D23’s Aloha Aulani Reception at the Disneyland Resort

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June 12, 2010

Join us as we celebrate Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas, Ko Olina, Hawai ʻi! Our friends at Disney Vacation Club are throwing a party just for D23 Members where guests will have a chance to get a peek at this lush new resort, which opens in 2011. Enjoy Hawaiian refreshments, groove to a live deejay and grab a photo with a Disney character! Guests will also be able to check out D23’s “Disney’s Hawaiian History” exhibit, which photographically explore Disney’s long connection with this tropical paradise.

You will have the opportunity to chat with the D23 team and mingle with your fellow D23 “Ohana” (family, of course!). Disney Vacation Club Cast Members will be on-hand to answer questions about this new Hawaiian Resort — and other properties — and if you’re interested, you can sign up to attend a session that week to learn more about Aulani and Disney Vacation Club.

All guests who attend will also receive a D23/Disney Vacation Club gift to commemorate the occasion! Mahalo!

DATE
Wednesday, June 30, 2010

LOCATION
North Ballroom, Disneyland Hotel
Anaheim, California

TICKETS
Available June 23 at 10 a.m. Check back here for ticket link.

COST
Free (please note there will be a $5 ticket processing fee).

SCHEDULE
7 – 9 p.m.

Click here to learn more.

NOTE: Available only to D23 Members in good standing. Members may reserve a ticket for themselves and two (2) guests. There are a limited number of tickets available. Disney Vacation Club will not be soliciting timeshare opportunities at this event; guests will be able to sign up to attend a session to learn more about the Aulani resort and the Disney Vacation Club. D23 Members will be required to provide their membership number when reserving tickets. Tickets may be picked up only with a valid photo ID AND D23 MEMBERSHIP CARD. D23 Members who do not bring their membership card may not be admitted to the event. Ticketed Members who do not attend the event forfeit their place as well as all experiences, benefits, and gifts associated with the event. All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice. There are no cancelations or refunds, tickets are not transferrable.

Disney is said to be closing most of its ESPN Zone restaurants

By

Chip

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June 12, 2010

Still in the news, this article was from earlier this week in case you missed it:

Walt Disney Co. is shutting down most of its ESPN Zone stores, a chain of sports-themed restaurants in seven cities, according to a person familiar with the matter. The only outlets to remain open are those tied to a Disney property, such as the Downtown Disney shopping district in Anaheim.

ESPN Zone opened in 1998 to capitalize on ESPN’s brand, while bringing Disney’s family-friendly atmosphere to the sports bar concept. The upscale eateries serve burgers and brews as walls of big-screen TVs beam baseball and other sporting events into the dining area. Separate gaming rooms, dubbed “Sports Arenas,” provide access to interactive games, such as virtual golf and boxing.

It’s unclear what has prompted Disney to close the establishments, although the bars may well be a casualty of the recession. A poll released in March by AlixPartners found that 30% of consumers planned to eat out less frequently, and spend less per meal than they did the year before.

In addition, some of the ESPN Zone restaurants are in high-priced real estate areas, such as Times Square in New York.

Click here to keep reading.

Coming to Disneyland: The Little Mermaid – Ariel’s Undersea Adventure

By

Chip

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June 12, 2010

Here is one of the models from the “Under the Sea” scene for the new attraction. The Little Mermaid attraction, set to debut in 2011, will give new meaning to the phrase “immersive Disney attraction” by taking guests “under the sea” to experience magnificent scenes and magical songs from the popular motion picture.

Click here for more information on the Disneyland Expansion

Disney Pic of the Day – Route 66 in Carsland

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Chip

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June 12, 2010

Here is an artist rendering that shows guests walking down Route 66, the main street of Cars Land.

Bonus here is a photo of a ride vehicle from Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree.

Source Disney Parks Blog

The Little Mermaid voice Jodi Benson sings at the Disneyland Resort

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Chip

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June 12, 2010

Voice of Ariel, The Little Mermaid herself, Jodi Benson sang “Part of Your World” and “Under the Sea” (joined by other singers and dancers) at the Disneyland Resort during the special “What’s Next?” presentation on June 11, 2010.

See more from this presentation at http://www.InsideTheMagic.net

Try new dart game in Disney World’s Toy Story Mania! ride

By

Chip

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June 12, 2010

This article comes to us from Kristin Ford over at The Daily Disney:

After much anticipation — and a lot of overnight work so the attraction wouldn’t have to close — two-year-old Toy Story Mania! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios has been updated. At the end of last month, one of the five carnival-style games was changed to coincide with the upcoming release of Toy Story 3.

