Pins Move Further “Uptown” at Magic Kingdom

WDWNT on February 23, 2010

From the “What’s HapPINing Blog” at DisneyPins.com:

It was an early morning for Julie, Jeanne and Sylvie, Product Developers from the Disney Pin Team. They joined members from Magic Kingdom® Park Merchandise to help set a “new” location for Disney pins. We call this location the “Tip Board Cart” as it is located directly across from the tip board at the end of Main Street U.S.A.® toward Cinderella Castle. This “new” location means that we have retired the Uptown Jewelers as a location for pins.

Tip Board Cart

As you can see from the image below, this location contains an assortment of various trading pins and accessories. If you are looking for a larger selection of items, make sure you stop by Frontierland Trading Post in the Frontierland® Area.

Close Up Look

Julie told her and the team arrived around 4:15 a.m. to set the location. It only took a couple of hours to set but we think it looks great. Next time you are in Magic Kingdom® Park, please stop by.

Imagineer2017’s 2/20/10 Epcot Photo Report

WDWNT on February 22, 2010

WDW News Today “super-fan” Imagineer2017 (not his real name, just his WDWNT Network Community Forums username) sent in a few newsworthy photos from his latest trip to Epcot, so we thought we should share them with everyone:

Preparation for the 2010 Flower and Garden Festival is in full swing, the Lion King display moves behind Spaceship Earth this year

Despite the press release from Disney late last year, the butterfly garden is not moving, just changing name to match the Pixie Hollow area

Playground being assembled

Test Track vehicles have been equipped with new, brighter headlights

Thank you for the photos Imagineer2017 and “Thank the Phoenicians”

Epcot’s Flower Power Concert Series Line-Up 2010

WDWNT on February 17, 2010

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Epcot becomes a living jukebox featuring hit songs of the 1960s through the 1990s each Friday through Sunday of the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival at Walt Disney World Resort.

That’s when America Gardens Theatre presents Flower Power concerts – a series showcasing artists and groups involved in recordings that climbed the Billboard charts in years gone by. The 11 weekends of the 2010 Flower & Garden Festival will feature acts that produced 126 Top 40 hits – including 16 releases that topped the charts.
Here’s the lineup (Entertainment is subject to change without notice):

March 5-7 – Jose Feliciano
March 12-14 – Paul Revere & The Raiders
March 19-21 – David Cassidy
March 26-28 – Starship featuring Mickey Thomas
April 2-4 – Tony Orlando
April 9-11 – Herman’s Hermits Starring Peter Noone
April 16-18 – Ricky Nelson Remembered featuring the Nelsons
April 23-25 – Atlanta Rhythm Section
April 30-May 2 –Fran Cosmo (Former lead singer of Boston)
May 7-9 –Davy Jones
May 14 – 16 – Chubby Checker & The Wildcats

The groups’ shows at America Gardens Theatre are on Friday, Saturday and Sunday at 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. They are included with Epcot admission.
Additional information about the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is available at www.DisneyWorld.com/flower.

Dreams Went up in Smoke

WDWNT on February 17, 2010

Their was reportedly a fire today in the Dreams Tower of the Disneyland Hotel. The fire was not too major and no injuries were reported.

Here is a article on the fire from the OC Register

Article Tab : An Anaheim Fire investigator's SUV sits with it's lights flashing in front of the Disneyland Hotel Feb. 16. Firefighters quickly doused a minor fire there where crews were working on a construction project.

ANAHEIM – Firefighters quickly doused a fire that broke out this afternoon at a construction site at the Dream Tower of the Disneyland Hotel, authorities said.

The fire was reported at 1:31 p.m. at 1717 S. Disneyland Dr., which is near the hotel, after heavy smoke was seen billowing from the third floor of the tower, said Anaheim fire spokeswoman Maria Sabol.

An Anaheim Fire investigator’s SUV sits with it’s lights flashing in front of the Disneyland Hotel Feb. 16. Firefighters quickly doused a minor fire there where crews were working on a construction project.

The fire was out in about five minutes with the help of about 21 firefighters from Anaheim and Disneyland, Sabol said.

The fire broke out when a blue plastic sheet ignited after welders – using torches – were working on an outside elevator of the 12-story building, Sabol said. The tower – one of three at the hotel — is being remodeled and was vacant.

No injuries were reported.

A few fire vehicles were outside the hotel shortly after the fire, but the effects of the fire could not be seen from the outside.

Disney guests were unaffected by the fire, said Suzi Brown, a Disneyland Resort spokeswoman.

