VoluntEars Spread Holiday Cheer

The Walt Disney Company has always been one to participate in charities and help those that are less fortunate. When you’re visiting the Orlando theme parks you see the smiling faces of cast members and realize Walt Disney World really is the happiest place on Earth. There are a lot of fortunate people that get to go to the Disney theme parks throughout the year, but there are people that never get to travel, let alone have a safe place they can call their own.

Homelessness is affecting the United States like never before, especially with the economic recession that we have been undergoing. People have lost their jobs and even their homes because of layoffs and other reasons—but the Walt Disney Company would never ignore the less fortunate. Over Thanksgiving, chefs from various Disney resorts came together with the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida to prepare meals for over 600 people. These people, which includes families, women, children and men, were all fed a traditional Thanksgiving dinner prepared by Disney chefs. Chef Tony Marotta oversaw the entire project.

Monthly, the Coalition for the Homeless of Central Florida prepares about 750 meals for the homeless in the area, but for the special Thanksgiving day feast, the chefs had to start two days in advance. It was a lot of hard work, but important work, as Disney firmly believes in the idea of VoluntEars and helping the community.

“When you see homelessness in the media, you are moved to humility and compassion, but when you see homelessness in person, you are moved to action,” said Trevor Larsen, WDW vice president of engineering services and manufacturing, who serves on the Coalition board. “There are plenty of ways people can help. Come meet these adults and children in need and get involved.”

If you want to get into the giving spirit, you can always volunteer at a homeless shelter or other charity foundation yourself. Don’t forget Disney is doing the Give a Day Get a Day program! If you volunteer and sign up on the website, all you need is proof of your day of service to get a free admission into the Magic Kingdom or any other Disney theme park!

Aquatica Ready to Expand

It seems that all of the Orlando theme parks are stepping it up by adding new attractions, rides and expanding the size of their parks! Over at Universal Studios’ Islands of Adventure they’re getting ready to launch the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in the spring of 2010. The Walt Disney World Resort has confirmed a massive expansion of Fantasyland over at the Magic Kingdom, and now the beautiful Aquatica park has announced they will join in on the expansion trend by adding new rides to Aquatica in 2010.

Aquatica is a gorgeous water park that is considered part of the SeaWorld theme park family. It spans over 60 acres and features 36 water slides, 3 drop raft slides, cannon bowls, a six story family raft slide and more. While Orlando may be in Central Florida, Aquatica has 80,000 square feet of beautiful sandy beaches that even feature private cabanas and waterside waiter service for those of you wanting to be catered to. This great park, which caters to water park enthusiasts of all ages, is open all year round thanks to our great Florida weather. Not only will you see great water slides and a beautiful “beach,” you will also see an amazing array of interesting animals like exotic fish, Commerson’s Dolphins, spoonbills, and cookabura birds. When you’re hungry you can eat at the Banana Beach Cookout, where it’s always time for a poolside BBQ, or grab a quick bite at the Mango Market.

As for that expansion trend, Aquatica will be adding four new waterslides for those of you that can’t get enough of the thrilling rides, and we have the details on two of them! The Twin Tornado walls will feature V-shaped slides that shoot riders in 6 person inflatable rafts up a vertical wall thanks to innovative hydro-magnetic technology. The Topsy Turvy is a 40 foot pipeline style ride that fits a 2 person inner tube. You can either ride the 285’ long track that features 2 funnels or zoom down the 460’ long track that features 4 funnels. 2010 looks like it’s going to be fantastic for the Aquatica park.

Tyra and Tiana’s Disney Adventure

Supermodel Tyra Banks has never been one to keep quiet about issues she feels passionate about, especially when it comes to her heritage. So for Tyra, like many other African-American celebrities, the arrival of Disney’s newest princess is a milestone both in Disney history and in their own life. Anika Noni Rose, the beautiful voice of Princess Tiana, was brought to tears at the sight of the first Princess Tiana doll, proclaiming that now little girls all over the world had an African-American princess to represent them. It was an emotional moment and a great moment for the newest Disney star, and we’re sure we’re going to here plenty of great stories about Princess Tiana’s impact once The Princess and the Frog is released on December 11th, 2009!

