posted on May 13th, 2013 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager
Have you been to Muppet*Vision 3D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios lately?
If so, you may have noticed this graphic of Muppet hecklers Statler and Waldorf discussing the show.
In it, Statler says to Waldorf that he’s heard Muppet*Vision 3D is better than getting hit on the head by a…what? Do you remember the word that is blurred out here?
posted on May 12th, 2013 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
We’re less than a week away from opening day for Star Wars Weekends 2013 and that means actors and voice artists from the Star Wars film saga and Star Wars: The Clone Wars are on their way to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for the annual event.
A trio of talent will appear each weekend, along with celebrity event hosts James Arnold Taylor and Ashley Eckstein. Here’s the rundown for May 17-19:
Weekend I (May 17–19)
Ray Park (Darth Maul – Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace)
Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett – Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi)
Dee Bradley Baker (voice of Captain Rex – Star Wars: The Clone Wars)
You can find the complete list of scheduled celebrities for this year’s Force-filled fan fest in Gary’s original Stars Wars story.
And if you can’t decide which Disney park you should visit first this Mother’s Day weekend, we offered some help on the Disney Parks Blog. Check out the graphic below, which asks a series of questions and gives you a suggestion at the end. Where are you going first?
Here are some of the other stories we worked on this week:
Disney Parks After Dark: Fireworks at Beast’s Castle in New Fantasyland – In this week’s edition of “Disney Parks After Dark,” fireworks light up the night sky above Beast’s Castle in New Fantasyland.
Another Crazy New Burger at ESPN Club on Disney’s BoardWalk at Walt Disney World Resort – Pam Brandon shows us some of the crazy new burgers available at ESPN Club on Disney’s BoardWalk.
Magic Kingdom Park Special Event Tickets Now Available – Tickets are now available for some of the exciting events happening at Magic Kingdom Park including, Night of Joy, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties!
runDisney Reveals Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend Bling – This week runDisney revealed the four new medals for the 2014 Disneyland Half Marathon Weekend.
Star Tours: The Adventures Continue Opens at Tokyo Disneyland – The force is strong at Tokyo Disneyland this week with the opening of the updated Star Tours: The Adventures Continue.
Meet the Steam Engines of the Disneyland Railroad: Fred Gurley – Chugging along the Disneyland Railroad, Erin introduces us to the oldest train on the tracks, Fred Gurley.
posted on May 11th, 2013 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager
Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new official Disney Princess!
Merida, the heroine from the Disney●Pixar film, “Brave,” was officially welcomed into Disney royalty earlier today in a ceremony held at Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park.
Presiding over the ceremony was Gymnastics gold medalist Gabby Douglas, and of course, our Disney Princesses: Snow White, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel, Belle, Jasmine, Pocahontas, Mulan, Tiana and Rapunzel, were in attendance.
Check out the video below to see the royal ceremony for yourself!
posted on May 11th, 2013 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager
This week on the Disney Parks Blog, some of my favorite photos came from the Norway Pavilion at Epcot, which just had its 25th anniversary. If you haven’t seen them, don’t miss the gallery below, which was snapped by Disney photographer Gene Duncan.
Not to be outdone, Disneyland Resort photographer Paul Hiffmeyer also showed off some amazing nighttime images of Cars Land at Disney California Adventure. Have you visited Radiator Springs yet?
Be sure to check out the gallery below for more images of our week at Disney Parks.
posted on May 11th, 2013 by Thomas Smith, Social Media Director, Disney Parks
Mother’s day is fast approaching, and that means it’s time to show our appreciation. This May 12, honor mom with the royal treatment at one of the many Disneyland or Walt Disney World Resort spas, give a magical gift from Disney Floral & Gifts, or more. Whether you’ll be celebrating the special day at Disney Parks or at home, read the posts below for tips, gift ideas, and dining options that mom is sure to love.
Take 5: Celebrate Mother’s Day with Disney Parks
posted on May 10th, 2013 by Pam Brandon, Disney Parks Food Writer
Just in time for Star Wars Weekends, this designer cupcake is back – rich chocolate-peanut butter filling and chocolate frosting with Darth Vader and a kitschy saber (actually a plastic pick) topping the confection.
You’ll only find it May 17-June 9 at ABC Commissary, Pizza Planet, Backlot Express, Studio Catering Company, Starring Rolls, Rosie’s All-American Cafe and Fairfax Faire. Cost is $4.99 and the cupcake is on the Disney Dining Plan.
posted on May 10th, 2013 by Steven Miller, Merchandise Communications Manager
This week, the “Limited Time Magic” spotlight shines on timepieces from Disney Parks. My parents recently visited me in Florida for about two weeks. Before they left, we visited Downtown Disney Marketplace, as my mother was in search of a new Minnie Mouse watch. That trip helped me find a few timepieces that I thought would make for perfect Mother’s Day gifts this weekend. Here is a look at some of my favorites.
