Opening-Day Cast Members Mark 40 Years

By

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October 2, 2011

Earlier this month, Disney cast members who were hired in 1971 gathered at Magic Kingdom Park for a photograph marking the 40th anniversary of the Walt Disney World Resort.

A photo of this group was first taken before the park opened in 1971, and was featured on the Oct. 15 cover of LIFE magazine with the title “Disney World Opens.”

At opening, there were about 5,000 cast members needed to run the entire Resort, which first included Magic Kingdom Park and two resorts, Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Polynesian Resort. Today, the resort has grown to feature four theme parks, two water parks, and 25 resort hotels.

Source Disney Parks Blog

Walt Disney World Marks its 40th Anniversary Primed for an Exciting Future (chipandco.com)
40th Anniversary Commemorative Map of Magic Kingdom Park (chipandco.com)

Last Chance: The Lion King: Bluray/DVD Diamond Edition Giveaway

By

Chip

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October 2, 2011

“The Lion King”: Diamond Edition home entertainment release will be available from the Disney Vault for
a limited time only beginning October 4 as follows:

4-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (for the suggested retail price of $49.99 U.S./ $56.99 Canada)

“The Lion King” = Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray 2D + DVD + Digital Copy™
2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (for the suggested retail price of $39.99 U.S./$46.99 Canada)

“The Lion King” = Blu-ray 2D + DVD
8-Disc Trilogy (for the suggested retail price of $100.00 U.S./ $115.00 Canada)

“The Lion King” = Blu-ray 3D + Blu-ray 2D + DVD + Digital Copy
“The Lion King 1 ½” = Blu-ray 2D + DVD
“The Lion King II: Simba‟s Pride” = Blu-ray 2D + DVD
And the one-disc DVD Edition will be available on November 15.

Great News!

We are giving away 2 copies of the The Lion King on Bluray/DVD Combo Pack.

Details on how to enter are below.

Before you enter you must:

You must be a fan of Chip and Co on Facebook. You can click here to Like us or you can use the box on the right side of this page.
You must also be a fan of our good friends at Episode and Reels on Facebook. The guys over there serve up the best in Movie and TV reviews. Check them out and be sure to mention Chip sent ya.

Once you have added us as a friend then you can enter:

Comment on any article here on Chip and Co. (My writers have been hard at work the past week while I have been at Walt Disney World. They would love for you to check out their articles and comment or ask questions) So the more articles you read and comment about the more entries you will have.

Please note:

Only comments on Chip and Co website count as an entry to our contest not on Facebook!
Spamming the same word or comment over and over does not count as an entry. Also 1 or 2 word comments will not count. So spamming a grocery list will not count either.

For an additional entry:

Share this article via Twitter, Facebook, etc. (1 share = 1 entry) Use of the options at the top or bottom of this article for an additional entry. In this section you can spam all you want. If you want to retweet this article a hundred times go right ahead.
Google +1 this article and let me know in the comment box below.
Post this article on your Facebook page and link to @Chip and Co.

Contest ends Sunday Morning October 2nd at 10am. I will pick two lucky people and notify them via Facebook that they won. They 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!

Bluray Review – The Lion King Diamond Edition (chipandco.com)
Disneynature: African Cats coming to Bluray and DVD October 4th (chipandco.com)

NEW! Halloween Merchandise at Disney Parks

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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October 1, 2011

NEW! Halloween Merchandise at Disney Parks

Cody Reynolds, Senior Character Artist with Disney Design Group was responsible for bringing this year’s Halloween art to life and to our parks.

Inspired by comic books, this years designs show a playful (and frightful) side of the “fab five” we al know and love.

The reusable bags, themed plush, place mats, pens, mugs, hats and more can now be found in merchandise locations at both parks.
NEW! Halloween Merchandise at Disney Parks

Check out this video for more

What’s your must have halloween item at the parks?

Walt Disney World Halloween Merchandise 2011 (yourhighwayinthesky.com)
Haunted Halloween Disney Costume Photo Contest (yourhighwayinthesky.com)

NEW! Halloween Merchandise at Disney Parks

App Review – Disney World Dining Planner

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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October 1, 2011

App Review - Disney World Dining Planner

WDW Facts has a new app out – Disney World Dining Planner – free in the apple store and $1.60 for us Android users.

