News From the World of Disney: May 23 – June 5

June 5, 2015May 20, 2016

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Written by Sue Nowicki

May 23 – The beginning of this news period was dominated by Disney’s 24-Hour Event at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. The 24-hour Event which included both parks being open from 6:00am on May 22 – 6:00am on May 23 was also Disney’s kick-off of the ‘Coolest Summer Ever’. (Link)

May 27 – Is a recent survey sent out by Disney a look at the future of tiered ticket pricing at Walt Disney World? The survey included a graphic which shows three levels of prices. The Gold tickets will be valid any day of the year. Silver will be valid most days except peak and holiday weeks. Bronze will only be valid during off-peak weekdays. This suggested pricing boosts the one-day ticket to Magic Kingdom up to $125/day during peak times. (WDW: Link; DL: Link)

May 27 – A new Castle Forecourt Stage show is coming to Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. The ‘Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular’ will star the Sanderson Sisters from Disney’s “Hocus Pocus”. The show will feature Dr. Faciliert, Oogie Boogie, Maleficient and other Disney villains. (Link)

May 27 – Duke Energy in cooperation with Walt Disney World is building a 5-megawatt solar power facility on Disney property near World Drive and Epcot Center Drive. The 48,000 panels will be in the shape of a Mickey Mouse head. As part of the 15-year agreement, Duke Energy will lease the land from Disney and run and maintain the facility from which Disney will buy the power. (Link)

May 29 – A cool new attraction is coming to Tokyo Disney Resort. The attraction, based on “Finding Nemo”, will ‘shrink’ guests to the size of a fish and allow them to explore the underwater world from the point of view of Nemo and his friends. (Link)

May 29 – When Disney announced a partnership with Turner Classic Movies earlier this year there was a lot of excitement about possible changes which would come to The Great Movie Ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The first part of those changes were on display this week as the queue area now features digital movie posters and movie props as well as a new video featuring scenes from classic movies. (Link)

May 29 – The schedule for the ‘Eat to the Beat’ Concert series at the 2015 Epcot Food & Wine Festival has been announced. For those of us who grew up in the 80’s, get your leg warmers and AquaNet ready because you will be rocking to acts such as Starship, .38 Special, Rick Springfield, The Pointer Sisters, The S.O.S. Band, Dennis DeYoung, Tiffany, Air Supply and Chaka Kahn. There will also be contemporary performers such as David Cook, Fuel, Jo Dee Messina, Everclear, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy, Sugar Ray and Smash Mouth. The daily shows will take place throughout Food & Wine Festival at 5:30pm, 6:45pm and 8:00pm. (Link)

May 29 – The new, expanded Harambe Market is now open at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The new area features four new quick service ‘shop window’ dining locations: Kitamu Grill, Famous Sausage, Chef Mwanga’s and Wanjohi Refreshments. (Link)

June 1 – In a not unexpected move, Disney Jay Rasulo has announced he will step down on June 30. This announcement was not a surprise because Rasulo has been working without a contract since the end of January. (Link)

June 2 – Several news updates ago we talked about the baby rhino born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. We also reported that a fan vote named this little girl Kiama, which means magic. Beginning on June 3, Kiama and her mom, Kendi, will be joining the rest of the animals on the savannah. You might even be able to catch a glimpse of her on Kilimanjaro Safaris. (Link)

June 3 – Downtown Disney continues to add unique shopping and dining experiences as they transition to Disney Springs. The newest addition is The NBA Experience which will feature hands-on activities, a store and a restaurant. (Link)

June 3 – The Disney Channel has announced that ‘Tangled’ will now be an animated series which will premiere in 2017. The great news is that Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi will reprise their roles as Rapunzel and Flynn Rider/Eugene Fitzherbert. (Link)

June 4 – The union who represents performers at Walt Disney World has filed a grievance with Disney’s labor relations board. The union is challenging a now-written policy which forbids performers from revealing which character they portray in the parks either online or in print media. (Link)

June 4 – A reprise “Sister Act” is coming back to the big screen. Now this is just me talking, but I would say with the world-wide success of “Pitch Perfect”, this is a no-brainer for Disney Pictures. (Link)

