Disney World PF Gathering and Tips for Disney Mania!

[ZapperZ]

The Art of Disney stamps

Next week on Thursday, the US Post Office will release 4 new Art of Disney stamps.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Mattel Recall Toys from "Cars" Movie

It's only a matter of time that Disney gets affected by all the recall of products made in China. Mattel this morning just announced the recall of several million toys in addition to the one announced earlier. This includes the Sarge die cast toys from Disney-Pixar "Cars".

Also recalled was the list are the "Sarge" die cast toys from the Pixar Cars movie assortment will be recalled because of hazardous lead paint.

The recalled Sarge Cars were sold individually and in assortment packs in retail stores nationwide from May 2007 to August 2007. The Sarge character is a small die cast car measuring about 3 inches in length.

The car is an Army green color and features a white star on the hood. Surface paint on affected products contains lead in excess of permissible levels.

Luckily, I don't collect such things.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Fantasmic at Disney-MGM Studios

... or maybe I should start getting used to calling it Disney's Hollywood Studios.

Anyway, this is a good description/information of the Fantasmic show at Disney-MGM Studios (not to be confused with a similar show at Disneyland in CA). It has updated pictures and also a video of the full show.

Strangely enough, of all the videos of various stuff that I've taped over the years, I don't have anything on this one. There's a couple of good reasons for it: (i) I don't quite like this show even know I know it is a favorite of many (ii) the 2 times that I've seen it, it had always rained.

I'm sure (ii) played some role in (i). But then again, I've watched Wishes in pouring rain before and still loved it.

Zz.

 

[Moridin]

I just love the stamps.

 

[ZapperZ]

I just love the stamps.

They are being released tomorrow here in the US. Guess who'll be at the Post Office first thing in the morning?



Zz.

 

[Moonbear]

Grrr...every other time I went out and got Disney stamps, they raised the postage rates right after. But, I like using them. They're fun, just wish I didn't have to spoil the look by sticking a 2 cent stamp next to them.

 

[ZapperZ]

Here are pictures and video from the ceremony today of the release of the new Art of Disney stamps.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Is Tinker Bell's look too risqué?

The http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/custom/tourism/orl-tinkerbell-poll,0,2381693.poll with the question if Tinker Bell's look is too risque. Risque? Puhleeze! Compare to Britney Spears and Lindsey Lohan, Tinker Bell is a nun!

So cast your vote!

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

What is the most watched basic cable telecast of all time?

It's last Friday's http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i5a787a2fa3a0574d14d791f838e05401!

Disney Channel's highly anticipated "High School Musical 2" sang and danced its way to history Friday night when 17.24 million viewers tuned in, making the original movie's debut the most-watched basic cable telecast of all time.

"Musical 2," a sequel to the successful 2006 telefilm, surpassed the previous record holder, ESPN's "Monday Night Football" game on Sept. 23, 2006, which averaged 16 million viewers.

God help us!



Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

The Muppet Mobile Lab makes its appearance at Epcot this week. It arrives from Disney's California Adventure theme park, and it is one of those interactive animatronics. So far it is wowing the guests that encounter it.

The Orlando Sentinel has http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-bk-muppetlab082107,0,7000855.story of the characters in action as it interacts with the guest. This is part of the Disney Imagineers project on Live Characters Initiative that probably got started when Turtle Talk With Crush became such a runaway hit when it opened.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Neal Gabler's "Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination"

So you are The Walt Disney Company. You give writer/biographer Neil Gabler full access to the Disney vault to write his biography of Walt Disney. When it came out, the book got mostly positive and enthusiastic reviews. While you did not endorse it as the official biography of Walt, you consider it as an "authorized" biography and sells it at Disney stores throughout your theme parks.

Suddenly, you got a fax from Diane Disney Miller, the only surviving daughter of Walt Disney, that described the book as, among other things:

... a monstrous piece of libelous junk. My parents were not the people he creates in this book, and I cannot understand why all of you who aided and abetted Gabler in writing this book, and who praise it and promote it, can do so without suffering serious qualms.

Now keep in mind that Diane Disney Miller is not someone who interferes with the running or even the policy of the Walt Disney Company. In fact, she hasn't given that many interviews or even press releases, even though the Disney family still owns a chunk of the company (primarily managed by Roy Disney). So this communication from her to the executives of the Walt Disney Company, I'm sure, must come as a stinging surprise.

You can read more about this issue on Michael Barrier's column, who he himself has an unflattering comment about Gabler's book. And according to Barrier, Diane Disney Miller hasn't heard any reply of her fax from the Walt Disney Company.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

10 Things I Miss About Disneyland

No, this is not my 10 things, because my Disney obsession came relatively late in life. :)

A contributor to MSN City Guides lists 10 Disneyland's attractions that are no longer around and looks back with nostalgia at them. I of course, have no such memory of them so it is rather interesting not only to read about them, but why these attractions are missed. Although, I must admit, I don't get why some of them are that sorely missed.

Did you go to Disneyland a long time ago and remember any of these things listed? Did he omitted something that you miss?

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Laughing Place has the full, most recent video of the Beauty and the Beast stage show at Disney-MGM Studios. If you've never seen this show (it is not the same as the Broadway stage musical - how can it when it is only 20 mins?), this video is as good as any. I wish that there is a more "fixed camera" version and not hand-held.

This is one of the more popular live stage show at Walt Disney World. In fact, I would say it was the most popular till the Finding Nemo show opened at Animal Kingdom earlier this year.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Disney's Pin Celebration 2007

http://img207.imageshack.us/img207/9105/2007newlogo400oe0.jpg

The largest pin event anywhere on Disney property starts this week on Friday and runs through Sunday. The theme this year, in conjunction with the Year of a Million Dreams, is "Where Dreams HapPin".

The early registration for this event starts Thursday afternoon. Your truly will be flying in early on Thursday for the event. Several members of the Chicago area contingent of the Windy City Pin Traders will be meeting up at the early registration and go to dinner at Cape May at the Disney's Beach Club Resort.

