Disney celebrates 20 years on Broadway with a one-hour special airing on ABC this December featuring performances and behind the scenes looks at your favorite productions.
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Archive for Scott
‘Magic is the new black’ at Disney Store This Holiday Season
Disney Store is making the holiday shopping season merrier than ever with ‘Magic is the new black,’ a celebration of the most magical time of the year. To take the stress out of holiday shopping, Disney Store is making special pricing available early, both in-store and online, allowing guests to take advantage of great deals 24/7.
Beginning today and through the weekend (Nov. 21-23), a selection of Magical Friday (Black Friday) deals can be shopped exclusively online at DisneyStore.com. On Monday, Nov. 24, all of Disney Store’s promotions will be available in-store and online, giving guests the opportunity to shop whenever and wherever. An additional discount will be unveiled online at 12:30 a.m. PST on Thanksgiving (Nov. 27) and when stores open on Thursday (Nov. 27) and Friday (Nov. 28).*
“As holiday shopping patterns continue to change and Black Friday evolves into more than just a singular shopping day, Disney Store is focused on offering great deals in-store and online throughout the entire season to make shopping as easy as possible for our guests,” said Elissa Margolis, senior vice president of Disney Store North America. “Only Disney can offer the hottest toys from Frozen to Star Wars to Disney Junior and beyond, while delivering a truly magical experience worthy of the Disney heritage.”
Toys and more featuring the hottest characters, including those from Frozen, Star Wars and Marvel
At Disney Store, guests will be able to shop an impressive selection of holiday gifts that can only be found at the specialty retailer. From toys and collectibles to clothes and accessories, Disney Store’s assortment features the most popular stories and hottest characters at the top of everyone’s list, including sisters Anna and Elsa from the hit film Frozen, classic Mickey Mouse and friends, and iconic Marvel super heroes.
Additionally, this is the first holiday season that Disney Store will offer an exclusive assortment of Stars Wars merchandise, including all-new intricately detailed die cast vehicles inspired by the original Star Wars saga. Disney Store also carries a wide assortment of favorite Disney Junior characters, including Doc McStuffins, which was recently ranked one of the 13 most influential toys of all time by toy experts1.
Gifts at price points of $8, $10, $15 and $20**
Gift-givers will find a wide selection of merchandise at a range of prices that work with any budget, including holiday ornaments for $8, classic Disney Princess dolls for $10 and Toy Story Talking Action Figures for $20 (see link below for listing of deals). For guests looking for extra special gifts, Disney Store also offers deluxe items, such as a line of beautiful costumes featuring Elsa, Anna, Sleeping Beauty, Rapunzel and others ($89.95 – $99.95).
Complementing the great selection of items in stores, DisneyStore.com offers an expanded collection of more than 10,000 products, including Disney Parks merchandise, an expanded adult apparel selection and personalizable options. DisneyStore.com remains the only online retail destination to find Disney Parks products.
Experience the holidays at your local Disney Store
Disney Store truly is the most magical place this time of year with festive holiday décor featuring everyone’s favorite couple, Mickey and Minnie Mouse. Cast Members have decked the halls and stocked the shelves with toys and more, and are at the ready to assist with holiday gift ideas and to share in the magic of storytelling.
In the Disney Store Theatre, guests can enjoy holiday-themed entertainment, as well as sing-alongs to new and classic Disney favorites including, “Only One More Sleep Til Christmas” from A Muppets Christmas, “Jingle Bells” with Winnie the Pooh, and “Let It Go” from Frozen. For the first time ever, visitors will hear “Share the Magic,” a holiday song composed especially for Disney Store. Kids are invited to color holiday masks in the Disney Store Theatre, while supplies last.
Magic behind the scenes
Disney Store has taken new measures in an effort to keep stores fully stocked through the busy holiday shopping season so that guests can get the product they want in a timely fashion. Establishing forward stocking locations in strategic areas, and converting one into an omni-channel distribution facility, makes it easier for local stores to restock inventory and reduces transit time for online orders.
