We have several “Limited Time Magic” surprises to share with Disney Parks Blog readers today, including details for a special celebration to officially welcome Merida into the Disney Princess Royal Court.

As a part of “Limited Time Magic,” all 10 Disney Princesses will come together on May 11 in honor of their newest member, Merida, the heroine from Disney•Pixar’s film “Brave,” as the 11th Disney Princess character. The celebration begins at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday at Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom Park.

At the park, you’ll also be able to commemorate the occasion with a limited edition Merida-inspired T-shirt created for toddlers and youth, available at the Emporium inside Magic Kingdom Park while supplies last.

Before Merida’s royal celebration, we’re kicking off a weeklong “Limited Time Magic” Fiesta at the Mexico Pavilion at Epcot.

It’s Cinco de Mayo, Dia de los Niños and all the fun of a festive Mexican celebration rolled into one at Epcot next week. You can meet the Three Caballeros – Panchito, Jose Carioca and el Pato Donald and join in with a variety of performances, including marionettes and folkloric dancing and other surprises.

San Angel Inn and La Hacienda will be joining in the “Limited Time Magic” celebration by offering special Cinco de Mayo menus with authentic drinks, appetizers, entrees and dessert options to celebrate the occasion. Plus, because it’s the Year of the Ear, as part of “Limited Time Magic,” we will feature Cinco de Mayo ear hats at the park.

And at Disneyland Resort, for a limited time beginning May 5, the “Glow with the Show” ear hats will be incorporated into nightly presentations of the fireworks spectacular “Magical.”

As part of “Limited Time Magic,” you’ll also be able to find a special fireworks viewing area on Main Street, U.S.A., reserved for you when you wear your “Glow with the Show” ears. Special viewing area dates are: May 5, 10, 11, 12, 17, 18 and 19, and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis, due to limited capacity.

Tagged: DL, DLR, Epcot, Limited Time Magic, MK, WDW

Filed: Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort, Epcot, 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

It’s May, and that means “Mickey and the Magical Map” opens later this month at Disneyland park! Our Entertainment cast and crew are working hard behind the scenes to create a dazzling musical spectacular for the newly refurbished Fantasyland Theatre. Here’s a sneak peek from a recent rehearsal, when King Louie joined the ensemble for a run-through of the “I Wanna be Like You” number from “The Jungle Book.”

I really like this new arrangement of the classic song and can’t wait to see it onstage when “Mickey and the Magical Map” debuts May 25!

Learn more about “Mickey and the Magical Map” in the posts below:

• First Look: Setting the Stage for ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ at Disneyland Park
• Making Music for ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ at Disneyland Park
• Explore the Musical Worlds of Disney When ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ Opens at Disneyland Park May 25

Tagged: BtS, DL, DLR, Video

Filed: Behind the Scenes, Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort

One of the characteristics that distinguishes a Disney Parks attraction is storytelling. When developing a new land or attraction, Walt Disney always challenged his Imagineers to create a unique story that guests could only experience at Disneyland, and to transport them into that story – an idea that has lived on at Disney parks around the world. This new Disney Parks Blog series will take us inside these stories – giving you the story behind each attraction and maybe even some details you haven’t noticed before.

Pirates of the Caribbean marked its 46th anniversary last month, and so, as one of the classic examples of original Disney Parks storytelling, it’s the perfect place to begin this series. And as the pirate skull warns: “Ye come seeking adventure and salty old pirates, aye? Sure ye’ve come to the proper place.”

The story begins …

After boarding a small boat at Lafitte’s Landing on the outskirts of New Orleans, you pass an old shack with an elderly man playing a banjo on his porch. The strums of the banjo are intended to give a feeling of isolation in this remote backwater area. Soon, your boat plunges down two waterfalls – the second taking you back in time.

You enter Dead Man’s Cove, where you meet pirates who died long ago and seem to be frozen in time. Your boat then journeys into the Ghostly Grotto, where you are transported further back in time to the days when the very pirates you met in Dead Man’s Cove are invading a small Caribbean seaport village in search of the town’s treasure and the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow. As you wind through the town, you find Captain Jack lurking around in search of the treasure himself. The boat passes an auction, where the pirates bid for a bride (go ahead – you know the line), as more pirates ransack every nook and cranny of the village just around the corner.

To escape the burning village, you float past the town jail and into the arsenal where pirates take target practice all around your boat, completely oblivious to the dangers all around them (including the barrels of gunpowder). When you find Captain Jack Sparrow at the town’s treasure vault, he offers you – his shipmates – a share of the booty (after he takes his cut … of course).

As you venture up the waterfall at the end of your voyage, you return to the time and place where your journey began, but with some words of warning in case you decide to visit again …

If you love the story of Pirates of the Caribbean as much as I do, let me know your favorite detail in the comments. Ye get bonus doubloons if ye leave yer comment in pirate speak, me hearties!

Read more about Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland park in the post below:

• Things You Might Not Know About Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Park
• Hear the Tale ’a Pirates of the Caribbean from the Captain Himself
• Take a Voyage Around the World to Celebrate the 45th Anniversary of Pirates of the Caribbean at Disneyland Park

Tagged: DL, DLR

Filed: Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort

Although I don’t have a green thumb, there is a guided tour at Disneyland park that really grew on me. It’s called “Cultivating the Magic.” During the two-hour tour, guests learn how the Disneyland Resort horticulture team uses flowers, plants and trees to help create the stories of each land. Tour guides also tell tidbits about Imagineer Bill Evans, the original creator of Disneyland’s landscape.

I brought the camera crew on the tour with me and spoke with one of the tour’s developers, cast member Tyler Slater, to give you a glimpse.

 
To experience the tour for yourself, call 714-781-TOUR(8687) or visit Disneyland Guest Relations. Tickets are available up to one month in advance and the tour begins Saturdays and Sundays at 9 a.m. and Mondays at 10 a.m.

Tagged: DL, DLR, Video

Filed: Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort

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

There’s still a lot of work to be done to get ready for “Mickey and the Magical Map” to open May 25, but we wanted to give you a sneak peek at the newly refurbished stage inside the Fantasyland Theatre at Disneyland park. The theatre will be the setting for this all-new show, featuring a cast of live performers along with some of your favorite Disney friends – all interacting with the huge magical map which takes center stage throughout the performance. This first photo shows the opening title for the show, which is revealed during the first sequence.

This amazing, living map is created with an enormous, multi-tiered LED screen, which helps tell the story and allows for the inclusion of fantastic animation and visual effects, taking Mickey Mouse into the lands of his imagination. This wondrous map spans the entire length of the stage, covering 35,000+ square inches with nearly 1 million pixels. The second sneak-peek photo we have for you features the wise sorcerer Yen Sid, whose magical map is the centerpiece of the show.

Keep an eye on the Disney Parks Blog in the coming weeks as we reveal more behind-the-scenes looks and sneak peeks of “Mickey and the Magical Map,” leading up to the May 25 opening at Disneyland park.


Check out these past posts about “Mickey and the Magical Map”:

• Making Music for ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ at Disneyland Park
• Explore the Musical Worlds of Disney When ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ Opens at Disneyland Park May 25
• Go on an Adventure with Mickey Mouse and the Mapmakers When ‘Mickey and the Magical Map’ Comes to Disneyland Park This Summer

Tagged: DL, DLR

Filed: Disneyland Park, Disneyland Resort