Visit & stay with Santa at Disneyland

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December 16, 2013

Santa Waiting For Disneyland Guests to Visit

Have you been a good boy or girl this year? Do you want to visit with Santa Claus and share your Christmas List in person? We have the low-down on where St. Nick is staying this December and it’s right near Disneyland in Anaheim, California!

Not only can you go and visit with him, you could also stay in the same hotel as Santa is visiting. That’s right Fairfield Inn is a Good Neighbor Hotel with a lot to offer Disneyland visitors. What better surprise could you give your family then a trip to Disneyland and a visit with Santa in your own hotel? I see Parent Of The Year Awards being given out pretty easily with that kind of trip planned.=

Plan your visit between now and Christmas Eve to visit with Santa every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between the hours of 2:30pm and 4:00pm. We wish he could stay longer, but he’s a busy guy. During this tim you can sit with him and get a photo or two and perhaps be granted some extra good cheer this year. He may also give out some candy. Rumor is he always has a little something in his pocket.

After taking the time to visit with Santa at your Good Neighbor Hotel, head over to Disneyland and California Adventure where you will enter a whole new world. There you can be caught up with the Dapper Dan’s singing holiday favorites, A Christmas Fantasy Parade will dance before your eyes, special shows like World Of Color “Winter Dreams” and so much more. Truly, the whole park will simply take your breath away with the twinkling lights, the icicle covered castle and the amazing decorations everywhere.

To book your own visit with Santa and a Disneyland Vacation of your own, contact Daniel with Chip and Co’s exclusive Travel Agency, Destinations In Florida.

When Daniel isn’t sharing Planning Tips about Disneyland, Aulani, and other Destinations, he can be found either wishing he was at Disneyland or planning his and other’s Disney Vacations. Contact him or Request a Quote on the right side of the ChipandCo Page.

Check Out Disney’s ‘Frozen’ Inspired Ice Sculptures

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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December 16, 2013

There’s a new exhibit of amazing ice sculptures themed around Disney’s “Frozen”.

More than 70 “Frozen”-themed sculptures, featuring characters and scenes from the hit movie, are now on display at the famous Snow and Ice Sculpture Festival in Bruges, Belgium. Ice artists also created sculptures of Disneyland Paris at this year’s Festival.

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Visitors to a recent “Frozen” event at the exhibit not only got a first peek at the ice sculptures but they also had a chance to greet special characters from the film, Anna and Elsa. The Walt Disney Company Belgium and Disneyland Paris worked together with the Festival to create the first-of-its-kind exhibit.

Check out Disney Parks Blog for more info.

Wishing you Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Sunshine

Is Disney cutting ties with AAA?

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Anonymouse

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December 16, 2013

Huge Disney gossip, guys and gals! Yup, it’s me, Anonymouse and Chippy is away. So, I get to play! Today, I heard that Disney may be cutting ties with AAA. Further, it is rumored that Disney no longer considers AAA to be a preferred vendor.

For many years, AAA members have been able to access an array of unique benefits, services and special vacation packages for Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, Disney Cruise Line and Adventures by Disney. AAA Vacation packages include special amenities available only to AAA Members who have booked their package through AAA such as premium parking at Walt Disney World.

How will this effect your Disney travel plans? What will become of the premium parking lots at Walt Disney World?

Anywho, that is all the Disney gossip I have right now. For my past gossip articles be sure to check them out here. Got any good gossip/rumors please email me at [email protected] or on my facebook page.

Disney’s “Moana” Coming in 2018

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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December 16, 2013

“Moana” is Disney’s next big animated film from Walt Disney Studios. It is set to release in 2018.

“The main character will be Moana Waialiki, a sea voyaging enthusiast, and the only daughter of a chief in a long line of navigators. When her family needs her help, she sets off on an epic journey. The film will also include demi-gods and spirits taken from real mythology”

John Musker and Ron Clements are working on a Polynesia situated computer-animated musical film, Moana. It is described as “mythic adventure set around 2000 years ago and across a series of islands in the South Pacific.”

Moana will be Musker and Clement’s first computer-animated film. Although it was initially rumoured to be made in hand-drawn/computer-animated technique introduced with Disney’s short film Paperman, Musker said that it is “far too early to apply the Paperman hybrid technique to a feature.

Will you watch?

