Just in time for the Halloween Season the Muppets Swedish Chef shows us how to carve a pumpkin. Ok he shows you how not to carve a pumpkin 🙂
Attraction Insider: Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy at Disneyland Resort
The journey begins as a typical launch into deep space. However, as the vehicles climb towards the stars, the voyage suddenly goes awry, hurling the voyagers into an uncharted section of the universe.
A galaxy where haunted star clusters, supernovas and other cosmic phenomenon threaten the travelers at every turn. The adventure is one close call after another, until, finally, the craft plummets into a wormhole, returning safely home . . .or does it???
Halloween Time Returns to the Disneyland Resort
Halloween Time returns to the Disneyland Resort Sept. 17-Oct. 31, 2010, with seasonal décor and attractions, including Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy — the thrillingly “haunted” version of the popular Tomorrowland attraction — along with favorites Haunted Mansion Holiday and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Guests will also experience spooky fun with characters in whimsical costumes and Disney’s more sinister characters, the Disney Villains.
Sneak Peek of The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora
Here is a sneak peek of Cat Cora in the Muppet Kitchen. She makes the mistake of commenting how nothing bizarre has been happening on her visit..Big Mistake!
Doug Parks Disney World’s first Mickey Mouse dies at 60
This article comes to us from the Orlando Sentinel.
The man widely believed to be the first Mickey Mouse at Walt Disney World has died.
Doug Parks of Gotha died Aug. 29. He was 60.
Disney officials would confirm he was an entertainment cast member, but would not say whether Parks was the first costumed Mickey Mouse at the Magic Kingdom when it opened in October 1971. His family, likewise, was reluctant to spoil the so-called Disney Magic.
But a story and a picture of him at home that ran in the Orlando Sentinel in 1971 identified him as Disney World’s first costumed Mickey Mouse. He later trained two other substitute “mice.”
“Employer-erected barriers” made it difficult at the time to talk to Parks about his work at Disney, where his identity was protected, the article stated.
Click here to keep reading.
Applications for 2011 Disney Moms Panel Begins September 13.
Starting Monday morning at 9:00 a.m. eastern, you can submit your application for the Disney Moms Panel. The application process is capped at 20,000, so get your application in as soon as possible if you’d like a chance to be on the panel, which has around twelve moms (and dads) who answer questions sent into the official Disney Moms Panel site.
Based on previous years, here’s how the process works. For the initial application, you’ll be asked three questions. There’s no need to study since it’s all about your personal experiences as a Disney mom, so there really are no wrong answers. You’re limited to 100 characters per question, so you’ll want to be as brief as possible. Try not to copy and paste your answers as some submitters have noted that it messes up the word count. Those who make the initial cut will go through another questionnaire. Following that, there’s a phone interview. Very few make it to this point, but those who do will make up the final twelve.
If you’re part of the final twelve, you’ll go to Disney World in December to train with your fellow moms. While this trip is paid for by Disney, moms panel positions are unpaid.
Here are a few of the pertinent requirements: You
- are able to provide at least 25 written responses a week.
- have visited WDW in the last twelve months.
- are available to commit for 24 months.
- are not a Disney employee.
Oh my gosh! That’s me. See you in the applicant pile on Monday.
If you want to know more about applying, check out Disney’s official site.
Two moms panel moms who are also bloggers:
Zannaland
Be our Guest as D23 and Disney Store presents “Belle’s Tea Party”
Be our guest at this remarkable event to celebrate the Grand Opening of the Disney Store at Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego! Disney Store is inviting lucky D23 Members and their guests for a magical morning with Paige O’Hara.
Start your experience with a private tour of a completely reimagined Disney Store featuring a glittering blue Pixie Path, Disney Princess Castle and Disney Store Theatre. Members will be able to explore Disney Store’s new one-of-a-kind interactive experiences that Disney fans of all ages can enjoy. The tour will be followed by an enchanting tea party for a lovely morning soiree.
Available at the event—before they go on sale to the general public—will be the limited edition Beauty and the Beast gold-trimmed Mrs. Potts teapot set ($124.50 each). These sets are limited to a quantity of 1,600.
The incredible Paige O’Hara, the voice of Belle, will be on hand at the event to greet D23 Members and sign the teapots as well! Just keep an eye out for Gaston!
TICKETING INFORMATION:
D23 Members, email this address: [email protected]
You MUST include the following information:
- Subject line must be “Belle’s Tea Party”
- Body of email must contain Member’s full name as it was registered, Membership number, contact email address and phone number, and full name of your guest(s) (if you are bringing a guest; if you do not include a guest’s name, we will assume you are not planning to bring a guest).
