Fantasmic

Chip & Company would like to extend a Pooh-sized welcome to all Guests! Come one, come all Cast Members and VoluntEARS to the Show. We hope you’ll find us to be a Fantasmic Innovention and refer to us often as an E-Ticket Attraction. Consider us your Automagic Fastpass to the Utilidors of Disney knowledge!

The world of Walt Disney entertainment is so unique it requires its own language. Some words originated directly from Walt and his Imagineers. Others, it seems, have grown into their own Disneyness and have acquired new meanings along the way.

Attraction = a theme park ride or show
Audio animatronics = realistic robotics that bring 3-D effect to an Attraction
Automagic = play on automatic; the Disney way of making things magically happen
Backstage = a park area not accessible to guests
Cast Member = a Disney theme park or resort employee
Casting center = theme park or resort employment office
Costume = the uniform worn by a Cast Member
Crew Member = Disney Cruise Line employee
Disney point = to point with index and middle finger together; in some cultures it is rude to point with only one finger
Earffel Tower = water tower at DHS; example of wienie
Epcot = from EPCOT, Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow
E-Ticket = the newest, best, most popular attraction; stems from former system of ride coupons ranking rides A-E (A were least popular, E most popular)
Fantasmic = lights, lasers, fireworks, and waterworks show at DHS
FastPass = ticket generated to assign Guest a time to return to a busy Attraction without waiting in long line
Guest = visitor to Disney theme park or resort
Hallowishes = special Magic Kingdom fireworks during MNSSHP Halloween celebrations
IllumiNations = fireworks at Epcot
Imagineer = employee of Walt Disney Imagineering (formerly Walter Elias Disney, WED Enterprises); combination of imagine+engineer; scientists and artists who design the Attractions
Innovention = innovation+invention
Mousekeeping = resort housekeeping/maid service
Mouseketeer = play on musketeer; cast members of the TV show The Mickey Mouse Club
On stage = any area where a Cast Member might be seen by Guests
Philharmagic = philharmonic+magic 3-D film at MK
PhotoPass = barcoded card/web access to photos taken by Cast Member photographers
Plussing = constantly striving to improve a project even when it is considered complete
Pooh-sized = big, like Pooh Bear
Protein spill = term used by Cast Members to indicate someone has vomited
Show = everything that encompasses an Attraction or park feature; all the effects & mood setters that combine to make it feel like you’re walking into that world
Utilidors = utility+corridors The underground tunnels at Magic Kingdom that provide access for maintenance, Cast Members, readying, etc.
VoluntEARS = The Disney VoluntEARS program provides opportunities for Cast Members to contribute their time and expertise to charitable causes.
Wienie = a visual Attraction or landmark that can be seen by Guests from far away; it is used to guide visitors through park, i.e. Cinderella Castle
Wishes = Magic Kingdom fireworks

Then, there’s a slew of abbreviations representing different Resorts, restaurants, shows, etc.
Parks:
DLR = Disneyland Resort
DLP = Disneyland Park
DCA = Disney California Adventure
DTD = Downtown Disney (both DLR & WDW)
WDW = Walt Disney World Resort
AK or DAK = Disney’s Animal Kingdom
DHS = Disney’s Hollywood Studios
EC = Epcot
MK = Magic Kingdom
BB = Blizzard Beach
TL = Typhoon Lagoon
DLRP or DLP = Disneyland Resort Paris
DCL = Disney Cruise Line
TDL = Tokyo Disneyland
TDS = Tokyo Disney Sea
HKDL = Hong Kong Disneyland

Resorts:
AKL = Animal Kingdom Lodge
AS = All Star Sports
ASM = All Star Movies
ASMu = All Star Music
BLT = Bay Lake Tower
Cont = Contemporary
CS = Coronado Springs
DLH = Disneyland Hotel
FW = Fort Wilderness Campground
FtW = Fort Wilderness
GC = Disney’s Grand Californian
GF = Grand Floridian
PFQ = Port Orleans French Quarter
Poly = Polynesian
POP = Pop Century
POR = Port Orleans Riverside
SS = Saratoga Springs
WL = Wilderness Lodge
Y&B = Yacht & Beach Club

