The Walt Disney Imagineering team will be transforming the 40-year-old area known as Downtown Disney into Disney Springs, a destination that will include more than 150 shopping, dining and entertainment experiences.
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Archive for Scott
Create Your Own Disney Vacation Account
Introducing Disney Vacation Account. Save in advance – a little at a time – and get ready for your Disney dream vacation.
Your Disney vacation is within reach with Disney Vacation Account. You can set up an easy and flexible savings plan to fit your needs. Disney will help you estimate the cost with helpful tools to get started. Before you know it, you’ll be enjoying your Disney dream vacation.
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Toy Story of Terror Bonus Clips
In celebration of the release of Toy Story of Terror on Blu-ray Combo Pack please see bonus clips below.
Team of Specialists
Combat Carl PSA
Designing Mr. Jones
Pencil Topper
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Photo of the Week – Cinderella Castle by Stacy Degaro
Check out the photo of the week by Stacy Degaro featuring Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom.
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Reflections of the Boardwalk by David Dunkle
There is a great place at Disney that is often missed or overlooked by the average guest. Unless they are staying at the resort there or one of its close neighbors, many never think of paying a visit to the Boardwalk .
Many times if I am at the studios or at World Showcase and the lines are long, I take a Friend Ship or more often walk the short distance to the Boardwalk for some quiet time. During the day, the Boardwalk is usually very quiet as most guests are in the parks. This is an excellent time to grab a slice of pizza and a cold beer at the window and just relax waterside. (For some reason, lowest beer prices I’ve found on property)
There are a number of restaurant offerings there with varying price ranges. My particular favorite is what is now Cat Cora’s Kouzzina. The food and service are great, although like most Disney restaurants, it’s a bit loud inside. Kouzzina is scheduled to close this September to make way for a new Italian themed eatery so do try to get there before they close. The lamb shank is superb.
If you’re into architecture, spend some time in the lobbies of The Boardwalk Resort, the Swan and the Dolphin, particularly the latter. Renowned designer Michael Graves (think Target’s ergonomic line of doo dads and toilet brushes) created the Dolphin and Swan for the Tishman construction company. For the longest time, these two monolithic resort hotels were the only hotels on Disney property that were operated by an outside company, Starwood Hotels.
The lobbies are vast as are most common areas and are worth a look see. I’ve stayed at the Dolphin and can say the hotel cast members are some of the best and the restaurants are very good. The non Disney themed pool areas are a great respite from the parks and other Disney locations.
The Boardwalk comes to life in the evening. Many walk up kiosks offer drinks, snacks and the typical boardwalk kitsch you would find along any waterfront venue. Jellyrolls offers dueling pianos with sing-along style entertainment. At one time this was a popular spot for Disney cast members but I’m not sure if that’s still the case.
The Atlantic Dance Hall is a must see, just to walk in and walk out. This is an amazing yet sadly underused venue. The massive interior with stage and dance floor could accommodate hundreds but any time I have been in there I may have counted 50 or so guests. Bar service is deplorable, by the way. Originally there was live, big band and other types of music offered but more recently it’s a video DJ showing 80’s-90’s dance tunes. Wedding parties often take over the place and bring some life into what is largely a deserted space on most nights.
At the opposite end the ESPN Sports Club offers up traditional bar food, games and lots and lots of video screens to watch sports. I had a sandwich here once and it was fine, but there was nothing special about the place to make me want to go back.
The ambience on the Boardwalk is relaxing and at a slower pace. I highly recommend you take an hour or two to unwind there and enjoy a space that reflects another time and place.
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Star Wars Rebels Release Date Announced
Continuing the epic tradition of the legendary Star Wars saga, an exciting animated one-hour movie “Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion” will be available first to verified users on WATCHDisneyXD.com and the WATCH Disney XD app beginning MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 29. WATCH Disney XD allows consumers to watch on tablet, phones, computer and set top boxes.
The global television debut of “Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion” is set for FRIDAY, OCTOBER 3 (9:00 p.m., ET/PT in the U.S.) on Disney Channels around the world, ushering in the series “Star Wars Rebels” beginning MONDAY, OCTOBER 13 (9:00 p.m., ET/PT) on Disney XD. The series will air in 34 languages across 163 countries in over 400 million households.
The television movie garnered rave reviews at last month’s San Diego Comic-Con fan event for its story (set between the events of Star Wars Episodes III and IV) and its look — akin to the classic Star Wars trilogy. The series designs are influenced by the work of original Star Wars concept artist Ralph McQuarrie.
The story unfolds during a dark time when the evil Galactic Empire is tightening its grip of power on the galaxy. Imperial forces have occupied a remote planet and are ruining the lives of its people. The motley but clever crew of the starship Ghost — cowboy Jedi Kanan, ace pilot Hera, street-smart teenager Ezra, the “muscle” Zeb, warrior firebrand Sabine, and cantankerous old astromech droid Chopper — is among a select few who are brave enough to stand against the Empire. Together, they will face threatening new villains, encounter colorful adversaries, embark on thrilling adventures and become heroes with the power to ignite a rebellion.
“Star Wars Rebels” is created by Dave Filoni (Star Wars: The Clone Wars), Simon Kinberg (X-Men: Days of Future Past, Sherlock Holmes), and Carrie Beck. The Lucasfilm Animation production is also executive-produced by Filoni and Kinberg as well as Greg Weisman (Gargoyles).
The talented voice cast includes Freddie Prinze Jr. as Kanan, Vanessa Marshall as Hera, Steve Blum as Zeb, Tiya Sircar as Sabine, Taylor Gray as Ezra, David Oyelowo as Agent Kallus and Jason Isaacs as the Inquisitor.
