Nov 5 2014

Disney World News – Big Hero 6 Arrives At Hollywood Studios

Anyone else excited for this Friday’s release of the new Disney film, Big Hero 6? My boys and I have been watching the preview of this movie for months and can’t wait to see it. Disney is preparing for its release as well by readying a new Meet & Greet and creating lots of great Big Hero 6 merchandise. Here’s the scoop from Disney Parks Blog:

Big Hero 6 Meet & Greet

After Disney’s new animated feature Big Hero 6 hits theaters in November, the stars of the film are heading to Disney Parks to greet their fans. At Walt Disney World Resort, Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests can step inside The Magic of Disney Animation attraction to tour the lab from the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, and then meet Hiro Hamada and his huggable buddy Baymax in Hiro’s garage workshop.

Big Hero 6 Merchandise

There are merchandise items that were developed specifically for Disney Parks. They include some apparel items and a six-pin, open edition pin set. In select merchandise locations in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort, guests will also find a limited release, graphic MagicBand. In order to purchase this retail MagicBand, guests must present one of the following for the MagicBand to be linked to at the time of purchase: valid theme park admission, Memory Maker card or an active MagicBand. A D-Tech on Demand case for the iPhone 5/5S will be released at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts. In the D-Tech on Demand boutique at the Marketplace Co-Op in Downtown Disney Marketplace, guests will soon find six new art designs with characters from the film. The cases shown above are for the iPhone 6, but they are also offered for iPhone 4/4S, iPhone 5/5S, iPhone 5C, Samsung Galaxy SIII and Samsung Galaxy S4 at the boutique. We will begin offering cases for iPhone 6+ and Samsung Galaxy S5 later in November at D-Tech on Demand. Finally, there will be a limited release Vinylmation mystery series coming to Disney Parks in early November.

Please look for my review of Big Hero 6 this Friday, November 7!

Nov 5 2014

Disney World News – Elsa’s Sorcerers Card To Be Released At Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

For fans of either Frozen or the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom interactive game, here’s some exciting news for you. A brand new exclusive card is being released at this year’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Here’s the scoop from DisneyParksBlog.com:

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party returns to Magic Kingdom Park on November 7, and this year’s event-exclusive Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card will be “Elsa’s Icy Shield” and will let players harness some of Queen Elsa’s special “Frozen” powers. In case you haven’t played Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom yet, this interactive game allows you to join Merlin’s quest to defeat Disney Villains who are trying to take over Magic Kingdom Park. You use maps to find villain hideouts throughout the park, visit magic portals and use spell cards (like this one) to spoil a villain’s plan. Cards feature different Disney characters with unique powers. You can also use multiple cards to enhance your attack on the villains. The Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom quest begins at the Firehouse on Main Street, U.S.A., where you can pick up complimentary key cards, spell cards and maps (additional cards can be purchased at select merchandise locations). The “Elsa’s Icy Shield” card will be distributed in addition to the regular Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card packs. Guests must present their party ticket and event wristband in order to get one.

Anyone else excited about this news? Please leave a comment!

Nov 4 2014

Disney World News – PhotoPass Photos Automatically Linked To MagicBands

A great new feature! If you’re wearing an active MagicBand on select Walt Disney World Resort attractions, your photos will be automatically associated to your My Disney Experience account. You don’t have to do anything. In fact, if you’ve worn your MagicBand on one of the participating attractions in the last 45 days, you should be able to find that photo in your account now. Don’t have a MagicBand? Don’t worry. They’re making it easier for you, too. Recently Disney turned on new touch points at Magic Kingdom on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Space Mountain and Splash Mountain. So after you ride, simply find your photo on the preview wall and touch your park ticket or Memory Maker card to the touch point to associate your photo. Disney expects to have photo touch points installed at Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme parks by mid-November. Beginning soon, guests wearing active MagicBands will have attraction videos automatically associated to their accounts as well. Videos are currently available for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

I just returned from Disney World a couple of weeks ago and when I logged into my My Disney Experience account today, I was pleasantly surprised to find all of my attraction photos right there for me to review and purchase. What a nice surprise!

What do you think of this new feature? Please leave a comment!

