Pixar films has announced that score veteran Thomas Newman will return as the composer for next year’s film The Good Dinosaur.
Newman has worked with Pixar twice before – being the composer for both Finding Nemo and WALL-E.  He has been nominated for 11 Oscars, including his work on Finding Nemo, WALL-E, Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events and most recently Skyfall.
The weather is getting warmer which means may people will start adding a trip to Disney’s Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon into their vacations! If you have never been to the Disney Water Parks, this is a must do activity and offers something the entire family can enjoy. You may wonder, though, what you need to pack to ensure a great day!
1. Towels – Take them from your resort room if you are staying on property. You can even request extras from housekeeping if you want. If you have purchased a water parks fun and more ticket I might suggest bringing beach towels from home. Those who are only visiting the water parks once really don’t need to do this.
2. Water shoes or flip flops– The ground gets very hot! All members of your party should have some sort of foot protection.
It looks like another Disney classic film has a potential remake in the works.  David Lowery, who directed  Ain’t Them Bodies Saints which was one of the most talked about films at Sundance, has been hired on along with writing partner Toby Halbrooks to write a script for a Pete’s Dragon remake for Disney and producer Jim Whitaker.  Sources say they will reinvent the story and it will not be a musical.
The original Pete’s Dragon, which came out in 1977, combined an animated fire-breathing dragon with the live action cast of Mickey Rooney, Red Buttons, Shelly Winters and Helen Reddy and told the story of an orphan boy who comes to a town with his magical dragon and his abusive adoptive parents in hot pursuit.
Are you looking forward to this remake if it comes out, and who do you think should play the lead characters? Â Let us know!
Disney’s Boardwalk has underwent food updates. Many of the resorts and restaurant in the area have under went menu changes to provide you more yummy offerings.
A new “Extreme” section of the menu at ESPN Club on Disney’s Boardwalk presents dishes fans may not expect to fins in a sports bar, from a secret Ahi tuna burger to an “Over/Under” burger topped with lobster salad to a “Chicago Meets Pittsburgh” extreme roast beef sandwich Forty craft beers also have joined the restaurant’s menu.
The BoardWalk Bakery closed in January for refurbishment and is scheduled to reopen later this spring with an expanded section of baked goods, soups and sandwiches, along with refillable beverage station. In the meantime, check out the nearby pizza window which recently began serving a new vegetarian pizza featuring fresh-roasted garlic in olive oil, oven-roasted mushrooms and spinach.
Hurricane Hanna’s, the casual eatery located just steps away from Disney’s Beach Club Villas on the shore of Stormalong Bay, has become Hanna’s Waterside Bar & Grill. This re-imagined poolside retreat has a new menu and sit-down bar area.
The nearby Martha’s Vineyard lounge has enhanced its menu with a “Taste of Cape May Cafe,” featuring favorites as Cape May Cafe’s Seafood Chowder and Clam Bake Bucket.
Have you spent an evening at the Boardwalk? Where is your favorite place to eat? Let us know in the comment box below.
Fans of The Force need not feel left out of the March Madness… er Madness. StarWars.com has just launched the “This Is Madness”  tournament to decide the galaxy’s most popular Star Wars character. Cast your votes and daily for new matchups and results, and be sure to visit the site on Tuesday, April 9, to see who wins!
Vote for your favorite NOW! http://starwars.com/this-is-madness/index.html
The participants have been cast very interestingly. It will be interesting to see who comes out on top this time out. Who do you expect to win the tourney? Let us know!
Some of the most popular attractions at Walt Disney World have a height requirement for the younger guests. Â The reasons are for safety and age appropriateness. Â While most of the attractions don’t have height minimums, the shortest you can be to experience these attractions is between 38 and 48 inches. Â While many parents try to make their child taller by stuffing their shoes or buying thick soled shoes, I suggest you don’t. Â The only one who will potentially be hurt is your child.
Here is a list of attractions by park and the height requirements:
Magic Kingdom
With the success of ABC’s “Once Upon a Time”, a spinoff is made. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the spinoff for “Once Upon a Time” is coming together quite nicely and they have decided to run with Once consulting producer Jane Espenson and Zero Hour‘s Zack Estrin. Epenson will continue her run as a consulting producer and Estrin will be an executive producer for the Wonderland-themed show.
The rest of the elite team that has been decided includes creators/executive producers Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz who are writing the pilot for the spinoff.
Easter is one of the busiest times to visit Walt Disney World, between Spring Break and the Holiday.  According to TouringPlans.com, expect Crowd Levels of 10 out of 10 from March 23rd to April 2nd. However, I had no idea there were so many additional activities Disney offered in the week prior or on Easter Sunday.
Here is and idea of what to expect on Easter.
THE PARKS
Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Many people travel to Walt Disney World for something special, from a birthday to anniversary to family reunion and more. You should always share your celebration with Disney! Disney goes above and beyond to make sure their guests have a magical experience. One of the ways they can do this is by helping you celebrate your occasion. When you add a celebration to your Disney World resort reservation, this can make many parts of your vacation special! Here are some ways you can start celebrating at Disney World!
The celebration begins when you check in to your Disney World resort. With your check in materials you receive, Disney will include special buttons for each person in your party indicating the event you are celebrating. If someone in your party is celebrating a birthday, there will even be a line on the button’s to indicate who’s birthday you are celebrating! These buttons are great because they let everyone around know that you are celebrating and cast members will often acknowledge them.
Keep Reading…
I’ve got updates to share with you today about some big changes coming to Main Street, U.S.A., Disneyland park. First, Starbucks will be making its much-anticipated debut inside Market House this fall. To make room for this exciting addition, Market House will close next month to begin an expansion into the adjacent space currently occupied by Disneyana.
Disney art and collectible fans will soon be able to find all their favorite treasures in one location, as Disneyana will move to a new home inside the Bank of Main Street building, the current location of the Disney Gallery. The new, combined location will continue to present a rotating Gallery Exhibit, featuring Walt Disney Imagineering concept art and pieces from local artists. (In fact, we will have information soon about the newest exhibit, featuring art inspired by Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room,celebrating its 50th anniversary this summer.
Market House will reopen this fall, still themed as a turn-of-the-century general store, serving Starbucks products and a selection of specialty Disney pastries.
Wishing you Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust
Sunshine
Have you seen Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios?  If not, have you heard about Fantasmic?  It’s one of the best pyrotechnic, fireworks, and water shows EVER!  The show takes you through Sorcerer Mickey’s imagination as he faces villains and goes to heroes for help to get him get out of the nightmare world he’s been driven in to.
So, how could there be a downside to this show? Well, the wait can be a bit of a downer…it is suggested that you arrive 90 minutes early for seating.  Try doing that with young kids…not easy! (Not easy for this adult either!!!)  There is a GREAT alternative though…the Fantasmic VIP Dining Package.
More after the jump…
Come the end of this year Disney Cruise line will no longer use Galveston, Texas as a homeport. This comes as sad news to many in the southern states as it did for me when Disney left New York as a homeport.
The silver lining to all this is that Disney still has great rates for this coming fall! You can still book and receive an onboard credit as well as half off the deposit at time of booking.
If you book from now until May 15th you will receive an onboard credit up to $200 depending on the stateroom you book and you can’t compete with only having to put down half of the normal deposit.
Rates for a 7-night Bahamian or Western Caribbean cruise on the Disney Wonder between September 28th and November 16th start at $699 for an Inside stateroom, $749 for Ocean view stateroom and $899 for Verandah stateroom (per person, based on double occupancy).
More after the jump…