In addition, Disney has decided to move its monthly pin trading night to the same time and location as the early registration, and setting up a special area for the event attendees. So we will all get a bonus event not included with the actual Pin Celebration event, sort of an appetizer for what's to come the next few days.

I will be going with a luggage 3/4 empty, and expect to come home loaded to the gills. Let's just hope I don't have to pay the overweight charges. I will try to report from there at the end of the day. It will mainly be on the pin event since it is a short trip mainly on this. For a more varied report, wait till the end of Sept., which I am already expecting to be a glorious trip. It will coincide with Epcot's 25th Anniversary celebration on Oct. 1st, the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot, and our attendance on the evening of Oct 4th to the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at The Magic Kingdom. Yes, I am extremely giddy with anticipation.

Have a Magical Day, and see you at the Happiest Place on Earth.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

It was very long first day. We were up since 4 am, and have been going non-stop every since we got here.

We got to our resort at Old Key West and checked in early. Had lunch at Fultons in Downtown Disney, and then headed straight to the Convention Center to do the early registration. It went very smoothly. The registration line was short, and moved rather briskly.

We then joined the rest of the attendees doing what we like to do - pin trading! This is all before the official start of the Pin Celebration event, which is the next day.

We made many good contacts, even a group from The Netherlands. Exchanged business cards with them because they have offered to buy us pins from Disneyland Paris, while we offered to buy them pins from WDW. In the meantime, we traded several of our pins for their Disneyland Paris pins. Everyone was happy! :)

Today is the official start of the Pin Celebration event at the World Showplace at Epcot. So it will be a full day of trading, pin games, and more freebies.

Zz.

 

[Doc Al]

We were up since 4 am, and have been going non-stop every since we got here.

You are quite insane, my friend. But it looks like everyone is having a blast. Enjoy!

 

[ZapperZ]

You are quite insane, my friend.

Oh, that goes without saying!

:)

I am having a blast, because we know a lot more people here, and made a few new friends and contacts already, and all before the event even began! So today, the first day of the event, should be a lot of fun. I just hope that I don't run out of pins, because the trading pins we brought with us got seriously picked over last night. Almost all the good ones are gone already, especially the ones from Disneyland.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

This will be just a quick trip report, since I'm in a hurry to head out and do Disney-MGM Studios for their early Magic Hours.

The first official day of the Pin Celebration went very well. Did a lot of pin games to get some of the new cast lanyard pins, and did a lot of pin trading. But first, we had a lovely breakfast at OKW with this view to boot:

We then headed to Epcot. I don't care what anyone else says. Spaceship Earth looks naked and lonely without the Wand! I miss the Wand! There! I said it! You can hate me for it if you want.

They had a different bag check area for us attending the Pin Event. We didn't have to open our bags, but they instead got sniffed at by a rather furry "cast member". Just don't pet him/her, though.

And then, it was off to World Showplace.

This is the entrance area and registration area.

This year, the themed decorations were done extremely well! The next few pictures show the decorations and queue lines for those doing pin games.

[cont...]

 

[ZapperZ]

[...cont]

Of course, what many attendees came for is to do pin trading with people from all over the world. So this is large pin trading area at the event.

There all the items for the silent auction on display. Even they were nicely themed. Here's Remy with a set of pins that are up for auction.

We also managed to go out of the Pin event and do other things. This is the area that would be the off-loading area for Spaceship Earth that was open.

Spaceship Earth, of course, is still under construction.

We managed to do Soarin, and then Test Track.

And then the Nemo Attraction. I have decided that this attraction isn't high on my list of things to do.

We also did the Grand Fiesta and then stayed for Illuminations.

More reports coming soon.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Wow! We're exhausted!

It was another fun day. We woke up early to do Disney-MGM Studios' extra Magic hour. We missed getting another Dream Fastpass on the SAME ride from last time (Great Movie Ride) by just THAT much. I should have asked to stay for the next ride. What are the odds of getting a Dream Fastpass on the same ride twice?

Anyway, we did Tower of Terror, Great Movie Ride, and then headed back to Epcot. BTW, I've never had breakfast or pastries at Staring Rolls (next to the Brown Derby), but boy, they are good! I had bagels with cream cheese, lox, and it came with onions and capers. Lots of capers! (I love capers!). Of course, you pay ... what, $5.95 for it, but still, they gave a generous amount of capers and lox. So I was suitably satisfied.After getting our bags sniffed again, we got into Epcot to continue the Pin Celebration. We picked up our 4th RSP pins (we didn't get the Pin Traders Dream jumbo pin ) and then bought the special pins that we qualified to buy based on the amount that we purchased for our first 3 RSP. I think that Stitch pin is going to be a big seller on e-bay, I can already tell.

Of course, the pin trading activities continue and it seems as if there are even MORE people there today than yesterday, so much so that they had to put out even more tables, because people were complaining that they couldn't display their pins for trading.

The lines to play the pin games were also longer. People were really into getting those cast lanyard pins that are released at this event.

I took more pictures of the themeing that they are doing around the area for this event. They certainly did quite a bit.

The "Pin Family", a set of characters that are quite hilarious, also came into the pin trading area to take a look. They cast members tend to wear a lot of desirable pins, so they are usually swamped as soon as they appear. In this case, by the time they got to us, their lanyards were well picked over.

We left around 4:15 pm just as it was starting to rain. On the way out, we went to Mouse Gears because we were told that they have installed this Pin Game, where for $5, you can try to play this game. Win or lose, you get a pin can is one of the 3 or 4 sets of pins available form the set contained in that machine. I think we spent $25 getting 5 pins (which isn't bad considering that the cheapest rack pins is $6.95). At least, if we don't want to keep this, they make good trading. We are going to try a few more times tomorrow because we want the Donald pin.

The last day of the Pin Celebration is tomorrow. We also leave tomorrow afternoon, so I will probably not file another report until after we get home. It was a short but fun trip. I can't wait to get back here in 4 weeks for the Epcot Anniversary celebration.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

OK, so you'll never guess what became a minor and unexpected "hit" at the Pin Celebration.

