R.A. Pedersen's Blog, page 5

Electronic RFID Enchanted Roses and Things Gone Wrong at Be Our Guest Restaurant

Disney recently revealed their plans to have the Be Our Guest restaurant make extensive use of their new RFID systems for the lunch period.

Guests visiting the location for the quick-service lunch will be handed an RFID rose the size of a hockey puck. This rose will function as a group identifier for the guest’s order and track their party as they travel through the restaurant. Guests will frist take their rose to the ordering kiosk – tap the Mickey head of the rose to the Mickey head of the s...

Latest Photos of Test Track Construction at Epcot

Another day, another quick jaunt to Epcot to check out the work on Test Track 2.0 which will open in December.

As you can see in the above photo, the base around the new marquee has been installed and a survey crew is determining the final specifics to install the signage. A bit further back, the curved extension of the main building which will function as the new entrance is beginning to be skinned. A few more shots from around the area can be found in the gallery below – though there were re...

Test Track Construction Photos and Destiny of the Canopy

So we managed to get some photos of the latest progress on Test Track’s front entrance. As you can see, the concrete walkway is being put down and the curved walls leading to the new curved entry doors are nearing completion.You’ll also notice blue bands of tarp hung from the structure – why for you ask?

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Because they plan to do this… Well, at least we wont be wondering what will become of the canopy anymore.

Epcot Character Spot Refurbishment Oct 21st to Mid February

Oct. 21 – Mid-February 2013: Epcot Character Spot will be closed for refurbishment. A temporary Character Spot location near the current location will be open for guests to greet Mickey, Minnie & Pluto. The temporary location is between the restrooms and Club Cool.

Disney World to Extend Annual Passholder Previews for New Fantasyland

Walt Disney World has issued the following statement regarding the botched sign-up for New Fantasyland Annual Passholder previews at the Magic Kingdom:

Passholders, due to strong demand, we are working quickly to create additional New Fantasyland preview opportunities for you and will share more details by the middle of next week. Here is a note from Debbie Hart, the director of experience services here at Walt Disney World Resort.

Dear Passholders,

We are aware that some of you had difficulty i...

FASTPASS Being Added to Epcot and Hollywood Studios Attractions (Full List)

Disney filed a permit today to begin installing FASTPASS signage at several attractions in Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The attractions listed below will receive FASTPASS in the near future. As you may notice, several of these attractions were outfitted with FASTPASS+ RFID scanners as we’ve documented here on the Epcyclopedia blog.

Epcot:

Spaceship Earth
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Turtle Talk
Journey into Imagination with Figment

Disney’s Hollywood Studios:

Fantasmic
Muppetvision 3D
The G...

New Fantasyland Soft Opening Official Schedule and Details

New Fantasyland soft-opened this morning for lucky guests in the Magic Kingdom. These openings are expected to continue for the Voyage of the Little Mermaid attraction and Enchanted Tales with Belle until the previews for Imagineering, Cast Members, D23 and Annual Passholders occur.

Here’s the official word from Disney….

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Guests may be invited into the Enchanted Forest within New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park intermittently, giving our Cast the opportunity to have a full dress rehearsal of...

Epcot Entrance Character Meet Greet Developing Soon and Open by April

Disney previously filed paperwork indicating a new Disney character meet and greet would soon be installed at the front entrance of the park. Today they filed more detailed paperwork with a better indication of the intended location of the new meet and greet. It will be taking over the covered alcove on the west side of the entrance plaza that was previous home to the Leave a Legacy sales kiosk and is currently used as a guest research outpost and at times a character meet/greet location but...

Epcot Turnstiles Getting NextGen Upgrade Installation

There’s been a lot of buzz on the wire lately over Disney’s filings with the FCC for their NextGen wristbands that will replace paper tickets at the Walt Disney World resort. These wristbands will replace tickets not only for resort guests, but eventually all guests including passholders. The new system obvious requires new turnstiles, which Epcot has been quietly installing for the last few weeks at the front entrance. Today, however, concrete proof that the work was on the turnstiles electr...

Test Track Grand Opening Set for December 6th

Disney has formally announced that the reimagined Test Track attraction at Epcot will have a grand reopening on December 6th.This reopening date allows Disney to group Test Track into the press hoopla for New Fantasyland which also grand opens that day. Internal estimates and cast member schedules still point to an “functional ride” date around November 21st to begin soft openings and any scheduled annual passholders or cast member previews.

Remember, that while New Fantasyland doesn’t open un...