Disney Magic Completes First Stop in Russia
posted on June 20th, 2010 by Jason Lasecki, Public Relations Director, Disney Cruise Line
Thanks Disney Parks Blog readers for the tremendous support for my first-ever blog post a couple weeks ago! I hope you like today’s update from beautiful St. Petersburg, Russia. The Disney Magic just completed its first-ever stop in Russia and it was amazing! The Port Adventures team from Disney Cruise Line created a truly magical experience in St. Petersburg – a majestic Royal Ball at Catherine’s Palace featuring the Disney Princesses. Guests were raving about the experience, but instead of me telling you about it, check out some of the video from the evening.
It did make me wonder…if you were hosting a royal ball, which Disney Princess would you invite?
Disney Time is Family Time
posted on June 20th, 2010 by Garth Vaughan, Photographer, Walt Disney World
Enough said! Happy Father’s Day.
Disney Parks Blog Weekly Recap
posted on June 19th, 2010 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
Don “Ducky” Williams invited us into his office once again for a behind-the-scenes look at how he draws his favorite Disney character — Donald Duck. This time, he shared more stories as well as details about the images he’s most proud of during his 30 years with the company. Check it out:
And I wanted to say thank you for the suggestions on other characters you’d like to see featured in this Disney Parks Blog series. Do you have a favorite you’d like to see? Please let us know in the comments.
And now, here’s the list of stories you may have missed this week:
Couple Knows it Really is A Small (Disney) World After All — Alex and Donna Voutsinas recreate a 1980 family snapshot where young Donna was with her family at the Magic Kingdom park, posing for a photo along Main Street, U.S.A. with Mr. Smee and her brothers. Her future husband, Alex, would be in the background of the same photo.
Your Favorite Place to Watch Fireworks at Magic Kingdom Park is… — You told us about your “special” go-to spot to watch fireworks at Magic Kingdom.
Top 10 Quick Bites in the Walt Disney World Theme Parks — It wasn’t easy, but we picked our top 10 favorite quick-service restaurants at Walt Disney World.
Disney Magic begins First Northern European Voyages — The Disney Magic will take Guests to some of the most beautiful ports in the Baltic, including Oslo, Helsinki, Stockholm and St. Petersburg.
Famous Fan Spotted at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex Event
posted on June 18th, 2010 by Darrell Fry, Sports Media Director, Walt Disney World
With more than 300 events taking place at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex each year, you never know who will show up. This week it’s well-known actress (“Desperate Housewives”) and creator of the new website for women, GetHatched.com, Teri Hatcher. Teri’s daughter, Emerson, happens to be playing in one of the largest AAU girls volleyball tournaments in the country.
The “Supernova All-Stars” from Los Angeles are among 1,100+ teams competing in the 37th Annual AAU Girls Volleyball Junior National Championship. Like many athletes and teams that visit ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, the “Supernova All-Stars” team spent some time enjoying the Disney theme parks. We caught up with Teri and Emerson, proudly wearing their Mickey Mouse ears, in the Magic Kingdom with Mickey himself. Have you spotted any stars while visiting ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex?
Take a Swing at Disney’s ‘Summer Price Slice’
posted on June 18th, 2010 by Darrell Fry, Sports Media Director, Walt Disney World
Golfers are always looking for a sweet deal on a round of golf, right? Well, look no farther than Walt Disney World.
Throughout the summer, you can play any of our four 18-hole championships courses – including the ones used by the biggest names in PGA Tour history – for under 60 bucks as part of our “Summer Price Slice.’’
You can play Disney’s Magnolia and Palm courses, which play host to a PGA Tour event each year, as well as Disney’s Osprey Ridge and Lake Buena Vista courses for only $59 including the cart ($49 for resort guests) between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. on any day. After 3 p.m., it’s only $39.
Ever wanted to try to play a hole the same way Tiger Woods has played it? Or compare your score to Jack Nicklaus’ score on the same course? You can do that on the Magnolia and Palm courses where both those golf icons have played.
To get the special rate, which is good through August 31, just call (407) WDW-GOLF or (407) 939-4653 to book your tee time and ask for the Summer Slice Price. Now that’s the kind of “slice’’ you won’t mind being part of your game!
Fore!!!
