Some members of coastercrew.com have posted the below video showing the video playing on the recently installed video screens in the waiting area at Universal Studios’ Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit coaster.
From watching the video, it appears some of the artists you’ll be able to choose to listen to while riding are:

The Beastie Boys
Marrs - Pump Up The Volume
The Crystal Method
Shiny Toy Guns
Daft Punk - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
ZZ Top - Gimme All Your Lovin’
Motley Crue - Kickstart My Heart
(I didn’t recognize all the songs. Can you fill in the blanks?)

It also gives you a look at some of the animated characters as they give you instructions for getting on the coaster. They say you have 30 seconds to select your song after getting in your seat.

No opening date has been set for the coaster yet.

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This new Wizarding World of Harry Potter artwork has been released by Universal. It doesn’t give a lot of new information, but it confirms the new land, or at least some of it, will be based on the movie versions of the Harry Potter series and not just the books.

Daniel Radcliffe and other actors from the movies have been rumored to have already recorded special scenes just for the attractions in the new area. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is set to open in Universal’s Islands of Adventure next year.

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More than 1,000 immigrants will gather on Main Street, U.S.A. at the Magic Kingdom tomorrow, July 3, to be “sworn in” as American citizens.

And as the country kicks off Independence Day weekend, these brand-new Americans will attend a premiere performance of the newest Walt Disney World attraction, a “re-Imagineered” Hall of Presidents, now featuring a lifelike Audio-Animatronics figure of President Barack Obama.

From more than 100 countries and ranging in age from 18 to 82, the immigrants will take the Oath of Allegiance to the United States during a Friday morning ceremony jointly hosted by Disney Parks and Resorts and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

USCIS’s highest-ranking official will preside over the ceremony on the forecourt of Cinderella Castle. The event will feature a welcoming address by Walt Disney World Resort President Meg Crofton, the presentation of the colors, the national anthem, the Oath of Allegiance and the Pledge of Allegiance.

Actor Andy Garcia – a naturalized citizen himself – will deliver a keynote address during the ceremony. Garcia, originally from Cuba, is an acclaimed actor known for roles in films as diverse as The Untouchables, The Godfather: Part III and Ocean’s Eleven.

To cap a star-spangled morning, the new citizens and their family members will get to preview the Hall of Presidents attraction – which reopens July 4 in the Liberty Square area of Magic Kingdom. The attraction has been closed since Election Day last November for a makeover.

The figure of the country’s 44th chief executive – which comes to life with recognizable mannerisms and makes comments that were recorded recently at the White House – is part of an eight-month makeover so significant that the iconic attraction has been retitled The Hall of Presidents: A Celebration of Liberty’s Leaders.

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This gives the “King of Pop” a new meaning. Ripley’s Believe It or Not! is putting a Michael Jackson portrait made from gum balls on display in the lobby of the Orlando Odditorium.

The special exhibit will begin this afternoon and the portrait will remain on display through at least July 13.

Created exclusively for Ripley’s Believe It or Not! by artist Franz Spohn, the portrait measures 6′ by 6′ and contains 12,784 gum balls. Using computer technology, Spohn uses the gum balls as pixels, or points of color. He creates the design on a computer and then makes a map showing where each color of gum ball goes. The map is then followed and the appropriately colored gum balls are stacked into clear plastic tubes. The tubes are then mounted next to each other to form the unique portrait.

The Michael Jackson portrait will go on display at the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium in Australia in December.

Ripley’s Believe It or Not! also has gum ball portraits of President Obama, Robert Ripley and Dean Cain that were created by Spohn.

The Michael Jackson portrait will be on display, free of charge, in the lobby of Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Odditorium in Orlando, 8201 International Drive. And will be available for viewing during regular business hours, 9:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., daily.

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The official Web site for the White House has posted a behind-the-scenes video of President Obama recording his lines for the recent Hall of Presidents update at the Magic Kingdom along with interviews with some of Disney’s Imagineers who worked on the project:

You can see the Obama audio-animatronic figure deliver the complete speech, along with that of George Washington, in our previously-posted video.

