Mike and Julie Neal, co-authors of The Complete Guide to Walt Disney World, can be counted on for providing the absolute best most useful information in a format that’s easy to digest. Now the Neals have a new format for their books that enables them… Read More »Free Guide to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
Disney’s Community involvement results in a ton of great stories. It’s always been my pleasure to share how support from The Mouse is helping an endangered species, cleaning the environment, or helping a non-profit. Today’s story focuses on Disney’s efforts to promote the the importance of science, technology, engineering, and math.
Students coached by Disney engineers took home the top honors from the 14th annual College Bowl during the HENAAC conference in New Orleans. One highlight from the annual conference held by Great Minds in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) was the team’s creation of a fantastical magic carpet model designed during a timed challenge.
Great Minds in STEM hosts the HENAAC College Bowl each year to encourage and recognize a new generation of STEM talent and help create a diverse workforce. The conference includes seminars, networking, internship and recruitment opportunities for attendees.Read More »Disney World Engineers Help Students Win STEM Prize
Disney is continuing to roll out MagicBands, the handy dandy alternative to your Key to the World Card, across property. While Disney originally planned to roll out the bands property-wide by the middle of this month, it now appears that testing will continue at least through November. What does this mean for you? Well, if you’re going to Disney World between now and Christmas you’ll most likely use the bands, although you should monitor the situation. Using the bands isn’t complicated, but it requires you to take several steps before you travel. First things first, you’ll want to get set up online with Disney.
1. Go to MyDisneyExperience.com and log into your account. If you don’t have one, you’ll want to create an account, which takes only a few minutes.
2. Once there, add your resort reservation. This is your confirmation number and the lead guest’s last name. You can customize each guest with a cute Disney-themed avatar at this time. If you have a Disney package, your tickets will be automatically added. If you don’t have tickets on your package, you’ll have to have to add them manually. This can be a problem if you’re buying them at check-in, because you can’t choose fastpasses until you have a valid ticket.Read More »Part of Disney’s MagicBands Testing? Here’s Everything you Need to Know.
Editor: I want to thank my wife Stacey for going to this event and sending back this report. I would have required hazard pay. They’re here!! The Vera Bradley Disney bags arrived last month and they are super cute. If you love Vera Bradley, and… Read More »New Vera Bradley Disney Bags and Giveaway
Early Saturday morning here in Orlando, but mid-day Japan time at the first D23 expo in that country, Disney revealed big news with the first concept art for the new AVATAR land coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2017. Today they’ve released the video James Cameron and Walt Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde filmed for the D23 announcement.
It highlights the creative work underway on the AVATAR-inspired land coming to Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The promise the new AVATAR-inspired land will be a transformational experience that you’ll remember for the rest of your life. Sounds pretty good to me, what do you think?
Make sure you watch through. At the 3:00 mark there’s a preview of the ‘Soarin’ over Pandora’ attraction in pre-viz mode and then some wow moment bio-luminescence technology.
A few interesting frame caps from the video are below with my comments:
Read More »New Avatar-land concept art and video from James Cameron and Joe Rohde
Disney Parks Chair Tom Staggs was the first to reach out to Director James Cameron with the idea to bring the worlds of Avatar to life at Disney’s theme parks. At Japan’s D23 event, Staggs shared the most details yet about the exciting plans for the first Avatar-land to be built at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.
Currently scheduled to open in 2017, Avatar will take guests to the mythical world of Pandora, inspired by Cameron’s Avatar. The awe-inspiring land of floating mountains, bio-luminescence rainforests and soaring Banshees will become real for Disney guests to see, hear and touch. The Avatar-inspired land will be part of the largest expansion in Disney’s Animal Kingdom history.
Four pieces of concept art and one photo of Staggs, Cameron and Imagineer Joe Rohde were published. These appear to confirm many of the rumors about the land, including the presence of a boat ride and an emphasis on the bioluminescent glowing plants night effects that wowed so many in the movies. Guests will also be able to soar into the sky on the backs of a Banshee. The latter, is expected to be a motion platform projection movie experience similar to Soarin’ but with the latest digital technology (and most-likely 3D).
Read More »Avatar Revealed in New Concept Art and Model for Disney’s Animal Kingdom
Here’s a little blast from the past; a video from 1989 that details the making of Disney-MGM Studios. The park, even with a new name, has lost touch with the original vision articulated in that video. We keep hearing rumors about how Disney’s Hollywood Studios… Read More »Videopolis: The Making of Disney MGM Studios
What’s your favorite Disney memory or even your worst? Some things that happen in Disney parks that are universal: The first time you saw the castle, eating at Cinderella’s Royal Table, watching the fireworks at night. All of these make for special memories but sometimes… Read More »Your Disney Memories.