After the last guest left Magic Kingdom Park one night last week, Walt Disney Imagineers unveiled some magic. While you slept, they removed construction walls surrounding The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh and gave a first look at their amazing work.
The queue and exterior façade for the classic Fantasyland attraction have been completely re-imagined. You can now enjoy a fully immersive interactive adventure through the Hundred Acre Wood that includes visits to Tigger’s Bouncy Place, Rabbit’s Garden, Eeyore’s Gloomy Place and Pooh’s Hunny Hives. Here’s a peek at the work that took place. Enjoy.
Today, the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA) announced that this year’s Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement-Nighttime Spectacular goes to “World of Color” at Disney California Adventure park. “World of Color” is recognized by TEA as “a visual and technical marvel,” that combines stunning Disney and Pixar animation with music, lights, fog, lasers, fire and nearly 1,200 programmable fountains spanning an area that is bigger than a football field. Please join me in congratulating the hundreds of talented people from around the world who worked on this project for the past five years!
And that’s not all. Longtime Disney Imagineer Kim Irvine was recognized for a lifetime of distinguished achievements with The Buzz Price Award. Kim began her career at Walt Disney Imagineering in 1970, where she worked alongside many of the Walt Disney Imagineering legends such as John Hench, Mary Blair, Marc Davis and Claude Coats. She worked on many attractions for both Magic Kingdom and Epcot at Walt Disney Worldbefore joining Imagineering’s Disneyland Design Studio team in 1980.
Kim has long been the Art Director for Disneyland park and was responsible for projects such as Disneyland’s 50th anniversary celebration, including a new look for the iconic Sleeping Beauty Castle. Recent projects include adding ‘new magic’ to classic attractions such as ‘it’s a small world’ and in locations like the Rivers of America. Kim also created designs for the new Disney Gallery and interiors for the new The Disneyland Story presenting Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln attraction on Main Street, U.S.A.
TEA announced the 17th Annual Thea Award recipients during the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attraction’s (IAAPA) annual conference. The Thea Awards recognize achievement, talent and personal excellence within the themed entertainment industry. To date, Walt Disney Imagineering has received a total of 34 awards throughout the Thea Awards’ 17-year history.
It’s not everyday that you see a US Marine on a special mission with a cuddly teddy bear in tow. Such was the sight at Epcot this morning and I’m still smiling from getting a glimpse of it.
Walt Disney World Resort kicked off its annual toy collection drive for Toys for Tots today with a little help from members of the US Marine Corps, Duffy the Disney Bear and his pals Mickey and Minnie Mouse.
Disney VoluntEARS created the “Cuddliest Christmas Tree,” a 20-foot-high, 10-foot-wide Christmas tree made of 1,200 stuffed Duffy bears, all of which will be donated to Central Florida Toys for Tots.
Each year, Disney VoluntEARS make the holidays brighter for deserving local children by donating tens of thousands of toys to Toys for Tots.
From now until Dec. 10, Walt Disney World Resort cast members will collect new toys for the Central Florida Toys for Tots drive. Organizers tell me they are seeing a record level of families are registering this year so these donations will make a big difference at time when it’s needed most.
On a side note…did you know that Disney’s involvement with Toys for Tots began more than 60 years ago? In fact, Walt Disney and his animators designed the original Toys for Tots logo that is still used today.
The US Marine Corps Reserve Toys for Tots Foundation has drop-off sites set up nationwide for the next few weeks to accept toy donations. To find a location near you, visit http://toysfortots.org.
Disneyland Paris is launching an unprecedented iPhone application, a first for Disney Theme Parks. Designed as a truly interactive guide, it will help the many visitors to Europe's leading tourist destination enjoy greater comfort when preparing their visit, and when experiencing it too.
The “World of Color TRON: Legacy Encore” celebrates the mysterious cyber realm and the bold adventure of “TRON: Legacy,” Disney’s newest 3D film, which will be released Dec. 17. While The Grid has already come alive for guests during ElecTRONica in the Hollywood Pictures Backlot, The Grid roars to life in a new way at “World of Color” with light cycles, digital thunderstorms, cyber world gladiators, and the ominous soundtrack from “TRON: Legacy.”
There are also new surprises and creative effects that are projected onto the circular loop of California Screamin’. A completely new laser system has also been added to transform the coaster during the encore.
Good news for those of you wanting to experience one of the year’s most anticipated Wii games.
Come to Festival of the Masters at Downtown Disney beginning next week and you’ll be able to see and play Disney Epic Mickey. The action-adventure game for the Wii console sends Mickey Mouse on an epic journey of creativity and discovery. As Mickey, you’re propelled into Wasteland, an alternate world made up of Disney’s forgotten creative efforts, and are given the power to wield paint and paint thinner to dynamically change the world while determining Mickey’s path to becoming an epic Hero
Before we jump into the weekend, great news to share. Disney have reopened our one-of-a-kind showcase of the history of Walt Disney and The Walt Disney Company – Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream. The gallery at Disney’s Hollywood Studios retains its original focus, but has a new look and feel. The corridors feature an elegant color palette that brings new focus to beloved favorites, and helps to highlight some new additions.
A favorite of the project team Imagineers is the brand new look at a historic “WED Imagineering Workshop,” featuring sections of the original model for “it’s a small world”at Disneyland Park, and the actual Audio-Animatronics Abraham Lincoln figure that made its debut in the 1964/1965 New York World’s Fair. Regular guests will spot historic costumes, props and models that are new to the show, along with a glimpse of exciting new projects and a sneak peek into future adventures.
A new area entitled “The Legacy Continues” will focus on The Walt Disney Company highlights from the 1970s through today, and will debut next month. The heartwarming film tribute One Man’s Dream, hosted by Julie Andrews, remains as the finale.