They have several water stations throughout the event where you can get a cup of cold water. This was done in previous years as well. However, yesterday, during the first day of the celebration, when I decided to have a drink of water, I did a double take because they were using this hard plastic cups that had Mickey Ears and Castle design on it. In other words, these are not your usual throwaway flimsy plastic cups!

So I asked a few of my friends there if they have seen the plastic cups and am I the only one who thought that these are way cool and highly collectible. Everyone thought so! They had already taken some to keep. So I'm not embarrass to admit that I took a few as souvenirs.

Well guess what? Today, you can't find them anymore. We are back to the paper cups and cheap, flimsy plastic cups. A few people who didn't take them yesterday are regretting their decisions.

So, if you are ever invited to come over to my place and I serve you drinks on a white, frosted plastic cups with Mickey Ears and Castle design on it, you'll know that you're drinking on a collectible piece of Disney merchandise! :)

Zz.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- The Walt Disney Co. will begin testing toys featuring its characters in an effort to ensure product safety ahead of the busy holiday shopping season, according to a pair of reports published Monday. ...it will test more than 65,000 children's products, including items that are already on store shelves...[continued]

http://money.cnn.com/2007/09/10/news/companies/disney_toys/index.htm?eref=rss_topstories

 

[ZapperZ]

This is from our final day at WDW and the final day of the Pin Celebration event. While we were at Epcot around 9:00 am, we didn't head straight to the Pin Celebration. We met up with our friends who live there and spent the morning doing the various attractions.

Epcot had signs at the entrance inviting the rest of the public to join the Pin Celebration at 11:00 am that morning. Here's one of the signs in front of the now-bald Spaceship Earth.

We then did Soarin' (again) and the Finding Nemo attraction. Here are the jellyfish from that attraction.

I bumped into this sign nearby that proclaimed that that was a picture spot. So I took a picture! I can read instructions! :)

We then did Test Track (again). It's a lot of fun to get the whole car to your own group.

After lunch, we rejoined the Pin Celebration, which has now been opened to the rest of Epcot guests. While they are not replenishing the boards with the newly-released cast lanyard pins, there were still a lot of neat pins to be had at the various pin games. And of course, pin trading was still going on strong, even though the crowds have dwindled quite a bit with a lot of the attendees have left. But what is interesting was that the pin partners from various Disney theme parks, such as Disneyland Paris, Tokyo Disneyland, and Hong Kong Disneyland, were now trading pins with guests with the pins they brought from their theme parks. So now, there were long lines for trading with these other parks' cast members. Guests who came in and traded with these cast members early got amazing pins that can't be found in N. America.

The characters were also present and mingled with the rest of the guests and attendees. I got a lot of pictures of them and with them. Here are a few:

Goofy was having way too much fun with the rest of the guests.

Both Chip and Dale were there. Here's Dale hamming it up to the camera.

Mickey was trying the Mr. Toad vehicle...

.. while Donald gave us a show on stage...

... that is, until Mickey and Minnie chased him off it.

It was a lot of fun. We are looking forward to next years event. Rumor has it that the theme for next year has something to do with "Pin University".

I will post a few more pictures, and some more reports on the stuff that I missed in the next few days.

Zz.

 

[Moonbear]

Epcot had signs at the entrance inviting the rest of the public to join the Pin Celebration at 11:00 am that morning. Here's one of the signs in front of the now-bald Spaceship Earth.

Y'know, I kind of like it plain again. Go figure. I didn't think I would.

I bumped into this sign nearby that proclaimed that that was a picture spot. So I took a picture! I can read instructions! :)

Sounds like you had a great time, as always.

 

[ZapperZ]

We left around 4:15 pm just as it was starting to rain. On the way out, we went to Mouse Gears because we were told that they have installed this Pin Game, where for $5, you can try to play this game. Win or lose, you get a pin can is one of the 3 or 4 sets of pins available form the set contained in that machine. I think we spent $25 getting 5 pins (which isn't bad considering that the cheapest rack pins is $6.95). At least, if we don't want to keep this, they make good trading. We are going to try a few more times tomorrow because we want the Donald pin.

I found more information regarding this pin game machine. It seems that they will be putting this machine at several more locations. The one at Mouse Gears was actually placed there just this past Sept. 6th, which actually makes sense since the pin addicts ... er ... collectors were swarming all over Epcot on that day. So this thing is certainly brand new.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

From what I saw, I think this has to be THE most sought-after "pin" on the list that was being released as part of this Pin Celebration. It is Mickey Mouse as Main Street reporter Scoop Sanderson.

Now, I use the word "pin" very loosely here. This pin is HUGE and heavy, and comes in a very fancy box. It is outrageously gorgeous!

During the pin event, Scoop Sanderson made many appearances. People were lining up to take pictures of him, with him, and even to get him to autograph this pin, even though he wasn't the artist for this pin. I managed to get a picture of him as well right next to a picture of Mickey dressed as him.

Note that Scoop was actually WEARING this pin! :)

It was such a terrific event.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

The active rumor of the day is that Disney is going to do a sequel to the much beloved "Tron". A director supposedly has been hired to continue with the next chapter of the story.

I can already see it now - the hero desperately trying to get out from the inside of a YouTube video.

Disney better not screw this up.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

One of the pin sets that they had for auction was something that I would want myself (but not willing to pay the big bucks for it). It is a framed pin set to commemorate the upcoming Epcot's 25th Anniversary.

It was nicely done. Inside the "25" is filled with various Epcot pins. I didn't read it too closely, but I think it is supposed to have every single existing Epcot-related pins.

I don't know how much thing went for (anyone attended the auction?), but I don't doubt that this went for very big chuck of change. Those auctions can go as high as the thousands for one of these things, especially when it is something that is one-of-a-kind.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

This is going to be a long-winded story, but hey, if you have continued to read this thread, it can't get anymore long-winded than it! :)

I have a co-worker, fellow physicist, who I would describe as very "frugal". He and his wife has 2 sons, aged (I'm guessing here) 4 and 8. They spend their money very wisely (unlike me), and seldom splurge on unnecessary items. So when John (my co-worker) told me that they do have a plan on bringing the kids to Walt Disney World some time, I of course got almost as excited as they kids would be (they didn't know it yet at that time) if they had known.