The cause of the fire is under investigation

Matt Paul’s 2/10-2/11/10 Media Event Video Coverage

WDWNT on February 16, 2010

“What’s New, What’s Next” – Walt Disney World Resort

“What’s New, What’s Next” – Interviews

“Celebrate Volunteers” Media Event

Epcot “Can Do” Cavalcade

“Disney’s Friends for Change” – Private Concert featuring Demi Lovato & Joe Jonas

Volunteering, You “CAN” Do It!

WDWNT on February 11, 2010

Canned Goods Set a Guinness World Record, Ship to Food Banks

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Feb. 11, 2010) –Against the backdrop of a world-record sculpture of canned goods destined for food banks, Disney Parks officials on Thursday announced a major milestone with the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program, a first-of-its-kind effort to help inspire 1 million people to perform volunteer service.

Since the program’s launch only six weeks ago, more than 600,000 people in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada have volunteered or signed up for volunteer projects in their communities, announced Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts.

“With the launch of our ‘Give a Day, Get a Disney Day’ program, we hoped to spark something truly special,” Staggs said. “But even we have been overwhelmed with the response.”

To recognize their good deeds, in 2010 Disney Parks is celebrating those who volunteer through the program by giving them a free one-day admission to either a Walt Disney World Resort or Disneyland Resort theme park. Volunteers can start the search and sign-up process by going to www.disneyparks.com.

HandsOn Network, the volunteer-focused arm of Points of Light Institute and the largest volunteer network in the nation, is supporting the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program by connecting volunteers with projects.

According to Michelle Nunn, co-founder of HandsOn Network and CEO of Points of Light Institute, 10,000 community organizations, through the Disney Parks program, are getting the volunteers they need to meet important community challenges.

“The level of volunteerism we have seen in the first weeks of 2010 is tracking to new highs,” she said. “Our dream at HandsOn Network is for everyone to recognize their power to make a difference. Disney is helping us make that dream a reality, a million times over.”

Since the launch of the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program on Jan. 1, 2010, volunteers have trekked through wetlands near Long Beach, Calif., and through mountain preserves in Phoenix, Ariz., clearing away non-native vegetation. A continent away, volunteers have whisked away trash on Atlantic Coast beaches in Brevard County and Dade County, Fla. In Port Huron, Mich., “soccer families” have picked up paint brushes to help spruce up a community center. In Atlanta, Ga., volunteers have assisted hospitalized children as they create arts and crafts projects. And with the forecast for a cold night ahead, the homeless in Central Florida were handed blankets by caring volunteers.

In addition to celebrating the “Give A Day, Get a Disney Day” program, Disney Parks welcomed to Walt Disney World Resort Thursday other outstanding volunteer families from the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada who gave back to their communities in special ways, as part of Disney’s celebration of family volunteerism in 2010.

“Today we are here to celebrate you,” Staggs told the families. “With each of your efforts, you make a difference.”

Canned-Food Structure Unveiled, Verified Largest-Ever by Guinness World Records®

As part of the event celebrating family volunteers and to dramatize the spirit of giving, Walt Disney World Resort on Thursday unveiled a mammoth structure of canned goods – food that will be donated to food banks in Orlando, Miami and Atlanta.

The canned food sculpture – titled “Celebrate Volunteers” – was revealed for media and guests at Epcot. Disney VoluntEARS shaped the sculpture with a larger-than-life Goofy, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and Pluto – all sculpted out of cans. Goofy’s trademark hat consisted of cans of bread crumbs, for instance. Mickey’s famous head was shaped from cans of black olives, and cans of sliced pineapple made up Pluto’s eyes.

The cans represent approximately 70,000 meals, according to Dave Krepcho, president/CEO of Second Harvest of Central Florida. “Each can makes a difference in someone’s life who cannot afford this food,” he said. “Much of this food goes to children in need, working moms trying to provide, senior citizens coping on fixed incomes and people whose disabilities keep them from working.”

The spectacular, character-themed structure – consisting officially of 115,527 cans – was also a world record, according to Guinness World Records, the internationally recognized authority on record-breaking achievement. Guinness World Records Thursday authenticated the achievement as the Largest Canned Food Structure ever created, easily eclipsing the previous record of 54,527 cans set in June 2009 in New Zealand.

Some volunteer families also shared star billing Thursday with stars of the Disney Channel and Disney XD. As part of Disney’s youth environmental movement, Friends for Change: Project Green (www.Disney.com/ProjectGreen), Joe Jonas, Demi Lovato and others joined the celebration, making special appearances throughout the day to show what’s possible when kids and families get together and volunteer to help the planet.