The Hat

A lovely day at DHS

DHS

About to go on ToT

Good morning

A lovely sunny morning at AKL. We will spend the morning at DHS.

Good night

Dusk at AKL. We had a wonderful time at the Wanyama safari and the dinner at Jiko. Turning in early because we will start early tomorrow at DHS.
Good night.

Safari

In the middle of wanyama safari.

Giraffes

Giraffes by the safari truck

New guard

New safari guard

Wanyama safari

On the safari now.

Wanyama safari

We are booked to do the Wanyama Safari this evening. Hooray!

Grand Fiesta

On the Grand Fiesta.

Lunch

Having lunch at the Cantina in Mexico pavilion.

TT

About to do Test Track.

Soarin

In line for soarin.

Epcot

We are at Epcot this morning.

Morning at AKL

Good morning from Animal Kingdom Lodge.

MK

At the Magic Kingdom.

Savannah view

View from room at AKL.

T shirt

Best t shirt found so far.

AKL

Checking in at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

At MCO

We just landed at Orlando. Heading to get our luggage and our rental.

We are here!

Zz.

On plane

We are on the plane heading to Orlando.

We Are Ready To Go!

We are about to start another trip to WDW. This should be a fun one, with a birthday celebration in the middle, and a quick stop at the recently-revived Pin Trading Night at WDW. As you can see, Donald is already rearing to go!

As usual, I'll try to post some "live" report from wherever we are.

We're about ready to leave for the airport. Will report along the way.

Zz.

Update on "Avengers 2"

Director Joss Whedon revealed a bit more on the status of "Avengers 2" during the premier of "Iron Man 3".

"I have actually finished a draft, we're in a very good place," Whedon said. "It's an evolution, and that goes on all through shooting and it never stops. I've done enough shows and movies to be comfortable with that. You do come to a point where we all agree … You lock certain things in. But then there's a certain fluidity when you're working with Robert [Downey Jr.]. Robert's going to want to do something new on the day, and you're going to want him to, because it’s going to be funny. So you always keep yourself open."

It will be a huge pressure to follow up to the glorious romp of "The Avengers", but I certainly can't wait for it.

Zz.

Random WDW Picture

An old "3 o'clock parade" at the Magic Kingdom.

Zz.

Sand sculptures at Castaway Cay

Disney Parks Blog has this post about a couple of talented artists let loose on Castaway Cay.  So instead of just laying around on the beach we could make ourselves useful and create some art.  Of course, some talent may be needed.

Random WDW Picture

Character Meet-and-Greet at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Zz.

No more Hat?

From LaughingPlace discussion boards comes this rumor that the Hat at Hollywood Studios will be removed by the end of this year.  Seems that someone had dinner (or lunch) with another someone who was a cast member, and the Hat rumor was thus communicated.

Some of the responses to this rumor were anti-Hat, but many of us feel that the Hat is an icon of  HS much like the castle is at MK.  Each park has its well known icon: the Tree of Life, the Castle, the Dome, and the Hat.  Many times people meet up by just saying "let's meet at the Hat", and everyone knows what that means.  The Hat is at the pin store(or vice versa), so maybe the whole thing will be removed.  This will annoy pin collectors and people who like the park icons.

Resort check-in with iPad

DIS News reports that WDW resort guests can now use their iPad to check in.

The "Mobile Lobby Experience" is part of MyMagic+ and with this system, guests can be checked in from the lobby, or even curbside, if needed.

 This could be useful if the lobby is crowded, but let's hope Disney is using secure wifi to do this.

Random WDW Picture

Epcot at dusk. Waiting for the start of Illuminations.

Zz.

Random WDW Picture

Aladdin's Magic Carpet ride at Adventureland, The Magic Kingdom.

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Random WDW Picture

A sign at the old Toontown at the Magic Kingdom.

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Random WDW Picture

A trip down memory lane from almost 10 years ago. These are the banners outside of the entrance to Animal Kingdom during the Golden anniversary celebration of Disneyland's 50th.

Zz.

Random WDW Picture

Making delectable deserts at the old Boardwalk Bakery.

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Random WDW Picture

Fireworks (during Wishes) over Cinderella Castle.

 

 

Zz.

Disney animator layoffs

CartoonBrew.com has this story from 4/11/13 about the layoffs in Disney's animation division.

According to former Disney animator Tom Bancroft on Twitter, Disney gutted their hand-drawn animation division this afternoon, and laid off nine veteran animators...

The responses to the story are interesting to read.  Artists and people in the business responded to the story, with some suggesting that the animators form their own studio.  

Animal Kingdom 15th anniversary

Dis News has this post about the events marking DAK's 15 years.  For a while it was "Nahtazu", but now it seems that it definitely "Isazu", but with a lot of other stuff..  The 15th anniversary party is scheduled for Earth Day, April 22, 2013.

Monsters Inc. Land At DCA?

