Oldies But Goodies – “Best Of” Restaurants For Seniors At Walt Disney World

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July 31, 2010

Opinions on restaurants, as we used to say in the 50’s and 60’s, are like Volkswagen bugs – everyone has one. Preferences in this area are very personal and are developed for many reasons. I mention that so you know that I don’t consider myself to be a total authority in this area but just someone who has experienced a majority of the restaurants at Walt Disney World and has very particular preferences. I feel that a lot of these preferences are shared by a lot of other Seniors.

I may be lucky but I have never had a bad experience at a Disney restaurant. I do, however, have an issue with one thing that is prevalent in most Disney restaurants – portion size!! They are generally huge and way more than most Seniors are comfortable eating. That said, I will present my preferences for Character Meals, Park Restaurants, Signature Restaurants, and what I consider to be the best restaurant at Walt Disney World. Please remember I have picked these restaurants as a Senior and for Seniors.

Character Meals – My favorite Character meal, unfortunately, no longer exists but was dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern. Cinderella’s Royal Table (breakfast) is a favorite because of the atmosphere (my goodness, it’s the castle after all) and the joy of watching children interact with the princesses. The food is very good and definitely plentiful. 1900 Park Fare has an excellent buffet and good character interaction. In both of these restaurants the characters were very aware and actually asked if we wanted to interact or just watch.

Theme Park Restaurants – We are not big fans of the Animal Kingdom and only make short visits for such things as the Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo. We haven’t eaten at any of the restaurants there because we are just not in the park long enough. In the Magic Kingdom we really have two favorite table service restaurants that are ideal for seniors. These are the Liberty Tree Tavern and the Plaza Restaurant. Both have excellent food in manageable portions and are generally a bit more laid back than some of the others. One word of caution with the Liberty Tree Tavern, if you have an issue with stairs please use the restrooms in the park on the way to the restaurant because they are upstairs (quite a few stairs) at the Liberty Tree. Our favorite counter service is definitely the Columbia Harbour House. It has very good food and is a welcome air conditioned break from the park. Epcot is a foodies dream!! There are so many excellent restaurants that selecting one is nearly impossible but our favorite table service restaurants are Les Chefs de France, Restaurant Marrakesh, and Tutto Italia. The food is excellent in all three locations and service is generally excellent (sometimes a bit hurried at Les Chefs). Two counter service locations stand out. They are Sunshine Seasons in the Land Pavilion which has a huge variety of very well prepared food and the Tangierine Café at the Morocco Pavilion. Seniors please don’t be afraid that the food at Marrakesh or the Tangierine Café will be too “exotic” for you, it isn’t. It is well prepared and delicious. Our favorite non signature restaurant at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is the 50’s Prime Time Café. It has excellent comfort type food and is a lot of fun if you want to play along. Here also, the Cast Members are a very aware group and if you don’t want to play along with their antics they are terrific at recognizing that and do not force the fun and games. For counter service at the Studios try the ABC Commissary, there is a decent variety of good food on an International menu and the décor is very nice. It doesn’t feel like a typical counter service restaurant.

Signature Restaurants – The Signatures are ideally suited to us as Seniors. The food and service are both excellent, the pace is perfect, and eating in these restaurants is more than a meal it is a dining experience. They are more expensive than other restaurants at Walt Disney World but I truly believe we are worth it!! The California Grill at the Contemporary is as good as any of the Signatures. The menu is varied (sushi to steaks) and it has an open kitchen so you can watch their talented chefs prepare the food. If you time it correctly you can go outside and watch the fireworks with a spectacular (but a bit loud) view. If you are a big fan of salmon you must try Artist Point at the Wilderness Lodge. The Cedar Plank Salmon is always perfect and for desert try the berry cobbler. In the Parks the Hollywood Brown Derby at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is outstanding. You can dine inside or outside and the food is terrific. If you are a seafood fan the grouper is outstanding. Salad eaters will enjoy the Cobb Salad. Don’t miss the Grapefruit Cake here for dessert. You can not go wrong at any of the Walt Disney World Signature restaurants – enjoy as many as time and your budget permit.

