At Disney Cruise Line, we take great pride in giving back to the port communities we call home, whether in Port Canaveral, The Bahamas and Caribbean or half-way across the world in Europe. The opportunity for our cast and crew members to volunteer their time to worthwhile causes is an important part of the Disney Cruise Line culture.
In a previous post, I mentioned one of the volunteer activities in which some 300 guests and crew members had the opportunity to paint a large mural that was donated to a hospital in Barcelona. However, this hasn’t been the only outreach effort our Disney VoluntEARS have participated in during our second cruise season in Europe. In fact, they have been quite busy over the last few months! And as our cruise season in Europe has progressed, so have the efforts of our Disney VoluntEARS.
Since departing Florida in April, Crew members from the Disney Magic have joined cast members from local Disney offices in Europe to accompany beloved Disney characters, in visiting deserving children in port communities spanning the Mediterranean and Northern Europe. Disney VoluntEARS delivered toys and smiles to over 1,000 children at hospitals and care facilities in 17 individual ports of call, across nine different countries, personally contributing more than 800 hours of volunteer service to benefit these local communities.
Click here to read more from Disney Parks Blog.
Very early in the morning, a couple of days before Disneyland’s 51st anniversary, Cast Members welcomed home the “Happiest Balloon on Earth.” The balloon was inflated in front of “it’s a small world” and I was on a lift in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle with a 300mm lens so that I could compress the distance between the two to get this one of a kind photo.
It’s been 55 years since our gates opened. Fifty-five years of being a place of “joy and inspiration to all the world” – and we couldn’t be happier to share it with all of you. Here’s what’s in store for the week leading up to our anniversary on July 17.
For more information on those last two items, look for special posts from Michelle Harker next week.
We hope you join us as we look back on more than half a century of achievements, and look forward to the next 55 years!
A Tail-Wagging Welcome: Beginning Aug. 27, 2010, Pluto welcomes dogs, cats, pot-bellied pigs and pocket pets such as hamsters and guinea pigs to the new 27,000-square-foot Best Friends Pet Care Resort at Walt Disney World Resort.
Lap of Luxury: Up to 270 dogs of all breeds and sizes can curl up comfortably in standard and luxury indoor-outdoor suites. The truly pampered pooch may beg for an oversized luxury suite with plush raised bedding, TV and a private outdoor yard.
Meowificent! No “knead” to fear — at least 30 cats will be “purrfectly” content at the resort’s Kitty City pavilion with two- and four-story cat condos.
Polly Wanna Cracker? Cockatoos and other pet birds stay in their own special facility along with hamsters, guinea pigs, rabbits, ferrets and other pocket pets.
Go, Dog, Go! No bones about it, the resort’s exclusive dog park is the place to burn off canine calories. Inside a fenced walking trail, dogs will have a squirrel-chasing good time in the 3,300-square-foot play area covered in artificial turf. Another 4,500-square-foot area is dotted with shade trees for owners who want to sit and watch pets play. The park’s 1,300-square-foot splash-and-shake zone is a cool extra.
Day Tripping or Sleeping Over? Park-hopping guests can book their pets into the resort just for the day. Overnight stays make Fido feel right at home when the family settles in at a nearby Walt Disney World Resort hotel.
Tales and Treats: Routines make a pet feel right at home. If your pup is used to a bedtime story, a staff member will read a “tuck-in” tale. If kitty craves fish, order Tuna on a Ritz room service. The resort’s TV sets play favorites like “Milo and Otis” or “Homeward Bound” for media-savvy pets.
Doggie Play Dates: There’s plenty of room for canine cavorting at the resort’s two 1,100-square-foot doggy-day-camp rooms that open onto their own play yards.
Extra, Extra! It’s a pet’s world, after all, and that’s why pet parents can choose from among many a la carte activities for their best friends. Amenities and upgrades include: Ice Cream Treats, Puppy Cuddle Time, Bottled Water and Premium/Orthopedic Bedding for dogs. Feline guests can be pampered with private playtimes, activity toys in their suites, or Ice Cream Treats.
Best in Show: Practical pets know that extra cuddles are in store when they greet their families after a “go-home-fresh bath,” offered along with other services at the resort’s grooming salon.
Two Paws Up: Best Friends Pet Care Resort is located across from Disney’s Port Orleans Resort at 2510 Bonnet Creek Parkway in Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830. Guests can make reservations at wdw.bestfriendspetcare.com or by calling 877/4-WDW-PETS.
It’s just one week and one day before the 55th anniversary of Disneyland park, on July 17, 2010.
This week’s countdown covers 1965 to 1961. During this time, the Enchanted Tiki Room, the Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and Flying Saucers all debuted at the Park.
The Enchanted Tiki Room stands out as a personal favorite for Kevin Kidney, a Disney artist who is well-known for his art and collectibles that are created for this classic attraction.