June 4 – I don’t think it will be a surprise to anyone that Disney theme parks across the world dominate the statistics on theme park attendance. All Disney parks combined brought in 148,341,000 visitors. Of the top 10 most visited theme parks in the world, Disney parks hold nine of those spots. The Magic Kingdom alone had 19,322,000 guests making it most visited single site theme park in the world. Just for funsies, this means there is an average of 52,937 guests in the Magic Kingdom each day of the year. (Link)

That’s all the news for now. Follow me on Twitter @JazzinDisneyMom for more Disney news.

Latest News From the World of Disney: September 25, 2015

Other posts by this author:
”The Descendants” Movie Review
Disney by Land, Disney by Sea: Part 1 & Part 2
”Tomorrowland” Movie Review
Best Walt Disney World Smartphone Apps
Restaurant Review – Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – The Way Life Should Be
A Day in the Life of Disney’s FastPass+ Service

Sue Nowicki splits her time between planning her next Walt Disney World vacation and being team mom to ten high-energy volleyball players where she fills the roles of secretary, navigator, treasurer, athletic trainer and team psychologist. You can follow her on Twitter @JazzinDisneyMom.

Written by: Sue Nowicki

6 Comments

News from the World of Disney – Mar. 14-27, 2015

March 27, 2015May 20, 2016

Written by Sue Nowicki

March 15 – March Magic is back! Follow @WaltDisneyWorld or @Disneyland on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and you can vote for your favorite Walt Disney World & Disneyland attraction until an ultimate winner is crowned. (Link)

March 16 – Be Our Guest opened for breakfast starting on March 20. The Prix Fixe menu includes items which feature a French touch such as Eggs Florentine served in a puff pastry and Open-face Bacon & Poached Egg Sandwich with Brie. Most of the items on the menu cost $19.99. (Link)

March 16 – Not to be outdone on the cuteness scale by Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, Disneyland got into the act of showing off their new crop of babies… baby goats that is. Say hello to Bernard and Bianca. (Link)

March 16 – Two more actors have been announced to join Emma Watson in the live action feature re-make of ‘Beauty & The Beast’. Emma Thompson will play the part of Mrs. Potts while Kevin Kline has been perfectly cast in the role of Belle’s eccentric father, Maurice. To top all this off Alan Menken, the creative genius behind the scores of ‘The Little Mermaid’, ‘Aladdin’ and ‘Pochanatas’, will return score the film as he did with the original. The film is currently scheduled to be released on March 17, 2017. (Link)

March 17 – ESPN’s ‘Baseball Tonight’ visited Walt Disney World for a week of shows on March 23-27. (Link)

March 18 – The Walt Disney World Company released their 2014 Corporate Citizenship report which touted a 31% decrease in its net emissions from its 2012 level. Some of the initiatives which were implemented to contribute to this reduction included making ESPN’s annual ESPY Awards ceremony in Los Angeles virtually waste-free, food scraps from 60 food and beverage locations at Disneyland were sent to a local facility for processing into feed nutrients for farm animals and Walt Disney World has started using Harvest Power Orlando to convert more than 120,000 tons of organic waste annually into renewable biogas and natural fertilizers. This is just the beginning, by 2020 they plan to reduce emissions by 50%. (Link)

March 19 – The amazing story of little leaguer Mo’ne Davis who made history last year as the first girl to pitch a shutout in the Little League World Series is coming to the small screen. Disney, who has an incredible way of telling amazing sports stories, will bring this story to the Disney Channel. (Link)

March 19 – The Tomorrowland Terrace Fireworks Dessert Party is changing to the Wishes Fireworks Dessert Party beginning on July 5, 2015. Reservations for this transformed event opened on March 20. So what is the difference you ask? The new party will offer a sparkling cider toast and the price will nearly double to $49/adult and $29/child plus tax. (Link)

March 19 – Pandora introduced a collection of Disney Princess Charms as part of their Spring 2015 Disney jewelry collection. The prices for these charms start at $35. (Link)

