On This Day in Disney History: November 18th

Published November 18, 2013 by Disneyways.com

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On November 18th Actor Owen Wilson was born in Dallas, Texas. The year was 1968. Owen is the voice of Lightning McQueen in the movies Cars and Cars 2.
Actor Delroy Lindo is born in 1952 in London, England. He is the voice of Beta, a Rottweiler and member of Muntz’s pack of talking dogs in Disney-Pixar’s UP.

Actress Elizabeth Perkins, the voice of Coral in Disney’s 2003 Finding Nemo, is born in Queens, New York in 1960.

November 18, 1978:

This is the first year Mickey has an official birthday! We interviewed Jim Korkis for the Disney Parks Podcast recently. Jim is an amazing wealth of knowledge on all things historic with the Disney company. You can take a look at some of the books he has written all about Disney history HERE. You will definitely want to add them all to your collection if you haven’t already. During the podcast recording, Jim shared with us how there is controversy about what the actual date of Mickey’s birth truly is. However, as a general rule, Disney Archivist Dave Smith has declared that November 18, 1928, was the first general public appearance of Mickey Mouse … thus creating an “official” birth date. Have a magical day!!

On This Day in Disney History: November 17th

Published November 17, 2013 by Disneyways.com

On this day in Disney History, November 17th, The Little Mermaid is released in theaters in 1989.

To learn about our interview with Pat Carroll, voice of Ursula, please click HERE.

To see a video of the Little Mermaid attraction in New Fantasyland click HERE.

An Interview with YeeHa Bob Jackson!

Published November 15, 2013 by Disneyways.com

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If you have ever wandered passed the River Roost Lounge in Disney Port Orleans Riverside Resort in the evening – you may have have heard the sounds of folks laughing, cheering, and singing along with the fantastic performer and Disney treasure that we all know as YeeHa Bob! Hopefully you’ve seen his show already, but if not, you will definitely want to take the time to check it out during your next visit to Walt Disney World. Bob is not to be missed!

He performs most nights of the week at the River Roost for 2 action packed shows. His talent, enthusiasm and energy are unmatched by almost anyone I have ever known. There is SO much to Bob, beyond the music, and he is truly an amazing man. We were so honored to have him as a guest on the Disney Parks Podcast.

Highlights of this interview with Bob:

Learning about all the places Bob has lived and visited – including the country of Norway!
Hear about Bob’s kids and where they are now
Find out what Bob does for fun and how he takes a break from work
Learn Bob’s secret to keeping up his energy the way he does…and so much more!

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Here are some ways to tune in:

You can catch Bob’s episode by visiting DisneyParksPodcast.com directly from your computer. Look for the small grey circle with the sideways white triangle inside. Click on that circle and make sure your speakers are on. The show will begin immediately.

Please head over to iTunes and subscribe! This will give you access to each episode as soon as it is released.

World Secrets: How to Save Time and Money on Disney Food During the Holidays 2013

Published November 14, 2013 by Disneyways.com

It’s great to save time and money any time of the year when you are eating your way around Walt Disney World. You’re probably paying a lot of money for your Disney holiday vacation…and we’re here to make sure you get the biggest bang for your buck! And with the holiday season already here, the time is now! Booking early for holiday events and dining is critical, and this exclusive holiday dining and event information is the most efficient way to plan your holiday strategy. On a budget? Find out how to make those dollars stretch all around Disney World. We’ve got the secret to finding all the “New for 2013″ events, dining options, and activities, including what’s new at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, The Celebrate the Magic Castle Show, and the Epcot Candlelight Processional…and more…all in one place.

The secret is the DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World Holidays 2013!

The savings begin right NOW in fact, because we have a steep discount. Get the brand new guide today for $3 off the regular purchase price for a limited time! How? Just order by clicking any of the links you see on this page. When you purchase your guide through clicking any of the links in the post, Disneyways will receive a commission that will go towards our continuing efforts to bring you the Disney magic year-round. With a 100% 30-day, money-back guarantee on all of their guides, you have nothing to lose! 🙂

AJ and her team have been busy updating all the latest holiday tips and brand new info you need know before you hit the parks this November, December, and January! With 270 pages of detailed information and multiple bonus extras, it will most definitely save you time and money during the busiest season in Walt Disney World! And it’s here just in time!

Here are just some of the perks you will get with this instantly downloadable guide:

Detailed descriptions and photos of every holiday event and activity happening at the parks and resorts this year — including tips on how to make the best use of your time and money when visiting!
A fully comprehensive holiday dining section with listings of holiday snacks, treats, meals, and menu items offered this year — from popcorn kiosks all the way to Signature Restaurants.
A clickable 3-Month Schedule of Holiday Events so you can see at-a-glance what looks interesting to you.
Comprehensive listings — with color photos! — of Disney Resort holiday decor and gingerbread displays.
Recommendations on ways to SAVE while you’re in Disney World this holiday season.
NEW Scavenger Hunts
NEW Disney Cruise Line Chapter
A Preview of the 2014 Holidays in Disney World
DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World Holidays Bonus ItemsOf course, the guide includes customized bonus items that go above and beyond any other holiday season coverage currently available.

