Random WDW Picture

The replica of the Chinese Theater for the Great Movie Ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios.



Zz.

"Tron Legacy" Merchandise

While these are cool "toys", I'm not sure that I want any of them. Still, you might want to check out the merchandise from "Tron Legacy".

Maybe after I see the movie, I might change my mind.

Zz.

Random WDW Picture

From the queue line for It's Tough to be a Bug at Animal Kingdom.



Zz.

The Groundbreaking Tech of 'Toy Story 3'

If you are interested in the technical aspects of "Toy Story 3", this is an article for you.

With the fantastic "Toy Story 3," Pixar has yet again set out to use its expertise to solve a huge computing problem, one that by necessity takes the place of what otherwise would be an impossible animation task. In the case of the new film, the challenge was to figure out how to craft a very complex scene in which the movie's heroes--Woody, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie, Hamm, Rex, and so on--have to navigate their way down a conveyor belt inside a trash processing facility, on which thousands and thousands of small pieces of ground-up garbage are moving toward a giant blast furnace.

To watch the scene is to believe it's live action. The garbage glints in what little light there is. You can see detail on many of the pieces, and there are thousands and thousands of them. It's a little gross, but it's an incredibly intricate and complex sequence.

It also includes a brief description of the technical aspect of other Pixar movies such as "Up". A wonderful article to read, even if you don't care or understand about the technology behind all this, just to appreciate the amazing effort that was put into these movies.

Zz.

"Toy Story 3" Review

It looks like "Toy Story 3" made $109 million in the US during its opening weekend, making it the last opening ever for an animated movie, and the largest opening ever for a Pixar movie. Not too bad, eh?

We saw the movie last Saturday in 3D (of course). I would strongly advise, especially to guys who will be seeing this movie, that you should go see it in 3D, not just for the 3D effects, but for the fact that the 3D glasses will temporarily hide the tears in your eyes. This movie is rambunctious, clever, hysterical (the tortilla scene), emotional, scary, and downright creepy at times (Well hello there, Lotso!), all the ingredients to make it a spectacular movie.

The premise is well-known by now. Andy is leaving for college, so what are to become of all his beloved toys? I won't say anymore so that you can enjoy the story. Does it help if one has seen the first two? Sure! You'll have a more emotional attachment to the characters and understand their behavior and patterns, which will make you weep at the ending.

I'm guessing, based on several reports, that this could possibly be the end of the Toy Story franchise, even though Tom Hanks in his interview with Disney Radio, talked about making more of this. If this is the end, then it is a satisfying conclusion. If not, they certainly left room to continue with this wildly fun bunch.

Zz.

Tom Hanks at "Toy Story 3 Premier"

Radio Disney got a short interview with Tom Hanks at the premier of "Toy Story 3".



I saw it today. It is SPECTACULAR and emotional.

Review coming soon.

Zz.

Random WDW Picture

Another glorious evening at the Magic Kingdom.



Zz.

Disney Stock Riding on "Toy Story 3"

Some time analysts (who have been wrong plenty of times) make too much of something just for a quick buck. This is one such example. It appears that if "Toy Story 3", which opens TODAY, makes more than $100 million on the opening weekend, then ".... Disney shares will rise...". If not, it will fall.

Can you believe this crock? These people have no clue on the long-term health of a company, but instead, care more about short-term, instant gratification. It is no wonder the stock market is the mess it is now with ridiculous fluctuation. If I didn't know any better, I'd say that our stock market is run by a bunch of attention-deficit juvenile.

Zz.

Where in Walt Disney World?

This one should be a EASY one. Where in Walt Disney World is this?



Zz.

Random WDW Picture

Downtown Disney during the holidays.



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Vol. 7 (Mr. Potato Head): John Lasseter of Disney*Pixar Talks Toys

I love this series of videos. I just wish that they are a bit longer.

Here's Vol. 7 where John Lasseter talks about Mr. Potato head from "Toy Story".