In the world of rumors, this one is catching fire after it was first brought up in MiceChat. A possible Monsters Inc. Land at Disney's California Adventure? And a Tron Light Cycle for Tomorrowland at Disneyland?

OK, fine, but how about showing some love to WDW, especially to DHS? We still are getting only rumors of Carsland coming to DHS. That park needs a major overhaul, very much like DCA, to turn it into an attractive, all-day theme park.

Zz.

Annette

DisneyParks Blog posted this tribute to Annette Funicello.

She will forever hold a place in our hearts as one of Walt Disney’s brightest stars, delighting an entire generation of baby boomers with her jubilant personality and endless talent. Annette was well known for being as beautiful inside as she was on the outside, and she faced her physical challenges with dignity, bravery and grace.

New Pirates Adventure game at Magic Kingdom

DisneyParks Blog has this story about a new game that will begin in the summer of 2013 at Magic Kingdom.  The game has the somewhat long name: , A Pirate’s Adventure: Treasures of the Seven Seas .  I wonder if we could abbreviate it PATSS. 

In the game, the fate of piracy in the Caribbean rests in the hands of new pirate recruits, who, armed with magic talismans and treasure maps, embark on five different pirate raids throughout Adventureland to collect valuable treasures, while Captain Jack Sparrow’s magic compass guides them.

 At first glance this seems to be more for kids, although anyone can play.  It looks similar to the Agent-P game at EPCOT, at least in this "sneak peek".  The new game will be added to the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game to give another fun way to explore MK.  The Sorcerers game can be a little complicated and even frustrating - as you move up levels the villains start winning.  At higher levels you need to know which spells work best against each villain.  At the beginners level the game sucks you in as you keep beating the villains.  At the highest level, you might want to make sure the metal plate on the sidewalk where you stand at the portal is not a trap door.  Sorcerers has spawned a trading community for the cards, not to mention finding the right type of book to hold the cards.

Captain Hook Topiary

It seems that the Capt. Hook topiary at this year's Flower and Garden Festival is giving fun surprises to a few guests.




Zz.

Even more on MyMagic+

Disney is spending a fortune (apparently around a billion dollars) to implement the new MyMagic+ system at WDW.  This will change the way people experience the parks, maybe in unforseen ways, so it's worth taking another look at what's going on here.  MiceChat.com has this extensive January post with the basic story written by Sam Gennawey, and many responses.

As the battles between Disney and the other theme park operators is notched up another level with the introduction of the My Disney Experience program (MyMagic+), it is instructive to see how two of the biggest players are going in opposite directions. While Universal is trying to replicate the way Walt’s generation of Imagineers thought by focusing on building ride capacity, immersive theming, combined with novel merchandise, the Walt Disney Company’s new approach seems to be about rationing experiences using cutting edge software and technology.

Why is Disney spending a billion dollars on this system instead of using the money to add/improve attractions and better utilizing dead space?  It almost seems that Disney thinks people view going to WDW as a project with timelines and critical milestones.  So the new system is a kind of project management tool for planning the trip of a lifetime, and this takes priority over keeping the frequent visitor happy with more things to do.

What If Disney Makes Sports Logo

Ok, this is hilarious, and I love it!

Disney-themed sports logo

Zz.

New Morocco restaurant

DisneyFoodBlog.com reports that a new Morocco restaurant, named Spice Road Table, will open in EPCOT in 2013.  The new restaurant will be located on the waterfront and will have a tapas themed menu.

The menu will include tapas, small plates, olive oils and ingredients, and great wines representing specific Mediterranean countries. Guests will be able to order several dishes from the same country, or mix and match to enjoy several different flavors and influences.

The reaction to the news has been mixed, with some people glad that there will be more food choices, and others unhappy that a viewing area for Illuminations will be blocked.  There was no mention of how this will affect the popular rock group "Mo Rockin" at their outdoor stage. Other changes to the Morocco pavilion are also in the works.

Tables in Wonderland events

The Tables in Wonderland card gives you a 20% discount at WDW sit-down restaurants and a few other locations at WDW.  The card is available to annual passholders and DVC members for $100/year, as well as Florida residents for $125/year.  An 18% tip is added to all checks when using the card. 

"TIW" has been having some interesting events lately, with the latest one at the Contemporary described in this post at WDWInfo.com.  This post also lists all the places that take the TIW card.  Not long ago there was an event at the Great Movie Ride, which would have been very nice.  This author, having a strange sense of humor, suggests they have an event inside Splash Mountain.  A suitable place for a catered sit-down meal could be found, with the one possible downside being that there is only one way out, and you know what that means.

Disney pushing for Florida ticket law changes

Disney is looking for changes to the Florida ticket law to cover the new wristbands in the MyMagic+ system. The Orlando Sentinel reports that Disney wants to have their new electronic ticket/payment/room key system protected under the law.

