Monorail Crash at Ticket & Transportation Center, Driver Killed
A tragic monorail accident occurred this morning at 2:00 AM near the station of the Ticket and Transportation Center. According to many sources, monorail Pink crashed into monorail Purple which was for some reason stopped before the station in an unusual location. Austin Wenneberg, 21, was piloting one of the monorails.
Wennenerg died at the scene, while the other driver was taken to the nearby Florida Hospital Celebration, with minor injuries. There were six passengers on board the monorail at the time of the crash, none of which were seriously injured.
All monorail services are suspended temporarily until further notice so an investigation may be done. You must use a bus or ferryboat to travel around the Resort.
WDW Central wants to keep you informed. Here is a collection of photos, videos, and articles all relating to the accident for more information.
- Orlando Sentinel article
- Examiner article with more pictures
- Photos of the Scene
- Video after the Incident Shot by Guest (Viewer Discretion Advised)
Stay tuned to WDW Central, as we will continue to post more updated on this terrible accident as they are announced.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all those involved in this terrible accident.
1 comment July 5, 2009
Video: President Obama Recording Speech for the Hall of Presidents (Behind the Scenes)
Above you can see a behind the scenes video released by the White House showing Present Obama recording his speech that will be in the Hall of Presidents. Also included, are quick interviews with some of the Imagineers from the Walt Disney Company on the history and importance of this classic attraction.
Add comment July 3, 2009
“Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration” Closing – Already
Disney officials have announced the closing of the new show, “Stitch’s Supersonic Celebration” which just debuted last month. “We remain focused on providing the best possible entertainment experience for our guests,” says a Disney spokesman. “In order to achieve this, we regularly evaluate and adjust our offerings.”
Not surprising, seeing as Disney just decided to put it in the middle of Tomorrowland with no shade and no seating. In fact, when I visited last, people were sitting many yards away from the show under the shelter of the Tomorrowland Transit Authority track that runs above.
One of the comments on the Orlando Sentinel article says this: “This show was pitiful. I watched it twice, hoping it would be better the second time. Nope. I like to have something different, but please put more thought into your shows, temporary or not. It did not seem to appeal to anyone, even the kids.” I agree.
My thoughts on this are: I don’t blame them for taking it out. In fact, it makes me feel good to know that they can tell which shows aren’t so popular. It gives me more confidence in them. This show had a bad location – and plus, what’s the big deal about go-go dancers? For more information, click here.
What are your thoughts? Let us know what you think of this in the comments!
6 comments June 21, 2009
Poll: Best Time of Year to Visit the Parks?
Welcome to yet another WDW Central poll! I have been very pleased with the poll results – the first poll I ever posted has already gotten 100 votes. Keep up the good work, community – I look forward to hearing your opinion in this poll. What is the Best Time of Year to visit the Parks? Vote anytime – remember, the polls never close, so you can visit the Poll Archive and vote on older polls!
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2 comments June 10, 2009
Link Away: Disney Community of Tomorrow
Welcome to another edition of Link Away, where I link to some of the best Disney sites on the internet today! D-Cot is personally one of my favorite sites to go to for many reasons. There’s so much to do on here: think of it as a Disney themed Facebook, and more. Keep reading to find out what exactly you can do on this site:
Facebook, Disney edition: Like I mentioned above, D-Cot is just like Facebook, except better. Simply create an account, and when you log in, you can view/edit your profile, view/add/invite “pals”, see the newest, most active, and most popular members, and view the recent activities of the community. Also like Facebook, you can upload your own photos for everyone to see (or just your friends, depending on your privacy settings)!
Great forums, too: D-Cot also has a great forum, where members can discuss anything from Disney World and Disneyland to Dining and music. But don’t get me wrong, there are categories for non-Disney discussions, too. All you have to do is become a member, and then let the discussions begin! And now on to the main event, the Jukebox.
The Disney JUKEBOX: This is by far the best feature of the site. The D-cot JUKEBOX is like your portal to a lot of Disney themepark music. Categories include almost all Disney parks’ audio, plus monorail spiels, some resort area music, and more. You can rate every song, and even purchase some of them on iTunes! Then build a “Favorites” playlist, and also play your pals’ favorites anytime. It’s better than online radio because you choose what to play, and when to play it.
Also in the Jukebox, you can see the Listener list (and what everyone’s listening to), and participate in Mouse Chat, just a live chatbox for the listeners to talk about anything on their mind such as “I’m going to lunch now”.
So go on, head over to D-Cot and see the forums and Jukebox for yourself! (I’m on there as tcwmatt so keep a look out for me). Any thoughts? Let us know in the comments what you think of this site!
Add comment June 5, 2009
“Top 7 Must Sees” Show Replaced, Keeping Stacey
You know the feeling. You finally arrive to your Walt Disney World Resort hotel, set your luggage down, and flip on the TV. You’re greeted with Stacey, your host for the Walt Disney World “Top Seven Must Sees” show (which is more like 107, right?). You wither get a feeling of happiness, or an annoyed feeling. You either like Stacey or can’t stand her.
I thought the show (while she did act somewhat stupid) was a part of my Disney experience – and for that, I always liked her.
I was surprised when I flipped on my resort television this past weekend. Stacey was still there, but she was in a different show called “Must Do Disney”.
On this new show (same channel and everything), Stacey goes through each park and outlines the “must do” attractions. There are a couple reactions and thoughts I had, and I’ll share those with you right now:
She acts more normal, with just snippets from the old show. For the most part, she acts normal (and is obviously not ad-libbing like she did before). However, if you are a fan of her old, crazy self, then you’re in luck, because as she’s going through the must do’s in each park, they show snippets of her from the old show.
