In case you weren’t able to catch the Magic Kingdom pre-parade during it’s short run from January through October 2010, we’re providing a video of Disney’s Honorary VoluntEARS Cavalcade from Banks Lee. This video is embedded via the WDWNTube video site:
“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
Here is a video taken by WDWNT Reporter Matt Paul of the “Celebrate Volunteers” press conference held Thursday morning at Epcot:
WDWNT Reporter Banks Lee attended the second day of events for the media on Thursday from Epcot, and he took plenty of photos to share with us:
Read More about Banks Lee’s 2/11/10 Epcot Event Photo Report
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.
WDWNT Reporter Banks Lee was at the Magic Kingdom for the debut of Disney’s Honorary VoluntEARS Cavalcade earlier today and has pictures to share:
The Cavalcade precedes the daily Celebrate a Dream Come True parade
Read More about Photos of the Honorary VoluntEARS Cavalcade Debut
Disney has released more information on exactly what the new year will bring to the Vacation Kingdom of the world, here are some highlights for 2010:
Disney has confirmed the Muppet pre-parade for 2010 that was first reported on WDWNT, stating that it will begin January 8:
Disney’s Honorary VoluntEARS Cavalcade (beginning Jan. 8) – Each afternoon just before the daily parade at Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom (and at Disneyland Park in California), Muppets characters and parade dancers will join special floats and vehicles celebrating volunteerism and presenting Honorary VoluntEARS serving as Grand Marshals of the parades. Kermit, Miss Piggy and Sweetums will be part of the merriment, while the dancers will be donning outfits that celebrate the work of volunteers.
Work on the Fantasyland Expansion at the Magic Kingdom will begin in 2010. We have also heard that The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh attraction will go down for refurbishment in early 2010 to change it’s facade and a few other items, the Walt Disney World Railroad will close for 2-3 months in 2010 to make way for groundbreaking backstage, and Mickey’s Toontown Fair will most likely close permanently in the Fall. Information released today:
Fantasyland expansion – An early-2010 groundbreaking will mark the beginning of a three-year construction project that will result in a vastly expanded Magic Kingdom Fantasyland.
Wide World of Sports will finally get it’s name change:
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex relaunch (February 2010) – A re-imagining project involving ESPN and the Disney sports complex, the leading multi-sport venue in the nation, aims to create immersive and entertaining sports experiences for athletes, coaches and fans by incorporating signature elements of ESPN in ways that will connect athletes and coaches with their favorite ESPN programs, personalities and elements. Guests will discover a new welcome center, a digital center where video captured by 44 cameras across the 220-acre sports campus is edited for display on 40 video screens and two “jumbotrons” throughout the complex as part of a veritable “Wide World of SportsCenter,” and the new ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill. Meanwhile, behind the scenes, technical staff will continue work in the Innovation Lab to develop ground-breaking ESPN on-air products – using the action throughout the complex as a real-world testing environment.
Beyond the press releases from today, there are a number of interesting attraction refurbishments already announced for 2010. Splash Mountain at the Magic Kingdom is rumored to receive lap bars for each log during it’s 1/3-2/27/10 refurbishment, Epcot’s Test Track is closed 1/11-1/17/10 and Living with the Land is closed 1/18-2/5/10 (both for unknown reasons), and the latest surprise has been the announcement that both the Studio Backlot Tour and the Studio Catering Co. at Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be closed for refurbishment from 2/15-3/28/10. Stay tuned for more details on all of these refurbishments as they become available.
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 has released a video showcasing their community involvement from the September 29th launch day events of the “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” promotion. Please note that the speakers not labeled in the video (in chronological order) are “Disney Parks” own Jay Rasulo, Meg Crofton, and Rilous Carter:
We told you earlier today that The Muppets would be featured in the national marketing campaign for the 2010 “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” promotion, so here are two of the commercials featuring Kermit and the gang you’ll be seeing on your television real soon:
