The Walt Disney Company

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Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we are giving away a $50 Disney Gift Card!

Published January 24, 2014 by Disneyways.com

kiss

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we are giving away a $50 Disney Gift Card!

This giveaway is sponsored by Little Keiki Bou-Tiki

CLICK HERE TO BE TAKEN TO THE RAFFLECOPTER SO YOU CAN ENTER TO WIN!

Little Keiki Bou-Tiki is THE place to shop for custom applique and embroidery designs for you and your family! Imagine spending your first time at Disney, or maybe your birthday, anniversary, holiday, or just because – all decked out in custom designs from Little Keiki Bou-Tiki. They can do a complete birthday party set up from the cake toppers to the custom birthday outfit for your little one, hair bows, banners, decorations and more!

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First Look: Disney’s Next Princess Movie

Published January 23, 2014 by Disneyways.com

Moana

Spoiler alert! We’ve got the inside scoop on Disney’s next Princess. While I am sure none of what you read here has been formally announced by Disney, I feel that my sources are pretty reliable, namely the Huffington Post and some others. The movie is not estimated to release until 2018, and a lot can change between now and then… but I think this is fun information that was too good not to share, and I hope you’ll agree.

First let’s talk story. This highly anticipated Disney princess movie is set to be an epic, or even mythic, adventure set around 2000 years ago. The setting will be across a series of islands in the South Pacific. The lead character, our princess, Moana Waialiki, is the only daughter of a Chief, and she comes from a long line of navigators. She’s a nerd about sea voyaging – so when her family needs her help, she sets off on an epic journey. “Moana” has been described as a “Polynesian musical” and it is said that the animation and music will go along with that theme. Mark Mancina will reportedly serve as the project’s musical composer. Typical of many of Disney’s “magical” movies, some of the other characters supporting Princess Moana are demi-gods and spirits drawn from real mythology.

(Hello again Hercules!)

While the studio doesn’t seem to have settled entirely on the overall look of the animation, Moana is expected to use some new, ambitious techniques. John Musker and Ron Clements, who were the directors of Treasure Planet and The Little Mermaid, are expected to have some pretty cool tricks up their sleeves for this movie. Remember how Paperman tried a new blend of the hand-drawn and the digital?

Here is a refresher in case you’ve forgotten:

Beautiful, isn’t it? I hope we get to see something like that again. The good news is that artists behind Moana have been playing around with similar, yet different, cutting edge software and systems. They are testing how much is ready for application to a full-length feature. Musker has said that “it’s far too early to apply the Paperman hybrid technique to a feature,” stating that the technique still has many complications (including color use) to sort out before it can be used for a full-length film. I think with all this time on their side, they can make it happen though – don’t you?

There’s no evidence of the technique here in the concept art (see below) but it’s still an interesting tease of some of the style, even if it is only in an early development phase. Disney has denied that this concept art is for Moana, however that may not be the case. If you remember, Disney denied that many leaked Frozen concept art pieces were real, but in the end they were released as official. In their defense, it is possible that what Disney meant was that the concept art no longer reflects what the film will look like, as the creators may have overhauled it. Such a situation is common in movie development, especially for movies that will not be out for half a decade. The concept art for Moana that you see below was found on an official Disney artist’s website, under a section where she talks about Moana. Additionally, notice that the concept art has the artist’s signature on it.

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Below is a painting by Paul Gauguin that is said to be serving as an inspiration for Moana.

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We can end here by saying we’re a long way out from Moana, with its release unlikely to happen before 2018. We have lots of time to speculate and dream about what will come of it. The look of the film could change quite a bit in the meantime, and that’s always worth bearing in mind. Regardless, I think Moana is a wonderful concept, and shaping up to be really quite tremendous. Only the next 5 years will tell! In the meantime I am perfectly happy to play my Frozen soundtrack over and over and relish in my new favorite character of all time, Queen Elsa.

What are your thoughts on all this? Please leave me your comments below!

If you enjoyed this post be sure to check out Solving the Mystery Surrounding the Rapunzel Tower in new Fantasyland and our entire collection of World Secrets!