Walt Disney World has spent close to $1 billion developing its "MyMagic+" system, which includes replacing conventional tickets with wireless-transmitting wristbands that serve as all-in-one park passes, room keys and credit cards.

Now Disney wants to make sure those "MagicBands" are protected by Florida law.
The giant resort is lobbying the Florida Legislature this spring to rewrite the state's ticket laws to cover its new bracelets, which Disney hopes will revolutionize the theme-park experience for visitors — and become a lucrative new source of souvenirs.

The changes Disney is after include the "non-transferable" law...

It would make another subtle change as well. Right now, it is illegal to resell or transfer a multiuse theme-park pass to someone else after it has been used at least once — but only as long as a phrase such as "nontransferable; must be used by the same person on all days" is printed somewhere on the pass.
The bill would flip that. Instead, it would be illegal to resell any such pass, unless the ticket or venue owner's website clearly say the pass may be used by more than one person.

 This is obviously being done to avoid having to print the warning on the wristbands, or other electronic device that might be used in the future.  So this is a big, expensive and complex system and it will be interesting to see if there are any unwanted side effects. 

Doofenschmirtz replacing Figment?

Rumor warning.  WDWMagic.com forums has this thread discussing the possibility that Dr. Doofenschmirtz might become the central character in a revamped Journey Into Imagination at EPCOT. The thread and responses begins with this...

One of my friends is a Disney Ambassador, and he said top-execs were walking around Imagination! in Epcot the other day. He told me there is the potential for the Imagination! pavilion being re-vamped/re-done again to reflect Heinz Doofenschmirtz as the central figure of the ride- using both his elaborately bad "inators" and real education to provide a new ride opportunity for guests.

 This would probably mean no more Figment, which would make many people very unhappy.  If this becomes reality, does it show that Disney is not interested in doing something really original in the parks?    We'll see what happens.

The Internet Marketing of Disney Theme Parks - An Analysis of Gender and Race

It's been a while since I posted a Disney-related academic papers/research on here. So it's about time to post another one.

This one examines the online marketing of Disney theme parks:

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to analyze the portrayal of gender and race in the images on the official Disney websites used to market five theme parks: the Disneyland Parks in California, Paris, Tokyo, and Hong Kong, and the Magic Kingdom in Florida. This is important because of the growth of e-commerce, Disney’s global influence, and the potential impact on those who view the images. The 452 images that had Disney human characters, human-like characters, animals, cast members, or guests were coded for gender. The main gender hypothesis, that the percentage of male-dominated images would exceed the percentage of female-dominated images, was tested using gender disparity values, which measured the gap between the percentage of male-dominated and female-dominated images. The hypothesis tended to be supported overall, and for most of the resorts (e.g., Florida), lands (e.g., Adventureland), and activities (attractions, entertainment, dining) for human characters, human-like characters, animals, and cast members, but not for guests. Furthermore, the hypotheses that gender disparity values would be highest for images of animals and lowest for images of guests was supported for all five resorts, six of eight lands, and all three activities. Additional analysis also revealed the preponderance of same-sex pairings in parent–child combinations in the images. With regard to race, while the images of some theme parks displayed more racial diversity among their guests than others, in some images, individuals of different races were shown interacting whereas in others they were not. Explanations for these findings and suggestions for future research are discussed. 

The paper is open-access, so you can download it and read it for yourself.

Zz.

Magic Kingdom closed due to reaching capacity

This post on WDWMagic.com reports that the Magic Kingdom was closed to some guests 2 days in a row after reaching capacity.  The park was in a "phase 3" closed condition, which is explained in this link.

It would be interesting to find out what Disney considers "capacity" at MK.

Random WDW Picture

Don't get to see Cinderella Castle in this light very often.

Zz.

Fastpass+ discussion

Follow this link to a WDWMagic.com forum thread in which the topic is the new Fastpass+ system. As you probably know, this system allows people to reserve Fastpasses several months in advance of their visit to WDW, and this has generated a lot of different opinions.  This particular thread starts out by someone posting about a lead designer of the FP+ system giving a talk at a University of Florida product design class...

One of the most interesting points he touched upon was just why Disney has decided to implement this program and allow Fastpasses to be reserved so far in advanced. The reason? Parents who were surveyed about their experience and perception of the Disney Parks "overwhelmingly" said that it was "the most terrifying experience of their life." These are the words he used, unaltered. Parents said this because they know they will have to split up their family in a park of thousands, having people do other things while Mom gets Fastpasses and Dad goes to wait in line to get something to eat with the kids. This creates a vacation of nothing but stress, and Disney (World, more than anywhere else) has been in a sort of crisis-mode trying to figure out just how to handle this. Thus, the implementation of My Disney Experience, Fastpass+, and Dining programs which allows you to have things planned far in advanced, thus allowing the family to stay together.

