Disney News

Adventures by Disney® has announced an all-new destination for 2013 – Southeast Asia. Featuring Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia, the 12-day, 11-night itinerary will give travelers the opportunity to experience some of Asia’s most exotic and culturally-rich cities – including Saigon, Hanoi, Hoi An, Luang Prabang, Siem Reap and Angkor Wat – in a way they may not have thought possible; as a family.

All of Adventures by Disney’s® itineraries are designed to engage guests of all ages by providing authentic, hands-on experiences that leave each guest with memories to share and deeper knowledge of the world around them. Guests on the Southeast Asia will be immersed in these experiences.  In Cambodia, adults will take in the unique architecture of the Temples of Angkor Wat while Junior Adventurers live the history of the ancient structure on a tuk tuk vehicle treasure hunt. Families will work together in Laos at an organic rice farm where they will have a hand in each of the 13 stages of rice production. Meal preparation is a team effort in Vietnam where guests will hand-pick ingredients from a Hoi An market, and then learn to make their own Vietnamese delicacies with the guidance of a local chef.

Adventures by Disney® goes beyond the popular tourist spots and gives families a unique view of each destination with another of its signature features – off-the-beaten path experiences. From a horseback ride through the rural villages of the Cambodian countryside to getting acquainted with students at a school in Laos, families will gain a true-to-life perspective of Southeast Asia and its people. Two knowledgeable Disney Adventure Guides lead explorers every step of the way, taking care of all the details and ensuring that each member of the group – even mom and dad – can let go and take in every moment. The Southeast Asia itinerary also includes time to enjoy some fun in the sun along the coast of the South China Sea and features luxurious hotel accommodations, such as the Sofitel Legend Metropole Hanoi, and private transportation throughout the trip.

Adventures by Disney® specializes in providing families with the ultimate adventure. Additional details and dates for the new Southeast Asia itinerary and other 2013 offerings will be available later this year. In the meantime, check out this video preview of the new Southeast Asia ininerary.

The Walt Disney World® Resort has announced the Celebrity Hosts for their upcoming Star Wars™ Weekends May 18 – June 10, 2012.

Taking place at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™, the event celebrates the popular Star Wars™ films and the animated TV series Star Wars™: The Clone Wars. This year’s hosts will be 2 familiar faces as both of them are Star Wars™ Weekends veterans. Ashley Eckstein (voice of Ahsoka Tano in Star Wars™: The Clone Wars) and James Arnold Taylor (voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars™: The Clone Wars) will host for the duration of the 2012 event. James will serve as the Official Celebrity Host of Star Wars™ Weekends and Ashley will be the Celebrity Host of “Behind the Force,” a show that gives fans a behind-the-scenes glimpse at Star Wars™: The Clone Wars.

In addition to being  the voice of Obi-Wan Kenobi, James is also the current voice of Fred Flintstone, and has a list of character voice credits including Green Arrow, Johnny Test and Ratchet (from the “Ratchet & Clank” video game series), just to name a few.

Ashley, a former Disney Cast Member as a parade dancer at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™, is also a fashion designer and heads her own company, “Her Universe,” specializing in merchandise and apparel specifically for female sci-fi fans.

The complete listing of events and celebrity meet & greets have not been released, so keep checking back for more details.

When Imagineers worked on plans for Disney Cruise Line’s® newest ship, the Disney Fantasy™, they knew it was important to create additional activities because the ship would be used for longer 7-night itineraries. One of these additional features that you won’t find on the Disney Dream™ is the AquaLab.

Donald Duck’s nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, created this new 1,800 square-foot water play area containing a variety of water “experiments.” With pop jets, a leaky wall, geysers and bubblers, your family is guaranteed to have fun and leave drenched!

Take an inside look at the AquaLab area – an exclusive feature to the Disney Fantasy™

Yesterday, we told you about some whimsical innovations on the new Disney Fantasy™. Starting her maiden voyage this afternoon, Disney Cruise Line® guests will spend 7-nights immersed in these features that will capture the hearts of young and old.

Take a look at Assistant Cruise Director Natalie’s Top 5 Disney Fantasy™ experiences:

Which of the Disney Fantasy’s™ features would make your Top 5 list? Tell us in the comments section below!

When the Disney Fantasy™ sets sail on her maiden voyage tomorrow, guests will be immersed in several technological innovations beyond their belief. Whether it is playtime, mealtime or bedtime – these innovations are everywhere!

New “Animation Magic” at Animator’s Palate

Animator’s Palate is a restaurant that is featured on all four of Disney Cruise Line’s® ships. With last year’s launch of the Disney Dream,™ Animator’s Palate featured a new theme that offered guests an opportunity to interact with Crush, the sea turtle from the Disney•Pixar film “Finding Nemo.”

