New Construction Photos of the Disney Dream

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May 14, 2010

Quite astonishing in size, yet very recognizable is the bow of the Disney Dream cruise ship, pictured here in its unfinished state in the shipyard. Soon this section will be lowered into place in the building dock where construction continues, on track for the January 26, 2011, Maiden Voyage.

Similar to the Disney Magic and the Disney Wonder, the intricate scrollwork pattern is reminiscent of the classic ocean liners of the 1930s. Look closer and you’ll recognize our signature Mickey Medallion, front and center, which adds just the right amount of Disney whimsy to the design.

Source and Photos

“Disney Parks” DVD Collection Giveaway

By

Chip

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May 14, 2010

I have been watching the “Disney Parks” videos all week and all I can say is WOW. Everyone in my family loves them. Even my 4 year old girl has been wanting to watch these over her Disney Cartoons. I love the Disney Secrets and the Behind the Scenes footage the best! This is one DVD set you will want to make apart of your Disney Library.

Warning if you don’t have a Disney Vacation planned soon you will want to get on the phone and make one..!

Check out a sample of what you will find on this DVD Collection.

The guys from Questar Entertainment were gracious enough to give us a DVD copy to giveaway on Chip and Company. Here are the details on how to enter and be sure to take advantage of the Bonus Entries. Some of our previous contest winners came from a bonus entry by retweeting, so the second it takes to retweet could be the winning entry.

Use the Contest Machine Below to Enter:

For a Bonus Entry:

Tweet about the giveaway (Click the Retweet Button next to the Picture above)

Giveaway ends at midnight on Saturday, May 28th, 2010!

No purchase necessary. Contest is open to first 100 people who enter via Contest Machine. Retweets will be open till contest ends on March 28th. Valid for US residents and addresses only. I’ll announce and contact the winner via Contest Machine.

The winner will have 3 days to get back to me for delivery details.

If you can’t wait and want to order your copy today or need more information check out Questar Entertainment. Be sure to check out their other videos they have available. There is literally something for everyone!

Good Luck

Disney Cruise Line Fun Facts – Castaway Cay and the Enviroment

By

Chip

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May 14, 2010

Castaway Cay
– Castaway Cay is the only private island in the cruise industry where the ship docks alongside so guests do not have to tender to land.

– Visitors to Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, can catch a glimpse of the ghost ship Flying Dutchman – the actual, full-size studio prop from the Disney film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest moored in the waters just offshore.

– Guests can mail a special souvenir message to family and friends back home by using the Castaway Cay Post Office. All postcards, letters and packages shipped from the island display an exclusive Castaway Cay postmark.

– Water is procured in Port Canaveral and delivered to Castaway Cay by the ships to an 80,000 gallon fresh water storage tank on the island.

– Feels like home? Approximately 60 Disney Cruise Line crew members live and work full-time on Castaway Cay.

Environmental Programs
– Each Disney ship has an onboard Environmental Officer dedicated to overseeing all environmental systems and procedures, along with shipboard recycling, waste minimization and water reclamation efforts.

– While cruising, Disney ships can convert sea water to fresh water for use onboard. An onboard desalinization plant produces nearly 500,000 gallons of fresh water every day.

– Disney Cruise Line made history by being the first cruise line to utilize an innovative hull coating that is both 100 percent non-toxic and effective in increasing fuel efficiency. The coating helps reduce the ships’ surface resistance in the water, decreasing the need for propulsion power as the ship glides through the sea.

– On Castaway Cay, an innovative recycling program repurposes used cooking oil from the ships’ galleys and combines it with diesel fuel to power machinery on the island. The program reduces waste and carbon dioxide emissions, saving up to 8,000 gallons of traditional fuel each year.

– Shipboard recycling systems help divert more than 405 tons of aluminum, plastics, paper and non-traditional recyclables from conventional waste streams each year. That’s the equivalent of over 27 school buses or 12 humpback whales.

– Researchers at Castaway Cay are helping to restore the health of coral reefs through a unique research project transplanting native sea urchins in The Bahamas. The urchins help to control harmful algae levels that can choke out corals, and the project is providing vital research for rebuilding coral reef systems that serve as homes for tropical fish and marine life.