So early this year, when I got the info on when Disney was going to give the free Disney Dining Plan (DDP) as part of their Magic Your Way package, I immediately sent John all the info. I believe I've mentioned something about this free DDP already on here. It's a very good deal, whereby for a 6 day, 5 night stay at a Disney value resort, including park tickets, and they throw in the free DDP, for less than $1600 for the whole family of 4. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how expensive food can be at a Disney park. So in this package, you are getting more food than you can ever eat (just ask Moonbear) for FREE!

When I brought this package to John, even he thought it was way too good to pass. After discussing it with his wife, they all decided that this was as a time to go as any. So they planned it for early Sept. Now John and his wife has gone to WDW a long time ago, before the kids. So this will be the kids' first trip there. Of course, the sought my help in planning the trip and getting all the hints on what they should and should not do. Since they will be going during the period of the free DDP, I strongly suggested that they should also make dining reservations way in advance, because the popular restaurants will be booked solid since there will be plenty others getting the free dining plan as well. I gave them several choices for them to choose from. Of course, I also gave them all the attractions at different parks that they should not miss.

The planning part was quite fun since the whole family met me a few times during the 2 months leading to their trip. You can already imagine how excited the kids were. As their trip was getting to about 1 week away, Uncle ZapperZ decided to crank up the kids' excitement (I heard that they were already talking about the Disney trip every day). I starting giving John a couple of Disney gifts to give to the kids. And when they were about 4 days away from the trip, I gave them a picture frame for them to put a picture of them as a group in it. I was literally feeding them with tantalizing bits to ramp up their excitement for the Disney trip! (I know I'm bad! But aren't you glad that I'm not a drug pusher?)

It turned out that my last Pin Celebration trip overlap a bit with the beginning of their trip. I was at WDW from Thursday to Sunday, while they fly in on Saturday to start their 6-day vacation. So we made plans to meet up Saturday evening at Downtown Disney after they finished their dinner at the Liberty Tree Tavern at the Magic Kingdom. We met up at the Lego Store in Downtown Disney's Marketplace. After showing them around (the kids didn't want to leave the Lego store), I took them to the Guest Relations office and got the 2 boys a pin each that said "My First WDW Trip". I then took them to several other stores (we tried to make a Mr. Potato Head) and pointed out to them the restaurants that took their dining plan. We had a lot of fun. I asked the eldest boy "Isn't this a cool place?" He turned around and with a smile and a gleam in his face replied "YEAH!" So I then said "See? Now you know why I come here 2 or 3 times a year!" :) We had a wonderful evening before we broke off that night (the youngest boy was already wilting since they've been up since 4 am that day).

Now I have to make a slight detour of the story and tell you something about Disney's current promotion called the Year of a Million Dreams (YOMD). You'll see the reason why in a few minutes.

If you have followed this thread, you'll know that one of the things they do during this YOMD is to randomly select Disney guests that are at WDW or Disneyland Resort, and give them gifts, special access, etc.. etc. to make some of their "dreams" come true. The gifts can range from special pins that you can't buy anywhere, special pin lanyard, dream fast passes, hats, etc... During our trip in June this year, we were selected to receive the Dream Fastpasses while we were at Disney-MGM Studios. So we have been the lucky recipient of one of these things. Still, I had 2 things that I had wished for: a night stay at Cinderella Castle, and the YOMD Mickey Ears Hat! Now I'm not putting in any realistic hope of being selected to spend the night at Cindy's Castle, so I'm not all that bumped out for not getting it YET. But I thought getting the hat was rather realistic, and I've seen many guests wearing that hat around the parks. So that has been my #1 wish - to get that damn hat! Alas, that luck has eluded me all this while. There is still time, though, since the YOMD promotion has been extended till end of 2008. So I still have hopes.

Now that I've set up the scenario, let's to back to the original story. So yesterday was the first day my co-worker came back to work after the vacation. I of course was dying to hear their vacation story. But WHOA, what's this on my desk? I see 2, TWO, YOMD Mickey Ears Hat!

OK, so my heart was beating rather fast, and I was feeling a bit dizzy...

"We thought you might like this. We got them just as we got off the Living With The Land ride", John said.

I don't mind telling you that I almost fell on my butt at that time.

So of course I heard the whole story. The Dream Squad (that's what they called the cast members who do the prize giving) selected their ride at random to give everyone in that ride vehicle the YOMD hat. The kids are keeping their hat but John and his wife decided to give theirs to us (chuck and I) as a "thank you" gift for helping them find the trip and planning the trip for them.

I went home and took a picture of the hats.

I know these are only a couple of stupid hats. But its one of those things where you have wanted it for such a long time (I even remember dreaming about it) that you can't believe that you now have it. I have to find a special place to display it. It probably won't take over the special case that currently holds the "July 17, 2005" Disneyland golden anniversary hat, but I'm sure I'll find some place worthy of its "stature".

So I can die happy now. :)

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

I have a lot of satisfaction reading this http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-epcot18sep18,0,1995017.story. The Celebration 25, which was a grass-root Disney fans movement who were utterly disappointed when they announced that there will be no official commemoration of Epcot's 25th Anniversary, was started by someone on a Disney forum, WDWMagic, which I also belong to. So I got to see this happen from the very beginning and saw it evolved from just a modest goal of getting about 50-100 fans to get together, to now with a number of more than 1100 signing up.

Now Disney had changed its mind (and changed Epcot's vice president), and fan groups such as Celebration 25 are getting official recognition from Disney, along with official Disney celebration of Epcot's anniversary.

The resort's change of heart may be partly attributed to the emerging success of various private Epcot parties -- including "Celebration 25," which is being spearheaded by Adam Roth, a 16-year-old Dr. Phillips High School junior.

Celebration 25, which will feature Epcot history tours, get-togethers and parties Sept. 30 and Oct. 1, started as an Internet-networked get-together of Epcot fans. Initially, it was expected to draw 100 or so participants, but the latest count tops 1,100 registrants.