In honor of the new movie, Tyra filmed her trip to the Orlando theme parks area where she took three little girls to the Walt Disney World Resort. On this special trip, the three girls, mom, and Tyra all got to attend a very special tea party in their honor at the Magic Kingdom, where they met none other than Princess Tiana. The special visit will be the highlight of an upcoming episode of The Tyra Show during sweeps week. We’re glad Tyra decided to spotlight our very own Walt Disney World Resort when she chose to bring these three lucky families to visit Tiana and the Magic Kingdom, since there are so many great things going on right now!

Tomorrowland’s Transit Authority and Space Mountain finally opened with brand new additions and technology. In order to promote The Princess and the Frog you can catch Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee over in Frontierland and for a special time only, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is bringing holiday joy to Disney guests from around the world. Get your discount Disney tickets for the party and make sure you stop by to see the Magic Kingdom converted into a holiday wonderland.

We’re sure Tyra and the girls had a great time with Princess Tiana, and we’re sure The Princess and the Frog will do great in theaters. Make sure you go see it and take your friends!

Happy Birthday Mickey Mouse

This is a very special week in the world of Disney. Everyone’s favorite mouse, loved all over the world by kids and adults, is celebrating his 81st birthday this week! Walt Disney and his animator pal Ub Iwerks created the lovable Mickey Mouse all the way back in 1928. While Mickey began as a silent black and white cartoon in “Plane Crazy,” where he tries to fly a plane and sneak a kiss with Minnie Mouse at the same time, his official debut is considered to be in the musical cartoon “Steamboat Willie.” Disney aficionados will recognize the familiar image of Mickey steering a giant steamboat as he whistles along, and some may say it was with that cartoon that the empire of Walt Disney began. Who knew, way back then, that a little cartoon about a mouse would spawn the incredible Disney theme parks in Orlando and all over the world?

There’s a famous quote by Walt Disney that goes: “I only hope that we never lose sight of one thing — that it was all started by a mouse.” It couldn’t be a more honest and even fascinating statement. That little mouse trying to sneak a kiss and steer a steamboat gave birth to a company that would create Disneyland in Anaheim, California and the Walt Disney World Resort right here in Orlando. There are now Disney Parks all over the world including Tokyo, Paris and soon Shanghai. How can we forget the classic movies? From Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Aladdin, The Little Mermaid and The Lion King to the brand new The Princess and the Frog, which features Disney’s first Black princess, Tiana!

There are also great television projects like The Mickey Mouse Club, which was where stars like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Justin Timberlake got their start. The Disney Channel expanded to produce a new level of teen stars with performers like Miley Cyrus, The Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato and Selena Gomez. Along with the great shows and theme parks, there are also special events where Mickey and Minnie are the star of the show; whether it be in a parade or through Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Incredible how Disney has grown after 81 years, and it’s only going to get bigger. Happy Birthday to the mouse that started it all!

Gingerbread Goodness at the Grand Floridian

The smell of gingerbread is a classic sign that the holidays are near, and if you find yourself at the Walt Disney World Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, you will be surrounded by the spicy scent! It’s that time of year again where the Grand Floridian pulls out all the stops to create a massive 16 foot gingerbread house for all of their guests to enjoy. If you’re wondering what it takes to make such a massive structure, the official list is: 800 lbs of flour, 600 lbs of sugar, 1,080 lbs of honey and a whole crew of pastry chefs.

The house itself is adorable and almost completely edible. Built in a Victorian style much like the Grand Floridian Hotel itself, the gingerbread house features decorations made of candy canes, chocolate chip cookies, gingerbread men and other traditional gingerbread house adornments. You can take pictures of the house or right next to it, but make sure you don’t try and sneak a piece! If you would like to make your own gingerbread cookies you can even find a recipe on Disney’s official blog. The gingerbread house will be up throughout the holidays, and considering how close the beautiful hotel is to the Magic Kingdom you might as well stop by before you head over to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. It’s a great way to start your adventure at the Walt Disney World Resort.

The Grand Floridian also got an update in the lobby with brand new tile work. It adds to the hotel’s exquisite beauty while maintaining the Disney charm. Every few tiles or so you’ll see characters like Donald Duck, Tinker Bell and of course, Mickey Mouse, adorning the new floor. With great amenities like a beautiful spa and character events like the Wonderland Tea Party and the Supercalifragilistic Breakfast where guests can interact with their favorite Disney characters, it’s a great hotel to see even if you aren’t staying. If you’re a fan of Mary Poppins and Alice in Wonderland you will see them all over the Grand Floridian! Make sure you stop by to visit, enjoy a character breakfast and definitely see the beautiful gingerbread house!

