Take a look at the Character Banners all around Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Star Wars Weekends. The event will take every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday through June 15.
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Archive for Scott
Photos – Opening Ceremony at Rock Your Disney Side 24 Hour Party
Take a look at some photos from the Opening Ceremony at Rock Your Disney Side 24 Hour Party on May 23.
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Cinderella Castle Hub Area Construction – Video
An updated look at the ongoing construction around the Castle Hub. Once completed there will be pathways for guests to travel around the main parade routes and provide for additional viewing for fireworks shows.
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Are You Ready? – Disney Channel Summer 2014 Highlights
Disney Channel has brand new movies and a new series this summer. Are you ready?
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Before Disney Springs There Was Pleasure by David Dunkle
I recently read another article about some confirmed and rumored changes coming to Disney World. It seems that every day you can hear something new about this ever evolving destination. One of the items I have been following closely is the revitalization project of the former Pleasure Island complex.
In its heyday, Pleasure Island was the place to go for night life while visiting the Orlando vacation corridor. Numerous clubs with varying themes offered an array of dancing and entertainment options. Restaurants dotted the area and a smattering of boutique shops made for a great night.
There was a lot of planning that went into the original Pleasure Island. Opening in 1989, as with all Disney undertakings, PI had a back story. Each building was part of the story and throughout the property, there were plaques erected to detail the building’s “history” and how it played into the grander scheme of this over the top adult playground.
Sadly, most or all of the plaques have been lost over the years due to closures, demolition or repurposing of the structures there. I’m not sure what the new “story” is for what is to become the new Disney Springs, but out of respect for my old stomping grounds, I thought I would share the text of the original Pleasure Island Story.
I was lucky to be a part of the opening at Pleasure Island. I celebrated my birthday there each year as well as many other occasions. It was cutting edge, a carnival, a place where you could really let go and meet up with locals and tourists alike, all in the name of pure FUN! My many thanks and appreciation to Joe Rohde and his team of imagineers, artists and fellow revelers for creating this sadly missed place to play.
PLEASURE ISLAND (entrance plaque on the bridge by the ticket booths)
Founded 1911
An unverifiable, anecdotal, purely subjective, theoretical alleged purported history. Also, ersatz. A living monument to “the wise fool, the mad visionary, the scoundrel, the scalawag, and the seeker of enjoyment.” Merriweather Adam Pleasure, who purchased the island in 1911. Pleasure’s profitable canvas manufacturing/sail fabricating empire, founded on this site, provided him with the capital to indulge his lifelong interest in the exotic, the experimental, and the unexplainable. Known as the Grand Funmeister, Pleasure disappeared during his 1941 circumnavigation of the Antarctic. His sons, Henry and Stewart, took over the island and the Pleasure enterprises. Their mismanagement led to bankruptcy in 1955; Hurricane Connie hit that same year, and Pleasure Island was abandoned. In 1987, Archaeologists uncovered the site and its remains, and a large scale reclamation project was begun. In 1989, the new Pleasure Island was re-opened and dedicated to the legacy of Merriweather Adam Pleasure: “Fun for all, and All for fun!”
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Highlights of Disney’s Rock Your Disney Side 24 Hour Party
Did you miss our coverage of the Disney Rock Your Disney Side 24 Hour Event? If so, we have you covered.
Check out our Twitter feed and our instagram page for photos from the event.
Stay tuned as we will have more photos and videos in the next few days.
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Characters from Disney’s Planes: Fire & Rescue Join Smokey Bear in New Wildfire Prevention PSAs
In an effort to educate Americans about how to prevent accidental wildfires, Disney is joining the Ad Council, the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters (NASF) to launch a new series of public service advertisements (PSAs) featuring scenes and characters from Disneytoon Studios’ upcoming animated film “Planes: Fire & Rescue.” The PSAs are an extension of the Wildfire Prevention PSA campaign, featuring the iconic Smokey Bear, who celebrates his 70th birthday this summer.
According to the U.S. Forest Service, over the past 13 years, an annual average of 6.7 million acres have been burned by wildfire. The most common sources of human-caused wildfires are campfires left unattended, debris burning on windy days, careless discarding of smoking materials and BBQ coals, and operating equipment without spark arrestors. Nine out of ten wildfires nationwide are caused by humans, yet many can be prevented by taking simple steps to properly put out a campfire.
“When we decided to make ‘Planes: Fire & Rescue,’ our team of filmmakers made several research trips to meet the brave men and women whose job it is to fight wildfires,” says Bobs Gannaway, “Planes: Fire & Rescue” director. “Those research trips changed us and forever impressed upon us the importance of wildfire prevention. To have our character, Dusty, take part in the legendary Smokey Bear’s campaign to prevent wildfires and encourage safe outdoor fire practices is one of the highest honors we could have.”
Created pro bono by Disney, the new English and Spanish television, out of home, digital and radio PSAs feature leading characters from the film, including air racer-turned-fire-fighting plane Dusty, spirited air tanker Dipper, veteran fire-and-rescue helicopter Blade Ranger and loving tourists Harvey and Winnie. The PSAs encourage audiences to be “Smokey’s Wingman” and do their part in preventing wildfires. The ads teach audiences the proper steps of extinguishing a campfire: drown the fire, stir it, drown it again and feel that the fire is out cold.
