Slo-Mo in the Parks.

Whenever I go to Disney Parks I like to take my time, not rushing from ride to ride but taking in all of the beauty and sharing the special moments with my family. Disney Parks are premiering a video named "Slo Mo Magic" from the Imagination Pavillion at Epcot. Through the years, millions of Guests visiting the pavilion have appreciated the water-ful dances performed by these famed fountains.

 

 

The Disney Difference...

Custodial Cast Members at Disney Parks are always making magic and enhancing the guest experience. People like this make the Disney difference. Putting the Disney Parks up there at the top of all family vacation destinations.

Disney Friends For Change!

This past weekend, Disney Friends for Change took over private island Castaway Cay in the Bahamas for a special PaintFest project with Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida. The event included children from the organization who sailed aboard the special Benefit Preview Cruise, bringing together community leaders and invited guests to help raise $750,000 for Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Florida.

Disney Channel stars Brandon Mychal Smith, Doug Brochou and Allisyn Ashley Arm were on hand representing Disney Friends for Change, a multiplatform initiative that empowers kids and encourages them to help the planet. Together Friends for Change stars, children from Boys & Girls Clubs, Disney Cruise Line VoluntEARS and Mickey Mouse himself took part in painting the giant mural.

Composed of 24 individual hand-painted panels that fit together to form an eight foot by nine foot mural, the paints and supplies used were in keeping with the environmental initiatives of the program. For example, all the paint was water-based, non-toxic and actually recycled from previous painting projects, while the paint brushes were also washed afterwards to be reused on future projects. In line with the Friends for Change initiative, the focus of the mural states, “Real Friends + Real Action = Real Change.” The mural will be donated to a Boys & Girls Club location in Central Florida to inspire children to continue to make a difference for our planet.

Check out this video of the Friends for Change project and hear from the Disney Channel stars and Boys & Girls Clubs children first hand on their involvement.

World of Color MILESTONE!

The World of Color celebrates a milestone tonight, with it's 500th performance at Disney's California Adventure. Opening on June 11th 2010 the show has dazzled and become a huge success entertaining more than 2 million people so far!
 
Have you seen the "World of Color"? If so, what did you think of it?

Have a Magical Day

Joseph Carter

Drinking on the Dream!

Rest and relaxation is reason enough for a grown-up cruise getaway, and whether sipping a cocktail or enjoying a glass of Champagne or wine, there’s a buzz about the Disney Dream’s innovative spirits and knockout wine lists.

Taittinger has created a Champagne label just for the inaugural year of the newest Disney Cruise Line vessel. Aboard the ship, it’s served in all the lounges, but the most fun place to sip is Pink, an intimate cocktail bar inThe District (the nighttime entertainment area with five adults-only venues), where a special Taittinger Prestige Rose is the signature sparkling “pink.” Guests also may purchase bottles of the special Taittinger Champagne to take home with them, exclusively on the Disney Dream.

A great spot for handcrafted cocktails is upscale Skyline, also in The District, where the bar backdrop is a virtual skyline that changes from Paris to Rio, New York, Chicago and Hong Kong on seven 65-inch LCD screens. As the view changes, the ambient music also stays in sync with each city.

Drinks, too, are themed to each of the cities, such as the Paris 75, the Eco-Tini for Rio, Zen-Chanted for Hong Kong, Metropolitan for New York, and the Blues for Chicago.

Also within The District, 687 is more of a pub than a lounge (“687” refers to the vessel number assigned by the shipyard to the Disney Dream). The boisterous pub features an exclusive “687” red lager, malty and slightly sweet, made with Noble hops grown in central Europe.

Special attention was given to the wine lists at Remy – there are two, one with nearly 200 wines from around the globe (mostly French), and a second, Remy’s Vault, with just 22 exclusive wines presented tableside in an elegant velvet box by a white-gloved sommelier. The list includes a 1947 Château Cheval Blanc in a nod to the Disney∙Pixar film “Ratatouille” (it’s the wine requested by the movie’s prickly food critic). Considered one of the best vintages in the world, a single bottle retails for $25,000! The list also includes a most notable 1961 Château Latour (in the film, Skinner offers Linguini a bottle of this exceptional vintage in hopes of learning his cooking secrets).

After-dinner libations include Rémy Martin Louis XIII Rare Cask, one of the most sought-after cognacs for connoisseurs, aged in centuries-old casks and served from an elegant Baccarat crystal decanter.

