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Monthly Archives: June 2010
The Fortune Teller on Main Street, U.S.A
A quarter may not get you much these days, but on Main Street, U.S.A., in Disneyland park, for 25 cents you can take home a unique piece of nostalgia – your very own fortune from Esmeralda.
Many of our guests have been coming here for years to see what Esmeralda predicts for them, and some even say she has been correct. For one couple, Esmeralda predicted years earlier that they would eventually get married.
Source Disney Parks Blog
Michael Jackson’s Captain EO returns to Epcot at Walt Disney World
The first preview showing of Michael Jackson’s Captain EO 3D film took place on June 30, 2010 at Walt Disney World’s Epcot theme park. The popular film returns 16 years after leaving Epcot in its original run. Included here are interviews with the vice president of Epcot and two Walt Disney Imagineers.
See more from Captain EO at Walt Disney World and Disneyland at http://www.InsideTheMagic.net
Disney Store Celebrates Grand Opening of New Store Design
Yesterday, Disney Store celebrates the launch of its newly-designed store with a grand opening event at The Shops at Montebello complex in Montebello, Calif, just outside of Los Angeles. A crowning achievement of The Walt Disney Company, the high-tech makeover of Disney Store solidifies the retailer’s global leadership in children’s retail and activates the future transformation of its more than 300 locations worldwide. Among the many new attractions of the newly designed store is the first-ever Disney·Pixar CARS-branded RIDEMAKERZ experience which sets the stage for kids of all ages to build 1:18 scale toy custom cars inside of Disney Store. Disney Store executives, stars from the upcoming Disney Channel Original Movie “Camp Rock 2: The Final Jam” and characters from Disney·Pixar’s blockbuster film franchise Toy Story joined the festivities and greeted hundreds of Disney fans who waited excitedly for the opportunity to experience the innovative new store.
The Montebello store is the first of 20 newly designed Disney Store locations that will open across major markets in the United States and Europe in 2010. The 4,800-plus square foot store’s floor-to-ceiling remodel now features multimedia technology, interactive storytelling and Disney Store exclusive merchandise that bring Disney’s most beloved characters to life for families in the local community.
“As part of Disney, we’re committed to the value of entertainment and exclusive experiences,” said Jim Fielding, president of Disney Store Worldwide. “Disney is setting a new standard for the specialty retail category by integrating robust technology and creative store planning to make each visit customizable and that much more memorable. This is truly an immersive, one-of-a-kind retail experience for children and families that only Disney could deliver.”
Technology is integrated throughout the new store to create magical moments for guests:
The newly designed Disney Store is merchandised by franchise neighborhoods so guests can easily shop by character or theme and is anchored by several “hero fixtures” including:
- The Disney·Pixar CARS-branded RIDEMAKERZ attraction is a one-of-a-kind immersive car building and customizing experience. Launching with three favorite CARS characters– Lightning McQueen, Mater and Sally– fans use tools to assemble their car, and their imagination to customize it with a wide selection of rims, side pipes, hoods scoops, blown engines, spoilers and many more accessories. Disney·Pixar CARS-branded RIDEMAKERZ toy vehicles will only be available within the new Disney Store design and, later this year, at RIDEMAKERZ retail locations.
- The Disney Princess Magical Mirror – A child-sized princess castle anchors the Disney Princess neighborhood and inspires kids to make believe. As they walk under iconic castle they encounter a magical mirror and with the wave of a wand, they watch in delight as their favorite Disney Princess character appears.
A customizable shopping experience:
The new store concept also includes the launch of an all new in-store application where guests can customize their shopping experience. Accessed via an interactive kiosk with touch screen, this animated experience gives users the ability to navigate a 3-D view of all Disney Store and DisneyStore.com products and discover the latest Disney Store news via video clips, articles, and social media feeds. This application allows the Disney Store to share its news to customers, who can then share information and in-store events via email, Twitter and Facebook.
The Disney Store Theatre:
The newly designed stores will also feature a theater as part of its marquee attractions. Guests can pick from a selection of pre-loaded content that will be updated regularly and can view classic and new Disney entertainment, sneak peek previews, music videos and more. The theater will also serve for special in-store events such as reading time, scavenger hunts and more.
The “Pixie Dust Trail” and “Magical Trees”:
With is glistening blue glitter, the Pixie Dust Trail leads guests through the store and to major interactive elements as they enjoy a Disney-themed skyline and surrounding magical trees which are programmable with changing colors, images, and music set to an array of Disney themes.
The newly-designed Disney Store is scheduled to open in the United States this year at the following locations:
- The Shops at Mission Viejo in San Diego, CA, is anchored by luxury retailers and offers an extensive merchandise mix in a sophisticated atmosphere. Disney Store will be located on the second level in a 5100-plus square foot space.