Attractions:
BTM = Big Thunder Mountain Railroad
CoP = Carousel of Progress
EE = Expedition Everest
GMR = Great Movie Ride
HM = Haunted Mansion
MNSSHP = Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party
MVMCP = Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party
PotC = Pirates of the Caribbean
RnRC = Rock–n–Roller Coaster
SM = Space Mountain
SSE = Spaceship Earth
SM = Splash Mountain
ST = Star Tours
ToT = Tower of Terror
TSM = Toy Story Mania
TTA = Tomorrowland Transit Authority

Other:
AA = Audio Animatronics
ADR = Advanced Dining Reservations
AP = Annual Pass
CM = Cast Member
DDP = Disney Dining Plan
DVC = Disney Vacation Club
ECV = Electric Convenience Vehicle (motorized scooter)
EMH = Extra Magic Hours
FW = Future World
HM = Hidden Mickey
ME = Magical Express
TIW = Tables in Wonderland
TTC = Transportation and Ticket Center
WS = World Showcase

Next time you want to impress your friends, drop some Disneyspeak. It’ll confirm what they’ve suspected all along: Yep, you’re a Disney addict!

These lists are hardly exhaustive. Help us add to them in the comments below.

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Two Chinese men have been arrested on suspicion of attempting to exchange illegally obtained pre-admission tickets to Tokyo Disneyland for real tickets, police said on Dec. 25.

The two men — one of whom is a 24-year-old university student and a resident of Saitama Prefecture — were arrested on suspicion of attempted fraud after allegedly trying to exchange 10 Disneyland “e-tickets” at a ticket counter at the amusement park at around 7:10 a.m. on Dec. 23.

The online tickets — whose total value is 62,000 yen — had been bought with an unrelated man and woman’s credit cards in October and November this year, police say.

The man and the woman had previously notified authorities that their credit cards had been used for purchases — approximately 80 e-tickets — of which they had no recollection.

The Chinese men have apparently denied the allegations, telling police: “A middle-aged man told us that if we got the e-tickets exchanged, he would give us 500 yen for each.” The case has been sent to prosecutors.

AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi

Source

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Tokyo Disney Resort recently announced that a new attraction – Toy Story Mania! – will debut at Tokyo DisneySea on July 9, 2012.

The attraction will be located in Toyville Trolley Park, a new area themed after an old-fashioned amusement park. Toy Story Mania! will have a few differences from the attraction here at Walt Disney World Resort, including the fact that guests will initially enter through Woody’s mouth. From here, guests will find themselves in Andy’s room, which is strewn with larger-than-life board games, puzzles and other toys.

Guests later board a tram, put on 3-D glasses and roll under Andy’s bed where the toys have set up a carnival play set. Joining in the fun, guests play the carnival games with all their “Toy Story” friends.

The attraction also will be accompanied with Slinky Dog’s Gift Trolley merchandise shop.

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Christmas Season is in full swing across all the Disney Resorts around the world bringing many special shows and characters.

Walt Disney World

• Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties are occurring throughout the month. Most of the characters found at the parties this year are the same as previous years; however, Jack Sparrow, Duffy and Phineas and Ferb have been added this year. Following the last of the parties on Dec 18th the party shows and parade will begin occurring during normal park hours.
• There are rumors that Dug and Russel from Up will be appearing in Disney’s Animal Kingdom for part of this month as a test of their popularity.
• Last month, Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! received a small update including adding Timon and Terk as well as musical changes.
• A new character lunch has been added at Tusker House; however, sadly this change resulted in losing several regular characters in the park including Lilo & Stitch, Terk, Jiminy Cricket, and Pocahontas at Rafiki’s Planet Watch
• At Disney’s Hollywood Studios Jake has finally made his official debut at both the Play ‘n’ Dine and outside Disney Junior Live at a meet ‘n’ greet.

Disneyland

• Mickey and many of his friends are appearing in their Christmas finest in both Disneyland Park and California Adventure. Santa is also meeting his many fans in both parks.

Disneyland Paris

• Mickey and many of his friends are appearing in their Christmas finest in both Parc Disneyland and Walt Disney Studios. This includes the introduction of Duffy for the first time.
• After months of speculation Disney’s Stars ‘n’ Cars has finally dropped the show part of the show/parade at the Studios and turned into a regular parade.

