Face-Painting Tips from The Pirates League at Walt Disney World

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August 21, 2010

In need of a Halloween costume idea? Our friends at The Pirates League can help — they’re offering an easy way to become a pirate. The process starts with makeup to create a black eye. Highlights around black makeup near the eye make it appear as though it’s puffy and an ordinary red eyeliner pencil make the eye look “sore.”

Next, creating a scar to go with the black eye is done with a sponge and a pencil. To draw the scar, start at the corner of the eye and move down in a wave. And to make the scar look more realistic, add white to the top of the scar line and add black to the bottom. Then, a few lines across the scar make it appear as if there are stitches. And finally, a few dabs of black makeup around the chin and cheeks create a pirate’s beard. Check out the video to see it all come together.

By the way, The Pirates League is accepting reservations when you call (407) 939-2739. Theme park admission is required. Also, we have more information at disneyworld.com.

Disneyland refurbishment schedule August 2010

By

Chip

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August 21, 2010

Refurbishment/Closure Schedule at Disneyland in California

Refurbishment information is subject to change and should be confirmed just prior to visiting. Updated information is available at http://www.disneyland.com

Current Refurbs

Disneyland Hotel Guest Laundry closed through 9/30/10 due to construction. Hotel guests can use the laundry facility at Disney’s Paradise Pier.
“Honey I Shrunk the Audience” (Disneyland) closed through 1/28/11 due to the temporary return of “Captain EO.”
Corn Dog Castle (DCA) closed through 3/24/11 due to construction in the area. Corn dogs are currently available at the Bountiful Valley Farmer’s Market.
Star Tours (Disneyland) closed through 5/20/11 for renovation and upgrade to Star Tours 2.0.

Upcoming Refurbs/Closures

Haunted Mansion (Disneyland) closed 8/30/10-9/16/10 for installation of holiday overlay.
Toy Story Midway Mania! (DCA) closed 8/30/10-10/10/10 for refurbishment.
Village Haus Restaurant (Disneyland) closed 8/30/10-12/19/10 for refurbishment.
Catch-a-Flave Restaurant (DCA) closed 9/7/10-9/16/10 for refurbishment.
Minnie’s House (Disneyland) closed 9/7/10-9/23/10 for refurbishment.
Horse Draw Streetcars (Disneyland) closed 9/7/10-9/30/10 for refurbishment.
Main Street Vehicles (Disneyland) closed 9/7/10-9/30/10 for refurbishment.
Newsstand (Disneyland) closed 9/7/10-9/30/10 for refurbishment.
Pizza Oom Mow Mow (DCA) closed 9/7/10-5/24/11 for conversion to Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta.
Space Mountain (Disneyland) closed 9/12/10-9/16/10 for installation of Halloween overlay.
French Market (Disneyland) closed 9/13/10-9/17/10 for refurbishment.
Roger Rabbit’s Car Toon Spin (Disneyland) closed 9/20/10-12/16/10 for refurbishment.
Indiana Jones Adventure (Disneyland) closed 9/22/10 for refurbishment.
Mark Twain Riverboat (Disneyland) closed 9/27/10-9/30/10 for refurbishment.
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (Disneyland) closed 9/27/10-9/30/10 for refurbishment.
Mickey’s House (Disneyland) closed 9/24/10-10/14/10 for refurbishment.
Mulholland Madness (DCA) closed 10/11/10-4/20/11 for conversion to Goofy’s Fly School.
It’s Tough to Be a Bug! (DCA) closed 10/25/10-10/29/10 for refurbishment.
“it’s a small world” (Disneyland) closed 10/25/10-11/11/10 for installation of holiday overlay.

Disney World Quick Tips – Finding More Magic.

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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August 21, 2010

Disney World Quick Tips – Finding More Magic.

There’s more to Disney World than just parks, fun resorts, and good food. There’s a lot of magic that the average visitor doesn’t see. Here’s just a few fun ways to find more magic in less obvious places:

Keep your trip a secret and surprise the kids. Make sure you have kids who are open to surprises. For some kids, surprises equal meltdowns.
If you’re driving, “premiere” the latest Disney DVD release on your way down. Showing the kids a new Disney movie is a great way to temporarily silence the “Are we there yets?”
See the Christmas lights that guests put up at the Ft. Wilderness campground. Tents, RVs, and cabins all get the holiday treatment by guests, some of whom stay the entire season. It’s one of the most festive, happiest displays anywhere.
Take a behind the scenes or segway tour. If you’ve got an annual pass, you may be entitled to a discount.’
Learn the story behind an attraction and then ride it. Whether it’s the art of Mary Blair or some obscure fact about the Haunted Mansion, it’s sure to add something to your experience.
Celebrate a special occasion by parasailing over Bay Lake. You can sign up at the Contemporary Resort.
Resort hop. Have lunch, look for hidden Mickey’s or just find a quiet corner and cuddle up with a book.
Check out Celebration, the town that Disney built. It’s a fun place to shop and eat lunch.
Try one of the best character meals on property at 1900 Park Fare. Cinderella is the guest of honor, but it’s her horrible, hilarious step-sisters who steal the show. Watch out–they’re terrible flirts!
Watch the fireworks from the beach at the Polynesian.
Enjoy the queue of a ride you don’t plan on riding. The Tower of Terror has one of the best queues around.
Stop and watch a wedding at Sea Breeze Point.
Enjoy a leisurely stroll from the Polynesian to the Grand Floridian.
Grown-ups can take advantage of Disney transportation and spend an evening drinking around the world. Remember, you don’t have to drink at every country!
Be more fabulous in the parks. It might sound a bit high-maintenance, but is the Florida humidity making your hair a little crazy? Some deluxe resorts have salons that offer blow-out services for reasonable prices.
Spend a morning volunteering with Give Kids the World, an organization that provides free Disney vacations to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.
Run a marathon. There are races for ever level.
Go to a Disney fan meet-up. Chances are your favorite blog, Disney forum, or podcast has one. It’s a great opportunity to meet other fans and talk Disney. They can be as simple as meeting for a Dole Whip to a whole week of events.

Disney.com Launches All New Music Site With Behind the Scenes Footage From the ‘Jonas Brothers Live in Concert’

By

Chip

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August 21, 2010

Disney.com, the No. 1 ranked community-family and parenting destination on the Web*, has launched an all new music site (Disney.com/Music) that, together with Disney Music Group and Radio Disney, offers the latest and greatest in music for Disney fans. To kick off the new music hub Radio Disney’s Jake Whetter will give guests a sneak peek at his behind-the scenes coverage of the three continent Jonas Brothers Live in Concert tour with Special Guest Demi Lovato plus Special Friends from “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam” featuring interviews and concert footage.

In addition to granting guests a sneak peek at Radio Disney.com’s behind-the-scenes access with Jonas Brothers and Demi Lovato, the new online music hub will also feature interviews with popular recording artists, and some of the latest music videos including “It’s On” from the Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam soundtrack, “I’m Still Good” from the Hannah Montana Forever soundtrack, and Selena Gomez’s “Round and Round.”

“We stream nearly 200 million videos per month on Disney.com and are always looking for new ways to bring exciting and exclusive content to our guests,” said Paul Yanover, executive vice president and managing director, Disney Online. “On our new music site, we’re blending the hottest Disney music with even more great video content to create the ultimate Disney music destination.”

The new online hub will also offer Disney music fans video exclusives, cross-platform premieres as well as weekly sweepstakes and opportunities to win prizes.

At Disney.com/Music, guests will find:

Radio Disney
Official artist sites
Movie music
Preschool music
Music-themed activities
Latest Disney music releases
Music news

The Disney Music page will also feature content including:

Music video premieres
Song and album premieres
Access to samples of over 1600 Disney songs
Radio Disney “Take Over with Ernie D” segments (in studio interviews & performances)
Radio Disney “Celebrity Take with Jake” segments (behind-the-scenes access)
Interviews with top music stars
Exclusive music events such as concert footage
Acoustic performances from Disney artists

The Best Things I Love About Disney Is… The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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August 21, 2010

There are three things that are important to me on a Disney attraction, 1-Theme, 2-Back Story, and 3-the WOW! factor of the Ride itself. Most of the ride attractions at Walt Disney World have at least one or two of these and many have all three but one embodies all of them better than any of the others – The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

From the time you enter Disney’s Hollywood Studios the sheer size and scope of the attraction grab you and draw you in. As you walk down Sunset Boulevard it just becomes more and more imposing. It just gets better as you enter the grounds of the attraction with the landscaping, nooks, little statues and the weathered look of everything there. The lobby is spectacular in its shabbiness and dustiness, and the little details (many from old Twilight Zone episodes) are extraordinary. You get a little uneasy as you enter the basement area, particularly when you see the rickety old generator shooting sparks and realize that’s what powers your elevator (not really). Then there’s Rod Serling’s briefing (where you learn the back story) and your “friendly” elevator operator. Fun fact – if your operator has Gold Epaulets on his/her, costume he/she is an original cast member there since the attraction’s opening day.

The ride itself is a real WOW! and I won’t ruin here for you. I’ll just say it’s fun, surprising, and just a little bit intense. Have a great ride.

Ken

Disney World Quick Tip – Know Your Monorails.

