Muppets take on Fox News

Kermit and Miss Piggy take a shot at Fox News for the network's comments about how the new Muppets film was pushing a dangerous liberal agenda.

On "Follow The Money" the discussion centers around how the movie gives an anti-corporate message and specifically an anti-oil message. The host raises the question whether "liberal Hollywood is using class warfare to brainwash" kids.

(To those more familiar with the Muppets and their parody, you might actually see how the  Muppets anti-corporate pots shots were aimed at their owners - Disney.)

In the movie Tex Richman, played by Chris Cooper, is trying to foreclose on the Muppets' Los Angeles theater and studio so he can drill for the oil underneath.

During a press conference in the United Kingdom, reporters asked the green star about this. Kermit's response: "If we had a problem with oil companies, why would we have spent the entire film in a gas-guzzling Rolls-Royce?"

And Miss Piggy, in all of her subtlety, chimed in, "It's almost as laughable as accusing Fox News of being ... news."

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Smile of The Day: Mickey Mouse on parade

A photo of Mickey Mouse during a parade at Disney World.

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What's happening at Walt Disney World in February

Here's a quick look at the February happenings at Walt Disney World. For a complete list for the rest of the year, head here:

Royal Guest Rooms, mid-February: Guests staying at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort – Riverside will discover stars of favorite animated films such as “Aladdin,” “Beauty and the Beast” and “The Princess and the Frog" in their rooms. Some room guests will be able to watch “fireworks” swirl as they recline in ornate beds, curl up in custom linens. Each of the 512 Royal Guest Rooms sleeps up to four guests in two queen beds.

Half-marathon weekend, Feb 24-26: Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend brings women of all ages together to participate in the event. The race starts just outside Epcot and runners make their way toward Cinderella Castle inside Magic Kingdom Park. After a run through the Magic Kingdom, they head back to Epcot along World Drive. After a trip past Spaceship Earth and out to World Showcase, runners complete the course. There is also a Disney Royal Family 5k on Feb. 25 in Epcot, and Disney Royal Family Kids’ Races on Feb. 25.

Atlanta Braves Spring Training, Feb. 27- March 28: The Atlanta Braves hold spring training at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.

For a weekly update on park happenings head here.

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Lost Disney song from 'Lady and The Tramp' being released

Every time Disney opens up its vault and re-releases a movie - first on to VCR, then DVD and Blu-ray, they always seem to find something that has never been seen before. You wonder how big is that vault?

In the case of the Feb. 7 release of "Lady and The Tramp," you will be able to hear a version of song attached to a storyboard that was never included in the film. It's Tramp singing "I'm Free as a Breeze."

"Lady and The Tramp" was the 15th animated film by Disney, a love story between a Lady, female American Cocker Spaniel, and Tramp, a male stray mutt.

We never find out if Tramp has an actual name since it's never mentioned in the film. According to the Disney archives, some names were given to him during development, including Homer and Rags.

The Wall Street Journal Blog Speakeasy recently posted this video on its website giving a little preview of the song.

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Disney Facts: Inside Big Thunder Mountain Rallroad

This ride in the Magic Kingdom probably has one of the more famous lines around - "This Here's the Wildest Ride in the Wilderness" - yes, we're talking about the Big Thunder Mountain Railroad.

Here are some little-known facts about the ride:

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

• The buckets, ore carts, mining cars and cogwheels were all taken from ghost owns in the west to make the ride look a authentic as possible.
• Over 4,000 gallons of paint, 900,000 gallons of water, tons, steel, concrete and hundreds of rock makers to create the realistic red rock buttes and mine buildings.
• All around the attraction close to two-dozen Audio-Animatronic figures including chickens, donkeys, goats and opossums can be seen.
• The songs playing throughout the ride include  “Home on the Range,” “Little Brown Jug,”  “Oh, My Darling Clementine” and “Red River Valley.”

Source: Walt Disney Co.

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Smile of The Day: Elephants playing while on the Jungle Cruise

Elephants playing in the elephant pool on the Jungle Cruise in the Magic Kingdom at Disney World.

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Disney Facts: Animal Kingdom landscaping

To help give Disney's Animal Kingdom the feel of the outside Disney needed to to put out a lot of green. That is no only money, but trees and shrubs.

To give the Animal Kingdom its feel Disney needed to plant more than 4 million trees, plants, vines, grasses, shrubs and ground cover.

A truck going through Kilimanjaro Safaris

One of the toughest places to create landscaping was Kilimanjaro Safaris. Since it is a ride-through attraction and there are live animals roaming around the area how you decide to plan was a challenge for the landscapers.

According to Disney, the planting bed lines for the safari were made by someone riding a motorcycle and using a spray paint can. The idea was that they wanted to simulate how fast the truck would be going and figure out where the plants should be located.

The road, according to Disney, is also part of the landscape design. Concrete was matched with the surrounding soil, then tires were rolled on it and stones, twigs and dirt were tossed on to the road to create that bumpy feeling.

Another quick fact:  The largest tree that was replanted in Animal Kingdom is is located in Harambe village and tipped the scales at 90 tons.

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Smile of The Day: Video of Dapper Dans and the Emergency Broadcast System

The Dapper Dans, a barbershop quartet, has been singing at Disney World since 1971. Here is their rendition of what the Emergency Broadcast System sounds like.

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Giants made Super Bowl history with Disney ad in 1987, can Eli Manning say the phrase for a second time

It was 25 years ago The New York Giants won their first Super Bowl and also helped launch one of the most popular catch phrases in the world: "I'm going to Disney World."

