Posted on Fri, Jul 10, 2009 @ 06:02 AM
American Idol Auditions & American Idol Experience Winners
Below is a very interesting article with photo's from American Idol auditions that are being held at Amway Arena courtesy of Orlando Attractions Magazine & Theme Park Mom.
American Idol producers say that nearly 10,000 people turned out for the Season 9 auditions of American Idol at Orlando's Amway Arena today, and several of them even had a coveted American Idol Experience Dream Ticket.
The Dream Ticket is the prize awarded to the finale show winner at the American Idol Experience each day at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Caitlin MacAllister (pictured right), 21 of Elkton, Maryland, won her American Idol Experience Dream Ticket on June 17th, singing Martina McBride's "Independence Day".
Caitlin was vacationing in Orlando with her family on the day they visited the Disney World.
"I had heard about it," she said. "But I wasn't planning to audition. We walked by and there wasn't any line, so I decided to try."
The senior in speech pathology at Towson State University in Maryland says she sings and performs in a community theater in her hometown. She flew back down to Orlando on Wednesday to attend the American Idol auditions today.
The main advantage that the
American Idol Experience Dream Ticket seems to give those
that hold it is experiencing no waiting in the registration lines.
People began lining up to register for a wristband that allows you
to audition at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, but American Idol Experience Dream Ticket holders did
not have to arrive until this morning.
Luke Davids (pictured left), 20, won his Dream Ticket just a few days ago on July 3. Luke is originally from London, England, but lives in Orlando now.
The session musician and songwriter said he decided to try the American Idol Experience because the Dream Ticket "registers you right away."
Syesha Mercado, who made it to the top 3 contestants in Season 7, had a similar "front-of-the-line" pass for the Miami auditions. At the American Idol Experience opening in February, Syesha told me the pass (which she won through Miami's local Fox affiliate) was convenient, but she didn't consider it an advantage in making it to Hollywood.
Caitlin, Luke and the thousands of others who turned out in Orlando today for their shot at American Idol stardom don't know yet if they will make it to the shows Hollywood round.
The shows producers say about 150 to 200 singers will be called back to audition in front of Simon, Randy, Paula and Kara in a few weeks.
Still haven't gotten your tickets yet to Hollywood Studios at Disney World to visit the American Idol Experience yet? Then check out our website at www.orlandodiscountticketsusa.com for all your Orlando Vacation needs to Disney World.
Posted on Sat, Jul 04, 2009 @ 07:16 PM
American Idol Holding Season 9 Auditions at Amway Arena
Well with all that is going on in Orlando this week like the US Citizenship Ceremony at Disney World, and the 4th of July Fireworks display at Magic Kingdom, then what a better way to keep up the summertime fun then with American Idol Auditions.
American Idol Season 9 auditions are being held at Amway Arena this week. Registration takes place on July 7 and 8 with auditions being held starting at 5 a.m. on July 9.
Here are the address and telephone number for the Amway Arena:
600 West Amelia St.
Orlando, FL 32801
(407) 849-2558
And if your a really big fan of the American Idol, then don't miss a chance to sing at The American Idol Experience only at Disney's Hollywood Studios. If you win a day's singing competitions there, you'll receive a skip-the-line pass for any regional American Idol television show audition, including the one in Orlando this week.
Still haven't gotten your tickets yet to Hollywood Studios? Then check out our website at www.orlandodiscountticketsusa.com for all your Disney World Vacations.
Posted on Tue, Jun 16, 2009 @ 12:31 PM
Who is Mama Melrose
The other day I was listening to the WDW Radio Show last week and Lou did a review of one of my favorite Disney World Hollywood Studios restaurants, Mama Melrose's. Mama Melrose had been on my list to do a "Who is..." segment and, what do you know, Lou did an interview on his segment that provided me with the information to answer the question. So.......for those of you who did not hear the show, here is the story on Mama Melrose.
She grew up in Italy and often cooked with her Dad who shared his recipes with her. As she grew up, she decided to pursue her dream of becoming an actress. She picked up and moved to California and came to the Hollywoood Studios. She made friends with some of the actors, started collecting memorabalia from them and stored it away to preserve the memories.
Eventually, she started inviting her actor friends over for dinner and her food was a hit with them. They loved it so much, they convinced her to open her own restaurant to share her great recipes with everyone. She pulled all of her memorabalia out of storage and decorated her restaurant with it. She did this as a tribute to everyone who helped her over the years and to let everyone know how she got started.
So the next time you are in the Disney's Hollywood Studios, drop into Mama Melrose's, have a bite to eat, and take a look around. As with everything Walt Disney World creates, the back story here really adds to the magic of this often-overlooked eatery.