How to Convince Your Man to Visit Walt Disney World

Published January 16, 2014 by Disneyways.com

It is well-known that Walt Disney World is loved by men all around the world for about a zillion different reasons. But what about your man? Does he need a little convincing? Back in January 2014 I had the extreme pleasure of accompanying 4 burly guys as part of a hard hat tour at the amazing new Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World while it was still under construction. During that time I got the inside scoop on why this beautiful resort may be just the thing to help you convince your man to come to Orlando and maybe give the parks a try while he’s here!

First though, let’s talk about you. You are going to love that The Four Seasons in Orlando is on Disney Property. Disney sold the Four Seasons the land it is sitting on in the Walt Disney World Resort area. Thus, the Four Seasons now technically owns the property but it is still right where Disney guests (you!) want to be.

Imagine sleeping here:

Park view room with fireworks view

Standing here:

oversized fully furnished balcony

And looking right out outside and seeing these:

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You aren’t quite as close as this, but the Four Seasons is just 5 miles from the Magic Kingdom. You will see fireworks as well as Spaceship Earth and more major landmarks at the park, right from your balcony of the park view rooms! Shout out to Scott from TakingTheFloridaPlunge.com for taking a video of our actual view from the hard hat tour.

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Pictured here with my burly guy friends: Left to right is Scott from TakingTheFloridaPlunge.com, Me, Jason from ChipandCo.com, Shawn from OrlandoInsiderBlog.com and Alan, Director of Marketing for the Four Seasons Orlando Resort at Walt Disney World (Photo taken by beautiful Dana who does PR for the resort)

Men know that talk is cheap and the proof is in the pudding! A great way to begin is by mentioning to your man that the Four Seasons was included on Destinology.com – Luxury Hotels’s list of Top Ten New Hotels for 2014! He will have the opportunity to stay in the ultimate of luxury surroundings at the new Four Seasons within the gates of Walt Disney World Resort. Tell him you will be trend setters because the Seasons has also been recognized for encompassing some of the most important travel trends of 2014 by Travel and Leisure!

Is he a numbers guy? When construction is finished, Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World will have 444-rooms and 68 suites. Amenities will also include a rooftop restaurant with views of the Magic Kingdom, a 14,000-square-foot spa with 18 treatment rooms to enjoy, 3 pools, a lazy river, and meeting-and-event space. The Four Seasons will be the one and only free-standing 5 Star Luxury Hotel In Orlando that is not attached to a convention center. The other luxury resorts in Orlando share their amenities with people attending conventions. The Four Seasons in Orlando will be an exclusive paradise for their hotel guests only. The exclusivity factor is heightened by the fact that the Four Seasons in Orlando will have over 900 employees.  That means 2 staff members for every 1 guest, including burly men like him! Aren’t those great numbers? This ratio will ensure that he will be treated with impeccable service and better access to the amazing amenities that a guy like him can enjoy! Bonus: you are going to love all of this too. The most important number of course? The price! At a starting room rack rate of $545 a night, it is hard to beat for a 5 star luxury hotel.  If you have the budget, there is the option of reserving the Four Seasons Royal Suite. At over 3,000 square feet, it is fit for a king and will run about $12,000 a night. The entire floor could be rented for a mere $45,000 a night. Worth every cent to a man who likes his space!

You can feel good about promising him private time with you, and this can be a major factor in convincing him. Why? Because Four Seasons is one of the only hotels in Orlando to offer an adult only pool and a FREE kids club. Watch his eyes light up when you tell him about the king sized beds and the ingenious design of the rooms that allow you to be separated from the kids if you want to. The Four Seasons boasts family friendly amenities too. Explorer Island includes an 8,000 square foot pool, lazy river, a see-through water slide, and a splash zone that shoots water 30 feet in the air in musical synchronization. He will love the Mansion, a family hangout spot with outdoor table tennis, pool tables, bocce ball, a fireplace and an observation deck.

Does he love sports? The Four Seasons will have him covered with golf and tennis facilities to the tune of an 18 hole golf course and 3 Hard Tru tennis courts. He can play a round of golf on the Tom Fazio course or a tennis lesson with the Four Seasons tennis pro, while the kids are having a blast in the free kids club. Rock climbing wall, beach volleyball, and basketball court? Check, check and check. Your sports lover will be packing his bags in no time.