If your email doesn’t contain this information, your entry will be invalid.
Entries will be taken in the order they are received.
You will hear back within 24- to 48-hours (if not sooner) with a response. Please do not email us before this time. Thank you!
Event Information
DATE
Monday, September 13, 2010
LOCATION
Disney Store, Fashion Valley Mall, 7007 Friars Road, San Diego, CA
TICKETS
See below for ticketing information.
COST
Free
SCHEDULE
Check In begins at 9 a.m.; Event begins at 9:30 a.m.
NOTE: Available only to D23 Members in good standing. Members may reserve a ticket for themselves and one (1) guest. Capacity for this event is limited to 76 (one D23 Member plus one guest). Teapot sets will be limited to one per D23 Member. D23 Members will be required to provide their membership number when reserving tickets. Tickets may be picked up only with a valid photo ID AND D23 MEMBERSHIP CARD. D23 Members who do not bring their membership card may not be admitted to the event. Ticketed Members who do not attend the event forfeit their place as well as all experiences, benefits, and gifts associated with the event. If you wish to request for sign language interpreting services for this event, please submit your request to [email protected] at least two weeks prior to the event date. All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice. There are no cancelations or refunds, tickets are not transferrable.
Disney World Quick Tips – Upgrading your Park Tickets to An Annual Pass.
So you’ve already bought Magic Your Way park tickets when you decide an annual pass is a better deal. Did you know that you can take that ticket to Guest Services and upgrade it to an annual pass? The full value of that ticket will be applied to the pass and you’ll just pay the difference. So say you bought a $200 ticket and your AP costs $489. You’ll just pay an additional $289.
Your AP will be backdated to the first date of use. So say you have a 7 day ticket and you the first day you used it was September 1st. On day 7, you decide to upgrade. Your full value of that ticket will be applied regardless of how many days you used and your AP start date will be September lst.
Two big caveats:
If you bought tickets from a discounter like Undercover Tourist, you’ll only be given the discounted value of that ticket unless (and this is huge) you use the ticket first. This probably seems counter-intuitive, but it kind of makes sense. All you have to do is use your UT discounted park ticket once (or more) during your trip and you’ll be given the Disney value of that ticket. So say you paid $180 for your discounted ticket. If you bought this ticket through Disney, it would be worth $200. Don’t scan that ticket at least once and you’re only getting $180 applied to your AP, which is the value of the ticket that Undercover Tourist sold you. Use it once (or more) and you’ll get the full $200. That’s a savings of $20 to you. Many people who buy APs take this route to save a little bit of money.
The other caveat is that you must (in theory) upgrade your ticket within 14 days of the first use. You can even do this once you get home, although it’s probably better to take care of it in the parks. After your 14 days, you’re not technically allowed to upgrade. Having said that, I know for a fact that people get home and are allowed to upgrade a few days out of that window. Very much of it depends on the cast member and because of this, I’m not recommending it. However, one CM told me as long as it’s within the same month, you’re allowed to do it.
Cars Toon: Mater’s Tall Tales (Two Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Rev up your engines for this unforgettable collection of Cars Toons starring Mater, the lovable and hilarious tow truck from the hit movie Cars. From the creative minds of Disney/Pixar come nine highly entertaining “Tall Tales” involving bullfights, drag races, rock concerts, monster truck showdowns and even UFOs – plus, check out the new, exclusive, never-before-seen Cars Toons Mater Private Eye and Moon Mater.
Join Mater, the heart and soul of Radiator Springs, and all your favorite characters from the world of Cars as they take you on a fun-filled ride that will have your family roaring with laughter!
This title will be released on November 2, 2010.
Click here to learn more and to preorder.
Checking Out the Segway: A Whole Different Kind of Disney Fun
You see them zipping here and there at Disney: castmembers on 2-wheel contraptions that look like a space-age cross between a bike and a scooter. Efficient, “green”, and a whole lotta fun, they are, of course, Segways. I finally had a chance to ride one on our last visit to Disney World….and am here to say that it was way fun!
Disney has been using the Segway personal transporter system for a while now for castmembers to get around, and I think that, at Disney especially, it is a great way to get around. It was only natural, of course, for Disney to realize that their guests were curious and wanted to try them out too…and so an entire group of Segway classes and tours were created. They have been hugely popular, and after riding one, I can see why.
