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.

                                                                                         © Disney

According to an article in the Orlando Sentinel, Disney expects to retrofit all of 26,000 hotel rooms on property by the end of the next year. Work should soon begin at Disney's Contemporary Resort starting this month.

According to the article, the new key system also is convenient because the cards can be reprogrammed by remote control so if there is a problem or you need to change rooms, there is no reason to walk back to the front desk.

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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 by the Themed Entertainment Association and the Economics practice at AECOM.

Without Harry Potter, North America attendance grew by 1.6 percent. "That 1.6 percent figure points to continued, slow economic recovery from the recession and modest attendance growth for most parks, in a mature market. This is seen not just in park attendance figures but also in tourism numbers," the report states.

Even with the success of Harry Potter, Disney is still the gold standard when it comes to theme parks, filling the top eight spots on the list.

Disney World's Magic Kingdom remains the most visited park in the world with Disneyland behind it, followed by the two Tokyo Disney parks.

Here's how the parks stack up.

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Disney World increases ticket prices June 3

                                © Steven Liebman

Disney 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 days from $55 to $57. It remains the same for one-day Park Hopper at $35.

Annual pass holders will see a $55 increase to $574.

Because Disney World has a large amount of ticket combinations with Park Hopper, Water Park and No Expiration add-ons, the amounts of the increase will depend upon what you decide.

The specific price chart can be found here.

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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 inspired by Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom and the topiaries of the Fantasia Gardens miniature golf course. 

Future episodes include designs inspired by Ariel's Undersea Adventure at Disneyland with a rock slide and an underground viewing window for the pool and an Animal Kingdom makeover with a pool-connected treehouse zip line and sandpit for digging dinosaur fossils.

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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 adventure? The rides: Jungle Cruise, Pirates of the Caribbean, Splash Mountain, Liberty Square Riverboat, it’s a small world, Norway’s Maelstrom, Living With the Land, El Rio del Tiempo (River of Time), Kali River Rapids and the raft ride across the Rivers of America to Tom Sawyer Island. And, although there is no actual water involved, we'll accept one more: the flying pirate ships of Peter Pan's Flight.

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Dates set for Halloween and Christmas parties at Disney World

The holidays are some of the best times to visit Walt Disney World with the parks all decked out for Halloween and Christmas.

Now, Disney has announced the dates for this year's Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and that tickets are on sale now.

Both of these after hour parties take place at Magic Kingdom. Normally the park closes to those without tickets at 7 p.m. Select rides usually remain open with special themed parades, performances and fireworks. In the case of the Halloween party, there are even places for trick or treating.

                                                                                                  © Steven Liebman
The Boo to You Halloween Parade during Mickey's Not-So-Scary
Halloween Party at the Magic Kingdom.

The Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party dates are as follows:

• September 11, 14, 18, 21, 25, 28 and 30
• October 4, 5, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18, 21, 23, 25, 26, 28, 30 and 3
• November 2

Tickets range from $50.95 to $64.95 depending on the dates.

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party dates, with the bonus hot cocoa and cookies: are as follows:

• November 9, 12, 15, 16, 25, 27, 29 and 30
• December 2, 4, 6, 7, 9, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20 and 21

Tickets range from $59.95 to $67.95 depending on the dates.

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Disney Facts: How much water is used at Disney World

Everywhere you look around Walt Disney World in Florida, you see water. Whether it is the lakes, canals, pools, water parks, fountains or rides, water plays a major role at the park.

                                                                       © Steven Liebman

Here's a look at how much water plays a role at Disney by the numbers:

2.385 billion: Gallons of water in Bay Lake and the adjoining Seven Seas Lagoon.
1,350: Gallons per minute each jet nozzle puts out to propel riders on the Crush ‘n’ Gusher "water coaster"  at Typhoon Lagoon.

850: Acres of lakes on the property

600: The number of people who can ride aboard one of the ferry boats which cross the Seven Seas Lagoon between Magic Kingdom and the Transportation and Ticket Center. 

500+: The number of watercraft that can be rented at Disney World.

120: The number of feet one plunges down on Summit Plummet at Blizzard Beach.

66: The miles of canals on the property.

57 (for now, soon to be 58): The number of pools to enjoy at the Disney resorts.

Source: Walt Disney Corporation

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Opening dates for new Fantasyland in Disney World

                                          Photo by David Roark/Walt Disney

The first phase of "Dumbo the Flying Elephant" 

opened on March 12, 2002.

Opening dates for the next phases of the new Fantasyland have been announced and it looks like if youare heading down for the holidays you will find most of the new attractions operating.

