Uncle Walt's Insider Florida Archives - Page 98 of 114

Sign seen at the entrance of Kilimanjaro Safaris. Photo by BrokenSphere [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Secrets of the Savannah: Former Safari Driver tells all

You won't believe #4! The Kilimanjaro Safari Ride at Disney's Animal Kingdom will celebrate its 20th anniversary this spring. To help celebrate, Uncle Walt's Insider caught up with a former Safari Driver, and asked if she would share any good stories. Meet the Driver Jamie DeJameson worked at Kilimanjaro Safaris in the mid 2000's. She agreed to speak with Uncle Walt's on the condition that the editorial staff not try to play "Two Truths and a Lie" with her stories. Uncle Walt's is dedicated ...

Hamilton: An American Musical on Broadway. Inset photo by Travis Wise via Flikr [CC BY 2.0].

Confirmed: Universal will add Hamilton land

Harry Potter will have a new neighbor from the colonies. UNIVERSAL CITY, CA & ORLANDO, FL -- The rumors first reported here in December are apparently true: Universal Parks and Resorts has secured rights to build lands and attractions based on Broadway's smash musical Hamilton. In 2007, the Universal Studios theme parks in Orlando and Hollywood scored a coup over their Disney rivals when they obtained rights to the popular Harry Potter books and movies. The resulting "Wizarding World of Harry Potter" has been an unqualified success. ...

March 17, 2018 by Marty in California, Florida

Mickey and Minnie wave to the crowds. Photo source Depositphotos_69250695_original.jpg.

Update: characters, parks changing under “radical” Disney plans

Turns out the previously-announced changes were just the beginning. The winds of change continue to blow at The Walt Disney Company. After the controversial measures were first reported by Uncle Walt's Insider last November, Disney fans and detractors alike have been lighting up the internet arguing the pros and cons of the moves. In spite of the response, the company forged ahead with making the modifications permanent in January. And now, Uncle Walt's has learned, more radical changes are on their way that ...

March 16, 2018 by Marty in California, Florida, Other, World

A PhotoPass picture from Universal Orlando. Photo by Oksana Yarysh [CC BY-SA 4.0] via Wikimedia Commons & Emily May [CC BY 2.0] via Flickr, modified.

PhotoPass photographer quietly working at Universal

Disney finds a subtle way to profit from the success of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. ORLANDO, FLORIDA -- Steven Weeber, 25, is a Disney cast member, but on his work days you won't find him anywhere at the Walt Disney World Resort. Instead Weeber, a photographer for Disney's PhotoPass service, is assigned to work at rival Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure. "My leads found out I have an annual pass to Universal, and they said they'd pay me to set ...

March 15, 2018 by Marty in Florida

Did these companies "borrow" decades-old self-driving technology from Disney? Photo includes image by Jishnuzz [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Disney outrage: ‘Tesla stole our self-driving technology’

Disney claims technology from several attractions has been 'stolen' by large companies Shocking news from the Glendale, California, offices of Walt Disney Imagineering (WDI) today: an Imagineer says that several major companies have stolen research about self-driving cars from WDI. The Imagineer pointed to several examples of self-driving technology in Disney parks, including Jungle Cruise boats and Tomorrowland Speedway cars. A race for the first (?) self driving car Several companies are currently in a race to develop the first widely-accepted self-driving cars. Notable ...

March 14, 2018 by X in California, Florida, World