The date was Jan. 25, 1987. The place was the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif. Quarterback Phil Simms had just led the Giants over the Denver Broncos 39-20. He completed 22 of 25 passes for 268 yards and threw three touchdowns passes. When it was all over a cameraman came from behind and asked the question: "Phil Simms, you just won the Super Bowl. What are you going to do next?"

His reply: "I'm going to go to Disney World." Thus Phil Simms became the first of dozens to be part of an ad campaign that has been been a mainstay of the Super Bowl and lampooned by many. (Simms' payday? A reported $75,000.)

In preparation for the product placement, Disney went to both Simms and Broncos quarterback John Elway before the game. The idea that was whoever won would say the phrase during the post-game euphoria.

In 2008, Eli Manning uttered "I'm going to Disneyland" for the first time. The question now is, will he become the fifth person to to say it multiple times or will Tom Brady of the New England Patriots say it for a record three times? That will be decided by this year's Super Bowl on Feb 5.

While everyone knows, and has mocked the catchphrase, the ad campaign is officially called the "What's Next" campaign. While Disney has never come out and talked about its origins, Michael Eisner, who was Disney CEO from 1984 to 2005, credits his wife with the idea in his book "Work in Progress." Eisner said it all began when he and his wife Jane were out to dinner with friends. After dinner Eisner's wife asked the couple what they were planning on doing next, their reply: "Well, we're going to Disneyland."

Most of the people used for the campaign have been athletes, and mostly from the Super Bowl, but starting in 2008 "American Idol" winners joined the crowd. That coincided with the opening of the American Idol Experience at Disney Hollywood Studios in Disney World.

In 2005, Disney held off the using the campaign in Super Bowl XXXIX saying it conflicted with a 50th anniversary celebration for Disneyland and the "Magic Your Way" ad campaign at Disney World. It was also the year after the famed Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction in which everyone was getting hyper about live performances. But in 2006, when the Super Bowl went to Disney owned ABC, the campaign returned.

There have been four people who have appeared twice in the campaign: Joe Montana (1989 and 1990), Emmitt Smith (1994 and 1996), John Elway (1998 and 1999) and Tom Brady (2002 and 2004).

Here is the official list of those who have said those magic words:

2011

Super Bowl XLV (Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers); American Idol Winner (Scott McCreery)

2010

Super Bowl XLIV (Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints); American Idol Winner (Lee Dwyze)

2009

Super Bowl XLIII (Santonio Holms and Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers); American Idol Winner (Kris Allen)

2008

Super Bowl XLII (Eli Manning, New York Giants); American Idol Winner (David Cook)

2007

Super Bowl XLI (Tony Dungy and Dominic Rhodes, Indianapolis Colts)

2006

Super Bowl XL (Hines Ward, with Jerome Bettis, Pittsburgh Steelers)

2004

Super Bowl XXXVIII (Tom Brady, New England Patriots); Major League Baseball World Series Champions (Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez and David Ortiz, Boston Red Sox)

2003

Super Bowl XXXVII (Jon Gruden and Brad Johnson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers)

2002

Super Bowl XXXVI (Tom Brady, New England Patriots)

2001

Super Bowl XXXV (Trent Dilfer, Baltimore Ravens); Major League Baseball home run record (Barry Bonds, San Francisco Giants)

2000

Super Bowl XXXIV (Kurt Warner, St. Louis Rams)

1999

Super Bowl XXXIII (Terrell Davis and John Elway, Denver Broncos); Women's World Cup (United States Championship Team)

1998

Super Bowl XXXII (John Elway, Denver Broncos); Major League Baseball home run record (Mark McGwire, St. Louis Cardinals)

1997

Super Bowl XXXI (Desmond Howard, Green Bay Packers); Holiday Gift-Giving (Santa Claus)

1996

Super Bowl XXX (Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys)

1995

Super Bowl XXIX (Jerry Rice and Steve Young, San Francisco 49ers)

1994

Super Bowl XXVIII (Emmitt Smith, Dallas Cowboys); Olympics (Nancy Kerrigan, U.S. Figure Skater)

1993

Super Bowl XXVII (Troy Aikman, Dallas Cowboys); Stanley Cup (Patrick Roy, Montreal Canadiens) 1992

Super Bowl XXVI (Mark Rypien, Washington Redskins)

1991

Super Bowl XXV (Ottis Anderson, N.Y. Giants): NBA (Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls)

1990

Super Bowl XXIV (Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers); Graduation (Jim Thompson of Temple University, and Matt Kaldenberg, Phyllis Kaldenberg and Laura McEwen of Simpson College)

1989

Super Bowl XXIII (Joe Montana, San Francisco 49ers); NHL (Al MacInnis, Calgary Flames); NBA (Joe Dumars, Detroit Pistons)

1988

Super Bowl XXII (Doug Williams, Washington Redskins); Miss America (Gretchen Carlson); World Series (Orel Hershiser, L.A. Dodgers); NBA (Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, L.A. Lakers)

1987 Super Bowl XXI (Phil Simms, N.Y. Giants) ;America's Cup (Dennis Conner); NBA (Magic Johnson, L.A. Lakers); World Series (Frank Viola, Minnesota Twins)

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Disney Facts: Here's how much the animals eat at Animal Kingdom

We all know how much fun it is to dine at Walt Disney World with all the restaurants and take out places. We also know that we humans can consume some 6 million hot dogs a year at the park, but what about the animals at Disney's Animal Kingdom?

Well, according to Disney stats, the 1,000 animals at the Animal Kingdom consume about four tons of food a day. For perspective, that four and a half years of meals for the average person.

