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The Power of the Force: California Native Celebrates Victory at Star Wars Half Marathon – The Light Side

Adam Roach of Pebble Beach, Calif., conquered the galaxy in the Star Wars Half Marathon – The Light Side at Disneyland Resort on Sunday. Roach, 32, who placed second in last year’s half marathon, beat two-time Star Wars Half Marathon winner, Nick Arciniaga of Fountain Valley, Calif., by over three minutes.

Summoning the powers of the force, Roach launched into hyper speed to blast through the finish line at 1:10:31, just past the second and third-place finishers Bradley Apodaca of Santa Barbra, Calif., (1:10:37) and Robert Hernandez of Fresno, Calif., (1:11:32).

“Last year I was second and I really wanted to come back and win it,” said Roach of the victory. “Arciniaga, who won last year, was back so I knew it would be a really competitive race.”

Jennifer Brill, 27, of Washington D.C., also soared to victory as the female winner on Sunday with a time of 1:24:15. Second-place female finisher was 2016 Super Heroes Half Marathon winner, Lindsey Carter, 28, of Huntington Beach, Calif. (1:25:20) and third-place finisher was Kaili Zink-Hernandez, 29, Fresno, Calif (1:26:54).

More than 17,000 California runners were part of the 35,000 participants that joined the Rebel Alliances at Disneyland Resort in the third annual Star Wars Half Marathon – The Light Side. The race weekend featured several intergalactic family-friendly events, including a three-day runDisney Health and Fitness Expo, runDisney Kids Races, the Star Wars 5K, the Star Wars 10K and the Star Wars Half Marathon – The Light Side.

Runners also had an opportunity to test their skills through the Star Wars Rebel Challenge, running the 10K on Saturday and half marathon on Sunday. Runners who complete the Star Wars Half Marathon – The Light Side at Disneyland Resort and the Star Wars Half Marathon – The Dark Side at Walt Disney World Resort in the same calendar year will earn the coveted runDisney Kessel Run Challenge medal.

The Star Wars Half Marathon – The Light Side was the first of the four runDisney race weekends scheduled for this year at Disneyland Resort, which hosts runDisney events along with Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Paris.

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Disney Springs: Fast Facts, Fun Facts

A bustling metropolis of shopping, dining and entertainment locations, Disney Springs is the exciting reimagination of Downtown Disney. It consists of four neighborhoods: The Landing, Marketplace, West Side and Town Center.

The 120-acre Disney Springs is in the east-central portion of Walt Disney World Resort. Disney Springs borders the south shore of Lake Buena Vista at the intersection of Buena Vista Drive and Hotel Plaza Boulevard.

The location dates to its March 22, 1975 opening as the Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village. Since then, it has taken several names in its evolution including, most recently, Downtown Disney.

Disney Springs was inspired by the welcoming, waterfront towns of the early 1900s; early Florida settlers were attracted by the springs and their natural beauty. “In Disney Springs, you enter more than a place to shop and dine,” said Keith Bradford, vice president of Disney Springs. “You enter a story–as only Disney can tell it.”

The multi-year makeover from Downtown Disney to Disney Springs more than doubled the number of locations. Today, more than 150 venues call Disney Springs home.

Entertainment ranges from street musicians to shows at Cirque du Soleil and House of Blues–in all, 25 different acts every night.

Shopping ranges from unique boutiques to high-end brand name retailers to Disney locations to everything in between.

Uniqueness stamps many shopping/dining/entertainment venues. In Town Center, UNIQLO’s Disney Springs location is the first in the southeast U.S. for the Japanese retailer. Dessert lovers can order from a cupcake-dispensing ATM at Sprinkles. Guests to the rooftop lounge of the Coca-Cola Store can pick from more than 100 drink choices. Vintage cars drive right onto the lake at The BOATHOUSE, among the waterfront restaurants and bars of The Landing. The Lego Store, Rainforest Café, World of Disney and Dockside Margaritas help anchor Marketplace. Or guests go for strikes, spares and sushi at Splitsville Luxury Lanes (West Side, home to House of Blues, Characters in Flight tethered balloon experience and the breathtaking performances of Cirque du Soleil).

