What’s Happening at Disney California Adventure Park This Summer

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July 8, 2010

Great news from Disney Parks Blog of all the Happenings coming to Disney California Adventure.

In January, we began sharing a series of videos (with the help of our host, Eddie) to document all the exciting changes coming to Disney California Adventure park.

Today’s video focuses on the new attractions and shows that are available at Disney California Adventure park this summer. “World of Color” and Silly Symphony Swings are now open, and we’re also sharing video of the nighttime party Glow Fest and Lotso, a “Toy Story 3” character now appearing in Disney’s Pixar Play Parade.

If you’re looking for more details about what’s coming to Disney California Adventure park, check out www.DisneysCaliforniaAdventure.com or visit the Blue Sky Cellar in the park.

The ‘Sunnyside’ of Sleepy Hollow

By

Chip

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July 8, 2010

Walt Disney Imagineering Art Director Alex Caruthers recently shared a little-known piece of trivia with me regarding the inspiration for the Magic Kingdom Park quick service restaurant Sleepy Hollow, located in Liberty Square. I have been passing Sleepy Hollow regularly, since 1974, and never gave a thought as to a “story line” … (There is ALWAYS a story line).

Sleepy Hollow (the restaurant) offers tasty caramel corn, assorted cookies and refreshments, and is generally busy most of the time. Washington Irving is the author of The Legend of Sleepy Hollow – you remember Ichabod Crane and the Headless Horseman. In 1835, Irving purchased a tiny, two-room cottage situated on ten acres in Tarrytown, New York, along the banks of the Hudson River. He described the place “capable of being made a little paradise.”

Irving spent many years remodeling and expanding the residence, combining elements of colonial New York architecture and buildings he knew in Scotland and Spain. He named it Sunnyside in 1841, and history shows that the home was a busy place, full of friends and family most of the time – not unlike the restaurant.

Compare the old woodcut image of Sunnyside with a photo I just made of Sleepy Hollow. Those Imagineers continue to amaze me …

‘Mean Girls 2’ Being Made For Television

By

Chip

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July 8, 2010

For all of you hoping that “Mean Girls 2” would have the same amount of cultural clout as “Mean Girls,” think again. Hollywood Crush has discovered exclusively from our source close to the project that the film is skipping theaters and heading straight to a TV near you once it is finished.

There had been some initial speculation that “Mean Girls 2” would be a straight-to-DVD sequel, but it turns out that it is actually being made for television. In addition to the leading ladies who have already been named publicly (we’re looking at you, Meaghan Martin and Maiara Walsh), fellow Disney stars Jennifer Stone (“Wizards of Waverly Place”) and Nicole Anderson (“Jonas L.A.”) have also announced their involvement with the film.

For those of you who were pissed that the leading ladies of “Mean Girls 2” were Disney actresses, this should make a lot of sense. Our source couldn’t confirm which network the film would end up on, but our bets are that it won’t be on the Disney Channel. Instead, we think it will premiere on ABC Family, a channel which is also owned by Disney but has an audience that is more a “Mean Girls” target age range. Just check out “Pretty Little Liars” if you don’t believe us.

Click here to keep reading this article from MTV.

Disney makes learning English fun and easy in China

By

Chip

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July 8, 2010

US media and entertainment conglomerate Walt Disney Co. (NYSE.DIS) is using Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck to teach English to Chinese children and make learning fun. The efforts are paying off as the company has become one of the leading educational institutions in China‘s fast growing private English education sector that is estimated to be around $2 billion.

Learning a foreign language is tricky for anyone. Especially if the Chinese have to learn English. Hence, as part of a school program launched by Disney that aims to teach English to 150,000 children a year by 2015, the company has resorted to using popular cartoon characters like Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck to make learning English easy and fun for Chinese children.

The strategy has worked so well that Disney, which opened its first English school in Shanghai, China, two years back, is now planning to open 20 by the year end, including two in Beijing. By 2015, Disney plans to open at least 148 schools.