This consist of more than 2,000 pounds of vegetation and browse to the animals every day. And don't forget the menu of worms offered. There are night crawlers, and red wigglers, wax worms, yellow mealworms and even super mealworms. In total, about 40,000 worms a week. Also,as part of a healthy diet, don't forget the crickets, about 80,000 crickets a month.

To drink, it's water. There are 2.6 million gallons of water contained in various water features that come in contact with animals. On average, the entire volume of water is treated and filtered five times daily, which means that 15.6 million gallons of water are treated and filtered every day for freshness.

And how much do we humans eat at Disney World? The answer is here.

MORE DISNEY FACTS

• What separates you from the lions at Animal Kingdom
• An inside look at Disney World resorts
• How the bats at Animal Kingdom are trained
• How Soarin' was created
• Little known facts about The World Showcase in Epcot

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Smile of The Day: The Liberty Square Riverboat

The Liberty Belle riverboat is a reproduction of the paddlewheel boats that went up and down the Mississippi. The boat takes people around Tom Sawyer Island. The actual name of the attraction at the Magic Kingdom is Liberty Square Riverboat.

MORE SMILES OF THE DAY

• A balancing act at the France Pavilion in Epcot
• A closer look at the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel Horses
• A smiling gopher at Winnie The Pooh
• A peek Mickey Mouse's House
• Classic nighttime photo of the Sorcerer's Hat in Hollywood Studios

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Disney's Pixar shut out of Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature

For the first time since the Academy Awards have been handing out Oscars for Best Animated Feature Disney's Pixar has been shut out of the contest.

The nominations, announced this morning, include: "A Cat in Paris," "Chico &Rita," "Kung Fu Panda 2", "Puss in Boots" and "Rango."

Since 2001, when the Academy started handing out the best animated feature awards, all Disney/Pixar movies have at least been nominated with six of the eight winning. However, last year's release of "Cars 2" is the first not to be nominated. While the original "Cars" was nominated in 2006, it lost to "Happy Feet."

Here is the list of Pixar movie nominations over the years. All of them won Best Animated Feature unless noted:

2001 - "Monster's Inc.", which lost to "Shrek".
2002 - No Pixar movie released
2003 - "Finding Nemo"
2004 - "The Incredibles"
2005 - No Pixar movie released
2006 - "Cars", lost to "Happy Feet"
2007 - "Ratatouille"
2008 - "WALL-E"
2009 - "Up"
2010 - "Toy Story 3"

Three movies were released prior to the category being created: "Toy Story" in 1995, "A Bug's Life" in 1999 and "Toy Story 2" in 1999.

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Disney Look is changing, male employees can now sport beards

For more than 55 years, male employees working at Disneyland and Walt Disney World were not allowed to have beards - that is unless they were were playing characters that sported the facial hair - all as part of the clean cut Disney Look.

But starting Feb. 3, the Disney Look is changing.

According to the new guidelines made public today: "For all male Cast Members, a fully grown in, well-maintained mustache, beard, or goatee is permitted, unless otherwise restricted by regulatory codes and standards. Facial hair must be neatly trimmed and may not present an unkempt appearance. Extreme styles are prohibited.

"All facial hair (beards, goatees and mustaches) must create an overall neat, polished and professional look.

"All facial hair must be fully grown in, neatly groomed and well maintained at no longer than a quarter of an inch in length."

The new guidelines were first reported on insidethemagic.net.

In addition, Disney is implementing a casual Friday policy for those employees in non-costumed jobs who do not interact with theme-park visitors.

For years, Disney has been known for having its employees have a specific look. According to the recruiting website, the Disney Look "is a classic look that is clean, natural, polished and professional, and avoids "cutting edge" trends or extreme styles. It is designed with our costumed and non-costumed cast members in mind...Regardless of the position you hold with us, when you take pride in your appearance, you become a role model for those around you, and you convey the attitude of excellence that has become synonymous with the Disney name."

The last major change took place two years ago when female employees were allowed to forego wearing panty hose when wearing skirts.

MORE RECENT DISNEY NEWS

• French want to build amusement park to rival Disneyland Paris
• Disney launches new website for moms and babies
• Disney Store expanding and remodeling in U.S. and world

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Smile of The Day: Photo of Spaceship Earth with the Magic Wand

Do you remember this one? Spaceship Earth at Disney World with the Epcot wand.

MORE SMILES OF THE DAY

• A balancing act at the France Pavilion in Epcot
• A closer look at the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel Horses
• A smiling gopher at Winnie The Pooh
• A peek Mickey Mouse's House
• Classic nighttime photo of the Sorcerer's Hat in Hollywood Studios

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Disney Facts: Secrets of the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

The Hollywood Hotel at Hollywood Studios in Disney World and at Disney's California Adventure hold many secrets, not just that you will enter into The Twilight Zone.

Once entering a freight elevator you take a ride up into the Twilight Zone and fall back to earth - repeatedly.

The Hollywood Tower Hotel

In Florida, starting in the library, take a look at the director sign. Inside the glass-encased box you'll see that some of the letters have fallen to the bottom spelling out --  “evil tower u r doomed.”

When you are watching the television in the library, look for the little girl getting on the elevator and watch what she is holding - a vintage Mickey Mouse doll. And when the stars begin to swirl when the elevator car reaches the "fifth dimension" you'll find a hidden Mickey Mouse.

According to a Disney news release, "Walt Disney Imagineers searched Hollywood auction houses for the hotel furnishings. French bronzes by the 19th century artist Moreau are found in the attraction, as well as furniture pieces that graced Hollywood clubs and hotels throughout the 1920s."

Not only did the Imagineers pay great detail to the interior of the building, but they built a landscape to resemble the hills of the Elysian and Griffith Parks in Los Angeles, according to the news release.

