When I was twelve years old, my family visited Walt Disney World during its 25th anniversary celebration. That year, Cinderella’s Castle was dramatically transformed into a giant pink candy cake topped by candles and gummie lifesavers. I rode Space Mountain for the first time (and almost lost my glasses on a sudden track drop), and I rode Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride for the last time before it closed two years later to make way for The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.
Walt Disney World Entrance, photograph by Valerie Champagne
Now, fifteen years later on October 1st, 2011, the Walt Disney World Resort is celebrating another milestone: its 40th Anniversary!
When the Magic Kingdom Park first opened in 1971, there were 23 total attractions in six themed lands: Main Street U.S.A., Adventureland, Liberty Square, Frontierland, Fantasyland, and Tomorrow Land. Over the years, attractions have come and gone, and many have been renovated to keep up with technological advancements and the sophistication and diversity of park visitors.
Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=1874
San Diego’s Comic-Con may be the preeminent event for comic book fans eager for sneak peeks of new properties, but for Disney fans, the can’t miss event is the D23 Expo.
The D23 Expo is hosted by D23, the Official Disney Fan Club. For $34.99/year (Silver Membership) or $74.99/year (Gold Membership), D23 members enjoy special member events, a subscription to the D23 FanFare e-newsletter, promotional offers and discounts, and four issues of the Disney twenty-three collectible magazine (Gold members only).
In 2009, the first D23 Expo was held in Anaheim, California and featured pavilions from Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Consumer Products which showcased models for future attractions and Disney-exclusive products. There were also sneak peeks of upcoming Disney films and appearances by celebrities such as John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, Johnny Depp, and Nicholas Cage. The Expo’s most anticipated announcement confirmed the planned expansion of the Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland in 2012-2013. These expansion plans were later revised, scrapping Cinderella’s chateau and Sleeping Beauty’s cottage in favor of a Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and the Princess Fairytale Hall.
Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=1778
The days are getting shorter and summer is coming to an end. The start of the school year is just around the corner, and by the time Labor Day arrives on September 5th, most kids will be back in school, eagerly counting down the days until Thanksgiving break. For those of us who haven’t made it to a Disney theme park this year, now would be a great time to visit Disneyland to take advantage of a special discount during Disney’s Soundsational Summer which ends on September 5th.
Disneyland Resort Discounted Tickets Offer, image from Disneyland.disney.go
In June, Disney raised ticket prices for visits to both the Disney World and Disneyland Resorts, bringing a 3-day Disneyland with Park Hopper ticket up to $224 for adults. With Disney’s current offer, those tickets are now only $199, a savings of $25 per ticket! The offer is not available at the box office and discounted tickets must be purchased in advance online.
Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=1707
When Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room opened at Disneyland in 1963, it was the first to feature audio-animatronics, paving the way for hundreds of future attractions and great advancements in audio-animatronic technology over the next fifty years.
Outside The Enchanted Tiki Room, image from Disneyland.disney.go
The original Enchanted Tiki Room featured a cast of 150 animatronic birds, flowers, and tiki totem poles who dance and sing to the show’s signature theme, “The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room”, as well as “Let’s All Sing Like the Birdies Sing”, and “Hawaiian War Chant”. The attraction closed for renovations in 2004 and reopened again in 2005 with digitally remastered audio and brand new audio-animatronics, although the original storyline remained.
Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=1619
The Walt Disney Company excels at bringing magic to life and helping families create lifelong memories of enchantment and wonder. For a price.
As anyone who has ever been to Disney World can attest, Disney has commoditized every experience imaginable, from PhotoPasses and private tours to princess makeovers at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Disney has a million ways to wring every last cent from families willing to invest more in their vacation than the price of theme park tickets.
Screenshot of a customized Magic Kingdom Map from customizedmaps.disney.go.com
And now, in addition to the hundreds of customizable gifts you can design and purchase at DisneyPhotoPass.com, you can customize your own Disney World Keepsake Maps. Only this time, the maps are free. Yes, FREE.
Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=1611