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Disney Interactive And Harmonix Announce Pre-Order Bonus For The Award-Winning Musical Motion Video Game “Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved”
Disney Interactive and Harmonix today announced a pre-order bonus for the award-winning musical motion video game, “Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved.”
Now through October 20, 2014, fans who pre-order the game from participating retailers will receive a song bundle featuring tracks from popular artists – Demi Lovato, OneRepublic, and AVICII. The song bundle will include three hot tracks including Demi Lovato’s rendition of the global phenomenon “Let It Go,” “Counting Stars” from pop rock band OneRepublic and “Lay Me Down” from EDM DJ AVICII.
The breakthrough musical motion video game inspired by Disney’s classic animated film “Fantasia,” will be available worldwide on October 21, 2014 for $59.99 for Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system from Microsoft and for $49.99 for Kinect for Xbox 360.
Featuring over 30 tracks – including contemporary hits, classic rock, classical music, and more – “Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved” transports players to a breathtaking world where music and magic combine to transform extraordinary interactive landscapes in entirely new and creative ways.
Previously announced tracks for the title include:
- AVICII – “Levels”
- David Bowie – “Ziggy Stardust”
- Drake – “Take Care” (ft. Rihanna)
- Antonin Dvorak – “Symphony No. 9 from the New World”
- Fun. – “Some Nights”
- Peter Gabriel – “In Your Eyes”
- Gorillaz – “Feel Good Inc.”
- Cee Lo Green – “Forget You”
- Elton John – “Rocket Man”
- Kimbra – “Settle Down”
- Lorde – “Royals”
- Bruno Mars – “Locked Out of Heaven”
- MIA – “Galang”
- Nicki Minaj – “Super Bass”
- Depeche Mode – “Enjoy the Silence”
- Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik”
- Modest Mussorgsky – “Night on Bald Mountain”
- Police – “Message in a Bottle”
- Queen – “Bohemian Rhapsody”
- White Stripes – “Seven Nation Army”
- Tchaikovsky – “The Nutcracker Medley”
- Antonio Vivaldi – “The Four Seasons: Winter, 1st Movement”
- The Who – “The Real Me”
“Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved” will be available worldwide on October 21, 2014 with an ESRB rating of E10+ with lyrics descriptor. For additional information about “Disney Fantasia: Music Evolved,” join the Facebook community at https://www.facebook.com/fantasiagame, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @FantasiaGame and view all videos on our YouTube channel at http://youtube.com/FantasiaGame.
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Disney Eyes Early 2015 For ‘20,000 Leagues Under The Sea’ Shoot
Disney is eyeing a production date of early 2015 for its long-in-development retelling of Jules Verne’s classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, with the studio asking the Australian government to increase its incentives to secure what is being mooted as the biggest budget feature to shoot in Australia.
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Disney Vacation Club Part 2 by Kim Lawton
In my last article I told provided an overview of the Disney Vacation Club, a commercial if you will. But just how does this program work? What are some of the ins and outs? I thought it might be good if I expanded on a few topics. First of all remember that this is like a real estate interest/transaction. You own a piece of the Magic so to say! But while you are buying a deeded and transferable interest, it is not a real estate investment, but a prepaid vacation plan with points that are not good forever. There are legal concerns to consider. For example you can deduct the real estate taxes that are included in the annual dues each year, and I recently found out that there is a fee to re title to add or remove names to the deed.
DVC is a timeshare. Timeshares come in many varieties, from fixed week ownership, floating week ownership, flex week ownership to point based systems. The basic difference revolves around when an owner may plan or take a vacation. With week based systems, an owner has a defined timeframe for their vacation each year. Vacation times may rotate or be flexible but there defined times a owner can vacation. With point based systems, like DVC, an owner can use the points as they want based on the amount required per night and availability. I mange my vacation point allotment like I do my checking account!
DVC is also affiliated with RCI, a major timeshare exchange company, via their Worldwide Collection offering DVC Members the option to trade vacation weeks with an RCI owner opening up even more vacation opportunities. There is also the option to use the points at other Disney Resorts with the Disney Collection and with the Concierge Collection members can choose from a plethora of vacation opportunities like sea side escapes or ski adventures. It seems the experiences are endless.
One of the biggest questions asked over and over is “is the membership worth it’. There is as much written saying it is as there is saying it is a risk. I believe the math calculation is a little hard to do, figuring in everything to correctly come up with an answer. I did find the following which I found insightful and could agree with. Based on a calculation referenced on DVCNews.com, if 160 vacation points were bought in 2011, it would take 8 years to break even; at 11 years you would be saving money. The calculation was based on a purchase of 160 points and 9 vacation nights each year in a deluxe studio room. Purchase prices and dues were also included. The cash room rate used included a discount as well. Of course there are other things to consider which are different for each Guest. But based on this calculation, it appears that a DVC interest can save money. There are many variables and personal factors to consider. Mousesavers.com gives another breakdown and scenario to study. Be sure to check all the facts and information before you decide to purchase.
Next time I will tell you about some of the terms used when owning a DVC membership. Until then keep sharing the magic!!!
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‘The Inhumans’ Are Marvel’s Next Franchise: Who Are They?
Following on the gigantic box-office success of Guardians of the Galaxy, Marvel’s next franchise will be The Inhumans according to Collider.Producing Guardians of the Galaxy was a gamble for the comic book studio – much more-so than the familiar characters presented in The Avengers. The characters in Guardians of the Galaxy weren’t well known by audiences, but the film’s success paves the way for The Inhumans.
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