Ears the News with Richard

A new range of MagicBands will go on sale later this month featuring a whole host of Disney characters.

The following are all open edition, and will retail for $19.95 plus tax.

·         Ariel - available January 16 2015

Photo courtesy Disney Parks Blog

·         Cinderella Castle - available January 16 2015

·         Belle - available January 23 2015

·         Tinker Bell - available January 30 2015

·         Sheriff Woody and Buzz Lightyear - available January 30 2015

Two of the pools at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort will be closed over the next couple of weeks for refurbishments.

High Rock Spring Pool is scheduled to be closed from February 2 to February 4. 

The Paddock Pool is planned to be closed from January 13 to January 27.

The large construction crane behind Cinderella’s Castle will make its bi-annual return on January 11 2015. It is scheduled to be there until February 21 to 2015.

Although they don't go on sale until later this month, there have been some pricing details released regarding the Bora Bora Bungalows at the Polynesian resort via some of the official Disney Vacation Club channels.

You can expect to pay between $2100 and $2900 per night, depending on season for a room only stay in one of the bungalows. For those members of Disney vacation Club, rates should be somewhere around $160/point, with between 841 and 1439 points needed for a week long stay varying by season.

The pricing has not yet been officially announced, so there is still time for these to change. Existing DVC members can purchase at the property on January 12, with general sales beginning on February 9 2015.

New FastPass+ parade and firework viewing areas will soon be in use at the Magic Kingdom as construction work on the hub area progresses.

Beginning on January 12 2015, the FastPass+ parade viewing location for both daytime and nighttime will move from the hub area to Town Square by the flagpole.

From February 27 2015, the fireworks FastPass+ viewing area will move from the Rose Garden to the new Main Street Plaza Gardens that are currently under construction. One is located in-front of Casey's Corner, and the other is in-front of the Plaza restaurant. FastPass+ reservation for this area will give guests a choice of which side to view from, based on availability on arrival.

Disney has filed permit paperwork for the addition of a new building to house the upcoming Frozen meet and greet at Epcot's Norway Pavilion.

The approximately 13,000 sq. ft. building will be home to the meet and greet, along with new restrooms. The building will be located between the existing Norway Pavilion and the Mexico Pavilion, in an available expansion pad. Although located next to the former Maelstrom show building, the new meet and greet building is a stand-alone structure with its own entrance.

It is expected the experience will be similar to the recently opened Princess Fairytale Hall at the Magic Kingdom's New Fantasyland.

Parts of the new attraction are expected to open in 2016.

With the demolition of the Sorcerer Mickey Hat Icon and its accompanying pin store, a new location is now open selling the displaced merchandise.

Located on the left-hand side of Sunset Blvd facing Tower of Terror, 'Sunset Ranch Pins and Souvenirs' takes up outdoor space in one of the former seating areas for the Sunset Ranch Market.

The refurbishment of the Winter Summerland mini-golf has been extended by a couple of weeks. Originally expected to reopen in mid February, it is now scheduled to reopen to guests on March 1 2015.