Zz.

The Man Behind Pixar's 3D Films

Here's an interesting interview with Bob Whitehill, Pixar Studios 3D supervisor. He explains a little bit on the process of making Pixar's 3D movies.

Explain how you have to make the film for the left eye and then make it again for the right eye.
Whitehill: We have a rendering group and we have this huge render farm, and creating these huge images of over 2 million pixels each is really expensive. They're just crunching math and all this brilliant programming goes into creating these images, and then we have to do it for the other eye. We basically have to do the entire movie twice. We also have to worry about those two eye views matching exactly. And there's this thing we call bit rot, where when you render a frame for the 2D version and show it to the director, and then he approves, it, and then you render the version for the other eye four days later, it can look different than the first version. Like, someone might have changed a shade, or improved Lotso's fur, so the fur looks a little better, and he checked it in on Wednesday, and then they rendered the left on Tuesday, and you rendered the right on Thursday, and now Lotso's fur doesn't match. And you can get this odd shimmering effect because your left and right eye views aren't the same. So there's a lot of care and expertise and finessing that goes into creating both eye views as swiftly and accurately and expertly as possible.

It's a fun and informative article.

Zz.

Disney Employees Dress Code Relaxed

I suppose this news falls in between "Whoa!" and "Big Deal", but it still affects thousands of Disney employees. Disney has relaxed a number of dress codes for both men and women working for the company. Among them are:

In the biggest change to the company's appearance code in a decade, the Walt Disney Co. has decided to let most female employees at Disney theme parks worldwide, including the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, forgo pantyhose when wearing skirts.
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The decision to permit female employees to forgo pantyhose applies to most Disney employees, except where the leg wear is part of a particular costume, such as the outfit for characters such as Tinker Bell or Alice from Alice in Wonderland.
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Among other changes to the code, women will for the first time be permitted to wear sleeveless tops — though in typically restrictive Disney fashion, only if the shoulder straps are at least 3 inches wide. Female employees also will be allowed to wear Capri pants and sling-back shoes that also have open toes.

Men, meanwhile, will now be allowed to wear untucked, casual shirts.

I think most of us outside of the company don't realize the strict rules that Disney employees, especially those who come in contact with the guests, have to follow. This is also what makes it very different than working at other theme parks.

Zz.

Random WDW Picture

Donald Duck in Spectromagic Parade at The Magic Kingdom.



Zz.

Wishes from Top of the World Lounge

This is the video we took this past May of Wishes as viewed from the Top of the World Lounge at Bay Lake Tower. It's an interesting angle, not that different than viewing it from the top of the Contemporary. You just lose the symmetry of the show from this angle.

http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/921/wishesfromtotwl1.mp4



If you wish to look at Wishes from straight on, look at my earlier video.

Zz.

Random WDW Picture

A sight during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom.



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Random WDW Picture

From the 2010 Flower and Garden Festival at Epcot



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"World of Color" Opens

Promotional video for "World of Color" which opens today at Disney California Adventure.



Zz.

"World of Color" Official Debut Today

"World of Color" will make its premier tonight at Disney California Adventure.

On Thursday, Disney will unveil World of Color, an elaborate water show that is estimated to have cost about $75 million. It is part of a $1 billion overhaul at the struggling park that Disney built nearly a decade ago in what used to be Disneyland’s main parking lot. Constructed in a three-acre lagoon, the 26-minute show combines music, lighting, fire, lasers and 1,200 programmable jets of water to bring classic Disney characters to life.

While I think that the success of this show is vital to DCA, I don't think it is the crucial anchor for the its success. It certainly is the crucial piece to get people to stay into the evening, or hang around in the evening, at DCA, but I think the more central part in reviving DCA will be Cars Land. If that can't draw them in to DCA, then it would be a disaster. Still, I think it will be a hit, and with Cars 2 on the horizon, this is almost a no-brainer.

Zz.

