 am. Progress on the Fantasyland expansion is speeding right along, specifically in the former Toontown area/future Storybook Circus. More changes have been made to Haunted Mansion's finale, revealing IR cameras along the former mirrored hallway where the hitchhiking ghosts would follow you. From the looks of it, the projections are here to stay, but with the aid of these new cameras, the images will actually react to riders uniquely, not just floating over them like the old system did. One more change of note from last week... As many know, The Enchanted Tiki Room: Under New Management was closed a while ago due to a fire that reportedly caused damage to attic of the attraction, supposedly also affecting one of the main animatronics from the show as well. The date for the attraction to reopen has been pushed back several times now, and no official statement has been made to point in either direction, but a new sign has appeared in front of the attraction sporting the look and feel of the original Tropical Serenade attraction with no mention or reference to the new management to be seen. Rumors have been around for quite some time that the attraction could return to its previous form in honor of the park's coming 40th anniversary, but again, nothing official has ever been said to prove that this is more than salt. Time will tell, but the rumor definitely seems to be gaining traction with each delay and each hint. [coastertube]http://www.themeparkreview.com/coastertube/play.php?vid=MAH02050_36pd[/coastertube] The main tent formerly home to the Toontown meet and greets will be retained for use in the Storybook Circus. The main entrance sign for the tent has not yet been taken down. Despite being back at full capacity with all lanes refinished, the Tomorrowland Speedway still had a rediculously long line. The turn around was taken in a bit to widen the space available for Storybook Circus, and is now completely refinished. Goofy's Wiseacre Farm is still intact. The former entrance to Toontown is about to go under the knife... Looks like the concrete is about to be ripped up. There's a great big beautiful tomorrow! Construction on the Beauty and the Beast area has continues to progress. One of the restaurant's roofs is taking shape. Another new structure has gone up this week. An overview of the Be Our Guest restaurant. it's a small world had a full queue today... No more visible work has begun on the former Skyway building, but it is expected to be removed in the near future. Despite the rumors of soft openings for the new queue, it did not open at all on this day (it had opened briefly the day before). Ravenscroft Correction to the last update: The main queue's cover is red. The new, interactive portion has a green cover. In the week since my last visit, this section of the main queue has changed drastically. A new dividing fence has split the queue area in half. The left side leads to the interactive queue while the right goes directly towards the ride. When open, the guests will be able to choose which way they would like to go, which will likely help the guest flow of the queue even more. Early guest reports on the new experience have been mostly positive, claiming that the new experiences bring in new and old tributes and pieces of the Haunted Mansion canon into play in unique ways. Here is where the left side splits off into the new area... And here is where guests will merge back into the main line. Another expected merge point for the new queue area. By midday, they were still painting the new area, evidencing the fact that it wouldn't be open today. Time for some more interior pics! They really did fix up the stretching room in the last major refurbishment... It looks so great! Eerie... Just some normal paranormal activity... The ballroom scene continues to hold its place as one of the most impressive dark ride scenes ever conceived. "Call me sentimental, but I still miss the screaming." A better look at the new projections in front of the old animatronic hitchhiking ghost scene. A few months ago, a ghostly-hand-projection was added to pass over the backs of the doombuggies, pointing guests towards the moving platform exit. It looks like the former wheelchair loading hallway is being expanded. A fun picture from inside Pirates of the Caribbean. Never stops impressing me... And it never gets old... And Jack Sparrow could only make it better! Not too long ago, Disney opened a new operation known as The Pirates League in a former storeroom of the Pirates gift shop. Much like at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, guests can receive makeovers of different tiers to turn themselves into pirates and wicked wenches. I had never been inside before, but it was a nice surprise to see how heavily themed the boutique was. Guests of all ages were partaking in the experience. It looks like Goofy will be meeting guests here for a while! Still no external progress at the Tiki Room preshow. I wasn't sure if Larry needed one of these... Interesting... Very interesting... I can't wait to see what happens when the attraction reopens (in whatever form it does)! The work on the Adventureland bridge is still ongoing. Posts have gone up for the land's sign. It's been tremendously busy here, but this wasn't the worst we saw it during the day. Disney's Move it, Shake it, Celebrate it! Street Party is still going strong...

http://www.clickorlando.com/news/26952097/detail.html

^Fixed!