Best Overall Restaurant – Anyone who has dined at Victoria and Albert’s in the Grand Floridian Resort and Spa will likely back me up here. It is absolutely the premier restaurant at Walt Disney World and the only Five Star restaurant in Central Florida. They do have a couple of rules though – jackets are required for men (ties optional) and evening wear for women. I know “evening wear” is not a specific term but I’ve never met a woman who does not know exactly what that means. Unfortunately for the grandchildren, children under ten are not permitted. The menu changes daily and the meal is a five course delight. There are at least two basic selections for each course and there are also additional selections for an added cost. Stick with the standard selections they are always excellent. Wine flights are available for those who enjoy wine with dinner. If none of the standard selections appeal to you just mention it to your server and the magic will happen. My wife had a particular soup on a visit in 2003 that was not on the menu in 2007 so I asked the server if they even served it anymore and he said yes they did and the Chef prepared it right then and there for her. What a delight! They have a harpist who plays during dinner which definitely adds to the experience. If you are celebrating a special occasion let them know when you make your ADR (separate phone call, they make their own reservations) and when you confirm your reservation with them at least 24 hours in advance. At the end of your experience you will each receive a personalized menu and the ladies each receive a rose. If it fits your budget it is a must do!!

If you have special dietary issues or needs Disney is equipped to handle them. Please add these needs to your ADR’s when you make them. Here is a page that gives specific/additional information for these matters: http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/guest-services/special-dietary-requests/ .

If you would like to view menus for these or any other restaurants at Walt Disney World you can locate them here: http://allears.net/menu/menus.htm . These menus are current for the most part and are regularly maintained.

Debby Ryan Interview: ‘What If’ & ’16 Wishes’

By

Chip

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July 30, 2010

Debby Ryan stopped by our Clevver TV’s Summer Lounge to give us the inside scoop on her recent move into movies. Her DCOM ’16 Wishes’ debuted last June to great success and now she has a new movie hitting theaters on August 20 called ‘What If’ which also stars Kevin Sorbo & Kristy Swanson. Check out the interview!

A Definitive Answer, Kinda Sorta (Quick Service Dining Related).

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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July 30, 2010

A Definitive Answer, Kinda Sorta (Quick Service Dining Related).

A few months back I wrote this post about using Disney quick service meals on the dining plan. I intended it as a brief Q&A to answer the most common questions I hear about quick service meals. It generated a lot of hits, so I hope it helped some people. Unfortunately, it also generated some controversy on one of my favorite Disney message boards. Because of this, and because I didn’t want to make the moderators’ jobs any more difficult than they already are, I put up an explanation about my experience regarding the issue in question and explained what Disney told me and assumed the issue was over.

The other day however, someone was kind enough to link to my blog post on this subject again and unfortunately, this person got some flack for it. My first reaction was to take the post down. A Disney blog should be a happy place, right? I don’t really like a lot of controversy. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted a more definitive answer for myself. I don’t want to cheat the system and I also don’t want to be embarassed while making an honest mistake. Can you imagine how mortifying that would be?

Confused? Let me explain.

When I was in Disney World this past December, my family and I used the dining plan for the first time. I must have looked like the dining plan newbie that I was because the cast member explained everything in depth to me before I even ordered. One of the things she clearly told me was that there is no difference between the children’s counter service meal credits and adult credits. I didn’t even think to question what she said, because she seemed very competent. During that trip, we occasionally used children’s credits for adult meals, mostly where the kids couldn’t find anything they liked on the children’s menu. After all, you can only eat so many nuggets, right?

I wrote about my experience when I returned which unfortunately, cause some drama. Any blogger loves getting linked, especially by someone who shares her passion about the subject. I was flattered. But at the same time, I didn’t care for being referred to as trying to “cheat the system.” I mean, I literally won’t use a fastpass after it expires, a fact which my Disney friends find very amusing, so you can imagine how this made me feel. Worse, I didn’t like that someone who had read my blog found herself in the position of having to defend herself based on information I put out. So I called Disney to find out what was going on. The first cast member told me that Disney doesn’t differentiate so you can order what you want. Nonetheless, I was still a little unsure, so I called again. Same story.

I didn’t think any more about it until the other day when I started getting a lot of hits on that post. I followed the link and it went back to my favorite website again and it was the same old story: Someone linking to the post and getting some flack for it. So I set out today to get the final, absolutely super-dooper, extra definitive answer to this question: Can you use child’s quick service credits for adult meals?

Not even this former President knew the answer.

Now, I call Disney frequently, particularly when I’m writing for Chip and Co: We do a question and answer over there and many of the questions are complicated and can only be answered by talking to Disney directly. When you call Disney a lot with somewhat “unusual” questions, you amass a small stack of phone numbers that aren’t normally published. Since you have to work hard for these numbers, you hold onto them because they might be useful in the future. Unfortunately, none of them were of any help today, so I did what anyone would do and called Disney Dining and after verifying the information with a cast member who answered the phone, I asked to speak to a supervisor just to be extra-sure. I’m sure the cast member thought I was a bit loony, but I’m willing to look like a fool. Hey, I care. Long story short, an hour and fifteen minutes later, up the chain of command, I got the answer. Are you ready for this?

