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Christmas Events for 2010 at Disney’s Magic Kingdom

July 22, 2010 by Chip 1 Comment

Over the next few days I am going to breakdown all the events happening at the Walt Disney World Resort for the Christmas holidays. First up is the Magic Kingdom.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party – On 19 magical nights between Nov. 8 and
Dec. 19, holiday revelers can sip cocoa, catch a “snowflake” on a fingertip and catch the spirit of the season through enchanting entertainment that includes live shows, fireworks, carolers and special character meet and greets.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, which kicks off at 7 p.m. on select evenings (after regular Magic Kingdom closing), is pure, time-honored Disney magic:

Dancing gingerbread, marching soldiers and Santa’s sleigh parade down Main Street, U.S.A. to seasonal melodies during the twice-nightly “Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade” … Cinderella Castle is draped radiantly with 200,000 glistening white lights … and “Holiday Wishes, Celebrate the Spirit of the Season” fireworks lights the night sky during a pyrotechnics show orchestrated to holiday melodies.

The night wouldn’t be complete without the forecasted flurry of snowflakes along Main Street, U.S.A. and a warming cup of cocoa in hand. Party-goers also enjoy complimentary cookies and apple slices and enjoy unlimited admission to favorite attractions.

This after-hours family-friendly outing takes place Nov. 8, 11, 12, 16, 18, 19, 28, 30 and Dec. 2, 3, 5, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 16, 17 and 19. The evening kicks off at 7 p.m. and continues until midnight. Day-of-party ticket pricing is $59.95 ($53.95 for ages 3-9). Advance tickets are available with $6 savings for most dates. Guests can visit Disneyworld.com/christmasparty or call 407/W-DISNEY.

Castle Dream Lights – When daylight has passed during the holiday season, Magic Kingdom guests can behold a breathtaking transformation during the Castle Dream Lights ceremony. Each evening Nov. 8, 2010, through Jan. 3, 2011, Cinderella and favorite characters decked out in holiday garb take to the stage and magically transform Cinderella Castle into an ice palace aglow with 200,000 white lights – a perfect centerpiece to a park all decked out with wreaths, bows, garland and towering Christmas trees.

Filed Under: Attractions, Events, Parks & Resorts, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Castle Dream Lights, Magic Kingdom, Mickeyâ€™s Very Merry Christmas Party

Five Things We’ll Miss the Most About Star Tours

July 21, 2010 by Chip 1 Comment

A very sad but interesting article from OC Weekly talking about what we will miss most from Star Tours.

The Star Tours attraction at both Disneyland and Disney World will be closing for renovations–which means, yes, we’ll have to soon say good-bye to the daily express tourist ship to Endor. Instead, we’ll be boarding Starspeeders “in a high-speed pod race through the desert canyons of Tatooine.” Which also means, yes, Star Tours 2.0 will include scenes from the prequels.

Star Tours’ final flights at Disneyland will take place on July 26, but let’s savor our favorite parts about the original attraction until then. Who knows: Maybe these features will still be there when the ride re-opens again in about a year, but more than likely with the new Phantom Menace-y storyline in place… they won’t.

Click here to see the Five Things We’ll Miss the Most About Star Tours

Filed Under: Attractions, Disneyland, Movies, Parks & Resorts, Star Wars, Walt Disney World Tagged With: California, star tours, Star Tours 2.0

Hundreds Gather at Disneyworld Before Sunrise for the Canoe Races of the World

July 21, 2010 by Chip 5 Comments

Long before the sunrise at Magic Kingdom, chants of “stroke, stroke, stroke” can be heard throughout all of Frontierland as Walt Disney World Cast Members gather along the Rivers of America to compete in the annual Canoe Races of the World July 12-23. For some, it’s their first chance for team building and fun but for others, it’s an intense competition for the coveted paddles awarded to each division winner.

In a tradition dating back to 1973, hundreds of Cast Members come together pre-dawn over a period of two weeks in July to race in canoes before heading in for a full day of work. The seventy-nine teams of 10 people take less than six minutes to pass Thunder Mountain, the Walt Disney World Railroad, the Haunted Mansion and return to the starting place near the Country Bear Jamboree.

This year will be the twelfth year for veteran Steve Whittington and his team, “The Good, The Bad and The Ugl-IE”, last year’s men’s pro division champions.

“In 1998 I was an Industrial Engineering intern and they needed another person to row, so I thought ‘Why not?’ Whittington said. His team went on to win the men’s pro division that year and since then he’s only missed one race. “Once we finished the races, I was hooked. It was such a blast.”

Last year’s Spirit Award winners, the Toasted BLTs, were a newly-formed group from the Contemporary Resort’s new Bay Lake Tower. “We were the opening team at Bay Lake so it was a great team builder,” Captain Eric O’Leary said. “Our main goal was to have fun. One guy [intern Jonathan Theriault] put himself in a giant sandwich and danced around with people as our mascot, Toasty the Sandwich.”

Regardless of walking away with a paddle or not, O’Leary says “it’s not about winning. The canoe races are always a fun time and we’re excited for everyone else doing it.”

Filed Under: Events, Parks & Resorts, Walt Disney World Tagged With: Cast Members, disney, Rivers of America

Haitian Soccer Team Experiences Disney Magic

July 20, 2010 by Chip Leave a Comment

Six months after an earthquake devastated their nation, the Haitian National Women’s Under 17 soccer team reunited to play in the Disney Cup International youth soccer tournament at the place “where dreams come true.”

With the support of members of the U.S. Women’s Under 17 team and the Many Hearts, One Goal project, the team of 21 girls and six staff traveled to Central Florida to compete among nearly 200 elite soccer clubs. The international event was held at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World July 12-17.

Sixteen-year-old U.S. goalie Bryane Heaberlin first met the team at the World Cup qualifiers in April. The Haitian girls talent, dedication and personal tragedies left such a strong impression that Heaberlin decided to take action. She created Many Hearts, One Goal with the lofty goal of giving the Haitian team the support and resources to compete in future soccer games.

“I hope they realize they can accomplish their dreams and not to give up,” Heaberlin said in a recent interview at ESPN Wide World of Sports. “There still is a hope for their lives.”

During the Disney Cup International, the Haitian team competed in five games against athletes from across Florida, including the Clearwater Chargers, Heaberlin’s hometown soccer team. While visiting, the Haitian team practiced together for the first time in months, and spent time with U.S. Women’s National star Abby Wambach. The team found time to kick the soccer ball around with Mickey Mouse during an entertaining and fun visit to the Magic Kingdom.

For the young athletes, it’s a welcome opportunity to be normal teenagers and play the sport they love. “It’s more than a competition; I think it’s life changing,” said head coach Gaspard Dalaxis, who believes their time here wasn’t just about playing soccer – “it’s about coming together again and being happy.”

Filed Under: Disney & Co, ESPN, ESPN WWOS, Events, Parks & Resorts, Walt Disney World Tagged With: ESPN WWOS

New, immersive guest experience being created for Disney’s Animal Kingdom

July 16, 2010 by Chip Leave a Comment

SAFARI, SO GOOD: Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park has announced it is developing a new, immersive experience that will take small groups of guests on personalized, guided treks through some of the savannah areas of the popular Kilimanjaro Safaris Expedition attraction.

During these excursions, guests will be able to spend more time observing wildlife on the savannah while learning about them from a Disney guide. Guests also will trek through an undeveloped forest area of the Harambe Reserve and then board a unique vehicle designed for the rest of the journey.

Reservations for this specially priced tour are scheduled to begin later this year, with more details to come as Walt Disney Imagineers continue to develop the experience.