Disney's Art of Animation Resort now open!!

Disney's Art of Animation Resort hotel promises to be the ultimate in family fun. This Value Resort is planned to feature over 1,100 family suites, specially designed to accommodate up to six guests, as well as standard guestrooms. The Resort hotel will draw its inspiration from four classic Disney Animated films:

• Finding Nemo Family Suites - Now Open!
• Cars Family Suites - Opening June 18, 2012
• The Lion King Family Suites - Opening August 10, 2012
• The Little Mermaid Standard Rooms - Opening September 15, 2012

I can't wait to tour this resort when we go to Walt Disney World in October.  So many great icons, and lots of photo opportunities!  

Disney California Coast cruise features Pixar!

California Coast Cruises Feature Pixar Exclusives

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Disney Destinations

Disney Cruise Line® and Pixar Animation Studios are teaming up to offer you a 7-night California Coast cruise unlike any other!

The four magical voyages set sail on September 16, 23, 30 and October 7 from Los Angeles, and will feature the following:

• Pixar Presentations and Sneak Peeks: Artists and filmmakers from Pixar Animation Studios will provide an inside look at the creative process used to develop an animated feature which includes a look at the making of Pixar’s newest release “Brave” and a sneak peek at footage of future Pixar films. 
• The Art of Pixar: Storyboards, character sketches and other inspiring concept art used to design Pixar films will be on display in a special art exhibition at sea. This collection of art has only been seen outside of Pixar Animation Studios when displayed at leading art museums around the world. 
• Pixar Film Fest: Guests will be able to enjoy the entire Pixar library of films while onboard, including a selection of delightful animated shorts. The voyages coincide with the theatrical premiere of “Finding Nemo 3D,” which Guests can enjoy at either of the two theatres equipped with state-of-the-art Dolby 3D projection systems. 
• Pixar Character Encounters: For the first time, more than a dozen Pixar characters will meet with and greet guests throughout the cruise including Mr. Incredible, Remy, Woody, Jessie and Buzz Lightyear. There will be a special Pixar-themed dance parties and a host of other opportunities to reconnect with favorite Pixar pals. 
• Special Gift: Sailing Guests will receive a commemorative lithograph created by Pixar artist and “Brave” co-director/screenwriter, Steve Purcell.

In addition, the California Coast itinerary lets you see iconic sights and explore popular stops in San Francisco, San Diego and wine country. With only four sailings available, you’ll want to contact me as soon as possible to book this  special cruises today!  E-mail me at kris@mickeytoday.com

New EPCOT Food & Wine Festival information from Disney Parks Blog!!

What’s New for the 17th Annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

posted on May 29th, 2012 by Pam Brandon, Disney Parks Food Writer

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This just in: the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival was named by the Travel Channel as one of the country’s top food and wine festivals. Chefs are cooking up fantastic new experiences for this year’s fest, which open September 28 and runs for a record 46 days through November 12.
There’s no better setting for noshing, sipping and wandering than Epcot’s World Showcase, with a one-of-a-kind backdrop of architectural icons from around the globe.
Fresh for 2012:

• Two new festival marketplaces: TERRA Marketplace offers vegan menu items, including Trick’n Chick’n Curry with Basmati Rice and Chili Colorado with House-Made Chips and Cashew Cheese. The FLORIDA Marketplace introduces fresh twists on regional flavors. There are more than 25 ethnic and regional marketplaces in all.
• Feel like a VIP with Marketplace Chef Tours. Each Wednesday, festival chefs host a walking-and-tasting tour around World Showcase with stops at several international marketplaces. You get to taste five marketplace dishes and five beverage items, like beer, wine and cocktails – and learn a few culinary secrets.



• More kid-friendly tastes. Kids of all ages can try inventive new sips during the family’s marketplace dine-around. Pair with yummy bites like beef empanadas and cheese fondue (new this year).
• Don’t miss (free) Eat to the Beat! Check out pop acts like Smash Mouth (October 11-12) and Javier Colon, winner of “The Voice” (October 13-14). With 18 different bands, look for Blues Traveler (November 5-6) and Dennis DeYoung, original member of STYX (November 7-8). Night Ranger kicks off the concert series September 28-30, and other returning fan favorites include Boyz II Men, The Pointer Sisters, Sister Hazel and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy.
• Back for an encore: look for HGTV designers, celeb chefs, culinary demos and wine seminars, and special culinary programs – more than 270 chefs are showing off for the festival. And, yes, the fab Party for the Senses returns October 6, 13, 20, 27 and November 3.

Call 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378) to make reservations. Information and reservations for select events and programs will be updated throughout the summer at www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine.

DISNEY WONDER now sailing out of Seattle!

Seattle Welcomes Disney Wonder
Posted on May 29, 2012 by Disney Destinations


Disney Wonder® arrived in Seattle, Wash. for the first time over the weekend, sailing into port past the Seattle city skyline and the Space Needle.