This new app has a list of all of the restaurants at Walt Disney World, organized by location. This includes all restaurants in the theme parks, water parks, resorts, and even Downtown Disney.

Each restaurant lists the hours, meals available, and full menus. Need to know what quick service restaurants are in the World Showcase? Easy! Plus, you can find if the Disney Dining Plan is accepted, as well as the Tables in Wonderland discount, and gives a general price idea. Also, they give their recommendations on whether or not you need reservations for a particular restaurant.

Though this app has no access to the availability of Disney reservations, in conjunction with the free app Mobile Magic, you can check which restaurants have reservations available then check the menus before you decide. Plus, this app also allows you to create a schedule of your Advanced Dining Reservations (ADR’s). Plug in the date and time, then enter your reservation and you’ll be ready to go if you ever actually need your reservation number.

If you’re scrolling through the menus or seeing some of our favorite snack ideas, you can find the restaurant and bookmark the page to find later.

All in all, this is another great app for Disney planners (0r the Disney obsessed). Even re-reading the menus made me hungry and excited for future dining experiences.

Disney Dining Comparison: Tables in Wonderland vs. Disney Dining Plan (chipandco.com)

App Review - Disney World Dining Planner

Disney Confidential – Is Disneyland India Coming Soon?

By

Anonymouse

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October 1, 2011

Hey there guys and gals your friendly neighborhood Disney Gossip Columnist Anonymouse here!

So am I the only one not going to be at Walt Disney World this weekend for the start of the Epcot Food & Wine Fest? I feel like I should go but then again I am perfectly fine reading about the lines, food and fun from behind my monitor screen.

Anywho..

Today’s interesting bit of Disney Gossip comes to us from Hindustan Times. It seems Disney is scoping out some land to create a new theme park in India. Here are the deets:

In a secret yet high-profile visit, Walt Disney president and chief executive officer Robert A Iger made a quick stop at the Kingdom of Dreams in Gurgaon on Tuesday. The hush-hush affair gave rise to speculation whether Gurgaon will be the next destination to house a Disneyland.

The visit by Walt Disney’s top boss has once again rekindled hopes of setting up of a world-class amusement park in the city. The idea was first mooted by former Haryana chief minister OP Chautala in the early ’90s. Iger, escorted by about a dozen private bodyguards, reportedly spent more than two hours at the Kingdom of Dreams in Sector 29.

Anumod Sharma, managing director, Kingdom of Dreams, remained tightlipped and neither confirmed nor denied Iger’s visit. He also refused the divulge details regarding the purpose of top honcho’s visit.

Highly-placed sources, however, said that Iger reached the venue around 4pm after landing at the IGI Airport in his private aircraft and remained there till 6.30pm.

Click here to read the rest.

I think this would be one step closer to Disney’s Plan for World Domination and kinda goes with the news of them building Disneyland Russia. As always I want to know what you think?

Does Disney need to expand to India? Will there be meat on the menus as most of the country is vegetarian? Can I get someone to mail me some food from the Food & Wine Festival?

Anywho that is all the Disney Gossip I have right now.

Got any good rumors? Please email me at [email protected] or on my Facebook Page

Disney Confidential – Will Monsters Inc Coaster become a Reality? (chipandco.com)
Disney Confidential – Special Event planned for Disney World 40th Anniversary (chipandco.com)

Disney Confidential - Is Disneyland India Coming Soon?

Disney Files New Patent – Mad T Party

By

Chip

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October 1, 2011

Disney has just filed a new Patent – Mad Theme Party or Mad T Party. It is being identified as a entertainment services offered in a theme park. Gossip around the internet puts this as the replacement for Electronica at Disney’s California Adventure Park.

Click here to read more from Miceage. Look for the heading called “Clean cup! Clean cup!”

Click below to read the official Patent Document.

Mad T Party

Thanks to Laurie for the heads up!

