Bob Sehlinger's Blog, page 1274

November 23, 2013

New Disney World Welcome Package Mailed to Guest Homes

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I opened my mailbox today and was surprised to find a box from Disney. This was a new welcome mailer related to my upcoming vacation in January. For those of you keeping score, the box arrived on November 20, 2013 for a trip that starts January 9, 2014.

The sturdy presentation box is slightly larger than a VHS tape and contains a welcome brochure as well as fun flash drive shaped like the MyMagic+ logo. The flash drive contains two two-minute long videos featuring Incredibles character Edna Mode. In video one, Edna describes MagicBands and in video two she shows you how to use MyDisneyExperience. This welcome box appears to be an attempt to educate guests about the new technology being used in the parks and resorts. I’ve ordered a MagicBand for my trip, but I’m not expecting that to come for several more weeks, in it’s own super cool Incredibles themed box. In addition to spending gobs of money updating the in-park systems, they’re obviously spending even more gobs of money to get guests excited to use those systems.

Here’s a tour of what arrived:

Front of the box

Open first layer.

Open second layer.

Open third layer.

Booklet front.

Typical booklet page.

Last page of the booklet is a peel-off magnet.

Flash drive in presentation box. Note that you can also access the videos online.

Flash drive looking groovy in my USB hub.

Edna mode welcomes you in a video.

Screen shot from the MagicBand video.

Screen shot from the MyDisneyExperience video.

So what do you think folks? Have you gotten one of these boxes sent to your home? What do you think? Did it make you more excited for your vacation? Did it enhance your understanding of MyMagic+? Let us know in the comments below.

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Published on November 23, 2013 03:00

November 22, 2013

In Case You Missed It: Disney Around The Web – Week of November 22, 2013

By TouringPlans.com

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This Week On TouringPlans YouTube Channel: DCA’s Viva Navidad, Jingle Cruise, Pizza, and More!

By Guy Selga Jr.

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Every Friday on the TouringPlans Blog we bring you the week’s newest videos from our YouTube channel. Let’s get started!

The world famous Jungle Cruise received a holiday this year at Walt Disney World and Disneyland. Watch this video of the new Jingle Cruise and tell us what you think.

The newest Limited Time Magic in Disney California Adventure is surprisingly quite good! Take a look at the Viva Navidad Street Party.

Limited Time Magic Events For November 24 – December 1

By Rikki Niblett

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©Disney

Thanksgiving week is here and for this week’s Limited Time Magic offerings, both coasts are going to be delighting guests with special treats to help celebrate the holiday.

Over at Walt Disney World, guests are invited to grab delicious pumpkin delicacies at various different locations throughout the resort. At the Magic Kingdom, Tony’s Town Square, Sleepy Hollow, and the Main Street Bakery (via Starbucks options) will be offering wonderful pumpkin treats. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests can pick up pumpkin cupcakes that will be found throughout the park. In Sunshine Seasons found in the Land Pavilion in Epcot, guests can dine on pumpkin muffins, as well as pumpkin cheesecake. Finally, on Thanksgiving Day, at Tusker House at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, guests are invited to enjoy a full Thanksgiving buffet for both lunch and dinner.

At Disneyland Resort, many different Thanksgiving treats will be available too. First, at Disneyland, pumpkin spice lattes can be picked up at both Jolly Holiday Bakery and Mint Julep Bar. At Tomorrowland Terrace, pick up a sweet potato pie or at Harbour Gallery, try the pumpkin cheesecake. You also don’t want to miss the Fall Time Yule Log—a.k.a. spice cake with pumpkin mousse, lingonberry marmalade which will be found at the Plaza Inn or stop by Royal Street Veranda for pumpkin fritters Disney California Adventure also helps celebrate the season with pumpkin pie hot chocolate that can be found at Pacific Wharf Café, Award Wieners and Flo’s V8 Café. (How do I get one of those here at my house…holy cow!) Caramel apple muffins will be available at Schmoozies. Finally, at the DCA Bread Market, Mortimer’s Market, and Boardwalk Pizza and Pasta, pick up a loaf of turkey-shaped bread.