Wishing you Faith, Trust,and Pixie Dust

Sunshine

Disney Infinity Toy Box “Wreck it Ralph” Challenge

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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December 16, 2013

Disney Interactive is releasing the winners of the Disney Infinity “Toy Box Wreck-It Ralph Challenge.” In celebration of the Disney Infinity Wreck-It Ralph character release at Best Buy stores nationwide, players were tasked with building a Toy Box that’s meant to be destroyed. The top global Toy Box of the week is “Litwak’s Arcade” featuring five games to play in the arcade from Wreck-It Ralph.

Check out the trailer:

Winning submissions include:

Litwak’s Arcade – Play through five games in the arcade from Wreck-It Ralph!

Game On! – It’s game time! Play Fix-it Felix, Jr, as well as three other classic games.

Helping Felix Jr – Fix the broken windows of the 10-story building. Use the teleporters to watch your progress and try to set a record time.

Dig-it-Ralph! – Smash and dig your way down to the awesome surprise below!

Wreck-It Hunt – Find and smash safety domes around Niceland. Destroy all 10 to unlock a bonus level at Game Central Station.

As a refresher, directions on how to download new user-generated Toy Box worlds, as well as how to submit Toy Box creations are below.

When you’re ready to submit your Toy Box for consideration, follow these directions:

Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii U

Bring up the Pause Menu and select “Online/Multiplayer.”

Then select “Toy Box Share” > “Disney’s Toy Boxes” > “Submit to Disney.”

Follow the prompts. You’ll be asked to give your Toy Box an original name and description. Choose carefully – they will be shown to everybody if your Toy Box is featured.

iPad

Bring up the Pause Menu and select “Toy Box Share.”

Then select “Disney’s Toy Boxes” > “Submit to Disney.”

Follow the prompts. You’ll be asked to give your Toy Box an original name and description. Choose carefully – they will be shown to everybody if your Toy Box is featured

How to download new Toy Boxes:

Select “Toy Box” from the Disney Infinity Main Menu

Select “Toy Box Share” and “Disney’s Toy Boxes.”

There will be a list of all the featured Toy Boxes for players to download.

Wishing you Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Sunshine

Christmas Fun at the Swan and Dolphin Resort at the Walt Disney World Resort

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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December 16, 2013

I recently went to the Swan and Dolphin at the Walt Disney World Resort to check out the Christmas decorations and special Christmas events. The Swan and Dolphin went to great lengths this year to bring the holiday spirit to those lucky enough to be in and around Walt Disney this time of year. I spent a few hours yesterday looking around at the decorations, holiday offerings, and special events to bring the Christmas season alive! Come with me and see what the Swan and Dolphin have to offer us at Christmas!

Christmas Tree

The lobby of the Dolphin holds this amazing tree this year. The tree is made up of poinsettias and lights as well as other Christmas ornaments. Starting on 12/14/2013 there will also be a train and Christmas presents under the tree for kids and adults alike to enjoy. The train was delayed this year due to the Winter Baseball meetings and ESPN broadcasting from the same lobby location

Chocolate Decorations in the Swan

This year award winning chocolatier and pastry chef Laurent Branlard added some chocolate pieces to his chocolate Christmas scene. The latest edition, the nutcracker stands a staggering seven feet tall and is made of over 400 pounds of chocolate! The pieces are hand crafted and painted in the pastry kitchen. All of Branlard’s creations are created in one of two kitchens on property but one of the kitchens has windows to watch him create magic in the form of edible art! The gingerbread houses all over property are also created by Branlard and his team!

Christmas Lights on the Causeway

This year is the first year that the Swan and Dolphin have officially put on a light show in the Causeway between the hotels for the Christmas season. Every 10 minutes, starting at dusk, music fills the area and LED lights shined on the palm trees and the hotels illuminate and blink to the music! This was a nice way to fill a gap of the Christmas season between the properties! I loved the variety of music and the choreography of the lights! It is worth going to see in my opinion!

Vacation Santa

On Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings from 6-8pm, Santa meets his fans in the Causeway between the Swan and Dolphin. Starting at 6 pm, Mrs. Clause meets the children in the lobby of the Dolphin and announces that Santa is going to be out taking pictures with the kids. Mrs Clause and her favorite elf Candy Kane walk to the causeway and announce that Santa, riding in his light decorated golf cart, is arriving! Santa, dressed in his Hawaiian shirt, shorts, flip flops, and sun glasses, takes his spot in his shack to meet the kids and tell them that his favorite resort is the Swan and Dolphin! Free hot chocolate with chocolate pieces and marshmallows are also served during this time. We also were lucky enough to hear three amazing accapella Christmas carolers. The carolers stroll around the resort singing for the enjoyment of the guests!