Admission to Disney Springs is free. Disney Springs may be reached by car, bus, boat or via pedestrian bridge. Drivers can access either the Orange or Lime parking decks, steps from the action. Each is a “smart” garage: available parking spaces are designated by an overhead green light, eliminating the need for jockeying up and down rows of cars. Parking is free. Valet parking is available for a fee. Complimentary motorcoach service to Disney Springs is available to guests of Disney resort hotels and all four theme parks. Complimentary water taxis are available from several nearby Disney resort hotels; arrival docks are located at the Marketplace and The Landing neighborhoods.

Designated parking spaces for Guests with Disabilities are available in both the Orange and Lime garages. Wheelchair, ECV and stroller rentals are available in the nearby Sundries location at the Town Center bus loop.

Dining choices range from grab-and-go kiosks to food trucks to fast casual to table service to destination experiences. Disney Springs boasts five James Beard Award-winning chefs: Masaharu Morimoto (Morimoto Asia), Art Smith (Chef Art Smith’s Homecoming Kitchen and Southern Shine), Rick Bayless (Frontera Cocina), Tony Mantuano (Portobello), Wolfgang Puck (Wolfgang Puck Café). More than 50 food and beverage locations are open now, with more to come.

More than 57,000 recycled bricks from nearby Rollins College were used in the hardscape of The Landing, one of the four Disney Springs neighborhoods.

Featuring beautiful Spanish Revival architecture, the Town Center neighborhood utilized 15 shades of white paint.

The springs coursing through Town Center contains 1.2 million gallons of water. The distance from one end to the other is the same as the walk down Main Street, U.S.A. to Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom.

At the Marketplace, there are two “Hidden Mickeys” in the murals found inside World of Disney, the world’s largest Disney merchandise store.

Guests can source complete information about Disney Springs via the web site disneysprings.com

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CMA Award Winner Little Big Town Helps Kick Off 2017 Music In Our Schools Tour at Walt Disney World Resort

Little did Ohio students from Wadsworth High School know, as they finished up an exciting Disney Performing Arts workshop Friday at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort Performance Hall at Walt Disney World Resort, that the next inspiring words they would hear would come from five-time CMA Vocal Group of the Year Little Big Town (Karen Fairchild, Kimberly Schlapman, Philip Sweet, and Jimi Westbrook). In a surprise visit that was part of Give a Note Foundation’s 2017 Music In Our Schools Tour, the superstar Country quartet shared their own experiences with music education and the importance of music in the lives of all students.

This was the most exciting kickoff event to-date for the now fourth annual Music In Our Schools – Music Inspires Tour. This event, founded by the Give a Note Foundation, an affiliate of the National Association for Music Education (NAfME), continues to grow each year thanks to the generosity of contributors such as Disney Performing Arts, Radio Disney and Radio Disney Country, and now the CMA Foundation.

“Music education is a right of every student,” said Fairchild. “It helps them develop creativity and self-expression. It builds skills like collaboration and critical thinking that help them succeed in life. For me, my music teacher in high school pushed me out on stage for the very first time to sing a solo, and it changed my life. So I’m very grateful for music education and the power that it had on my career.”

The band’s words of wisdom aligned perfectly with the theme of the workshop, “Disney Sings,” in which students are immersed in a “real world” performance experience and record a portion of a Disney film soundtrack.

“I cried when I saw them walk in. I’m a really big country music fan, and so they have been some of my idols. I love listening to their music,” said Claire Doyle, choir student of Wadsworth High School.

“Thanks to our generous partners who have worked tirelessly with Give a Note,” said Jane Mell Balek, Give a Note CEO, “the Foundation has been able to bring music into the lives of more students every year. In its five years, Give a Note has provided over $1.2 million in grants to reach more than 45,000 students in underserved communities across the United States. And we cannot wait to see the incredible impact this year’s Music In Our Schools Tour will have.”

“Every year the launch of the Music In Our Schools Tour at Walt Disney World Resort grows bigger and more exciting,’’ said Terry Dola, Disney Performing Arts vice president of group sales and marketing. “It was a thrill of a lifetime for these students to spend time with such an award-winning group such as Little Big Town, and it’s another example of the kinds of extraordinary experiences students receive with Disney Performing Arts.’’

