Archive for the “Theme Parks” Category

When Avatar and Disney Collide

When Avatar and Disney Collide

In December 2009, Avatar, a mega-hit blockbuster was released in theaters where it demolished domestic and worldwide box office records for a staggering haul of $2.7 billion dollars, $900 million more than Titanic (1997), the previous worldwide record holder.

A view of Pandora, image from the Avatar Game, copyright 20th Century Fox

But James Cameron’s Avatar did more than break records. Thanks to its phenomenal visual effects, majestic scenery, and a narrative that focused on the preservation of a culture strongly connected to the natural world, the film inspired a generation of fans, many of whom wished that the fantastical planet Pandora and its native inhabitants, the Na’vi, really existed.

Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=2104

October 3, 2011 Post Under Latest News, Movies, Theme Parks - Read More

International Food & Wine Festival

International Food & Wine Festival

If you are visiting Epcot this fall, make sure you come hungry.

This year, the 16th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival begins on September 30th and runs through November 13th. The 45-day festival is a celebration of food and wine from around the world, including the eleven countries represented in Epcot’s World Showcase: Canada, Mexico, Norway, Morocco, China, Germany, Italy, Japan, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

A view of Epcot's World Showcase, photograph by Valerie Champagne

When my husband and I visited Disney World for our honeymoon last fall, we were disappointed to discover that we missed the beginning of the Food & Wine Festival by less than a week. The food and wine tasting booths were already in place and the event flags were hanging, but alas, we were not able to eat.

If you plan to attend this year’s Festival, you can pick up a Marketplace Discovery Passport at the Festival Welcome Center, and whenever you eat at the international marketplace, you will receive a unique stamp on your passport. At the end of your stay, you can take your passport home as a fun keepsake and a memory of the exotic and delicious foods that you sampled.

Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=2091

September 25, 2011 Post Under Latest News, Theme Parks, Vacations - Read More

Celebrate Halloween With Disney!

Celebrate Halloween With Disney!

Halloween is more than a month away, but you can get into the holiday spirit early by visiting your favorite Disney theme park. Every year, Halloween kicks off three months of fall and winter celebrations that run through Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve at Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Below are some of the fantastic ways to experience this very special, spooooky holiday with Disney.

Princess Minnie Statue appears at the Magic Kingdom in time for Halloween, photograph by Valerie Champagne

Haunted Mansion Holiday – Every September, the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland and Tokyo Disneyland gets a dramatic seasonal makeover courtesy of Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas. In Haunted Mansion Holiday, two holidays collide when Jack Skellington, Sally, and Oogie Boogie take over the Haunted Mansion and decorate it for Christmas, Jack’s new favorite holiday. The Haunted Mansion will feature the seasonal overlay through the end of the year and is scheduled to return to normal again in January. See pictures of the transformation here!

Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=2061

September 23, 2011 Post Under Latest News, Theme Parks, Vacations - Read More

“it’s a small world” Turns 45

“it’s a small world” Turns 45

2011 is a big year for the Disney Parks! On October 1st, Walt Disney World celebrates its 40th anniversary, and earlier this year on May 28th, it’s a small world at Disneyland celebrated its 45th anniversary. Originally conceived as an attraction at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York and based on concept art by color stylist and designer Mary Blair, the ride was later taken apart and reassembled at the Disneyland Resort with a brand new Rube Goldberg-style façade. Five years later, it’s a small world was one of the first attractions at the Magic Kingdom theme park on its opening day in 1971.

Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=1990

September 14, 2011 Post Under History, Latest News, Theme Parks - Read More

Ways to Play Toy Story Mania!

Ways to Play Toy Story Mania!

When I went to Disney World last September, one of the hottest rides at Disney’s Hollywood Studios was Toy Story Mania! (also known as Toy Story Midway Mania!), an interactive 4-D ride through a midway of classic carnival games hosted by Toy Story characters.

In Toy Story Mania!, riders are given special 3-D glasses and are challenged to play a series of five midway games, earning points by tossing virtual eggs, darts, baseballs, rings, and suction cups at a series of virtual targets. The attraction is similar to Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, but with huge technological advancements that allow for more sophisticated targeting and gameplay.

Midway Games in the Toy Story Mania! Attraction
  • Pie Throw Practice Booth (pie toss target practice game, a no points introduction)
  • Hamm ‘n Eggs (egg throw game now featuring Buttercup from Toy Story 3)
  • Rex and Trixie’s Dino Darts (dart throw game; once Bo Peep’s Baa-loon Pop)
  • Green Army Men Shoot Camp (baseball throw / plate breaking game)
  • Buzz Lightyear’s Flying Tossers (ring toss game)
  • Woody’s Rootin’ Tootin’ Shootin’ Gallery (suction cup shooting game)

Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=1952

September 11, 2011 Post Under Games, Latest News, Movies, Theme Parks - Read More
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