Star Wars ‘Last Tour to Endor’ Party Is August 14 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
posted on July 22nd, 2010 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
Got your tickets? If not, better get a move on – the largest private party ever held during a Star Wars Celebration is right around the corner and you’ll want to see what’s now planned for the night. “Last Tour to Endor” will still feature a special Star Wars-themed fireworks show, a “Death Star Disco,” live entertainment and Disney Characters. But we’ve learned more about a special edition of Hyperspace Hoopla.
Yes, Star Wars characters (like Darth Vader) will be stepping out of their galaxy to dance just like they do during Star Wars Weekends at Walt Disney World Resort. And today, we can share an official lineup for the “Last Tour to Endor” stage:
-”Grease is the word” that Chewie heard: Chewbacca, Han Solo and the Jawas put on their dancing shoes (except Chewbacca of course, who will be frantically moving his furry feet) and perform a tune from the 1978 hit movie-musical “Grease.” In fact, Rebel spies have provided initial intel that Chewbacca’s fur will be fashioned into a 1950′s pompadour hairstyle just for the occasion.
-“Nobody puts Leia in a corner”: Luke Skywalker and Princess Leia will go back to the 1980s with a dance number from the box-office hit “Dirty Dancing.”
-“Strike a pose, there’s nothing to it”: Some of the most famous females from the Star Wars saga — including Queen Amidala, Ahsoka Tano, Zam Wessel and Aurra Sing — will join forces for an ensemble dance number set to one of the biggest pop hits by the “material girl” herself, Madonna.
-King of Pop, or King of the Dark Side?: Returning by popular demand will be Darth Vader and his crew of dancing stormtroopers, cutting a rug (and no, not cutting it with a light saber) to a hit medley from the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. At previous “Hyperspace Hooplas,” the Dark Lord has been known to even don a single, sequined glove as he channels the iconic music superstar.
Of course, event activities are subject to change without notice.
The party begins at 8 p.m. but “Last Tour to Endor” ticket holders can get a head-start on the fun at Disney’s Hollywood Studios as early as 4 p.m. We’re also offering free round-trip shuttles to the event from the Orange County Convention Center for all attendees.
Tickets for the August 14, 2010 event are $75 in advance and $89 at the gate (if available). For more information and to purchase tickets, check out www.starwarscelebration.com.
3 Replies
Hi! I’m John McClintock and I’m in the Public Relations department at Disneyland Resort. Although Anaheim is my Disney home base, and has been for more than 20 years, I’ve worked on Disney projects in Florida, France, Hong Kong and, now, Hawai`i. Over the next several months, I’ll be giving you first looks and behind-the-scenes information on the newest Disney Resort, scheduled to welcome its first guests on August 29, 2011.
It’s still a work in progress, but last week a bunch of us Disney Mainlanders got to visit O`ahu and tour the construction site of Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Ko Olina, Hawai`i. Although the Resort buildings are mostly concrete and scaffolding now, they’ve reached their full height and you can get a good sense of how they’ll look when completed. Here’s a photo of the Aulani lobby as it looks today, and a rendering of how it will look when the Resort is open.
The location for Aulani, right on the oceanfront in beautiful Ko Olina, about 17 miles north of the Honolulu Airport, is spectacular, and the towers are angled to provide stunning ocean views for many of the 359 traditional hotel rooms and 481 two-bedroom equivalent Disney Vacation Club villas.
We also sampled one of the planned excursions being developed for Resort guests, an adventure trek into the rainforests of Manoa Valley in search of Menehune, the legendary island “little people” who are said to have built much of old Hawai`i.
Hotel booking for Aulani will begin the August 2 at www.DisneyAulani.com. Information about purchasing real estate interest in Aulani, Disney Vacation Club Villas, Ko Olina, Hawai`i can be found at www.disneyvacationclub.com.
I’ll be sharing more information about this exciting project in the near future. Keep watching the Disney Parks Blog.
Disney Parks ‘Quick Hits’ – July 22, 2010
posted on July 22nd, 2010 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
When our online conversations turn to favorite attractions, it doesn’t take long before The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios gets mentioned and then repeated – heavily. Well, we thought you’d like to know that on this day in history, in 1994, the attraction officially opened. Is it in your top five “must-do” attractions? (Thanks to Garth for the image).
And we haven’t published this yet but Guests staying at owned and operated Walt Disney World Resort Hotels, Disney’s Vero Beach and Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resorts now have the option to receive their wake-up calls in English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese or Japanese. You’ll be prompted to enter a language choice when you press the wake-up call button or code for wake-up calls in your in-room telephone.
Here are a few other items of interest that didn’t make it to the Blog this week:
Moms Panel: Which attractions are open during Extra Magic Hours? – If you have a question, the Moms Panel usually has an answer.
The new Captain EO Disney pin is being released today – Looking for a commemorative EO item? These new pins just became available this week.
