Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort getting an upgrade

Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa in Walt Disney World is getting a bit of a makeover focusing on — of course — the horse world, according to the latest issue of Disney Files Magazine.

From bed spreads and throw pillows to drapes and carpets, workers are starting to install the new items throughout the resort.

According to the magazine, the bed spread patterns depict horses in a forest with characters from the movie "The Fox and the Hound."

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Disney resorts and hotels getting new TV lineup

Disney Resort hotels and Disney Vacation Club Resorts will have expanded television lineups in place by this spring, according to the latest issue of Disney Files Magazine.

In addition to what seems to be unlimited channels detailing what you can do in the parks, channels like Bravo, HGTV and Fox News will be added. Here's a list of the channels which will be available:

NETWORK
ABC, CBS, CW, FOX, NBC, PBS

NEWS
CNBC, CNN, Fox News, HLN MSNBC, The Weather Channel

SPORTS
CBS College Sports, ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN Classic, ESPN Deportes, ESPN News, ESPN U, Golf Channel, NBC Sports Network, NFL Network

ENTERTAINMENT
ABC Family, A&E, AMC, Animal Planet, BET, Bio, BRAVO, CMT, Cooking, Discovery, Disney, Disney Junior, Disney XD, Food, HGTV, History, Lifetime, Lifetime Movie Network, National Geographic Channel, Oxygen, Planet Green, SyFy, TBS, TLC, TNT, Travel Channel, TV Land, USA, WE

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Homemade movie trailer for Disney's it's a small world ride

We all love movie trailers. Here's one we made a year ago based on it's a small world ride. Enjoy. We have a few more coming.

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Mariah Carey christens Disney Fantasy

Mariah Carey joins Walt Disney Company President and
CEO Robert A. Iger (right), Walt Disney Parks and
Resorts Chairman Thomas O. Staggs and Mickey Mouse
 for the christening of the newest ship.
Photo by Matt Stroshane/Disney, photographer

Mariah Carey christened the latest Disney Cruise ship in a star-studded event Thursday night at a Manhattan Cruise Terminal, according to a news release.

Named godmother of the Disney Fantasy, Carey led the audience in a countdown that triggered a 6-foot bottle of champagne to erupt and shower onlookers with confetti and streamers as her husband, entertainer Nick Cannon, and Minnie Mouse broke a real bottle of champagne against the side of the ship.

An hour-long show with performances by Jerry Seinfeld, Neil Patrick Harris and Heather Headley preceded the christening.

"The Disney Fantasy is a spectacular addition to our fleet and builds on the creativity, innovation and artistry that are hallmarks of the Disney Cruise Line," Walt Disney Company President and CEO Bob Iger said in a statement.

The Disney Fantasy is the fourth ship in the Disney Cruise Line fleet, joining Disney Magic (maiden voyage in 1998), Disney Wonder (maiden voyage in 1999) and Disney Dream (maiden voyage in 2011).

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Smile of The Day: Toy Story soldiers on night maneuvers

There are always great photography opportunities around Disney World at night. Sometimes, all you need to do is look up. Here at Hollywood Studios are the toy soldiers from "Toy Story" on top of a building in the Pixar section of the park.

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No plans yet to build Disneyland Dubai

Could Disneyland Dubai be next?

Not just yet, but you never know about the future, according to a report on Zawya, a Middle East and North Africa business website.

On a recent trip to Dubai to promote the 20th anniversary of Disneyland Paris, Julian Munoz, the director of marketing and sales at Disneyland Paris, talked with officials in the United Arab Emirates, but no plans evolved.

"We have been here for the past few days and held talks with officials. But there is no plan as yet; but who knows what happens in future," Munoz is quoted as saying.

Let's remember Dubai already is a place of excess. It's home to the world's tallest building and the world's biggest mall, to skyscrapers built in the shape of ship's sail and man-made islands shaped like palms. Could you imagine the size of the Disneyland castle that would be built?

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Disney Facts: Disney's theme park technological firsts

From ride vehicles to fireworks displays to interactive virtual technology systems, Disney has been in the forefront of evolving technologies.

Random free-fall programming
at Twlight Zone Tower of Terror
is one of the patents.

Disney holds patents that deal with advancements in robotic figures, safety systems and even marine mammal communications (yes, they patented a device which allows a dolphin to activate a switch and associate it with a word).

Walt Disney Imagineering has been granted more than 100 patents since before the opening of Disneyland in 1955, according to the company.

Here is a timeline, according to Disney, of some of the theme parks' technological firsts:

1955: A 360-degree motion picture technology that employs multiple synchronized camerasis used for Circarama, U.S.A., in Disneyland. This is later updated for multiple attractions, including Le Visionarium at Disneyland Paris in 1992.

1959: The Matterhorn Bobsleds in Disneyland is the first roller coaster to use cylindrical rails and urethane wheels. Also at Disneyland, the first daily operating monorail system in the U.S. is christened.

1963: The creation of Audio-Animatronics figures, which allow humans, animals and creatures to be animated in three dimensions, is seen at Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room in Disneyland. (Here is a more compete history of Audio-Animatronic figures.)

1975: The first computer-controlled thrill ride, Space Mountain, opens at the Magic Kingdom.

1982: An advanced 3-D motion picture photography system debuts at Magic Journeys in Epcot. It is later enhanced and used in multiple attractions, including Mickey’s PhilharMagic in the Magic Kingdom.

1994: The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror employs random free-fall programming at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

1995: Ride vehicles that move through three-dimensional environments with a capacity for random motion-simulator effects are used in the Indiana Jones Adventure in Disneyland.

A virtual hang-gliding experience at Soarin' is another
patent awarded to Disney.

2000: Trackless vehicles follow a random path by relying on unseen transmitters in the floor at Pooh’s Hunny Hunt in Tokyo Disneyland.

2001: A virtual hang-gliding experience provides a panoramic view of sweeping landscapes augmented by scents released during key scenes in Soarin’ Over California at Disney California Adventure.

2003: A ride system combining centrifuge technology with virtual imagery takes you on an adventure to Mars in Mission: SPACE at Epcot.

2004: A blend of digital projection and voice-activated, real-time animation allows for unscripted conversations between theme park guests and an animated character in Turtle Talk With Crush at Epcot.

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