Skip to main content

Ears the News: May 22, 2021 Edition

 Ears the News

Brought to you by our friends at WDWMagic.com

Disney's Animal Kingdom welcomes a new Hartmann's Mountain zebra foal to the herd at Kilimanjaro Safaris


On May 17, 2021, a male Hartmann's Mountain zebra foal was born to mom, Heidi.  Guests on the Kilminjaro Safari attraction go to see the birth as the mom gave birth standing up on the savanna.  Hartmann's mountain zebras are found in the Sub-Saharan Africa and are a vulnerable species because of habitat loss and hunting.

Hartmann's mountain zebra foal born May 17 2021

Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com

Refurbished Monorail Orange returns to service at Walt Disney World

After an interior and exterior refurbishment, the Monorail Orange returned to the WDW Monorail System.  On the exterior, you will see that the monorail was repainted.  Inside, the cabins have been refreshed and will include the orange coverings at each end of the cabin.

Monorail Orange on the Express Beam passes by Disney's Polynesian Village Resort
Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com


Disney unveils new Walt Disney World 50th anniversary Cast Member name tags


Walt Disney World's Cast member's will be receiving new name tags for the 50th anniversary celebration featuring pearlescent shimmer and holographic gold foil.  The new name tag will feature an exclusive color wash, holographic foil with sparkling color-shift elements and royal blue lettering to match the turrets on the Cinderella castle.  The name tags will debut later this year.

Walt Disney World 50th Anniversary Celebration Cast Member name tags
Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com

How guests are responding to Disney World's new mask rules as Disney increases capacity at the parks

Disney World recently changed the mask rules allowing people to go without a mask outdoors.  As the days got by, more and more guests are not wearing masks, however, there are many people that are choosing to wear masks. Cast members are reminding guests that masks need to be worn indoors and when they are riding attractions.

Some guests in the overflow queue at Space Mountain are not wearing masks in accordance with new rules
Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com

Disney Skyliner closing for refurbishment in early 2022

Disney Skyliner will bee closed for refurbishment from January 23 through January 28, 2022.  Bus service will be available at the resorts served by the Skylliner.  The Disney Skyliner connects Disney's Hollywood Studios and Epcot to four resorts--Disney's Art of Animation Resort, Disney's Pop Century Resort, Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort and the new Disney's Riviera Resort.

Disney Skyliner overview
Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com

Disney PhotoPass Service teaming up with Snapchat for augmented reality character experiences


Disney's PhotoPass Services is teaming up with Snapchat  to offer WDW Resort guests an augmented reality experience to share with friends and family featuring with some favorite Disney character.  Using the Snap app you can snap a selfie with Mickey and Minnie and share with friends and family. the Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouses lenses will be available int he Snapchat app only at WDW Resort, however, you can access it at home in the United States until June 3, 2021.

Disney PhotoPass and Snapchat
Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com

Disney World's Big Thunder Mountain closing for refurbishment in June 2021

Disney World's Big Thunder Mountain is scheduled to close for a few days in June 2021. The attraction will be closed from June 7 through June 12.  

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad overview
Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com

New look coming to the main walkway in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom

Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom is now shifting to the concrete design on the main walkway into the land from the hub.  Renovations began in early 2018.

Tomorrowland concrete work - May 20 2021
Photo courtesy of WDWMagic.com

Contact Kingdom Konsultant Today!  

Elisa loves helping others create magical memories with their family and friends. You can email Elisa at elisa@kingdomkonsultant.com

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Photo Tour and Deck Plan: Disney Fantasy

The Disney Fantasy took its maiden voyage in 2012 and until 2022, was the newest ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet. It's the sister ship to the Disney Dream so you'll see many similarities between the two ships. The Disney Fantasy is an absolutely gorgeous ship, boasting an Art Nouveau style. The ship has 14 decks, 1,250 staterooms, is 1,115 feet in length and weighs 130,000 gross tons. We'll tour the ship starting from Deck 1 up to Deck 14, going from Aft to Forward. Let's start our photo tour! Deck 1 Deck 1 is where you'll find the Health Center. It's also where you can exit the ship to board a tender at Ports of Call that require ships to anchor offshore.  Deck 2 Deck 2 is where you'll find one of the three main dining rooms, Enchanted Garden.  The restaurant transforms throughout dinner, changing from day to night I love these booths! You can also find staterooms, a Midship Detective Agency kiosk and the Vista Gallery showcasing Disney artwork.  Deck

Universal's Volcano Bay Private Cabana Review

On a recent training in Universal Orlando Resort, agents Maci, Ashley, Aubrey and Yaritza and I rented a private cabana for the day at Universal's Volcano Bay. There are multiple locations around the park along with the option to have an upper or lower level, all of which reflect in various pricing. Agent Ashley received an email the day before informing her of where to check-in the next morning. While we were personally escorted to the cabana shortly after check in, the line at the check in location is the same as those getting towels, meaning it was not short. As expressed by an additional guest checking into a different cabana, we would have greatly appreciated a separate line, since this caused our group about a half hour wait. We're all adults and made great use of our time getting some fun pictures before the park was filled with guests, but this is important to be aware of if you are traveling with children.  We had an upper level Cabana which came with a splendid view!

The Villas at the Disneyland Hotel Review

I love staying at the Disneyland Hotel so when I got the opportunity to stay at the new Villas at the Disneyland Hotel during opening weekend, I couldn’t pass it up. Because it was opening weekend, we were greeted in the entrance way of the lobby with balloons and many photo opportunities. When we arrived, there was a mural of the Haunted Mansion. I love how the seats in the main lobby were designed like the teacups in the parks. You can check in using the Disneyland app, drop your bags with bell services and head into the parks or use the amenities why you wait until your room is ready. When your room is ready, the resort will send you a text and you can use the Disneyland app on your mobile device to unlock the room. We dropped off our bags and went straight to the parks. We received a text around 1PM that our room was ready. In the new Discovery Tower (the Villas), you'll find that the lobby is very spacious with many places to sit while you read or wait for your family. Th