Disney introduces RFID technology to is hotel rooms

The keys to the kingdom at Disney World are changing.The opening of the first phase of Disney's Art of Animation Resort on May 31 unveiled a new feature to the hotel rooms, "radio-frequency identification" keys. Normally hotel guests insert card keys into slots to open doors. But the new system allows people to place the card near a reader to unlock the door.                         ...

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Smile of The Day: Stuffed Mickey Mouse

There's nothing like walking into a store at Disney World and seeing shelves lined with Mickey Mouse. It always brings a smile to my face.                                                                                         ...

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Disney continues to dominate theme park business

Disney still dominates theme park attendance worldwide but it was The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios that accounted for 45 percent of the attendance increase in North America, according to the 2011 Theme Index Global Attractions Attendance Report. North American theme park attendance in 2011 grew by 2.9 percent, but 1.3 percentage points of that increase was due to the new Harry Potter land, according to the report, published...

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Disney World increases ticket prices June 3

                                © Steven LiebmanDisney World is increasing ticket prices starting June 3 by 4.5 percent for a one-day one park base ticket up to 8.5 percent for a 10-day one park base ticket.The increase follows prices increases at Disneyland on May 20.In addition to the base tickets increasing the Park Hopper add-on portion is increasing for 2 or more...

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A time lapse tour of Disneyland

What started out as a camera test by photographer Daniel Navarrete of Disneyland ended up a year later with a 30,000 plus photos turned into a 4 minute 42 second video time lapse tour of Disneyland and the California Adventure.The video starts you out at the entrance to Disneyland, shows you around, takes you on a few rides, let's you experience a parade and even World of Color. It's a phenomenal accomplishment. Thanks to Micechat.com for turning us on to th...

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To the Video: Disney World Monorail slowed down by a squirrel

Disney World employees are always caring for small animals. In this home made video, a squirrel runs on top of the monorail track slowing down one of the trains.This may have been the most direct route for the squirrel to get to the Magic Kingdom from the Ticket and Transportation Center. The boat ride is not as fast. Or maybe the squirrel was doing the conductor a favor by leading the way. Either way, you think someone would have offered him a seat on the tra...

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New season of 'My Yard Goes Disney' premieres June 1

The HGTV show "My Yard Goes Disney" returns Friday, June 1, for its second season transforming homeowners' backyards into virtual Disneylands or -- if the backyard is big enough -- Disney Worlds.The season premiere, starting at 8 p.m. on both coasts, introduce the Morales family. Parents Geo and Gwen take their twin daughters to Disney World to meet the princesses. Gwen Morales, who grew up with the Disney fairytales, wants to keep the tradition alive for her children.Enter HGTV and Disney Imagineers who turn the backyard into a fairytale village...

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Disney Facts: How the Seven Dwarfs got their names

Drawings of the Seven Dwarfs from the press booklet for the 1967 re-release of the movie.Earlier this week we looked at all the rides at Disney World that have closed and how the names of the Seven Dwarfs have changed over time. Now (thanks to a suggestion from The Disney Freak) we are going to look at the origin of the Seven Dwarfs' names.The original story from the Brothers Grimm did not name the dwarfs. But while Walt Disney was making the 1937...

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Disney donates CALIFORNIA letters from California Adventure

                                                                                      © DisneyThe renovation of the California Adventure entrance at Disneyland Resort will help out the California State Fair.Disney is donating the 11-foot-high...

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Disney provides early look at Epcot Food and Wine Festival

Disney has provided a sneak peek to the upcoming 17th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival at Disney World, scheduled to run Sept. 28-Nov. 12.More than 270 chefs from across the country, including renowned chefs like Robert Irvine and Rock Harper, will hold culinary demonstrations and tasting events as 25 ethnic and regional marketplaces feature food and wine from all over the world.             ...

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Disney Facts: The changing names of the Seven Dwarfs

In honor of Snow White's Scary Adventures closing on May 31 in Disney World, we take a closer look at seven of the main characters in the story -- the famous dwarfs.Here's a question: What were the original names of the Seven Dwarfs, before the 1937 Disney movie?                                                     ...

