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Category Archives: Characters
Halloween Time Returns Sept. 17 as Disney Villains Transform Disneyland Resort for the Season
Disney villains will invade Disneyland park along with Mickey Mouse and his friends in Halloween costumes when Halloween Time returns to Disneyland Resort Sept. 17 through Oct. 31. Highlights of the Disneyland Halloween season include the return of Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy – the thrillingly “haunted” version of the popular Tomorrowland attraction – and the longtime favorite Haunted Mansion Holiday, in which Halloween and Christmas collide for an attraction inspired by “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.” Guests will also enjoy the new, nighttime water spectacular “World of Color,” performing nightly at Disney California Adventure park.
Halloween Time offers families a chance to enjoy seasonal attractions and decor, as well as interact with beloved Disney characters decked out in whimsical Halloween costumes. Guests will also experience spooky fun with Disney’s more sinister characters, the Disney Villains. In addition, the private-party celebration that has been so popular with guests will return for 10 special nights in October as Mickey’s Halloween Party.
Moving to Disneyland this year with a new name, Mickey’s Halloween Party is the separate-ticket event that invites adults and children to dress up in costume and trick-or-treat at the resort. This nighttime celebration is scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays in October (1, 5, 8, 12, 15, 19, 22, 26 and 29) plus Halloween night itself, Sunday, Oct. 31. Highlights include:
- Trick or Treating in the ultimate Disney neighborhood, with even more treats along “Mickey’s Hide-and-Go-Treat Trails”
- New dance parties – at Tomorrowland Terrace and the French Market
- The “Halloween Screams” fireworks spectacular, hosted by “Master of Scare-omonies” Jack Skellington (presented exclusively for guests of Mickey’s Halloween Party)
- New surprises in “Mickey’s Costume Party” cavalcade, performed twice nightly
- Character photo locations featuring Mickey and his pals, princesses and other favorites
- The opportunity to arrive three hours before the party starts to play in Disneyland
- Nearly all the favorite Disneyland rides and attractions
Tickets purchased in advance for Mickey’s Halloween Party are $49 most days, while tickets purchased on the event days are $54. For Oct. 31, all tickets to Mickey’s Halloween Party are $59.
Favorite Disney characters, including Mickey himself, will dress up in their favorite costumes. It’s the ideal environment to have fun, eat special holiday treats, play interactive games, listen to “spirited” music and watch a nightly character cavalcade that celebrates the season.
For Halloween fun at Disneyland, guests will enjoy Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy in Tomorrowland. The experience begins as a typical Space Mountain adventure, but suddenly launches voyagers into a haunted section of the universe. Ghosts appear out of the starry darkness and swirling galaxies of Space Mountain, reaching out as if to grab guests as they speed through space. The exhilarating drops and curves of the journey are punctuated by piercing screams, creepy sound effects and haunting music.
Jack Skellington also returns to take over the Haunted Mansion and bring back Haunted Mansion Holiday to New Orleans Square in Disneyland. Transformed to a mix of Halloween spookiness and Christmas tradition, Haunted Mansion Holiday is inspired by the classic animated film “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.” Jack and his friends provide plenty of havoc and surprises as they celebrate the holidays in their unusual style. Jack’s return to the Haunted Mansion includes the traditional Halloween/Christmas gingerbread house in the Mansion Ballroom, with some special spooky surprises in this year’s design.
Halloween Time offers frightfully delightful fun for children and adults.
- For spine-tingling fun, drop in at The Twilight Zone™ Tower of Terror at Disney California Adventure park, where a “supernatural” event happened on Halloween evening, 1939, forever haunting the building.
- Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland is transformed for the Pumpkin Festival. More than 300 pumpkins will be on display in shop windows and none of them are the same!
- Visitors to Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland will find ranch animals, pumpkin carvers, Halloween decor and activities for youngsters, all presided over by Sheriff Woody.
- Meeting Disney characters will be easier than ever as Disney villains gather to plot Halloween mischief at “it’s a small world” Mall in Disneyland, while other characters in spooky attire greet guests in Town Square, Main Street, U.S.A.
- Rancho del Zocalo in Frontierland will honor Dia de los Muertos/Day of the Dead with traditional skeleton figures on display Sept. 19 through Nov. 2.
- Special Halloween treats will be available in Disneyland, including menu items such as Zero’s Ghostly Ghoulash, served in a dog dish in honor of Zero.
- Halloween Time gifts are offered in Disneyland Resort shops. Gifts include jack-o-lantern mouse ears and collectable pins depicting Mickey Mouse and his friends in Halloween costumes.
For more information about Halloween Time at Disneyland Resort, see www.disneyland.com/halloween. This site will be updated with frightfully fun details.
Eagle Scout Earns Rank with Help from Disney Imagineers
With the goal of becoming an Eagle Scout within reach, Alex Skilling of Orlando Boy Scout Troop 498 recently enlisted the help of a few Walt Disney Imagineers to make a dream come true for Give Kids The World Village (GKTW). Recognizing the need for a walkway to the basketball courts at GKTW, Skilling set forth on a community service project with some VoluntEAR assistance.
“Walt Disney Imagineering and Walt Disney World Resort have a long-time relationship with Give Kids The World, so it seemed like an ideal opportunity to combine the community service of both the Boy Scouts Of America and VoluntEARS,” said Imagineer Tommy Byerly, who helped Skilling assemble a project team.
While Skilling had some experts on hand, he was responsible for complete oversight of the project.