Six schools will receive a $2,500 grant from Give a Note Foundation, which will be matched by the CMA Foundation. Additionally, Radio Disney and Radio Disney Country will join in celebrating the talented students with select hosted performances.

Ramona High School, Riverside, CA
Joliet Central High School, Joliet, IL
Salina South Middle School, Salina, KS
James Otis Elementary School, Boston, MA
Tar River Elementary School, Franklinton, NC
Wenatchee High School, Wenatchee, WA

To learn more about Give a Note Foundation and the Music In Our Schools Tour, visit www.giveanote.org and follow the hashtag #MusicInspires. Be sure to follow the Tour on Snapchat, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

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Photos – Pizzerizzo Menu

Take a look at the menu inside the new Pizzerizzo at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

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MICKEY MOUSE’S ADVENTURES IN POP ART

From Hidden Mickeys to more overt decoration, there are plenty of representations of the mouse that started it all scattered around Disney’s Contemporary Resort.

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Photos – Construction of Planet Hollywood Observatory at Disney Springs

Take a look at some photos of the ongoing construction of the Planet Hollywood Observatory at Disney Springs. The restaurant is set to open in 2017.

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The Lion Guard-Life in the Pride Lands Review

Disney’s The Lion Guard-Life in the Pride Lands, now on DVD, is full of adventure and fun for the whole family. Those of us who enjoy Disney’s full length feature The Lion King will be thoroughly entertained by this next generation of animals on the Pride Lands. As the son of Simba and Nala, Kion has pledged to defend the Pride Lands and protect the Circle of Life. Kino and his friends Bunga the honey badger, Beshte the hippo, Fuli the cheetah and Ono the egret are all part of the Lion Guard. Working together, they make sure the animals of the Pride Lands respect the Circle of Life. Small children will love the characters and will learn lessons about different animals in Africa. This DVD includes 5 full episodes, 2 bonus music videos, and 6 shorts. By the end of the show, you will be pledging to protect the animals and roaring along with Kion. With fun songs, plenty of humor, and some animal education, you can’t beat Disney’s The Lion Guard-Life in the Pride Lands.

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EPCOT INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS BEGINS THIS WEEKEND

The first-ever Epcot® International Festival of the Arts – a showcase of visual, culinary and performing arts from around the world – officially kicks off this weekend at Walt Disney World® Resort.

This new event will be held Fridays through Mondays Jan. 13 – Feb. 20, 2017. And, it will feature new art each week, showcasing celebrated work by Disney historical artists like Mary Blair and Herb Ryman. The event will also feature art being created live by artists like Joe Kaminski and Costa Alavezos.

Guests can enjoy the performing arts thanks to Disney Theatrical Productions, which will bring an exciting showcase of favorite music and Broadway talent to the America Gardens Theatre stage. Performances will be at 5:30 p.m., 6:45 p.m. and 8 p.m. Friday through Monday of each festival weekend. Guests can expect to hear some phenomenal Broadway talent live, performing songs from some of Disney on Broadway’s award-winning shows, like ‪The Lion King‪, Newsies, and Aladdin.

New Food Studios will showcase culinary creations so delicious and intricate, guests may not know if the menus are for admiring or eating.

Plus, there will be hands-on experiences for the whole family, favorite Disney characters channeling their favorite artists, seminars and more.

The Epcot International Festival of the Arts is included with regular Epcot admission.

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NEW MAGICBANDS NOW AVAILABLE WITH WALT DISNEY TRAVEL COMPANY PACKAGES

Recently at Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney introduced MagicBand 2. This new form of the original MagicBand is more versatile and customizable for Guests to unlock the magic of a Walt Disney World Resort vacation.

When guests book a Walt Disney World Resort vacation and elect to receive their MagicBands at home prior to arrival, they will receive a complimentary MagicBand 2. Guests will continue to have the option to choose from the current eight colors: pink, blue, red, green, orange, gray, yellow and purple. Guests who pick up their MagicBands at the front desk upon check-in will continue to receive the original MagicBand until early February.

The interior design of the MagicBand shipping box, as well as the cover of the “I’m Going to Walt Disney World” booklet now feature a new Cinderella Castle design.