Check out our latest special offers at Walt Disney World. – Are you planning a visit to Walt Disney World? Don’t miss these special offers.
D23 presents the Great Disney Scavenger Hunt at the Disneyland Resort, Sept. 26 – Think you know your way around Disneyland Resort? Come join us this Fall and prove it.
Order your free Disney Parks vacation planning DVD – Planning a vacation to any Disney park? This might help.
Belly Up to the (Meatball) Bar at Downtown Disney
posted on July 22nd, 2010 by Pam Brandon, Disney Parks Food Writer
Burgers are out, meatballs are the hot new dining trend, and Portobello at Downtown Disney takes the idea a step further, pairing affordable meatball sliders with seven microbrews from Orlando Brewing – a satisfying summer combo.
Levy Restaurant Chefs Steven Richard (executive chef at Portobello) and Tony Mantuano (Portobello consulting chef) dreamed up the meatball-beer bar. “The meatballs are fun to eat,” Mantuano said. “And what’s better with a meatball than beer?”
Belly up and take your pick: beef and veal with parsley, spicy pork, chicken with sage or salmon with tarragon. Each is served on a soft mini roll and topped with tomato-basil sauce and freshly grated Parmesan. Affordable too: just $1.95 for a sizeable meatball slider (the salmon is $2.95). Our hands-down fave was the spicy pork. Least favorite was the salmon. Pair with locally brewed and organic beers including ales, European Pilz, Olde Pelican E.P.A. and Blackwater Porter, each $5.95.
The bar seats 30, with 10 more seats at adjacent cocktail tables. And you can order from the full menu at the bar (we love the eggplant fries for a decadent side). Portobello is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Crepes & Funnel Cake Sticks Now at the Downtown Disney District
posted on July 21st, 2010 by Betsy Sanchez, Manager of Media Relations, Disneyland Resort
There’s a delicious new offering at the Downtown Disney District! I had my first taste of a crepe earlier this month at the new Café Renee located in front of World of Disney, and I have to say it was delish! Café Renee is the latest food location to join Downtown Disney – offering both sweet and savory crepes, as well as funnel cake sticks and drinks. I tried the Caprese and BBQ Pulled Pork crepes – and I couldn’t believe I’d been missing out for so long. I’m dying to go back and try one of their sweet sensations! Don’t take my word for it – check out the menu and give it a try.
Vinylmation Artist Party on the West Coast
posted on July 21st, 2010 by Steven Miller, Merchandise Communications Manager
Fellow Disney Parks blogger Michelle Harker recently wrote about several upcoming events at Disneyland Resort. She said she didn’t want to “steal my thunder” regarding a special event taking place at D-Street at Downtown Disney District in California. So here is “my thunder” (more like some additional details) about the Vinylmation Artist Signing and Meet and Greet scheduled for Sunday, July 25, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.
The particularly cool part is this event will feature the core Vinylmation art team from Disney Design Group including Thomas Scott, lead designer for Vinylmation; Eric Caszatt, Senior Graphic Designer (known for the previously discussed Vinylmation Oh Mickey!; and Lin Shih, production artist, who has designed figures, packaging and other three dimensional product modeling. Donald Ferro, Product Developer for Vinylmation, and I will also be there to meet with Vinylmation fans. It’s not often that the artists visit the West Coast, so I’m happy we will be holding this event (especially since many blog readers had asked for one in previous postings).
The artists don’t physically get to visit Disneyland Resort that often as Disney Design Group is located in Florida. The Disney Theme Park Merchandise headquarters is a non-descript building at Walt Disney World Resort, but inside the building is where the magic takes place. Merchandise, artwork, visual designs, store concepts and more are created by teams of merchandise Cast Members. Disney Design Group creates the merchandise artwork for Disneyland, Walt Disney World, Disney Cruise Line and more. It’s pretty inspirational (okay – it’s down right awesome) to walk through their area and see artwork for upcoming merchandise items (by the way, the Walt Disney World 40th Anniversary merchandise looks fantastic – but that’s another story).
At the recent Artist Party at D-Street on July 11, we featured Randy Noble, Dan Howard, Tyler Dumas, and Monty Maldovan. It was a big success and a lot of fun (pictured above is Monty showing off his favorite figure he designed, Kermit the Frog). The July 25 party is the sequel to the July 11 party. For those who have never attended an Artist Party, it is an opportunity to meet the artists behind favorite your Vinylmation figures. The artists will also sign autographs, so please bring whatever Vinylmation figures you would like (even the previously purchased ones). Just remember there may be a limit to autographs (to keep it fair for all Guests).
Also, don’t forget to sign the “I Was There” Vinylmation. Above is a photo of the “I Was There” Vinylmation from the July 11 party, which will be displayed in D-Street. I hope to see you there.
