Does your child have a case of crazy curls, frightening frizzies, or baby bed head? I know my little one sure does!
Submit photos of your baby’s crazy hair and you could win cash prizes of $2,500 or $500 in Disney BabyZone’s Crazy Baby Hair Contest.
Click here to submit your photo and to enter!
Where to find it: Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park (Africa).
What is it? Rich Chocolate Cake filled with Chocolate Cream and topped with a Light Buttercream and Toasted Coconut
Why you want it: This is a beautiful, flavor rich and luscious cupcake. A perfect treat to share among 2 or 3 people while using only one snack credit. Don’t try to savor it all yourself!
Walt Disney’s technological genius was way ahead of his time. When I think about all he could be accomplishing if he was alive today, with all of this technology at his fingertips, I know the results would be amazing. I would guess that if Walt was alive today he would be delirious with possibilities.
In The Fantastic Walt Disney, by Bill Davidson published in the Saturday Evening Post, Volume 237 (1964) there is a very fitting quote by one of the executives who had been with Walt for many years. Charles Levy had a theory about Walt’s talent. He said, “Walt restlessly prowls the earth like a walking electronic computer storing up data. You never know when he is going to press a button, and some idea, maybe from as far back as 1910, will come tumbling out of his brain.”
Quite often Walt would come up with ideas for which technology had not yet caught up. In fact, Levy said that Walt came up with the idea and plan for an audio-animatronic Abraham Lincoln way back in 1945.
Using the available technology, Walt had Buddy Ebsen (who was known to be quite a dancer) doing dance moves while men in the studio were punching holes in “what seemed to be a mechanical piano roll.” Levy said, “then I saw Walt playing with little Buddy Ebsen dolls, which were attached by electric wires to a huge console-type machine. The men would feed the piano rolls into the console like a continuous I.B.M. card, and the little Buddy Ebsen dolls would repeat the dance steps I had seen Ebsen himself do.”
Unfortunately, Walt’s experiments didn’t work because, at the time, there was no such thing as transistors and the machinery was too burdensome. Walt’s quote, “if you can dream it, you can do it” sticks in my mind. It must have been so frustrating for him as he was creating ideas and designs to have to wait years to actually be able to see them through to fruition.
In this case, Walt would have to wait until the World’s Fair in 1964 before technology would allow him to put his idea into practice. He carried that idea around in his mind for 19 years waiting for technology to catch up to him. But – wow! From my technologically-challenged perspective I am in awe of such an advanced mind. What he would be able to accomplish today would be staggering. I think our own techno genius, Chip, would even be impressed!
How would you like to win this Monogrammed Disney Tote Bag with any name on it?, Thanks to our good friends over at Pixie Vacations we are giving away this stylish Disney Tote Bag that is perfect for going on vacation, at the beach, or sporting around town! (For an additional design check out the picture below)
Before you enter you must:
Once you have added both of our pages as a friend then you can enter:
Please note:
For an additional entry:
Contest ends Wednesday Morning August 31st at 10am. I will pick one lucky person and notify them via Facebook that they won. That person will have 24 hours to respond back or I will pick another. So please use a valid way for me to contact you.
Good Luck!
P.S. – If you don’t like the red bag above we also have this design to choose from.
Don’t forget to check out the current promotions running on Pixie Vacations our official sponsor!
Pixie Vacations
email: [email protected]
phone: 678-815-1584
October 1st, 2011 marks the historic 40th anniversary of the Walt Disney World® Resort, and WDWCelebrations will be celebrating! As with our previous events, this celebration will include our own signature offerings to complement the official activities offered by the Walt Disney Company.
Adam Roth, co-founder of WDWCelebrations, explains, “The 40th anniversary marks the biggest resort-wide celebration since our inception, and we’re planning our most ambitious event to date to honor four incredible decades of magic in Central Florida. Mark your calendars now for September 29 – October 2, 2011, as this will be a celebration you won’t want to miss.”
The tentative schedule is now available on the Tentative Schedule page!
Registration for “Project XL: The World at 40” is now open! Register now!
More information about the event will be released in the coming months via the WDWCelebrations.com website, the WDWCelebrations newsletter as well as the WDWCelebrations official fan page on Facebook and the WDWCelebrations Twitter feed.
This Friday at D Street in Downtown Disney, Anaheim, there will be a special event for the new Disney Afternoon Vinylmation Set. The new Vinyls are of Bokers D. Bobcat, star of the 90’s cartoon series, and his pal, Fall Apart Rabbit. I’ll be in attendance at the event, so I hope to see you there!
Full press release is after the break.
Real toys star in this all-new “toymation” video featuring the Toy Story Buzz Lightyear Command Center and action figures from Mattel. In this adventure, Buzz Lightyear, Woody and sidekick Rex venture into outer space to battle the evil Emperor Zurg! Utilizing stop-motion animation, this video combines old techniques with new concepts to create a modernly retro animated short sure to inspire Toy Story fans to create their own stories with the new toy line.
Mattel’s Toy Story Toymation Fun Facts:
Toy Story Buzz Lightyear Spaceship Command Center (SRP $49.99) and character action figures (SRP $10) from Mattel
Where to find it: Kusafiri Coffee Shop & Bakery at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park (Africa).