These include:

Themed holiday crawls (there’s even one for seasonal beverages!)
Customized Holiday Touring Strategies for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, gingerbread displays, and more
Our suggestions for the best restaurants to visit when you don’t have a reservation…on the busiest days of the year
A full section on great holiday activities and events for kids
And more! We even have an FAQ section that answers questions you didn’t even know you had!
Both veterans and those new to the Walt Disney World holidays will appreciate knowing what they are getting before spending time and vacation dollars. Whether you want to sample treats, enjoy a show, savor a holiday meal, or find the best activity for your family, The DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World Holidays 2013 will help you discover the right strategy for you.

Don’t Miss Out on Any Disney Holiday Fun!

And if you want an even BETTER deal, snap up the DFB Holiday Bundle! This includes the DFB Guide to the Walt Disney World Holidays AND our original DFB Guide to Walt Disney World Dining 2013! With a 100% 30-day, money-back guarantee on all of their guides, you have nothing to lose! 🙂

Hanson Concert Review by Guest Author Nicole Burzynski

Published November 11, 2013 by Disneyways.com

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In an MmmBop they’re gone – but hopefully they will be back next year! Back in 1996, when Mmmbop was first released, many teenage girls swooned over Hanson, myself being one of those. Finally adult me got to see them in concert at Eat to the Beat at Epcot, and yes, I did swoon some more. Those boys grew up to be good-looking men who sounded just as great, if not better, then when they were teenagers.

Hearing them in concert was amazing. They played a variety of music from their 5 albums, and one song off of their new album that has yet to be released. Of course, Mmmbop was played and the crowd went wild! I did not know they still had such a hard-core fan base still. People waited in line up to 5 hours ahead of the concert just so they could be in the front row, with their hand made ‘I love Hanson!’ signs.

The boys put on a great show and I would highly recommend seeing them if you ever get the opportunity. The chance to see Hanson play was fantastic and my teenage self jumped with joy! Eat to the Beat scores again!

We would like to thank Nicole for the guest post. Here she is posing with the “Big Cheese” himself!

Become Senior Wilderness Explorers in One Day! ~ By Guest Author Kelly

Published November 9, 2013 by Kelly of Simply Kelly Designs

Are you excited to learn some great tips on how to become Senior Wilderness Explorer in one day? This fun, interactive game has taken the Animal Kingdom Theme Park by storm and I have only heard great things about it. This fantastic post comes to us from guest author Kelly! Kelly loves to share her passion for digital scrapbooking and preserving memories. Her blog features tutorials, tips and designs to help make scrapbooking your memories easier! You can check out her blog HERE. Thank you Kelly for your wonderful contribution!

Become a Senior Wilderness Explorers in One Day! ~By Guest Author Kelly

Last month we went to Animal Kingdom for the first time since the beginning of the year. We got there soon after the park opened and we stopped at the Wilderness Explorers booth at the end of the bridge leading to the Tree of Life. My 4 and 6 year olds, each received their own Wilderness Explorers handbook from Disney cast member. I was only half listening when I heard the cast member say that there was 31 badges the kids needed to earn to become Senior Wilderness Explorers. 31? I remembered there were only 5 or 6. The new Wilderness Explorers program replaced the Kid’s Discovery Club at Animal Kingdom. Kids take their handbooks to stations throughout the park to earn badges. Earning badges consisted of different activities like a scavenger hunt, reading signs for information, finding animals, etc. A Wilderness Explorers guides give each child a sticker for their handbook when a badge is earned. The sticker for each badge is different. Here is the handbook map of all the badge stations.

The cast member explained to us that they didn’t have to earn all the badges that day and that their handbooks would be good for years. I think what my daughter heard was that it could all be done in a day! From that point on she was on a mission. Can it be done in one day? YES! Will you be exhausted? YES! Will your kids learn a ton of great information about animals and the environment? YES! Will you get to see all of Animal Kingdom? YES!

Here are my tips:

Get a fast pass. My husband made a beeline to get a fast pass for the Kilimanjaro Safaris as soon as we got to the park while the kids and I took our time getting the handbooks and taking photos.
Plan out your day (rides, shows, dining) so that you only have to go through each section of the park one time. We started with Festival of the Lion King at Camp Mini Mickey and worked our way around the park in a clockwise direction. In order, we earned badges in Africa, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, Asia, Dinoland U.S.A. and then Discovery Island.
Bring a stroller if you have young kids. My 6 year old barely fits in our double stroller but that doesn’t keep her from sitting in it to be pushed all over the park. At the end of the day my husband and I were exhausted from all the walking but my kids were still full of energy.
Take time to enjoy the park. If you can’t get it done in one day, you can always come back. Beyond earning all the Wilderness Explorer badges, we also saw the Festival of the Lion King, went on the Kilimanjaro Safaris and had a delicious lunch at Yak and Yeti Restaurant. The kids spent extra time at Conservation Station and the Boneyard (Dinoland USA).
Keep an eye on the map in the handbook. My daughter was our navigator and she is great at reading a map but she missed a few stops so we had to backtrack once.
Make this a learning experience! The Wilderness Explorer guides were great at teaching the kids important facts at each station and making sure they understood. My husband and I took the time to discuss the topics with the kids and we learned extra information from reading the signs, etc.