Random WDW Picture

The Canada pavilion at World Showcase.



Zz.

Jim Hanson's Fantastic World

Since the Muppets are loosely connected to Disney, this might be of interest to Disney fans in the Chicago area.

The exhibit on Jim Henson's creativity will be coming to the Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry on Sept. 24, 2010 - Jan. 23, 2011. Might be a good reason to go visit MSI at this time.

Zz.

Electrical Parade at MK

Disney's Electrical Parade returns to Main Street USA at the Magic Kingdom.



Zz.

Enchanted 2?

OK, I may be the last person in the world to have heard of this. I was reading this article on the team that was so successful with "The Proposal" has now gotten the backing of Universal to go ahead with "Most Wanted". Too bad Disney didn't want this type of movies anymore.

Anyway, I was reading along with the news report casually when, all of the sudden, my eyes caught something at the very end.

Fletcher, who is developing "Enchanted 2" for Disney, is repped by UTA.

Whaaaaa????!!!

This is the first time that I've heard that Disney is developing the sequel to "Enchanted"! Anyone else have any info on this? Did I miss this whole announcement?

Zz.

Random WDW Picture

Heading up on Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom.



Zz.

Random WDW Picture

This is from Mickey's Jammin' Jungle Parade at Animal Kingdom.



Zz.

Trading USPS Disney Pins

During our last trip to WDW, we attended a Pin Trading night at the Contemporary. During the event, we bumped into Steven Miller, the Project Manager for pin trading, and what most of us consider at THE Disney pin trading representative for Disney.

Now, a bit of a background before I proceed any further. A few weeks before we were there, during our monthly Windy City Pin Trading meet, a friend mentioned that he just got back from WDW, and a couple of cast members refused to trade with him when he wanted to use one of the US Post Office Disney pins. These are the pins created and sold at the US Post Offices during the release of the various series of the Art of Disney stamps. These cast members did not consider them to be valid Disney pins and would not trade for them.

So when we bumped into Steven Miller, we jumped on the opportunity to ask him to clarify if these are valid Disney pins, and thus, can be used for pin trading. This is what he had to say:



So yes, these CAN be used in pin trading. So if any of you encounter cast members who refused to accept these pins, you're welcome to point to this video. So there!

Zz.

Changes To Toy Story Mania

Toy Story Mania will undergo some changes this summer to reflect the release of "Toy Story 3". News from Disney's Backstage Landing has indicated that the balloon part of the game will have a new theme and characters. Sue Bryan, Senior show producer at WDI, has reported this:

"We created a new version of the balloon game," she told us. "It's hosted by Rex, the nervous Tyrannosaurus Rex, and his new friend Trixie, the Triceratops who's as crazy over games as he is.

"The game is now called 'Rex and Trixie's Dino Darts' with a great new primeval setting filled with volcanoes and lava balloons. Look for Rex and Trixie to get very excited when you score points–and find some hidden surprises!"

Looks like I will have to check this out next time I'm at DHS!

Zz.

World of Color Could Be A Crowd Control Nightmare?

That's the question being asked in this LA Times theme park blog. And I don't think that is too far off either especially if I remember how small DCA is, especially the area around the lagoon at the old Paradise Pier.

I anticipate that the first month or so will be a zoo. Still, the park needs something to keep people there well into the evening without relying solely on the World of Color.

And oh, don't miss the last line in the report. It seems that Disney has slightly renamed "Disney's California Adventure" into "Disney California Adventure". I guess it does give it a slightly different meaning. I wonder if this will permeated into all of the other "Disney's" name.

Zz.

Disney Counting On "Toys" Merchandise

Disney is expecting that the Toy Story merchandise to surpass Cars merchandise this year with the release of "Toy Story 3".

Since "Cars" raced into theaters in 2006, the toon has proved to be Disney's biggest mover of merchandise, hauling in more $2 billion a year. But "Toy Story 3" could easily surpass that tally with $2.4 billion in sales when Pixar's toys return to the megaplex this month.