Quest World Flair Bartending at CityWalk

CityWalk has been a hit at Universal Studios Orlando since it first opened back in 1999. This giant entertainment complex features themed restaurants like Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, NASCAR Sports Grille, and the Hard Rock Café, along with amazing nightclubs like the groove and a 20 screen movie theatre. There are always amazing events going on at CityWalk from Happy Hour specials to concerts featuring great bands from every musical genre. During special events like Halloween Horror Nights, Universal CityWalk serves as the perfect gateway to start the party early. You can grab dinner or some drinks before heading into big events at either Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure.

This week anyone that’s ever dreamed of being a bartender will be thrilled to find out that Universal CityWalk is hosting the Quest World Flair Bartending Grand Finals. Flair bartending involves more than just mixing some vodka and cranberry juice into a glass; it involves intricate tricks like juggling and pouring drinks over your head or behind your back. Flair bartending takes the art of mixing cocktails to a whole other level! If you’re in the CityWalk area this week you’ll be able to see the action starting tomorrow at Pat O’Brien’s. The Irish establishment will be holding a practice session for the 100 flair bartenders that have come to compete in Orlando from over 15 countries.

Stop by Pat O’Brien’s on Tuesday November 17th at 4:00 pm to watch the bartenders practice as you enjoy traditional Irish food, live entertainment, and $7.95 Hurricanes. The fun continues on Wednesday November 18th for the Quest World Flair Bartending Grand Finals at the groove! Doors open at 6:30 pm and there will be Three Olives drink specials throughout the night. You have to be 21 and over, of course, so make sure you bring your ID to this awesome event!

Your best bet would be to search for some discount Universal tickets and check out the amazing rides at Universal Studios like Revenge of the Mummy or the Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. Or you can go to Islands of Adventure and ride The Hulk and try to get a sneak peek at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The choice is up to you, but make sure you check out the Quest World Flair Bartending Grand Finals!

Get into the Holiday Spirit at Busch Gardens

Starting November 21st Busch Gardens will be unveiling its new look for the holiday season. The park is in its 50th year of operation, bringing a large variety of entertainment options to its guests. Whether you love to ride roller coasters or check out beautiful animals and greenery, there is something for you at Busch Gardens. Unlike the Orlando theme parks, Busch Gardens is located just a short car trip away in Tampa Bay. It’s the #1 destination spot for the bay area and receives a record number of visitors every year, mostly thanks to its amazing roller coasters like Montu, SheiKra, Scorpion and Kumba. For thrill-ride enthusiasts this is definitely the place to be and, usually, Busch Gardens is considered a more adult-friendly theme park. That doesn’t mean it’s not a good place for the kiddies, it’s a great place for everyone—especially during the holidays!

Over at the Stanleyville Theatre, guests will be treated to the show Christmas on Ice. It’s only a limited engagement show, so you’ll have to make sure you get your discount theme park tickets and plan your trip accordingly. Professional ice skaters will delight you with routines choreographed to your favorite holiday songs. Over at the Marrakesh Theater, Christmas from the Heart will feature an amazing gospel choir that will lift your spirits as they perform an incredible medley of holiday and spiritual favorites.

If you like to have a big breakfast experience, reserve a spot at the Santa breakfast at the Desert Grill. At this special breakfast, Santa and his Elves will join diners for a commemorative photo op and then a private performance featuring seasonal songs and tap dancing. Along with all of these great shows, you will also find merry carolers singing throughout the park, beautiful decorations and endless, bright poinsettias. This is just the beginning for the holidays at Busch Gardens, since New Year’s Eve is right around the corner! Special fireworks for the New Year’s celebrations begin December 26th through the 30th and they culminate with a big bash on the 31st.

If you’ve never been to the Busch Gardens Tampa Bay theme park for the holidays, this is a great year to start! You will enjoy the beautiful holiday shows as well as the classic Busch Gardens traditions!

