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Whit

Whit Honea is the author of The Parents' Phrase Book. He lives in the L.A. area with his wife and two boys. You can find his writings and other works all over the Internets. Now available on Twitter.

Mickey’s Halloween Party at Disneyland

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Suddenly, it’s much closer to Halloween than I am ready for. How did that happen? We have a lot of decorating and spooky business left to attend to, but at least we’ve got Disneyland’s Mickey’s Halloween Party under our belt (belt not included with costume).

If you want to visit the Disneyland Resort and enjoy the event for yourself, then you need to hurry — there are only a few nights left! Also, you should know that the event requires its own ticket, but don’t fret — admission to Mickey’s Halloween Party actually allows ticket holders to enter Disneyland a few hours prior to the park closing (the Halloween event happens after the park is closed) so that they can enjoy a bit more of the magic. Most rides are open during Mickey’s Halloween Party.

For remaining dates, times and pricing please visit Disneyland.com/halloween.

 

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Aulani Grand Opening Ceremony Video

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I was fortunate enough to be the guest of Disney for the opening of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai’i. The place is fantastic.

Before the trip I wasn’t sure whether or not the magic of Hawai’i needed a touch of Disney’s, but the fit is seamless. The combined storytelling of the islands and the mouse make for an amazing adventure. Really. I’m already making plans to return with my family so that they can also enjoy all that Aulani has to offer.

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Disney’s Lion King 3D World Premiere

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El Capitan Theatre

In case you’ve been under a rock (Pride Rock?) you probably know that Disney has put a shiny coat of 3D magic on the classic film, Lion King. Saturday was the world premiere of Disney’s Lion King 3D at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Yes, I know I just said “the the” and I’m okay with it.

The Disney Blog had press credentials, so I took my fancy camera (read, iPhone) and my talent (read, 8-year-old son Atticus) and bellied up to the green carpet to let the stars come to us — which they did by the limo-ful (or whatever they drove, I didn’t have to valet this time).

Sadly, my iPhone couldn’t capture sound and picture with any clarity. I blame the thousands of people around us and the gentle lullaby of Hollywood Blvd. And by “gentle” I mean loud and freaky. Rather than have video without audio I went with the still photographs and casual conversation. Plus, my son was a little too nervous to conduct the interviews, and it was really, really hot out. We decided to play it cool, which works for us.

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D23 Expo Recap: Day 2

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Hello, and welcome to the D23 Expo, Day 2 (for more expo coverage read my D23 Expo Day 1 and Alison’s D23 Expo Day 3 recaps!) where things were taken up a big ol’ notch. I know, I couldn’t believe it either.

This is where you say, “How in the world did they top the first day? Nothing could be sweeter than Kermit the Frog and Rowlf the Dog singing a tribute to the late, great Jim Henson! Nothing could be better than Dick Van Dyke in concert!

Fair enough. However, where Day 1 was a tip of the hat to Disney legends, Day 2 was about the now and the immediate future. Hence John Lasseter introducing Billy Crystal to a standing ovation (Lasseter also received a standing ovation) while discussing the upcoming Pixar film Monsters University. Also, Jason Segel coming out with Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy to discuss the new Muppet Movie. And of course, the Avengers assembling. On stage. That’s right, with the exception of the Hulk and Captain America, the entire team came out to watch a trailer that they had never seen. Robert Downey, Jr. made us watch it twice. Basically, it was a parade of celebrities (including Jennifer Garner, Sarah Silverman, and Jon Cryer, to name but a few) and Disney awesomeness (including Rich Ross, Andrew Stanton, and Marvel’s Kevin Feige, to again name but a few). My inner geek setting was at 11.

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D23 Expo Recap: Day 1

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Friday, August 19 was opening day of the D23 Expo (I’m working under the assumption that you are familiar with D23) and it kicked off with a bang. Or a mouse, as the case may be. It always starts with a mouse.

D23 crowdsWhile the expo was open to the general ticket-buying public, it did offer a number of perks specifically to official D23 members, such as discounted passes, special “members only” events and early admission. It pays to belong, people!

Friday’s itinerary started at 9:00 a.m. with two of the aforementioned members only events, namely the Disney Store Opening Ceremony and the Radio Disney Road Crew Dance Party.

Other events that morning included an art contest with Disney.com, vintage footage showcasing the history of the Disneyland Hotel (congrats, DH, on the new ranking!), meet and greets with artists Jim Salvati and Robert Olszewski of the Disney Store and Disney Dream, respectively, and characters from Disney Channel’s Jake and the Never Land Pirates.

Then it was time for the 2011 Disney Legends Ceremony, which was, as you might imagine, magical. However, not everyone was able to attend the ceremony, so they had to settle for other really cool things like The Wonderful Words of Disney… Behind the Page: Kingdom Keepers presentation with Ridley Pearson. I would have loved to have attended this event to discuss some of my issues with the continuity, or lack thereof, within the series, but alas, Mr. Pearson was spared my fanboy criticism, and is probably the better for it.Read More »D23 Expo Recap: Day 1

A visit to the Walt Disney Family Museum

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Ed note: welcome back long time blog author Whit Honea. The Walt Disney Family Museum has been lambasted over the fact that it is located in San Francisco rather than in a town with a more direct link to the legacy of its namesake. I… Read More »A visit to the Walt Disney Family Museum

“UP” Gets Two Thumbs, um, Up! Also, Disney Landmarks!

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honea-upIt’s no secret that UP is doing well, and it should, it’s awesome.  Yes, that about sums it up: AWESOME.

My wife and I took the boys (ages 3 and 5, respectively) to an advanced screening at the beautiful El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood, CA, which begs the question why did it take this long to write a review?  Eh, it’s a long story and it can’t compete with anything PIXAR is offering so we’ll just skip the excuses and get straight to the heart of the matter, which happens to be just that, the heart of the matter.  UP is about heart and lots of it.

Sure, the same can be argued for just about anything that Disney-PIXAR has created, and it would all be true, but UP takes the idea to new heights – and I’m not talking balloons here.  It’s an epic love story wrapped in a layer of silly, sweet fun, the likes of which haven’t been seen on screen since, well, WALL-E.

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Bolt: It’s Awesome!

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My family and I attended a showing of Disney’s latest feature Bolt with some friends at the wonderful El Capitan Theatre.  It was awesome. Awesome is a word that gets used a lot, especially by Rhino (the hamster), but it’s not uncalled for.  The movie… Read More »Bolt: It’s Awesome!