tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75236087203516102712024-03-14T04:23:02.990-07:00News from DisneyOfficial news, features, photos, and videos from the Walt Disney Company Public Relations<br>Hosted by <a href="http://brucewdw.blogspot.com"><b>A World View - Enjoying Walt Disney World</b></a>.Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.comBlogger136125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-63185162615763965742011-10-23T06:53:00.000-07:002011-12-25T06:36:26.569-08:00"News from Disney" Merges into "A World View"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGj2XpOcc3YbWK8o5v9O4kUPkKRkmKVvXWHzGSl4R0LVAZ7ct78PVDbiiMrMMV0fla9YI5CtCH7JwZG_QH78j4kmNNCNuwSPoEkGSNinS8Qk_-nroz4ShBSmCYx4vDIKj4edRX1uNVxh0/s1600/A+World+View+Logo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="93" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGj2XpOcc3YbWK8o5v9O4kUPkKRkmKVvXWHzGSl4R0LVAZ7ct78PVDbiiMrMMV0fla9YI5CtCH7JwZG_QH78j4kmNNCNuwSPoEkGSNinS8Qk_-nroz4ShBSmCYx4vDIKj4edRX1uNVxh0/s400/A+World+View+Logo.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Dear Readers,<br />
<br />
Back in September 2010 I started the "<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">News from Disney</span></i></b>" blog as a means of sharing stories from the public information departments of Walt Disney World and other Disney destinations. The intent was to separate the articles I personally author and post in my primary Disney trip planning blog -- <a href="http://brucewdw.blogspot.com/">A World View</a> -- from the series of general information stories provided by the Disney company itself.<br />
<br />
Then over time, I started adding other topical blogs about Disney and in particular, <a href="http://disneycontests.blogspot.com/">Disney Contests & Sweepstakes</a>. Well, I've finally gotten to the point of not being able to manage information updates on all the web sites (not a real surprise), and a little consolidation was clearly in order.<br />
<br />
It was the <a href="http://disneycontests.blogspot.com/">Disney Contests & Sweepstakes</a> website that finally made the decision for me. It is so popular (way more than any other I'm managing), that any time I had available for "<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">News from Disney</span></i></b>" dwindled; and in fact, my <a href="http://disneyphotolibrary.blogspot.com/">Disney Desktop Wallpaper and Photo Library</a> blog has also suffered from lack of attention.<br />
<br />
In order to maintain the information sharing I think important to building readership, I'll be posting what was previously on "<b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">News from Disney</span></i></b>" onto "<a href="http://brucewdw.blogspot.com/">A World View</a>" beginning immediately. I am also investigating a move to having my own website and web address rather than the Google blog format, and then moving over the <a href="http://disneyphotolibrary.blogspot.com/">Wallpaper and Photo Library</a> resources to that new site. But this will take a little time and development, particularly since there are several new features I am planning as well, on a new consolidated web page.<br />
<br />
So, for those who have been reading "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;"><i><b>News from Disney</b></i></span>", <b>THANK YOU</b>; and please check out "<a href="http://brucewdw.blogspot.com/">A World View</a>" for the latest news on Walt Disney World and other Disney destinations.<br />
<br />
Have a magical day,<br />
Bruce Brodsky<br />
<a href="mailto:brucewdw@gmail.com">brucewdw@gmail.com</a></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-28922690385976989512011-09-24T17:41:00.000-07:002011-09-24T17:41:52.228-07:00Disney Cruise Line Doubles the “Aloha” with Second Hawaiian Cruise – Disney Wonder Bound for the West Coast in 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Based on an overwhelming response to its first Hawaiian itinerary, Disney Cruise Line is adding a second Hawaii cruise to its 2012 schedule. The addition of a second Hawaiian voyage complements a diverse array of Disney Cruise Line itineraries departing from the West Coast, including cruises to the Mexican Riviera, Pacific Coast and Alaska.<br />
<br />
With a majority of its West Coast sailings originating from the Port of Los Angeles or the Port of Seattle, a Disney family cruise vacation is more accessible to guests from the western United States.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVupOQxjfwYyRaShvqxPE1Vnan7UtmIUVhGz3DoShFezbj5j_qvR3MrhzW5lqFQH404-eCnK6708zn07TCNBca9LKppNKmzMJ0r-gQ8hHFV5F0xatw0VZ4OY6nHfom2fBdc3TydCSfE00/s1600/Disney+Wonder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVupOQxjfwYyRaShvqxPE1Vnan7UtmIUVhGz3DoShFezbj5j_qvR3MrhzW5lqFQH404-eCnK6708zn07TCNBca9LKppNKmzMJ0r-gQ8hHFV5F0xatw0VZ4OY6nHfom2fBdc3TydCSfE00/s400/Disney+Wonder.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
“We listen to our guests, and shortly after we announced our first Hawaiian voyage it was clear our guests wanted more options to visit Hawaii,” said Disney Cruise Line President Karl Holz. “This second sailing to Hawaii is part of a wide variety of Disney Cruise Line vacation options for families in 2012 including new itineraries, regional homeports and the debut of our newest ship, the Disney Fantasy.”<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: red;">2012 Los Angeles Schedule</span></span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><em>Two Hawaiian Sailings…</em></strong><br />
For the first time, Disney Cruise Line will offer two special voyages to Hawaii from Los Angeles, calling on Kahului, Maui; Nawiliwili, Kauai; Honolulu, Oahu; and Hilo plus Ensenada, Mexico.<strong><em> </em></strong><br />
The 15-night Hawaiian itinerary, which includes nine days at sea, departs April 29, 2012. The newly-added 14-night Hawaiian itinerary, with eight days at sea, departs Oct. 14, 2012.<br />
<br />
The Disney Wonder will sail through the breathtaking beauty of the Hawaiian Islands, where guests can experience the famous beaches of Waikiki on Oahu, see the views from high atop the summit of Haleakala Crater on Maui, take in the lush tropical gardens and waterfalls of Kauai and, on the Big Island, explore the natural wonders of the world’s most active volcano.<br />
<br />
Rates for the Hawaiian cruises start at $1,800 per person for a standard inside stateroom, based on double occupancy.</div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-3654212991761369562011-09-21T17:37:00.000-07:002011-09-21T17:37:29.677-07:00Disney, Fox and James Cameron to Bring Avatar to Life at Disney Parks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">Long-term agreement will bring AVATAR themed lands to Disney parks, with the first at Walt Disney World in Orlando</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">BURBANK (September 20, 2011)</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> – Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Worldwide is joining forces with visionary filmmaker James Cameron and Fox Filmed Entertainment to bring the world of AVATAR to life at Disney parks. Through an exclusive agreement announced today by Disney, Cameron’s Lightstorm Entertainment and Fox, Disney will partner with Cameron and producing partner Jon Landau to create themed lands that will give theme park guests the opportunity to explore the mysterious universe of AVATAR first hand. Disney plans to build the first AVATAR themed land at Walt Disney World, within the Animal Kingdom park. With its emphasis on living in harmony with nature, Animal Kingdom is a natural fit for the AVATAR stories, which share the same philosophy. Construction is expected to begin by 2013.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwpAK2nPfTC49nj3HXwy260RK3A1h9UCjtG9eh3H8cvj0WcBshUsumxlB4WMJaN0sgUWAzNuXeaI1iifcZOZrBLHWkKVpBm5Af4dkbx9CFgGX4pbho_jDc070eOUWQ-G-zHTO4huVbjg/s1600/Avatar-Image1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" hca="true" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnwpAK2nPfTC49nj3HXwy260RK3A1h9UCjtG9eh3H8cvj0WcBshUsumxlB4WMJaN0sgUWAzNuXeaI1iifcZOZrBLHWkKVpBm5Af4dkbx9CFgGX4pbho_jDc070eOUWQ-G-zHTO4huVbjg/s400/Avatar-Image1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“James Cameron is a groundbreaking filmmaker and gifted storyteller who shares our passion for creativity, technological innovation and delivering the best experience possible,” said Robert A. Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company. “With this agreement, we have the extraordinary opportunity to combine James’ talent and vision with the imagination and expertise of Disney.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“AVATAR created a world which audiences can discover again and again and now, through this incredible partnership with Disney, we’ll be able to bring Pandora to life like never before. With two new AVATAR films currently in development, we’ll have even more locations, characters and stories to explore,” said James Cameron. ”I’m chomping at the bit to start work with Disney’s legendary Imagineers to bring our AVATAR universe to life. Our goal is to go beyond current boundaries of technical innovation and experiential storytelling, and give park goers the chance to see, hear, and touch the world of AVATAR with an unprecedented sense of reality.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The agreement announced today gives The Walt Disney Company exclusive global theme park rights to the AVATAR franchise and provides for additional AVATAR themed lands at other Disney parks. The other locations will be determined by Disney and its international theme park partners. James Cameron, Jon Landau and their Lightstorm Entertainment group will serve as creative consultants on the projects and will partner with Walt Disney Imagineering in the design and development of the AVATAR themed lands.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“This exciting new venture combines the world of AVATAR with the enormous reach of Disney and the incomparable talent of Jim Cameron,” commented Fox Filmed Entertainment chairmen Jim Gianopulos and Tom Rothman. “While Jim is bringing audiences further into Pandora with the next two chapters in the AVATAR motion picture saga, the theme park attraction will likewise bring a new dimension to the amazing universe he created.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“AVATAR is a uniquely powerful franchise that has global appeal with audiences of all ages. Its spectacular settings, intriguing characters, imaginative creatures, and strong themes of family and loyalty make it a perfect fit for Disney,” said Thomas O. Staggs, Chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We can’t wait to give our guests the ability to journey to Pandora and explore the incredible immersive world of AVATAR in person.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In addition to setting a global box office record, AVATAR has been hailed as one of the most innovative and visually stunning movies ever produced. With its advanced motion capture and 3-D digital projection technologies developed by James Cameron and his team, moviegoers were able to connect with the world of AVATAR in new and engaging ways.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This new venture complements Walt Disney Parks & Resorts’ strategic efforts to continue to invest in its core theme park businesses around the world while simultaneously expanding into other parts of the family vacation business.</span></div></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-11343818768191612452011-09-13T15:28:00.000-07:002011-09-13T15:28:46.611-07:00New Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, Is a Family Paradise with a Touch of Disney Magic in Hawaii<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">Guests of All Ages Will Discover the Beauty, Stories and Fun of the Islands</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">KO OLINA, Hawaii – <i>Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa</i>, combines the beauty and spirit of the Hawaiian islands with the magic of Disney storytelling and guest service, creating an unforgettable family vacation experience.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Set on a beautiful lagoon along the coast of Oahu, Aulani welcomed its first guests on Aug. 29, 2011.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Aulani serves as a gateway to the fun and enchantment of the islands, noted Tom Staggs, chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiARFoc39UCEKMxyN1_kzASMKFeTxvpdYg1dZXlmTMG-c5_n5vuiKWXFpRAWpZHFCq3P9Y8lQP8_RpYDLtx0rWyVKNyhGACASJWSvM2jD_jxasgH7pBb6Tj_pWH4kRi1uv_XJ54RmAnhE/s1600/0421ZZ_2705DR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" rba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiARFoc39UCEKMxyN1_kzASMKFeTxvpdYg1dZXlmTMG-c5_n5vuiKWXFpRAWpZHFCq3P9Y8lQP8_RpYDLtx0rWyVKNyhGACASJWSvM2jD_jxasgH7pBb6Tj_pWH4kRi1uv_XJ54RmAnhE/s400/0421ZZ_2705DR.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We are thrilled to welcome guests from around the world to experience Aulani,” Staggs said. “This resort is a unique and exciting project that combines the magic and storytelling of Disney with the rich culture and beautiful scenery of Hawaii. It is the ultimate family paradise with a touch of Disney magic.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hawaiian heritage and Disney magic</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Each day of their stay, Aulani guests can customize their experience – relaxing on the beach or in Laniwai, a Disney Spa, playing in the pools or discovering the island on a specially planned excursion. Among the unique experiences at Aulani are gathering at the fireside Mo’olelo for storytelling (mo’olelo is the Hawaiian word for story) and spotting statues of Menehune, the legendary island little people, hidden throughout the resort.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Aulani traditionally means “a messenger of a chief – one who delivers a message from a higher authority.” The name Aulani is fitting, as the resort serves as a messenger of the Hawaiian spirit, people and culture.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“The name ‘Aulani’ expresses a connection to tradition and deep storytelling – and its roots are in this land right here,” said Joe Rohde, senior vice president and creative executive, Walt Disney Imagineering, who led the design of the resort.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“We want this resort destination to reflect the vibrant culture that surrounds it. We believe in artistry, in excellence, and in the beauty of a well-done thing. Our commitment to excellence mirrors the cultural values one sees in the arts of Hawaii.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Aulani occupies 21 acres of oceanfront property in Ko Olina, adjacent to a nine-acre, crystal-blue lagoon and white-sand beach. Ko Olina is 17 miles from Honolulu International Airport and less than an hour from Waikiki Beach.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When all phases are complete, Aulani will include 359 traditional hotel rooms and 481 two-bedroom equivalent Disney Vacation Club villas in two towers, each featuring rooms that offer thrilling views of the ocean, mountains and the magnificent, lush surroundings.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Something for everyone</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Family-friendly resort amenities include the 18,000-square-foot Laniwai, a Disney Spa, with 15 treatment rooms and a fitness center. Many spa treatments draw upon Hawaiian healing traditions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Aulani also features two signature restaurants – the full-service ‘AMA’AMA and the buffet-style Makahiki – offering foods unique to Hawaii.</span></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the chic, beachside ‘AMA’AMA, ocean breezes soothe the spirit as chefs use fresh local ingredients and island flavors to create distinctive dishes at breakfast, lunch and dinner. The menu includes vegetarian options and classic cocktails with new twists, plus desserts house-made daily.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The buffet-style Makahiki offers guests breakfast among Disney characters or, in a magical midday transformation, dinner in artful surroundings, including a stunning ceiling light sculpture and beautiful wall murals hand-painted by local artists.</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Young guests have their very own kids’ club, Aunty’s Beach House. Here children can explore Hawaiian culture through supervised entertainment, including interactive touch tables, wildlife and nature programs, arts and crafts, Disney movies and traditional Hawaiian games.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Children of all ages will delight in Waikolohe Valley, Aulani’s seven-acre water play area. The overall landscape mimics the flow of a watershed as it moves from the mountain to the ocean, complete with the Waikolohe Stream, the resort’s mysterious (yet fun) tube-floating watercourse. Here guests encounter bubbling water, a cloaking mist and several hundred feet of additional surprises.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Adventure, conventions and weddings, too</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For those who love waterslides, Tubestone Curl, the resort’s tube slide, and Volcanic Vertical, Aulani’s tunnel slide, provide thrills galore. Guests will also interact with native Hawaiian fish, including angelfish, butterfly fish and tangs, in the 3,800-square-foot Rainbow Reef snorkel lagoon, the only one of its kind on Oahu.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Makai Preserve conservation pool offers an interactive experience that allows guests to stroke the velvety backs of gentle stingrays (available by reservation only). A portion of the proceeds from this activity will support research and conservation efforts in Hawaii through the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund. Water activities at Aulani also include a quiet adult pool, wading pool and, for the ultimate relaxation, sunset-facing whirlpool spas.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Looking beyond its own magical grounds, Aulani offers a menu of discovery excursions with the aid of local experts. These include exploring tropical forests, hiking local mountains, sailing aboard catamarans, swimming with dolphins, cooking with local chefs, following a ghost tour and more. The excursions are specially designed for Aulani guests by Adventures by Disney and feature a knowledgeable, friendly Adventure Guide.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Aulani is the ideal place for events. When all phases are complete, groups will find nearly 50,000-square-feet of meeting space, including a 14,545-square-foot conference center, the main ballroom (which is divisible by six), four breakout rooms and generous pre-function space.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since outdoor events are so popular in Hawaii, Disney also has created three distinct event lawns, including an oceanfront wedding lawn for Disney Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoons.</span></div></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-79926101015484467812011-09-10T04:39:00.001-07:002011-09-10T04:39:25.529-07:00Walt Disney World Earns Top Honors for Supporting the Arts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">[WALT DISNEY WORLD NEWS] Every year, Americans for the Arts, through the Business Committee for the Arts (BCA), recognizes top U.S. companies for their exceptional commitment to the cultural community through grants, local partnerships, volunteer programs, matching gifts, sponsorships and board membership. Earning honors as part of the <b>BCA 10: Best Companies Supporting the Arts in America for 2011</b>, Walt Disney World Resort will receive its award on October 5 at a black-tie gala at the Central Park Boathouse in New York City.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Business support for the arts is a critical piece of the arts funding equation in the United</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">States, and Americans for the Arts is proud to honor those businesses that recognize the value the arts bring not only to their workplace but also their community,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “By demonstrating their commitment to the arts through financial and in-kind support, these business leaders not only lead by example and set a standard of arts support for other companies to follow, but also bring the arts into lives of millions of people, further enriching and improving the quality of life for their workers and their communities.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“We are honored to be recognized by Americans for the Arts for our ongoing commitment to the arts in Central Florida,” said Nancy Gidusko, director of Community Relations, Walt Disney World Resort. “Creativity and innovation are part of the fabric of our company – Disney’s support of the arts is just a natural extension of who we are and another example of our efforts to further enhance the quality of life across Central Florida. We are committed to making our community a vibrant place to live, work and play.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">For nearly four decades, Walt Disney World has continued to honor the spirit of corporate citizenship by giving back to the local arts community. Disney uses a multi-faceted approach in supporting arts – giving millions in cash donations, in-kind products and the knowledge and expertise of its Cast Members – to make the most meaningful impact. Among these contributions is a $12.5 million capital investment in the <a href="http://drphillipscenter.org/"><span style="color: blue;">Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts</span></a>. In 2010, Walt Disney World gave more than $565,000 to the local arts community, including Disney <i>Helping Kids Shine</i> grants to support local youth arts programs.</span></div></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-12385409332230868962011-09-07T16:16:00.001-07:002011-09-07T16:16:24.979-07:00Pop Icons ‘Bring It’ to America Gardens Theatre At Epcot International Food & Wine Festival<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">18 ‘Eat to the Beat!’ Musical Acts Perform Sept. 30-Nov. 13, 2011</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">[WALT DISNEY WORLD NEWS] – Live retro sounds of pop, rock, jazz and funk fill the night when top musical acts unleash their greatest hits during the the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Sept. 30-Nov. 13, 2011, at the Walt Disney World Resort.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Three new Eat to the Beat! acts – The Pointer Sisters, Gin Blossoms and The Orchestra starring former members of ELO – and 15 returning bands take their turn on the America Gardens Theatre stage. Shows are scheduled 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. daily. The lineup (subject to change and included in Epcot admission) includes:</span></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Sept. 30-Oct. 2 Taylor Dayne “Tell It to My Heart”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oct. 3-5 38 Special “Hold on Loosely”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oct. 6-7 Jon Secada “Just Another Day”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oct. 8-9 Roger Hodgson formerly of Supertramp “Give A Little Bit”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oct. 10-12 Billy Ocean “Caribbean Queen”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oct. 13-16 Starship starring Mickey Thomas “We Built This City”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oct. 17-19 Sugar Ray “Fly”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oct. 20-21 The Orchestra starring former members of ELO (NEW) “Don’t Bring Me Down”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oct. 22-23 Howard Jones “No One Is to Blame”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oct. 24-26 Boyz II Men “End of the Road”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oct. 27-28 Gin Blossoms (NEW) “Hey Jealousy”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oct. 29-30 Sister Hazel “All for You”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Hanson “Give a Little”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nov. 2-3 The Pointer Sisters (NEW) “He’s So Shy”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nov. 4-6 Night Ranger “Sister Christian”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nov. 7-8 Air Supply “Lost in Love”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nov. 9-10 Richard Marx “Right Here Waiting”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nov. 11-13 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy “Go Daddy-O”</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Guests nibbling and sipping their way around the World Showcase can see performers from many countries weave music, dance, acrobatics, comedy and other acts into the festivities. A sampling of World Showcase entertainment includes:</span></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">High-energy Celtic music of Off Kilter (Canada)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Arabic rhythms of Mo’Rockin (Morocco)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Perfect harmony of Voices of Liberty (American Adventure rotunda)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Infectious beat of internationally acclaimed Mariachi Cobre (Mexico)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Retro British hits by British Revolution (United Kingdom)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jaw-dropping stunts by Dragon Legend Acrobats (China)</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Hilarious antics of World Showcase Players (Italy and United Kingdom)</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” lights up the World Showcase with lasers, music and fireworks to provide a “wow” ending to each festival evening.</span></div></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-84581048832373639762011-09-06T18:33:00.000-07:002011-09-06T18:33:11.261-07:0016th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival: A Passport to a World of Flavors Sept. 30-Nov. 13<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Paradise Found: Tastes of Hawaii and Caribbean on the Menu</span></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">[WALT DISNEY WORLD NEWS] — Exotic cocktails will pair like a tropical daydream with fresh new tastes from more than one island paradise at the 16th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Sept. 30-Nov. 13, 2011, at Walt Disney World Resort. The one-of-a-kind 45-day festival serves up international cuisine, culture and entertainment from six continents, with more than 25 international marketplaces featuring tapas-sized portions paired with beer, wine and inventive new cocktails.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD93NdZp7-FxyiBauHoxGuK3tdmqzTA4egmVXo01hRu932mcG07i9G-3ciWe_yBjQyMhU2g0ZrvIMnAROa9AAVK8tRsbtKi9UXiJJwOo_c_EnI4hMJHL1jO_bYTp3wP-ddOJKJQK9AxkA/s1600/New+Hawaii+Tasting+Experience+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD93NdZp7-FxyiBauHoxGuK3tdmqzTA4egmVXo01hRu932mcG07i9G-3ciWe_yBjQyMhU2g0ZrvIMnAROa9AAVK8tRsbtKi9UXiJJwOo_c_EnI4hMJHL1jO_bYTp3wP-ddOJKJQK9AxkA/s400/New+Hawaii+Tasting+Experience+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Marketplace tasting menus offer variety and adventure for guests on a mission to tantalize their taste buds during a scenic stroll around the 40-acre World Showcase Lagoon. The adventure can take them to the festival’s first <b>Hawaii marketplace</b>, which will cook up Kalua pork sliders and tuna poke with seaweed salad and lotus root chips to team with a refreshing Seven Tiki Mai Tai or a Kona Longboard or Pipeline beer. A new <b>Caribbean Islands marketplace </b>will serve <i>ropa vieja </i>with rice and jerk-spiced chicken with mango salsa. A beverage menu featuring a frozen Dragon Berry Colada and frozen Rock Coconut Mojito is sure to conjure steel-drum fantasies.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With a swing across the Atlantic, guests will be transported to the new <b>Portugal marketplace</b>, where guests can pair a red, white or port wine with calamari salad with olives and smoked paprika or Linguica sausage with onions, peppers and olives. The <b>Scandinavia </b>marketplace will return after a hiatus with a fresh new Xante Sunshine cocktail made from Xante pear and cognac liquer. And the <b>Canada </b>marketplace will introduce a sweet treat: apple ice wine.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Disney and celebrity chefs will team with winemakers and brew masters from around the world to get the party started Sept. 30. During the six-week festival, guests will discover:</span></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Three new tasting marketplaces — Hawaii, Caribbean Islands and Portugal — plus <b>new menu offerings </b>at popular returning marketplaces</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Celebrity chef </span></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">appearances starring top culinarians like Jeff Henderson, Cat Cora, Alan Wong, Gale Gand, Suvir Saran, Jamie Deen, Rock Harper, Celina Tio, Robert Irvine, Andrew Zimmern, Buddy Valastro, Warren Brown, Art Smith, Keegan Gerhard and more.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">First-ever <b>HGTV home entertaining seminars </b>each Friday, Saturday and Sunday.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The <b>Cranberry Bog </b>display by Craisins telling the story behind the venerable cranberry’s rich agricultural heritage.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Daily wine seminars, bottle signings, author events and culinary demonstrations at the <b>Festival Welcome Center</b>.</span></li>
<span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">
<li class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eat to the Beat! </span></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">concerts three times nightly at America Gardens Theatre.</span></li>
</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-95vbqAeASUiV1BfWUZwlBbxvk8R0opqwIucK2qI35kgECWr1jfuFxYpCWKQ5LDI5R5sYtiIbbEO8ef3D4VK-zIe49Qj0zfzCLh9b4BC4t8na-kxkQ5yf2pVOIO6oBoqKrA-hcvULT0/s1600/Food+and+Wine+-+Wine+%2528Disney+Photo%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_-95vbqAeASUiV1BfWUZwlBbxvk8R0opqwIucK2qI35kgECWr1jfuFxYpCWKQ5LDI5R5sYtiIbbEO8ef3D4VK-zIe49Qj0zfzCLh9b4BC4t8na-kxkQ5yf2pVOIO6oBoqKrA-hcvULT0/s320/Food+and+Wine+-+Wine+%2528Disney+Photo%2529.jpg" width="213" /></a></div></ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">New Sips, Fresh Bites</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Festival guests can make a day of circumnavigating the World Showcase Promenade, grazing and sipping as they go. Tapas-sized portions of regional specialties run $3 to $8 each, and recommended wines, cocktails and beers make perfect pairings at each marketplace. For quicker marketplace visits, guests can purchase a festival-themed mini-Disney Gift Card that can be worn on a wristband and loaded and reloaded at several park locations.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Live daily entertainment showcases many cultures with music, acrobatics and improv performances along the promenade. Evening Eat to the Beat! concerts at America Gardens Theatre feature acts from many musical genres. Appearing for the first time on the Eat to the Beat! stage are The Pointer Sisters, The Orchestra starring former members of ELO and Gin Blossoms. Fan favorite Taylor Dayne kicks off the festival Sept. 30-Oct. 2, and crowd pleaser Big Bad Voodoo Daddy wraps the event Nov. 11-13.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The festival attracts a diverse audience — from wine connoisseurs and epicures to novices wishing to boost their culinary IQs. Special culinary programs showcase a lineup of renowned winemakers, guest chefs and speakers participating in elegant dinners, luncheons, seminars and wine schools.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Festival highlights include:</span></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The <b>Festival Welcome Center</b>, with a Wine Bar, Authentic Taste Seminars, Authors Without Borders weekend conversations and more.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">More than <b>270 chefs including Disney chefs and culinary stars </b>from across the country conducting culinary demonstrations and hosting dinners and tasting events.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A complimentary <b>Marketplace Discovery Passport </b>to be stamped at each international marketplace visited for the perfect scrapbook souvenir.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Popular returning events that include <b>First Bites Opening Reception </b>on Sept. 29; <b>Kitchen Memories </b>(formerly Celebrating Family and Friends in the Kitchen); <b>Mixology Seminar</b>; and <b>“3D” Disney Dessert Discovery</b>.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The weekly <b>Party for the Senses </b>grand tasting event beginning Oct. 8 and with a new Saturday evening time of 7:30-10 p.m. featuring tempting bites from eminent chefs, more than 50 wines and beers and live entertainment presented by Cirque du Soleil.</span></li>
</ul><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIAPU-hnJneABCK_MKIlVTJkGpXwHR5M9fELQwb-BD3ROyhz6wsmbH-sjNc-2EmSd2xLTSbsCzwwihfVVVWPy3qqcXduzgME0NcHXmFWolw_XwFxuSriF6mbOxiBnYut0XZL9UmGHbGA/s1600/Food+and+Wine+-+Couple+%2528Disney+Photo%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" nba="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIAPU-hnJneABCK_MKIlVTJkGpXwHR5M9fELQwb-BD3ROyhz6wsmbH-sjNc-2EmSd2xLTSbsCzwwihfVVVWPy3qqcXduzgME0NcHXmFWolw_XwFxuSriF6mbOxiBnYut0XZL9UmGHbGA/s320/Food+and+Wine+-+Couple+%2528Disney+Photo%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Festival guests can enjoy fresh Epcot experiences including the latest Future World high-tech fun at Innoventions and the celebrated return of “Captain EO,” the classic musical 3-D production starring Michael Jackson in a rare big-screen performance. In World Showcase, new and recently updated restaurants welcome guests at the Italy, Japan, Mexico and China pavilions.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">What’s Included with Epcot Admission:</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Authentic Taste seminars </span></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and <b>Authors Without Borders </b>programs with special book signings at the Festival Center, Eat to the Beat! concerts, cultural adventures, Marketplace Discovery Passport and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><b><u><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Special Programming by Reservation:</span></u></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Party for the Senses grand tasting events and other special culinary and beverage programs require reservations and separate event admission. Beginning August 16 at 7 a.m. guests can call 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378) for information and to make reservations for special events and programs. Festival event updates and details will be posted at <a href="http://disneyworld.com/foodandwine" target="_blank"><span style="color: windowtext;">www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine</span></a>.</span></div></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-68494474632386312122011-09-03T17:12:00.000-07:002011-09-03T17:12:55.058-07:00Adventures by Disney® Brings History to Life with New Privately Guided Itineraries in 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 class="seo-h2-subheadline" closure_uid_9z23ng="61">
<span style="color: red;">Guests Journey through Greece, Egypt and Northern France<br /><br />Award-winning lineup of family-friendly group adventures offers hassle-free ways to experience culture in the world's most desired destinations</span></h2>
<div class="featured">
</div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="79">
<br />
<span class="xn-location">BURBANK, Calif.</span>, <span class="xn-chron">Aug. 30, 2011</span> /PRNewswire/ -- <i>Adventures by Disney</i>, the leader in guided family travel, announces the addition of two new destinations to its repertoire of immersive family vacations – <span class="xn-location">Greece</span>: "<i>Greek Odyssey</i>" and <span class="xn-location">Northern France</span>: "<i>Esprit de <span class="xn-location">France</span></i>" – available to travelers in 2012. The adventure continues in <span class="xn-location">Egypt</span> with "<i>Pyramids, Pharaohs & Ancient Treasures,</i>" an unforgettable expedition. New for 2012, <i>Adventures by Disney</i> will feature distinct enhancements to its <span class="xn-location">Australia</span>, <span class="xn-location">London</span> and <span class="xn-location">Paris</span> and Galapagos Islands departures – details, dates and rates are available at <a href="http://www.adventuresbydisney.com/" target="_blank">http://www.adventuresbydisney.com/</a>. </div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="79">
<br /></div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="81">
Over the last six years, <i>Adventures by Disney</i> has developed a collection of exhilarating tours with one goal in mind: help families experience the most sought-after and culturally stimulating destinations in the world. Led by knowledgeable Adventure Guides and authentic local experts, families unlock the wonders and stories of the world through unparalleled excursions and engaging activities designed for all ages and activity levels such as pizza-making at a farm in <span class="xn-location">Italy</span>, spending the night at a German castle and playing the role of an art detective at the Louvre. With the smallest details planned in advance, it's easy for parents to relax and immerse themselves in the most valuable experience of all – quality time with their family. </div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="81">
<br /></div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="80">
"Through our dedication to storytelling and exclusive hands-on experiences, families can get a glimpse of the history and beauty synonymous with <span class="xn-location">Greece</span>, <span class="xn-location">France</span>, <span class="xn-location">Egypt</span> and every vacation destination on our roster," said Josh D'Amaro, Vice President, <i>Adventures by Disney.</i> "We are in the business of creating unforgettable, VIP hassle-free itineraries so guests can focus on discovering and exploring a new world and creating priceless vacation memories that last a lifetime." </div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="80">