Speaking to Financial Times, Russell Hampton, president of Disney Publishing Worldwide, China has a large and growing middle class market with high disposable income. Hence, despite annual lessons costing as much as $2200 for 96 hours of classes, many parents are sending their children to the Disney-managed school.

One reason the Disney school has gained in popularity is because each class has no more than 15 children – thereby allowing the teachers to focus better on the individual needs of the students – and the school uses a curriculum that’s prepared by teaching professionals who have developed similar programs back in California.

Click here to keep reading this article from IB Times.

Photo Credit travellerspoint.com

Disney Vacation Club Launches Sales for Aulani, First Resort in Hawaii

By

Chip

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July 8, 2010

Disney Vacation Club began selling real estate interests for the company’s first family-friendly destination resort in Hawaii today. Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas, Ko Olina, Hawaii, is scheduled to open its first phase in fall 2011 and will mark the eleventh resort for Disney Vacation Club.

“We are thrilled to give families joining Disney Vacation Club a new resort option in one of the most popular vacation destinations in the world,” said Disney Vacation Club President Jim Lewis. “Once Aulani opens, families will be able to immerse themselves in the culture of Hawaii while knowing that they will get the quality vacation experience only Disney can deliver.”

Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawaii, is planned to include 481 two-bedroom equivalent Disney Vacation Club villas and 359 traditional hotel rooms upon its completion. Other family-friendly resort amenities are scheduled to include an 18,000-square-foot spa, two restaurants, a wedding lawn, a kids’ club, a conference center and a pool area complete with a feature pool, wading pool, tube slides, sunset-facing hot tubs and a snorkel lagoon.

Built adjacent to a crystal-blue lagoon and a white-sand beach, Aulani is located on 21 acres of oceanfront property in the Ko Olina Resort & Marina development, near the existing Ko Olina Marina and a Ted Robinson-designed, 18-hole Championship Golf course. Located on the western side of Oahu, the resort will also offer easy access to other points of interest on the island, such as the North Shore area and Pearl Harbor.

Disney Vacation Club offers families unparalleled flexibility and is designed to accommodate changing vacation needs as families are able to determine where to go, when to visit, how long to stay and what size of accommodations best suits their needs on each trip.

To begin, Disney Vacation Clubmembers are able to choose from among a variety of exciting vacation destinations, including a stay at any Disney Vacation Club resort, a trip on one of the Disney Cruise Line ships, a guided vacation with Adventures by Disney or a jaunt to one of more than 500 other destinations around the world. Plus, members staying at Disney Vacation Club resorts truly get “more room in the room,” as they can choose from four sizes of accommodations that sleep from four people up to 12 and range from 350 square feet to more than 2,000 square feet. Additionally, vacations at a Disney Vacation Club resort can last any length of time, from one night to several weeks.

“Families can experience diverse destinations around the world with their Disney Vacation Club membership,” Lewis said. “Plus, Disney Vacation Club can be enjoyed by generations of family members, allowing families to continue to experience the magic of memorable Disney vacations year after year.”

Disney Vacation Club revolutionized the timeshare industry in October 1991 when it introduced a flexible, vacation points-based model. Today, more than 450,000 individual members from approximately 100 countries and all 50 states have discovered the joys of membership with Disney Vacation Club.

To learn more about Disney Vacation Club and Aulani, call 800/500-3990 or visit www.disneyvacationclub.com.

Job Opening – Food & Beverage and Merchandise Director: Disney Aulani

By

Chip

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July 8, 2010

Anyone looking for a job and wouldn’t mind the working in Hawaii? See the link below for other job openings at Aulani!

Disney is legendary for making dreams come true for our Guests from all over the world, while focusing on enhancing our celebrated tradition with the place that is about tradition. Our newest resort in Hawaii , “Aulani” will give our Guests another way to enjoy the magic of a Disney vacation through telling the story of deep tradition, culture and heritage of the Hawaiian people in a way that only Disney can do it.

