| Walt Disney World For Grownups

POSTED Tue, 02/08/2011 - 16:30 | POSTED BY Melinda Gregory
In:
Disney California Adventure

rennovation

Disney California Adventure: Celebrating 10 Years . . . and a Facelift

Ten years ago today, Disney California Adventure opened its doors and never has quite achieved the attendance execs had forecasted for the park. Some fans and guests would say besides attendance, another critical aspect was not achieved - that expected Disney flair and magic.

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POSTED Mon, 02/07/2011 - 12:00 | POSTED BY Melinda Gregory
In:
Adventures by Disney

Egypt

travel

Adventures by Disney Egypt Excursions Cancelled

Political unrest abroad has prompted the cancellation of Adventures by Disney excursions to Egypt and the re-routing of certain cruises from Tunis.

Adventures by Disney's excursions to Egypt, which are fairly new and were heavily marketed, have been cancelled until August 2011. For those travelers who have booked one of these trips, Disney is now busy working with customers and travel agents to make alternate arrangements.

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POSTED Sun, 02/06/2011 - 12:00 | POSTED BY Melinda Gregory
In:
Disney history

Disneyland

Jack Lindquist

Jack Lindquist Provides Insider's History of Disneyland in His Book

If you're a Disney or theme park buff and like your history straight up and not watered down, you may want to check out Jack Lindquist's "In Service to the Mouse." In it, Lindquist (with Melinda J. Combs) gives a first-hand, no-holds-barred account of the history of Disneyland.

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POSTED Sat, 02/05/2011 - 12:00 | POSTED BY Melinda Gregory
In:
Disney Movies

Michael Arndt

Snow and the Seven

Snow White

"Snow and the Seven" May Have New Screenwriter

There is a serious case of Snow White fever going around Hollywood these days with no less than three versions of the timeless fairy tale in various states of work. Disney is in the thick of the action with Oscar-winning (for "Little Miss Sunshine") writer Michael Arndt reportedly in negotiations to help give Disney's "Snow and the Seven" screenplay its fifth - yes, fifth- overhaul. Arndt already has a proven relationship with Disney: he penned their smash hit "Toy Story 3" and currently has an Oscar nod for penning that film.

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POSTED Fri, 02/04/2011 - 12:00 | POSTED BY Melinda Gregory
In:
lap bars

splash mountain

New Lap Bars for Splash Mountain

Splash Mountain opened a few days ago after a month-long refurbishment, and the popular water ride received new lap bars as part of its update. The reason for the addition of the bars? To prevent guests from standing up during the ride or exiting the log boats earlier than instructed.

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POSTED Thu, 02/03/2011 - 12:00 | POSTED BY Melinda Gregory
In:
disney characters

villains

vinylmation

Vinylmation Villains: At a Store Near You

There are some of us who don't entirely get the Disney Vinylmation phenomenon. However, there must be some collectors out there who do, because Disney Vinylmation has recently released a new villains collection.

The Mickey-shaped pieces depict a host of those Disney characters who lurk on the dark side, including the fur-loving Cruella DeVille and the witch that plagued Snow White. Each piece costs right around $10 and are readily available online or in Disney stores across the country.

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POSTED Wed, 02/02/2011 - 12:00 | POSTED BY Melinda Gregory
In:
Aulani

Fire

Small Fire at Aulani Resort Causes 20K in Damages

Disney's Aulani Resort in Hawaii was the scene of a small fire last week. Honolulu firefighters were called to the unfinished resort and came to the aid of construction workers who were battling the small blaze with fire extinguishers.

Taking place on the 12th floor of a tower in the resort that is currently under construction, the fire caused $10,000 in damage to the structure and another $10,000 to the building's contents.

The fire was reported to have begun at 6:13 p.m. and extinguished at 6:39 p.m.

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POSTED Tue, 02/01/2011 - 12:00 | POSTED BY Melinda Gregory
In:
Bob Iger

Significant Pay Raises for Disney Execs

Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Iger is living proof that it is a good thing to work for a mouse. According to Disney's proxy filings last Friday, Iger saw a 35% increase in salary and bonuses for 2010. As far as figures go, the CEO's salary jumped to $16.3 million from the previous year's $12 million. His total compensation? Factoring in equity awards, it was $28 million.

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POSTED Mon, 01/31/2011 - 12:00 | POSTED BY Melinda Gregory
In:
Epcot

Epcot Flower and Garden Festival

Flower power concert series

Music

Lineup Announced For Epcot's Flower Power Concert Series

It's become an annual - or perennial - favorite of Disney guests. We're talking, of course, of Epcot's International Flower and Garden Festival and the accompanying Flower Power Concert Series. This year's lineup was recently announced and will feature artists and music from the 60's, 70's and 80's. Here are the dates and acts:

#March 4-6 Jose Feliciano

#March 11-13 The Guess Who

#March 18-20 Chubby Checker and the Wildcats

#March 25-27 Melissa Manchester

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POSTED Sun, 01/30/2011 - 12:00 | POSTED BY Melinda Gregory
In:
Fantasyland

Fantasyland Expansion

Magic Kingdom

snow whites scary adventures

Snow White Attraction to Close as Fantasyland Expands

While Fantasyland in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom seems to be a number one destination for the eight-and-under set, we know there are some grown ups out there who aren't opposed to spending some time with Dumbo, Pooh and Snow White. For those of you who fit that description, we thought we'd recap the latest news of the ongoing Fantasyland expansion.

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