Blue Sky Cellar Open Today with New Disney California Adventure Park Updates (chipandco.com)
Buena Vista Street Ready to Take Shape at Disney California Adventure Park (chipandco.com)

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Review

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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October 1, 2011

We attended our first Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party on September 20th and had a great time. In case you don’t know, the Halloween Party is a hard ticket event on select nights from September to the first of November. The Magic Kingdom was beautifully decorated and took on a spooky feeling but you know, not too scary.

The biggest question I have gotten about the party is if I thought it was worth the money. I would have to say yes. The Boo to You Parade is now one of my favorites and I loved HalloWishes. It was fun getting the chance to see characters that aren’t normally out in the parks like the Seven Dwarfs and Flynn Ryder. It was also fun to dress up. My husband and I went as Phineas and Isabella. I was nervous about it at first but we weren’t the only adults dressed up and even other couples like us that were there without children. If you have the chance to attend Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party I highly recommend going. If you do attend, here are a few tips.If you are picking up your tickets at will call, which we did so we didn’t pay shipping and handling, you can pick up your tickets at the Ticket and Transportation Ticket booths. This saved us some time since they ticket booths there were not crowded at all. Just make sure you have your confirmation with you. If you are spending the entire day at the Magic Kingdom, there were Cast Members in different areas of the park who could scan your confirmation and give you your wrist band so you don’t have to leave and come back in.

When it comes to meeting characters you need to have a plan. Lines can be long so you need to decided which characters are the most important to you and plan accordingly. The Seven Dwarfs meet and greet seemed to be the most popular followed by Jack Sparrow and the Disney Princesses and Princes. We got in line to see the Seven Dwarfs at 6:00 PM. By the time they came out at 7:00 PM, it was already over an hour wait to meet them. While we did wait an hour, we didn’t waste any valuable party time and were on our way to see other things at 7:05 PM.

Don’t miss the Boo to You Parade or HalloWishes. The night we went neither of the parades were very crowded but the second parade is the way to go. Also keep in mind that the parade starts in Frontierland so if you are on Main Street, the parade won’t get to you for 10 to 15 minutes. And make sure you are paying attention when they announce the Headless Horseman. We thought we would have a couple of minutes after the announcement but he was there and gone in the blink of an eye.Don’t forget about the candy! If you can, trick or treat later in the evening. The Cast Members started handing out more candy per person as the evening went on. And don’t forget that adults can trick or treat too.

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Returns Sept. 13 with 23 Nights of Halloween Fun (chipandco.com)
5 Things you should know about Mickey’s No So Scary Halloween Party (couponingtodisney.com)

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party Review

Oldies But Goodies – What Brings Us Back, The Intangibles

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

October 1, 2011

Oldies But Goodies - What Brings Us Back, The Intangibles

In another article I covered the Tangible things; those you can see, feel touch, and do, but here I will look at the more subtle things that go to make up all that is Walt Disney World. Intangibles are those things that are there, you know they are there, you experience them but they are not something you can physically touch. Let’s just take a look at a few of the intangibles that bring us Oldies back again and again!!

CHEERFUL ATMOSPHERE – I guess us old folks are supposed to be grumpy by nature and perhaps some of us are. There is just something about being at Walt Disney World that brings out the best in us Oldies, makes us feel like kids again. I think a lot of it has to do with the tens of thousands (around 65,000) of Cast Members who seem to be terminally cheerful!! It’s difficult to be cranky when you are surrounded by that much good cheer and that many smiling faces. The photo above really demonstrates this well.
EXEMPLARY SERVICE – Most folks think service might be a Tangible as opposed to an Intangible but I’m not just referring to the Cast Members who earn a living through service such as restaurant servers, Bell staff etc. The service I’m talking about is the Cast Member who has an assigned task and will interrupt that task to assist guests with something unrelated to what they do and do it like that is their only assigned task. You might notice I didn’t use the word job but rather said assigned task, I think all the Cast Members feel that their job is Exemplary Service and everything else is just an assigned task.
AMBIANCE – Ambiance, as opposed to a cheerful atmosphere , is that which makes you feel comfortable in your surroundings because you are immersed in your situation and everything about it is just plain right!! Proper ambiance is achieved by intense attention to every detail to make sure it is appropriate for the situation you are in without you realizing it. This attention is obvious everywhere at Walt Disney World from the parks, to the resorts, to the restaurants etc, etc, etc. Thank you Imagineers!!
NEEDS ARE MET – Many places that you might visit plan for guests without special needs and then make do for those guests who have needs over and above the ordinary. Let’s face it my more chronologically advanced pals, we make up a large portion of the special needs folks. Walt Disney World has made advanced preparations for those folks with virtually any type of requirement. All you need to do is inform a Cast Member of your needs and they will be met.

