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POSTED Sat, 01/23/2016 - 17:00 | POSTED BY Traci C.
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The Walt Disney Birthplace Hopes to Open to the Public on December 5

Two Disney fans have purchased the home where Walt Disney was born in Chicago, Illinois and are in the process of restoring the property with the hopes of creating a museum to honor Walt. Dina Benadon and Brent Young hope to open The Walt Disney Birthplace on December 5, 2016.

POSTED Thu, 12/31/2015 - 17:00 | POSTED BY Traci C.
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Rose Parade to Feature a Float Honoring the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration

If you have plans to tune in to the 127th Rose Parade on New Year's Day make sure you watch for the Disneyland Resort float. The 2016 float was created to showcase some of the great adventures that await guests at the Happiest Place on Earth.

POSTED Sat, 09/26/2015 - 16:00 | POSTED BY Traci C.
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Mary Blair’s House is On the Market for a Cool $1.6 Million

If you're looking to move to the West Coast and you happen to have a spare $1.6 million, you could own a piece of Disney-related history. The one-time residence of famed Disney artist Mary Blair is on the market in Los Angeles.

Articles

POSTED Tue, 12/20/2016 - 12:00 | POSTED BY Guest Author
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Take A Guided Tour To Walk In Walt's Disneyland Footsteps

Tours are a great way to experience even more magic at Walt Disney Parks. Today's your review comes to you from Disneyland and, short of the Southern California Adventures by Disney trip, is the most comprehensive tour that you can take in Disneyland. We took the tour in March 2015 and like all Disney tours, your experience may vary slightly depending on your tour guide, refurbishment schedule, and changes to the tour itinerary.

POSTED Tue, 11/15/2016 - 12:00 | POSTED BY Guest Author
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Disney History: The Nixon Years

Walt Disney's love of America and fascination with U.S. Presidents, particularly Abraham Lincoln, is well documented and if you've followed along with our history articles here at Walt Disney World for Grownups, you know that Nikita Khrushchev, but what about the American chief executives? Though he may seem like an unlikely candidate, President Richard Nixon has the strongest ties to Disney of any Oval Office occupant.

POSTED Wed, 09/21/2016 - 11:00 | POSTED BY Guest Author
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Disney History: Nikita Khrushchev In Disneyland

In 1959, everyone wanted to go to Disneyland, even the cold war leader of the communist Soviet Union Nikita Khrushchev and his family. But it's tough to be a politician, and all magic comes with a price. Many sources reported that the visit actually happened, but unfortunately for the Khrushchev family, the Happiest Place on Earth turned out to off-limits to them.

POSTED Tue, 08/16/2016 - 11:00 | POSTED BY Kristen Kirk
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Disney History: Song of the South

Despite earning a seemingly permanent home in the famed "Disney Vault" due to its reliance on racial stereotypes to tell a story, Song of the South has an enduring legacy in Walt Disney World, even if many guests don't recognize the origin of some of Disney's most iconic elements. The Reconstruction Era film centers on Uncle Remus, a black man who is presumably a recently freed slave, telling stories to the children.

POSTED Tue, 07/12/2016 - 11:00 | POSTED BY Kristen Kirk
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Disney History: The Films of Fronteirland

After Fantasyland, it would be difficult to pin down Walt Disney's favorite land in Magic Kingdom, but Frontierland was certainly near and dear to his heart. This is evident in the number of films and television shows produced by the Walt Disney Company that support the theme and inspire the attractions that we still love today. Let's explore some of the films that set the scene and inspired some of the classic attractions that we still enjoy today.

POSTED Wed, 06/08/2016 - 11:00 | POSTED BY Guest Author
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Disney History: Looking Back at River Country

In 1976, Walt Disney World guests would take to the water for the first time. For just $4 per person, River Country called to guests who were looking for respite from the heat and humidity and it offered a reason to extend their Walt Disney World stay. Although this year marks the 15th anniversary of River Country's closure, guests can still catch a glimpse of the defunct park from areas of Fort Wilderness, but it is officially off limits to guests. How did River Country come to be and what happened to it?

POSTED Tue, 05/10/2016 - 11:00 | POSTED BY Guest Author
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Disney Legend: Howard Ashman

Twenty-five years ago, on September 29,1991, Beauty and the Beast premiered at the New York Film Festival, no small feat considering that the film was unfinished. Not only did that first audience forgive the footage for missing the Ink & Paint Department, but they applauded as loudly as they would have applauded at a Broadway show. The film enjoyed a slum dunk release in its finished form at El Capitan Theater and was well received around the world. We were all so busy praising the film that it would have been easy to miss the dedication:

POSTED Tue, 04/05/2016 - 11:00 | POSTED BY Kristen Kirk
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Disney History: The Many Faces of Cinderella Castle

Fun and festive? You bet! Eye catching? Absolutely! Popular with guests? Not always... Walt Disney World has tried several times to "enhance" Cinderella Castle to commemorate a special event and the results have not always been met with thundering applause!

POSTED Tue, 03/01/2016 - 06:06 | POSTED BY Guest Author
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Epcot's Fountain Of Nations At The Heart Of Future World

Every day it entertains visitors in the heart of Epcot's Future World by propelling its 149,000 gallons of water as high as 150 ft. in the air as 30,000 gallons of water per second cascade over its tiered edges. The Fountain of Nations delights guests from all over the world, but what is the purpose of the magnificent fountain and how did it come to be?

POSTED Fri, 02/05/2016 - 06:06 | POSTED BY Kristen Kirk
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Walt's Games: The 1960 Squaw Valley Winter Olympics

In 1958, planning for the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley was in full force. The International Olympic Committee had awarded the games to the struggling ski resort based on the promise that a dynamic new athletic venue would spring from the blank canvas and that the result would be an Olympic village like none that had ever existed. Instead, the limitations of the small space turned out to be so great that the bobsled event had to be canceled for the first time ever due to the expense of creating a run.