“We are excited to have characters of ‘Planes: Fire & Rescue’ serve as ambassadors of Smokey’s wildfire prevention message,” said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. “In teaching people campfire safety tips, these PSAs will further the message of wildfire prevention to a broad audience.”
The PSAs encourage audiences to visit www.SmokeyBear.com for more safety tips and information on Smokey Bear and the Wildfire Prevention campaign. The website also features an interactive real-time wildfire map and a gallery of historic Smokey Bear ads over the last seven decades. Smokey Bear has an active social media presence, with more than 190,000 fans on Facebook, over 23,000 followers on Twitter and over 689,000 total video views on YouTube.
“These PSAs are a wonderful extension of our longest running campaign and one of the most successful public service campaigns in history,” said Peggy Conlon, president and CEO of the Ad Council. “I’m confident that both the media and the public will embrace these ads and help continue to spread Smokey’s important wildfire prevention message.”
Announced last week, the campaign has also created new PSAs to celebrate Smokey’s 70th birthday, which is August 9th. First introduced in 1944, Smokey Bear has become the recognized symbol of wildfire prevention across America. Smokey Bear’s message, “Only You Can Prevent Wildfires,” is known by seven out of ten adults. The Wildfire Prevention campaign is the longest-running PSA campaign in our nation’s history.
The PSAs have been distributed to more than 33,000 outlets nationwide and, per the Ad Council’s model, all of the PSAs will air in advertising time and space donated by the media industry. Since 1980, media outlets have donated more than $1.4 billion in time and space for the campaign.
U.S. Forest Service
The mission of the U.S. Forest Service (www.fs.fed.us) is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. The U.S. Forest Service is the agency responsible for overseeing the use of Smokey Bear in cooperation with the National Association of State Foresters and The Advertising Council. The Wildfire Prevention campaign, featuring Smokey Bear, is the longest running PSA campaign in U.S. history.
National Association of State Foresters
The National Association of State Foresters is comprised of the directors of forestry agencies from the fifty states, eight U.S. territories and associated states, and the District of Columbia. Through public-private partnership, NASF seeks to advance sustainable forestry, conservation, and protection of forest lands and their associated resources. As a partner with the U.S. Forest Service, State Foresters are committed to the continued delivery of Smokey Bear’s message of personal responsibility in wildfire protection.
The Ad Council
The Ad Council is a private, non-profit organization with a rich history of marshalling volunteer talent from the advertising and media industries to deliver critical messages to the American public. Having produced literally thousands of PSA campaigns addressing the most pressing social issues of the day, the Ad Council has affected, and continues to affect, tremendous positive change by raising awareness, inspiring action and saving lives. To learn more about the Ad Council and its campaigns, visit www.adcouncil.org, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or view our PSAs on YouTube.
ABOUT “PLANES: FIRE & RESCUE”
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Take A Look At Walt Disney’s Original Disneyland Plans
Walt Disney had grand plans for his dreamy, magical Disneyland — and now you can see exactly what he was thinking. Boing Boing posted Disneyland’s original prospectus on Wednesday, thanks to “an anonymous benefactor”
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New Adventures by Disney Itineraries for 2015
Adventures by Disney has announced its 2015 itineraries! In addition to the brand new trip to Ecuador with the Amazon rainforest and Galapagos Islands, “Long Weekends” to New York City and San Francisco & Napa will be available. Watch the video to learn more!
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Discovering Disney Cast Members by Matt Gibbs
I strongly recommend you take some time and get to know the Disney Cast Members – you will be amazed at what you learn! We have made many friends over the years and still keep in touch. Waiting in the cue, enjoying a meal at your favorite restaurant, boarding Disney Transportation or checking in to your villa – they all have a story to tell.
Even more so, make sure you thank them for all they do to make your experience magical! If you have really received some pixie dust for an extra magical experience, please take a few moments and go to Guest Relations and tell them about it. They will get the information to the Cast Member and their supervisor so they can be recognized for their special efforts. We have even seen people hand out pre made, homemade, thank you notes to cast members they felt had gone above and beyond – what a great idea!
Two special Cast Members gave us that ‘extra’ pixie dust on a number of different occasions. Concierge Nancy at Port Orleans made one of our first trips home extra magical at every turn. We watched our young daughters wishes come true over and over again for 8 days. And ‘Cousin Richard’ at the 50’s Primetime Café has made us laugh until our stomachs hurt on two separate trips home. We will always cherish one special moment discussing riding the bus, and making sure it had clean windows, with him one evening during dinner (only a handful may get that reference – but still funny every time). I believe he even called ‘Mom’ over to the table to see if that was the bus she rode….
The important thing to remember is, although you are on vacation – maybe even a once in a lifetime vacation – don’t forget to discover all the amazing Cast Members trying to help you have an incredibly magical time. The tips and tricks they bring to the conversation can be priceless – like where the best seats are on Soarin’ (and then making sure you get those seats, just because you asked!). They are a wealth of knowledge and insight into making your experience just a bit better. ‘Do you trust me?’ disneydad1972@gmail.com
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