Knicks Amar’e Stoudemire Creates His Own “Big Apple” at Walt Disney World Resort
New York Knicks free-agent signee Amar’e Stoudemire spent Monday having fun with his family at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando. Stoudemire took time out to work with Disney cast members to create several Mickey Mouse-style candy apples in the Knicks’ orange and blue team colors, and also tossed a basketball around with Mickey Mouse.
Stoudemire grew up in Orlando and competed in the AAU National Basketball Championships at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World Resort when he was a teenager. More recently, Stoudemire sponsored an AAU team that has regularly competes in the AAU National Basketball Championships at Disney.
Disney’s Attention to Detail Improves Bottom-Line
With the international tour group season winding down, Walt Disney World Resort is on pace to exceed last year’s record for guest visitation from Brazil.
A big part of the success with international tour groups from Latin America – and Brazil in particular – has been the 54 “Super Greeters” stationed throughout Walt Disney World Resort this summer.
This year’s 29 “Super Greeters” from Brazil – now on their way home to South America after a summer of working with guests – were all alumni of the Walt Disney World Resort college program who were already well-trained in delivering an exceptional guest experience. The remaining 25 “Super Greeters” are current Cast Members who speak fluent Portuguese or Spanish.
As cultural representatives, a “Super Greeter” assists international tour groups in their common language with tips for visiting Disney Parks and Resorts and engages in conversation to share their culture with guests from all over the world. Besides delivering an amazing guest experience that leads to tour groups coming back to Walt Disney World Resort, “Super Greeters” help deliver record-breaking business results.
“Our legendary guest service at Walt Disney World Resort has a direct and positive impact on our business,” said Dan Cockerell, vice president of Epcot and Walt Disney World Resort’s executive champion for the Super Greeter program. “The innovative approach we take to welcoming guests with Super Greeters from Brazil will play an important part in making this year one of our best ever for Brazilian guest attendance.”
Cast Members serving as “Super Greeters” assisted international tour groups and sharing facts about their culture with guests at all four of theme parks, Downtown Disney, and several resort hotels, including Disney’s All-Star Resort, Disney’s Port Orleans Resort, and Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.
Disney VoluntEARS Earn $627,050 for Central Florida Non-Profits
Throughout August, The Walt Disney Company is donating $627,050 to the Central Florida community in recognition of the 251,000 hours given by Walt Disney World Resort VoluntEARS in 2009. From schools to shelters, Cast Members selected approximately 250 local non-profit agencies and community service groups to receive Disney’s EARS to You grants. Top recipients include Orange County Public Schools, A Better Life Pet Rescue and local chapters of the American Cancer Society.
“Disney VoluntEARS enjoy sharing their time and talents and have a vested interest in making Central Florida an even better place for all who live in our community,” said Nancy Gidusko, director of community relations, Walt Disney World Resort. “The collective contributions of these Cast Members are impressive and impactful; they are truly making a difference during a time when it’s needed most.”
The Walt Disney Company, through the Disney VoluntEARS program, provides opportunities for Cast Members to give their time and expertise toward positively impacting their communities. Each year, the Company recognizes VoluntEARS who donate at least 10 hours of service with EARS to You grants, which are financial contributions of up to $1,000 to the non-profit organization of their choice.
This year, Walt Disney World Resort awarded more than 800 EARS to You grants. Disney dollars will go toward a wide array of worthy causes including local youth development groups, health and social services programs, environmental causes, community theatres and pet rescue organizations.
Disney VoluntEAR Maria Kirkland received an EARS to You grant of $500 for her active support of Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. “I feel very fortunate to be able to provide not only my time but a financial contribution to such a worthy organization,” said Kirkland. “It makes me feel so wonderful to know that I was able to help a family or individual to have one less stress in their life.”
Exceptional Disney VoluntEARS Receive Honors
Walt Disney World Resort annually recognizes its top VoluntEARS with coveted awards and charitable contributions. In June, high honors were given to Steve Luttrell as 2009 VoluntEAR of the Year and Disney’s Vero Beach Resort VoluntEARS Team as the 2009 VoluntEAR Team of the Year. Both received $2,500 cash donations to the charity of their choice.
- 2009 VoluntEAR of the Year: Steve Luttrell
By day, Steve Luttrell works as a member of Disney’s Engineering Services team. Nights and weekends, you’ll find him on the baseball field, helping kids learn the values of teamwork and sportsmanship. Luttrell has dedicated hundreds of service hours to Dr. Phillips Little League and has changed the lives of hundreds of youth during his six seasons of involvement. Known for maintaining composure under pressure, Luttrell coaches young boys and their parents beyond the basics of baseball and demonstrates the importance of personal responsibility. A donation of $2,500 was given to the Dr. Phillips Little League in honor of Luttrell.
- 2009 VoluntEAR Team of the Year: Disney’s Vero Beach Resort VoluntEARS Team
A small but powerful team, Disney’s Vero Beach Resort VoluntEARS Team increased their Cast Member participation from 51% to 89% within a year, completing 29 projects in Indian River County in 2009. Activities range from a Habitat for Humanity build to a March of Dimes walk to involving youth in a beach cleanup event to help them gain environmental awareness. In honor of the team, $2,500 was donated to the March of Dimes Treasure Coast Division.
Additionally, 617 Disney VoluntEARS who contributed more than 100 hours of service during 2009 also will receive the President’s Volunteer Service Award from the White House. The President’s Volunteer Service Award is a presidential recognition program for Americans of all ages who volunteer a minimum of 100 hours during the year. Award recipients receive a congratulatory letter from President Barack Obama, a lapel pin and a personalized certificate.
