Home News Disney News Disney News Round Up: New Colors for Sleeping Beauty Castle and more!

Disney News Round Up: New Colors for Sleeping Beauty Castle and more!

February 18, 2015

It is that time of the week again for the MiceChat Round up! This week in Disney News we have updates from the Animal Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World and photos from the last days of Luigi’s Flying Tires at Disney California Adventure. Who saw that Instagram post on what Joe Rohde is currently reading? This has sparked a discussion on if it’s a hint on a new expansion for Animal Kingdom! Last but not least we have a new Haunted Mansion Show which dives into the original home of Gracey Manor. What are you waiting for? It’s Round Up time . . .	Get Mouseaddict for free HERE
Quick Jump: All Things Disney \| Videos & Podcasts \| Events \| Featured Columns \| Disney News
Animal Kingdom News and Photos They say it’s a jungle out there and we’re headed to Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World to take a look at the many changes and projects happening in this lush Disney park. Let’s go Luigi’s Flying Tires go flat in Cars Land as Sleeping Beauty Castle gets fresh paint for its 60th Anniversary Holiday crowds turned out for Valentine’s Day and the long President’s Day weekend as Disneyland continues various refurbishment and enhancement projects in both theme parks. In Disney California Adventure, Luigi’s Flying Tires closes permanently today and Walt Disney Imagineering will soon get to work on transforming the unsuccessful attraction into an all-new experience. Meanwhile, work continues transforming Condor Flats into the new Grizzly Peak Airfield and in Disneyland, the Innoventions Dream Home is being gutted to make way for something new.

UPDATED – MiceChat 7 night Alaska Cruise on the Disney Wonder – June 1st, 2015: Join us as we sail toward the top of the world on the delightful Disney Wonder. We’ll hold all sorts of special MiceChat meet-ups on board, take group excursions, and dine together in the evenings to discuss our daily adventures. Highlights include Vancouver, Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, glorious glaciers, whales, and spectacular nature everywhere. Don’t miss this MiceChat adventure at sea! Ask us for more details on any of our upcoming MiceTrips or for Disney adventures of your own by emailing us at [email protected]. It doesn’t cost you more to use our travel agent, it’s just more magical. Let us do the work, you enjoy the Disney fun!!!
We have photos from the Mice Chat 10th Anniversary weekend. We also look at America Sings, Christmas style, and a time when Main Street USA was Frozen over (way before Frozen was a movie) ~ Aladdin MiceChat’s Ten Year and my First Sunday Hub meet! Cakvalasc just recently moved to LA and choose a BIG MiceChat meet, for his first Sunday meet! Here are the photos! December 2014 – Celebrating a first Birthday KellyMcG86 and her husband celebrated their daughters first birthday at the Disneyland resort, with lots characters! They even have a surprise announcement, that the characters helped with! Top 20 Favorite Attractions at DLR 20 might see like a lot of attractions to choose, but when you consider all the rides, shows, and Parades that Disneyland has had over the past 60 years, that may end up being a smaller list that you 1st imagine! Disneyland Master tells us what their top 20 attractions are and wants to know what you would place on your top 20 list! Christmas in Disneyland – TV show from 1976 Main Street USA turned into a skating rink, America Sings turned into a Christmas attraction decades before Small World and Haunted Mansion holidays were even dreamed of, Snow White and the seven dwarfs marching down the caterpillar’s path of the Alice in Wonderland attraction! These are just some of the things you will only see in this Disneyland Christmas special from 1976! Will there be a new land in Animal Kingdom? Also check out some new ideas from our armchair imagineers. ~ Trekkie Dad Joe Rohde Hinting At Research For New AK Expansion Or New Project? Joe appears to be researching ancient Central American civilizations. Could this be work-related? Epcot’s future goofy donald has a wish list of desired improvements to Epcot and invites others to contribute. Haunted Mansion enhancements MrsMonroe has a bunch of ideas to improve Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion. Into the Woods in the parks! Hunny Hunter would like to know if you think Into the Woods belongs in Disney Parks. Forget a Tron Lightcycle ride. Give me a Tron Lightjet coaster! Nikefutbolero proposes a roller coaster similar to a final scene in Tron Legacy. This week we have some very interesting news about new developments coming out of Hong Kong. Plus we find out about the future of Oswald and new changes coming to the Tokyo Disneyland Hotel. – DLandFansAZ Why HK Gov Wants to speed up development (A Glimpse into the future) HongKongDisneyland brings us information on why Hong Kong wants to speed up development. Video reveals Reclamation for phase 3 !!!!! The Information Services Dept of the Hong Kong government has put together a video that shows that Phase 3 will come from reclaimed land. Mr Kam (CEO of HKDLR) presenting at Legco meeting today (Phase 2) HongKongDisneyland also brings us some interesting information from a meeting that Mr Kam, the CEO of HKDLR, presented at to the Legislative Council. Oswald’s Meet & Greet at TDS Ending Aimster brings us information on the end of the Oswald Meet & Greet. The End of Good Taste The Tokyo Disneyland Hotel is going to be transforming rooms into “character rooms.” Not everyone is happy about these changes, so what do you think? This week we have some great trip reports from Walt Disney World Resort. Plus we have a look at some speculation about the future of Epcot and the Animal Kingdom. – DLandFansAZ Mega Mini Trip to MK (Photos) Feb 2015 Squidgit brings us a trip report from WDW with some excellent photos. 1st Visit to the World! Nice trip report from a CM on their first visit to Walt Disney World. Skip The Front Desk! Direct-To-Room Check-In Beginning Soon PlutoHasFleas brings us information about being able to skip checking in at the front desk and go straight to room to check in. WDW and Disney Dream Honeymoon Trip Report zeitzeuge brings us a great honeymoon trip report with some great photos. Epcot’s future goofy donald speculates that since we know what is happening at Hollywood Studios, Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, the next place to receive additions would be Epcot. Joe Rohde Hinting At Research For New AK Expansion Or New Project? An Instagram photo from Joe Rohde has PlutoHasFleas speculating on the future of Animal Kingdom. This week we have a couple of really different trip reports. ~ Trekkie Dad Joe’s visit to the Chocolate Festival at Belmont Shore Joe Flowers (mre200200) has pictures from a recent trip to this Southern California event. The Shallow Grave – Winter Haven, FL – A Night To Dismember Valentine’s Day 2015 lutoHasFleas couldn’t wait for Halloween to give his girlfriend a good scare.
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MiceChat Podcast: Disney Bling Bling and Other Things – The MiceChat crew is BACK after a long delay, and they’ve got some surprises for you. The Hat Box Ghost isn’t the only thing returning, we’ve got news of the return of the Fabulous Disney Babe! There’s all sorts of news about the things which will be keeping us busy in the theme parks in 2015, not the least of which is Disneyland’s Diamond Anniversary. Let’s chat . . . Direct Download \| iTunes The Haunted Mansion Show Episode 27: Venomous VooDoo New Orleans. The original home of Gracey Manor before it was brought to Disneyland. Home of swinging jazz and steamboats roll’n down the river. But it has also become a home for a strange and unusual type of custom: voodoo. Throughout history, New Orleans-voodoo has become a custom of many a believer of the dead. The Haunted Mansion is obviously no exception. Learn about the art of voodoo with an electrifying lecture from your Ghost Host and a call from the Shadow Man himself, Dr. Facilier. Window to the Magic: Enjoy the sounds of the park on our weekly journeys into the wonderful world of the Disney sound experience! Direct Link \| iTunes Link Disafterdark: We are joined by antipodean Disney park fan, Lewis Sutton who posted a question to Facebook for us a few weeks ago before his trip to Disneyland Paris. So we waited until after his trip and invited him on. Which meant getting up at 5.00 AM for him… (Not us.. as if!) anyway, we find out what it takes to get from Australia to Disney parks around the world and get an Australian take on things Direct Link The Season Pass: The Essential Theme Park Podcast: Doug and Brent are at IAAPA 2014 for a discussion with the CEO of Dynamic Attractions, Guy Nelson. Want to hear from the guys who make the ride systems behind Soarin’, Radiator Springs Racers, and Space Mountain happen? Direct Link \| iTunes Link Disney Avenue Podcast: The Disney Avenue Podcast is back with this month’s show featuring another fantastic interview with Disney Legend, Walt Disney Archives founder and former chief archivist David Smith! Dusty Sage, of MiceChat.com, teams up with host Keith Michael Mahne for another amazing show. It was a wonderful conversation and a whole lot of fun. Direct Link \| iTunes Link Mousetalgia! – An Unofficial Disneyland Podcast: D23’s Kristin Rodack joins Mousetalgia this week to discuss D23’s events and features for 2015, many of which were just announced in the past week. From studio events and chances to meet Disney Legends to gatherings spread across the country, 2015 looks to be the best yet for D23 members. We discuss the recently announced features in detail, which include a radical new approach to the Fanniversary events, an incredible new gift for Gold Membership in 2015, and of course, the upcoming D23 Expo. Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast: Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of the Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast. Hunter recently came up with idea of doing a bit of armchair “Imagineering”, his premise was to take a current attraction and retheme it to something different. So, join us as all four of us bring you our reimagined Universal Orlando attractions. Direct Link

