If you are traveling with a large group or a family with young children, consider packing “like” outfits. There are several ways you can do this:
I have a 5 year old Jedi in Training in my home. He is obsessed with all things Star Wars. We have Star Wars Lego’s scattered throughout the basement. The movies are common weekend watching (his favorite is New Hope). Bedtime stories involve Han Solo and Obi Wan. I am also a weekend widow to the Star Wars Wii games. As a mom to two boys and a wife to a Star Wars nut, I expected this one day.
So while planning our most recent trip to Disney World , I heard rumors of the Jedi Training Academy at Hollywood Studios. I have to say it’s not really publicized in a lot of travel books or sites. It’s not even on the park map! I had to search quite a few places to get the general idea before we left on our trip. From my research, I found that you needed to book a time slot and the key is to be at the park first thing and head right to the sign up location.
“A LONG TIME AGO IN A GALAXY FAR, FAR AWAY…”
Are any Radio Disney fans heading out to Disney’s Hollywood Studios this weekend?
If so, you’re in for a treat. On June 22-24, Radio Disney will host special musical showcases that feature the station’s season five “N.B.T.” artists. The concerts are one step in Radio Disney’s 10-week “N.B.T.” musical competition, for which the grand prize is a performance on the Disney Channel’s “Austin & Ally.”
The showcase, hosted by “N.B.T.” host Jake Whetter, will feature all of the season five artists as well as season four “N.B.T.” winner Shealeigh and runner-up Zack Montana.
Concerts begin at 8 p.m. and are included in the cost of park admission. Entertainment is always subject to change.
The Pride Lands of Africa is the scenic setting for the “Lion King,” the third phase of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort set to open Aug. 10 at Walt Disney World Resort. The new Lion King wing celebrates the journey of Simba, with landscapes and theming that reflect playful and poignant scenes from the Academy Award-winning Walt Disney Pictures animated film “The Lion King.”
In the new Lion King wing, guests embark on a journey through Africa with encounters with characters and scenic moments from the film at every turn. King Mufasa towers atop Pride Rock while his evil brother Scar slinks in the shadows beyond the elephant graveyard. There’s Pumba and Timon with a young Simba dancing across a log bridge in true carefree “hakuna matata” fashion. Scar’s crazed and comical hyenas “guard” the elephant graveyard, a play area sure to delight youngsters.
The storytelling comes to life inside the 320 family suites. Zazu takes center stage on the headboards while Pumba and Timon decorate the shower curtain. Youngsters can rest on a leaf-shaped chair or sleep alongside Simba who slumbers at the head of one of the beds.
Earlier this summer Disney’s Art of Animation Resort opened 320 “Finding Nemo” family suites and 480 “Cars” family suites. Opening in phases, each of four distinctly designed wings of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort celebrates rich storytelling, spirited characters, original sketches and playfulness with colorful icons and whimsical theming inspired by classic Disney and Disney•Pixar films.
The whimsical property, situated adjacent to Disney’s Pop Century Resort, offers rates from $248 per night. The 1,120 family suites include two bathrooms, a kitchenette and three separate sleeping areas that can sleep up to six. The 864 standard rooms at the “Little Mermaid” wing, opening in September, sleep up to four, with rates as low as $94.
Disney/Pixar Brave is out in theaters on June 22nd! I know my oldest and I plan on seeing it this weekend. In celebration of this movie release our friend Lesley from Pixie Vacations wants to give you a little spending money for your next Disney vacation.
This weeks giveaway is for a $25 Disney Gift Card!
To enter, all you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter form below.
Variety is reporting that the Jim Henson Company and the BBC have been given the greenlight to bring ‘No Strings Attached’, a muppet style television show to BBC1. The show will be written and produced by comedian Danny Baker. Baker shared the news via twitter “I’m writing the new Muppet/Puppet show for BBC/Henson. There I’ve said it.”
Brian Henson will be a producer on the show as well as lead puppeteer and all of the puppets will be created at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop in Los Angeles. Each week there will be two celebrity guests that will take part in sketches and games along side the muppets.
A new Muppet show is also being prepped in the U.S. Hopefully the announcement of ‘No Strings Attached’ means the U.S. version will be on televisions soon.
Chelsea Kane can sing, act, dance and she looks great too but most of all she has a great personality! I had a chance to talk to her about herself and her role on the ALL NEW hit show Baby Daddy premiering Wednesday June 20th at 8:30/7:30c.
What attracted you to the script of Baby Daddy?