And don't forget to listen to the music for Duke Ellington's "Mood Indigo,"and Bunny Berigan's "We'll Meet Again."

In California,  the glass display cases outside the library contain props that reference two “Twilight Zone” episodes. One is a gold thimble from  "The After Hours,” starring Anne Francis as a woman who has forgotten that she is not actually a human being but a department store mannequin; and a broken  stopwatch from “A Kind of a Stopwatch,” the story of a watch that stops time.

The biggest secret is probably how the elevator -- which drops about 13 stories -- works. The elevator doesn't drop. It's on a piston which pushes the elevator up and pulls it down.

MORE DISNEY FACTS

• What separates you from the lions at Animal Kingdom
• An inside look at Disney World resorts
• How the bats at Animal Kingdom are trained
• How Soarin' was created
• Little known facts about The World Showcase in Epcot

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Smile of The Day: Jungle Cruise "Free Kitten" Shirt

There are always great details in the attraction queues. The Jungle Cruise at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World has a lot of great signs and audio jokes. Here is one one of my favorites.

MORE SMILES OF THE DAY

• A balancing act at the France Pavilion in Epcot
• A closer look at the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel Horses
• A smiling gopher at Winnie The Pooh
• A peek Mickey Mouse's House
• Classic nighttime photo of the Sorcerer's Hat in Hollywood Studios

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Disneyland Hotel renovation complete and some historic facts

After two years, the renovation of the Disneyland Hotel in California is finally complete.

Opened on Oct. 5, 1955, the Disneyland Hotel had 104 rooms and started operation three months after Disneyland opened. Today the hotel now has 969 rooms.

According to the Disney Parks Blog, here are some of the changes that have taken place:

• The Fantasy Tower lobby now showcases Mary Blair artwork, creating an instant connection to "it's a small world." 
• The Frontier Tower lobby has a scale model of Big Thunder Mountain Railroad and has geyser and waterfall that come alive in tribute to a 1960s attraction called Mine Train through Nature's Wonderland.
• The Adventure Tower has Jungle Cruise characters built into the design.

Here are some more facts from the Disney Parks Blog:

• The hotel was originally owned and operated until 1988 by the Wrather Corporation — Jack and Bonita Wrather who were close friends of Walt Disney. The Walt Disney Company purchased the hotel in 1988.
• Prior to the opening of the Disneyland Hotel, less than 100 hotel rooms were available in Anaheim.
• The Bonita Tower (currently called the Wonder Tower) was the first hotel building in the United States to use a solar heating system.
• Until the 1960s, the Disneyland Hotel had a helipad in daily operation. Los Angeles Airways offered 28-passenger turbine-powered helicopter service to and from the Los Angeles Airport (LAX).

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Smile of The Day: Grizzly Peak

Grizzly Peak is a man made mountain in the shape of a grizzly bear standing 110 feet high at the California Adventure in the Disneyland Resort.

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DIsney Facts: A look at Expedition Everest ride

Here's a quick look at Expedition Everest at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

Heights: At just under 200 feet, Everest is the tallest of 18 mountains created by Disney Imagineers at Disney parks worldwide. 

Falls: The ride includes an  80-foot drop.

Length: The track is nearly a half-mile long with twists and tight turns.

The train: The ride vehicle is odeled after an aging, steam-engine tea train which carries 34 passengers.

The Yeti: The Audio-Animatronic yeti has a potential thrust, in all of its hydraulic cylinders combined, of slightly over 259,000 pounds force.

The mountain range: To create the sense of an enormous mountain range, Imagineers used forced perspective by painting a “mural” of shadows across the face of the mountains.

Source: Walt Disney World news release

More Disney Facts

Snow White's Grotto at Disneyland

The Disney Ambassador Program

The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster By The Numbers

A closer look at the famous Mouse Ears

Facts about the Hippos at Animal Kingdom

A closer look at The Tree of Life

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The French want to build an amusement park to rival Disneyland Paris

A French politician wants to build an amusement park to rival Disneyland Paris. But this place is not centered around a Mouse, it's about a man - Napoleon.

“Napoleonland” is planned to be built just south of Paris on the site of the French leader's final victory against the Austrians, according to the The Telegraph.

The park will have daily attractions including the reenactment of the Battle of Waterloo and a water show recreating the Battle of Trafalgar and - naturellement! - a show depicting King Louis XVI being guillotined during the revolution, according to an article by Business Insider.

The project, the brainchild of Yves Jégo, needs about $280 million to get started, according to the published reports.

For those who need a refresher of who the "Little Corporal" was, Napoleon Bonaparte was born in Corsica in 1769. He became one of the greatest military commanders and emperor of France.

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Smile of The Day: Peter Pan's Flight

There are many times at Walt Disney World when you don't take the time to look up and appreciate the signs and entranceways of attractions. Take a moment and enjoy.

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Disney Facts: The World Showcase

Epcot at Disney World is made up of two areas, Future World ( containing many attractions focusing on technological advancements)  and the World Showcase (an area containing pavilions representing 11 countries).

Here's a look at some highlights about the World Showcase:

Japan Pavilion at Epcot

• World Showcase promenade stretches 1.2 miles and the World Showcase Lagoon spans 40 acres.
• 11 countries are represented around the World Showcase. From left to right they are, Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, United States, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom and Canada.
• At United Kingdom’s Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room in World Showcase, a specially designed ale warmer can heat your Guinness to 55 degrees, the temperature favored by Brits.
• 26.2 miles of bratwurst are served every 60 days at the Biergarten restaurant in the Germany pavilion. 
• The Eiffel Tower replica in the France pavilion is 103 feet tall.
• The castle in Japan is a replica of the Shirasagi-Jo, a 17th century fortress overlooking the city of Himeji, known as one of the most well-preserved castles in Japan.
• A Disney crew carried a 300-pound camera up 4,500 steps of the Huangshan Mountain in the Annui Province to film the Circle-Vision 360 film seen in the China pavilion.

