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Spring Will Bring 75-day International Flower & Garden Festival to EPCOT

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Winter isn’t even technically here, but already I can smell the faint aroma of fresh flowers and giant topiary. It will all snap into place on March 4-May 17, 2015 as EPCOT blooms with a fresh take on lush gardens, inspired flavors and lively entertainment during the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. At 75-days, the festival is nearly as long as Spring itself.

This year there will be new Disney character topiary, including a nod to the blockbuster animated film, “Frozen,” which will offer colorful #selfie and family photo ops. Outdoor Kitchens will serve a fresh take on sweet and savory noshes. And guests can get “hands-on” with festival fun during Disney-led gardening seminars.

More details are below the jump:Read More »Spring Will Bring 75-day International Flower & Garden Festival to EPCOT

Magic Kingdom Plaza Improvement – November 2014 Construction Update

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The Plaza (or Hub) at the Magic Kingdom is undergoing a major renovation in order to improve guest flow during the busy show and parade times. We’re back with another look at the progress made so far. We had two updates in September, but we actually skipped October. So there’s been quite a bit of progress since we last checked in.

The side closer to Crystal Palace is closer to completion. You can start to see where the viewing area/garden area will take shape as well a the new path that will lead from near Crystal Palace into the hub. The Tomorrowland Terrace side is a bit further behind, and there’s more work to be done as they also have to build a new seating area in front of the Plaza Restaurant.

The end result of this construction will be a wider area leading from Main Street to the Hub. There will be two garden areas that can be used for fireworks viewing parties, expanded outside seating for Casey’s Jr and some much needed seating for the Ice Cream Palace and Starbucks.

Continue the tour below:Read More »Magic Kingdom Plaza Improvement – November 2014 Construction Update

Creating Gingerbread Houses at Walt Disney World

Matt Avery, pastry chef for Boardwalk Inn, helped make some of this year’s amazing life size Christmas Gingerbread Houses you can find in many of Walt Disney World’s great resorts. He also helped create some of the delicious treats you can buy at the nearby… Read More »Creating Gingerbread Houses at Walt Disney World

7 Walt Disney World Upgrades I would like to see.

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There’s a lot of talk about a major upgrade coming to Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom is getting a whole land based on James Cameron’s Avatar. Both big projects that will help Disney stay relevant for another generation. But there are some smaller projects Disney could implement on a shorter timescale that would also have a big Impact.

1. Night time parade at the Magic Kingdom – With “Festival of Fantasy,” the Magic Kingdom finally has a modern day parade, now it’s time to re-light the night. It’s time to ditch the 70s era tech of the Electrical Parade and paint the street and sky with a parade as-yet unseen in the states. There are a couple candidates out there in Asian parks, but I’d also be happy to see something original.

2. Rivers of America – First, Disney needs to bring back more boats to the river, something like a steamboat from “The Princess and the Frog” would do nicely. Then they need to upgrade existing show scenes and add more to make a cohesive story. Ideally, the River would transform at night into a dinner or dessert cruise with a Jazz Band aboard the new ship.

3. Conservation station/ Rafiki’s Planet Watch – Update the animal care message, include more success stories (Disney has a ton of them), remove train and add more up close animal encounters with new-to-the-park animals. I suggest animals from Polynesia / Australia to capitalize on upcoming movies and Finding Nemo.Read More »7 Walt Disney World Upgrades I would like to see.

Disney World makes land grab for additional resort development

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A few weeks ago, we went over some of the possible scenarios for expansion at Disney’s Hollywood Studios along with completion of on-going and announced projects (Part 1 and Part 2 if you missed it). Yesterday, news dropped of a deal that will make it all possible.

What we didn’t mention in those posts was a rumored mega-land purchase by Disney that some fans were saying was a clear sign of a fifth gate being built. I didn’t want to breath life into any crazy rumors like that, so I ended up not posting that story. However, events have changed my mind.

As Walt Disney said about building in Florida, Disney has the blessing of space. 43 square miles is just a little larger than the city of San Francisco. But what you may not realize is that quite a bit of that area is dedicated to wetlands and conservation. Most of the resort that isn’t are already developed is zoned for conservation (see map below).
Read More »Disney World makes land grab for additional resort development

Why is Disney leaving Christmas off its MVMCP ads?

In billboards in town and on its digital marketing ads, Disney has decided to leave the word “Christmas” off its promotions for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This has raised the eyebrows of more than a few. If the official name of the event is… Read More »Why is Disney leaving Christmas off its MVMCP ads?

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Merchandise Preview

The first Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is this Friday and Disney has provided this preview of merchandise that will be available to event guests. There is a beautiful looking MagicBand with Mickey and Minnie on it. That’s the first MagicBand with the popular pair… Read More »Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Merchandise Preview

Disney Springs To Open Westside Parking Garage to Guests in Late November

Just in time for holiday season shopping rush, Downtown Disney will open part of the new Westside Parking Garage to guests in late November. That extra capacity is much needed and I’m sure it will be appreciated. Some Cast Members who work at Downtown Disney… Read More »Disney Springs To Open Westside Parking Garage to Guests in Late November