Disney Sponsored Conference Celebrates Innovators of Tomorrow

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October 13, 2010

Encouraging some of the brightest students in the nation to pursue their passion, The Great Minds in STEM conference recently hosted at Walt Disney World Resort celebrated careers in science, technology, engineering and math. Nearly 4,000 top executives, cutting-edge professionals and high school and college students converged to discuss the skills required for innovation and explore how those skills can be put to work in exciting professions.

The Great Minds in STEM conference is one of the nation’s premier venues for the recruitment and recognition of top Hispanic STEM talent.

“It is so encouraging to have these young people learn about pursuing a career in STEM while visiting Walt Disney World,” said Betty Martinez-Lowery, manager of minority business development for Walt Disney World Resort. “It is a challenge to recruit young people in minority communities for careers in math and science so these young minds at the conference really are role models. To see them here at the Great Minds in STEM conference and interacting with the minority professionals who blazed a trail for them is truly inspiring.”

The Walt Disney Company Diversity Programs and Walt Disney World Minority Business Development have jointly sponsored The Great Minds in STEM conference since 2004. This is the first year Walt Disney World Resort has hosted the annual conference.

Other highlights of this year’s Great Minds in STEM conference included:

ANNUAL COLLEGE BOWL COMPETITION – Students and professionals were presented with actual math and science dilemmas to solve and were judged based on their creativity and teamwork skills. The U.S. Department of Defense-coached team won this year’s event, narrowly defeating the Walt Disney World Resort-coached team who earned the 2009 title. ·
OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT – WITH DISNEY MAGIC! – Walt Disney engineers presented a seminar to teach professionals and students alike how math and engineering skills help create magic at Disney Parks, from the first spark of an idea to the construction of iconic attractions. Industrial Engineers at Walt Disney World Resort also taught a session on how they take manufacturing efficiency principles and help Disney Parks around the world deliver top-notch guest service.

The Great Minds in STEM conference will return to Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort in 2011 and 2012.

To learn more about Great Minds in STEM, visit www.greatmindsinstem.org.

Adults and Kids get Pampered at the Spa at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort

By

Chip

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October 13, 2010

Youngsters can get pampered at the Spa at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort with a selection of tween services such as the Clean Tween Facial or Ice Cream pedicure. Kids must be accompanied by an adult during all spa services and must be four to 12 years old. The new spa uses organic products and is located at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort in Vero Beach, Fla.

Hot stones applied to the body help release tension and aid in muscle relaxation at the Spa at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort. Guests can enjoy true serenity and relaxation with a variety of offered treatments – from hydrating facials to therapeutic massages. The new spa uses organic products and is located at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort in Vero Beach, Fla.

The Spa at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort offers a balanced selection of pampering therapies including the Vichy Shower Treatment. This relaxing and unique process uses water massage for a therapeutic spa experience. Several variations of the Vichy Shower are on the menu designed to energize, exfoliate and hydrate. The new spa is located at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort in Vero Beach, Fla.

Matt Stroshane, photographer

2010 Epcot Food and Wine Festival – A Quick Look

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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October 13, 2010

Walt Disney World’s Epcot resort offers many unique experiences to understand the world we live in. There are many activities that occur daily that immerse you into different cultures. The fall season gives us an even more hands on experience in what the different lands have to offer. During the months of October- November, Epcot provokes the senses with the Food and Wine Festival. Taste delectable offering of foods native to the different lands and also partake in wines from all over the world.

The festival has 27 marketplaces in which to try ethnic foods. Foods from Italy, New Zealand, Argentina, China, Ireland, and more! You can use your snack option on the Disney Dining Plan to purchase most food items offered. Guests can attend low priced or free seminars and demonstrations which include tastings of the cuisines. To attend signature or special events call 407-WDW-Fest (939-3378).

There are other special events that you can purchase separately. On select Thursday and Friday nights you can attend the “3D” Disney Desserts Discovery. The price is $45 a person. You get to sample different desserts then get a V.I.P viewing of Illuminations. There are tequila tastings, food and wine pairings, cheese seminars, food showcases, and dessert seminars. These will broaden your culinary horizons and allow you to enhance your taste buds and maybe bring the chef out in you.

Along with culinary treasures, Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival also has great music. The Eat to the Beat Concert series includes acts such Boys II Men, Jon Secada, Taylor Dane, Sugar Ray, Hanson, and more. These concerts occur at 5:15, 6:30, and 7:45 daily at the USA Pavilion.