<br /></div>
<b><i>Adventures by Disney </i></b><b><i>presents three featured adventures for 2012: </i></b><br />
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="82">
<b>"</b><b><i>Greek Odyssey"</i></b><b> </b><span class="xn-location">Athens</span>, Santorini and <span class="xn-location">Crete</span><i> –</i> the adventure starts in <span class="xn-location">Athens</span> where Greek mythology comes to life through moonlight storytelling at the Parthenon and sporting games at the home of the modern Olympics, Panathinaiko Stadium. Discovery continues on the volcanic island of Santorini where kids go feet-first into Greek grape stomping while adults enjoy a wine tasting at Volcan winery. After sailing the azure waters of the Aegean Sea, families travel to <span class="xn-location">Crete</span> and are immersed in mountain culture with local expert-led lessons in Tsatziki cheese making and Greek dancing.</div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="82">
<br /></div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="83">
<b><i>"Pyramids, Pharaohs & Ancient Treasures</i></b><b>"</b> <span class="xn-location">Cairo</span>, Aswan, Luxor, the Nile and <span class="xn-person">Sharm El Sheikh</span> – uncover an ancient world of pyramids, mummies and man-made marvels as this expedition kicks off with a camelback tour of the Great Pyramids of Giza and a Nile River cruise to Luxor. Families will be in awe of the architectural wonder of the Sphinx and experience the secrets of Tutankhamen's tomb in the Valley of the Kings with a Junior Adventurer scavenger hunt at the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. Activities like papyrus making, traditional cooking, and hieroglyphic writing give guests a first-hand view of life in ancient <span class="xn-location">Egypt</span>. </div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="83">
<br /></div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="84">
<b>"</b><b><i>Esprit de <span class="xn-location">France</span></i></b><b>"</b> <span class="xn-location">Paris</span>, Normandy and Loire Valley<i> – </i>perfect for families looking to experience the arts, this itinerary features a drawing activity in Monet's Gardens, a visit to Château du Clos Luce, the last known residence of <span class="xn-person">Leonardo da Vinci</span>, and a private dinner at the Louvre in <span class="xn-location">Paris</span>. A true taste of the French countryside, adventurers learn of the art of brandy-making on the Normandy Cider Route; enjoy a picturesque country bike ride and spend the night in an authentic Château. Guests continue the adventure with visits to <span class="xn-location">Versailles</span>, Mont Saint-Michel monastery, Omaha Beach and a viewing of the Bayeux Tapestry. </div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="84">
<br /></div>
<b><i closure_uid_9z23ng="85">Adventures by Disney unveils three enhanced itineraries for 2012:</i></b><br />
<br />
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="86">
<i>"</i><b><i>Discovery Down Under" </i></b><span class="xn-location">Australia</span> and <span class="xn-location">Tasmania</span> – the action-packed Australian adventure will now include a visit to the island of <span class="xn-location">Tasmania</span> featuring a Eucalyptus forest zipline experience, an introduction to traditional cuisine at Kate's <span class="xn-person">Berry Farm</span> and Meadowbank Winery as well as a visit to the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary to meet the infamous Tasmanian Devil. </div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="86">
<br /></div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="87">
<b>"</b><b><i>Grandiosos Galapagos</i></b><b>" </b>Galapagos Islands – Now families can spend more time discovering the flora and fauna of <span class="xn-location">Darwin</span>'s famous islands with seven nights aboard the Galapagos Explorer cruise ship. Guests will have the opportunity to swim and snorkel with sea lions and penguins and come face to face with giant tortoises. </div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="87">
<br /></div>
<b>"</b><b><i>Cities of Knights and Lights</i></b><b>" </b><span class="xn-location">London</span> and <span class="xn-location">Paris</span> – <i>Adventures by Disney's</i> classic European itinerary now features an exquisite trip to the British Countryside where guests can play British lawn games and receive royal treatment on a privately-guided tour of Windsor Castle. <br />
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="88">
From VIP experiences and world-class accommodations to add-on excursions, <i>Adventures by Disney</i> has a quest to suit any traveler. For more information on <i>Adventures by Disney</i>, visit <a href="http://www.adventuresbydisney.com/" target="_blank">http://www.adventuresbydisney.com/</a>. </div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="88">
<br /></div>
<u><b>About Adventures by Disney</b></u><br />
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="90">
Launched in 2005, <i>Adventures by Disney</i> provides immersive, hassle-free and unforgettable group guided-family vacation experiences to destinations in <span class="xn-location">Europe</span>, <span class="xn-location">North America</span>, <span class="xn-location">South America</span>, <span class="xn-location">Africa</span>, <span class="xn-location">Asia</span> and <span class="xn-location">Australia</span>. Families traveling with <i>Adventures by Disney</i> receive exceptional service while taking part in extraordinary experiences at locations including: the South African plains, the great cities of <span class="xn-location">Europe</span>, <span class="xn-location">North America</span>'s national parks, the ancient monuments of <span class="xn-location">Egypt</span>, <span class="xn-location">Costa Rica</span>'s rich rainforest, the ruins of Pompeii and Machu Picchu, <span class="xn-location">Australia</span>'s outback and the Great Wall of <span class="xn-location">China</span>. </div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="90">
<br /></div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="89">
Over the last six years, the brand has been recognized by numerous travel organizations for its excellence in family tourism and was ranked #1 among Tour Operators and Safari Outfitters for Families in <i>Travel + Leisure's </i>World's Best awards 2011 readers' survey<i>.</i> </div>
<div closure_uid_9z23ng="89">
<br /></div>
With Disney-trained Adventure Guides, engaging activities, VIP experiences and personal touches throughout, <i>Adventures by Disney</i> excites and delights everyone. Visit <a href="http://www.adventuresbydisney.com/" target="_blank">AdventuresbyDisney.com</a>, call 877/728-7282 or contact a travel agent.</div>
Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-56929043202874975122011-09-03T16:44:00.000-07:002011-09-03T16:57:35.254-07:00It Just Got a Lot Easier Bein' Green<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<h2 class="seo-h2-subheadline" closure_uid_l6yw34="70">
<span style="color: red;">THE CELEBRATIONAL, TRIBUTATIONAL MUPPETS: THE GREEN ALBUM DEBUTS IN THE TOP 10 ON THE BILLBOARD 200 ALBUM CHART</span></h2>
<div closure_uid_l6yw34="62">
<br />
<span class="xn-person" closure_uid_l6yw34="63">Walt Disney Records</span>' <i>Muppets: The Green Album</i> has debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 chart in its first week of release, scanning over 30,000 units according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album was ranked #1 Rock Album, #1 Rock Song ("Rainbow Connection"), #1 Rock Music Video ("Muppet Show Theme Song") and #4 on the Top Album chart at the iTunes Music Store. The album also debuted at No. 5 on Billboard's Top Digital Album chart. </div>
<div closure_uid_l6yw34="62">
<br /></div>
<div closure_uid_l6yw34="61">
<div closure_uid_1h6137="60">
<div closure_uid_avkwmd="59">
<i>Muppets: The Green Album</i> boasts plenty of highlights, including the "Muppet Show Theme Song" performed by OK Go. In one of the most memorable video collaborations in recent memory, the clip features explosions, dream sequences, Muppet mayhem and a look at past award-winning OK Go music videos.</div>
<div closure_uid_avkwmd="59">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
<div closure_uid_l6yw34="64">
The musical tribute also includes five songs penned by Oscar-winning composer <span class="xn-person">Paul Williams</span>, including the Oscar-nominated song "Rainbow Connection"/Weezer, featuring <span class="xn-person">Hayley Williams</span>, "Moving Right Along"/Alkaline Trio, "Our World"/My Morning Jacket, "I Hope That Something Better Comes Along"/<span class="xn-person">Matt Nathanson</span> and "I'm Going Back There Someday"/<span class="xn-person">Rachel Yamagata</span>. It celebrates a burgeoning Muppet extravaganza this year, which culminates in the November release of the Muppets' seventh full-length feature film, Disney's "The Muppets."</div>
<div closure_uid_l6yw34="64">
<br /></div>
<object height="225" width="400"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/oiMZa8flyYY?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0">
</param>
<param name="allowFullScreen" value="true">
</param>
<param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always">
</param>
<embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/oiMZa8flyYY?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="400" height="225" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object> <br />
<div closure_uid_l6yw34="65">
<br />
<span class="xn-person">Paul Williams</span> says, "Writing for the Muppets has always been a labor of love. The songs have always been special to me and now the energy, humor and heart each artist brings to these recordings makes me think it's a shared experience. I love the mix of edge and intimacy. Every cut 'feels' fabulous. One sweet surprise after another. It's 'heart payment' for a songwriter. I'm gonna go celebrate with Kermit, Gonzo, Fozzie, Rowlf and Emmet! Don't worry, I'm the designated driver!"</div>
<div closure_uid_l6yw34="65">
<br /></div>
<div closure_uid_l6yw34="66">
"I'm flippergasted!" said Kermit the Frog. "Hearing these songs covered by these amazing artists makes them sound so fresh. They're like old friends you've just met." As for <i>The Green Album </i>making the Billboard Top 10, Kermit adds, "It just proves what we always say in the swamp: 'songs sung green, everybody knows one'." </div>
<div closure_uid_l6yw34="66">
<br /></div>
<div closure_uid_l6yw34="68">
<i>Muppets: The Green Album</i> is available wherever music is sold. For more information on <span class="xn-person">Walt Disney Records</span>' releases, please visit Disney.com/music, become a fan at Facebook.com/disneymusic or follow us at Twitter.com/disneymusic.</div>
<div closure_uid_l6yw34="68">
<br /></div>
<div closure_uid_l6yw34="67">
<span style="color: red;"><strong>ABOUT THE MUPPETS STUDIO</strong></span></div>
<div closure_uid_l6yw34="69">
For more than 55 years, the Muppets have entertained film and television audiences with their blend of heart and humor. The creation of the late visionary, <span class="xn-person">Jim Henson</span>, the Muppets are among the world's most recognized and beloved characters, led by the world's most famous amphibian, Kermit the Frog. Since The Muppets Studio joined The Walt Disney Company in 2004, the Muppets have starred in a series of award-winning viral music videos, multiple television specials, attractions and appearances at Disney Parks, and have an array of Muppets merchandise. </div>
<div closure_uid_l6yw34="69">
<br /></div>
<div closure_uid_l6yw34="116">
<strong><span style="color: red;">ABOUT THE UPCOMING MOVIE—DISNEY'S "THE MUPPETS"</span></strong></div>
On vacation in <span class="xn-location">Los Angeles</span>, Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, his brother Gary (<span class="xn-person">Jason Segel</span>) and Gary's girlfriend Mary (<span class="xn-person">Amy Adams</span>) from Smalltown, <span class="xn-location">USA</span>, discover the nefarious plan of oilman <span class="xn-person">Tex Richman</span> (<span class="xn-person">Chris Cooper</span>) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets' former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the <span class="xn-money">$10 million</span> needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a <span class="xn-location">Santa Barbara</span> clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. With secret, signature, celebrity cameos, Disney's "The Muppets" hits the big screen <span class="xn-chron">Nov. 23, 2011</span>. </div>
Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-76344116953348754702011-08-31T19:25:00.001-07:002011-08-31T19:29:19.122-07:00Adventures by Disney Brings History to Life with New Privately Guided Itineraries in 2012<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span closure_uid_2zz8j3="261" style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><strong><span style="font-size: large;"><span closure_uid_2zz8j3="277" style="color: red;">Guests Journey through Greece, Egypt and Northern France –Award-winning lineup of family-friendly group adventures offers hassle-free ways to experience culture in the world’s most desired destinations</span></span></strong></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">[WALT DISNEY WORLD NEWS]– Adventures by Disney, the leader in guided family travel, announces the addition of two new destinations to its repertoire of immersive family vacations – Greece: “Greek Odyssey” and Northern France: “Esprit de France” – available to travelers in 2012. The adventure continues in Egypt with “Pyramids, Pharaohs & Ancient Treasures,” an unforgettable expedition. New for 2012, Adventures by Disney will feature distinct enhancements to its Australia, London and Paris and Galapagos Islands departures – details, dates and rates are available at www.AdventuresbyDisney.com .</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Over the last six years, Adventures by Disney has developed a collection of exhilarating tours with one goal in mind: help families experience the most sought-after and culturally stimulating destinations in the world. Led by knowledgeable Adventure Guides and authentic local experts, families unlock the wonders and stories of the world through unparalleled excursions and engaging activities designed for all ages and activity levels such as pizza-making at a farm in Italy, spending the night at a German castle and playing the role of an art detective at the Louvre. With the smallest details planned in advance, it’s easy for parents to relax and immerse themselves in the most valuable experience of all – quality time with their family.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><div closure_uid_il13y7="241"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Through our dedication to storytelling and exclusive hands-on experiences, families can get a glimpse of the history and beauty synonymous with Greece, France, Egypt and every vacation destination on our roster,” said Josh D’Amaro, Vice President, Adventures by Disney. “We are in the business of creating unforgettable, VIP hassle-free itineraries so guests can focus on discovering and exploring a new world and creating priceless vacation memories that last a lifetime.”</span></div><div closure_uid_il13y7="241"><br />
</div><div class="separator" closure_uid_il13y7="296" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3U4sbp-Pf62ExUclPloC7mG0Bbo8oIgyppCEtL4kc0Bs2lhQHQ7EobnSzRqpQ7zxXl0vHTFiB5WMCOv8ZP17F6uX0Q0cdO4ToSaZX9QvVdSNXYfGhV6RPAbsSlXcApVkaNMVbxRz1N8/s1600/Adventures+by+Disney+New+2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD3U4sbp-Pf62ExUclPloC7mG0Bbo8oIgyppCEtL4kc0Bs2lhQHQ7EobnSzRqpQ7zxXl0vHTFiB5WMCOv8ZP17F6uX0Q0cdO4ToSaZX9QvVdSNXYfGhV6RPAbsSlXcApVkaNMVbxRz1N8/s640/Adventures+by+Disney+New+2012.jpg" width="440" xaa="true" /></a></div><div closure_uid_il13y7="241"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_il13y7="241"><span closure_uid_il13y7="297" style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Adventures by Disney presents three featured adventures for 2012:</span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Greek Odyssey” Athens, Santorini and Crete – the adventure starts in Athens where Greek mythology comes to life through moonlight storytelling at the Parthenon and sporting games at the home of the modern Olympics, Panathinaiko Stadium. Discovery continues on the volcanic island of Santorini where kids go feet-first into Greek grape stomping while adults enjoy a wine tasting at Volcan winery. After sailing the azure waters of the Aegean Sea, families travel to Crete and are immersed in mountain culture with local expert-led lessons in Tsatziki cheese making and Greek dancing.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Pyramids, Pharaohs & Ancient Treasures” Cairo, Aswan, Luxor, the Nile and Sharm El Sheikh – uncover an ancient world of pyramids, mummies and man-made marvels as this expedition kicks off with a camelback tour of the Great Pyramids of Giza and a Nile River cruise to Luxor. Families will be in awe of the architectural wonder of the Sphinx and experience the secrets of Tutankhamen’s tomb in the Valley of the Kings with a Junior Adventurer scavenger hunt at the Egyptian Museum of Antiquities. Activities like papyrus making, traditional cooking, and hieroglyphic writing give guests a first-hand view of life in ancient Egypt.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Esprit de France” Paris, Normandy and Loire Valley – perfect for families looking to experience the arts, this itinerary features a drawing activity in Monet’s Gardens, a visit to Château du Clos Luce, the last known residence of Leonardo da Vinci, and a private dinner at the Louvre in Paris. A true taste of the French countryside, adventurers learn of the art of brandy-making on the Normandy Cider Route; enjoy a picturesque country bike ride and spend the night in an authentic Château. Guests continue the adventure with visits to Versailles, Mont Saint-Michel monastery, Omaha Beach and a viewing of the Bayeux Tapestry.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Adventures by Disney unveils three enhanced itineraries for 2012:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Discovery Down Under” Australia and Tasmania – the action-packed Australian adventure will now include a visit to the island of Tasmania featuring a Eucalyptus forest zipline experience, an introduction to traditional cuisine at Kate’s Berry Farm and Meadowbank Winery as well as a visit to the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary to meet the infamous Tasmanian Devil.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Grandiosos Galapagos” Galapagos Islands – Now families can spend more time discovering the flora and fauna of Darwin’s famous islands with seven nights aboard the Galapagos Explorer cruise ship. Guests will have the opportunity to swim and snorkel with sea lions and penguins and come face to face with giant tortoises.