Cinderella's Castle, photograph by Valerie Champagne

The castle’s central location – where Main Street ends and the Magic Kingdom’s six lands converge – has guaranteed that Cinderella and her Prince reign as the supreme royals of Walt Disney’s Florida kingdom. Of course, they’ve never had any real competition. Until now.

The Beast's Castle, photograph by Samantha McElhaney

On December 6th, 2012, the long-awaited New Fantasyland celebrated the grand opening of its first expansion. Among the attractions in New Fantasyland’s Enchanted Forest is a glamorous second castle, home of Belle, the Beast and the Be Our Guest Restaurant.

The Be Our Guest Restaurant, photograph by Samantha McElhaney

The Beast’s Castle may not share the prime real estate that Cinderella’s Castle commands, but the hill-set castle has its own charms, overlooking the quaint village where Maurice’s Cottage and Gaston’s Tavern reside.

Outside Gaston's Tavern, photograph by Samantha McElhaney

Of course, Belle isn’t the only new princess in town, and the Magic Kingdom’s third (and final?) castle is right next door.

Prince Eric's Castle, photograph by Samantha McElhaney

Prince Eric’s waterfront chateau is home to the winsome Ariel who also frequents the nearby Ariel’s Grotto where she keeps her treasures and once dreamed of being human. Ariel’s Grotto doubles as the site of Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid, a new dark ride that tells the story of Ariel’s transformation from mermaid to human.

Outside Ariel's New Home, photograph by Samantha McElhaney

Outside of the Enchanted Forest, New Fantasyland’s premiere attraction is the Storybook Circus where the popular Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride has relocated along with the Great Goofini’s Barnstormer coaster, Casey Jr.’s Splash ‘N’ Soak Station and Pete’s Silly Sideshow.

New Fantasyland's Storybook Circus, photograph by Samantha McElhaney

New Fantasyland is pretty spectacular now, but there’s even more magic on the way. Fantasyland’s second expansion is due in 2014 and will feature Princess Fairytale Hall (home to even more Disney princesses) and the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, a thrilling adventure ride through a diamond mine.

New Fantasyland Poster, photograph by Samantha McElhaney

When the construction is complete and New Fantasyland 2.0 debuts, the old Fantasyland will have doubled in size from 10 acres to more than 20. Now, that’s real Disney magic at work, guaranteed to enchant, amaze, and create long-lasting memories for fans of the old Fantasyland and first time visitors to Disney’s most magical Magic Kingdom.

A Bonus for Reality TV Fans:

New Real Estate in New Fantasyland: HGTV’s House Hunters International help Belle and the Beast find a castle in New Fantasyland that’s just right for them.

And for princess fans with a more adult sense of humor:

The Real Housewives of Disney: The cast of SNL and guest host Lindsay Lohan spoof the Disney Princesses in this PG-13 parody of the Real Housewives reality series.

Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, photograph by Samantha McElhaney

Disney first acquired the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights in 1995 from Jennings Osborne, an Arkansas family man who designed the holiday display for his young daughter. Over the years, the residential display grew increasingly more popular – and elaborate – attracting thousands of visitors every year until a court case initiated by overwhelmed, angry neighbors forced the family to shut it down.

Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, photograph by Samantha McElhaney

Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, photograph by Samantha McElhaney

Since its initial acquisition, Disney has added more lights, expanding the display from three million to five million, and in 2011, the display was given a major overhall as all of the original lights were replaced with more energy efficient LEDs and the lighting control system was upgraded to a state of the art entertainment system. Watch the lights in action in the video below, uploaded to YouTube by wdwmagic.

Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights, photograph by Samantha McElhaney

Meanwhile, 2,500 miles away in Anaheim, CA, Disneyland and California Adventures may not boast dancing lights shows, but the parks are decked out every year with charming displays of their own, from It’s a Small World Holiday and A Nightmare Before Christmas-themed Haunted Mansion to cheerful decorations made from car parts in the new Cars Land.