She’s not good at acting normal. Maybe it’s just because I’m used to her the other way. But when I was watching her in the new footage, I thought that she was actually bad at acting normal! I think it’s due to the fact (as mentioned above) that when she acted crazy, she was ad-libbing…and now, she is reading from a script.
I searched, and haven’t found any news sites with this story on them. So if you’re looking for proof, I have none, except for the fact that on her official website, she has “Must Do Disney” listed in her resume.
What’s your opinion? Would you rather have Stacey in the new, less crazy show, or did you like the old show better? If you’ve seen the new show, let us know your opinion now! Photo: Stacey Aswad
13 comments June 1, 2009
Top 5: Best Themed Queues in WDW
Welcome to the first post of the new series of Top 5 Lists! In this post, we are looking at the 5 best themed queues (lines) in Walt Disney World. Keep on reading below to check them out:
5. Test Track, Mission: SPACE – Alright, these two are tied for number five. Test Track really gives you that authentic feel of car testing with equipment, parts, data, and actual tests going on all throughout the queue. Mission: SPACE provides that modern, space feel with the huge spinning gravity wheel, diagrams of spaceships, and actual rovers and satellites hanging from the ceiling.
4. Expedition Everest - I bet you thought this would be number one, didn’t you? Well, it’s definitely not for me, even though it is a nicely themed queue. The plants and old statues seen throughout the long, winding line is very realistic. It always gives me the feel of Asia, which is how it should be.
3. Toy Story Mania! - This queue is awesome. It always amazes me how they can really make you feel like the size of a toy. From the huge board games on the walls, to the tinker toys, to the lincoln log fort where you get your 3D glasses, this queue is one that had to make the list.
2. The Seas with Nemo & Friends – Here’s a real winner. The second you walk in you’re seemingly on the beach at dawn – the sun just rising. Then you head down and see the ocean level above you. You now appear to be under water, with boats overhead, and the pack of famous fish still making all sorts of shapes.
1. Tower of Terror - While I have never been on this ride (yeah, lame, I know), I have seen enough pictures to know that this queue is probably one of the most realistic ones in the whole “world”. The feel of an abandoned hotel is everywhere – from the newspapers from 1939, to the pastries sitting on the table waiting to be eaten.
I hope you’ve enjoyed the first of many Top 5 lists here at WDW Central! Now share your thoughts – do you agree with the list, or what would you change in it? Let us know in the comments below. Photo: LiftHill
2 comments May 27, 2009
How I Deal With Those Horrible Disney Withdrawals
Right now, I should be at Epcot. I should be riding Mission: SPACE or Ellen’s Energy Adventure. What’s wrong with me? I come to you in a depressed state – because that’s really what I would have been doing this second in Walt Disney World, if I didn’t have to move my trip due to the weather.
This got me thinking – what do I do to help me get through those awful Disney withdrawals all fans have? The answer is simple: imagine yourself there. This has always been my cure for the WDW withdrawals I get fairly often. Simply imagine that you are in Walt Disney World, and your sadness is gone, replaced with happiness.
So how do I imagine myself at Walt Disney World? The answer, once again, is fairly simple. There are a few ways I do this, and lucky for me, all these ways are on the computer:
- Listen to Music: This is the biggest one for me. We all probably have Disney park CD’s, songs on our iPod, or that favorite online radio station that we go to to listen to Disney theme park audio. This is the best way to cure your illness, because the park music takes you in an instant to the park. It’s incredible what music can do.
- Look at Pictures: Here’s another way – look at pictures online (or from your own photo album) of the world. This is simple since the internet has so much content to explore. Try going to Flickr and searching for Walt Disney World, or maybe just your favorite attraction. Whatever you do, pictures of your favorite place will be sure to brighten your day.
- Discuss the Magic: When you’re missing Disney, a good remedy is to join in the discussion on a Disney related forum. This lets you “discuss the magic” with other Disney fans – you can meet new friends as well as talk about WDW. This can get your mind off your “withdrawal” and on to having a good time with other fans having the same problem as you!
- Use your Imagination: When all else fails, the best thing to do (as insane as you may think it is) think about what you would be doing if you were there. That’s why I made Living in WDW – every so often I say what I would be doing in WDW. It’s because I want to imagine myself there to help with the withdrawals. Maybe I’m crazy or insane or both, who knows.
These are just the things I do – this is how I deal with those Disney withdrawals we fans get from time to time. What is it that you do? How do you cheer yourself up after you get back from a trip, or when you’re forced to move the trip you’ve been looking forward to? I would love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment below!
Add comment May 23, 2009
Rumor: New Star Tours Film Coming Soon?
Rumors have always been going around about a “Star Tours 2.0″, a remake of the original Star Tours attraction that has yet to be updated since it’s opening. According to SlashFilm, a “secret” Star Wars filming has been going on for a few days now. They even say that Anthony Daniels (C3PO) will be filming later this week. Since LucasFilm isn’t filming another Star Wars film, a series, or extra scenes, SlashFilm comes to the conclusion that they are updating the Star Tours movie. Who knows if this is true – and if it is, will make it to Walt Disney World, or if it will just be a Disneyland update?
What do you think? Do they need a new Star Tours film? If so, do you think they will bring it to WDW, or just update the [oldest] one in Disneyland? Let us know your thoughts in the comments now! Photo by Shane-o-matic.
2 comments May 16, 2009
New Series Coming: Top 5 Lists
The fact is, it’s been successful on other sites, so why not bring it here? It’s an idea that I’m willing to try out. It’s simply another way to discuss the fun of Disney World!
I would like your opinion. I’m asking you to comment – it takes two parts to make a successful blog: the blogger, and the reader interaction. Let me know what you think about this new series for WDW Central. I can’t wait to hear your thoughts!
Add comment May 22, 2009