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Cities of Knights and Lights” London and Paris – Adventures by Disney’s classic European itinerary now features an exquisite trip to the British Countryside where guests can play British lawn games and receive royal treatment on a privately-guided tour of Windsor Castle.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">From VIP experiences and world-class accommodations to add-on excursions, Adventures by Disney has a quest to suit any traveler. For more information on Adventures by Disney, visit www.AdventuresbyDisney.com .</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">About Adventures by Disney</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Launched in 2005, Adventures by Disney provides immersive, hassle-free and unforgettable group guided-family vacation experiences to destinations in Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia and Australia. Families traveling with Adventures by Disney receive exceptional service while taking part in extraordinary experiences at locations including: the South African plains, the great cities of Europe, North America’s national parks, the ancient monuments of Egypt, Costa Rica’s rich rainforest, the ruins of Pompeii and Machu Picchu, Australia’s outback and the Great Wall of China.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Over the last six years, the brand has been recognized by numerous travel organizations for its excellence in family tourism and was ranked #1 among Tour Operators and Safari Outfitters for Families in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best awards 2011 readers’ survey.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With Disney-trained Adventure Guides, engaging activities, VIP experiences and personal touches throughout, Adventures by Disney excites and delights everyone. Visit AdventuresbyDisney.com, call 877/728-7282 or contact a travel agent.</span></div></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-13967308147305383062011-08-27T14:00:00.000-07:002011-08-31T19:21:21.267-07:00New Baby Elephant Takes Center Stage at Disney’s Animal Kingdom<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><div closure_uid_1mazho="241"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">[Walt Disney World News] – The elephant herd at Disney’s Animal Kingdom got just a little larger with the birth of a baby calf. Weighing 311 pounds, the male African elephant was welcomed into the group by his mother Vasha, 10 herd members and a team of animal care professionals assisting with the birth. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><div closure_uid_1mazho="243"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The 25-year-old mother delivered the herd’s sixth offspring after gaining more than 800 pounds during a 22-month gestation. This latest addition, which has yet to be named, is the second calf for Vasha, who gave birth to a female calf, Kianga, in 2004. </span></div><div closure_uid_1mazho="243"><br />
</div><div class="separator" closure_uid_1mazho="298" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfMmDJbOuD4mazBpWlvbrLcvbQ0avdUGCZfYXIZHJl3vDZfVlWq9PWdtBCl0gFuoAU8v3z94QMYgCWwr90CCuOKx7KAIbO3QwCWxUgFVC1lXvGLPfq0USwQ8pvCZ7BKnnhUOcOFOu6HM/s1600/Baby+Elephant.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKfMmDJbOuD4mazBpWlvbrLcvbQ0avdUGCZfYXIZHJl3vDZfVlWq9PWdtBCl0gFuoAU8v3z94QMYgCWwr90CCuOKx7KAIbO3QwCWxUgFVC1lXvGLPfq0USwQ8pvCZ7BKnnhUOcOFOu6HM/s400/Baby+Elephant.jpg" width="400" xaa="true" /></a></div><div closure_uid_1mazho="243"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_1mazho="243"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With support from the animal care team, the newborn, whose first tentative steps are becoming stronger and more confident, is now successfully nursing from his mother. Vasha has been getting to know the calf, gently touching the young animal with her trunk and keeping a watchful eye on him. </span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“The natural bonding between mother and calf is fascinating,” said Jackie Ogden, Ph.D., vice president of Disney’s Animal, Science and Environment Programs. “The team is encouraged by the early interaction between mother and calf and will continue to monitor them closely for the next several weeks.” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The next critical milestone is for the calf to continue the bonding process with his mother who will teach him important lessons and protect him as he gradually acclimates to the rest of the savannah herd over the next several weeks. With 12 elephants, Disney’s Animal Kingdom has one of the largest African elephant herds in North America, including four males and eight females.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Vasha became pregnant through artificial insemination in October 2009 and received extensive pre-natal care throughout pregnancy. Since early August, animal care teams have provided round-the-clock monitoring, regular ultrasounds and daily hormone monitoring to more accurately predict the beginning of labor. In the past few years, Disney’s animal care teams have been able to narrow the birth window to within four days, which enables them to better prepare for the delivery. With this birth, the team had been on heightened baby-alert since Monday.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This is the sixth elephant born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Others include:</span></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tufani, a male, born in 2003;</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Kianga, a female, born in 2004;</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Nadirah a female, born in 2005;</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Tsavo, a male, born in 2008; and</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Luna, a female born 2010.</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Disney has been at the forefront of efforts to better understand and care for endangered elephants. Disney’s Animal Kingdom is part of a breeding program coordinated by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) that is focused on sustaining the elephant population in North America. AZA’s Elephant Species Survival Plan has called for a five-fold increase in African elephant reproduction efforts – using both natural and artificial breeding methods – in order to create a self-sustaining elephant population among North American zoos and wildlife centers.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Baby Elephant Facts</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Depending on the calf, it could take several days for the calf to coordinate trunk movements. Initially, it may only be able to wave it in the air, suck on it or trip over it. Typically within a week the calf has gained enough control to begin picking up small objects and food.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Suckling up to 12 liters a day, baby elephants may depend on mother’s milk for up to three years, although they can be weaned at two years of age.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Calves learn how and what to eat by watching the older elephants.</span></li>
</ul></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-55784280337716149562011-08-25T16:17:00.000-07:002011-08-25T16:17:05.107-07:00Walt Disney World Resort Links with Arnold Palmer Golf Management to Tee Up Even More Magic for Disney Golfers<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b><span closure_uid_8v4td6="263" style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;">Plans include Arnold Palmer golf course design enhancements</span></span></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">[WALT DISNEY WORLD NEWS]</span></b><span closure_uid_8v4td6="276" style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> – Walt Disney World Resort and Arnold Palmer Golf Management have signed a 20-year strategic alliance to create even more magic for Disney golfers. Beginning Sept. 25, Arnold Palmer Golf Management will operate, manage, maintain and help promote all five Disney courses including Disney’s Palm and Magnolia, Lake Buena Vista, Osprey Ridge and Oak Trail golf courses.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As part of this long-term alliance agreement, golf legend Arnold Palmer and his golf course design team will be actively engaged in implementing strategic and innovative design features to several of the golf courses. Future enhancements include plans for a full renovation of Disney’s Palm under his direction to become an Arnold Palmer designed course.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“After 40 years as a golf course architect, I’m looking forward to this opportunity to contribute to Disney’s rich and storied golf legacy,” said Arnold Palmer. “I’ve enjoyed a lifetime of memories playing golf and it will be a great reward to pass that on to those who share a passion both for Disney and the game of golf.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">With an extensive following of serious golf enthusiasts, Arnold Palmer Golf Management is known for its excellent course conditions, pace of play, service standards and player development. In addition to course operation, the company also manages “Palmer Advantage,” a reciprocal club and concierge service program, that provides members with unique travel benefits and access to more than 250 private clubs, resorts and golf courses around the world.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Drawing on Arnold Palmer Golf Management’s expertise and experience enables us to build on our mutual strengths and extend our appeal both among leisure players and avid golfers,” said Ken Potrock, senior vice president of Disney Sports Enterprises. “We’re excited about this new collaboration, which will benefit Disney guests and Palmer Advantage club members wanting a destination golf experience.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The agreement gives Arnold Palmer Golf Management an opportunity to add a uniquely Disney, family-friendly golf destination to its portfolio of more than 70 private clubs and championship golf courses. Disney Golf will be promoted within the Palmer Advantage network of golf devotees, through a dedicated website and featured within the exclusive publication, “Kingdom Magazine,” which celebrates Mr. Palmer’s contributions to the game of golf and extensive philanthropic ambassadorship.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“With a reputation for service excellence and exceptional family entertainment, Walt Disney World is an ideal complement to our member offerings,” said Jim Hinckley, president of Arnold Palmer Golf Management. “This collaboration will give our members both a superior golf experience and a one-of-a-kind family golf vacation.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Since Walt Disney World opened with two 18-hole courses in 1971, golf has been a key component of the resort. Over the past four decades, Disney World has hosted professional and amateur golf tournaments, including one of the longest-running events in PGA Tour history – the PGA Tour’s Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic. Disney has also hosted the LPGA Tour, NCAA golf championships and dozens of celebrity golf tournaments.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" closure_uid_8v4td6="280" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span closure_uid_8v4td6="277" style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">About Disney Golf </span></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Walt Disney World Resort is one of the largest golf resorts in the country with a total of 81 holes on four 18-hole championship courses and a 9-hole family-play course. All five courses are certified by Audubon International as cooperative wildlife sanctuaries. The resort includes:</span></div><ul type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Disney’s Magnolia </span></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">course<b> </b>– Named for its 1500 magnolia trees, this course is one of the two original golf courses that opened with Walt Disney World Resort forty years ago. Designed by Joe Lee, the course has hosted final round play for PGA Tour events since 1971.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Disney’s Palm </span></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">course -Designed to accentuate the natural beauty of the land, the course opened in 1971 near Magic Kingdom. Recognized as one of America’s premier resort courses, Disney’s Palm will be renovated to earn the designation of an Arnold Palmer designed course.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lake Buena Vista</span></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> course – Built in 1972, the course adjacent to Downtown Disney and Saratoga Springs Resort stretches to 6,829 yards from the championship tees. As a past host for PGA, LPGA and USGA tour stops, the beautifully conditioned course is a challenge for pros and amateurs alike.<b> </b></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Osprey Ridge</span></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> course – Designed by Tom Fazio in 1992, the course will transition to Four Seasons Resort Orlando at Walt Disney World Resort as part of their new luxury resort anticipated to open in 2013-14.</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Oak Trail </span></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">course<b> </b>-<b> </b>one of Disney’s most popular courses, this nine hole walking course is ideal for golfers of all ages and skill levels.</span></li>
</ul></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-37628082925822845542011-08-22T17:18:00.000-07:002011-08-22T17:19:21.807-07:00Ka-chow! Send a Hello Forever Stamps Salute Disney-Pixar Characters<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="254">"Hello" is a simple, everyday word. Today, it has a new meaning as the U.S. Postal Service issues the Send a Hello Forever stamps to connect family and friends through the power of the mail.</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="254"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="258"><div closure_uid_w0qdxl="288">The new Send a Hello Forever stamps feature the characters of five popular movies created by Disney-Pixar Animation Studios: Buzz Lightyear and two green, three-eyed aliens from <i>Toy Story</i>; Lightning McQueen and Mater from <i>Cars</i>; Remy the rat and Linguini from <i>Ratatouille</i>; the robot Wall-E from <i>Wall-E</i>; and <span class="xn-person">Carl Fredricksen</span> and Dug from <i>Up</i>. The stamps are on sale today in Post Offices nationwide, online at <i>usps.com</i> and by calling 800-782-6724.</div></div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="258"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVvQ17rqVnaAdHfUaqy6YoYYlALqSt90mZYR3pM1wrh_l9IAaM6VxRTFYAFQ0twG1n_2u_AdSq1r40MuW8Xf-bzpMBFa7sKgeepv5aztRIsjYf3nMZ5JEVtcCithWf2wZjUApVwK7Ydw/s1600/Pixar+Stamps.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" qaa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigVvQ17rqVnaAdHfUaqy6YoYYlALqSt90mZYR3pM1wrh_l9IAaM6VxRTFYAFQ0twG1n_2u_AdSq1r40MuW8Xf-bzpMBFa7sKgeepv5aztRIsjYf3nMZ5JEVtcCithWf2wZjUApVwK7Ydw/s1600/Pixar+Stamps.JPG" /></a></div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="258"><br />
"For more than 25 years, Disney-Pixar storytellers have given us characters who have shown us the wonder of friendship and family," said Deputy Postmaster General <span class="xn-person">Ronald Stroman</span>. "With this new stamp pane, the U.S. Postal Service is very proud to honor the art of Pixar's talented team of animators, and at the same time, help our customers communicate the way they care, through the power of the U.S. Mail."</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="260"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="259">"Taking the time to slow down and send a hello through the mail is a simple and special gift to both the sender and the recipient," Stroman said.</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="259"><br />
</div>Joining Stroman to dedicate the stamps were <span class="xn-person">James Bilbray</span>, member, Board of Governors, U.S. Postal Service; and <span class="xn-person">John Lasseter</span>, chief creative officer, Walt Disney Studios and Pixar Animation Studios.<br />
<div closure_uid_yy4wuf="261">The stamps were designed by art directors <span class="xn-person">Terrence McCaffrey</span> and <span class="xn-person">William Gicker</span> together with <span class="xn-person">Ben Butcher</span> at Disney-Pixar and <span class="xn-person">Dave Pacheco</span> at Disney Consumer Products.</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="261"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="262">The Send a Hello Forever stamps are an outgrowth of the Art of Disney stamp series issued between 2004 and 2008. Originally a series of three annual issuances depicting friendship, celebration<b> </b>and romance, the Art of Disney stamps proved so popular that the Postal Service expanded the series in 2007 and 2008.</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="262"><br />
</div><b>How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark </b><br />
<div closure_uid_yy4wuf="263">Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at a local Post Office, at The Postal Store website at <a href="http://www.usps.com/shop" target="_blank">usps.com/shop</a><i>,</i> or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others) and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="263"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="264">Send a Hello Stamp<br />
Postmaster<br />
701 <span class="xn-person">N. Loara Street</span><br />
<span class="xn-location">Anaheim, CA</span> 92803-9998</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="264"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="265">After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark. All orders must be postmarked by <span class="xn-chron">Oct. 11, 2011</span>.</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="265"><br />
</div><b>How to Order First-Day Covers</b><br />
<div closure_uid_yy4wuf="266">The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly "USA Philatelic" catalog. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-STAMP-24 or writing to:</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="266"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="267">Information Fulfillment<br />
Dept. 6270<br />
U.S. Postal Service<br />
PO Box 219014<br />
<span class="xn-location">Kansas City, MO</span> 64121-9014</div><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="267"><br />
</div><b>Philatelic Products</b><br />
There are eight philatelic products available for this stamp issue:<br />
<ul class="discStyle" type="disc"><li>467963, First-Day Cover Set of 5, <span class="xn-money">$4.40</span></li>
<li>467968, Digital Color Postmark Set of 5, <span class="xn-money">$8.00</span></li>
<li>467984, Uncut Press Sheet, <span class="xn-money">$35.20</span></li>
<li>467991, Ceremony Program, <span class="xn-money">$6.95</span></li>
<li>467992, Stamp Deck Card (SDC), <span class="xn-money">$0.95</span></li>
<li>467994, Stamp Deck Card w/Digital Color Postmark, <span class="xn-money">$1.95</span></li>
