Random WDW Picture

One of the most colorful sight in all of WDW. This, of course, is at Epcot in front of the Imagination pavilion.



Zz.

Joy To The Small World

Awwww........ This will either make you very happy, or it will make you barf! :)



Zz.

When It Rains, It Pours For Johnny Depp

Just as the media was reporting a whopping $35 million paycheck for Johnny Depp to star in the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie, People Magazine has named him as the 2009 Sexiest Man Alive. This is his second designation, with only Brad Pitt and George Clooney having the distinction of receiving this twice.

It's good to be Johnny Depp.

Zz.

Disneyland's New Audio-Animatronic Lincoln

Video of the new Lincoln audio-animatronic at Disneyland's "Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln" attraction.



The comment accompanying this YouTube video claims that it is the "... most sophisticated audio animatronic to date... " Does that mean that the Yeti at Expedition Everest no longer holds that distinction? :)

Well, I just hope that Mr. Lincoln works more consistently than that Yeti, which seems to break down almost on every EE ride that I've been on lately. What's the point of having something that sophisticated, and spending all that money, when it doesn't work more than half of the time?

Zz.

Johnny Depp Officially Signs On For Pirates 4

It looks like getting Johnny Depp to start in the next Pirates movie will cost Disney dearly. Reports are indicating that Depp will get a sum of $35 million to star in the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie.

This makes the probability of the budget of the movie going through the roof very likely.

Now, will this movie be shown in 3D? That's the remaining question! :)

Zz.

Holidays at Disneyland 2009

Videos of holidays at Disneyland this year. Looks very festive!



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No More Pin Trading Tables At Downtown Disney?

(Thanks to Ralph for discovering this rumor)

It seems that we have unconfirmed reports that the pin trading tables right next to the Pin Station in Downtown Disney has been leveled. No more pin trading tables! Can someone who was there within the past 2 days confirm this?

The pin trading activities at that spot had been restricted severely during the past few months. It included limiting pin traders to only one pin trading book and to only one table. They must have had problems and issues with pin traders (or sharks) at that location for them to institute these restrictions. These restrictions don't exist at other pin trading tables in the parks as far as I know.

I've made a few trades with pin traders there, but never anything substantial, and never brought my own book to stand there and waiting for people to come and trade. So I won't say that I'll miss it.

Zz.

Random WDW Picture

This, of course, is the walkway from the Hub to Tomorrowland.



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DisneyWorld sweepstakes at Amazon.com

Amazon.com is running a Disney-themed sweepstakes for this week only. The Grand Prize includes a trip for 4 people to DisneyWorld in Orlando, FL including a 5 night stay at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, A 5 day pass to all the DisneyWorld theme parks and water parks, and a $2,000 Disney gift card, plus a Wii console, games, and Blu-Ray DVDs.

To be entered for the sweepstakes, you'll need to either create an Amazon.com wish list, add an item to your existing wish list, or send an item from your wish list to a friend in order to be entered.

For more information and rules, visit http://www.amazon.com

Princess Tiana at Disneyland

A video of the already-popular Princess Tiana at Disneyland.



Zz.

Disney Stores Black Friday Opens At Midnight

OK shoppers, get your wallet and credit cards ready. Disney Stores will open at midnight on Black Friday (Nov. 27), the day after Thanksgiving. Not only that, from midnight till 10 am, you get an extra 20% of everything in the store!

Night owls and early morning bargain hunters can get a head start on holiday gift buying this year as Disney Store prepares to open more than 125 stores nationwide at midnight on Nov. 27 (Black Friday). From opening hours until 10 a.m., shoppers will benefit from 20% off all items, including already discounted merchandise. A host of Black Friday deals at affordable $5, $10 and $15 price points, as well as amazing discounts on big ticket items marked $20 - $40 off*, and special gifts with purchase, will make Disney Store the must-go-to location for shoppers looking for an amazing array of Disney toys, apparel and seasonal décor.

Luckily, where we will be at Thanksgiving, there are no Disney Stores. So my money will be safe, for a while.

And if you don't know what to get, here's a Disney Store holiday gift guide:



Zz.

Random WDW Picture

Here's one looking at Downtown Disney from one of the Downtown Disney Resort hotels along Hotel Plaza Blvd.



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Mickey Balloon at Macy's Thanksgiving Parade

{Thanks to Gene and Anne for the heads-up info}

In case you haven't heard it, Mickey will make his debut as one of the giant balloon at this year's Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. StitchKingdom is reporting that it will be a Sailor Mickey, since he will be representing the Disney Cruise Line.

To commemorate that, Macy will have Sailor Mickey plush on sale.

