Disney News

At Disney Parks, you can live the experience of two new Disney movies this month!

First, “High School Musical 3: Right Here! Right Now!” is hitting the streets! This new show, featured at Disney’s California Adventure® Park at the Disneyland® Resort and Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ at the Walt Disney World® Resort, celebrates the infectious energy of the theatrical motion picture, High School Musical 3: Senior Year!

Featuring a cast of 14 dynamic singers and dancers, the show takes place on a traveling “rock concert” stage with stacks of speakers and rows of lights. Interactive sequences featuring hot new songs from the movie will draw Guests into the streets for an exciting live concert experience.

And just in time to coincide with the DVD release of the animated film, Tinker Bell, those visiting the Magic Kingdom® Park in Florida and Disneyland® Park in California will be immersed in fairy fun – and hear Tinker Bell speak for the first time!

At the Magic Kingdom Park in Florida, you are sure to meet Tinker Bell and one or more of her fairy friends – Fawn, Iridessa, Rosetta and Silver Mist – in Mickey’s Toontown® Fair.

And at Disneyland Park in California, you will get the magical feeling that they are shrinking into fairy size as they enter the pathway to Pixie Hollow. You’ll spot evidence of the pixies’ presence and come across statues of Tinker Bell and her fairy friends, before they encounter these pixies in person!

So, ye are interested in pirates, aye? Then you’ll love the swashbuckling adventure awaiting you as Disney Cruise Line® hosts a special pirate event March 8-12, 2009, onboard the Disney Wonder®.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend Lives On features themed events and entertainment including:

• A pre-cruise welcome reception at the Walt Disney World® Resort on Saturday, March 7, 2009.
• Exclusive event seminar and private meet-and-greet with actors from the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Scheduled to appear are “pirates” Marty Klebba and Lee Arenberg. (All entertainment is subject to change without notice.)
• Special viewing of the three blockbuster films.
• First opportunity to pre-purchase open and limited edition pirate-themed merchandise.
• Exclusive event gifts

Those sailing on the 4-Night Bahamian Cruise can purchase this event for $250* per person (all ages) plus the cost of the cruise.

So, book now on a high seas adventure with the wildest crew to ever sack the Spanish Main. Savvy?

If you have been to either the Disneyland® resort or the Walt Disney World® resort, you may think you know everything there is to know about both of the Magic Kingdoms. You might be surprised to find out there are quite a few differences in the two parks. The most obvious would be the two castles. Cinderella’s castle is located in Florida and Sleeping Beauty’s is in California. The monorail in the Disneyland® park travels inside the park and lets you off inside of Tomorrowland whereas at the Magic Kingdom® Park, the monorail lets you off outside the main gates.

Each park has rides and attractions that the other doesn’t have. In the Disneyland® park, the Matterhorn towers high above the rooftops of Main Street U.S.A. A favorite in each park is the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. In the Disneyland® park, however, the ride is longer with different story elements that aren’t included in the ride in the Magic Kingdom® Park. “it’s a small world” starts outside an elaborate building that is transformed every holiday season into “it’s a small world” holiday only in the Disneyland® park. The Magic Kingdom® Park at the Walt Disney World® Resort hosts Mickey’s PhilHarmagic that is definitely a must see, four dimensional show. Haunted Mansion in each park is inside completely different looking buildings. In the Disneyland® park, it is in New Orleans Square, so the mansion is a southern style plantation home. In the Magic Kingdom® Park, Haunted Mansion is the creepy mansion that is in all of our imaginations.

The Disneyland® park is a smaller park that often gives a more intimate feel but can feel confining during peak crowd times. You have the ease of walking the short distance to Disney’s California Adventure™ park. The firework shows in the respective parks are unique and are magical in their own way. The Magic Kingdom® Park has the nighttime parade, Spectromagic. The Disneyland® park hosts their own version of Fantasmic on Tom Sawyer’s Island for a different feel than what is experienced at the Disney’s Hollywood Studios™. The list could go on and on. Whether you have visited the Disneyland® park or the Magic Kingdom® Park, you will have to see for yourself what the other has to offer. Each has its own character and magic of its own to share with you.

The Orlando Sentinel posts this report:  (http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2008/10/t-rex-cafe-now.html)

Like dinosaurs? You’re definitely going to be interested in T-Rex Cafe, which opened today at Downtown Disney.

Like Rainforest Cafe? Then you’ve hit the daily double. No surprise since Landry’s Restaurants Inc. is behind both Rainforest and T-Rex. You’ll feel the vibe.

T-Rex is divided into distinct areas with their own decor, and diners can request where they’d like to sit. The idea is that it will be a different experience in Fern Forest than in your next trip in the Geo-Tech Room. Other areas are the Ice Cave, the Shark Bar in the Coral Reef Dining Room and the Sequoia Room.

We were told that you can see the meteor shower presentation from each area, but I’d have to guess that it’s best from the main Geo-Tech Room. On the other hand, it seemed louder in there and the Coral Reef, both in the front of the building. I’ll have to test the hypothesis that it’s quieter in the back (and carpeted) Fern Forest and Sequoia Room.

There are moving dinosaurs everywhere — many of them you can touch.