Take a look around Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
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Why Disney fans hate the parks’ price hikes
The Internet is having a Donald Duck-like tantrum after hearing news that Disney’s popular theme park annual passes jumped by up to 35%, crossing the psychologically important $1,000-a-year-mark.
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A Perfectly sized Walt Disney World Resort Vacation Package Awaits Preschool Families With Disney Junior Offer
A new year brings the promise of exciting new adventures. Guests can plan an adventure of a lifetime for little ones with a Walt Disney World vacation in early 2016 with a room and ticket package that features savings and a Disney Junior Park Pack. Across the four Walt Disney World theme parks, guests can experience captivating stories, favorite characters and attractions that are just the right size for families with young children.
Guests can enjoy a three-night, two-day room and ticket package starting at $874* for a family of three at Disney’s All-Star Music Resort (valid for stays most Sunday through Thursday nights Jan. 3-6, Jan. 10-14, and Jan. 18-Feb.4, 2016 in a standard room). Guests can book this package through Dec. 23, 2015. Ask about other great rates at select Disney Resort hotels for travel through April 13, 2016.
This kid-sized package includes an extra special surprise for little Disney Junior fans – a Disney Junior Park Pack. This bag includes fun activities inspired by favorite Disney Junior series – like Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, Captain Jake and the Neverland Pirates, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Miles from Tomorrowland. There are Disney Junior activity sheets, a special Spotify playlist featuring favorite Disney Junior songs, treats and more. Be prepared for big smiles while checking into a select Walt Disney World Resort Hotel, where this handy bag will be waiting.
Children and children-at-heart can make magical memories together with fun activities. Disney Junior experiences found throughout Disney’s Hollywood Studios include:
“Disney Junior Live on Stage!” is an interactive sing-along stage show with enchanting puppets from the popular Disney Junior shows, favorite Disney Junior songs, and lots of dancing and fun for everyone.
Meet Disney Junior pals outside of Disney Junior Live on Stage for fun-filled photos, hugs and autographs with Sofia the First, Captain Jake, and now Doc McStuffins.
Disney Junior Play ‘n Dine Character Dining at Hollywood & Vine is an entertaining interactive dining experience for kids to eat, play and dance along with friends from Doc McStuffins, Sofia the First, Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates and Handy Manny. For reservations, visit disneyworld.com/dining or call 407-WDW-DINE.
Here are more ways for young pirates and princesses to experience the magic of the Walt Disney World Resort:
Enjoy a poolside good time with the new Disney Junior Pool Parties. This 22-minute dance pool party includes sing-a-longs and games inspired by favorite Disney Junior shows.
With princess transformations at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Magic Kingdom Park and Disney Springs, and pirate recruiting at Pirate’s League at Magic Kingdom Park, including a “Captain Jake and the Never Land Pirates Deluxe Package, a princess-in-training or adventurous scallywag can experience a special makeover fit for the Captain of the Seas or Princess royalty. For aspiring Queens of Arendelle, young guests can request the new Disney Frozen Package at Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. To make your reservation, call 407-WDW-STYLE (407-939-7895) for Walt Disney World Resort.
Select Walt Disney World Resort hotels make it easy for preschool parents, with early access to Disney FastPass+ planning (complete with complimentary MagicBands), complimentary (with valid theme park admission) theme park parking and motor coach transportation around the Walt Disney World Resort, close proximity to the theme parks and Extra Magic Hours. Family-friendly resort amenities, including water slides and splash zones, children’s activity centers and character dining, provide preschoolers with Disney fun around the clock.
For more information about this Disney Junior offer, please visit disneyworld.com/DisneyJuniorOffer, or call (407) 827-7183 and speak with a vacation planning expert.
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Disney ABC Television Group Chooses STOMP Out Bullying™ As Partner In Prevention Campaign
This month, the Disney ABC Television Group is launching its “Choose Kindness” bullying prevention campaign across all platforms in support of National Bullying Prevention Month and has chosen STOMP Out Bullying™, the leading anti-bullying and cyberbullying organization for kids and teens in the US, as one of their partners in the crusade.