Zz.

"A Christmas Carol" - A Review

This was one of my highly-anticipated movie, because we went to the "Christmas Carol" train promotion when it was in town and saw the visual display of the movie. It was a jaw-dropper back then, and it was a jaw-dropper when we saw it yesterday.

Let's get this out of the way first. The movie is visually stunning. In fact, one may have to go see it again because there was just so many going on in any given scene that one could miss many fine details of the movie. Some scenes were downright creepy and scary. I do not recommend this movie to small children.

The story, of course, it quite familiar, but told in a slightly different twist. However, I think that I was a bit too distracted by the visual effects that I wasn't quite convinced by Scrooge turning himself around. It appeared as if he was simply doing it just so he could go on living, not because he has finally found it in his heart to leave his old ways. There wasn't a moment, a defining moment, when he made this self-discovery. So to me, this turnaround wasn't that convincing.

I would certainly recommend this movie.

We had a problem with the 3D projection at our theater (Kerasotes Crown Village Crossing in Skokie, IL during the 1:40 PM showing, Nov. 8). When we were told to wear our 3D glasses and they started showing 3D trailers, the look wasn't quite right. I thought it was just me, but everyone in our party were playing around with their 3D glasses as well, and so were people around us. Now, we have seen a lot of 3D movies already, so we know what to expect, but this wasn't quite right. The 3D effects weren't that obvious, and there were these strange shimmering of the background. The fore ground appeared clear (but still flat), but the background shimmered, especially if one moved one's head.

I knew something wasn't right, so I went to see the manager to let him know this. He contacted the projectionist (at least, I thought he did), so I went back into the theater. When I got back to my seat, the rest of my party told me that we could see the movie properly if, get this, WE WEAR THE 3D GLASSES UPSIDE DOWN! I did, and voila! It was the 3D movie effect that I was familiar with!

Needless to say, they didn't do anything to correct this problem, and we went through the whole movie wearing the 3D glasses upside down! And we of course paid a premium to see the 3D movie. I noticed that a few people near us were also wearing the glasses upside down, while the rest just simply either didn't care, or didn't know that they were missing the 3D effect by wearing the glasses right-side up.

After the movie ended, I walked right up to the manager again and told him that the problem was never corrected. All he could tell me was that he's not a projectionist and that he has called the person working that day to do something about it. No apologies, nothing.

I'm not coming back to this theater if I can help it. It's not that they screwed up the 3D movie, it is how they handled a customer's complained. And yes, I've written to Kerasotes to voice my displeasure. It's too back too, since this used to be my favorite theater, but somehow, customer service has gone downhill very fast!

Zz.

Mickey's Very Merry Holiday Greeting Card

This is so cute and festive!



Now wait, you should click on one of the letters because, as the video says, there's more!

Zz.

"A Christmas Carol" Review

Whoa! Roger Ebert gave "A Christmas Carol" 4 stars! And not only that, he liked the 3D movie, considering that he has not been very convinced about this technology before.

I remain unconvinced that 3-D represents the future of the movies, but it tells you something that Zemeckis' three 3-D features (also including "Beowulf") have wrestled from me 11 of a possible 12 stars.

I like the way that Zemeckis does it. He seems to have a more sure touch than many other directors, using 3-D instead of being used by it. If the foreground is occupied by close objects, they're usually looming inward, not out over our heads. Note the foreground wall-mounted bells that we look past when Scrooge, far below, enters his home; as one and then another slowly starts to move, it's a nice little touch.

I'm seeing this on Sunday .... in 3D of course!

Zz.

Disney Gets Shanghai Park

It's official. Disney gets to build Shanghai Disneyland, making it one of the worst kept secret.

The agreement with China to construct Disney’s fourth park outside the U.S. “marks a very significant milestone,” Chief Executive Officer Robert A. Iger said in a statement. Disney and its Shanghai partners are now allowed to move toward a construction and operation agreement, the statement said.

An interesting tidbit towards the end of the article mentioned that this park will occupy more land than any other Disney theme parks in the world. I'm assuming it is only talking about the park itself and not the whole resort, since I'm guessing that WDW will still be the largest resort. But then again, maybe they bought a land larger than the size of Manhattan.

Zz.

More Disney Parallels For Our New House

It is amazing how, when you become a fan of something, that you start seeing how your life is acting out with many connections to that something. I've mentioned earlier how the house that we just bought was from another family who are also Disney fans. You can't plan those. It just happens.

But here's another one, and it is breaking our hearts.

