Tidbits
August 2008





Reflections of Upgrades

 8/25/08 After a show cancellation due to inclement weather, Illuminations Reflections on Earth officially debuted in it's Globe-less form over the weekend. During the now-in-progress refurbishment of the the Earth Globe float, the nightly presentation will be the alternative version that was tested earlier this year.

8/19/08 Due to further delays, Epcot Operations has announced the refurbishment for the Illuminations Earth Globe float has been rescheduled to begin August 21, 2008 and end Mid-September 2008. Although the consistent delays bring reasonable doubt to any scheduled date, this is the first date that has been internally announced to more than just those working on the project.

7/18/08 After months of delays, a date has been set for the start of the Illuminations Earth Globe refurbishment. Those involved in the project have reported that the refurbishment is currently scheduled begin August 13, 2008 and end in the Late September to Mid October time frame. During the refurbishment, Illuminations: Reflections of Earth is currently scheduled to be shown with alternative show elements in-place of the Earth Globe float.

3/21/08 A test of an alternative show using additional pyrotechnics to replace the Earth Globe was recently conducted.

Spectroblackout

 8/25/08 During the black-out of Spectromagic, the Magic Kingdom park has added further evening entertainment in addition to the 7:00 pm showing of the Disney Dreams Come True Parade. Daily from 4:30 pm till 7:00 pm a Meet & Greet featuring Pluto, Prince John, Friar Tuck, Marie, Clarice, Chip and Dale is conducted in front of the train station. Some of the characters are reportedly rotating, so not all are available during the whole time period. This additional Meet & Greet option is expected to continue through September 1, 2008--ending just prior to Spectromagic's return.

8/19/08 It has been internally announced that Spectromagic will be dark through September 1, 2008 due to a lengthier construction period being needed to complete work on the Liberty Square bridge. During this extended black-out period the Disney Dreams Come True Parade will continue its extra daily showing.

7/708 Due to construction work on the Liberty Square bridge, the Magic Kingdom has announced Spectromagic will be dark August 15 through August 29, 2008. During this time the park will offer an additional 7:00 pm showing of the Disney Dreams Come True Parade. Due to the loss of the bridge, Entertainment Cast have also reported that the parade route is currently planned to be altered to begin on Main Street USA, loop around The Hub, and return down Main Street USA during this time period.

Mission: Possible?

8/22/08 This new offering has been publicly announced. See New Interactive Attraction Coming to Epcot for details and an ongoing discussion.

8/12/08 The Walt Disney World resort has confirmed that the "interactive game" being installed around World showcase will be for a permanent offering of the previously tested Kim Possible Interactive Game. The Walt Disney World resort has internally announced the following:
Epcot continues to be a source of innovation: a Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure game under development will have Guests using portable electronic devices such as mobile phones to access interactive features hidden throughout the park.
5/13/08 Construction walls have appeared in several locations around World Showcase that have been cited in construction permits to install "Interactive Distribution Carts". The permits listed the Italy pavilion, Norway pavilion and International Gateway area as sites of installation. These construction areas are the first overt sign of work being done to prepare the launch of this yet-to-be-defined interactive game.

Spot Shuffling

 8/19/08Character Cast have reported that a new Chip & Dale meet and greet will open in the Canada pavilion in Fall 2008 in order to supplement the removal of their existing meet and greet option from the Epcot Character Connection.

7/7/08 Character Cast have reported that the Epcot Character Connection will be changing its VIP line-up in Fall 2008. Starting at a yet-to-be-announced date this Fall, the Chip & Dale meet and greet location inside Epcot Character connection is planned to be replaced with a Donald Duck meet and greet location. Currently, it is reportedly unknown if a permanent Chip & Dale meet and greet location will re-open in another location or not.

Treehouse Re-Growth

8/12/08 Construction on the new Treehouse Villas will soon be showing some significant visual progress. The new prefabricated units have been scheduled to be delivered in three waves--August 12-14, 19-21, & 26-28, 2008. Upon delivery the prefabricated units are expected to be installed onto the newly renovated footings and supports. Despite this significant milestone looming, a concrete completion date for this project has not been announced.

5/22/08 Demolition of the Treehouse Villa's has begun. The demolition is quite noticeable to Guests in the passing area; however, there has yet to be any signifigant reports of the work affecting any Guests' stay at the nearby resorts.

4/8/08 Construction Permits have been filed for the major refurbishments of the Treehouse Villas' Pool and all 60 the Tree House Villa units. While these permits show signs of the project progressing, they do not shed any light on a potential completion date.