Intangibles are a bit difficult to describe just because they are the things that make a Walt Disney World experience what it is without being in your face. I try not to spend a lot of time searching them out on our visits, I just let them be there and provide that little extra that keeps this Senior coming back again and again. As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!

Ken

Oldies But Goodies – What Brings Us Back, The Tangibles (chipandco.com)
Oldies But Goodies – Six Things Seniors MUST Do At Walt Disney World (chipandco.com)

Oldies But Goodies - What Brings Us Back, The Intangibles

Oldies But Goodies – What Brings Us Back, The Tangibles

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

October 1, 2011

Oldies But Goodies - What Brings Us Back, The Tangibles

As we get older we generally find that different things become important to us. When we were younger we looked forward to the thrill of riding the biggest, best, and most exciting attractions and some of us still do (me). But, when you reach a certain age (different for everyone), you find that the more subtle things that you may have passed by in the past become a bit more important in the overall enjoyment of your visit. Let’s look at a few of these things that we grow to love as we become Official Oldies!!!

DINING – When we were a bit younger, dining might have been a burger and fries or some like fare when we were at Walt Disney World. I’ve found that table service dining serves a few purposes as opposed to just filling your tummy (and it does that too). First – with all of the truly fine restaurants at Walt Disney World you get to experience some delicious things that you just might not try at home. Second – it gives you a chance to chat with your traveling companions in a comfortable environment rather than on a bench or hard chair. Third – very important for us Oldies, it gives a chance to rest from the excitement of the day in air conditioned comfort.
STAGE SHOWS – Many folks pass up the stage shows at Walt Disney World to ride the “thrill” rides and we may all have been guilty of that in the past. When you take the time to see these shows you might be surprised at how good they actually are. Shows range from the hokey Country Bear Jamboree to the absolutely spectacular Cirque du Soleil, La Nouba with virtually everything in between. They become a bigger part of our visits every year.
GOLF – I’m not a golfer but many of my fellow Oldies border on the fanatical. Walt Disney World boasts several spectacular courses that beckon to golfers everywhere. It’s a great way to get outdoors for some relaxation and that’s a good thing.
RESORT TIME – This is another item that becomes more important every year. Walt Disney World resorts are not just hotels/motels. They are spectacularly themed and meticulously maintained, most importantly there is one that will appeal to almost anyone. We no longer find that the resort is a place to shower and sleep but an experience to be explored and enjoyed along with all of the other equally important parts of your visit to Walt Disney World. Find the one you like and spend some time there.
ROMANTIC ACTIVITIES – NO, not that kind!!! There are so many ways to find romance at Walt Disney World from a wonderful dinner at Victoria and Albert’s to one of the many available fireworks cruises. Spending some quiet time alone with the one you love is truly a wonderful thing. It may seem odd to many people that this would be included but it’s not difficult to become a reborn romantic at Walt Disney World!!

These are just some of the tangible things; things you can see, touch, feel, and do that bring us Oldies back to Walt Disney World again and again. I’m sure that as you advance in age you will find these things more and more appealing every time you visit. As always, enjoy your visit to Walt Disney World!!

Ken

Oldies But Goodies – Six Things Seniors MUST Do At Walt Disney World (chipandco.com)
Oldies But Goodies – Five Things Seniors Look For In A Resort (chipandco.com)

Oldies But Goodies - What Brings Us Back, The Tangibles

Bluray Review – The Lion King Diamond Edition

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

October 1, 2011

Bluray Review - The Lion King Diamond Edition

I received “The Lion King” Diamond Edition in the mail for review on Friday and literally couldn’t wait to turn it on. Here is the official word on the release of the classic Disney hit!