My overview opinion

The Swan and Dolphin hotel did an amazing job this year to make the guests and the visitors feel at home for the Christmas season. The attention to detail was actually quite impressive. I loved how they handed out free eggnog in the lobby, spent time to erect such a amazing tree made of plants, or got Santa himself to take time away from the North Pole to spend some quality vacation time at Disney and the Swan and Dolphin. The lights in the Causeway were nice to see, especially on the cold walk between the hotels, and of course who doesn’t love seeing the big guy in red in shorts, a silly shirt and sunglasses at 8 pm! Many of the people I spoke with at the event were not even staying at the resort but saw the lights on the boat between Epcot and Hollywood Studios and got off to take a look around. If you’re in town for the Christmas season, take a trip over to the Swan and Dolphin to see the amazing decorations and tell Santa Jason from Chip and Co sent you! Never know what you may get from the big guy!!! For more information on the Christmas events at the Swan and Dolphin click HERE!

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Pirates of the Caribbean Celebrates 40 Years at Magic Kingdom

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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December 15, 2013

Pirates of the Caribbean, a guest-favorite attraction at the Walt Disney World Resort, will mark its 40th anniversary at Magic Kingdom Park on Sunday, December 15.

The first Pirates of the Caribbean, which takes guests back to a Caribbean filled with pirate treasure, blasting cannons, swordfights and songs, opened at Disneyland park in 1967. The attraction debuted at Magic Kingdom Park in 1973, serving as one of the park’s first major additions after its 1971 opening.

Over the years, only a few changes have been made to the attraction here at Walt Disney World Resort, notably the addition of Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain Barbossa from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film franchise in 2006. Villains Davy Jones and Black Beard were also added later on in the form of ghostly apparitions.

Did you know that Pirates of the Caribbean was one of the last attractions Walt Disney personally oversaw the creation of back in the 1960s? During planning, Walt constructed a team Walt Disney Imagineers that included (now Disney Legends) Claude Coats, Blaine Gibson, X. Atencio and Marc Davis.

In honor of the anniversary, check out the video clip, in which Walt himself shares his excitement on plans for Pirates of the Caribbean.

Check out Disney Parks Blog for more info.

Wishing you Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Sunshine

Pack, Buy, or Ship – How to Get Your Items to Walt Disney World

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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December 15, 2013

Disney Rolling Mickey Mouse Luggage Set Black 3 Pc

When packing for a Walt Disney World vacation, it’s a good idea to consider what to pack, buy, or have shipped to your resort. The super cool thing too is that when buying souvenirs at Disney, you can have them sent directly to your house-no hassle of packing them in your luggage for the car or plane ride home. I want to share with you some items you might consider packing, buying, or shipping to Disney.

Pack:

Ponchos. You’ll be sooo glad you did. I learned from experience that Disney ponchos are expensive-and since we ended up throwing them away at the end of our trip, I wish I had packed our own. Head to your local Dollar Tree, WalMart, or Target and pick up mid range quality ponchos. You’ll be glad you did! There’s a good chance it’ll rain at least once on your Disney vacation, so it’s not a bad idea to have these at hand.
Disposable Camera. Our boys LOVE taking pictures, and thankfully have their own digital cameras now. However, on past trips they’ve each gone through two or three disposable cameras. These are high priced in the parks. You can easily get a three pack at the store before you go for about the price you’d pay for one at Disney.
Bottled Water. This can be a toss up. If you’re driving, it’s way cheaper to buy some at home and bring it with you.
Sunscreen. I know this is an obvious item to include in your luggage. But, it can be expensive while you’re at Disney, and it’s something you don’t want to forget. Also, you’ll probably end up using it the rest of the summer, so it’ll be a good investment.

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Disney Quick Tips – Be Sure To Use Disney’s FASTPASS

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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December 15, 2013

Waiting in long lines is often part of vacationing at the Most Magical Place On Earth. Let’s face it, there’s nothing magical about waiting in line when you could be spinning in your very own teacup or taking a ride on a doom buggy! So how do you avoid these long lines? Just take advantage of Disney’s FASTPASS system.

There are currently two types of FASTPASSES available – the regular Fastpass which uses your park ticket to issue a paper FASTPASS and the FASTPASS+ which utilizes the MagicBand to digitally store your FASTPASS. Both of these types of FASTPASSES are free! If you have a MagicBand, be sure to schedule your FASTPASS+ prior to arriving at the parks. If you need to change them later, the mobile app will allow you to do so. If you don’t have a MagicBand, just take your park ticket to your favorite FASTPASS attraction when you arrive at the park.