Disney doesn’t differentiate between the adult’s and children’s quick service meals! There. That’s as clear as I can make it. And yes, it’s still somewhat confusing when you consider that the dining plan brochure does say that children have to order children’s meals on the plan. So, take that with a grain of salt. In fact, take it all with a grain of salt.

Call me a hero, if you must.

I’m not recommending that anyone cheat the system, but I also find it difficult to actually consider this cheating when no less than half a dozen cast members, at least one of whom who is a supervisor, told me it was okay. If that doesn’t help, look at it this way: Disney is a very smart company. Any company that can make a grown-up believe, for just a minute, that Mickey is real and not some overheated college student in a costume, can do anything. I really believe this. If they wanted to differentiate between kids’ and adults’ meals, they could do it in the same way they do it with table service meals. Trust me, try to pay for an adult meal with a kid’s table service credit and you will receive the Disney smack down of epic proportions! Okay, that might be an understatement. You’ll just have to pay out of pocket. But you get the picture.

So what do you do? Well, ultimately, this is a gray area and there are a lot of them in life. How you feel about it is your business. Frankly, I don’t know what I’ll do the next time we go to Disney, since we rarely use the dining plan. Probably double-check with the cast member first to make sure it’s okay. The last thing I would do is to suggest that someone cheat the system and I don’t personally want to do it myself. This is just relaying my experience, which now entails calling Disney and conducting a sort of Spanish Inquisition of Dining over there. So, let your conscience be your guide and if you hear anything, please let me know.

Do you have more Disney dining questions? One of my favorite places to find answers is the dining board at Disboards. There are boards for the dining plan, food reviews, questions, and reservations. I also really like Passporter, which is has some of the friendliest posters on the web. You’ll often find information on these boards long before you hear it anywhere else. For a blog devoted to all things Disney food, check out The Disney Food Blog.

Disney Dream Staterooms and Suites Offer Comfort, Convenience, Luxury and a Dash of Disney Magic

By

Chip

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July 30, 2010

Catering to the unique vacation needs of families, Disney Dream staterooms offer comfort and style synonymous throughout the Disney fleet. Designed specifically with families in mind, accommodations are luxurious and spacious, and most staterooms feature a split-bath – a concept that Disney introduced to the cruise industry.

Virtual Porthole
The Disney Dream carries on the spirit of innovation with a cruise industry first for all inside staterooms: Virtual Portholes that offer a “window” to the world with a real-time view outside the ship, corresponding to stateroom location – either port or starboard. High-definition cameras placed on the exterior of the ship feed live video to each Virtual Porthole.

As guests are observing the impressive outside views, they may glimpse a magical surprise. Periodically, animated Disney characters may pop by the Virtual Porthole. Characters may include Peach the starfish from the Disney•Pixar film “Finding Nemo,” a haunted pirate ghost ship or even Mickey Mouse.

Staterooms
Nearly nine out of 10 of the 1,250 staterooms on the Disney Dream are outside rooms, and of those, 90 percent have a private verandah. To accommodate larger families and groups traveling together, there are 500 connecting doors adjoining staterooms. On connecting verandah staterooms, the partition between verandahs may be opened to create a larger shared balcony.

Well-planned design features allow guests to stretch out in comfort and luxury:

The Disney Cruise Line signature bath-and-a-half design is featured in nearly every stateroom on the Disney Dream. Conveniently, one bathroom includes a vanity, sink and full tub/shower, while the “half” bath has a vanity, sink and toilet.
Both luxurious and practical, a number of staterooms have round tubs with a built-in seat, a rain shower head and a hand-held shower – perfect for giving children a bath.
Recognizing that families tend to travel with more luggage, Disney Cruise Line elevated bed frames to provide generous under-bed space to store suitcases and other items.
For an added pinch of pixie dust, pull-down beds open to uncover a celestial scene overhead. Spanning the entire ceiling directly over the bed, original artwork depicts an enchanted tableau of Peter Pan, his fairy pal Tinker Bell and Wendy soaring through the night sky.
Staterooms on the Disney Dream feature a contemporary, Art Deco-inspired design. Remarkable attention to every detail is evident in the elegant nautical theme with beautiful wood finishes, custom fabrics and carpets, stylish furnishings, original artwork, crown molding and genuine teak accents.
First-class features and amenities in all staterooms include a 22-inch LCD flat screen TV on a swivel arm, iPod docking station, roomy closets, mini refrigerator, full-length mirror, mini safe, premium toiletries, plush bath towels, fine bed linens and feather duvets.

