According to Brady MacDonald of the Los Angeles times, the new Maleficent dragon won’t make her scheduled debut this weekend at Disneyland in the upgraded Fantasmic show due to “technical issues.”

Disneyland officials say that those “technical issues” do not include the rumor that the 40-foot-tall dragon’s neck snapped during testing and that the head fell off!

The show will go on sans the dragon — with the new Fantasmic making its official debut on reportedly June 12th with the new Flotsam and Jetsam eels and high-definition video projections on the mist screens.

Armed with my new Canon 5D Mark II I headed off to Disneyland for the first time in a while. In fact the first time since I was laid off the first week of May.

Both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure have construction updates.

First of Great Moments with Mr Lincoln has a new attraction poster announcing the attractions return in time to celebrate Abraham Lincoln’s 200th Birthday.

At Disney’s California Adventure many construction fences are still up while construction is feverishly carrying on.  The movie Golden Dreams has been closed for some time. A sign announcing the arrival Disney’s Little Mermaid attraction is up at the Palace of Fine Arts building in the Bay Area of Golden State.

In the Paradise Pier area some of the construction is complete such as the Midway Games. As I mentioned in the previous update the Paradise Pier logo has been added to California Screamin’. The new paint scheme and Mickey head have been finished at the Sun Wheel. I did not notice if the name has changed. Certainly with the removal of the “sun” from the wheel it cannot be a sun wheel.

The Wonderful World of Color construction continues to show progress.

When Disneyland decided to incorporate Ursula’s evil eels Flotsam and Jetsam from “Little Mermaid” into the updated Fantasmic show, master puppeteer Michael Curry drew inspiration from a novelty shop wooden wiggle snake.

“I wanted a sense of swimming, of serpentine motion and menace,” said Curry, a long-time Disney collaborator. “Since it’s an underwater movie, it made sense to use the water as a stage.”

Curry’s puppets have appeared in the opening ceremonies of the 1996 and 2002 Olympics, the Super Bowl XXXIV halftime show, the Broadway production of “The Lion King,” the Cirque du Soleil production of “Love” in Las Vegas, the “Aladdin” stage show at Disney’s California Adventure and countless parades at Disney theme parks.

To tackle the task of bringing Flotsam and Jetsam to life, Curry and his crew employed an eel puppet mounted on top of a nimble high-performance Jet Ski.

The 34-foot-long aluminum pontoon sub-frame — built of military-grade super-lightweight carbon fiber and a stainless steel typically used in submarines — pivots at 14 points just like the toy snake.

For the rest of Brady MacDonald’s article…please go to the Los Angeles Times

When Disneyland decided to introduce a flying Dumbo elephant into the new Magical fireworks show, master puppeteer Michael Curry knew the success of the venture would come down to just one thing.

“It’s all about the ears,” said Curry, a longtime Disney collaborator. “I wanted it to look like he was flying.”

Rather than an audio-animatronic machine floating robotically above Sleeping Beauty Castle, Curry envisioned a dancer in space performing on a wire 65 feet above the ground.

“I knew I wanted to build it around a human,” Curry said.

Curry’s puppets have appeared in the opening ceremonies of the 1996 and 2002 Olympics, the Super Bowl XXXIV halftime show, the Broadway production of “The Lion King,” the Cirque du Soleil production of “Love” in Las Vegas, the “Aladdin” stage show at Disney’s California Adventure and countless parades at Disney theme parks.

At the beginning of the Dumbo brainstorming process, Curry set up a video projector aimed at a blank wall in his production facility outside Portland, Ore., in the shadow of Mt. St. Helens.

Curry “climbed inside” the projected Dumbo image and pretended to manipulate the ears with his arms. But how to move the head, trunk and legs at the same time? And then came Curry’s a-ha moment.

Within two days, his crew had crafted an aluminum frame attached to a flying harness that allowed a puppeteer hidden inside the elephant to create sympathetic motions — linking, say, a head tilt to a body twist with a simple hand movement.

For the rest of Brady MacDonald’s article…please go to the Los Angeles Times

Walt Disney World‘s ban on Segways is facing a new challenge.

Inside a downtown Orlando courtroom this morning, disability-rights advocates are trying to persuade a federal judge to reject a proposed settlement between Disney and three disabled people who filed a class-action lawsuit suit seeking to force Disney to allow the two-wheeled scooters inside its parks.

The lawsuit, filed by a man and a woman from Illinois and a woman from Iowa, was initially dismissed in early 2008 but resurrected after the lawyers for the three disabled people reworked their complaint.

Under the terms of the proposed settlement, Disney, which says allowing guests to ride Segways in its parks would create a safety hazard for other guests, would continue to bar Segways at both Disney World and Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., and be released from future legal claims over the ban. Disney would instead develop its own four-wheeled, upright scooters for disabled guests to use in its parks and would deploy 15 of the vehicles between Disney World and Disneyland. The devices — which Disney is displaying during today’s court hearing on the settlement — look much like the typical sit-down scooters common at Disney World, but with a standing backrest rather than a seat.

For the rest of Jason Garcia’s article…please go to the Orlando Sentinel

Starting June 1st, D23 Membership gift cards will be available in Disney Stores across the country and at select locations at Disneyland and Walt Disney World, making it a snap to enjoy the exclusive benefits of D23 membership all year long.The D23 gift card ($74.99) will enable Disney fans to purchase one-year D23 memberships for themselves or as gifts for family and friends.

At the Disneyland resort, membership gift cards can be purchased at the Disneyana Shop at Disneyland, Off the Page at Disney’s California Adventure and the World of Disney at Downtown Disney.

At the Walt Disney World Resort, they can be purchased at Main Street Gallery at the Magic Kingdom, at Art of Disney at Epcot, at Art of Animation and Sid Cahuenga’s One-of-a-Kind at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, at Disney Outfitters at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, at World of Disney and Art of Disney at Downtown Disney and at Fantasia (Contemporary Resort) at Walt Disney World Resort Hotel Gift Shop.

The card is available at the standard rate of membership, $74.99 plus tax.

Source D23

Each year, the event continues to grow – with record crowds coming to see celebrity chefs. But, today’s crowd was particularly fanatical, with some showing up as early as 5 a.m. to snag a seat.

For those who got in, Fieri did not disappoint. The high-octane event kicked off with the spiky-haired chef strutting in wearing a white chef’s coat. But, within seconds of hitting the stage, he ripped off the coat like a rock star.
groupshotline

The move caused fans to jump to their feet, as the near strip-tease revealed the Fieri they all know and love: a California “dude” with plenty of tattoos and dressed in black Dickey’s shorts, a red and black tank top and flip flops.

“I really feel like an American Idol,” Fieri told the crowd after learning that some folks lined up before dawn to meet him.

After the high-octane show was over, Fieri said he was humbled by the loyalty of his fans – many of whom voted for him when he won “The Next Food Network Star” title in 2006.

Read all of  Nancy Luna’s Articel over at OC Register

Offer Comes Just in Time to Enjoy New Summer Nightastic! Entertainment

ANAHEIM, Calif., June 1 /PRNewswire/ — Just in time for summer, Disneyland Resort delivers a valuable ticket offer – the 3-Day Summer Fun Pass, available exclusively for residents of Southern California and Northern Baja.

With this special ticket, local residents can play at the Disneyland Resort for three days within a 45-day period, for just $99. Guests who live in zip codes 90000 through 93599, and 21000-22999, will be able to enter both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure, enjoying three days of fun for only $33 per day.

The 3-day Summer Fun Pass is now available for sale at Disneyland.com, Disney Stores and at the Disneyland Resort box office. Resident ID is required. To skip ticket lines and enjoy straight-to-the-gate convenience, the 3-Day Summer Fun Pass is also sold at local supermarket and retail chains such as Vons, Albertsons, Ralphs, Stater Bros., Food 4 Less, Gelsons, Dearden’s and Toys ‘R’ Us.

As an added value, the Summer Fun Pass can be upgraded to an Annual Passport. Guests who are considering a pass that lets them visit the park all year long will be able to apply the $99 as a credit towards the purchase of an Annual Passport. This must be done in person, either at the Annual Pass Processing Center or at any ticket booth, and must occur on or before the last day of use of the Summer Fun Pass.

Since the first use of the pass must be between June 1 and August 23, 2009, it’s just the ticket for local residents to see Disneyland Resort in a whole new light during SUMMER NIGHTASTIC! Nighttime shows and parades come to life – bigger, better and brighter in this special summer event. Spectacular, state-of-the-art effects, plus an all-new fireworks show highlight the sparkling summer entertainment that runs June 12 through August 23. For details, see www.disneyland.com/summer.

“When you combine our Summer Fun Pass with our Summer Nightastic! entertainment, guests get a great value at the Disneyland Resort this summer,” said Jill Estorino, senior vice president of marketing for Disneyland Resort. “New energy, new entertainment and a whole new feel will make Disneyland the hottest spot in Southern California this summer for kids of all ages.”

Fantasmic! ignites the night with awesome, lifelike creatures and HD takes on a new meaning: Huge Dragon. Appearing in amazing HD animation, the 40-foot tall, fire-breathing dragon practically leaps off the giant mist screens.

A more-dazzling-than-ever “Disney’s Electrical Parade” will now be led by Tinker Bell in a new scene. In addition, two classic parade scenes – Snow White and Pinocchio – make their triumphant return to this fan favorite.

Magical is a new, breathtaking fireworks spectacular filling the night sky over Sleeping Beauty Castle. Bursts of color and brilliant visual effects dance in the evening air accompanied by beloved Disney songs. Tinker Bell is once again your host, and Dumbo will make his surprise airborne debut in the new show.

In Tomorrowland, DJs and live bands will play the hottest summer tunes at the TLT Dance Club, and a twinkling trail leads to Pixie Hollow, where Tinker Bell and her Disney fairy friends can be met in a sparkling fantasy world.

For information on new attractions, special offers and vacations at Disneyland Resort, visit disneyland.com, call (866) 60-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.

* Summer Fun Pass is a 3-Day Park Hopper(R) Ticket valid for Southern California residents within ZIP codes 90000-93599 and Northern Baja California residents within ZIP codes 21000-22999. Proof of residency required for admission. TICKET IS NOT VALID ON 7/4/09. Tickets are valid 45 days from first use. First use must occur between 6/1/09 through 8/23/09. Each day of use constitutes one full day of use. Limit 8 tickets per person per day with valid ID. Tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial use. Offer may not be combined with other discounts or promotions. Ticket not valid before 6/1/09. Other restrictions may apply. All offers, events, tickets, services, attractions and entertainment are subject to change without notice.
SOURCE Disneyland Resort

Courtesy of Magically Speaking, the newsletter for The Magic For Less Travel

Some of these are old news but there are new and updated listings for Disneyland…

Walt Disney World Closures and Rehabs

Magic Kingdom

Hall of Presidents is closed through July 1.
The Heritage House Shop is closed until July 1.
Tomorrowland Transit Authority is closed through August 24.
Space Mountain is closed through November 21.
Epcot

There are no rehabs currently scheduled.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios

“Sounds Dangerous” is currently operating on a seasonal schedule.

Animal Kingdom

There are no rehabs currently scheduled.
Outside the Theme Parks

The Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa will open June 1.

Disneyland (official calendar updated through June 24, 2009)

Sailing Ship Columbia is closed through May 20.
Peter Pan’s Flight is closed through June 7.
The Astro Orbitor is closed through June 12.
Snow White’s Scary Adventures will be closed from June 8 through at least June 24.
Summer Nightastic begins June 12.  (Includes an updated “Fantasmic!,” a new “Magical” fireworks show, the TLT Dance Club at Tomorrowland Terrace, and nighttime access to Pixie Hollow.)
“Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years” has closed. “The Disneyland Story, Featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” is scheduled to return on December 17.
Disney’s California Adventure (official calendar updated through June 24, 2009)

King Triton’s Carousel is closed through May 21.
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail will be closed from May 18 through May 22.
Corn Dog Castle will close on June 1 for a major refurbishment.
Summer Nightastic begins June 12. Disney’s Electrical Parade returns with new floats and an updated soundtrack.
Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill will be closed beginning June 19.
Paradise Pier Lagoon and the Golden State Amphitheater are closed for preparation of the “Disney’s World of Color” lagoon show.

Enjoy,

Note – this is the re-edited version of the episode the first post was a first draft and was not intended for release, My appologies if the initial release was offensive. Chris

Aj, Chris, Greg, Ray, Ryan, Shannon and Will

Disney’s D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans today announced its Summer 2009 Special Events Calendar. From very special screenings and stepping behind-the-scenes with Mary Poppins to visiting the legendary Walt Disney Studios and Archives to being among the first to experience the new Walt Disney Family Museum, D23′s inaugural slate of Members-only events promises outstanding, unforgettable opportunities that are exclusive to the fan community’s Charter Membership.

“D23 Members are Disney’s biggest fans, and they’re always looking for distinctive, memorable ways to celebrate the things they love most about Disney,” said Steven Clark, Head of D23. “For our inaugural season of events and contests, we’ve created an experientially and geographically diverse calendar that we know our Members will enjoy and remember fondly for years.”

SUMMER 2009 CHARTER MEMBER-ONLY SPECIAL EVENTS

May 28 D23 “Up All Night” at Hollywood’s El Capitan Theatre (FREE)
(Los Angeles, CA) — Theatergoers across the country will soon
meet the unlikely duo of 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen and 8-
year-old Wilderness Explorer Russell in Disney Pixar’s latest
adventure, Up.  D23 Members will be among the first to see the
film at this free event at the historic El Capitan Theatre in
Los Angeles on May 28, 2009.  The fun begins with a special pin
trading event, followed by an all new Disney stage show and a
screening of the new Disney-Pixar short Partly Cloudy and the
highly anticipated and critically acclaimed Up!   And it
wouldn’t be a D23 event without a few other special surprises
and guests!

May 31 D23′s Flowers & Fireworks Celebration at Epcot (FREE with park
admission)
(Orlando, FL) – Join D23 at Epcot at the Walt Disney World
Resort to celebrate its members in all 50 states and more than
25 countries worldwide!  Start the evening at the American
Gardens Theatre with reserved seating for the Flower Power
Concert Series Finale, starring the legendary Tony Orlando, to
close the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.  Next,
head to a VIP location to mix and mingle with your fellow D23
members over desserts and coffee, and then enjoy the spectacular
nighttime extravaganza IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth from
a private viewing area.

June 24 D23′s Supercalifragilistic Night on Broadway
(New York, NY) — Disney’s award-winning musical Mary Poppins
recently celebrated its 1,000th performance on Broadway and on
June 24, 2009, D23 Members are being offered the opportunity to
meet one another and share in the magic with premium seats,
merchandise discounts and an opportunity to stay after the show
for a special “behind-the-scenes” experience at the historic
New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City.  D23 Members also will
receive the recently released 2-Disc Mary Poppins 45th
Anniversary Special Edition DVD, courtesy of our friends at
Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

June 24 D23 and Poppins Breeze into The Windy City
(Chicago, IL) — Mary Poppins blew into the Windy City on March
25, 2009 and original Broadway stars Ashley Brown and Gavin Lee
have been delighting audiences at the Cadillac Palace Theatre
ever since.  On June 24, 2009, D23 Members will have the chance
to experience the “practically perfect” Mary Poppins like never
before, with premium seats, merchandise discounts,
complimentary souvenir program and a once-in-a-lifetime
“behind-the-scenes” experience.  D23 Members also will receive
the recently released 2-Disc Mary Poppins 45th Anniversary
Special Edition DVD, courtesy of our friends at Walt Disney
Studios Home Entertainment.

June 27    D23 and The Lion King Roar in Vegas
(Las Vegas, NV) — After entertaining more than 45 million
guests in theatres around the world, Simba and Nala have roared
their way onto the world famous Las Vegas Strip.  On June 27,
2009, D23 will host a special night at the Mandalay Bay Resort
in Las Vegas, with premium seating for The Lion King, a
“behind-the-scenes” experience and more, available exclusively
to D23 Members.

June 27 &  Aug. 15 D23 Day at The Walt Disney Studios and Archives (FREE)
(Burbank, CA) — A rare opportunity for D23 Members to enjoy a
2-hour tour of The Walt Disney Studios and Walt Disney
Archives, hosted by D23 and Disney Archives staff.  Only two
dates are available for the Summer 2009 Calendar and space is
limited.

July 17 D23 presents Disneyland, U.S.A. (FREE)
(Anaheim, CA) — Celebrate Disneyland’s 54th Anniversary with a
special screening of Walt Disney’s recently restored 1956
“People and Places” featurette Disneyland, U.S.A., as well as a
panel discussion including Imagineer Tony Baxter, Disney Legend
and Chief Archivist Dave Smith, and Disney Studios Film
Archivist Ed Hobelman.  The event will take place at
Disneyland’s Team Disney Anaheim Theater and will be followed
by a D23 Member reception.

Sept TBD The Walt Disney Family Museum Preview (FREE)
(San Francisco, CA) – Prior to its October 2009 Grand Opening,
D23 members will have the opportunity to experience The Walt
Disney Family Museum, celebrating the life and achievements of
the man who raised animation to an art, transformed the film
industry, tirelessly pursued innovation, and created a global
and distinctly American legacy.  This special preview will be
hosted by the Museum’s Executive Director Richard Benefield.
Dates and details will be available soon.

To find out more about D23′s Summer 2009 Special Events Calendar, including admissions and how to register for events, visit www.disney.com/D23 and click on the “Expo & Events” tab. All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice, have varying admission fees and registration processes, and may require advance reservations due to space limitations.

SUMMER 2009 CHARTER MEMBER-ONLY CONTEST:

In addition to D23′s inaugural slate of special events, the fan community is also pleased to announce its first Member-only contest. This summer, one lucky D23 Member and a guest will have the chance to win an incredible getaway package to join the pack at Pride Rock and see The Lion King in Las Vegas including 2-nights accommodation at the Mandalay Bay Resort and much more. To enter, D23 Members are being asked to tell us what they love most about The Lion King in 300 words or less. A complete list of rules/ regulations and more information will be available at www.disney.com/D23 in early June.

PRNewswire

As Aj, Chris, Shannon and Will are all still enjoying themselves on their 7 Parks in 7 days “TWO KINGDOMS” tour, it has been left up to the trusty tavelears news hound, to get a travel segment show out for this week.

On this show, Aj, Chris, Shannon and Will, join me to discuss some of the challenges and rewards associated with travelling to Disney with small children.

Enjoy,

Ray the trusty travelears news hound….

Theme-park executives at the Walt Disney Co. surprised even Wall Street this week with their ability to cut costs.

Disney’s global theme-park division managed to slice $150 million off its operating expenses during the first three months of this year, a 6 percent savings from the same period a year ago. Some of the savings came from steps such as reduced hours and performances at Walt Disney World and Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif., as well as lower costs for the merchandise, food and beverage sold within the parks.

The lower expenses helped soften the revenue hit that Disney’s parks had to absorb because of the deep discounts they are offering travelers during the global recession. And they were one reason the Disney Co. was able to report a $613 million profit during the its fiscal second quarter — down 46 percent from a year ago but better than most analysts had expected.

Disney’s stock surged on the results, rising nearly 12 percent Wednesday to close at $25.87 a share.

For the rest of Jason Garcia’s article…please go to the Orlando Sentinel

Image Courtesy of D23

From the D23 website…

For one crisp spring morning, Main Street, U.S.A. transformed into Memory Lane as the tiny township welcomed its newest residents — Don Edgren and Rolly Crump — to the neighborhood. Before the park officially opened its gates for the day on April 29, family, friends and fans of the two Disney Legends gathered to celebrate the former Imagineers’ initiation into an exclusive club of fictional shop owners. Walt Disney Imagineering Ambassador Marty Sklar and Disneyland Resort President Ed Grier were also on hand to dedicate the store windows to these two men who played such vital and historic roles in the history of The Walt Disney Company.

Walt started the tradition of store window dedications back in 1955, the year his Magic Kingdom first opened its gates. Realizing that the shops lining Main Street, U.S.A. needed names, he decided to use the real names of employees who went above and beyond the call of duty to help him achieve his dream. Walt’s special way of saying “thanks” caught on, and since then, more than six dozen people have become the proprietors of fictional businesses that reflect their unique contribution to the park.

Don, who worked on the structural design and detail of Disneyland from late 1954 until its opening and coordinated the park’s expansion as a professional engineer with Wheeler & Gray, officially joined WED (Walter Elias Disney) Enterprises (now known as Walt Disney Imagineering) in 1961. It was there that he established what Marty calls a “yes, Walt — can do” mentality shared among all Imagineers.

It was this positive attitude that helped yield classic attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean and inspired the fictional firm of “Yesmen Engineering Associates” and its catchy slogan, “We know no ‘no’” for the pioneer’s personalized window. “They were constantly challenged by Walt and the creative teams that followed, including me, to do things that sometimes defied engineering logic,” Marty said at the event. “Believe me, we would not be here today if it wasn’t for ‘yes men’ like Don Edgren.”

In 1952, Rolly got his start at the Company as an in-betweener and later became an assistant animator on films such as Peter Pan, Lady and the Tramp and Sleeping Beauty. In 1959, the skilled artist joined show design at WED and eventually became one of Walt’s key designers. Dubbed a “true original, even among Imagineers,” some of Rolly’s signature projects include the Tower of Four Winds for the 1964 New York World’s Fair and groundbreaking attractions like Haunted Mansion, it’s a small world and Enchanted Tiki Room.

With a love for the weird and the magical, it’s only fitting that Rolly has become the proprietor of “Fargo’s Palm Parlor,” a business where “the designs are to die for” and the “predictions will haunt you.” “Rolly had a special relationship with Walt, who appreciated his risk-taking with ideas,” Marty said. “His very personal, sometimes outrageous, art and design style continues to flow and the many collectors of his art, including me, continue to be inspired by his talent and his sense of humor. It’s a great privilege for me to help honor Roland Fargo Crump.”

After a unique musical tribute by Main Street, U.S.A.’s very own Dapper Dans, Mickey Mouse and Chris Dudley, “the mayor of Main Street,” unveiled the newly inscribed windows. Don’s daughter Kathy Partee took the stage on behalf of her father, who passed away in 2006, to say a few heartfelt words. “I know Dad is watching with a great deal of gratitude and pride,” she shared.

Rolly was honored to share the special moment with his good friend Don and took a few moments to tell the audience stories about working with Walt, who sometimes had trouble remembering his name. “I started off as Roland, then I was ‘Owen’ for awhile, and then I became ‘Orland,’ but of course, I would answer to anything he called me,” he laughed. “But the crowning glory was when he called me ‘what’s his name.’ So, he finally ended up giving me the nickname ‘Rolly,’ which I really appreciate.”

Courtesy of Magically Speaking, the newsletter for The Magic For Less Travel

Walt Disney World Closures and Rehabs

Magic Kingdom

Hall of Presidents is closed through July 1.
The Heritage House Shop is closed until July 1.
Tomorrowland Transit Authority is closed through August 24.
Space Mountain is closed through November 21.
Walt Disney World Railroad will be closed May 13 and 14.
Epcot

San Angel Inn in the Mexico Pavilion will be closed beginning May 10.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios

“Sounds Dangerous” is currently operating on a seasonal schedule.
Animal Kingdom

There are no rehabs currently scheduled.
Outside the Theme Parks

The Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort and Spa will open June 1.

Disneyland Closures and Rehabs

The Hungry Bear Restaurant is closed from May 4 May 15.
Peter Pan’s Flight is closed through June 7.
Star Tours will be closed on May 5 and May 6.
Sailing Ship Columbia will be closed from May 18 through May 20.
Snow White’s Scary Adventures will be closed beginning June 8.
“Summer Nightastic” begins June 12. (Includes an updated “Fantasmic!,” a new “Magical” fireworks show, the TLT Dance Club at Tomorrowland Terrace, and nighttime access to Pixie Hollow.)
“Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years” has closed. “The Disneyland Story, Featuring Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” will return at a later date.
Disney’s California Adventure Closures and Rehabs

Sun Wheel was scheduled to open on May 3 after the conversion into Mickey’s Fun Wheel.
King Triton’s Carousel is closed through May 21.
Redwood Creek Challenge Trail will be closed from May 18 through May 22.
Corn Dog Castle will close on June 1 for a major refurbishment.
“Summer Nightastic” begins June 12.  Disney’s Electrical Parade returns with new floats and an updated soundtrack.
Paradise Pier Lagoon and the Golden State Amphitheater are closed for preparation of the “Disney’s World of Color” lagoon show.