I liked the elegant look of the three watches pictured at the top of this article. These watches were recently introduced for the spring season, one of two seasons that the timepiece development team likes to introduce new items.
Good news for my mother is that Minnie Mouse is a popular character for watches, as seen here with two additional styles.
For spring, the timepiece development team enlisted the help of Disney Design Group artists to create new watches. Artist Tim Whalen created two new designs based on T-shirts from Disney Parks. You may remember seeing the shirt with the girl holding the Mickey Mouse umbrella in Michelle Stepney’s Disney Style Snapshot from early April.
Moms who love Disney Villains may enjoy three new watches created by Disney Design Group artists Mark Seppala and Darren Wilson. Mark, whom you may recall from Disney Ear Hat fame, designed the watches featuring the Queen of Hearts and the Queen from “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs,” while Darren created the amazing Maleficent watch.
In Florida, look for these watches at Tren-D and the World of Disney store in Downtown Disney Marketplace.
In California, you can find timepieces in the World of Disney store in the Downtown Disney District as well as the Fortuosity Shop inside Disneyland park.
Select watches can also be found on the Disney Parks online store.
Finally, to further the magic on Mother’s Day, Sunday, May 12, Disney Parks will honor all moms with a special flower when she visits any of the theme parks at Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts (please note that valid theme park admission is required).
Happy Mother’s Day to my mother and my soon-to-be mother-in-law!
posted on May 10th, 2013 by Darcy Clark, Marketing Manager, Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort
On more than one occasion, I’ve been accused of being “old-fashioned” and “sentimental” (I take both as compliments, by the way!), so when I heard the story of Vincent from Silhouette Portraits and the family from Strongsville, OH, I was instantly enamored.
Imagine coming to Downtown Disney for nearly a quarter of a century (starting back when it was called “The Disney Village”) every single year and encountering the same magic-maker. That’s exactly what happened for Marketplace guest Mark and his family. In a letter Mark wrote to silhouette artist Vincent, he shares, “Over the past 24-year period, our family has grown from one child to five. YOU have been the only artist, over this 24-year period, to cut silhouettes of my children. What are the chances of visiting at different times of the year and finding you each time? This has to be a world record!”
Mark goes on to thank Vincent, and to share that soon, they’ll be adding grandchildren to their collection of silhouette portraits – which now covers a complete wall in their home!
From one child to five … with grandchildren coming soon, this guest letter completely touched my heart!
It also inspired me to check out Vincent’s cart and get a portrait of my own, which you can see below. (So fun! And for once, I didn’t have to find the “perfect” lighting!)
Want to make this a tradition for your family? Stop by Silhouette Portraits the next time you visit the Downtown Disney Marketplace. Single sitting portraits are $12; doubles are $20; triples are $24; or you can capture a family of four for $27. Each portrait comes with three copies and you can buy optional frames for $8.95/each.
If you time things right, like Mark’s family did, there’s a good chance you’ll see Vincent. If you do, let him know how much you enjoyed this story!
Has your family encountered the same cast member year after year during your Disney Parks vacations? Share your story in the comments below; I’d love another warm and fuzzy moment!
Check out these posts for more from Downtown Disney at Walt Disney World Resort:
posted on May 9th, 2013 by Jennifer Fickley-Baker, Social Media Manager
Just when you thought New Fantasyland couldn’t get any prettier, someone turns out the lights and adds fireworks.
This week’s Disney Parks After Dark photo is an amazing shot of Beast’s Castle that was snapped during a recent performance of Wishes nighttime spectacular. Can you imagine the view from up there?
posted on May 9th, 2013 by Pam Brandon, Disney Parks Food Writer
There’s the Cuban, the lobster, the California Burger . . . and Chef Dan at ESPN Club on Disney’s BoardWalk can’t help but keep inventing new “extreme” burgers-more a meal than a sandwich. One of the newest is the PB&J Burger, a stack that starts with creamy peanut butter on a Kaiser roll and builds with an Angus Burger, bacon, pickled jalapeños and a generous slather of house-made blackberry. His latest is the Farmhouse Burger, beginning with potato pancakes instead of bread, then everything for a big breakfast is included: a fried egg, sausage, oven-roasted tomatoes, arugula – and an Angus Burger, of course. Take a look at my pal John Graham’s video.
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