March 19 – The Themed Entertainment Associate bestowed three awards on the Disney Parks. This included the prestigious Thea Classic Award to Disneyland’s “It’s a Small World” attraction. (Link)

March 19 – I think every Disney fanatic’s dream house would be at Disney’s Golden Oaks and that’s just what Brook Lopez of the Brooklyn Nets is getting. He is building a $1.6mm home in the exclusive neighborhood which includes perks such as annual passes to Walt Disney World and free transportation to and from the park. Sign me up! (Link)

March 20 – The US Navy Blue Angels did a spine-tingling flyover of Cinderella Castle on their way to Melbourne, Florida for an air show. Can you say goose bumps?! (Link)

March 20 – Innoventions West in Epcot will be temporarily closing at the end of May 2015 to make way for a new experience. (Link)

March 21 – If you don’t have the money to build a palatial estate at Disney’s Golden Oaks like Brooklyn Net’s player Brook Lopez how about buying your own monorail? For the bargain price of $280,000, you can own your very own Mark IV Red Monorail. (Link)

March 23 – Rumors are abound that a new Jungle Cruise-themed restaurant called ‘Skipper’s Cantina’ will be coming to the Magic Kingdom’s Adventureland. The estimated open date is the end of 2015. (Link)

March 24 – As we look forward to Disneyland’s Diamond Celebration, the Disney Parks Blog took some time to look back 60 years to the construction of the park.

March 24 – Disney Cruise Line is headed to the British Isles. In 2016, the Disney Magic will depart from Dover, England and spend 12 days with stops in England, Scotland and Ireland as well as La Havre, France. (Link)

March 25 – SMS Audio, owned by rapper 50 Cent, has teamed with Walt Disney Parks & Resort to become the official headphone manufacturer of Walt Disney World and Disneyland as well as the Official Disney Fan Club. SMS Audio will also be the official sponsor of the Star Tours attraction in Disney’s Hollywood Studios as well as the Avengers Super Hero Half Marathon Weekend and Star Wars Half Marathon Weekend at Disneyland. (Link)

March 25 – The original Disney Store in Glendale Galleria celebrates its 28th anniversary on March 28. Since 1987, the Disney Store has opened nearly 200 more stores in North America. (Link)

March 25 – Walt Disney World announced a special offer which saves Guests up to 30% on select Walt Disney World resort. To take advantage of this offer Guests must book between March 23 – June12, 2015 and their trip must take place between June 16 – August 27, 2015. (Link)

March 26 – Are you going to be in Walt Disney World or Disneyland in April? Are you looking forward to the new Disney movie “Tomorrowland”? If you said yes to both of those questions then I have great news for you. You will be able to catch some exclusive scenes with special ‘in-theatre effect’ from the movie at the Imagination Pavilion theatre in Epcot and the Tomorrowland theatre in Disneyland. (Link)

March 27 – runDisney races have become some of the most popular race events in the country, and soon to be the world when they head to Disneyland Paris. Here is a great video wrap-up of the recent Princess Half Marathon Weekend festivities.

That’s all the news for now. Follow me on Twitter @JazzinDisneyMom for more Disney news.

Latest News From the World of Disney: September 11, 2015

Other posts by this author:
”The Descendants” Movie Review
Disney by Land, Disney by Sea: Part 1 & Part 2
”Tomorrowland” Movie Review
Best Walt Disney World Smartphone Apps
Restaurant Review – Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – The Way Life Should Be
A Day in the Life of Disney’s FastPass+ Service

Sue Nowicki splits her time between planning her next Walt Disney World vacation and being team mom to ten high-energy volleyball players where she fills the roles of secretary, navigator, treasurer, athletic trainer and team psychologist. You can follow her on Twitter @JazzinDisneyMom.