We have a salt water aquarium, with several fish and sea creatures inhabiting it. I think they are all happy. The tang fish has been in there for at least 10 years and have grown considerably since we got it. All the other creatures in there have been there for a while too. About 5 years ago, we got a couple of clown fish from a neighbor, and they have been swimming around happily since.

Well now, a couple of weeks ago, we noticed something that looked like fish eggs attached to one of the rocks in the tank. Guess what? One of the clown fish had just laid eggs! Let me tell you that I've never heard of clown fish laying eggs in captivity, and certainly not in a house aquarium! That just blew us away. But then, reality sank in and I suddenly felt utterly terrible - WE ARE MOVING IN A WEEK!

We will have to drain the tank, transfer the fish and the rocks to plastic bags, transfer them to a temporary holding tank, while the rest of the aquarium gets moved! The eggs are not going to survive! Suddenly, the scene of the barracuda eating the clown fish eggs in "Finding Nemo" flashed through my head, and I felt sick! We are going to be the barracuda!!!!

I'm not sure what to do. It is such an unfortunate timing! We are going to talk to someone at one of the tropical fish store and ask if there's anything we can do to save the eggs, if not all, at least a few. I have no idea how long before the eggs hatch, and even then, can the baby clown fish survive the traumatic event of a move?

The joy of moving into a new house has now been tempered down considerably.

Zz.

Progress For Shanghai Disneyland

Looks like approval for Shanghai Disneyland is imminent.

Mayor Han Zheng told reporters Sunday that the city plans to make an announcement as early as this week to explain details of the plan -- handy timing ahead of President Barack Obama's planned Nov. 15 visit to Shanghai.

An official in the public information department of the National Development and Reform Commission, China's main planning agency, confirmed Monday that the plan had been approved.

I still wonder how much the new park will cannibalize the already struggling attendance at Hong Kong Disneyland. Maybe Disney is hoping that HK Disneyland is more "regional", serving the Asia-Pacific market, while Shanghai is more geared towards mainland Chinese? Still, there seems to be a lot of overlap here.

Zz.

Dear Robert Zemeckis.....

This is a fun article on a "wish list" to Robert Zemeckis on his intention to make a sequel of "Who Framed Roger Rabbit". In the process, it describes why the original movie was such a classic.

And he totally pulled it off, too. The mix of the Disney and MGM and Warner Bros. characters, all living together in a cartoon universe that bumps right up against old Hollywood, is something that had never happened before, and may never happen again. Obviously we don't know what Zemeckis will use if he makes a sequel to "Who Framed Roger Rabbit", which libraries he'll have access to.

It would be a huge feat if the sequel gets made, not the least of which is getting all the studios to agree to have their characters appearing again. I wonder if newer animation characters will come on board. Wouldn't it be funny if The Simpsons, those characters from Family Guy, and those kids from South Park were to come on board! It would be a riot!

Zz.

A House Passes From One Disney Family To Another

Sometime, the passion and love for Disney permeate into real life and could often provide additional magic, even far away from the beloved theme parks.

Some time in early September, we began looking in earnest for a house to buy. While we had talked about buying a house for a while, it was one of those situations where it is now or never. Interest rates were quite low, and of course, the housing prices can't be any more attractive than they are now in such a buyers market. And while we certainly were aware of the tax credit, we were not going to rush into buying something just so we can get a tax credit. Nothing's worse than buying something THAT BIG and expensive for a lousy $8000, and then learn that one doesn't really like the house.

So with our real estate agent, we went looking around on a Sunday. On the second Sunday and on our second day of looking, we walked into this house that was nice and all, but we also noticed a few hints here and there that this could be a Disney family. There was just one picture of the family on a console table showing them in front of Cindy's castle. I went "OK....". Then, went we went upstairs to look at the bedrooms, two of the bedrooms sealed the deal. The boy's bedroom had "Cars" border, and the girl's bedroom had Disney Princesses border. There were also Disney character plushes on the bed.

Immediately I said to myself, "This is a sign!". No other houses that we've looked at had any Disney items that I could remember, but it was not as if I was looking for them.

In any case, in the 2 days that we went looking, this house was simply the one that we both liked the most. After a second viewing, we put an offer the following Wednesday.

Well, guess what? We closed on the house last Thursday! It is now ours. Since then, we found out a bit more about the family that owned that house. They are probably as big of a Disney fan as we are! Turns out that they had a lot more Disney stuff in the house, but their real estate agent wisely asked them to de-personalize the house for staging purposes. I found out that they go at least once a year to WDW, and they may even be a DVC member because we found a DVC vacation planner booklet that they left behind. They were also using Disney paints in the kids' rooms!

I remember telling their real estate agent at closing to tell the family that their house has been transferred to another Disney family. So essentially, this house has been passed on from one Disney family to another.