Many different ales, beers, wines, and cocktails are offered. You can stop and have a Conga Fruit Punch in Mexico, Chopin Strawberry Balsamic Chiller from Poland, Bacardi Frozen Limón Mojito from Puerto Rico. There really are many opportunities to try different drink and food combinations.

Here are some of the foods offered:

Roasted Corn and Cheese Empanada- Argentina

Shrimp Stew with Coconut and Lime- Brazil

Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup- Canada

Crème Brulée au Chocolate au Lait – France

Bison Chili with Wild Mushrooms, Cabernet, and Pepper Jack Cheese- USA

Angelica Hawkins
Feel Free to Contact me if you have any Food and Wine Disney Questions.

www.pixievacations.com

(812)604-1618

[email protected]

Woman arrested after allegedly breaking into guests’ cars at Disney’s Orchid Island Resort

By

Chip

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October 13, 2010

This article comes to us from the TC Palm.

An Indialantic woman was taken into custody after two guests at Disney’s Orchid Island resort reported she had broken into their cars, according to the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.

Tracy Sue Malloris, 42, was found inside one of the cars by a guest and wearing a sweatshirt and boots belonging to the vehicle owner about 9 a.m. Monday, her affidavit states. Malloris initially insisted the woman had the wrong car, the affidavit states. Resort security asked Malloris to stand by while they contacted deputies.

The Sheriff’s Office said Malloris had tax paperwork which she had taken from another car parked at the resort.

Staff at Disney said Malloris checked in Sunday under some other person’s reservation, but that person had not arrived at the resort.

Malloris remained at the Indian River County Jail Tuesday in lieu of $15,000 bail.

Source and Photo tcpalm.com

Disney’s TANGLED: Meet Rapunzel and Flynn Ryder!

By

Chip

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October 12, 2010

RAPUNZEL may have lived her entire life locked inside a hidden tower, but Rapunzel is no damsel in distress. The girl with the 70 feet of golden hair is an energetic, inquisitive teenager who fills her days with art, books, and imagination. Rapunzel is full of curiosity about the outside world, and she can’t help but feel that her true destiny lies outside of the lonely tower walls. Rapunzel has always obeyed Mother Gothel by staying hidden away and keeping her magical hair a secret… but with her 18^th birthday just a day away, she is fed up with her sheltered life and ready for adventure. When a charming thief seeks refuge in her tower, Rapunzel defies Gothel and seizes the opportunity to answer the call of the kingdom. With the unwilling Flynn Rider along for the journey, Rapunzel leaves the tower for the first time, and begins a hilarious, hair-raising journey that will untangle many secrets along the way.

FLYNN RIDER: The ultra-confident FLYNN RIDER is his own biggest fan, and he has long relied on his wit, charm and good looks to get out of even the stickiest situation – and Flynn’s life just happens to be full of sticky situations. Flynn is a thief looking for the one last, big score that will allow him to finally live the life he’s always dreamed of. He’s never been closer to having it all when he meets Rapunzel, an odd girl with ridiculously long hair. Rapunzel seems to be the only girl in the world immune to Flynn’s moves, and for the first time ever he seems to have met his match. An unlikely alliance with this girl from the tower sends Flynn on the adventure of a lifetime, and helps him realize that sometimes you don’t know what you want… until it hits you over the head… literally.

Like TANGLED on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/DisneyTangled.

ABC Family: Spring Premiere Date For PRETTY LITTLE LIARS and GREEK

By

Chip

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October 12, 2010

ABC Family will ring in the New Year with returning original hit series “Pretty Little Liars” and the fourth season of the network’s critically-adored series “Greek,” both premiering on Monday, January 3, 2011, at 8:00PM and 9:00PM, respectively.

The mystery and ominous messages continue for best friends Emily Fields, Spencer Hastings, Hanna Marin and Aria Montgomery in the mid-season return of ABC Family’s hit series “Pretty Little Liars.” No longer just threatening to reveal secrets, the all-knowing “A” has stepped up the game and nothing is off limits in the second half of the first season. And while they work hard to protect what they know, the four girls are also on the hunt to learn the truth about what happened to Alison the night she disappeared. But when those truths start to come out, will the Liars be prepared for what they must face when new secrets are revealed? “Pretty Little Liars” returns with all-new episodes on Monday, January 3, 8:00PM–9:00PM ET/PT.