Written by: Sue Nowicki

1 Comment

News from the World of Disney: February 28 – March 13

March 13, 2015May 20, 2016

Written by Sue Nowicki

February 28 – Disney’s Egg-Stravagana Easter egg hunt returns to Disney California Adventure, Disneyland Park and Epcot at Walt Disney World. (Link)

March 1 – The outdoor kitchen menus for Epcot Flower & Garden has been released. In addition to the established pavilions there will be other destination options including Botanas Botanico (Venezuelan), Urban Farm Eats, Pineapple Promenade, Florida Fresh and Intermission Café. Some perennial favorites such as the Pineapple Soft Service (Dole Whip) with a shot of rum and the “Piggylicious” Bacon Maple Cupcake are back on the menu again this year. (Link)

March 1 –Backstage Safari tour at Disney’s Animal Kingdom was retired on February 27. It is being replaced by Backstage Tales which began on March 1. As part of this new backstage tour guests will get to view the Veterinary Hospital, animal housing and the Animal Nutrition Center. Backstage Tales costs $90/pp and lasts approximately 4 hours. It is restricted to ages 12 and above. (Link)

March 2 – A small fire occurred at Disneyland near the It’s A Small World attraction. Authorities suspect the cause was fireworks related. (Link)

March 2 – The Food Network will be airing a primetime special where the network goes behind the scenes of the Disney Dream cruise ship. The special airs on March 27 at 8:00pm ET/PT. (Link)

March 4 – Walt Disney World announced a multi-year agreement to be the founding sponsor for the Orlando City Soccer Club who made their Major League Soccer (MLS) debut last weekend. This isn’t the first partnership between Walt Disney World and Orlando City. In 2014, Orlando City played all their home games at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex while their stadium was being completed. (Link)

March 4 – Disney parking is going high-tech. The parking garage at Downtown Disney will feature new technology where an electronic sign at the end of each row with show drivers how many spots are left in that row. (Link)

March 4 – ESPN’s “Mike & Mike” celebrated their 15th anniversary at Walt Disney World by filming shows at ESPN Wide World of Sports and Downtown Disney. (Link)

March 5 – The newest must-have Disney app has hit the Apple App Store. The “Show Your Disney Side” app will transform you into your favorite Disney character. You can then add special effects, costumes and it can even create a video. (Link)

March 5 – Soarin’ & Toy Story Mania, arguably two of the most popular rides at Walt Disney World, will be adding ride capacity by the end of 2016. Soarin’ will be adding a new theatre and Toy Story Mania will be adding more midway track and screen. (Link)

March 5 – The new live-action version of “Beauty & The Beast” is starting to round out its cast. Last month it was announced that Emma Watson has been cast as Belle. Last week it was leaked that Dan Stevens, formerly of “Downton Abbey”, will play Beast/Prince Adam and Luke Evans, of “The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies”, will play Gaston. (Prince Adam: Link/Gaston: Link)

March 5 – ‘Wheel of Fortune’ held their Disney Week last week where they included several Disney-themed puzzles. Watch this epic fail as a contestant attempts to answer this clearly obvious puzzle… at least to us Disney enthusiasts.

March 6 – The eagerly awaited “Toy Story 4” can’t get here soon enough. However, in interesting news, Pixar President Jim Morris told Disney Latino’s Blog that the movie will not be a sequel. Instead it will be a romantic comedy. June 16, 2017 is the expected release day. (Link)

March 6 – Are you planning on spending St. Patrick’s Day at Disneyland? The Disney Parks Blog announced some great dining options to celebrate the holiday. (Link)

March 9 – In sad news for Guests traveling to Walt Disney World this summer, Pirates of the Caribbean will be closed for a major overhaul beginning on May 11 and reopen on September 25. (Link)

March 9 – Innoventions exhibit hall in Disneyland will be closing at the end of March. (Link)

March 11 – Disney merchandising is going outside of the box with their merchandise offering related to the new live-action feature, “Cinderella”. Not only are they offering merchandise fit for little princesses everywhere such as dresses and dolls, they are also offering items geared toward adults such as a $599.95 crystal necklace, a $75 pair of “Cinderella and Prince Charming” champagne flutes and an amazing pair of Jimmy Choo ‘glass slippers’ for the low, low, low bargain price of $4,595. I’ll take three please. (Link)

March 11 – In the trend of bringing classic Disney animated films to life, a live-action version of “Dumbo” is expected. Rumors are abound on the internet this week that famed filmmaker Tim Burton (Alice in Wonderland & Sleepy Hollow) has been pegged as the director. (Link)

March 11 – The five sable antelopes I mentioned in my last news update are now on the Harambe Wildlife Reserve where they can be seen on Kilimanjaro Safaris. Everyone together with me now… AWWWWWW! (Link)

March 11 – Walt Disney World announced they will be having the ‘Coolest Summer Ever’ which will include the return of “Frozen” Summer Fun LIVE at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. (Link)

March 11 – Disneyland and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom will be hosting their 24-Hour parties on May 22-23. In Disneyland, this will kick off the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration (blog) and in the Magic Kingdom it will kick off the ‘Coolest Summer Ever’. (Disneyland: Link/WDW: Link)

March 12 – Are the Dole Whip or Citrus Swirl your favorite treats to cool off on a hot day in the Magic Kingdom? If so, you will find them in a new location as Aloha Isle, home of the Dole Whip, and Sunshine Tree Terrace, home of the Citrus Swirl, are switching spots. (Link)

March 13 – The Walt Disney Company held its annual shareholders’ meeting on March 12 in San Francisco, CA. The major announcements to come out of the meeting included the announcement that “Frozen 2” will indeed be released (as if we didn’t already know that) and that original directors Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck have again signed on to direct. The second big announcement was that Disney’s Hollywood Studios could be undergoing far more than a couple of new attractions. CEO Bob Iger let it slip that there is a potential name change in the works for the theme park as well. Star Wars Land, maybe? (Frozen: Link/ DHS: Link)

That’s all the news for now. Follow me on Twitter @JazzinDisneyMom for more Disney news.

Latest News From the World of Disney: September 11, 2015

Other posts by this author:
”The Descendants” Movie Review
Disney by Land, Disney by Sea: Part 1 & Part 2
”Tomorrowland” Movie Review
Best Walt Disney World Smartphone Apps
Restaurant Review – Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – The Way Life Should Be
A Day in the Life of Disney’s FastPass+ Service

Sue Nowicki splits her time between planning her next Walt Disney World vacation and being team mom to ten high-energy volleyball players where she fills the roles of secretary, navigator, treasurer, athletic trainer and team psychologist. You can follow her on Twitter @JazzinDisneyMom.

Written by: Sue Nowicki

2 Comments

Disney News: February 14 – 27

February 27, 2015May 20, 2016

Written by Sue Nowicki

What started as a slow news period definitely ramped up in the last couple days. Happy reading!

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February 17 – Disney Parks posted a fabulous video on their YouTube page. In the video Disney characters such as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Buzz Lightyear surprised unsuspecting shoppers at a Long Island mall by shadowing their movements. The results might actually warrant a hankie or two.

February 17 – Have you ever thought about trying to visit all four Walt Disney World theme parks in one day? I have tried two park in one day and that’s tiring enough. How about trying to visit three separate Disney Parks around the globe in one day? A couple from San Diego did just that. They started in Toyko Disneyland at 9:50am then raced across the Pacific Ocean to Disneyland in California to arrive around noon then caught a flight bound for Orlando where they arrived at the Magic Kingdom with 20 minutes to spare before the Magic Kingdom closed at Midnight. (Link)

February 19 – There has been a baby boom in Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Five sable antelope calves and a white rhinoceros were born in the last several weeks. (Antelope: Link/Rhino: Link)

February 20 – The “Frozen 5k” kicked off runDisney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend which included our own MouseQuester, Kate M. With temperatures in the high 30s/low 40s, Frozen Fractals were threatening but the cold never bothered them anyway. The weekend ended with much milder temperatures for the half marathon. (Link)

February 20 – Atlanta Braves Spring Training kicked off at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on February 26th with games beginning March 4th. Marquee teams such as the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers will be coming to Champion Stadium to take on the Braves. (Link)

February 23 – As predicted, ticket prices for Disney parks did indeed increase. The magic barrier of $100 was breached as a 1-day base ticket to the Magic Kingdom is now $105, or $111.83 with tax. Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure jumped to $99/day while Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios increased to $97/day. It should be noted that buying multiple day tickets will always be the best bet as the more days you purchase the cheaper it is per day. For example, a 7-day base ticket is only $47.86/day which is less than half the cost per day of a 1-day base ticket. (Link)

February 23 – Finally, we know who is replacing Tom Staggs as chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts since Staggs was promoted to Chief Operating Officer. Bob Chapek, former head Disney Consumer Products, has been announced as the successor and comes with an interesting background which includes a B.S. degree in Microbiology from Indiana University. (Link)

February 24 – With the 2015 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival just around the corner, the Orlando Sentinel got a sneak peak at some of the amazing topiaries which will be on display. There are even two featuring our frozen friends from Arendelle. (Link)

February 24 – CruiseCritic.com named their best cruise ships of 2015. Guess who came in 1st in best cruise line overall, best for cabins, best for embarkation, best for entertainment, best for public rooms, best for service, best for families and best Bahama cruises ? (Link)

February 24 – There’s a new princess coming to the Disney kingdom. Moana, a Polynesian-inspired princess described as a ‘spirited teenager’, learns that her people are in jeopardy. She must search for a mythical island which will help her save her world and make her ancestors proud. Ron Clements and John Musker, the minds behind “The Princess & The Frog”, “Aladdin” and “The Little Mermaid”, will be directing. So far the only actor cast is Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson who will voice the character of Maui, a demi-God. Casting for the voice of Moana is rumored to be down to two Hawaiian actresses. Moana scheduled to be released in 2016. (Link)

February 25 – For those who will be seeing Cinderella in a few weeks, you will be treated to a special presentation of the new ‘Frozen Fever’ short. (Link)

February 25 – In a surprising move by Walt Disney World, the 2015 dates for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party were released over two months earlier than usual. Also announced was that tickets would also go on sale earlier than normal as well. Be on the lookout for tickets to go on sale in April as opposed to May. (Link)

February 25 – Hasta La Vista, Baby! The iconic Sorceror’s Hat at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is officially gone. (Link)

February 25 – Any DuckTales fans out there? If so, we found some great news for you. Disney has announced they will be revive the old series for a 2017 launch on the DisneyXD channel. (Link)

February 26 – The world of Pandora is coming alive. The newest addition to Disney’s Animal Kingdom was featured on the Disney Parks Blog with the release of a short video showing Disney COO Tom Staggs, Avatar director James Cameron and legendary Disney Imagineer Joe Rohde taking a peek at some of the amazing features including a bioluminescent walk-way and forest.

February 27 – The construction taking place on the Central Plaza area between Main Street, U.S.A and Cinderella Castle is moving along and several sections are now open including the new FastPass+ viewing area in the Main Street Plaza Gardens adjacent to The Crystal Palace. (Link)

That’s all the news for now. Follow me on Twitter @JazzinDisneyMom for more Disney news.

Latest News From the World of Disney: September 11, 2015

Other posts by this author:
”The Descendants” Movie Review
Disney by Land, Disney by Sea: Part 1 & Part 2
”Tomorrowland” Movie Review
Best Walt Disney World Smartphone Apps
Restaurant Review – Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa – The Way Life Should Be
A Day in the Life of Disney’s FastPass+ Service

Sue Nowicki splits her time between planning her next Walt Disney World vacation and being team mom to ten high-energy volleyball players where she fills the roles of secretary, navigator, treasurer, athletic trainer and team psychologist. You can follow her on Twitter @JazzinDisneyMom.

Written by: Sue Nowicki

1 Comment

Disney Movies That Should have Park Attractions

July 13, 2014May 25, 2016

– Written By: David Smith

At one point or another, all of us armchair imagineers look around the parks and think about all the Disney properties that don’t have a representative attraction. With that in mind, I went about creating a list of the Disney movies (not Marvel, sorry) that I would love to see in the parks. First, a couple of ground rules I set for myself…

A) The movie must be one that I consider a “classic” Disney film. By this I mean that 20 years from now it will still be remembered (and knowing Disney, still being re-issued for purchase). John Carter might make a good attraction, but I doubt we’ll be talking about it in 20 years (at least not in the good way). Call me cynical if you want.