And that's the way it should be.....

Zz.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Disney Halloween, Everyone!


Zz.

Stitch Goes Vinyl

Whoa... looks like Stitch could give Mickey's Vinylmation a run for his money!



Some of them are quite creative. I especially like the Tiki Stitch, and the Thai Stitch. The one that depicts one of the hitchhiking ghosts that we only got a glimpse of is also quite good. But the one with the burlap scares me! Maybe this is supposed to be Oogie Boogie?

Zz.

Princess Tiana ‘Already Sold Out'

Well before "Princess and the Frog" opens, Princess Tiana merchandise are already flying out of the stores. And it is mostly driven by adults/moms!

If interest in Tiana merchandise is to be expected, so much early interest is less the norm. Usually, it's kids begging their moms to buy them princess this or that, but Tiana has moms all aflutter.

There's so much high expectation for this movie that I truly hope it delivers. It would be a wonderful beginning if this becomes a huge hit, and that Disney will take more risks and make even more movies that reflects the diversity that we see.

Zz.

Disney Dream to Include First-Ever Shipboard Water Coaster

You call it "coaster", I call it a "water slide". Still, this looks like fun. Maybe I'll start my Disney cruise on The Disney Dream. Wouldn't that be fun?



Zz.

Donald's Great Adventure - Disneyland, D23, and Club 33

I finally get to give a more complete report of my trip to the left coast this past September. I visited my old stomping ground, the Disneyland Resort, and had a wonderful time meeting my fans.

So where does a big celebrity like me stay at Disneyland? Why, the Grand Californian, of course! I get treated like a Prince when I'm there. They even fluff up my feathers after my bath. And oh, for your information, I have a yellow rubber human with me when I take a bath, thank you for asking.


Very nice lobby, don't you think?


Very plush bed as well. And yes, I got the whole bed all to myself.


Then it was time to go to the D23 Expo, and I got swamped by all my fans. They were just eager to get their pictures with me. Here's one.


I got to see a lot of things at the D23 Expo, and hopped onto a few things as well.


Can I just say that these Vinylmation Mickeys scares the feathers out of me?


Then it was time for me to have my dinner at Club 33. Of course, they were expecting a Disney legend like me and we got the best table in the house. But before that, they wanted me to inspect the menu, which can be mistaken for a small family album.


"Hello? You would like a reservation at Club 33? Sorry, we are full now, and there's a 3-month wait for a table."


I finally got to my table. I didn't need to look at the menu. I knew exactly what I wanted. "The usual, please!". They know me very well here.


Ah, couldn't wait for the food to arrive. I was starving. I could have eaten a whale!


{burp!} I couldn't believe I ate the whole thing!


In fact, I feel quite bloated now.


I went back to the Expo after dinner to make my appearance. Besides, I have to go see the wonderful sculpture that they did of me. Don't you think these will look fabulous right in front of all the Castles at Disney theme parks?



I then went on one of my favorite attraction at Disneyland - the Haunted Mansion. The only thing I don't like about this ride is that there's no ghost ducks.


Ah, it was a wonderful trip to Disneyland Resort. I certainly would come back or these fans will suffer not having the Donald Duck in their presence.

DD.

Random WDW Picture

This is the view of the Contemporary main building from one of the floors of Bay Lake Tower.



Zz.

Disney Launches iPhone and iPod Touch Applications

This is one of those "duh!" event. It only makes sense and seems logical that Disney is launching its own iPhone and iPod touch apps, but this time, they are connected to Disney.com website.

Disney.com, part of the Disney Interactive Media Group, said it will offer users of the popular Apple Inc devices items like the new "Click2Life" feature that lets fans take pictures of images from the Disney.com Web site, and eventually in the physical world, and unlock exclusive content.

I'd be happy if Disney.com and the Passholder webpage don't suck as far as being sluggish.

Zz.

Princess Tianna Welcomed to the Magic Kingdom!

Disney's latest princess, Princess Tianna, was welcomed to the Magic Kingdom in this video.



The only thing left is for Princess and the Frog to open already!

Zz.

Mickey and Goofy Help Fill Paradise Bay Lagoon

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The Single Greatest Disney Black and White Ink Drawing Ever Done?

This drawing has been called just that. It was done by a veteran of Disney Studio, Hank Porter, in the 1930s. It depicts Mickey, Donald, Minnie, Pluto, and Dopey singing Christmas carol, and all the creatures of the woods are gathered around listening to them.

It appears that it is up for action. It is an amazing drawing. I'm even amazed that there's a high resolution copy of the drawing that one can click on.

Zz.