Another private celebration, "The Epcot Thing," sponsored by the unofficial Disney-fan Web site MagicalMountain.net, also involves various parties and get-togethers Sept. 30 and Oct. 1. And the annual Florida convention of the National Fantasy Fan Club will take place at Disney World that weekend.

Yours Truly will be there for this event with the Celebration 25 fans (how can I not be there and miss this?). In fact, I will be there for the whole week not only to attend the anniversary ceremony, but also to do Epcot's Food and Wine Festival, and the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party on the evening of Oct. 4th at the Magic Kingdom (it's a hard-ticket event where they cleared out the Magic Kingdom and then let in the attendees for special events, parades, fireworks, etc.). So I'm very much looking forward to this.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

These are recent pictures from the Magic Kingdom that has been decked out with Halloween decorations. It looks fantastic!

I can't wait to get to see this in person. Only 10 more days!

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Latest Press Release on Epcot Dining

There have been a lot of changes and renovations going on at Epcot, especially around the World Showcase, with regards to the dining facilities and experience. A lot of it was done in anticipation of Epcot's 25th Anniversary this coming Oct. 1st. The following is the latest update from a Disney press release.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- When Epcot debuted in 1982, the World Showcase pavilions pioneered the idea of global cuisine as a theme park attraction in itself, and expanded fine dining in Central Florida.
Now for the park's 25th birthday, Epcot is unwrapping the biggest makeover in World Showcase history, with grand new dining experiences that truly raise the bar with exciting restaurants, diverse menus and redesigned settings to wow guests with something fresh and different.

Here's what's on the front burner:

Patina Group's Tutto Italia Ristorante just opened in the Italy pavilion. Another new restaurant in the same space is planned for late 2008.

In October, the Japan pavilion debuts Tokyo Dining and Teppan Edo, a dramatic redevelopment of their dining rooms.

China's Nine Dragons Restaurant closes in early 2008 to create a new dining room with five cooking stations, reopening in late 2008.

By summer 2008, a new tequila bar opens adjacent to San Angel Inn Restaurante in the Mexico pavilion, and the outdoor Cantina de San Angel expands, with more seating and a new menu.

Collaborating with chefs and restaurateurs from around the world, such as France's celebrated trio of Paul Bocuse, Roger Verger and Gaston Lenôtre at Chefs de France, and Joachim Splichal's just-opened Tutto Italia Ristorante, the Epcot restaurants are premiere attractions at Walt Disney World Resort. From a spirited mariachi band and mole poblano in Mexico to belly dancing and spicy bastilla in Morocco, World Showcase offers gustatory globe-trotting -- all in easy walking distance.

"There's not another theme park in the world with such diverse dining adventures," said Rilous Carter, general manager of Epcot Food & Beverage. "The idea is to immerse our guests in traditional cultures, but with contemporary experiences."

As Epcot celebrates its silver anniversary, the Walt Disney World culinary team is unwrapping all-new dining concepts, and expanding and renovating longtime favorites. And menus are being rewritten with lighter, fresher, more healthful cuisine.

"World Showcase is timeless, and continually evolving with more interactive experiences," said Dieter Hannig, vice president of Food & Beverage New Concepts. "As our world grows smaller, Epcot grows more exciting, more authentic. The dreams and ideas are endless."

Explore Italy's Cuisine at Tutto Italia Ristorante

In the Italy pavilion, Tutto Italia ("everything Italian") Ristorante is the newest restaurant for California-based Patina Group. Showcasing cuisine from different regions of Italy, the newly outfitted restaurant features a bustling open-kitchen kitchen and a menu with freshly made breads and pastries, handmade mozzarella and pasta and an array of Italian wines.

"My inspiration for Tutto Italia was the incredible variety of cuisines that I have enjoyed during my visits to Italy," said Chef Joachim Splichal. "I wanted to distill that experience and create a restaurant with some of my favorite dishes."

Meals start with a complimentary starter, or assaggini, that includes vegetables, bruschetta, crostini and olives served with bread. Special features include the "Abbondanza Family Table" with family-style platters for sharing at lunch and dinner. Tutto Italia also has an outdoor kiosk and a gelati cart.

Tutto Italia Ristorante is the latest addition to Patina Group's portfolio of nearly 30 restaurants and its first in Florida, with plans to open another restaurant in the same space at Epcot by late 2008.

All-New Dining at Japan

Just unveiled on the top floor of the Japan pavilion is the all-new Tokyo Dining, and beautifully redesigned teppanyaki dining rooms, renamed Teppan Edo.

"This is not a renovation, but a complete redevelopment," said Yutaro Iwamura, director of business for Mitsukoshi USA. With sleek interiors and stylish new costuming for chefs and servers, both restaurants infuse authentic Japanese hospitality with a dash of hipness.

The popular teppanyaki rooms feature show-style cooking and upscale cuisine such as Wagyu and Kobe beef, along with traditional teppan dishes. Tokyo Dining (formerly the tempura bar and adjoining lounge) is a 140-seat dining room with a centerpiece "show stage" where diners can watch the sushi chefs in action. Nearly 50 varieties of sushi and sashimi and six varieties of sake are on the menu, along with tempura and grilled steaks and seafood.

Japan is one of several operating partners at Epcot who make the dining experience magical.

"These operating participants bring expertise and authenticity to Walt Disney World," said Keith Bradford, vice president of Operating Participants. "Particularly in World Showcase, these professional restaurateurs bring a diverse perspective to the park experience."

China's New Exhibition Kitchen

In China, a new Joy of Tea outdoor cart features hot and cold teas, trendy frozen green tea concoctions and alcoholic drinks such as plum wine and wine green tea slush. The pavilion's Lotus Blossom Café has been renovated and features a new menu that includes Beijing barbecue chicken, sesame chicken salad and rou jia mo, a popular Chinese sandwich made with sliced beef stuffed in toasted wheat-flour flatbread.