In addition to a generous $25,000 donation being made by ESPN, ABC television programs “The Chew” and “The View” highlighted STOMP Out Bullying’s “World Day of Bullying Prevention” campaign and their messaging will be highlighted on scheduled network programming throughout the month of October. Long-time supporter Robin Roberts showed her support by taping a PSA in honor of Blue Shirt Day® World Day of Bullying Prevention which will air on the network throughout October as well.
“Our hope is that this campaign strengthens our communities by encouraging youth and adults to be inspired to create the world they imagine by choosing kindness, and thus helping put an end to bullying,” said David Ambroz, Executive Director, Corporate Citizenship and Social Responsibility, Disney ABC Television Group.
Ross Ellis, Founder and CEO stated, “It is such an honor to partner with a company that focuses on kindness and inspiration. We are so grateful to ESPN for the donation and look forward to a long collaboration with the entire Disney ABC and ESPN group in educating our youth about honoring our differences and respecting others.”
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Disney Accelerator Showcases 10 Promising Start-Ups At Demo Day
Today, the 2015 Disney Accelerator powered by Techstars, a program designed to accelerate the growth of start-up companies from around the world, hosted a Demo Day where the 10 participating companies presented their businesses to the investment and entrepreneurial communities, industry leaders and Disney executives. Many of the companies announced product launches and funding, as well as new relationships and programs with several divisions of The Walt Disney Company, including ABC, Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media, ESPN, Lucasfilm, Marvel, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts and others.
During the three-month Disney Accelerator program the participants received up to $120,000 in investment capital to develop their ideas, along with mentor support from top Disney executives. Mentors included Chairman and CEO Robert A. Iger, and leaders from Marvel, Lucasfilm, ABC, ESPN and Walt Disney Imagineering, plus Techstars’ extensive network of entrepreneurs, investors and executives.
“Disney Accelerator has allowed us to work with some of the world’s most innovative start-ups who are developing products, experiences, and technologies that will help shape the future of entertainment,” said Kevin Mayer, Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer of The Walt Disney Company. “Their entrepreneurial spirit, combined with Disney’s experience, make for a powerful combination—and we are excited to partner with many of them as they continue their journeys.”
The Disney Accelerator 2015 start-up companies are as follows:
- Decisive: Decisive analyzes and predicts how audiences will respond to images and video on social media platforms. While in Disney Accelerator, Decisive exited the mobile ad business to launch a new predictive social analytics platform for brands.
- EMOTIV: EMOTIV creates technology to enable everyone to build a relationship with their brain. EMOTIV Insight is a wearable for your brain that monitors emotions, improves mental performance and controls both virtual and physical objects with thoughts. EMOTIV Insight is available now.
- FEM Inc.: FEM Inc. engages diverse audiences with Prizma, a platform that powers personalized video experiences using principles of neuroscience. During the Disney Accelerator, FEM Inc. launched Prizma and announced $3M in Series Seed funding.
- HYP3R: HYP3R makes it easy for businesses to engage influential customers at specific locations on a personal level, in real-time. Since joining Disney Accelerator, HYP3R enhanced its engagement platform and has seen 100% revenue growth every month.
- imperson: imperson is pioneering conversational media, driven by artificial intelligence, so fans can message their favorite movie and TV characters. Today imperson announced that it will be working with the team at Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media Labs to create a new messaging experience for The Muppets featuring Miss Piggy coming later this fall.
- Littlstar: Littlstar is a Virtual Reality and 360 video consumer destination and developer platform, where audiences can discover and share premium immersive content. Littlstar is live on iPhone, Android, Web, and the Gear VR, with more devices coming. Creators are running exclusive VR content on Littlstar and building on their platform.