It was very funny, laugh out loud funny and that immediatly hooked me. The show is a great concept. I really like my character Riley, she really interests me. I have always admire a woman who can kind of make fun of herself and not take herself too seriously and Riley does that!
Is there a lot of chemistry on set, did you all know each other before hand?
We actually all met while we were shooting the pilot for the show. Young Hollywood is a tight nit community and it seems like everyone has dated someone that knows someone – that type of thing. But this was different we had no idea about each other.
Are you allowed to improvise on the script?
We try to stick very close to the script, we were blessed with very talented writers! We preform in front of a live audience so we will do 1 or 2 takes right on the script but by about the 3rd take we are trying new things.
Does your character Riley spend a lot of time with the baby?
Riley does spend a lot of time with the baby, she is like the cool aunt. She doesn’t really put the baby to bed or anything but she will buy her an awesome gift! But behind the scenes I had never held a baby before. I tried to keep that quiet because I wanted the role but one of the producers pulled me aside and mentioned how uncomfortable I looked. But I try to spend as much time with the babies as I can. I go in their dressing room and am pretty comfortable around them. Actually, each of the cast members spend about an hour on set with them rocking them and holding them so they get comfortable with us!
I am a younger parent, so I can’t wait to see a show that portrays younger parenthood in a lighter funny show! Is this going to be a show the whole family can sit down and watch?
OH ABSOLUTELY! One thing I really love about the show is that young kids all the way up to my grandparents can watch this show and find something funny about it! The show is really about every stage of life and I am super excited about it!
I loved spending a little time talking to Chelsea Kane. She is very excited about this project and it sounds like it is going to be a great show!
Experience the critically-acclaimed film, Phenomenon – available on Blu-ray for the first time, featuring an incredible new digital restoration with enhanced picture and sound. Academy Award nominee John Travolta (Best Actor, 1994, Pulp Fiction) leads a stellar cast, including Kyra Sedgwick, Forest Whitaker, and Robert Duvall, in this uplifting story of an ordinary man transformed by extraordinary events.
On the night of his 37th birthday, George Malley (Travolta) is knocked to the ground by a mysterious, blinding light and develops amazing mental abilities. With his newfound knowledge, George astounds everyone in town, but comes to realize that his wondrous experience has changed him and all those around him forever.
As a fan of Jon Turteltaub‘s (Director) National Treasure Films, I’m excited to finally experience this film in 1080p. Highly regarded as Travolta’s return to the big screen, his performance hits the mark for reminding us that somethings in life just can’t be explained.
I had a chance to try out The Aristocats: Classic Storybook App for the iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch and I really liked it and wanted to share the app with you.
The app, which is $3.99 in the iTunes store, allows the owner to use their Apple device to “read” the storybook. You will find interactive games such as puzzles, piano lessons, and pictures to “paint” online, embedded in the story as you progress through the pages.
When you first log on you will be asked to “personalize” your book by inserting your picture and a name. This really doesn’t serve any purpose than just looking cool from what I can tell however. Let me tell you a bit more about the app.
Walt Disney Parks and Resorts has started importing most of the merchandise headed to its Central Florida parks through JAXPORT’s TraPac Container Terminal at Dames Point, a shift that underscores the port’s growing attractiveness to shippers while also supporting statewide efforts to move Florida cargo through Florida seaports.
Florida Governor Rick Scott joined Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown, JAXPORT CEO Paul Anderson, Florida Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Wilson and MOL (America) Vice President Dennis Sheehan in welcoming Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, U.S., Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Anthony Connelly, and surprise guest Mickey Mouse to the TraPac docks for the announcement.
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This past April, my parents, husband and I made a trip to Walt Disney World during Spring Break (the week of Easter), and even though we used to go every year at this time when I was a kid, I was still concerned about the crowds. I was worried that it would be so crowded that we wouldn’t even be able to move, much less actually ride or do anything!
Since I knew it would be busy, I did my research, and came up with some some ways to deal with the crowds. You can’t prevent the Parks from being overcrowded, but you CAN have a strategy for dealing with it, and it should incorporate at least some of these:
Extra Magic Hours – This is a huge perk of staying on WDW property (Read about more of those perks here), and it basically boils down to more Park time for you, as certain Parks will open early/stay open late on specific days, and these extra hours are only open to guests staying at the WDW Resort Hotels. I personally prefer morning Extra Magic Hours to evening ones, as I can get there early right when the park opens, and it’s nice and empty, and I can ride all my favorite rides (sometimes multiple times in a row!) without much wait at all. I highly recommend utilizing the Extra Magic Hours whenever possible!