<li>467999, Cancellation Keepsake (5 Digital Color Postmarks w/Pane), <span class="xn-money">$16.95</span></li>
<li>887200, Postcards, 4 of each 5 designs, <span class="xn-money">$14.95</span> </li>
</ul><div closure_uid_yy4wuf="240">To learn more about the Postal Service's Stamp Program, visit<i> </i><a href="http://beyondtheperf.com/" target="_blank"><i>http://beyondtheperf.com</i></a><i>.</i></div></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-2751904439465280712011-08-13T05:47:00.000-07:002011-08-13T05:47:15.633-07:00Apricot Lane Boutique Opens at Downtown Disney on Aug. 12<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><em closure_uid_2iff8v="273"><strong><span style="color: red; font-size: large;">Fashion boutique features celebrity inspired trends</span></strong></em> <div class="entry-content" sizcache="9" sizset="14"><br />
<div closure_uid_2iff8v="292">LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Apricot Lane Boutique has opened a new store at Downtown Disney on Aug. 12, 2011. The new shop, which appeals to mothers and daughters alike, is in the Pleasure Island district of the 120-acre retail, dining and entertainment complex at Walt Disney World Resort.</div><div closure_uid_2iff8v="292"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mrtuD_Lh4YRTmxX-ZoRaSo0O9rgjVIRhWrSLcbXNvEg7c30O6T_N8lsbYT9mX0oBqaBThO2YlR8whDZcA0H7SlOOxjGZGs3TG7STNWE_IR0smSVKIJ_NiNKIdf-mpcA_CyHAOfV9pxo/s1600/Apricot+Lane+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_mrtuD_Lh4YRTmxX-ZoRaSo0O9rgjVIRhWrSLcbXNvEg7c30O6T_N8lsbYT9mX0oBqaBThO2YlR8whDZcA0H7SlOOxjGZGs3TG7STNWE_IR0smSVKIJ_NiNKIdf-mpcA_CyHAOfV9pxo/s400/Apricot+Lane+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div closure_uid_2iff8v="288"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_2iff8v="288">Apricot Lane, a “Hot Concept” award winner by the International Council of Shopping Centers, carries branded fashion apparel, jewelry, handbags, and accessories to create the most-current looks at an affordable price. Brands carried include trend-setting lines such as Miss Me, Free People, Vintage Havana, Chaser and Good Works Make a Difference.</div><div closure_uid_2iff8v="288"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_2iff8v="289">“Many of the designer labels found in Apricot Lane are worn by celebrities and seen in the pages of current fashion magazines,” said Founder and CEO Ken Petersen. “We are excited to give the millions of guests visiting Walt Disney World Resort a place where they can replicate those looks.”</div><div closure_uid_2iff8v="289"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiaPvs3jcBBPkblqj5lIgqcUr3bd18QGiQI-OzA1tY9ovF3N1sQoD2LfTAqElkuv5nYS-vtHeIb-Kn7pwbWQTyVAXhlPF9Khf-92syDmE9ItPt0CQENCqDqF3R4DB0iWp8yF_nCcS52w/s1600/Apricot+Lane+2+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" naa="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiaPvs3jcBBPkblqj5lIgqcUr3bd18QGiQI-OzA1tY9ovF3N1sQoD2LfTAqElkuv5nYS-vtHeIb-Kn7pwbWQTyVAXhlPF9Khf-92syDmE9ItPt0CQENCqDqF3R4DB0iWp8yF_nCcS52w/s400/Apricot+Lane+2+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div closure_uid_2iff8v="289"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_2iff8v="290">A location of the boutique recently opened at Downtown Disney in Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Calif., to “overnight success.” Disney guests in need of a fun dress for dinner or a quick outfit for a day at the resort have found Apricot Lane to be the solution for fashion-forward looks and trend-setting styles.</div><div closure_uid_2iff8v="290"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_2iff8v="291">“We’re pleased to add Apricot Lane to our assortment of unique offerings at Downtown Disney,” said Keith Bradford, vice president of Downtown Disney. “This boutique is another example of our commitment to bring new and compelling experiences to life at Downtown Disney, and I’m confident that it will soon become a guest favorite.”</div><div closure_uid_2iff8v="291"><br />
</div>Since launching in 2007, Apricot Lane continuously appears in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Franchise List. With new items arriving almost daily, Apricot Lane is a perfect place to find one-of-a-kind outfits and unique gift items for women of all ages. The store carries a limited number of each item to ensure customers have a sense of individuality when making a purchase.</div></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-18053980408789534692011-08-11T17:11:00.000-07:002011-08-11T17:11:13.179-07:00Marvel Makes Inaugural Appearance at Disney's D23 Expo!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div closure_uid_u9acqe="257"><strong><span style="color: red;"><span class="xn-location">NE</span>Marvel is coming to <span class="xn-location">Anaheim</span> this year to make its historic debut at D23, the ultimate Disney fan event, and we're pulling out all the stops!</span></strong></div><div closure_uid_u9acqe="257"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_u9acqe="275">On <span class="xn-chron">Sunday, August 21</span>, at <span class="xn-chron">10:15 a.m.</span> in the Arena, join us for <b>Marvel: The House of Ideas, </b>an exclusive and unprecedented experience that will take you through the evolution of Marvel from its first comic book in 1939 to its current position as one of the most important creative forces in the world. </div><div closure_uid_u9acqe="275"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_u9acqe="275">During this presentation, which will include interactive Q&A segments, you will not only get an inside glimpse of the history of Marvel and its iconic Super Heroes but also discover why Marvel truly is the House of Ideas. This session will be hosted by <span class="xn-person">Joe Quesada</span>, Marvel's Chief Creative Officer and one of the most respected and sought-after writers and artists in the entertainment industry.</div><div closure_uid_u9acqe="275"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_u9acqe="276">"We're thrilled to be a part of the one-of-a-kind show that is Disney's D23," said Quesada. "Whether attendees are new to the world of Marvel or longtime fans, they're going to love what we've planned for them!"</div><div closure_uid_u9acqe="276"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_u9acqe="277">Also, be sure not to miss Marvel's own President of Production <span class="xn-person">Kevin Feige</span> as he joins some of the top names in film on <span class="xn-chron">Saturday, August 20</span> at <span class="xn-chron">10:30 a.m.</span> at the <b>Walt Disney Studios </b>panel to discuss Marvel Studios' plans for 2012, including the hotly anticipated <i>Marvel's </i><i>The Avengers</i>!</div><div closure_uid_u9acqe="277"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_u9acqe="278">Tickets to D23 Expo 2011 are available at <a href="http://www.d23expo.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6099e9;">http://www.D23Expo.com</span></a>. Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 Expo and can be purchased for single days or for three full days of festivities. Admission is <span class="xn-money">$42</span> for a one-day adult ticket and <span class="xn-money">$32</span> for children 3-12. Three-day passes are <span class="xn-money">$121</span> for adults and <span class="xn-money">$91</span> for children. Members of D23: The Official Community for Disney Fans will receive a discount on admission as well as early entry to each day of the D23 Expo for themselves and their guests. </div><div closure_uid_u9acqe="278"><br />
</div><div closure_uid_u9acqe="278">More details about D23 Expo entertainment, events and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks. Fans can keep up with all the news by visiting <a href="http://www.d23expo.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6099e9;">www.D23Expo.com</span></a>, as well as by following "Disney D23" on Twitter and Facebook.</div><div closure_uid_u9acqe="278"><br />
</div><b>About D23 Expo 2011</b><br />
<div closure_uid_u9acqe="279">The D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Fan Event—brings the entire world of Disney under one roof, providing attendees with unprecedented access to Disney films, television and theme parks. For schedules, live updates, interactive features and tools, polls and much more, check out the D23 Expo mobile app at <a href="http://www.d23mobile.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6099e9;">www.D23mobile.com</span></a>! To be part of the D23 Expo conversation, make sure to follow @DisneyD23 and tag your tweets with #D23Expo. For questions during the D23 Expo, get answers by sending tweets to @D23Expo.</div><div closure_uid_u9acqe="279"><br />
</div><b>About D23</b><br />
<div closure_uid_u9acqe="252">The name "D23" pays homage to the exciting journey that began in 1923, when <span class="xn-person">Walt Disney</span> opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official club for fans in Disney's 88-year history. D23 gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication <i>Disney twenty-three</i>; a rich website at <a href="http://www.disney.com/D23" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6099e9;">www.disney.com/D23</span></a>; a new collectibles line, the Walt Disney Archives Collection; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year, highlighted by the D23 Expo in <span class="xn-location">Anaheim, California</span>, <span class="xn-chron">August 19-21, 2011</span>.</div><div closure_uid_u9acqe="252"><br />
</div><b>About Marvel Entertainment</b><br />
Marvel Entertainment, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company, is one of the world's most prominent character-based entertainment companies, built on a proven library of over 8,000 characters featured in a variety of media over seventy years. Marvel utilizes its character franchises in entertainment, licensing and publishing. <br />
</div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-19269326932142178592011-07-27T18:58:00.000-07:002011-07-27T18:58:31.578-07:0016th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival: A Passport to a World of Flavors Sept. 30-Nov. 13<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><strong><span closure_uid_zi3fs9="280" style="color: red; font-size: large;">Paradise Found: Tastes of Hawaii and Caribbean on Menu</span></strong> <div class="entry-content" sizcache="11" sizset="2"><br />
</div><div class="entry-content" closure_uid_zi3fs9="266" sizcache="11" sizset="2">[Walt Disney World News] Exotic cocktails will pair like a tropical daydream with fresh new tastes from more than one island paradise at the 16th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Sept. 30-Nov. 13, 2011, at Walt Disney World Resort. The one-of-a-kind 45-day festival serves up international cuisine, culture and entertainment from six continents, with more than 25 international marketplaces featuring tapas-sized portions paired with beer, wine and inventive new cocktails.</div><div class="entry-content" closure_uid_zi3fs9="266" sizcache="11" sizset="2"><br />
</div><div class="separator" sizcache="11" sizset="2" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzMq9Xb5PjNJFGz1CwyRJUSmhlW8azdBeVHkpp3-u0nqu2sO0t0W9JoRDh30FPFJ1hO9KSveZrA8qIlyawsPVLBYwuh0IitEWirWVdYVI4M2sdovh1YbvXNULKGif5LL3J4VttRtdRzk/s1600/Food+and+Wine+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHzMq9Xb5PjNJFGz1CwyRJUSmhlW8azdBeVHkpp3-u0nqu2sO0t0W9JoRDh30FPFJ1hO9KSveZrA8qIlyawsPVLBYwuh0IitEWirWVdYVI4M2sdovh1YbvXNULKGif5LL3J4VttRtdRzk/s640/Food+and+Wine+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" t$="true" width="425" /></a></div><div class="entry-content" closure_uid_zi3fs9="266" sizcache="11" sizset="2"><br />
</div><div class="entry-content" closure_uid_zi3fs9="266" sizcache="11" sizset="2">Marketplace tasting menus offer variety and adventure for guests on a mission to tantalize their taste buds during a scenic stroll around the 40-acre World Showcase Lagoon. The adventure can take them to the festival’s first <strong>Hawaii marketplace</strong>, which will cook up Kalua pork sliders and tuna poke with seaweed salad and lotus root chips to team with a refreshing Seven Tiki Mai Tai or a Kona Longboard or Pipeline beer. A new <strong>Caribbean Islands marketplace </strong>will serve <em>ropa vieja </em>with rice and jerk-spiced chicken with mango salsa. A beverage menu featuring a frozen Dragon Berry Colada and frozen Rock Coconut Mojito is sure to conjure steel-drum fantasies.</div><div class="entry-content" closure_uid_zi3fs9="266" sizcache="11" sizset="2"><br />
</div><div class="entry-content" closure_uid_zi3fs9="266" sizcache="11" sizset="2">With a swing across the Atlantic, guests will be transported to the new <strong>Portugal marketplace</strong>, where the Portugal Wine Bar will offer best sips to pair with calamari salad with olives and smoked paprika. The <strong>Scandinavia </strong>marketplace will return after a hiatus with a fresh new Xante Sunshine cocktail made from Xante pear and cognac liquer. And the <strong>Canada </strong>marketplace will introduce a sweet treat: apple ice wine.</div><div class="entry-content" sizcache="11" sizset="2">Disney and celebrity chefs will team with winemakers and brew masters from around the world to get the party started Sept. 30. During the six-week festival, guests will discover:</div><div class="entry-content" sizcache="11" sizset="2"><ul sizcache="11" sizset="2"><li>Three new tasting marketplaces — Hawaii, Caribbean Islands and Portugal — plus <strong>new menu offerings </strong>at popular returning marketplaces</li>
<li><strong>Celebrity chef </strong>appearances starring top culinarians like Jeff Henderson, Cat Cora, Alan Wong, Gale Gand, Suvir Saran, Jamie Deen, Rock Harper, Celina Tio, Robert Irvine, Andrew Zimmern, Buddy Valastro, Warren Brown, Art Smith, Keegan Gerhard and more.</li>
<li>First-ever <strong>HGTV home entertaining seminars </strong>each Friday, Saturday and Sunday.</li>
<li>The <strong>Cranberry Bog </strong>display by Craisins telling the story behind the venerable cranberry’s rich agricultural heritage.</li>
<li>Daily wine seminars, bottle signings, author events and culinary demonstrations at the <strong>Festival Welcome Center</strong>.</li>
<li closure_uid_zi3fs9="338"><strong>Eat to the Beat! </strong>concerts three times nightly at America Gardens Theatre.</li>
</ul></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-o9V_UFNrjB-BJOtzcfhPSQO5AM6Ya3X1kWIlnI5L8LoWfOIQ_Efwx5XeqRvxayMz_JpRlecvQS5MhvPAtIzr3D9Tc9x0Erf39CLF91fZ_89A5KBDCEMSf3H_zJevuhmQbxryYq4rN8/s1600/Food+and+Wine+Sample+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO-o9V_UFNrjB-BJOtzcfhPSQO5AM6Ya3X1kWIlnI5L8LoWfOIQ_Efwx5XeqRvxayMz_JpRlecvQS5MhvPAtIzr3D9Tc9x0Erf39CLF91fZ_89A5KBDCEMSf3H_zJevuhmQbxryYq4rN8/s400/Food+and+Wine+Sample+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" t$="true" width="400" /></a></div><div closure_uid_zi3fs9="338"><br />
</div><strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">New Sips, Fresh Bites</span></strong><br />
Festival guests can make a day of circumnavigating the World Showcase Promenade, grazing and sipping as they go. Tapas-sized portions of regional specialties run $3 to $8 each, and recommended wines, cocktails and beers make perfect pairings at each marketplace. For quicker marketplace visits, guests can purchase a festival-themed mini-Disney Gift Card that can be worn on a wristband and loaded and reloaded at several park locations.<br />
<br />
Live daily entertainment showcases many cultures with music, acrobatics and improv performances along the promenade. Evening Eat to the Beat! concerts at America Gardens Theatre feature acts from many musical genres. Appearing for the first time on the Eat to the Beat! stage are The Pointer Sisters, The Orchestra starring former members of ELO and Gin Blossoms. Fan favorite Taylor Dayne kicks off the festival Sept. 30-Oct. 2, and crowd pleaser Big Bad Voodoo Daddy wraps the event Nov. 11-13.<br />
<br />
The festival attracts a diverse audience — from wine connoisseurs and epicures to novices wishing to boost their culinary IQs. Special culinary programs showcase a lineup of renowned winemakers, guest chefs and speakers participating in elegant dinners, luncheons, seminars and wine schools.<br />
Festival highlights include:<br />
<ul sizcache="11" sizset="3"><li>The <strong>Festival Welcome Center</strong>, with a Wine Bar, Authentic Taste Seminars, Authors Without Borders weekend conversations and more.</li>
<li>More than <strong>270 chefs including Disney chefs and culinary stars </strong>from across the country conducting culinary demonstrations and hosting dinners and tasting events.</li>
<li>A complimentary <strong>Marketplace Discovery Passport </strong>to be stamped at each international marketplace visited for the perfect scrapbook souvenir.</li>
<li>Popular returning events that include <strong>First Bites Opening Reception </strong>on Sept. 29; <strong>Kitchen Memories </strong>(formerly Celebrating Family and Friends in the Kitchen); <strong>Mixology Seminar</strong>; and <strong>“3D” Disney Dessert Discovery</strong>.</li>
<li>The weekly <strong>Party for the Senses </strong>grand tasting event beginning Oct. 8 and with a new Saturday evening time of 7:30-10 p.m. featuring tempting bites from eminent chefs, more than 50 wines and beers and live entertainment presented by Cirque du Soleil.</li>
</ul><div closure_uid_zi3fs9="368">Festival guests can enjoy fresh Epcot experiences including the latest Future World high-tech fun at Innoventions and the celebrated return of “Captain EO,” the classic musical 3-D production starring Michael Jackson in a rare big-screen performance. In World Showcase, new and recently updated restaurants welcome guests at the Italy, Japan, Mexico and China pavilions.</div><div closure_uid_zi3fs9="368"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDirkOYwKI8wldUf-6DN0koagrGtd4TSzWGk9bpDMvv4PLLgKTc-dt4DXbmW3O59FjbIM6Xh4dQbKAyCGPl5VslTuUAWXwOXM5-wmuqEhEml0wSC-e20L-nuQJ596VAmWKaN_T6h26tro/s1600/Food+and+Wine+Sample+2+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDirkOYwKI8wldUf-6DN0koagrGtd4TSzWGk9bpDMvv4PLLgKTc-dt4DXbmW3O59FjbIM6Xh4dQbKAyCGPl5VslTuUAWXwOXM5-wmuqEhEml0wSC-e20L-nuQJ596VAmWKaN_T6h26tro/s640/Food+and+Wine+Sample+2+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" t$="true" width="426" /></a></div><br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">What’s Included with Epcot Admission:</span></strong><br />
<strong>Authentic Taste seminars </strong>and <strong>Authors Without Borders </strong>programs with special book signings at the Festival Center, Eat to the Beat! concerts, cultural adventures, Marketplace Discovery Passport and all attractions and park entertainment are included with regular Epcot admission.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Special Programming by Reservation:</span></strong><br />