So this kicked off many pages of discussion which makes for interesting reading.  There's something odd about the above quote, namely that families splitting up is their decision and not a requirement.  Families can (and do) wait while one member gets all the Fastpasses, and this generally only takes a few minutes.  The idea of having to split up while someone gets the Fastpasses seems puzzling, especially if this causes a lot of stress.

 There's a bigger picture here, which may be partly explained by people's expectations of WDW if they are making the "trip of a lifetime" and think they have to make every minute count, as opposed to the way veterans of WDW approach it.  Even so, if many people find going to WDW "terrifying", this points to other factors that have little to do with Fastpasses.  You can form your own opinion of what these other factors might be.

Star Wars survey

Disney has sent out an online survey related to Star Wars.  The survey asks many questions about favorite characters, favorite series, and whether you think there should be a Stars Wars Land at WDW.  Disney seems to be actively considering such a thing.

DVC price increases

DVCNews.com reports that a "massive" price increase will go into effect in mid-March.  The cost per point is going up for almost all Vacation Club resorts.  Bay Lake remains unchanged at the current $165/point cost. The people who bought a lot of points when DVC was new in the 90's are certainly glad they did it.  Some of the costs per point have doubled since the beginning.

Random WDW Picture

Illuminations at World Showcase.

After Ever After

Have you ever wondered what happened to those Disney princesses after dream came true and they lived happily ever after? Well, this very creative video tells the story of 4 of them after ever after.




{Thanks to Erica for finding the video}

Zz.

Biggest Disney nerd?

The Orlando Sentinel has this story about George Taylor, a man who is possibly the biggest Disney nerd. 

...if this amiable Kernersville man isn't the biggest Disney nerd on the planet, he's a threat to steal the crown any day now. Who else do you know that collects not only Disney-related books -- he's believed to have the largest private collection of Disney books in the world -- but also Disney park maps, coffee mugs, neckties and even napkins?

Taylor also writes columns and reviews for MiceChat, one of the most popular Disney-related websites on the Internet, and co-hosts a video/podcast called "Communicore Weekly," which also focuses on all things Disney. On iTunes, the 15- to 20-minute show has been downloaded as many as 120,000 times a month, making it one of the most popular Disney podcasts available, Taylor says .

George and his brother Andrew created this blog  called Imageinerding.com.  But the biggest Disney nerd? The group I'm familiar with might take this as a challenge.

WDW Annual pass RFID conversion

Orlando Attractions Magazine reports that annual passes are beginning to be converted to new plastic cards with embedded RFID chips.  New and renewed passes will be issued in the new format.

Passholders have been told they will find out how they will be able to get a MagicBand, which replaces their pass, in the coming months. Since these new plastic passes are being rolled out now, that may mean the MagicBands have been delayed until later in the year.

Current Disney annual passholders who want to trade in their paper pass for a plastic one may do so by bringing their pass and a photo ID to the Odyssey building at Epcot between March 20 and May 19. This is voluntary. The paper passes will continue to work. But new passholders and those renewing will be given the plastic passes starting on March 20.

Downtown Disney's "Disney Spring"

Here is the video of the announcement and the plan for Disney Spring.



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Magic's Magic helps feed the magic

Now here's an interesting story that helps make a catchy post title.  According to this post at DisBoards.com, a company partly owned by Magic Johnson, Sodexo Magic, will be running the cast member cafeterias at WDW.  There should be a lot of dunking from now on.

Shanghai Disneyland to have biggest castle

Shanghai Disneyland's castle will be the biggest of all the theme parks, according to this story at InsideTheMagic.com. 

At The Walt Disney Company Annual Meeting of Shareholders today Disney CEO Bob Iger debuted a first look at a new 3D model of Shanghai Disneyland, featuring Disney’s biggest-ever theme park castle called the Enchanted Storybook Castle, which will feature a ride inside.

The new park is scheduled to open toward the end of 2015.

Random WDW Picture

The Castle.

I kinda like this photo because you get to see the silhouette of the Partners statue against the Castle.

Zz.

Mr. "the Frog" and "Planes"

 Among the new Disney movies scheduled to be released in the next year are:  the new Muppets movie and "Planes".

Titled "The Muppets...Again!", Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang will appear in their new movie scheduled to be released March 2014.  This story at Inside the Magic.com talks about the movie, which will star Tina Fey and Ricky Gervais. The plot includes the "World's Number One Criminal" who happens to look exactly like Kermit.

Disney’s “The Muppets …Again!” takes the entire Muppets gang on a global tour, selling out grand theaters in some of Europe’s most exciting destinations, including Berlin, Madrid and London. But mayhem follows the Muppets overseas...

Said Kermit the Frog, “This movie takes us places we’ve never been before. And trust me—this frog has never seen so much international flavor. I think audiences will eat it up—the entertainment, that is.”

