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Disneyland Hotel to finally get makeover it deserves

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From almost the moment the Walt Disney Company took over ownership of the Disneyland Hotel from the Wrather company in 1988 the question has been, will they keep the towers or remodel them. So far during every renovation the answer has ‘keep the towers’.

There had been some rumors that one or more of the towers was scheduled for demolition in the next scheduled renovation, but it now looks like that plan has been scuttled (likely due to the economy) and again they’ll be focusing on making each room a masterpiece as best they can while constrained by the original tower specifications.

That said, there’s a lot of really cool stuff included this time around, including another remake of the hotel grounds, green upgrades, and some crafty use of fiber optics to make your hotel stay dramatically more magical. For instance, the backboard (seen above) features fiber optic fireworks above Sleeping Beauty Castle and a hidden mickey too!.

The full press release highlighting this round of changes, along with more photos of what the finished room will look like, is below the cut:

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Get paid to play in Orlando in “67 Days of Smiles” promotion

Inspired, no doubt, by the Australian promo where one lucky soul is paid to spend a year living on an island paradise and using social media to tell the world about his experience, the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau has come up with a very similar idea. One lucky couple will be paid to enjoy 67 days of fun and excitment exploring everything the Orlando area has to offer.

The Orlando CVB says the selected pair will do everything from roller coaster riding to hang gliding, swimming with dolphins, golfing, shopping, gator wrestling, museum exploring, theatre-going and more.

As the winning pair, you’ll be expected to report on your experiences using cell phones, a digital video camera and still camera supplied to you and share your 67 Days of Smiles with the world through social media tools like blogs, Twitter and Facebook.

The “67 Days of Smiles” will begin this year in late August and end in early November. Both people in the pair must be over 21 and pairs can be any combination of friends, family, or co-workers. All pairs are required to complete a personal profile; submit 500 words in English regarding why their smiles should be chosen; and upload a 60 second or less video in English of both applicants along with photos of both applicants at VisitOrlando.com/67DaysofSmiles by June 30, 2009.

The full press release is below the cut:

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Robobama coming to Walt Disney World

We’ve known for sometime that the Hall of Presidents attraction at the Magic Kingdom was getting a fairly large makeover. A new film, new narrator, and, of course, a new President. But the details as laid out in today’s NY Times are really impressive. The… Read More »Robobama coming to Walt Disney World

SeaWorld Manta, That’s How I Roll

Although it’s been in soft openings for a few weeks, Orlando’s newest coaster (and it’s first flying coaster) Manta officially opens tomorrow. Today was press day at SeaWorld Orlando and one of the options was to ride with the ‘Manta Cam’ where you get a… Read More »SeaWorld Manta, That’s How I Roll

Lose your job, get your vacation refunded at Universal

In a bold move that emulates the successful marketing idea of some car makers by offering a recession special one of Orlando’s major theme parks is offering a great deal… book your vacation of three or more nights at Universal Orlando and they’ll offer you… Read More »Lose your job, get your vacation refunded at Universal

Garden Grove’s International West finally gets first site

International West, a planned series of tourist districts in Garden Grove, has finally had its first tenant approved. A new 600 room hotel and 6 acre water park has just been approved by the city council. Of course, with this economy, don’t believe anything until… Read More »Garden Grove’s International West finally gets first site

The Moms of Disney’s Animal Kingdom

It’s Mother’s Day weekend and the crew at Disney’s Animal Kingdom wanted to show how several new mothers are celebrating a bit differently than the typical vacationing guest. For starters, they aren’t on vacation. They live at Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.… Read More »The Moms of Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Manta Madness at SeaWorld Orlando

This year sees two major new coasters coming to Orlando. SeaWorld is first on the scene with its new Manta ‘Flying’ Roller Coaster. Guests will feel like they’re soaring over Orlando and aquatic life as they zoom around the park’s entrance area.

Thanks to @RealShamu and @Doterati I got the chance to experience the attraction three times tonight. It was a pretty intense experience, especially in the back row, so three times was just about enough. But I think I could have ridden it all night if I stayed in the middle rows (4 or 5).

Here’s a little video of the unique load and unload process that SeaWorld uses for Manta.

The Roller Coaster ‘Manta’ opens officially on May 22nd, but it’s unofficially open as of Noon on May 5th.

Click below the jump cut for some photos from the evening.

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