Source: Walt Disney World

More Disney Facts

Snow White's Grotto at Disneyland

The Disney Ambassador Program

The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster By The Numbers

A closer look at the famous Mouse Ears

Facts about the Hippos at Animal Kingdom

A closer look at The Tree of Life

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Smile of The Day: Celebrate Video with Mickey and Minnie

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Disney Facts: A look inside Soarin'

One of the most popular attractions at Walt Disney World and Disneyland is Soarin'. As you take flight, the movie just mesmerizes you and it is a delight to take a tour of California.

About the movie

Everything was filmed from a helicopter using an IMAX camera with a special lens capturing everything within a person's visual periphery, according to a news release from Disney.

The film is projected at 48 frames per second, twice the speed of normal motion picture film, to help keep a clear image with definition.

The company received a 4-hour window on various days from the Department of the Interior to shoot in what is usually restricted air space, like Yosemite National Park where governmental restrictions usually prohibit flying inside the park’s valley.

How the ride was conceived

The idea of how to show the ride was developed over the weekend at the at home Walt Disney Imagineering show/ride engineer Mark Summer.

“I think I’m like a lot of Imagineers where I don’t necessarily leave my job at the office,” Sumner said in the news release.

He pulled out a 40-year-old erector set from the attic and "over a couple of hours, I built a working model."

When he returned to the office on Monday he put it on the table and said:  "Maybe we can do it like this."

The small erector set grew into a ride containing 1 million pounds of steel that is able to lift 37 tons.

More Disney Facts

Snow White's Grotto at Disneyland

The Disney Ambassador Program
The Rock 'n' Roller Coaster By The Numbers
A closer look at the famous Mouse Ears
Facts about the Hippos at Animal Kingdom
A closer look at The Tree of Life

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Disney launches new website for parents and babies

Many companies and corporations would love to get their clients from the time the are born and now Disney has taken that step by launching DisneyBaby.com.The new website is a showcase for expectant and new parents, filled with tips from real moms and the most comprehensive collection of Disney Baby brand products on the Web.

According to a news release: "At the heart of the site experience is Disney Baby Magical Moments, an easy-to-use tool for parents to upload their favorite baby photos and memories, adding to a dynamic collection of shared family experiences from other parents that flow throughout the site. DisneyBaby.com features the mom-trusted Huggies brand, as its exclusive sponsor."

Brooke Chaffin, senior vice president, Disney Interactive Moms and Family, says in the release, "We continue to focus on building compelling new digital platforms to serve the needs of parents at every life stage, and are very excited to introduce a new destination that shows expectant and new parents how to add a little Disney magic to their growing family's life."

Only time will tell.

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President Obama can always be seen at Disney World

When President Obama arrives Thursday at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World it is unclear whether any of the guests will be able to see him.

The President is scheduled to give a speech on his tourism initiative in front of Cinderella Castle and as of now, Main Street and all of the shops along it will be closed from the opening of the park until he leaves. But in case anyone misses him giving his speech, they can still find him everyday inside the Magic Kingdom - at the Hall of Presidents.

In honor of his inauguration, President Obama was added to the attraction -- bringing all 43 presidents together -- with one of the most advanced life-like Audio-Animatronic figures at the time, according to Disney. Not that he was very aware of what the Hall of Presidents was or how it works. Take a look at this White House video of him making the voice over for his character and you'll see he needed some information on the attraction.

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Smile of The Day: Tigger is that you?

A tiger taking a stretch at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

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Disney Store expanding and remodeling around U.S. and world

The Disney Store will remodel and relocate many of its stores this year in addition to opening one in Shanghai, China this fall,  the company announced this week.

In total 13 new and remodeled sores will open this year, the Disney Store said in a news release, touting its 25th anniversary. Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Utah, and Virginia will each receive its first new concept store in the state.  In February 2012, a new showcase Disney Store in Italy will be unveiled in the capital, Milan, the second newly-designed store to open in the country. 

 "We have laid a solid foundation and set a new standard for specialty retailer since launching our new store design in 2010," Paul Gainer, senior vice president of Disney Store North America, said in the news release.

The Disney Store launched in 1987 with a store at Glendale Galleria in Glendale, Calif.  In spring 2012, the store will relocate to a new location within the mall and open with the new design.

Here are the other store changes:

• The Ala Moana Center in Honolulu, Hawaii will relocate to a new location and open the first Disney Store in the state to feature the new interactive design. 
• From spring 2012 through fall, Disney Store will remodel and relocate several locations to feature its new design at Tyson's Corner Center in McLean, Va.; Christiana Mall in Newark, Del.; South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa, Calif.; Queens Center in Elmhurst, N.Y.; West Field Valley Fair Mall in Santa Clara, Calif; and Westfield Valencia Town Center in Valencia, Calif. 
• Park Meadows Mall in Lone Tree will receive the first newly designed store in Colorado.
• City Creek Center in Salt Lake City will get the first newly-designed Disney Store in the state of Utah. 
• Disney Store will also open its second newly-designed store in Orlando, Fla. at the Mall at Millennia. 
• Scarborough Town Centre in Scarborough, Ontario, Canada will open a new Disney Store in the summer of 2012.
•  Danbury Fair Mall in Danbury, Conn. will open the first newly-designed store in Connecticut in summer 2012. 
• The Disney Store location in Sendai, Japan was visited by thousands of excited guests when doors opened in December 2011. 
• Milan, Italy will open a showcase Disney Store location in February of 2012.
• Shanghai, China will open its first ever Disney Store in fall of 2012. 