Image Courtesy of Disneyland Resort

Ever since Walt Disney opened the park in 1955, Disneyland has been known as “The Happiest Place on Earth.” So it’s fair to say the bar is set quite high for Disneyland’s president, Ed Grier.

“We don’t get to have a bad day,” Grier says. “Certainly we are not perfect, and we do make mistakes, but that is the approach we take. We don’t want to have a bad day. We want to have a great day every day for our guests. It’s important on that day, but it’s more important because we want them to keep coming back.”

As president of the Disneyland Resort, Grier is in charge of the operation of two theme parks, three hotels, and the Downtown Disney shopping, dining and entertainment district.

The historic Disneyland Park is the flagship of the resort, drawing nearly 15 million visitors annually. It’s the second-most-visited theme park in the world, behind only Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in Florida. Disney’s California Adventure theme park — also a part of the resort — adds several million more visitors each year. Each one of those visitors expects his or her Disneyland experience to live up to Walt Disney’s promise.

Grier says the keys to providing that world-class service are gathering information, sticking to a plan and asking employees to contribute to the organization’s success.

For more of Mark McClellan’s article…please go to Smart Business Orange County

 

The first day of the Westfest ’09 kicked into high gear on Thursday as we all started to arrive in Anaheim. After spending the morning enjoying the attractions in Disneyland, Will, Shannon and Aj headed  over to DCA to see High School Musical 3. Unfortunately all of Will’s dancing and singing brought unwanted attention to poor Aj when he was picked out from the crowd to perform with the cast in the next song. All we can say is to make sure that you keep an eye out for the photos and video that will be posted over the coming days as you will see a side of HSM3 that you have never seen before.

 

Thursday evening was at Podfest West, where 60+ people joined their favorite podcasters to share a few drinks and party until the early hours of the morning at The Lost Bar the Disneyland Hotel. This was an outstanding meet and a great way for everybody to get to know each other and have a great time within the resort.

 

Day 2

After a quick breakfast at the hotel, we all headed to Disneyland to get a few attractions under our belts before heading to a special lunch as guests at Club 33. Although a full review will be posted on our return home, the experience was fantastic and the food superb. 

 

Disneyland appears to be following Walt Disney World’s lead and bucking the falling attendance trends. The parks were busy today and crowds are expected to be high again over the coming days. Wait time were creeping up to over an hour on many of the major attractions and fastpass strategies were used during the day to reduce wait times.

 

At 6.00pm a large crowd gathered over at DCA for the annual Westfest Rabble Rousers meet. After enjoying samplings from the Food and Wine Festival, the crowd headed over to Soarin to ride the attraction as a group.

 

The night was finished off back in Disneyland to watch the Remember fireworks and one last ride on Space Mountain before heading off to bed.

 

Stay tuned for daily updates from the 7 Parks in 7 Days “Two Kingdoms” Tour and our coverage from Westfest ’09.

 

Chris, Aj, Will and Shannon

/film is reporting that LucasFilm is shooting new footage for Star Tours.  Their source reports that the new version will incorporate prequel characters, such as Naboo citizens and Geonosians, along with many aliens from the original trilogy.  Reportedly, the Star Tours vehicles will be chased by Boba Fett.  C3PO and R2D2 will continue to be the hosts.  Admiral Ackbar will be hoographically communicating with the Star Tours vehicles.

If we hear more….we’ll be reporting it here, so keep checking back.

As the Travelears crew arrives in Anaheim for the Westfest “09 festivities, we bring you this week’s Disneyland resort update. On this show Aj, Chris, Greg and Ryan discuss:

 

• The opening of Celebration BBQ
• Disney Wonder coming to Los Angeles
• Downtown Disney Annual Passport Appreciation Days
• Celebrate: A Street Party debuts at Disneyland
• Disneyland announces new Summer promotion: Stay 3, Get 2 Free
• Public sales begin for the The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa
• Seasonal pricing increase for DLR character meals
• 2009 Mother’s Day Brunch
• A locals perspective of Disney’s California Adventure Construction progress

 

We look forward to seeing all of our fans that our coming to our DLR and WDW meets over the coming days, and stay tuned for our live shows direct from Westfest at Disneyland and Epcots Flower and Garden festivals. 

 

Enjoy the show,

Aj, Chris, Greg, Ray, Ryan, Shannon and Will

Want to plan your Disneyland trip? Check out the best restaurant in the park, or where construction is ongoing? What rides you want to take your kiddies on.

Web designer and veteran Disney blogger Sonya Smith has turned her considerable expertise toward creating an interactive map of Disneyland with dozens of features, photos and descriptions of all of the rides, restaurants and even smoking areas in the parks.

For more information and the link to the map…please go to Adam Townsend’s blog at the Orange County Register

Hi there everyone…Ray here.  Disney certainly is giving us incentives to travel to their parks.  I found an interesting article related to this…here is an excerpt from it…

Ready to party?

Birthday, anniversary, wedding, good report card, Mother’s Day, being back home safe after a military deployment … whatever you want to celebrate on your next vacation, you’ll not only get feted like a VIP but also save some significant bucks.

Thank Mickey and Minnie for starting the let’s celebrate parade of freebies and discounts now cropping up at hotels and resorts everywhere. Disneyland and Walt Disney World have offered free admission throughout 2009 for anyone celebrating a birthday — a $75 value for adults, a $63 value for kids.

More than 2 million people have registered on the Web site, and while Disney won’t say exactly how many people have taken advantage of the offer, clearly the promotion has proved a home run in what has been a very challenging year.

For the rest of the article by Eileen Ogintz…please go here.

Image Courtesy of Disneyland Resort

Discover the time and location of complimentary events during Disney’s California Food and Wine Festival.  Complimentary events are included with your admission to Disney’s California Adventure Park.

April 27 – May 3, 2009

May 4 – 10, 2009

May 11 – 17, 2009

May 18 – 24, 2009

May 25 – 31, 2009

June 1 – 7, 2009

]]> http://www.thetravelears.com/2009/04/27/disneys-california-food-wine-festival-daily-schedule/feed/ 0 http://www.thetravelears.com/2009/04/24/a-special-invitation-to-support-the-childrens-hospital-of-orange-county-at-an-exclusive-food-and-wine-event-at-disney/ http://www.thetravelears.com/2009/04/24/a-special-invitation-to-support-the-childrens-hospital-of-orange-county-at-an-exclusive-food-and-wine-event-at-disney/#comments Sat, 25 Apr 2009 04:27:39 +0000 Aj http://www.thetravelears.com/?p=3777 A special invitation to support the Children’s Hospital of Orange County at an exclusive food and wine event at Disney.

 

About CHOC

Since opening our doors in 1964, CHOC Children’s has provided the highest quality medical care to children. Our regional health system includes a state-of-the-art 232 bed main hospital facility in the City of Orange, a hospital-within-a-hospital in Mission Viejo, and five community clinics — plus over 100 additional programs and services. With admissions growing by 91% over the last ten years, CHOC and CHOC at Mission combined rank as the 16th busiest children’s hospital in the country.

 

Our mission is straightforward: To nurture, advance and protect the health and well-being of children. That’s why at CHOC and CHOC at Mission, we are dedicated to working cooperatively — assisting and enriching existing services as well as developing programs to benefit the families of Orange County. In fiscal year 2005, over 200,000 children came through our doors for inpatient, outpatient and emergency room visits — regardless of their family’s ability to pay.

Image Courtesy of Walt Disney Company

According to our friend Alain Littaye at the Disney and More blog, Marty Sklar announced today in a letter to “All Imagineers” that he will retire from Walt Disney Imagineering on July 17 this year.

Disney Legend Marty Sklar started as a Disney cast-member 53 years ago at Disneyland’s public relations department and joined WED Enterprises in 1961 where his Imagineer career began. His career began at WDI as a Staff Writer to Vice President of Concepts and Planning, and then moved on to President and Vice-Chairman and Principal Creative Executive of Imagineering.

His role in the creative development of EPCOT is well known, but he also has been involved in many attractions and theme park projects that are beloved by Disney guests.

I read this news with great sadness and also great pleasure.  I’m glad because after 53 years at Disney, I’m sure Marty deserves some retirement time.  He’s not being shoved out the door as a dottering old man.  He’s leaving on his terms when he wants to.  Sadness, for the wonderful talent and person that the Walt Disney Company and the Disney fan community is losing…because it’s an end of an era.  Marty Sklar is not only one of the last Disney Imagineers who personally knew Walt Disney, but Walt’s inspiration has burned inside him.  Marty once said, “Working with Walt Disney was the greatest “training by fire” anyone could ever experience. Our training was by Walt, who was always there pitching in with new ideas and improving everyone else’s input. The fire was that we were constantly breaking new ground to create deadline projects never attempted before in this business. That, I’m proud to say has never stopped in my years at Disney.”

Back in 2005, during a family vacation at the Disneyland Resort, we accidently met Marty.  Marty was walking through Disneyland.  We crossed paths with him in New Orleans Square.  As we walked past him and his “party”, it occured to me who we just walked by….it was Marty Sklar!  I turned to my wife and said, “That was Marty Sklar!” “No..it couldn’t be,” she replied.  I was sure of it though, so I reversed my path and politely run back to him with my oldest son in tow.  When I saw the name “Marty” on his Disney ID tag, I was sure.  I said hello to him and thanked him for all that he’s done for the Disney Company and us fans of Disney. We chatted a bit more while I tried to maintain my composure.  I don’t even remember what else we talked about I was so excited meeting him.

I managed to keep our meeting short, realizing that he was a busy man….but remembered to get a picture with him and my oldest son….though forgot to get a picture with him myself….doh.  When we walked away…I looked at my hand and it hit me, “I shook Marty Sklar’s hand!”  Even though I was calm and collected while I was with Marty…now I was almost giddy…maybe even a bit euphoric.  I had met a Disney legend.

This meeting just goes to show you that he knew what is was about…that if I recognized him…I must be a big Disney fan.  So, he took the time to chat with me, because he knew it meant something to me as a Disney fan.  Walt obviously trained Marty well.  He didn’t have to take time out of his busy day for me, but he did…and I am eternally grateful.

Even though we spent maybe less than 5 minutes together, every time I saw a Disney Company podcast or Disney themed show on the History or Travel Channels, I felt a special connection…. I had met him.

I have never forgotten our meeting…and hopefully never will.  Good luck Marty with your life in retirement.  Please enjoy it.  We Disney fans are grateful for what you’ve done with your career at Disney…and you will be missed.

 

 

PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Anaheim Chamber Of Commerce

201 E. Center Street Anaheim, CA 92805

 

Enjoy the Appetizing Blend of Great Food, Drink, and Music at the 14th Annual Taste of Anaheim

On Thursday evening, May 14th, The Shops at Anaheim GardenWalk will be the beautiful backdrop for the 14th Annual Taste of Anaheim.

Five thousand people are expected to attend this premier food, wine and music experience and will sample foods from over 50 fine restaurants in Anaheim and Orange County. Some of this year’s delectable tastes will come from Ruth Chris Steakhouse, California Pizza Kitchen, Bubba Gumps, McCormick & Schmick’s, Rain Forest Café, Naples Restaurant, Catal Restaurant, Tortilla Jo’s, Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine, and Alcatraz Brewing Company just to name a few!

“The Taste of Anaheim is an excellent way for the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce to help promote the fine dining establishments that we have within the City of Anaheim,” said Anaheim Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Todd Ament. “The people who attend always have a great time with the huge variety of restaurants to choose and taste from, and our participating restaurants are always pleased with the great attendance and response from the community.

What better place to host this year’s Taste of Anaheim than The Shops at Anaheim GardenWalk - OC’s New Hot Spot for Fashion, Food, & Fun! The unique surroundings of spectacular waterfalls, and elaborate gardens will bring this year’s Taste of Anaheim to a new level of excitement and ambience. With performances from America’s Got Talent Finalist Eli Mattson, Film at Eleven, and the Oreo Divas, the crowd will surely be dancing the night away.

 

2009 Participating Restaurants Include:

 

 

 

    * 195 Downtown Grill

    * Berkely’s Backyard BBQ

    * Casa 7 Mares

    * Dream Cakes

    * Mix Restaurant & Lounge Hilton Anaheim

    * Kelly’s Coffee & Fudge

    * K’ya Restaurant

    * Pepz Pizza & Eatery

    * Rubios Fresh Mexican Grill

    * Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse

    * Storytellers Café

    * Naples Ristorante

    * Mama Cozza’s Italian Inn

    * Java Jean Bar

    * Ten Ten Seafood Restaurant

    * Dave & Busters

    * Mimi’s Café

    * Ruby’s Diner 

    * Rainforest Café

    * Ralph Brennan’s Jazz Kitchen

    * Café Orleans

    * Tortilla Jo’s

    * Bar Louie Tavern & Grill

    * Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

    * California Pizza Kitchen

    * McCormick & Schmicks Grille

    * Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory

    * Roy’s Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine

    * Alcatraz Brewing Co.

    * Lucky Strike Lanes

    * Mr. Stox Restaurant

    * La Brea Bakery

    * Mustache Mikes Gourmet Italian Ice

    * PF Changs

    * Pop the Cork

    * House of Blues

    * 300 Anaheim 

 

 

For information on sponsorships, tickets, or volunteer opportunities, go to www.tasteofanaheim.com or call the Anaheim Chamber of Commerce at (714) 758-0222.

From today to June 7, 2009, a World Celebration comes to Disneyland Resort. This six-week festival showcases California’s rich fusion of flavors. Enjoy cooking demonstrations, seminars and recipes that reflect the Golden State’s regional and culinary diversity at the Fourth Annual Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival.

The line up this year in California looks to be better than ever, with larger food portions of all of our favourites including the delicious sliders, cheddar cheese soup and Lobster pops.

More than 600 complimentary experiences will be available at the fourth annual Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival, including culinary demonstrations, children’s programs and wine and spirits seminars. In addition, food and wine aficionados will get tips from Disneyland Resort chefs, mingle with noted winemakers and celebrate at the spectacular ticketed events, including the gala Festival finale “Taste Food-Wine-Life.”

Featured celebrity chefs, including Guy Fieri of the Food Network, along with nearly 100 Disneyland Resort chefs will conduct cooking demonstrations that showcase their talents and an international mix of delectable dishes. Guests will collect cooking tips while they watch the pros in action, discovering new twists on timeless classics and sampling the festival cuisine. Guests will also taste delicious festival-inspired dishes at the Wine Country Trattoria, Pacific Wharf Café, Farmer’s Market and other eateries inside Disney’s California Adventure park.

Guests will enjoy several new signature events this year.
• Behind the Scenes With… – Unique opportunities to share food, wine and conversation with cooking personalities from popular television programs and celebrity winemakers. The stars include Guy Fieri (“Guy’s Big Bite”), Keegan Geerhard (“Food Network Challenge), Tommy Lasorda (Lasorda Wines), and John and Nancy Lasseter (Lasseter Family Winery). The evenings begin with tasty appetizers and exquisite wines, followed by question-and-answer sessions hosted a special chef.

• Sweet Sundays – The sweetest of all events features a light buffet breakfast and sparkling wine at the Golden Vine Winery at Disney’s California Adventure. Guests will see demonstrations and taste three signature desserts created by acclaimed pastry chefs, including chefs from Sweet Cheeks Baking Co. in San Diego and Cake Monkey Bakery in Los Angeles.

• Festival Wine Walks ¬ Guests will explore wines of the world, or a single region, when they purchase a tasting passport and select up to four tastes of spectacular wines. A tasting tour that features craft brews will also be available. Delicious wine country tapas that complement the beer and wine will be available at The Lounge at the Golden Vine Winery.

• World Celebration Dinners – Disneyland Resort chefs will create an elegant menu that blends the food, wine and celebrations of regions around the world. France, Japan, Korea, Italy and Spain will be featured.

• Master Sommelier Michael Jordan, of the award-winning Napa Rose restaurant, will add a new class to his “Introduction to Wine Tasting.” The “Advanced Wine Class” includes three two-hour sessions that take guests to the next level in their knowledge of wine regions, varietals, growing and harvesting techniques. Both entertaining classes will offer training as well as a blind tasting to test the participants’ skills.

Events returning for 2009 feature Disneyland Resort chefs and premier winemakers.
• Winemaker Dinners – Disneyland Resort chefs will partner with premier California winemakers to prepare outstanding culinary delights at six exclusive “Winemaker Dinners,” on selected Friday nights. Each Festival meal will be paired with award-winning vintages and served at Steakhouse 55, inside the Disneyland Hotel.

• Napa Rose Cooking School – Disney Executive Chef Andrew Sutton will once again lead this hands-on course that sells out quickly. Each class will create and enjoy a themed meal paired with wines and each class member will go home with an official chef’s coat to commemorate the experience. This amazing opportunity takes place in the show kitchen of the renowned Napa Rose restaurant at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa. Guests must be at least 18 years of age.

• Festival Wine Receptions – Guests will have an opportunity to enjoy a beautiful sunset and weekend evening under the stars, on the patio of the Golden Vine Winery inside Disney’s California Adventure park. While sampling from a variety of selected wines and enjoying hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, guests will meet fellow wine enthusiasts, make new friends and discover new favorite wines.

If your intending to join us at Westfest, make sure that you check out the following locations:

Festival Welcome Center Presented by AARP

The Sunshine Plaza serves as the hub for all festival information including daily event schedules and same-day reservations – if available.

Festival-Inspired Dining

Enjoy festival inspirations at Wine Country Trattoria, Pizza Oom Mow Mow, Pacific Wharf Café, Farmer’s Market, Award Wieners and Taste Pilots’ Grill. Expertly paired wines and beer are also available.

Festival Wine Shop & Bistro

Shop for spectacular bottles of wines or enjoy a glass on the outdoor Lower Patio of the Golden Vine Winery. Open daily. For your convenience, bottles will be delivered to Package Pickup.

Festival Gift Shop

Shop for specially designed Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival merchandise to commemorate your visit.

The Lounge at the Golden Vine Winery

Relax on the Upper Terrace of the Golden Vine Winery and enjoy outstanding wines from California and international vineyards. Wine flights are offered by varietal, location or theme. Wine-country tapas are available for purchase.

NEW! Festival Wine Walks

Take a tasting tour of the finest wine regions and travel the globe without ever leaving the Festival. Each walk’s tasting-passport offers up to four tastings from around the world or a single region.

The following image is this years California Food and Wine Festival Map:

Festival events held in Disney’s California Adventure may require park admission, which is not included in the event price. Some events require an additional fee and pre-registration. For details and pricing information, visit www.disneyland.com/foodandwine.

Don’t forget that the travelears will be visiting this great event during its opening week, so stay tuned for our exclusive reviews.

We look forward to sharing a slider and a glass of Napa red with all of you during the festivities at Westfest ’09.

Enjoy,

Aj

Just in time for summer, the Disneyland Resort announces a valuable ticket offer – the 3-Day Summer Fun Pass, available exclusively for residents of Southern California and Northern Baja.

With this special ticket, local residents can play at the Disneyland Resort for three days within a 45-day period, for just $99. Guests who live in zip codes 90000 through 93599, and 21000-22999, will be able to enter both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure, enjoying three days of fun for only $33 per day.

The 3-day Summer Fun Pass is available for sale at Disneyland.com, Disney Stores and at the Disneyland Resort box office. Resident ID is required. To skip ticket lines and enjoy straight-to-the-gate convenience, the 3-Day Summer Fun Pass is also sold at local supermarket and retail chains such as Vons, Albertsons, Ralphs, Stater Bros., Food 4 Less, Gelsons, Dearden’s and Toys ‘R’ Us.

Since the first use of the pass must be between June 1 and August 23, 2009, it’s just the ticket for local residents to see Disneyland Resort in a whole new light during SUMMER NIGHTASTIC! Nighttime shows and parades come to life – bigger, better and brighter in this special summer event. Spectacular, state-of-the-art effects, plus an all-new fireworks show highlight the sparkling summer entertainment that runs June 12 through August 23.

“When you combine our Summer Fun Pass with our Summer Nightastic! entertainment, guests get a great value when they visit the Disneyland Resort this summer,” said Jill Estorino, senior vice president of marketing for Disneyland Resort. “New energy, new entertainment and a whole new feel will make Disneyland the hottest spot in Southern California this summer for kids of all ages.”

Fantasmic! ignites the night with awesome, lifelike creatures and HD takes on a new meaning: Huge Dragon. Appearing in amazing HD animation, the 40-foot tall, fire-breathing dragon practically leaps off the giant mist screens.

A more-dazzling-than-ever “Disney’s Electrical Parade” is now led by Tinker Bell in a new scene, and two classic parade scenes – Snow White and Pinocchio – make their triumphant return to this fan favorite.

Magical is a new, breathtaking fireworks spectacular filling the night sky over Sleeping Beauty Castle. Bursts of color and brilliant visual effects dance in the evening air accompanied by beloved Disney songs. Tinker Bell is once again your host, and Dumbo will make his surprise airborne debut in the new show.

In Tomorrowland, DJs and live bands will play the hottest summer tunes at the TLT Dance Club, and a twinkling trail leads to Pixie Hollow, where Tinker Bell and her Disney fairy friends can be met in a sparkling fantasy world.

For information on new attractions, special offers and vacations at Disneyland Resort visit www.disneyland.com, call (866) 60-DISNEY or contact local travel agents.

Disneyland Press Release

ANAHEIM, Calif., April 24 – Disneyland Resort will glow like never before this summer as it debuts an all-new fireworks show, Magical, along with sensational new characters and effects that will brighten the Summer Nightastic! lineup of after-dark entertainment.

WHAT: Guests can see Disneyland Resort in a whole new light as Summer Nightastic! brings nighttime shows and parades to life – bigger, better and brighter. A huge new dragon and other special effects will highlight Fantasmic! Explosive surprises will illuminate the night sky in the all-new fireworks spectacular, Magical. Guests can rock the night away at a new dance club in Tomorrowland. Sparkling new magic comes to “Disney’s Electrical Parade,” as well as to Pixie Hollow, the enchanting home Tinker Bell inhabits with her fairy friends.

WHEN: Nightly, beginning Friday, June 12, and continuing through Sunday, August 23, at Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks. All shows and immersive experiences are free with park admission.

A BOLDER FANTASMIC!: Guests will find new thrills at the popular Fantasmic! on the Rivers of America in Frontierland. The evil Maleficent from “Sleeping Beauty” transforms into a 40-foot tall, fire-breathing dragon. Ursula the Sea Witch from “The Little Mermaid” introduces her pet eels, Flotsam and Jetsam, who slither into the show with new power. In addition, the Fantasmic! video projections practically leap off the giant mist screens, thanks to HD (high-definition) technology … (in this case, HD takes on a new meaning – Huge Dragon).

AN EXPLODING CELEBRATION IN THE SKY: Magical is a new Disney fireworks spectacular created especially to celebrate Summer Nightastic! at Disneyland. Tinker Bell is once again your host, waving her wand to ignite the brilliant color, stunning special effects and charming music. But she won’t be alone in the sky this summer. Dumbo will make his surprise airborne debut in the new show. Tink’s sparkling touch awakens a fantastic array of Disney’s most magical characters, from Pinocchio to Mary Poppins to Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother, and the Three Good Fairies from “Sleeping Beauty.”

NEW FLOATS BRING NEW MAGIC TO ‘DISNEY’S ELECTRICAL PARADE’: Everything about “Disney’s Electrical Parade” will have a new glow as Tinker Bell leads the way, waving from the basket of a magical balloon aboard a new opening parade float. The parade’s beloved music and floats will feature electrifying audio and lighting technologies, with sparkling pixie dust added to all the parade floats. Snow White and Pinocchio return to the parade this summer as well, after several years’ absence, riding bright new versions of their classic floats.

AN EXCITING NEW DANCE CLUB ‘IGNITES THE NIGHT’ IN TOMORROWLAND: Tweens, teens and families will be drawn to the TLT Dance Club at Tomorrowland Terrace in Disneyland. Dazzling décor will include an illuminated DJ console where the TLT Dance Club DJ will spin the hottest dance tunes, guaranteed to keep Tomorrowland rockin’ all night. Live bands and the hottest Southern California radio stations will appear on select nights throughout the summer.

