Posted on Tue, Jul 14, 2009 @ 06:58 AM
White Rhino Born in Uganda with Disney World Roots
Do you remember those two white rhinos sent to Uganda from Disney World's Animal Kingdom. Well now the first white rhino born in 27 years has come from one of those animals. Congratulations to Disney's Animal Program and the whole team for this success.
First-time mother Nande, a 10-year-old female white rhino born at Disney's Animal Kingdom, gave birth June 24 to a healthy male calf at the Ziwa Sanctuary in Uganda after a 16-month gestation period.
"We are thrilled to contribute to the sustainment of this critical species in Uganda," said Jackie Ogden, Ph.D., Vice President of Animal Programs and Environmental Initiatives with Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. "We are joining with the Government of Uganda and Rhino Fund Uganda in celebrating this milestone birth, which represents a significant accomplishment for wildlife conservation."
Nande is one of two white rhinos transferred in 2006 as part of the first-ever reintroduction of white rhinos from the United States to Africa. She was joined by Hasani, also born at Disney World's Animal Kingdom, to help re-establish a white rhino population that has been extinct in Uganda since 1982 as a casualty of civil unrest in the region. There are an estimated 11,000 white rhinos remaining worldwide, with 190 in North American zoos.
Walt Disney World's commitment to conservation and rhinos goes beyond this first-ever rhino transfer. The Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund has supported more than $250,000 in rhino protection and research projects in partnership with non-profit organizations throughout the world. For more information on the Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund visit www.disney.com/conservation
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Posted on Sat, Jul 04, 2009 @ 06:48 AM
Over 1,000 Immigrants Become US Citizens at Disney World Magic Kingdom
On July 3rd, over 1,000 immigrants gathered on Main Street, U.S.A. at Disney World Magic Kingdom early that morning to become American citizens.
The following courtesy of Disney World press release & photo's courtesy of Orlando Attractions Magazine
From more than 100 countries and ranging in age from 18 to 82, the immigrants took the Oath of Allegiance to the United States during a morning ceremony jointly hosted by Disney Parks and Resorts and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) in Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
Here is a video summary of the event, including the Oath, clips from Garcia's speech, and Mickey Mouse showing up for a unique photo opportunity in front of Cinderella Castle before leading the new citizens to the recently updated Hall of Presidents attraction:
USCIS's highest-ranking official, Acting Deputy Director Michael Aytes, presided over the ceremony on the forecourt of Cinderella Castle. The event featured a welcoming address by Walt Disney World Resort President Meg Crofton, the presentation of the colors, the national anthem, the Oath of Allegiance and the Pledge of Allegiance.
Actor Andy Garcia - a naturalized citizen himself - delivered a keynote address during the ceremony. Garcia, originally from Cuba, is an acclaimed actor known for roles in films as diverse as The Untouchables, The Godfather: Part III and Ocean's Eleven. The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Tampa-based Senior Airman Brenda Langdon of the U.S. Air Force, an immigrant from Columbia who became a United States citizen during the ceremony.
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Posted on Sat, Jun 20, 2009 @ 07:56 AM
Stitch Celebration Closing at Magic Kingdom
With the recent announcement that Disney World's Stitch's SuperSonic Celebration at Magic Kingdom would be permanently going away on June 27, less than two months after its official premiere, I decided to check in on the show while it's still around to see how popular it is. Around 5 minutes before the 3:30pm show began, here's what the gathered crowd looked like:
Around thirty people crammed into every available nearby shaded area, trying to avoid the midday extreme heat while waiting for the show to begin.
As the show began, I spotted a Disney cast member wheeling a cart nearby filled with ice-cold water and fan spray bottles. After standing out there for a few minutes, I was quite tempted to purchase one. Very smart.
The nearby Carousel of Progress let out a couple of minutes into Stitch's SuperSonic Celebration. I'd estimate around 70-80 people exited the Carousel theater, though only around 10 stopped to watch Stitch's show. But a surprisingly large amount of guests wandering through Tomorrowland did gather once the outdoor show began.