Haven't got your Disney Hollywood Studios tickets yet? Check out our website at www.orlandodiscountticketsusa.com for all your Orlando Vacation Packages to Disney World!
Posted on Sat, Jun 06, 2009 @ 06:37 AM
Walt Disney Trivia-How Much Do You Know
Ever wondered about all those things about Walt Disney World Resorts that many people think they know, but they do not. There are literly so many rumors and misleading information about the most popular attraction in the world that give people the wrong answers to many trivia questions.
Being the Disney fanatic that I am, I was surprised to find some trivia questions had stumped me. I could not believe it. I have selected 10 trivia questions and listed them below. See how many you can answer. The answers are at the bottom below the picture.
1. What is the maximum speed that the cars on “Test Track” get up to during the ride?
2. How tall is Cinderella’s Castle in the Magic Kingdom Park?
3. Who was the narrator of Spaceship Earth from 1986 to 1994?
4. What Disney World attraction features the mayor being dunked in the town’s water well?
5. What attraction exits into an arcade?
6. What Walt Disney World attraction do you get to see the “backside of water?”
7. What vehicle do you travel in when you board your Star Tours flight?
8. What color were the ride vehicles in Epcot’s World of Motion?
9. How much area does Typhoon Lagoon Water Park cover?
10. During your ride on the Walt Disney World Railroad, what song might your hear from one of Disney’s animated films?
1. 64.8 mph
2. 189 feet tall making it the tallest attraction at the park.
3. Walter Cronkite
4. Pirate's of the Caribbean
5. Space Mountain
6. Jungle Cruise
7. Starspeeder 3000
8. Blue
9. 56 acres
10. Colors of the Wind from Pocahontas
Still haven't got your Disney World Tickets, then check out our website at www.orlandodiscountticketsusa.com for all your Disney World Tickets & Disney World Vacation needs....
Posted on Thu, May 14, 2009 @ 07:00 AM
Hollywood Studios at Disney World Favorite Ride or Attraction
So you are going to Hollywood Studios at Disney World, What is the one ride you are most looking forward to? Maybe you have been to Disney's Hollywood Studios? What is your favorite ride or attraction?
Below is a list of the favorites:
American Idol Experience:
The American Idol Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios is held on a replica of the American Idol set where you experience being onstage or in the audience voting for singers, as if at an actual American Idol TV show.
AeroSmith's Rock n'Roller Coaster
Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, a high-speed attraction for big kids, teens and adults in Disney's Hollywood Studios, is a roller coaster ride amplified by the driving beat of the special soundtrack recorded by the rock group, Aerosmith.
Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
Picture, if you will, a glittering Hollywood hotel in its heyday. You are the unsuspecting passenger for a 13-story elevator plunge - but beware! Now the experience is totally random every time!
Star Wars Star Tours
Embark an intergalactic simulator for a tumultuous trip through outer space. With an forgetful droid in the cockpit, you're in for warp-speed near-misses, collisions with comets and high-flying excitement - not to mention a mistaken turn into a combat zone, right into the pathway of the Death Star. May the Force be with you!
Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show
High-octane thrills ignite as the world's top stuntmen take center stage in this adrenaline-filled spectacular. Custom vehicles, rocket skis and Hollywood-style pyrotechnic combine with precision stunt choreography to bring this Disneyland® Paris favorite to Walt Disney World® Resort.
So which one is your favorite attraction or ride at Disney's Hollywood Studios?
Still haven't got your Hollywood Studios tickets? Check out our Orlando Vacation Packages to Disney World for all your Disney needs..
Posted on Sun, May 10, 2009 @ 07:33 AM
Walt Disney Theme Parks
Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida is home to four of the best theme parks the world has to offer..
Magic Kingdom is home to Cinderellas Castle and all your favorite Disney Characters like Mickey & Minnie, Donald & Goofy....
Epcot Center at Disney World is where you see the World Showcase, and all your favorite rides like Test Track & Mission Space.....
Disney World Animal Kingdom is home to the famous Expedition Everest & Kilimanjaro Safaris.....
Looking for thrills, then you have it at Disney's Hollywood Studios with AeroSmith's Rock 'n' Roller Coaster & The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror....
So what is your favorite Disney World Theme Park?
Posted on Mon, Apr 27, 2009 @ 08:25 AM
Star Wars Weekend at Hollywood Studios
Started back in 1997, Walt Disney World has sponsored a series of special Star Wars Weekends in the Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park. Activities normally include celebrity appearances, as well as trivia contests and prize give-aways, Star Tours "ride-a-thons," and a Star Wars Cantina street party, complete with a live disc jockey.