In July, the second Dumbo The Flying Elephant will open along with the indoor interactive area serving both "Dumbo" rides and the "Casey Jr. Splash 'N' Soak Station."

"The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train" ride will open in 2014,

In time for the holidays, which is very vague but usually means by November, the "Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid," "Enchanted Tales with Belle," Be Our Guest Restaurant, Gaston’s Tavern and "Ariel’s Grotto" should be open.

“Fantasyland is a place where a very special kind of memory is made: where children just old enough to understand the moment come in contact with princesses and heroes and meet their most beloved friends,” Meg Crofton, president, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations, United States and France, said in a news release.

Last month, the New Fantasyland opened the first of the two "Dumbo" rides, a new train station and "The Barnstormer" family coaster, formerly the "The Great Goofini" ride.

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New Splitsville in Disney World will be largest in nation

The new Splitsville luxury bowling and dinner lounge at Downtown Disney in Disney World is going to span two levels and be the largest in the country, according to the Disney Parks blog.

The 50,000-square-foot facility will feature 30 bowling lanes and have outdoor seating and billiards tables. It's expected to open in the Fall of 2012.

The restaurant/bowling facility, located on the west side of Downtown Disney near the AMC theaters, will serve upscale food and beverages as well.

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Tips on drinking around the Monorail at Disney World

Every time I go to Disney World I’m on the lookout for two kinds of experiences: the new and the adult-oriented.

I’ve been visiting WDW with my husband at least once a year for the past 20 years, so finding new things to do can be a challenge. The same is true for finding grown-up things to do; it seems like even the most adult-oriented experiences are skewing younger every year.

I’d been hearing about the Monorail Pub Crawl (or “drinking around the Monorail”) for a few years, but we hadn’t taken the plunge. Naturally we’ve tried our hands at different variation on drinking around the World Showcase at Epcot -- beers around the World, wines around the World, the many tequilas of Mexico. So the Monorail Pub Crawl seemed like a natural for us.

Coincidentally, we were visiting WDW at the same time as several friends, so our Pub Crawl became a fabulous social event. But it would also be a great date night if you’re there on your own or can leave the kids with a sitter.

Take a spin around the Monorail with us:

Outer Rim, Contemporary

We gathered at the Outer Rim, a small lounge on the Contemporary’s fourth floor concourse, overlooking Bay Lake. The Outer Rim serves the standard WDW cocktail menu, but the Jetsons-style standby, the Blue Glow-tini, is perfectly appropriate. Admittedly it’s over-priced at about $10, but we wanted to set the mood for our pub crawl, so the Glow-tini was the order of the day. If you haven’t experienced one, the Glow-tini is a concoction of Skyy Infusions Citrus Vodka, Peach Schnapps, Blue Curacao and pineapple juice, lit from within by a souvenir glow cube.

The Outer Rim (open 4:30-10:30 p.m.) isn’t the most memorable stop on the Pub Crawl, so feel free to make it a quick stop. If you’re meeting friends, it’s a handy meeting place.

The Contemporary has two other options for pub crawling: the Wave bar and the California Grill lounge. The Wave bar is nice and quiet -- a rare respite from the madness of WDW. The California grill can be just the opposite. It’s a madhouse for at least an hour before the fireworks and 30 minutes or so after. If you miss that window, though, you can still enjoy the beautiful view -- and you may even get a seat to rest your weary feat. If you got an early start and you can fit in a fourth stop before 10, when both these places close, you can end your night with a fourth stop back at the Contemporary and get a taste of a second bar.

Tambu Lounge, Polynesian

The Lapu Lapu cocktail

We timed our trip so we could catch the fireworks from the Polynesian. We craned our necks from the lounge area, but if you wander down to the beach, there’s a beautiful view from there.

The lounge is bustling and crowded, but in a festive way. It may be hard to find a seat, but it will be worth the wait.

Tambu is the rare Disney lounge that actually does have a signature drink: the lapu lapu, Myers’s Original Dark rum and tropical fruit juices topped with Bacardi 151 rum and served in a flamboyant fresh pineapple, complete with cocktail umbrella. My husband blithely ordered one of these beauties assuming it wouldn’t pack much of a punch. After all, the Glow-tini hadn’t given him much of a glow. Boy, was he wrong. This is a serious drink (especially for a guy who’s not a hard drinker).

I ordered another drink that isn’t exclusive to the Tambu Lounge but seemed suitable to the environment: The Eco-tini. Made of VeeV Acai Liquor, Triple Sec, Agave Nectar, ginger and lemon juice, this sexy martini is served with a souvenir Acai seed bracelet. Very cute.