Donald's Great Adventure - Windy City Pin Traders October 2009 Meet

ZapperZ took me back to another of the Windy City Pin Traders (WCPT) monthly pin meet at Fuddruckers in Addison, IL. There were a lot of people this month, and they were all giddy trading Disney pins. There were a lot of pins, and I'm a bit weary being a among this many sharp, pointy objects. So I had to make my way through the various pin bags very gingerly.


While I was making my way through the maze of pins books, I bumped into my old friend, Figment. Hello Figment! It looks like he was busy trying to collect money. As I recall, by the end of the day, someone actually paid money to take him home..... Hum, that didn't sound right, but you know what I mean!


I was told that the theme of this month's meet was Halloween, and so, some people brought candies to the meet. ZapperZ has this cute bags to put candies in - they have Mickey and Minnie on the front. So I went over to the two bags to get some candy. There were plenty at that time, but by the end of the day, they were almost gone. Yum! I love Raisinnetts!


Oooof! Bumped into a box....... full of pins! Of course!


Humm... what are these stickers for? Oh, I see. They gave paper name tags to people who didn't have name tags, and they can choose a sticker to put on the name tags with their names. You get these stickers for free from the various promotional mailings from Disney Movie Club.


So here I am, at the Claw Machine game that they have in this Fuddruckers, and I'm on my last quarter trying to get one of these plush toys. I thought I might find my friends, the Little Green Men, but they are nowhere to be seen. Instead, I see Tigger and Eeyore, etc. I was trying to rescue them out of this, but I just can't seem to get then out. Where are Nemo and the Tank Gang? They would know how to get out. Does this thing have a filter that we can clog up?


All that effort trying to rescue my friends from the 100 Acre Wood made me hungry and thirsty. ZapperZ bought me a strawberry shake. I think he bought too much. The glass was bigger than me! Now, if only someone can lift me up to the straw.......


It was a long day, and I was all quacked up by the time we got home. I slept very well last night.

DD.

ESPN Innovation Lab

ESPN Innovation Lab opens at Walt Disney World.



It looks like this is a jock/techy's dream. Some of the graphics special effects certainly look cool. Still, this probably won't be anywhere near the top of my list of things I want to see or do when I'm there.

Zz.

A West Coast Welcome for Mickey Mouse

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Where in Walt Disney World?

OK, this one might be a bit tough, but it should give you a clue simply by process of elimination.

Where in Walt Disney World is this?



Zz.

Seeing Your Friends In Disney Articles

It is one thing to see pictures from Disney websites and Disney stories of people you recognize by sight. It is another when you see pictures of your friends, or your friends being mentioned in Disney articles. It tells you that you hang around a lot of Disney fanatics, just like you! :)

During the last D23 Expo, a couple of my good friends got their pictures taken and published in the D23 Expo blog. It is the 4th picture here of the "first family" in line to get into the Expo. I know 2 of them very well and know of another (i.e. I've seen her a few times but don't think we've been formally introduced). So that's one.

Well now, today, one of my friends (waves at Ralph) told me that the pin article by Steven Miller on the Disney Theme parks blog actually mentioned him, but not by name! He wrote about the most popular pin (if there's such a thing), and mentioned this in particular:

Another Guest took great pride explaining what it took to trade for a complete set of 10, red Doombuggies from Disney Summer Pin Festival 2009.

Yup! That's one of my buddies alright! :)

Zz.

/Film Goes To Disneyland, Club 33 and the Disney Animation Research Library

Ah, to be a pampered news media.....

The /Film crew got the VIP treatment at Disneyland, and we get to read the trip report of it. They have a few amazing photos and videos, including inside the Dream Suite. It certainly adds another motivation to go to Disneyland during Halloween.

Zz.

Lasseter To Be Honored By Producers Guild of America

The awards are piling up for John Lasseter. He will be awarded the David O. Selznick Achievement Award by the Producers Guild of American this coming January, making him the first animation producer to receive this award.

Lasseter is receiving the David O. Selznick Achievement Award at the guild's awards show Jan. 24. He's the first producer of animated films to receive the award.

Past recipients include Clint Eastwood, Jerry Bruckheimer, Stanley Kramer and Billy Wilder.

The Producers Guild says Lasseter's work with Pixar Animation and parent company Disney has raised the bar for animated and live-action filmmakers alike.

Zz.

What's New At Walt Disney World

This could easily be a Travel Channel episode! :)



Zz.

Nightmare before christmas

Saw these at Borders. A large selection of Nightmare Before Christmas games and merchandise.

