“World of Color” Comes Together

WDWNT on January 21, 2010

Disney recently released two videos highlighting the creation process for California Adventures’ upcoming “World of Color” nighttime spectacular:

D23 Announces 2010 Member Events!

WDWNT on January 17, 2010

D23 announced today on there official website some planned events for both Disneyland and Walt Disney World. Here is what they had to say:

D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans today unveiled a host of special events that have been designed especially for its growing worldwide membership base.

D23 Days at the Walt Disney Studios, D23 First Anniversary Parties at Disneyland and Walt Disney World and Toby Tyler, or Ten Weeks With a Circus, the first film in our new “50 and Fabulous” screening series are just some of the magical experiences D23 Members have a chance to enjoy in 2010!
Among the exiting offerings for 2010 are exclusive D23 one-year anniversary parties at the Disneyland® Resort and Walt Disney World® Resort, free “50 and Fabulous” film screenings at the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank and a special 40th anniversary celebration event to honor the Walt Disney Archives.

“In our first year, D23 created some truly memorable event opportunities for our members, and this year we plan to outdo ourselves with a mix of all-new events and encores of fan favorites,” said Steven Clark, head of D23. “D23 Members are going to have more opportunities than ever to be part of the Disney magic through the events we have planned in 2010, and we hope they’ll be as excited as we are to experience them alongside their fellow members.”

D23 Members will receive notification of special events and reservation times via e-mail, and all events are offered on a space-available basis.

D23’s special-event lineup includes:

January 22, 2010: A Practically Perfect Night of Surprises with D23 and Mary Poppins
D23 Members will attend a performance of the critically acclaimed Mary Poppins at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles — plus an exclusive post-show experience with the Mary Poppins cast… and a top-secret surprise guest. (Hint: It’s an actor from the classic 1964 film.) D23 Members will receive 20 percent off select tickets for the January 22 performance (in various seating locations and price ranges). Click here for more information.

February 13, April 10, August 14 and November 13, 2010: D23 Day at The Walt Disney Studios and Archives
D23 Members will get a behind-the-scenes look at the legendary Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank and at the Walt Disney Archives on a two-hour tour hosted by D23 and Archives staff members. Three tours will be held on each date, and each tour can accommodate 50 people. In D23’s Charter Year, these special tours sold out almost immediately. Tickets for the February 13 and April 10 tours will be available at 10 a.m. Pacific time Tuesday, January 26 and are $50 per person. Click here for more information about the February 13 D23 Day. Click here for more information about the April 10 D23 day.

March 5, 2010: D23’s First-Anniversary Party at the Walt Disney World® Resort
Hundreds of D23 Members are expected to gather from around the country — and around the world — for a once-in-a-lifetime night of magic and memories. The evening’s festivities include a private dinner inside the Magic Kingdom’s Diamond Horseshoe Saloon, followed by an exclusive D23 viewing of Mickey’s PhilharMagic. Afterward, guests will hear insider details about the upcoming Fantasyland expansion from Walt Disney Imagineering. The celebration will also feature a sumptuous dessert party, a special commemorative pin for everyone attending and a host of surprises. Check back here for more information, including reservation availability and pricing.

March 10, 2010: D23’s First-Anniversary Party at the Disneyland® Resort
D23 will hold its one and only West Coast anniversary celebration in the most magical land at the Happiest Place on Earth: Fantasyland. D23 Members will take over all of Fantasyland for one amazing night filled with classic attractions, familiar characters (as well as a few you may not have seen in a while!) and a chance to see rare pieces of Disneyland history up close. Plus, D23 Members and their guests will enjoy an array of delicious Disney-inspired desserts, a special commemorative pin for everyone attending and other surprises. Check back here for more information, including reservation availability and pricing.

March 27, 2010: “50 and Fabulous” Screening of Toby Tyler
At last year’s D23 Expo, Disney fans had a chance to see Disney masterpieces that were celebrating their Golden Anniversaries… a new D23 tradition that continues in 2010, this time in the recently renovated, state-of-the-art, 400-seat Studio Theater on the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank. Tickets to the “50 and Fabulous” screenings are free for D23 Members and their guests, and the series kicks off with a movie that hasn’t been seen on the big screen since its first release in 1960: Toby Tyler, or 10 Weeks with a Circus. D23’s screening of this lighthearted, live-action comedy will combine with special D23 surprises and the opportunity to enjoy a movie in this exclusive cinematic venue. Reservations may be made beginning at 10 a.m. Pacific time on Tuesday, January 26. (A $5 processing fee for each ticket will apply.) Click here for more information.