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A look back at Disney World rides that have closed

When "Snow White's Scary Adventures" closes at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World on May 31 to make way for the new Fantasyland expansion, it will join a growing number of attractions that have disappeared since the park opened in October 1971.The landscape at the Magic Kingdom has seen swan boat rides, alien encounters and submarine voyages come and go. Here are some attractions that were once in the Magic Kingdom:THE PLAZA SWAN BOATSIf you ever wondered why there is a boat landing on the hub in front of Tomrrowland it's because there was once...

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'Mad T Party' unveils June 15 at California Adventure

Photo by Walt Disney CompanyThe new “Mad T Party" show will start June 15 and run nightly through the summer in Hollywood Land at California Adventure in Disneyland.The rest of the year, the show will be on Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights.According to a Disney news release, the centerpiece of “Mad T Party” is a wildly themed, oversized tea table set under a canopy of fanciful lanterns. The tea table doubles as a state-of-the-art concert stage.The...

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Highland Games for kids coming to Epcot in June

In honor of "Brave," the new Disney-Pixar movie being released in June, Epcot at Walt Disney World will host the The Highland Games Tournament from June 1 to July 8.The kid-focused tourney will have games such as Mini Caber Toss, Cake Toss, Haggis Flip and archery, according to the Disney Parks Blog. The events will be held on the Rose Walk, where Future World connects to World Showcase, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily There will also be a kids’ playground...

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New castle show debuts at Disney World tomorrow

Starting tomorrow (May 25), the newest version of "The Magic, The Memories, and You!” castle projection show at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World debuts.                                                                                   ...

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Muppets team up with Band-Aids for a new app

The Muppets and Band-Aids have teamed up with a new app that will help entertain kids when they get hurt.Apparently covering up the boo-boo with a bright colored Band-Aid is no longer enough to calm kids.Now, the "BAND-AID® Magic Vision app featuring Disney's The Muppets uses AR (augmented reality) technology to merge a child's real-life surroundings with graphics displayed on the digital screen that unlock a special world where the Muppets characters...

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DVC to extend member service hours on July 1

Disney Vacation Club will extend its member service hours during the week starting July1.Member services will be open from  9 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.,  it was 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The weekend hours will remain the same at 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., according to an e-mail sent out to members.DVC recently debuted a new vacation center at  DVCMember.com,. accessible almost 24 hours a day (minus 30 minutes of scheduled maintenance from 2-2:30 a.m....

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Disney Facts: Disneyland 2012 edition

The opening of Cars Land at the California Adventure on June 15 will change the entire landscape of Disneyland Park. As the anticipation continues, Disney has released a new version of the its Disneyland Park fact sheet. Here's an updated look at some of Disneyland facts and some firsts.                                             ...

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Disney Hunger Games: What part of Panem are your favorite Disney characters from?

For all the fans who love Disney and The Hunger Games artist Mae Uy has created one of the best pop-culture mashups I've seen - pairing Disney characters and the various districts of Panem.Her artwork and the explanation of the pairings can be seen at blastedgoose.deviantart.com.Artwork by Mae Uy blastedgoose.deviantart.comWho do you think would win these Hunger Games? Here's a sampling of the lineup:District 1 (Luxury) - Aladdin &...

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Disney-Pixar special summer movie Memorial Day weekend

To kick off the summer season Disney-Pixar is re-releasing four films over the Memorial Day weekend.From May 25-28 some AMC Theatres will be showing “Toy Story 3,” “Ratatouille,” “Up” and “WALL•E." Each movie will have a classic Pixar short film before it and an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at the upcoming movie, “Brave.”The movies, according to a news release, are supposed to be priced at $6 each, but could change. Each movie is supposed to...

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'Where's My Water?' merchandise line being released

Swampy and Cranky are getting their own merchandise line.Plush toys of Swampy, Cranky and Allie.Yes, Disney is rolling out products based on the hit mobile game "Where's My Water." This is the first time Disney has created a new characters exclusively for a mobile app. A first wave of  plush and novelty toys, consumer electronics accessories and apparel will be available next month followed up by a face-to-face game, consumer electronics, stationery,...