As “Greek” heads into its fourth season, the storylines turn to the post-graduation experience for Casey, Ashleigh and Evan, while the undergrads must continue to deal with life on campus. The new season promises surprise pairings with new rivals, unexpected allies, as well as unpredictable romances. Viewers will see the characters taken in new directions, including some unanticipated turns, and die-hard fans of the college series will be treated to throw-back references from past seasons. Throughout the season, fans will also see the return of featured guest stars including Charisma Carpenter, Sam Page, Martha MacIsaac, Nora Kirkpatrick and Tiffany Dupont, who returns as Frannie. “Greek” will return with all-new episodes on Monday, January 3, 9:00PM– 10:00PM ET/PT.

Also, fan favorites “The Secret Life of the American Teenager” and “Make It or Break It” will both return with all-new original episodes in early Spring 2011.

Breakout hit “Pretty Little Liars” was Summer’s No. 1 scripted cable series in Viewers 12-34 (2.2 million/2.4 rating) and Females 12-34 (1.9 million/4.2 rating), and cable’s No. 2 scripted show across among Women 18-34 (960,000/2.8 rating), behind only “The Secret Life of the American Teenager.” Impressively, “Pretty Little Liars” stood as Summer’s No. 1 new scripted cable series in Women 18-34, Viewers 12-34 and Females 12-34, and recently took home three Teen Choice Awards for Choice Summer TV Show, Ian Harding won for Choice Summer TV Star Male and Lucy Hale won for Choice Summer TV Star Female.

Fantasmic! Disney Dining Package

By

Chip

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October 12, 2010

The Fantasmic! Dining Package combines dinner at one of 3 restaurants in Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park with designated seating for the Fantasmic! fireworks show.

The Fantasmic! Dining Package gives you an unforgettable dining and entertainment experience. With the convenience of choosing lunch or dinner at The Hollywood Brown Derby or Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano, or dinner at Hollywood & Vine in Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park, you’ll also enjoy designated seating for the Fantasmic! fireworks show.

With 3 restaurants to choose from, you can decide between buffet service, casual dining or fine dining. After your meal, be dazzled by the dramatic spectacular, Fantasmic! Follow Mickey Mouse into a dream world as he and his friends battle Disney Villains in an action-packed conflict of good versus evil. Fantasmic! is performed on select nights only and runs approximately 30 minutes.

Reserve a table at one of these 3 restaurants in Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park:

The Hollywood Brown Derby (lunch or dinner)
Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano (lunch or dinner)
Hollywood & Vine (dinner packages only)

The Fanstasmic! Dining Package is available on all days when there is a Fantasmic! show scheduled. On days when there are multiple showtimes, the Dining Package priority seating is available for the first showtime only.

Make reservations by calling (407) WDW-DINE or (407) 939-3463 up to 180 days in advance. Guests under age 18 must have parent or guardian permission to call.

Enjoy the Show!

Pick up your VIP voucher for Fantasmic! at the end of your meal. Please plan on arriving at Hollywood Hills Amphitheater 30-45 minutes prior to showtime. The entrance for Dining Package seating at Fantasmic! is located on Sunset Boulevard next to Beauty and the Beast – Live on Stage.

Be sure to check the Times Guide at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park for schedule and show times.

D23’s “Disney and Dickens” Celebration

By

Chip

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October 12, 2010

Hot cider, classic holiday animation, a sumptuous dinner at one of Walt’s favorite restaurants and a chance to see one of the most exclusive spots on the Walt Disney Studios Lot. What better way to celebrate the splendor of the season? Check in opens early at 4:00 p.m. at the Studio Lot in Burbank to allow for some holiday shopping time in the Disney and Employee stores. Then guests will be escorted to Legends Plaza, where they can enjoy hot cider and sweets in this Disney landmark that honors the talented men and women who have made significant contributions to the Disney legacy.

Then it’s off for a tour of the original Animation Building to see where some of Disney’s most beloved classics were created, before settling into Walt’s own intimate screening room — a location rarely seen by the general public — to enjoy classic holiday animated shorts, including Pluto’s Christmas Tree and Mickey’s Christmas Carol.

Following this very special screening, guests will head over for a holiday feast at the classic Los Angeles eatery the Tam O’Shanter, in the city’s Los Feliz area.

The Tam O’Shanter was a favorite restaurant for Walt Disney and his animators, and was often referred to as the Studio Commissary when Walt’s fledgling company was located in the neighborhood. From the moment you pull up to this quaint, cottage-like establishment, you will be transported to another time and place. Decked out in its holiday finest, the Tam is a cozy, traditional Scottish restaurant. As you dine with your fellow D23 Members and their guests, you’ll have the opportunity to see Walt’s table, take a look at the wonderful artwork created by Disney animators for the Tam and be entertained by Dickens Carolers.