PIXIE HOLLOW ENCHANTMENT: Tinker Bell and her friends have been welcoming guests into their Pixie Hollow home, tucked into the glen near the entrance to Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland, since fall of 2008. This summer, for the first time, nighttime visitors will find magical surprises as Pixie Hollow and the nearby pond come to life in iridescent light shows. Pixie dust cascades across the landscape and radiates down into the pond. Even the water becomes enchanted as playful fountains spring to life, pop jets perform with whimsical precision, and sparkling strobes shine throughout Pixie Hollow.

More information about Summer Nightastic! can be found at www.disneyland.com/summer.

Through June 12, 2009, each active or retired member of the U.S. military can receive one complimentary three-day “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” Park Hopper ticket valid for admission to both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks. Voucher must be acquired through your base MWR Ticket Office to be presented with your valid military ID at the Disneyland Box Office for an actual bar coded ticket. During the offer period, active or retired U.S. military personnel also may make a one-time purchase of an adult or child three-day “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute Companion” Park Hopper ticket for up to five family members (including spouse) or friends for the price of an adult 1-Day Park Hopper ticket. MWR 1-Day Park Hopper Price: $94 Adult/Child.

For information regarding “Disney’s Armed Forces Salute” call your base MWR Ticket Office

Information courtesy of Navy Compass

Image Courtesy of PRNewswire

The whole family can join the action with two new immersive shows this spring at Disneyland. Celebrate! A Street Party is a dazzling street show featuring a cast of nearly 100 dancers, DJs and Disney characters inviting guests along the Disneyland parade route to celebrate with them as they perform more than a dozen musical numbers in a lively presentation that allows some guests to show off their own dance moves in a conga line or twist party.

The best place at the Resort for hearty mouth-watering barbecue fare is Celebration Roundup and Barbecue, a spot where guests can celebrate their special occasions ranch-style with Woody and Jessie from “Toy Story,” Chip ‘n Dale and festive, country entertainment with live musicians. Located at Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland, Celebration Roundup and Barbecue features family-style table service with a menu of barbecue chicken and ribs, corn cob wheels, ranch beans, cole slaw, cornbread, watermelon slices and a unique surprise dessert.

PRNewswire

Join us on this special edition of the show, as Aj, Chris, Will and Shannon talk about our upcoming 7 Parks in  7 Days, Two Kingdom Tour. The Tour that will kick off on May 1st will take the crew from the West Coast to the East Coast to visit Disneyland, DCA, Epcot, Animal Kingdom, DHS, Magic Kingdom and even Universal Orlando Resort.

 

Enjoy this special edition of the show,

Aj, Chris, Ray, Ryan, Will and Shannon

Image Courtesy of D23

From D23 -

The Midget Autopia was “geared” towards Disneyland’s youngest Guests when the attraction opened in 1957. Not only was it intended for kids, but even parents were not allowed to ride along. Always striving to have attractions that could be enjoyed by the whole family, Walt Disney supposedly was disappointed with it because only children could ride. After the attraction closed in 1966, it was donated to the Walt’s boyhood hometown of Marceline, Missouri where it was installed in the Walt Disney Park. Today, if you’re visting Disneyland, you can still get a glimpse of a Midget Autopia car. Just hop in and take a drive, where just off the side of the road you’ll see a statue of an actual original bronzed Midget Autopia car on a pedestal.

The Themed Entertainment Association, an industry group, commissions an economic study every year to estimate the attendance to theme parks all over the world, including Disney parks.

The study shows that at an estimated 14.7 million visitors, Disneyland was the second-highest attended theme park in the world in 2008.

The American parks had a relatively bad fourth quarters in 2008, but the two Disney parks in Tokyo had a record year with an estimated 26.3 million — experts attribute that to the parks’ 25th anniversary promotions. The Walt Disney Co. licenses those Tokyo parks, but does not own them.

For the rest of Adam Townsend’s article…please go to the Orange County Register.

Image Courtesy of Disneyland Resort

Tantalizing taste buds with authentic, international flavors, Disneyland Resort celebrates its fourth annual Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival, with a six-week “World Celebration” featuring celebrity chefs, signature and complimentary experiences and winemaker dinners with themes from around the globe.

Southern California Restaurant Writers recently awarded Disneyland Resort 15 new awards for its restaurants and chefs – just in time as it prepares to launch the 2009 Disney’s California Food & Wine Festival.

NEW in 2009

Where can you find “Bad Boy” of the Food Network, Guy Fieri, along with celebrity chefs and nearly 100 Disneyland Resort chefs?

• Whipping up cooking demonstrations for guests to discover new twists on timeless classics, daily at Disney’s California Adventure.

Passport handy?

• Embark on a Festival Wine Walk and get the flavor of France, Italy, Spain and Germany, or experience the California wine country featuring 89 American Viticulture Areas – without ever leaving the Food & Wine Festival!

Celebrities on your mind?

• Go Behind the Scenes with…stars of the Food Network!  Trade kitchen secrets, ask culinary questions and capture a photo. Curious about becoming a winemaker? Meet baseball legend, Tommy Lasorda (Lasorda Wines) and get “direction” from the guru of Pixar films John Lasseter, along with his wife Nancy (Lasseter Family Winery).

Who’s the SWEETEST of them all?

• Learn the magic of creating a pastry masterpiece from the highly-skilled chefs of Sweet Cheeks Baking Co., San Diego, and Cake Monkey Bakery, Los Angeles, during Sweet Sundays.

Dream of becoming a MASTER Wine Connoisseur?

• Master Sommelier Michael Jordan, of the award winning Napa Rose restaurant hosts a six-hour Advanced Wine Course featuring an in-depth look at international wine regions, various growing and harvesting techniques, wine laws and governances – a perfect recipe for wine expertise. Or, try his introductory course for another immersive experience.

It’s a Whole New World…

• Experience an exciting menu every week during World Celebrations Dinners – featuring the aromas and flavors of Italy, Spain, France, Korea and Japan as well as the wines of Domaines Barons de Rothschild (Lafite).

Disneyland Resort Press Release

With all the talk of doom, gloom and economic disaster, the Travelears crew take the opportunity on show #41 to discuss travel opportunities and discounts that have emerged due to the financial turmoil that has effected the global economy.

As normal, the crew inject some humour into this very serious topic and we are joined by Carla again from The Magic For Less Travel.

Let us know your tips for beating the economic slowdown by emailing us at: feedback@thetravelears.com.

Enjoy the show.

 

AJ, Chris, Greg, Ray, Ryan, Shannon and Will

On this weeks travel segment show, we answer a question from one of our favourite listeners “Jilybeana” and discuss the perfect touring plan for visiting Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.

Enjoy the show.

Aj, Chris, Greg, Ray, Ryan, Shannon and Will

Image Courtesy of Disneyland

• Coach Package: includes hairstyle, shimmering make-up, princess sash, princess bag and body jewels ($44.95, plus tax).
• Crown Package: includes hairstyle, shimmering makeup, princess sash, princess bag, body jewels and nail polish ($49.95, plus tax).
• Castle Package: includes hairstyle, shimmering makeup, princess sash, princess bag, body jewels, nail polish, choice of princess costume complete with wand and shoes, as well as portrait package courtesy of Disney’s PhotoPass Service. Girls receiving the Castle Package can choose to be dressed as Aurora, Cinderella, Belle, Jasmine, Snow White, Tinkerbell or Ariel as a bride (starting at $195.85 plus tax).

FOR YOUNG KNIGHTS: Also available at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is a magical experience for boys that transforms them into gallant young knights. The “Knight” look includes a hairstyle fit for daring adventure, a Prince Philip shield and a sword for fun and heroism ($12.95 plus tax).

AGE REQUIREMENT: Three years and older; must be accompanied by an adult age 18 years or older.

LOCATION AND HOURS: Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique is located next to Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Park. Operating hours vary with Park hours and theme park admission is required.

RESERVE A ROYAL TIME: Advance reservations are recommended and can be made by calling 714-781-STYLE. For details, go to www.ArtofDisneyParks.com or www.Disneyland.com/style.

FOR TWEENS: Coming this summer, Studio Disney 365 in Downtown Disney will bring out the inner rock star in tweens and transform them into glamourous celebrities — just like some of their favorite Disnsey Channel stars. The star treatment may also include a photo session with the “paparazzi” or a freestyle dance moment with the other new “stars.”

Disneyland Resort Press Release

Image Courtesy of Walt Disney World

According to the Themed Entertainment Association/Economics Research Associates’ Attraction Attendance Report 2008, the Magic Kingdom is the most visited theme park in the world, with just over 17 million guests in 2008.

Top 20 Amusement Parks/Theme Parks North America

1.   MAGIC KINGDOM at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida………………………………..17,063,000

2.   DISNEYLAND, Anaheim, Calfornia………………………………………………………………………………..14,721,000

3.   EPCOT at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida…………………………………………………10,935,000

4.   DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida………..9,608,000

5.   DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida……………….9,540,000

6.   UNIVERSAL STUDIOS at Universal Orlando, Florida……………………………………………………….6,231,000

7.   SEAWORLD FLORIDA, Orlando, Florida ……………………………………………………………………….5,926,000

8.   DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE, Anaheim, California……………………………………………5,566,000

9.   ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE at Universal Orlando, Florida………………………………………………..5,297,000

10. UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD, Universal City, California……………………………………..4,583,000

11.  BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA BAY, Tampa Bay, Florida………………………………………………………4,410,000

12.  SEAWORLD CALIFORNIA, San Diego, California……………………………………………………………4,147,000

13.  KNOTT’S BERRY FARM, Buena Park, California……………………………………………………………..3,565,000

14.  CANADA’S WONDERLAND, Maple, Ontario………………………………………………………………….3,380,000

15.  CEDAR POINT, Sandusky, Ohio…………………………………………………………………………………….3,198,000

16.  KINGS ISLAND, Kings Island, Ohio……………………………………………………………………………….3,126,000

17.  BUSCH GARDENS EUROPE, Williamsburg, Virginia………………………………………………………3,094,000

18.  HERSHEY PARK, Hershey, Pennsylvania……………………………………………………………………….2,842,000

19.  SIX FLAGS GREAT ADVENTURE, Jackson, New Jersey…………………………………………………..2,761,000

20. SIX FLAGS GREAT AMERICA, Gurnee, Illinois……………………………………………………………….2,669,000

Top 20 Worldwide Amusement/Theme Parks (2008)

1.   MAGIC KINGDOM at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida………………………………..17,063,000

2.   DISNEYLAND, Anaheim, California……………………………………………………………………………….14,721,000

3.   TOKYO DISNEYLAND, Tokyo, Japan…………………………………………………………………………….14,293,000

4.   DISNEYLAND PARK AT DISNEYLAND PARIS, Marne-La-Vallee, France………………………..12,688,000

5.   TOKYO DISNEY SEA, Tokyo, Japan………………………………………………………………………………12,498,000

6.   EPCOT at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida…………………………………………………10,935,000

7.   DISNEY’S HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida………..9,608,000

8.   DISNEY’S ANIMAL KINGDOM at Walt Disney World, Lake Buena Vista, Florida………………9,540,000

9.   UNIVERSAL STUDIOS JAPAN, Osaka, Japan…………………………………………………………………8,300,000

10.  EVERLAND, Gyeonggi-Do, South Korea…………………………………………………………………………6,600,000

11.  UNIVERSAL STUDIOS at Universal Orlando, Orlando, Florida………………………………………..6,231,000

12.  SEAWORLD FLORIDA, Orlando, Florida……………………………………………………………………….5,926,000

13.  DISNEY’S CALIFORNIA ADVENTURE, Anaheim, California……………………………………………5,566,000

14.  ISLANDS OF ADVENTURE at Universal Orlando, Orlando, Florida………………………………….5,297,000

15.  OCEAN PARK, Hong Kong SAR……………………………………………………………………………………..5,030,000

16.  UNIVERSAL STUDIOS HOLLYWOOD, Universal City, California…………………………………….4,583,000

17.  YOKOHAMA HAKKEIJIMA SEA PARADISE, Yokohama, Japan……………………………………….4,555,000

18.  HONG KONG DISNEYLAND, Hong Kong SAR……………………………………………………………….4,500,000

19.  BUSCH GARDENS TAMPA BAY, Tampa Bay, Florida……………………………………………………..4,410,000

20. LOTTE WORLD, Seoul, Korea………………………………………………………………………………………..4,236,000

Take your pick of some great offers just for Annual Passholders at Anaheim GardenWalk! Simply show your valid Annual Passport* and enjoy special savings at these participating locations:

Shopping

Fresh Produce: 25% off total purchase
Goodies USA: 10% off
G-Stage: 10% off
Harley-Davidson of Anaheim: 10% off
LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics: Free bath comb or bubble bar with any purchase (through May 30, 2009)
Lux/Aveda Salon & Spa: $5.00 off any $50.00 or more Aveda purchase
Madison & Co. Fine Jewelers: 15% off
Momotree: 10% off all regularly priced items
OC Cellular Accessories: 30% off all phone accessories
O’Neill: 10% off
Rami Accessories: 15% off
Retrospect: 10% off
Runway 5: 15% off
Tommy Bahama: Free gift with any purchase
White House/Black Market: 10% off (cannot be combined with any promotional offer)

Dining

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.: 10% off (excludes alcohol and merchandise)
California Pizza Kitchen: 20% off total bill (excludes alcohol, tax and gratuity)
Cinnabon: 10% off
Fuzziwig’s Candy Factory: 10% off
Johnny Rockets: 20% off total bill
Marble Slab Creamery: 10% off
McCormick & Schmicks: 10% off food (not applicable on previously discounted items)
Mrs. Fields: 10% off
Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory: 15% off store-made products; 10% off all other purchases
San Sai Japanese Grill: 10% off
Sertino’s Coffee Café: 10% off entire bill

Entertainment

300 Anaheim: $5.00 games + complimentary shoe rentals (excludes Friday through Saturdays and holidays)
CinemaFusion^TM 14 Theatre: $2.00 off all evening admission (excludes special events)

For operating hours and directions, visit www.anaheimgardenwalk.com.

Join the “nutty” crew of the Travelears on this special edition of the show as we answer some of the Disney travel questions submitted as part of the Mouse For Less birthday competition.  Thank you to everyone that entered our competition and we announce the lucky winners of the iPod and the Travelears merchandise on the show.

Our normal Listener Feedback show will be released on Friday and we hope that you enjoy this “double dose” of the Travelears this week.

 

Aj, Chris, Greg, Ray, Ryan, Shannon and Will

I wasn’t sure what I wanted for lunch yesterday so I thought I would run over to the Disneyland Resort ( I will never get used to that – it has always just been Disneyland to me) and see how the construction was coming along at Disney’s California Adventure.  So after about 3 minutes on the road I was parked in the 15 minute zone.

On the way in I had my first glimpse of the new Monorail Orange gliding along the beam in front of Disneyland. It looks great. Kinda like an orange 50/50 bar.

Monorail Orange

Monorail Orange Passing the Disneyland Main Entrance

DCA's Wonderful World of Color Construction

I noticed the new Midway Games were open so I thought I would snap a few shots for you.

Midway Game Facades

There were four new games; Goofy About Fishing, Dumbo’s Bucket Brigade, Casey at the Bat and Bulleye’s Stallion Stampede.

Goofy About Fishing Midway Game

The Castmember was Goofy About Fishing

Dumbo Bucket Brigade Midway Game

Casey at the Bat Midway Game

Bulleye's Stallion Stampede

Cash is not honored at the Midway Games. You must purchase a Midway Card at kiosks conveniently located by the Midway Games. I observed castmembers helping guests who seemed to be challenged by inserting cash or credit into the kiosk. Yes that’s correct, credit! Credit cards are honored. If you use up your Midway Card you can re-fill it at the kiosk.

Midway Card Machine

Midway Game Price Board

Just for kicks here is one last view of the Wonderful World of Color construction taken right next to the Golden Zephyr.

Wonderful World of Color Construction

Watch for more updates and remember that you can click on any of the photos for a larger view at my Flickr site.

Eleven-year-old Ryan Draa always wanted a two-story house, and through an incredible stroke of luck, he will move into a brand-new, fully automated two-story house in Lincoln with his mother this weekend.

The best part for his mother, Jennifer Draa, is that she won the home in a drawing that had 635,000 entries.

“It’s just great,” Draa said. “Especially with the economy the way it is these days. I could plan for something like this but there’s no way I could have just gone out and bought it.”

Though the house was a prize, the government still expects a cut to the tune of $96,000 in taxes on the total package, Draa said.

Draa, a dispatcher for the California Department of Parks and Recreation working in Rancho Cordova, said she plans to take out a loan to pay the taxes.

For Ryan, the thrill of the new home is enhanced by the touch-screen computer monitors throughout the house that do everything from controlling the lighting and air conditioning to playing music and Xbox games.

Ryan likes his room, he said, and looks forward to putting in his Xbox and making new friends in the neighborhood.

The technology included in the home was inspired by the Innoventions Dream Home in the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim.

It was on a visit to Disneyland last year that Draa entered the contest at a kiosk in the Innoventions Dream Home.

“I put in five entries and then I visited a sales office later and was able to put in a total of 64 entries,” Draa said.

In August, Draa said, she received several calls from a number that she didn’t recognize on her Caller ID. For three days, she didn’t answer the calls and the caller never left a message.

Finally, on the third day, Draa said she answered the phone, and a woman said, “You entered a contest, didn’t you?”

When Draa replied that she had, the woman said, “Well, you won.”

Draa said she couldn’t believe the news when she heard it.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Draa said.

The house, built and donated by Taylor Morrison Homes, is in the Courtyards development in Lincoln Crossing.

The technology package, Ahrens said, can control any electronic media device plugged into it and is “not something that is 10 or 20 years in the future. It’s something you can get right now.”

Ahrens estimated the total value of the technology package at $10,000.

Draa’s family members said they were shocked to hear the news that she’d won.

“Honestly, it’s a miracle,” said Susan Draa, Jennifer’s mother, who lives in Rocklin. “It’s something that we wished and wished for – a change, a new start, and then it came. What a journey. It has been a very happy journey. They’ve been so great to my little girl.”

Draa could have chosen to live anywhere Taylor Morrison was building homes but said she chose Lincoln to stay close to her family and because of the easy access to nature.

“I liked Lincoln the best,” Draa said. “Ryan likes to ride his bike and fish. Placer County is such a good place to live.”

Taylor Morrison is currently holding its 2009 Dream Home Contest and anyone can enter online at taylormorrison.com, Ahrens said. The contest started this month and runs through June 1.

For the rest of the story , go to Brandon Darnell’s article in the Lincoln News Messenger.

 

Some great rates for DCL sailings from our official travel agent, The Magic For Less Travel.

 

~ Exclusive Magic For Less Travel Shipboard Credit Offer ~

Our exclusive promotion CAN be combined with Disney released specials!

Receive an exclusive shipboard credit on your next Disney cruise when you book with The Magic for Less Travel.  This is not a rebate or check you will receive after you cruise; this is a shipboard credit you can use on your cruise! Use your credits for shopping, shore excursions, spa treatments and more.  More shipboard credit means more fun for you!

 

Cruises Priced at $1000 or above receive a $50 shipboard credit*

Cruises Priced at $2000 or above receive an $85 shipboard credit *

Cruises Priced at $3000 or above receive a $100 shipboard credit *

Cruises Priced at $4000 or above receive a $150 shipboard credit *

Cruises Priced at $5000 or above receive a $200 shipboard credit *

Cruises Priced at $6000 or above receive a $250 shipboard credit *

Cruises Priced at $7000 or above receive a $300 shipboard credit*

 

**For new reservations made through The Magic for Less Travel only. If you have an existing reservation made directly with Disney Cruise Line, contact us to see if we can help you save money. Shipboard credits can be used to pay for spa treatments, drinks, shore excursions and other shipboard activities.  When determining your shipboard credit, the credit is calculated on the base price of your cruise and is the price BEFORE taxes, transfers, port charges, air tickets, the land portion of a land/sea package and any non-commissionable options and fees. Ask your counselor for more details.

 

 

Receive Up to 5% in Shipboard Credit When You Book Your European or Repositioning Cruise with The Magic for Less Travel

Receive an shipboard credit on your 2010 European or repositioning Disney cruise when you book with The Magic for Less Travel.  This is not a rebate or check you will receive after you cruise; this is an shipboard credit you can use on your cruise! Use your credits for shopping, shore excursions, spa treatments and more.  Cruises must be booked by 4/30/09to qualify for this promotion.

Some examples:

 

Cruises Priced at $1000 or above receive a $50 Shipboard credit*

Cruises Priced at $3000 or above receive a $150 Shipboard credit * 

Cruises Priced at $4000 or above receive a $200 Shipboard credit *

Cruises Priced at $8000 or above receive a $400 Shipboard credit*

Cruises Priced at $9000 or above receive a $450 Shipboard credit*

Cruises Priced at $10000 or above receive a $500 Shipboard credit*

Cruises Priced at $12000 or above receive a $600 Shipboard credit*

Cruises Priced at $14000 or above receive a $700 Shipboard credit

 Cruises Priced at $20,000 or above receive a $1,000 Shipboard credit*

 

*Shipboard credit above is provided as examples and guests will receive OBC of 5% for each thousand dollars of the base price of the cruise.  For new reservations only, not available on reservations transferred to The Magic for Less.  This bonus is only available on 2010 European and repositioning Disney Cruise Line cruises.  When determining your shipboard credit, the credit is calculated on the base price of your cruise and is the price BEFORE taxes, transfers, port charges, air tickets, gratuities, and any non-commissionable options and fees.

 

Half Off Disney Cruise Line Deposits

Disney Cruise Line is requiring half of the usual deposit for a limited time.  This offer is only available on new cruises and for category 4-12 staterooms. Some restrictions apply.

 

Extra $25 in Shipboard Credit!

Receive a $25 shipboard credit when your Magic for Less Travel agent reserves your cruise on-line before Shipboard credits can be used to pay for spa treatments, drinks, shore excursions and other shipboard activities.

 

**This offer CAN be combined with the Magic For Less Travel’s exclusive OB credit offers and some other special offers.  This offer is not available on special Magic for Less Group Cruise Sailings and is only valid on cabin categories 4-12. 

 

$50 Shipboard Credits for Disney Visa Cardholders

Book by: 12/31/09

 

Disney Visa cardholders receive a $50 shipboard credit for any 2009 cruise sailing through 12/30/09. You must use your Disney Visa card when reserving and paying for the cruise. This offer IS combinable with our MFLT DCL shipboard credit offer, but is not available with any other on-board credit offer and black-out dates may apply.  This offer is not available on certain group cruise sailings dates.

 

Special Magic For Less Travel Group Cruise Rates

Book before these special rates sell out!

We want to help you book the best rates for your Disney Cruise Line vacation, and have blocked staterooms on some very special sailing dates.  This means that you have access to some incredible rates that are even lower than the rates currently offered by the Disney Cruise Line website and reservation center.  These savings are reflected in the prices above and the staterooms available at this rate are extremely limited.  Check out the link below to see the applicable dates.

 

Great news everyone, we have finally opened the Travelears merchandise store. You guys have told us that you want to know where you can get your official travelears merchandise, and starting today  you can now directly order your Travelears merchandise online through printfection.

 

We have initially launched two selections of merchandise to celebrate our upcoming meets:

 

Our Westfest ’09 Selection:

 

Our Two kingdom Tour Selection:

 

Let us know what you think, and what else you would like added to the selection. You can place your orders with printfection here: Travelears Merchandise Store

Thanks

Aj, Chris, Greg, Ray, Ryan, Shannon and Will

We know that everybody is sad about Mousefest being on hiatus, but we have been really pleased that our listeners are getting excited about the largest Disney fan event on the West Coast held at the Disneyland resort. This week we feature an entire show on Westfest ’09 and provide our listeners with a full run down of the planned events being held over the  4 day event period.

 

The official Westfest Web Site can be found here: WESTFEST ’09

 

Dont forgot to come up and say hello at our first official “Travelears Meet’ on Saturday May 2, 2009 at 11.00am, during the Travelears “Traveling like Indy” Meet & Munch. We will have a great time riding the incredible Indiana Jones attraction and then enjoying lunch together as a group at Rancho del Zocalo.

 

See you at Westfest!!!

 

Aj, Chris, Greg, Ray, Ryan, Shannon and Will

 

BTW, here are some links to the Westfest 08 shenanigans referenced in the show. Don’t tell Aj and Will that I sneaked them in. 

Chris

 

Magic Never Ends – Splish, Splash, lets take a bath

 

 

Specials from The Magic for Less Travel

Check out some of the great deals from our official Travelears travel agency.

 

Disney Cruise Line

The Magic for Less Travel’s onboard credit offer

>>> Exclusive Magic for Less Travel Disney Cruise Line Offer <<<

Receive an onboard credit on your next Disney cruise when you book with The Magic for Less Travel. This is not a rebate or check you will receive after you cruise; this is an onboard credit you can use on your cruise! Use your credits for shopping, shore excursions, spa treatments, and more. More onboard credit means more fun for you!

Cruises Priced at $1,000 or above: we offer a $50 onboard credit *
Cruises Priced at $2,000 or above: we offer an $85 onboard credit *
Cruises Priced at $3,000 or above: we offer a $100 onboard credit *
Cruises Priced at $4,000 or above: we offer a $150 onboard credit *
Cruises Priced at $5,000 or above: we offer a $200 onboard credit *
Cruises Priced at $6,000 or above: we offer a $250 onboard credit *
Cruises Priced at $7,000 or above: we offer a $300 onboard credit *

Terms and Conditions:

*For new reservations made through The Magic for Less Travel only. If you have an existing reservation made directly with Disney Cruise Line, contact us to see if we can help you save money. Onboard credits can be used to pay for spa treatments, drinks, shore excursions, and other onboard activities. When determining your onboard credit, the credit is calculated on the base price of your cruise and is the price BEFORE taxes, transfers, port charges, air tickets, the land portion of a land/sea package, and any non-commissionable options and fees. This offer may not be available on some sailing dates. Ask your counselor for details.

 

Special Magic for Less Travel Group Cruise Rates
Book before these special rates sell out! We want to help you book the best possible rates for your Disney Cruise Line vacation, and have blocked staterooms on some very special sailing dates. This means that you have access to some incredible rates that are even lower than the rates currently offered by the Disney Cruise Line website and reservation center. These savings are reflected in the prices above and the staterooms available at this rate are extremely limited. Check out the link below to see the applicable dates.

 

Free Dining Is Back!

Dates: August 16, 2009 – October 3, 2009
Book by: June 21, 2009

Experience a delicious way to enjoy your Walt Disney World Resort vacation! Buy this Walt Disney World Magic Your Way vacation package with hotel and Theme Park tickets and get the Disney Dining Plan FREE!

At this affordable price, guests can celebrate any magical milestone — with meals and a snack included for every night of your visit!

Special Magic Your Way packages with FREE Disney Dining Plan are available for 8/16/09 – 10/03/09 travel dates. The Disney Dining plan includes one (1) Table Service Meal, one (1) Quick Service meal, and one (1) Snack per Guest per night at participating Disney Resort hotel and Theme Park locations. It is typically priced at 39.99 per adult (10 and over) and 10.99 per child, per night. This is a substantial savings, and the numbers of rooms available with this special are limited. This special must be booked by 6/21/09.

Availability is limited. Package rates CAN be combined with The Magic for Less Travel’s Minnie Pack and Deluxe Pixie Dust promotions.

FREE Minnie Pack — EXCLUSIVE Magic for Less Travel Offer
Our exclusive promotion CAN be combined with Disney released specials!

The Magic for Less Travel will offer a FREE Minnie Pack to all guests who book a new Magic Your Way package priced at $1,500 or more. The Minnie Pack includes 2 neck wallets for you to use in the parks and resorts. Packages priced at $2,500* or more will also receive your choice of a subscription to TourGuideMiKE’s Automated Vacation Planner, a copy of Birnbaum’s Walt Disney World guide, a copy of Kim Button’s Disney Queue Line Survival Guidebook or 2 autograph books.

*The price of the vacation is based on the final price you pay for your vacation package after any discount and before any non-commissionable options like airfare are included. Pack contents are subject to change. Book by 4/30/09.

Deluxe Pixie Dust Pack & Gift Card EXCLUSIVE Magic for Less Offer

Our exclusive promotion CAN be combined with Disney released specials!

The Magic for Less Travel will offer a FREE Deluxe Pixie Dust Pack to all guests who book a new Magic Your Way package priced at $3,500* or more. The Deluxe Pixie Dust Pack includes two neck wallets for your party, a $25 Disney gift card and your choice of a subscription to TourGuideMiKE’s Automated Vacation Planner, a copy of Birnbaum’s Walt Disney World guide a copy of Kim Button’s Disney Queue Line Survival Guidebook or 2 autograph books.

*The price of the vacation is based on the final price you pay for your vacation package after any discounts and before any non-commissionable options like airfare are included. Pack contents are subject to change. Book by 4/30/09.

 

Disneyland Special

 

FREE Disneyland Resort Gift Card from The Magic for Less!

Book a Disneyland package of $1,500* or more with The Magic for Less Travel and receive a $25 Disneyland Resort Gift Card. Book a Disneyland package of $3,000 or more with The Magic for Less Travel and receive a $50 gift card! The gift Cards are accepted at many Disneyland Resort shopping and dining locations and can be used to pay for shopping, dining and even theme park admission. We are sure you will find a way to put them to good use!

*This promotion is valid for new Disneyland package reservations booked with The Magic for Less Travel and must be booked by 4/30/09. This is valid for the onsite Disneyland resort packages as well as the Good Neighbor hotel packages priced at $1,500 or more before taxes, airfare and other package components. This offer CAN be combined with other offers and specials.

 

Receive a gift card up to $200

Book your Adventure with The Magic for Less Travel and receive our expert help and a gift card too! With a choice of 22 incredible vacations you can travel around the world in Disney style!

• Book an Adventures by Disney vacation of $2,000 or more and receive a $100 gift card.
• Book an Adventures by Disney vacation of $4,000 or more receive a $150 gift card.
• Book an Adventures by Disney vacation of $6,000 or more receive a $200 gift card.

*Valid for new reservations only. Gift card is a preloaded Disney gift card, Visa or Mastercard Book by 04/30/09. Gift card amount based on the final price of your vacation after any discounts or non-commissionable options.

Hi guys, Stephen here from Sydney, Australia.

 

Here is my review of Cruzin DCA on Segways. It is a early start for this tour and you need to meet a cast member at 7:30 am at guest relations. They told us to stand near the letter “C” and they would find us. You are then taken to a room at the back of guest relations to watch a video about the segways and how to ride. They also offer a light breakfast of coffee, tea and pastries.

 

Once the tour begins, youare taken by the cast member to in front of Monsters Inc where you get to have a go at driving the segways. These segways are so much fun to ride and easy to learn. Then you head off to tour the park and stop at many points where the cast member tells you about things in that area that you would not normally know. The tour allows you to see the park from a very different perspective including the large drop at Grizzly River with no water in it and it even allows you to go through redwood creek challenge on the segways. The tour takes in the whole park and some of the back stage areas.

 

At the end of the tour you get you picture taken near the Hyperion theater.You are given a nice souvenir photo and Pin. I think this tour is realy cool and would definitley recommendit to others.

 

This tour takes about 3 hours and costs $99 and is worth every cent. I have attached a photo of my wife and I enjoying the segway tour.

 

Stephen  

First off, we would like to say thank you to everyone for visiting the Travelears Website so often, that it has caused us to completely redesign the site. We really appreciate the massive amount of feedback that we have received, and we are really pleased that the Travelears has become the central portal of Disney and Theme Park news, events, travel information and advice for so many people.

At 8.30pm (Pacific) we will launch the new website and you will quickly discover many new features for our visitors. 

Over the coming weeks, the site will be enhanced even further with product reviews, interactive content and detailed park information. 

Please let us know what you think, and keep the feedback rolling in.

 

Aj, Chris, Greg, Ray, Ryan, Shannon and Will ]]> http://www.thetravelears.com/2009/04/03/the-travelears-expand-again-into-new-territory/feed/ 0 http://www.thetravelears.com/2009/04/03/d23_update/ http://www.thetravelears.com/2009/04/03/d23_update/#comments Fri, 03 Apr 2009 22:23:32 +0000 Greg McNaughten http://www.thetravelears.com/?p=2253 Greg McNaughten

D23 Update

I finally received all my D23 packages after what seemed like an eternity. I signed up on March 10, 2009, the first day the D23 memberships were available, on a whim to see what all the hub bub was about.

After about 9 days I received my membership card which I wrote about here on the Travelears Blog on March 20, 2009.  Shortly after that post I started to hear and read how others were receiving the remainder of their D23 packages and the much anticipated “special gift” and I was disappointed I had not received mine. I did sign up on the first day didn’t I?  What was the special gift, would it simply be a pin? GOD I hope not. Well the reports coming in indicated the gift was not a pin, it was a lithograph of Mickey’s 80th Birthday. For me this is a welcomed gift as I have many previous lithographs from other Mickey Mouse anniversaries from when I work for Disneyland.

I did question whether or not the gift was a lithograph or a really nice poster on heavy paper. My lithograph arrived on March 25, 2009 and I left it in the tube, I didn’t even look. On the March 27, 2009, tube in hand, I traveled to a friends reprographics shop were I had the lithograph scanned for archival purposes.  I was impressed with the lithograph but was disappointed they were not numbered like most collectible lithographs are. It did have a nice embossing in the lower right corner that indicates the lithograph is part of D23 Walt Disney Archives Collection.

D23 Mickey Mouse Litho

D23 Litho Embossing

I have also scanned the Certificate of Authenticity for you as well as the Charter Member gift letter that was enclosed with the lithograph.

D23 Litho Certificate of Authenticity

D23 Special Gift Letter

On March 27, 2009 I received the final portion of my D23 packages. It was packed in a nice white package and as I opened it, the D23 magazine, my membership certificate and another Charter Member welcome letter were all inside.

D23 Unopened Package

D23 Unopened Package with seal still intact

All three packages, the membership card, the lithograph and the final magazine package with membership certificate all came from the same address in Florence, Kentucky. Walt Disney Company – 7455 Empire Drive – Florence, Kentucky – 41042. I can understand the lithograph coming separate, but I am not sure why they would ship the membership card and the final package separately. I am sure they have their reasons, it just seems odd.

D23 is off the ground now and lets hope it get goes well because I would love to see the D23 Community work and for Disney to bring us things we as fans want to see from them in the form of collectibles, video content, etc.

From D23′s Twilight Bark:

Return to Big Thunder

Pumpkin and Pecan, the turkeys given a Thanksgiving pardon by former President Bush, have returned to Big Thunder Ranch, and can be visited at select times during the day.

Disneyland Carrousel to Close for a Day

King Arthur Carrousel will be closed for a planned refurbishment on March 31 and will be back up for regular operation on April 1.

Pacific Wharf Bridge to Reopen

The Pacific Wharf Bridge in Disney’s California Adventure opens again on April 3 after a planned refurbishment. The bridge connects the Pacific Wharf area with Golden State Plaza.

Danny Makes His Debut

On March 20, Danny the Clydesdale made his debut as the newest addition to the horse-drawn streetcars on Main Street, U.S.A. At 5 years old, Danny is the youngest of the horses that pull streetcars from Town Square to Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Walt Disney World Jungle Cruise skippers wow fans at Tokyo Disney By Dewayne Bevil | Sentinel Staff Writer

March 29, 2009 

 

The journey to Tokyo required stamina, comedic timing, a long flight and a boatload of puns for two Jungle Cruise skippers at Walt Disney World.

Cast members Beth Schafer and Alex Williams represented the Magic Kingdom this month at a global gathering of skippers as part of Tokyo Disney’s 25th anniversary celebration. In Japan, Jungle Cruise is extremely popular, Schafer said.

“To them, it has this weird almost cult-classic following,” she said. “When they heard that Jungle Cruise skippers from around the world were coming — and we were billed as the best from around the world — they just thought it was the greatest thing.”

The enthusiastic response included autograph requests and long lines forming for rides.

 

“They screamed like we were the Jonas Brothers or something,” said Schafer, 25.

On Jungle Cruise, which opened with the Magic Kingdom in 1971, guests ride a tramp steamer past assorted animatronic animals and angry natives. The skipper narrates the voyage with one-liners — you might say corny ones — about the scenes.

Williams and Schafer were among 35 Magic Kingdom workers who competed to be named the top skippers. They performed the trademark spiels before company bigwigs and won a nine-day trip to Japan.

 

You can read the entire blog post on the following: Orlando Sentinel Link

 

Image courtesy of: Orange County Register

 

 

Disney officials announced Thursday afternoon that Yamabuki restaurant, inside the Paradise Pier Hotel will close down  April 11.

Some 39 hourly employees who work at the restaurant were informed of the pending closure during a closed-door meeting around 4 p.m. Thursday.

Disney spokeswoman Suzi Brown said the company will work to relocate the employees to other park restaurants. Those who cannot be placed elsewhere will receive at least 60 days pay as severance and  an extension of some health care benefits.

The full article can be found here: Orange County Register Link

 

Image courtesy of: Los Angeles Times

 

 

By Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times staff writer

 

Riders queuing up to board the new Terminator Salvation wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain this summer will get survival instructions from two of the movie’s stars: rapper/actor Common and model/actress Moon Bloodgood.

Currently under construction, the $10-million coaster will feature an additional $1 million in theming to tie in with the ride’s “Terminator Salvation” movie storyline.

While waiting in the queue, riders will be encouraged via video clips featuring Common and Bloodgood to “join the resistance” and help fight the Terminator robots.

Common, who plays a soldier named Barnes in the movie, and Bloodgood, who portrays pilot Blair Williams, will explain the key points of the movie’s plot while laying out the ride’s back story.

During the “training session,” riders are warned that the “machines are coming” and to “go to the safe house” to await further instructions.

 

The full article can be found here: Los Angeles Times Link 

 

Image Courtesy Of Buffalo.com

 

Buffalo International Film Festival presents Rarest Mickey Mouse Art in the World at Albright-Knox

 

Buffalo International Film Festival has arranged for the rarest and most valuable Walt Disney art in existence to be displayed at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery between 4PM – 8PM Friday, April 3, 2009.

 

These original storyboards from “Plane Crazy” the first-ever Mickey Mouse cartoon were drawn in the Spring of 1928 by Ub Iwerks in collaboration with Walt Disney. These are — literally — the first story-telling drawings of Mickey Mouse ever done.

 

Nearly priceless, they are being brought to Buffalo for only 48 hours by Michael Carbonaro, comic historian, before they go on permanent display in Baltimore, MD at Geppi’s Entertainment Museum.

 

There will also be a sit-down dinner for only 10 people in The Muses restaurant at 6:30 with John Culhane, Special Disney Guest for the April 4 Mickey Mouse Spectacular. Dinner reservations are required and a minimum donation as well.

 

 

For full event details please refer to the Buffalome.com Web Site

Disneyland Press Release

“Get 2 More Nights Free” to Savor All the Exciting New Summer Entertainment At Disneyland Resort

ANAHEIM, Calif. (March 25, 2009) With free admission to a theme park on your birthday throughout 2009, new adventures and entertainment at both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks, and a special travel offer that will add two free nights to your three-night stay, a visit to the Disneyland Resort this summer offers value-minded vacationers plenty to celebrate.

By purchasing a three-night Disneyland Resort vacation package this summer, guests can magically extend their visit with an offer worth celebrating: Get two more nights free!  This special Disneyland summer vacation offer provides a magical and affordable way for families to take in all the new fun and adventures at the Happiest Place on Earth this vacation season.

We know travelers are looking for great value in their vacations, said Ed Grier, president, Disneyland Resort. With the new “2 Nights Free” offer and all of the new entertainment and attractions at our parks, we are providing our Guests with even more reasons to come celebrate with us this summer.”

With the new summer vacation packages, guests pay for three nights of hotel accommodations and three days of theme park admission, and then receive two more nights at the hotel and two more days of theme park admission.  Together, the special deal provides guests five days and nights of Disneyland fun, for the price of three.
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Bookings for this limited-time offer must be made between March 24 and August 11, 2009. The summer vacation package offer for two more nights free is valid at all three Disneyland Resort Hotels – Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, the Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa for arrivals between April 1 andSeptember 26, 2009. Beginning May 1, the offer is also available at participating local Disneyland Resort Good Neighbor Hotels, providing guests with a wide range of hotel accommodations and prices to fit every budget. Guests at a Disneyland Resort Good Neighbor Hotel must also begin their travel by September 26.

New Entertainment and Experiences
In 2009, the Disneyland Resort is pulling out all the stops by asking guests, “What Will You Celebrate?”  As part of the yearlong celebration, guests will enjoy many new magical experiences.  “Celebrate! A Street Party” launches this spring at Disneyland Park.   A cast of dancers, DJs and Disney characters invite guests to join the celebration as they take to the street for a high-energy street party featuring lively music, colorful costumes, confetti and streamers. Guests will join in twist dancing, a conga line and all the colorful fun of a celebration on Main Street, U.S.A., or at “it’s a small world” mall.

Meanwhile, because there’s so much in life worth celebrating, in April, Disneyland Park will also present the Celebration Roundup and Barbecue at Big Thunder Ranch, a good ol’ cowboy-style hoedown featuring food and fun for the whole family.

This summer the Happiest Place on Earth will be the Most Exciting Place on Earth!  At Disneyland Park, Fantasmic! is bigger, brighter and bolder than ever before.  And the skies above Sleeping Beauty Castle will come to life with a spectacular new fireworks show that will have guests celebrating across the Magic Kingdom.  Over at Disney’s California Adventure Park, Tinker Bell works her pixie magic and brings a bright new sparkle to the guest-favorite and classic Disney’s Electrical Parade.

In 2009, guests can also visit a Disney park for free on their birthdays. For guests who wish to visit on their birthdays and also take advantage of the paid summer treat of two more nights free, the Resort offers a selection of birthday treat options available with the packages. Just present your valid Park Hopper ticket on your birthday at the Main Entrance ticket booths and receive one of the following options instead of the free theme park birthday admission:

• A birthday FASTPASS ticket for certain attractions for up to six people in the birthday party (the number of birthday FASTPASS tickets is limited and may not be available after 11am; all guests must have valid Theme Park admission).  Or…
• A Birthday Fun Card in an amount equal to the price of a 1-Day/1-ParkDisneyland Resort ticket (based on general admission price or the reduced admission price for Guests ages 3-9 at the Main Entrance ticket booth, respectively).  The Birthday Fun Card can be used at participating locations in the theme parks for select merchandise, Disney’s PhotoPass on-site services and tours.  Or…
• A 1-Day/1-Park Ticket that can be used anytime in the next 12 months, starting from the celebrant’s date of birth.  This ticket may be used by the Birthday celebrant only.

To book a Disneyland Resort vacation package, visit www.disneyland.com, call (800) 854-3104 or visit your local travel agent. For general Disneyland Resort information, park hours and entertainment schedules, call (714) 781-4565 or visit www.disneyland.com. The summer vacation offer cannot be combined with any other discounts.

Free theme park admission details: To receive free admission to one of the Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme parks on your birthday in 2009, guests must bring valid ID including proof of birth date.  Guests who have purchased a valid multi-day ticket they will use on their birthday may choose from other birthday treats instead. No cash refunds or credits will be given.  To register your birthday and find out more details, visit www.disneyparks.com.  For terms and conditions of the Birthday Fun Card and details on participating locations visit disneyparks.com/birthdayfuncard.

“Get 2 Nights Free” offer is valid for bookings from 3/24/09 through 8/11/09 for arrivals at a Disneyland Resort hotel from 4/1/09 through 9/26/09 with travel being completed by 10/1/09, and is valid from 5/1/09 through 9/26/09 at participating Disneyland Resort Good Neighbor hotels with travel completed by 10/1/09.  Upon the purchase of a 3-night package, with 3-Day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus Tickets, at a participating hotel for a family of four (2 adults, 1 junior (ages 10 to 17) and 1 child (age 3-9), two (2) consecutive free nights will be added to the hotel stay and two (2) days added to the tickets.  Limited to two (2) free nights per package / reservation and not valid for previously booked rooms.  Check for offers associated with longer night stays.  The Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus Tickets expire 13 days after first use or 10/13/09, whichever occurs first, and each day of use of a ticket constitutes one full day of use. Tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial purposes.  Offer subject to availability and blockout dates; advance reservations required.  Not valid with any other discount or promotion.  Subject to restrictions and change without notice.  Walt Disney Travel Company CST: 1022229-50, NYST # 2006-0198. Â

With construction of The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa on schedule for a late 2009 opening at the Disneyland® Resort in Anaheim, sales have officially begun for this West Coast Disney Vacation Club Resort.

While Disney Vacation Club has maintained sales operations at the Disneyland® Resort since 2005, the 50 two-bedroom-equivalent vacation homes in development at The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa will be the first Disney Vacation Club Resort accommodations in the Golden State.

“We’re excited to bring Disney Vacation Club to the West Coast,” said Disney Vacation Club President Jim Lewis. “Like most Disney fans, our Members have great affection for the original Disney vacation destination, and we’re thrilled that this expansion project will allow our Members to call the Disneyland® Resort ‘home’ for the first time.”

Beyond the new vacation homes, the 2.5-acre expansion project on the iconic hotel’s south side is scheduled to include 200 new traditional hotel rooms, a new pool, about 300 underground valet parking spaces and more. The late Peter Dominick, architect for Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa, as well as Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge at the Walt Disney World® Resort, designed the ambitious expansion, calling on the same California Arts & Crafts architectural styles that define the original hotel.

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa currently features 745 Guest rooms, including 44 suites. Upon completion of the expansion project, the hotel will feature 945 Guest rooms, including 44 Guest suites and 50 Disney Vacation Club two-bedroom equivalent villas.

Disney Vacation Club News

You had to be up well before dawn to catch a dress rehearsal of “Celebrate! A Street Party,” the new interactive “street show” debuting at Disneyland on Friday.

The show…it’s more a series of performance show stops than a traditional marching parade…seems the perfect anecdote for these economic times. A no-frills performance low on costly gadgetry and theatrics and high on affordable energy and fun.  The 12-minute “show stops” occur at three locations: along Main Street, around the Central Plaza hub and in front of It’s a Small World. Be forewarned that if you camp out in Town Square in front of the train station or along Matterhorn Way, you’ll miss the show.

The parade  features 99 performers, including 48 dancers, 12 stilt-walkers, 12 chariot drivers, three DJs and 24 costumed Disney characters. Even Clarabelle Cow and Clarice the Chipmunk, two of Disney’s lesser-known characters, are in the parade.  The seven parade floats include three rolling stages with DJ skyboxes and four smaller character floats featuring inflatable balloon likenesses of Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck and Goofy.

The parade will be held twice on busy days at 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and once on slower days at 7 p.m.

For more information and the original article.

The 3 R’s of D23 “Rants, Raves and Reservations”

 

On this weeks Travelears “D23″ podcast, I shared my personal feelings regarding the way the online community has reacted to Disney’s D23 fan community announcements. Following the release of show 35, I received a lot of feedback in relation to my comments and many have asked me to discuss this topic further. As it is unlikely that the Travelears Podcast will produce another show on this topic, I thought that I would answer this feedback as a blog article.

 

I need to preface my comments by stating that I respect everybody’s right to have an opinion in anything that Disney introduces to the market. We are lucky that we live in countries that accept differing opinions and the right to free speech, and I strongly believe that feedback from the online community has created many positive changes for Disney lovers across the globe.

After listening to many podcasts, scanning websites and reading blogs and comments, it appears that the majority of responses can be classified into three major categories, Rants, Raves and Reservations.

As a businessman, the “3 R’s” relating to Disney’s D23 announcement made me ask myself, “If I was running Disney, what would this feedback mean to me and what would I do about it”.

So, if you will indulge me, I will step into Bob Iger’s shoes for a few minutes and take on the responsibility for running one of the largest, most successful companies on earth. My first task as the new boss will be to tackle each of the 3R’s one by one and talk about a few online discussions I witnessed.

 

D23 Rants

As any business person will tell you, you will never satisfy all of your customers all of the time. In my opinion, some of the D23 rants were irrational emotional responses from people that you will never please, despite how much they are given.

Some of these rants were generated from people that had something to lose from Disney’s announcement and some were generated from the “we hate everything that Disney does” segment that will never support a Disney initiative. Some of these rants even began before the official announcements were made, without any factual information being available to make a logical assessment of what Disney was offering.

Other rants however were a lot more constructive in their nature, and were made by people that had an intimate knowledge of the current economic issues affecting Disney fans, the real needs of the online community and first hand experience of the Disney theme parks and the associated travel industry.

