Vision House to open at Epcot in April

Green Builder Media's Vision House exhibit at Innoventions in Epcot at Disney World is slated to open in April and the company this week announced new product categories for the attraction.

The purpose of the Vision House "is to engender sustainable thinking,” Green Builder Media CEO Sara Gutterman said in a news release. "We anticipate that each visitor leaves the exhibit with specific ideas that can help them make their homes and lives more resource efficient and environmentally responsible.”

The interactive exhibit will involve whole-home automation, energy generation and efficiency, water conservation, indoor environment quality, security, integrated multi-generational design, and durability.

Products to be shown will include: doors from Pella, hardwood flooring and cabinets from Armstrong World Industries, electronic vehicle charging station by Siemens; Chevy Volt electric vehicle by GM; high efficiency heating and cooling systems and controls by Ingersoll Rand; durable and environmentally friendly exterior systems by Boral; ventilation solutions to improve indoor air quality by Panasonic; water-conserving fixtures, by Kohler; Energy Star appliances by Bosch and LED lighting by Sylvania.

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Disney Parks and Resorts see revenues increase

Disney theme parks and resorts saw first quarter increases of 10 percent to $3.2 billion, according to the Walt Disney Co. first quarter  earnings report.

Higher operating income at Disney World and Disneyland were driven by increased guest spending and attendance, partially offset by increased costs. Increased guest spending reflected higher average ticket prices and food and beverage spending, the report stated.

"Higher costs reflected labor cost inflation across our domestic parks and resorts, enhancement costs including investments in systems infrastructure and higher employee benefits costs at Walt Disney World Resort, and new guest offerings at Disneyland Resort including the expansion of Disney California Adventure," the report said.

Higher operating income at Disney Cruise Line was due to a full period of operations of the Disney Dream, which launched at the end of January 2011.

Higher operating income at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort was offset by lower results at Disneyland Paris. "The increase at Hong Kong Disneyland Resort reflected increased guest spending, driven by higher average ticket prices, daily hotel room rates, and food, beverage and merchandise spending, and increased attendance. Lower operating income at Disneyland Paris was driven by labor cost inflation and the absence of real estate sales which occurred in the prior-year quarter, partially offset by increased attendance and guest spending. Higher guest spending at Disneyland Paris was driven by increased average daily hotel room rates," the report stated.

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Smile of The Day: Tigger on Parade

Tigger taking a walk during a parade at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World in 2005.

MORE SMILES OF THE DAY

• Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy on stage
• A tiger stretching at Animal Kingdom
• Video of Mickey and Minnie on a Celebration parade float
• Peter Pan's Flight
• A view of Grizzly Peak in California Adventure
• Free Kitten T-shirt on The Jungle Cruise

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Ride fails at Hong Kong Disneyland stranding dozens in mid-air

A jump-style ride malfunctioned on Monday at Hong Kong Disneyland leaving three dozen people stranded in mid-air, according to The Standard of Hong Kong.

This was the second incident involving The Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop in 10 days. According to The Standard, the passengers were stranded for only a short time after the safety mechanism was activated due to a signaling fault. It was restarted about 45 minutes later.

The ride, located in Toy Story Land, had another failure on Jan. 28 when about 30 passengers were trapped after a safety mechanism was activated.

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Disney Facts: How Expedition Everest village was built

It is called the village of Serka Zong.

The base of Expedition Everest in Disney's Animal Kingdom is the home to this mythical village that those entering the ride first visit. The three-story pagoda-type building, was hand carved with 1,000 yeti images in Nepal, then shipped, aged and re-assembled in Animal Kingdom, according to Disney.

"The village includes Norbu and Bob’s Himalayan Escapes booking office, Tashi’s General Store and Bar, an old tea warehouse turned yeti museum, the elaborate wood and copper mandir, local homes and a towering monastery," according to Disney public relations.

About 8,000 props were purchased, mostly from Nepal, for the attraction. The artifacts include a Mani Rimdu dance costume typically worn by a monk during a two-week festival, a 3-D yeti stamp from Bhutan, yeti dolls, a Nepalese coke bottle, antique Chinese ceramics and waterproof barrels designed for mountain treks.

The architectural style and cultural references of the village are a hybrid of Tibetan, Nepalese and other design traditions found throughout the Himalayas.

Photographs from Imagineer Jeff Rohde, which he took for reference, are hung all over the village's museum.




MORE DISNEY FACTS

• A look at Expedition Everest
• Secrets of The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• How much the animals eat at Animal Kingdom
• Behind the scenes at how Animal Kingdom was landscaped
• A look at Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

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Smile of The Day: Cinderella Castle decked out for 50th anniversary

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Disneyland and the theme parks, in 2005, Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World was decked out with a special sign and had characters from all the movies places as statues around the castle. We've opened our vault here and have re-released these photos.

Cinderella Castle decked out or the 50th anniversary of Disneyland in 2005.

Sir Hiss, the snake from Disney's 1973 animated film "Robin Hood."

The rabbit from "Alice in Wonderland" and
 young Simba and Pumba from "The Lion King."

MORE SMILES OF THE DAY

• Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Goofy on stage
• A tiger stretching at Animal Kingdom
• Video of Mickey and Minnie on a Celebration parade float
• Peter Pan's Flight
• A view of Grizzly Peak in California Adventure
• Free Kitten T-shirt on The Jungle Cruise

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Disney releases photo of Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning in Disney World

The day after leading the Giants over the New England Patriots 21-17 in Super Bowl XLVI, Giants quarterback Eli Manning participated in a parade down Main Street U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom in Disney World.

Disney released a photo of Manning riding in a red convertible. He flew to Orlando in the morning from Indianapolis and will be in New York City on Tuesday for the celebration parade in Manhattan down the Canyon of Heroes.

Disney has released more photos of the visit here.

Photo released by Disney, taken by Gene Duncan.

Immediately after winning the Super Bowl , Manning looked into the camera and said the magical words "I'm going to Disney World" for the commercial.  Manning is now the fifth person to appear in the  marketing campaign twice. The others are: Joe Montana (1989 and 1990), Emmitt Smith (1994 and 1996), John Elway (1998 and 1999) and Tom Brady (2002 and 2004).

Here is a look at the history of the "I'm going to Disney World" campaign and how Phil Simms started it all off when the Giants beat the Denver Broncos in the 1987 Super Bowl 39-20.

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