Hook’s Pointe Becomes Disneyland's Only Seafood Restaurant

This actually surprises me, considering that you got California Adventure and all the restaurants in the various resorts and Downtown Disney district. But obviously, from this news article, Hook's Pointe has just become Disneyland's only seafood restaurant after the place was rethemed.

Hook’s Pointe, inside the Disneyland Hotel, re-branded itself last month with new seafood selections because its generic offerings were failing to draw enough customers.

Considering that WDW has quite a number of seafood restaurant, this is certainly something I didn't expect or know.

Zz.

Random WDW Picture

A great day to go fly a kite at the World Showcase lagoon at Epcot.



Zz.

Transformer Donald Duck?

Ugh! This thing is UGLY!

Supposedly, there is a transformer Donald Duck.

NASTY! Who would buy such a thing?

I'm not going to show Donald this thing. He's bound to have nightmares afterward.

Zz.

Disney Master Artist Talks Walt & Trains

John Quinn, Disney Master Artist, talks about Walt Disney and Trains in this video.



Zz.

Donald's Great Adventure - ZapperZ's New Office

ZapperZ has an office that had been called by the people he work with as the "Happiest Office on Earth". But he had to move to a new office in a different building a couple of weeks ago. How will he decorate his new office? Will it still be the Happiest Office on Earth?

He finally invited me to visit his new office last week. I get to go around to different nooks and crannies to see all his new decor and visit some of my friends.

This is his new office table. It's very nice, especially when I get to see my old friend Pooh on a coffee mug. ZapperZ also has a nice frame with me and my other Disney friends. Hi Pluto!


Of course, Mickey has to be everywhere. He's even peeking over the top of the desk. It looks like he's interviewing for a job!


Mickey table lamp. ZapperZ puts this with the rest of his coffee/tea service. Mickey actually talks every time you turn him on and off.


More of my friends, and Mickey again. This time he's holding up a pin board, in case we forget that ZapperZ is a huge pin addict.


Now I like this. Large pictures on the wall. But where are pictures of ME?


ZapperZ has a nice desk set. But it is all with Mickey!


Still, just to show that I have no bad feelings towards that mouse, I spent some time visiting with Mickey and Minnie since they were just hanging around and doing nothing.


More of my friends. At least there's a cute figure of me here.


Hey, this bookshelf is rather high. Get me down!


Well, anyway, I spent a lovely day at ZapperZ's office. I don't think he can squeeze any more Disney stuff in there, or there won't be room for him.

DD.

The Origin of Mousesavers.com

This MSNBC article gives a short history on the origin of Mary Waring's very popular Disney-related website MouseSavers.com.

Mary Waring had just quit her marketing job in San Diego in 2001, so saving money on her upcoming trip to Disney World in Orlando, Fla., was a high priority. She found lots of resources online and posted links to coupons on a Web site.

Her brother, a Microsoft employee, told his colleagues about her savings tips — and within six weeks, her little online scratch pad had amassed 23,000 page views. That’s when Waring realized the country’s insatiable appetite for Disney savings gossip.

That certainly is a great website to go to if one wants ways to save money on a WDW trip.

The only problem with that article is that, it is talking about WDW, but it shows a picture of Sleeping Beauty Castle in Disneyland, CA!

Zz.

Retrospective on Sherman Brothers Songbook CD Released

Oh, I'm definitely getting this set! Walt Disney Records has released a 2-CD retrospective of the Sherman Brothers songbook. And it looks like this is a gem!

On October 13, 2009 Walt Disney Records releases a two-disc retrospective collection of music by award-winning songwriting team, Robert Sherman and Richard Sherman. Hired by Walt Disney himself as his first and only staff songwriters, the Sherman Brothers music has been an important part of motion pictures, theme park attractions, television productions, records, compact discs, and Broadway shows - entertaining millions of people all over the world.

The two-disc set includes 59 songs highlighting the Sherman Brothers' incredibly prolific Disney years - from Annette's 1959 hit "Tall Paul" to their work from The Tigger Movie in 2000. Newly restored with the latest digital technology, this collection features not only their landmark hits from Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, The Jungle Book, and "it's a small world," but a number of their other classics - many available for the first time on CD.

I'm running to the store now!

Zz.

"Sum of All Thrills" Opens At Epcot

A new attraction opens at Epcot's Innovention pavilion. The Sum of All Thrills, sponsored by Raytheon, is a virtual roller coaster attraction that guests can design for themselves.

"Our aim is to show kids how math and engineering make the things they care about really come to life and happen," said Kristin Hilf, vice president of Raytheon public affairs.

The ride begins, after a tutorial, in a design room. On a touchscreen computer, visitors pick a vehicle shape and determine how fast the ride should go based on ascent, inversions or corkscrews.

