Hi there! I’m Holly Lail, the newest Disney Parks Blog author, here to tell you about some of the fun stuff happening with a few of your favorite Disney vacation options – Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney and Disney Vacation Club. First up today, Disney Cruise Line!

Just last week Disney Channel star Jason Dolley, who plays PJ on the TV show “Good Luck Charlie,” sailed on the Disney Fantasy with his entire family. He brought a video camera along, and lucky for us, he was nice enough to share some of the footage. Take a look at this clip of highlights from his family vacation:

If you had to choose one highlight of your last family vacation with Disney, what would it be?

Tagged: DCL, Disney Fantasy, Video

Filed: Celebrity Visits, Disney Cruise Line

Broadway actor Corey Cott recently took a break from his lead role as Jack Kelly in Disney ‘Newsies’ to celebrate his nuptials to wife Meghan with a land and sea honeymoon aboard Disney Cruise Line and at Walt Disney World Resort. On their first date, Corey and Meghan quickly realized the passion they both shared for Disney, so a Disney’s Fairy Tale Honeymoon seemed like the perfect way to start their happily-ever-after.

Asked to describe their honeymoon in just one word, Meghan declared it “magical.”

Congratulations, newlyweds! From all of us here at Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons, we wish you every happiness.

Tagged: Honeymoons, WDW, Weddings

Filed: Celebrity Visits, Walt Disney World Resort, Weddings & Honeymoons

Patti Page, one of the most successful pop singers of all time, passed away this week at the age of 85. It is estimated that she sold more than 100 million records in a decades-long career that included her signature hit, “Tennessee Waltz.” But, it was another popular Patti Page song which surely must have inspired this fun publicity photo taken at Disneyland park in the summer of 1968 – that song, of course, was “(How Much Is) That Doggie in the Window.”

Tagged: DL, DLR

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

UPDATE: Click here for a complete list of attendees. If you are on the list and did not receive a confirmation email, please contact us at WDW.SportsMeetUps@Disney.com. Please note that we will not be responding to questions via this email address. If you have questions, please ask them on the Disney Parks Blog, and we will do our best to answer them.

UPDATE: We have reached capacity! Thanks for everyone’s interest in the Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Meet-Up and Warm-Up, and we appreciate your quick responses. At approximately 2 p.m. ET, we will send the meet-up attendees a confirmation email. If you are on the list and did not receive a confirmation email, please contact us at WDW.SportsMeetUps@Disney.com. By 3 p.m. ET, we will post a link to the complete list of attendees. Stay tuned to the Disney Parks Blog for additional unique opportunities in the future.

It’s a celebration of the 20th Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend presented by Cigna and we’re planning the biggest and best runDisney meet-up yet.

The upcoming early morning event, planned for Friday, January 11, will feature several well-known former endurance stars, as well as Hollywood celebs, to help get everyone ready for the big weekend.

Plans are for our first “corral” of personalities to include Olympic gold medalist Joan Benoit Samuelson, New York and Boston Marathon champion Bill Rodgers, Runner’s World columnist Bart Yasso and athlete/television host Dick Beardsley.

One of the celebs planning to attend is singer, dancer and actor, and now runner, Joey Fatone, who is taking on the Goofy Race and A Half Challenge. Fatone was a late addition to the weekend lineup of celebrities running Disney.

Rarely last, and most certainly not least, no marathon meet-up would be complete without runDisney’s official training consultant, Jeff Galloway, who has run all 19 previous Disney marathons. The former Olympian and developer of the Run-Walk-Run training method will share his experiences and expertise as well.

And of course, there might be a Disney personality or two there as well.

Space is limited. If you don’t want to be left out in the cold, RSVP right now to WDW.SportsMeetUps@Disney.com. Only a limited number of qualified runners will be selected to participate, so be one of the first to apply.