 See this post for a brief story on the new movie "Planes", which has been keeping a very low profile since early previews came out some time ago.  The movie is supposed to be released August 2013.

Though the film has a distinctly Pixar look, Pixar is not involved in its production. Instead, DisneyToon Studios is responsible for its creation, best known for its direct-to-video sequels of Disney classics.

Random WDW Picture

I was going through some of my old photos and came across this that I had forgotten from 2005. It was GayDays at the Magic Kingdom of that year and I was walking around a group of people taking a photo of themselves in Fantasyland. I don't know them, they don't know me. But I couldn't pass by the hilarious sight and had to stop and snap a photo of them. They were sporting enough to even pose and look my way, as you can tell in the shot.

Ah, that was such a fun and festive day!

Zz.

Disney Commissioned Imagineeing Documentary

I would stand in line to see this.

Disney has commissioned a documentary on its very own Imagineering division.

Leslie Iwerks, granddaughter of Mickey Mouse co-creator Ub Iwerks, has started work on a Disney-commissioned documentary about its Imagineering division.
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Iwerks said she’s been pleased at the level of access, noting, “They gave me the keys to the kingdom.”

It is supposed to be released in 2016. No word yet if this is going to be a theatrical release or direct to TV.

Zz.

Shanghai Disneyland To Open In Late 2015

Book your trip now. Shanghai Disneyland to open in late 2015.

The Shanghai Disney Resort will feature a Shanghai Disneyland park, two hotels, a 46,000-square-meter retail, dining and entertainment venue, recreational facilities, a lake plus parking and transport hubs, Forbes reports. Shanghai's Cinderella Castle will be the largest and tallest of all the Disney castles.

Now, let's see if they have enough attractions when they open to satisfy the guest and not repeat the same mistakes they made with Hong Kong Disneyland.

Zz.

Rapunzel Restroom

Where else other than at a Disney theme park can a restroom gets such a coverage!

Two separate videos cover the newly-opened Rapunzel tower, which is a new restroom in Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom.



Zz.

Festival of the Lion King theater construction

WDWMagic.com reports that an informed source says the Festival of the Lion King show will be moving to a newly constructed theater in Africa.  This relates to Avatar Land since the area in Camp Minnie Mickey now occupied by the FOTLK show is apparently needed for the new Land.

The popular live show is expected to continue in its current location until the new theater is ready. The 'Wild Africa Trek' check-in location was relocated earlier this week, in another step to freeing up the space required behind Tusker House and the Dawa Bar.

 The move has not yet been confirmed by Disney, and as such, should be treated as speculation at this point.

It makes sense to have the Lion King show in Africa, and this seems to be another step toward Avatar Land.

New Interactive Queue Line At Thunder Mountain Railroad

We have a video of the new interactive activity in the queue line at MK's Thunder Mountain Railroad.



This is all fine and dandy, but have they made sure everyone on the ride itself is working? Last time I was on this, the cave walls during the last climb were not moving, and several other things were not working. Have they made sure those things that are supposed to work are running, before they add more bells and whistles to the attraction? I can also see these new things breaking down and requiring maintenance, and get neglected.

Zz.

Important date for Figment fans

March 5, 2013 is the 30th anniversary of the opening of Journey into Imagination at EPCOT.  This story at Disney Parks Blog talks about the attraction and its history.

Today in Disney history is a biggie for fans of early Epcot history. On March 5, 1983, the original Journey Into Imagination attraction debuted in FutureWorld at Epcot, introducing guests to Dreamfinder, Figment and a lovely little song titled “One Little Spark.”

The attraction has changed twice since 1983, with the current version  beginning in 2002.  Many fans think the original version, with Dreamfinder's "ship" and the rainbow maze, was the best.

Vinylmation update

If you are interested in Vinylmations check out Steven Miller's post on the Disney Parks Blog, talking about the person now in charge of Vinylmations, Julie Young, and the direction that the little figures may be taking.  Julie has spent over 10 years with pins and was partly responsible for hiring Steven as trading manager. Steven interviewed Julie in her new role...

What are some of the changes that Vinylmation fans can expect to see?

Julie: “Vinylmation, like Disney pins, has a strong and passionate fan base. We heard from fans about what they would like to see with Vinylmation. To many, it’s all about the collectability and rarity of figures. We also know that the thrill of the chase is a critical part of the experience. You will see us focus more on mystery boxes and focus less on open edition figures. We will be trying new things that we hope will keep things exciting, such as eight-figure mystery series that will make completing sets easier.”

 See the blog post for the full interview.  The Vinylmation segment of Disney collectibles seemed to some people as somewhat drifting lately.  Not sure if the emphasis on mystery boxes is a good thing or not.  Let's see how things develop in the next few months.

Oz, the Great and Powerful, or not

The new Disney movie Oz, the Great and Powerful is set to open about a week after this post.  The early critical reviews are anything but great and powerful.  Here are two typical examples:  W.L. Swarts posted this review on his blog, and the Hollywood Reporter has this to say about the movie.  Other early reviews can been seen at IMDB.com.