Space Mountain? Big Thunder Mountain Railroad? First Birth at Disneyland Park? What Do You Think is the Biggest Thing That Happened in 1976 – 1980?
posted on June 18th, 2010 by Heather Hust Rivera, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, The Walt Disney Company
Talk about time flying! We are just flying through these half decades. In this week’s countdown to the 55th anniversary, we’re looking at 1976 to 1980.
By just glancing at the title of this post, you can tell it was another busy five years.
While it can be hard to pick just one favorite attraction or event in a half decade, there is one project that is very dear to Tony Baxter, Senior Vice President, Creative Development at Walt Disney Imagineering. It’s Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. We asked Tony if we would share his thoughts in this five-year period, and he gave us some insight into the thought that went into creating this attraction.
“When planning the design for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad,” Tony recalls, “we turned to National Geographic Magazine for research. There in the opening paragraph in an article on Utah’s Bryce Canyon was the statement, “When you first glimpse the canyon you will feel that it was the creation of Walt Disney…” That settled it — Bryce Canyon would be the theme for the Disneyland attraction.
The charm of the attraction is the rockwork. If you look at rockwork in other parks you get the feeling that the train was there first, and the rocks “grew” around the train. Big Thunder Mountain is absolutely convincing because it appears that the track was laid out to fit an existing landscape.”
Here’s a photo of Tony Baxter with a model of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad before the attraction opened.
Before you decide what you think is the biggest addition to Disneyland park in 1976 to 1980, take a look back:
1980 – Disneyland park kicked off a year-long Silver Anniversary celebration with a pre-parade show at the Tournament of Roses on New Year’s Day in Pasadena. Several special parades and shows followed for the rest of the year, but it was a special event in March, featuring Michael Jackson and Danny Kaye, that brought national attention to the celebration. On July 17, the 25th anniversary of the park’s opening, doors were open for 25 straight hours. In April, Family Reunion Night Celebration brought out several famous Disney faces, including Jackson, Fred MacMurray, Ernest Borgnine as well as the Carpenters, Ray Bradbury and even…Elliot Gould.
1979 – Disneyland park welcomed its first birth: Teresa Salcedo was born on a busy July 4th near Main Street, U.S.A., and she was later presented with the official “Disneyland Birth Certificate No. 1.” Teresa wasn’t the only new addition, as Big Thunder Mountain Railroad took its maiden trip in September. Celebrating his 75th birthday in grand style, Count Basie welcomed several of his closest celebrity pals to a summer party, including Sammy Davis Jr. and Ed McMahon Other hot names (for the time) who showed up throughout the year included Peaches and Herb, Evelyn “Champagne” King and Buddy Rich.
1978 – Mickey Mouse’s 50th birthday was all the rage, as special shows and parades were peppered throughout the year. The official celebration took place on Nov. 18 and 19, with Annette Funicello and other fave Mouseketeers on hand to celebrate. New elements were added to the popular Matterhorn Bobsleds, while the Disneyland Hotel opened the 13-story Bonita Tower, the first hotel in the U.S. with a solar heating system. Grad Nite continued its popular run, growing to eight parties for 821 high school graduating classes.
1977 – Openings and closings highlighted the year, as famed astronauts, including Alan Shepard, gathered for the opening of Space Mountain…and Mine Train Through Nature’s Wonderland closed after 21 years to make way for Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. In addition to Space Mountain, Tomorrowland also debuted the PeopleMover SuperSpeed Tunnel, Starcade, and the Space Place restaurant. Disney’s Main Street Electrical Parade returned for the summer after a two-year break, while an all-new Very Merry Christmas Parade bowed for the Christmas seasons.
1976 – Disneyland park welcomed its 150,000,000th visitor – Elsie Mae Houck of Tulare, Calif. It also welcomed a slew of “name” guests during the year, including Olympic gold medal darling Nadia Comaneci and Alabama governor George Wallace. On the entertainment side, a special Thanksgiving show featured singer Pearl Bailey on a Rivers of America floating stage, while Disney fans got a chance to walk down memory lane as the original Mouseketeers gathered at the park for a 20-year reunion of the Mickey Mouse Club. Adding to the magic, Jungle Cruise underwent major changes with seven new scenes and 31 new Audio-Animatronics animals.
Ok, so what do you think the biggest change at Disneyland park is during these years? If you visited the park during this time, what’s your favorite memory?