Video Shows Changes to Rivers of America
posted on July 21st, 2010 by Heather Hust Rivera, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications, The Walt Disney Company
In case you missed it, we revealed several changes to the recently-renovated Rivers of America in May, and today, we’re sharing some video that shows some of these enhancements.
Here’s a recap of some of the major changes:
- The area was themed in a brand-new way and divided into four regions to resemble the areas around four U.S. rivers: the Mississippi, the Columbia, the Potomac and the Rio Grande.
- A new, 2,500-foot track for the Mark Twain Riverboat and the Sailing Ship Columbia was installed for the first time since the park opened in 1955.
- For the first time, live animals have been introduced to the banks of the river, and a corral was built just for them. Don’t miss the real, live horse in the video. It’s real – it’s not an Audio Animatronic!
- The burning cabin was re-themed. The new resident of the cabin is none other than Mike Fink, Davy Crockett’s rival and later his friend. Mike Fink’s Keel Boat can now be found in front of the cabin.
There are several new scenes in the attraction, including:
- Deer drinking from a creek
- Native American braves on Tom Sawyer Island
- Raccoons spied by a skunk
- Mountain lions hiding in the grass
How many new scenes did you see in the video? Do you have a favorite addition that I haven’t mentioned here?
Behind the Scenes of the Disney Dream Mock-Up Room
posted on July 21st, 2010 by Jason Lasecki, Public Relations Director, Disney Cruise Line
Here’s another behind-the-scenes look at the construction process for the Disney Dream. With exterior construction of the ship complete the work has shifted to outfitting interior spaces. The Disney Dream will have a wide array of interior looks – from the whimsical children’s spaces to the trendy and sophisticated adult lounges. This video gives you a look at the “mock-up” room at the shipyard where actual elements of the ship’s interior are assembled together for the project team to review and approve before being installed on the ship. Pretty cool stuff, check it out!
To the Pyramids – And Beyond!
posted on July 21st, 2010 by Kristie Crawford, Manager, Marketing & Strategy Planning Global Marketing: Growth & Emerging Businesses
Hi everyone…Adventures by Disney has just announced its 2011 Season itineraries, including two brand-new itineraries that’ll give travelers a chance to visit one of the most dreamed-of destinations in the world – Egypt.
Why Egypt? Egypt is a destination that has a wide draw for many American families but could be harder to plan on your own. We take care of all of the planning and make traveling to a place like Egypt, accessible, worry-free, easy and family friendly. From the moment that you get off the plane, we are there to greet you. Below are just a few of the highlights:
We bring on an Egyptologist specifically for this itinerary in order to give you more of an in-depth exposure to the country and its bounty of antiquities.
We also will bring Guests to one of the most colorful and vibrant markets in Egypt and while we do give them some free time in the market we also give each Guest a small amount of ‘purchasing money’ to buy a gift for our unique ‘white elephant gift swap’ activity. This is always a bit of a surprise and is an activity that is usually a solid home run. Guests of all ages have fun with it and it also helps to bond the group into one large traveling family. Moreover, we include welcome and farewell entertainment on this trip as well as unique activities such as an Egyptian cooking demonstration and a papyrus-making activity at which Guests make their own souvenir to bring home!
In addition to the new Egypt vacation, Adventures by Disney offers 23 other vacations around the world, including itineraries to popular places in the U.S. such as Washington, D.C., the Grand Canyon and Yellowstone & Grand Teton National Parks.
If you’re curious as to what it’s like to travel with Adventures by Disney, ask Kay B., she’s our go-to mom on the Walt Disney World Mom’s Panel. You can ask Kay B., questions at www.disneyworldmoms.com.
For more information on Adventures by Disney 2011 Season vacations, visit us at www.AdventuresByDisney.com.
Visit the Disney Fans Insider on Disney.com for an exclusive Egypt overview with Adventures by Disney.
Moms Panel: Top 5 Tips for Romance at Walt Disney World Resort
posted on July 20th, 2010 by Laura Spencer, Social Media Manager, Walt Disney World Resort
Walt Disney World Moms Panelist Dannée N. of Indiana is quite the romantic. She says that just because you are a mom doesn’t mean you can’t still have fun.
- Leave the kids at home! There is no rule that says Walt Disney World Resort is just for kids. Thousands of singles, couples and honeymooners visit the resort each year with nary a child in tow.
- Enjoy a couple’s massage at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa. Ooh la la!
- Many restaurants at Walt Disney World Resort are quite sophisticated, especially in the evenings. Bistro de Paris at Epcot is one of my husband’s favorites. We love the ambiance and he says that the lighting makes me look gorgeous.
- Take a romantic carriage ride at the Tri-Circle-D Ranch at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.
- Most of the lounges and bars of Walt Disney World Resort have specialty cocktails. One of our favorites is the Passion Fruit Mojito which we have for a nightcap.
Do you have any other tips to share?