Suites
The Disney Dream has 21 suites, each lavishly appointed and designed with upscale furnishings. Most suites can connect to another stateroom, creating an exceptionally spacious living area for larger groups and families.

Each suite has two bathrooms designed with opulent granite and marble finishes. The master bathroom features a whirlpool bath tub, a rain shower, double sinks and a television built seamlessly into the mirror.
Suites have a generous private verandah, walk-in closet, living room and Blu-ray disc player. Both the living area and master bedroom have a 42-inch, high-definition LCD television.
Suite amenities include deluxe bed linens, feather duvets, plush bath towels, sublimely soft bath robes and slippers. Suite guests may choose from a selection of hypo-allergenic, goose down and therapeutic memory foam pillows.

Disney Cruise Line’s signature royal suites – the Walter E. Disney Suite and the Roy O. Disney Suite – are located at Deck 12 forward of the Disney Dream. The Art Deco glamour of the 1920s and 1930s is prevalent in the décor of the suites. Extravagant details of the signature suites include a whirlpool hot tub on the private teak wood verandah, master bath with whirlpool tub, rain shower and double sinks, media library, large living area, kitchenette and sweeping ocean views through the floor-to-ceiling windows lining the main living quarters.

Concierge Service
On the Disney Dream, all suite and concierge stateroom guests enjoy the benefit of the ship’s Concierge Level providing special services and exclusive access to dedicated areas.

The Concierge Lounge is located among the concierge suites on Deck 12. Guests may relax in quiet comfort, sip a cocktail, access the internet, watch news on a large screen TV and enjoy complimentary food and beverage presentations offered throughout the day. From the lounge, concierge guests have private access to Senses Spa & Salon.
The concierge team will provide guests with personalized service and assist with a variety of shipboard requests such as making reservations for spa treatments, Palo dining, shore excursions and nursery care for children.
One deck up on the private sun deck, concierge guests can soak up the sun in an exclusive area. This private oasis offers tranquil breezes, misters to keep cool, comfortable, cushioned lounge chairs and refreshments.

A leader in the family cruise segment, Disney Cruise Line delivers a vacation experience that every member of the family feels was created especially for them.

To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, guests can visit disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888/DCL-2500 or contact their travel agent. Travel agents can call Disney Cruise Line at 888/325-2500 or visit disneytravelagents.com.

ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Expands Relationship with HP

By

Chip

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July 30, 2010

Walt Disney World Resort today announced an expansion to its long-term business relationship with HP, which now includes naming rights for the 165,000-square-foot fieldhouse at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

Beginning today, the fieldhouse will be renamed with the HP brand and will feature several new high-tech elements designed to enhance the sports experience for the nearly 1.5 million athletes, coaches and fans who visit the complex each year. HP also becomes the official imaging, printing and PC partner for ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, the leading multi-sports venue in the nation.

The centerpiece of the soon to be renamed fieldhouse will be the HP creation zone where athletes, coaches and fans can download, design and enhance commemorative photos and images of their events, then immediately produce and print them onsite. The HP creation zone will also include a retail area featuring a variety of imaging-related products and options for youth athletes and consumers, such as creating life-size posters of action photos, custom wallpaper coverings for the home and other photo keepsakes/memorabilia.

“HP’s innovative technologies further differentiate the athlete experience at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in ways that no other youth sports venue can match,” said Ken Potrock, senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises. “The HP technological enhancements in the complex are just the latest in a growing number of technology-driven projects that are at the core of our growth strategy, which centers around continually elevating the sports experience for our athletes, coaches and fans.”

There will also be an HP internet “café” capability inside the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Grill featuring HP TouchSmart PCs. Individual stations will offer online access to a variety of sites, including ESPN.com, ESPNRISE.com, ESPNWWOS.com, Disney.com, Disneyworld.com and others.

The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Welcome Center, an onsite concierge facility, will offer kiosks that also feature HP TouchSmart PCs. The kiosks, which will also be located at additional locations throughout the complex, will enable athletes and fans to access and print a wide range of sports event information, including field assignments and schedule updates, as well as general Disney information and resources, such as dining reservations and vacation planning tools for theme parks, resorts and water parks.