The Hollywood Reporter sees James Franco as "fatally miscast" as the lead character and mentioned that Robert Downey Jr. was the original pick for the role. These quotes pretty much sum up their opinion of the movie...

Very quickly, the disappointments begin accumulating

Quite the opposite of the great earlier film, the Oz here is a dull place to be

 Swarts also panned the movie, saying it is oddly similar to Alice in Wonderland...

Oz The Great And Powerful is not unenjoyable, but it is thoroughly obvious and it is, at best, a popcorn movie that seeks to entertain and overwhelm as opposed to telling a story that is worthwhile or compelling.

Swarts also had an interesting comment in his review, namely that Disney's large fanbase will make the movie a hit despite its shortcomings.  That didn't seem to work for John Carter or Mars needs Moms.  So, we'll see what us regular people have to say once they have seen the movie. 

Remy in Paris

Disney Parks Blog reports that Remy will have his own attraction at Disneyland Paris in 2014.  The attraction will be based on the movie Ratatouille, and will tell the story of Remy's quest to become a chef.

capital

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This new family-focused attraction will open at the resort’s Walt Disney Studios Park in 2014. The film tells the tale of Remy, a cuisine-loving rat, who dreams of becoming a talented French chef. According to Gas, Disneyland Paris is the perfect setting for such an attraction: - See more at: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/03/ratatouille-themed-attraction-set-to-open-at-disneyland-paris-in-2014/#sthash.kZWCTnO0.dpuf

This new family-focused attraction will open at the resort’s Walt Disney Studios Park in 2014. The film tells the tale of Remy, a cuisine-loving rat, who dreams of becoming a talented French chef. According to Gas, Disneyland Paris is the perfect setting for such an attraction: - See more at: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/03/ratatouille-themed-attraction-set-to-open-at-disneyland-paris-in-2014/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DisneyParks+%28Disney+Parks+Blog%29#sthash.xGHv3xy8.dpuf

“By developing this new ‘Ratatouille’ attraction, we continue to ensure our guests can experience their favorite Disney stories in memorable ways that only Disney can provide,” he said. “The theme, which is very français, is a tribute to the capital and the unforgettable characters that make ‘Ratatouille’ the ideal choice for an attraction that fits perfectly at Disneyland Paris.” - See more at: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2013/03/ratatouille-themed-attraction-set-to-open-at-disneyland-paris-in-2014/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DisneyParks+%28Disney+Parks+Blog%29#sthash.xGHv3xy8.dpuf

Disney resort Wi-Fi improved

WDWMagic.com reports in this post that Disney has improved the wf-fi service at the resorts.  This is aimed at fixing dropped connections and getting better speed.  On a recent visit to WDW in February 2013, the wi-fi service was noticeably better at the resorts than a few months earlier. 

Random Disneyland Picture

This is at It's A Small World in Disneyland, CA.

Zz.

Random WDW Picture

A glimpse of Animal Kingdom Lodge - Jambo House.

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Why's everybody always picking on me?

For some reason, this is not the best time to be the White Rabbit at Disneyland.  Following a recent charge of racism, which also affected our favorite duck in a separate incident, the rabbit apparently lost it when some girls pulled his tail. This story was posted at news.ninemsn.au, an Australian news source, and will probably get wider circulation.  Characters are always accompanied by a handler who, presumably, would be the one to intervene in such incidents.  So where was the handler when all this was going on?  No mention of a handler in the rabbit stories.

In a recent WDW MK parade, we witnessed Donald accidentally smack Stitch in the head.  We wouldn't expect Stitch to start choking Donald, although that would liven up the parade.  We expect characters to be pretty disciplined, so this apparent rabbit meltdown is a puzzle.  I guess you don't tug on Superman's cape or pull the White Rabbit's tail.

Random WDW Picture

At the Italy pavilion at Epcot.

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Disney Springs Downtown

According to this post on parkrumors.com, Disney is planning a major renovation of the Downtown Disney area at WDW.  The revamped area will be called Disney Springs, according to the post, and will consist of several "neighborhoods".  Disney has filed plans with the South Florida Water Management District to upgrade the groundwater infrastructure, as Phase I of the project.

The next phase of the plans is where it gets interesting. The Downtown Disney area as a whole will be re-branded into “Disney Springs”, which encompasses six distinct neighborhoods: The Gateway, The Town Center, The Springs, The Landing, The West Side, and The Village Marketplace. Each neighborhood will have its own distinct look and feel...

Some of the changes expected include a new parking garage and a new bridge to Saratoga Springs.  No date was given for the project.

Random WDW Picture

From HollidayWishes.

Zz.

The anti-blockbuster movie critic

To show that everyone is a critic, check out this posting on thedisneyblog.com for one person's opinion of where Disney is going wrong with its movies. 

