Want to feel transported to Disney magic today? Set aside an hour and take a long walk through Tokyo Disney Sea, thought of as Disney Imagineering’s most detailed creation, in this one-take video (note the helpful annotations): [via LaughingPlace.com]
Saschka Unseld, director of Pixar’s latest animated short, dishes on the making of The Blue Umbrella including the use of the new Global Illumination System: [W]e used the Global Illumination technology that Monsters [University] used as well. So that helped us massively in getting everything… Read More »How Pixar Used Light in its Short – The Blue Umbrella
Think back to your first trip: What do you wish you’d known? Was there a moment where you thought to yourself “I could have saved myself a lot of time (or money) if only I’d known that!” In my case, my first “real” trip came when I’d moved from Florida and was no longer taking quick day trips. There were so many things I didn’t think about when Disney World was just a few hours drive away. John was wondering that too, so he put out a question on the Facebook page and here are some of your answers. I hope you find something you can use –or even pass on to a Disney newbie:
This isn’t looking good, is it?
10. Suzanne G. is a girl after my own heart. She advises to take a jacket (or a sweater), even if it’s supposed to be warm. While you’re at it, bring a poncho too. It’s probably going to rain at least once on your trip.
9. Get to the Magic Kingdom at opening and make a beeline toward Fantasyland. Sometimes you buck conventional wisdom; this is not one of those times. If you have little kids, you want to knock out Pooh and Peter Pan first since these rides are some of the most popular in all of the parks. After that you can take on the mountains.
The New Rooms at the Polynesian are Gorgeous.
8. Stay on property. I’ve found it’s hard to sell someone on Disney property if he or she is looking at the bottom line. If you’re purely interested in saving money, you can usually stay cheaper off site, but if you think that time is money, you might find quite the opposite: That you actually save money by staying on property. So do the math, but always remember the convenience factor. It’s huge.
7. Pace yourself: You can’t do it all in one trip. Going completely “theme park commando” for days at a time is overrated. Take in the little details, people watch, eat some good meals. It’s all part of the experience.Read More »The Disney Blog Readers Offer Their Top Ten Disney Newbie Tips.
I really shouldn’t post the Disney version of the latest, and very misogynist, meme – exploding actresses. But the Exploding Disney Princesses video is also creative and very funny. There’s just a smidgen of gore, but it’s not too bad. The force behind Exploding Actresses… Read More »Inappropriate Deaths of Disney Characters
In my youth, I heard a lot of weird stories about Disneyland. For instance, I was told that the facades for the buildings on Main Street were salvaged from actual old buildings and brought to Anaheim by Walt to give it that authentic look and… Read More »Disneyland Stories, Fact or Fiction
Huge interior of new Starbucks.
The Starbucks sponsored Main Street Bakery has opened at the Magic Kingdom. For some it’s a blessing to have ‘real’ coffee available in the parks, for others, its an intrusion of the outside world into the magic. The final execution is a very high capacity, smoothly run Starbucks with a few Disney touches added to make it just magical enough.
There is not as much merchandise as at a regular Starbucks, indeed hardly any beyond bags of coffee, but you’ll find all the coffee, tea, and other drinks you’ve come to love at your local Starbucks. Although we were led to believe that much of the old menu would transfer to the new location, the baked goods are mostly what you would find in a regular Starbucks. The egg and cheese croissant and super large cinnamon roll are both absent to name a few. Disney is apparently looking for new homes for the cinnamon roll, but in the meantime you can find it in Gaston’s in New Fantasyland.
The use of the Starbucks logo is tasteful – not overpowering, but not absent either. Disney has created a backstory complete with ‘grand opening’ photos and a collection of coffee paraphernalia from the owner’s trip around the world collecting photographs and unique items from different societies and their coffee habits. That backstory also includes the use of Starbucks original two-finned mermaid figure (modified slightly for Disney audiences) and there’s even a couple hidden mermaids scattered around the store.Read More »Starbucks Sponsored Main Street Bakery Opens at Magic Kingdom
Mega Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who has been behind many of Disney’s most successful films of the last decade, received a Hollywood Walk of Fame Star in a special ceremony today. The ceremony took place outside the El Capitan Theater and featured a nice speech… Read More »Mega Hollywood Producer Jerry Bruckheimer Gets Star on Hollywood Walk of Fame
If you ever made a wish and tossed a few coins into one of Walt Disney World’s fountains or wishing wells, you may have seen the signage stating that your donation was doing to ‘Disney Hand’ and would be earmarked to help children everywhere. Have you ever wondered what type of wishes those donations are making come true? Cinderella’s Wishing Well at Magic Kingdom is one of those designated locations and has been host to millions of wishes being made. Today, it was the place where one of those wishes came true.
Gathering up the small coins and pennies tossed by hopeful guests, Walt Disney World Resort donated $15,000 to the Foundation for Foster Children. The non-profit organization helps children living with foster families realize some of their own wishes such as access to summer camps, art classes, social activities, tutoring and even cakes on special occasions.
“One of our goals is to increase public awareness and support for more than 1,400 foster children who live in Central Florida,” said Betsey Bell, executive director of the Foundation for Foster Children. “This donation enables us to give these kids new opportunities and experiences that will help them succeed and become contributing members of our community.” Read More »Where Do The Wishing Well Coins Go At Disney World