©Disney

In addition, another special offering will be available to guests while supplies last. Everyone loves the new Jingle Cruise poster and for a limited time, guests who visit the Jingle Cruise at both the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland, will be able to pick up a complimentary mini poster featuring the fantastic artwork. At Walt Disney World, guests can pick it up at the exit of the attraction and at Disneyland they can pick it up at the Oasis Courtyard. (And if anyone has a spare copy they want to send me…I’m ok with that. )

Thanksgiving has officially arrived and it looks like there’s a ton of great goodies available for guests to enjoy and celebrate with their loved ones while they are in the Disney Parks.

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Published on November 22, 2013 09:49

Observations From Disney California Adventure: November 21, 2013 – Christmas At DCA

By Guy Selga Jr.

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Hello from Disney California Adventure! As you can see, Thursday was a gloomy day at DCA. This thinned out the crowds considerably, not that it was going to be a very busy day anyway. For those of you that don’t know, crowds react differently to rain here in Anaheim than they do in Florida. When it rains in Walt Disney World, crowds may seek temporary shelter inside a restaurant or under an awning. In Disneyland most people will just not go to the parks. They’ll stay home or go another day. It hardly ever rains in Southern California, so this usually isn’t a problem.

Last week I posted about Disneyland’s Christmas decorations. This week I’ll go over DCA’s decorations. Here’s the tree at Carthay Circle.

Many more pictures after the jump.

DCA’s tree looks great and has many lovely giant ornaments, including this fantastic Red Car Trolley.

Beneath the tree you’ll find presents and this nice train set. The train doesn’t actually run, but it does make sounds and has a working smokestack.

This is also under the tree. My plan is to put that DCA Express logo on a t-shirt, win an award for “Most obscure Disney reference on a shirt,” and retire from the riches that will surely follow.

You have to love seasonal live entertainment. The Buena Vista Street Community Bell Ringers are one of the better offerings. They usually do 5 shows a day, so be sure to check them out.

Even the Red Car Trolley gets decorated!

Wrapping up my thoughts on Buena Vista Street during Christmas: It’s heaven on earth, and I love it. The end.

Okay, it’s not the end. I still have more to show you, like Viva Navidad, which is happening over in Paradise Garden!

When Viva Navidad was announced I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. You really just never know with these kind of things. But I was happily surprised, more on that in a bit.

One of the offerings, dance lessons.

They also have a face painting station. I forgot to look at the price, but I’m going to go ahead and assume it’s around $10.

Here I am with Donald Duck. For you rare character fans, you can also meet with Jose and Panchito at random times during the day. Every time I walked by they were not meeting, but the CM assured me they do appear randomly.

There’s also multiple special food items available for purchase in Paradise Garden Grill and Boardwalk Pizza & Pasta during Viva Navidad. So far I’ve reviewed one of the items on our YouTube page and will be uploading more next week. Unfortunately, the Viva Navidad menu has temporarily replaced the entire Paradise Garden Grill menu. Normally I wouldn’t care, but Garden Grill features arguably the best counter service food in the resort. A Cast Member told me the regular menu will be back on January 6, 2014.

I’ve tried a few of the items now, but the Torta is my favorite so far. It’s filled with avocado and chorizo. It’s surprisingly good. I wish I could say the same for the pineapple tamales. I’m not a fan of sweet tamales, and these did nothing to change my mind. I wasn’t too upset because they also added a couple of Mexican sodas to the menu, one of them being Manzana Lift, which is a delicious apple soda.

The highlight of the entire event is the Viva Navidad Street Party, which happens multiple times a day. It’s high energy and features a mariachi band and dozens of dancers.

Like I said earlier, I didn’t know what to expect, but it ended up being a lot of fun. Also it has giant creepy paper mâché dolls. What more could you want?

Mickey and Minnie also make an appearance near the end. I uploaded a video of the full Viva Navidad Street Party, which can be seen here.

Before I end this post, lets head back to Buena Vista Street. I need to point something out.

I noticed that there are a ton of different ornaments available for purchase this year.

These aren’t even half of what;s available! You’re in luck if you’re an ornament fan. There are plenty to choose from.

My favorite is this Red Car Trolley ornament. It looks similar, but smaller, to the one of the tree in Carthay Circle! Ding ding!

Other DCA-specific Christmas merchandise for sale. Looks good!

Stuffed Mickey holding a tiny stuffed Duffy. Someone will want this.

Various Mickey Mouse Nutcrackers.