Aulani will be located on the western side of O‘ahu at the Ko Olina Resort & Marina development on 21 acres of oceanfront property. Scheduled to open in 2011, Aulani will overlook a breath-taking crystal blue lagoon and vast white sandy beaches. The resort will include 350 hotel rooms and 480 Disney Vacation Club timeshare villas as well as an 18,000-square-foot spa, a children’s club, romantic wedding lawn and an elaborate pool with a thrilling water play area.

Wherever the Guest experience takes place around the world, we remain dedicated to the promise that our Cast Members turn the ordinary into the extraordinary and make Disney dreams come true.

Food & Beverage and Merchandise Director

Disney Parks & Resorts has an immediate opportunity for a Food & Beverage and Merchandise Director located in Oahu , HI . The Food & Beverage and Merchandise Director will provide strategic and operational leadership for Food & Beverage and Merchandise employees, as well as be an active participant on the Executive Leadership Team and the Disney Parks and Resorts Food & Beverage and Merchandise Line of Business Teams. They will provide vision, leadership and direction for achieving Guest, Cast and financial objectives, develop strategies with key partners that will ensure success in these areas and support global initiatives and product development efforts while acting as a leader, mentor and coach for the overall development of salaried and non-salaried employees. Additionally, the Food & Beverage and Merchandise Director must be a passionate, committed champion of high quality, immersive and innovative experiences.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: (These are the minimum qualifications you need to be considered for the job.)

Current status role as Food and Beverage Director or Assistant Food and Beverage Director of a Luxury brand resort
Current or previous Food and Beverage experience in Hawaii
Bachelor’s degree in a Hospitality Program, Retail, Business or equivalent
Minimum 10 years’ Food & Beverage industry experience in progressive leadership roles, including the areas of quick service, table service and catering/conventions
Minimum 5 years’ Merchandise and Retail industry experience
Minimum business volume responsibility of $30 million in multiple locations

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Master’s degree or equivalent
Proven varied Food & Beverage industry experience
Proven experience in retail management
Proven bilingual skills

http://careers.disneyparks.jobs/honolulu/aulani/food-﹠-beverage-and-merchandise-director-jobs

For more Aulani jobs click here.

Celebrating Culinary Adventures at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

By

Chip

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July 8, 2010

Celebrating Culinary Adventures from October 1, 2010 — November 14, 2010

The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is an autumn special event that transforms Epcot Theme Park into a food and wine lover’s paradise with specialty food items, culinary events, sophisticated parties and live musical entertainment.

Epcot always features a remarkable collection of international dining opportunities and tempting spirits, but during the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival there is even more to sample, sip and love.

Try delicious cuisine from around the world at special food booths set up along World Showcase Promenade. Explore specialty marketplaces featuring regional foods, wines and beers. Learn from renowned chefs and winemakers at special programs and demonstrations, and sample the finest cuisine from around the globe at spectacular culinary events.

Plus, there is more to do than just enjoying great food and beverage. Enjoy the Eat to the Beat concert series and unwind with a stellar lineup of celebrated musical acts.

When you arrive at Epcot, visit the Festival Welcome Center to plan your day. You’ll also find the Festival Wine Shop and the Wonders Bar—where you can purchase champagne and wine or attend official book signings with celebrity chefs and authors. The Stockpot shop offers marvelous merchandise, including the collectable marketplace cookbook.

Epcot Theme Park admission is required. Some Epcot International Food & Wine Festival events require ticket fees in addition to admission to Epcot. Availability is limited for some events. Events may be rescheduled or cancelled at any time.

Download the Festival Map

You can even pick up a Food & Wine themed Disney Gift Card — a fast, easy and secure way to carry your money on your wrist, and simply the best way to experience the Festival. Just load or reload the card with any amount you desire, swipe — and you’re spared the trouble of getting out your credit card or cash any time you want to pay for food, merchandise and more. Get it throughout Epcot at ticket booths, Guest Relations, the Festival Welcome Center and a variety of locations in the theme park where food and merchandise are sold.

