Epcot’s 2010 Flower and Garden Festival Guide

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February 18, 2010

epcot international flower garden festival

I always confuse the Flower & Garden with the Food & Wine Festival for some strange reason. I know one is in the spring and one is in the fall..Either way both events are great and are hosted in my favorite park, Epcot.

The Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is a spring special event filled with a colorful array of flowers, gardens, topiaries, live music and educational events.

You don’t have to be a gardening expert to love this event. It’s perfect for Guests of all ages who enjoy the beauty of mother nature! See millions of blooming flowers and a vibrant collection of Disney-themed topiaries, and get up close with hundreds of colorful butterflies inside Minnie’s Magnificent Butterfly Garden. On the weekends, meet with top horticulturists at one of the many Garden Town Programs and learn helpful gardening tips, and be sure to attend public demonstrations of advanced gardening techniques from around the world.

The 2010 Flower and Garden Festival Guide can be found here.

For more information click here.

Photo from disneyworld.com

*Bonus Article*

The Disney Food Blog is discussing this morning some of the interesting Foodie events being held at the festival. Along with a review of last years Tea Tour.

Click here to check them out.

Have you ever been to the International Flower & Garden Festival? What did you think?

Let us know in the comment section below.

Holiday Inn in the Walt Disney World Resort Opens

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Chip

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February 18, 2010

Holiday Inn, the most widely recognized and family-friendly hotel brand in the world, will open on Disney property today. The 14-story, 323-room hotel, located on Orlando’s Hotel Plaza Boulevard, is the latest property as part of the $1 billion global relaunch of the Holiday Inn brand.

The property signage is the clearest signal that the brand has completed significant changes inside and out. The brand’s makeover of its iconic logo is the first indicator to guests that this hotel exemplifies the standards of the $1 billion Holiday Inn global brand relaunch program, and more than 1,800 hotels have already been relaunched globally. The Holiday Inn brand relaunch is the largest in the history of the hospitality industry, with more than 3,300 hotels being updated – improving quality and driving consistency at Holiday Inn and Holiday Inn Express hotels around the world.

“There is no more exhilarating feeling than opening a family-friendly Holiday Inn resort, on Disney property and hiring more than 100 employees to welcome our community and guests,” said Tony Johnson, regional vice president of operations and general manager of the 323-room hotel. “Our opening could not come at a better time, with a brand that customers know and trust. Being on Disney property and maintaining high standards will assure we achieve the highest marks possible from our customers and our industry,” said Johnson.

Holiday Inn in the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort maximizes its location on Disney property, offering a host of privileges, such as complimentary transportation running every 30 minutes to all the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Theme Parks, guaranteed access and preferred tee times at WALT DISNEY WORLD® golf courses, advance reservations at WALT DISNEY WORLD® restaurants, an on-site Disney retail store and free delivery service of Disney attraction purchases to the hotel.

The minute guests step into the glass-ceiling atrium of the Holiday Inn in the WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort, the citrus scent, harmonious sounds, lush foliage and floor-to-ceiling views of the zero-entry tropical pool will guarantee that guests are set to experience a new Holiday Inn.

James Cameron and Marc Webb Meet to Discuss Spider-Man Reboot

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Chip

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February 18, 2010

Interesting turn of events with the Spiderman Reboot.

Even though director James Cameron said only a month ago that he would not direct the rebooted Spider-Man movie because it would be “a little bit sloppy seconds,” apparently he is willing to discuss the movie with the director ultimately chosen for the job, Marc Webb. According to MTV, Cameron’s producing partner, Jon Landau, confirmed that the two directors met and that the topic of discussion was shooting the Spider-Man reboot in 3-D, a technique Cameron mastered in directing Avatar.

What’s interesting about this meeting is less the fact that Webb sought out Cameron for his 3-D knowledge than that Cameron has long been associated with Spider-Man as a movie property. Cameron drafted a script for a big-screen Spider-Man adaptation for Carolco back in 1991, more than a decade before Sam Raimi‘s Spider-Man broke box-office records and helped to entrench superhero movies as a summer box-office staple. Cameron’s plans were crushed beneath the weight of legal actions over character rights and contract disputes. Carolco and Marvel Comics both declared bankruptcy in 1996 and the rights to Spider-Man, including Carmeron’s script, went to MGM, who later traded them to Columbia Pictures for the exclusive rights to 007.