The Christmas Train Set. Basically it’s the regular toy train that Disney sells, except this one has Christmas stickers on it.

I’m always on the look out for Alice in Wonderland merchandise because my mom is a huge fan. This year Alice fans have a lot to pick from!

That’s all for today. Wave goodbye, Fireside Girls.

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Published on November 22, 2013 03:45

November 21, 2013

Who’s the Fairest of Them All?

By Daisy Lauren

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A few weeks ago I was in Epcot Guest Relations and overheard a flustered mom asking where she could find Merida, the latest Disney Princess from the movie Brave. It seemed like a reasonable request since she was in a Disney park. Her daughter waited anxiously behind her with red ringlets bouncing on the wig that sat strangely on her head, not quite fitting. I watched tears well up when they were told that Merida was only in the Magic Kingdom, and a flustered mom turned furious as they stomped off for the other park. In hopes of preventing future disasters like this one, I decided to share this little guide to finding princesses. Remember – this is accurate as of November 2013 but character meeting locations change all the time, so please always check here for the latest information!

Princess Ariel

Ariel is one of those princesses who only meets in one very specific location, making it a little harder to catch her. You can find her appearing daily in her Grotto just by the new Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid ride in the Magic Kingdom. It’s best to try to meet her early or late in the day as like most things the midday line gets very long. While this line looks like it’s indoors it’s really just caves making it still very hot in the summer months. I also recommend meeting Ariel before riding her ride as the load capacity is much higher for the omnimover attraction. Please be aware that Ariel normally swims away one hour before park closing, so don’t wait too late to meet her!

Mulan also only meets in one spot but she is even harder to find due to limited “sets”. You can find her in front of the China area in Epcot just behind the arches. Currently she greets at: 11am, 12pm, 1pm, 2pm, and 3:50pm – weather permitting. The weather in Florida tends to either be hot or cold. There really aren’t many perfect days. It makes this a tough meet and greet to get to comfortably. I recommend trying to make it over for her earliest meeting time as lines will be shortest and hopefully the weather will be mild.

Princess Tiana

Tiana again only appears in one outdoor location. You can find her in Enchanted Glen, a part of Liberty Square tucked away on the water behind Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Magic Kingdom. There is a beautiful gazebo for her that is currently decorated for Christmas, adding a lovely glow to an already pretty spot. The line always seems to be long for this location. Though Tiana is there from roughly 30 minutes after park opening until roughly 90 minutes before park closing she does take breaks throughout the day. Your best bet is to ask the character attendant when her next break will be and when she’ll return then hop in line about 10 minutes before then. Or you can just tough it out and wait in line! This is a shady spot, making it a little easier in the heat of summer. Bonus: Sometimes you can catch Prince Naveen here, too!

Belle can be found in two different locations at Disney World. Of course, you can meet her during Enchanted Tales with Belle at the Magic Kingdom. In this location she is wearing her lovely yellow ballgown, but it can be a little awkward in front of an audience. You can also meet Belle in France at Epcot. As with other meet and greet locations at Epcot, this is outdoors and weather permitting. Belle wears her blue and white outfit from the beginning of the movie at this location, and you do often get to meet Beast at the same time! One other thing to keep an eye out for is Belle in her holiday dress. I have been able to meet her at the Hollywood Studios in this costume in previous years.

Princess Rapunzel

Rapunzel is incredibly popular and currently only greeting at the Princess Fairytale Hall in the Magic Kingdom. I highly recommend going directly to this location at rope drop or planning to get a FASTPASS. Even on slow days this location maintains a consistent 45+ minute wait all day long. I thought I would pop in during the fireworks one night to get photos for the blog, and the wait was 50 minutes! The last 15 minutes or so of this queue is indoors but the rest is outdoors and tightly wrapped making it a sauna 9 months out of the year. Make sure you plan for this one!

Pocahontas is only found in Animal Kingdom, but if you can track her down, she normally only has a nominal queue to meet her. She typically does up to six sets in Camp Minnie-Mickey but also appears at overlapping times at Rafiki’s Planet Watch. It is best to grab a Times Guide as the times can be all over the place. Of the two locations I prefer Rafiki’s Planet Watch. While that area can seem like a waste of time, the greeting location is indoors in the air conditioning, and you can normally also meet Rafiki while there. Add to that the petting zoo, and most kids are sold! It is a nice, quiet place to hang out in the hottest and most crowded times of the day.

