For those who like to jitterbug, lindy, swing dance, come on out to DCA this Sunday, 6/23! https://www.facebook.com/events/574480365908001/

Looks like the food court at All Star Sports is in for a major makover this summer. Guests who have booked rooms starting August 5 are now being notified by mail that the food court will be closed for refurbishment. The construction will begin July 28 when the arcade closes to make room for a grab-and-go food service location. The food court itself closes August 5, at which time the only food offering at All Star Sports will be the grab-and-go option.

Hot food will be available from the food court at All Star Music, and Disney will provide bus service between the two properties for All Star Sports guests who are looking for a hot meal.

The construction will continue until sometime in December. It looks like the arcade will be restored to service once the food court renovation is complete.

• Games: Twister, Walt Disneys Adventureland Game, Candyland
• Alphabet blocks: What do some of them spell?
• Other favorites like Play Doh, Mr. Potato Head coloring book, Crayola Crayon box

Does anyone one know if DL typically runs Fantasmic in the Fall (specifically the end of Sept.)? I'm thinking it would just be weekends if they do. I am trying to plan our trip so that we can see Famtasmic, but if not typically shown in the Fall, then I'd rather not be there on the weekend. What about Fireworks show? Also World of Color is every night, weather permitting, right?

Just back from a whirlwind trip through Napa Valley and Sonoma Vineyards, California Grill Chef Brian Piasecki and general manager Michael Scheifler went in search of the best of the best for the soon-to-open California Grill.

We visited 15 wineries in five days, says Scheifler. It was a whirlwind, but we came home with some great new discoveries. Like Tres Sabores, a small, organic vineyard in Napa where they discovered a delicious zinfandel. And Heitz Cellars, where they are bottling magnums of chardonnay just for California Grill its resting in the bottles now and wont be ready until fall, says Scheifler.
Well offer club service, where we will bring the magnum to the table to pour by the glass, a really fun presentation he says.
The new display case is a showstopper as guests exit the elevator to the 15th floor, with 1,600 bottles on display in an onstage, climate-controlled, state-of-the-art cabinet. In all there will be about 250 wines on the list, and out of those, 72 percent will be from California. Another 22 percent is Old World wines and 5 percent New World wines.
Well have something for every palate, says Scheifler, from a first-growth Bordeaux to a boutique wine from Oregon or South Africa.

There will be 80 wines by the glass, up from 50 on the previous wine menu. And sommeliers will be there to help you select a pairing, with more than 20 on staff.
Scheifler is just as excited about the expanded sake program to pair with the expanded sushi menu, with 10 varieties on the list, from a light, sparkling sake to cask strength. And craft beer is back, with eight brews on the new menu, mostly from California.
We cant wait to debut the new beverage lineup, says Scheifler. Drinks span from classic cocktails to wines you wont find anywhere else, the beverages are a great complement to Chef Brians new menu. Stay tuned for menu updates coming soon!
First Look at New California Grill Beverage Program at Disneys Contemporary Resort by Pam Brandon: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog


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For those of you who are heading to DCA on the 22nd for the Lone Ranger red carpet. What time are you planning on lining up. For the last pirates at DL the line started the previous day. Official Disney policy is 7:30 am on the 22nd which is crazy too late. We are planning on being there at about 4:00am.

Would you like to win a Disney Cruise Line vacation and help solve a Disney mystery? Then register now to enter the Catch Stitch! Sweepstakes.

In it, Stitch, the popular character from Lilo and Stitch, has escaped from the Oceaneer Lab and is loose aboard the Disney Fantasy cruise ship. Your challenge is to investigate clues and try to catch him before the ship leaves Castaway Cay. You can review evidence in this disappearance case, choose areas to investigate and check back the following day to see if your prediction was correct.
Learn How You Could Win a Disney Cruise Line Vacation by Jennifer Fickley-Baker: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog


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Today is a great day if you're a fan of all things Disney! D23, the Official Disney Fan Club, has just relaunched its website bringing incredible behind-the-scenes, exclusive Disney content to fans all over the world.
The reimagined D23.com gives members access to The Walt Disney Company's vault of incredible material. Some of the highlights include never-before-seen personal photographs from Walt Disney's camera, an inside look at Mystic Manor, which just opened at Hong Kong Disneyland, and sneak peeks at some of Disney's most exciting upcoming projects.
I've gotten a chance to look through the site and I personally love the exclusive interview with Disney Legend Marty Sklar. Did you know he's one of the few people who has attended the grand opening of every Disney park in the world?
In addition to the website redesign, D23 also launched a new level of free membership and since you'll have to be a member to access all of this cool, new content, click here to get registered!
Have you checked out the new D23.com? What are some of your favorite features?





