Well, hello! After all these years Disney has finally figured out how to sell an annual pass that is valid at all the domestic theme parks. We’ve only been asking for this since… well, 1992 for some of us. All I can say is it’s about time.

The tickets for the Premier Annual Pass go on sale tomorrow for $700. Upgrades from existing passes are possible and those already holding both tickets will be upgraded automatically.

Next up, a monthly payment plan. I hear it’s just around the corner.

(Via The Orlando Sentinel)

OSHA has finished its investigation related to the July 2009 crash of the Walt Disney World Resort monorail that killed one employee and released a preliminary report. Details of the report listed on the Orlando Sentinel reveals how chaos reigned for the moments that preceded the crash.

While Disney’s internal investigation pinned the accident on the engineer who announced he had switched the track when he actually hadn’t, the OSHA investigation looked at the deeper reasons. For instance the company had never issued actual paper procedures to the employ, instead relying on verbal training.

This may be fine when you’re dealing with non guest related positions, but seems inexcusable to me when you’re dealing with any position that requires operating an attraction or system that interacts with guests who might be injured when something goes wrong.

Here is where long-time observers of the Walt Disney parks and resorts can draw a connection back to the string of fatal accidents at Disneyland. After the fatal Columbia accident, where a guest was killed due to a combination of poor maintenance and a cast member who was unfamiliar with the attraction procedures docking the boat, Disney reacted by with-holding their Standard Operation Manuals from day to day cast members, instead relying on on-site verbal training to communicate procedures. The theory being if there was no printed manual to follow, the cast member (and Disney itself) couldn’t be blamed for not following it. I had a feeling at the time that this would come back to bite them eventually, and sadly it has.

This also extends to Disney’s decision to move away from the recommended procedures of the Monorail’s manufacturer as far as not having a supervisor in the both and not having eyes in the back of the train when it was moving in reverse. Disney did have these procedures at one time, but moved away from them slowly in the name of efficiency and changing standard operating procedures that were there more for legal reasons than for safety.

It’s time for everyone at Walt Disney World resort to stand in front of the mirror and think long and hard about their responsibility for safety. If you’re a front line cast member who has never seen the actual procedure manual, safety operations, or evacuation plans for your attraction, stand up and refuse to run the attraction until you’re properly trained. If you’re a mid-level manager, do the research and make sure your manual is properly outfitted with the safety recommendations of its manufacturer and institute a review of all related procedures and training. Upper managers, take some time to reflect if your policies are impacting the safety of your cast members and guests and commit to doing everything you can from the smallest guest interaction to the largest mechanical operation to ensure a perfect safety record. Go back to basics if you have to.

As a resort, you are one major accident away from a string of bad Public Relations moments that will begin to affect guest attitude about your park. And once the shine is off the apple, it takes more than some spit and polish to get it back.

Tiger Woods pic still hangs in ESPN WWOS

Even Gatorade has dropped Tiger Woods, but his pic still hangs at ESPN Wide World of Sports complex in first floor of the Milk House. Woods is also featured in the American Experience film. I don’t expect them to edit films for a what is probably a temporary setback for Woods. But removing a picture or banners with his image that hold him up as a role model, that doesn’t seem too much to ask.

What do you think?

It was a huge day at EPCOT today. A world record setting canned-food sculpture, a new duet with Joe Jonas and Demi Lovato (more on that late tonight), and Chef Robert Irvine’s Dinner Impossible filming (again more on that later tonight). But the day was really about Disney’s amazing new promotion for its Give a Day, Get a Disney Day promotion for 2010.

Against the backdrop of a world-record sculpture of canned goods destined for food banks, Disney Parks officials on Thursday announced a major milestone with the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program, a first-of-its-kind effort to help inspire 1 million people to perform volunteer service.

Since the program’s launch only six weeks ago, more than 600,000 people in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada have volunteered or signed up for volunteer projects in their communities, announced Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

“With the launch of our ‘Give a Day, Get a Disney Day’ program, we hoped to spark something truly special,” Staggs said. “But even we have been overwhelmed with the response.”

Disney originally announced that they would try to give away around 1 million tickets to volunteers. I don’t know if that means you need to sign up for a shift soon, or if they’ll extend the promotion throughout the year.

Canned-Food Structure Unveiled, Verified Largest-Ever by Guinness World Records®

As part of the event celebrating family volunteers and to dramatize the spirit of giving, Walt Disney World Resort on Thursday unveiled a mammoth structure of canned goods – food that will be donated to food banks in Orlando, Miami and Atlanta.

The canned food sculpture – titled “Celebrate Volunteers” – was revealed for media and guests at Epcot. Disney VoluntEARS shaped the sculpture with a larger-than-life Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Pluto – all sculpted out of cans. Goofy’s trademark hat consisted of cans of bread crumbs, for instance. Mickey’s famous head was shaped from cans of black olives, and cans of sliced pineapple made up Pluto’s eyes.