Tokyo

• There are rumors of a new daytime parade in 2013 to mark Tokyo Disneyland’s 30th anniversary

Hong Kong Disneyland

• The first of the three new mini-lands, Toy Story Land, opened and Woody, Jessie and the Green Army Men are reported to be appearing there regularly.

That is all the character news for this month. Be sure to visit Disney Character Central for all the latest character news and rumors!

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Magical Mouse Schoolhouse, where Disney IS school!

MAGICAL MOUSE SCHOOLHOUSE is a unique blog that plusses the homeschool experience and prompts home educators to think outside the textbook. Our bi-weekly posts expose teachable moments in Walt Disney entertainment, from the history of Walter Elias Disney to Audio-animatronics, from theme park attractions to Disney conservation efforts. Each article leaves readers creative ways to learn while they play when Disney IS school.

Here’s a sampling of what you might find:

• Watch Dumbo and learn about aviation. Build a paper airplane with an elephant’s proportions. Discuss fuselage size and shape. Ask students if large wings (or ears) help or hinder flight.
• Ride Disneyland’s Mad Tea Party. Stop the math frustration spinning in your child’s head and have a Mad Math Fractions Tea Party!
• Observe Tinker Bell’s flight from a castle turret during Wishes Nighttime Spectacular fireworks at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom in person or by Youtube video. Following instructions at the Science Buddies website, measure the intensity and duration of light produced by glow sticks.

Non-homeschoolers are welcome too! Supplement children’s schoolwork to keep kids from stagnating during summer break or holidays. Classroom teachers, enhance lesson plans or offer additional course work.

Stretch the boundaries of your home classroom!

Tiggerific Tuesday! Blog Hop...or Bounce!

MAGICAL MOUSE SCHOOLHOUSE hosts the weekly blog hop, Tiggerific Tuesday, a linky social to network with fellow bloggers. We also run GIVEAWAYS on the 2^nd and 4^th Wednesdays of the month, and we hop aboard the Magical Blogorail Yellow Line every 1^st Friday.

For an additional learning experience and educational incentives, sign up for the monthly Earn Your E.A.R.S. (Enriching Academic Reward Series). Registration opens October 1, 2011. Click the link to learn more.

It has been a pretty quiet month for character news on Character Central but I am sure as we move into the fall and get closer to Halloween (Mickey’s No So Scary Halloween Party) and Christmas (Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party) we will be hearing more!

Walt Disney World

• Tink and her fairy friends have moved to their new home in the Adventureland Veranda which is now named Tinker Bell’s Magical Nook. Currently two fairies at a time are meeting and it normally consists of Tink + either Vidia or Rosetta. Hopefully the other fairies will make occasional appearances as well.
• The Magic Kingdom day parade is occurring twice a day during the summer. Due to this some of the regular Magic Kingdom characters may be in slightly different locations. This includes Goofy appearing near Pirates and Peter Pan sometimes making appearances near the entrance to Adventureland.
• On a sad note, WDW has decided to stop having characters appear during EMH… hopefully they will return some day
• Onto rumors, we are continuing to hear rumors about changes to MNSSHP. As of now it sounds like at least Gaston and Lotso will be joining the list of villains you can meet at the parties. We also know that there will be some changes to the popular Boo to You parade but don’t know all the specifics yet.
• Last month we reported the Flynn and Naveen had stopped making regular appearances in the parks. We have heard that they should return for MNSSHP and/or MVMCP… so if you missed them you should still have a chance to meet them if you go to the parties.

Disneyland

• Phineas and Ferb started making appearances in the form of a show called Phineas and Ferb’s Rockin’ Rollin’ Dance Party. Unfortunately they are not appearing for meet and greets but hopefully they will in the future!
• Tickets are now on sale for the Disneyland Mickey’s Halloween Treat Parties. These parties are similar to but smaller in scale to WDW’s MNSSHP but feature extra characters not normally seen in Disneyland

Disneyland Paris

• Darth Vader and Chewbacca are appearing in Discoveryland for the summer season
• Also, recently (probably because of it being peak summer season) there have been more random characters appearing around the parks including the elusive Seven Dwarfs

Tokyo

• The main change in Tokyo has been the premiere of changes to Dreamlights including new Aladdin, Tinker Bell and Toy Story units. They look spectacular!

