New Audio Description Technology Describes Outdoor Locations for Disneyland Park Guests with Visual Disabilities

By

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July 7, 2011

Since November 2009, Disneyland Resort guests with visual disabilities have had access to an audio description service available on Disney’s Handheld Device that describes visual elements of more than 20 attractions at Disneyland and Disney California Adventure parks – more fully immersing them into our attractions and storytelling.

Today, we are pleased to announce that we are now enhancing that service to include descriptions of outdoor locations in Disneyland park. (Due to our ongoing expansion, the enhanced service will be available at Disney California Adventure park beginning in 2012).

The 7.2-ounce device, which was created by Disney engineers, utilizes wireless technology to pinpoint its location and features an interactive audio menu that allows guests to choose the type and amount of information they would like to receive from a list of options, ranging from a description of their surroundings to details about nearby attractions, restaurants and entertainment.

In addition to the enhanced audio description service, the device continues to offer services to guests with hearing disabilities including Handheld Captioning, which displays text in specific attractions and areas, and Assisted Listening, which provides amplified audio at several attractions.

If you would like to take advantage of these services, visit Guest Relations at Disneyland or Disney California Adventure park. There is no cost (a fully refundable $25 daily deposit is required) and it is available on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For more information about services for guests with disabilities, visit www.disneyland.com or contact Disneyland Information at 714-781-7290.

Source Disney Parks Blog

Disneyland Resort Celebrates Halloween Time 2011 Sept. 16 Through Oct. 31 (chipandco.com)
Review: Mickey’s Soundsational Parade is a Blast! (chipandco.com)

New Audio Description Technology Describes Outdoor Locations for Disneyland Park Guests with Visual Disabilities

2012 Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend Registration Now Open

By

Chip

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July 7, 2011

Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend – February 24-26, 2012

Fairytales do come true. One mile at a time.

Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend brings women of all ages together to participate in a magical event designed just for them. The Disney Princesses are the inspiration for the weekend’s events and will focus on the attributes every princess possesses: commitment, courage, determination, fantasy, perseverance, and strength.

The event will take place at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida on February 24-26, 2012, and is set to celebrate the women who prove that anything is possible in life’s fairytale.

Registration is now open for 2012!

Visit mydisneymarathon.com/Princess to watch video and see photos from last year’s event in the multimedia gallery!

Weekend events will include:

Registration Now Open: Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend at the Disneyland Resort (chipandco.com)

2012 Disney's Princess Half Marathon Weekend Registration Now Open

Win a $30 Gift Certificate from Mamabargains.com

By

Chip

-

July 7, 2011

We are 6 days into our month long GIVEAWAY celebration on Chip and Company. We are pushing to get 5000 Facebook Fans by July 31st. I have a whole month of surprises and HUGE giveaways planned. So please help us spread the word about Chip and Co on Facebook.

On the heels of our Passporter Giveaway today Mamabargains.com was nice enough to supply us with $30 Gift Certificate to their website.

Never heard of Mamabargains? Here is a little information about this wonderful site:

Mamabargains.com ~ The word of mom says our deals are so hot, they’re almost free! Every single item, ALWAYS 40-80% off it’s retail value.

Here is the most important part of our website: WE OFFER MORE THAN ONE DEAL A DAY! We just do it one deal at a time. We don’t list items at a certain time of the day, it’s very random, mysterious and completely unplanned what products we will feature and when they will feature. You need to keep checking back throughout the day to find new deals, once one is gone, you will see another new deal immediately after! Most days you will see anywhere between 2-10 deals during the entire 24 hour period of time, so it pays to keep checking back. You snooze, you lose – you don’t want to miss out on something, so be sure to refresh your browser, or follow us on twitter or facebook, you will see updates on these pages whenever a new item pops up, and remember, this will happen more than one time every day!

The original one hot deal at a time website for super cool moms (and dads!) made just for you, by you. Just watch the little mom heading towards the words “all gone”, and once she gets there – you are fresh out of luck – that product is no longer up for grabs!

We gear our products for parents and children ages birth to 10 and will have such a variety, you won’t want to miss a single deal! Our vendors are top notch reputable companies who are respected in their industry, and we strive to get their products to you at rock bottom prices!