An Orlando local which I have considerable respect for, runs a very successful Disney website, a podcast and a Disney travel agency, made a number of very poignant comments during his recent podcast.

This podcaster pointed out to his audience that in his opinion Disney had missed the mark with this promotion and had ignored the real needs of fans visiting the parks. He made mention of the tough economic times that is making it increasingly difficult for Disney fans to convince their partners, families and friends to continue to hand over large amounts of cash to Disney, so we can continue to get our Disney “fix” and enjoy our Disney vacations and visits.

He continued by reminding his audience that if Disney really wanted to reward their fans they should be looking at what they could offer regular park visitors to reward their loyalty and to encourage these fans to continue visiting and spending in the parks. The podcast hosts encouraged their fans to write to Disney expressing their thoughts on what should be offered to loyal fans and provided the contact details for Disney.

In my opinion, these are the type of “rants” that Disney should be listening to, and as I am currently “pretending to run the Disney company”, I would be placing this feedback on my next meeting agenda when I meet with my senior executive team.

The idea of a frequent visitor program makes complete sense by rewarding guests that regularly spend money on my company’s products, services and new initiatives. Most major companies across the globe keep a database of their best customers and ensure that they reward them on a regular basis.

This is definitely not charity on behalf of the company, but a proactive marketing initiative to retain loyal customers and to encourage them to continue / increase their current spending.

I would also ask my executive team to redesign the current annual pass program. Many of Disney’s loyalist customers are annual pass holders, but the benefits have been slowly eroded over the past decade. As the majority of the revenue gained from annual pass holders occurs within the theme parks, I would want as many people as possible to become annual pass holders to allow them to visit the parks more often to give them more opportunity to spend money on merchandise, dining and other income generating activities. Again, this is not charity, but a proactive win-win marketing initiative for the company and our guests.

I would also organise meetings with many of the online community podcaters, webmasters and bloggers, to ask them first hand “what Disney fans really require” and try to align the companies marketing initiatives with these needs.

In regards to D23, I would instruct my marketing team to ensure that D23 initiative is differentiated to any other needs that the Disney fans may have. In my opinion, I believe that it is a shame that the hype created by the viral campaign has resulted in the expectations of the online community growing to such an extent, that Disney had no hope in achieving everything that the community expected and required.

It would have been interesting to see what the response would like from the Disney fans, if they launched D23 as a fan club from day one, without the marketing executives using a full blown viral campaign to create such frenzy within the online community.

 

D23 Raves

In contrast to our D23 “ranters”, D23 also had its regular Disney “ravers”.

We all know these people and in their eyes Disney can do no wrong. Again, I reiterate that their opinions are still valid and people are entitled to their viewpoint, however it is disappointing that some of these people have almost become Disney zealots with no constructive opinion on new initiatives launched by the organisation.

A more constructive “rave” was on a well known podcasters show recently, where the host and his guests gave their opinions of D23 and what inclusions they were hoping for in the future. This podcaster also has a Disney related magazine currently on the market, and it was refreshing to hear that he welcomed the development of the twenty three magazine for Disney fans and was confident that Disney’s content would be of a very high calibre.

In my “pretend position as the head of Disney”, I would be listening to the constructive feedback coming from this segment of the community. These are the people that have competing products and services in the market place and exist to service the needs of the Disney online community.

The online community was developed through passionate Disney fans across the globe, and not a marketing initiative designed by an organisation to create additional revenues or increase market share.

I would be recommending to my Executive team, that Disney partner with the online community to further enhance the content that is available to Disney fans and to leverage off the success of an already well established and passionate online fan community.

D23 Reservations

Many members of the online community are still sitting on the fence in regards to D23 membership. The Travelears website crashed recently due to the amount of traffic attracted to the site when we posted the first pictures of the Charter Members gift that was part of the membership package. Many loyal Disney fans have waited anxiously to see exactly what they will be getting for their joining fee before signing on the bottom line.

In these tough economic times, many Disney fans are struggling to keep up with their regular “disney spend” and are deferring travel and discretionary spending until there is better economic news on the horizon.

It is fair to say that the cost of a D23 membership is a substantial financial commitment for many Disney fans, and I would be very interested to see how many people have joined D23 since the entire membership package has been revealed.

In my “pretend position as the head of the Disney company”, I would consider introducing a tiered D23 membership that would be more affordable to all Disney fans. A base cost of entry could be established with a menu of add-ons inclusions that members could include as part of their packages.

 

An example would be:

Individual membership: $10.00 (Basic D23 membership pack and inclusions)

 

Additional family members: $5.00

Magazine subscription: $60.00

Annual 4 Day Expo Passes: $25.00 per person

 

The above example would be an affordable way for many more people to participate in the fan club without the substantial up front cost. It would also allow Disney to add additional items to the membership as they become available.

 

A D23 3 R’s Summary

In conclusion, I believe that the D23 launch created more questions than it answered. If the intent of D23 was to solely launch a fan community, then the viral marketing campaign was a mistake.

The hype created within the community has created an un-winnable scenario for Disney, as whatever they delivered on launch day would never satisfy all the expectations of the online community.

I have personally become a D23 member, but I must admit that my decision was an emotional purchase as a passionate Disney fan, and definitely not the purchase of a frugal shopper. I really hope that D23 is a huge success, but I have doubts that the program will remain in its current form, especially at its current price point.

I believe that D23 will undoubtedly evolve over the coming months due to the feedback of the Disney online community and regular park guests. The Disney fan community is a vocal one and I am sure that Disney is closely monitoring the community’s feedback in regards to this issue.

 

My recommendation is to make up YOUR own mind up regarding D23 membership. Get onto the D23 website at: Disney’s D23 LINK and read about the D23 membership inclusions and entitlements.

Buy into the D23 program if YOU value its current inclusions and if YOU do not believe that D23 offers you $75 worth of value, let Disney know by constructively writing to them and expressing what you would like to see included in a fan club offering.

This purchase decision is a personal one and should be based on YOUR interpretation of the value offered by Disney.

In regards to my current “pretend position as the head of the Disney company”, I hope that my Executive Team have come to realise that that this is the perfect time to deliver a number of initiatives to further increase Disney’s market share and future revenues by acknowledging and rewarding our loyal customers.

Increasing park tickets costs, accommodation rates, dining costs, etc can only be sustained for a finite period and it is now time to identify the real needs of Disney’s loyal fans by creating innovative programs to reward regular users of Disney’s products and services, and to encourage ongoing spending over these increasingly tough times.

I would also encourage my marketing team to review its use of viral marketing tools and remind them that it is always better to “under promise and over deliver“, especially when dealing with a passionate and well informed online fan community.

 

Ok, back to reality and my real job…..

Aj

“Not The Head Of The Disney Company”

Disney Interactive Studios today announced Toy Story Mania!, inspired by the Disney/Pixar animated feature “Toy Story,” will be released exclusively for the Wii home video game console this fall. Toy Story Mania! showcases an array of entertaining games based on the new Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort attractions, while featuring the iconic characters and humor from the popular Disney/Pixar “Toy Story” franchise.

Get 2 extra hotel nights—plus 2 extra days of Theme Park admission—FREE* with the purchase of a 3-night or longer Disneyland® Resort vacation package.

Each Package Includes:

• 5-Nights accommodations at one of the Hotels of the Disneyland® Resort or at a conveniently located Disneyland® Resort Good Neighbor Hotel
• 5-Day Disneyland® Resort Park Hopper® souvenir ticket
• Mickey’s Toontown Morning Madness** – Guests can enjoy fun and games with Mickey and his friends one hour before Toontown opens to the public
• Downtown Disney® District Fun Card – Add more fun to shopping, dining, and entertainment experiences with special offers (one per person)
• Preferred Seating – Available at select attractions in Disney’s California Adventure® Park

For guests staying at one of the Hotels of the Disneyland® Resort

• Book By: March 24, 2009 – August 11, 2009
• Travel Dates: April 1, 2009 – September 26, 2009

For guests staying at a Disneyland® Resort Good Neighbor Hotel

• Book By: March 24, 2009 – August 11, 2009
• Travel Dates: May 1, 2009 – September 26, 2009

*Offer is valid for bookings from 3/24/09 through 8/11/09 and for arrivals from 5/1/09 though 9/26/09 with travel being completed by 10/1/09. Upon the purchase of a 3-night package, with 3-Day Disneyland® Resort Park Hopper® souvenir tickets, at a participating hotel, two (2) consecutive free nights will be added to the hotel stay and two (2) days added to the tickets. Limited to two (2) free nights per package/reservation and not valid for previously booked rooms. Check for offers associated with longer night stays. The Disneyland® Resort Park Hopper® souvenir tickets expire 13 days after first day of use or 10/13/09, whichever occurs first, and each day of use constitutes one full day of use. Tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial purposes. Offers subject to availability and blockout dates; advance reservations required. Not valid with any other discount or promotion. Subject to restrictions and change without notice. **Entitlement available for one morning throughout the length of your ticket on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, or Saturday, and days and times are subject to change without notice. Restrictions apply.

Please contact Magic For Less for more information and help in booking this package.

From the D23 Website

“Tom Hanks’ wonderful line in A League of Their Own (“There’s no crying in baseball!”) got me to thinking last week: Sometimes the very saddest moments in life remind you of some of the grandest people you have known,” says Disney Legend and Imagineering Ambassador Marty Sklar about Disney Legend Dorothea Redmond, who passed away on February 27. “I was struck by this strange dichotomy when Dorothea passed away. At almost the same moment, I felt the sorrow we know when a friend, fellow Imagineer and enormous talent leaves us… and the joy at recalling — and truly visualizing in my head — some of Dorothea’s amazing works of art.”

After receiving her degree in Interior Design from the University of Southern California School of Architecture and attending Art Center College in Pasadena, California, Dorothea made a name for herself working on film productions like Gone with the Wind (1939) and Alfred Hitchcock’s Rebecca (1940). Dorothea also worked at RKO with famed French director Jean Renoir, and at Universal Studios and at Paramount where she helped design the great sets for The Road to Bali (1952). After working with Charlie Chaplin on Limelight (1952) and with Hitchcock again on Rear Window (1954), Dorothea joined an architectural firm. Tired of “10 years of working weekends to meet Monday deadlines,” she joined WED (now Walt Disney Imagineering) in October of 1964.

Some of her first Disney work involved the transformation of Disneyland’s Red Wagon Inn Restaurant into the sumptuously appointed Plaza Inn. Working with art director and Disney Legend John Hench, Dorothea transformed the Inn into a graceful dining facility that was one of Walt’s favorite spots to host guests. Her next project was to design interior settings for New Orleans Square. Dorothea created many interior and exterior views of the area restaurants and shops, her evocative style bringing a rich reality to the finished work.

Working with art directors Bill Martin and Bob Brown, as well as with Walt himself, Dorothea developed the interior paintings of the Royal Suite, a Disney family hideaway atop New Orleans Square, once the home of The Disney Gallery and currently the Disneyland “Dream Suite.”  Redmond remained at WED to work on the Walt Disney World project in Florida, where her work was varied and prolific, including studies for Fantasyland, renderings for an architecturally opulent Main Street and an Adventureland area development that communicated a feminine and ethereal mood of exotica. She also designed the elaborate murals in the entry passage through Cinderella Castle. The five 15-by-10-foot panels were realized in a million pieces of multicolored Italian glass, real silver and 14-karat gold and were duplicated for Tokyo Disneyland a decade later. Some of her final renderings were of the folksy frontier buildings of the Fort Wilderness area.

“Now perhaps Dorothea will be best remembered for the Disneyland Dream Suite, originally designed for Walt himself,” Marty adds. “But certainly her most admired design work is the elaborate mosaic murals of the Cinderella story in the entry passage to the Castle at the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom. Not even the medieval castles of Europe can boast of masterpieces like these!”

Redmond retired in June 1974. Her work was recently featured in the exhibit Casting a Shadow: Creating the Alfred Hitchcock Film, organized by the Mary and Leigh Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University, in collaboration with The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Margaret Herrick Library. In 2008 she was named a Disney Legend.

When she passed away, Marty says he recalled, “not the frail 90 some year old who was honored as a Disney Legend last fall… but instead the brilliant watercolorist whose brush strokes gave us magnificent images for shops and stores on Main Street, U.S.A. and in New Orleans Square, so immersive that we immediately believed we had already visited these magic places. I could hear [Imagineer] Harper Goff and Dorothea discussing how to illustrate the side-by-side juxtaposition of contrasting styles of architecture for the countries of Epcot’s World Showcase. And of course I could walk right into the Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom (or Tokyo Disneyland!) and revel in Dorothea’s timelessly magnificent mosaic murals conveying the story of Cinderella for our Guests.”

Of course he can. It’s not easy to forget someone who leaves such a beautiful, inspirational and timeless imprint upon our world.

From the D23 “Twilight Bark”:

Pin Trades Ho!

The “Come Out and Trade” pin trading event will be held daily through Sunday, April 19 outside the Westward Ho! Trading Co. in Frontierland at Disneyland.

Goofy Returns

Goofy’s Playhouse reopened March 21st in Mickey’s Toontown after a planned refurbishment.

Race to…Monster Attack!

Witch Mountain director Andy Fickman will soon begin production on another Disney film, Monster Attack Network, based on the 2007 graphic novel. Story’s about an elite government agency on a remote island paradise in the Pacific, but it’s not all Mai Tais and lapping waves on white sand beaches… their job is to protect America’s coast from giant, rampaging monsters that arise from the sea!

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice Sweeps into Theaters July 17th

The Jerry Bruckheimer-produced family adventure The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, based on the famed “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” segment in Fantasia, begins filming this month with Jon Turteltaub directing and Nicolas Cage starring.

The Travelears Celebrates an Important Milestone

 

As Disney is encouraging its guests to celebrate special occasions this year, we wanted to take this opportunity to thank all of our loyal Podcast fans and website visitors, for helping the Travelears celebrate our 10,000^th hit on our website this morning at 11.35am.

 

The website was launched only 50 days ago, and after a slow beginning, this milestone snuck up on us really quickly.

 

We have been overwhelmed with the support, positive feedback and the assistance that we have received from so many people over the past seven weeks, and we are really pleased that we are offering a valuable service to the online Disney and Theme Park Communities.

 

We would also like to thank our loyal fans for their patience over the past few days as our web site succumbed to the massive number of hits that we were receiving. We are pleased to announce that we have now rectified this issue with our site host, and the Travelears website is now working better than ever.

 

The Travelears crew is very excited about the coming months, as we are working on a number of large projects and partnerships that will directly benefit our podcast listeners and site visitors.

 

In the short term, here is a sneak peek at what we are working on:

 

* Our first official Travelears meet at the “DPN Westfest” in May ’09

* Our inaugural WDW fan dinner during our “Two Kingdom Tour” during May ’09

* A new partnership with a very prominent Disney newsletter

* More great deals and travel advice from our official Travel Partner, “The Magic for Less Travel”

* “News as it Breaks” from the Disney, Universal, Seaworld and Busch Gardens Theme Parks

* More coverage of exclusive “Press Events” from the parks

 

As you can see, we are working hard to deliver Disney and theme park travellers with the latest news, best travel deals and unbiased advice, as it becomes available. The Travelears has always strived to become a central portal of theme park information, and we are now confident that we are well on our way.

 

Please remember to email us with suggestions, travel questions and feedback: questions@thetravelears.com. And to subscribe to us on Plurk, Twitter and Facebook to keep up to date with important theme park information as it is released during the day.

 

Thanks again for all of your support, and we look forward to meeting all of you in the parks over the coming months.

 

Aj, Chris, Greg, Ray, Ryan, Shannon and Will

March 20, 2009

I just returned from a nice day at the Disneyland Resort with my friend Pete from the DPN Forums. After waiting for a approximately 1/2 hour for a monorail at the Down Town Disney Monorail Station we started off a nice day at Disneyland. Later I found out from an inside source only one monorail will be operating for a while. That is another story for another day.

After a nice morning Pete and I thought we might try out Disney’s California Adventure for a while. Neither one of use had visited DCA for a while so off we were on that “long” trek across the Plaza.

After standing in line for what seem an ungodly amount of time we finely pass through the soon to be replace main entrance to DCA. Pete had not seen the Blue Sky Room so in that direction we headed. Pete mentioned how excited he was to see the Blue Sky Room which is perceived as a returned to the extinct Preview Center from Disneyland back in the good old days.

We spent time in the Blue Sky Room, watched the movie and decided walk around the construction zone at Paradise Pier. The following photographs will give you a first hand account of the progress being made at Disney’s California Adventure’s Paradise Pier area.

A few items of note is the Mickey Ears that have been removed from California Screamin’ and the addition of the Paradise Pier logo in their place.

The first of the new Midway games look close to being complete.

King Triton’s Carousel has work proceeding on its rehab.

The new Hot Dog Hut is open for business.

The construction fences have some nice playful adornments.

For more photographs of Disney’s California Adventure construction visit Greg McNaughten’s Flickr page at www.flickr.com/photos/imagineeringmyway

Copyright © 2009 Incisive Media US Properties, LLC. All rights reserved. Further duplication without permission is prohibited

By Debra HazelWalt from GlobeSt.com

Disney Co.’s recently announced environmental goals to reduce its facilities’ emissions, waste, electricity and fuel use, and impact on water systems. But, given the number and size of those facilities–stores, parks, offices–operated by the company, are they feasible?

Surprisingly, many of them may well be, environmental experts say, as the company has chosen to focus on elements they can actually control, and given practicable short-term goals.

The environmental goals are part of the company’s 2008 Corporate Responsibility Report, which also discusses other issues such as charitable giving and workplace diversity. Created by an environmental council of senior Disney executives, they include the company’s first comprehensive greenhouse gas inventory. The report covers all of Disney’s facilities, including its theme parks–except for Tokyo Disneyland, which is neither owned nor operated by Disney–resorts, cruise ships, office buildings, and sound stages.

“While Disney has always been a leader in environmental stewardship, we are taking ambitious steps to help preserve our planet for future generations,” says Disney senior EVP and CFO Thomas O. Staggs, in the press release introducing the report.

The company has been an Energy Star partner for more than 10 years, and its Florida hotels have all received Florida Green Lodging Certification. The long-term environmental goals outlined in the report are: Zero waste; Zero net direct greenhouse gas emissions from fuels; the reduction of indirect greenhouse gas emissions from electricity consumption; net positive impact on ecosystems; minimizing water use and product imprint.

“It’s not comprehensive,” says Lauren Yarmuth, a principal of YRG Sustainability Consultants, New York City. “However, what they’re doing is very impressive.”

The idea of zero waste, though, might be astonishing to anyone who has visited a Disney theme park on a peak day. Millions of visitors generate trash. In 2006, Disney’s theme parks and resorts–again, with the exception of Tokyo Disneyland–generated 298,000 tons of trash, 170,000 tons of which were sent to landfills, the report said. A short-term goal is to decrease solid waste to landfill to 50% of the 2006 baseline level and increase percentage of purchases that include post-consumer recycled material by 2013.

“In terms of zero waste, it’s absolutely feasible,” Yarmuth says. “It’s a matter of the supply chain.”

Disney World in Florida has a major composting facility, and the real trick will be to encourage visitors to separate their trash even as they’re enjoying the resorts, ships, or parks.

“It’s extremely regulated,” says Claire Woolley, a former environmental attorney in her native New Zealand, and now a vice president with Chicago-based tenant representation firm Howard Ecker + Co. Woolley has visited the Orlando compost facility. “Behind the scenes, it’s a tight ship.” It’s extremely important to note that Disney is only focusing on what it can directly control, Woolley added.

“The trick,” Yarmuth noted, “is where they buy cotton candy with packaging from the outside world.”

But much like Wal-Mart, Disney’s sheer size can influence vendors to produce greener materials. Last year, the company recommended that its branded plastic bags be made of recycled material and that paper bags be made from approved pulp.

Achieving zero-carbon emissions may be a bit more challenging.

“It’s kind of aspirational,” Woolley says. “But it’s not a bad thing. It’s kind of possible.”

In 2006, the company reported direct GHG emissions from fuel combustion and refrigerant leaks of 566,042 metric tons, indirect GHG emissions from electricity of 1.1 million metric tons, and 2 billion kilowatt hours of electricity.

Disney seeks to achieve 50% of its long-term goal for direct emissions from fuels through a combination of reductions, efficiencies and offsets by 2012, and to reduce electricity consumption in existing assets by 10% compared to 2006 by 2013. That may be more difficult, even the company acknowledges.

“Achieving zero net direct GHG emissions depends on the ability to reduce or eliminate consumption of carbon-based fuels such as natural gas, gasoline and diesel, and acquire or generate carbon offsets from projects. Alternative fuels, such as biodiesel, are currently available, but only in limited quantities and for limited applications,” the report said. “In the case of carbon offsets, there is no formal, governmental oversight or regulation of such efforts in the United States. Therefore, caution is required to choose credible partners to generate carbon offsets. Transparency and completeness in reporting are critical, as well as due diligence in selecting carbon offset programs.”

Financing will be required to create an integrated design approach that would maximize efficiencies, and the company would need to identify opportunities for self-generation on a much larger scale than ever before, the report added.

“They wouldn’t have put themselves out there with this kind of detail if they didn’t think they could do it,” Woolley says.

The keys, Woolley noted, are the specific median goals that can focus the company and give a sense of accomplishment. “It’s really important they’re making the effort,” Yarmuth says. “And it’s the right effort.

Debra HazelWalt’s Original Article

Hello everyone, I was excited this morning to receive a package from Disney with the first part of my new D23 membership. Although it only contained my membership card and some supporting information, I thought that I would post the images to let everybody know what they will be receiving, when they sign up to become a member.

When the other components of the package arrive, I will update this post. Greg!

 

Front of D23 Card

 

 

Back of D23 Card

 

 

Front of D23 Card Information Folder

 

 

Back of D23 Card Information Folder

Walt Disney World Resort was first envisioned by Walt Disney in the early 1960s to give millions of residents in the Eastern United States an opportunity to enjoy unique entertainment concepts which had become world-renowned at California’s Disneyland.

By 1963 the Disney planning team at WED Enterprises (now Walt Disney Imagineering) had selected Florida because its weather permitted year-round operation necessary to Disneyland-style entertainment and because the state already ranked first in tourism among all states. The search narrowed to the Orlando area because of available land, location at the crossroads of major traffic arteries and dynamic growth.

Walt Disney wanted a much larger area than Disneyland’s 450 acres to develop a total resort, free of the distracting and conflicting elements which had grown up around Disneyland during its first decade.

As the World concept grew from a family entertainment park to a complete destination-vacation resort and ultimately to the concept of EPCOT — Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow — Walt believed he could apply the unique Disney approach to planning for all areas of family life.

Land acquisition began in 1964. Nearly 28,000 acres were purchased from more than 100 property owners at a total cost of nearly $5.5 million. Another 2,000 acres have been added since.

The first public announcement came Nov. 16, 1965, in an Orlando press conference with Walt and brother Roy O. Disney, Florida Gov. Hayden Burns and other dignitaries. Walt described his dreams of building first a unique entertainment and vacation center and eventually a way of life found nowhere else in the world.

Until his death in December 1966, Walt developed these ideas, directed planning of unique environmental concepts and laid basic philosophies and plans for the new complex.

Site preparation, horticultural experiments and development of a 45-mile network of water-control channels began in 1967. Florida passed legislation creating a utilities district and two cities to accommodate the ambitious plans. Construction began in April 1969 when the company’s three top executives, President Roy O. Disney, Donn B. Tatum and E. Cardon Walker, set the opening for Oct. 1, 1971.

Some 9,000 workers were involved in the two-year construction effort producing a complete vacation environment around lakes, forests and meadows.

They built a 200-acre lake called Seven Seas Lagoon, developed a rolling landscape for two championship 18-hole golf courses, built two of the world’s most unusual hotels and developed six lands of the Magic Kingdom plus a network of land and water transportation to connect the various areas.

During the final 18 months before opening, one million guests visited the Walt Disney World Preview Center where models, drawings and motion pictures explained details of the vast development. Total cost of the project by opening was $400 million.

Disney is a powerhouse company. Theme parks, movies, television, business ventures and iconic characters. Many celebrities have either gotten their start or had success with the Disney brand. After N’SYNC performed on the Disney Channel in 1998, their record sales boomed. So in honor of the fourth anniversary of the debut of the “tween” hit series “The Suite Life of Zack and Cody,” which stars Dylan and Cole Sprouse with Ashley Tisdale, we’ve compiled a list of performers who’ve had a hand in making Disney history.