For additional assistance, shoppers can also interact with Disney Store’s Guest Services team via telephone and email channels listed on DisneyStore.com.
Convenient shopping features in-store and online
To add an additional level of convenience for online shopping, the top growth channel for holiday purchases2, Disney Store is piloting a new feature this season, giving guests the flexibility to reserve gifts online and pick-up in-store. Guests can also take advantage of Disney Store’s free ‘buy in-store, ship to home’ service, available at all locations.
In stores, shoppers can use Apple Pay, a new payment service that allows for a faster and more convenient way to pay. With just the touch of a finger, using the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, Apple Pay simplifies the check-out process for guests and Cast Members alike. For online and mobile shopping, Disney Store also updated its free mobile app to include Apple Pay as a payment option, allowing for a faster check-out experience.
Guests who prefer to shop online or via mobile will find a streamlined and user-friendly experience on Disney Store’s Mobile Site and App, and can browse the Holiday Gift Guide on DisneyStore.com for holiday gift-giving inspiration. Through the Mobile Site, users can receive timely message alerts for new arrivals, in-store events and promotional offers.
Commitment to sharing the magic
Disney Store is proud to help Share the Magic this Holiday season with its commitment to Boys & Girls Clubs of America (BGCA). For each identified Holiday Wish Gift purchased at Disney Store and DisneyStore.com this holiday season between 11/3/14 and 12/7/14, Disney Store will donate $1 to BGCA (up to $100,000).
To view Disney Store’s week of Magical Friday deals and download images, visit http://bit.ly/magicalweekimages.
1Source: TIME Magazine, The 13 Most Influential Toys of All Time
2Source: 2014 Nielsen Holiday Spending Forecast
*No store will be open prior to 8 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 27. Check disneystore.com/storelocator for specific holiday hours.
**All offers are available while supplies last.
To find a local Disney Store, guests can visit www.DisneyStore.com/storelocator or call (866) 902-2798. For more information, please visit www.disneyconsumerproducts.com. Guests can also sign up for email alerts at www.DisneyStore.com/Updates, become a fan on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to stay connected to your favorite destination.
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Video – Imagineers Install Springs Bottling Co. Marquee | Downtown Disney
Walt Disney Imagineering recently installed a Springs Bottling Co. Marquee, which helps weave the turn-of-the-century theme of Disney Springs through the area.
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New Year’s Eve Dining All Across Walt Disney World Resort
Guests visiting Walt Disney World Resort can ring in the new year with special holiday meals at more than a dozen spots within the theme parks and resorts.
At Epcot World Showcase, Biergarten Restaurant in Germany is offering both lunch and dinner celebrations; La Hacienda de San Angel in Mexico is offering a New Year’s Eve dinner; Le Cellier Steakhouse in Canada has three seatings, and Monsieur Paul in France starts celebrating at 11:45 a.m. with seatings throughout the day and evening. The World ShowPlace pavilion also will host a custom dinner package.
In the Magic Kingdom, Tomorrowland Terrace will feature a New Year’s Eve fireworks dessert party twice nightly on December 30-31. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Hollywood & Vine will host a special holiday dinner buffet.
In the resorts, special dining for ringing in the New Year is planned at Flying Fish Café at Disney’s BoardWalk; Victoria & Albert’s and Narcoossee’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa; The Wave…of American Flavors and California Grill at Disney’s Contemporary Resort; and Trail’s End Restaurant at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground (lunch and dinner).
For information and reservations, 407-WDW-DINE.
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Around the World of Disney in 4 days by Morgan Turner
Over the years my parents and I have taken many trips to Walt Disney World. Our trips usually consisted of watching the parade, shopping, and me refusing to talk to any of the characters, but being so excited to see Cinderella Castle that it didn’t matter. This is my really nice way of saying, we didn’t do a lot in the parks but by jingo I was happy as a clam and to them it was worth it. Now I live and work at Walt Disney World I got to treat my parents to a Disney trip and let me tell you it was a whirl wind adventure!! It is our first year being the parks for the Food and Wine festival so we decided eating around the world was a must do! I was lucky because right before my parents arrived I was able to book fastpasses and we wanted to try out a few rides while we were in Epcot so with everything all set up we were ready to go!