The information is saved on a magnetized card strip and fed into the simulator, where visitors experience the track they just designed. The cards are imprinted with numerical identifiers kids can use at home for a Raytheon educational Web site with more math and science problems.

Hum... wait a second. Other than the educational aspect of the attraction, isn't this virtually identical (pun intended) to Virtual Space Mountain at Disney Quest?

Still, this might be a cool thing to do, so I'm certain going to try it when we get there in ... er.. 48 days!

Edit: see additional coverage of this story at CNN.com

Zz.

Inside Mickeys Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

If you have never been to a Mickey Not So Scary Halloween Party, you should try to go. It is a lot of fun!



Zz.

Disney Parks' Jammitors Tour Crew

The Disney Parks' Jammitors crew was in Chicago to kick off its tour and promote Disney's "Give a Day, Get A Day" promotion.



Zz.

Disney Stores to Become "Imagination Park"?

News about the major overhaul of the Disney Stores is causing me to be very giddy!

At a time when many retailers are still cutting back or approaching strategic shifts with extreme caution, Disney is going the other way, getting more aggressive and putting into motion an expensive and ambitious floor-to-ceiling reboot of its 340 stores in the United States and Europe — as well as opening new ones, including a potential flagship in Times Square.

Disney Stores, which the media giant is considering rebranding Imagination Park, will become more akin to cozy entertainment hubs. The chain’s traditional approach of displaying row after row of toys and apparel geared to Disney franchises will be given a high-tech makeover and incorporated into a new array of recreational activities. The goal is to make children clamor to visit the stores and stay longer, perhaps bolstering sales as a result. Over the next five years, analysts estimate that Disney will spend about $1 million a store to redecorate, reorganize and install interactive technology.

I hope they keep in mind the adults as well. We all know Walt's philosophy of having a place in which both adults and children can "play". This plan also is consistent with an earlier report that the NY World of Disney might close and be "moved" to some place near Times Square. So far, all we have heard is that it is closing, without any indication that it will re-open elsewhere. Now it is starting to make sense. They will open an entirely new "experience" in Times Square and not just move the World of Disney store.

It is also interesting how much influence Apple and Steve Jobs had, or will have, on the new concept. This might be the clearest signature yet of Jobs' presence on the Disney board.

Again, don't forget the adults, people! We are the ones with money, not the kids!

Zz.

Nominate a UK Twinned Town with Walt Disney World

Do you live in the UK? Do you want to nominate your town or city to be the twin city of Walt Disney World?



Zz.

Random WDW Picture

At the China pavilion in Epcot's World Showcase.



Zz.

Mickey Mouse : Then and Now

Disney Living looks at the evolution of our lovable mouse.



Zz.

Random WDW Picture

During a Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot.



Zz.

Random WDW Picture

Minnie at Liberty Tree Tavern, back when they still had character dinners.



Zz.

Disney's Rich Ross: Hollywood's First Openly Gay Studio Chairman

This LA Times piece tries to delve into Rich Ross private life.

I found this: "The 47-year-old Ross and his partner of more than 20 years, Adam Sanderson, live in the Hollywood Hills and have no children of their own. However, he maintains a close relationship with the 14- and 10-year-old daughters of his former roommate and best friend from Fordham Law, who serve as an informal focus group." After a little more hunting, I found that the Advocate has just posted a small story, titled: "Disney Goes Gay with New Top Exec."

I suppose on one hand, it is progress that such a thing no longer is a hindrance to someone being given such a high-profile job. On the other hand, it is a reflection of our society that someone who is gay that have been given such a high-profile job makes the news. It shows that there is still a long way to go before these things are no longer news and part of our common occurrences.

In the end, as stated in the article, it is how he does his job that matters, and how he treats people around him.

So congratulations, and good luck, Rich Ross! I just hope you remember that there are plenty of adults who are also Disney fans. Don't over-emphasize the kiddie movies!

Zz.

The First 5 Minutes of Princess and the Frog

Disney is pulling out all stops in promoting the upcoming hand-drawn "Princess and the Frog". They had just released the first 5 minutes of the movie online.



Of course, the animation is astounding, except that they didn't release the finished version all the way through.

I can't wait!

Zz.

The Disneyland Story

A series of classic video of the Disneyland Story. Good for nostalgic purposes, even though it has Micheal Eisner in it! :)











I wonder if Eisner still rides Splash Mountain, since he'd rather be on it than anywhere else! :)

Zz.

Mickey Mouse Has The Moves

In case you haven't seen it yet on the Disney Parks Blog, check out the dance moves by your old pal, Mickey Mouse! Oh gosh, he's so hip!