I keep a tab open on my Firefox browser and everytime I sit down at the computer I refresh the Mamabargains.com page to see what kind of deal is running at that time. I have read they also will text message you when new deals become available. Now that is cool!

Ok now onto the Giveaway details.

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 be a fan of Mamabargains on Facebook. Just click the link and add them.

Once you have added both of our pages as a friend then you can enter:

Comment on this article. Tell us ways you save money for your Disney Vacations. Do you clip coupons? Shop at thrift stores? Suffer through the summer with no air conditioning? However you save money for your Disney Vacations let us know. (please note spamming the same word or comment over and over does not count as an entry)

For an additional entry:

Share this article via Twitter, Facebook, Google +1, etc. 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.
Comment on any other article on Chip and Co. I will track all comments between now and Friday. So the more you read and comment on C&C the better your chance are to win.

Contest ends Friday Morning July 8th at 10am. I will pick one lucky person and notify them 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.

If you have any questions please let me know!

Good Luck!

Help us get 5000 Facebook fans and Win a $100 Disney Gift Card (chipandco.com)

Win a $30 Gift Certificate from Mamabargains.com

Review: Mickey’s Soundsational Parade is a Blast!

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

July 6, 2011

Review: Mickey's Soundsational Parade is a Blast!

Mickey’s Soundsational Parade, with a surprise soft opening on May 26, officially debuted on Friday, May 27.

I don’t want to be too talky-talky. I’ll let the photos do all the talking. I absolutely loved the parade floats and the costumes! I can’t wait to see it again soon.

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‘Mickey’s Soundsational Parade’ Celebrates Music in Motion at Disneyland Park (chipandco.com)
Some of My Favorite Disneyworld Parades, Movies and Stage Performances (chipandco.com)

Review: Mickey's Soundsational Parade is a Blast!

‘The Rocketeer’ Celebrates 20 Years

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

July 6, 2011

'The Rocketeer' Celebrates 20 Years

It has been 20 years since Joe Johnston’s film “The Rocketeer” debuted on the big screen. To commemorate this milestone, D23 held an event at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood with a special 20th anniversary screening followed by a panel discussion hosted by Kevin Smith.

I had never been to the El Capital Theater before, so that alone was a big deal for me. The theater is absolutely beautiful inside, and we walked in to find the organist playing Disney melodies at the front of the screening room. The movie began with plentiful cheering and enthusiasm from all in attendance.

Once the film concluded, the audience was treated to a panel discussion with some of the cast and crew of the film, including director Joe Johnston and star Billy Campbell. They recalled some challenges and highlights of filming, as well as the desire to create a sequel to the film. As the evening wrapped up, we were treated to the never-before-seen (at the time) second trailer for Johnston’s latest film “Captain America” and a special exhibit down the street at the Hollywood History Museum. Special merchandise was available, and we were able to see props and costumes used in the film.We even came across Tiny Ron, who played Lothar in the film. (Yes, he really is that tall.)

I’d like to give a huge thanks to Margo and Patrick Campbell for taking me to this event and sharing their photos with me. That night was amazing with you two, and I can’t wait for more Disney adventures.

Wednesday with Walt: The Chosen Seven

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

-

July 6, 2011

Wednesday with Walt: The Chosen Seven

“Let’s see what’s upstairs.

Oh, what adorable little beds.

And look, they have their names carved on them.

Tubby, Sniffy, Gabby, Baldy —

What funny names for children.

Puffy, Tubby and Burpy.”

This is obviously not how the scene ended up in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but what if those had been some of the chosen dwarf names from the original fifty potential suggestions? Would the movie have still been so popular? I can’t imagine my favorite dwarfs by these names. Dopey might actually have been Baldy and what a sure miss that would have been.

All along when planning this movie, Walt Disney wanted the dwarfs to have names and personalities all their own; unlike the original story in which they were nameless. Walt had stated at the very beginning of the project that he wanted the story to focus on the dwarfs in order to give lots of opportunities for gags and funny situations in the story. Out of all the originally suggested names, and their respective personalities, this movie could have been very different indeed. I mean, if Grumpy hadn’t been in the picture, whose heart would Snow have softened?