As with all live events, dates and times are subject to change.

Additional D23 special events are planned throughout 2010, including:

  • May 8: “50 and Fabulous” screening of Pollyanna at the Walt Disney Studio Theatre;
  • May 29-30: “Flowers and Fireworks” event at the Walt Disney World Resort, adding all-new elements as D23 expands the festivities to two days;
  • June 26: A special celebration at the Walt Disney Studios marking the 40th anniversary of the Walt Disney Archives;
  • July 10: “50 and Fabulous” screening of Swiss Family Robinson at the Walt Disney Studio Theatre;
  • October 15-16: “Sip & Stroll” at the immensely popular Epcot International Food and Wine Festival;
  • October 23: “50 and Fabulous” screening of The Sign of Zorro at the Walt Disney Studio Theatre;
  • December 11-12: “Magic and Merriment” weekend at the Walt Disney World Resort;

D23 is in the planning stages for even more exciting 2010 events, details of which will be revealed in the coming months.

First Look at VoluntEARS Cavalcade

WDWNT on January 8, 2010

From the Disney Parks Blog:

If you want to be the first to see Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy in a parade at Disneyland park, check out the video above. We taped this during a rehearsal after Disneyland park closed on Wednesday night. The video gives a first glimpse of the new “Disney’s Honorary VoluntEars Cavalcade” that will debut today at both Disneyland park in California and Magic Kingdom park in Florida.

As you’ll see, the cavalcade celebrates volunteerism and features Kermit, Miss Piggy, along with special floats and vehicles festooned with bright balloons and flanked by parade dancers. They’re all excited about the new “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program happening in 2010.

“Disney’s Honorary VoluntEars Cavalcade” precedes “Celebrate! A Street Party” at Disneyland park. You can catch the show at Disneyland park once a day, and there are a few things you should know about the current schedule:

  • If there is only one performance of “Celebrate! A Street Party” scheduled for the day, then the cavalcade will happen at that time.
  • If there are two performances of “Celebrate! A Street Party” planned for the day, then you can catch Kermit and Miss Piggy as part of the Cavalcade at the evening parade.

As always, check for show times because they’re subject to change and cancellation.

“Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln” Returns to Disneyland

WDWNT on December 22, 2009

ANAHEIM, Calif. (Dec. 18, 2009) – President Abraham Lincoln returns to the Main Street Opera House in Disneyland with stunning new Audio-Animatronics technology that makes this the most lifelike and expressive Lincoln figure yet.

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, a beloved Disneyland attraction for nearly 45 years and a historic landmark in the development of Audio-Animatronics technology, reopens Dec. 18 on Main Street, U.S.A. with the new Lincoln figure and an enriched presentation that combines the best elements of the park’s original 1965 show and the most advanced technical enhancements. (The show first opened at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.)

The new Abraham Lincoln figure represents several major milestones for Audio-Animatronics figures. The fully electric head – a first for human Disney Audio-Animatronics figures, which are traditionally hydraulically operated – is based on an all-new sculpt that is more lifelike than in previous versions of the show. With an expanded range of facial movement, Lincoln is more expressive than ever. He can purse his lips, form an “O” with his lips, smile, grimace and use his eyebrows to enhance his emotions.

The state-of-the-art figure of the 16th president of the United States will take the stage of the Main Street Opera House to deliver a speech composed of highlights from speeches made by Lincoln during his lifetime. (Walt Disney himself selected the highlights first included in the attraction.) The original readings by the late actor Royal Dano, recorded in the early 1960s, have been preserved and made sharper using digital technology, as has the original host narration by Paul Frees (a talented voice actor who also can be heard in the Haunted Mansion and Pirates of the Caribbean attractions).

Frees’ narration includes passages never heard in past Great Moments with Mr. Lincolnpresentations. Thanks to the latest Audio-Animatronics technology, Lincoln also will appear more lifelike than ever before as he rises from his chair and speaks.

Upon entering the Main Street Opera House, guests encounter a redesigned lobby, including both The Disneyland Story – an entertaining display of the past, present and future of Disneyland – and a separate presentation of items relating to Abraham Lincoln’s life and work. In the auditorium, guests will first view an onscreen program about Lincoln and the Civil War that features digitally enhanced versions of pictures and sound created for past versions of the show along with new material. Next, Lincoln takes the stage to deliver his speech. When the 15-minute show concludes, guests exit through a gallery depicting notable Americans who have followed in Lincoln’s footsteps and continue to inspire others in areas such as perseverance, innovation and imagination.