In the meantime, here are a few things you should know:

• All selected participants must be available for a 7 a.m. ET start time on Friday, January 11.
• Qualified applicants will be selected on a first-come, first-served basis.
• A valid photo ID is required. Participants must be 18 years of age or older.
• Limit to one RSVP per individual. Applicants sending RSVPs from more than one email address will be disqualified.
• Valid RSVPs must include your name. RSVPs that include more than one person or are missing information (e.g. incomplete names) will not be accepted.
• Admittance to the event is non-transferable and limited to the selected applicant; no additional guests please.
• The event and individual/celebrity appearances are subject to change or cancellation without notice.
• Because this is a running-oriented event, we require that applicants be experienced runners, able to maintain a 12-minute per mile pace (qualified).
• Selected applicants attending the meet-up are not required to purchase admission.
• We will send an email to selected applicants who sent their valid RSVP via email before we reached capacity to confirm their attendance for Friday. We plan to send this email at approximately 2 p.m. ET today, and we will also post a link on the Disney Parks Blog that will include a list of names of all selected applicants. If you do not receive an email from us confirming your reservation and your name does not appear on the list of selected applicants, your RSVP was not selected.

If you’re looking to gain tips and training advice from Galloway as well as our nutrition expert Tara Gidus, they will also be available at the upcoming Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend Expo. For more information, and also for additional Galloway and Gidus training details, please visit www.runDisney.com.

Tagged: Meet-Up, runDisney, Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend, WDW

Filed: Celebrity Visits, Special Events, Walt Disney World Resort

A twinned celebration and a new posing of “Beauty and the Beast” took place over the holidays with celebrity visits to Magic Kingdom Park, and Disney Parks Blog author and Yellow Shoes Creative Group photographer Gene Duncan was there to capture the moments.

Julie Bowen, two-time Emmy Award-winner for her portrayal of “Claire Dunphy” on the hit comedy series “Modern Family,” visited New Fantasyland to see Beast’s Castle. After a quick dance outside, Beast escorted her into the Be Our Guest Restaurant to show off the castle’s dining rooms (no word on whether he let her see the mysterious West Wing).

Later, actress Rebecca Romijn and her husband, actor Jerry O’Connell, celebrated their twin daughters’ birthdays by posing with Cinderella. In addition to Cinderella being the twins’ favorite princess, Romijn shares a love of the color blue with the glass slippered-princess. Romijn is famous for her role in the “X-Men” films as the blue-skinned mutant “Mystique.”

Tagged: Holidays, MK, WDW

Filed: Celebrity Visits, Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World Resort

Prior to their January 1 face-off, 2013 Rose Bowl rivals Wisconsin Badgers and Stanford Cardinal took a break to celebrate their achievement here at Disneyland park. A tradition since 1959, Disneyland has welcomed the Rose Bowl teams each year for a special ceremony in the park.

The teams were welcomed by Mickey Mouse, Disneyland park Vice President Jon Storbeck and the Disneyland Band. Coach Barry Alvarez and players from the Wisconsin Badgers joined Coach David Shaw and players from the Stanford Cardinal in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle for the ceremony.

After the ceremony, the players and coaches visited the new Cars Land at Disney California Adventure park …

… and took a ride on the newly reopened Matterhorn Bobsleds.

Please join me in wishing both teams good luck in the 99th Rose Bowl game on January 1, 2013!

Tagged: DCA, DL, DLR

Filed: Celebrity Visits, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort

One of the great holiday traditions here at the Disneyland Resort is the Candlelight Ceremony and Processional. Featuring a cast member choir, as well as a full orchestra and other choirs from around Southern California, the ceremony in Town Square at Disneyland park is majestic. I had the privilege to sing in this ceremony in 2003, and this year I had the great privilege to interview some of the celebrity narrators for this year’s performances. Please take a look at some highlights from this year as well as some very special comments from our narrators.

Tagged: DL, DLR, Holidays, Video

Filed: Celebrity Visits, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort