The Most Magical Time of the Year

The Most Magical Time of the Year

If you’ve never seen a spectacle of five million brilliant lights dancing in sync with beloved holiday songs, then you’ve never experienced Christmas at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park.

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.

Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=3053

December 21, 2012 Posted Under: Latest News, Theme Parks, Vacations   Read More

2012 Epcot Food and Wine Festival

2012 Epcot Food and Wine Festival

When it comes to thrilling attractions, Epcot might not rank highly on the Walt Disney World theme park scale (Test Track and Soarin’ are standout exceptions), but what Epcot lacks in rides, it makes up for in sheer square footage and seasonal events that draw thousands of visitors every year.

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.

Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=3041

December 12, 2012 Posted Under: Latest News, Theme Parks, Vacations   Read More

2012: A Big Year for Disney Animation

2012: A Big Year for Disney Animation

Three days ago, Disney Animation Studio’s 52nd feature, Wreck-It Ralph, debuted in theaters at the top of the domestic box office, earning $49 million domestically and a total of $61 million worldwide. The film was released only four weeks after Disney’s last animated feature, the stop-motion Frankenweenie from director Tim Burton.

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.

Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=3013

November 6, 2012 Posted Under: Latest News, Movies   Read More

Disney Buys LucasFilm…What’s Next?

Disney Buys LucasFilm…What’s Next?

In the fall of 2009, the Walt Disney Company purchased Marvel Entertainment for $4.24 billion dollars, transferring control of Marvel’s comic book and movie library to Disney, along with a library of 5,000 characters, including Spider-Man, the X-Men, Iron Man, Thor, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Daredevil, and Captain America.

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!

Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=2999

November 5, 2012 Posted Under: Latest News, Movies, Online, Theme Parks   Read More

Winnie the Pooh Comes to Life

Winnie the Pooh Comes to Life

If you thought Winnie the Pooh couldn’t get any cuter than the original illustrations by E. H. Shepard or the classic Disney animated films, wait till you see the playful shorts that bring plushie Winnie the Pooh and friends magically to life.

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.

Read More: http://www.disney-blog.com/?p=2988

October 28, 2012 Posted Under: Latest News, Online   Read More
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