Topics in this week’s Disney news include:

- Star Wars Weekends 2013
- Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
- 2013 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival
- And more!

QUESTION OF THE WEEK – What is your favorite special event at Walt Disney World? Tell us about your experience in the Comments!

Thanks for listening! Be sure to tune in next week!

- Lou Mongello

The post WDW NewsCast – May 15, 2013 – Star Wars Weekends, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, Food and Wine Festival appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

- Date: Saturday, May 18, 2013
- Time: 11:00am-1:00pm
- Location: Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Studios Catering Company

Come by to make and meet some new friends, or catch up with old ones! Grab a bite to eat, get your free giveaways, and enjoy the the opening of Star Wars Weekends!! Anyone and EVERYONE is invited!

RSVP (not required) on our Facebook event page

Hope to see you there!

- Lou Mongello

The post WDW Radio Meet of the Month – May, 2013 – Disney’s Hollywood Studios/Star Wars Weekends appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

by Don Myers

Spring is in full swing at the Vacation Kingdom of the World, so let’s dive right into the latest edition of the WDW Radio Newswire…..

Let’s kickoff this edition of the Newswire with some exciting news out of Epcot. For this newsbit, we venture into World Showcase and make our way over to the Morocco pavilion. Last week it was announced that a brand new restaurant will be coming to Morocco. The dining location will be known as “Spice Road Table” and will feature both indoor and outdoor seating. The announcement was made on Monday April 1st, and when guests arrived at the park the next morning (Tues April 2nd), construction walls had already risen up around the site of the future dining spot. There’s no word yet on an official opening date for Spice Road Table, but the restaurant is expected to be open for business by the end of 2013.

For more Epcot news, let’s make our way over to Future World now. Back in the November 21st edition of the Newswire, I reported that Fountain View Ice Cream would be closing for transformation into a Starbucks location this spring. Well, the start date for construction is upon us, as Fountain View has officially closed up shop as of Monday April 8th. This is slated to be about a four month closure, as the Epcot Starbucks is scheduled to open up for business this August.

Time to board the monorail and travel over to Magic Kingdom now for some news on an upcoming refurbishment. For this one, we journey over the bridge to Adventureland, where a brief closure has recently been scheduled for Pirates of the Caribbean. The attraction is slated to shut down on Monday June 17th, and will re-open four days later on Friday June 21st.

Now it’s time to park-hop over to Hollywood Studios now, as another celebrity has been confirmed for Star Wars Weekends. In the March 19th edition of the Newswire, I reported that Ray Park and Warwick Davis would be on-hand for festivities later this year. Well, you can add Billy Dee Williams to the list of confirmed participants, as he will be appearing during Weekend IV  (June 7th-9th). Williams brought the character of Lando Calrissian to life in Episodes V and VI.

For our final bit of news, we make our way over to WDW’s Flagship Resort: Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. The Grand Floridian’s Courtyard Pool opened back up last week after a lengthy refurb of over six months. The pool closed down back in September, and was originally scheduled to re-open in December before plans got pushed back to late March. But the pool is officially open now, and the addition of a zero-entry side has completely transformed the entire appearance of the area.

Well, that’s gonna do it for today’s update. But before we call it a wrap, let’s take a look at the results of our previous poll. The question was:

What is your favorite Character Meal at the Resorts?

. Best Friend’s Breakfast at ‘Ohana- Disney’s Polynesian Resort

. Chef Mickey’s- Disney’s Contemporary Resort

. Supercalifragilistic Breakfast- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

. Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner- Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa

. The Beach Club Breakfast Buffet- Disney’s Beach Club Resort

. Character Dining at the Garden Grove- Walt Disney World Swan Resort

And the winner is……

Chef Mickey’s with 45% of the votes! The Best Friends Breakfast at ‘Ohana finished second with 27%, and Cinderella’s Happily Ever After Dinner rounded out the Top 3 with 11%. Once again, a big thank you to everyone that took the time to vote!