Click here to read the complete article.

Photo from Marvel Entertainment

What do you think about the Spiderman Reboot? Do you think it will do as well as other movies like Batman, and Terminator? Let us know in the comment section below.

John Lasseter is getting in the Cars 2 drivers seat

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Chip

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February 18, 2010

It would appear that Cars 2 is hitting a few roadblocks. The interwebs is buzzing this morning with news of John Lasseter having to slide over to address story issues with the upcoming Pixar film. So as of right now John is in the co director chair. There is no news on if his name will be in the credits or not.

What do you think about this move? Let us know in the comment section below.

Avril Lavigne – Music Video – Alice (Underground)

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Chip

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February 18, 2010

From the soundtrack ‘Almost Alice’ for Tim Burtons Alice in Wonderland. The end credit track Alice (Underground) written by Avril Lavigne and produced by Butch Walker.

Coming to the big screen in Disney Digital 3D™ on March 5, 2010, ALICE IN WONDERLAND is an epic 3D fantasy adventure starring JOHNNY DEPP as the Mad Hatter and MIA WASIKOWSKA as 19-year-old Alice, who returns to the whimsical world she first encountered as a young girl, reuniting with her childhood friends: the White Rabbit, Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Dormouse, the Caterpillar, the Cheshire Cat, and of course, the Mad Hatter.

Alice in Wonderland inspired makeup

By

Chip

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February 18, 2010

With the release of Alice in Wonderland almost upon us, Disney is releasing a few must have items for those Alice Fans. Here is the article from the NY Times talking about the makeup line being released.

The decision to license several beauty products inspired by the film was easy. “With an interpreter like Tim Burton, we saw a huge opportunity,” said Johanna Mooney, director of health and beauty business for Disney Consumer Products.

Urban Decay is offering a limited-edition Book of Shadows, a pop-up box, right, containing 16 eye shadows (colors include White Rabbit and Jabberwocky black), a primer and two eye pencils ($52). And the nail company OPI has partnered with Disney to introduce four limited-edition colors, left, that include Off With Her Red ($8.50 each).

This isn’t the first time Disney has teamed up with makeup companies. “Great brands find our characters very inspiring,” Ms. Mooney said, noting that Disney’s first collaboration with a makeup company for adult products took place in 2005, when M.A.C. Cosmetics introduced the Tint Toons collection based on classic Disney animals like Daisy Duck. Bath and Body Works introduced a line inspired by Tinker Bell in 2007, and last fall Disney partnered with Carol’s Daughter, a New York natural skin-care company, for a bath line to accompany “The Princess and the Frog.”

Click here for the complete article.

Photo from Lars Klove for the NY Times

Thank Kingdom Hearts For Epic Mickey

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Chip

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February 18, 2010

This article from Kotaku talks about how Kingdom Hearts paved the way for Disney’s newest project Epic Mickey.

“If you look at nothing else, you can look at Disney Epic Mickey taking the characters and showing them in a surprising way,” Hopper said. Epic Mickey, the forthcoming Wii Mickey Mouse game from renowned game designer Warren Spector and his Junction Point Studios, puts Disney’s lead mascot in a darker steampunk-influenced world, facing off with forgotten character’s of Disney’s earliest cartoons. (See Kotaku’s extensive Epic Mickey chat with Spector)

Both Epic Mickey and Kingdom Hearts take creative risks with Disney characters that just wouldn’t have flown years ago. Kingdom Hearts was the breakthrough.

Hopper added that the success of Square-Enix designer Tetsuya Nomura, who has creatively led the Kingdom Hearts franchise, helped prepare Disney for granting Spector his own creative influence on the Epic Mickey project.

In both cases, the games take Disney outside its comfort zone of what to do with its characters, and while Kingdom Hearts may have been considered an abomination in some corners of Disney before it was out, the tune has changed and the company is open to just that kind of unconventional design.