Princess Cinderella

Cinderella can only be found in the Princess Fairytale Hall at the Magic Kingdom. As stated above the lines for this location can be incredible, so plan accordingly. There is also the option of paying to meet Cinderella and her friends in the form of a Character Meal. The best locations include: Cinderella’s Royal Table in Magic Kingdom, Akershus Royal Banquet Hall at Epcot, and 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian Resort. Though these meals can be very pricey, you have to weigh that with how much time you’ll spend in line and decide if it is right for you. Brian did a really cool piece on this that is worth a read.

Merida, I have to admit, is the one princess I haven’t actually met. She only meets in one outdoor location (Fairytale Garden, at the front of Cinderella Castle between Fantasyland and Tomorrowland) that boasts a very daunting line. Even before she arrives in the morning a line starts to snake from the entrance. If you are looking to meet all the Princesses in a day I would recommend pulling a FASTPASS for Rapunzel then getting in line for Merida. If you have a little girl (or boy!) who is a fan of Brave, the line is absolutely worth it as the greeting location is completely themed to the movie.

Princess Snow White

Snow White is actually one of the easier princesses to meet at Disney World! She appears often in Princess Fairytale Hall as a visiting princess but can also be found in Germany at Epcot. Recently her appearances in Germany have been at: 12:30pm, 1:30pm, 2:30pm, 3:30pm, 5:20pm, and 6:20pm. She is normally tucked away in a shady spot, and the line doesn’t get longer than 15 – 20 minutes. Of course, this classic princess can also be found during most princess character meals.

Jasmine appears in multiple locations and usually greets with Aladdin. They can be found throughout the day in a small greeting location in Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom. While the queue is outdoors and sunny, it’s small and only allows the line to get up to about 20 minutes. They do close this spot several hours before park closing so check your Times Guide. The duo can also be seen in Morocco in Epcot at various times throughout the day. The location is lovely, and the line normally isn’t too long. It is worth checking out a Times Guide to meet them at this location.

Princess Aurora

Aurora is our final princess, and again she is one that makes life easy! Not only is she commonly seen at princess character meals, but she can also be found in two locations around Disney World. Aurora is often a visiting Princess at Princess Fairytale Hall, so you can plan to meet her there, but you can also see her in France at Epcot. Her greeting schedule normally mirrors Snow White’s. The line is always more manageable at Epcot, but you can’t beat the beauty of Fairytale Hall if you’ll already be visiting that location.

So there you have it – all the locations where you can find these lovely ladies! One last point is that the special hard ticket parties for the holidays are another great time to meet the princesses and their princes with a reduced wait time. It can seem daunting, but with a plan you can easily see and do everything that is important to you while here. I hope this article helps maximize your time! Which princess are you most excited to meet? Do you have a story to share about a meet and greet? Please share in the comments below – I always love hearing from you!

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Published on November 21, 2013 03:00

November 20, 2013

Magic Kingdom Refurbishments For Early 2014

By Rikki Niblett

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A few Magic Kingdom refurbishments were recently added to the calendar for the beginning of 2014 that we thought you should be aware of. These include:

The Magic Carpets of Aladdin: January 13 – 16, reopening January 17
Liberty Square Riverboat: January 21 – 30, reopening January 31
The Barnstormer: February 3 – 5, reopening February 6
Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover: February 10 – March 10, reopening March 11
Pinocchio Village Haus: February 17 – March 20, reopening March 21
The Plaza Restaurant: February 17 – March 15, reopening March 16

For a full list of attraction, as well as other refurbishments and closures at the Walt Disney World Resort, please visit our Refurbishment Schedule page.

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Published on November 20, 2013 13:22

New Sweets at the Karamell-Küche

By Morgan Crutchfield

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Just past Snow White’s wishing well in the Germany Pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase sits the Karamell-Küche, a former porcelain and glass shop turned candy kitchen. Sponsored by Werther’s Original™ Caramel, the shop has become a very popular snack stop in the three years since it opened, offering classics like caramel apples and caramel corn alongside more creative fare such as caramel apple oatmeal cookies.

Germany’s Karamell-Kuche decorated for the holidays and cozy under a full moon.