Nov 3 2014

Disney World News – Candlelight Processional Returns To Epcot

Candlelight Processional is one of the most beloved holiday traditions Walt Disney World Resort, with the joyous retelling of the Christmas story by a celebrity narrator, accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and glorious mass choir. Among new celebrity narrators this year is Jonathan Groff, who voiced the rugged mountain man Kristoff in Frozen. Candlelight performances are at 5:00, 6:45 and 8:15 pm at America Gardens Theatre in Epcot. (showtimes on December 7 are 6:45 and 8:15pm only)

11/28 – 11/29: Jodi Benson

11/30 – 12/2: Neil Patrick Harris

12/3 – 12/4: Jonathan Groff

12/5 – 12/6: Whoopi Goldberg

12/7 – 12/9: LeVar Burton

12/10 – 12/11: Edward James Olmos

12/12 – 12/14: Joe Morton

12/15 – 12/17: Chita Rivera

12/18 – 12/20: Ana Gasteyer

12/21 – 12/23: Marlee Matlin

12/24 – 12/25: Isabella Rossellini

12/26 – 12/27: Blair Underwood

12/28 – 12/30: Steven Curtis Chapman

Please note that narrators are subject to change without notice.

Guests may purchase Candlelight Dining Packages to reserve a seat at the Candlelight Processional. These packages, available on select nights, include a delicious meal, a guaranteed seat for one of the Candlelight Processional performances and a pre-arranged location for fireworks viewing. Guests may call 407-WDW-DINE for reservations or book online at DisneyWorld.com. Hurry – Availability is limited!

Oct 31 2014

15 Little Known Facts About Disney’s Haunted Mansion

In honor of the scariest holiday of the year, I thought it would be interesting to take a deeper look at Disney’s spookiest attraction: Haunted Mansion. Growing up I was always scared of anything having to do with ghosts and to this day I still try to avoid all things paranormal. My kids laugh every time I tell them the story about how I worked as a Scare Actor at a Haunted House in Kansas City one Halloween and that many of the visitors ending up scaring me instead of the other way around! I am truly a big chicken when it comes to scary stuff. However, I love the Haunted Mansion. Something about its perfect mix of supernatural with a touch of Disney magic and humor makes it more fun than terrifying. Here are 15 little known facts about Disney’s Haunted Mansion:

The Haunted Mansion was originally imagined as a walk through attraction.
Several times a year people are caught trying to spread their loved-one’s remains in the Haunted Mansion.
For years there were rumors that someone died of fright on a test ride of the Disneyland version and that is why it took so many years for it to open to the public.
In one of the versions considered, it was the bride that was to have “lost her head” instead of her many grooms.
The hitch-hiking ghosts, Ezra, Gus and Phineas, were given their names by fans.
Madame Leota in the Séance Scene is actually the face of the late Model Builder and Imagineer, Leota Toombs, whose face fit perfectly the dimensions for the crystal ball.
In the stretching room, the ceiling rises in Walt Disney World while in Disneyland you are in an elevator that is being lowered.
Fake dust and cobwebs are added inside the Haunted Mansion to make it look old.
On Madame Leota’s tombstone in the queue area, her eyes open and close and her face moves as guests walk by.
The raven that is seen several times throughout the attraction was originally going to be the narrator.
There are 13 candles on the birthday cake in the Grand Ballroom Scene.
The ghosts in the Grand Ballroom Scene are actually reflections of animatronics located above and below the Doom Buggy track. This is a variation of the “Pepper’s Ghost” illusion.
There are really only 107 ghosts in the Haunted Mansion not 999.
The caretaker and dog in the Graveyard Scene are lit differently to denote that they are living not dead.
With Walt Disney growing up in Kansas City and being friends with the Sauer family, it is thought that the Sauer Castle may have been an early inspiration for Walt Disney’s idea to add a Haunted Mansion to his theme parks. (I grew up in Kansas City as well. We referred to the Sauer Castle as Igor’s in my day and often drove past it during the Halloween season to see if we could witness anything creepy happening through the windows!)

Sauer Castle In Kansas City

The Organist

In the spirit of Halloween, if you would like to “ride through” the Disney World version of Haunted Mansion, just check out this video!

Heading to Disney World soon?

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