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‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ Debuts This Summer at Disneyland Park

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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disneyland magical map

This week as reported on the Disney Parks Blog Disney unveiled information about a spectacular live entertainment experience for the Fantasyland Theatre at Disneyland park.  It’s an amazing new show called “Mickey and the Magical Map“.

According to the Disney “The wise sorcerer Yen Sid tells of a wondrous map – one unlike any other – with the power to take dreamers to any place imaginable. But when young apprentice Mickey Mouse attempts to paint the map’s one unfinished spot, he stumbles into a fantastic adventure through worlds of music, color and beloved characters, as he discovers the mystery of the map’s magic!”

“Mickey and the Magical Map”  makes it’s debut this summer at Disneyland park.  In addition to this show the all new Fantasy Faire will also open this Spring at Disneyland.

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‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ Debuts This Summer at Disneyland Park

Disney Vacation Club Getaway

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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ScreenHunter_01 Jan. 09 16.44

Want to win a free Disney Vacation Club getaway?

Every day between now and January 31, 2013 you can visit www.disney.com/disneyvacationclub and play an interactive game where you earn virtual points. If you are randomly selected as the winner the points you earned become Disney Vacation Club points that you can use to visit any of the DVC properties. Keep in mind the game is more than just entering your contact info (there is that too!) so make sure you  have a few minutes to play a fun dice game and beat Disney villains at their own game!

Want to learn more? Click HERE and if you win take me with you!

ScreenHunter_03 Jan. 09 16.47

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Which is better Tables in Wonderland or the Disney Dining Plan?

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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Which is better Tables in Wonderland or the Disney Dining Plan?

Which is better: Tables in Wonderland (and out of pocket expenses) or signing up for the Disney Dining Plan?

For those that aren’t aware, the Tables in Wonderland program is a special discount card that you purchase to get 20% off of dining costs at various restaurants at the Walt Disney World dining locations.  However, there are some things that you need to know about the TiW program:

1.     The TiW card can only be purchased by a person that has an annual pass, or by a Florida Resident.

2.     The card costs $100 for Annual Passholders, and $125 for Florida Residents.

3.     As I mentioned, the TiW program will discount 20% off of all your food and drink purchases (including alcohol) at many of the Walt Disney World restaurants, but not all of them. Check here for a list of restaurants.

4.     The TiW card can be used for the cardholder and up to nine guests dining with the cardholder.

5.     An automatic 18% gratuity is included when using the TiW card, regardless of the size of the party.

6.     If you are thinking of buying the TiW card, you need to do some research to make sure that the discount will be at least equal to the cost you are paying for the card.

On the other side of the equation, the Disney Dining Plan has several different choices available.  The three main ones are the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan; the original Disney Plus Dining Plan, and the Disney Deluxe Dining Plan.  You can also add the Wine and Dine component to your Dining Plan or Deluxe Dining Plan, but that is a separate add-on charge, also they have a Magic Your Way Premium Package that has all kinds of add ons.

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New Bakery Boulangerie Patisserie les Halles Opens at France Pavilion

By
Chip
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The big, new Boulangerie Patisserie les Halles at the France Pavilion opens each morning at 9 a.m. – ahead of the 11 a.m. opening of World Showcase – so you can sip a latte with a chocolate croissant to start the day . . . or a cappuccino with a chaussons au pomme (apple turnover) . . . or an espresso with an éclair. And that’s just a taste of the expansive new menu that offers classic French goodies all day long.

The new bakery is in the “at least 10 times” larger than the former sweet shop, says manager Eric Weistroffer, which soon will become and Glacier, an ice cream shop. Located in the space adjacent to the France movie theater exit, Boulangerie Patisserie les Halles offers sweets, soups, sandwiches, salads and authentic French dishes such as quiche, Croque Monsieur (grilled ham and cheese) and pissaladiere, the pizza-like dish from the South of France, this version with tomatoes, olives and Gruyère.