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• • The cast of the Enchanted Tiki Room show features 225 animated singing birds, flowers and Tikis.
  
  
  
  • Eight macaws, six cockatoos, twelve toucans and nearly 30 other tropical birds join more than 50 orchids, seven bird-of-paradise flowers,12 Tiki Drummers and singing Tikis in the magical, musical show.
  
  
  
  • The Enchanted Tiki Room originally was the Adventureland seating area for the Plaza Pavilion restaurant, now the Jolly Holiday Bakery Cafe. From 1955 to 1961, Plaza Pavilion seating occupied both Main Street, U.S.A., and Adventureland and the restaurant incorporated themes from both lands in its design. Part of the Adventureland dining area for Plaza Pavilion was also converted into the Tahitian Terrace restaurant, now Aladdin’s Oasis.
  
  
  
  • During the planning stages, the Enchanted Tiki Room itself was conceived as a restaurant with the birds, flowers and Tikis performing an after-dinner show.  There was even going to be a “birthday bird” that would be rolled out on a cart to sing for guests celebrating birthdays. After evaluating the challenges of combining the show with a restaurant operation, it was decided to make the Tiki Room a show only.
  
  
  
  • When the Enchanted Tiki Room premiered in 1963, not even an E-ticket could get you in. The attraction had its own special tickets, priced at 75 cents apiece.
  
  
  
  • “The Tiki Tiki Tiki Room” theme was composed by the Sherman Brothers, Richard and Robert, whose many Disney music credits include the Annette Funicello top ten hit “Tall Paul,” the “it’s a small world” theme and the Academy Award-winning score for “Mary Poppins.”
  
  
  
  • The Tiki Room show’s four hosts – Jose, Michael, Pierre and Fritz – were referred to as “MacAudios” in early publicity.
  
  
  
  • Jose is voiced by Disney legend Wally Boag, who performed at the Golden Horseshoe Revue. Michael is voiced by Irish tenor Fulton Burley, also of the Golden Horseshoe Revue. The voice of Pierre is Ernie Newton, who also created the voice of the singing knight in the Haunted Mansion. Deep-voice Thurl Ravenscroft voices both Fritz and, in The Enchanted Garden waiting area outside the Tiki Room, the Tiki god Tangaroa.  Outside of the Disney theme parks, Ravenscroft is known as the voice of Tony the Tiger.
  
  
  
  • The Tikis in the Enchanted Tiki Garden entry area to the Tiki Room represent gods and goddesses for various Pacific Island cultures, including:
    
    • • Pele – Hawaiian fire goddess.
      
      
      
      • Tangaroa – Maori and Polynesian god of sea of sky, depending upon which culture is involved.
      
      
      
      • Maui – the Polynesian trickster god who slowed down time.
      
      
      
      • Rongo – Polynesian god of agriculture
      
      
      
      • Ngendei – from Fiji, the creator and head of all gods; every time he moves there is an earthquake
      
      
      
      • Hina Kaluua – Hawaiian mistress of rain
      
      
      
      • Tangaroa-ru – goddess of the east winds, which bring rain.
    
    
    
  
  
  
  • In 2005, Imagineers pulled the original audio source tapes from the vault and carefully restored the Enchanted Tiki Room soundtrack. They also installed new speakers and audio equipment in the attraction that produce a clear sound that surpasses fidelity limitations of the past.
  
  
  
  • “The Enchanted Tiki Room continues to delight thousands of guests every day, some 50 years after Walt originally introduced us to Jose, Michael, Pierre & Fritz,” said Jon Storbeck, vice president of Disneyland Park.