It's a Small World Holiday, photograph by Valerie Champagne

It's a Small World Holiday, photograph by Valerie Champagne

And of course, like its Disney World counterpart, Disneyland’s Sleeping Beauty’s Castle is magically transformed every Christmas into an icicle-n-lights drenched winter marvel.

Sleeping Beauty's Castle, photograph by Valerie Champagne

A Disney vacation can be wonderful almost any time of the year (outside of the hottest and most crowded summer days), but in winter when night falls and millions of lights twinkle in the darkness, all of the Disney parks are truly magical to behold.

2012 Epcot Food and Wine Festival, photograph by Samantha McElhaney

For more than six weeks in the fall of 2012, Epcot hosted its 17th Annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival which featured mouthwatering edibles and thirst-quenching drinkables from more than 20 countries worldwide.

During the 46 day festival, park visitors were encouraged to “Taste Your Way Around the World“, by visiting Epcot’s expansive World Showcase International Marketplace and sampling delicacies from around the world. 2012′s Marketplace featured booths dedicated to the cuisines of Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Canada, the Caribbean, China, France, Germany, Greece, Hawaii, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Morocco, New Zealand, Poland, Scandinavia, Singapore, South Africa and South Korea.

Each international booth featured a unique menu of food and drink samplers priced between $4 and $8 ($3-$6 for beverages). Additional markets were dedicated to Craft Beers, Desserts & Champagne, Cheese, Brewer’s Collection, Fife & Drum and Hops & Barley. 2012′s festival goers were a thirsty bunch, attending 300 beer and wine seminars held over the course of the festival, and drinking an estimated 33,000 bottles of wine and champagne and 360,000 servings of beer.

Lettuce Wrap with Roast Pork and Kimchi Slaw, photograph by Samantha McElhaney

Florida locals (and Epcot Food and Wine Festival fans) Samantha, Jessica and Tom attended the 2012 festival and recorded their impressions of various samplers. They had this to say about some of their favorite international dishes:

AUSTRALIA:

“I have the Grilled Lamb Chop with Mint Pesto and Potato Crunchies which basically look like crunched up potato chips on top. The lamb is good, it’s not salty this year like last year. The potato chips add a crunch which is pretty good. The mint has a very strong pesto-y flavor with it, and it’s overall very good. I actually like this a lot better than the last two years I’ve had the lamb.”

CANADA:

“The ever-so famous Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup: the cheddar cheese soup is as good as every year. If you’ve had it before, it’s worth getting again. Same recipe; it’s wonderful. And if you’ve never had it before, this is one of the best foods, consistently, every year at Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival.”

CARIBBEAN:

“I am trying out the Bacardi Torched Cherry Limeade. I have had the toasted cherry drink in previous years. And unfortunately they didn’t have the normal cherry this year, so here I go. (sips) Mmm. It has a good tart to it. You can definitely get the lime. It actually tastes like fresh lime juice – I actually felt like I had a little pulp in there. The cherry comes up. I like it; it tastes like SweetTarts.”

Irish Aged Cheddar, Dubliner and Cashel Blue Cheese with Apple Chutney and Brown Bread, photograph by Samantha McElhaney

IRELAND:

“We’re in Ireland; we’ve got Irish Aged Cheddar, Dubliner and Cashel Blue Cheese with Apple Chutney and Brown Bread. The blue cheese is very mild. I like the cheddar; it’s nice and dry.” (Jessica didn’t like the Chutney, but Tom found it tasty, and they both liked the Irish butter)

MEXICO:

“I just got a favorite of mine from last year. This is the Tacos de Camaron which is a shrimp taco that features a lot of cabbage and a chipotle lime mayo. Last year, this was delicious. We actually came back twice for this last year. (Bites in) Mmm. This is good. It’s got a lot of good bite to it from that chipotle mayo. Just as good as last year’s.”