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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August 21, 2010

Okay, monorails are simple, right? Well, yes. But there’s still a couple of things newcomers need to know. Here’s a quick run-down on Disney World monorails:

At the Ticket and Transportation Center (TTC), you can go by monorail to Epcot or the Magic Kingdom.

There are no monorails to Hollywood Studios or Animal Kingdom.

If you want to go from the Magic Kingdom to Epcot, or the other way around, you’ll need to transfer at the TTC. If there isn’t a long line, the monorail is usually a faster trip than taking a bus from the park.

Children may stay in their stroller if using the monorail. You may also stay on your scooter or in your wheelchair, so it’s an easier trip than the bus.

There are two monorails that service the Magic Kingdom. The resort monorail runs clockwise and goes in this order from the TTC: The Polynesian, the Grand Floridian, the Magic Kingdom, the Contemporary, and back to the TTC. The express monorail runs counter clockwise and goes directly from the TTC to the Magic Kingdom and back.

The line for the express monorail is often longer than the resort monorail for obvious reasons: Everyone assumes it’s faster. If there’s a line for both, consider taking the resort monorail instead. The ride will be slightly longer but with a shorter line, you’ll get there faster.

Monorails start running about an hour before the parks open and two hours after closing.

Other interesting monorail facts:

The Disney World monorail spans 14.7 miles.
About 50 million people ride every year.
The Epcot monorail is entirely on one beam and runs clockwise in a circle.
Trains can carry up to 364 passengers.

Fall Annual Passholder Room Discounts

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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August 21, 2010

The fall annual passholder discounts codes are out for Walt Disney World

Annual Passholder Discount Room Rates
Book by: December 25, 2010

Dates: 10/3 to 12/25/10	CODE: AM9 or X07
Some dates will be blocked out. Rates not available for all dates and resorts.
Resort	Price	View
Value Resorts & Animal Kingdom Lodge	30% off rack rate	Standard
Moderates & Grand Floridian	35% off rack rate	Standard
Deluxe Resorts other than ones listed above	42% off rack rate	Standard
Deluxe Villas	42% off rack rate	Standard

To book these specials, contact Pixie Vacations today!
Contact: www.PixieVacations.com
Phone:678-815-1584

The best things I love about Disney is…the Mexico Pavilion

By

Chip

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August 21, 2010

I just love walking into Epcot’s Mexico Pavilion. There is just something about the sights, sounds, and smells of this ancient Mesoamerican pyramid. I love the darkness the embraces you as you enter and the soft glow of the lights that remind you of twilight.

Inside the Pavilion there is one of my favorite boat rides the Grand Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros. I love the addition of Donald and friend in the past few years, all though I was perfectly content with the old videos of Mexico.

The San Angel Inn is one of my all time favorite restaurants but I will talk more about that another time. Last time we were here we stopped off at La Cava del Tequila for a quick drink. The atmosphere is very relaxing and you almost forget your at Walt Disney World.

Also for the kids this is a great place to start your Kidcot Fun Stops. We like to start here and work our way around the world showcase. Or you can do the new Meet & Greet with Donald and friends.

This is definitely one of the best things I love about Disney…

If you like Epcot’s Mexico Pavilion let us know in the comment section below..If you don’t I can’t hear you..LaLaLaLa

>>Chip

A Magical Vacation at Disney’s Hilton Head Resort

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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August 21, 2010

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Last week we had a chance to visit Disney’s Hilton Head Island resort, in Hilton Head, South Carolina. For those of you who may not be familiar with this beautiful resort, I thought I would take you on a little tour today…

To start, Disney’s Hilton Head resort is a Disney Vacation Club property, although non-DVC members can stay there by paying the standard room rate, or probably a better way, by “renting” points from a DVC member.

As with all DVC resorts, there are several “sizes” available: studios, one and two bedroom villas, and grand villas. As we were traveling with 3 college girls, we reserved a two bedroom villa, which provided the girls with their own bedroom and bath, and we had the same. Lots of space to spread out, and the ability for them to keep all their stuff in one place made things comfortable for all of us.

The Disney Hilton Head resort is surrounded by lots of beautiful, old trees that are draped in Spanish moss. Not only do the trees give the resort a very “southern charm” feel, but they have an even more important function: they provide much-needed shade to the many bike/walking paths that wind around the resort, and honestly made what was an extremely hot and humid week tolerably comfortable. We remarked on a regular basis that all the trees really seemed to drop the temperature a good 10-15 degrees from what it actually was.

One of the things that is great about this resort is that there are so many choices. You can choose to lie on the beach or hammock doing nothing but reading…or you can decide to participate in one of the many official…or unofficial…activities that are available.