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Disney Facts: The Bats

Disney animal care experts were able to do something that was thought unusual - teach the bats at the Maharajah Jungle Trek at the Animal Kingdom to respond to an audio signal. The trainers taught the bats to head inside for dinner when a dog whistle is blown.

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Smile of The Day: Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy

Goofy, Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck taking a bow during a stage show in front of Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom in Disney World.

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Smile of The Day: Classic nighttime photo of the sorcerer's hat at Hollywood Studios

The classic nighttime photo of the Mickey Sorcerer's Hat
 at Hollywood Studios in Disney World.

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Disney Facts: An inside look at Disney World Resorts

There are many choices when going to Walt Disney World in Florida. The resort boasts of some 34 different hotels, more than 24 owned and operated by Disney.

Here are some quick facts about them, gathered directly from a Disney public relations sheet:

Beach & Yacht Club

• Disney's only full-time harpist works at Victoria & Albert’s restaurant in the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
• You would need more than 20 million 12-ounce cans of Coca-Cola to file one of the giant Coke cups at Home Run Hotel in Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort.
• You would need nearly 9.5 million tennis balls to fill one of the tennis ball cans at Center Court Hotel in Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort.
• The Stormalong Bay swimming area at Disney’s Beach Club Resort holds 750,000 gallons of water, making it the largest sand-bottom pool in the world.
• Take a close look at the mosaic mural in the fourth-floor lobby of the Contemporary Resort and you will find a five-legged goat. The mural was created in 1971 with 1,800 one-square-foot tiles and took 18 months to construct.
• For the musicians out there: What do the musical notes across the registration desk at Disney’s Port Orleans Resort-French Quarter play out? The first verse of “When the Saints Go Marching In.”
• The giant Big Wheel in the courtyard of the Pop Century Resort can “accommodate” a child rider who weighs up to 877 pounds.
• If you wanted to stay in all the guestrooms in all of the hotels and resorts currently open on Walt Disney World property (at a rate of one per night), it would take more than 68 years.

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Walt Disney seeks tax breaks from Florida

The Walt Disney Co. is seeking tax breaks that it says would help revive plans for a bowling stadium, according to a report by the Orlando Sentinel, but could cost Florida millions of dollars.


Disney and the International Speedway Corp. have a draft proposal to the Florida legislature that has millions of dollars in tax breaks.


Those opposed to the plan say the state should "not have to subsidize the Walt Disney Co., which earned a company-record profit of $4.8 billion during its most recent fiscal year, or ISC, which turned a profit of $54.5 million during its last reported fiscal year," the report on the newspaper website states.

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Smile of The Day: Inside Mickey Mouse's house

In case you miss seeing the inside of Mickey Mouse's house, here's a look at his bedroom.

More Smiles of The Day

• Video of your favorite seagulls
• Video of Mickey and Minnie dancing
• Video of Boardwalk Barker Mr. Potato Head
• Cinderella Castle "The Magic, The Memories and You"

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DIsney Facts: What separates you from the lions

If you happen to be lucky enough to see a lion on the Kilimanjaro Safari ride at the Animal Kingdom, don't worry about it getting all that close. Hidden behind the rock barrier on the road is an 18-foot deep, 21-foot wide moat separating you and the other animals from the lions.

More Disney Facts

Snow White's Grotto at Disneyland

The Disney Ambassador Program

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Star Wars weekends return to Walt Disney World

May and June will see the return of Star Wars Weekends at the Hollywood Studios in Disney World.

The annual special event will be held every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 18 to June 10, according to a Disney news release.

A Disney handout photo showing a Stormtrooper.

"The centerpiece of the celebration is the spectacular 3-D attraction, 'Star Tours – The Adventures Continue.' The attraction, which opened last spring at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, uses eye-popping 3-D, a dramatic musical score and motion simulator-based technology to immerse guests in the Star Wars galaxy like never before," the release reads.

The “Jedi Training Academy,” allows children to learn from a Jedi Master before testing their newly acquired skills in a battle with Darth Vader. In addition, there is a special parade, motorcade and chances to meet various characters.

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Minnie Mouse stars in new song and dance show at Disneyland

Minnie Mouse is being featured in a new song and dance show at Disney's California Adventure starting Feb. 17, according to Disney.

Minnie's Fly Girls Charter Airline will have Minnie and four other cast members singing and dancing to the songs of the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s beneath the control tower across from Soarin' Over California. According to the Disney Parks Blog, guest will have the opportunity to sing and meet Minnie.

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New nighttime show coming to Disneyland - Mad T Party

Concept art from Disney on the new Mad T Party show.

A new nighttime dance show replacing ElecTRONica will premiere this summer at the California Adventure in Disneyland Park, according to the Disney Parks Blog.

The Mad T Party, with a live band, entertainment, games and dancing, brings the characters from Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland" to life. The blog says the the party will "immerse guests in a captivating world that’s filled with exclusive signature foods, beverages" and  - of course - new merchandise.

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Smile of The Day: No Gophers Allowed

This gopher outside The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh Ride
 in the Magic Kingdom in Disney World finds the entire situation a hoot.

More Smiles of The Day

• Video of your favorite seagulls
• Video of Mickey and Minnie dancing
• Video of Boardwalk Barker Mr. Potato Head
• Cinderella Castle "The Magic, The Memories and You"

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Hong Kong Disneyland has best year ever, report states

Hong Kong Disneyland recorded its best financial year ever last year and could turn a profit in 2012, according to a an article on ChinaDaily.com.cn.