The Lyonnaise salad is another classic, with frisee, bacon, eggs, croutons and light vinaigrette. Add pumpkin soup or lobster bisque for a satisfying meal. Plenty of choices are on the Disney Dining Plan.

You can imagine the wonderful aromas with French artisan bakers in the beautiful onstage bakery. Grab a seat in the courtyard and watch the world go by as you sip a Champagne and share a cheese plate and baguette. La vie est belle (life is beautiful)!

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New Bakery Boulangerie Patisserie les Halles Opens at France Pavilion

runDisney Hosts Most Magical Meet-Up Yet for 20th Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend

By
Chip
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In celebration of the 20th Walt Disney World Marathon presented by Cigna, runDisney hosted its biggest social media meet-up yet Friday at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort.

After a magical welcome from Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy, who each have a marathon medal designed after them, the group embarked on a 2.5-mile run through Hollywood Studios. The group got a unique look at Hollywood Studios during sunrise as they passed iconic attractions such as the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster before finishing at the Lights! Motors! Action! Extreme Stunt Show. Along the run, Disney characters such as Pluto, Minnie Mouse and Toy Story’s Woody and Buzz Lightyear, surprised the group for photo opportunities.

On set at Lights! Motors! Action! meet-up guests had the opportunity to interact with celebrities and athletes. Drew Carey and Joey Fatone entertained the guests with stories about their running experiences, and Carey also spoke about his passion for runDisney races. The group was treated to running tips from a special panel of running legends including Joan Benoit Samuelson, Bill Rodgers, Desiree Davila, Bart Yasso, Jeff Galloway and Dick Beardsley. The meet-up also featured special guests from New Balance who spoke about the specially-designed runDisney shoe and former NFL player Eddie Mason, who is working with Cigna, the marathon’s presenting sponsor, to promote health and wellness.

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La Nouba offers special discounts for FL Residents and First Responders

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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Over 8 millions guests have experiences La Nouba.  Are you one of them?

What is La Nouba? It’s a show like no other! By Cirque du Soleil, La Nouba features high wire and flying trapeze acts, stunning acro-gymnastic performances and other dynamic displays of coordination and strength. La Nouba is performed exclusively at Downtown Disney West Side at Walt Disney World Resort.

If you are one of Florida’s Emergency First Responders or a  Florida resident, then you can take advantage of this great offer:

Tickets are available for purchase starting January 17. This offer is available for performances Tuesdays through Saturdays – January 29 through March 9.

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Breakfast Options During the Main Street Bakery Starbucks Conversion

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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Tomorrowland Terrace Noodle Station

With all the chatter and concern over the Main Street Bakery Starbucks conversion we thought it may have left some people out of sorts over where to get breakfast at the Magic Kingdom. No worries, we have the information on what is available and where you can go get fueled up or eat a cinnamon roll!

First, the Tomorrowland Terrace will be open for breakfast during the time the Main Street Bakery is closed. The menu will consist of waffles, yogurt parfaits, egg/cheese and ham croissants, oatmeal, danish pastries, coffees and beignets.

For those of you who love your morning sweets, Cinnamon rolls can be found at Gaston’s Tavern in the new Fantasyland.

Also, do not forget you can enjoy a continental breakfast at Auntie Gravity’s Galatic Goodies, Cheshire Cafe, Sleep Hollow, Sunshine Tree Terrace and Westward Ho.

Let me know if you try any of these and how was the experience? Does it help a little with the Main Street Bakery closure?

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Disney DIY – Recycling Disney T-Shirts

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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Disney T-shirt

 

We love Disney T-shirts, its one of the most popular items purchased in the parks.  However, what to do when it’s unwearable?  Maybe worn out from too many trips, stained from the Mickey Ear Ice Cream bar, or no longer fits (nothing to do with the Mickey Ear Ice Cream Bar).  You can always recycle (or the new word is upcycle) your favorites. Here are a few ideas of my own and some fun tips I found while searching the internet.

