The Disney Blog

Before they were Stars, They were Disney Cast Members

Posted on January 27, 2012 by John Frost

The WDW Fan Zone has collected a great list of current day celebrities who got their start as Cast Member at one of Disney’s theme park or cruise ships.

Here are a few of the big names you probably already know,

Jennifer Hudson – Actress/Singer – Cast Member Job: Singer on Disney Wonder
John Lasseter – Animator – Chief Creative Officer Pixar & Walt Disney Animation Studios – Cast Member Job: Jungleland Cruise Captain
Steve Martin – Actor/Comedian – Cast Member Job: Merlin’s Magic Shop
Michelle Pfeiffer – Actress – Cast Member Job: Alice in the Main Street Electrical parade

but there are a few surprises on the list too..

Taye Diggs- Actor – Cast Member Job: Performer
Terri Garr – Actress – Cast Member Job: Magic Kingdom parade dancer
Robin Williams – Actor/Comedian – Cast Member Job: Jungle Cruise Skipper

Go over and read the whole list and help them fill in any blanks they might be missing.

Posted in Actors, Disneyland, Walt Disney World | Tagged Anaheim, before they were stars, cast member, celebrity, Disneyland, history, orlando, theme park, walt disney world | Leave a comment

Brazil a replacement for Euro-Tourism?

Posted on January 27, 2012 by John Frost

Anyone else noticing a lot more Brazilian tourists at Walt Disney World these days? We certainly have. There’s a good reason for that, not only has the economy of Brazil stabilized producing more disposable income, but the volume of European tourists is down as their economy slowly crumbles. The in-balance makes the South American tourists stand out even more. Disney World has even gone as far as hiring 50 ‘Super Greeters’ to help these tour groups make their way into the parks smoothly.

A spokesman for Disney World said 2011 has been “one of our best-ever years for Brazilian attendance and resort-hotel room-nights.”
According to official figures, between 350,000 and 400,000 Brazilians visited Central Florida in 2010.

With the 2016 coming to Brazil, expect the volume of tourists from that nation to increase even further. With Europe on the ropes, this should ease Disney’s concerns about weak international travel.

Next up a Brazil pavilion in EPCOT Center, right?

(Via Interpark)

Posted in Florida Attractions, Walt Disney World | Tagged attractions, brazil, Florida, orlando, tourism, Travel Planning | 2 Comments

Valentine & Princess Segment Coming to Magic Memories and You in February

Posted on January 26, 2012 by John Frost

As we saw with the 2011 holiday version of Magic, Memories, and You the digital projection nature of the show makes it relatively easy (there’s still a lot of creative work involved) for Disney to update the show for special themes. The next theme to be announced centers around the romance of Valentine’s Day and the Disney Princesses.

Of course, there are differences between Disneyland and Magic Kingdom. Chiefly the project occurs on the facade of It’s A Small World instead of the castle. I love how this scene from Rapunzel will play out.

Check out more beautiful concept art below the jump:

Continue reading →

Posted in Disneyland, Walt Disney World | Tagged 3d projection, caslte show, concept art, digital projection, disney, iasw, It's a Small World, magic memories and you, mmy, princess, stained glass, valentines day | 4 Comments

Annual Walt Disney World Bird Count

Posted on January 26, 2012 by John Frost

You may know that Disney’s Animal Kingdom takes great care in caring for the animals in the theme park, but did you know that the animal care team also has responsibilities for every animal in Walt Disney World. Yes, even the vultures that hang out in the worst places.

One of those activities involves counting all the birds at Walt Disney World Resort and the surrounding area. In the video below, Anne Savage, Ph.D., Senior Conservation Biologist, Disney’s Animal Programs, explores the second annual holiday bird count at the Walt Disney World. Cast members from across the resort are joined by Disney’s Animals, Science and Environment team and together they complete the census.

Continue reading →

Posted in Walt Disney World | Tagged animal care, bird census, bird count, conservation, dak, disney's animal kingdom, dwcf | 2 Comments

Walt Disney World Merchandise Review

Posted on January 25, 2012 by John Frost

Four new piggy banks appeared at MouseGears. They were flying off the shelves.

While strolling through Disney’s theme parks I’m always keeping an eye out for what’s new. That includes new merchandise too. What can I say, it’s a hobby. Here’s a collection of some merchandise that caught my eye over the last few weeks. Some of it’s very new, some of it, not so much. But I like it all.

If you like this or other Disney theme park merchandise, you can find a lot of it on DisneyStore.com these days. If you hurry, they’re offering a free shipping promotion today for all Disney Parks Merchandise ordered. Just use code: PARKSFREE.