What has been long-rumored is finally confirmed – the refurbishment of the original Space Mountain located at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is a go. The attraction will close on April 19 (right after the Easter break crowds leave) and officially return “late 2009,” though a target date of November 22 has been reported.
Both ABC and the Disney Channel have landed exclusive rights to televise two of President-elect Barack Obama’s inaugural events, including the Obama’s first appearance at one of an array of inaugural balls on the nights of January 19th and 20th.
The Orlando Sentinel is reporting that Disney has settled a nearly five-year legal fight with a Pennsylvania company over development of the Mission: Space ride in Epcot. The dispute stemmed from a roughly $30 million contract that Disney awarded Environmental Tectonics in February 2000.
Failing to find a buyer in a recent quest to find a buyer to take over the failing Hard Rock theme park, owners asked a Delaware bankruptcy court Friday for permission to liquidate, signaling once and for all that it will not be able to reopen.
A home movie from a family’s 1956 trip to the newly opened Disneyland theme park in Anaheim is one of twenty five films to be included in the National Film Registry of the Library of Congress as classics and genres from every era of American filmmaking.
Out of concerns for rider safety, Disneyland has raised the height requirement for the Splash Mountain log flume ride to one of the highest levels in the amusement park industry. The new “temporary height restriction” for the front seat of Splash Mountain has been raised from 40 inches to 60 inches.
The Orlando Sentinel reports that the Cinderella Castle Royal Suite, which was created in early 2007 for overnight stays by winners of Disney’s two-year “Million Dreams” promotion, will remain open for selected guests next year, though on a more limited basis.
Disney has pulled out of the third installment in the Chronicles of Narnia series “Voyage of the Dawn Treader.” No further details were provided with the exception that Disney had decided for budgetary and logistic reasons not to renew their option to co-produce and co-finance the movie with Walden Media.
Disney.com will offer a variety of exclusive online video premieres and performances during the holiday season including the trailer for ‘G-Force,’ a first look at ‘Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience’ and ‘Hannah Montana The Movie.’
If Hong Kong Disneyland’s much-awaited expansion goes through, it would increase the size of the park by a third and cost around 3.5 billion Hong Kong dollars (450 million US). Disney is currently in negotiations with the city’s government, which owns a 57-percent stake, over the financing for the expansion.