Make sure your kids want to do this! Both of my kids were self-driven to earn all the badges in one day. I think both my husband and I would have preferred a more relaxed pace but the kids were having fun so we decided to go with it. If they hadn’t wanted to do it so badly, I think it would have been miserable trying to push them through the park. We have also been to Animal Kingdom many times so the kids have been on all the rides and seen all the shows.

My kids picked up their handbooks at 9:49 am and at 5:55 pm they were taking the pledge to become Senior Wilderness Explorers!

I could tell that the sense of accomplishment and all the information they learned made this day of the best my kids have ever experienced at Disney and a day that I will never forget! Enjoy your Disney Adventure!

What’s New at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party 2013

Published November 7, 2013 by Disneyways.com

very merry

Are you ready to find out what’s new at this year’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party? New information about offerings and changes for this year’s party are exciting and I couldn’t wait to share them with you. Our thanks to WDWNewsToday.com for this information!

New This Year:

Jingle Cruise! That’s right – Disneyland is no longer the only place you can see cool attraction “overlays” themed for the season. Check out all that’s coming to the Jungle Cruise (I mean JINGLE Cruise!) beginning this Friday.

Mary Poppins, Bert, and Penguins will meet guests in Fantasyland!

This year treat stations will be marked with new giant, inflatable Candy Canes. They won’t actually talk, but they will look something like this:

candy cane

Never before seen merchandise.

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ornament

A new Photopass Option is coming too! The Rose Garden Photopass Stop will have a real red Christmas Ornament with the event name on it. Below you will find concept art, but at the party the ornament will actually be real.

For the first time ever – the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas backstory!

Check out the least crowded dates to visit the party HERE. Dates and pricing for the party can be found HERE.

Disney Characters We Wish They’d Bring Back to the Parks!

Published November 6, 2013 by Disneyways.com

On episode #76 of the Disney Parks Podcast Show – Tammy Turner joins us to discuss Disney Characters we wish they’d bring back to the parks. Tammy Turner is your host on the Tiara Talk Show YouTube Channel! She brings you rare and fun interviews with creators of the Disney magic — such as actors, singers, dancers, imagineers and cast members who have worked for the Disney Company over the years! Tammy has such a fun personality and really brought a lot to this episode – we were very fortunate and thankful to have her on as a guest.

At Tammy’s request we chose our top 3 favorite characters to bring back to the parks. We kept our answers a surprise from each other until this recording.

Highlights of the show include:

Tammy reveals that a BIG rumor we mentioned on Disneyways recently is definitely true!! Which rumor is it and how is she so sure?
Bonus content – who are Kenny the Pirate’s top 5 characters to bring back? Kenny the Pirate is a Disney character expert – so he knows them all!
Info on how you can contact us and let us know about the characters YOU miss seeing at the parks!

Click HERE to listen to the show directly from your computer. Look for the small grey circle with the sideways white triangle inside. Click on that circle and make sure your speakers are on. The show will begin immediately.

Thanks for listening and be sure and send us your feedback! You can check out Tammy’s website HERE. Have a magical day!

Rare Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra Born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge

Published November 4, 2013 by Disneyways.com

There’s a new baby at Animal Kindgdom Lodge. A rare Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra…the proper term for her is a “filly”…and she was born in October 2013. I am hearing through the grapevine that her name is Prima, although this has not been confirmed by Disney. Her photo is below, isn’t she a cutie?!

Photo credit: Disney Parks Blog

Prima the baby zebra

Prima’s mom was pregnant for a whole year, so you know she is probably as overjoyed as the rest of us for this new arrival. The filly and her mother are bonding well and doing fine.

Typically found in mountainous regions of southwestern Africa, the Hartmann’s Mountain Zebra is characterized by a striking pattern of narrow vertical stripes covering its head and body. They can weigh up to 800 pounds and grow up to eight and a half feet. This species is considered endangered, with only 50 of Hartmann’s Mountain Z ebra in the United States and an estimated 7,000 throughout the world. Disney’s Animal Programs team is actively involved in the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan for this critical species. The team is proud to have a successful birth of a rare species.

It might be fun to head over to the mara and celebrate the new baby with a zebra dome – or by doing some of the free activities that Animal Kingdom Lodge offers! I know I can’t wait to head out there to see if I can get a photo of Prima.

Photo property Disney

Some fun zebra facts:

There are three species of zebra, two of which live on the savannas at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. You can see plains zebras as well as Hartmann’s mountain zebras during your stay. The Hartmann’s Mountain zebras (Prima and her mom) have thinner stripes that don’t extend around the belly.

Just like snowflakes, no two individual zebras look exactly alike.

Most scientists believe that the zebra’s stripes may serve to break up the outline of the zebra’s body in the herd and provide some camouflage when the zebra is standing in tall grass.

Mountain zebras eat mostly grass, bark, leaves and tree and shrub shoots. Though they prefer mountainous regions for their habitat, they are known to move to lower elevations to graze in cold weather and seek shelter in caves or wooded areas.