B) This list only applies to Walt Disney World. The movie might have an attraction in Disneyland, but for the purposes of this list, it does not exist. I did not include movies that already have attractions, even if I believe they deserve much better attractions (ie. Aladdin, The Lion King, etc.). I lumped stage shows in as existing attractions, but not character meet-and-greets.

C) I must have a specific type of attraction in mind. I can’t say that Mars Needs Moms would make a great attraction without stating what kind of attraction it should be. Actually, come to think of it, there is no way I can ever say that Mars Needs Moms would make a great attraction. Let’s just all agree to block that movie from our collective memories and move on.

Now, on to the list:

10. Sleeping Beauty (1959) – The last of the old-style animation classics, this movie is filled with artistic set pieces, memorable characters, and action that could easily translate into the classic dark ride format. In fact, this is probably more easily turned into an attraction than Snow White, suffering only in release chronology.

9. Super Mario Bros. (1993) – Reviewing the Disney film library, I was surprised to see this movie listed. I certainly don’t consider this movie a classic in any way. In fact, quite the opposite as this is one of the few blights on the Brothers Mario record. However, the concept of turning Nintendo properties into attractions is very, well, attractive. I’m sure there are all kinds of legal roadblocks to doing this, but I see this as the next big wave of attraction tie-ins.

8. Mary Poppins (1964) – Certainly the most famous of Disney’s live action movies, this movie gives us a variety of locales and the kind of episodic story that fits perfectly into the dark ride format. The movie that basically built a good portion of Disneyland certainly deserves a larger park presence than much more forgettable fare (I’m looking at you, Disney Junior shows).

7. Pinocchio (1940) – The movie that gave us Jiminy Cricket, Monstro, Pleasure Island, and donkey boys needs to have a Fantasyland dark ride.

6. WALL-E (2008) – A dystopian landscape, space travel, mass manipulation, robot love… how does this movie not have a coaster already? In all seriousness, I could see this as a high-speed coaster or EMV attraction recreating some of the more memorable scenes. Plus, it would be a chance to include Michael Crawford singing Put On Your Sunday Clothes in the attraction, and that’s always fun.

5. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) – Disney’s classic action movie still holds up today. I’m sure someone at WDI could come up with something using this movie as an attraction.

4. The Emperor’s New Groove (2000) – I’m already breaking my “classic movie” rule here, but I would love to see Kuzcotopia as a water ride, or even Yzma’s secret lab entrance as a coaster. Many possibilities here, and surprisingly, the movie still holds up to viewings now.

3. The Incredibles (2004) – This movie provides great characters, exciting action, and enough fantastic settings to fill 10 Little Mermaid show buildings. However, I think that this movie would do even better as a thrill attraction. The music alone makes me want to go fast. In fact, I think some consideration should be given to re-theming Rock-N-Roller Coaster as the… (building suspense)… Incredicoaster! Thank you, thank you very much.

2. Up (2009) – This movie already has an attraction built in basically. How easy would it be to take the Peter Pan ride system and create an Up dark ride. Just replace the pirate ship with a blimp, and you’re already half way there.

1. Tron (1982) – Even without the new movie coming out soon, this movie could easily support several different types of attractions: dark ride, coaster, simulator, EMV, 4D movie, whatever. Unless they called it Tron’s Great Escape, how could this possibly fail?