The thrills at the ultimate dining, drinking and music event don’t stop. Discover the many taste adventures that await:

Marketplaces & Promenade
More than 25 international marketplace kiosks are serving up tapas-sized portions of regional specialties. Explore countries on 6 continents through their most mouthwatering foods and beverages!

Eat to the Beat! Concert Series
Musical entertainment pairs perfectly with culinary fun during the nightly Eat to the Beat! Concert Series. Enjoy a varied lineup of classic rock, soul, R&B, jazz and funk hit-makers, from Boyz II Men to Big Bad Voodoo Daddy!

Schedule:
9/25–9/27 — Big Bad Voodoo Daddy
9/28–9/29 — Richard Marx (NEW!)
9/30–10/3 — Starship starring Mickey Thomas
10/4–10/6 — En Vogue
10/7–10/8 — Better Than Ezra (NEW!)
10/9–10/11 — Sister Hazel
10/12–10/13 — Kool & The Gang
10/14–10/16 — Spyro Gyra
10/17–10/18 — Jon Secada
10/19–10/20 — Sister Sledge
10/21–10/22 — Vanessa Carlton (NEW!)
10/23–10/25 — Taylor Dayne
10/26–10/28 — Boyz II Men
10/29–10/31 — John Waite (NEW!)
11/1–11/2 — Taylor Hicks (NEW!)
11/3–11/5 — Billy Ocean (NEW!)
11/6–11/8 — Los Lobos

Seminars and Demonstrations
Learn from the masters with the Festival’s exciting schedule of seminars and demonstrations featuring the fresh ingredients and secret techniques that go into some of the world’s most extraordinary dishes and drinks.

Special Festival Experiences
A special series of programs and experiences brings you renowned winemakers, guest chefs and speakers. Wine and beer tastings let you sip from the best in the world while delicious experiences such as the Party for the Senses dish up unforgettable tastes.

Festival Welcome Center
The Festival Welcome Center hosts wine seminars and book signings and offers sparkling champagnes and wines at the Wonder Bar. It’s also the place to pick up Festival keepsakes, including limited edition Festival pins and cookbooks. And while you’re there, be sure to check out the lists of famous personalities who will be appearing plus the times of their scheduled signings.

Visiting Guests and Sponsors
An impressive and diverse list of breweries, wineries, chefs, speakers and industry professionals are participating in and sponsoring this year’s Festival. Discover the guests and partners who help make the event possible.

Festival Shopping
Before and after the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, you can find merchandise that celebrates the 14th annual Food & Wine Festival. While you’re in the park, visit the Festival Welcome Center, which offers commemorative gifts, specialty kitchen items, a book shop and a wine bar. You can also visit the shops located around World Showcase Promenade for additional Festival merchandise offerings and artisans.

Disney’s Race for the Taste 10K & 3K
Experience the sights and sounds of the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival as you race to the finish through the Walt Disney World Resort. Afterword, enjoy incredible tastes from around the world. With Kids’ Races and the new 3K distance, the whole family can get in on the fun.

Source

Celebrating the Great American Pastime

By

Chip

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July 8, 2010

Next Tuesday, the 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Game comes to Anaheim. With the Midsummer Classic here in our own backyard, there couldn’t be a more perfect All-Star Game parade route than one that begins in the Anaheim Resort Area and concludes on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland park, allowing our guests to join in the celebration.

I thought it would be fun to look back at some of our pictures celebrating special moments with some of the greats of the game.

In this 1966 photo, Walt Disney attends the California Angels first regular season home game at their new home in Anaheim.

Shown here with Angels manager, Bill Rigney, Walt couldn’t have imagined the role his company would play so many years later in helping ensure that the team remained an exciting part of the Anaheim community.

