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Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Daddy’s Day Report


A small collection of movie props at Great Moments with Mr. Disney.

I wanted to go to Magic Kingdom yesterday to see the Tiki birds (who, I’m told, have evicted the previous management (Techcrunch anyone?)), strangely enough, I still haven’t managed to find time to see the revised show yet, but Indigo has been watching Roller Coaster POV videos on Youtube again and wants to ride Rock-n-Roller coaster. Guess who wins this argument?


It was nice to see the car back out in front of Sci-Fi Diner, but they already need to replace the cool Disney emblem. Um, btw, why isn’t that for sale somewhere in the park?

Daddy, the old softy, and kiddo show up at Disney’s Hollywood Studios with the usual good timing, right as they’re parking the last row of Magic or whatever that section is that’s closest to the gate. This is actually a good thing. You know, fill up the parking lot sections closest to the park entrance first. I have to wonder if this is a change that new park VP Dan Cockerell affected somehow, or just a random change someone in the parking lot team decided to try.

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AMC Dine-In Theatre opens at Downtown Disney Orlando

The new AMC Dine-in Theatre Downtown Disney 24 opened this week bringing a new concept in entertainment to Orlando. The “Fork & Screen” section of the complex occupies 6 theaters with one central kitchen and a bar area where guests can relax before or after… Read More »AMC Dine-In Theatre opens at Downtown Disney Orlando

The Walt Disney Company to Donate up to $3.5 Million to Japan Recovery Effort

The Walt Disney Company has had a presence in Japan almost 30 years and the animation products produced by Walt Disney have a huge following in Japan. So to say there is a lot of goodwill between the Disney legacy and the people of Japan is an understatement. It’s terrific to see the Disney company and its employees reach out to make a sizable donation to help the people of Japan in their time of emergency.

According the press release below, The Walt Disney Company and its employees will send as much as $1.5 million to the relief effort. $2.5 in an initial donation to the American Red Cross and up to another $1 million in employee donations and matching funds to the Red Cross and Save the Children. That’s a pretty sizable sum and a great gesture from Disney.

Additionally Disney has reached out to both US and international employees in Tokyo with help and the OLC will provide those international cast who desire it a round-trip ticket home and then back to Tokyo when the park opens again.

The full press release is below the jump:

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Disneyland expands sign interpretation for guests with hearing disabilities

One of my favorite memories of the holidays at Disneyland is the Candlelight Processional. A full orchestra and hundreds of voices singing in unison in the choir make for an impressive show. But if you really want to be impressed keep your eye on the… Read More »Disneyland expands sign interpretation for guests with hearing disabilities

Lost Season 6: The Substitute (Episode 4)

Usually, when I watch LOST I know I’m going to write a recap about it. I have a don’t-forget-about-that eye going in. Last night about 20 minutes in I said, “Oh, I just remembered, I’m going to recap this tomorrow.” I think it’s because I have NO IDEA what is going on in this final season of Lost. Although I’ve been confused for the last few seasons, we’ve still had this sense of an obvious journey to a resolution (ie. getting off The Island). Now we’re introduced to two new story lines: new LA and the Locke-ness Monster’s (Doc Jensen‘s title, my fave!) mission. Am I the only one who feels a little out of sorts?

Of course, this episode could not have been any more exciting for me because it involves my two most favorite people: Locke and Sawyer. So, who should we start with? How about the actual real (dead) Locke…

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Princess Tiana now ruling over the Magic Kingdom

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Princess Tiana appears in a horse drawn carriage fit for an American Princess.

Yesterday marked the official opening of a 15 week run for Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee at Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. As I posted earlier, the show envelopes guests into being part of the show, a great experience for the guests involved, but how would it play for the rest of the park attendees? Turns out, pretty amazing.

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For the special ceremony New Orleans dancers led Princess Tiana to the castle.

The Princess and The Frog is an American story at its root and it features the first African American Princess. The park is really excited about promoting the first new princess in 12 years, so they rolled out some big guns for the press event. One of those was Bruce Smith, the lead animator on Dr. Facilier, the main villain of the movie.

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Characters representing current inhabitants of the Magic Kingdom welcome Princess Tiana to the fold.

There was also a wonderful display of merchandise that Disney spent the last two years creating. Some of it, like the theme park exclusive Princess Tiana dress, has been for sale in the park for two weeks and is already flying off the shelves.

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A royal proclamation is read.

But the focus of the day was the introduction of Princess Tiana to the park and the official debut of Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee. TSJ has three distinct parts, and while it’s possible to catch all three, if you can only pick one, make sure to choose the middle part performed on the Liberty Belle when it stops in front of Splash Mountain.

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The regular show will take place three times daily on the Liberty Belle with a procession leading to and from the boat before and after each performance.

The show is currently only scheduled to run through January 3rd, 2010 as a tie-in to the movie’s launch on December 11th. It’s my hope they extend this show at least through the summer. The show was already drawing huge crowds without the benefit of the movie even being in theaters, I imagine it will continue to grow once it’s seen by the public.

Lots more photos below the jump, so come on down

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Leave Murphy Alone (also new Fantasmic Dragon debuts at Disneyland)

So last night wast the debut of ‘Murphy’ the new Fantasmic! Dragon at Disneyland. Murphy got her name because of the problems Disneyland Entertainment experienced trying to get the huge effect to work properly. As such it took quite a ribbing from Disney fans, even during its debut. I have to say I love this particular response:

Although the supposedly impressive fire didn’t work, follow belong the jump for actual video of Murphy’s debut performance:
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What happens when it rains on Disney’s parade

If you’ve visited a Disney theme park more than a couple of times then there is a good chance you’ve had a parade or show delayed or canceled by inclement weather. But its a relatively rare occasion when a parade is already under way and… Read More »What happens when it rains on Disney’s parade