Disney Food Confession – Baklava

By

Chip

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May 14, 2010

What is it? This traditional walnut and cinnamon pastry is served with pistachio gelato.

Where to find it: Kouzzina by Cat Cora at Disney’s BoardWalk.

Why you want it: The Walnut and Cinnamon Pastry just melts in your mouth.

Photo credit: Disney

If you have a Disney Food Confession email [email protected]. He is accepting Food ideas or Photos if you have them!

Walt Disney World Quick Bites – California Grill, ESPN Club and More

By

Chip

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May 14, 2010

Get ready for World Cup! ESPN Club at Disney’s BoardWalk and ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill will be open for all of the games beginning June 11. ESPN Club at Disney’s BoardWalk 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.

Have you tried the Chackalaka? With the flavor of dark fruits, we’re told that this delicious South African wine is only served in two restaurant outside of South Africa: Sanaa and Jiko – The Cooking Place, both at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Sanaa has three other exclusives on its menu: The First Lady, a cabernet sauvignon from South Africa; Maude Pinot Gris from New Zealand, and Rudera Robusto, a chenin blanc from South Africa. Cheers!

Speaking of Jiko, there’s a new chef in the kitchen. Chef Dennis Thompson makes the move from California Grill to the kitchens at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Thompson has been with Disney for nine years, and describes his culinary style as “American with classical European influences.” He’ll stretch his creativity with Jiko’s cuisine and wine that celebrate the flavors of Africa. But we hope he keeps the Swahili curry shrimp with artichokes and coconut rice on the menu.

No more PB&J pizza at Chef Mickey’s – guest peanut allergies necessitated the demise. But they’ll still make you one if you ask! New on the buffet are kid-friendly, healthful Baked Potato Puffs, crispy on the outside with a drizzle of olive oil, but soft in the center. Other new tastes include turkey hash and a veggie quiche in puff pastry. Early feedback is thumbs up for both.

Source

Disney Souvenir Shopping with Kids

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Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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May 14, 2010

The Daily Disney, part of the Orlando Sentinel, has some thoughts on souvenir shopping with kids. Says Kristin Ford, author the website’s A Mom and the Mouse column,

When they’re little, it seems easier because parents set the limits in simple terms. They can allow the child a choice among a few items and then say the spending is done.

The question then is whether that approach is appropriate when kids are a little older — say, in elementary school. There are certainly more questions, debates and pleading at that age, and it’s time to introduce the concept of a budget. The traditional approach is to give each child a set amount of money and the freedom to spend however the child chooses.

This article got me thinking. I’ve been pretty lucky so far. My seven-year old is the type of kid who rarely asks for anything and up until now the twins weren’t old enough to care, but I’m thinking that on our next trip in December, the twins are going to start asking and then, I’m going to need a plan. What about you? Do you have a strategy or do you just figure it’s a vacation, why not splurge? Leave a comment and let us know.

You can read the rest of Kristin’s column here.

Must Have – Limited Edition Mickey Mouse Club Ear Hat

By

Chip

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May 14, 2010

The Limited Edition Mickey Mouse Club Ear Hat is finally here. A true “must have” for any Disney collector, it’s on store shelves now.

For those who didn’t hear about it the first time around, this limited edition ear hat actually replicates the shape, logo and fabrication of the original Mickey Mouse Club ear hat that was featured on the show in 1955. It even comes with a limited edition woven label inside the hat, as well as a matching hangtag and comes complete in a collectible vintage hat box with velvet lining. It’s pretty cool. So, if you’re visiting the Resort, be sure to check it out. They may not be around for long.

Tip: This treasure of a find is limited to 1,955 hats and retails for $89.95, plus tax. Look for it on store shelves at select locations throughout the Disneyland Resort, including World of Disney store.

Will you be one of the 1,955 who can call this special ear hat your own?

Source

Disney’s Escape to a New You Sweepstakes

By

Chip

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May 14, 2010

You juggle work, the house, the kids…

You deserve a vacation to Canyon Ranch to focus on you. You’ll learn how to find greater balance in life through fitness, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle while getting pampered at the same time.