The cans represent approximately 70,000 meals, according to Dave Krepcho, president/CEO of Second Harvest of Central Florida. “Each can makes a difference in someone’s life who cannot afford this food,” he said. “Much of this food goes to children in need, working moms trying to provide, senior citizens coping on fixed incomes and people whose disabilities keep them from working.”

The spectacular, character-themed structure – consisting officially of 115,527 cans – was also a world record, according to Guinness World Records, the internationally recognized authority on record-breaking achievement. Guinness World Records Thursday authenticated the achievement as the Largest Canned Food Structure ever created, easily eclipsing the previous record of 54,527 cans set in June 2009 in New Zealand. More fun facts at the bottom of this post

[Read more →]

Tonight at the “What’s New, What’s Next” presentation for the media, Walt Disney World resort made some exciting announcements about what will be coming to the resort this summer. The big news is that Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” will light up the streets of Magic Kingdom and headline a season of after-dark excitement they’re calling “Summer Nightastic!”

“After the sun goes down, our Walt Disney World parks will light up the night with ‘Summer Nightastic!’, ” announced Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resort, at a media event Wednesday.

If that sounds familiar it’s because Disneyland tried a similar promotion last summer. The park was crowded all summer, but the promotion itself was a bit of bust. Themed summer promotions are a grand Disneyland tradition, and I’m curious to see how it will work in Florida.

Summer Nightastic isn’t the only thing coming from Disneyland. We’re also getting their electrical parade floats. This includes the newly constructed Pinocchio float and the new Tinker Bell float. After her first DVD came out, Tink replaced the Blue Fairy at the parade’s lead.

Here’s a look at what the summer will bring:

• With floats and characters appearing for the first time at Walt Disney World Resort, Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” returns with its joyous sights and sounds. Direct from Disneyland and marking its first engagement in Florida since 2001, the cherished parade will be led by Tinker Bell waving from the basket of a magical balloon aboard a new float. Pinocchio and Snow White join the parade this summer, aboard bright new floats. Disney’s “Main Street Electrical Parade” is set for its summer-long nighttime premiere in early June at Magic Kingdom.
• The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror welcomes “drop-ins” this summer with even more pulse-racing surprises. New lighting effects and the addition of a new drop sequence, created especially for “Summer Nightastic!”, will bring unexpected frights to guests who step into that infamous service elevator. If they dare.
• What could be more summery than fireworks on a star-studded night? Magic Kingdom will treat guests to a special summer fireworks spectacular. The night sky will explode in vivid colors and brilliant visual effects as whimsical music fills the air. The new show is as yet, unnamed. Feel free to add your suggestions in the comments.
• Other fun! The return of the Sounds Like Summer concert series to Epcot and extended evening hours at Disney’s Animal Kingdom several times a week add up to summer fun as only Disney can do – at all four Walt Disney World theme parks.

Don’t forget that the Wizarding World of Harry Potter will open this spring at Universal Orlando. So this announcement should been seen as Disney’s attempt to keep people on their property instead of at Hogwarts. Will an old friend of a parade and new fireworks be enough? That remains to be seen.

Update: Some things not mentioned tonight surprised me: Star Wars Weekends, Star Tours 2.0, anything new for EPCOT, and finishing Pop Century. Oh yeah, and Captain EO. Does that mean we don’t get the show here? Seriously. EPCOT needs a new country pavilion and they gotta do something with Future World.

The local Fox news station is reporting that Reedy Creek Fire was dispatched to a report of smoke on Spaceship Earth at EPCOT. All guests were evacuated without incident and repairs were even under way by the time the fire crew got there. The cause, an electrical short. Apparently the ride was open for guests later in the day.

This smoke was reported in the loading and unloading zone, but what happens if it happens in the sacking of Rome scene? Inquiring minds want to know.

(Via)

Super Bowl XLIV MVP Drew Brees joins Mickey Mouse Feb. 8, 2010 in a celebratory parade in the Magic Kingdom in Lake Buena Vista, Fl. Brees, the quarterback of the New Orleans Saints, is the latest celebrity to star in the “I’m Going to Disney World!” and “I’m Going to Disneyland” commercials which aired only hours after the NFL championship game ended. Brees led his team to a 31-17 victory over the AFC champion Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl XLIV in Miami. (Photo courtesy Disney. Kent Phillips, photographer)

Universal Orlando has expanded the offerings on their preview website for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter land set to open its first stage this spring. It includes a new interactive map along with descriptions of all the rides and attractions. There’s also a first-person perspective, photo-realistic video of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts castle, the Wizarding World News, which will provide guests with information about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and a place to send Owl Post e-cards for friends and family.

Finally, don’t wait until Sunday’s Super Bowl to see the commercial for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s available online at Universal Orlando right now.