<div sizcache="9" sizset="23">The Party for the Senses grand tasting events and other special culinary and beverage programs require reservations and separate event admission. Beginning August 16 at 7 a.m. guests can call 407/WDW-FEST (939-3378) for information and to make reservations for special events and programs. Festival event updates and details will be posted at <a href="http://disneyworld.com/foodandwine" target="_blank"><span style="color: #056287;">www.disneyworld.com/foodandwine</span></a>.</div></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-23307790699433673902011-07-24T17:16:00.000-07:002011-07-24T17:19:03.456-07:00Construction Crews at Disney's Art of Animation Resort Celebrate "Topping Out"<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span closure_uid_jrjvad="253" style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">[Walt Disney World News] – The hundreds of people who are building Disney’s Art of Animation Resort from the ground up gathered to mark the project’s “topping out.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The “topping out” is a special moment that typically occurs in the construction and engineering industry when the highest piece of structure, either steel or concrete, is placed on the building’s frame. The tradition dates back to the Vikings, who would place an evergreen tree on the top of a building to celebrate and bring good luck.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" closure_uid_jrjvad="255" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At the construction site for Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, a crane helped lift the traditional evergreen to the roof of a building that will soon be part of the <i>Lion King</i> wing of the resort hotel.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" closure_uid_jrjvad="255" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiy7hh26E3xQNuSe8cAC7Uhi9L72EkbWzw3hW2cAN4IIXRn_ZImvgGO3YJ6s7UDgX_hzo49x0fFyTCOql1-QtR0yGVn_5tRSQGgebbuXOyRFXQNoTtPzYPis603i-I2IAr4elVA4dIUU/s1600/daarphototoppingoff_1__jpg_62745_orig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiy7hh26E3xQNuSe8cAC7Uhi9L72EkbWzw3hW2cAN4IIXRn_ZImvgGO3YJ6s7UDgX_hzo49x0fFyTCOql1-QtR0yGVn_5tRSQGgebbuXOyRFXQNoTtPzYPis603i-I2IAr4elVA4dIUU/s400/daarphototoppingoff_1__jpg_62745_orig.jpg" t$="true" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Disney</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="MsoNormal" closure_uid_jrjvad="255" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span closure_uid_jrjvad="325" style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“The hundreds of people we have working on Disney’s Art of Animation Resort are doing an amazing job helping us build a resort hotel that will really delight our guests,” said Gary Hoffmann, senior project manager for Walt Disney Imagineering. “The traditional topping out is an important milestone on a project that continues to run on schedule for an opening just ten months from now.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="color: black; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In size and scope</span><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <span style="color: black;">the construction of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is a major project at Walt Disney World Resort, creating upwards of 800 construction jobs. Once open in 2012, Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will also create 750 permanent resort hotel jobs. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Walt Disney World Resort features 25 uniquely themed, Disney owned-and-operated resort hotels with more than 26,000 guest rooms – something for every taste and budget. Disney’s Art of Animation Resort will likewise be unique, with themed building exteriors and room interiors that bring to life <i>The Lion King, Cars, Finding Nemo and The Little Mermaid.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><i><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Finding Nemo, Cars </span></i><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">and <i>The Lion King</i> buildings will be entirely family suites, with 1,120 suites between them. <i>The Little Mermaid</i> buildings will feature 864 rooms in the “value” room category.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The construction of family suites at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort is an innovative approach to a changing marketplace. Today more and more multi-generational families are traveling together for various celebrations, including family reunions. These families not only want to play together, they want to stay together, which has created tremendous demand for family suites.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The first wing of Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, <i>Finding Nemo</i>, is scheduled to open in May 2012.</span></div></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-951658994054015122011-07-20T16:00:00.000-07:002011-07-20T16:00:01.366-07:00Walt Disney Parks and Resorts to Take Fans Through the "Carousel of Projects" at Disney's D23 Expo, August 19-21, 2011<span class="xn-location">BURBANK, Calif.</span>, <span class="xn-chron">July 18, 2011</span> /PRNewswire/ -- Fans attending Disney's D23 Expo <span class="xn-chron">August 19-21</span> at the <span class="xn-location">Anaheim</span> Convention Center will have the chance to experience "a great big beautiful tomorrow" as they immerse themselves in the future of <span class="xn-person">Walt Disney Parks</span> and Resorts, which is currently in the biggest period of global expansion in its history.<br />
<br />
Drawing inspiration from a classic attraction that debuted at the 1964 New York World's Fair and has made stops at Disneyland in <span class="xn-location">California</span> and Magic Kingdom in <span class="xn-location">Florida</span>, <span class="xn-person">Walt Disney Parks</span> and Resorts invites attendees to hop aboard the "Carousel of Projects" for a sneak peek at concepts, designs, models, storytelling tools, and technologies currently being developed at Walt Disney Imagineering for Disney parks around the world.<br />
<br />
Throughout the weekend, exclusively at the D23 Expo, fans will get a look at the latest details for <span class="xn-person">Walt Disney Parks</span> and Resorts' 11 parks and five resorts around the world, as well as Aulani, a Disney Resort and Spa in <span class="xn-location">Hawaii</span>, Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney and Disney Vacation Club, including:<br />
<ul class="discStyle" type="disc"><li>Actual figures, props and ride vehicles for <i>Radiators Springs Racers</i>, as well as a behind-the-scenes look at the building of Cars Land, the newest land at Disney California Adventure which opens next year.</li>
<li>The opportunity to meet a classic Disney icon in an entirely new way.</li>
<li>Concepts, models and plans for Fantasyland, one of the most ambitious expansions in the 40-year history of Magic Kingdom at the Walt Disney World Resort in <span class="xn-location">Florida</span>.</li>
<li>What's new at Disney Cruise Line, Adventures by Disney and Disney Vacation Club.</li>
</ul>In addition to the pavilion, D23 Expo attendees will also have the chance to attend numerous presentations and panel discussions. On <span class="xn-chron">Friday, August 19</span>, <span class="xn-person">Walt Disney Parks</span> and Resorts Chairman <span class="xn-person">Tom Staggs</span> will give guests in the 4,000-seat main arena an in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at some of the biggest projects currently underway at Disney parks, featuring a few surprises along the way.<br />
<br />
Imagineers and cast members who create and operate Disney's parks, resorts, cruise ships, and other vacation experiences will take fans behind-the-magic with nine exciting presentations including:<br />
<ul class="discStyle" type="disc"><li><i>Radiator Springs Reality: Imagineering Cars Land for Disney California Adventure</i> – Join Disney-Pixar's <span class="xn-person">John Lasseter</span> and a panel of Imagineers and Pixar creative talent as they share the twists and turns through the real-life development of Radiator Springs.</li>
<li><i>The Making of Star Tours - The Adventures Continue</i> – Imagineer Tom Fitzgerald will share the inside scoop on how Walt Disney Imagineering and <span class="xn-person">George Lucas</span>' Industrial Light &Magic began laying the groundwork for a new version of <i>Star Tours</i>.</li>
<li><i>A Good Look at Buena Vista Street</i> –Imagineers Lisa Girolami, <span class="xn-person">Ray Spencer</span>, and Coulter Winn provide a preview of the new entrance to Disney California Adventure, an idealized depiction of the Los Angeles Walt Disney lived and worked in throughout the 1920s and 1930s. </li>
<li><i>Imagineering the Dream and the Fantasy</i> – Imagineers Joe Lanzisero and <span class="xn-person">Bob Zalk</span> talk about charting the design course of the two newest Disney cruise ships.</li>
<li><i>Legends of Walt Disney Imagineering </i>– Disney Legend Marty Sklar will lead a celebration of the careers and accomplishments of Walt Disney Imagineering, including <span class="xn-person">Alice Davis</span>, <span class="xn-person">Orlando Ferrante</span>, <span class="xn-person">Bob Gurr</span>, and <span class="xn-person">Don Iwerks</span>. With special guest and current Imagineer Kim Irvine, daughter of Disney Legend Leota Toombs.</li>
</ul>In addition, and for the first time, the Parks and Resorts pavilion will also feature Mickey's of <span class="xn-location">Glendale</span>, an outlet of Walt Disney Imagineering's employee-only store, where—for just three days– guests can shop for "Carousel of Projects" souvenirs and collectibles and Walt Disney Imagineering merchandise not available anywhere else.<br />
<br />
Tickets to the D23 Expo are available at <a href="http://www.d23expo.com/" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6099e9;">http://www.D23Expo.com</span></a>. Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 Expo, including the Disney Legends Ceremony, and can be purchased for single days or for the full three days of festivities. Admission is <span class="xn-money">$47</span> for a one-day adult ticket and <span class="xn-money">$37</span> for children 3-12. Three-day passes are <span class="xn-money">$136</span> for adults and <span class="xn-money">$106</span> for children. Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will receive a discount for up to four admissions, as well as early entry to each day of the D23 Expo for themselves and their guests.<br />
<br />
<u>About D23 Expo 2011</u><br />
The D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Event for Fans and Families—brings the entire world of Disney under one roof at the <span class="xn-location">Anaheim</span> Convention Center, providing guests with unprecedented access to Disney films, television and theme parks.<br />
<br />
<u>About D23</u><br />
The name "D23" pays homage to the wonder and excitement that began in 1923 when <span class="xn-person">Walt Disney</span> opened his fledgling studio in <span class="xn-location">Hollywood</span>. D23 is the first official community for fans in Disney's 88-year history. D23 gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication <i>Disney twenty-three</i>; a rich website at <a href="http://www.disney.com/D23" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6099e9;">www.Disney.com/D23</span></a>; a collectibles line, The Walt Disney Archives Collection; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year, highlighted by the D23 Expo in <span class="xn-location">Anaheim, California</span>, <span class="xn-chron">August 19-21, 2011</span>.<br />
<br />
Fans can join D23 at <a href="http://www.disney.com/D23" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6099e9;">www.Disney.com/D23</span></a>, select shops at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort and <a href="http://www.disneystore.com/D23" target="_blank"><span style="color: #6099e9;">www.DisneyStore.com/D23</span></a>. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow us "DisneyD23" on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-88139077920400682722011-07-18T14:07:00.000-07:002011-07-18T14:07:07.846-07:00Downtown Disney Brings New Experiences to Life for Guests with Splitsville and Others<div class="tools" sizcache="11" sizset="1"> In November, Walt Disney World Resort shared plans to re-imagine Pleasure Island and bring other new and compelling experiences to life at Downtown Disney. Today, Keith Bradford, vice president of Downtown Disney, shared an update on its progress.</div><div class="tools" sizcache="11" sizset="1"><br />
</div><div class="tools" sizcache="11" sizset="1">“Many of the experiences we announced have already become guest favorites, such as the newly expanded LEGO Imagination Center and AMC’s first Dine-In Theatres in Florida. The great news is more is on the way,” he said.</div><div class="tools" sizcache="11" sizset="1"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU79nodcx-DreZ02r4eabeHzCu2bMcLWhZA1OE73Mj2rPDC6brNkbGK51kZlxfW9YRBBBW2joF_ndwq1D4g5bUI70EnV0ONCi4UvmpAvKFoxViyuRLt2Vanef9iNpSHt5NK8cexltZMBA/s1600/AMC+Downtown.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU79nodcx-DreZ02r4eabeHzCu2bMcLWhZA1OE73Mj2rPDC6brNkbGK51kZlxfW9YRBBBW2joF_ndwq1D4g5bUI70EnV0ONCi4UvmpAvKFoxViyuRLt2Vanef9iNpSHt5NK8cexltZMBA/s400/AMC+Downtown.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="tools" sizcache="11" sizset="1"><br />
</div><div class="tools" sizcache="11" sizset="1">Recently, Orlando Harley-Davidson opened its newly expanded 3,635-square-foot store at Downtown Disney West Side. The largest and most interactive Harley merchandise store of its kind, it draws guests in with a 40-foot tower and massive LCD/LED screens showing specially produced footage of motorcycles in action. Guests are also able to see and sit on some of the latest Harley-Davidson motorcycles, and a brand new production studio lets guests be pictured in their favorite riding spot or transformed into real bikers. Guests can even design biker vests of their own.</div><div class="tools" sizcache="11" sizset="1"><br />
</div><div class="tools" sizcache="11" sizset="1">Later this summer, Apricot Lane Boutique, a specialty retail store that offers celebrity-inspired branded apparel, affordable fashion jewelry, handbags and accessories, will open in the space the Harley-Davidson store previously occupied on Pleasure Island.</div><div class="tools" sizcache="11" sizset="1"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIebu-LQh8WMwhinEaefFmODNKdhzdr7Gxubyb_aLB7oQOUxOWLefiehZCym88TKJA2ujLDpPe33xsg-5uAzENDjeQZg5RaBH181fLYIpVtBfNiu1QfmU6UgiqFfIsYMiEw-fLHlaaEU/s1600/splitsville-bowling-downtown-disney-0713.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="268" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIebu-LQh8WMwhinEaefFmODNKdhzdr7Gxubyb_aLB7oQOUxOWLefiehZCym88TKJA2ujLDpPe33xsg-5uAzENDjeQZg5RaBH181fLYIpVtBfNiu1QfmU6UgiqFfIsYMiEw-fLHlaaEU/s400/splitsville-bowling-downtown-disney-0713.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="tools" sizcache="11" sizset="1"><br />
</div><div class="tools" sizcache="11" sizset="1">This fall, construction will begin on Splitsville, a 50,000-square-foot upscale entertainment center that combines bowling with billiards, dining, music and nightlife. To make way for this experience, RIDEMAKERZ, currently located on the West Side, will move to the Marketplace.</div><div class="tools" sizcache="11" sizset="1"><br />
</div><div class="tools" sizcache="11" sizset="1">Over on Pleasure Island, some of the buildings that aren’t part of our future plans have been removed. “During the course of this site work, we identified opportunities to further refine our master plan and are pausing to evaluate them,” added Bradford. “While we’re moving quickly, it will admittedly cause a delay in construction. But we’re willing to bet that any delay will be worth the wait once we’re able to share details about the exciting work we’ve been doing.”</div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-66368405277936306302011-07-16T06:10:00.000-07:002011-07-16T06:10:06.770-07:00Disney Storytelling Event at the D23 Expo in Anaheim Will Include a Special Announcement<h2 class="seo-h2-subheadline"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;">Featuring Disney Publishing Worldwide authors Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, and Disney Junior's "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" star David Arquette</span></h2><br />
<span class="xn-location">BURBANK, Calif.</span>, <span class="xn-chron">July 14, 2011</span> /PRNewswire/ -- A strong commitment to corporate citizenship is as much a part of The Walt Disney Company's heritage as the family entertainment that has delighted and captivated audiences for decades. Disney opens a new chapter in that level of commitment at the D23 Expo on <span class="xn-chron">Friday, August 19, 2011</span> in the <span class="xn-location">Anaheim</span> Convention Center Main Hall. A special announcement will be part of a storytelling event featuring two of America's best-known and most popular writers, <span class="xn-person">Dave Barry</span> and <span class="xn-person">Ridley Pearson</span>, and <span class="xn-person">David Arquette</span>, star of Disney Junior's #1 series, <i>"</i>Jake and the Never Land Pirates."<br />
<br />
Disney Publishing Worldwide authors <span class="xn-person">Dave Barry</span> and <span class="xn-person">Ridley Pearson</span> have enthralled readers since 2004 with their re-imagining of Peter Pan's adventures,<i> "</i>Peter and the Starcatchers,<i>" </i>the best-selling and award-winning prequel trilogy. Visitors are invited to hear from the authors, listen to a family reading event led by Disney Junior's "Jake and the Never Land Pirates" star <span class="xn-person">David Arquette</span>, participate in the big announcement and receive a free book. <br />
<br />
"By nurturing young readers we help support creativity and imagination, an important part of our citizenship mission at Disney," said <span class="xn-person">Leslie Goodman</span>, Senior Vice President, Disney Corporate Citizenship. "We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with Disney Publishing Worldwide to bring this special event to the D23 Expo while at the same time encouraging visitors to take part in our daily pavilion activities that show how we can all make a lasting, positive change in the world."<br />
<br />
At this year's D23 Disney Corporate Citizenship pavilion, visitors will see how they can take action through Disney Friends for Change, an initiative that helps inspire kids and families to join together and make a positive impact on their world. Visitors can participate as an "honorary" Disney VoluntEAR in a different community service project each day, including preparing child comfort kits for kids in need, assembling care packages for military families and planting seedlings for the environment.<br />
<br />
Visitors can also become "honorary" D23 Green Team members by taking part in a scavenger hunt that will lead them through the Expo in a quest to boost their environmental I.Q. Not only will they find out what Disney is doing to help protect the planet for future generations, they'll be in the running for prizes and a fun Friends for Change photo as well! <br />
<br />
Tickets to the D23 EXPO are available at <a href="http://www.d23expo.com/" target="_blank">http://www.d23expo.com/</a>. Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the D23 EXPO and can be purchased for single days or for the full three days of festivities. Admission is <span class="xn-money">$47</span> for a one-day adult ticket and <span class="xn-money">$37</span> for children 3-12. Three-day passes are <span class="xn-money">$136</span> for adults and <span class="xn-money">$106</span> for children. Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will receive a discount for up to four admissions, as well as early entry to each day of the D23 EXPO for themselves and their guests.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">About D23 Expo 2011</span></strong><br />
