Are you a fan of ABC’s “Once Upon A Time”?

Actress Lana Parrilla, who plays Regina Mills/The Evil Queen on the show, recently visited Magic Kingdom Park to participate in a taping of a New Fantasyland promo.

Check out this behind-the-scenes video to hear from Lana, as well as cast and crew on what it was like the day the Evil Queen made her appearance in the Happiest Place on Earth. And don’t forget to watch ABC’s “Once Upon a Time” this Sunday, May 5, at 8 p.m. to see the final promo.

Tagged: BtS, MK, New Fantasyland, Video, WDW

Filed: Behind the Scenes, Celebrity Visits, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort

We had the pleasure of working with Mariah Carey on the vision for her vow renewal for almost a year, and like most brides, she wanted to feel like a princess on her big day. We couldn’t think of a better place to commemorate five years of wedded bliss – and Roc and Roe’s second birthday – than at Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland park. It doesn’t get much more royal than that!

The evening started with a birthday party at Fantasy Faire fit for a mini prince and princess where guests were served everything from ‘mocktails’ to cotton candy. And of course no birthday is complete without cupcakes and a happy birthday serenade.

After the celebration, guests moved over to Sleeping Beauty Castle where the forecourt was dripping in 10,000 crystals and over 15,000 blooms imported from Holland, South America and France. Mariah arrived in regal style accompanied by her daughter Monroe in the Crystal Coach where they were met by Nick and Roc clad in matching Prince Charming outfits.

The reception was filled with toasts, a few rides on attractions and Nick spinning as the DJ. It’s safe to say this after-hours private event was straight out of a fairy tale and filled with love.

From all of us here at Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons, congratulations Mariah, Nick, Roc and Roe!

Tagged: DL, DLR, Fantasy Faire, Weddings

Filed: Celebrity Visits, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort, Weddings & Honeymoons

Yesterday, seven-time Grammy-winning trio Lady Antebellum gave a special performance at Disneyland park to celebrate the May 7 release of their upcoming album, “Golden.” Appropriately enough, this special performance occurred on the stage of the legendary Golden Horseshoe Saloon.

From the stage of the Golden Horseshoe, the band mentioned how exciting it was to be here at Disneyland, and then, Hillary Scott, who is expecting her first baby in July, joked that she and her husband, drummer Chris Tyrrell, have just taken their daughter to Disneyland for the first time! “We’ll be back, of course,” she said.

The lucky audience for this exclusive event was limited to contest winners from all over the country, but now you can watch this amazing show yourself, here.

Tagged: DL, DLR

Filed: Celebrity Visits, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort

Sir Anthony Hopkins visited Disneyland park last week while celebrating Easter with his family, and Mickey Mouse stopped by to greet the screen legend at Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Among his upcoming projects is “Thor: The Dark World,” opening November 8, in which he returns as Thor’s father, Odin.

Tagged: DL, DLR

Filed: Celebrity Visits, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort

As you may know, Annette Funicello was discovered by Walt Disney himself while attending an amateur program at the Starlight Bowl in Burbank when she was just 13 years old. That single meeting led to one of the most enduring associations in show business history.

Earlier today, Disney chairman and CEO Bob Iger spoke for all of us at Disney when he said, “Annette was and always will be a cherished member of the Disney family, synonymous with the word Mouseketeer, and a true Disney Legend. She will forever hold a place in our hearts as one of Walt Disney’s brightest stars, delighting an entire generation of baby boomers with her jubilant personality and endless talent. Annette was well known for being as beautiful inside as she was on the outside, and she faced her physical challenges with dignity, bravery and grace. All of us at Disney join with family, friends, and fans around the world in celebrating her extraordinary life.”

The Mickey Mouse Club made its television debut on the opening day of Disneyland park, July 17, 1955. During countless appearances in the years that followed, Annette, now a television star, also became a familiar face at Disneyland park. In fact, some of the earliest pictures in our photo archive are of her.

We’ve pulled together some of our favorite photos of Annette through the years and are pleased to share them with you as we remember this very special lady who was so dear to so many.

Where it all began, July 17, 1955, at Disneyland park.

In 1958, Annette welcomed Princess Sophia from Greece.

That same year, this publicity photo for a new record was taken at Disneyland park.

Here is another publicity photo, taken perhaps for “Tall Paul.”

Annette always had time for her fans.

Annette has a “Date Nite” at Disneyland park in November 1959.

Annette channels Peter Pan at Skull Rock in 1961.

This very rare photo of Annette in Town Square at Disneyland park was taken to promote a potential TV special, which was unfortunately never produced.

In 1968, Annette reunited with her fellow Mouseketeers for a special appearance at Disneyland park.

Annette returned with her family in the 1970s.

Annette met two Disney Princesses during her 1993 visit.

The final photo of Annette in our archive was taken in 1996 alongside her longtime co-star, Frankie Avalon, during a special cavalcade on Main Street, U.S.A.

Every photo of this Disney Legend seems to capture her grace, her talent, her warmth and her kindness – all the qualities which make it easy to understand what caught the eye of Walt Disney during that amateur program nearly six decades ago.

Tagged: DL, DLR

Filed: Celebrity Visits, Disney History, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort

With the sad news of the passing of film critic Roger Ebert last week, I wanted to share some rarely seen photographs from our archives of Roger and his longtime “Siskel & Ebert” partner, the late Gene Siskel, taken at Disneyland park over the years.

This photo of Roger and Mickey Mouse was taken in the summer of 1997 inside Tour Gardens next to Disneyland City Hall.

In this photo, taken in February of 1989, Gene Siskel meets up with Mickey at Sleeping Beauty Castle.

Their long-running television program was one of the first syndicated television shows under Disney’s Buena Vista Television Group (later renamed Disney-ABC Domestic Television). Credited for bringing critical discussions about the movies to the masses, “Siskel & Ebert” debuted in 1986 and ran for nearly 25 years under various names, and always with the iconic “thumbs-up, thumbs down” verdict on every film discussed.

If you’ve ever wondered how they decided to call the show “Siskel & Ebert” and not “Ebert & Siskel,” the one-time rivals-turned-friends said that despite Roger being slightly older and a Pulitzer Prize winner, and despite the fact that “E” comes before “S” in the alphabet, the answer is really quite simple: a coin toss.

As someone who enjoyed reading Roger and Gene through the years and always looked forward to their impassioned discussions of the latest films every week on television, it’s hard to imagine another film critic duo coming along to fill their shoes anytime soon, so, to borrow their phrase from the end of each show, “Until then, the balcony is closed.”

Tagged: DL, DLR

Filed: Celebrity Visits, Disney History, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort

James Franco, star of Disney’s “Oz The Great and Powerful,” visited the Disneyland Resort last week and there was one thing he wanted to do that he’s never done before during his visits: get to know Walt Disney.

When I met up with him on Buena Vista Street he said he was really looking forward to his “Walk in Walt’s Disneyland Footsteps” Tour that day. James said he was inspired to learn more about Walt for a film production class he is teaching at the School of Cinematic Arts at USC.

What better place to start learning about one of the world’s greatest storytellers than right here?

Tagged: DCA, DLR

Filed: Celebrity Visits, Disney California Adventure Park, Disneyland Resort