Have you heard the big news coming out of the Magic Kingdom? In January, new details emerged about the planned Fantasyland expansion that will more than double the size of the area with new attractions opening in 2012 and 2013. For more details on the Fantasyland expansion, click here. One of the new attractions will be The Beast’s Castle featuring the Be Our Guest Restaurant, a 552 seat dining establishment that will offer a casual counter-service lunch by day and an elegant sit-down table service dinner by night.
Concept Art of the Be Our Guest Restaurant at the Magic Kingdom, copyright Walt Disney Parks and Resorts
When it opens, the Be Our Guest Restaurant will join the ranks of more than 150 restaurants, cafes, and food courts at the Walt Disney World Resort. Many of the restaurants are ranked among the best in Orlando, from the elegant Victoria & Albert’s to the African-themed Jiko – the Cooking Place. During our Honeymoon visit to the Walt Disney World Resort last fall, my husband Matthew and I ate at several of Disney’s most popular sit-down restaurants and thoroughly enjoyed our dining experiences.
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Cast of Tokyo Disneyland, image from the Japan National Tourism Organization
The Walt Disney Parks and Resorts division of the Walt Disney Company prides itself on the hospitality and friendliness of its park employees, affectionately known as “cast members”. The cast members of Japan’s two Disney theme parks, Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, recently had the opportunity to prove themselves in the aftermath of the devastating Tohoku Pacific Earthquake on March 11th, 2011.
Amidst the unfolding tragedy, Twitter offered an outlet for the people of Japan to connect with their family and friends and to share their experiences with millions of concerned world citizens. Often these Twitter feeds featured messages of hope and reports of kind deeds, both large and small, as friends and strangers banded together to survive the aftermath of the earthquake and ensuing tsunami.
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Disney's Yacht Club Resort, photo by Valerie Champagne
Now that winter is creeping up on the Northeast, it’s a perfect time to reflect on my September honeymoon in sunny, temperate Florida. For our nine day stay at the Disney World Resort, the Yacht Club Resort was recommended to us by our Small World Vacations travel agent, and my husband and I chose the deluxe resort for two major reasons: 1. the close proximity to a fabulous selection of restaurants in Epcot’s International World Showcase and 2. the phenomenal Stormalong Bay pool complex.
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The biggest change to Disney’s Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney’s MGM Studios) in the last decade isn’t the park’s name. MGM Studios was officially rechristened Hollywood Studios in January 2008 after years of litigation with the now defunct MGM Studios over the use of the MGM brand name in the park which doubled as a working production studio.
In the two brochures below from 2000 and 2010, you can see another major park change, in addition to all of the new attractions. The iconic Earful Tower, a Hollywood-inspired model water tower, was replaced in 2001 by a giant replica of The Sorcerer’s Hat from Fantasia (1940), now the new official symbol for the park. The Earful Tower is still in the park and can be viewed by guests while on the Studio Backlot Tour.
MGM Studios Guide Map: 2000
MGM Studios Guide Map 2000
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The Epcot park at Walt Disney World has undergone significant renovations since I last visited with my family in 1998. When I was in middle school, Epcot ranked at the bottom of my theme parks fun list – it was too “boring” and “educational” – yuck! But now that I am 12 years older and Epcot is 12 years more awesome, I have a feeling the park will fare much better this time around.
For a look at what’s changed since my last visit, compare the Epcot of 1998 with the Epcot of 2010.
Epcot Guide Map: 1998
Epcot Guide Map 1998
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