The Mouse House is already touting the toon as its "biggest event property ever," according to Andy Mooney, chairman of the Walt Disney Co.'s consumer products division during a press call Wednesday, a week before the licensing industry raises the curtain on its annual confab in Las Vegas. "We're more than halfway through the year (Disney's fiscal year ends in September) so we feel pretty comfortable with that number," he said.

This certainly would be big, considering how amazingly hot Cars merchandise are. Still, there could be a rebound with Cars merchandise next year when "Cars 2" gets to the theater.

Luckily for me and my wallet, I'm not into these merchandise at all! I'll stick with the Disney pins craze, than you!

Zz.

Where In Walt Disney World - Answer

OK, I posted a "Where in Walt Disney World" picture a few days ago, and no one posted an answer. I will admit, though, that this is a little bit "obscure", and even people who walk past it might not notice it.

The picture is a decorative wall in the lobby of Bay Lake Tower. Here is another picture of the lobby, and you can see the wall on the far right of the picture.


I thought the lighting and the basket weave-look was gorgeous, so that's why I snapped a picture (actually, several pictures).

Zz.

2010 Star Wars Weekend at DHS

Sights and sound from this years Star Wars Weekend at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Check out the Mickey Ears hat on that R2 unit!



Zz.

Disney Band Aids

OK, these are way too cute that I might get them myself!

Disney band aids are now on sale, supposedly initially at Target, and then be rolled out at other stores.

I might just get it for the Donald band aid. I wonder how Donald himself will feel about it. At least we will now know what we will use when he has a cut.

Zz.

Disney Dream Nears Completion

Latest report on Disney Dream as it nears completion and its first maiden voyage.

The 260-ton block -- the ship's bow, complete with the signature Disney Cruise Line golden filigree -- is the last of 80 massive pieces to be welded onto the vessel over the past year at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany.

With all 80 building blocks for the Disney Dream now in place, the focus of construction can shift to outfitting interior spaces of the ship.

This could be the ship for my first ever Disney cruise!

Zz.

Lee DeWyze Going To Disney World

Mount Prospect's own Lee DeWyze, this season's American Idol champion, is going to Walt Disney World.



Congratulations, Lee!

Zz.

Where in Walt Disney World?

We haven't had this in a while, so here's one. Where in Walt Disney World can you find this?



Zz.

"Alice" Approaching the $1 Billion Mark

"Alice in Wonderland" is about to hit the $1 billion mark worldwide, and will probably surpass "The Dark Knight".

The Mouse House reported that global earnings for "Alice" reached $997.1 million as of Monday, making it the sixth-highest grossing film ever behind Warner Bros.' "The Dark Knight," which earned $1 billion worldwide in 2008.

And while "Alice" is expected to eclipse "Dark Knight" in the coming weeks, the boffo benchmark points to a significant shift in theatrical distribution.

David Kornblum, Disney's VP of international sales and distribution, said that while most tentpoles debut during summer or holiday periods, "Alice's" first-quarter launch repped a high note for year-round distribution. "By going in the spring, it truly rings the bell that moviegoing is a 52-week business," Kornblum said.

So it appears that while "Jaws" may have introduced the summer blockbuster concept back in the mid 70's, "Alice" may have opened the concept of a Spring blockbuster period for the movies. We shall see if this catches on.

Zz.

Marty Sklar On His Career With Disney

This is a wonderful look back on his illustrious career with Disney. It is part of a speech Marty gave at the Once Upon a Classic club.

Zz.

DVC's "Sea What's Next"

We attended a DVC event at the Woodfield Mall here this past weekend, organized by the DVC and their preview center, the Disney Doorway to Dream store. It was a fun event, lots of food and refreshment, characters, and presentations to get us to buy more points with a number of enticements. Of course, Deevy Cee was there in all her squealness.

Here are some pictures from the event. It was held at the Improve theater at the mall.