China's Nine Dragons table-service restaurant will close in early 2008 to make way for an innovative dining room that will feature five cooking stations where guests can interact with chefs from China. Scheduled opening is fall 2008.

Changes All Around World Showcase

In the Mexico pavilion, a 50- to 60-seat tequila bar, including a history of the beverage, replaces a retail shop adjacent to the restaurant, opening in summer 2008. Also in summer 2008, the pavilion's waterfront Cantina de San Angel is expanding with more seating with optimal views of World Showcase, and will offer a new menu.

Plans are under way to expand outdoor seating at the popular Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room, with covered waterfront dining that's optimal for viewing the nightly "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" fireworks show.
The expanding roster of international chefs joining the Epcot culinary team includes Chef Damien Besson, who comes from Chef Paul Bocuse's L'abbaye de Collonge in Lyon, France. And Artur Bukalo, a native of Berlin, Germany, is the new chef at Germany's Biergarten Restaurant.

While restaurant menus are redesigned to reflect tastes and trends, there's special emphasis on fresh, seasonal creations, said Epcot Executive Chef Christine Weissman. And like the rest of Walt Disney World Resort, trans fats and partially hydrogenated oils are being phased out of all restaurants.
"Our guests know more than ever about food and wine," said Weissman. "They are health-conscious and looking for new taste sensations -- our fun challenge is to exceed their expectations."

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival

Adding even more diversity to the mix for dining experiences is the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, in its 12th year. The six-week-long festival adds more than 25 international marketplaces with tapas-sized tastes of food from around the world, from the Dominican Republic to Turkey.

The Epcot festival has grown dramatically, attracting a diverse audience of more than 1 million guests each fall, from wine connoisseurs and epicures to neophytes primed to boost their wine IQs. Beer aficionados can raise their steins at several tasting locations.

"There's no other festival environment in the world like ours," said festival manager Nora Carey. "From the picturesque World Showcase Lagoon to the authentic architecture that showcases many cultures, it's an ideal backdrop for the exceptional culinary and wine-related talent of Walt Disney World Resort and for the great celebrity chefs and wine connoisseurs who join us each year."

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Donald Duck Drinks

Hey, open your pantry, or that trunk chest in your attic. Do you have this Donald Duck Orange Juice can, or the Donald Duck Soda can with the cap?

http://img404.imageshack.us/img404/939/donaldduckjuicexi6.gif

If you do, can I have them? :)

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

The Re-Haunting of WDW's Haunted Mansion

The classic attraction The Haunted Mansion at Walt Disney Word's Magic Kingdom has http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=38607. So if you haven't seen it recently, it is a great time to go back and see it again. But here are some new things to look forward to:

The best enhancements of the “Re-Haunting”, however, are the new features added to the Haunted Mansion. The demented Haunted Bride and her axe, as well as the fortune-teller Madame Leota’s head floating in mid-air, have both been imported from the Disneyland Haunted Mansion, but not before adding some additional improvements to them to amplify their fright potential. Even better though is the newest feature of the Walt Disney World Haunted Mansion. Replacing the long-boring spider scene is the brand new Staircase Room. Like an Escher print brought to life, the room is full of staircases built in random directions and ghostly footprints going nowhere. The Staircase Room is a stand-out presentation and exclusive to the Orlando park.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

25 Epcot Fun Facts

As I'm about to leave for WDW to celebrate Epcot's 25th Anniversary, here are 25 fun facts about that theme parks as released by Disney news media:

* It took nearly 3,000 designers and 4,000 construction workers to build the first phase of Epcot.
* 54 million cubic feet of dirt was excavated to build the park.
* Epcot had its soft opening Sept. 28, 1982, at 4 p.m.
* Spaceship Earth, the visual and thematic centerpiece of Epcot, weighs 16 million pounds, measures 165 feet in diameter and encompasses 2.2 million cubic feet of space. The outer "skin" of Spaceship Earth is made up of 11,324 aluminum and plastic-alloy triangles.
* At Spaceship Earth, Mickey Mouse is hidden in his own constellation just beyond the attraction's loading area.
* The fountain at Epcot Innoventions Plaza can shoot water 150 feet in the air -- within 30 feet of the top of Spaceship Earth. If all of the shooters were fired at once, there would be 2,000 gallons of water in the air.
* The ride technology for the Soarin' attraction was based on an erector set model created by Walt Disney Imagineer Mark Sumner. One million pounds of steel provides the ride structure and 37 tons are lifted during each ride cycle.
* It took more than 650 Walt Disney Imagineers more than 350,000 hours (the equivalent of 40 years of time) to develop Mission: SPACE. The Imagineers' efforts took place over a five-year period.
* At Mission: SPACE, there are 13 quotes by space explorers and visionaries on the attraction's wall of honor. The most recent was added in September 2007 by teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, reading "Reach for your dreams . . . the sky is no limit."
* At nearly a mile long and reaching a top speed of 65 mph, Test Track is the longest and fastest ride at a Walt Disney World theme park.
* The body of water at The Seas with Nemo & Friends provides a home to 3,000 fish and other sea creatures and contains 5.7 million gallons of water, one of the largest man-made ocean environments in the world.
* More than 30 tons of fruits and vegetables grown at The Land pavilion each year are served in Walt Disney World restaurants.
* The Land has a "tomato tree" that is the only one of its kind in the United States. The massive plant has produced a world-record harvest of more than 32,000 tomatoes from a single vine.
* World Showcase promenade stretches 1.2 miles and World Showcase Lagoon spans 40 acres.
* The gardens of Epcot are among the most extensive at Walt Disney World Resort. The themed landscapes are maintained year-round by a horticulture staff of more than 50.
* At United Kingdom's Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room in World Showcase, a specially designed ale warmer can heat your Guinness to 55 degrees, the temperature favored by Brits.
* 26.2 miles of bratwurst are served every 60 days at the Biergarten restaurant in the Germany pavilion. That, by the way, is the length of a marathon.
* The Eiffel Tower replica in the France pavilion is 103 feet tall.
* The castle in Japan is a replica of the Shirasagi-Jo, a 17th century fortress overlooking the city of Himeji, known as one of the most well-preserved castles in Japan.
* A Disney crew carried a 300-pound camera up 4,500 steps of the Huangshan Mountain in the Annui Province to film the Circle-Vision 360 film seen in the China pavilion.
* From bonsai to roses, there's something for every gardening guru at the annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. Disney horticulturists rotate the crops twice during the festival to keep the 30 million blossoms colorful and fresh.
* Each year at the annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, more than 33,000 bottles of wine and champagne are uncorked, 1.2 million hors d'oeuvre plates are served and 100,000 miniature desserts are dished up.
* More than 26,000 feet of lights outline the World Showcase pavilions for the "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" nightly fireworks show -- a string long enough to stretch across the Golden Gate Bridge more than six times.
* Earth Globe is a 28-foot-diameter sphere on World Showcase Lagoon and the centerpiece of "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth." The globe weighs 350,000 pounds and is wrapped in more than 180,000 Light Emitting Diodes arranged in the shape of Earth's continents.
* Some 2,800 firework shells are used during each "IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth" show.