Out of all the choices he had, how did Walt know what would work? How did he ever know? His genius wasn’t something that could be pinpointed. The story revolving around Sneezy, Sleepy, Dopey, Doc, Happy, Bashful and Grumpy worked very well. In fact, against the advice of many of Walt’s closest friends including his wife, Lillian, and big brother, Roy, he made a movie about seven little guys full of personality and fun. These chosen seven earned Walt numerous accolades.

The enormous success of Snow White led to Walt being able to purchase the property for his Burbank Studio and to produce many more successful movies. Did you know that it also sparked an idea in the mind of MGM’s Louis B. Mayer to produce his own feature film from a children’s book in 1939? His movie was another well-known success called The Wizard of Oz.

Walt didn’t cater to children nor adults when making his films. When people would ask him how he knew what would work, he would simply say “I just go with what I like” and being that he wasn’t very different from most of us, we all liked it too! Ted Thomas, the son of animator Frank Thomas, said “Walt was a hundred percent in sync with what his audiences wanted. If it felt right to Walt, he knew it would feel right to the audience.” The knack for choosing the perfect seven dwarfs was just one example of Walt’s gift. This line from the Magic Mirror could have easily been Walt’s, “Prepare to be amazed beyond all expectations. After all it is what I do.”

Wednesday with Walt: Yep, That’s What It’s All About (chipandco.com)
Wednesday with Walt: The Gift That Keeps Giving (chipandco.com)

Latest ‘Pirates’ movie tops billion-dollar mark

By

Chip

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July 6, 2011

The latest “Pirates of the Caribbean” blockbuster has crossed the billion-dollar mark at the global box office, Disney said Tuesday — only the eighth movie in history to do so.

The fourth installment in the swashbuckling adventure franchise, starring Johnny Depp in his much-loved performance as Captain Jack Sparrow, passed the threshold on Saturday, said the statement.

“‘Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides’ has shown us just how strongly this story and these characters resonate with people the world over,” said Walt Disney Studios chairman Rich Ross, noting that five of the 10 biggest films of all time are Disney features.

Famed producer Jerry Bruckheimer hailed Depp’s performance and the work of director Rob Marshall.

“There can be no greater thrill or satisfaction than knowing that you’ve been fortunate enough to produce a series of films which have delighted millions all over the world,” he added.

In total, the four “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies have earned a combined $3.68 billion in global box office, said Disney.

At first place in the film gross rankings is director and writer James Cameron’s “Avatar,” with $2.78 billion, followed by “Titanic” with $1.84 billion, also from Cameron.

Next up is Peter Jackson’s third installment of “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy — “The Return of the King” — which made $1.12 billion, then at fourth the second “Pirates of the Caribbean” film, which made $1.06 billion.

Source

Pirates of the Caribbean On Stranger Tides Comes to Bluray (chipandco.com)
Coolwaters Productions LLC brings exclusive autograph sessions to the Disney D23 Expo! (chipandco.com)

Latest 'Pirates' movie tops billion-dollar mark

Paddock Pool Opens at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa

By

Chip

-

July 6, 2011

The long-awaited themed pool at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa opened just in time for folks to take a dip over the Fourth of July weekend. I predict that the completely transformed Paddock Pool is going to be very popular with guests because it’s zero entry, it has an awesome slide and it gives hotel guests a second feature pool option.

Little ones can splash around in the wet deck play area with a fun pint-size water slide, while the older crowd can take in a refreshing drink and relax in the horseshoe-shaped hot tub. The nearby Paddock Grill serves up breakfast, lunch and dinner with sandwiches, salads and kid-friendly bites.

These images were shot pre-opening and I bet this is THE ONLY time the pool will be empty.

Source Disney Parks Blog

Saratoga Springs Paddock Pool Construction Update, Walt Disney World Resort, Disney Vacation Club – Photos & Video (jefflangedvd.com)
Top 5 Best WDW Pools (chipandco.com)

Paddock Pool Opens at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa

Disney revives ‘King of the Elves’ animated movie

By

Chip

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July 6, 2011

The latest Disney News on the street today is Walt Disney Animation Studios is reviving an older film idea today, Disney’s The “King of the Elves.” Attached to the animated film is the “Horrible Bosses” scribe Michael Markowitz who is working on the big screen adaptation.

The Project is an adaptation of a Philip K. Dick short story about a band of elves and one dwarf living in the Mississippi Delta who tap a human as their king after he saves them from an evil troll.