A few friendly/funny banter between the host and Deevy Cee. We also got to see some preview videos of the upcoming DCA rehab, the Disney Dream cruise ship, etc..


The enticements to add points were heavy on getting cruises on the Disney Dream. Add certain amount of points, and you get various length of cruises on that ship when it is in service.

Soon, it was time for characters, dancing, and a lot of good times. I must say that they brought all of the Fab 5 to come to the event, so that was very nice. All of them are dressed in sailor outfit, even Pluto!










Of course, there was lots and lots of fruits and tropical drinks with little umbrellas, to go with the sailing/island theme of the event.




There were a few freebies. We all got the reusable DVC bags, and SOME of us got the DVC portfolio.


They also give out a portrait of sailor Mickey.


On the whole, it was a fun event, but I must say that the enticements this time is a bit weak, weaker than I remember from past events. Still, the one good thing that we found out was that the number of DVC points needed to go on one of the cruises on Disney Dream is LESS than what it is now for the current 2 ships. This is because, of course, the Disney Dream is significantly larger, and there's more state room on it.

So it looks like December 2011 will be our first Disney Cruise! :)

Zz.

Theme Park Balloons

You can't miss it. The moment you walk into either Disneyland, or the Magic Kingdom, you see these balloons. So here's a bit of the behind-the-scenes on these balloons at Disneyland.



But here's something I didn't know...

By the way, if you ever pop a balloon while you are in the Park, just bring it back to the vendor and they will give you a new one!

Ah yes, but what if it floated away? Maybe those things attached at the end of the balloon is heavy enough to not let it do that.

Zz.

Disneyland Railroad- Steam Train Engineers

Every role is a starring role, and this time, it's the turn of the steam train engineers at Disneyland.



Zz.

New Disney Store Planned for Chicago's Block 37

Thanks to Diane for pointing out this news.

Block 37 in the Chicago's Loop area of Downtown has a long, checkered history of trying to find a purpose. At one point, it was an ice skating ring, and even had the possibility of having the first ever Harrod's store outside of the UK. That didn't happen and the city block continues to be an empty piece of land.

Now, it appears that thanks to Disney, it may become a major retail area. Disney will be part of a mall space occupying Block 37. And it will be one of the re-imagineered Disney Stores.

Disney executives were not immediately available to comment on the Block 37 deal. In a press release announcing the new store design last week, the company described the concept as "a unique destination developed from a child's perspective" that "integrates the latest technology to create an enhanced shopping experience." One feature of the stores is a "Disney Princess" castle, where a child can wave a magic wand in front of a mirror inside to summon a Disney princess.

The new stores are designed to be more immersive than a traditional retail store, with shoppers interacting with Disney characters or watching film clips in an in-store theater. CB Richard Ellis said the Block 37 location will total 4,464 square feet and anchor the mall's southeast corner on Level 1. Its size will be about 80 percent of that of cosmetics retailer Sephora, which occupies 6,000 square feet.

I was hoping that it would be a World of Disney store, but this is a good second option. I hope they will consider adults and also us Disney pin traders when they design this store. Having periodic pin trading opportunity would be a blast. Too bad I can no longer hop on the Red Line L and get to this place in less than 1/2 hour. Still, driving to the River Road station and getting onto the Blue Line L isn't bad.

So I wonder whether they will keep the current Disney Store on Michigan Ave that's about a mile away. If they close this, I hope they will continue providing Chicago-specific Disney merchandise. Those things are a blast!

Zz.

Random WDW Picture

The electrical water pageant, as seen from the Top of the World lounge at Bay Lake Tower.



Zz.

Moving The Winner The Pooh Tree

The Winner the Pooh tree at Fantasyland at MK was successfully moved. This is all part of the revamping and expansion of MK's Fantasyland.



Zz.

'Force' Perspective with Mickey & Goofy!