I'll see you from the Happiest Place on Earth in less than 24 hrs!

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Epcot's Food and Wine Festival Starts Today

The 12th Annual International http://www.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment/orl-chow2807sep28,0,6130563.story. This year, besides food and wine from various countries, they have also selected a US state to highlight - Oklahoma!

Read the article to know why. :)

But don't miss the list of entertainers that are scheduled to perform at the America Gardens theater. Al Stewart performs tonight and tomorrow night, and then the Beach Boys on Oct. 2 and 3. Did Juice Newton had any other hits besides "Angel of the Morning"?

Not that it matters since I probably won't see any of these...

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

On this past Oct. 1st, 2007, I attended Epcot's 25th Anniversary celebration as part of the Celebration 25 group of fans. This group was organized after Disney earlier this year announced that they were NOT going to do any observation to mark this anniversary. This grassroot movement and the changing of the vice president for Epcot earlier this year caused Disney to change their minds and came to their senses, resulting in the observance of the important date and recognizing Celebration 25 group. We were given special permission to organize our own events and given tickets to attend the sought-after Marty Sklar's session that day.

The Re-Dedication Ceremony took place at 10:00 am on the anniversary day. After that ceremony, the Celebration 25 attendees had a group photo, which was when we were joined by 3 special guests: the 2 Cast Member Ambassadors and who else but Jim McPhee, the new Vice President of Epcot (they are the only ones wearing suits in the picture). See if you can spot me in this picture (for those of you know what I look like . This was taken by one of Disney's PhotoPass photographer. I noticed that since we had such a huge group, he was taking snap shots by panning across the whole group. That immediately told me "photo stitch!" So I got him to scan my photopass card to get the pictures he took. This is the result of that photo stitch, which didn't turn out to be bad at all.

I also had the pleasure of shaking Jim McPhee's hand after the photo session and a quick conversation with him to thank him for pushing for some sort of an observance of Epcot's birthday. It was a spectacular day, including the showing if Illuminations and the Anniversary fireworks tag at the end that was just jaw-dropping and had a few people in tears. I was extremely glad to have been there with this very fine group of people.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

The first preview video for the Celebration 25 DVD has been released. It gives you an idea of what we were doing those 2 magical days. Your truly even appeared at least twice in the video. :)

I got goosebumps watching this because I know how much those 2 days meant to many people, and how the fans actually made the celebration happened, considering that 8 months ago, we were going to get nothing.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

It appears that this time, I'm more ahead with my videos that I am with my pictures.

This is the http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=9013421235253724682&hl=en, the spectacular fireworks show during the Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at The Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World. This was videotaped on Oct. 4th, 2007. As with my video of Illuminations and Wishes, I've replaced the live sound with the actual music for the fireworks show.

You can also find the rest of my Disney videos here.

Enjoy!

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

I've finally finished editing the video footage we took during the Celebration 25 two-day event for Epcot's 25th Anniversary. With apologies to Camille Saint-Saens for butchering his masterpiece, here's http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=3436547739143099985.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

The biggest news of the week, in case you missed it, is that Disney will be spending $1.1 billion (yes, that's right, BILLION) over 5 years to revamped the much-maligned Disney's California Adventure. If we go by from the plans that have been revealed, many Disney fans will rejoice because this is what they should have done when they first built the 2nd gate at the Disneyland Resort. Just reading the plans for the lagoon at Paradise Pier itself is astonishing - they will have lights and water show that will make the water show in front of the Ballagio at Las Vegas looks tame in comparison.

I can't wait!

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

The Venom of Disney Fans

This poor woman, I think, has suffered enough.

The problem with writing in the mass media about Disney is that you'd better get your facts straight, because there are tons of Disney fans out there who more than likely know more about it than you do. This reporter got a first hand look at it.

It all started when she innocently http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/travel/story/4061444p-4665126c.html to the Walt Disney World. But then she started making several glaring mistakes (Pleasure Island being a theme park, Hard Rock Cafe, etc.. etc.). I think as a journalist, one kinda expects some facts checking either by her or her editor. Still, I'd say a friendly "heads up" would have been appropriate.

Unfortunately, Disney fans being who they are, blunders like this are quickly reported in many Disney fan forums. One such forum that I belong to had http://forums.wdwmagic.com/showthread.php?t=238278 on this. I think the responses range from "Oh, this is no big deal" to "She's a total imbecile". Still, I think most Disney fans would simply shake their heads at this and let it go, or if they wish to do something, would write a friendly letter to this person telling her the mistakes that she made. Unfortunately, I think some "fans" also went over the top. I don't know how many of these people from this forum wrote nasty e-mail to this reporter, or how many actual nasty e-mail she got in total, but it was certainly enough that she had to write a http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/columnists/top3/story/4063346p-4666869c.html. In it, she not only admitted to the mistakes she made in her report, but also the ridiculous responses that she got, including someone telling her that she's not fit to be a mother??!Of course, she does NOT deserve those nasty comments directed at her, especially her duties as a mother. That is just way out of line, and it can't possibly come from someone who claim him/herself to be a true Disney fan.