SOUTH KOREA:

“I’ve got Mung Bean Pancake with Shrimp and Kimchi Sauce. It looks like a pancake. I wasn’t sure if it was going to be sweet or savory; they told me savory. It’s got actual bits of shrimp in the sauce over it. The sauce is really spicy. The shrimp’s okay. I’m not sure what mung bean is supposed to taste like. It’s weird, because it’s not really like what you’d think a pancake batter would be. It’s a different color, but it’s also a different texture. It’s more grainy. I’m not a huge fan of it, but I’m not a huge fan of spicy.”

Crispy Shrimp Taco, photograph by Samantha McElhaney

Epcot’s 18th International Food and Wine Festival is scheduled to run from September 27th through November 11th, 2013. First-time gourmands who are worried about packing on the pounds will be relieved to know that Epcot spans 300 acres and is more than twice the size of the Magic Kingdom. Wear comfortable shoes, walk the park a few times, and enjoy as much food and wine as you’d like. You can always take the monorail home.

Promotional image for Disney Animation Studio's Wreck-It-Ralph, image copyright Disney

Even since Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) defied expectations with its wildly successful theatrical debut, critics have predicted the demise of Disney animated films. Walt Disney Animation Studios has suffered setbacks several times over its 80 year history, from suspended animation during World War II, to the studio’s decline in quality and popularity in the 1970s, to the massive layoff of animation staff in 2000.

But time and time again, the Walt Disney Company has overcome these obstacles, with animated film production re-surging in the 1950s and again in the Disney Renaissance of the ’90s, and then again with the partnership and later purchase of Pixar Animation Studios in the 2000s. And if this year’s release of four commercially successful and critically acclaimed animated features, the Walt Disney Company can look forward to a long and prosperous future in animation, regardless of the medium.

Logos from Various Marvel Superhero Franchises

This summer, Disney released the blockbuster megahit, Marvel’s The Avengers (2012), which grossed more than $1.5 billion worldwide, and the studio has several more Marvel films in production, including Iron Man 3 (2013), sequels to Thor (2013), Captain America (2014), and The Avengers (2015), and Guardians of the Galaxy (2014), a film starring that OTHER team of Marvel superheros: Drax the Destroyer, Groot, Star-Lord, Rocket Raccoon, and Gamora. Never heard of them? Me either!

But now the entertainment world is buzzing with speculation, worry and excitement over the Walt Disney Company’s newest $4 billion cash-and-stock purchase of another mega-successful entertainment company: George Lucas’s LucasFilm, creator of the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises.

Disney has had a partnership with LucasFilms for years, which included the rights to the Star Wars-inspired Star Tours motion simulator rides at Disney Parks worldwide, the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, and the thrilling dark ride Indiana Jones Adventure: Temple of the Forbidden Eye at Disneyland and its sister ride, Temple of the Crystal Skull at Tokyo DisneySea.

Every spring, Disney’s Hollywood Studios hosts Star Wars Weekends, four consecutive weekends in May and June dedicated to Star Wars fandom and featuring special events, panels, and guest star appearances from the franchise’s most esteemed writers, producers, and celebrities.

When the acquisition of LucasFilm was announced on October 30th, a figurative storm of anxiety started brewing in the geek community, rivaling the ferver of Hurricane Sandy’s aftermath. Many fans are concerned by Disney’s acquisition, fearing the “Disneyfication” of their favorite franchise, continuing a trend that led Star Wars from the much-loved original trilogy to the more kid-friendly prequels and animated series which have failed to live up to fan expectations.

Star Wars Legos react to the news of Disney's acquisition of LucasFilm

The wildly successful Marvel’s The Avengers should assuage fears somewhat, but many fans are still bitter over the sub-par Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and are concerned the quality of the series may further fall under control of the House of Mouse.

George Lucas isn’t concerned and has expressed excitement over the future of his Star Wars franchise:

For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next. It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. I’m confident that with Lucasfilm under the leadership of Kathleen Kennedy, and having a new home within the Disney organization, Star Wars will certainly live on and flourish for many generations to come. Disney’s reach and experience give Lucasfilm the opportunity to blaze new trails in film, television, interactive media, theme parks, live entertainment, and consumer products.