The park recorded a 13 percent increase in attendance and hotel occupancy rose 91 percent.  It was the best results since opening in 2005, the report states.

According to the The Standard, one of the reasons for the increase in attendance was the opening of Toy Story Land at the end of last years.

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Here's how you can be chosen for "My Yard Goes DIsney"

The casting call is open for the second season of HGTV's "My Yard Goes Disney"

The Disney Parks Blog, has put up a video explaining how you can "try out" for this.  Essentially you need to send a video introducing your family, show what your family loves about Disney and show off your back yard. You can here to fill out the application.

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Smile of The Day: Prince Charming Regal Carrousel Horses

A ride on the Prince Charming Regal Carrousel gives everyone the opportunity to go round and round on a carrousel built in 1917 by the Philadelphia Toboggan Co.

The attraction is located behind Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom. According to the Disney website, the carrousel was first located at the Detroit Palace Garden Park and then relocated to the Maplewood Olympic Park in New Jersey. Each of the 90 horses went through extensive renovation as well as the carrousel itself with scenes painted from Cinderella.

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DIsney Facts: Tree of Life

It is the the centerpiece and icon of  Disney's Animal Kingdom.

The Tree of Life is the the park's hub. According to Disney, it took more than a year to complete this 145-foot tall focal point. The 50-foot wide tree contains 325 animals carved into the bark, from lemurs to lions to alligators to bears. The 103,000 man-made leaves on the tree were all placed by hand on the structure, which also houses the It's Tough to be a Bug show.

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Dinsey to launch new Disney Junior cable channel for kids

Disney plans to launch a cable channel aimed specifically for kids age 2 to 7 years of age.

Disney Junior is expected to hit the cable channel airwaves on March 23, Gary Marsh, the president and chief creative officer for Disney Channels worldwide announced at the Television Critics Association Press Tour in California.

According to a Disney news release, the normal Disney Junior daily programming will continue on the Disney Channel. The new 24-hour channel will have expanded shows. "This marks the beginning of a sea change in the 'preschool plus' television landscape," Marsh said.

The new channel's schedule will include mainstays like "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" and the "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," as well as new programming.

According to the release, some of the new programming includes:

"Doc McStuffins" – an animated series about a six-year-old girl who communicates with and heals stuffed animals and toys in her backyard clinic.

"A Poem Is…" -- Laura Linney, Viola Davis, John Leguizamo, Jessica Alba, Owen Wilson and Liev Schreiber are among the narrators of the second season of the acclaimed short-form series designed to introduce young children to the beauty of a poem.

"Magical World of Disney Junior" -- a weekend movie night featuring telecasts of Disney's vast array of classic and contemporary movies, including "Beauty and the Beast," "Bambi," "Dumbo," "The Princess and the Frog," "Cars," "Toy Story 2," "Monsters, Inc." and "Aladdin," among others.

"Gaspard and Lisa" -- the adventures of two best friend puppies as they experience the wonders and challenges of school and family life in their Paris neighborhood. Based on the books by Anne Gutman and Georg Hallensleben, "Gaspard and Lisa" is produced by Chorion.

"Guess How Much I Love You" -- an animated series centered on the father-son relationship between Little Nutbrown Hare and Big Nutbrown Hare. Based on the UK picture book, " Guess How Much I Love You" by Sam McBratney and Anita Jeram.

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Disney News in Review: Marathon winner, cruise ship, attractions changing

A Disney marathon winner, Disney family members looking to buy the Dodgers, a new cruise ship ready to go and two attractions closing down for major refurbishments. These are just a few of the Disney stories that have taken place this past week.

Here's a quick couple of weeks in review:

• Brazilian runner Fredison Costa won the Walt Disney World Marathon Sunday for the second straight time. Renee High of Virginia Beach won the woman's title. The marathon wound through all four Disney parks, Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
• The latest Disney Cruise ship floated out of its construction shed at the Meyer-Werft yard in Germany. The ship will be launched on March 31 is 1,115-feet in length with 1,250 staterooms and suites and can hold 4,000 passengers. The ship features Magical Portholes.

• According to The Los Angeles Times, the family of late Roy Disney, Walt's nephew, have formed a partnership with an investment banker to attempt to purchase the Los Angeles Dodgers.
• Dumbo and Test Track close down on Monday, Jan. 9 for major refurbishments. Test Track is changing completely and Dumbo is moving.
• Disney releases four new photos of the Cars Land attraction.
• There's a lot happening in Disney in 2012. Here are the top 12 things to watch.

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Smile of The Day: A balancing act in the France Pavilion

Now this is service. Serveur Amusant, is a balancing act at
 the France Pavilion in Epcot. Two acrobats dressed
as waiters try to set a table and go to great heights to do it.

More Smiles of The Day

• Video of your favorite seagulls
• Video of Mickey and Minnie dancing
• Video of Boardwalk Barker Mr. Potato Head
• Cinderella Castle "The Magic, The Memories and You"

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DIsney Facts: A hippo's life at Animal Kingdom

When you enter the underwater hippopotamus viewing area along the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail in the Animal Kingdom you have the opportunity to see a hippo.

Here are some Hippo Facts: 

• The ancient Greeks named the big, barrel-shaped animal they saw in Africa hippopotamus from the Greek words hippos, meaning "horse" and potamos, meaning "river."
• The animals have four toe.
• They normally spend their time walking alone the bottoms of riverbeds and spend the day resting in the water.
• They are the fourth largest mammals by weight in the works. Only whales, elephants and rhinoceroses weigh more.
• The average adult weighs between 3,300 and 4,000 pounds and is 15 feet long.
• Their skin has a thin epidermis that is protected by a red secretion that acts like sunscreen.