Once you begin taking advantage of Disney’s FASTPASS system, you will be on your way to spending more time enjoying attractions and less time waiting in line!

For more details on FastPass+ check out this articles.

Disney World Christmas with Cinderella Castle Lights Video

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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December 15, 2013

Cinderella Castle gets into the Disney World Christmas spirit with icicles and lots of them. The castle at Magic Kingdom Park is full light up with beautiful icicle lights (yes, in Florida). It is a beautiful display celebrating a Disney World Christmas. You can get an exceptional view of these lights down Main Street USA or even around the castle into Fantasyland. Many guests just cannot help but just stand and stare at the castle. It is almost mesmerizing.

You can enjoy the lights on Cinderella Castle during the Disney World Christmas season. Enjoy a video with my family as we go to Magic Kingdom to enjoy the lights!

Allison has either worked or played at Disney World for the past 35 years. She was a past Cast Member at Typhoon Lagoon and Tower of Terror. She continued her love of Disney by starting Destinations in Florida Travel. Contact Allison at [email protected] if you would like her or her team to book your upcoming Disney & Orlando vacation.

Disney’s Mobile Magic App Will be Discontinued

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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December 15, 2013

Disney Mobile Magic which is the first of Disney’s mobile apps for park goers, will be discontinued on December 23 2013.

The new ‘My Disney Experience‘ app will now become one of the only apps for Disney World guests.

It is available for Apple, Android and Kindle devices. Disney Mobile Magic has already been removed from the app stores, but it will continue to work until December 23 2013.

Wishing you Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust

Sunshine

Special Limited Engagement of Saving Mr. Banks Sold Out

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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December 14, 2013

Saving Mr. Banks logo

A special limited engagement viewing of Disney’s Saving Mr. Banks which was offered to fans a few weeks ago is completely SOLD out. With the movie out in select theaters, beginning December 13 and world wide, beginning December 20th, the price of the $50 ticket, would allow movie goers the privilege of an early viewing in one of the state of the art theaters inside the Walt Disney Studios. In addition, to the movie preview, a tour of the famous lot is also included. The tour “A Walk in Walt’s Footprints” immediately following the movie, allows a behind the scenes look at some of the magic at the Walt Disney Studios. A visit to Walt’s office and P.L. Travers home as well as the chance to take pictures with Mary Poppins and my favorite chimney sweep, Bert are just some of the spots the tour would give fans access to. A peek inside The Art of Animation Building to learn about some of the history of Walt Disney studios and walk through the Legends Plaza make this event an exceptional treat. The icing on the cake for me, is the commemorative 50th anniversary Mary Poppins DVD included in this package.

Saving Mr. Banks is inspired by the true backstory of how Mary Poppins made it to the big screen.

When Walt Disney’s daughters begged him to make a movie of their favorite book, P.L. Travers’ “Mary Poppins,” he made them a promise—one that he didn’t realize would take 20 years to keep. In his quest to obtain the rights, Walt comes up against a curmudgeonly, uncompromising writer who has absolutely no intention of letting her beloved magical nanny get mauled by the Hollywood machine. But, as the books stop selling and money grows short, Travers reluctantly agrees to go to Los Angeles to hear Disney’s plans for the adaptation.

Saving Mr. Banks focuses on those two short weeks in 1961, where Walt Disney pulls out all the stops. Armed with imaginative storyboards and chirpy songs from the talented Sherman brothers, Walt launches an all-out onslaught on P.L. Travers, but the prickly author doesn’t budge. He soon begins to watch helplessly as Travers becomes increasingly immovable and the rights begin to move further away from his grasp. It is only when he reaches into his own childhood that Walt discovers the truth about the ghosts that haunt her, and together they set Mary Poppins free to ultimately make one of the most endearing films in cinematic history.

Directed by John Lee Hancock, produced by Alison Owen, Ian Collie and Philip Steuer, and written by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith. Executive producers are Paul Trijbits, Christine Langan, Andrew Mason and Troy Lum.

Saving Mr. Banks will release in U.S. theaters on December 13, 2013, limited, and open wide on December 20, 2013.

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Saving Mr. Banks

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A Morning Welcome

Saving Mr. Banks Sherman Brothers

Love the movie? Attended the special engagement at the Walt Disney Studios? Leave me a comment or two below and let me know what you thought.

Spend a few days at the Disneyland Resort Parks to relive the magic of Walt Disney and Mary Poppins. Call or email me today to book your next amazing magical adventures. (661-733-1094 or [email protected]