“‘The Lion King’ is the best-selling home entertainment release of all time – and this is ‘The Lion King’ like never before,” said Bob Chapek, president of distribution, The Walt Disney Studios. The Blu-ray marks the first time “The Lion King” has been available in any form since 2004. Featuring pristine high definition picture and sound, the Blu-ray creates an incredible at-home experience with a host of picture and sound enhancements, interactive features and bonus content, including a new set of hilarious animated bloopers.

Beginning October 4th, “The Lion King” Diamond Edition home entertainment release will be availabe from the Disney Vault in 2 Disc, 4 Disc, or as an 8 Disc trilogy. The one-disc DVD Edition will be available on November 15th.

Immediately, I finally understood the point of the re-release and of Blu-Ray all together. The movie is even more stunning than I could have possible imagined. Even just the main title screen was breathtakingly beautiful and the opening scenes could make you forget that this movie is 17 years old. Just before the announcement of this new release, we had found a copy of the 10 year “special edition” on e-bay to add to our Disney collection. Watching that DVD was great, but the images showed the movie’s age. Compared to our standard today, it definitely looked old and also had an annoying addition of “The Morning Report,” an originally deleted song by Zazu that was readded for that edition.

Luckily, in the new Diamond Edition, the song is in a special feature only, leaving the scene unaltered. Speaking of special features, “The Lion King” Diamond Edition also includes several special features, including “Second Screen” in which you can download an app for your ipad or laptop and, while watching the movie, have the 2 sync together so you can see special footage and learn the behind-the-scenes extras. Unfortunately, being before the official release, I couldn’t get into Second Screen, but I’m excited to try it out! I did, however, get to watch several behind-the-scenes interviews with animators, watching how they put together the movie and learning more about the audition process as well as the collaboration with Elton John. There are behind-the-scenes interviews with the animators, extended bloopers, deleted scenes, and you can even watch the movie with a “sing-along” mode!

Thanks to Walt Disney Studios for allowing us to review this product.

Wholly Guacamole and Disney present The Lion King $5 Rebate Offer (chipandco.com)
Sorcerer Radio Q&A with Lion King Animator Tony Bancroft (chipandco.com)

Bluray Review - The Lion King Diamond Edition

Entertainment Weekly Gives the First Look into ‘The Avengers’

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

October 1, 2011

It looks like it’s time for Marvel and Disney to begin their publicity campaign for the Earth’s mightiest crossover. Entertainment Weekly is giving fans a first look into ‘The Avengers’, Marvel’s highly anticipated film, in their latest issue. Hit the jump to check out some of the pictures.

Continue

Scaring Up Fun at the Walt Disney World ‘Trick or Meet-Up’

By

Chip

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October 1, 2011

This wasn’t your ordinary crowd. Hitchhiking Ghosts, a few Snow Whites and even a giant, walking, talking hot dog were among a group of hundreds who joined Disney last night for their first “Trick or Meet Up” at Magic Kingdom Park. They kicked things off with a talk from Walt Disney Imagineer Jason Surrell and a chance to show off some of your amazing costumes.

Scaring Up Fun at the Walt Disney World ‘Trick or Meet-Up’

And there were some great characters in attendance. We’ve posted a gallery of favorites.

During the night, attendees got special guided tours of the new Haunted Mansion Queue with Walt Disney Imagineering show designer and art director Pete Carsillo and Walt Disney Imagineering show producer Eric Goodman. Both Pete and Eric gave blog readers a sneak peek of the queue in March.

Senior graphic designer Tom May also signed some special Disney posters for a group of lucky people.

There were trick-or-treat stations at the event and unique character meet & greets before wrapping things up with a grand exit by the same Headless Horseman you’ll see at this year’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Now that’s an ending, right?

Chances are I’ll likely never talk to a group of hundreds dressed as Indiana Jones standing next to a giant talking turkey leg and that’s what made this event so fun. See for yourself.

We’d like to thank all of our new blog friends for joining us and everyone else who came out in costumes last night. Keep your eyes on the blog for first word of our next event.

Scaring Up Fun at the Walt Disney World ‘Trick or Meet-Up’ by Thomas Smith: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog

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