The ‘Sunnyside’ of Disneyworld’s Sleepy Hollow

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July 9, 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.

Click here to keep reading this article from Disney Parks Blog.

Video of First Stop on the ‘World of Color’ Road Show

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Chip

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July 9, 2010

The “World of Color” Road Show launched last night in San Francisco, with a special presentation of Disney animation projected onto the façade of an iconic landmark, the Palace of the Legion of Honor in the Presidio. This unique experience is inspired by “World of Color,” which is now at Disney California Adventure park. The public is only invited to view live webcasts and participate online during all the stops of the tour at the “World of Color” Road Show website. See another live webcast from the San Francisco location tonight from approximately 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.

The shows in San Francisco are dedicated to the theme of “Love,” featuring romantic couples from Disney and Disney●Pixar animated films. Encore webcasts (not live) of the San Francisco show will appear online from 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 9 through 11.

Disney Parks Blog snagged about a minute of the webcast to share with you here:

There are three more stops on the road! Don’t miss out on the shows in Sacramento, San Diego and Los Angeles, each with its own theme and unique digital projections. The public is invited to participate online at the “World of Color” Road Show website, where you can see the best shots from the evening’s presentation, and even vote for the starring color in that evening’s show.

Find out how to cast your vote! Just as fairies cast their spells, online viewers can cast their votes each night for one of three colors representing each of the Three Good Fairies from “Sleeping Beauty” – Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. The color with the most votes will be featured in the show’s opening moment, complete with a trail of pixie dust.

Follow worldofcolorroadshow.com to see all the magic, and cast your vote online for the color of the landmark in each of the cities.

What’s happening at Epcot – Mold on Space Ship Earth, Capt EO Merch, and more.

By

Chip

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July 8, 2010

Check out some of the events, attractions, and news happening around Epcot thanks to Attractions Magazine.

Reader and contributor Don Gworek recently sent us some photos of spots on the outside of Spaceship Earth at Epcot, so I headed out to check it out for myself and to see what else was new in the park.

My guess is they’re mold spots, but a cast member told me it was from a lightning strike. Whatever it’s from, I hope they clean it off soon.

UPDATE: Disney spokesperson Andrea Finger let us know the spots are definitely not from a lightning strike. She emphasized that the ride has not been affected at all, and that maintenance is aware of the issue and will be cleaning it soon.

Click here to keep reading more events around Epcot.

Alyson Stoner – Make History Video with Lyrics

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Chip

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July 8, 2010

Check out the video below of Alyson Stoner’s new song “Make History,” which recently premiered on Radio Disney. The song is available for download on iTunes now!

You will be able to hear more of Alyson this summer during the Jonas Brothers/ Camp Rock 2 World Tour which begins this August.

Disney’s Step Up 3D “Characters” Featurette

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Chip

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July 8, 2010

Take a behind-the-scenes look at the characters of ‘Step Up 3D’, coming to theaters August 6th, 2010.

New York’s intense street dancing underground comes alive in eye-popping Digital 3D in the third installment of the “Step Up” franchise as the raw, passion-fueled culture goes global. A tight-knit group of street dancers, including Luke (Rick Malambri) and Natalie (Sharni Vinson), team up with NYU freshman Moose (Adam Sevani), and find themselves pitted against the world’s best hip hop dancers in a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives forever.

Step Up 3D Cast: Rick Malambri, Adam G. Sevani, Sharni Vinson, Alyson Stoner, Keith Stallworth, Kendra Andrews, Stephen “Twitch” Boss, Joe Slaughter

Countdown to Hutch Dano’s ‘Den Brother’ Movie – Events Starting August 6th

By

Chip

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July 8, 2010

Hutch Dano (of Disney XD’s hit series “Zeke and Luther”) and G. Hannelius (“Sonny With A Chance”) star in the winsome comedy “Den Brother,” a Disney Channel Original Movie about a self-centered teen hockey star, who must swallow his pride, step in and become substitute leader of his little sister’s Bumble Bee troop. Filmed in Salt Lake City, Utah, “Den Brother” premieres FRIDAY, AUGUST 13 (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel.

In anticipation of the movie, DisneyChannel.com will present the opportunity for visitors to become Bumble Bee Scouts, play games and earn virtual badges through various tasks, as well as find information on pro-social activities to help their community, such as donating to charity and recycling.

The premiere schedule is as follows:

FRIDAY, AUGUST 6

“Den Brother” preview available via Disney Channel on Demand, a video-on-demand service available to a variety of affiliates including, Cablevision, Time Warner and Verizon FiOS TV customers.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 13

Premiere of “Den Brother” (8:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney Channel with simulcasts on Sprint TV, MobiTV and Flo TV.

TUESDAY, AUGUST 17

Exclusive digital release of “Den Brother” on iTunes.

In the movie, 16-year-old hockey star Alex Pearson gets suspended from his team after showboating during a game, and to his dismay, finds himself filling in as a Bumble Bee Troop leader for his little sister Emily’s troop. He must pose as the troop’s elderly den mother from time to time but thinks it’s a small price to pay, especially since he can get Emily and the girls to do his chores and make him snacks in exchange for merit badges. Even more advantageous, Alex has the opportunity to get closer to the beautiful Matisse Burrows, leader of another Bumble Bee Troop. However, when his self-centered antics cost Emily and her friends an opportunity to participate in the long-anticipated Camporee, Alex finally sees how he has affected those he cares about and must devise a plan that will get his troop into the camp.

Disneyworld Fantasyland Construction Walk Through Videos

By

Chip

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July 8, 2010

Our friend Jeff Lang has been out at Walt Disney World taking lots of video of the Fantasyland Construction that is going on. Here are some video highlights of what Disney has been up to.

Construction equipment moves around dirt in preparation for the new Fantasyland.

You can see where the new construction areas are, and where the Fastpass machines are for The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

This is a peek over the wall at what is going on with the construction of Fantasyland!

What’s Happening at Disney California Adventure Park This Summer

By

Chip

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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

-

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.