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2011

LEGOLAND Florida Aerial Update – Snapping the Bricks Together Slowly

Yesterday the team at LEGOLAND Florida sent over some new pictures showing the progress on the former Cypress Gardens Adventure Park property as it converts to the brick and toy themed park. They’ve done a lot of work preparing the site, but now it’s a rush to get vertical construction and themeing done in time for an October 2011 opening.

LEGOLAND Florida is planned as a 150-acre, full-day family theme park designed specifically for families with children ages 2 to 12.  It will be the largest LEGOLAND Park in the world, featuring more than 50 family rides, shows and interactive attractions, restaurants, shopping and beautiful historic botanical gardens. Currently LEGOLAND Florida annual passes during the park’s inaugural year are available for $99, but pricing for the 15-month ticket will increase May 1.

More aerial shots and a park map below the cut:

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EPCOT Flower and Garden Festival now sponsored by HGTV invites channel’s stars

Preparations are underway at Walt Disney World’s popular EPCOT theme park for the 18th annual International Flower and Garden Festival. It opens March 2nd and runs through May 15th. In addition to the usual fun exhibits and beautiful displays, Disney welcomes a new sponsor to the festival this year with the home improvement channel HGTV importing the celebrities and how-to that will help the festival bloom.

Also returning to EPCOT’s Flower & Garden Festival are Tinker Bell and her Pixie friends promoting the fourth and final (?) film in their direct-to-DVD series. That series continues to improve every year and Disney’s in park promotion for the pixies gets better too. Can’t wait to hear what they bring this year, I hear that they’re introducing a new winter pixie from the next film.

HGTV’s first-time sponsorship will feature weekend appearances by its acclaimed designers and landscaping experts. The star-studded lineup includes Genevieve Gorder, Lisa LaPorta, Kim Myles, Brian Patrick Flynn, Taniya Nayak, Ahmed Hassan, Patti Moreno, Michele Beschen, John Gidding, Frank Fontana, and Vern Yip.

“We are thrilled to welcome HGTV and so many of the network’s great Talent to Epcot this spring,” said Dan Cockerell, vice president of Epcot. “HGTV’s design and gardening personalities add an exciting, and entertaining new element to a festival that reinvents itself year after year.”

Expected appearance dates and more festival information is below the jump:

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Disney Oscar Nominees

Update: boy I was off my game this morning. Missed two more nominees: “Day & Night”: Teddy Newton from Pixar for Best Animated Short and “The Tempest” – Sandy Powell for Costume Design. That makes it 14 total nominations. Apologies to Teddy and Sandy. Congrats… Read More »Disney Oscar Nominees

Fantasyland Expansion impact on Magic Kingdom will be huge

The Disney Parks blog recently announced that February 11, 2011 will be the last day to visit Mickey’s Toontown Fair. That’s nice information to have for those planning vacations. Unfortunately, you really have to plan more than 6 months out these days just to get… Read More »Fantasyland Expansion impact on Magic Kingdom will be huge

Miss America 2011 Contestants Visit Mickey, Minnie and Pals

The contestants for the 2011 Miss America pageant were in Orlando to observe the Miss Teen American competition, so what better to do than visit Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. While there, they ran into Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, and a couple of Princesses – Belle and Cinderella. I think Mickey is enjoying the attention just a little too much. He’s a cheeky fella, don’t tell Minnie.

The Miss America Pageant is returning to ABC for its 90th anniversary. The competition will broadcast live from Las Vegas on Saturday, January 15 at 8 P.M. ET

More deets below the jump:

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Early Video Tour of the Disney Dream

The team at Disney Cruise Lines has produced a nice video that loops together all the concept art they’ve released for the Disney Dream, due to sail for the first time in 2011. I’ve never been on a Disney Cruise and this really makes me… Read More »Early Video Tour of the Disney Dream

Preview of Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital

The presence of the Walt Disney Company in central Florida has brought many good things to the community. But next year one of the best will open. It’s a pediatric care center at the Florida Hospital that will feature 200 beds and a staff of… Read More »Preview of Walt Disney Pavilion at Florida Hospital

Disney working on Enchanted Squeekgual

News from Variety that Walt Disney Studios is developing a sequel to the popular modern fantasy musical “Enchanted.” I like this idea as it allows Disney to gently spoof its own animation product. It’s always good to have a sense of humor about one’s self.… Read More »Disney working on Enchanted Squeekgual