Mouse Extra

For the last week or so, rumors of a large collection of changes over at the Disney-MGM Studios have been floating around the internet.  Some reports claim they stem from Cast Member meetings, but I can not confirm that.  I’ve heard a lot of different variations to this, but let’s leave it to Disney World Trivia’s Lou Mongello to weed out the less-than-concrete ones and discuss the few he reported this week on the WDW Radio podcast.

Since there are so many, we’ll split up Mr. Mongello’s article a bit so we can discuss the highlights in more depth.  I’m going to leave a few things out, so read the article for the whole story.

First, it does appear as though we may be getting a new show at the old ABC Theater in Spring, 2008. The roof work permits that were filed recently that we discussed a few weeks ago may just be the first step into filling the empty theater.

This goes in the “Well It’s About Time” category.  Sometimes I have to shake my head with regards to how Disney World officials seem to have little to no problem with long-term unused space.  Now, unlike some of the self-proclaimed “critics” on the internet, this doesn’t keep me up at nights.  But what bugs me is they don’t seem to make filling these spaces a priority.  Let’s hope this rumor is true.  Even something I am not interested in is more exciting then an abandoned theater.

Young Jedis rejoice, as the Jedi Training Academy will soon be added as a year-round offering starting later this year, with work on a new stage location commencing later this month.

Can I rejoice too?  Last year, I and the other Mouse Extra writers wrote letters to Disney pleading for them to keep this on as a permanent fixture.  They did not, and the result was a disappointed five-year old.  Well Disney, if you are listening, I got at least 5 votes to keep this I can think of off the top of my head.  It gets rave reviews and would be a terrific addition to the Star Wars area.  And my godson will love you even more than he already does!!

Heading down Mickey Avenue, the Sorcerer Mickey meet and greet MAY be moving during construction of Toy Story Mania to a permanent location, this time in the Magic of Disney Animation building, whose entrance is also at the back of the Animation Courtyard. This new venue is expected to open before the busy holiday season and if the rumors are true, will have a huge backdrop depicting the entire Sorcerer’s Apprentice scene from Fantasia.

If you read Mouse Extra regularly, you probably already know how I felt when I heard the Sorcerer Mickey Meet and Greet was closing.  It really made me mad.  This was a simple, yet perfect little spot.  Who better to meet at a Disney movie park then Walt Disney’s greatest character in his finest on-screen role?  Well Lou, I hope you’re correct on this one.  Because I will really be pleased with WDI if they give the Sorcerer’s Apprentice the treatment he deserves.

And finally…

This rumor has also fueled more in the whole Studios name-change-game rumor saga. While I am very suspect of a change of the name of the Studios themselves to the Disney-Pixar Studios, recent filings, and the addition of this rumor starts to lend credibility to the rumor that Mickey Avenue will instead be renamed “Pixar Place.” I am looking more into this part of the rumor and will continue to update you as I hear more.

This is where the rumor gets a bit nebulous from other sources.  Some are saying that another e-ticket attraction will be shoe-horned into the coming “Pixar Place” to give it a more immersive “land” style theme.  This may just be speculation, but it is picking up steam.  The obvious conclusion to draw is that the new Crush’s Coaster from Paris will be imported to this spot, but there is no reason to believe that at this point.

Another interesting twist is that some people still believe the parks name will change to Disney-Pixar Studios.  On the Magical Definition Podcast this week, Jim Hill was more than a little insistent the change was coming.  This should sort itself out before too long.