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Disneyland ticket prices increasing May 20

Ticket prices will increase at the Disneyland Resort starting May 20, a few weeks before the June 15 opening of Cars Land at the California Adventure, the Matterhorn re-opening and a slew of other shows being introduced, the Disney Parks blog announced.The increases range from a 16% for a 1-Day Park Hopper ticket to an 8% for a 5-Day Park Hopper ticket. And an 8% increase for a 1-Day 1-Park ticket to a 3.5% increase for a 5-Day 1-Park Per Day ticket.Annual...

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Walt Disney Marathon will offer some surprises

                                     Walt Disney Company photoThose running in the Walt Disney World Marathon in January 2013 will go past some new sites, Disney announced this week.The 20th annual event will start runners at Epcot and go through the three other parks,...

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Disney to make 'Peter and the Starcatchers' into a moive

Disney will adapt the best-selling children's novel "Peter and the Starcatchers," which has been made into a popular Broadway show, into a movie, according to Deadline.com.The book, written by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, is the origin story of Peter Pan. The Broadway adaptation, which Disney helped produce, received nine Tony Award nominations, including Best Play.The "Peter and the Starcatchers" book series was published by Disney's Hyperion...

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Update: Phineas & Ferb to replace Kim Possible at World Showcase in Epcot

© Walt Disney CompanyTomorrow will be the last day of the Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure and Disney anticipates unveiling the new Phineas & Ferb: Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure next month.The Disney Parks Blog has posted some concept art on the new interactive game which will take place in Epcot at Walt Disney World.Armed with a “F.O.N.E.” or Field Operative Notification Equipment device, guests will be able to receive clues for each...

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Smile of The Day: Beauty and The Beast in Fantasmic

Beauty and the Beast in the Fantasmic! show in Disneyland.                                                                                                               ...

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"Brave" will join "World of Color" in Disneyland

There had been talk a new scene being added to the "World of Color" nighttime show, and now Disney has announced it will be a scene from the newest Pixar/Disney film "Brave."“Brave” is the animated story of a Scottish princess named Merida. The movie is scheduled to be released June 22.The scene will debut June 15. Since the show opened in 2010, it has featured updates including "TRON: Legacy” and “Prep & Landing.”&nb...

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Smile of The Day: Mr. Toad's Wild Ride

When at any of the Disney parks it's always important to look up. You never know what you're going to find. Here is a photo outside Mr. Toad's Wild Ride in Disneyland.                                                                                 ...

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Disney debuts Merida to some mixed reviews of her accent

There are some rumblings that the actresses playing the latest Disney princess sound more Irish than Scottish, according to the Daily Record.There are two videos on YouTube of women playing the red-headed Highlands princess, Merida, star of the upcoming Pixar/Disney movie "Brave." Now can these women capture the the accent of Scots star Kelly Macdonald, who voices Merida? Well, you can decide.Some people on YouTube don't think so:"People say she sounds Irish. Does she hell! She doesn't sound Scottish either. As a Dubliner living in Gladgow, she...

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Smile of The Day: Tam Tam's of the Congo

Tam Tam's of The Congo perform at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Walt Disney World.                                                                                                         ...

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Disneyland introduces new guided tour

For the first time since 2005 Disneyland is introducing a new guided tour.                                                     Walt Disney Company photoCultivating the Magic introduces guests to the story of how 260 acres of orange groves were transformed into Disneyland. "It’s not just pointing out plants – you discover...

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A haircut -- hold the bibbity bobbity

No time to get a haircut before heading to Walt Disney World? No problem! © Mary LiebmanYou'll be humming a happy tune after a haircut at the HarmonyBarber Shop. Before our last trip to Orlando, my husband couldn't squeeze in the 20 minutes he'd need to get a trim. But there was no need for him to be shaggy all week.While little princesses have the Bibbity Bobbity Boutique, babies, boys — and not a few grown men — have the Harmony...

