Chris Lastrapes’ 12/14/09 D Street Preview Report

Chris Lastrapes of the WDW News Today Podcast is still visiting the west coast and made another trip to the Disneyland Resort earlier today. Chris took a few photos of the D Street store at Downtown Disney that is scheduled to open tomorrow:

Signage is up on the exterior. You can see many Vinylmation banners up in the store’s atrium

At look at the store’s sizable Vinylmation selection

Another Vinylmation display

Looks like Vinylmation plush will still be available

More of the store

Stay tuned for more photos from the opening of the store tomorrow!

“it’s a sponsored world”

Looks like “it’s a small world” at Disneyland has a permanent sponsor:

SYLVANIA SMALL WORLD

Siemens is pleased to announce that its SYLVANIA lighting brand will be the sponsor of the classic “it’s a small world” attraction at Disneyland Resort.

“We are thrilled to be associated with such an icon of the Disney experience. At SYLVANIA, we are creating ways to see the world in a new light. Our association with ‘it’s a small world’ is a perfect fit for our own vision,” said Rick Leaman, president and CEO of the Siemens lighting unit, OSRAM SYLVANIA.

“‘it’s a small world’ is a celebration of the hope we all share for peace on Earth,” said Walt Disney Imagineer Tony Baxter, who is the creative lead for Disneyland. “It’s an illuminating global message, so it’s fitting that this classic attraction should be sponsored by a company that literally helps illuminate the world.”

A new illuminated marquee, the only change to the attraction, will brighten the overall experience for guests and is slated for installation in early 2010. The design is a visual celebration of what the attraction represents, the happy spirit of children everywhere.

This sponsorship is part of a 12-year agreement between The Walt Disney Company and Siemens. The agreement includes marketing and promotional rights, attraction sponsorships and a promotional presence that features Siemens products and services at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida and Disneyland Resort in California. Siemens also is the sponsor of the Epcot icon, SpaceShip Earth.

“it’s a small world” originally was created for the 1964 New York World’s Fair as an exhibit that would benefit UNICEF, which is dedicated to the welfare of children all over the world. The attraction moved to its Anaheim home in 1966.

Considered a quintessential Disney theme park experience, “it’s a small world” contains more than 300 Audio-Animatronics® figures, representing children around the globe. It also features more than 250 toys and 80 animated props. After a full year of work, an enhanced version of the attraction opened in February 2009, including stylized dolls and toys dressed as several classic Disney characters seamlessly integrated and geographically located in the lands where their stories take place.

About Siemens

Siemens AG is a global powerhouse in electronics and electrical engineering, and operates in the industry, energy and healthcare sectors. For more than 160 years, Siemens has built a reputation for leading-edge innovation and the quality of its products, services and solutions. With 405,000 employees in 190 countries, Siemens reported worldwide revenue of $104.3 billion in fiscal 2009. With its U.S. corporate headquarters in New York City, Siemens in the USA reported revenue of $21.3 billion and employs approximately 64,000 people throughout all 50 states and Puerto Rico. For more information on Siemens in the United States, visitwww.usa.siemens.com

About OSRAM SYLVANIA

OSRAM SYLVANIA is a leader in lighting solutions that feature innovative design and energy saving technology. The company sells products for homes, businesses and vehicles primarily under the SYLVANIA brand name, and also under the OSRAM brand. Headquartered in Danvers, Mass., OSRAM SYLVANIA is the North American operation of OSRAM GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary of Siemens AG. For more information, visit www.sylvania.com.

The Muppets are Coming to the Magic Kingdom

Disney stated at the D23 Expo in September that 2010 would be the year of the Muppets. Not only are the Muppets the stars of the Disney Parks “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” campaign in 2010, but their presence in the parks might be a bit greater. Along with the refurbishment of Muppetvision 3-D at Disney’s Hollywood Studios scheduled for next year, the Muppets will be proceeding down Main Street U.S.A. in a daily pre-parade. Starting January, The Muppets “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” themed pre-parade will come down the Magic Kingdom parade route, preceding the 3:00 PM Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade. The Muppets guests will be seeing in the park will not be the giant Muppet characters that appeared at Hollywood Studios a few years ago, but ACTUAL Muppet characters.

Other changes to the Magic Kingdom parade in early 2010 may include the permanent removal of the show stops that were added to the parade during the name change from the Disney Dreams Come True Parade in January 2009.

As usual, anything not announced yet by Disney should be taken as a rumor, but these reports are from reputable sources inside the company. Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as we get more information on this breaking story.

“Disney Vacation Connection” Coming Soon

The Disney Parks will soon be introducing a new “free” method to get up-to-the-minute official information on your desktop about the Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, and Adventures by Disney. Similar to Disney Link, the Disney Vacation Connection will be a desktop message center. Unlike Disney Link, Disney Vacation Connection will focus only on vacation planning tools and information. When operating, the message center will be able to:

  • keep you up-to-date on latest news and special offers
  • help you plan your next vacation
  • have polls and quizzes that will allow you to earn points for Disney downloads
  • give you “insider” information
  • allow you to download a vacation countdown clock
  • show a calendar of upcoming special events
  • provide you with wallpapers and special animation
  • allow you to check the weather at the various resorts

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While the program is not yet available for download, you can visit the official website and sign-up to be notified as soon as it does become available. Be sure to stay tuned to WDW News Today as we get more information on “Disney Vacation Connection”.