In the end, around 75 people decided to take the time to watch Stitch's SuperSonic Celebration. But as you can see, most of the group crowded underneath the shade provided by the Tomorrowland Transit Authority track. I can only assume that this is one of the major reasons why Stitch's Supersonic Celebration will be coming to an end so soon. No one wants to sit on the hot pavement for 30+ minutes in the summer heat in Florida. I wonder if the show would have continued longer had it been featured in the now-demolished Galaxy Palace Theater, which included seating and some shading.
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Posted on Thu, Jun 18, 2009 @ 05:32 AM
Walt Disney World & Downtown Disney Bring you Princess Diana Exhibit
Have you been wondering what would become of the former home of the Virgin Megastore at Downtown Disney, well wonder no longer.
Beginning in early July, the People's Princess Charitable Foundation, Inc. (PPCF) is bringing a new exhibit of royal artifacts called "DIANA-The People's Princess" to that location. The limited-time experience showcases the life and story of Princess Diana, including a sampling of the royal dresses she chose to auction for charity and hundreds of authentic artifacts relating to her life.
The exhibit will consume the 17,500-square-foot former retail store and will feature:
- The stories of Diana's own childhood and ancestry and how that lineage was influential in her selection as the future bride of HRH Charles, The Prince of Wales, the future King of England.
- Her magical royal wedding which was viewed by over 750 million people from around the globe; her favorite role as "mum" to princes William and Harry.
- Kensington Palace, the royal residence where Diana lived from the moment she became the Princess of Wales until her death and which today plays an active role in preserving her charitable legacy.
- The historical significance of her role as Princess of Wales and the impact she had through that role on the fashion industry and charitable landscape.
- How at the Christie's "Sale of The Century," 79 of Diana's royal dresses were sold to benefit charities which helped position her as an astute philanthropist.
- Her untimely passing and the massive media and public interest in the tragedy.
- The charitable impact still being recognized through her gowns and personal effects.
Some of the items on display will be:
- Royal Doulton figurine of Diana in her wedding dress - Made in 1981 at the time of the royal wedding, the doll is wearing an exact replica of the famous wedding dress.
- The Black Velvet "V" Neck - Designed by Bruce Oldfield and worn by Diana for her official royal portrait in 1985.
- Wedding Breakfast booklet - Contains guest names and two tickets to observe the bride and bridegroom before and following the wedding ceremony in the quadrangle at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House.
- Three-foot doll of Diana as a young girl - Released by the Great American Doll Company in 1998 as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales.
Unlike Virgin MegaStore, you will need to purchase a separate admission to the "DIANA-The People's Princess" exhibit.
Prices will be $14.50 (ages 10 and above), $5 (ages 3-9). The exhibition will be through Nov. 30, 2009. Hours are 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily.
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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.
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Posted on Thu, Jun 11, 2009 @ 06:41 AM
Space Mountain at Walt Disney World
Walt Disney World is now more than a month into the seven-month rehab of Space Mountain, and details are trickling out about the changes in store for the venerable roller coaster.
The resort last week filed a construction notice thought to be tied to the Magic Kingdom's indoor coaster; it calls for the installation of an "interactive queue" and audio-visual upgrades. The notice has touched off speculation that Space Mountain could be in line for an electronic-game-filled queue similar to the one Disney World installed at Epcot's Soarin' in 2007.
Disney World officials, who have been relatively tight-lipped about the Space Mountain changes, previously had said only that the 34-year-old attraction would get a new queue enclosure. They also have said the renovations will include new track - though the layout will remain the same - and a new ceiling.
The Reedy Creek Improvement District puts the rehab's value at $12.3 million. The ride is scheduled to reopen Nov. 21.
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Posted on Wed, Jun 03, 2009 @ 07:48 AM
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit at Universal Studios Orlando
Well it is finally almost ready, the new roller coaster at Universal Orlando, Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit which was being testing for the last week is just about ready for all the people that have waited in anticapation to ride the new coaster...
Below is a video of the testing..Hope you like.
Although the opening date was pushed back a bit to late spring/early summer, Universal Studios will feature a radically innovative roller coasters - Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit. The coaster combines customized hit music, breathtaking first-ever maneuvers and highly sophisticated audio and video for a one-of-a-kind ride experience.