“Bo Peep’s Baaa-loon Pop” was replaced with “Rex & Trixie’s Dino Darts.” The new game is set against the backdrop of an active volcano with roaming dinosaurs, but the object still is to pop various balloons. Guests feel a slight spray and gust of wind as they shoot the balloons. If a player pops all four narrow lava balloons (worth 500 points) at the top of the screen, round balloons pour out of the volcano as a bonus.

Players are cheered on by Rex, the nervous Tyrannosaurus rex, and his new friend Trixie, a blue Triceratops from Toy Story 3.

Disney Imagineer Sue Bryan has said, “We really like using darts to pop balloons. It’s very much a classic carnival game, so we wanted to keep that paradigm.”

When we rode Toy Story Mania! recently, we found that “Rex & Trixie’s Dino Darts” blended seamlessly with the other games, but that doesn’t mean the changes weren’t noticed by repeat riders. I overheard guests in line discussing the balloon-drop bonus in the game. Kids, of course, picked up on the new Toy Story 3 character and more prominent Rex.

Because of its popularity, the wait for Toy Story Mania! regularly reaches 60 to 90 minutes. Your best bet is to head to the attraction first thing in the morning when wait times are closer to 30 minutes. While you’re there, grab a FastPass for later in the day because the tickets usually are snapped up before noon.

Marvel characters have a future in Disney parks

By

Chip

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June 12, 2010

This article comes to us from Geoff Boucher at the LA Times:

How long before we see a “Spider-Man’s Friendly Neighborhood” or “Asgard’s Hall of Heroes” at a Disney theme park?

I put that question to Bob Iger, president and CEO of Walt Disney Co., on Thursday at the blue-carpet event at the premiere of “Disney’s World of Color” at Disney’s California Adventure, the Anaheim theme park that has struggled to find a strong identity since opening in 2001. Iger, whose company took over Marvel in a $4 billion deal January, seemed to chew on the question a bit, but in the end, he stayed safely vague in his response.

“We’re just now considering all of our different options, so it would be premature to say when or where in the parks you would see Marvel characters — but I think it’s safe to say that you’re going to see some of those great Marvel characters walking around in the future.”

Source

Disney hotel workers walk off jobs in protest

By

Chip

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June 12, 2010

Dozens of Disneyland hotel workers have walked off their jobs as the resort premieres its multimillion dollar World of Color attraction.

Members of the union Unite Here walked out of the Disneyland, Grand Californian and Paradise Pier hotels on Friday to picket and block traffic along the street that leads into the amusement park.

Disney spokeswoman Suzi Brown calls it another publicity stunt.

A contract dispute between Disney and hotel workers has lasted two years, with employees staging periodic protests.

The World of Color, a water spectacle at the California Adventure theme park, was expected to draw extra crowds to the park Friday.

Kids Sail Free on Select Disney Mexican Riviera Cruises

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Chip

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June 12, 2010

Great news! From Jan. 23 — March 20, 2011, kids age 17 and under sail FREE* when traveling with two full-fare Guests in the same stateroom on select 7-night Mexican Riviera cruises from Los Angeles!

You can enjoy the beauty of the Baja California and Mexican coasts on a voyage filled with unmatched Disney entertainment, legendary service and magic made for everyone of every age.

Bookings are open now through July 31, 2010, to book this special offer, contact the wonderful people at Pixie Vacations.

www.PixieVacations.com
Phone: 678-815-1584
Email: [email protected]

Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue Video Game

By

Chip

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June 11, 2010

Disney Interactive Studios today announced that Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue is in development for Nintendo DS(TM). The game will further immerse players into the Disney Fairies franchise with new online connectivity features linked to the Disney Fairies Pixie Hollow (www.PixieHollow.com) virtual world from Disney Online.

“Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue takes players outside of Pixie Hollow for the first time in this exciting franchise,” said Craig Relyea, senior vice president of global marketing, Disney Interactive Studios. “Fans will be able to experience the excitement of Summer on the Mainland and team up with fairy friends in this all new action-adventure.”

Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue, expands on the forthcoming movie in which Tinker Bell meets Lizzy, a little girl with a steadfast belief in the magic of fairies. Determined to mend the girl’s relationship with her distant father, Tink stays with her new human friend — risking her own safety and the future of fairykind.