Animator’s Palate on the Disney Fantasy™  takes the magic one step further with a new show called “Animation Magic.” The dinner show celebrates the magic of Disney animation and allows families to create and participate in a whole new way.

When guests are seated at their tables, they are invited by their wait staff to draw a character of their own using a simple template on their placemat. After dinner, Mickey works his magic and brings the guests’ drawings to life on the screens placed throughout the restaurant. Mickey leads the guests’ drawings in a parade across the screens around the dining room. The animation of the drawings becomes increasingly more elaborate, and then the drawings step into scenes from beloved Disney movies and skip, skate and dance side-by-side with characters such as, Mickey Mouse, Jiminy Cricket, Cinderella and Snow White. At the conclusion of the show, credits roll on screen showing each guest’s name listed as a guest animator. At the end of dinner, guests’ drawings are returned to them with an added touch: a golden seal proclaiming them an Official Disney Animator.

The Themed Entertainment Association awarded Disney Cruise Line® the “Ingenious Use of Technology” award for the “Animation Magic” show at Animator’s Palate on the Disney Fantasy™.

Enchanted Art

More than 20 pieces of Enchanted Art, inspired by classic Disney characters and animations, immerse guests in Disney storytelling in a completely new way on the Disney Fantasy™. Enchanted art was introduced last year on the Disney Dream.™

As guests pause to admire an individual piece of Enchanted Art, it magically comes alive. While Enchanted Art looks like other hanging art pieces around the ship, it is actually a framed LCD screen that utilizes technology to create special effects. Enchanted Art “recognizes” the presence of a guest and activates several seconds of animation. Guests may see new and different animation when they visit the Enchanted Art another time. Here is just a sample of some of the Enchanted Art new to the Disney Fantasy™:

• Dual circus art posters featuring Dumbo and Timothy Q. Mouse flying from one frame into the other – a nod to the Disney Fantasy™ stern characters.
• Walt Disney animating three new clips that spring from his sketch pad featuring the “Fab Five” (Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Pluto).
• Fanciful animations of “Alice in Wonderland” inspired by Disney Legend Mary Blair’s art.
• “Pinkie Daisy” inspired by Thomas Lawrence’s painting “Sarah Barrett Moulton: Pinkie.”

Midship Detective Agency – Muppets Adventure Game

Midship Detective Agency was another innovation that was launched with the Disney Dream™. On the Disney Fantasy™, the Muppets have taken over the show!

Guests are guided by a map and use a unique game card to unveil clues and find missing props from special Enchanted Art. Successful detectives will solve the crime before it’s time to raise the curtain and light the lights on the Muppets’ big show. Each game features several possible endings and multiple randomized events – so each time a guest plays, they have a different adventure.

Living Characters

In Disney’s Oceaneer Club and Disney’s Oceaneer Lab youth areas, Disney characters come to life and interact with children in one-of-a-kind experiences. Crush from the Disney•Pixar motion picture “Finding Nemo” and Stitch from the motion picture “Lilo & Stitch” appear on a 103-inch plasma screen. The characters chat, play and joke with kids in live, unrehearsed, personalized conversations, using sophisticated, voice-activated animation. These youth areas also feature a Magic PlayFloor, a cruise industry first that blends the latest in gaming technology with Disney’s panache for storytelling. The interactive floor allows children to engage in group activities where their movements control the action, such as a virtual tilt maze.

Magical Porthole

First introduced on the Disney Dream™, the Disney Fantasy™ carries on the spirit of innovation with a cruise industry first for all 150 inside staterooms – a “window” to the world with a real-time view outside the ship. High-definition cameras on the exterior of the ship feed video to each Magical Porthole. The feed even corresponds to the location of the particular stateroom location – port or starboard – forward, midship or aft. New Magical Porthole animations that are exclusive to the Disney Fantasy™ include a swinging Rapunzel from “Tangled,” a waving Mr. Potato Head from “Toy Story,” and Scuttle and Flounder from “The Little Mermaid” peeking in as they fly by.

Skyline

On the Disney Fantasy™, adult guests step into a world that’s all their own at Europa – a nighttime entertainment district exclusively for guests 18 and older that features sophisticated bars and lounges inspired by the very best in European travel.

Skyline is a chic bar that provides ever-changing birds-eye views of stunning city skylines. Skyline’s nine “windows to the world” are actually 65-inch LCD screens that depict different locales in panorama. Guests glimpse ever-changing views of spectacular cities, such as Paris, London, Barcelona, Florence, Athens, Budapest and St. Petersburg. Skyline’s drink menu even offers specialty cocktails themed for each of the cities.

To learn more about The Disney Fantasy™ or to book a vacation, contact your Magic Maker. Bookings for sailings onboard all four of Disney Cruise Line’s® ships are open through 2013.