“The ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex continues HP’s decades-long collaboration with Disney to captivate audiences through technology innovation and digital entertainment,” said Michael Mendenhall, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at HP. “The HP fieldhouse will deliver the ultimate sports environment, combining state-of-the-art athletic facilities with a rich, interactive technology experience to extend the spirit and passion of sports beyond the field of play.”

The fieldhouse accommodates virtually any indoor sport, including basketball, wrestling, gymnastics, volleyball, martial arts, team handball, roller hockey, cheerleading and dance, trampoline and tumbling, indoor tennis, etc., in addition to concerts and conventions. Opened in 1997, the venue has a seating capacity of 5,500 and room for six full-size collegiate basketball courts.

HP’s presence at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex extends the company’s long-standing relationship with Disney, which began in 1940 when HP worked with Walt Disney to enhance the acoustics in movie theaters before the release of Disney’s “Fantasia” movie. Currently, HP sponsors the MISSION: Space attraction at Epcot and is one of the sponsors of the Disneyland Dream Home at Disneyland Park. Disney is one of HP’s largest customers and utilizes thousands of HP business PCs, servers and printers, in addition to technology services, business intelligence software and storage.

The expansion of the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex’s relationship with HP comes on the heels of the complex’s most comprehensive redesign since it opened in 1997. In February 2010, the complex, which was already the leading multi-sport venue in the world, was re-imagined with the ESPN brand, bringing the signature elements of ESPN to the complex to create a one-of-a-kind sports experience that lets athletes, coaches and fans feel as if they’ve reached the big time with ESPN.

$25 – $100 Disney Gift Card Giveaway to Facebook Fans

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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July 30, 2010

Add WDW Vacations as a Friend on Facebook and you will be automatically entered into the August Giveaway.

Tell your friends to join their Facebook page!
If they get 2,000 fans total by Aug. 31 they will give one of the fans a $25 Disney Gift Card.
If 2,500 fans join they will giveaway a $50 Disney Gift Card
3,000 fans and they giveaway a $75 Disney Gift Card.
Over 3,500 fans and they will giveaway a $100 Disney Gift Card.

If you are already a fan you are already entered.

http://www.facebook.com/WDWVacations

WDWVacations on Facebook has the latest Disney Discounts, News and Disney Tips brought to you by Pixie Vacations.

Disney Food Confession – French Toast with Fresh Berries and Mascarpone Cream

By

Chip

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July 30, 2010

Where is it? Tony’s Town Square Restaurant – Magic Kingdom Theme Park at Walt Disney World Resort

What is it? French Toast with Fresh Berries and drizzled with Mascarpone Cream

Why you want it? Well it is no longer available as Tony’s only serves lunch and dinner but this place of pure deliciousness was a slice of heaven.

Photo Credit: by Disney

If you have a Disney Food Confession email [email protected] or let us know on the Disney Food Confessions Facebook page.. He is accepting Food ideas or Photos if you have them!

By Popular Demand, ‘Main Street Electrical Parade’ Extended Indefinitely

By

Chip

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July 30, 2010

With its glittery galaxy of 23 illuminated floats, 80 performers, and trademark synthesizer music sweetened with Disney theme songs, Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” has been leaving Magic Kingdom guests aglow all summer.

Now, the cherished entertainment spectacular is being extended by popular demand, Walt Disney World announced today.

“The return of Disney’s ‘Main Street Electrical Parade’ to the Magic Kingdom has been an overwhelming success,” said Magic Kingdom Vice President Phil Holmes. “Guests begin cheering as soon as they hear the opening fanfare and see those fantastic floats covered in lights. The parade is a magical part of a visit to the Walt Disney World Resort, so we’re thrilled to be announcing we’re leaving the lights on.”

Fronted by a new lead float starring Tinker Bell, Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” officially bowed at Magic Kingdom June 6, 2010.

Beloved by generations, the parade anchors Disney’s multi-park “Summer Nightastic!” entertainment extravaganza of attractions and events. Once “Summer Nightastic!” draws to a close on Aug. 14 as previously announced, Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” will continue an open-ended run.

The iconic pageant of illuminated floats dates to 1972 when it first debuted at Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., and became an instant hit.

Prior to its current run in Florida, the parade last performed at Walt Disney World Resort from 1999 into 2001. This summer, Magic Kingdom guests have been treated to all-new elements that continue in the encore phase of the run:

Tinker Bell leads the eye-filling procession, waving from the basket of a balloon floating gracefully above a magical garden shimmering in fairy light.
Pinocchio and the boys from the classic film’s Pleasure Island sequence join the parade, and Snow White joins the Seven Dwarfs on a diamond mine float.
There are new lighting effects, and the parade’s highly recognizable musical theme is brightened by new technology.