Obviously a play on word for "false" perspective, something that they use very often at Disney theme parks. Still, this is a rather charming, short video promoting the upcoming Star Wars Weekend at DHS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3EkXTrvPXA

Zz.

"Pirates 4" Will Be In 3D

Disney has confirmed that "Pirates of the Caribbean 4 - On Stranger Tides" will be in 3D. I mean, why not, considering the huge amount of money 3D movies are making so far.

Disney are planning to shoot the movie in the format rather than converting it at a later stage, Variety says.

Too bad there isn't a 4D to go with the 4th Pirates.... well, there is a 4D, but not in this context! :)

Zz.

Time For Some Quality Control At DTD Wolfgang Puck Express

I had a disappointing meal at Wolfgang Puck Express at WDW Downtown Disney this past April. Here's the story.

The last time I was there, which was this past December, 2009, I actually had quite a good meal. I ordered the pocket moo shoo chicken, which was very yummy. Another in our party had the chicken melt, which was also excellent. On a later visit during the same trip, we went back and ordered the pizza. They were disappointing to say the least. The pizza crusts were limp, and the bottom of the pizza were short of being doughy. It was not what I expected, considering that Wolfgang Puck made his name with Spago and practically popularized the California pizza craze.

Anyhow, these are the pictures of the moo shoo chicken pocket, and the chicken melt.



So when we went back to WDW this past April, we had dinner at Wolfgang Puck Express. I already made up my mind to order the moo shoo chicken pocket again and staying away from the pizza. Well, guess what? They had changed the menu! No more moo shoo chicken pocket. I also don't recall seeing the chicken melt. It was highly disappointing. So instead, I ordered the grilled vegetable sandwich.

Now, I should have known that there would be trouble ahead as early as at the cash register. When the cashier repeated our order, he mentioned my order as "veggie melt", which isn't even on the menu board. So I corrected him and told him that I order the grilled vegetable sandwich (which is what was written on the menu board). He told me that that's what it is, and that "veggie melt" is their name for it. So I said OK, even though I didn't expect the sandwich to have anything to melt.

OK, so now we were waiting for our food at our table while enjoying the conversation and the evening. The food arrives. Er... wrong order! I got a "turkey melt"! I showed the server my receipt and that I'm supposed to get the grilled vegetable sandwich, and told him so even though it said "veggie melt" on the receipt. So he apologized (the server was actually quite pleasant in all of this, and really, none of this is his fault at all) and told me that he will make sure they tackle my order immediately.

Now, before I told you what I got, here's a question for you. When you see something that says "grilled vegetable sandwich", what do you envision in your head? For me, when I see that, I see sliced pieces of vegetables such as green peppers, onions, zucchini, etc., all grilled, having charred marks, and then layered between bread to make a sandwich. I mean, I've had plenty of grilled vegetable sandwich before. In fact, Artiste Palate at Saratoga Springs has an amazing grilled vegetable sandwich. So I don't think I am being unusual in expecting something close to that.

Well, here's what I got when the order finally came. In between the two pieces of bread, I saw at the bottom of the pile, some small amount of DICED vegetables (can't figure out what they were, really) that had been smothered with a melted cheese. On top of this mess, was a heaping pile of arugula. Now, I like arugula, and I don't mind such a heaping pile at all. But where were the GRILLED VEGETABLES????!!! The sandwich should have been called arugula sandwich with diced vegetables and melted cheese. I then realized that the name "veggie melt" was the more appropriated name for it than what was advertised on the menu board!

When our server came by to check up on us, I asked him if the grilled vegetable sandwich was supposed to look like this, especially when there were no "grilled vegetable" in evidence. He kinda acknowledged that this was what the sandwich was supposed to look like. But then, he told me that next time when I order the sandwich, ask for the vegetables that were meant for the pizza. Supposedly, these are larger pieces of vegetables, and if I ask for them, these will be used to build the sandwich.