- MakieLab: MakieLab lets kids bring toys to life by building their own customizable 3D-printed toys through creative games and apps. Since joining Disney Accelerator, MakieLab has opened up an office in Los Angeles to expand into the US market. MakieLab will be introducing Disney, Disney•Pixar and Marvel-branded accessories for Makie dolls, as well as helping kids create their own versions of a Star Darling – inspired by Disney’s brand-new franchise for girls – in Fall 2016.
- Open Bionics: Open Bionics is turning children with limb differences into Super Heroes, creating low-cost, 3D printed, bionic hands for amputees. Today Open Bionics revealed custom bionic hands for kids. The Walt Disney Company is generously donating the time of its creative teams and providing royalty free licenses, which will allow Open Bionics to offer Disney-inspired bionic hands for kids from franchises such as Star Wars, Marvel’s Iron Man and Disney’s Frozen. Industrial Light & Magic’s xLAB division and Walt Disney Animation Studios supported the design efforts.
- Pundit: Pundit is talk for mobile & social — an easy way to create, share and respond to stories with your voice. While participating in Disney Accelerator, Pundit piloted “Pundit Talks” with top talent from Disney Music Group and Radio Disney. Pundit beta is currently available in the App Store.
- StatMuse: StatMuse is an interactive platform for sports fans to search, share, and discover sports, powered by simple natural language. On StatMuse, every search result is a piece of content and every sports fan becomes a content creator. StatMuse announced today that it will officially launch StatMuse.com later this month, and starting this basketball season, StatMuse is contributing to ESPN’s statistical basketball content.
Last year’s Disney Accelerator companies have reached many milestones since completing the program. All of the 2014 startups have raised capital, been acquired or become profitable since joining the 2014 Disney Accelerator, and many of the participating companies have launched products and programs in conjunction with The Walt Disney Company, including Sphero’s hugely successful BB-8 droid toy that was released on Force Friday. For more information about the Disney Accelerator program, please visithttp://DisneyAccelerator.com.
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TIGGER PUTS THE SPRING IN DISNEY SPRINGS
Last week, Walt Disney World reached another milestone in its current transformation of Downtown Disney. In a ceremony on September 29th, the shopping and dining district was officially renamed Disney Springs.
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Walt Disney World New Years Eve 2015 Entertainment Details
Walt Disney World Resort is the perfect place to ring in the New Year. With spectacular fireworks shows, world-class entertainment, and endless dining options, guests can celebrate New Year’s Eve with a touch of Disney magic.
Here’s a look at some of Disney’s entertainment and dining celebrations planned for New Year’s Eve 2015 at Walt Disney World Resort.
Entertainment
Epcot – Guests can celebrate all night long at Epcot. DJs and live music around World Showcase bring guests to their feet with beats from around the globe. Two showings of “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth” fireworks spectacular at 6 p.m. and 11:40 p.m., followed by a countdown and pyrotechnic salute to the New Year will top off the celebration.
Magic Kingdom – Guests can get a head start on welcoming 2016 at Magic Kingdom as New Year’s Eve fireworks light up the sky on two nights instead of one. Magic Kingdom will present a jaw-dropping presentation of “Fantasy in the Sky” fireworks on both Wednesday, Dec. 30, and Thursday, Dec. 31 at 11:50 p.m.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Rock ’n’ roll into the New Year with a brilliant fireworks spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The show will be presented on Dec. 31 near the Hyperion Theater at midnight.
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Watch – Disney-Pixar’s ‘The Good Dinosaur’ Official US Trailer 2
Experience a new world of adventure in Disney•Pixar’s The Good Dinosaur, in theatres in 3D this Thanksgiving! #GoodDino
THE GOOD DINOSAUR opens in theatres November 25, 2015!
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Disneyland Hotel Marks 60 Years of Magic, A Milestone for the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration
When the Disneyland Hotel opened in 1955, just three months after Disneyland park opened to guests, the hotel launched a new trend in the tourism industry by welcoming families. In an era when hotels catered to businessmen, The Happiest Hotel on Earth was designed to accommodate and entertain children and it soon became Orange County’s first major hotel, starting a building boom that would help transform the county. Today, after 60 dazzling years, the Disneyland Hotel continues to welcome families, creating magical memories of their vacations at the Disneyland Resort.