While the shop has added a few new treats over the past several years here and there, rarely has a whole lineup of new goodies debuted like the group of five new offerings that came to the Küche in October. I tested all five of the new desserts, which included a caramel apple tart, a German chocolate chip cookie, a mini caramel cheesecake with chocolate, a salted caramel brownie, and caramel toffee bark. Here’s how they measured up.

First up on my list was the caramel apple tart. Other reviews have raved about it, but I had questions about what appeared to be a flake pastry crust. The tart is pretty in presentation from the start, a neat little package of pastry pocket filled with apples glossed over with caramel sauce. I had a small flower drift into my takeout container just before I took the shot so I left it for visual appeal. Probably not edible, so I wouldn’t recommend it.

As I feared, the crust on this particular dessert is puff-pastry based, which does not lend well to sitting in a case for any amount of time as desserts tend to do at this location. My pastry, served around noon on the day of tasting, was difficult to cut through and chewy rather than flaky. The textural issues really detracted from overall taste in such a way that I can’t recommend the dessert itself. The apples were tangy and well complimented by the caramel sauce, which could have been too heavy but was not, but the decision to leave the skin on the apple slices was also an odd textural variation that I felt didn’t add overall. This particular offering had a lot of potential, but in the end fell kind of flat.

After the caramel apple tart I tried the caramel cheesecake with chocolate. Being a fan of cheesecake, I had high hopes for this treat.

Again there was a problem with texture. The graham cracker crust was a great balance to the cheesecake and caramel – just salty enough and not too sweet – but the cheesecake filling itself was airy and somewhat dry instead of dense and creamy. It reminded me of boxed cheesecake mix rather than something made from fresh ingredients. This was another one-bite-and-done dessert.

Moving down the line, I tried the salted caramel fudge brownie. I didn’t even photograph this dessert because it was so dry that I didn’t chew. Salt in the batter was not the way to go with this preparation, and perhaps a sea salt garnish on a moist chocolate brownie would have been far better. I had read a previous review that was similar as to the texture and taste and we’ll just give this one a solid stay-away-from-it rating.

After a big drink of water to erase the brownie, I moved to the German chocolate chip cookie.

I hate to keep repeating myself, but maybe I caught the Caramel Kitchen on a bad day. This cookie, given the addition of German chocolate cake ingredients walnut and coconut, was really dry. The texture took away from any additional notes of taste the caramel could have given and I tossed this treat after one bite, too.

While it doesn’t seem like there’s much hope for the new offerings at Karamell-Küche at this point, the shining star of this review, the caramel toffee bark, was last to be tasted.

This candy/dessert may just be the most perfect two or three bites on the planet. Milk and white chocolate in just-right proportion are swirled over a gooey, oozing layer of caramel that hides a third layer of toffee. The confection is perfectly rich and sweet, salty and buttery all at once. It’s also just the right size, as anything more would be too much and anything less would leave you wanting another bite.

Overall, the Karamell-Küche seems to do best with selections that showcase its delicious caramel rather than with baked goods. The clear winner here, and a big victory for the Kitchen in general, was the caramel toffee bark.

If you’d like to know more about the Karamell-Küche menu, check out the full list of offerings here.

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Published on November 20, 2013 08:00

Movies to Watch Before You Visit Disney World

By Erin Foster

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For many children, and adults, Walt Disney World can be an overwhelming place, filled with countless new sights, sounds, smells, textures, in an endless stream of stimuli. Sure you can surprise your family with trip to Walt Disney World, but you may have a better overall vacation experience if you give your kids some time to prepare in advance. At-home preparation for you kids might take the form of meeting costumed characters, practicing table manners, or learning to sleep in a particular crib, but one of the easiest, and most effective, ways to get a child ready for a Disney vacation is to show him movies related to your upcoming trip.

Cinderella is a must see before visiting Walt Disney World.

You’ll have a better understanding and appreciation of what’s happening in the parks if you’re familiar with the stories depicted in what you see there.

Some of these suggestions will be obvious. Your child will no doubt have a better grasp on something like the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor if he’s, you know, actually seen Monsters, Inc. Other suggestions will be more tangentially related to specific attractions, but will give a your kids a greater comprehension of the tone and flavor of Walt Disney World.