That is all the character news for this month. Be sure to visit Disney Character Central for all the latest character news and rumors! Also this month on our site we have tons of new pictures from our most recent trip to Disneyland Paris and Disneyland where we saw tons of rare characters (many of which are new to the site) including the Robinsons and many of Stitch’s friends and cousins! We also just returned from our first trip to Hong Kong Disneyland and have started adding that resort to the site!

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Tokyo Disneyland Easter Wonderland 2011

While most people were preparing for 4th of July parties and vacations last week, Tokyo Disneyland wrapped up its Easter Wonderland celebration that ended on June 30th.   While it may seem a bit odd to celebrate a spring holiday into summer, the annual Easter Wonderland celebration is a popular event and traditionally attracts significant crowds right up until the final day.

Even though you’re preparing for another week of summer fun, let’s take a look back at some of the highlights from this year’s Easter Wonderland celebration.

Easter Egg Hunt

Fun for both adults and kids alike, Tokyo Disneyland offered an Easter egg scavenger hunt.  As you wandered around the park, Disney character themed Easter Eggs were strategically placed near various attractions.  The object was to find the exact eggs listed on the course in order to collect your prize.  For 2011, guests could purchase the standard hunt map or go for the expert version.  Let me tell you — that expert course ended up being a lot more difficult than I initially imagined!  It included smaller, non-Disney themed eggs that were much less visible from a distance.  After three hours of seemingly wandering in circles, we found the last egg and I got the special edition Easter Wonderland pin.

Lady and Tramp Easter Eggs

Park Decorations

One of the reasons I enjoy visiting Tokyo Disneyland so often is the seasonal decorations.  Each event really is magical and after seeing the same decorations in the US Parks year after year, it is refreshing to visit Tokyo and see something new each and every time.  For this year’s celebration, Tokyo even had live “performers” — three statuesque women stood essentially motionless, changing poses every few minutes, surprising many guests.

Main Easter Wonderland 2011 Centerpiece in Front of the Castle

Live Easter Wonderland 2011 Performers

Special Easter Menus and Treats

Without a doubt, Tokyo Disney has the market corned on seasonal goodies and themed menus.  Both the resort hotels and parks always feature special menus and seasonal treats.  This year was no exception with Tokyo Disneyland offering several special desserts, including a custard mousse with souvenir cup and a marshmallow Easter chick with a souvenir plate.

Easter Chick Marshmallow Treat at Tokyo Disneyland

The Disneyland Hotel featured a fancy Easter set menu and a little known highlight there — you could purchase an engraved Champagne bottle!  The Tokyo Disney Ambassador Hotel also featured their seasonal dessert set in the Hyperion Lounge, which is a must on any of my trips now.  This year’s theme included a bit more obscure character — Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.  The design was taken from the Easter Wonderland Parade Float.

Special Edition Easter Wonderland Champagne from Tokyo Disneyland Hotel

Oswald the Lucky Rabbit Dessert from Hyperion Lounge inside the Tokyo Disney Ambassador Hotel

Easter Parade

The Easter Wonderland Parade is always a fun time and is filled with lots of live performers and several floats.  This parade is more like a street party as the floats primarily stop in one spot and the dancing performance takes place all around them.  As with other parades, the costumes are top-notch, the performers are engaging with the public, and the music is awesome. And if you really like the parade music, you can always buy it — most stores in the Disney Resort sell the seasonal event music CDs — a very worthwhile purchase!

Easter Wonderland Parade at Tokyo Disneyland

The Tokyo Disney Resort has some smaller summer stuff currently underway but the next big events to mark on your calendar are Tokyo DisneySEA’s 10th Anniversary “Be Magical” celebration (starting September 4th) and Tokyo Disneyland’s Halloween Event (starting September 9th).

If you are interested in seeing more detailed information and loads of pictures from the various aspects of the 2011 Easter Wonderland celebration, be sure to stop by my blog, Pooh’s Travels.  