This is the 7th post in this 11-part series. To find past posts, click on the “Countdown to 55″ tag just below this post.
Wedding Trends: Untraditional Cake Toppers
posted on June 18th, 2010 by Korri McFann, Worldwide Marketing & Business Development Director, Weddings & Honeymoons
Modern brides and grooms are creative with their wedding planning, injecting their own style and personality into the key elements of their special day. At Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings we help them achieve their vision and express what makes them unique.
One way many couples choose to express themselves is by choosing a creative cake topper.
This gorgeous topper is a white chocolate replica of Cinderella Castle, making it not only a beautiful choice for a Fairy Tale Wedding, but also a delicious one!
Many couples opt to get a little more personal and top their cake with national flags, photo frames, family crests and even monogrammed toppers such as this one, which has the added effect of being lit by LED lights.
Want a spin on tradition? Recently we’ve seen couples who represent their personalities with miniature figures. Check out this jet-setting couple, sprinting to their big event atop their cake. For one couple, our bakery even made replicas of the bride and groom out of chocolate!
Couples also can choose from a wide variety of elegant floral cake toppers. This lily topper offers up beauty and grace, while a cluster of roses offers a splash of color to your confections, and a sprinkling of freesia presents a fragrant surprise for wedding guests. A floral topper is the perfect way for a couple to show off their preferred perennial.
Get creative – our bakery can bring almost any vision to life. Style and personality never tasted so good!
Couple Knows it Really is A Small (Disney) World After All
posted on June 17th, 2010 by Gary Buchanan, Social Media Managing Editor
The famous song “It’s a Small World,” says it all. But no one knows it better these days than Alex and Donna Voutsinas. You might have seen their now-famous photo with Mr. Smee in the news recently, and today they visited Magic Kingdom park to recreate the snapshot.
The year was 1980, and young Donna was with her family at the Magic Kingdom park, posing for a photo along Main Street, U.S.A. with Mr. Smee and her brothers. What she didn’t know at the time was that her future husband, Alex, also would be in the background of the same photograph – riding in a stroller pushed by his father. (Alex and his family were visiting from Montreal; Donna and her family were visiting from Miami.)
Years later, as the couple looked through childhood photos one week before their wedding, Alex noticed something that immediately caught his eye.
“We were looking through pictures for our wedding video and my wife took this one out, and I noticed my dad,” Alex told the Disney Parks Blog this morning. “My dad used to have jet-black hair with a white tuft and I just noticed him right away. Then I saw myself in the stroller.”
The couple held onto the snapshot for about eight years. Two weeks ago, at the urging of friends and family, they posted it on Facebook. After the media and press discovered it on Facebook, their amazing story took flight and has since been reported around the globe.
Today, the couple visited the exact spot the snapshot was taken, recreating the famous photo with Donna’s picture pal, Mr. Smee. And this time, their own children – six-year-old Rocco, three-year-old Vince and one-year-old Antonio – posed with them and shared in the fun. The family now lives in Boynton Beach, Fla., and – as can be expected – are Disney Parks fans.
Back at Walt Disney World Resort today on vacation, Alex and Donna were interviewed live from the Magic Kingdom on “The Early Show” on CBS, where they showed the magical photo from 1980 and recalled the moment that they learned of this Disney dream-come-true. That interview, as well as the now-famous, original snapshot, can be viewed at this link.
I couldn’t help but be drawn into this elegant window display this morning, outside of Uptown Jewelers on Main Street, U.S.A. I love the contrast in emotions – On one side of the glass, total serenity…On the other side, heart-pounding excitement at the first sight of Cinderella Castle ahead.
Local Artists Bring Downtown Disney to Life After Dark: David Wayne Gulley
posted on June 17th, 2010 by Heather Hust Rivera, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, The Walt Disney Company
Today we’re featuring another artist who performs at the Downtown Disney District.
Drawing on a diverse array of influences, David Wayne Gulley enchants audiences with his mainly acoustic guitar, performing an instrumental blend of rock, Latin, jazz & folk. For live performances, David is joined by Carlos Lopez on drums and percussion and together the two share a rare and powerful musical connection.
Catch David Wayne Gulley performing at the La Brea Bakery Stage area of Downtown Disney District. Check downtowndisney.com/anaheim for performance dates this summer.