Click here for the complete article

Photo from kotaku.com

Personally I am on board with Epic Mickey, its nice to see Mickey breaking out of his comfort zone and doing something different. How do you feel about Epic Mickey, are you on board? or do you not like where game designers are taking Mickey? Let us know in the comment section below.

New Disney Style Line

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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February 18, 2010

A new section of DisneyStore.com is now open focusing on Disney modern style. They have gathered together several designer labels such as Bloc 28, Disney Couture, and Swarovski in this new style line. Check it out if you are a fan of the more modern style side of Disney products!

Disney Style

*Image Credit: http://www.disneystore.com

Disney names Wang president ABC sales & marketing

By

Chip

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February 17, 2010

Walt Disney Co named Geri Wang, former senior vice president of primetime sales for the ABC Television Network, to president of sales and marketing of the network.

Wang will be responsible for sales and integrated marketing efforts for ABC Television Network, including ABC Primetime, ABC Daytime, ABC News, ABC Late-Night, ABC Interactive and Sales Development, Disney said on Wednesday.

She will also oversee Disney/ABC Unlimited, the cross-platform sales unit of Disney, as well as sales and integrated marketing efforts for SOAPnet.

Source

Picture from korrekt.com

Disney Movies – If It Can’t Sell Toys, It Had Better Be Cheap

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Chip

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February 17, 2010

With the range of movies that Disney released in the past few years I hope this changes the quality of movies being released. Overall I have been very pleased with their movie selections but there have been a few that are somewhat questionable. Vulture discusses Disney’s new strategy on releasing movies like Tron in the future.

The Proposal starred the newly resurgent Sandra Bullock, grossed $315 million worldwide, and only cost $40 million to make. Who wouldn’t want to make a sequel?

Wait, before you answer, here are a few more questions: Can you sell Sandra Bullock action figures? Will there be a Proposal theme-park ride? A “Let’s Get A-Proposin’!” line of greeting cards? No, no, and no? Okay, then we have our answer to that sequel question: Disney.

The studio behind the original hit has told the producers that it’s not interested in making a follow-up to one of its biggest 2009 hits. It’s all part of Disney’s new edict to make, essentially, only two kinds of films: The $150 million-plus blockbuster with lots of CGI and merchandising (i.e., anything that was once a ride at Disneyland or already a Disney title; anything old or new from Pixar; or a major character at Marvel Studios, for which it paid $4 billion last year) or the $30 million project with young, cheap, on-the-cusp movie stars. (Think Freaky Friday, a Disney-associated title which the studio is talking about making yet again, just seven years after the Lindsay Lohan remake.) “Everything in the middle,” says one producer on the Disney lot, “is toast.”

Click here to keep reading.

Photo from nymag.com

The Black Pearl Arrives in Hawaii

By

Chip

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February 17, 2010

It’s Hollywood in Hawaii, as the Black Pearl arrives. That’s the ship featured in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films.

It docked at Kalaeloa Harbor early Sunday morning. State tourism leaders say it’s a shining symbol of good things to come, despite being in the tough economy.

The state tourism office’s phones have been ringing off the hook, as the Black Pearl cruises towards the islands.

State leaders say a lot of work went into getting the film here and the excitement of the ship is just the beginning.

Sky News Now got an exclusive look of the Black Pearl. Traveling at 10 miles per hour, its journey took it from the Bahamas to LA and then to Kalaeloa.

“It’s quite a global traverse if you will, for Hawaii to be the home berth for it is pretty exciting,” State Creative Industries Division chief Georja Skinner said.

The fourth installment of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, “On Stranger Tides” is set to start filming this summer on Oahu and Kauai. It’s expected to steer millions of dollars into the state’s economy.

Click here to keep reading

Disney Vinylmation News

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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February 17, 2010

merchandise logo

Some awesome Disney Vinylmation news comes in the form of a new series! A new Vinylmation series is now available at select areas of Disneyworld, and soon to be available at select areas of Disneyland, CA in March! What is this new series you ask? Why, it’s none other than The Muppets!!! Here’s a link to the Vinylmation page with the new series info:

The Muppets Vinylmation!

Photo from vinylnation.net

If you want to read more Disney Park Blog has more photos and information.