Kevin explains why The Enchanted Tiki Room is one of his favorite attractions: “The design of the Enchanted Tiki Room just thrills me, from the peaked-roofed exterior with the lanai full of Imagineer Rolly Crump’s whimsical Tiki god characters, to the dark interior crammed with all the great details. As a kid, I actually tried to build those fantastic bamboo-slat windows that “rain.” If I could live inside Disneyland, I would want my house to be the Tiki Room.”
What do you think? What is your favorite attraction that was added during this time?
1965 – Disneyland park marked its first decade with a yearlong “Tencennial.” Celebration elements included parkwide decorations, a grand parade and numerous special events throughout the year. To help represent the park during the busy year, the role of Disneyland Ambassador to the World was created. Tour guide Julie Reihm was selected as the first “Miss Disneyland” — as the position was originally called — and she spent the year traveling throughout the United States and the world as the official emissary of Disneyland park. 3D Jamboree debuted at the Fantasyland Theater starring Mouseketeers. The film was presented in 3D, a technology that wouldn’t be used again at Disney Parks until Magic Journeys was produced for Epcot 25 years later. Also in 1965, Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln found its permanent home in the Opera House on Main Street, U.S.A.
1964 – Although the 1964 New York World’s Fair didn’t actually occur at the Disneyland Resort, many of Walt Disney’s exhibits for the fair found their permanent homes in Disneyland park after debuting for enthusiastic Fair audiences. Walt used the opportunity of presenting at the Fair to fine-tune and perfect his technologically advanced Audio Animatronic figures through four exhibits: “it’s a small world,” “Progressland,” The Magic Skyway and “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.” Of course we all know that Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and “it’s a small world” are now classic Disneyland attractions, but “Progressland” also came to the park as The Carousel of Progress, and The Magic Skyway utilized omnimover technology, which was used in many Disneyland classics including The Haunted Mansion. Disneyland also hosted more than 400 American athletes heading to Japan for the 1964 Summer Olympics. Events included a tribute show on the shores of the Rivers of America, featuring Bob Hope and a cast of Hollywood stars.
1963 – In 1963, the then-groundbreaking technology of sophisticated Audio Animatronics debuted to Disneyland park guests in an attraction that was touched by Walt Disney in every aspect of its planning. The Enchanted Tiki Room opened in Adventureland, featuring colorful singing birds, delicate singing flowers and powerful tiki gods. With its infectious songs and lovable hosts — Fritz, Michael, Pierre and Jose — the Enchanted Tiki Room is still a favorite with park guests of all ages. Walt also hosted a press conference to explain his upcoming Audio Animatronics exhibits for the New York World’s Fair the following year.
1962 – Guests were invited to live the life of adventure by climbing and exploring the new Swiss Family Robinson Treehouse, towering 70 feet over Adventureland.The year 1962 also saw the debut of the Safari Shooting Gallery – where the guns actually used real pellets! Also added in 1962: the picturesque elephant bathing pool within the world famous Jungle Cruise. Walt Disney also celebrated the 10,000th performance of the Golden Horseshoe Revue by airing it on television with its stars, including Betty Taylor, Wally Boag, Gene Sheldon and Ed Wynn.
1961 – This marked the year that the beam of the Disneyland Monorail, the transportation of the future, was expanded to reach the Disneyland Hotel. The Monorail began whisking hotel guests past the Main Entrance ticket booths and directly into Tomorrowland, where the hovering Flying Saucers debuted the same year for space travelers. Guests could also wish for their own Prince Charming at a quaint wishing well alongside marble statuettes of the seven dwarfs at Snow White’s Grotto. 1961 was the first year a Grad Night was hosted in Disneyland Park and 8,500 graduating seniors came to celebrate their accomplishments at the Happiest Place on Earth.
After you’ve told us your favorite attraction from this time period, take a look at our previous posts in this series by clicking the “Countdown to 55” tag just below this post.
I am bringing up from retirement one of the first lists I ever put together on Chip and Company all the way from June of 2009. Its hard to believe we have been around 1 year and 1 month now. Happy Anniversary to Chip and Company!
I love watching No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain Monday’s at 10pm on the Travel Channel. <Plug>
Officially I have not eaten at a single place on his list. I have been close to a few of them but unfortunately went some place else. Of course I don’t travel the globe eating food either.
Which made me think of my 13 Places you should eat before you die from my travels over this crazy world. Most of them will be in places I have lived so if your not on the East Coast then sorry charlie. I will throw the link to Anthony Bourdain host of No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain Monday’s at 10pm on the Travel Channel <plug>list below my meager list.
Here is the article from Anthony Bourdain host of No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain Monday’s at 10pm on the Travel Channel.
What are some places you recommend that you Must Eat before you die? Let us know in the comment section below.
Man I really feel old..Here is a bunch of classic Disneyworld commercials from the 70’s & 80’s. Do you remember any of them from way back when? Let us know in the comment section below.
Here is a classic TV Commercial for Walt Disney World’s Summer 1994 season.
The Huxtables from way back in the 80’s
Some couple from the 80’s..aww isnt it romantic
A scary commercial done in 1971 for the opening of Disney World, this is the oldest one I was able to find.