I know people use the phrase seems like yesterday far too much, but really, was it five years ago we opened Toy Story Mania!? It really does seem like yesterday. This attraction took carnival games to a high-tech level with Buzz, Woody and the Toy Story world. It continues to be a guest favorite at Disney California Adventure park. This video is a look back at our video podcast, originally produced in 2008. Enjoy!

Toy Story Mania! Celebrates Five Years on the Boardwalk at Disney California Adventure Park by Valarie Sukovaty: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog


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• The “car show” part was a lot cooler than I expected. Though Im not a huge car buff, I really enjoyed seeing the huge variety of 150+ vehicles displayed throughout Downtown Disney West Side. There were old cars, new cars, fast cars, famous cars a great mix of classic, muscle and exotic cars. And while they were fun to look at, my favorite part was talking to the owners and hearing them tell their stories. Those sweet rides have a lot of history.

• I still get starstruck around Lightning McQueen and Mater I was grinning from ear to ear (can you see my giant simile or is my hat blocking your view?) and judging from their line of fans, I was not the only one. Totally worth the wait!

• The event really was designed with families in mind I saw tons of kids and they were having as much fun as their parents, if not more. I think the interactive experiences from “Monsters University,” “PLANES” and “The Lone Ranger” really added a nice touch. Add to that the chance to play Disney Infinity and test drive remote control RIDEMAKERZ vehicles and it was definitely a weekend with something for everyone.

• Having Chip Foose and Jay Ward at the event was awesome I got the chance to meet the popular car enthusiast and Pixar filmmaker, and both were so genuinely excited about cars that their enthusiasm got me even more revved up. Even better? They were great with the fans and put on three amazing shows each day, plus Chip did daily autograph sessions. Im keeping my fingers crossed that well be able to bring them back again next year.

• People love a good cone hat I wore mine throughout the event and got so many smiles and waves that I started to feel like a celebrity in a parade. I even had a few guests ask to take photos with me, which I happily agreed to. (Note: The Luigi tire hats are fun, too, but I think we can all agree that orange is my color, right?)

How well do you know the windows on Main Street, U.S.A.?

High atop one of the shops here on Main Street, U.S.A., at Magic Kingdom Park, one window is dedicated to one of Walt Disneys first animators – Ub Iwerks, whose credits include animation on Walt Disneys earliest shorts, Plane Crazy and Steamboat Willie.
One word has been blurred from the sign. Do you remember it? Leave it in the Comments section below and well update the post later today!
Finish That Disney Parks Sign: Finding Ub Iwerks on Main Street, U.S.A., at Magic Kingdom Park by Jennifer Fickley-Baker: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog


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Is there an age limit on SR lines? My daughter is 14 and I want to use SR for some rides on our up coming trip. Most likely RSR and Indy. Had anyone gotten lucky enough to use SR but still rode with the person they are waiting with?

Disneyland Resort Update by Adrienne Vincent-Phoenix
Update for June 17 - 23, 2013
Disneyland celebrates Independence Week | Will there be a Tink 10K? | Toontown dry ice blast suspect released | This and that...

Read it here!

I was able to go to WDW for my third time a few weeks ago. Each time has been for a business conference but I have been able to mix in some fun while there and hit the parks each late afternoon/evening. Unfortunately because of timing issues , my family hasn't been able to come with me. Since moving to Texas from California, we are now closer to WDW than DL, which we used to go many times a year. So I now have gotten the itch that I need to take the family to WDW as soon as possible. Right now my target is 6 to 12 months. I have a dollar figure in mind that I would like to reach in a "rainy day" fund. Once I get to that goal, I am booking the trip and taking the family. I received some money for Fathers Day today and that is going to be the start of our trip fund. I am trying to do the vacation without tapping into our. Orwal day to day money as I also kind of want it to be surprise when I do reach that goal.

So, what tips or tricks or fun things have you done to save up for trips?