As always, use these recommendations with the caveat that you are the best judge of what’s appropriate for your specific child and his current developmental stage. For example, while most preschoolers will adore The Little Mermaid, a child who’s in fear-of-the-ocean mode might have a full-scale meltdown at the sight of Ursula. Similarly, some kids might be ready for a Star Wars marathon at age four, while others will need to wait until eight, nine, or even older. If there’s a movie that you haven’t seen since your own childhood, it might be worth doing a quick preview on your own before subjecting your child to potential overload.

You’ll no doubt note that many Disney and Pixar films are not mentioned on my list (Bambi, Hercules, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Up, etc.). This bears no reflection on the quality of the films, nor on their place in the canon, but rather speaks to their current relative lack of representation at the Walt Disney World parks and resorts. There are also a few non-Disney films listed here because, in my opinion, they do a particularly good job of evoking an atmosphere or time period represented at the parks in a more succinct way than any actual Disney film does.

I’ll also note that this list covers movies, not television or shorts. In many regards, your best bet for getting a preschooler ready for a Disney trip may just be to show him a few episodes of Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. But I’m guessing you’ve done that already :-) .

And on with the show…

THE ESSENTIALS

Watch Cinderella because:

Well, there’s that big castle in the middle of the Magic Kingdom. Don’t forget to check out the lovely story mosaics inside the castle.
Cinderella Fountain behind the Magic Kingdom castle.
Related attraction at the Magic Kingdom (Prince Charming Regal Carousel).
Related character meals.
Character meet & greet experiences.
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.
Makeover opportunities at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

Watch Beauty & the Beast because:

Attraction at Magic Kingdom (Enchanted Tales with Belle).
Related restaurants at the Magic Kingdom (Be Our Guest, Gaston’s Tavern).
Related character meals.
Stage show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Beauty & the Beast Live on Stage).
Character meet & greet experiences.
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
Gaston’s Fountain at the Magic Kingdom.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.
Makeover opportunities at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
General atmosphere at the France pavilion at Epcot.
Related material in Mickey’s PhilharMagic attraction, Magic Kingdom.
Reference in the Great Movie Ride at DHS.

Watch Toy Story because:

Attraction at the Magic Kingdom (Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin).
Attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Toy Story Midway Mania).
Exterior atmosphere at DHS (Pixar Place).
Character meet & greet experiences.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
Related restaurant at DHS (Pizza Planet).
Themed area at All Star Movies resort.
Reference in the Great Movie Ride at DHS.

Watch The Little Mermaid because:

Attraction at Magic Kingdom (Under the Sea).
Attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Voyage of the Little Mermaid).
Character meet & greet experiences.
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
Related character meals.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.
Related material in Mickey’s PhilharMagic attraction, Magic Kingdom.
Makeover opportunities at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Tangential reference in attraction at Magic Kingdom (Peter Pan’s flight).
Themed area at Art of Animation resort.

Watch Peter Pan because:

Attraction at the Magic Kingdom (Peter Pan’s Flight).
Character meet & greet experiences.
Character appearances during the Family Magic Tour (reservation and additional fee required).
Character appearances during the Pirates & Pals cruise (reservation and additional fee required).
Related special experiences (Pirate Treasure Cruises) (reservation and additional fee required).
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.
General atmosphere in Magic Kingdom Adventureland.
General atmosphere of Magic Kingdom Pirates League.
General atmosphere of Pirates Adventure quest at Magic Kingdom.
Related Pixie Hollow character area at Magic Kingdom.
Related material in Mickey’s PhilharMagic attraction, Magic Kingdom.
Related themeing at the Neverland Club at the Polynesian resort.
Character appearance in Wishes fireworks.

Watch Aladdin because:

Attraction at the Magic Kingdom (Magic Carpets of Aladdin)
Related material in Mickey’s PhilharMagic attraction, Magic Kingdom.
Character meet & greet experiences.
Related character meals.
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
General atmosphere of Morocco pavilion at Epcot.
General atmosphere of Magic Kingdom Adventureland.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.
Makeover opportunities at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.

Watch Lion King because:

Attraction at Epcot (Circle of Life, Land pavilion).
Attraction at Animal Kingdom (Festival of the Lion King).
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
Character meet & greet experiences (occasional).
Themed area at Art of Animation resort.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.
Related material in Mickey’s PhilharMagic attraction, Magic Kingdom.
Themed area at Animal Kingdom (Rafiki’s Planet Watch).
General atmosphere at the Animal Kingdom.
General atmosphere at the Animal Kingdom Lodge.

