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Category Archives: Events
Attraction Insider: Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy at Disneyland Resort
The journey begins as a typical launch into deep space. However, as the vehicles climb towards the stars, the voyage suddenly goes awry, hurling the voyagers into an uncharted section of the universe.
A galaxy where haunted star clusters, supernovas and other cosmic phenomenon threaten the travelers at every turn. The adventure is one close call after another, until, finally, the craft plummets into a wormhole, returning safely home . . .or does it???
Halloween Time Returns to the Disneyland Resort
Halloween Time returns to the Disneyland Resort Sept. 17-Oct. 31, 2010, with seasonal décor and attractions, including Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy — the thrillingly “haunted” version of the popular Tomorrowland attraction — along with favorites Haunted Mansion Holiday and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
Guests will also experience spooky fun with characters in whimsical costumes and Disney’s more sinister characters, the Disney Villains.
VEX Robotics World Championship to Be Held at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Dedicated to inspiring today’s youth to excel in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) education through robotics, the non-profit Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation, in conjunction with VEX Robotics, today announced that the 2011 VEX Robotics World Championship will be held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at the Walt Disney World® Resort near Orlando, Florida on April 14-16, 2011. Coinciding with National Robotics Week, the three-day tournament unites top middle school, high school and college robotics teams from around the world to celebrate their accomplishments and further inspire students to pursue careers in robotics and other STEM related fields.
“Bringing the World Championship to such an esteemed venue as Disney provides a truly global arena for us to support and celebrate the accomplishments of today’s young, diverse and enthusiastic minds”
“Disney’s state-of-the-art facilities will provide the ideal experience for VEX participants and fans, and we are delighted to host the VEX Robotics World Championship at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex,” said Jason Morrella, president of the REC Foundation.
“Bringing the World Championship to such an esteemed venue as Disney provides a truly global arena for us to support and celebrate the accomplishments of today’s young, diverse and enthusiastic minds,” said Paul Copioli, president, VEX Robotics. “VEX Robotics Competitions bring the excitement of robotics to today’s youth and give them a hands-on tool to apply what they learn in school about Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math, and bring it to life.”
The VEX Robotics Competition is the largest and fastest growing middle and high school robotics program globally with more than 2,500 teams from 20 countries playing in more than 200 tournaments worldwide. The VEX Robotics Design System is affordable, robust and offers an assortment of more than 200 of the most advanced educational robotics products available today. See www.vexrobotics.com for more information on the VEX Robotics Design System and the VEX Robotics Competition.
The 2011 VEX Robotics World Championship is the final event in the 2010-2011 VEX Competition season. Winning teams from local and state VEX Robotics Competitions will have the opportunity to meet in Florida and compete against other top-ranked teams from around the world, playing the game VEX Round Up. Giving students the opportunity to work with the VEX robotics systems promotes education in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and teaches critical life skills such as teamwork, project management and problem solving.
Mickey and Pals and Disney Villains Transform Disneyland Resort for the Halloween 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 also will 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 décor, as well as interact with beloved Disney characters decked out in whimsical Halloween costumes. Guests also will 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 décor 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.
$300 Savings on Four-Day, Four-Night Vacation Package*
Value-minded vacationers can celebrate Halloween Time with a special travel offer this fall. Guests will enjoy a $300 savings on a four-day, four-night Disneyland Resort vacation package at any Disneyland Resort hotel if booked between now and Dec. 1, 2010. The package features hotel accommodations and park hopper tickets, for travel from Oct. 1 through Dec. 16, 2010. For guests seeking a hotel room-only offer, Disneyland Resort features great savings this fall at any three of its on-site deluxe hotels. Details are at www.disneyland.com/specialoffers.
Disneyland Resort features two fantastic theme parks – Disneyland and Disney California Adventure park – plus the Downtown Disney District comprised of unique dining, entertainment and shopping experiences. The resort’s three guest-welcoming hotels are the luxurious 745-room Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa, the magical 988-room Disneyland Hotel and the 489-room Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel with its “day-at-the-beach” fun. For information on new attractions and vacations at Disneyland Resort visit www.disneyland.com, call 866/60-DISNEY or contact local travel agents
Paul Ngeny of Auburn California Wins Fifth Annual Disneyland Half Marathon
Paul Ngeny, 31, of Auburn, Calif., led a record field of more than 14,000 registered runners Sunday at the fifth annual Disneyland Half Marathon, crossing the finish line first with a time of 1:07:24, beating the fastest Disneyland Half Marathon time by 41 seconds.
“The course was very nice and comfortable,” Ngeny said. “I liked running through the parks and all the music. I could keep on going for a hundred miles.”
Finishing just behind Ngeny was Eric Marenburg, 27, of San Diego, Calif., with a time of 1:12:10. Kevin Broady, 48, of Brea, Calif., finished third with a time of 1:12:43.
Rachel Booth, 29, of Mountain View, Calif., claimed the title of 2010 women’s champion with a time of 1:15:19, beating the fastest women’s finisher time in the history of the Disneyland Half Marathon by 00:04:04. Booth, who performed better than she expected, finished just 18 seconds off of an Olympic trial qualifier time.
“It was great. Magical,” Booth said. ”It’s in Disneyland and it’s just a happy day. Always enjoyable. Everyone was so loud and cheering.”
The women’s second-place finisher was Theresa Lowry, 36, of San Diego, Calif., with a time of 1:19:05. Susan Loken, 47, of Phoenix, AZ, took third place with a time of 1:19:13.
Other notable finishers of the 2010 Disneyland Half Marathon are Jon Megeff, 47, of Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif., who won the men’s Master’s Division (age 40+) with a time of 1:16:57, Merryt Jackman, 41, of San Diego, Calif., who topped the women’s Master’s Division (1:28:16) and Scott Parson, 51 of San Jose, Calif.,(00:56:45), and Sandi Rush, 49, of Oceanside, Calif., (1:17:06), winners of the men’s and women’s wheelchair divisions.
The fifth anniversary of “The Happiest Race on Earth” welcomed its largest registration field as more than 14,000 runners from every U.S. state and 16 countries made the magical 13.1 mile journey. The course traveled through the two Disneyland Resort theme parks – Disneyland and Disney California Adventure – and along Anaheim streets, passing landmarks such as the Honda Center and running on the field of Angel Stadium of Anaheim, while Disney characters and festive entertainment inspired runners along the way.
Participants who completed the half marathon received a special edition medal featuring Sleeping Beauty Castle circled by a vibrant number “5″ and running Mickey Mouse. Nearly 570 Legacy runners – those who completed all five Disneyland Half Marathons – received a special medal lanyard.
The third annual Coast to Coast Race Challenge medal was presented to approximately 2,350 runners who completed the Walt Disney World Marathon or Half Marathon or Disney’s Princess Half Marathon this year at Walt Disney World Resort and then also completed Sunday’s Disneyland Half Marathon. The Coast to Coast medal showcases the iconic “Partners Statue” of Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse.
The 2011 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend is scheduled for Sept. 2-4, 2011. Registration for next year’s Disneyland Half Marathon is scheduled to open Jan. 3, 2011.
During the 2010 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend, Disney announced that Jeff Galloway, one of America’s foremost marathon trainers, will be the official training consultant to Disney’s series of endurance events, which has been rebranded runDisney. The new runDisney brand also includes a new website, rundisney.com, which provides runners with a wealth of running-related content, from Galloway training videos to endurance tips to complete runDisney event information. Additionally, newly-launched facebook.com/rundisney provides opportunities for the endurance community to connect and interact with runDisney.