We were up early on Friday morning and headed into Epcot. Our first stop was Spaceship Earth. I took my dad the last time he visited and he insited that we take my mom on it too. They loved the attraction and their video into the future was one of the most entertaining things I’ve ever seen. We then headed off to hang out with Nemo and his friends and then visited with Figment. All of these rides were new to my parents and they had a nice time getting to try them out for the first time. We started getting hungry so we made a pit stop to get cronuts. We made the mistake of getting 2 of them, we could’ve easily shared 1 of them between the three of us, but we survived. Before we headed to ride Soarin’ we visited Living with the Land. My parents both LOVED it! Even I learned something new riding it this time around and we got to sit down for a little bit which was an added bonus! Then it was off to Soarin’! My parents loved it and were sad it was over. I personally was shocked they even rode it with me but I was so happy they had fun!
Finally…it was time for the main event—THE FOOD AND WINE FESTIVAL!!! We had intended to eat the whole way round the world that day, little did we know that our plans would change halfway through the day. I had already gotten their passports and maps so we were fairly ready going into the World Showcase. We started at Hawaii with the pork sliders, and then made our way to Patagonia for a beef empanada, and then mexico for ribeye tacos and sweet corn cheesecake. At this point I was starting to get a little bit full so we took a break and went to visit the three caballeros and take a little trip around Mexico. It was fun to take my parents on that ride, since they didn’t even know it was there; and we had the song stuck in our heads for the whole rest of the day. We kept making our way around, stopping to try food at farm fresh, Singapore, china, and Africa. It was at this point that we realized…we were not going to make it around the whole world that day. Since we were coming back again on Sunday we decided to call at the halfway mark and very slowly made our back to the front to go home.
Round one was a great success and we had a blast. I’ll tell you all about round 2 next time, but before you go here’s a little bit of what we got to try while we were on our trip 😀
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Anna and Elsa from Disney’s “Frozen” join Code.org
Code.org is expecting more than 15 million kids to participate in its “Hour of Code” programming event this December. It may get even more with help from Anna and Elsa, the heroines of Disney’s mega hit “Frozen.”
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The Walt Disney Company & Shanghai Media Group Expand Strategic Entertainment Alliance in China
At a meeting in Shanghai this week, The Walt Disney Company in Shanghai and Shanghai Media Group (SMG) announced they would expand their strategic relationship to include television content development, movie co-production, content distribution, and co-operation on marketing. The series of projects represents another significant step by both organizations to develop a vibrant creative content industry and connect with audiences in China and globally.
“The strength of this deepening relationship with Disney, and the volume and diversity of the initiatives that we are pursuing, helps set the foundation of a multi-faceted strategic alliance with Disney,” said Mr. Li Ruigang, Chairman, Shanghai Media Group.
“The series of projects we are announcing today represents an exciting new phase in our long-term alliance. We believe that they will serve as the cornerstone of actualizing SMG’s vision in applying world-class creative process; contribute towards the success of local content creation for international markets and create new business models across both digital media and traditional spaces. The endeavors will help us to transform the organization and accelerate its path towards digital success,” Mr. Li added.
“Disney is committed to providing high quality entertainment experiences to audiences worldwide,” said Mr. Robert Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, The Walt Disney Company. “SMG’s spirit of innovaton, diverse platforms, digital destinations and assets provide unparalleled access to that entertainment in China.”
Disney and SMG enjoy a long-standing relationship that would be expanded to include television content development, movie co-production, content distribution and marketing cooperation.
- Born in China, a new Disneynature film currently in production in China, will showcase to the world the spectacular wildlife and natural beauty of China when it opens at the global box office in 2016. Disneynature today revealed that the movie includes rare footage of endangered snow leopards. This film is in addition to the previously announced multi-year studio movie script and talent development fund between The Walt Disney Studios and Shanghai Media Group Pictures (SMG Pictures) with the ultimate goal of co-developing Disney-branded movies for US-China co-productions.