Hmmm… seems like I’m forgetting something here… nope, that’s it I guess…

OK, OK… let’s talk about it… that little film with the cult following (in much the same way that oxygen has a cult following), Frozen. The exclusion of Frozen from the list above is not an indication that I don’t want a Frozen attraction. On the contrary, I do want a Frozen attraction. I just don’t want 10 Frozen attractions. I get the feeling that Hollywood Studios is quickly turning into the Star Wars / Frozen park with Hoth acting as the transition between the two. At some point, the fanaticism towards this film with subside and be replaced with the normal level of respect due a classic Disney animated musical, right? RIGHT? I mean, things have to level out and we can get a new offering from WDI that doesn’t feature Anna and Elsa. Maybe? Anyone? Hold on, World of Color is starting…(The snow blows white on the…) sigh…

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Episode 76: WDW’s Summer Events

June 8, 2014May 20, 2016

Welcome to the MouseQuest Podcast- Your guide in the quest for the perfect Disney vacation. This is episode number 76. This week we will preview some upcoming summer events at Walt Disney World. We’ll also some tips to help you get through the heat and crowds during this peak season. Although there aren’t any major events going on this summer, there are some fun things planned for Walt Disney World guests that are only available during the next three months. Questions this week include:

Can you give us some info about the Sounds Like Summer Concert Series?

We just recently talked about Disney’s new event at Animal Kingdom that will be taking place this summer: Harambe Nights. We won’t go into too much detail about this one since we just covered it, but can you give us a quick recap?

Can you tell us about Car Masters Weekend at Downtown Disney?

Now that we’ve gone over some of the special events going on this summer at Walt Disney World, we’ll talk about how to survive the crazy heat and crowds. Can you give us your best 10 tips on visiting during the summer months?

Appearing this week are Amy Bechtol, Rich Grady, David Smith, and Marci Smith.

To submit a question for the show, please go to the MouseQuest Podcast website, or send an email to question@mqpodcast.com.

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Episode 42: What’s New in the Parks

October 13, 2013May 20, 2016

Welcome to the MouseQuest Podcast- Your guide in the quest for the perfect Disney vacation. This is episode number 42. This week we will be talking about what’s new in the Disneyland and Walt Disney World parks since January of this past year. There has been SO much going on the past few months and we hope this overview will help you know what new things to look for on your trip if you haven’t been back since last year.

Appearing this week are Dawn Gosdin, Rich Grady, David Smith, Marci Smithm and Gayle Turner.

To submit a question for the show, please go to the MouseQuest Podcast website, or send an email to question@mqpodcast.com.

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Episode 40: All About Animal Kingdom

September 29, 2013May 20, 2016

Welcome to the MouseQuest Podcast- Your guide in the quest for the perfect Disney vacation. This is episode number 40. On this week’s show we will be answering questions all about the most recent theme park added to the Walt Disney World Resort – Animal Kingdom. Join us as we share our favorite rides, shows and attractions of this beautiful park that is “Nahtazu”.

It was on Earth Day – April 22, 1998 that Disney’s Animal Kingdom park opened to guests. Not only is it the largest single Disney park in the world, but it was also the first to focus on and reflect Walt Disney’s passion for animals and dedication to conservation. It serves as a beautiful home to more than 1700 animals across 250 species. There are 7 themed lands in Animal Kingdom – the Oaisis, Discovery Island, Camp Minnie-Mickey, Africa, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, Asia and Dinoland USA. Back in 2011, Disney partnered with filmmaker James Cameron to work on bringing the world of Pandora to Animal Kingdom. This new area is scheduled to open within the next few years. The park is represented by an intricately designed, very large, Tree of Life in which you can see many different types of animals carved into its trunk and branches. Questions this week include:

For those guests who have not visited Animal Kingdom before, how would you describe the park in a way to show them that it’s not just another zoo?

In a park that is dedicated to animal care, research and conservation, the animals are the real attraction. What would you say are your top 5 choices just to experience the vast animal life available in Animal Kingdom?

Let’s talk about dining! There are some very interesting cuisines represented in Animal Kingdom. Could you tell us about some of the dining locations available and which ones are your favorites?

In addition to all Animal Kingdom has to offer that just focuses on animals, there are also many other rides, shows and attractions to experiences. What would you say are some of those that a guest shouldn’t miss?

What would you say are your top 5 experiences not to miss in Disney’s Animal Kingdom?

Appearing this week are Dawn Gosdin, Rich Grady, Amy Leto, Marci Smith, and Liz Weimann.

To submit a question for the show, please go to the MouseQuest Podcast website, or send an email to question@mqpodcast.com.

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