DCL Seattle

Disney Cruise Line® will sail a total of 14 seven-night Alaskan cruises from the Port of Seattle to Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, Alaska; and Victoria, British Columbia. These cruises will combine the natural wonder and adventurous spirit of Alaska with the unparalleled, family-friendly experience found on a Disney Cruise Line ship.

There’s still time to get on board this summer! Contact me at kris@mickeytoday.com for more details, and to book this wonderful cruise!!! 

 

 

How to submit your MEMORABLE MONDAY photo.....

If you would like to have a memorable photo/photos featured in this segment in the future, please send them to Disneynut1958@gmail.com.  Also include a story about the pictures.  Come back next Monday, when yours truly will be featured!!  See you then!

MEMORABLE MONDAY, featured guest Cathy Cole!

Good morning!  And Happy Monday, and also to our readers in the USA, a happy and safe Memorial Day.  
As it is Monday here on the "Tidbits" blog, that means it's MEMORABLE MONDAY!
This week, we are featuring a very old, (and I don't mean in age...because we are still young!), friend who I have literally known almost my entire life.  We went all through school together from Kindergarten on.  So, ladies and gents, please enjoy the story and picture supplied by our member Cathy Cole!  

Cathy states:

"My first trip to Disney World was in 1976 as a high school graduation gift from my parents. Being an 18 year old, you'd think that I was too old to feel the magic of Disney. However that could not be further from the truth. From the Ferry boat, which piped Disney music, to my last view of Main Street, I was entranced.

My eyes were as huge as Puss N' Boots in Shrek. Not knowing where to look first, I tried to absorb it all. A barber shop quartet sang, while brightly colored buildings loomed over me, beautiful shrubs trimmed into shapes as I had never before seen, and Disney songs surrounded me. And ahead in the distance, was the most magical place of all (play musical trumpet fanfares here)  CINDERELLA CASTLE!! 

That was it. My main goal was to get to that Castle first. My parents saw my face when I looked at it, and that's where we went. OH, it was glorious!  And then...THEN..they made reservations for us to eat there! I couldn't wait.  It was the first time in my life
that I felt like a princess.

The first ride we went on was Small World, and since then, that's always where I head first in Magic Kingdom.   As our boat drifted along, and my new favorite song played, I saw and heard Walt's Disney's message to me, and took it to heart. The world is full of laughter, tears, hope and fears, and it's time we're aware that there are people throughout the world who feel laugh and sing with me on this ride called life. We're one. Disney wanted us to be one, at least while we were in his place.

Every experience there was new, and filled my senses. I had been to so many parts of our great country, including the Grand Canyon and Pikes Peak, Yellowstone, you name it. I saw the mountains, the ocean, lakes, and deserts.  Yet nothing was as awe-filling as this was. 

Tinkerbell who I had seen fly on my television screen every Sunday night, was there! Fireworks as I had never before seen, were there!  Cinderella was there!  Dumbo was there!  Oh my goodness, I can't even begin to explain my emotions, or the excitement of every thing I saw, smelled, tasted, felt and did.

I guess waiting 18 years made it all the more intense. I finally, since I saw that pair of mouse ears on Annette, got my own mouse ears!
Sigh.

I'll never forget my first visit to Disney World, and wish everyone's experience there to be as magical as mine was."

Cathy, thank you so much for sharing this wonderful story!  I know how much this picture means to you, and how much you cherish it. 

If you would like to have a memorable photo/photos featured in this segment in the future, please send them to Disneynut1958@gmail.com.  Also include a story about the pictures.  Come back next Monday, when yours truly will be featured!!  See you then!

"My 5 Favorites:" continues!

Hello and happy Sunday to our members and readers.  I hope you will have a glorious and relaxing Memorial Day weekend here in the USA!  Please remember to be thankful to those who gave their lives for your freedom.  As the saying goes, "Freedom is never free!" 


Well, here we are once again, and I am ready to disclose more of my favorites to you.  This week, we will be covering my five favorite attractions at Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park.  I will, as always start with my #5 pick, and work my way to my very favorite.  Next week, since I have picked my top five at all four parks, I will be reviewing my top favorite from each one in a little more detail.  Hopefully, you will come away from that knowing something about these attractions that you did not know before. So, next week, the entry will be entitled "My Top 4 Favorites."

So, here we go with this weeks, "My 5 Favorites!"

#5 - DINOSAUR
As you whoosh back to primeval times for a wild ride of an expedition to complete your "dangerous" mission.  You only have minutes to rescue a stray dinosaur, and you must beware of the hungry clutches of a very large meat-eating predator and the devastating power of an impending asteroid.  This ride is fast, and so much fun.  I guess the fact that I have such great interest in dinosaurs, and the combination of Disney and dinosaurs is a no-miss for me.  My last trip to Walt Disney World was the first time I had been to Animal Kingdom.  We had a blast, and really loved this attraction. 

