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Walt
Disney World International Press Event |
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Itinerary
Discovery Disney's Pop Century Resort
What's Next? (New projects at WDW over the next three years)
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"Are we there Yeti?" During breakfast, Walt Disney World President Al Weiss and Walt Disney Parks and Resorts President Jay Rasulo arrived on stage at Pop Century Resort in a stunt car following a lively musical number highlighting many fads and fashions of the past century. Twice during the performance, a stunt car sailed across the entrance to the lobby of Pop Century. Then, at the end of the musical number, Weiss and Rasulo (Weiss was "driving") stepped out of the car. The door panels sported the words, "Stunt Show Spectacular." Obviously, the rumors all over the Net were substantiated at that moment. Disney-MGM Studios would have its automobile stunt show.
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After breakfast, we entered the lobby area, where hundreds
of chairs had been set up, facing a stage. A PowerPoint presentation
appeared on the screen before us as we waited for everyone to be seated.
Some of the slogans that appeared were: "Are we there Yeti?"
"Yeah, that's the E-ticket!" and "Go ahead. Make my
bed." Then, Rasulo and Weiss appeared on stage once again, and
announced what many of us had already known--except now, it's
official.
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Weiss and Rasulo reminded journalists that the Company had been focusing on maximizing its other assets over the past couple of years--specifically, Disneyland Resort (including Disney's California Adventure), Disneyland Paris, and Tokyo Disneyland. Essentially, Disney is less interested in running isolated theme parks; the Company wants "Disney worldwide" to be full-fledged resorts which make the "Disney Difference." Now that all properties have been designated multi-day resort destination, the focus is on Walt Disney World. Combined with the new premieres--Wishes, Mission: SPACE, and Mickey's PhilharMagic--the new attractions make up an unprecedented spurt of growth over the next three years. |
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Magic Kingdom It's official. Stitch's Great Excape will premier in 2004, with some of Disney's most sophisticated Audio-Animatronics figures. "This character is hot," Rasulo said of Stitch. "It's a perfect fit for Tomorrowland." In a nutshell, Experiment 626--a.k.a. Stitch--escapes, and it's up to the audience to capture him. According the the official Company press release, MK guests are recruited by the Galactic Federation Grand Councilwoman to "provide extra security ... for a captured alien whose reputation for being extremely difficult has preceded him. Even so, authorities underestimate Stitch's capacity for playful disobedience, causing havoc to erupt with guests caught in the middle of the fun." Stitch's Great Escape will replace Alien Encounter. |
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Epcot "Soarin' Over California" will premier in Epcot in 2005, as part of The Land pavilion. "The new attraction sends guests on a sweeping flyover above the wondrous Golden State for a birds-eye view of the rich landscape and topography. The unforgettable experience combines cinematic artistry and state of the art motion base technology. Guests are literally lifted 40 feet inside a giant projection screen dome and completely surrounded with the beauty and wonder of the state of California as their elevated theater seats take them on a scenic tour over the Golden Gate Bridge, the Redwood forests, Napa Valley, Yosemite and more. The free-flight experience intensifies as guests feel the sweeping winds and smell fragrant orange blossoms and pine trees around them." |
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Disney's Hollywood Studios In 2005, guests will be on the edge of their seats as the secrets behind Hollywood's most astounding stunts unfold at the new stunt show called Stunt Show Spectacular. The high-octane stunt show features specially designed cars, motorcycles and jet skis, plus special effects--with audience members pulled into the fun. Insiders will reveal show secrets, detailing how stunts are created, designed and filmed for the movies. Filmed images are revealed on an oversized screen, illustrating how the use of different camera angles can add drama to filmed scenes. The show is part of a larger development of the backlot area that also includes new cityscapes, adding Chicago and San Francisco to the existing New York skyline. Neither Rasulo nor Weiss indicated the fate of Indiana Jones' Epic Stunt Spectacular. |
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Disney's Animal Kingdom Is it Yeti yet? Refusing to disclose details about Disney's version of the Abominable Snowman, Al Weiss teased journalists with his comment that "Imagineers have already begun work on the Audio-Animatronics creature" for Expedition EVEREST, scheduled to open in 2006. The adventure begins when guests board an old mountain railway destined for Mount Everest. The train rolls through thick bamboo forests, past thundering waterfalls, along shimmering glacier fields and climbs higher and higher through snow-capped peaks. Suddenly, the thrills intensify as the train races both forward and backward through mountain caverns and icy canyons as guests head for an inevitable face-to-muzzle showdown with the mysterious Yeti. |
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Disney Vacation Club Nothing really new was announced about Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, except that Rasulo and Weiss stated that, despite the economy, DVC sales continue to remain strong, an indication of the strong emotional appeal Disney continues to have for many, many people. |
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