In the game, players fly into Fairy camp to help bring summer to the English Countryside. It’s up to the player to team up with their fairy friends and complete 6 action-levels throughout the English Countryside to find and grow the rare Rainbow Lily in time for the End-of-Summer celebration. Using different fairy skills and talents, fans will partake in a variety of quests, solve puzzles, participate in arts and crafts and complete over 25 mini-games, including baking and cookie decorating.

Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue offers exciting new interconnectivity with the Pixie Hollow virtual world. Players can either create and customize a fairy avatar in the DS game with over 260 items and send it to the virtual world, or they can create a fairy avatar in the virtual world and send it to the English Countryside in their DS game. They will also be able to upload items and even send postcards from Fairy camp to friends on PixieHollow.com.

Also included in Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue is DGamer, the online community exclusive to Disney gamers on Nintendo DS, allowing players to connect with others and unlock additional items in their DS game.

Disney Fairies: Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue will be available this September for Nintendo DS.

Walt Disney World Quick Bites – Fantasmic Lunches, ESPN Grill, and more

By

Chip

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June 11, 2010

Here is our weekly Quick Bites Column from the Disney Parks Blog!

More World Cup . . . Raglan Road at Downtown Disney will open at 10 a.m. during the month of June to show the World Cup Soccer games with two 50-inch TV screens. They’ll serve a full Irish breakfast all day and offer happy hour drinks and food specials. We reported earlier than you can catch the matches at ESPN Club at Disney’s BoardWalk and ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill beginning June 11. ESPN Club will start serving at 10:30 a.m. for all early soccer game days June 11-29 and July 2 and 3. ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill will be offering a limited breakfast menu for the 7 a.m. game and lunch for the 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. games. Then, from June 26-July 10, ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill will offer a buffet with guaranteed seating to view the game. And on July 11, they’ll create a special viewing area. For reservations, call WDW-DINE beginning May 27.

Caramel Kitchen to open late September . . . the official name is Karamelle-Küche, German for “caramel kitchen,” and the new shop in the Germany pavilion at Epcot is themed like an Old World German caramel shop. A show kitchen will feature cast members making fresh caramel popcorn, caramel apples, caramel-covered strawberries and marshmallows. Werther’s Original candy will be on the shelves, and the shop also will include gourmet caramels, cookies, brownies, fudge and cupcakes. It’s the only free-standing retail location in the world for Storck, makers of Werther’s Original Caramels, and you’ll find some goodies on the shelves that you can’t find anywhere else. The shop replaces the Glas und Porzellan shop.

Fantasmic! lunch . . . The Fantasmic! dining packages now are available during lunch at The Hollywood Brown Derby and Mama Melrose’s Ristorante Italiano. Just like the dinner packages, the lunch packages can be booked on all dates when Fantasmic! is scheduled and allow guests to arrive 30-45 minutes prior to the show time and enjoy designated seating. When there are two performances on the same night, the package is valid for the first performance only. Make reservations by calling (407) WDW-DINE or (407) 939-3463 up to 180 days in advance. Pick up your VIP voucher for Fantasmic! at the end of the meal.

Cordial cart . . . A beautiful wood cordial cart is now offering tableside after-dinner drinks at Artist Point at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge – the only Walt Disney World restaurant to feature the rolling libations. All sort of brandies and scotches are offered, but we were impressed to see the crème de la crème: Rémy Martin’s Louis the 13th cognac, officially registered as a brand in 1874. Sit back, sip and enjoy.

What’s New & What’s Next at Disneyland Resort for 2011 and beyond!

By

Chip

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June 11, 2010

“Summer Nightastic!” and the new production “World of Color” bring their special brand of excitement to the Disneyland Resort this summer. Plus, there’s even more Disney magic on the horizon.

SUMMER 2010 – ‘WORLD OF COLOR’ AND MORE: “World of Color,” the new nighttime spectacular presented in Disney California Adventure park, brings classic Disney and Disney•Pixar animation to life with more than a thousand powerful fountains, larger-than-life projections, lasers, fire, music and special effects. The show employs stunning technical wizardry to create a breathtaking emotional experience. It debuts June 11 as part of “Summer Nightastic!,” the dynamic lineup of summer entertainment that includes “Fantasmic!” with its breathtaking new dragon; “Magical” fireworks, starring both Tinker Bell and Dumbo in the air over Sleeping Beauty Castle; Tomorrowland Terrace TLT Dance Club and Pixie Hollow Enchantment, all taking place after dark at Disneyland park. “Summer Nightastic!” runs June 11 through Aug. 29, while “World of Color” will continue entertaining guests year-round in Paradise Bay.