If you want to linger, the Tambu Lounge is the last of our Monorail pubs to close, with last call at midnight.

The Eco-tini cocktail

Mizner’s Lounge, the Grand Floridian

It would be easy to sink into one of the plush chairs at Mizner’s and stay all night, so it’s a good thing we made this our last stop.

Mizner’s demands old-fashioned libations, like Old-Fashioneds, bourbon or scotch on the rocks. It’s also a fabulous place for a brandy or a spiked coffee. Mizner’s also has a great wine list, if that’s your thing. So forget the canned cocktail menu and let the spirits move you.

If you get there by 10, you also can enjoy the Grand Floridian’s jazz band or take in the fireworks from the beach.

This was by far my favorite stop on our pub crawl. It wasn’t the first time we’ve been to Mizner’s; we often stop in before dinner at Citrico’s or Narcoose’s (or -- just once -- at Victoria and Albert’s). So we knew we would sink in and be comfortable.


We lingered at Mizner’s late into the evening -- as late as possible, given the 11 p.m. closing time -- and finally shared a cab back to our resort with our friends.

More Monorail Pub Crawl tips:

• Watch the timing for fireworks. (Here’s the Magic Kingdom calendar. Click on the day to see the full entertainment schedule.) There are great views from the beach at the Polynesian, as well as obstructed view from inside near the Tambu Lounge. You can also see them from the beach at the Grand Floridian. Both are romantic spots, if this is date night. 
• Make sure the Magic Kingdom is open late so the Monorail is running. The resort Monorail typically runs until an hour after park closing. If you’re not staying at a Monorail resort, if the Magic Kingdom is open late you’ll be able to take a bus from there back to your resort. 
• Cabs are easy to get, so if you don’t want to take a bus back from your last stop, it’s easy to get a ride. Whatever you do, don’t drive. 
• Do the pub crawl at Christmas and you get the added bonus of visiting the beautiful Grand Floridian when it’s all decked out for the holidays, and you can stop by the gingerbread house.

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Smile of The Day: Woody Celebrating It

Woody riding on a Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Parade party float at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World.

                                                                                                                                    © Steven Liebman

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Voices of Liberty coming to Disneyland

The Voices of Liberty is coming to Disneyland.

The 8-part a cappella group who perform in the rotunda of the American Adventure Pavilion in Epcot at Disney World will now have a counterpart at Disneyland, the Disney Parks blog announced.

The group, which performs such Americana songs such as "Ol' Man River," "Yankee Doodle" and "Amazing Grace," will be seen at the Main Street Opera House in Disneyland. During the holidays, the group performs many Christmas classics, such as the one below.

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Walt Disney archives to go on exhibit at Reagan Library

More than 500 items from the Walt Disney Archives will go on display at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum from July 6 to April of 2013.

This is one of the largest exhibitions to be curated by the archives at 12,000 square feet, according to a news release.

"Ronald Reagan and Walt Disney were longtime friends, two optimists who shared an unwavering belief in the essential goodness of the American way of life," Bob Iger, chairman and CEO, The Walt Disney Company said in the release.

Reagan was one of the co-hosts of ABC TV's live coverage of the opening of Disneyland on July 17, 1955.

The exhibit is being presented by D23: The Official Disney Fan Club and the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library. Among the items to be featured are:

• The original script, written by Walt Disney, for Mickey Mouse's film debut in 1928's "Steamboat Willie."
• A recreation of Walt Disney's formal office from the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, Calif., including original furnishings and many of his personal items.
• Hand-drawn artwork and hand-sculpted models used in the production of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Pinocchio," "Fantasia," "Bambi" and "Sleeping Beauty."
• Props from "Mary Poppins," "20,000 Leagues Under the Sea," "The Absent-Minded Professor," "The Shaggy Dog," "Babes in Toyland," and "Bedknobs and Broomsticks."
• Props, costumes, and set pieces from the Pirates of the Caribbean films, Tim Burton's "Alice in Wonderland," "TRON: Legacy," "National Treasure" and "Captain America."
• Sculptured busts of all 44 U.S. Presidents that were created for Audio-Animatronics figures seen in the The Hall of Presidents attraction at the Magic Kingdom at Disney World.
• A salute to Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom at Disney World showcasing theme park artwork, Audio-Animatronics® characters, memorabilia, and authentic attraction vehicles

For information visit the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum online at www.reaganlibrary.com, or www.Disney.com/D23. Admission to the exhibition is included with the purchase of admission to the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Museum. 

The Ronald Reagan Library and Museum is located in Simi Valley, Calif., about 60 minutes north of downtown Los Angeles and approximately two hours north of Disneyland.