My first thing will be clearing out and selling stuff that I don't use anymore and have some value. I have an iPhone 4 sitting around that I don't use. Disney funds! I have a brand new pair of Air Jordan's I will probably never wear. Disney funds! Clearing out the clutter and earning trip money, killing two birds with one stone.

Well, we keep running into issues with the hotel and turns out changing the week we go to accommodate our addition's school schedule put a couple nights at resort hotels out of our budget, so we're looking for a cheaper alternative that still has a good pool area. HoJo seems to be the obvious replacement (though other suggestions would be welcome), but will they have the full pool experience still in the middle of winter?

We are thinking we might spend a day at Coco Beach this next trip. Can anyone advise what time we would need to arrive to guarantee a parking space and where would be the best place to park?

• New Scotland, Land of Food And Drink (Sept. 28), $95 or $115
• New Spirits Confidential (Nov. 1), $80 or $95
• New Parisian Breakfast (Saturdays), $37
• New Hibachi Experience (Oct. 8, 15, 22, 29, Nov. 5), $120

I'm in the market for used double BOB jogging stroller, specifically looking for the Revolution SE or Stroller Strides models in any color except orange. Do you have one collecting dust in your garage that you might be interested in selling? If so, please private message me.

I need one to start training for my upcoming runDisney races, as well as a good double stroller for my next Walt Disney World vacation.

Thank you!

Just wondering what opinions are about the trick or treating event at Disneyland. I've heard a few grumbles about the park being pretty crowded for the extra $ you pay to get in. Friends I know who have teenagers didn't really think it was worth the extra $. They didn't really care too much about the trick or treating or characters. I think they were hoping for shorter lines for rides since the park is only open to people who purchase the trick or treating admission ticket. They said lines were still pretty long. My kids are going to be 6 and 8 when we go and I'm wondering if the Halloween "extras" would make it worth it to go for their ages?

OK, a few words before pics. Loved SSR! It was beautiful, well layed out and great theming! All pics here taken with iPhone with setting for No Flash on Dark Rides! La Hacienda de San Angel contiues to impress, but Fulton's Crab House gets the F rating! Food was awful! Now some pics!



Lobby of SSR! Check in.



Ready for SW Weekends!



Boba Fett on Stage interacting with crowd and guarding his prize!



More Fett!



And even more Fett! Pattern? Heck yes!



Star Tours!



R2 D2 Where are you?



Boarding time.

1. Wildlife Wednesdays: Siamang with Twins is Father of the Year at Disneys Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort Disney’s Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort celebrates a siamang with twins as father of the year.
2. Like Father, Like Son: Kevin Rafferty and Kevin Rafferty, Jr. In honor of Father’s Day, here’s an interview with a father-son duo that helps create magic for Disney Parks.
3. Surprise your Hero on Fathers Day This Father’s Day, recognize the champion in your life and show dad how much you care with a one-of-a-kind gift from Disney Floral & Gifts.
4. Making Time for Dad This Fathers Day at Disney Parks Focus on timepieces for Dad this Father’s Day with these Disney Parks watches!
5. Windows on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland Park: Elias Disney Our tour of the Windows on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland park continues with the original “Disney Dad” – Elias Disney.

Some of the most interesting sights to be seen at Walt Disney World Resort this week can be spotted right now at the kickoff of Car Masters Weekend at Downtown Disney. More than 150 crazy, quirky and collectible cars have already pulled into the West Side area, including a few famous faces from the DisneyPixar film, Cars and Cars 2.

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Car Masters Weekend Returns
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Car Masters Weekend will run through June 16, from 9:30 a.m.-6 p.m., and features meet and greets with Lightning McQueen, Mater and Finn McMissile, appearances by DisneyPixars Cars filmmaker Jay Ward and automotive designer Chip Foose, Cars movie marathons and much more.
Check out the gallery below to see other key moments in Disney Parks photos this week.
Gallery

This Week in Disney Parks Photos: Car Masters Weekend Returns, Tokyo DisneySea Shimmers & Guests Become Wilderness Explorers
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This Week in Disney Parks Photos: Car Masters Weekend Returns, Tokyo DisneySea Shimmers & Guests Become Wilderness Explorers by Jennifer Fickley-Baker: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog


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