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Walt Disney World

• Phineas and Ferb are now appearing daily in Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• After a short break Lightening McQueen and Mater are meeting again daily at DHS with a new look for Cars 2
• Also staying in DHS, Winnie the Pooh has replaced Lotso in the Art of Animation building and is appearing daily
• Moving to the Magic Kingdom, sadly both Flynn Rider and Prince Naveen are no longer meeting regularly… there have been lots of people upset about this change so hopefully Disney will reconsider
• DVC is holding a series of promotional presentations in July and August but instead of their normal presentations these will have characters in attendance! More information can be found on Disney Character Central or on the DVC site
• Onto rumors, there are rumors that there will be changes to the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties this year with potentially new characters! Currently it sounds like at least some of the characters in the Villains Mix and Mingle will change (currently Hades, Shan Yu, and Gaston are the mentioned as the possible new Villains). It is possible other character changes will occur for MNSSHP but haven’t heard what they might be yet
• In addition to changes to MNSSHP there are also rumors that some older rarer characters may be around in Oct to celebrate WDW’s 40th Birthday

Disneyland

• The Redwood Creek area in Disney California Adventure has received a theme change and now Russel and Dug from Up will be appearing there daily both for a mini show and a meet and greet!
• Also in DCA Phineas and Ferb will start making appearances this month!
• Tickets are now on sale for the Disneyland Mickey’s Halloween Treat Parties. These parties are similar to but smaller in scale to WDW’s MNSSHP but feature extra characters not normally seen in Disneyland

Disneyland Paris

• Darth Vader and Chewbacca will be returning for the summer season
• Also for the summer season the popular Tarzan Encounter show has returned to the Chaparral Theater after a two year hiatus
• There are rumors that Donald’s nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie may be appearing during DLP’s Halloween and Christmas seasons this year… we hope this happens!

Tokyo

With summer season starting there will be several changes to the characters and shows that are around in Tokyo

• The summertime castle stage show Cool the Heat is returning this year; however, the characters may be appearing in different outfits than last year
• The Naminamina character cavalcade/show will be returning to both parks
• Summer Oasis Splash will replace Chip and Dale’s Cool Service Deluxe but is expected to be similar (but possibly only will be in Mediterranean Harbor instead of traveling around the park)
• Sadly not returning are the Bon Fire Dance and Midsummer Nights Panic from last year

That is all the character news for this month. Be sure to visit Disney Character Central for all the latest character news and rumors! Also this month on our site we have tons of new pictures from our most recent trip to Disneyland Paris and Disneyland where we saw tons of rare characters (many of which are new to the site) including the Robinsons and many of Stitch’s friends and cousins!

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Walt Disney World

May is one of the two months of the year that WDW usually changes around characters and this May is no different. The big changes are at Disney’s Hollywood Studios where Lotso has left the animation building to make way for Winnie the Pooh once his meet and greet area is complete. Also, Phineas and Ferb will finally be making their debut; however, it sounds like it has been delayed until the end of the month. There may be other changes coming this month… normally some characters return for the summer months that are rare during the winter (Wendy for example). Another upcoming change will occur once the Flower Garden Festival ends when the fairies will most likely return to the Magic Kingdom; however, they will probably be located in the Adventureland Veranda where the Princesses were located before the Town Square Theater opened.

Disneyland

The main character related news for Disneyland is the upcoming debut of the Soundsational Parade! From concept art and some previews it appears it will be a great parade! Once again Disneyland will have a parade worthy of it.

Disneyland Paris

April brought the beginning of the Magical Moments festival and with it a number of new shows and happenings. This includes a new once a day hub show named “Mickey’s Magical Celebration” that includes Sorcerer Mickey, Genie, Fairy Godmother, Merlin and most of the Disney royal couples. Also included is a Peter Pan happening named “Follow the leader with Peter Pan” which features Peter, Wendy, Hook, Mr. Smee, and John Darling! One upcoming rumor is that Star ‘n’ Cars will lose its show element and turn into a more normal parade with show stops that will feature character interaction.