What is it? Yellow Cake with Buttercream Icing and Chocolate Shavings
Why you want it: Because it is loaded with rich, sweet goodness. It is a perfect mid-afternoon treat and there is nothing like sharing a little sweetness with your family. Don’t attempt to eat it all yourself!
This year I was happy that I had the opportunity to visit the D23 Expo! Though I had previously been to Disneyland, I could not resist a visit to the parks. The Expo was opened from Friday, August 19 – Sunday, August 21. I arrived in Anaheim on August 17 so I had two days to enjoy the parks before the opening of the Expo. I spent both of these two days at the parks from open until the close trying to get in as many details as I could in the time I had. I was attending the Expo with my son, age 5. So, I knew that I would not be able to be at the Expo from open until close without a kiddie riot. As such, I had purchased two additional days tickets to the theme parks so I could split my time between the Expo and the parks. Looking back on this decision, it was the best one I could have made for our situation. However, me being a “never say die” person, I was attempting to be at the Expo at open while also being in the theme parks until close. Between the two, I was exhausted for the return home.
If you plan on visiting a D23Expo, here are a few things you should consider:
There is a lot to see, a lot. Before you go, know you just cannot possibly see everything. If you bring a child, as I did, you can still have a great time! He and I attended two shows that were over 2 hours long. Once we finished, we headed over to Disney Living where several exhibits included toys for the children to play with, as well as games that could be played. I was careful to make the experience one he enjoyed as well.
I hope to see you all at the next D23 Expo. If you would like additional details on some of the shows I attended, please find the articles at Meet the Magic.
Today’s the day! At approximately 6:30 a.m. Hawai‘i time, as the sun came over the mountain, the doors to the Maka‘ala lobby of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, opened and the first guests entered. It is a time for us to look even further into the future, preparing for media from all over the world to attend a special Grand Opening event, September 20-23.
The big pre-opening event at Aulani this weekend was a Community Preview on Saturday evening. It was a great opportunity for neighbors of the resort, many of whom have made significant contributions to its successful completion, to get together and enjoy seeing Aulani in its finished state. Guests included political figures, community leaders and many of the artists whose work at Aulani is now part of the largest collection of contemporary Hawaiian art in the state.
Tom Staggs, Chairman of Disney Parks & Resorts, and Djuan Rivers, Vice President of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, each took to the stage to welcome and thank the guests and to pay tribute to the Aulani team. Local performers, including the gifted young singers of the Kamehameha Schools Children’s Chorus and the talented keiki (children) of Hula Halau Olana, provided the entertainment, and other guests included leaders of the community organizations with a focus on family and children which the Disney Aulani team has supported over the past year.
The preview also celebrated the ways in which Aulani has benefited and will continue to benefit the community, through job creation, economic stimulus, cast VoluntEARism and charitable donations. In the past year, cash and in-kind contributions have totaled more than $300,000 to organizations like Boys & Girls Clubs of Hawai‘i, the Bishop Museum and (as you may recall from a previous blog post) the KaBOOM Playground build at Ka Waihona o ka Na‘auao Public Charter School.
Can’t wait to tell you about welcoming the first guests into Aulani. Keep watching the Disney Parks Blog. I’ll be back later today.
For more from Aulani, take a look at the posts below:
Local Community Celebrates as Aulani Prepares to Welcome its First Guests by John McClintock: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog
This article comes to us from the Guardian in the UK.
A Sturdy Products’ employee works to fulfill orders, for ranges that include Disney merchandise. But a monitoring group claims that workers’ rights are often abused.
Disney’s best-selling Cars toys are being made in a factory in China that uses child labor and forces staff to do three times the amount of overtime allowed by law, according to an investigation.
One worker reportedly killed herself after being repeatedly shouted at by bosses. Others cited worries over poisonous chemicals. Disney has now launched its own investigation.
It is claimed some of the 6,000 employees have to work an extra 120 hours every month to meet demand from western shops for the latest toys.
The factory, called Sturdy Products, makes toys for the giant Mattel company, which last month announced quarterly profits of £48m on the back of strong sales of Barbie dolls and Cars 2 toys. Sturdy Products, in the city of Shenzhen, also makes toys for US superstore chain Walmart. Among the brands produced are the Thomas the Tank Engine range, Matchbox cars, Cars, Toy Story, Barbie and Fisher Price products, Scrabble and the Hot Wheels sets.
The undercover investigation was carried out with the help of human rights group Sacom (Students and Scholars Against Corporate Misbehaviour), which helped to expose abuses in Apple’s Foxconn plant in China this year.
Click here for more.
Where to find it: Right here! (They used to be on the menu at Le Cellier in Epcot’s World Showcase (Canada) until they revised the menu this year). You will have to make them yourself but they are worth it.
What is it? Rich and creamy mashed spuds that serve as the ideal complement to a perfectly cooked steak.
Why you want it: Because they were the best mashed potatoes at Walt Disney World. During every visit to Le Cellier I had them as the accompaniment to my Mushroom Filet Mignon (pictured together here) and I miss them.
Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Yield: 8 portions
Ingredients:
2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled
1/8 qt. (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup (8 oz) cream cheese
1 cup warmed milk
1 Tablespoon Kosher salt
black pepper to taste
Method:
1. Boil or steam potatoes until tender.
2. Using a food mill or mixer, incorporate all ingredients and adjust seasonings as necessary.