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Here’s what’s happening around the tourist areas of Central Florida for July 4 this year.

Magic Kingdom
“Celebrate America Fireworks” will fill the sky at 9 pm. July 4 (guests who’d like to begin the celebratory weekend a day early can enjoy the special fireworks on July 3 at 9 p.m.). After the fireworks, guests can enjoy a performance of Disney’s “SpectroMagic” parade of lights, music and magic at 10:30 p.m. on July 3 and 4.

Hollywood Studios
Special fireworks will be presented at 10 p.m. on July 4. Fantasmic! will also be performed at 9 p.m. and 10:45 p.m.

Epcot
“IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” becomes more dynamic on July 4 as the normal show is supplemented with a patriotic finale. The performance begins at 10 p.m.

SeaWorld
On July 3, SeaWorld will feature a special tribute performance by the U.S. Army’s 82nd Airborne All-American Chorus and dazzling fireworks display. The celebration continues July 4 with a patriotic presentation of red, white and blue fireworks immediately following the new fountain and fireworks finale – “Reflections.”

Universal Studios
The Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famers the O’Jays will perform at 9 p.m. as the last of Universal’s Summer Concert Series. After the concert, guests can enjoy a special Fourth of July version of Universal 360: A Cinesphere Spectacular – a high-tech lagoon show featuring famous scenes from more than 100 Universal Pictures films projected on four-story-tall, 360-degree “cinespheres,” along with original music, lasers and pyrotechnic effects.

Cypress Gardens
Cypress Gardens will hold a special “Nighttime Ski Show” at 8:45 p.m. The Fletcher Cane Band will play at The Lakeside Stage from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Fireworks on the Lake will immediately follow the ski show at 9:15 p.m.

Busch Gardens
See David Cassidy in concert on July 3 and Starship on July 4. Each night’s concert starts at 8 p.m. and will be followed by a fireworks presentation at 9:30 p.m.

Celebration, Fla.
The town of Celebration will be holding a Flashback Forth of July Tribute to the ’70s. The event begins at 5 p.m. and the ’70s themed fireworks show will get under way at 9:30 p.m. The Reflections Band will perform starting at 6 p.m. A KidZone will be set up and additional music will be offered by The Dixieland Jazz Band. There will also be a ’70s Costume Contest at 7:30 p.m.

Silver Springs
Live music begins at 3 p.m. with Jimmy Buffett tribute band “Live Bait”. Then ’60s pop artist The Lovin Spoon and award winning country music staple Terri Clark will eluminate the Twin Oaks Mansion concert stage. Fireworks will take place after the concerts.

Holy Land Experience
A special July 4th concert will be held 7:15 to 8 p.m. with Grammy Award-winning Inspirational artist Larnelle Harris.

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Universal Orlando is taking social media to another level with the creation of “rock legend” Syd Vinyl. The character of Syd, “one of the most famous death metal cyper punk fusion stars of the ’80s,” has been consulting with Universal on their upcoming Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster.

Syd even has his own Facebook and Twitter accounts. It seems Universal team members and their friends have been busy. Syd has been Tweeting since June 17 and has more than 50 followers. His Facebook account already has more than 250 fans.

To keep up-to-date with the latest Rip Ride Rockit news, you can follow Syd at:
www.facebook.com/sydvinyl
www.twitter.com/sydvinyl

Here’s a video of Syd in the back of his limo.

You can read more about Syd Vinyl and the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit coaster at www.hollywoodripriderockit.com.

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Right now, Walt Disney World Passholders can sign up for one of several “Vacation as You Wish” sales presentations that include giveaways, character greetings, and a tour of Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

Here are the official details:

From July 10-12, Disney Vacation Club invites you to attend “Vacation As You Wish,” a special sales presentation featuring an interactive show that reveals how you can save more, get more, and do more than you ever dreamed possible. Plus, you will be able to enjoy character greetings, tasty treats, exclusive giveaways, and a guided tour of the still-unopened Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today and forever change the way you vacation!

