Dreaming of a weekend getaway to the Happiest Place on Earth and wondering if you can do it without spending a whole lot? Here are some helpful tips to make it happen: Research + Planning = The Most Bang for Your Buck Packages: Booking a… Read More »Plan an Affordable Weekend Trip to Disneyland
Here’s our viral video of the day, perhaps the year. Jamin proposes to his girlfriend of six years, Valerie in a very special way – a dance flash mob at Downtown Disney at the Disneyland Resort. See another angle of the dance flash mob here.… Read More »Downtown Disney Dance Flash Mob Marriage Proposal Viral Video
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
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.
While 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
Update: Check out this Imagineering video recorded by Orlando Attractions Magazine. It shows some of the development that went into the Dwarf’s Mine Ride coming (we hope) to Magic Kingdom’s Fantasyland expansion:
Two videos have been released before the Expo floor opens up this morning. A lot of great stuff to see there. A real wonderland of Disney history and upcoming attractions (I think I saw Storybook Circus in there).
A video with hosts from from Shake It Up below the jump:
For years, the Disneyland hotel has been the black sheep of the Disney owned hotels in Anaheim. It’s age and location left it the least desirable property of the three hotels. But the culmination of upgrades made over the last 5 years have finally paid off. AAA has bestowed its coveted 2012 Four Diamond award upon the landmark Disneyland Hotel making it the second property at the Disneyland Resort to secure such a high rating.
Only four percent of the 31,000 hotel properties AAA reviews achieve this enviable distinction. In fact, in order to become a five star resort you need to have a golf course and on-site spa. These are conditions Disneyland’s hotels can never meet. So four stars is really a great score.
“This is tremendous news, especially for the 1,000 Cast Members who work at the Disneyland Hotel and create magical experiences for our guests,” said Tony Bruno, vice president resort hotels and Downtown Disney. “The award underscores our continued investment in the guest experience and all our ongoing work, which has transformed the Disneyland Resort and Anaheim into Southern California’s world-class, multiday tourist destination.”
Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa also is a AAA Four Diamond award winner and is home to yet another AAA Four Diamond recipient: the popular Napa Rose restaurant.
“North America’s AAA Diamond Rating System is a long-time trusted systematic method of rating lodgings and restaurants,” said the Auto Club’s Approved Accommodations Supervisor Patricia Marenco. “Southern California’s hotels and restaurants that earn the AAA Four Diamond award maintain a very high standard of service in their hotels and restaurants in order to continue pleasing their guests.”
Earlier this summer, the Disneyland Hotel marked a milestone in the property’s major “re-imagination” project with the opening of a new courtyard, restaurant, bar, pool and water play area.
In a project that finished today, nearly 300 volunteers from the local community, Disneyland and other Disney VoluntEARs, city of Anaheim, Thomas Edison Elementary School and Anaheim Family YMCA united to build a new KaBOOM! playground and learning garden for hundreds of Anaheim children. The… Read More »Disneyland Cast Members Help Community Build New KaBOOM! Playground in Anaheim
With the World Premier of Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides set for tomorrow night, final touches along Disneyland’s Rivers of America are underway. In addition to the New Orleans Square theater setup, bleachers are expected on Main Street allowing up to 10,000 fans… Read More »Disneyland’s Rivers of America invaded again for Pirates 4