If you want to try one out for yourself, you might want to start where we did, at Segway Central in Innoventions. Not really sure what they would be like, and being unwilling to spend a lot of money on something that might prove to be a challenge for uncoordinated me, I thought this was the perfect place to see if Segways are as fun as they look….because it’s free. 🙂
Now this, as with all Segway experiences, is not for children: you must be 16 to ride, and must have an adult sign a waiver if you are under 18. But if you are tall enough, and in the 100-250 lb range, you can give this a shot. After watching a short film, you sign a release form, and then get personal instructions from a castmember on how to ride. Once you demonstrate that you aren’t going to go NASCAR on them, they then let you go on your own on a 15-20 yard course. Not long, but enough to be very cool! Is it as fun as it looks? You betcha it is!
Once you get the hang of this, there are a number of other Segway experiences you might want to try. There are fees for the rest, but now that I know I am not going to injure myself (or anyone else!) while riding a Segway, I’m definitely going to try another class! Here are the current offerings:
- Simply Segway: A one hour class for beginners that includes some training and mostly indoor riding. Offered daily, the cost is $35 per person.
- Around the World at Epcot on a Segway: This popular two-hour class runs 4 times daily, typically in the mornings prior to World Showcase opening. The first hour is safety rules and practice, and the second hour then tours World Showcase. Cost is $95 per person.
- Nature-Inspired Design Tour: This is a three-hour “backstage tour” on a Segway that explores the role that nature plays in the various Epcot pavilions and attractions. Once the initial training part is completed, then the tour begins. Offered only once in the mornings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, it costs $124 per person
- Wilderness Back Trail Adventures: This two hour tour allows you to experience the Segway at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and Wilderness Lodge. Offered twice each morning from Tuesday through Saturday, the cost for this tour is $85 per person.
As previously stated, to ride a Segway, you must be at least 16 years old and weigh 100 lbs. to participate. Maximum weight for participants is 250 pounds, and expectant mothers and persons with special needs may not participate due to safety concerns. Payment in full by credit card is required at time of booking. Discounts may be available for Disney Vacation Club members, as well as Disney Visa cardholders and Annual Passholders. If you need to cancel your tour, you must do so at least 48 hours prior to the start of the tour to receive a full refund. Tours can be booked by calling 407-WDW-TOUR.
Nancy, her husband and college-age daughter live in the Baltimore MD area, but consider Walt Disney World their second “home”. She started her site, The Affordable Mouse, as a way to share ideas about how to plan affordable Disney vacations. Her favorite things at Disney World (in no particular order) are Soarin’, most of the food in World Showcase, Illuminations…and that “Disney magic”.
ESPN 101 High School Career Panel Kicks Off 6th Annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge
Hundreds of Central Florida high school students visiting the Walt Disney World Clubhouse of Boys and Girls Clubs of Central Florida heard some direct, real-world advice for jump-starting their careers from a panel of experts at the top of their profession in sports and entertainment.
The high school juniors and seniors from across Orange County came into the gymnasium on Thursday morning chanting and singing, showing off their school spirit. The panel urged students to channel that spirit into their future and take on the challenges of starting a career.
“You need to be bold,” said Jay Harris, anchor with ESPN SportsCenter. “When I was first starting my career I was never afraid to ask for advice or opportunities. Being bold is what will make you stand out from the rest of your peers.”
A long line of students at the Disney-sponsored event stepped up to the microphone to pepper the panel with questions, such as:
- “How do you stay motivated in your career when you’ve reached the top?”
- “After high school, what kind of goals did you set right away?”
- “What kind of degree did you get?”
Panelists answered each question with their own take but a common theme emerged as all of them emphasized that young people about to start their careers face new challenges that didn’t exist a few years ago.
“When you go for that job you need be open and share your goals and dreams,” said Gerald Jones with the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers front office. “Because when you share your goals and dreams your passion shines through and letting your passion shine through is the challenge I’d have for each of you here today.”
Students visited with the panelists after the event for a little one-on-one advice.
The career panel kicks off several days of events culminating in the 6th annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge presented by Disney, an exciting football match-up at the Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium between two Historically Black Colleges & Universities (HBCU) schools. This year, the Southern University Jaguars of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) will take on the Delaware State Hornets of the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) on Sunday, Sept. 5 at noon. The game will be televised on the networks of ESPN.
Fredricka Wilson brought a group from Jones High School to the Career Panel event but said she’s already thinking about this weekend’s matchup. The Southern University alumnae had a dire warning for Delaware State Hornets fans: “We’re bringing in 12 buses from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to help pack Florida Citrus Bowl Stadium. Southern University will win – no doubt about it!”
Muppets News Flash – The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora
Muppets News Flash The Muppets Kitchen with Cat Cora is coming to the World Wide Web. I hope her insurance is paid up..Stay Tuned for more details…