Riders will pick their own soundtrack and listen as it blasts through individual concert-quality audio systems - all while hurtling through a series of never-before-attempted maneuvers at speeds up to 65 m.p.h. Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit’s audio system will carry songs representing five genres of music: rap/hip hop, country, classic rock/metal, pop/disco and club/electronica. Each rider’s song pick will also be featured on a ride video they can purchase that uses a network of sophisticated cameras to mix music, moves and special effects.
Since announcing Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit last year, Universal Orlando has not revealed the below details of the ride.
Universal Orlando’s Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit is the tallest, largest and fastest X-CAR style roller coaster in the world.
The X-CAR coaster vehicle is more maneuverable than other coaster vehicles and uses innovative restraints that are less restrictive and more open.
The coaster design also allows for more vehicles on the track at one time than other types of coasters.
Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit features 3,800 feet of steel track, a 17-story vertical lift and six maneuvers - three of which have never been built before.
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Posted on Mon, Jun 01, 2009 @ 07:24 AM
Innovations at Epcot Center Opens The Great Piggy Bank Adventure
Last week, the newest addition to Disney World's Epcot Center Innovations opened, the Great Piggy Bank Adventure. The experience features a series of games which bring to life and teach financial themes of setting goals, saving and spending smartly, staying ahead of inflation and diversifying assets. The attraction is presented by T. Rowe Price and promotes family members working and learning together.
The game begins by choosing a dream goal using a touch screen. During the queue, we are introduced to P.I.G. (Personal Investment Guide) and see him enjoying the Ultimate Vacation, Retirement, a College Education and an Extreme Bedroom Makeover. These are one of the goals we pick.
You are then requested to open a drawer and reveal your own PIG who accompanies your during the game. The PIG is a little piggy bank, of course.
You arrive at the next station and the PIG is placed on a conveyor and drawn into the machine you are standing in front of. The PIG becomes an animated character on the screen in front of you. A game begins where coins start to fall from the top of the screen and various buckets are at the bottom including Savings, Candy, Toys, MP3s and Outfits. The goal is to use levers to direct the money into the Savings bucket. A pesky wolf keeps changing them so you are constantly fighting to make sure enough is going into savings. Just like in life, you need to make sure you don’t forget to save and be aware of where your money is going.
You then get your PIG back and move on to the next kiosk, the Inflation Race. Here, our PIG is put in a tube and sent to help us learn about inflation. On the screen, the PIG floats from balloons and you need to maneuver him around to collect money and avoid inflation. After the game, the PIG is returned and you move on to the last station.
The Diversify station requires us to use a magic wand to move money into pots with different growth factors. The wolf comes along every so often and takes money from different pots so putting it all in the pot with the highest growth factor can backfire on you. The lesson of course is to diversify and spread your money around.
Finally, you return your PIG to find out if you achieved your goal. Your cartoon pig will either sprout wings and happily fly to its destination or land in the mud.
This is a great way for a parent and child to have some fun while learning about the choices and strategies they need to be aware of. This is especially important given the environment we are in right now and this attraction couldn’t have come at a better time.
I really like the fact that the folks at Epcot are not ignoring Innoventions and are paying some attention into making it better and putting some new life into an area that has become stale. Between Stormstruck, the Great Piggy Bank Adventure and "Sum of All Thrills" ride that is upcoming in 2009, Innoventions will hopefully become a place people make a point of going to instead of rushing through to get somewhere else.
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Posted on Mon, May 25, 2009 @ 09:53 AM
Summer Vacation Getaway Packages to Orlando Florida
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Come to Disney World to see Mickey Mouse and all your favorite Disney characters at Magic Kingdom, or maybe you want to be a star at Hollywood Studios "American Idol Experience" or how about you fly like an eagle and get a birds eye view with Soaring at Epcot Center?
Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure Orlando has all your Major Thrill rides like the Hulk Coaster, Spiderman, The Simpsons, Dueling Dragons..
How about you go to SeaWorld Orlando and check out their newest attraction Manta! Or maybe you wanna see "Shamu" The Killer Whale in Believe or watch Dolphins to some amazing tricks in Blue Horizons...
There is something for everyone when you come to beautiful Orlando, Florida
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