- Disney is in active discussion with Toonmax to produce a kids’ animation series that centers on one of China’s most popular cultural icons. By combining the best talent, creative processes, and cultural insights from both sides, Disney and Toonmax will set out to create a top quality show for kids and families with an ambition for global distribution.
- In 2013, Disney and BesTV New Media Company Limited (China’s number one IPTV operator and the digital media subsidiary of the Shanghai Media Group) agreed to form, and today are in the final steps of registering, a joint venture company in Shanghai that will expand families’ and kids’ digital choices.
- SMG and Disney intend to work closely on a number of marketing initiatives, expanding on their prior collaborations in television and film.
“This unique and far reaching cooperation between Disney and SMG is testimony to the strength of our 15-year relationship and commitment to serving audiences with world class family entertainment,” said Mr. Stanley Cheung, Chairman, The Walt Disney Company Greater China.
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Disney reveals plans to build a Toy Story hotel
Disney has unveiled plans to build a Toy Story themed hotel – but you’ll have to travel to over 5,500 miles across the globe to stay there.
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Mystery Blue Alien on ‘Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.’ Identity Confirmed
In Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. we know a blue alien has been seen. His blood was used in a serum to help bring back Phil Coulson when he died. The serum had a strange effect on Coulson.
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All Star Resort Gets All Stars With Me by David Dunkle
It has been years since I have stayed at one of the All Star Resorts. The first time I did I recall it was a family vacation and there were four adults staying in a standard hotel room. Aside from it being a little cramped, the room suited us well and we spent little time in it aside from showering and sleeping.
On my most recent trip, I spent a considerable amount of time in my All Star Movies Resort room due to weather. Granted, I was traveling alone and had plenty of room to spread out, but the room was comfortable, had all I needed and best of all, DirecTV and Wi-Fi.
I have not stayed at a Disney property resort in a few years and both of these amenities were welcomed and very much appreciated. The typical fall season weather was at its characteristic best this week with warm temperatures, lots of humidity and of course, rain, rain and more rain.
Some love to don the obligatory, clear vinyl poncho emblazoned with Mickey or another bright color from a competitor and head into the parks. The rain will lessen crowds and shorten lines if you don’t mind a puddle or two but for me, I like to hang out at the resort and just relax.
Although the All Stars are considered “value” resorts, there are some great benefits to staying at one of the three themed hotels. Obviously price is a big factor for families staying here but there are several other great features, too.
These hotels are at the edge of Disney property. If you have a car with you, this makes off property shopping and dining a breeze. Exit the resort, and take the Osceola parkway towards Disney’s Animal Kingdom and then a right on Sherberth Road and that will take you right out to 192/530. There are restaurants galore, shopping, grocery stores and those oh so popular tacky souvenir shops! Also, just a short drive away is the community of Celebration. I make this a stop on every trip and if you recall from a previous article, the Celebration Town Tavern is a wonderful place to enjoy lunch or dinner.
Another great thing about the All Star resorts is the heavy outdoor theming. Kids love the oversized tributes to each building’s theme and each have a courtyard with added touches to explore. I happened to stay at the Herbie the Love Bug building so in addition to a replica of Herbie in the Winner’s Circle, there were larger than life halves of Herbie, elevated and extending from the buildings opposite one another. Hints of tools and car parts were impressed in the pavement surrounding the central area.
Food options are many. The food courts offer full meals, light snacks, sandwiches, daily specials and something for everyone’s taste from differently themed stations. There is a full line of carry out items and staples to take back to your room in both the food court and gift shop areas. In room pizza delivery is available until 1AM.
During the day, there are poolside activities (as all Disney hotels offer) for anyone interested in participating, no matter what age. Also poolside there is a bar area for the big kids to relax and medicate/meditate with their favorite beverages.
So if your family is looking for a budget option without forgoing the signature Disney magic by staying off property, the All Star Resorts are more than adequate. Keep in mind, the rooms are slightly smaller, there is no in room coffee maker and some of the amenities and theming are not as elaborate but it’s clean, comfortable and a super deal all year around.
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