The Marvel Experience We have a big report for you today from MiceChat reader, Sooner Jeff, who recently visited the traveling Marvel Experience. Settle in, because you’ll feel like you were right there with Jeff by the time you are done reading. Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day on Blu-ray Disneyland Paris Photo Update Getting “Real” With Fake Theme Park Disneyland Paris Update: Thunder Mesa News South Korea: East Asia Paradise We have a beautiful photo tour of Seoul, South Korea this weekend courtesy of Toby Johnson. Toby covered a lot of ground in the beautiful city while on a layover flying home from Hong Kong. So much ground, in fact, that it’s going to take us a few weekends to present all of his photos! I always thought that the flower baskets at Disneyland were beautiful, but they don’t hold a candle to the beautiful flower sculptures shown in this report. Knotts Berry Farm Getting Ready for a Big 2015 Disneyland Long Ago, Not-So-Long Ago, and Now: Frontierland Colossal Curl Sneek Peek at Adventure Island Disneyland Character Dining – Eat, Drink, and Meet Goofy Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast #126 – 2015 and Beyond

The MiceEars Crew puts a lot of time and effort into making the Disney News Round-Up happen.Our thanks to: Editor CakvalaSC and the MiceEars Crew: Aladdin, Yoyoflamingo, Trekkie Dad, DLandFansAZ, RegionsBeyond, Fishbulb & Dustysage.	We hope to see you online again soon, Dusty and the amazing MiceChat crew!
If you have questions for Anthony our Editor or our MiceEars Disney News crew they can be e-mailed at: [email protected] or Follow him on Twitter @CakvalaSC \| Flickr: flickr.com/photos/cakvalasc/ \| Instagram: instagram.com/cakvala