Baseball’s Heading to Disney World

On Feb. 22 the Atlanta Braves will begin their Spring Training at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Walt Disney World.

The first game of Spring Training will be against the Detroit Tigers on Feb. 22 and the team will continue to play teams until March 28.

Other teams the Braves will play include:

• New York Yankees
• St. Louis Cardinals
• Miami Marlins
• Houston Astros
• Detroit Tigers

Tickets to games are still available and can be found at the Wide World of Sports website. For Group and Hospitality packages call 407-939-GAME (4263).

This will be the 16^th year the Braves have trained at Wide World of Sports.

The team will play at the Champion Stadium, which includes more than 9,500 seats, four luxury skyboxes and multiple open-air suites.

The stadium was built in 1997 and is also the home of the Gulf Coast League Braves, a minor league baseball affiliate of the Atlanta Braves.

Sweep Your Valentine Off Their Feet During True Love Week

Long Lost Friends Week is long gone and the next themed week of Limited Time Magic is up, True Love Week.

During the week of Feb. 11-17 expect Walt Disney World to be even more enchanting for you and your sweetheart.

Cinderella’s Castle will blush with hues of pink, red, lavender and blue at dusk with themed lights synced to music.

Candlelit dinners for two will be offered at select restaurants:

• Artist Point located at the Disney’s Wilderness Lodge Resort
• The Wave… of Amercan Flavors located at the Disney’ Contemporary Resort
• Hollywood Brown Derby located at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Yachtsman Steakhouse located at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort

To book a romantic evening at one of these locations visit Disney’s dining site or call 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463).

Also don’t miss the rare opportunity to get a photo taken with the Disney Princes as they escort their Princesses.

Limited edition Valentine’s-themed merchandise will also be available to purchase.

To keep up to date on other Limited Time Magic happenings look for the Twitter hashtag #limitedtimemagic or check out the website.

New MagicBand Ticket System to Be Introduced in the Next Week

WDW News Today got a hold of an official statement released to cast members about the launch of the new RFID wrist ticket system:

As we convert our theme park entrances to touch points, single or multi-day tickets purchased at Vacation Planning and Guest Relations locations beginning Jan. 30 will be enabled with radio frequency (RF) technology. Guests with these tickets will be able to utilize the main entrance touch points to enter the parks as well as turnstiles.

The rollout of the new tickets will happen over several days, one park at a time. The tentative schedule is Disney’s Animal Kingdom on Jan. 30, Magic Kingdom on Jan. 31, Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Feb. 1 and Downtown Disney on Feb. 4. The remaining locations will follow.

These new single or multi-day tickets will be available onsite at Guest Relations and Vacation Planning locations. Guests who have the new tickets will be able to use the main entrance touch points as well as turnstiles. The tickets function just like the current tickets and Guests can still get FASTPASS tickets from the FASTPASS machines in our theme parks. The new tickets will be plastic and more durable than the current paper tickets. The tickets will have a green background to further help Cast Members and Guests differentiate between the ticket media types.

Frequently Asked Questions
Q. Can I use this ticket at the turnstiles?
A. Yes, this ticket works in the turnstiles and at the main entrance touch points.
Q. Will I still be able to get FASTPASS tickets from the FASTPASS machines?
A. Yes, this will work in the FASTPASS machines.
Q. I have an Annual Pass. Can I convert it to a ticket that works at the touch points?
A. You will be able to do this in the future. We value our Annual Passholders and want you to be among the first Guests to be able to experience MyMagic+. All Passholders will receive communication soon on how to convert their pass to become part of the MyMagic+ experience. When this exciting opportunity to convert your pass arrives, you’ll be able to enter our theme parks through the main entrance touch points.
Q. Why can’t I use my ticket at the new main entrance touch points?
A. Not all tickets are enabled to work at the main entrance touch points. We are in the process of converting our park entrances and also changing our tickets to be compatible with the main entrance touch points. Currently only Key to the World cards and single or multi-day tickets purchased onsite are compatible with the new touch points. All Guests can still utilize the turnstiles to enter our theme parks.

 

Disney’s Asking for Your Help

The Disney Design Group is asking for help on deciding the 2014 Disney Park Dated Art.

Disney designers have created 3 original designs. The winning design will be featured on select merchandise sold exclusively at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort in 2014.

You can vote for your favorite designs at the following sites:

• The Walt Disney World Resort Facebook Page
• The Disneyland Resort Facebook Page
• The Disney Parks Blog 

The voting will close on the Jan. 31 and the winning design will be revealed later in the year.

Tomorrowland: The Movie?

A new Disney live-action movie project has been renamed from 1952 to Tomorrowland.

Not much is known about this project but George Clooney is set to star. Also director Brad Bird (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant) is developing the project, and it is being written by Damon Lindelof (Prometheus) and Jeff Jensen (Lost).

The movie is rumored to be inspired by a box labeled “1952” found in Walt Disney’s belongings after his death.

Bird and Lindelof teased a picture of the contents of the box on Twitter last week.

Tomorrowland would join the films Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion as movies based on Disney World attractions.

Tomorrowland is a “land” within Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom and depicts views of the future.

There is no official site for Tomorrowland but keep an eye out on Bird and Lindelof’s Twitter accounts for more teasers and for the hashtag #tomorrowland.

 Tomorrowland is due in theaters Dec. 19, 2014.

2013’s the Year of #limitedtimemagic

Throughout 2013 Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will be offering guests Limited Time Magic. This offer will bring guests unexpected and new magic moments.

First up at Walt Disney World is Long Lost Friends Week. Throughout the last week some long, lost Disney friends will be making a rare appearance.

Among those making an appearance:

• Robin Hood
• Prince John
• Scrooge McDuck
• And more!

Some other offerings throughout the year will include:

• True Love Week
  • A week in Feb. during which Cinderella’s Castle will blush pink and a week of Prince and Princess meet-and-greets.

• Unleash the Villians
  • Disney Villains will take over Disney’s Hollywood Studios on Friday Sept. 13.

Check out Disney’s Limited Time Magic site to keep updated on Limited Magic offerings and keep an eye on Twitter updates with the hashtag #limitedtimemagic.

Disney To Put The Keys To The Kingdom On Your Wrist

A New Year means new additions to the Walt Disney World experience. Disney World first opened up the new, 10-acre Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom.

Next up on Disney World’s list is the Magic Band.

The Magic Band will change the guest experience at the parks. There will be no more park tickets, fastpasses or even room keys. These will all be located on your wrist.

According to ABC News, the Magic Band will be a radio ID bracelet. It will help with guests who lose their tickets and also help Disney keep track of guest traffic.

WDW News Today credits an anonymous source three more additions Disney World will add, which include:

• My Disney Experience
• Disney FastPass+
• MyMagic+

Disney is still testing the Magic Band. But rumors place the Magic Band roll out in February.

Keep an eye on Disney World’s official Twitter @waltdisneyworld or Disney Parks @disneyparks for an official announcement.

INAUGURAL POST!

Hello and Welcome to WDWorld News!

My name is Adam and I (hopefully) just became your source for Walt Disney World News! I started this blog as a class project but decided to share it with the world. My passion for Disney World started when I was a CP (College Program participant) and has grown ever since.

Me as a CP at Hollywood Studios!

With this blog I hope to bring you current and breaking news focused on Disney World. I hope everyone will share news, tips and comments with me!