Beloved floats like the Honor America finale display – featuring the American flag and giant American eagle – are among parade favorites, along with popular characters such as Alice, Mickey Mouse and Goofy.

Especially Good News for Florida Residents

The extension will enable Florida Resident Seasonal and Weekday Select Passholders to experience the parade on their passes. And with the ability to sign on for a new monthly payment program, Florida Resident Passholders can enjoy the parade and so much more Disney theme park magic for as little as $16 a month, after an initial down payment. The payment program is available only online and complete information is available at www.disneyworld.com/payments.

New Disney’s Tangled Poster and Featurette

By

Chip

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July 30, 2010

Here is the new Movie poster for Disney Rapunzel Tangled. With the movie only 4 months away excitement is building for this feature film. I know my little one is excited to see it, both movies we went to see (Despicable Me & Toy Story 3) there was the same movie trailer in it, and both times my little one leaned over to me and said I want to see that one Daddy.

Here is a featurette that was released online that talks more about the movie.

Don’t forget Tangled is opening in 3D and 2D theaters on November 24.

Pixar 25 Years of Animation exhibit opening video at Oakland Museum of California

By

Chip

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July 29, 2010

This article and video come to us from Don Sanchez KGO-TV in San Francisco.

Ever wonder how the geniuses at Pixar created “Toy Story,” “Cars” or “Ratatouille?” Now you can get a behind the scenes look with the opening of “Pixar: 25 Years of Animation” Saturday at the Oakland Museum of California.The images are unmistakable, memorable. The artistry of Pixar, the studio that redefined and revolutionized animation.

The exhibit holds more than 600 works that point to collaboration in every frame.

“One artist will make something, another will look at it, the director, the production designer, we’re constantly reviewing our work and changing it and making sure it fits the story and fits the film,” Pixar U Archive Director Elyse Klaidman said.

At Pixar their values have always been on strong characters, story and a convincing world.

“Before anyone touches a computer at Pixar all of the characters, the story and the world of Pixar is done by hand by artists doing drawing, paintings, and sculptures,” Executive Director Lori Fogarty said.

The exhibit began five years ago at MoMA in New York. She convinced Pixar executives that the works should come to the Bay Area after a world tour.

“It was a combination of these things not only being great works of art, but also telling really important stories for Pixar,” senior curator Rene De Guzman said.

Having the exhibition in Pixar’s backyard means the artists and creators will be able to interact with museum goers.

The showstopper is the Pixar zoetrope. When it spins and the lights flicker, it creates the illusion of motion, the secret of motion pictures.

As impressive as all of this is, Pixar has more than a million artifacts in storage, opening up the possibility for more exhibitions. This one runs into next January.

Source

Photo Credit Pixar

Canoe Races of the World Crowns 2010 Champion

By

Chip

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July 29, 2010

Hundreds of Disney Cast Members arrived at the Magic Kingdom before sunrise this month to participate in Canoe Races of the World, also known as C.R.O.W., a spirited Disney tradition that involves friendly competition and strength behind the oars. The beloved annual Cast Member event dates back to 1963 at Disneyland, 1973 at Walt Disney World Resort and is now at Disney Parks worldwide.

Of the 79 participating teams, Shut Up and Let Me Row… HEY! from Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, was crowned the 2010 C.R.O.W. grand champion on July 23. The title is a first for the co-ed recreational team, who competed against five other finalists in the grand championship round, held pre-dawn on the Rivers of America.

“We were thrilled that we won our division, and all of us were in shock when they announced us as the C.R.O.W. Grand Champions,” said team captain Kari Harlow. She credits strong communication and unity among the team members to keeping them in sync on the river, which ultimately led to their victory. A sense of humor helped too.

“Our team loves to laugh, so we stayed positive throughout the competition, even in stressful situations. C.R.O.W. is a stellar event and we loved being a part of it,” said Harlow.

You Can’t Beat the Fun of the Electrical Parade – Now Extended!

By

Chip

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July 29, 2010

Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade marches through the Magic Kingdom, twinkling with approximately half a million lights. One of many guest favorites is the iconic “Pete’s Dragon” float (pictured). The beloved parade returned to Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort on June 6, 2010 and, by popular demand, has now been extended on an open-ended run.

Check out Disney’s Video Coverage of the Main Street Electrical Parade below:

Photo & Video Credit Disney