Introducing....Princess Tiana

Today was the official arrival of Princess Tiana from he movie The Princess and the Frog, which will be coming out soon. Princess Tiana is Disney's first African-American Princess. To welcome her to DisneyWorld, they had a Lousiana-style parade up main street where she was greeted at the castle by other princesses and princes. She then took part in the new show "Tiana's Showboat Jubilee!" which is a show that takes place onboard the Liberty Bell. The show has dancing and songs from the upcoming film. Seen above, Princess Tiana also took time out of her busy schedule to meet some fellow Princess's.

Holidays!

For anyone who lives in Florida knows...Disney World decides when the holidays start. If you go to the parks on the last day of Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, and then the very next day, you will think that you walked into the wrong park. It is transformed over night. Halloween to Christmas, with barely a breath. Every business in Central Florida follows suit. It's pretty crazy! I get into the Holiday spirit before the Holidays even begin :)

SALSA!!

So for all the castmembers, it was recently the SALSA sale which stands for Spend A Little Save A Lot! Well I think I got it wrong cause I Spent A Lot AND Saved A lot! Ha ha. This is something that most castmembers look forward to, and I would suggest that if you know someone who works for the company, ask if you can tag along, because there is savings upwards of 75% off to be had! And for the pin lovers, the SALSA sale annualy includes a huge pin event at the end. Expensive pin sets are reduces significantly. It's pretty amazing how great it is to be a cast member sometimes. :o)

Fantasyland OVERHAUL!

Anyone who attended the recent D23 Expo at Disneyland is now aware of what Floridians have been speculating about for months. Beginning now, and not expected to be completed until 2013, Disneyworld's Fantasyland is receiving an official facelift. Above, is just one part of several concept art pieces that were released to show what Disney has in store. This is definitely the biggest overhaul that Disney World has ever seen:

Above are the blueprints for the changes. They will be doubling the size of this "land" by adding several new structures that will house each of the main princesses i.e. Belle, Cinderella, Aurora, Ariel are going to have their own house or castle in their area. You will be able to interact with the princesses in a way never before seen at a Disney Park. Go dancing with Cinderella, listen to a story read by Belle, attend Aurora's Birthday Party. They will also be unveiling a new "dark ride" for the Little Mermaid herself, Ariel. There will be new restaurants opening, "Gaston's Tavern" and another Beauty and the Beast themed restaurant. Tinkerbell and her fairy friends will also be able to call a new Pixie Hollow home where they will be able to interact with guests. Dumbo will get into the act where they will create a new "Big Top" home for the beloved attraction as well as doubling its size.

Disney also announced that with these changes will also come smaller changes. "Toontown" will become a part of Fantasyland and everything will be changed, of the exception of Goofy's "Barnstormer" roller coaster.

Star Tours will be receiving a much needed update, though I wish they could preserve the original story line. With the update we will be zipping through a pod race in 3d, instead of the current story that we are going "light speed to Endor".

So what does it all mean?

Disney has always tried to find ways to improve itself. I think Disney executives recognized a need for a Fantasyland overhaul, mostly due to the comparison with Disneyland's sister Fantasyland. It is bigger and better, and everyone knows it.

No one will miss Toontown. I myself have gone years without visiting and am none the worse for it. I do wonder though...where will Mickey go? Meeting Mickey is a pastime that everyone should enjoy when they visit the Magic Kingdom, and with them getting rid of his current home, literally (Mickey currently resides in the Judge's Tent in his "house's" backyard), where will he go? Rumors are that he will be moving to the Exposition Hall in the front of the park. While this may be a good place for it, it could prove disastrous to have such a prominent figure right as you walk into the park. Lines could get long if they don't do it right.

Should be interesting!

See the original pictures in more detail here: http://http://www.orlandosentinel.com/travel/orl-disney-world-new-fantasyland-plans-page,0,2321880.htmlpage

Disney/Marvel Deal

So as most of you know by now, Disney has struck a deal to purchase Marvel Comics for billions. I can't help but wonder if the move is made to tie down Universal, seeing as Universal currently has an entire section of their Islands of Adventure park dedicated to Marvel characters. Their contract is supposed to be up in 2 years, so it will be interesting to see what Disney does at that point. Will they allow Universal to continue to use the faces of the characters they now own? Or will they force Universal to abandon the concept? I know that a lot of people I have talked to have posed the questions of what they will do with the characters? No one can really envision Spiderman next to Mickey, but could they possibly find a home at Disney's Hollywood Studios, where Star Wars Weekends thrives year after year? Only time will tell I guess....

A Guide to DisneyWorld's Yearly Events

Today I am going to be going over DisneyWorld's Events. There are too many smaller events to cover, but I will be going over the major events that happen every year in order:

Epcot's International Flowers and Gardens Festival (usually mid-May to the end of May):

The Flowers and Gardens Festival is included in the price of your ticket for Epcot. You can walk around the park and see topiarys that have been crafted into your favorite Disney characters, and they change every year, so there is always something new to see. They usually also have a schedule of concerts that they put on the "Flower Power" series. There are some groups that make return appearences every year. This year's included acts like Davy Jones, The Turtles and the like.