Tokyo Disneyland

Due to the earthquake it has been announced that several planned upcoming events have been canceled. Sadly this includes the night time summer programs as well as Halloween events in Tokyo DisneySea.

That is all the character news for this month. Be sure to visit Disney Character Central for all the latest character news and rumors!

Photo credit charactercentral.net

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Have you ever been on a crowded bus or monorail leaving the parks that was standing room only?  I know I have!  After long day in the parks, buses, monorails, and boats carry the tired masses back to their resorts (or cars), leaving people standing and ogling the seated passengers, hoping to get a seat sooner than later.

While many people will willingly offer there seats, I’ve seen more than once people not offer common courtesy to those who, to me, obviously should have a seat.  So, I’m here to give some basic guidelines on when to offer up your seat.

Here is my list of those who should have first priority on seats:

• Elderly
• Expecting mothers
• Handicap/disabled
• Parents holding young children
• Young children (teenagers can stand with the rest of us!)

Seems obvious to me, but I have witnessed strong, healthy men sit comfortably while women hold onto squirming toddlers.

Obviously, there are plenty of times anyone can sit:

• You fall into one of the categories above
• There is plentiful seating
• You offer and the people in the above categories decline

Yes, it is your vacation too, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t all be polite.  Whether you’re at Walt Disney World Florida, Disneyland California, or any of the Disney Parks overseas, we should all be considerate.

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One of our guest writers who lives in Japan Kyle Greggory was in Japan when the earthquake hit and sent me this report to share with you.

Tokyo Disney Resort March 11, 2011
There were apparently 69,000 people at the Tokyo Disneyland Resort when Friday’s record-scale quake struck off the coast of Japan. The quake resulted in flooding throughout the resort, which is built on a landfill in Tokyo Bay. The tsunami that followed the quake was apparently not the major source of the flooding, according to the Deccan Chronicle (http://www.deccanchronicle.com).

Nobody Hurt
Injuries were reported neither from park guests nor from cast members.  The rides were closed and people waited for further instructions from park employees after the quake (see photo from Twitter: http://twitpic.com/48dy7s). At Disney Sea, many people were evacuated to warmer locations when nighttime came.

People are still stuck at Disney Sea (one of my friends included) almost 8 hours after the quake, reportedly due to roads being blocked leading away from Disney Sea. In addition, train lines throughout Tokyo have been shut down since the quake hit, and are only just starting to run again (time of writing: 10:30PM Local Time). Right now the Tokyo Disneyland Resort remains flooded, along with the parking lots, according to park guests who are still there.

Here’s another picture from Disney Sea, showing the crowds at the park when the quake hit earlier in the day:

8.9 Earthquake Hits Japan
Friday’s earthquake in Japan measured 8.9 on the Richter Scale, and is reportedly the largest quake to hit Japan in 140 years, and the fifth largest in the world since 1900. It occurred off the coast of Sendai, Japan, about 200 miles northeast of Tokyo.

–
As a side note–this quake was terrifying! I was on the 8th floor of my dorm in Shinjuku (near Central Tokyo) when the whole building started to shake like I’d never felt before. The previous two quakes that occurred Wednesday and Thursday seemed very large, and I doubted the shaking could ever be worse, but today’s proved me wrong. I was certain the building was going to collapse. I’m glad we weren’t at the epicenter, and feel for everybody who was more significantly effected by this earthquake.

Thanks Kyle for the News Report!

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This interesting article comes to us from D23.

In the same way Walt Disney Parks and Resorts introduced Main Street, U.S.A. to Asia and Europe, they’re now inspiring guests from all around the world to experience something else as American as apple pie — Halloween. From a dancing zombie chorus line at Hong Kong Disneyland to a bewitching parade in Tokyo, each year the parks scare up nightmarish spectaculars, wicked parties and hair-raising attraction overlays. These holiday haunts are prompting a global interest in the American celebration, and we think this is the perfect time to catch up with a few Disney cast members from around the world to see how Disney’s fairy-tale landmarks are helping to turn Halloween into an international tradition.