Make a Quilt

Or if you are like me, have someone make a quilt for you.  There are many services out there that will take your old t-shirts,  cut out the image and sew into a quilt of memories.  What better way to have your trip memories available as a cozy blanket to wrap around you as you watch your favorite Disney classic on TV. If you are handy of course you can do this on your own and make it a family project!

Write a Book

Many of the photo printing sites out there offer soft and hard cover books of your photos.  Some even use Disney backgrounds and graphics.  Often there are great deal for free books or half price book.  Take a close up photo of the image on your t-shirt.  Either on you or stretched out on the back of a chair.  Make a collage book of your favorite t-shirts and maybe include text with fun anctedotes of that particular trip.  For example: ” This is the 2010 trip shirt we bought Andrew after he got soaked on Splash Mountain”.  You can even put in a few pics of your family wearing the shirt on a trip.  Then if the shirt is in good shape, give to a charity of your choice.  There are many kids that will never make it to Disney and the shirt alone will be priceless.

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Disney’s Aulani Resort Combines The Best Of Both Worlds

By
Catie
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AulaniResort

For those of you who think Disney is just Theme Parks and rides and characters, think again! Disney is MUCH more, and one of their more recent expansions is their Disney’s Aulani Resort on the island of O’ahu in beautiful Hawaii. It’s an amazing place, and well worth the cost. So what can you expect on your trip to Aulani? Read on to find out!

AulaniRoom

Accommodations – These rooms are among the nicest I have ever seen, featuring 2 queen beds or 1 king bed, a TV/DVD player, refrigerator, deep soaking tub, and a private porch/balcony. Different views are available, as are fancier suites (for a higer price, of course). The one downside might be that for those of us who are used to Walt Disney World Value Resorts, the room prices might be somewhat of a shock, with standard rooms starting around the $300 range and going up from there (depending on the time of year you are traveling). However, with the rooms and amenities being so nice, it might just be worth the cost!

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Build-A-Bear Workshop Introduces Disney Princess Collection

By
Chip
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Build-A-Bear Workshop, the interactive retailer of customized stuffed animals, is celebrating the launch of its Disney Princess bear and collection of enchanting costumes by hosting Princess Weekend, Friday, Jan. 11, through Sunday, Jan. 13, in stores throughout North America. Guests will be given the royal treatment with paper crowns and jewel stickers to decorate in their own special way. After a crowning and knighting ceremony, Guests will be able to create magical memories with the new Disney Princess bear ($23), featuring a sparkling crown and paw depicting beloved Disney Princess characters and majestic crowns.

“At Build-A-Bear Workshop, we want everyone to feel as special as a princess with a fairy godmother,” said Maxine Clark, Build-A-Bear Workshop founder and chief executive bear. “With this new Disney Princess bear and collection of beautiful princess costumes, we invite Guests to embark on a magical journey filled with imagination and adventure!”

buildabear_disney

Guests can magically transform any furry friend into their favorite princess with these new costumes, $16 each:

  • Belle (available in select stores)
  • Cinderella
  • Rapunzel
  • Sleeping Beauty
  • Snow White (available in select stores)
  • Tiana

“The new Disney Princess Collection from Build-A-Bear Workshop brings the magic of the Disney Princess world to life by allowing Guests to celebrate their favorite Disney characters and create princess moments of their own,” said Elaine Carovilla, director of licensing and hardlines, Disney Consumer Products.

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Build-A-Bear Workshop Introduces Disney Princess Collection

The Awakening Conscience strikes on an all new episode of Switched At Birth on ABC Family

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
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VANESSA MARANO, STEPHEN LUNSFORD

Angelo tells Regina about the baby in an all-new episode of the award-winning family drama “Switched at Birth,” airing Monday, January 14 at 8:00PM ET/PT on ABC Family.

Regina is shocked when Angelo tells her about Lana and the baby. After convincing her parents to let her attend Carlton School for the Deaf, Bay discovers that the transition is not as easy as she had expected.