- Disney Store on North State Street in Chicago, IL (Block 37 Complex) will anchor the southeast corner of the center in 4,464 square feet on Level one of the mall. The complex features an eclectic mix of shopping, dining and entertainment within a five-story atrium, located in the heart of Chicago’s Loop between Washington and Randolph on State Street.
- Freehold Raceway Mall in Freehold, NJ, offers a complete mix of department stores, specialty stores, restaurants and entertainment making the property an ideal location for the new Disney Store.
- NorthPark Center in Dallas, TX, offers shoppers the best in every retail category, and the newly-designed Disney Store opening this fall will represent its premier children’s store.
Other locations to feature the new Disney Store design opening this year include: Roosevelt Field Mall in Garden City, NY; Santa Monica Place in Santa Monica, CA; International Plaza in Tampa, FL; Fashion Valley in San Diego, CA; Disney Store in Union Square in San Francisco, CA; and a two-story Disney Store in Times Square in November.
With each new store opening in 2010, Disney Store will designate a day for 10 percent of the sales to be donated to the Make-A-Wish Foundation in the United States.
To find a Disney Store, guests can visit www.DisneyStore.com/storelocator or call (866) 902-2798. For more information, please visit www.disneyconsumerproducts.com/press/us. Guests can also sign up for email alerts at www.DisneyStore.com/Updates, become a fan on Facebook www.facebook.com/DisneyStore or follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/DisneyStore to stay connected to your favorite destination.
Encore! Dream Our Dreams, A Musical Tribute to the Legacy of Disney
This article comes to us from the Disney Parks Blog:
Rehearsals are underway for the Encore! Cast Choir and Orchestra’s summer production, Dream Our Dreams, A Musical Tribute to the Legacy of Disney. I had a chance to peek in on the volunteer ensemble last week as they practiced and was amazed by the sheer talent of the troupe; which is comprised of roughly 330 singers, 100 instrumentalists, 50 dancers and a production team of 40.
Encore! offers Cast Members an outlet for their creativity and a chance to showcase their talents while performing great music for worthy causes. Encore! producer Bruce Light says at least half of the group have day jobs outside of entertainment and aren’t performers by trade. For all involved, it’s a labor of love.
Since its inception in 2002, Encore! has donated the funds from its ticket sales to local charities, raising more than $115,000 to date. They’ve chosen Make-A-Wish Foundation of Central & Northern Florida as their 2010 beneficiary.
Already known for staging spectacular performances, Clay Price, Encore! co-founder, artistic director and conductor, claims this year’s shows are their most ambitious yet.
Come and see for yourself. Performances are open to the public and scheduled for Aug. 6 – 8 at Epcot World ShowPlace. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door and available through www.encorecentral.org.
Toy Story 3 Characters Already a Hit for Guests at Walt Disney World Resort
Weeks before the release of Toy Story 3, guests at Walt Disney World Resort had a sneak peek at characters and storylines from the new hit film.
Since early May, guests have experienced the new characters in many ways, through attractions, shows and parades, merchandise, and food and beverage.
It’s a prime example of Disney putting synergy in motion across its various business units.
“We regularly evaluate synergy opportunities between our films and our parks, looking for ways to bring proven guest favorites to life in a way that only Disney can do,” said Darlene Papalini, vice president of global synergy, broadcast marketing and talent relations for Walt Disney World Resort. “Franchises are never manufactured but always organically come to life in our parks. The response of our guests to stories and characters determines the strength of the franchise.”
Papalini says the teams look at each franchise and story individually; there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Where there is a natural fit to bring in a new story or new characters from an existing franchise – like Toy Story for example – they carefully consider it.
The new characters from the latest chapter from the Toy Story franchise have already been popping up in numerous ways across Walt Disney World Resort:
- A “balloon pop” game hosted by Rex and including new Toy Story 3 characters Trixie and Mr. Pricklepants has been integrated into the Toy Story Mania! attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
- Also at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests visiting the Magic of Disney Animation can stop by the colorful toy room of the Sunnyside Day Care and meet Lotso, the newest star of Toy Story 3. Guests can also catch Lotso in the Block Party Bash parade at the park.
- More than 50 Toy Story 3 merchandise items exclusive to theme parks have been sold at locations across property since May, including action figures, plush toys, t-shirts and even a plush Lotso that smells like strawberries.
- Since April, various dining locations across property are using children’s beverage cups featuring Toy Story 3 characters, including a light up Buzz Lightyear straw clip.
Additionally, guest favorites from the Toy Story franchise, like the meet-and-greet photo opportunity with Woody and Buzz Lightyear across from the Toy Story Mania! attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, are spread out at locations across Disney Parks.
Papalini says the idea is to seamlessly bring new characters from the latest chapter of the story into the parks because as the film grows in popularity, more and more guests have an expectation of seeing the new characters.