OK, so now things are getting confusing, and frankly, ridiculous. First of all, I thought the vegetables used for pizza are usually diced vegetables, which was what I got! Secondly, why is there even this option that isn't told to the customers?

At this point, I just got fed up and ate my sandwich and vowed to no longer go back to Wolfgang Puck Express unless they bring back my moo shoo chicken pocket. I'll go back to my reliable Earl of Sandwich, which gives you exactly what you expect, and having a consistent quality of food, without any "hidden" menu items.

I suppose if you order the pizza and the "standard" items, you probably won't go wrong there. But try ordering something that isn't that popular and who knows what you would get. Calling what I got as "grilled vegetable sandwich" is false advertisement. Someone there needs to be taught some culinary information on what such a thing should be.

Zz.

Star Wars Weekends Now Arriving

OK, this video is waaaay too cool! Someone at Disney Parks must have had quite an imagination and a lot of fun doing something like this. And as a Disney theme park fan, I love watching such videos.



More of these, and more of those tilt-shift videos, please!

Zz.

Two "20,000 Leagues" in the Works

Oh, now this should be interesting.

After canceling "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea", Disney is now in talks to produce this Jules Verne's classic. But interestingly enough, Fox is also working on the same material!

Months after deep-sixing a McG-helmed version of "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," Disney is in negotiations with David Fincher to direct a new take on the classic Jules Verne story.

At the same time, Fox is prepping its own version of the submarine tale. Producers Ridley and Tony Scott are developing "Leagues" for the studio with a script by "Clash of the Titans" co-writer Travis Beacham. And they've been talking with director Timur Bekmambetov ("Wanted") about shooting the big-budget adaptation.

Which "20,000 Leagues" will set sail first?

I know it'll never happen because studios tend to schedule the release of movies according to their own logic, but wouldn't it be fascinating if they both get released around the same time?

Zz.

Play-Testing With Talking Mickey Mouse

OK, so we've heard all about Disney testing a new meet-and-greet Mickey Mouse that will not only move his mouth, but also talk! Here's the latest video on the testing of such a character.



It is very cool! It adds a whole new dimension to the character interaction, very much like the interaction with Crush.

I can only hope that they employ this soon park-wide, and includes Donald Duck!

Zz.

DisneyStore.com Now A Discover Card Retail Partner

If you have Discover credit card, don't miss the fact that DisneyStore.com is now one of their retail partners. You get 5% cash back if you buy anything online from DisneyStore.com using your Discover card. But you must access the DisneyStore website through the Discover card website.

Of course, the drawback here is that you don't get the special deals that are reserved only for Disney Visa card. But hey, that's the trade off you have to consider for yourself.

Zz.

Lotso Captured On Video

Sighting of Lotso at a Disney theme park, captured on video.



Is this similar to a Yeti sighting, or a Loch Ness monster sighting?

Zz.

Disney's Art of Animation Resort

Disney unveils plans for a new resort adjacent to the Pop Century. Called the Disney's Art of Animation Resort, it will be a resort themed around 4 animated movies: The Lion King, Cars, Finding Nemo, and The Little Mermaid. Is it just a coincidence that it is evenly divided between Pixar and Disney Animation Studios movies? :)

It’s a resort designed with families in mind. There will be amazing sights at the different themed wings of the resort, including a model of King Triton that’ll eventually be 35 feet tall and tower over guests. And Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will also have themed room interiors in its nearly 2,000 new units — 1,120 family suites in The Lion King, Cars and Finding Nemo wings and 864 themed rooms in The Little Mermaid wings. Suites will have both a living room and a bedroom, offering added space.

All I can envisioned after this is a resort chokefull of KIDS! I'm staying away from this one!

:)

Zz.

Funny Disney T-shirt

I first saw this t-shirt at World of Disney in WDW's Downtown Disney last December. But for some strange reason, I didn't buy it then, and I regretted it after I got home. Luckily, I saw it again during this last trip, and bought it. It is the funniest Disney t-shirt that I have.