Sources: New World Encyclopedia, Disney Parks Blog, Merriam-Webster Dictionary


More Disney Facts
Snow White's Grotto at Disneyland
The Disney Ambassador Program

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Two big rides closing this weekend at Disney World and Disneyland

Two major attractions will be closing this weekend at Disney World and Disneyland for refurbishment.

This Sunday, Jan. 8, Dumbo is packing  his trunk and getting ready to move from its current location in the Magic Kingdom. The last day for people to enjoy the Dumbo the Flying Elephant ride is this Sunday. The ride is moving as part of the new Fantasyland expansion and will be located in the new Storybook Circus area. The ride will reopen with a twin Dumbo ride and an interactive queue in the Storybook. The ride is listed on the Disney website as being closed from Jan. 9 to Feb. 17 for refurbishment.


Also on Monday, Jan. 9, the Matterhorn Bobsleds at Disneyland will close so the mountain can be fitted with a new bobsleds that are supposed to have three seats in each bobsled and two bobsleds linked together. (Hopefully, the sleeker design will also bring a slightly smoother ride, but that's my hope.)  The attraction is slated to re-open some time this summer, according to Disney.

 In addition to the attractions closing, another major change is taking place on Monday. For the first time in 20 years new music will be added to entryway on Main Street, U.S.A. in Disneyland, according to the Disney Parks Blog.

Over a dozen tunes, including  “Meet Me in St. Louis, Louis,” “In the Good Old Summer Time,” “Alexander’s Ragtime Band,” “Oh You Beautiful Doll,” Scott Joplin’s “Maple Leaf Rag,” and a turn-of-the-last-century arrangement, of Michael Giacchino’s “Married Life” from Disney•Pixar’s “UP” will come over the speakers, Disney reported. You can listen to some of the sample songs here.

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Test Track changing over to Chevrolet cars at Disney World

This fall the Test Track will be getting a makeover.

Under a new long-term commitment from GM, the Test Track in Epcot at Walt Disney World  will be highlighting Chevrolet cars, Disney announced in a news release. The Test Track will close in April and should re-open by the fall of 2012.

 "The re-imagined Test Track Presented by Chevrolet will continue our shared goal of providing unique and innovative experiences that engage Disney guests in exciting and interactive ways,” George Aguel, Senior Vice President, Corporate Alliances for the Walt Disney Company, said in the release.

As part of the makeover, there will be a “Chevrolet Design Center at Epcot” immersing visitors into automotive design. Amid Chevrolet concept cars and model vehicles, guests will be able to work at interactive design and styling stations, where they will be able to create their own custom concept vehicles.

According to the release, guests will then buckle into a 6-person “SimCar” ride vehicle and put the design through its paces on the hills, switchbacks and straight-aways of the Test Track circuit. When complete,  riders then move to a post-show area filled with special effects and be scored on how well the custom concept vehicle did.

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Disney releases new Cars Land photos

The Disney Parks Blog has released four new photos showing the behind the scenes construction taking place at Cars Land in The California Adventure Park at Disneyland.

The photos show construction taking place through Ornament Valley. The Red Rocks look spectacular.

A few days ago someone leaked the video demonstration of the new attraction and placed it on YouTube.The computer simulation takes you through the entire ride, complete with the full voice and music track. The video has since been taken down.

The story behind the ride is a visit to Radiator Springs where you meet Tow Mater, even do some tractor tipping, and head out on the course for a race up to 40 mph through Ornament Valley's Red Rock formations.  But, according to the video, that is only one version of the ride. The person giving the demonstration at the end says there are various voice tracks and there different dialogues from different moments every time someone gets on the ride.

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Smile of The Day: Totem Pole smile at Canada Pavilion

A totem pole outside the Canada Pavilion in Epcot at Walt Disney World.

MORE SMILES OF THE DAY

• Photo of the Dinosaur Smile
• Photo of Dumbo smiling
• A fairy godmother vamps it up
• Taking a ride on the Test Track
• Video of SpectroMagic
• Mo'Rockin performs at Epcot
• Video of The British Invasion

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Cars Land ride video leaked

Looks like someone has leaked the video demonstration of the new Cars Land attraction at the California Adventure in Disneyland. The computer simulation takes you through the entire ride, complete with the full voice and music track.

The story behind the ride is a visit to Radiator Springs where you meet Tow Mater, even do some tractor tipping, and head out on the course for a race up to 40 mph through Ornament Valley's Red Rock formations.  But, according to the video, that is only one version of the ride. The person giving the demonstration at the end says there are various voice tracks and there different dialogues from different moments every time someone gets on the ride.


 

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Disney Facts: Mouse Ears

When laid end to end, there are enough of the famous "Mouse Ear" hats sold each year to stretch 175 miles or cover the head of every man, woman and child in Orange County, Florida.

Also, if you stacked the number of standard autograph books sold annually it would match the height of 200 Cinderella Castles. Add the princess-style autograph books and , end to end, the books would reach 88 miles into space.

MORE DISNEY FACTS

• How much you eat at Disney World
• How big is Disney World?
• A look at the Epcot Innoventions Fountains
• The scoop on the Fantasmic! Dragon
• Disneyland Dining By The Numbers

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Smile of The Day: Puff Fish stare

The puff fish outside the Living Seas in Epcot.

MORE SMILES OF THE DAY

• Photo of the Dinosaur Smile
• Photo of Dumbo smiling
• A fairy godmother vamps it up
• Taking a ride on the Test Track
• Video of SpectroMagic
• Mo'Rockin performs at Epcot
• Video of The British Invasion

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