Oh, and don’t forget that Christmas is a time of giving, and your friends at D23 would never let you leave without a special holiday gift to commemorate the evening!

Event Information

DATE
Wednesday, December 8, 2010

LOCATION
Walt Disney Studios Lot and
Tam O’Shanter Restaurant

TICKETS
Available Thursday, October 21, 2010 at 10 a.m. PST. Check back here for ticket link.

COST
$175 per person.

SCHEDULE
Check In begins at 4:00 p.m.
at the Walt Disney Studios Lot
in Burbank, Calif.; Event begins at 5:15 p.m.

Source and Photo d23.com

30 Magical Years of Disney On Ice

By

Chip

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October 12, 2010

Spirited princes and princesses dance across the rink as though they’re lighter than air. And for a few hours in their local ice arena, audiences get lost in a world of imaginative special effects where finned friends from Finding Nemo turn a glassy surface into a bubbling undersea wonderland, Mickey and Minnie Mouse shine against a sparkling pyrotechnics backdrop and Lightning McQueen makes a slick track out of a freshly glazed-over, frozen surface. At every dazzling performance, Disney On Ice puts families around the world face to face with Disney’s cast of beloved characters. Now, Disney Theatrical Group (DTG) and Feld Entertainment celebrate 30 spectacular years of bringing the many worlds of Disney magically alive in ice arenas all around the world.

In Tokyo, Istanbul and hundreds of cities in between, the on-the-road team transforms the arenas into storybook worlds. And with eight unique shows currently on tour, there’s no sign of the Disney On Ice global phenomenon melting anytime soon. Disney On Ice combines DTG’s brilliant film adaptations and Feld Entertainment’s heart-pounding energy and effects to create non-stop entertainment like you’ve never seen before. “In many instances, the first live show that many kids see is a Disney On Ice production,” Kenneth Feld, chairman and CEO, Feld Entertainment, says. “It’s important that we leave a positive and lasting impression on them and create heroes out of parents.” Disney and Feld have truly created an unmatched genre of live entertainment.

From Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to High School Musical, Disney On Ice has paid homage to Disney’s beloved film canon. They’ve made Disney live entertainment a global pastime, bringing it to 83 countries with 31 productions and more than 47,000 performances. But when the first Disney On Ice show opened in 1981, Kenneth admits no one knew what to expect. “No one had ever taken so many Disney characters on the road before,” he recalls. World On Ice, the first production, introduced audiences to a new chapter in Disney character storytelling — combining the stories of Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, The Three Caballeros, Zorro and others. “It’s storytelling through sensory overload,” Kenneth says. “The ice allows us to move characters around quickly and it creates emotion through the movement.” Currently, Mickey and Minnie’s Magical Journey, an evolved form of that first show and their longest running production, has been on tour for 16 years.

Click here to keep reading

Disney’s Riverside Mill Restaurant’s Create-Your-Own-Pasta Bar

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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October 12, 2010

What’s not to love – Disney and pasta? They had me at Hello!

If you are staying at the Port Orleans Riverside resort, you are just a stone’s throw away from a little hidden treasure that is under $11 and entirely free when using a quick service dining credit with the free dining offer.

The Create-Your-Own-Pasta Bar is offered daily from 11:00 a.m. to midnight. In June 2009 we drove for 17 hours straight and arrived at the resort at 8:30 p.m. We were all starving, so we decided to check in and then go on over to the food court to eat dinner. We arrived at the Riverside Mill, I grabbed a tray, looked around at the signs that listed the available entrees, saw the word “pasta” and I was all over it. The cast member pulled out a bowl-shaped container and asked me what all I wanted in my pasta. I asked what I could have and she pointed to the extensive list of ingredients from which to choose:

Pasta: fettuccine, spaghetti, or penne

Sauce: alfredo, marinara, or pesto

Meat: chicken or shrimp

Toppings: artichoke hearts, broccoli, Cremini mushrooms, Kalamata olives, parmesan cheese, green peas, pine nuts, prosciutto, roasted red peppers, spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, and yellow onions.

You can choose as little or as much as you want. What did I have? Let’s just say that this was an Italian feast made for me and leave it at that.

While I was looking at the bowl, it didn’t look like there was much in it but when she handed it to me I almost dropped it because it was so heavy. My husband came up to me and asked me what I got. I looked at him with big eyes and pointed to the lady. Knowing that I am a true connoisseur of great cuisine, he walked straight over and ordered the same thing. I knew I married this man for his innate brilliance.