#4 - IT'S TOUGH TO BE A BUG

I know.........silly choice right?  WRONG!  This was such a fun attraction, I was laughing and giggling the entire show!  The 3-D effects were great, and a few 4-D thrown in there.  "It's Tough to be a Bug!" is hosted by Flik, everybody's favorite ant, and his grasshopper enemy, Hopper, from the Disney·Pixar film A Bug's Life. The supporting cast consists of cute and creepy crawlers like spiders, termites, beetles, weevils and butterflies.  The eight minute show has bugs that creep, and crawl, and this give you a "bugged-eyed" view of how things are in "A bugs life."  The special effects, and what happens on your seat........well, let's just say that it is a surprise! 

#3 - FESTIVAL OF THE LION KING

This attraction is based on one of my very favorite Disney movies, The Lion King.  The music alone is enough to set the tears flowing.  (If you have not already figured out from previous posts , I am very emotional....especially when it comes to Disney!)  Anyway,  the music, the color, the action all make this a show/attraction not to be missed.  As you are in your seat, your are plunged right in the middle of the action in a very clever  staged in-the-round production that features songs from the film and a very familiar cast of faces, including Simba, Timon and Pumbaa.  It combines the pageantry of a parade with much excitement of a tribal celebration.  This lavish, high energy show makes you sing along, want to get up and dance, and set the tear switch to the on position!  Don't miss this!!!

#2 - KILIMANJARO SAFARIS

Note to self- Remember to do this as early in the morning as possible!  Better when animals are out and about....before nap time!  Oh, sorry......hey, thanks for continuing to read!   This is an attraction that absolutely should not be missed.  As you climb aboard your open-sided safari vehicle, you are in for an exciting expedition for the entire family.  Animals from Africa freely roam through this 110 acre savannah, rivers and rocky hills.  Look for giraffes, hippos, elephants, rhinos and lions, and may more!    There are beautiful landscapes to see as well. This is an 18 minute ride, so sit back, but have your camera ready at all times!  My suggestions is this.  Take the ride as early as you can.  Have that camera poised and ready.  Take your pictures at this time.  Then, do it again!  This time, sit back and enjoy....but still have the camera ready, as you may see something this time around that you didn't catch the first time!  We really loved this so much, we are going to to the Wild Africa Trek tour in October.  Don't know what that is you say?  Well, here are the details!

Join the ultimate animal adventure! Journey deep into Pangani Forest on a thrilling, privately guided expedition featuring close encounters with exotic wildlife species. Get closer than you ever dreamed possible to Nile crocodiles and massive hippos. Venture on to a VIP safari across an open savanna teeming with native African creatures!
Once-In-A-Lifetime Experiences
Dozens of massive Nile crocodiles patrol the jungle riverbed. Mammoth hippos move deftly underwater. You are there to see it all!
Adventurers are fitted with an expedition harness that attaches to an overhead track. Once your group reaches the riverbank, get a stunning look at the hippos, just 10 feet below. After a seemingly precarious trek across a rope bridge dangling over a throng of enormous crocodiles, experience another unbelievable view as you hang over the crocs' riverbed lair!
VIP Safari
Enjoy a brief hike onto a sweeping African savanna for a VIP safari, including a visit to an exclusive safari camp with incredible views of everything from towering giraffe to powerful rhinos.
True Life-Adventure
Wild Africa Trek is a jaw-dropping journey only a few Guests get to experience. The expedition is a true encounter with African creatures in their native habitat. Come with us on this Disney True-Life Adventure!
Photography
A Disney photographer captures your experiences along the way. When you return home from your visit to Walt Disney World Resort, you'll receive a photo CD in the mail, so you can relive your wild adventure again and again. Photo CD is included in the cost of the tour.

#1 - EXPEDITION EVEREST

I am not a really big roller coaster lover.  I like them, but I have to say......... I LOVE THIS ONE!  It's not wild at all..........as a matter of fact, after we rode the first time,  we both said "that was nothing." NOTHING BUT FUN THAT IS!!  Does this ride deliver what it promises?  You bet it does!!  The attraction features an old tea train chugging and churning it's way as it climbs up the snow-capped peaks.  Suddenly, the track comes to an end in a gnarled mess of twisted metal.  What now?  Backwards is what!  It's a totally unexpected experience!  All I can say is WOW!!  The queue area is really something to take in, so if you have the chance to go through it slowly, do so.  Lines can be very long at times, but this does give you the opportunity to let all the ambiance and artifacts you will see soak in.  FastPass assignments for this attraction tend to go quickly, so get one as soon as you can. Let's be honest.........how many of you are scared of the Yeti?  ;-) 

Ok, so there you have it!!  My 5 Favorites from Disney's Animal Kingdom theme park.  Come back next week to read more in depth coverage of my top pick from all four theme parks at Walt Disney World.  One will be my top pick of all!  Join us again next Sunday!

Thanks all, and have a great week!