I was fortunate enough to be the guest of Disney for the opening of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawai’i. The place is fantastic.
Before the trip I wasn’t sure whether or not the magic of Hawai’i needed a touch of Disney’s, but the fit is seamless. The combined storytelling of the islands and the mouse make for an amazing adventure. Really. I’m already making plans to return with my family so that they can also enjoy all that Aulani has to offer.
Youtube user michael20183 is back with more video from the Hong Kong Disneyland expansion. They’re adding three mini-lands and work is nearing completion on one of them:
Also, below the jump video of the RC Racer attraction doing testing:
In case you’ve been under a rock (Pride Rock?) you probably know that Disney has put a shiny coat of 3D magic on the classic film, Lion King. Saturday was the world premiere of Disney’s Lion King 3D at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Yes, I know I just said “the the” and I’m okay with it.
The Disney Blog had press credentials, so I took my fancy camera (read, iPhone) and my talent (read, 8-year-old son Atticus) and bellied up to the green carpet to let the stars come to us — which they did by the limo-ful (or whatever they drove, I didn’t have to valet this time).
Sadly, my iPhone couldn’t capture sound and picture with any clarity. I blame the thousands of people around us and the gentle lullaby of Hollywood Blvd. And by “gentle” I mean loud and freaky. Rather than have video without audio I went with the still photographs and casual conversation. Plus, my son was a little too nervous to conduct the interviews, and it was really, really hot out. We decided to play it cool, which works for us.
It’s a two-fer with our second Behind the Scenes video of the day. This time it’s a look at The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. EPIC, as it’s called by Cast Members, celebrated its 22nd anniversary last week and is still… Read More »Behind the Scenes at The Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular
I love this little skit from D23 that Ricky Brigante caught and put up on youtube. It shows Disney Parks & Resorts President Tom Staggs doing a variety of cast member jobs as he takes over the position from Jay Rasulo. Quite funny, huh! It’s… Read More »Disney Parks Chief Is Every Cast Member
Walt Disney Imagineer Joe Rhode moved to the Aulani project a few months into its life. Since then he’s focused on adding the sort of details that Disney’s Animal Kingdom became famous for under his leadership. With the hotel’s grand opening coming August 29th, Rhode… Read More »Imagineer Joe Rhode Video Tour of Aulani – Disney’s Hawaiian Resort
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:
I don’t know about you, but I can’t get enough of the “UP! House” in Herriman, Utah. Here’s a more cinematic style video tour of the house from a professional videographer. The Pixar “UP House” is part of the Parade of Homes in the Salt… Read More »Pixar UP! House – Impressive New Video Tour
Before the trip I wasn’t sure whether or not the magic of Hawai’i needed a touch of Disney’s, but the fit is seamless. The combined storytelling of the islands and the mouse make for an amazing adventure. Really. I’m already making plans to return with my family so that they can also enjoy all that Aulani has to offer.