Across from Remy is Palo, where a sparkling prosecco and a lush red Barolo were both exclusively bottled for the upscale, Italian-inspired restaurant. Palo’s signature “Balsamic Grande” cocktail features vodka, a splash of five-year-old balsamic vinegar and fresh muddled strawberries. For a special after-dinner wow, grappa is served from a jeroboam bottle.

For guests who prefer no alcohol (and younger guests), mixologists have created new non-alcoholic cocktails. Many are made with “better for you” ingredients such as organic spirits, fresh fruits and herbs, and lower calorie no-sugar-added fruit purees. For instance, the purple basil lemonade mixes cranberry juice, sparkling water, lime and fresh basil; the mint tea punch is English breakfast tea, cranberry and pineapple juices, fresh lime juice, agave nectar, and a splash of sparkling water.

Magic Portholes on the Disney Dream!

I would happily downgrade to an inside stateroom just to enjoy this wonderful effect.

Here is a great example of what Walt Disney called “plussing” – taking a great idea and making it better.

When designing the 1,250 staterooms aboard the ship, the creative minds of Walt Disney Imagineering decided early on that every guest should have an ocean view. The challenge was how to do that within the 150 inside staterooms at the center of passenger decks.

The answer was the Magical Porthole, a real-time view outside the ship from four high-definition video cameras that correspond to each stateroom’s location – forward, aft, port or starboard.

As they say on late-night television… But wait, there’s more!

Here’s Imagineer Bob Zalk with the story of how an already terrific idea was plussed into something uniquely Disney by adding an extra dash of pixie dust.

Approximately three dozen animated characters and objects will pass by the Magical Porthole throughout the day. Familiar faces include Peach the starfish from “Finding Nemo,” Dumbo the flying elephant, the floating house from “Up” and even Mickey Mouse.

Come back to the Disney Parks Blog tomorrow for a preview of the unique cocktails and extensive wine lists guests will enjoy in several Disney Dream venues exclusively for adults.

Next Family Fun Weekend: Character Fan Days, Jan. 28-30

Disney are proud to present some rarely seen Disney characters at Disneyland park this weekend! The lineup – selected by Disney Parkfans – includes the Seven Dwarfs.

For the first time ever, we asked our fans which rarely seen Disney characters they would most like to see at Disneyland park. We received more than 49,000 votes in a poll on the Disneyland Facebook page, and those votes inspired our entertainment team to create a wonderful, family event called Character Fan Days.

You can join in the fun this weekend. Character Fan Days will run this Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Festival Arena, near Big Thunder Ranch Barbecue restaurant. Other activities will include character coloring sheets and sketch artists. Food and beverages will also be available at Festival Arena.

It's described as a "Disney character reunion, with Disney characters making splashy arrivals on stage at half-hour intervals throughout the day. You will enjoy music, dancing, and a chance to meet and pose with the characters at five photo locations. All of the characters who were selected will appear each day, rotating in and out."

 Along with the Seven Dwarfs, here are the characters scheduled to appear:

• Captain Hook, Wendy and Mr. Smee from “Peter Pan”
• Donald Duck and Daisy Duck
• Clarabelle Cow and Horace Horsecollar
• Esmeralda and Clopin from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”
• King Louie and Baloo from “Jungle Book”

Sounds like a lot of fun....will YOU be attending?

Valentines Day Ideas at Disney!

Is your loved one sentimental and a romantic at heart? Would you like to sweep them off their feet for Valentine’s Day? Of course you would – and we can help with today’s unique “Dream Maker” idea and a tip.

First, the gift. Our new charming rose bouquet sits in an exclusive “Beauty and the Beast” etched-glass vase that includes something very special. Take a close look at the bottom of the vase; do you see the gold flecks? It’s pixie dust. Yes, the roses are sitting in pixie dust. How enchanting is that? And that twinkling fabric and the silk rosettes around the vase reminds me of Belle’s dress. The bouquet was designed with unique greens to accent 12 deep-red colored roses for a presentation to remember.

Now, here’s your tip: If you’re coming to the Walt Disney World Resort, get this gift delivered to your room on the eve of Valentine’s Day. Then, have your card message say: “I didn’t want to wait till the last petal fell to let you know how much I love you. So I had this bouquet sent to you on the eve of Valentine’s Day. You’re the ‘Belle’ of my heart” (insert dreamy sigh here).

And if you want to add more “enchantment” to your evening, ask a Dream Maker to add on our “Romance with Rose Petals” package. This gift includes an abundant supply of rose petals which can be sprinkled in your resort room just for you. If this sounds intriguing call a Dream Maker to learn more (407-WDW-GIFT) or visit our website at Disneyflorist.com.

Disney Parks Blog