Is the way to your man’s heart through his stomach? The Four Seasons will have incredible dining options. Everything from fine dining to pool-side food service can be enjoyed. The 17th floor at the Four Seasons will be the home to Capa, a spanish steak house, complete with nightly Magic Kingdom fireworks views. (How is that for making you both happy?) The lobby will be the home to Ravello, an Italian restaurant, on 2 levels and with an open kitchen. There will also be a quick-service dining option on the main floor of the hotel. Four Seasons will even have a character breakfast with Goofy and friends that you can enjoy as a family.

Maybe he’s in to luxury transportation or not driving at all while he’s on vacation? Be sure to tell him about the luxury motor coaches that will transport guests to and from the Disney parks on a schedule, free of charge. This will include twice hourly service to from the Ticket and Transportation Center (Magic Kingdom) and hourly service will be available directly to t Animal Kingdom Park, Hollywood Studios and Epcot.

I hope these tips for convincing your man to joyfully head to Disney World with you will be helpful! The Four Seasons Resort Orlando will have all the ingredients needed to create memorable vacations, not just for your man, but for your entire family. Throw in some magical visits to Walt Disney World Resort, and how can you go wrong? Click HERE to book your stay.

Video Update! 7 Dwarfs Mine Train Coaster

Published December 9, 2013 by Disneyways.com

My friend John over at BigFatPanda.com published a really cool video update of the progress of construction on the 7 Dwarfs Mine Train Coaster that is located right in the middle of New Fantasyland in Walt Disney World.

Seemingly overnight, there has been an addition of a few scenic elements that we will encounter at the top of the mine train’s first lift. When mine cars pull out of the load area, they will go up the track to the top of the mountain, where a crane sits – with two familiar vultures perched on top! These vultures originally appeared in Orlando’s original Snow White’s Scary Adventures attraction. This is the last stop before the mine train’s cars plunge into a mine shaft. Weeee!!

vultures

Official word from Disney:

“The lovable world of Sleepy, Doc, Grumpy, Bashful, Sneezy, Happy and Dopey comes to life in spring 2014 when the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train takes New Fantasyland guests on a rollicking, musical ride into the mine “where a million diamonds shine.” Inspired by the 1937 Disney animated film classic “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” the fun starts as guests cross a stone bridge and walk through a beautiful forest with the Dwarfs’ cottage in the distance, leading to the entrance to the attraction — and immersion into the endearing story of the radiant and kindhearted Snow White and her forest friends led by the lovable Dwarfs.
After passing through an interactive pre-show area with fun activities themed to mining, guests will proceed to the mine train. Just like the iconic movie, surprises are in store! The family-style coaster will feature first-of-its-kind ride vehicles mounted in cradle-like pivots that allow the vehicles to swing back and forth during the ride. Adding to the fun, the journey will be accompanied by beloved music from the film classic and there’s a cast of animated figures of Snow White, the Seven Dwarfs and playful forest critters.”

Check out John’s video below! 

Toys for Tots and Krista on the WDWNT Podcast

Published November 29, 2013 by Disneyways.com

WDWNTLivecharity2013WDWNewsToday.com is hosting a live podcast that will feature a drive for Toys for Tots begining at  8 p.m. eastern November 29th. Here you will have a chance to donate what you can to Toys for Tots through the FirstGiving fundraising page or in-person at the Theme Park Connection store. I am super excited to be  joining a team of 6 other hosts live on the show on Saturday November 30th from 5-7pm eastern. The entire broadcast will be streamed live on WDWNT.com by going directly to WDWNT.com/listen. WDWNTunes also streams through several mobile applications available at WDWNT.com/apps.WDWNT: The Radio Show is a live, weekly radio program on AM 1520 WBZW in Orlando that began airing in August 2013. The show can be listened to online at 1520WBZW.com

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More on the show, details and how to tune in were published by WDWNT – and here is what they had to say:

LISTEN
Join Us at 8 p.m. EST November 29th for Our Live 25 Hour Toys for Tots Drive
After an 8 month hiatus, the only late night Disney talk show, “See Ya’ Real Late” with Tom Corless, will return for one special episode on Friday November 29th at 11pm EST.
Game shows to be played during the event include WDWNT: The Match Game, Where in the World is Tom Corless?, and Disney Don’t Forget the Lyrics.
The WDW News Today Podcast will kick-off a new segment counting down the most important moments in the history of Disney’s Hollywood Studios contend down to the 25th anniversary of the park in May. You can be a part by voting for the 25 Biggest Moments in the History of Disney’s Hollywood Studios at this link.
The entire 25 hour broadcast will conclude on our newest program, WDW News Today: The Radio Show, on Saturday November 30th from 7-9PM. WDWNT: The Radio Show is a live, weekly radio program on AM 1520 WBZW in Orlando the began airing in August 2013. The show can be listened to online at 1520WBZW.com

Every year since 2008, WDW News Today has hosted a charity drive to raise money for the Toys for Tots Foundation. To date, we have raised over $11,000 for this amazing organization with donations through our website and those made during our annual WDWNT Live! program on Thanksgiving weekend. This year, we will be doing the same with the help of some new sponsors and partners, and we are asking you to be a part of this holiday tradition where we continue Walt Disney’s dream and try to make a difference in  the lives of those less fortunate.

Over 60 years ago, Walt Disney became one of the original sponsors of the Toys for Tots foundation, which ensures that every underprivileged child receives a toy during the holiday season. Walt and his animators personally designed the original Toys for Tots train logo that is still used today and the first poster created for Toys for Tots.

In this spirit, WDW News Today and our many friends and partners are putting on a 25-hour live broadcast this year to raise money for Toys for Tots. We hope you will join us beginning at 8PM ET on November 29, 2013 when the broadcast begins and will help us by making a donation to this great cause at toys.WDWNT.com.

We are proud to announce Theme Park Connection as the official sponsor of this year’s show and charity drive. As part of their sponsorship, they are accepting cash donations in-person at their store and providing prizes for all of the many games that will be played during the course of the live program. A portion of our 25-hour broadcast will also be conducted live from their store on Saturday, November 30th, from 9:00AM until 3:00PM EST. Theme Park Connection can be visited online at ThemeParkConnection.com or at their new store location at 2160 Premier Row in Orlando, Florida, near the Florida Mall.

The choice to do a 25-hour broadcast this year over 24 was not a coincidence. To commemorate the upcoming WDWCelebrations event “Studio 25″, we are matching every year of Disney’s Hollywood Studios with an hour of live broadcasting. Also, during the course of the show, registration will officially open for this fan event at WDWCelebrations.com.

During the course of the show, we will be presenting many of the shows, segments, and games for which we are known:

  • After an 8 month hiatus, the only late night Disney talk show, “See Ya’ Real Late” with Tom Corless, will return for one special episode on Friday November 29th at 11pm EST.
  • Game shows to be played during the event include WDWNT: The Match Game, Where in the World is Tom Corless?, and Disney Don’t Forget the Lyrics, and WDWNT: The Price is Right
  • The WDW News Today Podcast will kick-off a new segment counting down the most important moments in the history of Disney’s Hollywood Studios counting down to the 25th anniversary of the park in May. You can be a part by voting for the 25 Biggest Moments in the History of Disney’s Hollywood Studios at this link. The segment will take place at 9PM EST on Friday November 29th.
  • WDWNTunes’ Around the Hub (the show of competitive Disney banter) will also be part of the show, taking place from 6PM-7PM EST on Saturday, November 30th.
  • The entire 25 hour broadcast will conclude on our newest program, WDW News Today: The Radio Show, on Saturday November 30th from 7-9PM. WDWNT: The Radio Show is a live, weekly radio program on AM 1520 WBZW in Orlando the began airing in August 2013. The show can be listened to online at 1520WBZW.com

This entire broadcast will be streamed live on WDWNT.com, accessed by going to the WDWNTunes tab and clicking listen. You can also go directly toWDWNT.com/listen. As well, WDWNTunes streams through several mobile applications available at WDWNT.com/apps.

We hope you will join is for this fun show starting on November 29th at 8PM EST and will donate what you can to Toys for Tots through our FirstGiving fundraising page or in-person at the Theme Park Connection store.