Cardinals legend Stan Musial visited Disneyland park in the summer of 1965.

Pictured here, Stan “The Man” and his family take a ride on the Jungle Cruise.

Joe DiMaggio was already a baseball legend when Disneyland park opened in 1955. In fact, that same year, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Celebrating the Great American Pastime

And 21 years later, the Yankee Clipper was photographed outside City Hall with Mickey.

In 1994, DiMaggio’s Yankees teammate (for one season – 1951), Mickey Mantle, also came to meet the other “MM.”

The last time the All-Star Game came to Anaheim was in 1989, and that’s when Willie Mays met Mickey Mouse.

Celebrating the Great American Pastime

I imagine here the “Say Hey Kid” is telling Mickey how he hit the very first homerun in Anaheim Stadium, in 1966.

In July, 2001, Cal Ripken, Jr., made a special visit to Disney California Adventure park during his last trip to Anaheim as a professional baseball player. To mark the occasion, the park was actually renamed Disney’s “CAL” Adventure to honor the Orioles legend.

Shown here riding Grizzly River Run with his family, Ripken said at the time, “Disneyland has always been a favorite place for my family and me, and I thank them for this tremendous honor.”

Of course, the Anaheim Angels’ 2002 World Series victory parade down Main Street, U.S.A. was one celebration I personally will never forget!

In addition to parades through Anaheim and Disneyland park, the players also made a special appearance at Disney California Adventure park to celebrate their championship.

Check back here next week for all-new photos of today’s biggest baseball stars as they make their way down Disney Parks’ own “Canyon of Heroes;” Main Street, U.S.A.

Disney.com Invites Budding Artists to Express Their Inner Mickey

By

Chip

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July 8, 2010

Disney.com’s popular Create portal, which offers a unique set of creativity tools for designing original artwork to share online, announced today the launch of a new Group Wall feature (www.Disney.com/Create). The Group Wall allows thousands of fans to create and share original pieces of art in the form of an online mosaic. Unlike other mosaics, guests will be able to watch as the Group Wall evolves, adding more artwork every minute, hour and day in a dynamic online environment. To commemorate the launch of this feature, the first ever Group Wall will be a new portrait of Mickey Mouse.

The Mickey Mouse theme of the current Group Wall coincides with the launch of the new all things Mickey Mouse site at Disney.com/mickeymouse. Future Group Walls will feature other popular Disney characters and stars.

“Create has quickly become one of the most popular areas of Disney.com, giving kids a place to express themselves and interact with Disney characters and stories in a completely new and engaging way,” stated Paul Yanover, executive vice president and managing director, Disney Online. “The Group Wall takes Create to the next level, adding a layer of community and collaboration, all built around iconic characters like Mickey.”

Since its launch in August 2009, nearly 1.5 million original pieces of content have been created in Disney.com Create. Original artwork is featured in galleries on the site, where guests can search by artist or character and make comments.

In addition to the Group Wall, Disney.com Create offers an award-winning suite of creativity tools, including:

— Comic Creator – Craft a comic book using favorite Disney characters. Guests lay out pages using fun and wacky graphics, text and images to create their own rich narrative.

— Digital Painter – Paint like a master artist, right in your browser, using tools, textures, and fun pens.

— Animods – Illustrate an animated online pet that can be individually styled and customized. Guests choose from a number of different animals, each with its own collection of animations and accessories.

— Photo Mashup – Combine photos of favorite Disney stars with hip stickers and cool gear to create personalized images for use on a computer desktop, phone, or inside a school locker.

— Music Slideshow – Guests create their own music videos using photos of Disney stars and a choice of songs from artists such as Demi Lovato and the Jonas Brothers.

— Scrapbook – Create an online art portfolio to share with friends, filling it with creations from all of the Create activities — digital paintings, comic books, slideshows and more

The Mickey Mouse theme of the current Group Wall coincides with the launch of the new all things Mickey Mouse site at Disney.com/mickeymouse. Future Group Walls will feature other popular Disney characters and stars.