The D23 Expo—The Ultimate Disney Event for Fans and Families—brings the entire world of Disney under one roof, providing guests with unprecedented access to Disney films, television and theme parks.<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">About D23</span></strong><br />
The name "D23" pays homage to the wonder and excitement that began in 1923 when <span class="xn-person">Walt Disney</span> opened his fledgling studio in <span class="xn-location">Hollywood</span>. D23 is the first official community for fans in Disney's 88-year history. D23 gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication <i>Disney twenty-three</i>; a rich website at <a href="http://www.disney.com/D23" target="_blank">www.Disney.com/D23</a>; a collectibles line, The Walt Disney Archives Collection; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year, highlighted by the D23 Expo in <span class="xn-location">Anaheim, California</span>, <span class="xn-chron">August 19-21, 2011</span>.<br />
<br />
Fans can join D23 at <a href="http://www.disney.com/D23" target="_blank">www.Disney.com/D23</a>, select shops at Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort and <a href="http://www.disneystore.com/D23" target="_blank">www.DisneyStore.com/D23</a>. To keep up with all the latest D23 news and events, follow us "DisneyD23" on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-3855789521167266742011-07-09T12:00:00.000-07:002011-07-09T12:00:06.313-07:00Disney Institute Announces New Healthcare Service Program as Hospitals Prepare for Public Reporting of Patient ScoresAs a government deadline for public reporting of patient satisfaction scores draws near, Disney Institute<i> </i>announced today the addition of a professional development program created specifically for hospitals/healthcare organizations: Building a Culture of Healthcare Excellence.<br />
<br />
The new program, which is available in a variety of formats, incorporates the five most powerful Disney philosophies – leadership excellence, people management, quality service, brand loyalty and creativity/innovation – to help healthcare administrators, physicians, nurses and other manager-level personnel consistently exceed the expectations of patients.<br />
<br />
"Our program helps hospitals and healthcare organizations focus more on the overall patient experience, rather than just clinical outcomes," says Disney Institute consultant <span class="xn-person">Patrick Jordan</span>, a former healthcare executive. "This is incredibly important for building a culture of excellence."<br />
<br />
The timing of the new Disney Institute program coincides with a new nationally standardized survey that captures patients' perspectives of their hospital care – the Hospital Consumer Assessment of Healthcare Providers and Systems (HCAHPS). HCAHPS allows consumers, for the first time, to compare hospitals based on measures of how effectively they are satisfying patients' needs and expectations. The survey's 27 questions look beyond clinical outcomes and technical capabilities of hospitals and focus instead on aspects of the care experience that are particularly meaningful to patients, including:<br />
<ul class="discStyle" type="disc"><li>Communication with doctors and nurses </li>
<li>Responsiveness of hospital staff </li>
<li>Hospital environment (cleanliness, noise levels, etc.)</li>
</ul>Starting this month, hospitals will be required to publicly report the results of these surveys, which will be published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on its Hospital Compare website (<a href="http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/" target="_blank">http://www.hospitalcompare.hhs.gov/</a>). <br />
<br />
But outside of the new requirement, Jordan says hospitals need to pay close attention to patient satisfaction simply to remain viable in today's competitive marketplace.<br />
<br />
"The overall experience is driving hospital volume today," Jordan says. "It's becoming increasingly important for patients to feel like their doctors and nurses are communicating with them, and that they are in a safe, comfortable environment while they heal. As a result some of the health plans are looking at this information to decide where to send their insured."<br />
<br />
Developed using Disney best practices as well as lessons learned from current healthcare clients, Disney Institute's Building a Culture of Healthcare Excellence focuses on the entire patient experience, including interactions with hospital staff at all levels, and amenities that can help the patient feel more comfortable, such as private rooms and on-demand dining services. The program is also designed to help the leadership team embrace its own weaknesses. <br />
<br />
"As with guests in Disney theme parks, the patient has to feel that he or she is getting the best possible service in all areas and at all levels, from the receptionist to the nurses and physicians," says Jordan. "That starts with leadership."<br />
<br />
<span class="xn-person">Scott Gordon</span>, executive vice president of Arkansas Children's Hospital, knows this firsthand. Gordon and his team began working with Disney Institute when the hospital's patient satisfaction scores and employee satisfaction rates were lower than expected. After nearly 10 years and a variety of follow-up sessions with Disney Institute, including additional training for physicians and nurses, ACH was recently named one of FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® the third year in a row.<br />
<br />
Gordon says he and his leadership team learned that "it really starts with us. If we communicate effectively, listen to our staff and show them how we 'walk the talk' then they'll want to do the same.<br />
<br />
"We are now purposeful in treating our children, families, fellow team members and entire community with care, love and hope," adds Gordon. "Now that we have a culture by design rather than a culture by default, we find that all of our efforts -- fundraising, retention of team members, patient satisfaction and work with our physician partners -- are more successful because we are more consistent and focused."<br />
<br />
Florida Hospital for Children has also seen patient satisfaction scores increase after their time with Disney Institute. After measuring patient and family satisfaction scores two years in a row, administrators were shocked to find their facility ranked in the bottom ten percent of hospitals nationwide. <br />
<br />
FHC began embracing change through Disney Institute seminars, site visits and subsequent training sessions at the hospital. As a result, Press Ganey patient/family satisfaction scores jumped from the bottom 10 percent in the nation to the top 10 percent, employee morale soared, employee retention rates improved and the hospital's pediatric emergency room is now ranked top in the nation. <br />
<br />
"I've never seen a health facility turn it around so totally and quickly," says Disney Institute consultant <span class="xn-person">Chris Caracci</span>, himself a former health care professional. "It's largely due to the hospital's leaders inspiring the entire staff." <br />
<br />
For more information on Disney Institute's Building a Culture of Healthcare Excellence program, please visit <a href="http://www.disneyinstitute.com/" target="_blank">http://www.disneyinstitute.com/</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>About Disney Institute</b><br />
Disney Institute was created to showcase Disney best practices that easily adapt to other organizations. One of the most recognized names in professional development, Disney Institute travels the world offering engaging seminars, workshops and presentations, as well as fully customized programming. Immersive learning experiences are also offered at Disney destinations in the Americas, <span class="xn-location">Europe</span> and <span class="xn-location">Asia</span>, enabling participants to go behind the scenes and see firsthand how business theory drives operational excellence. The Disney Institute client roster includes Fortune 500 companies as well as a wide range of small businesses, non-profits and government agencies. To learn more about Disney Institute, please visit <a href="http://www.disneyinstitute.com/" target="_blank">http://www.disneyinstitute.com/</a>, follow at <a href="http://www.twitter.com/disneyinstitute" target="_blank">www.twitter.com/disneyinstitute</a>, or call 321-939-4600.Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-75668605287324922672011-07-08T03:49:00.000-07:002011-07-08T03:55:14.789-07:00Arena Schedule Announced for the D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event August 19 - 21 at the Anaheim Convention CenterThe D23 Expo 2011 is proud to announce the Arena schedule for The Ultimate Disney Fan Event. From <span class="xn-chron">August 19</span> – 21, Expo guests will have exclusive access to presentations from The Walt Disney Studios, <span class="xn-person">Walt Disney Parks</span> & Resorts, Disney Channel and Marvel Comics – plus they will be able to experience the 2011 Disney Legends Ceremony. In addition to the spotlight arena presentations, this year's Expo will feature screenings, celebrity panels and autograph signings, eye-popping pavilions, exclusive insights into TV shows, theme parks, animation, Disney history and more, to be announced in the coming weeks. Arena presentations will include:<br />
<br />
<div class="divOverflow"><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"><table cellpadding="1" cellspacing="0" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-collapse: collapse; border-left-style: none; border-right-style: none; border-top-style: none;"><colgroup><col style="padding-bottom: 2pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0pt;"><col style="padding-bottom: 2pt; padding-left: 5.4pt; padding-right: 5.4pt; padding-top: 0pt;"></colgroup><tbody>
<tr><td valign="top"><div style="margin: 0in;"><u><b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Friday, August 19, 2011</span></b></u></div></td><td valign="top"><br />
</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><div style="margin: 0in;"><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.</span></div></td><td valign="top"><div style="margin: 0in;"><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">2011 Disney Legends Ceremony – Hosted by </span><b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Tom Bergeron.</span></b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;"> Honorees </span><b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Regis Philbin; Jim Henson; </span></b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Disney Princesses</span><b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;"> Jodi Benson, Paige O'Hara, Lea Salonga, Linda Larkin </span></b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">and</span><b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;"> Anika Noni Rose; Bo Boyd; Jack </span></b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">and</span><b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;"> Bonita Wrather; Guy Williams</span></b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;"> and </span><b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Ray Watson</span></b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;"> will be inducted as Disney Legends for their contribution to the creative legacy of The Walt Disney Company in a special presentation exclusively for D23 Expo guests.</span></div></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><br />
</td><td valign="top"></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><div style="margin: 0in;"><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.</span></div></td><td valign="top"><div style="margin: 0in;"><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Walt Disney Parks and Resorts – Join </span><b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Tom Staggs</span></b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts, as he gives D23 guests a special behind-the-scenes glimpse into some of the exciting projects currently underway at Disney's parks and resorts around the world. </span></div></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><br />
</td><td valign="top"><br />
</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><div style="margin: 0in;"><u><b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Saturday, August 20, 2011</span></b></u></div></td><td valign="top"><br />
</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><div style="margin: 0in;"><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.</span></div></td><td valign="top"><div style="margin: 0in;"><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">The Walt Disney Studios – A fascinating behind-the-scenes glimpse at the exciting roster of projects on the horizon at The Walt Disney Studios. From exclusive video clips and live performances to filmmaker discussions and star appearances, this session will be hosted by </span><b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Rich Ross</span></b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">, Chairman, The Walt Disney Studios; </span><b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Sean Bailey</span></b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">, President of Production, The Walt Disney Studios; </span><b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">John Lasseter</span></b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">, Chief Creative Officer, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; and </span><b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Kevin Feige</span></b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">, President of Production, Marvel Studios.</span></div></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><br />
</td><td valign="top"><br />
</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><div style="margin: 0in;"><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.</span></div></td><td valign="top"><div style="margin: 0in;"><i><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">The Lion King</span></i><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;"> 3D Exclusive D23 Screening – Disney fans will have access to an exclusive advance screening of </span><i><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">The Lion King</span></i><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;"> in Disney Digital 3D™, ahead of the film's highly anticipated theatrical and home entertainment releases. "The Circle of Life" takes on a new dimension as Simba, Mufasa, Nala, Timon and Pumbaa grace the screen once again, this time in breathtaking 3D. </span></div></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><br />
</td><td valign="top"><br />
</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><div style="margin: 0in;"><u><b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Sunday, August 21, 2011</span></b></u></div></td><td valign="top"><br />
</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><div style="margin: 0in;"><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">10:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.</span></div></td><td valign="top"><div style="margin: 0in;"><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Marvel Comics – An exclusive and unprecedented experience that will take you through the evolution of Marvel from its first comic book in 1939 to its current position as one of the most important creative forces in the world. During this presentation, which will include interactive Q&A segments, you will not only get an inside glimpse of the history of Marvel and its iconic Super Heroes but also discover why Marvel truly is the House of Ideas. This session will be hosted by </span><b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Joe Quesada</span></b><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">, Marvel's Chief Creative Officer and one of the most respected and sought after writers and artists in the entertainment industry.</span></div></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><br />
</td><td valign="top"><br />
</td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td valign="top"><div style="margin: 0in;"><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">2:30 p.m. – 4:00 p.m.</span></div></td><td valign="top"><div style="margin: 0in;"><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Disney Channel – Fans are invited to experience the excitement of a spectacular live performance, featuring stars of Disney Channel's hit series </span><i><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">Shake It Up</span></i><span class="prnews_span" style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 8pt;">. From meeting the cast of television's first dance-driven sitcom and learning moves from a Disney Channel dance master to a special panel, autograph session and more, this unforgettable experience awaits Disney fans of all ages.</span></div></td><td></td></tr>
<tr><td></td><td></td></tr>
</tbody></table>These presentations add to the already robust schedule of experiences, presentations and pavilions that will make up the D23 Expo 2011, including the Ultimate Disney Trivia Tournament presented by Hasbro's Trivial Pursuit, the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit – including the Fan Art Gallery, the D23 Expo Live Auction and the D23 Expo Dream Store. Additional schedule, pavilion and talent announcements will be made in the coming weeks. </div><div style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in;"> </div></div>Tickets to the <b>D23 EXPO</b> are available at <a href="http://www.d23expo.com/" target="_blank">http://www.d23expo.com/</a>. Admission includes access to all experiences and entertainment at the <b>D23 EXPO</b>, including the Disney Legends Ceremony, and can be purchased for single days or for the full three days of festivities. Admission is <span class="xn-money">$47</span> for a one-day adult ticket and <span class="xn-money">$37</span> for children 3-12. Three-day passes are <span class="xn-money">$136</span> for adults and <span class="xn-money">$106</span> for children. Members of D23: The Official Disney Fan Club will receive a discount for up to four admissions, as well as early entry to each day of the <b>D23 EXPO</b> for themselves and their guests.<br />
<br />
<u>About D23 Expo 2011</u><br />
The D23 Expo: The Ultimate Disney Event for Fans and Families brings the entire world of Disney under one roof, providing guests with unprecedented access to Disney films, television and theme parks.<br />
\<br />
<u>About D23</u><br />
