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2014 Hidden Mickey Pins to Be Arriving Soon

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If you’re a fan of trading pins at the parks, you’ll be excited to hear that the Hidden Mickey pins for 2014 will be released soon to cast members! The first wave will feature favorite characters and attractions from both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, as well as the “it’s a small world” collection that will be shared between parks to mark the famous attraction’s 50th anniversary.

From the selection of Disneyland pins, I’m especially loving the Tiki Faces and Oswald. And the tiles, which are inspired by the art on Carthay Circle on Buena Vista Street, are also great collectibles.

And for the Walt Disney World collection, the Parking Lot signs are back again, along with some new choices. I particularly like the Colorful Pascal (because he’s the best Disney sidekick ever) and the Character Sketch Pads.

Pictures of the Wave A pins from Disneyland and Walt Disney World are below:
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Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland Filming at Disneyland This Week

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Ever wonder why there hasn’t been a sequel to Pixar’s The Incredibles yet? That’s because Director Brad Bird has been having too much fun making live action films. His current project sounds like it will entertain Disney fans and loves of a good thriller at the same time. The plot of Tomorrowland is said to be a mystery wrapped in an enigma (which you can say about nearly anything LOST writer Damon Lindelof is involved with), but it definitely is set in mid-60s Disneyland for at least some of the film.

Here’s the plot synopsis:

Bound by a shared destiny, a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor jaded by disillusionment embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space that exists in their collective memory as “Tomorrowland.”

See enigma!

The production has, in fact, been filming at Disneyland this week. Today they’re at “it’s a small world”, conveniently already painted its original color scheme. LaughingPlace.com has a reporter on the scene and has been posting some pictures on Twitter.

More below the jump:
Read More »Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland Filming at Disneyland This Week

The Candy Caper – A Walt Story

I love reading first hand accounts of Disneyland cast members encounters with Walt Disney. We have had our own little series here on the blog from my Aunt Linda, but here’s a story from a cast member who worked the Storybook Canal Boats in the… Read More »The Candy Caper – A Walt Story

Disneyland Dining: Discover The Secrets Insiders Know

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The dining scene at Disneyland has seen many changes in recent years. DCA’s re-launch added some amazing options while Disneyland retooled its menus just slightly, and upgraded a few popular locations with more space and more options. Needless to say, the choices can leave the new or infrequent visitor scratching their heads.

Here are some “insider tips” to help all guests find the best Disneyland dining options:

Favorite spots for outdoor dining: The terrace at Wine Country Trattoria, the patio at Carthay Circle Restaurant and the back patio at Flo’s V-8 Cafe in Cars Land, all at Disney California Adventure Park; Carnation Cafe on Main Street, U.S.A., the front porch of Plaza Inn and River Belle Terrace (where we’re told Walt Disney used to have breakfast on Sunday mornings), all in Disneyland Park; the terrace at Napa Rose, Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa; Uva Bar, Downtown Disney District.

Most romantic dinner spot: It’s a toss-up between Napa Rose at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa (above) and a corner table at Steakhouse 55 in the Disneyland Hotel.Read More »Disneyland Dining: Discover The Secrets Insiders Know

Best Food and Dining Values at Disneyland

Planning a trip to Disneyland doesn’t have to break the bank, at least when it comes to food. If you know where to go, you can find economy-minded choices for delicious dining and save a little to spend on dessert or that souvenir you’ve been dying to have.

The good news is you won’t be stuck with hot dogs and hamburgers either.  Here are over 40 interesting options for inexpensive dining ($11 or less) at the Disneyland Resort:

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At Disneyland Park

  • Village Haus Restaurant in Fantasyland (chicken sausage with sauerkraut on a pretzel roll  or apple and cheddar salad with red and green apples, cheddar cheese, fresh greens, Craisins Dried Cranberries, golden raisins, candied walnuts and honey-yogurt dressing)
  • The Bengal Barbecue in Adventureland (bacon-wrapped asparagus, vegetable, chicken or beef skewers)
  • Rancho del Zocalo Restaurante in Frontierland (three-cheese enchiladas with red chile sauce)
  • Carnation Café on Main Street, U.S.A. (a bowl of loaded baked potato soup)
  • The Golden Horseshoe in Frontierland (fish and chips)
  • Hungry Bear in Critter Country (fried green tomato sandwich, turkey and provolone sandwich, chicken salad sandwich)
  • Redd Rockett’s Pizza Port in Tomorrowland (slice of veggie pizza, tomato-basil pasta (pictured above))
  • Royal Street Veranda in New Orleans Square (gumbo or creamy chowder in a sourdough bowl)
  • Tomorrowland Terrace (veggie sandwich, grilled chicken chop salad)

Read More »Best Food and Dining Values at Disneyland

Behind the Scenes on Jessica Chastain’s Disney Dream Portrait Shoot with Annie Leibovitz

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Earlier this week famed photographer of the stars Annie Leibovitz added Jessica Chastain to the list of celebrities she has featured in her Disney Dream Portraits series. The famous redhead portrayed Pixar’s first princess, also a redhead, Merida from the hit animated feature Brave.

Today we get two exciting videos that take us behind the scenes of the photo shoot and reveal how the magic is made. (Love the fake horse in the shot above. Makes sense though.) Appropriately enough for the Scottish princess, the photo shoot took place in an area of Cold Spring, New York known as the Hudson Highlands.

Turns out Chastain is a fan of a certain activity enjoyed by many guests at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World – Pin Trading. Below she shares her Pin Trading strategy:Read More »Behind the Scenes on Jessica Chastain’s Disney Dream Portrait Shoot with Annie Leibovitz

Still Need a New Year’s Resolution? How About Planning a Free Disney Vacation?

This year Disney’s resolution is to get more families to spend time together, and what better way to do so than to give out free vacation packages? Yes, you read that correctly. Every day until January 31st Disney will be giving out a vacation-a-day to… Read More »Still Need a New Year’s Resolution? How About Planning a Free Disney Vacation?

Pixar Creates ‘Toy Story Nutcracker’ for ‘World of Color—Winter Dreams’

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“World of Color—Winter Dreams,” the holiday version of Disney’s spectacular nighttime show “World of Color,” has arrived in Disney California Adventure Park and will be showing until January 6th, so there’s still time to get out there and see it. The show will be hosted by Olaf, the adorable snowman from “Frozen,” and one of the highlights will be Pixar’s Toy Story Nutcracker segment.

In the mini show, everyone’s favorite toys will dance and perform in a parody of Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker,” directed and arranged by Woody. The performance will feature the characters in several hilarious scenes, from Woody and Jessie dancing to their western version of the “Russian Dance” to Rex in his tutu continuously creating problems for the little green aliens, which was inspired by the mushroom scene in “Fantasia.”

I like the fact that Pixar is expanding their reach beyond full-length films with Toy Story of Terror and now Toy Story Nutcracker, because it’s fun to see these characters beyond the big screen. Now if only Pixar would continue this trend with their other beloved movie characters…

Haven’t been able to make it to see World of Color — Winter Dreams in person, me neither, but thanks to Attractions Magazine, we can watch the whole thing on Youtube. So pour yourself a nice cup of joe and follow us below the jump:
Read More »Pixar Creates ‘Toy Story Nutcracker’ for ‘World of Color—Winter Dreams’