Chris Williams, co-director and writer of “Bolt,” is on board to lead the project.

With “Wreck-It-Ralph” now on Disney’s slate for Nov. 2, 2012, “King of the Elves” is being eyed for a holiday 2013 bow, after “Monsters University” aims to scare up box office that summer.

Stay tuned to Chip and Co for more details.

Source

Walt Disney Animation Studios Introduces New CG Comedy Adventure “Wreck-It Ralph” (chipandco.com)

Disney revives 'King of the Elves' animated movie

Starting Tomorrow – Win a $30 Gift Certificate to Mamabargains.com

By

Chip

-

July 5, 2011

Starting tomorrow morning in celebration of our push to get 5000 Facebook Fans by July 31st we are giving away a $30 Gift Certificate donated by one of the best bargain websites on the planet Mama Bargains.

So stay tuned tomorrow morning where I will give full details on how to enter and also stay tuned for my full review of purchasing items from their website.

Don’t forget there is still time to enter our PassPorter’s Disney 500: Fast Tips for Disney World Trips Giveaway!!

Stay tuned all month long for more giveaways and please Help us get 5000 Facebook fans and Win a $100 Disney Gift Card!

Starting Tomorrow - Win a $30 Gift Certificate to Mamabargains.com

Disney Closing Black Rock Studios

By

Chip

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July 5, 2011

It has been confirmed Disney Interactive Studios is closing Black Rock Studios. The UK-based developers behind multiplatform racers Pure and Split/Second. Black Rock had already a reduction in workforce that left the studio with around 40 staffers, but now the remaining employees too will be exiting the company.

The only good news is that some former BRS employees have already started up new studios of their own: Roundcube Entertainment, ShortRound Games, and BossAlien.

Good Luck guys.

PassPorter’s Disney 500: Fast Tips for Disney World Trips Giveaway

By

Chip

-

July 5, 2011

Today marks day one of our month long GIVEAWAY celebration on Chip and Company. We are pushing to get 5000 Facebook Fans by July 31st. I have a whole month of surprises and HUGE giveaways planned. So please help us spread the word about Chip and Co on Facebook.

We are giving away a great prize to start off our month long celebration. Our good friends over at Passporter was nice enough to donate to one lucky fan one of my favorite guidebooks.

PassPorter’s Disney 500: Fast Tips for Disney World Trips PRINT BOOK

Here is whats inside:

Are you looking for tips to save money and time while still having a MAGICAL vacation at Walt Disney World? Wouldn’t it be nice to get these tips without having to wade through lots of web sites, message boards, and guidebooks? You’re in luck! This affordable paperback book is packed with over 500 REAL tips from fellow vacationers — each tip has been hand-picked, sorted, categorized, and edited by Jennifer Marx, the bestselling author of nearly 50 books, including the popular PassPorter Walt Disney World guidebook.

The tips in “PassPorter’s Disney 500” e-book are all authored by the true Disney experts: fellow vacationers who’ve been to Walt Disney World many times. Readers submitted these tips (and many more!) to us over the course of 10 years. We’ve chosen the best tips that are essential to a great Disney vacation. And you can rest assured that every tip is up-to-date, accurate, and policy-abiding thanks to the extensive editing by a trusted Disney author.

Tips are organized by chapter — planning, traveling, lodging, touring, dining, and making magic — and grouped by category, providing a well-rounded collection of tips that will suit most vacationers. Even if you only use or two tips, you’ll be ahead of the game!

A complete table of contents (listing every tip) and a sample page is available at http://www.passporter.com/wdw/disney500-toc.asp.

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.
Next you must be a fan of Passporter on Facebook too.

Once you have added both of our pages as a friend then you can enter:

Comment on this article. Tell us a Tip or Trick you use when planning or visiting the Disney Parks. The more you comment the better your chances are of winning. (please note spamming the same word or comment over and over does not count as an entry)

For an additional entry:

Share this article via Twitter, Facebook, Google +1, etc. 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.

Contest ends Wednesday Morning July 6th at 10am. I will pick one lucky person and notify them 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.

If you don’t win this book we will be giving away PassPorter’s Free-Book for Walt Disney World E-BOOK next week so stay tuned for details.

Good Luck

Help us get 5000 Facebook fans and win some cool prizes (chipandco.com)

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