A Tomorrowland Christmas

The holidays are almost here! There is no doubt you have probably heard some holiday songs in the stores and started to see the various holiday commercials appearing on the television. Hopefully, you’ve purchased your discount Disney tickets for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party and you’re ready to go, because this is going to be a beautiful event Disney and holiday fans of all ages will enjoy! The holiday decorations are already up at the Magic Kingdom. Wreathes and beautiful nutcracker statues decorate the trees and line the streets of the Magic Kingdom. You will find special statues spiced up for the holidays and see snow-themed Mickey balloons, tons of Christmas decorations, and great Christmas-themed Mickey and Minnie Ears. If you like the holidays and you’re a Disney fanatic, this is heaven on Earth!

Tomorrowland will have a brand new look and a brand new show once you get to Walt Disney World. The Tomorrowland Transit Authority was fully refurbished and just re-opened. They even fixed up the bathrooms near Space Mountain for a brand new look. Oh! About Space Mountain, the official re-opening date is November 22nd 2009, but Disney is expected to have a “soft opening,” meaning Disney will let cast members and a few guests test out the ride, as early as this week!

Along with Space Mountain and the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, the Magic Kingdom will have a brand new Christmas show that is sure to rock the house and get the little ones into the holiday spirit! A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas will be the newest stage show in the holiday event and it will replace Mickey’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. With a modern take on the holidays featuring Radio Disney hits, holiday songs and your favorite Tomorrowland characters like Buzz Lightyear, Stitch, Mike Wazowski and other holiday favorites, everyone will enjoy this show!

If you’re planning to come to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas party, which we hope you are, you will enjoy all of the special features of the holiday invent including the parade, unique fireworks, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas and, of course, a brand new Space Mountain. The holidays at the Magic Kingdom are going to be fantastic.

Get Your Sushi Fix at Teppan Edo

When you think of Disney theme parks food you might not immediately get images of fine dining in your mind. Turkey legs, popcorn and Mickey Bars are the quick fix when hunger strikes during your adventures at the Walt Disney World Resort. But there are certain locations where you can get an incredible meal, especially at the Epcot theme park. Thanks to the World Showcase Pavilion you can sample authentic cuisine from around the world. Whether you want to have traditional tacos in Mexico or croissants in France the food the World Showcase Pavilion offers is always fresh and delicious.

If you’re a fan of Japanese food or Japan in general, you will love the Japan Pavilion at Epcot. Not only does it have an amazing gift shop and replicas of a pagoda and torii gates, they have an amazing restaurant called Teppan Edo. If you’ve ever been to a Benihana, you’ll recognize the cooking style at Teppan Edo. Food is cooked right before your eyes on a hot grill at your table. This style, called Teppan-yaki, lets your chef serve you your food fresh. You can choose from traditional appetizers like a sushi sampler or edamame and enjoy shrimp, chicken and steak stir-fry with vegetables and udon noodles.

You will enjoy dining at this beautiful restaurant. It features the simple-yet-elegant décor Japan is famous for. Neutral colors are accented with strong marks of black and red as delicate floral arrangements decorate the wall’s alcoves. If you’re old enough to enjoy alcohol you won’t be disappointed by Teppan Edo’s selection. They have hot and cold sake along with sake cocktails and Japanese beer like Kirin. If you’re traveling with children, Teppan Edo also has a great children’s menu and serves the healthy meals on adorable plates shaped like the Shinkansen, Japan’s famous bullet train.

This popular restaurant fills up quickly, so if you want to make sure you get a seat for your party at Teppan Edo take advantage of the Disney Dining Reservation system. You can either call their phone number to reserve your table or check out the brand new online reservation feature. Enjoy your Disney dining experience and get your sushi fix.

Shanghai the Next Disney Destination

Here in the Orlando theme parks area we’re lucky to have a variety of great attractions to check out. Whether you want to spend time in the House of Mouse, check out Busch Gardens Tampa bay or go to Universal Studios Resort, the Central Florida area has plenty of options. Some places aren’t so lucky, and many visitors to the theme parks have to travel long distances to get there. Internationally, Disney has some parks in Europe and Asia. There’s Disneyland Paris, Hong Kong Disneyland and Tokyo Disney. These beautiful theme parks bring the Disney brand to fans across the globe and let anyone and everyone experience the Disney magic in their region.