“On its very first night of operation, the Disneyland Hotel had only seven completed guest rooms and an eighth used as a registration room,” said Jon Storbeck, vice president, Resort Hotels and Downtown Disney District. “Six decades later, the Disneyland Hotel has welcomed millions of guests and families. It now features 973 rooms and the footprint of the resort has grown to include two theme parks, three hotels and the Downtown Disney District, making the Disneyland Resort a premiere family vacation destination.”
The remarkable evolution of the Disneyland Hotel includes these developments:
- The hotel’s Embassy Ballroom opened in 1960 as Orange County’s first ballroom.
- In 1961, Walt Disney officially linked the hotel and theme park together with a $1.9 million dollar extension of the Disneyland Monorail.
- As Disneyland Park added attractions through the years, the hotel kept adding rooms. In 1962, the opening of the 11-story Tower Building (today’s Adventure Tower) added 150 rooms and became Orange County’s first high-rise.
- The 319-room Marina Tower (today’s Fantasy Tower) opened in 1970, and included a new registration lobby.
- Also in 1970, the 3.5-acre World of Water marina and the “Dancing Waters” show amphitheater opened.
- The hotel opened its $7.2 million Convention Center in 1972, becoming the county’s largest self-contained hotel and meeting property.
- At 13 stories, the 367-room Bonita Tower (today’s Frontier Tower) opened in 1978. It was Anaheim’s tallest building and also the nation’s first hotel structure with a solar heating system.
- In 1992, Goofy’s Kitchen opened as a restaurant where families could dine with their favorite Disney characters.
- In 2001, the 39-foot tall Mickey Mouse Sorcerer’s Hat was added as an entrance icon near the new monorail station at the Downtown Disney District.
- The latest renovation project, in 2012, included beautifully remodeled guest rooms, a new pool and water play area, renovation of an existing pool, the new Tangaroa Terrace restaurant and Trader Sam’s Enchanted Tike Bar, and re-theming of the hotel’s three guest room towers – the Fantasy, Adventure and Frontier towers.
“Much of what made the Disneyland Hotel revolutionary for its time in the ‘50s is still part of the hotel’s spirit today,” said Pilar Hamil, general manager of the Disneyland Hotel. “We were the first major hotel in the U.S. that catered to parents with children—with thoughtfully designed accommodations, family-friendly recreation facilities and of course, a tram that left for Disneyland every five minutes. The hotel experience was designed as an extension of the guest experience at Disneyland park.”
Contemporary, carefree and perfectly appointed with modern decor, the iconic Disneyland Hotel now pays homage to the shared history of Disneyland park and hotel at every turn—from its midcentury design to original park attraction artwork. The luxurious guest rooms sleep up to four adults, with suites available for larger groups. Other amenities include an immersive pool area, themed dining experiences and quick access to both theme parks and the Downtown Disney District. Guests of the Disneyland Hotel, as well as guests at Disney’s Grand California Hotel & Spa and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel, may enjoy admission on select mornings to either Disneyland park or Disney California Adventure park one full hour before the theme park opens to the general public.
This year, the Disneyland Hotel is sparkling with décor as part of the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration. In addition, the hotel is offering a “60 Years of Magic” Tour, a complimentary guided walking tour that explores the growth of the resort hotels and Downtown Disney District. Exclusive to the Diamond Celebration, this journey through the resort’s history provides a glimpse into the imagination behind its fun, immersive experiences.
The Disneyland Resort is celebrating its 60th Anniversary Diamond Celebration, featuring three spectacular after-dark shows – the “Paint the Night” parade, the immersive “Disneyland Forever” fireworks show and the all-new “World of color – Celebrate! The Wonderful World of Walt Disney” water show. The exciting celebration, which also features sparkling décor, themed food and merchandise, will run through September 5, 2016.
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