Watch Snow White because:

Future attraction at Magic Kingdom (Mine Train).
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
Character meet & greet experiences.
Related character meals.
Makeover opportunities at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.
General atmosphere at Epcot’s Germany pavilion.
Reference in the Great Movie Ride at DHS.
Related material in Wishes fireworks.

Watch Finding Nemo because:

Attraction at Animal Kingdom (Finding Nemo – The Musical).
Attraction at Epcot (The Seas with Nemo and Friends).
Attraction at Epcot (Turtle Talk with Crush).
Themed area at Art of Animation resort.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.
Reference in the Great Movie Ride at DHS.

Watch Fantasia because:

Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
Related character meals.
Related attraction at DHS (Fantasmic).
Character meet & greet experiences.
Themed area at All Star Movies resort.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.
Sorcerer’s Hat centerpiece at DHS.
Reference in the Great Movie Ride at DHS.
Related material in Wishes fireworks.

Watch The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (or other versions) because:

Attraction at Magic Kingdom (Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh).
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
Related character meals.
Character meet & greet experiences.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.

Watch Sleeping Beauty because:

Makeover opportunities at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Character meet & greet experience.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.
Related character meals.
Related special experience (Perfectly Princess Tea Party) (reservation and additional fee required).
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.

THE NEXT STEPS

Watch Dumbo because:

Attraction at Magic Kingdom (Dumbo the Flying Elephant).
General atmosphere at Storybook Circus area of Magic Kingdom New Fantasyland.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.

Watch Star Wars because:

Attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (Star Tours).
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.
Possible future Star Wars Land at DHS (rumored).
Tangentially related space themeing at Magic Kingdom Tomorrowland (Space Mountain, Astro Orbiter).
Character meet & greet experiences (Star Wars weekends).
Celebrity experiences (Star Wars weekends).
Reference in the Great Movie Ride at DHS.
Jedi Training Academy attraction at DHS. (Updated per reader comment.)

Watch Monsters Inc. because:

Attraction at Magic Kingdom (Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor).
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
Character meet & greet experiences.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.

Watch Lilo & Stitch because:

Attraction at Magic Kingdom (Stitch’s Great Escape).
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
Related character meal.
Character meet & greet experiences.
Tangentially related themeing at Polynesian resort.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.
Reference in the Great Movie Ride at DHS.

Watch Cars because:

Character appearance in attraction at DHS (Lights, Motors, Action).
Character meet & greet experiences.
General atmosphere at Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland Speedway.
General atmosphere at Epcot’s Test Track.
General atmosphere at DHS Lights, Motors, Action attraction.
Themed area at Art of Animation resort.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.

Watch Mary Poppins because:

Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
General atmosphere at Epcot’s UK pavilion.
Related character meals.
Character meet & greet experiences.
Reference in the Great Movie Ride at DHS.

Watch Pinocchio because:

Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
Narration in Wishes fireworks.
Related restaurant at Magic Kingdom (Pinocchio Village Haus).

Watch Jungle Book because:

General atmosphere at Animal Kingdom.
General atmosphere at Magic Kingdom Adventureland.
Character meet & greet experiences.
Reference in the Great Movie Ride at DHS.
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.

Watch Pocahontas because:

General atmosphere at Animal Kingdom.
Character meet & greet experiences.
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.

Watch Alice in Wonderland because:

Attraction at Magic Kingdom (Mad Tea Party).
Related character meals.
Character meet & greet experiences.
Special related experience (Wonderland Tea Party) (reservation and additional fee required).
Tables in Wonderland Dining Discount Card.

Watch 101 Dalmatians because:

Character meet & greet experiences.
Themed area at All Star Movies resort.
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.

Watch Princess & the Frog because:

Character meet & greet experiences.
Related themeing at Port Orleans French Quarter resort.
Makeover opportunities at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.

Watch Pirates of the Caribbean because:

Attraction at the Magic Kingdom (Pirates of the Caribbean).
Character meet & greet experiences.
Related themeing at Caribbean Beach resort.
Makeover opportunities at Pirates League.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.
Reference in the Great Movie Ride at DHS.

