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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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Come see Buzz and Buzz at the Magic Kingdom on Friday

There have now been two spacemen named Buzz in space. Buzz Lightyear returned from one year on the International Space Station in September. Buzz Aldrin, of course, famously walked on the moon (and provided the inspiration for the toy’s name). If you’re at the Magic… Read More »Come see Buzz and Buzz at the Magic Kingdom on Friday

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

Celebrate! A Street Party

The LA Times travel blog has details on the upcoming “Celebrate! A Street Party” calvacade that will be showing up at Disneyland in late March. There’s also some concept art that gives you an idea of what to expect. In Florida, the “Move It! Shake… Read More »Celebrate! A Street Party

Ode to a Silly Reindeer

Disneyana collector and artist Kevin Kidney pines for the fun, furry, and, most importantly, silly reindeer of the 1960-90s era Disneyland Christmas Parade. These lovable animals survived until 2003, but sadly they’ve been replaced by a more straight-laced species. Kevin’s latest post is a nice… Read More »Ode to a Silly Reindeer

Miley Cyrus at Disney World Christmas Day Parade

Singing superstar Miley Cyrus shines in 2008 Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade TV special, Dec. 25 on ABC-TV. Miley Cyrus performed Dec. 6, 2008 at the Magic Kingdom in Orlando while taping a segment of the “Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade,” to be… Read More »Miley Cyrus at Disney World Christmas Day Parade

Michael Phelps celebrates his Olympic Victory at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

Direct from the Beijing Games Olympic Gold Medalist and world champion swimmer Michael Phelps celebrated his unprecedented achievement with an all-American homecoming parade in his honor at Walt Disney World Resort this morning. In a star-spangled salute amidst confetti and thousands of flag-waving fans in the Magic Kingdom, Phelps was honored for his record-setting wins and for the spirit in which he captivated the world in his quest for Gold.

The 23-year-old from Baltimore beamed as he rode through the park alongside Mickey Mouse, waving to fans who chanted his name.  Magic Kingdom guests joined in “America’s Homecoming Parade” for the swimmer who broke records in each event he entered in Beijing. For Phelps, who also was honored in Disney parades at both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Park in California following the 2004 Summer Games, it was a sweet homecoming to the United States and to see fans who supported him in his quest for Gold in Beijing.

“I am so happy to celebrate here and see some of the fans who supported me,” said Phelps. “It’s great to feel so much excitement around the sport of swimming in the U.S. and around the world.  To top it all off with a parade at Disney World is just incredible.”

During his celebration in the Magic Kingdom, Phelps also took time to meet a group of local swimmers from the central Florida area. The aspiring young swimmers had the chance to talk with Phelps, ask about his record-breaking experiences and see the Gold Medals he won in Beijing.

Phelps, who has announced he will train for the 2012 Games, now owns the record for most Gold Medals in a single event (8) and for a career (14).

All photos Copyright Disney. More photos below the cut:

Read More »Michael Phelps celebrates his Olympic Victory at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom

Eli Manning planning a Victory Parade at Disneyland after all

We’re still waiting to find out if Super bowl MVP Eli Manning really meant it when he said "I’m Going To Disneyland". We’re more than a month onward and he still hasn’t found time to honor his promise. The LA Times is now reporting that… Read More »Eli Manning planning a Victory Parade at Disneyland after all