Event Details

• Event Dates: July 10 -12, 2009
• Event Times: July 10 - 7:00pm, July 11 - 3:00pm, July 12 - 3:00pm. Show will last approximately 2 hours.
• Check-in Location: Ballroom of the Americas, Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
• Parking: Contemporary Resort parking lot – be sure to mention you are a Passholder to be allowed in.
• Check-in Time: 45 minutes prior to show time.

 

Visit the Walt Disney World Annual Passholder site to sign up. Space is limited.

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The Hall of Presidents at the Magic Kingdom was recently given an overhaul, including new advanced audio-animatronic versions of US Presidents Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, and Barack Obama.

Here’s a look at Washington and Obama as seen in the attraction, followed by my thoughts on the new show:

I visited the attraction today and was quite impressed by not only these new animatronics but also the show as a whole. The previous version, which ran for roughly the duration of George W. Bush’s terms in the White House, was, in my opinion, on the boring side. It opened with a lengthy film and spent far too little time on the highlight of the show: the presidents.

In the new version, the show still features a movie and all 44 presidents “live” on stage, but it is all integrated together much more smoothly. The movie is comprised mostly of still photographs and paintings telling a brief overview of the history of US Presidents, beginning with Washington’s reluctance to take the office all the way through video of Bush speaking into a megaphone post-9/11. Actor Morgan Freeman replaces the previous narrator, Maya Angelou J.D. Hall [see comment for edit explanation]. Freeman’s narration is clear and concise, allowing the audience to focus on what is being said rather than how it is said. It’s edutainment at its best.

Midway through the movie, the audio-animatronic version of Abraham Lincoln is revealed, seated alone in the middle of the stage. He smoothly stands up and recites the entire Gettysburg Address (the same recording that was used in the Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln attraction at Disneyland in California for many years). This is easily one of Disney’s most lifelike animatronics they have produced and the best representation of our 16th president that I’ve ever seen.

After the movie ends, the screens shift aside to reveal all of the presidents - some seated, some standing. The lights dim and the presidents are individually introduced by name, each giving a head nod toward the audience as they are illuminated by spotlights.

All of the animatronics look incredibly lifelike in person (much better than in the video above). I saw the show twice today, once from the middle of the theater and once from the front row. The lighting is rather dim throughout the show and I found it difficult to see well from the middle of the theater, so I highly recommend staying to the left as you enter the theater to secure a front row seat.

Whether you voted for Barack Obama or not, you will enjoy seeing him in person, even if only in audio-animatronic form. Any American will receive a strong sense of patriotism in seeing the newly-updated Hall of Presidents. Disney has done a fantastic job replacing a once-boring show with an entertaining and informative presentation featuring state-of-the-art technology that is sure to excite Americans and international travelers alike.

The newly-updated Hall of Presidents officially opens on Independence Day, July 4, but has been running previews for several days. I highly encourage you to go see it.

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The Pirates League is the newest buccaneer adventure in the Magic Kingdom, featuring makeovers that turn theme park guests into savvy swashbucklers. Depending on the pirate package, a trained Pirate Master can transform boys, girls (ages 3 and up) and grownups into pirates, buccaneers and maidens using facial effects, fake scars, removable teeth, hats, bandanas and other costume accessories. Included in each of the three packages offered: a sword and sheath, earring and eye patch, temporary tattoo, exclusive pirate coin necklace, map case folder, a personalized pirate oath and a pirate portrait.

Here’s a look inside:

Pictured inside the Pirates League are a few of the trained “Pirate Masters” that transform boys, girls (ages 3 and up) and grownups into buccaneers and maidens.

Here, an adult guest receives the “Multi-Eyed Jack” makeover. (Note that his eyes are actually closed in the picture.) 

A young boy receives one of many pirate makeovers.

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Click here to continue reading Photos: New Pirates League at the Magic Kingdom transforms guests into swashbucklers…

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