1.  Shia LaBeauf – The action star of “Transformers” and “Indiana Jones” got his start as the goofy kid in the Disney TV show “Even Stevens.”

2.  Ryan Gosling – Ryan Gosling got his start on the “MMC,” aka “Mickey Mouse Club,” in the mid-1990s. Gosling later went on to appear in the Disney Film “Remember the Titans.” If he hadn’t made the “MMC” cast, there might never have been a Noah and Ally kiss in the rain from “The Notebook” or the memorable, and odd, relationship he had with Sandra Bullock, who is 16 years his senior.

3.  Keri Russell – The super-cute Keri Russell had success in the “MMC” like Ryan Gosling, and she also had a significant role in the Disney film “Honey, I Blew Up the Baby.” She later went on to star in the Golden Globe-winning show “Felicity.”

4.  Julie Andrews – Julie Andrews gave a memorable, and Oscar- and Golden Globe-winning, performance in Disney’s “Mary Poppins”. She later came back to Disney to star alongside Anne Hathaway in the film “The Princess Diaries.”

5.  Anne Hathaway – Before starring in “Bride Wars” and “The Devil Wears Prada,” Anne Hathaway starred in the 2001 movie “The Princess Diaries” with Julie Andrews. This movie went on to have a sequel in 2004 titled “The Princes Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.”

6.  Annette Funicello – It is difficult to think about “The Mickey Mouse Club” without thinking of Annette Funicello. After the show, she went on to star in beach movies with Frankie Avalon.

7.  Tim Allen – Besides starring in the successful TV series “Home Improvement,” Tim Allen‘s movies include the “Toy Story” series, “The Shaggy Dog,” “The Santa Clause” series and “Jungle 2 Jungle.”

8.  Dick Van Dyke – Dick Van Dyke was nominated for a Golden Globe for his performance as Bert in “Mary Poppins.”

9.  Mickey Mouse Club 90′s Pop Stars – Seriously, something must have been in the water during the 1990s on the set of “MMC.” Already in this countdown are Keri Russell and Ryan Gosling who starred in the show along with the future pop stars. Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez all starred together on the Disney show. Other pop stars like Jessica Simpson, Nick Carter and Joey Fatone tried out, but were rejected.

10.  The Female Tween Superstars – Hillary Duff, and Miley Cyrus both launched into superstardom with “tween”-focused Disney channel television shows. Duff starred in “Lizzie McGuire” and Cyrus currently stars in “Hannah Montana” with her father, Billy Ray Cyrus (yes, the “Achy Breaky Heart” singer who formerly rocked a mullet). Add the ladies of the “High School Musical” series to this list.

List compiled by dailypress.com

From the D23 “Twilight Bark” :

Golden Farewell

Golden Dream, one of the original attractions at Disney’s California Adventure, is closing to make way for a brand-new attraction themed after The Little Mermaid. The final showing will take place at a special event for Cast Members on March 22.

It’s a Roundup

Celebration Roundup & BBQ is set to open April 2 at Disneyland! Guests can book priority seating now.

Easter Bunny Arrives Early at Disneyland

In addition to happy passengers, the Storybook Land Canal boats are carrying Easter/Spring flowers and, if you look closely, you can see baskets of pastel eggs in front of some of the homes along the canal.

Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique Taking Reservation

Beginning March 16th, Guests were able to book reservations for Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Disneyland. The boutique, which transforms little girls into princesses and boys into knights, will be nestled inside Fantasyland next to Sleeping Beauty Castle and is set to open April 17.

By now, most people know you get into Disneyland free on your birthday in 2009. But if you’re an annual passholder, you’d better read the fine print.

It turns out that if you’re an annual passholder — and your birthday just so happens to fall on a Saturday or Sunday, almost any day in June, July or August, during Spring Break, around Thanksgiving, any time between Christmas and New Year’s Day or on Nov. 11 — you might be in for a rude surprise.

Obviously, for the average Disneyland annual passholder who visits the park on regular basis, the free-on-your-birthday deal isn’t much of perk. So the Anaheim theme park offers a free $69 gift card (the standard price of admission) to their most loyal customers. The uncharacteristically generous gesture seemed almost too good to be true.

So on my wife Nancy’s birthday, we headed down to Disneyland to collect her free loot. After waiting in a 45-minute line at Guest Relations, the smiling girl at the window told Nancy she couldn’t have the gift card. Why? Because our annual passes were “blacked out” for that day. All she could offer Nancy was an upgrade ticket into the park (valued at $40).

“So, just because my birthday falls on a blackout day, I don’t get the gift card?” said Nancy, on the verge of tears. “That’s unfair.”

To me, the raw deal seemed completely random. You can’t control what day your birthday falls on.

After a fruitless exchange with a surly supervisor (who had no business working in customer service) and her somewhat apologetic boss, we finally reached an incomprehensible compromise. If we paid $40 (the value of the upgrade ticket), Nancy could have the $69 gift card. By now, with Nancy’s birthday on the verge of being ruined, we paid for the card and tried to focus on the kindness of the $29 gift.

For a place that bills itself as the Happiest Place on Earth, it had proven a pretty grim experience. Throughout the entire ordeal, nobody ever wished Nancy happy birthday — and when I pointed that out, the manager said: “I’m not going to be forced to wish her happy birthday.”

Disneyland officials, contacted for a response, offered apologies but stuck by the company policy: “Our policy for Annual Passholders regarding Free On Your Birthday and blackout dates is clearly stated in Annual Passholder publications and on our website. It is unfortunate that the guest was not aware of the policy and we apologize that she was disappointed.”

Other annual passholders have run into the same problem, which will become more prevalent as we move into the busy summer months (when blackout dates abound).

Have you had a similar experience? Tell us about it in the comments section below.

 

Here’s a list of the remaining blackout dates for 2009:

March 21, 22, 28, 29

April 3-19, 24-26

May 2, 3, 9, 10, 16, 17, 22-25, 29-31

June 4-7, 10-14

June 17 – Aug. 16

Aug. 21-23, 29, 30

Sept. 5, 6, 12, 13, 19, 20, 26, 27

Oct. 3, 4, 10, 11, 17, 18, 24, 25, 31

Nov. 1, 7, 8, 11, 14, 15, 21, 22, 26-29

Dec. 5, 6, 12, 13, 18-31

 

Note: Blackout days vary depending on the type of annual pass.

By Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times staff writer Link to original article 

SEATTLE, March 18 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Alaska Airlines Vacations today extended its popular “Kids Fly Free to Disneyland Resort” promotion with new lower prices on travel packages purchased by May 31, 2009. Travel must be completed by June 17, 2009. Initially the offer was valid for packages purchased by March 18.

Alaska Airlines’ “Kids Fly Free to Disneyland Resort” promotion offers free airfare for children ages 2 to 11 when accompanied by an adult on an Alaska Airlines Southern California Vacations package. In addition, adults who purchase a three-day or longer Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus Ticket, valid from March 18 to April 30, pay the children’s admission price to experience the magic of Disneyland Park and Disney’s California Adventure Park.

Kids Fly Free to Disneyland Resort is valid from select cities to six Southern California airports: Burbank, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Ontario, Orange County and San Diego.

Sample package prices to Los Angeles

    $645              from Flagstaff and Prescott, Ariz.

    $718              from Seattle

    $728              from Portland, Ore., to Long Beach

    $734              from Redding, Calif.

    $767              from Boise, Idaho

    $817              from Medford, Ore.

    $825              from Spokane, Wash.

    $1,1063           from Juneau, Alaska

    $1,116            from Anchorage, Alaska

 

Package prices listed are for one adult and one child, and include roundtrip airfare, a four-night hotel stay and a five-day Disneyland Resort Park Hopper Bonus Ticket for one child and one adult with “Everyone Plays for the Kids’ Price” offer. “Kids Fly Free to The Disneyland Resort” vacation packages also are available for shorter or longer time periods and from most cities served by Alaska Airlines or its sister carrier, Horizon Air. Alaska Airlines Vacations also has several low-priced and extra value offers on hotels, attractions and transfers.

The packages are available on alaskaair.com or by calling (800) 468-2248. Each passenger who purchases a package on alaskair.com receives 1,500 Alaska Airlines Mileage Plan Bonus Miles in addition to the miles flown.

In addition to Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Alaska Airlines Vacations offers packages to Canada, Alaska, California, Washington, Nevada, Hawaii and Mexico. For a complete list of vacation packages available, visit alaskaair.com.

Package Rules: Fares are valid to Los Angeles airport, except from Portland, which is to Long Beach airport. Other airports are available. Tickets must be purchased by May 31, 2009, and travel must be completed by June 17, 2009. Package price is based on airfare for one child and one adult from the city mentioned above and is based on off-peak travel, four nights lodging at the Clarion Hotel Anaheim Resort based on adult double occupancy with 4th night free based on availability, a five-day Disneyland(R) Resort Park Hopper(R) Bonus Ticket for one child and one adult (with “Everyone Plays for the Kids’ Price” offer). Itineraries may include service on Horizon Air. Kids Fly Free (KFF) offer valid for one child age 2 to 11 and one adult 18 years or older. KFF is not valid with any other promotional airfare offer. Day-time availability: off-peak fares available for travel Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. Fares are higher on Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Blackout dates are: March 20-23, and 27-30; April 3-6, and 10-13; and May 22 and May 25, 2009. Space is limited at the KFF promotional price and is based on availability. Prices and rules subject to change without notice and other restrictions may apply. Passengers may check one bag for free. A second bag may be checked for $25. Additional fees apply to overweight or oversized checked baggage. A fee of $100 will be assessed for each additional checked bag. Ticket changes made at alaskaair.com incur a $75 (USD) per person change fee plus applicable fees and any difference in fare. Ticket changes made through an Alaska Airlines reservation call center or airport ticket counter incur a $100 (USD) per person change fee or a $125 (USD) per person change fee if originally booked through a travel agent and changed through an Alaska Airlines reservation call center or ticket counter, plus applicable fees and any difference in fare. All terms and conditions of Alaska Airlines Vacations packages apply. Travelers are responsible for the following taxes and fees, as applicable: Airport Passenger Facility charges of up to $9 (amount depends on itinerary), Federal Segment Tax of $3.60 per segment (takeoff and landing), and U.S. Security Fee of $2.50 per enplanement.

Terms and conditions for the “Everyone Plays for the Kids’ Price” offer: First day of use must occur on or before April 30, 2009. These tickets expire 13 days after the first day of use or May 13, 2009, whichever occurs first, and each day of use constitutes one full day of use. Tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial use. Restrictions apply. All offers, events, tickets, age ranges, services, attractions and entertainment may be seasonal and are subject to change without notice. Offer may not be combined with any other ticket offer, discount or promotion.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve more than 90 cities through an expansive network in Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. Alaska Airlines ranked “Highest in Customer Satisfaction among Traditional Network Carriers (tie)” in the J.D. Power and Associates 2008 North America Airline Satisfaction Study(SM). For reservations, visit alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at alaskaair.com/newsroom.

SOURCE Alaska Air Group

By HONG KONG (MarketWatch)

Walt Disney Company has halted all creative and design work on the expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland, cutting more than 30 jobs, the South China Morning Post reported Tuesday, citing unnamed sources.

The staff were laid off after the Hong Kong government, which holds a 57% stake in Hong Kong Disneyland, told the company there is no timetable for the expansion of the theme park, the report said.

Despite earlier hopes of a breakthrough in negotiations with the Hong Kong government this year, the sources said senior management at Disney didn’t see any progress being made in the next six months.

Newspaper Web site: http://www.scmp.com

The latest sign of expansion and “re-Imagineering” in Disney’s California Adventure park is the new illuminated “Paradise Pier” sign on the “California Screamin’” roller coaster. Installed overnight between Thursday and Friday, March 12 and 13, the sign reflects the “vintage Disney” themeing that is part of the Disney’s California Adventure expansion. It was designed in the style of beachfront amusement park signs from the 1920s and ’30s, the era when Walt Disney first arrived in Hollywood and begin producing animated cartoons. As the “re-Imagineering” continues at Disney’s California Adventure this spring, the ferris wheel attraction will reopen as “Mickey’s Fun Wheel” and the Games of the Boardwalk will reopen in completely new versions featuring Disney characters.

Disneyland Press Release

Disneyland Castmembers being outsourced ……. who is next?

Greg McNaughten

Many of you may not know this, but Disneyland has been outsourcing many jobs and careers at Disneyland and has been doing so for about 10 years. When I worked for Disneyland in the 1980′s and 1990′s, 99.8% (my estimate, not Disney’s official numbers) of the workforce on Disneyland property were castmembers.

There was a time when the custodial department operated 24 hours a day. They cleaned offices at night in addition to cleaning shops, the streets and all the other things you can imagine a custodial department doing. How many devoted castmember’s lost their jobs during this cleansing of the work force is hard to say. How can Disneyland justify this cutback, two words, bottom line.

Disneyland management did not stop there. They have also outsourced food service for castmembers to outside vendors. What complicates these issues is that the outside vendors do not have access to Disneyland kitchens. Food is prepared away from popular castmember dining areas such as The Inbetween and The Westside Diner and has to be delivered to these food service locations. Consider this, both the Westside Diner and the Inbetween have kitchens but they cannot be used by the outside vendor. Why would Disneyland go to an outside vendor and again cut jobs from hard working loyal castmembers? Budget cuts?

There was a time when a “roach coach” would only be seen “backstage” when the Inbetween or the Westside Diner was down for Rehab. The only other time they would be seen was during construction to serve the construction crews only. Now it’s common to have a roach coach on property 7 days a week operating in various locations.

Currently the New Orleans Main Kitchen, located below the Pirates of the Caribbean and most of New Orleans Square, is under a major rehab down to bare dirt, or so I have been told. Will Disney be able move Walt’s cryogenic tank without anyone seeing it? LOL …. we all know they moved it years ago! LOL!!!!

It has been announced the Westside Diner, which is located adjacent to the New Orleans Main Kitchen under Pirates, is closing for an expanded New Orleans Main Kitchen. The Westside Diner has been closed before so this announcement could be a play on words. Let me give you an example. When I worked at Disneyland I knew the Westside Diner as The Deck. Before that it was known as the Pitt and had a racing motif. When The Deck became the Westside Diner it was announced The Deck was closing.

It is very possible this time the popular castmember dive is in its final death throe. Since the sloop they pass off as food at the Westside Diner is not even prepared here or by Disneyland castmembers, it would not be a surprise if Disneyland management decides to permanently wipe this long standing castmember hang out off the map and into extinction.

Where are Westside castmembers going to eat? Will they have to walk over to the Inbetween? Maybe a new facility will be built for the outside vendor backstage on the Westside. So far we just do not know. If you wondered how all the restaurants in New Orleans Square are going to prepare food, I have been told the former Plaza Pavilion’s kitchen which has not been used in years has recently been rehabbed. The food will have to be transported to the Westside restaurants via a backstage access road.

What could Disneyland management possible outsource next? Maintenance? Ride operators? How about Characters or Security? Why would Disneyland outsource graveyard custodial and castmember food service? It makes sense for food service at WDI or the Studios, but Disneyland already operated these services for years. Disneyland is not like the Studios, WDI or other corporations were this kind of outsourcing is common.  Can Disneyland be saving that much money and what is this doing to the moral at the park?

Let’s hope someday Disneyland brings these services back into the Disneyland Family less the cycle continue and Disneyland eliminates more castmembers for outside vendors.

In 1964, she joined what is now known as Walt Disney Imagineering and helped envision elements of Disneyland and Disney World.  Disney died in 1966 before the elaborate New Orleans Square hideaway she designed with him could be completed. For decades, the space was used as a gallery.  Following Redmond’s original renderings, the park recently restored the apartment above Pirates of the Caribbean and turned it into the Disneyland Dream Suite, where randomly chosen park visitors can stay overnight.  Redmond also designed the interior and exterior settings of many restaurants and shops in New Orleans Square.  “Her watercolor sketches were extraordinary place-making,” Marty Sklar, an executive with Walt Disney Imagineering, said last fall when Redmond was named a Disney Legend in a hall-of-fame program that honors those who have had lasting impact on the Walt Disney Co.  The elaborate mosaic murals in the archway of Cinderella Castle were also designed by Redmond and realized by another artist in a million pieces of glass. Some of the murals were later duplicated in Tokyo Disneyland.  Dorothea Holt was born May 18, 1910, in Los Angeles, the only child of Harry and Mary Holt. Her father co-owned Western Lithograph Co.

For more information and the original article.

In the busy season, the unspoken rule for parade viewing is: if you want a good spot, stake it out early. That may sound simple, but two major etiquette issues come up. The first is, even if you’re there early, just how much space can you reasonably expect to take up? Often one or two people will grab a prime spot on Main Street at Disney World an hour beforehand, but try to hold room for their other six family members. Others come along later, see the prime real estate, and try to move in. Mayhem quickly ensues. Or maybe the other family members were there to start with, but needed a potty break or went off to get some ice cream. While they’re gone, someone else tries to move in and you’re got a confrontation on your hands.

read the rest of the story at examiner.com

Story from Barbara Nefer, Orlando Theme Parks Examiner

Hi guys, after receiving many requests about staying at Disneyland Resort Paris, we spoke to Disney and got the low down on the major hotels that service this wonderful resort. Enjoy Aj

 

Situated on the doorstep of Disneyland Resort Paris’ two theme parks, seven Disney-themed hotels with a total of 5,800 rooms offer guests the chance to stay overnight in the heart of the magic.

Disneyland Hotel

This Victorian palace built over Disneyland Park entrance hotel is the Resort’s flagship hotel with some rooms offering a view of Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Capacity: 496 rooms including 18 suites.

Facilities: Indoor swimming pool, health club with sauna, Jacuzzi and massage. 24-hour room service. Valet parking. Baby-sitting service.

Castle Club: Private floor with 50 rooms with separate access, personalized check-in, private bar and complementary breakfast in the Castle Lounge.

Restaurants: California Grill, Inventions and Café Fantasia.

 

Disney’s Hotel New York

Celebrating the Art deco style of the 1930s, Disney’s Hotel New York is reminiscent of the Big Apple’s skyscrapers with some rooms offering a view over Lake Disney.

Capacity: 565 rooms including 27 suites.

Facilities: Indoor and outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, health club with exercise room, steam room and sauna, solarium and massage service. Two outdoor tennis courts with floodlights. Ice skating rink in winter. Hairdressing salon. 24-hour room service. Concierge, games room, baby-sitting service. Convention Centre.

Restaurants: Manhattan Restaurant, Parkside Diner and New York City Bar.

 

Disney’s Newport Bay Club

A tribute to the relaxed elegance of the seaside resorts of New England at the turn of the 20th century, Disney’s Newport Bay Club recreates the atmosphere of a sailing club.

Capacity: 1,093 rooms including 13 suites.

Facilities: Indoor and outdoor swimming pool, health club with sauna, Jacuzzi, exercise room, solarium and massage service. Convention Centre.

Admiral’s Floor: Business accommodation with separate check-in, luggage service, concierge, printed message service and 24 hour room service.

Restaurants: Cape Cod, Yacht Club, Fisherman’s Wharf Lounge and Captain’s Quarters.

 

Disney’s Sequoia Lodge

Inspired by the American National Parks these large chalets are set in 44,000 square metres of trees and feature parquet floors and huge chimneys.

Capacity: 1011 rooms including 14 suites.

Facilities: Indoor and outdoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, health club with sauna.

Restaurants: Hunter’s Grill, Beaver Creek Tavern and Redwood Bar and Lounge.

 

Disney’s Hotel Cheyenne

With fourteen small buildings featuring brightly colored facades inspired by Hollywood westerns Disney’s Hotel Cheyenne is both rustic and comfortable.

Capacity: 1,000 rooms which can accommodate up to four people.

Facilities: Children’s play area, pony rides, video games room. Live Country Band.

Restaurants: Chuck Wagon Café and Red Garter Saloon Bar.

 

Disney’s Hotel Santa Fe

The spirit of the South West of the United States and the hot winds of the desert blow on the forty two “pueblos” of Disney’s Hotel Santa Fe.

Capacity: 1,000 rooms.

Facilities: A children’s play area, video games room and a children’s corner in the lobby. Activities for children in the evening: face painting, mini parades, and dancing.

Restaurants: La Cantina and Rio Grande Bar.

 

Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch

Situated in the heart of 57 hectares of forest, Disney’s Davy Crockett Ranch is a destination in its own right. The “Trapper Village” is open to Disneyland Resort Paris guests but also to families who want to benefit from a relaxing stay in a wilderness retreat.

Capacity: 535 individual log cabins (for up to six people).

Facilities: Cabins are fully equipped with fridges, microwaves etc. Provisions can be bought from the “General Store”. Archery, mountain biking, pony rides, tropical pool with Jacuzzi, two covered tennis courts, basketball, half-court or beach-volley and table tennis. Bicycles and quadricycles are available for hire.

Restaurants: Crockett’s Tavern.

In addition to the Disney hotels there are several “Selected” and “Associated” hotels operating near to the theme parks bringing the total hotel capacity of the Resort to around 8,000 rooms.

 

About Disneyland Resort Paris

Disneyland Resort Paris is Europe’s leading tourist destination with over 200 million visits since the resort’s opening in 1992. The resort includes two spectacular theme parks, Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios Park, seven Disney-owned and operated themed hotels with approximately 5,800 hotel rooms, and an additional 2,400 hotel rooms operated by partner hotels, two full-service convention centers and a 27-hole world-class golf course. In addition the resort is home to Disney Village, one of the largest entertainment districts in the Ile de France Region. Spanning over 30000 m2 Disney Village offers themed restaurants, shops, nightclub and a cinema multiplex. In all Disneyland Resort Paris includes 54 attractions, 56 shops, and 69 themed restaurants.

Napa Rose was honored further with a Golden Bacchus Wine Award and a Golden Sceptre (Five Star) award, the highest, in the continental category. Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland Hotel also received highest honors, with a Golden Bacchus Wine Award and a Golden Sceptre (Five Star) award in the American category. The awards reflect Disneyland Resort’s commitment to guest service, which has been enhanced under the guidance of Master Sommelier Michael Jordan and his wine education program.

For more information and Disney’s Press Release

Is celebrating enough?

Disney’s “Years of Millions & Millions Dreams” promotion is over. Lasting well beyond its original safe operating parameters, the campaign went well. The promotion was accepted by many and ridiculed by others, some people enjoyed a free FastPass while others thought the rewards where somewhat beneath them and lasted far too long.

I for one am thankful for any small thing that comes along in conjunction with these celebrations. During the long years of Millions Dreams I won two Fastpases and that was it …and okay. Riding Thunder Mountain under a light rain on a Tuesday at noon is part of what I like about the park so I accepted their offer.

Like it’s predecessor, Disney’s new promo, What Will You Celebrate?, has equally polarized and has disappointed some while appeasing others . What Will You Celebrate? allows you, the “celebrated”, a few options including a free day in a Disney park on your birthday as a present from the Walt Disney Company.

Is this enough? Should Disney do more for us, the loyal customer? After all, don’t we deserve it? We keep putting up and paying for the growing list of headaches associated with a prolong park visit.  Crowds, increasing ticket prices and, at times, a noticeable decline in service.

Should we expect Disney to keep outdoing themselves with promotions and celebrations each year or should they return to a more restrained approach and refocus to park improvements? Get me to the front of Thunder faster, or do so and fix the failing-falling rocks on the ride?

I going to date myself and hopefully give a little perspective on Disney celebrations at the same time. The first time I visited Walt Disney World was in 1975 at the age of 12, Walt Disney World was getting ready to celebrate its 5 year Anniversary. In 1980 I attended the 25 hour party at Disneyland, celebrating its 25th Anniversary. I returned to Walt Disney World in 1982 just in time to catch the end of the World’s 10th Anniversary festivities. When we returned to Florida in 1986 we caught the 15th Anniversary celebration and I think you can see where I am going.

Before the major shift in management in 1984, the only big park celebrations with very few exceptions were the park’s birthdays, celebrated every five years. Each coasts’ parks have also used special parades such as America on Parade in 1976 to draw guests to the parks.