The name "D23" pays homage to the wonder and excitement that began in 1923 when <span class="xn-person">Walt Disney</span> opened his fledgling studio in Hollywood. D23 is the first official community for fans in Disney's 88-year history. D23 gives its members a greater connection to the entire world of Disney by placing them in the middle of the magic through its quarterly publication, <i>Disney twenty-three</i>; a rich website at <a href="http://www.disney.com/D23" target="_blank">www.Disney.com/D23</a>; a collectibles line, The Walt Disney Archives Collection; and special events for D23 Members throughout the year, highlighted by the D23 Expo in <span class="xn-location">Anaheim, California</span>, August 19–21, 2011.Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-51872797629267083632011-07-06T16:00:00.000-07:002011-07-06T16:00:46.370-07:00Disney Guests Can Take a Cooling Plunge at Two of America’s Most Popular Water Parks<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="display: none; font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-hide: all;">(</span><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Walt Disney World News] It’s summer in Florida. Daytime temperatures are regularly pushing into the 90s. What’s a vacationer to do to cool off?</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">At Walt Disney World Resort, guests can choose between a mountain ski retreat and a tropical getaway to take the proverbial plunge into water fun at two of the most popular water parks in North America:</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Like a surfside playground left behind by a “great storm” for modern-day Swiss Family Robinsons, <b>Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon</b> features breaking waves, saltwater snorkeling pool, water coaster thrill ride attraction with gushing water surges; and</span></li>
</ul><ul style="margin-top: 0in;" type="disc"><li class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in;"><b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Disney’s Blizzard Beach</span></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> offers all the spine-chilling thrills of a northern ski resort, whether it’s bobsledding down the “snowy” slopes of Mt. Gushmore or plunging straight down Summit Plummet at up to 55 mph.</span></li>
</ul><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">During the spring, summer and fall vacation periods, both parks are open daily, offering a cool break from theme park fun. Admission tickets can be purchased at each park or folded into Disney’s Magic Your Way ticket with the Water Park Fun & More add-on option.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRlgqAkmgvxK4IobiBOozBD_hlenBkPkJvglf3NBGy7L88aD0gJMqpTATYtUwD3PJdi4TNao6Xl0EXb3a_NC-r5xw0W0jXpAThHHp1S57Wa_lEriU-EJH3poPWNsSV-Yz3wnZydD1bNc/s1600/Crush+and+Gusher+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRlgqAkmgvxK4IobiBOozBD_hlenBkPkJvglf3NBGy7L88aD0gJMqpTATYtUwD3PJdi4TNao6Xl0EXb3a_NC-r5xw0W0jXpAThHHp1S57Wa_lEriU-EJH3poPWNsSV-Yz3wnZydD1bNc/s640/Crush+and+Gusher+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" width="416" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Located near Downtown Disney West Side, the 61-acre Typhoon Lagoon includes several major features, including Crush ‘n’ Gusher, the first-ever water coaster thrill ride attraction in Central Florida; a man-made watershed mountain with eight twisting-and-turning water slides and roaring streams; a two-and-one-half-acre wave-making lagoon with surfing-size waves, and a 362,000-gallon saltwater pool, Shark Reef, where snorkelers swim fin-to-fin with exotic marine life including butterfly fish, French angels, tangs, groupers and even nurse sharks.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The park also features a water playground for children, sunny beaches and lazy streams surrounding a 95-foot mountain, a shop that provides necessary underwater equipment for Shark Reef (including wet suits, masks and snorkels), changing areas, lockers, showers, a picnic area and two restaurants which serve up everything from specialty sandwiches and salads to cookies and ice cream in waffle cones.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNjas-_cTs8wdF0Fxf4WfTVNe69B7hfowhWKu4LkMzaR2TROL7XWgvdliNDESji4C_Zks7bEpalbsuYCiIQ3Ne6SxVaZIh5hfg78ypo_CnRFiIHpnteSOSb28KZsJYiasaGM6lTlSmtc/s1600/Blizzard+Beach+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzNjas-_cTs8wdF0Fxf4WfTVNe69B7hfowhWKu4LkMzaR2TROL7XWgvdliNDESji4C_Zks7bEpalbsuYCiIQ3Ne6SxVaZIh5hfg78ypo_CnRFiIHpnteSOSb28KZsJYiasaGM6lTlSmtc/s640/Blizzard+Beach+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Meantime, while the 66-acre Blizzard Beach has all the look of a northern ski resort, it is in fact strictly tropical — and the ice is limited to the soft drinks. The most eye-catching attractions can be found on the slopes of Mt. Gushmore, the 90-foot snow-capped mountain that is home to Downhill Double Dipper, the only side-by-side racing water slides that stand 50 feet high and 200 feet long. Guests will travel up to 25 mph, twisting and turning before shooting out through a curtain of water.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mt. Gushmore also features slalom courses, toboggan and water sled runs and the awesome, 120-foot-high Summit Plummet — one of the nation’s tallest, fastest free-fall speed slides, visible from almost anywhere in the park. From Summit Plummet’s “ski jump” tower, it’s a breathtaking high-speed 55 mph plunge straight down to a splash landing at the base of the mountain.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Next to Summit Plummet is the tall but less steep Slush Gusher, a speed slide that drops guests through a snow-banked mountain gully. Mt. Gushmore’s other attractions include Teamboat Springs, the world’s longest family white-water raft ride takes six-passenger rafts down a twisting 1,200-foot series of rushing water falls; Toboggan Racer, an 8-lane water slide that sends guests racing over exhilarating dips as they descend the “snowy” slope, and more.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The sandy beach below Mt. Gushmore offers a large wave pool, a lazy river, two snack bars, a polar pub lodge, and a pre-teen and children’s play area.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Village at the Blizzard Beach entrance houses guest services such as a tube pick-up area, towel rentals, lockers, first aid, merchandise and a restaurant.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxDYcqHCpObj9_OsdDfp82Y9Yxlnk1F-MhC0U36rAMx6cALfT5psZ-4EOTJqqmtn1O-YMf6LUWh6mgjZH86QIOUvKCo8QzCh-luIs-po4eI3_-yjc5WnByahN21NYG3iaPdeNig7d5s8/s1600/Typhoon+Lagoon+Shark+Reef+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" m$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNxDYcqHCpObj9_OsdDfp82Y9Yxlnk1F-MhC0U36rAMx6cALfT5psZ-4EOTJqqmtn1O-YMf6LUWh6mgjZH86QIOUvKCo8QzCh-luIs-po4eI3_-yjc5WnByahN21NYG3iaPdeNig7d5s8/s640/Typhoon+Lagoon+Shark+Reef+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" width="428" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Available at Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon for day-long rental, Beachcomber Shacks and Polar Patios are premium spaces that put a roof or a large umbrella over guests’ heads, provide upscale Adirondack seating for relaxation, put beverages to quench a whole days’ thirsts at guests’ fingertips, and give them a service attendant who does the leg work if they want to purchase food from the a la carte menu.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For more information about Disney’s Blizzard Beach and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water parks, guests may call 407/824-4321 or visit <u><a href="http://www.disneyworld.com/" target="_new"><span style="color: blue;">disneyworld.com</span></a></u>.</span><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-family: "Garamond", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"></span></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-47225125157227772482011-06-30T15:37:00.000-07:002011-07-01T19:36:58.671-07:00Nominations Open for the 2012 Disney’s Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and Essence Magazine<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;">Disney’s Dreamers Academy Celebrates</span></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red; font-size: large;">its Fifth Year of Igniting Lives, Dreams and Passions</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"></span></span></b></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 2; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 2;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">[Walt Disney World News</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">] – Plans are underway for the 2012 <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i>Disney’s Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey and Essence Magazine</i></b>. Parents, teachers, mentors and youth can nominate U.S. high school students ages 13-19 to attend this innovative outside-the-classroom educational and mentoring program. Nominations must be submitted on <a href="http://www.disneysdreamersacademy.com/"><span style="color: blue;">www.disneysdreamersacademy.com</span></a> by October 31, 2011.<b></b></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 2;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqBzucBAXrv-61loMR3uWDEL-mXjJdH5akyke8aloQIv2wAiyRo3KGl3lNobheniVrQfkqGglKEPJmgjF7gxyCnr_aYKqgpusT09vHg59Ze5xh7cvs2UdlHdUuSVp0cVOZl7JNybSJUA/s1600/DisneyDreamersAcademy2011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313px" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIqBzucBAXrv-61loMR3uWDEL-mXjJdH5akyke8aloQIv2wAiyRo3KGl3lNobheniVrQfkqGglKEPJmgjF7gxyCnr_aYKqgpusT09vHg59Ze5xh7cvs2UdlHdUuSVp0cVOZl7JNybSJUA/s400/DisneyDreamersAcademy2011.jpg" width="400px" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 2;"><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 16px;">Entering the search for its milestone fifth “class,” Disney’s Dreamers Academy continues to hold true to its mission to inspire and fuel the dreams of teens, help them discover a world of possibilities and help them prepare for the future. Each year, 100 students – selected from thousands of applicants – experience notable personal and professional advancement. Students participate in hands-on, full-immersion workshops related to a bevy of career paths ranging from Animation to Zoology. Each participant learns important interview skills, communication techniques and networking strategies.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">It all takes place in an unusual and magical setting: The Walt Disney World theme parks. Both on stage and behind the scenes, the parks become vibrant ‘classrooms’ leading to career discoveries, the pursuit of dreams and fun memories to cherish for a lifetime.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Motivational speakers and celebrities share their stories and provide insight on how to achieve success and “DREAM BIG.” Dreamers have the opportunity to cultivate relationships with other students from across the nation while they gain first-hand knowledge from Disney experts and world-renowned entrepreneurs and executives.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">“Over the past four years, we have helped more than 400 Dreamers unlock their potential and get started on their journeys in life,” said Disney’s Dreamers Academy Executive Champion Tracey D. Powell. “The fifth Disney’s Dreamers Academy marks another year of continued motivation, education and success. Steve Harvey and Essence Communications share in our vision of enriching lives. Everyone leaves this program inspired to live their best life.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Participants and a parent or guardian will receive an all-expense-paid trip to Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., where they will engage in life-changing sessions and indulge in all of Disney’s magical theme parks. The 2012 Disney’s Dreamers Academy will take place March 8-11, 2012.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Steve Harvey, syndicated radio personality, along with Essence Magazine and Walt Disney World Resort will host the selected Dreamers during their four-day power packed career and educational exploration. Harvey, speaking on the program, says, “Disney’s Dreamers Academy gives hope and inspiration and exposes youth to a world of possibilities. The fifth year of this program will prove to be the best yet. We are excited about another opportunity to transform lives and give students an inside look at what their future can hold.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Launched in 2007 by Disney Parks, Disney’s Dreamers Academy has evolved into a year-round initiative with its informational Facebook and Twitter social media platforms, an interactive website, presence at community-outreach-partner events like the Essence Music Festival, the National Association of Black Journalists Convention, the Bud Billiken Parade, and the addition of the recently formed Disney’s Dreamers Academy Speakers Resource Group, which consists of various Dreamers Academy event speakers and presenters who serve as program ambassadors. This year, Dreamers also had the chance to win internships, allowing them the chance to test skills learned at Disney’s Dreamers Academy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">Essence Communications President Michelle Ebanks added, “We are excited about the fifth Disney’s Dreamers Academy. This program transcends the normal classroom setting, taking learning to the next level. This year we plan to go above and beyond to encourage Dreamers. Our valued partnership with Disney Parks and Steve Harvey serves as a firm commitment to the community and leaders of tomorrow.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman';">This fall, a distinguished panel of leaders from the communications, education and entertainment industries will judge all of the nomination submissions. Winners will be announced in early December 2011.</span></div></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7523608720351610271.post-36494079029263151072011-06-27T16:51:00.000-07:002011-06-27T17:36:59.930-07:00Pop Icons ‘Bring It’ to America Gardens Theatre At Epcot International Food & Wine Festival<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="tools" sizcache="11" sizset="1"></div><div class="entry-content" sizcache="11" sizset="2"><span style="color: red; font-size: 20px; font-weight: bold;"></span><br />
<h2><span style="color: red;">18 ‘Eat to the Beat!’ Musical Acts Perform Sept. 30-Nov. 13, 2011</span></h2><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">[<em>Walt Disney World News</em>] – Live retro sounds of pop, rock, jazz and funk fill the night when top musical acts unleash their greatest hits during the the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Sept. 30-Nov. 13, 2011, at the Walt Disney World Resort.</span><br />
<div class="box_info"><strong class="taller"></strong><br />
<blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZvT3WIvSthBeRIiEed2RR908NZpS_SUrps9SViK2UQa6VSF3l-47D6WF9P-aKXrbbU3SV2IQ9HDMF6TlAPYY8IXw0tZa3hyphenhyphenNtYJjnADtr91ilL6e9As45YqtJCWeMuGuGSESP8fmZ4o/s1600/GIN+BLOSSOMS+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" i$="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtZvT3WIvSthBeRIiEed2RR908NZpS_SUrps9SViK2UQa6VSF3l-47D6WF9P-aKXrbbU3SV2IQ9HDMF6TlAPYY8IXw0tZa3hyphenhyphenNtYJjnADtr91ilL6e9As45YqtJCWeMuGuGSESP8fmZ4o/s400/GIN+BLOSSOMS+-+Photo+by+Disney.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="box_info"><em><span style="font-size: x-small;"><strong class="taller">GIN BLOSSOMS: Set to rock audiences Oct. 27-28 during with 16th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival with top hits like "Hey Jealousy."</strong> -- GIN BLOSSOMS: One of three new Eat to the Beat concert acts appearing at the 16th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Gin Blossoms are set to rock audiences Oct. 27-28 with top hits like "Hey Jealousy." Photo by Disney.</span></em></div></blockquote></div><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Three new Eat to the Beat! acts – The Pointer Sisters, Gin Blossoms and The Orchestra starring former members of ELO – and 15 returning bands take their turn on the America Gardens Theatre stage. Shows are scheduled 5:15, 6:30 and 7:45 p.m. daily. The lineup (subject to change and included in Epcot admission) includes:</span><br />
<ul sizcache="11" sizset="2"><li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Sept. 30-Oct. 2 Taylor Dayne “Tell It to My Heart”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Oct. 3-5 38 Special “Hold on Loosely”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Oct. 6-7 Jon Secada “Just Another Day”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Oct. 8-9 Roger Hodgson formerly of Supertramp “Give A Little Bit”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Oct. 10-12 Billy Ocean “Caribbean Queen”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Oct. 13-16 Starship starring Mickey Thomas “We Built This City”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Oct. 17-19 Sugar Ray “Fly”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Oct. 20-21 The Orchestra starring former members of ELO (NEW) “Don’t Bring Me Down”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Oct. 22-23 Howard Jones “No One Is to Blame”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Oct. 24-26 Boyz II Men “End of the Road”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Oct. 27-28 Gin Blossoms (NEW) “Hey Jealousy”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Oct. 29-30 Sister Hazel “All for You”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Oct. 31-Nov. 1 Hanson “Give a Little”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Nov. 2-3 The Pointer Sisters (NEW) “He’s So Shy”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Nov. 4-6 Night Ranger “Sister Christian”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Nov. 7-8 Air Supply “Lost in Love”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Nov. 9-10 Richard Marx “Right Here Waiting”</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Nov. 11-13 Big Bad Voodoo Daddy “Go Daddy-O”</span></li>
</ul><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Guests nibbling and sipping their way around the World Showcase can see performers from many countries weave music, dance, acrobatics, comedy and other acts into the festivities. A sampling of World Showcase entertainment includes:</span><br />
<ul sizcache="11" sizset="3"><li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">High-energy Celtic music of Off Kilter (Canada)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">The Arabic rhythms of Mo’Rockin (Morocco)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Perfect harmony of Voices of Liberty (American Adventure rotunda)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Infectious beat of internationally acclaimed Mariachi Cobre (Mexico)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Retro British hits by British Revolution (United Kingdom)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Jaw-dropping stunts by Dragon Legend Acrobats (China)</span></li>
<li><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">Hilarious antics of World Showcase Players (Italy and United Kingdom)</span></li>
</ul><span style="color: black; font-size: small;">“IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth,” lights up the World Showcase with lasers, music and fireworks to provide a “wow” ending to each festival evening.</span></div></div>Bruce A. Brodskyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16536788888794840963noreply@blogger.com0