Disney Cruise Line European Vacation

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August 11, 2009

You don’t have to be Clark Griswold to enjoy Disney Cruise Line’s European Vacation.

You are probably familiar with Disney’s short three- and four-day cruises out of Port Canaveral near Orlando to the Bahamas or the longer seven-day cruises to the Caribbean. They have even brought one of their ships to the west coast on occasion sailing to Mexico.

Yet, the most intriguing development with Disney Cruise Lines is their addition of Europe to their destinations.

Discover exciting destinations in the Mediterranean departing from Barcelona, Spain on 10- or 11-night cruises. Imagine visiting Malta, Tunisia, Naples/Pompei, Rome, Pisa/Florence, Corsica, Nice/Cannes/Monte Carlo and back to Barcelona.

If you prefer a northern adventure choose Disney’s Northern European Capitals 12-day cruise departing out of Dover, England. The cruise visits historic St. Petersburg, Russia with the Hermitage Museum and its other incredible sights. It also stops in Germany with a shore excursion to Berlin with its historic Berlin Wall.

Explore beautiful Stockholm, Sweden; interesting Helsinki, Finland; and Oslo, Norway. You will also spend a day in Copenhagen where you can see the Little Mermaid statue and visit Tivoli Gardens.

Both European cruises are filled with adventure and sights you will always remember.

Cruising through Europe with Disney’s distinct style gives you the opportunity to take your kids to amazing European destinations while they are constantly being entertained. No more complaining that they are bored!

On Disney Cruise Lines your toddlers all the way up to your teenagers will have limitless opportunities for fun with activities, games, water slides and more always going on.

Disneyworld Restaurants – Fresh Mediterranean Marketplace

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Chip

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August 11, 2009

Shontell Crawford and Deb Wills, owner of AllEars.net, enjoy a Sunday Breakfast Buffet at Fresh Mediterranean Marketplace. This restaurant, located inside the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel, offers a variety of healthy and hearty breakfast choices that will no doubt give you the energy that will get you off to the right start of your day. Whether you are looking for an omlette loaded with all the goodies, pastries that will satisfy your sweet tooth, or fruit juices chalked full with anti-oxidants, you cannot go wrong with this location. Join Shontell and Deb as they discuss…and digest…this excellent restaurant.

Disney performers dies from a fall on stage at Magic Kingdom

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Chip

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August 11, 2009

From the Orlando Sentinel:

A performer at Walt Disney World and theater-community mainstay died Monday, four days after he was injured onstage at the Magic Kingdom.

Mark Priest, 47, fell Thursday while playing in “Captain Jack Sparrow’s Pirate Tutorial,” an interactive show in which actors lead guests through a series of pirate-skills tests, a Disney spokeswoman said.

Priest, who was in a mock sword fight, stumbled on a wet spot on the stage and then banged into a wall, said friend Jeffrey Breslauer. His injuries included a broken vertebra in his neck and a cut that required 55 stitches to his scalp.

Priest was moved out of intensive care and appeared to be improving, but he experienced complications Monday and died at Florida Hospital Orlando, friends said. An official cause of death has not been determined.

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Up flies to Blu-ray and DVD – November 10th

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Chip

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August 11, 2009

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainmentâ€™s Up is the next major 3D theatrical film that will roll out without the eye-popping effects on DVD and Blu-ray Disc.

The studio will bow the title on Nov. 10 as a four-disc Blu-ray/DVD combo pack ($45.99); two-disc standard DVD ($39.99) and a single DVD.

There will be no inclusion of anaglyph 3D glasses, which offer a weak visual pop compared to theatrical 3D technology but is how these films can be shown in 3D on todayâ€™s TV sets. Households predominantly do not own 3D-enabled TVs that would allow them to view films in the same advanced 3D technology as shown on the big screen.

A Disney spokeswoman confirmed that the title will lack 3D effects, but she didn’t elaborate on the studio’s reasoning behind the absence. The studio has included anaglyph glasses for such previous releases as The Jonas Brothers 3D Concert Experience and Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert, but did not for Bolt.

Disney is packing a lot of bonus features into Up, especially on Blu-ray. Exclusive extras in the high-def set include â€œCine-Explore,â€ a visual clip montage illustrating the directorâ€™s commentary; BD Live-enabled â€œGlobal Guardian Badge Game;â€ and several featurettes on characters Russell, Carl, Kevin the bird, among other items.

The Blu-ray and two-DVD versions both include digital copy.

Prebook date is Sept. 1.

Very cool – Quick Service Kiosk Disneyworld

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Chip

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August 10, 2009

A preview of the quick service Kiosk at the Poly.

Disney Dining plan to go up in 2010

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Chip

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August 10, 2009

Not a big shocker here since ticket prices have gone up.

The Disney Dining Plan, an option that is available to Walt Disney World Resort Guests, will be seeing a rate increase beginning in 2010.Â The plan, which can be added on to your vacation packages or rooms, currently costs $41 per night for guests 10 and up and $11 per night for guests aged 3-9.

The plan offers each guest one snack, one quick service meal, and one table service meal per night of stay. This is generally a good deal, considering for all three of these things, one adult would most likely spend more than $41 a day.

According to the Walt Disney World Resort website, the plan is accepted at over 100 selected restaurants throughout the Walt Disney World Resort, including some restaurants that feature Disney Character Dining.

With the price increase, one must wonder if the Dining Plan will even be worth the money if it gets to be pricier. According to Examiner.com, the new rates will vary from $41.99 to $46.99 per day for an adult and $11.99 to $12.99 per day for a child between the ages of 3 and 9, for the Basic Plan. The price will also now be depending on the time of year you plan to visit the Resort.