Disney and Star Wars fans will have to wait more than two years to find out if the studio’s purchase was the right move for the franchise. Disney has scheduled the seventh chapter in the Star Wars franchise (Star Wars Episode VII) for release in 2015 and has announced plans to produce a new Star Wars film every two to three years.

What Else Does Disney Own?

In addition to Marvel Entertainment and LucasFilm, the Walt Disney Company owns a heck-of-a-lot of other entertainment companies that produce media for TV, film, print, and more. A partial list of their most significant holdings are below. (List of Assets Owned by Disney)

Film:
Walt Disney Pictures
Disneynature
Touchstone Pictures
Pixar Animation Studios
The Muppets Studio
It’s a Laugh Productions
Marvel Entertainment
LucasFilm

Music:
Walt Disney Records
Hollywood Records
Radio Disney

Media Networks & TV:
ABC Television
ABC Family
Disney Channel
Disney Cinemagic
Disney Junior
Disney XD
ESPN (80% ownership)
A+E Networks (50% ownership)

Publishing:
Hyperion Books
The Baby Einstein Company

Online:
Hulu (27% ownership)
Playdom
Spoonful
Club Penguin
Take 180

Winnie the Pooh Smackerels play on the big screen at the Disney Store in Times Square

Not long after the grand opening of the flagship Disney Store in Times Square, NYC, I found myself standing in the middle of the busy pedestrian plaza, completely enthralled by the cutest short video ever made – ever – as it played on the gigantic digital screen outside the store.

I Googled the video and discovered that it is one in a series of “Smackerels” shorts featuring the silly old bear, Eeyore, Tigger, Piglet, Kanga and Roo coming magically to life in the Hundred Acre Woods.

Disney had this to say about the Smackerel shorts:

“Realizing A A Milnes enduring vision of a little boy’s cuddly toys coming to life in an English wood, Smackerels are visual treats presenting Pooh and friends in a magical new way.”

The Winnie the Pooh Smackerels are available to view on DisneyLiving’s Youtube Channel and in the embedded links below. Prepare to be charmed.

If these adorable videos inspire you to make your own (or if you just want to snuggle with your very own Pooh Bear), visit the Disney Store website to buy the plushies featured in the shorts. These “Movie Edition” plushies are priced between $12.50 (Piglet) and $29.50 (Kanga and Roo).

Dolls in the Disney Villains Designer Collection by artist Steve Thompson, image copyright Disney

The Walt Disney Company may be most famous for a friendly talking mouse and fairy tale princesses, but Disney has its fair share of villains too. Largely ignored in most merchandise, these evil-doers are finally getting their due in the exclusive Disney Villains Designer Collection.

Artist Steve Thompson took on the task of transforming six of Disney’s greatest female villains into designer dolls and apparel, glamorous enough to rival the princesses they so deeply loathe. Included in the collection are Maleficent (from Sleeping Beauty), Ursula (The Little Mermaid), The Evil Queen (Snow White), Cruella DeVil (101 Dalmatians), The Queen of Hearts (Alice in Wonderland), and Mother Gothel from Disney’s Tangled.

Disney Villains Designer Collection journals, image copyright Disney

The Disney Villains Designer Collection is headlined by six gorgeous, limited edition collectable dolls, each priced at $79.50. Other items in the collection that bear Thompson’s designs are t-shirts, journals, tote bags, makeup compacts, scarves, notecards, mugs, and more. There are even villain-inspired nail polishes and lip glosses for wannabe-villains looking for that final, perfect touch to their Halloween ensembles.

Last year, the Disney Store released ten limited edition dolls in the Disney Princess Designer Collection. The dolls, each priced at $59.50, were announced in early August, and a new doll was released every Monday beginning August 22nd, exclusively at the Disney Store. The collection quickly sold out, and the only dolls available now are on Amazon and Ebay at a substantial markup, with most resellers asking for $200 or more per doll.