Under Eisner’s leadership the parks started celebrating and promoting the parks in ever increasing ways. In addition to the park’s birthdays, Disneyland also tried a few promotions that were accepted for the most part by all; Blast from the Past, State Fair, Circus Fantasy and Mickey’s 60th Birthday were few of the large celebrations. Disneyland also ran promotions such as Festival Japan, Mickey’s Month and more. Walt Disney World has been very successful over the years with Epcot’s Flower & Garden Festival and the Food & Wine Festival which has inspired a small, but respectable, spin-off at Disney’s California Adventure.

Is it time for a break?

Remember when Star Trek had three different TV shows running as well as a theater release? Great for true Trekkies, but a bit too in-your-face for casual fans. The same can be said for Disney.

I think it’s possible that Disney has reached a market saturation point, and let’s be honest; there are enough Disney fans out there to keep the company afloat for the next few decades. The promos are everywhere, but a good thing can be overdone.

I hope Disney continues with less large in your face promotions and more park improvements to lessen wait times, increase the guest experience, and return to the higher employment standards that made Disney an example to the world and which will bring guests coming back over and over again.

Greg McNaughten

 

As part of our ongoing coverage of Disney’s D23 announcement, we are pleased to present your the official Disney D23 video. Enjoy, Aj

 

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGjqbJNjecE

This week the show focuses on the current construction work at Disneyland, the upcoming food and wine festival and a nmber of current topical in park subjects.

 

Enjoy the show, Aj, Chris, Greg, Ryan and Will

 

TheTravelears_033_-_Construction_Food_and_Wine_Weekends_and_Weather_at_Disneyland.mp3

The Walt Disney Company announced that approximately 50 executives in the company’s theme park division accepted buyouts as part of a workforce reduction plan announced in January.  Disney has been coping with decreased travel this year, offered buyouts to about 600 executives, half of them working at Walt Disney World.  The company said the effort to reduce its work force is continuing. It didn’t say how many of the 50 parks and resorts division executives who accepted buyouts worked at Walt Disney World.

From the Orlando Business Journal ]]> http://www.thetravelears.com/2009/03/12/50-disney-theme-parks-executives-take-buyouts/feed/ 0 http://www.thetravelears.com/2009/03/11/travelears-aj-covers-d23-on-micecast/ http://www.thetravelears.com/2009/03/11/travelears-aj-covers-d23-on-micecast/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:49:03 +0000 Ray http://www.thetravelears.com/?p=1248 Our very own Aj, was invited by the Hosts of the popular Micecast Podcast to discusss yesterdays D23 press conference and to share his thoughts and opinions on how D23 will affect the online community and Disneys fans.

This 90 minute plus show is now available directly from the MiceCast Website at  http://www.micecast.com/  or via iTunes.

Enjoy,

Ray

The Travelears Podcast, Website and Blog, was invited to participate in Disney’s D23 conference call today with Steven Clark (head of D23 and Executive Editor of Disney twenty-three), Dave Smith (Disney Chief Archivist) and Marty Sklar (EVP & Walt Disney Imagineering Ambassador). We are pleased to share the conference call with and our thoughts on the program and the possible impacts on the online Disney community. Enjoy, Aj, Chris, Will, Greg and Ryan

TheTravelears_032_-_D23_Revealed_The_full_Disney_Press_Conference_and_our_Insights.mp3

The Travelears Podcast, Website and Blog, was invited to participate in Disney’s D23 conference call today with Steven Clark (head of D23 and Executive Editor of Disney twenty-three), Dave Smith (Disney Chief Archivist) and Marty Sklar (EVP & Walt Disney Imagineering Ambassador).

This carefully orchestrated conference call, was very well attended by the press and members on the online Disney community.

 As we all know by now, the D23 viral campaign was designed to launch an “official community for Disney Fans”, run by Disney.

Steven Clark confirmed today during the discussion that program was named D23 due to 1923 being the year that Walt Disney Company founded. He went on to say “that the initiative celebrates the roots, creativity and future of Walt Disney Company” and that the Disney company recognizes that the fans are important to the Disney legacy.

 

D23 membership is $74.95 which includes:

• One year subscription (four issues) to “Disney twenty-three” publication. D23’s exquisite collectible magazine is filled with stunning photography, dazzling illustrations and Disney insider perspective. It’s an all-access pass to discovering the magic of Disney’s past, present and future!
• Membership Card and Certificate. The membership card and personalized, suitable-for-framing charter member certificate, feature many of Disney’s most beloved characters as drawn by Disney Master Artist Dave Pacheco.
• Surprise Collectible Gift. Just for D23 members, an exclusive Charter Year collectible gift from the new Walt Disney Archives Collection.
• Exclusive Special Events and Merchandise. D23 offers its members unique special-event opportunities throughout the year, as well as access to member-exclusive, limited-edition merchandise and collectibles.
• Discounted admission to the D23 Expo the D23 – premier online destination for fans is free to everyone.

Access to the D23 web site is free.

From September 10–13, 2009, the D23 Expo comes to life at the Anaheim Convention Center. The Expo will be the single largest gathering of all things Disney.

The incredible experiences, exhibits and presentations at the Expo are another way D23 will connect fans to the timeless stories, characters and amazing worlds that we create here at Disney. Guests entering the main showroom floor of the recently renovated Convention Center will discover exciting pavilions from every part of The Walt Disney Company.

Each will offer unique immersive experiences the whole family can enjoy. Parks and Resorts, Walt Disney Records, Disney Consumer Products, ABC, ESPN and Walt Disney Imagineering — to name a few — will all be featured. There will be surprising gallery events, author appearances and signings and even a beautiful Disney Home to walk through. Radio Disney will rock the Expo every day, and you can expect favorite Disney talent to make appearances throughout the event. (We hear there may even be a wedding!)

Steven also commented that the D23 Expo web site, which will be coming soon, will give up-to-the-second breaking news about the Expo, including ticket information and online ordering, the latest event information and everything you need to know about the ultimate Disney fan experience!

Marty Sklar briefly spoke about his excitement in preparing articles for the new publication and Dave Smith gave a brief history of Disney Fandom.

 

After the formalities were completed, the queue was then opened for a limited number of questions to be asked to the Disney team.

Most of these questions came from the Disney online community and a few of the interesting points that were raised included:

• There may  be the opportunity for the Online community to participate in D23
• The D23 Expo will be an annual event in Anaheim for the next 4 years and may visit other locations
• That planning for D23 started four years ago and ramped up over the past 12 months
• There are no immediate plans to hold in park events, but this maybe considered further
• There may be spin off benefits Annual Pass Holders, DVC Members and other Disney program members
• Marty Sklar stated, “This is not meant to be another means for Disney to sell merchandise. It is intended for Disney fans to feel connected to the company and each other.”

So in a nutshell, there it is. Disney has decided to actively participate in its own fan base. Is this is good or bad, time will only tell, but it does appear that Disney is putting some of its best talent behind this program to make sure that it is successful.

Make sure that you listen to the next special edition of The Travelears Podcast, as we will be discussing D23, the press conference and our own personal opinions about this very interesting concept.

 

And dont forget to check out our website for all of your D23 questions at www.thetravelears.com 

 

Aj

 

Chief Archivist and Disney Legend Dave Smith, who has preserved the wonders of Disney for nearly 40 years, tells Disney twenty-three what’s new at the Walt Disney Archives. 

World-renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz adds star power and a moody, surreal spin to Disney’s most iconic animation moments. 

The Nightmare Before Christmas director grants Disney twenty-three an exclusive first look at his marvelously imaginative interpretation of Alice in Wonderland. 

Disney twenty-three takes you on a special tour of the most exclusive accommodations at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Imagine spending a dreamy night in Cinderella Castle or enjoying an early morning cup of coffee on the veranda of Walt’s private New Orleans Square apartment! 

Spend an enchanted evening at the celebrated California Grill on the 15th floor of Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort, where Chef de Cuisine Jens Dahlmann serves sophisticated American fare that’s as unforgettable as the signature restaurant’s spectacular view. 

We’ve got your backstage pass to Pixar Animation Studios, the creative powerhouse that stands at the pinnacle of computer animation — and the birthplace of Woody, Nemo, and WALL·E! 

Get an advance look at Pixar’s Up, a Pete Docter-directed adventure about a 78-year-old balloon salesman who fulfills his lifelong dream by floating away to the wilds of South America. Also, take a peek at Partly Cloudy, a new short in which baby showers are always in season. 

Travel back in time as Disney twenty-three takes you on a journey through the history of Sleeping Beauty Castle’s enchanting walk-through, recently reopened at Disneyland. 

Leaf through the pages of longtime Disney book editor Wendy Lefkon’s career to discover the extraordinary collection of volumes that chronicles the rich history and magical worlds of Disney. 

Broadway’s shimmering lights go “under the sea” at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre to bring the beauty of The Little Mermaid to mesmerized audiences nightly. 

Disney artist Paul Felix continues a time-honored Disney tradition with his charming depiction of everyone’s favorite mouse.

“D23: THE OFFICIAL COMMUNITY FOR DISNEY FANS”

Disney’s First Official Fan Organization Launches with New Quarterly Publication, Web Site, Fan Events and Collectibles Line

Oakland and Burbank, CALIFORNIA (March 10, 2009)/PRNewswire/— Disney today announced the launch of D23 (www.Disney.com/D23), the first official community for Disney fans in the Company’s 85-year history. Through D23, fans will go backstage and behind closed doors to get the inside scoop from every part of Disney, while experiencing the nostalgia, adventure and fantasy of Disney as never before.

 

“We have a fantastic legacy that started in 1923 and is based on timeless stories, beloved characters and unforgettable experiences, but it’s our fans that keep the spirit of Disney alive year after year, generation after generation,” said Disney President and CEO Bob Iger at the Company’s annual shareholder’s meeting. “D23 is our way of saying ‘thank you’ and celebrating our fans, who bring the magic of Disney to life every day in every corner of the world.”

 

As a part of this new Disney fan experience, today also marks the launch of D23′s new quarterly publication, Disney twenty-three; the all-new D23 Web site at Disney.com/D23; and a new collectibles line, The Walt Disney Archives Collection, which was created specifically with D23 members in mind. D23 also will host special events for its members throughout the year, highlighted by the organization’s signature event, the D23 Expo, which will be held in Anaheim this September 10-13.

 

 Full Disney D23 release and video can be found here: http://www.prnewswire.com/mnr/disney/37333/

 

A one-year D23 membership ($74.99) includes:

 

    * Disney twenty-three quarterly publication: A one-year subscription (four issues) to D23′s new collectible magazine filled with stunning photography, dazzling illustrations and the ultimate Disney insider perspective. This advertising-free keepsake is the all-access pass to discovering the magic of Disney’s past, present and future.

    * Membership Certificate and Card: The D23 membership card and suitable-for-framing member certificate — both specially created for D23′s Charter Year — feature many of Disney’s most beloved characters.

    * Surprise Collectible Gift and Member Merchandise: Each member who joins D23 will receive an exclusive collectible gift from the new Walt Disney Archives Collection. This merchandise line was created specifically with D23 members in mind, and each piece is authorized by the Walt Disney Archives. D23 members will have exclusive or early access to a wide assortment of Walt Disney Archives Collection pieces.

    * D23 Expo and Member Special Events: The D23 Expo — to be held at the Anaheim Convention Center from September 10-13, 2009 — will be “The Ultimate Disney Fan Experience,” featuring incredible speakers, celebrity appearances, breathtaking exhibitions, interactive experiences, sneak peeks, film screenings, one-of-a-kind merchandise, and much more. All Disney fans are welcome, but D23 members will receive a discount on Expo admissions and early access to the show daily. D23 also offers unique members-only special event opportunities throughout the year.

    * Disney.com/D23: All fans can stay connected to Disney every day through D23′s new Web site, featuring up-to-the-minute Disney news, feature stories, event info and more, but only D23 members will receive regular email updates on special event and merchandise opportunities exclusive to them.

 

Disney twenty-three quarterly publication

 

Disney today launches its new quarterly publication Disney twenty-three, a hybrid entertainment and lifestyle magazine that is the all-access pass to discovering the magic of Disney’s past, present and future. Its name pays homage to 1923, the year The Walt Disney Company was founded.

 

The premiere issue of Disney twenty-three includes exclusive features such as:

 

    * Interviews with Tim Burton, Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens

    * Inside look at the new Disney/Pixar animated film Up, featuring interviews with Director Pete Docter and Producer Jonas Rivera, concept and production art, and a look at the new animated short Partly Cloudy.

    * A rare look inside Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, California. Meet the Pixar team and learn the secrets behind the success of their films.

    * The doors open for two of the most exclusive, magical suites in the world: the Cinderella Castle Suite at Walt Disney World and the Disneyland Dream Suite overlooking New Orleans Square and the Rivers of America at the Disneyland Resort.

 

Disney twenty-three’s regular featured departments include:

 

    * A Walk with Walt: A look back at the trials and triumphs of the man who made dreams come true and whose imagination started it all.

    * D Society: From gala movie premieres and grand openings to candid Disney moments and memories, D Society takes readers backstage and onto the red carpet.

    * PHOTOfiles: The legendary Walt Disney Archives Photo Library houses millions of Disney’s most cherished photographic memories, and the Archives team shares its Top 100, five in every issue. Let the countdown begin!

    * Where in D?: Try to identify where in the world of Disney each issue’s mystery photo was taken.

    * The Funny Pages: For the first time in decades, enjoy the vintage newspaper comic strips that helped make many of Disney’s most popular characters famous.

    * Making Magic: Crafts for children of all ages, inspired by Disney’s favorite stories and experiences.

    * Recipes from Disney’s most popular restaurants and eateries, past and present.

 

Disney twenty-three subscriptions are available only by becoming a member of D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans. Individual issues of Disney twenty-three retail for $15.95 and are available exclusively at all U.S. Barnes & Noble booksellers, all domestic Disney Stores, Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World, and Disneyshopping.com.

DISNEY.COM/D23

 

The D23 site on Disney.com will serve as the premier online destination for Disney fans, highlighted by breaking Disney news, exclusive feature stories, blogs, historical retrospectives, a collectibles boutique, special event information, and other content. The D23 online experience includes News & Features, Walt Disney Archives, Disney twenty-three, Expo & Events, and Boutique23. Highlights include:

NEWS & FEATURES

 

    * Late-breaking news, press releases, and photos of interest to fans from every part of Disney.

    * “Twilight Bark” — inspired by the Disney animated feature 101 Dalmatians — offers up the latest tidbits and news “bites” from all around the world of Disney.

    * Feature articles and interviews on current Disney topics from theme parks and animation to television and motion pictures, as well as historical retrospectives.

    * Official Disney Bloggers — Get regular updates on films in production at Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios, current Walt Disney Imagineering projects, and the Walt Disney Archives.

 

WALT DISNEY ARCHIVES

 

    * “This Day in Disney” — A daily walk down memory lane.

    * “What’s Old Is News” — Go back in time and enjoy rare, vintage and classic articles, stories, interviews, press materials and other highlights from deep within the Disney Archives.

    * “Ask Dave” — Disney Legend and Chief Archivist Dave Smith answers your questions about Disney history.

    * “Archives Library” — helpful Disney reference tools including biographies, filmographies, award chronologies, Disney A to Z updates, historical profiles and other archival information.

 

DISNEY TWENTY-THREE

 

    * The online home of Disney twenty-three, D23′s quarterly publication.

    * Expanded stories, interviews and imagery.

    * “D Society: Online Edition” — regularly updated photo gallery.

    * “The Funny Page: Daily Edition” — a delightful daily dose of vintage Disney comics that haven’t been seen outside the Disney Archives in decades.

    * “Making Magic” — An archive of the unique crafts featured in Disney twenty-three.

    * “Disney Dish” — Always be able to find your favorite recipes from Disney twenty-three.

 

EXPO & EVENTS

 

    * “D23 Expo” — The official Web site for everything you need to know about “The Ultimate Disney Fan Experience” September 10-13, at the Anaheim Convention Center, including programming, show hours, celebrity appearances, keynote speakers, ticket information, vacation packages, and more.

    * “D23 Member Special Events” — Throughout the year, D23 hosts special events created just for its members. Members can find out which ones they want to attend and how to register.

 

BOUTIQUE 23

 

    * D23 merchandise and collectibles, including D23 member-only offerings from the Walt Disney Archives Collection

    * Hosted by Disneyshopping.com

 

D23 membership

 

D23 membership is not required to visit Disney.com/D23, but some merchandise and special event opportunities are exclusive to D23 members.

 

Fans can join D23 at www.Disney.com/D23, all Disney Store locations within the United States, select shops at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort, and www.DisneyShopping.com/D23.

About D23

 

The name “D23″ pays homage to the wonder and excitement that began in 1923 when Walt Disney opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood. Through the years, Disney has captured the imagination of millions around the world, and, as requested by Disney fans everywhere, D23 gives them a greater, richer connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic.

Press Contact:

Michelle Bergman

The Walt Disney Company

818-560-8231

Paul Roeder

The Walt Disney Company

818-560-6166

D23 Expo: The Ultimate Experience for Disney Fans!

03.10.09 – Imagine a place where every step you take immerses you further into the Disney movies, magic and memories that live so deeply in your heart.

That place will become a reality from September 10–13, 2009, when the D23 Expo comes to life at the Anaheim Convention Center. The Expo is the single largest gathering of all things Disney — so huge, in fact, it couldn’t fit at the Disneyland Resort just across the street!

 

The incredible experiences, exhibits and presentations at the Expo are another way D23 will connect fans to the timeless stories, characters and amazing worlds that we create here at Disney. Guests entering the main showroom floor of the recently renovated Convention Center will discover exciting pavilions from every part of The Walt Disney Company. Each will offer unique immersive experiences the whole family can enjoy. Parks and Resorts, Walt Disney Records, Disney Consumer Products, ABC, ESPN and Walt Disney Imagineering — to name a few — will all be featured. There will be surprising gallery events, author appearances and signings and even a beautiful Disney Home to walk through. Radio Disney will rock the Expo every day, and you can expect favorite Disney talent to make appearances throughout the event. (We hear there may even be a wedding!) And please stay tuned!… the D23 Expo micro site, coming soon, will give up-to-the-second breaking news about the Expo, including ticket information and online ordering, the latest event information and everything you need to know about the ultimate Disney fan experience!

 

One complete hall will be devoted to the eye-popping Disney Dream Store, an unbelievable shopping experience bursting with products from every corner of the Company. The Dream Store will also house merchandise that’s exclusive to the Expo, including magnificent pieces created just for D23 members from the Walt Disney Archives Collection.

 

Also nearby is the expansive Collectors Forum, where fans can buy, sell and trade from their Disney collectibles. The Forum will feature a massive Pin Trading headquarters — perfect for both casual collectors and ardent enthusiasts.

 

The Center’s spectacular 5,000-seat arena, one of its most visually striking and iconic features, will feature top Disney executives delivering keynote addresses, as well as fantastic fashion shows and live performances. Upstairs from the main halls, Walt Disney Studios are also combining the Center’s five enormous ballrooms into the giant Studio Theater, where they will offer continuous presentations and screenings of thrilling upcoming fare from animation, live action, Disneynature, Muppets and more. Expect filmmakers and talent to drop in for sneak peeks at movies from A Christmas Carol and Prince of Persia to The Princess and the Frog and Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure.

 

While Expo show floor hours will be from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, there will be a number of screenings in the evening. D23 members will receive a discount on Expo tickets, as well as special early entry to the event starting at 8 a.m. Tickets for the Expo will go on sale this spring, so stay tuned for details. The event is open to both D23 members and the general public. For more information, visit D23Expo.com.

 

Expo Highlights!

Here are just a few of the happenings you won’t want to miss at the D23 Expo. Check out D23Expo.com for more details!

 

    * Keynote addresses from Bob Iger, president and CEO, The Walt Disney Company; Dick Cook, chairman, Walt Disney Studios; John Lasseter, chief creative officer, Disney and Pixar Animation Studios; Rich Ross, president, Disney Channel Worldwide; Jay Rasulo, chairman, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts; Bruce Vaughn, chief creative executive, Walt Disney Imagineering — and many more!

 

    * Stunning fashion shows celebrating new Disney Couture and Disney bridal gowns.

 

    * Watch your favorite Disney classic films on the big screen once again at The 50 and Fabulous Film Festival. A panel of special guests will discuss their memories and the significance of these beloved films. At the first D23 Expo, we will celebrate those that reach the half-century mark this year. On the roster: Sleeping Beauty, Darby O’Gill and the Little People and The Shaggy Dog!

What is D23?

D23 is “The Official Community for Disney Fans” — the first of its kind in the Company’s 85-year history. From our enchanting theme parks to our legendary animation studio, Disney is known for having a deep-rooted respect for the wonderful legacy we’ve built through the years and the creativity that continues to take us to new heights. But one of the most important parts of that fantastic legacy is our fans. To thank all of our fans, we have created D23 with its one-of-a-kind experiences, special events, collectibles, quarterly publication, Web site, and opportunities to meet others who share the same affection and fascination for Disney. D23 offers fans an insider peek at every corner of Disney, from the Parks, animation and stage shows to television and film to the treasures of the legendary Walt Disney Archives.

What does D23 mean?

“D” stands for Disney, and “23″ represents 1923, the year that Walt Disney arrived in California and founded what was to ultimately become The Walt Disney Company.

D23 MEMBERSHIP

What do I receive with membership?

• One year subscription (four issues) to “Disney twenty-three” publication. D23′s exquisite collectible magazine is filled with stunning photography, dazzling illustrations and Disney insider perspective. It’s an all-access pass to discovering the magic of Disney’s past, present and future!
• Membership Card and Certificate. The membership card and personalized, suitable-for-framing charter member certificate feature many of Disney’s most beloved characters as drawn by Disney Master Artist Dave Pacheco.
• Surprise Collectible Gift. Just for D23 members, an exclusive Charter Year collectible gift from the new Walt Disney Archives Collection.
• Exclusive Special Events and Merchandise. D23 offers its members unique special-event opportunities throughout the year, as well as access to member-exclusive, limited-edition merchandise and collectibles.
• Discounted admission to the D23 Expo (more on the Expo below).
• FanFare E-Newsletters. Subscription to bi-weekly D23 FanFare e-newsletter with breaking news and special offers. (You may opt out of receiving FanFare upon receipt of each e-newsletter.)

How can I join?

Guests can join online at Disney.com/D23 or , and can purchase gift memberships for friends and family as well.

Gift “membership redemption cards” will soon be available at domestic Disney Stores, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resort and on the Disney Cruise Line. D23 gift membership recipients must redeem their card by registering online and paying any applicable state tax.

How much does membership cost?

Membership costs $74.99 plus applicable sales tax for a one-year membership.

What is a Charter Membership?

Those who join before December 31, 2009 will become a D23 Charter Member. Some merchandise is available for purchase only during the Charter Year. Non-Charter Memberships (“regular” memberships) will be available starting January 1, 2010.

What if I don’t have Internet access?

At this time, D23 membership registration is available only online at Disney.com/D23 or .

Are family memberships available?

At this time, family memberships are not available.

I live outside the United States. Can I be a D23 member?

Yes. International shipping charges will apply.

Can I buy a D23 membership as a gift for someone else?

Yes. When you visit Disney.com/D23, click “Join D23″ and enter the recipient’s information. D23 memberships make terrific gifts!

How old do you have to be to purchase a D23 membership?

You must be at least 18 years of age to purchase a D23 membership or any D23 merchandise. However, adults can purchase gift memberships for those under 18, and most member events are suitable for the whole family.

Will I get a confirmation of my order?

Yes, you will receive an email confirmation of your order sent to the email address you entered at the time of your purchase.

How long will it take before I receive my membership kit?

For domestic purchases, your membership card will arrive within 10-12 business days, depending on the shipping location. Your welcome letter, first issue of the quarterly publication, membership certificate, and Walt Disney Archives Collection gift will ship separately shortly thereafter.

Why won’t all the items in my membership kit arrive at once?

Shipping items separately ensures members receive items as soon as possible, providing the best guest service for our members.

Is membership automatically renewed?

No, you will receive notification when your membership is close to expiration and, at that time, you may renew your membership without missing any publications, events, or limited-edition merchandise.

How will I hear about events and special merchandise?

There will be a variety of D23 members-only events throughout the year. Check online at Disney.com/D23 to find out about upcoming events. Special promotional codes and information for some events will be sent out via email and e-newsletters, so once D23 members start receiving D23 emails and e-newsletters, they may not wish to “opt out” of receiving that correspondence.

I took myself off the email/e-newsletter list (or, I stopped receiving D23 emails and e-newsletters). How do I get myself back on so I can receive information about new merchandise and participating in D23 events?