Hollywood Studio's Star Wars Weekends (Late May into June):

Star Wars Weekends is a great way to bring out the Geek in all of us! There is so much to see and do. There are meet and greets with the characters from the movies AND meet and greets with the faces behind the characters! (Note: if you decide you want to meet and greet with the actual actors and actresses behind the famed trilogy, ARRIVE EARLY! They give out fast passes for these and they go quickly!) There is also a special Star Wars parade and a lot of special edition merchandise available, for the collector.

Night of Joy (Mid September):

This is a Christian gathering that usually boasts a long list of popular Christian Bands. Word to the wise, though it is a Christian gathering, it is known to get VERY crazy. This is also an additional ticket event, which means you will have to purchase a ticket ON TOP of the ticket you've already purchased. It is usually held at the Magic Kingdom, but is being held at Hollywood Studio's this year.

Epcot's Internation Food and Wine Festival (Mid Sept to early November):

Epcot usually has 9 countries located around its World Showcase where you can experience food, entertainment and merchandise particular to those countries. During the Food and Wine Festival, there are several more booths added around the World Showcase that reflect even more countries where you can experience all sorts of wines and food. My favorite are the Canadian Chedder Cheese Soup and the Greek booth, respectively. But everyone can find something they will like during this event. Come prepared to fill your stomach and lighten your wallet! The food is NOT included in the price of the ticket, so each sampling comes with a price tag.

TIP: The amount they give you for the wine sampler has gotten much smaller over the years, but if you hike up to the main pavillion for the festival, they often sell bottles of the same wine and its usually pretty cheap. Check that out instead of getting a tiny glass.

Magic Kingdom, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (Late Sept-Oct 31st):

This party is fun for all ages! It is an extra ticket event and tickets will run you about $60 each, but if you can afford the price, it is well worth it! It's an event I never miss myself. Come dressed up in your favorite costume (please use some disgression, after all, it's still a park where a lot of kids are) and attend the Villians Mix and Mingle, Stitch's Dance Party, or just Trick or Treat around the park! There is also an event specific set of fireworks (Hallowishes) and the Boo to You Halloween Parade. Make sure to bring a camera since the picture opporunities are endless! You can also stand in line to get a free face painting, I suggest checking it out!

Downtown Disney's Festival of the Masters (Mid November):

If you are a fan of art and Disney then go and check this out! It's completely free (that's right, FREE) since it is at Downtown Disney. It is an open-air art festival featuring over 100 award winning artists. There is Chalk Art, music, pin trading, you can also meet and greet with the performers of La Nouba, a cirque de soleil show exclusive to DisneyWorld.

Celebrate Christmas with DisneyWorld!

The final events of the year are also some of the most fun! Disney does everything big, but Christmas is HUGE! Every park is decorated differently, and each park celebrates in a different way:

Epcot's Holidays Around the World:

Epcot celebrates every country's Christmas (or otherwise) heritage with a representation of each country's "Santa Claus". There are also lots of decorations and lights to see. Also don't miss the "Candlelight Processional" which is a very popular choral event that includes a several different celebrity narrators each night and the story of Christ's birth.

Magic Kingdom's Very Merry Christmas Party:

This is another extra ticket event that is hosted throughout December at the Magic Kingdom. Like the Not So Scary party, it boasts a special fireworks show as well as a different Christmas parade. Enjoy free cookies and hot chocolate and see snow in Florida! Along Main Street U.S.A. faux snow falls, creating a magical Christmasy feel. Character Meet and Greets are a given.

Hollywood Studios The Osbourne Family Spectacle of DANCING Lights:

People often confuse this family with another set of Osbournes, but it is based from a Arkansas family whos patriarch Jennings Osbourne was trying to complete the wish of his daughter, who asked to have the whole house covered in lights. It became over the years, so large and fantastic that he purchased the homes on either side of him to put lights on those too. He was eventually unable to display the lights, and Disney stepped in and offered to display them on the Streets of America in Hollywood Studios. Now, it is a mind-blowing display of Christmas lights, covering every inch of the Streets of America. You can grab some hot cocoa and enjoy faux snow and Christmas music to get you in the Holiday mood. In recent years, the the festival has begun boasting DANCING lights. During certain Christmas tunes, the lights will dance along. It is a very fun atmosphere and great for all ages. It is included with the price of admission.

Fastpass

If you don't know how to do Disney right you are going to spend most of your vacation in line for things. Anyone who has ever been to an amusement park or theme park could tell you that there are always long lines. Disneyland and Disney World use a system to help appease the wait times by using something called the Fastpass system.

What is Fastpass?
Basically Fastpass is a free service offered by Disney that helps you get to see as many rides as you can on your vacation. With your park ticket you can get a ticket at your favorite ride (not all of them employ this system, but a large number of attractions do have them, especially the more popular rides). It will provide you with a one-hour time frame (i.e. 12:30-1:30) in which you can come back and go through the fastpass line, which is generally a much shorter wait.

One thing to be aware of when using the fastpass system. You can only get one every two hours or so, so use it wisely. I generally use it for an attraction that has a particularly long wait, or a ride I would like to go on more than once.

When used correctly, you could end up seeing everything you want to see.