Disney Princess Designer Collection dolls, image copyright Disney

Disney Villain fans should take note: if you want to collect all six dolls, you better act fast! The Maleficent doll is already sold out, but the other five dolls are still available (as of October 26th, 2012). Visit the Disney Villains Designer Collection online at the Disney Store’s official website.

Congratulations to DJ's Mix, winners of the 2012 Make Your Mark competition, image copyright Disney

Based on Blogging Disney’s completely unofficial (and completely unscientific) poll results, DJ’s Mix were the clear favorites following Friday night’s competition. They had a commanding lead over the other competitors with 72% of the votes, much like last year’s poll winners, AKSquared (45% of the votes), who also won the first-ever Make Your Mark competition.

Winning isn’t all that AKSquared and DJ’s Mix have in common. Like last year’s winners, DJ’s Mix features spunky, flexible female dancers who spiced up their dance routines with gymnastics moves (aerial cartwheels and walkovers) to show off the full range of their acrobatic abilities. What nine-year-old dancers Jaycee and Dylynn lacked in polish and originality, they made up for in personality and charismatic smiles that lit up the stage. They were clearly having the time of their lives.

DJ's Mix performs in the 2012 Make Your Mark: Shake It Up Dance Off, image copyright Disney

Some Disney Channel fans were disappointed that the Make Your Mark winners were once again flexible girls whose performances were more like gymnastics floor routines than dance routines. In both years, Make Your Mark voters ultimately favored showy, acrobatic moves over the more stylized and choreographed performances by finalists Starley and Chris and Team Identity.

With two successful competitions behind them, it is likely that Disney Channel will sponsor another Make Your Mark next year. In the past two competitions, the selection of the semi-finalists has been at the Make Your Mark producers’ discretion. Will they once again choose finalists with gymnastics-heavy routines, or will next year’s competition focus more on choreography and raw, self-trained talent?

Who will win the second annual Make Your Mark: Shake It Up Dance Off competition?

When the performances were over, three finalists were eliminated (Urban Xtreme, Bx5 Crew and Ashley) and Disney Channel viewers had two hours to vote online, by text, or by phone for their favorite dancers of the three remaining competitors – DJ’s Mix, Team Identity and Starley and Chris. Voting closed late Friday night and anticipation has run high ever since.

This weekend, Blogging Disney fans have posted hundreds of shout-outs and messages of support to their favorite competitors. An earlier (unofficial) site poll had the spunky duo of DJ’s Mix in the lead, but we won’t know who will win until Sunday night’s results show.

Tune in Sunday, October 21st at 8pm/7c to see who will win the second-ever Make Your Mark competition and a coveted spotlight dancer performance on Disney Channel’s Shake It Up.

Vote now for the Make Your Mark 2012 Finalists!

The 2012 edition of the Make Your Mark: Shake It Up Dance Off is underway and now it’s YOUR turn to cast your vote! Did you love the way DJ’s Mix mixed it up, or are you a fan of the funky sister-brother duo Starley and Chris? Are you rooting for the talented Ashley or for the hip hop stylings of Bx5, Team Identity, and Urban Xtreme?

Make your voice heard and VOTE NOW!

THREE WAYS TO VOTE:

1. VOTE ONLINE

Go to the Make Your Mark 2012 website to vote online. You have to be a registered user of disney.go.com, and then all it takes is a click of the mouse! You can vote up to FIVE times per user/email address.

2. VOTE BY TEXT

Visit the Make Your Mark 2012 website for the codes that you can text to vote for your favorite dancers. You can vote up to FIVE times by text – message and data rates may apply.

3. VOTE BY PHONE

Visit the Make Your Mark 2012 website for the phone numbers assigned to the dancers of your choice. All calls are TOLL FREE and limited to FIVE calls per phone number.