Ten years ago, China had barely heard of Halloween. But when Hong Kong Disneyland opened in 2005, a ghoulish fall event with haunting effects and shadowy characters arrived with it, one that has continued to grow each year. “Celebrating Halloween in Asia is a relatively new phenomenon and therefore doesn’t follow the longstanding traditions seen in America,” says Laurie Jordan, vice president, Entertainment, Hong Kong Disneyland. “The Hong Kong market definition of Halloween tends to be the ‘scarier the better.’ Trick-or-treating is catching on in Hong Kong and is something our guests enjoy in Fantasyland. However, our Haunted Halloween plays largely to Asian sensibilities with an emphasis on dramatic, ghostly offerings.” A mob of zombies and a treacherous, towering dragon summoned by the evil Maleficent on Main Street, U.S.A. are just a few of the unforgettable spectacles that the park has created to introduce locals to the holiday. And now, the Haunted Halloween celebration has become their most successful and anticipated annual event.

At Tokyo Disneyland, guests are invited to wear their own costumes inside the magic kingdom for 14 special days in October. Guests parade through each themed land donning their favorite Disney or pop-culture character costumes and creating a park-wide masquerade. The costume party celebration continues at its sister park, Tokyo DisneySea. There, the Mysterious Masquerade, a Broadway-style revue at Waterfront Park, wraps everyone up in the spirit of Halloween with a dazzling performance from Mickey, Minnie, Donald and the rest of the gang.

Click here to keep reading

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This article comes to us from the LA Times.

A teddy bear more popular than Mickey Mouse at Disney theme parks in Japan will make his U.S. public debut at Disney California Adventure in Anaheim on Monday.

Duffy the Disney Bear has become something of a fan phenomenon at the Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea theme parks, where the walk-around character draws lines longer than the famous mouse and boasts his own website.

According to Duffy’s backstory, Minnie Mouse gave the teddy bear to Mickey Mouse before he set off on an around-the-world sailing trip. Duffy looks like an ordinary fuzzy teddy bear except for the “Hidden Mickey” shape in his face.

From a merchandise standpoint, Disney plans to position Duffy as a direct competitor to the popular Build-A-Bear franchise. Three DCA stores will sell stuffed Duffys and dress-up costumes. Duffy has been known to wear sailor’s outfits and baseball uniforms but never pants (much like Donald Duck).

Click here to read more.

The total number of visitors to Disney’s two theme parks on the outskirts of Tokyo hit 500 million Friday, with a housewife winning a ticket for free admission to both resorts for five years.

“I’m surprised and happy,” 38-year-old Megumi Soma, flanked by Mickey and Minnie Mouse, said on a podium as a crowd of visitors cheered.

Soma, a housewife from Gumma prefecture north of Tokyo, was visiting Tokyo Disneyland with her husband and two children and struck lucky on her children’s first visit to the nation’s most popular theme park.

Tokyo Disneyland opened in the suburbs of the Japanese capital on April 15, 1983 as the first Disney theme park outside the United States.

Built on reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay dubbed “Maihama” — a Japanese take on Miami Beach near Florida’s Disney World — it has sprawled to include hotels, a shopping mall, an aqua park and a permanent Cirque du Soleil.

Oriental Land Co. Ltd. of Japan runs the resort under a licence contract with the Walt Disney group.

Japan’s birth rate may be on the decline, but the parks boast loyal fans.

The number of visitors to Disneyland and DisneySea, a water park opened in 2001, has stood at record levels of around 25 million annually in recent years, up from 9.9 million people in Disneyland’s first year.

Oriental Land has set its sights on the generation who grew up watching Disney cartoons on television and took their children to the park’s opening 27 years ago, launching a cut-rate annual pass for visitors aged 60 or older.

An Aulani Disney Vacation Club at Ko Olina showroom will open in July in Tokyo, even though the Oahu resort’s opening is still more than a year away.

Disney is creating an interactive family showroom at Tokyo Disney Resort in an attempt to spark interest from Japanese travelers in the Ko Olina timeshare resort, which is scheduled to open in fall 2011.

Disney Vacation Club Resorts has nearly 500 resort destinations around the world, but the showroom will be focused on a two-bedroom model of Aulani.