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New time-lapse video of the Fantasyland Construction

Disney released this new video of how the Fantasyland construction is going at Walt Disney World.

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Disney Facts: At Disney nothing is wasted

At Disney World nothing is wasted.

Recycling and water reclamation are a big part of the World with more than 92,000 tons of materials recycled in 2010, Disney reported in a new release.

About 80 percent of the water used for irrigation and about 30 percent of the water used for the overall operation of the resort is from reclaimed water. That's more than 2 billion gallons of reclaimed water, enough to fill up Spaceship Earth about 129 times.

All the leftover food from the resort kitchens does not go to waste either -- it goes to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida. Nearly 369,000 pounds of food went to central Florida residents in 2010.

And even the "waste" from the animals at the Animal Kingdom does not go to waste. More than 4,680 tons of manure was sent to the compost facility in 2010, producing more than 9,000 tons of compost throughout the year.

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Disney World unveils new PhotoPass system

Disney today unveiled its new Disney PhotoPass+ system in which you can get all the photos from your visit as well well photos taken on select rides and character dining experiences

For $199.95 you get "all your PhotoPass photos, Attraction photos, and Dining photos taken within a 14 day visit to Walt Disney as well as Print Packages at select Dining locations," according to the Disney PhotoPass Facebook page.

The package will be sold at various locations in the park at Disney World and is good for up to a 14-day visit. So if you want it,  get it done early so when you go on rides like Splash Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror and get those photos.

Also if you head to character dining at a few locations, you can get all the photos take their as well.

So, this is what you get for your $200:

• PhotoPass+ Card and Lanyard
• A gallery CD with over 400 stock photos
• The ability to order a PhotoCD with all your photos online at DisneyPhotoPass.com
• Print Packages at select Dining locations
• Digital Downloads of select Attractions

You can get the specific attractions and character dining locations on the Facebook page.

You can still get photos ala carte, but could be quite expensive.

Now, is it worth the price? That's going to depend upon a lot of factors. It's a lot of money, but if you plan to stand in line and take a lot of photos with the Disney photographers and want some fairly good quality photos, it might be, especially if you have a large family. The great thing about this is that you can get the attraction photos instead of having to shell out the extra bucks.

I'm curious how this is going to work and what everyone thinks about this new deal.

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Disney Facts: Art of Animation Resort by the numbers

Disney has announced the Art of Animation resort will open My 31 with the Finding Nemo wing. That will be followed by the Cars wing opening June 18, The Lion King wing Aug. 10 and the Little Mermaid wing Sept. 15.

Here's a look at the resort by the numbers:

529,000: The number of square feet of ceramic tiles on the project, enough to cover a standard two-lane road four miles long.

310,000: The number of gallons in the Nemo pool, making it the largest pool on Disney property, not counting water parks.

227,000: The number of lineal feet of carpet, which is enough to stretch from downtown Orlando to the Kennedy Space Center on the Atlantic coast.

23,000: The number of gallons of paint, enough to fill a typical backyard swimming pool.

2,300: The number of parking spaces.

27: The number of acres of landscaping and irrigation at the resort is the equivalent of 20 football fields.

Source: Disney Resorts

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Smile of The Day: Lion King topiary

In honor of this year's 19th Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival starting March 7 we are going to spend the next month highlighting topiaries.

The first is Rafiki with baby Simba in the famous pose from the beginning of "The Lion King."

                                                                                                       © Steven Liebman

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Smile of The Day: Ursula

Another photo from the vault: Ursula waves during a 2003 parade at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

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Couple plans to be at Disneyland and Disney World on Leap Day

You may know of people who are planning to head to Disney World or Disneyland to take part in the special 24-hour opening of the parks on Leap Day. But both parks in the same day?

Yes, a Washington, D.C., couple plans to head to the Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort and then to Disneyland park to partake in the "One More Day" promotion, according to the Orange County Register.

Randi Teague and his wife Andy Bullard, who have annual passes at both resorts, will head to Florida Tuesday and stay at the Contemporary Resort where they plan to be at the Magic Kingdom for its 6 a.m. opening.

Then they will catch a 6:47 p.m. flight to LAX. They anticipate getting to the Grand Californian Hotel by 9 p.m. and hope to get into Disneyland park by midnight so they can say they went to both parks in the same day.

Teague, who is a lawyer for a hotel company, did not know, or would not tell the OC Register, what the final cost of the trip will be. Bullard works for a nonprofit organization.

If you want to see how their day is going, you can follow Teague and Bullard's journey on their Facebook page, called Coast to Coast – One More Disney Day, and on their Twitter accounts: @ovechkitty and @redrusty75.

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