Now, after 20 years of long talks and plenty of paperwork, Disney is finally able to announce there will be a new park in Shanghai, China! This is great news for both countries as they continue to bridge political gaps and come closer together. As the Disney Company continues to expand across the globe we get to learn great details about new attractions and park development. It’s always interesting to see how the different countries incorporate their own cultures and different styles into the designs of their parks, and now we’ll get to see what with Shanghai Disney.

The resort will consist of shops, hotels and a “Magic Kingdom” style park that will take up 1,000 acres of the Pudong district. The actual theme park will be a little bit bigger than Disneyland in Anaheim, California but will still feature all of the great aspects guests expect of the Disney theme parks every year. The announcement of this awesome project will be official right around the same time President Obama arrives for his historic visit.

Since President Obama is going to visit China to talk diplomacy and trade, officials of the Shanghai Disney project figured it couldn’t be a better time to announce the Disney partnership than with the arrival of the president of the United States, where Disney was born. While there isn’t any word on an official ceremony featuring President Obama, or even a statement from him regarding the matter, his visit is timed perfectly with the announcement of Shanghai Disney. We can’t wait to see what the Shanghai Imagineers come up with!

Are You Ready for Grad Nite?

The holidays are fast approaching and that only means summer is that much closer. If you’re a high school senior at the moment, you’re probably fretting over college applications and worrying about what to do after you graduate. But don’t forgot one very important thing—Grad Nite! This special event at the Disney theme parks is a tradition for high school kids across the nation. Every year, the Walt Disney Company brings Grad Nite to both Disneyland and the Walt Disney World Resort right here in Orlando, FL. Grad Nite is a special event where high school seniors can get together and have fun as a class for the last time before their graduation as they go on all of the great Disney rides, attend special events and see special groups in concert.

2010’s Grad Nite will not disappoint! The event will run April 23, 24, 30 and May 1st from 10pm until 4am. That means you and all of your friends will be able to go on the best rides like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, The Haunted Mansion, Space Mountain and Pirates of the Caribbean with students from Central Florida and the rest of the United States. Along with having access to the great rides, there will be a number of dance parties and a pre-party. While Disney is still mum on the pre-party details, we know there will be dance parties in Tomorrowland and Frontierland. You and your friends can dance the night away to your favorite songs surrounded by amazing video walls.

If you’re going to attend Grad Nite in 2010, or DGN10 for short, you can expect to see some amazing acts performing. If you’re a fan of America’s Best Dance Crew both Quest Crew and Beat Freaks will be showing off their moves to crowds of high school seniors. Music fans will flip over the biggest Grad Nite guest announced so far: Paramore! This rock band fronted by the orange-haired Hayley Williams has had huge success with songs like “crushcrushcrush,” “Misery Business,” and “Decode.” Singers like Keri Hilson, Mario and bands like Boys Like Girls will also be performing at DGN10. It’s an event no high school student can miss!

Verizon Fans Finally Get Disney Mobile App

Verizon fans already enjoy a number of perks at the Walt Disney World Resort. They get to participate in the Kim Possible mission at EPCOT where you receive text message clues as you travel the World Showcase Pavillion helping Kim and her friends. Now Verizon users will be able to have a fully interactive guide to both Disney World and Disneyland on their mobile phones with great features that will make their theme park experience efficient and fun.

Disney Mobile Magic is fully loaded with important theme park information that is constantly updated. You will have full access to wait times, FASTPASS return times and extensive information on where and when your favorite Disney characters will be appearing next. The application is colorful, bright and easy to use. Because the Disney Mobile Magic app is GPS-enabled, that means you can follow your journey throughout the parks in real time. Your position will be marked by a white circle that shows you which attractions you are passing along with providing you information about them.

This is also great for those of you that want to experience Disney restaurants. The app not only provides pictures and information about the restaurant, but it gives you the phone number you need to call in order to make reservations through the Disney reservation system. This app is a great feature for customers of the Verizon Wireless network, who already experience great perks for being part of this cell phone service provider within both Walt Disney World and Disneyland in Anaheim, California. Like all apps Disney Mobile Magic will be updated with more information as time goes on. If you aren’t a member of the Verizon network you can still receive Walt Disney World info via text message. iPhone users can check out the iTunes store for a variety of apps related to the Disney parks and company.

With everything going digital in this day and age, it’s great to have the option of a wonderful Disney app like Disney Mobile Magic and other cell phone applications. We can only imagine what’s next in the world of Disney.