Now onto this week’s question:

Don Myers covers news and recent events in Walt Disney World.  He has been enamored with the World of Disney since his first trip to WDW in 1986. As they say, the rest is history!  Don also has been a contributing writer for Celebrations magazine since 2009.

The post WDW Radio Newswire: New Restaurant Coming To Epcot’s Morocco Pavilion And World Showcase POLL appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

by Don Myers

There’s some huge news to report on the future of Downtown Disney, so let’s waste no time and dive right in to the latest edition of the WDW Radio Newswire…….

We kickoff this edition of the Newswire with some breaking news on a major transformation coming to Downtown Disney. It was recently announced that “Disney Springs” will be coming to the Downtown Disney area. When completed, this expansion will double the district’s shopping and dining options from 75 to 150! Disney Springs will consist of three main areas: The Landing, Marketplace, and West Side. Preliminary details suggest that the main emphasis of the transformation will be on turning the area of the former Pleasure Island into The Landing. And of course in true Disney fashion, there will even be a clever backstory for Disney Springs, one which explains how the natural springs attracted the first settlers to the region and how the area’s growth has brought about the presence of these three unique locales. There will even be a town center complete with bubbling springs! Construction is set to begin in April, and the project is slated for completion sometime in 2016. But we won’t have to wait quite that long for our first glimpses of Disney Springs, as it was also confirmed that the expansion will be opening in phases. For a full look at the announcement, click here.

Let’s move over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios now, as there’s some news to report from a galaxy far, far away. I’m of course referring to Star Wars Weekends, an event which will be returning to the Studios on Friday May 17th. The first two celebrity appearances have recently been announced, and these names should come as no surprise as both men have been a part of the festivities in year’s past. Disney has confirmed that Ray Park (Darth Maul- Episode I) and Warwick Davis (Wicket- Episode VI) with both be on hand for the 2013 edition of the event. Park will appear during Weekends I and II, and Davis will be in attendance for Weekends II and III. Several more celebs are expected to be confirmed in the coming weeks, and as they come trickling out I’ll be sure to report it all right here on the Newswire.

For more news out of the Studios, let’s head over to Hollywood Blvd. Disney Channel Rocks! will be wrapping up its run at the Studios on Saturday April 6th, as no performances are currently scheduled beyond that date. Disney Channel Rocks! has been a mainstay at the Studios since October 2010, giving the show a respectable run of nearly two and a half years.

Time to park-hop over to Epcot now, as there’s some news to report at the American Adventure pavilion. The Heritage Gallery re-opened last week, and with it came the debut of a brand new exhibit entitled Re-Discovering America: Family Treasures from the Kinsey Collection. Centered around philanthropists Bernard and Shirley Kinsey, the exhibit features an extensive collection of books, documents, photos, artwork, and other personal belongings. And you’ll even hear a familiar voice or two along the way, as Whoopi Goldberg, Diane Sawyer, and several other famous personalities have provided their voice talents for the narration of the exhibit.

For our final newsbits today, let’s board the monorail and venture over to Magic Kingdom, as there’s a pair of upcoming refurbishments to address. Our first refurb is in Tomorrowland, as the Carousel of Progress is scheduled for a lil downtime this May. But fans of the beloved attraction fear not; as this is slated to be a very brief closure. The Carousel will cease operations on Monday May 13th, and will re-open three days later on Thursday May 16th. For news on another carousel, let’s make our way over to Fantasyland. Prince Charming’s Regal Carousel will also be experiencing a minor refurb in May. The attraction is scheduled to close down on Tuesday May 28th, with a re-opening date slated for Tuesday June 11th. This will put the total downtime for the attraction at exactly two weeks.

Well, that’s gonna do it for today’s update. But before we call it a wrap, let’s take a look back at the results of our last Poll. The question was:

What is your favorite in-park Character Meal?