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Smile of The Day: Walt and Mickey in Disneyland

Nighttime at Disneyland is always wonderful. Here's the great "Partners," Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse in front of the Sleeping Beauty Castle.Here's what Walt had to say about Mickey Mouse: “Mickey Mouse is, to me, a symbol of independence. He was a means to an end. He popped out of my mind onto a drawing pad . . . on a train ride from Manhattan to Hollywood at a time when business fortunes of my brother Roy and myself were at lowest ebb and disaster...

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Disney Question Answer to Where Water Plays a Major Role

Yesterday we asked the question:In all of Walt Disney World, name the attractions in which water sprays or plays a major role, not including water rides. Here's the list:Disney’s Hollywood Studios Backlot Tour (flash flood in Catastrophe Canyon);Fantasmic! (dancing fountains, water screens and shiploads of character drama)Jim Henson’s Muppet*Vision 3-D(surprise special effects)Voyage of the Little Mermaid (the entire story theme is “Under the Sea”)Lights,...

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Dinner & Show deal for Cirque du Soleil in Disney World

                                                                   © Cirque due SoleilA dinner and a show deal with House of Blues and “La Nouba” at Cirque du Soleil begins June 1, the Disney Parks blog reportsThe limited offer is being touted as a 25 percent savings for adults...

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'Pent-up demand' may mean fewer deals at Disney resorts

 © Mary LiebmanDisney's Boardwalk Inn Resort.There are clues in Disney's strong quarterly earnings report this week that suggest great deals may be harder to come by at Disney resorts this year, SmartMoney.com reports. Attendance at Disney's North American parks was up 7% during the quarter ended March 31 and per-capita spending was up 5%, the New York Times reported. Park revenue was up 10%, with operating earnings up a...

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Photo of Maleficent dragon head on highway leaving Disneyland

Imagine driving on the highway and coming upon a dragon head in front of you and wondering if a fireball is soon to come.The grand Maleficent dragon head from Disneyland's original Fantasmic! is a sight to see on the freeway as D23, the Official Disney Fan Club, transported the head on the highway to The Ronald Reagan Presidential Library & Museum for D23 Presents Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives Exhibit. The exhibit opens July 6, 2012....

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Disney Daily Question 2: Where water plays a major role

Welcome to Day 2 of Disney Questions. We'll only be doing two this week, but will be coming back with some more puzzlers in the future.Todays' question: In all of Walt Disney World, name the attractions in which water sprays or plays a major role, not including water rides. The answer tomorrow.Here's the answer to yesterday's question: Can you name all of the theme park attractions in all of Walt Disney World in which guests board boats for a floating...

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Smile of The Day: Mickey in Fantasmic!

Mickey Mouse appears in dozens of attractions and parades all around the world. One of the best is Fantasmic! in Disneyland. Here's Mickey, lighting up the stage.                                                                                   ...

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Disney Question of The Day: Name the boat rides

For all of you Disney World fans, can you name all of the theme park attractions in all of Walt Disney World in which guests board boats for a floating adventure?Hint: There are 9 rides.The answer on Wednesd...

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DIsney Facts: World of Color

The "World of Color" at Disney's California Adventure in Disneyland is one of the most remarkable shows I've ever seen. The way the water, light, sound and projections work is a marvel. It is a must see and is hands down the best night time show at Disneyland or Walt Disney World. The technology behind the show is fantastic. Here is a look at the show, by the numbers:100,000: The number of digital images used during the show.30,000: The weight in...

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Disney Facts: Pirates of the Caribbean

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me.                                                                         Photo by Walt Disney Company But did you know that the popular ride, which first opened in 1967 at Disneyland, was not part of the inaugural attractions...

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Your 2012 Fall and Holiday Guide to (Almost) Everything Disney

(UPDATED: Nov. 11)Here's a quick look at what you can expect at Disneyland and Disney World from September to December, as well as other major Disney events. This list will be continually updated as new dates are set and announcements are made, so keep checking back.FALL: The new Splitsville luxury bowling and dinner lounge at Downtown Disney in Disney World opens, featuring 30 bowling lanes as well as outdoor seating and billiards tables.FALL: Shanghai,...

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