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June 2009

Get paid to play in Orlando in “67 Days of Smiles” promotion

Inspired, no doubt, by the Australian promo where one lucky soul is paid to spend a year living on an island paradise and using social media to tell the world about his experience, the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau has come up with a very similar idea. One lucky couple will be paid to enjoy 67 days of fun and excitment exploring everything the Orlando area has to offer.

The Orlando CVB says the selected pair will do everything from roller coaster riding to hang gliding, swimming with dolphins, golfing, shopping, gator wrestling, museum exploring, theatre-going and more.

As the winning pair, you’ll be expected to report on your experiences using cell phones, a digital video camera and still camera supplied to you and share your 67 Days of Smiles with the world through social media tools like blogs, Twitter and Facebook.

The “67 Days of Smiles” will begin this year in late August and end in early November. Both people in the pair must be over 21 and pairs can be any combination of friends, family, or co-workers. All pairs are required to complete a personal profile; submit 500 words in English regarding why their smiles should be chosen; and upload a 60 second or less video in English of both applicants along with photos of both applicants at VisitOrlando.com/67DaysofSmiles by June 30, 2009.

The full press release is below the cut:

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Homemade Wall-E built from household goods

Here’s a great home project from the Filth Wizardry blog where they built their own WALL-E from left over bits and trash they had in their house. A Recycled WALL-E. How perfect!

Inside the new Manta Aquarium with SeaWorld’s Curator

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Along with the new flying roller coaster Manta comes a huge new aquarium that features hundreds of sea critters from rays (as you would expect) to beautiful dragon fish (a relative of the seahorse). I got the chance to speak to SeaWorld Orlando’s Aquarium Curator Gary Violetta and ask him a few questions.

Violetta is a SeaWorld veteran of more than 24 years. As Curator he is responsible for the health and physical care of the more than 3,000 animals found in the Manta exhibit. He manages aquarium exhibits and attractions and is responsible for the care of all sharks, eels, stingrays, alligators, and fish throughout the park. A former curator of fishes at SeaWorld San Antonio, Violetta began his SeaWorld career in 1977. He is a member of the American Zoo and Aquarium association.

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Click below the cut to listen to the embedded MP3 and see a few more photos from the exhibit:

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Six Flags Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

It doesn’t come as much of a surprise that theme and amusement park operator Six Flags has filed for bankruptcy protection.  Times are tough all around, and running a major park requires the regular infusion of large capital invesments (that new rides, to you and me).  For… Read More »Six Flags Files For Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection

T-shirt Spotting

One of my little hobbies at Walt Disney World is to find the latest T-shirt designs they’re hoping the public will buy. Today there is a wider selection than ever before even to the point where you can customize your own tee right at Downtow Disney.

Here are a few that stood out to me this Sunday at Downtown Disney:

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I like this design a lot. I had a cheesy non-Disney shirt with that saying on it in high school. Mi Casa Es Su Casa. Thanks Mickey!

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I’m continually astounded by the drug culture influenced designs they find for Tinker Bell. This isn’t one of the worst, in fact, it’s part of a new line of Tees that are inspirational in nature. But on the other hand this would fit in well in the 70s too.

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This is a design from street artist Bloc28. Previously there had been a line of baseball caps from Bloc28, but I never saw those for sale at the parks. There’s a little Steamboat Willy going on (although it should be all black and white). Frankly, I’m amazed that they’re selling this design since it appears to show Mickey Mouse being violently torn in two by a sea creature of some sort. That’s about as off-model as I’ve ever seen.

Two more Bloc28 designs below the cut:

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Friday Finds – Disney News & Links Roundup

The Matterhorn attraction at Disneyland celebrates its 50th anniversary on Sunday. I wish I was there to recreate my grandfather’s initial test ride (although I think I’ll skip the bale of hay at the end). Residents in Burbank have accused the Walt Disney Company of… Read More »Friday Finds – Disney News & Links Roundup

The New Portobello Restaurant: Deceptively Simple

I’d like to welcome Kevin Yee as a guest author to The Disney Blog. Opened in 1989 as an inaugural part of Pleasure Island, the Portobello Yacht Club maintained the backstory of shipping magnate Merriweather Pleasure, whose warehouses were decimated by a storm, prompting him… Read More »The New Portobello Restaurant: Deceptively Simple

Walt Disney Family Museum Fans on Facebook

I don’t do very much with my Facebook account, which is probably to my detriment. But if you spend some time there and you appreciate the life and legacy of Walt Disney, then you’re encouraged to join myself and other like-minded folks at the Facebook… Read More »Walt Disney Family Museum Fans on Facebook