THE FINAL TOUCHES

Watch Indiana Jones series because:

Attraction at DHS (Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular).
General atmosphere at Magic Kingdom Adventureland.
Reference in the Great Movie Ride at DHS.

Watch The Music Man because:

General atmosphere of Magic Kingdom Main Street.
Magic Kingdom Main Street music.

Watch The Apple Dumpling Gang because:

General atmosphere of Magic Kingdom Frontierland.

Watch A Bug’s Life because:

Related attraction at Animal Kingdom (It’s a Bug’s Life).
Reference in the Great Movie Ride at DHS.

Watch The Right Stuff because:

General atmosphere of Magic Kingdom Space Mountain attraction.
General atmosphere of Epcot Mission Space attraction.
General atmosphere of Epcot Spaceship Earth attraction.

Watch The Muppet Movie because:

Attraction at DHS (MuppetVision 3D).
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.

Watch any of the Disney Nature series because:

General atmosphere at Animal Kingdom.
General atmosphere at Rainforest Cafe restaurants.

Watch The African Queen because:

General atmosphere at Magic Kingdom Adventureland.
General atmosphere at Animal Kingdom Africa.

Watch Dinosaur because:

General atmosphere at Animal Kingdom DinoLand.
General atmosphere at Downtown Disney T-REX Cafe.
General atmosphere at Epcot’s Universe of Energy attraction.

Watch Mulan because:

General atmosphere at Epcot’s China pavilion.
Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
Character meet & greet experiences.

Watch The Aristocats because:

Character meet & greet experiences.
General atmosphere at Epcot’s France pavilion.
Reference in the Great Movie Ride at DHS.

Watch The Three Cabelleros because:

Attraction at Epcot (Gran Fiesta Tour).
General atmosphere at Epcot’s Mexico pavilion.
Character meet & greet experiences.
Related themeing at Epcot’s Mexico pavilion.
General atmosphere at Coronado Springs resort.

Watch Lady and the Tramp because:

Related restaurant at Magic Kingdom (Tony’s Town Square).
Reference in the Great Movie Ride at DHS.

Watch 1776 because:

General atmosphere of Magic Kingdom Liberty Square and Hall of Presidents.
General atmosphere of Epcot’s America pavilion and American Adventure attraction.

Watch Tangled because:

Character or film clip appearances in parades and stage shows.
Character meet & greet experiences.
Themed restroom area at the Magic Kingdom.
Makeover opportunities at the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.

Watch Brave because:

Character meet & greet experiences.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.

Watch Frozen because:

Character meet & greet experiences.
Related themeing at Epcot’s Norway pavilion.
Merchandise sold throughout the parks.

Watch Show Boat because:

General atmosphere in Magic Kingdom Liberty Square.
General atmosphere in Magic Kingdom’s Main Street.
Reference in the Great Movie Ride at DHS.

OK folks, let me have it. What did I miss? What would you put in a different category than I did? I want to hear your take on the essential movies to prepare someone to visit Walt Disney World. Let me know in the comments below.

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Published on November 20, 2013 03:00

November 19, 2013

Nikon Becomes The Official Camera For Walt Disney World and Disneyland

By Rikki Niblett

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Today, it was announced that Nikon will become the official camera of both of the North American Disney theme parks – Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California. This multi year alliance will bring together a global leader in imaging and the world’s leading family vacation destinations, with a commitment to help guests capture every moment of their vacation.

As part of the agreement, Nikon will have dedicated picture spots that are set up throughout all four Walt Disney World theme parks and both of the Disneyland Resort parks. Nikon will also be integrated into Disney PhotoPass, where photographers will use Nikon gear to get the perfect family shot. In addition, Disney’s Fine Art Photographers, who photography Disney Fairy Tale Weddings, and Adventures By Disney Guides will use Nikon cameras to capture those precious images.

According to the President of Nikon Inc, Nobuyoshi Gokyu, “The alliance between Nikon and Disney allows us to connect with millions of passionate Disney guests who want to tell their stories through the capture of amazing imagery. Through this agreement, Nikon will play an integral role in helping Disney guests to preserve and share every unforgettable moment.”

Previously the photography giant Kodak held a sponsorship agreement with Disney, but it recently filed for bankruptcy. Its sponsorship of the theme parks ended at the end of 2012.

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