John Carter is now considered one of the biggest movie blunders of all-time. You would think that Disney would start to stray away from big budget flicks for a little while, then work its way back up. Unfortunately…they went the opposite direction. Oz, coming out next month, has a $200 million budget. Let me repeat that, a $200 million budget. That is humongous. That means that Disney needs Alice In Wonderland/Iron Man/Batman numbers to make money. Now that is a risk.

 The big budget lineup for Spring 2013 includes Oz, Iron Man 3 and The Lone Ranger, the latter reportedly having a budget of around $300 million.  Turns out that John Carter was not the financial disaster that most people believe.  This posting in Box Office Mojo from March 2012 shows that the movie made $282 million worldwide vs. a budget of $250 million.  The film did very well in China,

So, given these numbers for what one could say was a weak and mis-marketed movie, Disney isn't taking such a big risk in making the blockbusters that are coming out.  They probably feel that if the movie is not so hot in the USA, there's the rest of the world to consider. Of course, we Disney movie goers would prefer to see good movies and not have to say "Oh well, at least it will be a big hit in China".

Disney's strategy for MyMagic+

Disney's plans for the new MyMagic+ program are somewhat revealed in a patent application recently published by the Patent Office.  There is typically an 18 month lag time between the application and its public release. This article by Jack Burgin in Dis News (wdwinfo.com) talks in depth about Disney's apparent strategy.

The patent application provides a few more hints about Disney’s long-term thinking for MyMagic+, at least its thinking as of July 2011.  The application explains that MyMagic+ will be receiving “information from a guest, determining a guest strategy based on the information received from the guest, and generating a schedule for the guest visit based on the guest strategy. The schedule for the guest visit may include attendance at one or more experience areas.”  (“Experience area” means theme park, a resort hotel, golf course or spa.)

Before arriving at the theme park, the guest could “select the desired experiences areas and/or resort areas, as well as desired experiences for visits for visits on one day, or over multiple days.” The system would generate a schedule for experiences based on the input from the guest and various applicable “business rules” (more on this below).  The schedule is designed to sequence the experiences in a manner to optimize the guest’s route through the theme park.  Alternatively, the application contemplates guests creating “wish lists” of attractions and the system will generate one or more schedules.

The schedule can include appointments, which includes flexible return window appointments, or passes for the guest for each selected attraction for a time period or window of time. By having the schedule ahead of time, this avoids, Disney optimistically believes, guests “having to rush to an attraction to obtain one appointment or pass for a later time” while “minimizing the waiting time at each attraction and allowing the guest to take more time and enjoy the surrounding events, sights, shops, etc. as the guest follows the route.”

The article points out that the patent application does not mean that Disney is definitely going to do everything described.  It does give an interesting view into Disney's thinking behind the MyMagic+ program, which seems to be aimed at the one-time visitor who wants their park time pre-planned.  As the responses to the blog post point out, having your time at the parks on a schedule isn't going to help long lines.  This is mainly because there are a limited number of attractions and Disney is trying hard to get as many people into the parks as possible.  Having thousands of people on a schedule isn't likely to reduce the lines. 

Harrison Ford To Be In Next Star Wars?

The rumor mill has been running rampant today with the possibility that Harrison Ford will reprise his role as Han Solo in the upcoming Episode 7 of the new Star Wars movie.

That's the report from Latino Review reporter Umberto “El Mayimbe” Gonzalez, who went on Fox News Latino to break the news that Ford had signed on to appear in the new "Star Wars" film. According to Gonzalez, the deal is "significant." HuffPost Entertainment has reached out to Ford's publicist for confirmation, but has not heard back.

As usual, there are zero confirmation being given by anyone. So I would simply file this as wishful-thinking rumor, but not out of the question.

It will certainly keep the Star Wars fanatic occupied till the movie comes out, very much like Apple fans hanging on to every single Apple rumors leading to an announcement.

Avatar Land update

This article at Guide2WDW has an interview with Disney chief Bob Iger, in which Iger stated that Avatar Land might not be opened until 2015. 

..."in all likelihood, we’re not going to open up Avatar Land until some time in 2015." Disney's CEO reported that the design work on the expansion to Animal Kingdom "is just beginning," which quieted online rumors that the project had been cancelled altogether. According to Iger, Walt Disney World guests might be able to visit the world of Pandora in just 3 years.

As a personal opinion, I continue to think Avatar Land could be a mistake.  It's too far from traditional Disney theming and, especially by 2015, will be based on a movie that will probably fade into obscurity.    Basing a new WDW Land on a movie like this has many potential problems and seems like a very odd idea for Disney.  You might point out that the Harry Potter attraction at Universal is based on movies, but Harry Potter is a mythic story of a hero's journey that is firmly embedded in modern culture and literature.  Can the same be said for Avatar?   But maybe Disney plans to go in a direction that ends up being interesting, positive and relevant. A Land that is inspired by some aspects of Avatar, but is not seemingly tied to the movie, might be a better approach.  The Imagineers could take some parts of Avatar and add their own touches to make it fit into Animal Kingdom.  We'll see what happens.