. Cinderella’s Royal Table

. A Buffet with Character at Crystal Palace

. Chip n Dale’s Harvest Feast

. Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall

. Play n Dine at Hollywood & Vine

. Donald’s Safari Breakfast/Lunch

And the winner is….

A Buffet with Character at the Crystal Palace with 34% of the votes! Cinderella’s Royal Table finished second with 21%, and third place was a tie between Donald’s Safari Breakfast/Lunch and Princess Storybook Dining at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, as both finished with 17% of the votes. Once again, a very big thanks is in order, as this was our most successful Newswire poll to date! And now onto this week’s question:

Don Myers covers news and recent events in Walt Disney World.  He has been enamored with the World of Disney since his first trip to WDW in 1986. As they say, the rest is history!  Don also has been a contributing writer for Celebrations magazine since 2009.

The post WDW Radio Newswire: Major Transformation Coming To Downtown Disney And Resort Character Dining POLL appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

They discuss her new line of Star Wars chick geek at HerUniverse.com, Star Wars Weekends, Princess Leia’s special request, her fans, charity work and much more!

View Ashley’s other interview with Lou here

Thanks for watching! Be sure to tune in next week!

The post Ashley Eckstein Interview from Star Wars: The Clone Wars at Star Wars Weekends 2012 in Walt Disney World appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Since 1997, Star Wars Weekends has been presented at Walt Disney World at Disney’s Hollywood Studios and includes special shows and parades, Star Wars celebrities, autograph opportunities, special limited-edition merchandise and memorabilia and even Star Wars themed food!

You’ll also get a peek inside the Carbon Freeze-Me experience, where you can get “frozen” in Carbonite, just like Han Solo in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back.

The highlight of the event is the nightly Hyperspace Hoopla, performed by a cast of Star Wars stars at the end of Hollywood Boulevard. The Rebel Alliance battles Emperor Palpatine and the evil Empire in a dance off of today’s hottest music.

Darth Vader, Boba Fett and a legion of Stormtroopers match their moves against Chewbacca, Slave Leia and Padme Amidala, along with C-3PO (in Shuffle Bot headwear). Their dance-off to LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It” and “Party Rock” is priceless!

Subscribe to the WDW Radio YouTube channel!

Thanks for watching!

The post Star Wars Weekends 2012 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Video appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Topics this week include:

- One Man’s Dream
- Tutto Gusto and Tutto Italia
- Cape May Cafe closure at Disney’s Beach Club Resort
- Winnie the Pooh
- Bistro de Paris closure
- Brian Blackmore at Star Wars Weekends
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Question of the Week:

On this past week’s WDW Radio show, we talked about a classic Walt Disney World attraction that hasn’t changed much in 40 + years: The Country Bear Jamboree.  So here’s my question to you: What attraction in Walt Disney World is so classic, timeless, or “magical”  that you think should never be changed?

Leave your comments below

Join us every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET at WDWRadioLIVE.com for a LIVE interactive video news show covering Walt Disney World. Be a part of the broadcast and discussion and discuss the news real-time in the chat room.

Thanks for watching! Be sure to tune in next week!

The post WDW NewsCast – May 23, 2012 – One Man’s Dream, Dining Changes, Disney Artists, Winnie the Pooh and more! appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

- Phineas and Ferb, Agent P game, contests and drawing lessons at Animation Academy
- Snow White’s Scary Adventures
- Car show at Downtown Disney
- Top Tips for getting the most out of Star Wars Weekends -http://bit.ly/wdwr273
- Star Wars Weekends Meet – Sat. May 19
- WDW Radio Meet in NYC – Sat. June 9
- E-Ticket Event at the “American Adventurers Club” – Fri. Sept, 28
- WDW Radio Cruise on the Disney Dream with Disney legend Richard M. Sherman – Nov. 4-8 - http://WDWRadioCruise.com
- and more!

To learn more about the various events and meets visit http://WDWRadio.com/Events

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Join us every Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET at http://WDWRadioLIVE.com for a LIVE interactive video news show covering Walt Disney World. Be a part of the broadcast and discussion and discuss the news real-time in the chat room.