 

On This Day in Disney History: November 21st

Published November 21, 2013 by Disneyways.com

Nov21

 

1929:
The following snippet appears in this day’s issue of The Film Daily
(a daily Hollywood publication):
Walt Disney, with his “Mickey Mouse” and “Silly Symphonies” series, is paving the way for
a bigger and better year. Grauman’s Chinese, Carthay Circle, Fox Palace, and Criterion
theaters have signed for the product. The Disney boys are making rapid headway with
their creations, adding new sound effects with each cartoon.

1942:
Mouseketeer Ronnie Steiner is born in Canada.
He joined the Mickey Mouse Club in the first season as a dancer.

1955:
The Mickey Mouse Club airs on ABC-TV. Today is Fun With Music Day. Musical numbers include Roy Williams dressed as the “boy at the dike” singing Roy at the Dike and Jimmie Dodd dressed as Tom Sawyer (along with a handful of the Mouseketeers) singing Painting Aunt Polly’s Fence.

2001:
Disney World unveils its holiday lights and decorations with The Osborne Family Spectacle of Lights at Disney-MGM Studios.
(Arkansas businessman Jennings Osborne received worldwide attention when he first created the luminous light show for his daughter more than a decade ago.) The glowing bulbs light Residential Street, Washington Square and New York Street in merry holiday displays that include 170 flying angels, two 30-foot-tall carousels, illuminated trees, and 50 lighted Mickey Mouse figures.

New Information on the Construction in Morocco at Epcot

Published November 20, 2013 by Disneyways.com

spice road table

We got some new information on Spice Road Table, the exciting new waterfront restaurant coming to the Moroccan World Showcase Pavilion in Epcot! I wrote a story for Chip & Company with all the details! You can check it out HERE.  I can’t wait to see the new restaurant, how do you feel about it?  

An Interview with Belle in Episode 79 of the Podcast!

Published November 20, 2013 by Disneyways.com

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It’s hard for me to believe I am even writing this, but yes, it’s true! We were very fortunate that the awesome Julie Nathanson, current speaking and singing voice of Disney’s Princess Belle agreed to come on the Disney Parks Podcast as our very special guest. Julie is warm, sassy, funny, and she has so many wonderful qualities that you would probably expect from Princess Belle herself. There is so much feminist controversy over the Disney Princesses and my very favorite part of the interview was hearing Julie put into words how she feels about Belle, and why Belle’s character is a wonderful example for young girls. Julie has such a beautiful way of expressing herself that I admire so very much.

More great moments during the interview include:

  • The story of how Julie got a part on a soap opera, which one it was, and what character she played
  • What it has been like to be the voice of Belle, and how she got the job
  • Julie sharing how she feels about filling the shoes of the amazing Paige O’Hara (the original voice of Belle)
  • There is so much MORE to Julie besides playing Belle and it’s awesome to learn how versatile she has been in her career. Some of her other roles may surprise you!
  • I couldn’t sweet talk Julie into singing for us on the air but you can click HERE to hear a sample of her singing as Belle on iTunes
  • The always exciting rapid fire questions!

Here are some ways to tune in:

You can catch Julie’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.

On This Day in Disney History: November 19th

Published November 19, 2013 by Disneyways.com

Nov19

On November 19th there are a few important Disney birthdays.

1959:
Actress Allison Janney, the voice of Peach in Disney/Pixar’s 2003 Finding Nemo, is born in Dayton, Ohio. She also supplied the voice of Charlene Doofenshmirtz on Disney Channel’s Phineas and Ferb. (Allison is also known for her role as C. J. Cregg on the television series The West Wing.)

1905:
Actress Eleanor Audley, the voices of the wicked Maleficent in Disney’s 1959 Sleeping Beauty AND Lady Tremmaine in the 1950 Cinderella was born in New York City. Both characters were given facial features to resemble Eleanor thanks to animator Marc Davis.

1906:
Writer Imagineer and Disney legend William Cottrell is born in South Bend, Indiana. He was the brother-in-law of Lillian and Wlt Disney. William workde on Pinocchio, The Reluctant Dragon, and Alice in Wonderland. He was also the first president of what is now known as Walt Disney Imagineering.

On This Day in Disney History: November 18th

Published November 18, 2013 by Disneyways.com

Nov18

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!!