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Ears the News with Richard

Ears the News is brought to you courtesy of our friends at WDWMagic.com.

According to Disney's FastPass+, Captain EO will be returning to Epcot on July 19 2015. FastPass+ availability for Captain EO is now available on My Disney Experience for dates from July 19 onward. How long Captain EO will remain is anyone’s guess.

Epcot's first rest and relaxation D-Zone area is now open in the Innoventions corridor behind Character Spot. The corridor, which has long been a favorite spot for guests to take a break, is now equipped with tables and chairs, and a kiosk offering snacks and drinks. Along with soft drinks, there are alcoholic beverages and frozen drinks.

The D-Zone relaxation area is a continuation of a concept began at Magic Kingdom with the introduction of the Fantasyland Tangled restroom area and the big top area in Storybook Circus. The idea is for people to have a space to cool down, charge the all-important devices, and to take a break from some of the hustle and bustle of the park.

Grand Floridian Resort's Gasparilla Island Grill will be closing for a short refuurb from August 23 to September 4.

The Magic of Disney Animation will permanently close on July 12. There is no word yet on when the rest of the attraction will be closing, which includes the Animation Academy and retail space.

Disney has also confirmed to local news outlets that Disney Quest will be permanently closing in 2016 to make way for the new NBA Experience attraction coming to Disney Springs. Neither a closing date for Disney Quest, nor an opening date for the NBA Experience has yet been announced

From the “It’s about time” category, Selfie Sticks have been banned at all Walt Disney World theme parks. Guests will find multiple signs in multiple languages and will be given a flyer informing them of the ban.

Disney Vacation Club is offering its members an after-hours Neighborhood Beach Bash at Typhoon Lagoon this summer.

The event takes place from 9:30 PM to 12:30 AM at the water park, and is exclusively for Disney Vacation Club Members and their Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort. There are four dates available during July and August, with advance reservations required.

Here is the full information.

Get ready to rock the Coolest Summer Ever this July and August during the Disney Vacation Club Neighborhood Beach Bash at Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park at Walt Disney World! This all-new complimentary event, available exclusively to Disney Vacation Club Members and their Guests staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, will take place this July and August as part of Membership Magic!

Heat up your summer vacation night with after-hours access to Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon from 9:30 p.m. – 12:30 a.m., with early admission available beginning at 7 p.m. to Members and their Guests, on the following evenings:
·         July 23, 2015
·         July 28, 2015
·         August 4, 2015
·         August 11, 2015
Experience select Typhoon Lagoon attractions and many of the park’s fantastic water slides. Rock out to classic beach party tunes from the 60’s inspired Teen Beach Movie and Teen Beach 2, participate in family fun activities like hula-hoop spinning and a limbo contest and enjoy delicious refreshments and treats.
Advanced reservations are required (and non-transferable) to attend and limited to Members staying at a Walt Disney World Resort, up to the number of Guests in their Resort accommodations during event dates. To make reservations, please have your resort reservation number available and call Member Services at (800) 800-9800 on the following dates:
·         To book the July 23, 2015 event, please call between July 8 - 16, 2015.
·         To book the July 28, 2015 event, please call between July 10 - 21, 2015.
·         To book the August 4, 2015 event, please call between July 15 - 28, 2015.
·         To book the August 11, 2015 event, please call between July 17 - August 4, 2015.

At least one valid Membership Card will be required to show on the night of the event. Transportation to and from Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon will be provided from select Disney Vacation Club Resorts for event attendees beginning at 8:30 p.m. on the night of the events. Please note that Members staying at Walt Disney World Resorts other than the select Disney Vacation Club Resorts are responsible for their own transportation. For more information, please visit the Member Experiences section of DVCMember.com, located under the My DVC Membership tab.

Disney's Contemporary Resort will begin offering a new 'Family Culinary Adventure' experience from July 8 2015.
Image courtesy Disney Parks Blog

Taking place in the Contemporary Convention Center, the 3.5 hour experience will take guests backstage for a fun, interactive evening that includes time with the Disney chefs, hands-on cooking and a five-course dinner with beer and wine served in the kitchen by the professional catering staff.
Starting at 5:00 PM two days per week, the event is aimed at guests ages 9 and over, where the group of up to 30 guests are split into five groups to each man a station in the kitchen.

  • Garde manger, is the French term for food produced in the cold kitchen, where guests learn how to make farmer cheese, from-scratch butter, and how to plate a gourmet salad on a rapidly moving electric belt in the professional kitchen.
  • Sushi, with sushi chefs teaching the art of rolling sushi and sashimi. (This station may rotate with other culinary ideas.)
  • Boucherie, or butcher station, where guests learn how to trim a beef tenderloin to make the perfect filet mignon.
  • Pasta, with just three ingredients (semolina, olive oil and egg), guests learn to make tender noodles from scratch, along with fresh basil pesto.
  • Patisserie, or bakery, where guests get to play with chocolate, mousse and other sweet endings.

Once the hour long prep work is done, guests are seated at a long table in the kitchen to enjoy the five course meal that they have just been preparing.

At the end of the evening guests receive a chef's hat to take home, along with a Disney cookbook signed by the chefs.

Cost is $175 plus tax, $125 plus tax for ages 9 to 12. Complimentary transportation is provided for Disney Resort hotel guests. To book or for more information, call 407-WDW-PLAY.

Disney is planning to add a Frozen themed 'Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique' type experience to Disney's Hollywood Studios as part of this summer's Frozen Summer Fun.
There are no specific details available yet, but we've been told that casting is currently underway for the Fairy Godmother In Training equivalent role, and that the experience will run from mid-July through to the end of Frozen Summer Fun in early September.
Being similar to Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, guests can expect Princess Anna and Queen Elsa make-overs, complete with costumes, hair and makeup.
The location is currently unknown.



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