For instance, we brought bikes, and found that this is a popular way to get around, not just the resort, but pretty much everywhere on Hilton Head Island. (If you don’t want to bring your own, you can rent bikes from the Disney resort for a very reasonable price for the week.)

There are tons of other things to do, if you wish. Broad Creek, the marshy area right behind Disney’s property is popular with folks for fishing, crabbing, kayaking, and believe it or not, dolphin watching. And Disney offers a huge variety of activities as well, for kids of all ages, and families as well. So no excuses for being bored!

Now, what is not to like about this place? Well, some folks don’t like the fact that the main resort property is not on the beach, but is actually about a mile away. Personally, I have found this to not be a problem, and in fact kind of like the fact that it’s off the beaten path. Disney has a great little beach house with all you need (food, shower/changing areas, a second pool in addition to the one at the main resort) and provides shuttle transportation if you don’t want to drive or bike to the beach….but if you really *have* to be on the beach, then you should know that this is not.

Probably the other main complaint, if you could call it that, is that there is not an actual sit-down restaurant on Disney property…and I know that Chip and Co. folks like their Disney food 🙂 so you will want to know this in advance. However, there are TONS of great dining choices both within walking distance in the Shelter Cove area, and all over Hilton Head Island if you want to drive. Disney dining is always something to look forward to, I know, and having a Disney restaurant would definitely add to this resort, there is no doubt of that. My understanding, for what it’s worth, is that Disney can’t get the permits to do one, because Hilton Head doesn’t want the competition for the existing restaurants….not sure how true that actually is, but that is what we were told. But I noticed on the weekly activities sheet that Disney now offers cooking/tasting sessions with different chefs, so that may be how they are trying to add the dining aspect to their resort offerings.

Would I recommend staying here? Oh without a doubt! It’s a lovely place, and I honestly can’t wait to go back again. If you are still curious, you can check out my vacation photos for more details.

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 special Disney magic.

Disney Blog Carnival for August is now Live

By

Chip

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August 21, 2010

This months edition of the Disney Blog Carnival is now live. There are alot of super talented Disney Bloggers out there. To see this months edition of the Disney Blog Carnival click here.

If you missed past months editions you can check them out at the links below.

Edition #7
Edition #6
Edition #5
Edition #4
Edition #3
Edition #2
First Edition

Thanks to Dismarks for hosting the Blog Carnival!

How Wall-e is one of Disney’s greatest love stories.

By

Chip

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August 21, 2010

So my daughter gets up this morning and wants to watch Wall-e for the thousand time. After a few times I don’t really pay attention to the movies anymore but this morning was a little different. I was getting dressed and listening to the movie play and I thought to myself how it is one of the greatest love stories Pixar/Disney ever released…

First off the first 30 mins of the movie there is not much talking at all. So you child can watch Wall-e interact with his surroundings and get familiar with the plot. I love how the billboards tell you what happened to the human race and where everyone went. It is funny and cute all rolled into one.

When Eve lands on earth that is when the true love story begins, which is one of the greatest I have seen Pixar write. He gives his love to Eve unconditionally and continues to watch over her and protect her with no thought to himself.

On board the ship the plot thickens and unfolds and without giving away to much of the story line Wall-e gets hurt and it is Eve’s turn to save him. In the end Eve comes around and shares his love with him but it is to late..?

The soundtrack for the movie is great, the classics never go out of style. I only wish that maybe some more music could have been added or a funny scene with all the robots working together in a song. The song while the credits are rolling my daughter just loves to run around and sing “Were going do to the ground”. Peter Gabriel is a great and often overlooked musician.

The cast for the movie includes Jeff Garlin, Sigourney Weaver, and Kathy Najimy round out some very funny actors.

Overall the movie as a whole has self sacrificing love, comedy, good music, and a great story line. If you haven’t seen it I would recommended picking it up or watching it on Netflix right now (It’s a Watch Instantly Movie Right now). Doesn’t matter if your young or old this movie does not disappoint, and is a classic love story for the ages.

Annual Passholder Discounts out for the Rest of the Year.

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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August 21, 2010

Disney just announced AP discounts for the rest of the year. The dates are 10/3/10-12/25/10. Keep in mind that some dates are blocked out. Resort discounts are as follows:

Save 30% at Disney Value Resorts and Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Save 35% at Disney Moderate Resorts and Grand Floridian Resort.

Save 42% at the remaining Disney Deluxe Resorts.

Save 42% at Disney Deluxe Villa Resorts.

If you’re using the dining plan, you’ll need to add the special annual passholders dining package.

Use code AM9 or X07 when you call Disney or your travel agent.

You can read more about the costs and benefits of an annual pass here.