Meanwhile Toby and Nikki’s (guest star Cassi Thomson, “Big Love”) relationship hits a bump when Emmett sees something from Nikki’s past that makes Toby question exactly who this girl is.

“Switched at Birth” is executive-produced by Lizzy Weiss (“Blue Crush”), Paul Stupin (“Make It or Break It”), Becky Hartman Edwards (“Parenthood”) and John Ziffren (“Melissa & Joey,” “Make It or Break It”). The series stars Katie Leclerc as Daphne Vasquez; Vanessa Marano (“Gilmore Girls”) as Bay Kennish; Constance Marie (“George Lopez”) as Regina Vasquez; D.W. Moffett (“Friday Night Lights”) as John Kennish; Lea Thompson (“Back to the Future,” “Caroline in the City”) as Kathryn Kennish; Lucas Grabeel (“High School Musical”) as Toby Kennish; Sean Berdy as Emmett Bledsoe; and Gilles Marini (“Brothers and Sisters”) as Angelo Sorrento with guest star Marlee Matlin (“The West Wing”).

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The Awakening Conscience strikes on an all new episode of Switched At Birth on ABC Family

Disney’s FRANKENWEENIE Bluray Review

By
Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends
-

Frankenweenie combo pack

The latest feature film from Walt Disney Pictures and Tim Burton Animation, Frankenweenie, was released to
4 Disc Blu-ray™ Combo Pack, Digital and On Demand yesterday, January 8, 2013.

The stop-motion Frankenweenie was an immediate success when it hit theaters last fall as a “plussed” revival of Tim Burton’s 1984 live-action short by the same title. Burton’s original effort featured a young boy named Victor Frankenstein who uses the power of science to bring his beloved, deceased dog Sparky back to life. (You can view a clip here; also included in the Combo Pack.)

I viewed the movie with my kids over the weekend, and I had to agree with the critics: This is one of Burton’s best works. The allusions to classic fright fests are brilliantly done! I’m not a big fan of modern horror flicks, but I get a kick out of the silliness of old scary movies, and I thought Mr. Burton did a wonderful job working in so many references in Frankenweenie. I could clearly see the Hunchback of Notre Dame in the Edward character, Dracula in the cat/bat, Godzilla in Shelley the turtle, Gremlins in the sea monkeys, and of course, traditional Frankenstein in Victor and Sparky and throughout the film.

 

My teenager was entertained and appreciated all the classic film references too, but my younger two weren’t as impressed. My daughter, who’s nine, did not like the movie at all. She thought the characters looked creepy and it was just too sad that Sparky died twice. My youngest (age seven), however, got a kick out of the whole thing. He didn’t know the old film cues, but he liked it all, even without that frame of reference. He thought it was sad that Sparky died (and laughed that I cried about it!), but it didn’t bother him, because he knew Victor would bring him back to life. All in all, a great film for the whole family!

The Combo Pack includes some cool extras, like the video of Burton’s 1984 clip, an all-new original short, a behind-the-scenes featurette with Tim Burton of how the film was made, a showcase of the film’s touring exhibit, and a “Pet Semetary” music video performed by the Plain White T’s.

Add the Frankenweenie 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack to your video library today. Suggested retail prices are 4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack $49.99 US/$56.99 Canada; 2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack $39.99 US/$46.99 Canada; and 1-Disc DVD $29.99 US/$35.99 Canada. Rated PG in the United States and Canada. Feature run time is 87 minutes.

SOCIAL MEDIA:
For more information about Frankenweenie, visit the following:
“Like” us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/Frankenweenie
Visit the website at www.Disney.com/Frankenweenie

Jodi Whisenhunt is the author of MAGICAL MOUSE SCHOOLHOUSE: Learn While You Play at Walt Disney World Resort, and operates a blog by the same title. Her book is available for purchase at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and  CreateSpace. (Kindle and Nook versions also available.) Come, think outside the textbook and stretch the walls of your home classroom with Walt Disney entertainment!

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Disney's FRANKENWEENIE Bluray Review
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