Zz.

Random WDW Picture

The holiday tag for Illuminations at Epcot.



Zz.

Donald's Great Adventure - Toy Story 1&2 in 3D

ZapperZ took me out to go see Toy Story 1 and 2 in 3D today. It was very nice seeing my old buddies Buzz and Woody and the rest of the gang on the big screen again. I was really looking forward to it.

Here's me ride on the dashboard in the car. I told ZapperZ that this was unlawful, that I could get hurt real easily if the car accelerated too quickly.


So what did he do? He put me into one of the cup holder. How humiliating!


We went out for lunch first before the movie. Well, they went out to lunch. I just get to tag along and saw them eat. I couldn't believe ZapperZ was going to eat this whole large plate of food!


We then got to the theater. I was anxious to see all my buddies again, including these little green men.


So here I was, in the lobby, waiting, while the other humans went to get drinks and popcorn. And they just ate lunch too! I decided to try on the 3D glasses. Don't I look cool?


They were quite late in letting us into the theater, because there were people still in it from the previous showing. That seems odd, since it was 15 minutes before the next show. It turned out that there were people handing out survey forms to people seeing the movie. The forms asked people to complete part of it before they saw the movie, and to complete the rest after they have seen the double feature. So that was why there were people still in the theater for a little while after the movie ended - they were filling out their survey forms.

Anyway, both movies were a lot of fun! I've forgotten how wonderful the story was. I still can't believe that Emperor Zurg is Buzz's father. They don't look alike at all! The one nice thing they had was that they gave a 10-minute intermission between Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 2. They ran a series of trivia questions on both movies during the intermission to keep the crowd occupied. I learned quite a bit about the movie from the trivia.

Anyhow, it was a fun movie afternoon. On the way out, I had to take a picture at my new crush - Princess Tiana. I can't wait to see her in December. She's beautiful!


Anyhow, I'm tired, and it has been a long day.

DD.

Where in Walt Disney World?

OK, here's another one. Where in Walt Disney World can you find this?



Zz.

Walt Disney World Throws Its Support For Florida High Speed Rail

The push for a high-speed rail line for Central Florida got a boost today when Walt Disney World throws its support behind it.

Disney says it will support a stop at the Orange County Convention Center, as well as provide up to 50 acres of free land for a station. For years, Disney wanted any train that might be built to take a straight shot from Orlando International Airport to its parks, with no other stations.

I'm glad they've changed their stance from before. The whole area will benefit if this comes through. Disney could easily offer the same type of service as the Magical Express for riders of the train to get them to the theme parks. So it's a win-win situation!

Zz.

Toy Story 1 and 2 in 3D

Don't forget that Toy Story 1 and 2 in 3D open today. You get to see the double feature for the price of a single ticket (I hope they have a bathroom break!) It will play for 2 weeks only. There is a good article from the NY Times on the process of converting the two movies into 3D.

Without changing any of the film’s action, Pixar’s 3-D specialists, or stereographers, returned to each frame of the film and virtually placed a second camera next to the original, creating left-eye and right-eye views of the scene. Then all of the scenes were re-rendered in the computer with this additional perspective.

The process of taking the original files from the first two movies and getting them to a place where they could be enhanced was one that Mr. Lasseter called “digital archaeology.” “We had to have some very, very smart people at Pixar go back in and write some software and figure out a way to make it so that those files would render on our current computers,” he said.

We will be going to see it tomorrow, and if Donald isn't misbehaving, I'll take him along. I wonder if I will have to pay full fare for him since he can sit on my lap?

Zz.

A Day At The Magic Kingdom

Holy Walt Disney!!! I love this video!

Originally, I thought that this was nothing more than a miniature stop-motion animation! But no, this is really real. Only, it is actually stop motion, but taken using a still camera of the the Magic Kingdom from morning till night! It is astounding!



WOW!!

Zz.

Disney Pin Trading 10th Anniversary

Happy 10th Anniversary of Disney Pin Trading!

This thing has sucked so much of my money, I don't even want to think about it!

:)

Zz.

Halloween Screams

The new fireworks show at Disneyland during Halloween celebration. It looks amazingly spectacular!



You can see a lengthier and more detailed video of the show in the OC Register report on this.

Zz.

"Give a Day, Get a Disney Day" Tour

Disney launches the new promotion in 5 cities in N. America to get people to volunteer.



Y'know, I've always asked for a "Mickey Ears" hardhat since like 4 years ago (I some time have to wear a hardhat at work!) :) So now that I saw a few people wearing them in the video while they're constructing that house, there's hope for me! :)

Zz.