Thanks for watching! Be sure to tune in next week!

- Lou Mongello

The post Video: WDW NewsCast – May 16, 2012 – Phineas and Ferb, Merida, Snow White, Star Wars Weekends and more! appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Approximately 15 Padawan participants can register for the show, don a Jedi robe and pledge the sacred Jedi Oath. Then they will grab a lightsaber and hone their  battle skills under the supervision of a real Jedi Master. However… there seems to be a great disturbance in the Force… Stormtroopers have been seen in the area, and it is rumored that Darth Vader himself could make an appearance.

It’s available multiple times daily, so be sure to consult the daily Entertainment Times Guide at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park for performance times. Here’s a peek at what you may expect… and may the Force be with you!

The post Video: Get Ready for Star Wars Weekends with Some Jedi Training appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.

Created by actress Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the current seasonal offering from Her Universe Includes a racer back tank top and fashion tops featuring such beloved characters as Princess Leia, R2-D2 and Darth Vader as well as a unique Princess Leia zip-hoodie and a fun Ahsoka Tano youth tunic created to help young girls feel just like Anakin’s Padawan learner on The Clone Wars. To accentuate the new Star Wars apparel, Eckstein and Her Universe are offering two new charms – a Boba Fett design and a Japor Snippet replica, the good luck charm given as a gift to Padme from a young Anakin Skywalker. All of this Star Wars treasure can be carried in the new cotton canvas Star Wars tote bag featuring the Star Wars symbols. Several new apparel pieces are also being introduced for the younger “Jedi-in-training” including several Star Wars youth designs and, for the first time, a Jedi onesie for the tiniest followers of the Force featuring the adorable art of popular Star Wars illustrator Katie Cook.

“I was very excited when Ashley approached me to do kids’ designs for Her Universe,” said Cook. “She’s doing a wonderful thing for the female fan community already… and she’s doing those of us with little girls an even bigger favor by giving the littlest fangirls nerdy gear of their own!”

In addition to the new product line being available at Disney’s Star Wars Weekends, Eckstein will also, for the fourth year in a row, be co-hosting the Behind The Force live stage show and signing autographs each weekend of the event.

“Disney’s Star Wars Weekends is one of my favorite events of the year,” said Ashley Eckstein. “I truly enjoy meeting Star Wars fans of all ages and that’s why I am so excited to be offering merchandise for women, girls and now babies! As the voice of Ahsoka Tano, I cannot wait to see baby girls in an Ahsoka “Jedi in Training” onesie or little girls running around in Ahsoka’s new costume top!”

Her Universe was launched in 2009 by Eckstein, and her partner, The Araca Group, known as one of the most innovative theatrical production and merchandise companies in the world. Her Universe was created to directly address the expanding market of female fans by entering into its first agreement with Lucas Licensing to develop and produce a line of female-centered Star Wars apparel and accessories. The success of that line was followed up with a collection for the Syfy network including such shows as Battlestar Galactica. Visit www.heruniverse.com to purchase the new Star Wars collection or visit a Hot Topic store near you to find select Her Universe items. You can also learn more about Her Universe by following Eckstein on Twitter and visiting the Her Universe Facebook page.

Running every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 18th through June 10th, Disney’s Star Wars Weekends is an annual event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park celebrating the Star Wars Saga, as well the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Each weekend offers fans a unique opportunity to join Jedi Masters, Sith Lords and Star Wars celebrities for special shows, presentations and memorabilia. For more information on Star Wars Weekends, visit:disneyworld.com/starwarsweekends or disneyparks.com/blog.

Photo credit: - Kelsey Edwards Photography

The post Her Universe Star Wars Spring/Summer Apparel Line to Debut at Disney’s Star Wars Weekends and Online appeared first on WDW Radio - Your Walt Disney World Information Station by Lou Mongello.