Ears the News: October 13, 2017 Edition

Welcome to the latest edition of Ears the News

Brought to you by our friends at WDWMagic.com.

Construction walls now surround the former Universe of Energy Pavilion at Epcot.

Ellen's energy Adventure closed on August 13, 2017 to make way for the upcoming Guardians of the

Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com. 

Galaxy coaster. 

Much of the original Universe of Energy Pavilion will be used as queue and pre-show space, with a new ride building set to be built behind the Wonders of Life pavilion. Much like Rock 'n 'RollerCoaster, the separate ride building will house the actual rollercoaster ride, linked to the original building by a launch tunnel.

Guardians of the Galaxy is speculated to open around Spring 2021.


The Summer Course at Winter Summerland Miniature Golf is now closed for refurbishment.

The Summer course refurbishment is planned for October 9 through to November 10, reopening to guests on November 11, 2017.

Later, the Winter course will close on October 23 through to November 10, reopening to guests on November 11 2017.

Disney's Fantasia Gardens miniature golf will remain open as normal during the Winter Summerland refurbishment.

Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com.

Disney will be beginning a series of room refurbishments at its Port Orleans Resort - French Quarter in early 2018.

The refurbishments will begin January 6, 2018, taking place on a building-by-building basis, through to the end of May 2018.

The soft goods refurbishment should see a refresh of the bed linens, flooring and curtains - along with the inclusion of some updated technology, like TVs and USB chargers.

The resort's amenities will not be affected, and work will be carried out during the daytime to minimize impact.

Disney launches new vacation gifting site GiveDisneyVacations.com. 

Disney has today launched GiveDisneyVacations.com - a new way to gift someone something as little as a $25 gift card, all the way through to an Adventures by Disney vacation or membership with Disney Vacation Club.

Arriving at the site, you can choose from Disney Gift Cards, Theme park tickets, and entire vacations with Adventures by Disney, Aulani, Disney Cruise Line, Disneyland Resort, Disney Vacation Club and Walt Disney World Resort.

As a special introductory offer, available now through November 15, 2017, you can purchase a special Walt Disney World Resort package for any time during the 2018 calendar year. The package consists of a 6-Night/7-Day room and ticket package at one of Disney's All-Star Resorts for $96 per person, per night. The resort package will be delivered in a special holiday gift box, and delivery is guaranteed before December 15, 2017.

Holiday filming will take place early November 2017 for the

Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com.

upcoming ABC Holiday Specials to air on ABC and Disney Channel.

Following on from last year's new format, there will be multiple shows, set to air throughout the holiday season, in November and December. Airing dates are still to be announced. 

Filming at Walt Disney World will take place November 3 - 7, 2017. Like last year, no parade will be filmed at Walt Disney World, but stage show performances including musical acts will be filmed in Florida. The parade will be filmed at Disneyland Resort in California.

Tickets will not be made available to guests, with Cast Members filling in the audience as extras. It may be possible to see parts of the filming from guest areas however.

Disney has announced that Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire Hyper-Reality Experience will open December 16, 2017 at Disney Springs.

The 30 minute experience will operate from 9:00 am to 11:45 pm daily, with tickets priced at $29.95 and available now at The Void.

Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire will transport guests deep into the beloved Star Wars universe allowing them to walk freely and untethered throughout the multi-sensory experience with friends and family. In groups of four, teams will go undercover as Stormtroopers to capture Imperial intelligence vital to the budding rebellion’s survival.

“We are so excited about this magical collaboration between three boundary-pushing companies in the burgeoning out-of-home VR entertainment sector,” says Curtis Hickman, co-founder and chief creative officer at The VOID. “We can’t wait to share the experience of hyper-reality with everyone.”

Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com.

Guests can experience the excitement of hyper-reality today with this first look at Star Wars: Secrets of the Empire.

“People have longed for a chance to step into the Star Wars universe and this incredible new hyper-reality experience will allow them to do just that in a totally unique way,” notes Vicki Dobbs Beck, executive in charge, ILMxLAB. “It’s a group experience that evokes the senses in bold new ways.

The new experience will use space from Once Upon A Toy in the Marketplace, with most of the merchandise from that area relocated to the new Star Wars Trading Post.

Having trouble viewing the video? Click here to watch on YouTube.

Looking to plan your next trip to Walt Disney World? Contact the agents at Kingdom Konsultant Travel to help you plan your dream vacation. Email vacations@kingdomkonsultant.com for a free quote today.