Fun!

Zz.

All Quiet

I haven't been posting much lately, mainly because I'm busy with work, but also trying to recover from my last Disney trip. I will have a few things to comment on based on this last trip, so stay tune. In the meantime, we are all waiting 'breathlessly' for the report from the Walt Disney Company on its performance for the 2nd Quarter. The report will be released after the market closes today.

Let's see if these so-called "analysts" know what they're talking about, which hasn't been the case previously.

Zz.

Disney Cruise Line Tilt-Shift Video

I love, love, LOVE, these tilt-shift videos. We've had one on Epcot, Magic Kingdom, etc. And now, it's the Disney Cruise line turn. Not only is the video very imaginative, but the music is a lot of fun as well, and not just for this one, but for all the previous tilt-shift videos that Disney has released. They should definitely use these as promotional videos.



I hope they released the whole collection of these videos on DVDs or something. I'd buy it!

Zz.

Disney's Harmony Barber Shop

There's a lot of "Awwwwww...." moments in this video of the barber shop at The Magic Kingdom.



I've never had a haircut there. Have you? I know of someone who would get a haircut whenever he's there. Maybe next time, I'll keep my hair long just to get a haircut when I'm at WDW. Wonder if I can get glitter sprinkled all over my hair?

Zz.

Caring for the Antique Horses on King Arthur Carousel

A wonderful video of the behind the scenes in the caring of those amazing horses on the King Arthur Carousel.



Zz.

At OIA

We are at OIA waiting for our flight home. Had a wonderful last day at DHS. We rode toy story mania not once, not twice, not three time, but FOUR FREAKING TIMES!! In fact, we rode the first two in less than an hour. The standby line in the morning was less than 15 mins long.

It was a fun trip. Can't wait for August and the pin event.

Toy story mania

In line at toy story mania.

Voice of liberty

At the America pavilion listening to Voice of Liberty.

Donald's Great Adventure - At DHS

I spent the day at Disney's Hollywood Studios yesterday. It was a lot of fun, but a lot of people. A couple of times my feathers got ruffled because people were jostling and rushing towards Toy Story Mania as soon as the rope dropped.

I went on Tower of Terror. I don't know why ZapperZ insisted that he took a picture of me after we are all strapped in. Hey, shouldn't I already be secured in the seats for this?


We then went to the Animation Academy. They were very nice to give me my own drawing pad and pencil. But folks, I don't have a thumb and can't hold a pencil!


I wonder what other "adventures" ZapperZ will get me into today.

DD.

Top of the world

At the top of the world lounge waiting for Illuminations.

Evening at AKL

Spending the evening at AKL. We have dinner reservation at Boma tonight.

BLT

Chilling out at BLT before making our way back to AKL.

Illuminations

At world showcase lagoon waiting for illuminations. Large crowds.

Goodbye MK

We are done with MK for today. It was hot! Heading back to our resort to relax before doing Epcot tonight.

On main street

Sitting on main street waiting for the school band parade

Haunted mansion

About to meet the ghost host.

Splash

About to go on splash

To MK

At TTC making our way to MK. Huge crowds. MK is going to be packed today.

Donald's Great Adventure - Pin Trading NIght

I made my appearance at the monthly Pin Trading night at the Contemporary. As expected, there were a lot of pin traders, some carrying what looked like coolers on rollers. Wow! Those must have been really valuable pins to be kept in temperature-controlled climate!

Here, they are already busy doing serious pin trading.


I have plenty of fans who are pin traders. They were just clamoring to get a picture with me. Right, Peter?


I also met up with Steven Miller, the Project Manager for Disney Pin Trading. He even confessed that he's a big Donald Duck fan! So there ya go!


If you ever have the chance to chat with Steven, you should. He's a very nice guy, and extremely friendly to talk to. Tell him that Donald sent you.

I had a fun evening. Too bad I didn't bring any pins to trade.

DD.