When completed, the resort will have 360 hotel rooms and 481 two-bedroom Disney Vacation Club villas. It also will include an 18,000-square-foot spa, two restaurants, 14,545-square-foot conference center, and 48,685 square feet of outdoor venues, including pools, hot tubs, a snorkeling lagoon and a variety of programs for children.

This new theater-type attraction features Disney’s 3-D technology, special effects, and a wide, concave screen that envelopes the audience. Guests of all ages will be enchanted by Mickey’s PhilharMagic as it will completely immerse them in the world of Disney films.

In this attraction, guests are invited into the theater for an orchestra concert conducted by Mickey Mouse. As Donald Duck prepares for the concert, he unwittingly causes a commotion and ends up taking the audience through the world of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast, Fantasia, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Peter Pan, and Aladdin.

During the Aladdin segment, guests will have the sensation of flying with Aladdin and Jasmine, thanks to the special effect of a breeze blowing through the theater, in addition to the 3-D technology and the wide screen that together provide added depth and dimension. In each of the other scenes from the Disney films, guests will find exciting, new sensations created through the special features of this attraction.

Tokyo Disneyland held a special ceremony June 9 honoring the 10,000th couple to have a wedding ceremony at its adjoining Disney Ambassador Hotel.

Before the amusement park opened on the day, the bridegroom, 32-year-old Osaka civil servant Tomoya Okitsu, and the bride, 24-year-old company employee Mio Ashida, signed a certificate in the presence of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse for becoming the 10,000th couple to get married at the hotel. The newlyweds, beaming from ear to ear, also snapped a shot with the characters with Cinderella Castle in the background.

“We’ve been congratulated by the world’s superstars. Nothing could make us happier than this,” says Okitsu, who proposed to Ashida near Cinderella Castle last summer.

This year Disney Ambassador Hotel is celebrating its 10th anniversary since its grand opening.

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CAPTAIN EO: “Captain EO,” the 17-minute, classic 3-D film experience starring Michael Jackson that entertained audiences at Epcot from 1986-1994, will return to Epcot July 2, 2010.

The film’s return to the Imagination pavilion was announced by Walt Disney World Resort on April 28, 2010. “Captain EO” also will return to two other Disney Parks locations this summer, scheduled to open June 12 at Disneyland Resort Paris and June 30 at Tokyo Disney Resort. In February, “Captain EO” begain showing again at Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif.

The Themed Entertainment Association(TEA), along with AECOM Economics, has issued the 2009 theme park attendance report.

Here are the Top 10 United States theme parks for 2009:

1. Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom: 17.2 million +1.0%
2. Disneyland: 15.9 million +8.0%
3. Epcot: 11.0 million +0.5%
4. Disney’s Hollywood Studios: 9.7 million +1.0%
5. Disney’s Animal Kingdom: 9.6 million +0.5%
6. Disney’s California Adventure: 6.1 million +9.5%
7. SeaWorld Orlando: 5.8 million -6.8%
8. Universal Studios Florida: 5.4 million -12.0%
9. Islands of Adventure: 4.5 million -13.8%
10. Universal Studios Hollywood: 4.3 million -6.0%

Here is the Top 10 Grossing Theme Parks Worldwide:

1. Magic Kingdom
2. Disneyland
3. Tokyo Disneyland: 13.6 million -4.5%
4. Disneyland Paris: 12.7 million +0.4%
5. Tokyo DisneySea: 12 million -4.0%
6. Epcot
7. Disney’s Hollywood Studios
8. Disney’s Animal Kingdom
9. Universal Studios Japan: 8.0 million -3.6%
10. Everland (South Korea): 6.2 million -6.5%

Click here to see the complete report.

Tokyo DisneySea announced that they will be adding Jasmine’s Flying Carpets in 2011.  The ride will be part of the park’s 10th anniversary in 2011 and will go in the Arabian Coast section of the park, in front of the Magic Lamp theater.

Guests will be able to raise and lower their own individual carpet and also be able to tilt the carpets as well.  From the details, it appears the ride will be very similar to Aladdin’s Flying Carpets (Magic Kingdom) and Flying Carpets Over Argabah (Walt Disney Studios Paris).  Jasmine’s Flying Carpets will take the place of the current fountain and will is set to open in Summer of 2011.