Ask a Disney Question: Paying for Tips on the Disney Dining Plan.

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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July 8, 2010

Ask a Disney Question: Paying for Tips on the Disney Dining Plan.

This question comes from Jansen, who asks: “We have used the Disney Dining Plan before but always wrote in a tip according to what they suggested on the receipts. Can you use cash or a charged debit card instead of charging it to your room key?”

Jansen, thanks for reading the site and for your question. This is no problem at all. You can use cash or a credit card to pay for tips and other items you order that are not on the dining plan. Many people don’t use their room keys for whatever reason so Disney is used to people paying this way. Personally, I find that if I use the room key it can quickly get out of control, so I don’t tend not to use it.

Good luck and I hope this helps!

Have a Disney question? We have answers! Write us at Chip and Co. We answer every question.

Via Napoli Opens Next Month at Epcot – Menu First Look

By

Chip

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July 8, 2010

First look at the Via Napoli menu thanks to Pam Brandon at the Disney Parks Blog. As an added bonus the Pizzeria will be opening next month ahead of schedule!

Pastas, wood-fired pizzas, scoops of sweet gelato – here’s a first look at the menu for the new Via Napoli Ristorante e Pizzeria at the Epcot Italy Pavilion. Opening next month the 300-seat restaurant expands dining choices (our favorite Tutto Italia stays). Created by the Patina Restaurant Group’s CEO Nick Valenti, the menu is based on his travels in Southern Italy and his time developing and overseeing the successful Naples 45 Ristorante e Pizzeria in New York. Valenti spent time in Naples studying the art of dough, crust, sauce and oven temperatures at the famous pizzerias Da Michele and Trianon. A feature at Via Napoli is its wood-burning ovens, cleverly named after the three active volcanoes in Italy – Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius and Stromboli.

Appetizers: Sicilian eggplant with olives and raisins; salad of lettuce, fagiolini (string beans), fennel and tomatoes; arancini (fried saffron risotto balls) with meat ragù, mozzarella and pomodoro sauce; corn-crusted fried calamari; and minestrone with basil pesto. Or share a plate of arancini, mozzarella, calamari, portobella mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini and carciofi (artichokes).

Main course salads: Manzo (filet of beef) with greens, red onion, gorgonzola, apple and cucumber with a red wine-mustard vinaigrette; chopped salad with lemon chicken, greens, cantaloupe, cucumber, red pepper, green beans, onions, almonds and pasta crisps with honey-citrus vinaigrette; calamari with arugula, carrots and fennel with orange vinaigrette.

Pastas: candele (long, tube-shaped pasta) with sausage ragù; linguine with seafood; malfadine (ribbon pasta) with guanciale (unsmoked Italian bacon) and pomodoro sauce; lasagna verde.

Piatti alla Parmigiana: (dishes topped with Parmesan and mozzarella gratinée): veal, chicken and eggplant.

Wood-fired pizzas: made with caputo flour imported from Southern Italy, San Marzano tomatoes, handmade mozzarella and water from a local spring just like in Italy’s Campania region – 10-inch, 20-inch or 1/2 meter to share: a dozen choices, from a simple pizza Margherita with tomato, mozzarella and basil to carciofi with artichoke, potato, pecorino cheese, prosciutto and cantaloupe.

Sweets: tiramisù, zeppole di ricotta (ricotta cheese-fried dough, whipped cream and chocolate sauce); apple cake with almond sorbetti; gelatie; and vanilla gelato with almond cookies and amarena cherries.

You could win $10,000 toward your life goal

By

Chip

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July 8, 2010

Is there an area of your life you’d like to change?

GetHatched is giving one lucky winner $10,000 to make that change. You could earn your degree, travel the world, or become the next great chef.

Click the picture above for more information and to enter.