Contact  to start the process of adding your name back to the email list.

What is my “D23 Member Log In” and “D23 Member Name”?

Your D23 Member Log In is the information you used when you purchased or activated your D23 membership. If you already have an account with DisneyShopping.com or a log in name and password from another Disney family of companies’ Web site, it will be the same. The D23 Member Name is what gets printed on the membership card and certificate (and must match a valid form of ID).

How many memberships can I purchase for myself?

Members are limited to a single membership per calendar year.

What if I have a question about my membership or need to change my address?

Contact  for changes to your contact information and any questions about your membership.

How can I check when my membership will expire?

Your expiration date should be on the back of your membership card, or you can contact to find out when your membership is set to expire.

Can I cancel my membership?

No, D23 memberships are non-refundable and non-transferable.

What happens if I haven’t received my Membership Kit, if I do not receive an issue of Disney twenty-three or if I have other questions about my membership?

If you have additional questions regarding your membership, please write to .

D23 WEB SITE

What’s on the D23 Web site?

Disney.com/D23 features breaking news, insider info, and exclusive feature stories from every part of Disney, as well as rare classic articles and other treasures from the Walt Disney Archives. The site also includes regular items like vintage daily comics, “D Society,” and “This Day in Disney.” The Web site is updated regularly with fresh content.

Is the D23 Web site for D23 members only?

No. All Disney fans have access to Disney.com/D23, but only D23 Members can access member-exclusive merchandise and special event opportunities.

D23 MERCHANDISE

What kind of merchandise is associated with D23?

A variety of exclusive merchandise and collectible opportunities are available for D23 members, including logo merchandise, unique pins, figurines, lithographs, and more. The ever-growing assortment is featured on the D23 Web site in Boutique 23. Some of these collectibles will be D23 member-exclusive, limited edition items from the new Walt Disney Archives Collection. D23 members also will have exclusive merchandise and collectibles opportunities at the D23 Expo.

What is the Walt Disney Archives Collection?

The Walt Disney Archives Collection features painstakingly detailed reproductions and interpretations of pieces from the vast Walt Disney Archives. From cels and photographs to figurines and objets d’art, the Collection will feature a wonderful assortment of all new, must-have Disney collectibles.

If I buy the publication (Disney twenty-three) and then purchase a membership, will I get the same issue?

Based on Disney twenty-three‘s publishing cycle (with issues debuting in February, May, August and November), there is a chance D23 members will get the same issue if they buy a membership shortly after purchasing a copy of Disney twenty-three. An extra copy of the publication would make a wonderful gift for any Disney fan.

Can I buy additional copies of the Disney twenty-three quarterly publication?

Yes, anyone can purchase additional copies of the current Disney twenty-three issue in Boutique 23, which features a vast array of D23 merchandise. Only D23 members may purchase back issues of the publication.

D23 EXPO

What is the D23 Expo?

It’s the ultimate Disney fan experience, taking place at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California (across the street from Disneyland), September 10-13, 2009. This four-day can’t-miss event will feature incredible speakers, celebrity appearances, breathtaking exhibitions, sneak peeks, film screenings, one-of-a-kind merchandise, and so much more! There will be something for children of all ages, fans, the whole family, and friends.

When will tickets go on sale for the Expo?

Tickets will go on sale this spring. Check the D23 Web site for more information. Members will be alerted the day tickets go on sale.

How much will the Expo cost?

General Admission:

Adult 1-day $37

Child 1-day $27

Child 4-day $81 (4th day free)

D23 Member Admission (D23 members may purchase up to four discounted tickets per membership):

Adult 1-day $30

Adult 4-day $90 (4th day free)

Child 1-day $22

Child 4-day $66 (4th day free)

Wouldn’t be great to go to Disney and let somebody else pay the bills. Well, I may of  found us the best opportunity to make it happen. The Disney Institute has been around for many years and has an excellent reputation for passing on the learnings of Disney to future leaders of private and public organisations. With great new great deals, this may just be your chance to head to Disney on the boss’s expense account and learn a few valuable things at the same time. 

Goodluck with convincing your boss, and let me know how you go.  Aj

Motivation and Inspiration Meet Dollars and Sense

Known as the Idea Place — where the unique location and experiences may unleash your group’s abounding creativity, the Disneyland® Resort is also now known for great offers. Hold a qualifying event with us during select 2009 dates and choose from an exciting menu of Disney Value Offers to enhance your meeting*. You must book your event by June 30, 2009.

 

Disney Value Offers include ONE of the following:

One Twilight Park Ticket+ — After 4pm Admission to one Theme Park PLUS $25 that may be spent at select Disneyland® Resort dining locations.

Take advantage of some Disneyland® Resort offerings by experiencing one Theme Park, including a $25 Disney Gift Card++ that may be used to enjoy a unique dining experience within the Resort.

Sponsored Disney Institute Keynote Presentation or 3-Hour Workshop

The Disney Institute has developed a special programming series entitled, “Leading and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence in a Turbulent Economy.” Choose from an energizing 90-minute presentation by a Disney Institute Facilitator or a

3-hour workshop+++. This timely program is designed to add value and enriching content to your meeting agenda. (This choice not available Sept 1-30, 2009.)

Roundtrip Airport Transportation++++

Reduce your carbon footprint and enjoy the convenience of roundtrip motor coach service by the Disneyland® Resort Express to-and-from Los Angeles International Airport or Orange County Airport and your Resort hotel.

 

For more information regarding this special offers, please call 714-520-7025 

 

Eligibility Details

 

* The event must consist of an equivalent number of confirmed rooms for each of two consecutive peak nights, with a minimum of 25 rooms per peak night. Must sign a standard sales contract. Failure to comply with the required minimums in the contract may result in fees assessed for the offer or rescission of the offer. Your contract will contain such details. Offer may not be combined with any other promotions or discounts. Not applicable to previously contracted business. Total value of offer is not redeemable for credit to the master or cash back to the contracting organization. No cash value. The number of rooms available for this offer is limited. All information subject to change without notice.

 

+One ticket and Disney Gift Card per paid room on negotiated peak night. Twilight ticket is valid for one (1) admission to either Disneyland® Park or Disney’s California Adventure® Park (but not both) after 4:00 p.m. Tickets expire within 14 days of the first day of event or December 19, 2009, whichever occurs first. Tickets are for use by individuals attending meetings or conventions in Orange County, California during their stay only, and tickets may not be sold or transferred for commercial purposes. Subject to restrictions and change without notice.

 

++The Disney Gift Card can be used at select participating locations at Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland® Resort, Disney Cruise Line®, Disney Store locations in the US, and Disneyshopping.com. It is not redeemable for cash, will not be replaced if lost or stolen without required proof of purchase and it is subject to the terms and conditions of the Disney Gift Card Program. The Disney Gift Card is issued by Disney Gift Card Services, Inc. Gift cards may not be used towards the purchase of any Disney Dollars or Disney Gift Cards. Other restrictions may apply. Use of gift card is acceptance of its terms and conditions. Visit DisneyGiftCard.com for more information about the Disney Gift Card program.

 

+++Requires a minimum group size of 25 attendees. Any required audio visual services for the chosen Disney Institute program will not be included and will require additional fees. Theme Park tickets are not included. Program must occur during the contracted dates of the meeting. Other restrictions may apply. Subject to change without notice.

 

++++One (1) roundtrip voucher per reserved room at group reservation cut-off date. Valid only to/from the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) or the Orange County Airport (SNA) and the Disneyland® Resort hotels during the dates of the meeting. Transportation is available 7 days per week on a fixed schedule. Reservations are recommended for groups of 10 or more and can be made by calling (714) 978-8855. Schedules are subject to change without notice. Weather, traffic flow and other factors may affect operating conditions. Disney is not affiliated with the Disneyland(R) Resort Express and is not responsible for fulfillment of the transportation services or any claims or issues associated with such services. Other restrictions may apply. Subject to change without notice.

 

Offer available for the following dates and Disneyland® Resort properties:

 

Disneyland® Hotel

April 4-8, 2009

May 3-9, 2009

May 17-21, 2009

June 9-14, 2009

July 21-27, 2009

August 1-5, 2009

August 15-21, 2009

September 7-12, 2009*

October 19-23, 2009

December 10-18, 2009

 

 

Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa

March 27-April 25, 2009

May 2-12, 2009

May 22-June 4, 2009

June 10-22, 2009

June 28-July 14, 2009

July 19-August 1, 2009

September 1-12, 2009*

October 10-30, 2009

November 16-25, 2009

November 29-December 18, 2009

 

 

Disney’s Paradise Pier® Hotel

March 8-13, 2009

March 30-April 8, 2009

April 12-17, 2009

April 19-22, 2009

May 20-June 4, 2009

June 10-14, 2009

July 5-13, 2009

August 10-31, 2009

September 1-11, 2009*

October 25-November 7, 2009

November 30-December 19, 2009

 

 

*Disney Institute programming not available Sept 1-30,2009

Resort Benefits

 

Disney Meeting Professionals work as your strategic partner to develop impactful and worthwhile meetings and events.

 

Flexibility with a touch of magic is the Disney Difference.

Video Gallery

 

Snippets of Disneyland® Resort Hotels and Theme Parks!

See More

Other Disney Sites:

 

 

 

Disneyland® Meetings

Speakers will include Marty Sklar, Dave Smith and Steven Clark (Head of D23 and Executive Editor of Disney twenty-three).

The travelears will post all available information after the conference call on the Travelears Web Site at www.thetravelears.com .

 

Aj

New York Times News Service 

If you’ve long put off your kids’ entreaties to take them on a Disney vacation because of an aversion to long lines, high prices and throngs of mouse-eared fans, you may soon be running out of excuses.

Attendance at Disney’s theme parks in the United States began to slip in the last part of 2008, dropping about 5 percent from a year earlier. To keep guests coming through the turnstiles in 2009, the company is rolling out deals not seen in years.

In Florida, the Walt Disney World Resort is offering a seven-night vacation package at one of its 23 on-site hotels for the price of four, including admission to the park itself. That means a family of four could stay at a Disney-value resort such as the Pop Century Resort for $1,375 in late April, a savings of $416. While there are a few blackout dates, the bargain has recently been extended for travel through Aug. 15. Travel in early or late March and get a $200 Disney gift card.

In California, Disneyland is offering vacation packages from two-night stays that include gift cards and adult tickets at the children’s price to a children-fly-free deal through Alaska Airlines. Both Disneyland and Disney World are offering free admission to active or retired U.S. military personnel and to people who visit on their birthdays this year.

Not to be outdone, some of Disney’s main competitors have introduced packages to lure visitors. This month, Universal Orlando Resort extended its five-nights-for-the-price-of-three offer to families that book by March 29 and stay by Oct. 8. Packages begin at $689 for a family of four, including lodging and park entry. Families that book a four-night package, from $789, get three nights free.

Walt Disney World Resort owns and operates 23 hotels, ranging from motel-style lodging to an upscale hotel with views of the Cinderella Castle and a full-service spa. There are only a few options, however, for a family of five or more looking for suite-style accommodations with a kitchenette and separate living room at a hotel owned and operated by Disney.

As an alternative, several area Marriott hotels with suites are offering a fourth-night-free deal, with rates from $89 a night at the Fairfield Inn & Suites. MouseSavers.com offers negotiated rates as low as $199 a night for a two-bedroom villa that can sleep up to eight people at the Caribe Royal Orlando in May.

Sites such as Homeaway.com and Zonder.com also offer rentals near Disney from $623 a week for a family of eight.

The Travelears Official Disney travel partner “The Magic For Less Travel” is proud to offer the following amazing discount deal for our Travelears fans.
Buy 4 or More Package Nights & Get 3 Free, Plus a $100 or $200 Gift Card when you travel on select dates or stay at select resorts!  Free portion includes room and tickets.  Available for travel between Now and  8/15/09.  Must be booked by 3/29/09.  

 

Please click the “Magic For Less Travel” banner below to take advantage of this amazing offer.

Disney Cruise Line Begins New Ship Construction

Two new ocean liners will expand Disney cruise destinations and experiences

 

PAPENBURG, GERMANY (March 2, 2009) – Disney Cruise Line began construction on two new ships today with a steel cutting ceremony at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany. Scheduled for completion in 2011 and 2012, the new ocean liners will further advance the company’s one-of-a-kind guest experience and create more family cruise options with a brand guests know and trust.

“When we launched our business in 1998, we recognized a need in the marketplace for a cruise experience created just for families,” said Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line and New Vacation Operations. “With these new ships, we are continuing to build upon that vision of providing more families with an unforgettable cruise vacation and the chance to explore new destinations with Disney.”

The first piece of steel cut for the new ships was part of the art deco inspired scrollwork that will grace the bow of the ships. Similar to the scrollwork on the Disney Cruise Line ships, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the intricate pattern is reminiscent of the classic ocean liners of the 1930s, designed to reflect the glamour of the golden age of cruising with added touches of Disney whimsy, such as the Mickey Mouse medallion in the center of the design.

Since finalizing a contract with the Meyer Werft shipyard to build the two new ships, Disney Cruise Line and Walt Disney Imagineering have created a truly distinctive design for the new ships. Over the next few years, construction will continue, bringing the design to reality. The design details will be unveiled at a later date.

Holz noted that the fleet expansion will more than double the passenger capacity for Disney Cruise Line. Each ship will have 1,250 staterooms and will weigh 128,000 tons. Similar to the existing ships, Disney Magic and Disney Wonder, the new ships will be purpose built with families in mind, with specially designed areas and activities for each member of the family to allow for both quality time together and wonderful individual experiences. The focus is to provide a setting where families can reconnect, adults can recharge and kids can immerse themselves in worlds of fantasy only Disney can create.

Known for bringing family travel to the cruise market, Disney continues to be a leader in the industry and was recently named the top large cruise ship experience by the readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine in the 9th annual “Reader’s Cruise Poll.” The Disney Wonder, which sails three- and four-night cruises to The Bahamas, was ranked as the No. 1 cruise ship in the “Large Ship” category. The Disney Magic was also ranked in the top five cruise experiences overall. The Disney Magic primarily sails seven-night cruises to the eastern and western Caribbean and, beginning in the spring of 2010, will embark on a season of limited itineraries exploring Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.

To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, guests can contact “The Magic For Less Travel” by clicking the link below.

 

Enjoy, Aj

 

You can almost picture the Disney honchos groping for a marketing sound bite for their new venture, the Disney Matinee Club – an interactive morning kids’ program combining Walt Disney movies, singalongs, costume dress-ups, parades, and other activities, all facilitated by an “onscreen host” and kept to a breezy 90-minute package.

 

Nothing, however, is impossible in the Disney Kingdom, which came up with a label: “entertainment experience.” And now through May, this experience is coming to movie theaters near you, assuming they’re digitally equipped. The first of four themed one-week programs – the “Princess” program – runs through March 12 at AMC Loews Boston Common, AMC Liberty Tree Mall, AMC Framingham, and AMC Methuen, and Showcase Cinema de Lux at Patriot Place. (Boston – considered a big family film-going city – is one of two test markets for the Matinee Club, along with Dallas.)

 

“It’s almost like a variety show,” said Jason Brenek, senior vice president for worldwide digital cinema and cinema programming at Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, who was in Boston recently to promote it.

 

Except the “variety show” comes with a twist, since this audience did not grow up in the heyday of such shows, broadcast on black-and-white console TVs topped by rabbit ears. These viewers are accustomed to HD, 3-D, surround sound, and interactive technologies, so the concept has been ramped up accordingly. In the “Princess” show, the audience is addressed by a towering, real-life onscreen Sleeping Beauty, who interacts with the audience like a high-def Miss Jean on “Romper Room.”

 

“What a beautiful group you are!” the digitally remastered princess enthuses in surround sound during one of the entertainment experiences that precedes the Disney feature “Mulan.”

 

She surveys the audience, attentively.

 

“Would you like to show me your dresses?” she asks. “Stand up so I can see you better.”

 

Note to parents: This is a BYOP – bring your own princess dress – affair, though one imagines Disney seeing a retail opportunity here too, down the line. However, a “church dress” will do nicely, too, Brenek said.

 

Hokey? Just wait: Next comes “Sleeping Beauty Curtsy School.” You can imagine. Then there’s the singalong with Ariel, the Little Mermaid, singing “Part of Your World” while the lyrics roll across the screen – odd, considering the target audience for the Princess program is under-5 girls. “The kids know the words,” said Brenek. “It’s the parents who need them.”

 

If the hokeyness factor seems hopelessly retro, you can’t help but wonder whether Disney is on to something. As anyone who has raised a princess knows, many little girls do go through phases where tiaras rule. “At the focus groups, the kids were mesmerized,” Brenek said.

 

Plus, it’s a way to introduce Disney classics to kids who have probably only been exposed to them on DVDs. “They’ve never seen them in a theatrical space, which is the way they were intended to be seen,” he said. Unfortunately Disney only re-releases its classic animated films in theaters every seven years – “the re-release business is not big business,” he acknowledged – so little girls hoping to see “Sleeping Beauty” at the Princess matinee may be disappointed; they’ll get “Mulan” instead. “Sleeping Beauty” is, well, sleeping. “It’s in the vault,’ ” Brenek said.

 

The other three programs are geared to different age groups. The “Adventures” program (March 27-April 2) is targeted to kids between ages 4 and 7. There’s a short film, “Test Pilot Donald,” followed by the full-length “Tarzan.” In lieu of curtsy school, there’s a monkey dodgeball game, which, as Brenek explains it, involves kids yelling screen commands to release flying coconuts. It has a “predetermined outcome,” Brenek concedes, but it gives the illusion of a giant video game.

 

In “Motormania” (April 17-23), intended for boys under 7, four Disney characters race across the desert and kids get to “choose” who will win. The movie is “Cars.” The final matinee is a “Pre-School” program (May 8-14) with a singalong parade, the short film “Tugboat Mickey,” and the feature, “Winnie the Pooh.”

 

“It’s a throwback to the movie matinees of the ’50s and ’60s,” said Brenek. It’s also predicated on a few throwback stereotypes. For example, the shows are scheduled for 10 a.m. because “we think this will appeal to full-time moms, and home-schooled kids,” Brenek said. (How about downsized dads?)

 

Brenek says Disney’s research shows that parents are craving opportunities to take their kids to “affordable, engaging, age-appropriate out-of-home activities.” (The matinee costs $6 for all AMC theaters and $5 for Showcase Patriot Place.) Disney will be paying careful attention to how the Boston audiences respond so they can iron out any glitches. And in a format where the onscreen princesses can’t really see the kids they’re talking to and races always turn out the same way, there are plenty of opportunities for glitches. What if kids attend twice, and get wise to the system? What if only one family shows up?

 

“There’s nothing worse than being the only person at a singalong,” Brenek said.

 

Still, “it sounds pretty good,” said David Bramante, who co-owns the West Newton Cinema – home to countless Disney films over the years – but who will not be showing the matinees because of a lack of digital equipment. “It reminds me of the stories I hear from old-time customers, when going to movies was a combination of different types of entertainment. It strikes me as an innovative way of getting younger people in the theaters.”

 

If Disney has its way, theaters like the West Newton will soon be able to show the matinees. “It’s part of a bigger initiative around digital cinema,” said Brenek. Disney is taking the initiative to install digital projection equipment in theaters around the country, to “upgrade the entire industry” – the better to market its expanding digital programming including the Digital 3-D “Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert,” and “Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience.”

 

“In the long term, people will be viewing cinemas as an alternative venue for seeing special events,” he said. “And we want to create those events.”

 

For information about the Disney Matinee Club, go to www.disney.com/matineeclub

 

This article was originally posted on www.boston.com By Linda Matchan Globe Staff / March 8, 2009 and can be accessed here: http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2009/03/08/updating_a_classic_the_matinee/?page=full

G’day Travelears fans, saw this great video on Broadcasting & Cable’s site today and thought that you would enjoy hearing the Disney Channels Worldwide president talk about HSM, Jonas Brothers and the next big Disney Channel stars.

Originally posted by Melissa Grego — Broadcasting & Cable, 3/6/2009 10:23:38 AM MT

Following the decision to debut the next installment of hit Disney Channel franchise High School Musical on the cable network and the lower-than-expected $12.5 million opening box office for the Jonas Brothers’ 3D concert movie, Disney Channels Worldwide President Rich Ross talks HSM, Jonases and the next big stars of Disney Channel with B&C’s Melissa Grego at the Hollywood Radio & Television Society’s Cable Chiefs Newsmaker Luncheon on March 4. An edited transcript and video of the interview follows.

Â

“Walk me through the decision to debut HSM4 on Disney Channel after rolling out HSM3 in theaters”.

Â

We knew we had a great opportunity with High School Musical 4 to introduce new castmembers so it made sense to take it back to television. It made sense to go to the movie theaters [with HSM3] because we needed to be able finish the story of those first Wildcats, which I think we did well from a storytelling perspective and it was certainly very profitable.

Â

“What can you tell us about HSM4″?

Â

You’ll be meeting the cross-town rivals, which is probably not a surprise to people who are High School Musical fans. And you’ll be meeting new Wildcats that go to the school. There may be guest stars from the past but that remains to be seen; we’re still writing the script.

Â

“When will this debut on Disney Channel”?

Â

We’re looking at fall 2010.

Â

“Disney channel is known to launch big stars and big shows from scratch. What’s the next big star or show”?

Â

It always goes back to having great stories and finding great people to tell them. We already have had such a fascinating success with Sonny With a Chance, [series star] Demi Lovato coming off [Disney Channel original movie] Camp Rock, shooting the series that’s captured the hearts and minds of viewers so quickly. We’re looking at the Jonas series which will come in early May. There are a couple great Disney Channel original movies. And certainly the launch of Disney XD, which is debuting a big new series for us called Aaron Stone, starring I believe a big new star, Kelly Blatz

Â

“How do you pick these stars”?

Â

We have a small group of people who look for the best there is. And we nurture them, we work with them, we work with their families and we show them a place that is going to be patient and show them a place that will give them a variety of options. We do it all over the U.S. and now we’re starting to do it all over the world. So it’s challenging, exciting and very fruitful.

Â

“As you said, you have a new series coming up in May starring the Jonas Brothers. Were you surprised the Jonas movie didn’t do bigger numbers in its opening this weekend”?

Â

It’s where it is in its gestation for us. Hannah Montana was a giant series for years on the air, and [Hannah Montana star Miley Cyrus'] concert [movie] was a capper for that experience midway in their lifecycle. The Jonases, while incredibly successful musicians, are really coming into their own. So I think the movie showed a side of them that we expect to dimensionalize with the series so I’m really excited about May.

Â

“Is there an age cutoff? When does somebody become too old to be a Disney Channel star”?

Â

We really like when our Disney Channel stars actually mimic the ages that they are playing. One of the not-so-mysterious parts of High School Musical was [star] Zach Efron was 17. It’s a lot easier to play a role of a character of the age you’re going through than do it as a memory. Miley is 16 and Demi is 16 and Selena [Gomez, of several Disney Channel series] is 16. so I’m a big fan of getting as close to the actual age as possible. And not having sort of the old days when the 38 year old person was playing someone 15 and you’re like, isn’t he a little too old?

Â

Watch video of the interview here: Video Link

Â

Enjoy,  AJ

The full article can be accessed here: Link

Aj

On this weeks show, we are joined in the Travelears studio by our intrepid news hound Ray, as we answer your email question including:

• Some of the things that we have not done yet in the Disney parks and what would be the top 3 things we would like to do, when we next visit
• The best places to have a adult beverage at Disneyland and Walt Disney World
• A quick Q&A on enjoying Westfest ‘09
• We discuss our opinion on traveling to Walt Disney World during May now that Pirates and Princesses has been canceled
• The crew discuss the cancellation of this years Mousefest

Due to popular demand the infamous Travelears 5 questions in 5 minutes returns for our special in-studio guest. We also get to know the crew a lot better during this episode, and you may be surprised “and a little bit concerned” about some of their responses, to our seemingly innocuous questions.

Don’t forget to visit and subscribe to the Travelears website at www.thetravelears.com to be kept up to date each day with the latest news, views and happenings from the Disney parks and please send your travel emails to questions@thetravelears.com.

Enjoy the show and we will see you next week.

Aj, Chris, greg, Will and Ryan

Listen to the show

TheTravelears_031_-_Listener_Questions_Plus_A_D23_Mousfest_Theory.mp3