I like the response she got when she contacted a Disney rep and told her about all this.

Seriously?! Man, how can people priding themselves on having pixie dust in their veins be so cruel?

EXACTLY!

Unfortunately, there's nothing different or out of the ordinary as far as human behavior is concerned. That is why we have 'extremists', people who simply can't put things into perspective. Some Disney fans are certainly not immune to such behaviors. I know that I got almost the same type of flak simply by expressing that I actually LIKE THE WAND that was attached to Spaceship Earth ("You're not a true Disney fan, loser!")

It is also a clear demonstration of the very dangerous waters when one writes about Disney in the media. Hordes of Disney fanatics have facts at their fingertips such that one slip and you're chopped liver.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Epcot's 2007 Food and Wine Festival

We have been looking forward to attending this event since we've heard so much about it before. It goes on for about 1 1/2 months at Epcot, and involves not only food from various parts of the world, but also cooking demonstrations, wine tasting, food info, etc... So it truly is a festival of more than just drinking, eating, and binging. :) As someone who lives in Chicago and have been to Taste of Chicago, the concept isn't all too different. Still, the F&W festival certainly, I would think, have a wider cultural range of food than Tastes.

Epcot was certainly nicely decked out for the festival. There's certainly a lot of references to Ratatouille, understandably.

The state of Oklahoma was being honored with a booth/pavilion/showplace by itself to celebrate its centennial. I didn't get to sample their food offerings, unfortunately. I think I was seeking more of something less available and more exotic.

The pears industry had a representation there, and you get to learn about pears, how to know when they're fully ripened, how to make dishes using them, etc...etc. I attended a couple of short cooking instructions in making pear salads, etc. I only wish they had used an actual chef, rather than an industry representative to do these demo.

I didn't get attend other cooking or food demonstrations. We simply had too much things to do especially with the anniversary activities with Celebration 25.

Now, about the food quality. In general, they were quite good, even though they were a bit lacking in quantity. I know you're not to expect any significant quantity when you pay between $2 to $3.95 for them, but still, some of them are puny. The calamari stew from Mexico had only TWO (count 'em) thin rings of calamari in it! I'm not expecting a bushel, but c'mon! I thought of all the food that I got, the stuffed cabbage from Poland was of a decent and fair size.

There was one disaster of a food. Don't get the samosa from India. The pasty dough was under-fried. It was doughy and limp, and fell apart as soon as you bite into it. It should have been golden brown and crispy. No indian worth his/her heritage would let something like this pass through. I go to a lot of Indian restaurants, and even the cheap ones do not have samosa this bad (in fact, I find that those are the best places to get really good samosa). So that was highly disappointing. The empanadas from Argentina also suffered from a similar fate. While the filling was tasty, the pastry crust was limp. At least it wasn't doughy. I think it had been sitting there for a while in a moist container.

All in all, it was a great experience, especially the sampling of various different wines from many different regions of the world.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Just in time for Halloween, guess what movie landed at #20 as one of Time Magazine's Top 25 Horror movies of all time?

Disney's Bambi.

http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1676793_1676808_1676840,00.html

That'll teach you to show this movie to your kids. Now you know why they ran away screaming and crying!

:)

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Boo To You parade

Just in time for Halloween, this is the video I took of the http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-2450535745666892023 at the Magic Kingdom during Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party this past Oct. 4th.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

BOO!


Happy Disney Halloween!

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

One of the best aspect about Epcot that certainly makes it not unlike any typical theme park is the many "cultural" activities that can be found at the various pavilions of the World Showcase. At various times of the day, there are many specific activities or shows related to each of the individual countries.

One such shows that is very popular is the acrobatic presentation at the China pavilion. These are usually presented by a touring or invited group from China. We videotaped http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6478248894760866306&hl=en this past Oct. 1st, 2007 (during Epcot's 25th Anniversary day). These people appeared to be so young that they looked like they're still in high school!

These presentations change all the time depending on the group performing at that time. So you may not get to see this same performance at another time.

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

I constantly search for any story or article that has two of the things I'm very passionate about - Disney and Physics. Occasionally, I find them. The story on Enrico Fermi and Winnie The Pooh is one example.

Now comes another one, although this one is more on the scholarly level. In the November issue of Physics Today, there is an article on the http://ptonline.aip.org/journals/doc/PHTOAD-ft/vol_60/iss_11/24_1.shtml. It includes a description of various Disney/Pixar movies and quotes from members of Pixar. It is amazing to know the amount of physics (and engineering) knowledge that is required.

Animations of both fluids and solids—and of facial expressions, clothing, and deformable objects, among other things—use various computational methods derived from discretizing continuous equations, Navier–Stokes in the case of fluids. The commonly used methods break the object being simulated into discrete elements (finite element method), fixed cells in space (finite difference method), or sample points (particle method). "The computational cost goes up with the number of grid cells or particles, but so does the realism," says O'Brien. "The tradeoff between how good something looks versus cost starts to favor the particle method when you reduce the number to make it affordable, whereas the finite element and finite difference methods are favored where you can afford a more expensive computation."

Maybe this is another line of work that could be open to physicists and engineers, no?

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Hum... I'm not sure what to make of this.

This woman is watching a trailer of Wall-E, the next Disney-Pixar movie that will be released. Now, either she is a highly charged, emotional person, or Wall-E (or at least the trailer) is one heck of a movie, for it to get http://www.thedisneyblog.com/tdb/2007/11/wall-e-trailer-.html.

So now I will have to go looking for the trailer online and see what was it that she saw. I've seen on already, but in case there's more and she saw a different one, I have a box of Kleenex ready nearby!

:)

Zz.

 

[ZapperZ]

Hey, if there ever is another good excuse to go to WDW during the Holiday season, this might just be it!

They have http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/ViewPhoto?u=4084831&a=32606793&p=75972181" this year. It looks amazing just in the picture alone, and I can only imagine how spectacular it is in person.

Moonbie, I would say this qualifies as a good excuse to go next year. I hope they have this lighting decorations again then.

Zz.