In addition to “World of Color,” guests at Disney California Adventure park will enjoy the attraction Silly Symphony Swings, a Disney-flavored version of the classic swing ride themed to the tornado finale of the classic Mickey Mouse cartoon “The Band Concert.” Fans of the interactive Toy Story Mania! attraction on the Paradise Pier boardwalk will find a new game and some new characters to challenge their sharp-shooting skills. And nighttime visitors to the park will enjoy the colorful, exciting entertainment of “Glow Fest” through Aug. 22.

RAPUNZEL ARRIVES IN DISNEYLAND PARK THIS FALL: Rapunzel, the newest Disney princess and star of the upcoming animated feature “Tangled,” will begin greeting guests of all ages at a location in Fantasyland in October. The movie opens Nov. 16.

Looking ahead to 2011 ( and beyond) …

DISNEY CRUISE LINE MOVES TO SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: The Disney Wonder cruise ship will “go west” in early 2011. New West Coast itineraries for Disney Cruise Line will include, for the first time, Alaska cruises sailing from Vancouver. The Alaska cruises will combine the natural wonder and adventurous spirit of Alaska with the unparalleled guest experience provided by Disney Cruise Line. The Disney Wonder also is scheduled for cruises out of the Port of Los Angeles to the Mexican Riviera, before and after the summer Alaska cruises.

From Jan. 23 to March 20, 2011, Disney Cruise Line will make it easier to experience the West Coast cruise magic with a special “Kids Free” offer on seven-night cruises to the Mexican Riviera. Guests age 17 and younger can sail free aboard the Disney Wonder when accompanied by two full-fare paying guests occupying the same stateroom on seven-night voyages (government taxes and fees excluded).

‘THE ADVENTURES CONTINUE’ FOR THE JEDI IN ALL OF US: Bridging that “long time ago” between the two Star Wars trilogies, spectacular new Star Tours adventures in 3-D will debut in 2011 in Disneyland park, taking voyagers – for the first time – to Coruscant and other destinations in the Stars Wars galaxy. The power of the Force and the magic of Disney once again will combine for this immersive experience in Tomorrowland. Fans also will be able to enjoy this exciting adventure in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. Star Tours in Disneyland goes on hiatus beginning July 27, 2010, to prepare for the all-new journeys.

NEXT IN DISNEY CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE PARK – THE LITTLE MERMAID ~ ARIEL’S UNDERSEA ADVENTURE: Even more Disney magic is coming to Disney California Adventure park in 2011 with the premier of The Little Mermaid ~ Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, the next big milestone in the ongoing expansion of Disney California Adventure. The Little Mermaid attraction will give new meaning to the phrase “immersive Disney attraction,” taking guests “under the sea” to experience magnificent scenes and magical songs from the popular motion picture.

NEW ENHANCEMENTS TO THE DISNEYLAND HOTEL: Renovation will continue at the Disneyland Hotel, including a new pool and water play area, enhancements to the existing pool, a new restaurant and bar, and re-theming of the hotel’s three guest room towers. Three new themed suites will join the existing Mickey Mouse and Pirates suites.

SUMMER 2012 – HIT THE ROAD WITH MATER AND LIGHTNING MCQUEEN: The best of Disney California Adventure expansion may still be yet to come. The year 2012 will see the completion of the new front entryway greeting park guests: Buena Vista Street featuring the Carthay Circle Theatre and the vintage Southern California Red Car Trolleys. Also set for 2012 is the opening of Cars Land, a 12-acre expansion inspired by the Disney•Pixar blockbuster “Cars.” The land, modeled on the movie’s Radiator Springs setting, will feature three new attractions, including the E-ticket thrill ride Radiator Springs Racers – taking guests zooming through the Cars Land landscape. Other Cars Land attractions will include Luigi’s Flying Tires (striking a chord with anyone who remembers the Flying Saucers in Tomorrowland) and Mater’s Junkyard Jamboree, a tow-truck-themed attraction.

About the Disneyland Resort: The Disneyland Resort features two theme parks – Disneyland (the original Disney theme park) and Disney California Adventure park – plus the Downtown Disney District comprised of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences. The Resort’s three hotels are the luxurious, newly expanded 948-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, the magical 970-room Disneyland Hotel and the 481-room Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel with its “day-at-the-beach” fun. For information on new attractions and vacations at Disneyland Resort, visit www.disneyland.com, call 866/60-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.