Legion Of Terra-Cotta Mouseketeers Found Beneath Disney World

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Chip

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August 10, 2009

Article from the ONN

A Disney World maintenance crew performing routine electrical work below Cinderella Castle last week accidentally stumbled upon a mysterious underground chamber believed to contain more than 8,000 terra-cotta Mouseketeer statues dating back to 300 B.C.

Within days of the discovery, the nation’s top archaeologists had begun excavating the massive subterranean army of fresh-faced clay youths, already considered the finest collection of relics from the Early Disney Dynasty ever unearthed. The opulently decorated mausoleumâ€”suspected to be the final resting site of Emperor Retlaw Iâ€”houses row upon row of life-sized ceramic sculptures modeled after clean-cut teenagers, their faces forever frozen in a mix of joy and wonder.

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Disney World FASTPASS updates

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Chip

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August 10, 2009

Article is Peggy McDonald at the Examiner.

Walt Disney World’s FASTPASS distribution system appears to be preparing for an overhaul. Currently guests at Disney’s four theme parks are required to travel to the ride they wish to get a FASTPASS for, which could mean walking across the theme park. It is not uncommon for guests to head straight to their favorite ride after passing through the entrance gates, only to find that all FASTPASSES for that ride have already been distributed for the day. Disney World is currently testing a new FASTPASS distribution system at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The new FASTPASS system could solve the problem of traveling all over the Disney theme parks to get a FASTPASS, then traveling back to the attraction later in the day in order to use the FASTPASS.

Soarin’ at Epcot is a prime example of this problem. The ride is located quite a distance from the park entrance. Guests must park their strollers outside The Land, the large, indoor pavilion that houses Soarin’ and other attractions, and travel to the FASTPASS distribution kiosks on the ground floor. Although cast members post signs outside The Land to inform guests when all Soarin’ FASTPASSES have been distributed for the day, guests who make it to the kiosks before this moment travel all the way there to find that it is too late. Depending upon daily attendance at the theme parks, FASTPASS tickets for popular rides like Soarin’ could be gone before noon. Those who are fortunate enough to secure a Soarin’ FASTPASS might find that their assigned ride time is hours later, meaning they must travel all the way back to the ride later in the day in order to use the FASTPASS.

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Pixar short film collection – Mike’s new car

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Chip

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August 9, 2009

Mike’s New Car is a 2002 Pixar animated short, starring the two main characters from Monsters Inc., Mike and Sulley. Directed by Pete Docter and Roger Gould, it is the first Pixar short to utilize dialogue and the first to take characters and situations from a previously established work.

It received an Academy Award nomination (Best Animated Short Film in 2002) and was included in the 2002 DVD release of Monsters Inc. The DVD release features commentary by “Docter and Gould”, which turn out to be the directors’ young children.

Source

Disneyland hotel workers…strike strike strike!

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Chip

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August 8, 2009

The union representing the hotel workers of the Disneyland Resort, Unite Here 11, hasÂ soundly rejected the latest contract offer from Disney, most likely escalating the labor dispute to a full-on strike. The OC Register reports that the union’s members rejected the offer by 92 percent, and although voting members accounted for nearly half of the group’s membership â€” 1,079 out of 2,100 â€” only 89 voted in favor of the proposal. “It was quite an overwhelming rejection by a majority of 92 percent — a much higher percentage than what I predicted,” said Unite Here 11 President Tom Walsh. “Hopefully, this will be something that helps break the gridlock.”

The dispute between the two parties centers on health-care premiums; Disney wants to move the union members into the company’s Disney Signature plan, one of seven it offers that require varying degrees of employee contributions. The union, on the other hand, wants Disney to keep things as they are, whereby the workers get nearly-free health care from a union trust that Disney pays into. The dispute has been ongoing over the last year and a half, when Unite Here’s old contract expired.

Disney Tequila bar to open at Epcot – Shots anyone?

By

Chip

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August 7, 2009

Is it your dream to do shots at Disneyworld? Well wait no longer 🙂

Disney’s Tequila Bar is scheduled to open up at the Mexico Pavilion at Epcotâ€™s World Showcase in time for the International Food and Wine Festival beginning Sept. 25.

“The new Tequila Bar, which will be adjacent to the Mexico Pavilion, will serve 70 varieties of Tequila! This will be an authentic addition to the feel of the pavilion and guest experience. Inside the Mexico Pavilion you will also find the San Angel Inn restaurant, where you can enjoy authentic Mexican dishes. Another dining option is Cantina de San Angel, just outside of the pavilionâ€™s entrance. There you can get an excellent Margarita.”

The Tequila Bar was originally scheduled to open in 2010, but apparently construction moved along quicker than expected and is near completion.

For more information about Walt Disney World visit www.disneyworld.com or call 407.WDW.INFO

Disney’s Pirates League at WDW

By

Chip

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August 7, 2009

Tour and Special Experience at Magic Kingdom Theme Park

Ahoy, mateys! Begin your piratical transformation when you receive your Official Pirate Name as recorded from the leather-bound captain’s log. Next, stop by the Muster Station and leave your old self behind as the Pirate Masters perform a marauder’s makeover. Hear the ways of the scurvy sea dogs as they apply yer buccaneer beard, scars, earrings and eye patches. Or even be ye a boney pirate and wear your skeleton on yer skin!

Once you have fully transformed, enter the Secret Room where your Pirate Portrait is taken for posterity and the Pirate Masters reveal their hidden treasure.

But the fun is just beginning. With your new pirate identity and map case folder, hoist yer colors and embark on a challenge in Adventureland that will shiver yer timbers!

Here is a video of the Pirate League Experience!

More information can be found below…

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