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September 2011

Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Daddy’s Day Report


A small collection of movie props at Great Moments with Mr. Disney.

I wanted to go to Magic Kingdom yesterday to see the Tiki birds (who, I’m told, have evicted the previous management (Techcrunch anyone?)), strangely enough, I still haven’t managed to find time to see the revised show yet, but Indigo has been watching Roller Coaster POV videos on Youtube again and wants to ride Rock-n-Roller coaster. Guess who wins this argument?


It was nice to see the car back out in front of Sci-Fi Diner, but they already need to replace the cool Disney emblem. Um, btw, why isn’t that for sale somewhere in the park?

Daddy, the old softy, and kiddo show up at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with the usual good timing, right as they’re parking the last row of Magic or whatever that section is that’s closest to the gate. This is actually a good thing. You know, fill up the parking lot sections closest to the park entrance first. I have to wonder if this is a change that new park VP Dan Cockerell affected somehow, or just a random change someone in the parking lot team decided to try.

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Disney Cruise Line Ship – The Disney Fantasy – Moves Final Piece Into Place

The Disney Fantasy may not be an exact duplicate of the Disney Dream, but it’s very close. Construction started on the Fantasy while construction on The Dream was still under way. So it may seem like work has been proceeding fast, but really, it is right on target for its March 2012 debut cruise.

This weekend the final building block for the Disney Fantasy, was placed at the Meyer Werft shipyard signaling completion of a major milestone in the ship’s overall construction.  The final block placed was a 265-ton portion of the ship’s bow, complete with the signature Disney Cruise Line golden filigree.

Like its sister ship, the Disney Fantasy will bring to life many of the innovative features guests love including AquaDuck — the world’s first shipboard water coaster.  But new design elements and guest experiences will give the Fantasy an identity all its own.

Some of the new highlights found on the Disney Fantasy include:

  • Europa – a nighttime entertainment district exclusively for guests 18 and older that features sophisticated bars and trendy lounges inspired by the very best in European travel.
  • A new, innovative show for the Animator’s Palate restaurant where diners will serve as guest animators.  During the “Animation Magic” show guests are asked to hand-draw a character of their own at the start of dinner.  After an entertaining show featuring montages from Disney animated films and shorts, guests prepare for a whimsical finale moment where the guest-drawn characters spring to life and interact with characters from beloved Disney animated classics.
  • At Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on the Disney Fantasy, aspiring young princesses and pirates receive the full fairy tale treatment with pixie-dusted and piratical makeovers at this very special salon.
  • “Disney’s Aladdin – A Musical Spectacular” will take the stage on the Disney Fantasy.  During this Broadway-style production, guests laugh along with the wise-cracking Genie and the cast from the classic animated Disney film, “Aladdin.”

Video of them moving the final piece into place below the jump:

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Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, what should guests expect?

Disney’s classic attraction, Pirates Of The Caribbean is a water ride that takes passengers in shallow boats down a flume through entertaining show sets. There are very few working parts essential to a functional attraction, a small lift and conveyer belt into the load and… Read More »Pirates of the Caribbean breaks down, what should guests expect?

Disneyland Half Marathon: A Great “Running” Tradition!

The Disneyland Half Marathon crowd started arriving bright and early this morning, as 15,000 runners made their way to the park for the 6 AM start time. For it being so early, though, there clearly was no lack of energy! These dedicated athletes carried an… Read More »Disneyland Half Marathon: A Great “Running” Tradition!

Instaparks – Video Snapshot of your favorite Disney Parks

Instaparks is a fun new project that combines the popular iPhone photo app Instagram and something we all love, Disney theme parks, to provide a snapshot of activity occurring at each magical location. The website is a project of Rustin Jessen, who also manages MainGateAds,… Read More »Instaparks – Video Snapshot of your favorite Disney Parks

Disney’s Animal Kingdom names new Baby Elephant

A baby elephant was born last week at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. After a voting process, animal care team members have now have decided on a name fitting a healthy male calf. Jabali, which means “strong as a rock” in Swahili, is a great name for an elephant that will grow to well over 10,000 pounds.

Jabali is the sixth baby elephant to be born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Below the jump is a video showing how Disney’s animal care team cared for Jabali’s mom Vasha as she neared her delivery date.

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Anaheim Historical Society

Believe it or not, there is more to Anaheim, CA than just the Disneyland Resort. The area was once a thriving farming community with it’s own bustling main street. The Anaheim Historical Society has a new blog chronicling the town in all its glory. Over… Read More »Anaheim Historical Society

Join us for #DisneyChat

Couldn’t make it last month? It’s not too late to join the #DisneyChat community! I’m a frequent visitor of many popular Disney message boards, but nothing compares to the rapid-fire conversation that happens during a Twitter chat. #DisneyChat was started by a group of members… Read More »Join us for #DisneyChat