If you fancy some delicious pasta during your trip, the Create-Your-Own Pasta bar at the Riverside Mill is to die for!

TRON Tuesday // 10 Weeks Left // Daft Punk First Look

By

Chip

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October 12, 2010

The official kickoff of “TRON Tuesdays”, the 10-week global countdown to the release of TRON: Legacy has begun!

We are pleased to release the official first look image of Daft Punk against the visually stunning backdrop of the “TRON: Legacy” digital grid [see image below].

Additionally, fans can listen to 90 seconds of the track “The Game Has Changed” from the original motion picture soundtrack on the official TRON Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/TRON or http://www.facebook.com/Tron?v=app_154470761259443&ref=ts

Don’t forget that tickets will be available beginning 10am/PT for “TRON Night: An IMAX 3D Experience” giving audiences worldwide the first opportunity to see a 20-plus-minute sneak peek of TRON: Legacy for free on October 28^th. For free tickets and more information, visit http://www.facebook.com/TRON.

INFORMATION ON DAFT PUNK:

The highly anticipated original motion picture score for TRON: Legacy, composed and produced by the iconic and critically acclaimed Grammy® Award-winning French duo Daft Punk, will be released by Walt Disney Records on Tuesday, December 7 2010. Presented in Disney Digital 3D™, Walt Disney Pictures’ “TRON: Legacy” hits U.S. theaters on December 17, 2010, in Disney Digital 3D™ and IMAX® 3D.

Having grown up with admiration of Disney’s groundbreaking original 1982 film “TRON,” Daft Punk took on the scoring of the next chapter of the story with extraordinary thought and precision. The duo assembled a symphony of one hundred world class musicians in London and recorded the orchestra at AIR Lyndhurst Studios, Britain’s premier scoring facility. From Daft Punk’s first single release in 1993, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter were hailed as a new breed of electronic music innovators. Following their seminal debut in 1997 (Homework), the band went on to release two more studio albums (Discovery-2001, Human After All-2005) and two live albums (Alive 1997, Alive 2007), winning them both critical and popular acclaim throughout the world. Daft Punk are known as much for their music and technical innovation as their groundbreaking and elaborate visual universe, which centers around their irrepressible and mysterious Robot personas. In 2006, their directorial art house film debut, “Daft Punk’s Electroma,” premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and in 2007 they toured internationally with a jaw-dropping live show that was an awe-inspiring combination of their musical and visual prowess. Their collaboration with Kanye West on his #1 hit single “Stronger” was hailed as “The Song of the Year” by SPIN Magazine (January 2008 issue), which also saw Daft sharing the cover with Kanye, having been awarded “Tour of the Year” by the magazine. Daft Punk performed with West on the Grammy Awards in 2008, marking the mercurial duo’s first and only television appearance anywhere in the world. “TRON: Legacy” will mark Daft Punk’s first film score.

TRON: Legacy hits theaters everywhere in Disney Digital 3D and IMAX 3D on December 17^th, 2010.

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Disney pulls two Miramax films from release due to pending sale

By

Chip

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October 12, 2010

This article comes to us from LA Times.

Walt Disney Studios has told the producers of its Miramax movies “The Debt” and “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark” that it won’t be releasing the films because of the pending sale of the specialty division.

The two pictures are being sold to newly created Filmyard Holdings, whose partners include Ron Tutor and private equity fund Colony Capital, as part of its $660-million acquisition of Miramax Films, expected to close by the end of the year.

Disney had originally planned to release “The Debt,” a thriller about a Nazi war criminal directed by “Shakespeare in Love’s” John Madden, on Dec. 29 and “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark,” a horror film produced by “Pan’s Labyrinth” director Guillermo del Toro, on Jan. 21. The studio had already started early advertising for the pictures, including a well-received trailer for “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.” Disney took “The Debt,” which stars “Avatar’s” Sam Worthington and “The Queen’s” Oscar-winning Helen Mirren, to September’s Toronto International Film Festival.

Del Toro said he was devastated by the news.

“It’s been 13 years trying to make this movie, and we finally make it,” he said of the movie about an estate whose basement is inhabited by devilish creatures. “It’s quite shocking. I am trying to see the silver lining in this.”

Added producer Mark Johnson, who was informed of Disney’s decision by the studio’s production President Sean Bailey today: “We were primed to come out. It’s pretty disastrous.”

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