During Star Wars Weekends, celebrities from all the Star Wars films are on hand for motorcades and star conversations, as well as autograph sessions.
Actors featured over the years include: Carrie Fisher (Princess Leia), Jake Lloyd (young Anakin Skywalker), David Prowse (Darth Vader), Kenny Baker (R2D2), Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca), and Anthony Daniels (C3PO) among others. Lots of costumed characters, from Luke Skywalker and Queen Amidala to Ewoks and Jawas, can also be found milling about the park, with plenty of opportunities for Star Wars fans to meet and greet them.
Star Wars Weekends activities are included with regular Disney's Hollywood Studios admission.
If you plan on attending any of the Star Wars Weekends, be sure to arrive at the park early. Although the official park opening time is 9 a.m., you will be allowed into the park around 8:30. You will not be able to get over to the Star Tours area until the official rope drop at 9, though.
Information Desk for the event is usually located at the entrance to the event area, across from Drew Carey: Sounds Dangerous.
This will be the place to have all your event questions answered and to sign up for different Trivia contests.
If you want a celebrity autograph, you'll need to get a Fastpass as soon as the park opens. The FP for autographs go VERY VERY fast! IF you have a FP you are guaranteed an autograph.
Two commemorative Star Wars Weekends pins (like the one at right) are issued each weekend, plus there is a special event pin.
Many children, and even some adults, dress in Star Wars costumes for the event -- this might be something to consider to add to the fun.
Haven't got your Hollywood Studios tickets yet? Check out our Orlando Vacation Packages which also include Disney Tickets to Hollywood Studios and all other Disney World Theme Parks!!!
Posted on Thu, Feb 12, 2009 @ 10:57 AM
The American Idol Experience
With all the thrills and suspense that have made it a television and pop culture phenomenon, "American Idol" comes to Walt Disney World Resort in a groundbreaking new attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.
"The American Idol Experience" captures the energy and excitement of the TV series, with some guests at Disney's Hollywood Studios auditioning to take the spotlight onstage, while fellow guests cheer them on from the audience and vote for their favorite singer with instant results.
The attraction - grand opening Feb. 14, 2009 - was developed by Walt Disney Imagineering in conjunction with FremantleMedia Enterprises (FME) and 19 TV Ltd. It is based on the smash-hit television show "American Idol" - produced by 19 TV Ltd. and FremantleMedia North America (FMNA) - and is designed to immerse park guests in the authentic feel of a live television production.
"Disney parks are all about making dreams come true, and that's exactly what will happen at ‘The American Idol Experience,' " said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "Whether they are onstage singing or in the audience cheering on their favorite performer, our guests will feel immersed in a world of instant stardom."
Each show takes place in a 1,000-seat indoor theater that features the twirling neon signs and a multi-layered backdrop inspired by the actual "American Idol" set in California. Building on its hallmark of attention to detail, Walt Disney Imagineering worked with the Hollywood set designer who designed the actual TV show set for "American Idol." The newly designed venue is the most technologically advanced theater found at Walt Disney World Resort.
Designed to reflect the best and brightest elements of the TV show, "The American Idol Experience" includes an audition process open to Disney's Hollywood Studios guests 14 and older (audition slots are limited and interested guests are encouraged to arrive early). These guests perform live in front of a Disney's Hollywood Studios casting director for the opportunity to be cast in one of the preliminary theme park shows that same day.
If shown to have that special "star quality" during the multi-step audition process, it's on to performance training, hair and makeup. Then, the lights come up and it's showtime for the singers as they try to impress an audience of theme park guests - plus a panel of three expert judges.
Fellow park guests will be able to enjoy the performances just like at a live television taping. Then, audience members vote for their favorite performance using the armrest keypads, with their votes tallied to determine the top singer.
Performers with the highest votes during the preliminary shows will return for a high-energy grand finale show that same evening. After their encore performances, the big moment arrives. It's a super-charged, eye-popping scene as audience votes are tallied, the other performers drop off, music builds and the spotlight shines down, amid a blizzard of confetti, on the day's top singer. In addition to their new-found theme park fame, the top vote-getter will receive "The American Idol Experience" Dream Ticket, which allows an eligible holder to schedule a front-of-the-line audition to a future regional audition for the "American Idol" television show. And every member of the audience can take a bow, too, because they had a role in deciding that day's star.
"The American Idol Experience" is the newest attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The showbiz-inspired theme park immerses guests in the glamour of show business with thrilling attractions, Broadway-style shows, world-class atmosphere entertainment and interactive film, music, television and radio production facilities.