Frolic your afternoons away on woodland adventures with Mr. Pricklepants! This charmin
lederhosen-wearing hedgehog is from the Waldfreunde collectionof premium imported plush toys. He may look prickly, but the plump and fuzzy Mr. Pricklepants is made strictly for cuddling! Hand wash and air dry. Restore fluffiness with fingers. Made in Germany.
One type of art form being considered for World of Color is paper animation. Local Glendale, California artist Megan Brain has created 3-dimentional paper sculptures of Disney characters that are turned into models or puppets with computer animation. The result is very fun and very unique when it is projected onto a giant water screen.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLoruGy_Z90[/youtube]
This article comes to us from Disney Park Blog:
“Steampunk is like imagining today’s world with a Victorian-era perspective,” explained Mike. “For example, let’s pretend people in the 19th Century created the technology we use today. What would it look like? I think of these larger than life, steam-powered contraptions with lots of gears and switches.”
Mike was first introduced to Steampunk at a major science-fiction convention. Following the event, he did extensive research on the internet (the same place where I first learned of Steampunk). Quickly, he discovered a whole fan community. Mike wondered how he could present our Disney characters in this alternate world.
“I created a story outline and several sketches to sell the idea of creating Steampunk-inspired merchandise,” continued Mike. “Honestly, it was a long process explaining the concept as many folks were unfamiliar with Steampunk. Thankfully, the Disney Pin Team loved the idea and created a pin set.”
This collection contains five limited edition pins that will be sold individually. There is also a journal written by Professor Ludwig Von Drake that introduces the Mechanical Kingdom story. The journal literally looks like a book complete with a cover and several pages. The final page contains all five individual pins and two “completer pins” – Mickey Mouse and Pirate Pete.
Click here for the complete story along with more SteamPunk Photos.
Do you like the idea of an extra hour for dining in the evening at Epcot? Give it a try from March 28 through April 10, and let us know what you think — you can book your “extra hour” table at Coral Reef Restaurant, Garden Grill or Le Cellier Steakhouse. Then get ready to relax and sip a post-prandial cocktail or linger over dessert while the Epcot crowds dwindle.
We recommend the decadent Chocolate Wave (with a little sparkling rosé) if you’re at Coral Reef Restaurant; an extra scoop of all-you-care-to-eat strawberry-rhubarb crisp with cream at Garden Grill or the Chocolate-on-Chocolate Whiskey Cake at Le Cellier. You’ll walk it off on the way to the car.
Source & Photo disneyparkblog.com
Dolly is a soft and sweet dress-up rag doll, and is the perfect gift for any young child! Her floppy body and sunny smile will make her an irresistible new member of your family. Dolly has purple hair, googly eyes and gently blushing cheeks. She comes with a pretty blue dress, but templates are included to create and sew your own outfits! Machine washable on gentle cycle
A Disney bus was involved in a crash with a second bus at a toll plaza at Epcot Center Tuesday afternoon.
Authorities said one of the buses rear-ended another at the entrance to park’s parking lot.Seven passengers aboard the Disney bus were transported to Florida Hospital-Celebration Health with non-life-threatening injuries, according to Florida Highway Patrol Sgt. Kim Montes.The driver of the Disney bus was transported to Orlando Regional Medical Center in serious condition, Montes said.
Motorists trying to reach Epcot are unable to enter the theme park’s parking lot because of the crash investigation, but the park is open. Passengers can reach the entrance by using Disney’s Monorail.
Source & Photo from WESH
**Update** – Click here to see updated photos from WFTV Channel 9.
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Be sure to check out our post of “Top 10 Disney World Desserts“
New York teenager Alicia Guastafarro said being portrayed as a pouting pageant princess on ABC’s Wife Swap destroyed her life, and wants the network and Disney to cough up $100 million to make up for it.
RadarOnline.com has learned that Guastafarro, 18, is suing the show and its’ parent companies, claiming she was subject to “incessant verbal and physical assaults from her peers” after her appearance on the program, which focuses on the culture clash that ensues when two random families swap mothers.
Guastafarro, an ex-beauty queen, said many of her scenes were scripted to paint her in a negative light, making her recite lines such as “I am the most popular girl in school,” and “I do feel sorry for people that are not gorgeous people.”
Guastafarro said she received so much “ridicule, mockery and derision” from her peers, she had to finish high school in a special program.
One of my favorite articles to read is Dateline Disneyland from MiceChat:
Spring break crowds have hit the Disneyland Resort and just in time Disney has opened up 2,500 new parking spots in the new Toy Story Parking Lot but just hope you don’t get stuck parking in the off-site lot. Meanwhile, in the parks work continues on the major Rivers of America refurbishment in Disneyland, and construction continues on various projects in California Adventure‘s on-going $1 billion expansion, including World of Color and Cars Land. We’ve got another big update this week with lots of great photos from Mac Daddy and MonstersGoBoo!
For more information on any of the construction projects featured in today’s update, just look for a Project Tracker water mark and click that photo for more information on the project and to join the on-going discussion.
Click here to keep reading.
Photo from micechat.com
A cool new zero-entry feature pool will be ready for summer fun at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa — in 2011. It’ll take the place of one of the resort’s “quiet pools” at the Walt Disney World resort and will be nearly three times as big.
I think it will be a real crowd pleaser for folks not staying near the popular High Rock Springs feature pool. When complete, the new themed area will include a 146-foot water slide, expanded deck, 1,200-square-foot kids’ play area, plus a quick-service poolside eatery.
Hong Kong Disneyland will re-launch its Star Guest Program for Indian tourists, as well as across the globe from March 19 to May 23, 2010. Recently, Hong Kong Disneyland organized interactive seminars to educate the travel trade partners about the program in Mumbai and New Delhi. The seminar was attended by key tour operators and travel agencies, airlines and travel portals.
This year, to make the program more popular, Hong Kong Disneyland will add a series of new ‘Magical Moments’ and three ‘Star Exclusive Experiences.’ Guests can purchase a Star Pass and enjoy privileged entrance to different attractions and shows. The Star Tours will be available for guests to join a tailor-made guided tour to various star experiences and exclusive character meet-and-greets with Disney friends.
On Fridays through Sundays, the Star Fireworks Dinner will offer guests and their VIPs an unforgettable experience; a pre-show cocktail and a photo moment with two Disney friends in Plaza Inn before viewing the fireworks from the VIP viewing area.
The innovative Star Guest Program received the ‘2009 International Service Excellence Award’ from the Customer Service Institute of America (CSIA) and the ‘Customer Service Excellence Award 2009 – Gold Award’ from the Hong Kong Association for Customer Service Excellence (HKACE).
The drive from Orlando to Tampa takes only 90 minutes or so. Despite the short distance, the Obama administration awarded Florida $1.25 billion in stimulus money to link the cities with a fast train to help kick off its efforts to bring high-speed rail service to the United States.
The Florida train would indeed be high speed — as fast as 168 miles per hour. But because the trains would make five stops along the 84-mile route, the new service would shave only about half an hour off the trip.
Time-pressed passengers may also find themselves frustrated at the end of their trip. Neither city is known for great public transportation, so travelers may discover that they have taken a fast train to a slow bus.
Proponents of high-speed rail worry that the new line, which is scheduled to be up and running in 2015, might hurt rather than help their cause, if it comes to be seen as little more than an expensive way to whisk tourists from Orlando International Airport to Walt Disney World, which is slated to get its own stop.
Click here to keep reading.
Photo Chip Litherland for The New York Times