Grand Prize: A luxurious vacation for the winner and a friend to Canyon Ranch includes:

Three fresh, gourmet meals daily and healthy snacks all day
$390 per person allowance towards spa and wellness services
Hiking and biking tours
Health and fitness assessment review by a nurse educator
Airfare for you and a girlfriend to Tucson

Click here to enter.

Disneyland & Disneyworld Star Tours set to close early

By

Chip

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May 14, 2010

On May 13, Disney Parks announced it will close Disneyland’s Star Tours attraction earlier than expected at both the Disneyland and Walt Disney World theme parks. The Star Tours rides will re-open sometime in 2011 as a “reimagined” ride.

Disneyland’s last day for Star Tours, which is located in the Tomorrowland part of the theme park, will be July 27, 2010. The last day for the Walt Disney World version of the attraction, which is housed at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, will be Sept. 8, 2010.

The closing of Star Tours was expected. At last year’s D23 Expo, Disney CFO Jay Rasulo, then Chair of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, confirmed that the attraction would be close October 2010 to make way for an updated version of the attraction.

Watch this video, from the Orange County Register, to see Disney’s original announcement of Star Tours’ “re-imagining” plans.

Source

Will Disney stall ‘Iron Man 3?’

By

Chip

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May 14, 2010

Here is an article from the Examiner talking about Disney waiting to make a 3rd Iron Man Movie. I can totally understand Disney’s thinking here, they are basically throwing money away on their property to Paramount Pictures. I think Disney needs to go ahead and buy out Paramount 🙂

Now that “Iron Man 2″ has become a big hit it looks like “Iron Man 3″ would be right around the corner right? Jon Favearu has stated he envisioned Iron Man as a trilogy of films, Robert Downey, Jr. has confirmed he’s signed on to one more film, and there is obvious money to be made. So why has it come up recently that the third film may be in trouble? Well, it looks like Disney may be the one to put a stop to the winning franchise. More specifically it looks like all the money “Iron Man 2″ made woke up Disney to how much they were losing by not being more forceful in controlling their property, and now they want it back.

The way Paramount puts is: “Under the terms of Marvel Studios’ agreement with Paramount Pictures, Paramount will distribute ‘Iron Man 2’ plus the next three Marvel films, and any potential ‘Iron Man 3’ film.” Notice how that statement includes the word potential, meaning “Iron Man 3″ wasn’t a for sure deal when Disney bought Marvel. Disney said up-front when they bought the company that while they intended to bring all those properties back to the Disney banner, they would respect the current deals Marvel had signed before the purchase. Looks like that’s come to an end, as Disney wants “Iron Man 3″ to be distributed under their own banner.

Click here to keep reading.

Ask a Disney Question: Can I buy an annual pass just for the water parks?

By

Chip and Co Past Writers and Friends

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May 13, 2010

This question comes from Susan, who asks:

Can you buy annual passes to the water parks without buying annual passes to the parks? We are traveling in early June and our Annual park passes will expire a few days before we leave WDW. I thought those last few days would be a great time to try out the water parks. I was not sure if you had to have the park passes to be able to buy the water park passes. It’s $45 for a day and $99 for an annual water park pass so I figured why not buy the annual water park pass if possible.

Susan thanks for your question and for reading Chip and Co. This is a great money-saving idea. You can buy a separate water park pass for $106.45 for adults (ages 10 and up), and $85.73 for children (ages 3-9), which allows you to hop between water parks. Prices include taxes. If you want to add DisneyQuest to this pass, you’ll pay $137.39 for adults and $105.44 for children. You don’t need to be a regular annual pass holder to purchase these passes.

Hope this helps and have a wonderful vacation!

Have a Disney question? We have answers. Write us at Chip and Co. We answer every question.

Rayovac Powers Your Disney Vacation – Magic Wand Sweepstakes

By

Chip

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May 13, 2010

Unlock your imagination and celebrate the chance to win a celebration vacation for four to Disney World® or Disneyland® by entering the Magic Wand Sweepstakes.

In addition to the Grand Prize, there’s also the chance to win a lifetime supply of Rayovac batteries or a Disney Gift Card from Rayovac.

Enter the sweepstakes from now until 11:59 p.m. (CT) on July 31, 2010 at www.rayovac.com/disneyvacation
(eligibility to enter the sweepstakes subject to the official rules found on the Rayovac website).