John Lasseter Talks About Monsters University Toys

I think I was more amused with John Lasseter's enthusiasms about the toys than I was with the toys themselves! :)



Zz.

Funny T-shirt

Found this shirt depicting Candace, Phineas and Ferb trying to get Perry to bring them the key. Just like the scene in Pirates. The shirt seems to be only in kid sizes now.

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Ferry boats near sunset

Two Magic Kingdom ferries cross with the Contemporary in the background.

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GF DVC

This photo shows the new DVC addition to the Grand Floridian.

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Random Disney Picture

"He'll trade two of his for one of yours. Either way, you'll come out a-head."

This one was actually from the original attraction at Disneyland, CA.

Zz.

MyMagic+ update

As of early February 2013, WDW is rolling out parts of the new MyMagic+ system.  The new payment pads are installed most everywhere, even at Earl of Sandwich which, by the way, means that Earl's is taking Disney room cards now.  A couple of places didn't have their pads in operation yet as of this date and a few were having problems.  However, these pads are soon going to be in use for payment everywhere in WDW.

To pay for something you touch your card to the Mickey icon on the pad, then punch in your pin number (you create a pin at resort check-in if you are staying on property). Comments on the new pads... Punching in your pin number is not very secure.  The pads are sitting on the counter and it would be fairly easy for someone standing nearby to see what number you are entering.  But someone would need the card or the information on it to start charging to your account. If you pay with a credit card, the new pads have a slot for the card and the transaction proceeds as before.

At Animal Kingdom and Magic Kingdom, as of this date, pass holders needed to use one of the few turnstiles that have not been converted to the touch-pad system.  Regular ticket holders still use a finger scan along with the ticket and no pin number is used for park entry.  At some point, it would seem that pass holders will need to get new cards as it seems unlikely that Disney is going to have two entry systems for very long.

There isn't any real information at this point on how the wrist bands will be used.  The current cards must be touched to the payment pad, but will the wrist bands be scannable at a distance?  There isn't enough public information yet to be sure.  Ordinary RFID scanning could present some security issues, especially if/ when people take the wrist bands out of WDW.  The level of security issues depends on what exactly is coded into the bands and how easy it would be to scan them, and that information doesn't seem to be available.

Donald simmering again

Donald is thinking this is pushing his friendship with Mickey & Mickey too far - or maybe it's pulling it too far.

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VM assembly line

Finally found where they crank out the Vinylmations at D-Street.

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Boba Fett and Han Solo Movies?

The internet is buzzing with news out of Entertainment Weekly that, along with sequels to the Star Wars movies, Disney is also planning on developing parallel movies on two of the Star Wars characters - Boba Fett and Han Solo.

Entertainment Weekly has learned details on two of the spin-off projects: A young Han Solo saga, focusing on the wisecracking smuggler’s origin story, and a bounty hunter adventure with Boba Fett at the center of a rogue’s gallery of galactic scum.

The Han Solo story would take place in the time period between Revenge of the Sith and the first Star Wars (now known as A New Hope), so although it’s possible Harrison Ford could appear as a framing device, the movie would require a new actor for the lead — one presumably much younger than even the 35-year-old Ford when he appeared in the 1977 original.

The Boba Fett film would take place either between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, or between Empire and Jedi, where the bounty hunter was last seen plunging unceremoniously into a sarlacc pit. Exactly who would play him isn’t much of a complication – in the original trilogy, he never took off his helmet. And in the prequels, we learned he was the son of the original stormtrooper clone, played by Temuera Morrison, who’s still the right age for the part if his services were required.

I smell franchise!

:)

Zz.

Donald And American Idol

Donald is auditioning for American Idol at Disney's Hollywood Studios.

I wonder if he is going to perform Dueling Quackers?



Zz.

New pin pad colors

Here's one of the new Mickey pin pads - in black. How many colors are there?

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This Couple Really, Really Loves Disney

Hey, if you can swing it, why not?

This couple loved Disney so much, they threw a Disney-themed wedding. The bride dressed as Ariel from the Little Mermaid. See their photos at the link.

Zz.

Where in WDW is this?

Be as specific as possible.

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Sunset over Bay Lake

Just after sunset on Bay Lake, from Ft. Wilderness.

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New payment pads

WDW is rolling out new payment pads in the stores. You touch your room card to the pad and enter a pin that you created at resort check-in.

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Pin trading life preserver

The pin trading board at Old Key West has a more nautical look.

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Random WDW Picture

Being mooned by a giraffe at Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Zz.

Random WDW Picture

A closer look at Cindy's Castle.

Zz.