Confession # 14: My Favorite Disney Character

... is not Mickey or Minnie.

It's Pluto.

Because he does not speak - except for two words* in a 1931 cartoon,"The Moose Hunt", Pluto has to be very expressive in his actions and facial expressions.



And in "Mickey's Kangaroo", Pluto has a voice, although it's just his thoughts:

* Those two words: "Kiss Me"

Real Life Disney: Pooh and Friends

Tinkerbell's Flight

Tinkerbell has been making her night flight in the MK at WDW since July 3, 1985.

She was originally supposed to fly as only a holiday/seasonal spectacle, but the crowd response was so immediately positive, she has been flying for 25 years now at WDW (at DL since 1961).

When we took our 1st Keys to the Kingdom Tour, our wonderful guide (Matthew) gave us a quite a bit of interesting background info on Tink's flight (like what happens if she meets a headwind).

Pet Power

A  new luxury resort  for PETS will open at WDW.

**  Updated Link  **

Holy Pampered Pooch and Puddytat Batman!

This sounds better than the All Stars!

 Photo: WDW

Golden Oak

Golden Oak  will be "an incomparable community" of million+ dollar homes, located adjacent to the Fort Wilderness area.

The "come-on" states: "Golden Oak offers the opportunity to create new Disney traditions entwined with treasured ones, and invest in your family legacy".

The cheapest (so to speak) home will be $1.5 million, ranging up to $8 million. That will be some family legacy.

Who can possibly afford this beside an oil-rich Saudi sheik or perhaps Bob Iger? Certainly not any of the 'regular' Disney fan-atics like those folks who save for two years so they can spend a week at The World.

I would much rather have seen the increasingly-popular Fort Wilderness area expanded.

No doubt Walt would be rolling at about Warp 6.


GOLDEN OAK

Powering Down

After August 7, 2010, the Power Rangers, seen on Streets of America in Disney's Hollywood Studios, will join Four for a Dollar, Imaginum, Kristos, and Andy Mation as former WDW performers.

Confession # 13: Not Me

As much as I've looked forward to the opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter over at IOA/Universal Orlando, I did NOT go on Opening Day.

Nope. No way.

It had been announced that the parking lots (Universal Orlando has 2 huge multi-story lots) would open at 5:30 am even tho the WWoHP wouldn't open until 10:30 am (not counting the earlier entry for special guests).

And people started lining up the day before, standing on the I-4 overpass ALL night because U/O wouldn't let them stay on property.

I turned on the tv at 5 am and there was already coverage on local stations which continued until, get this, 9 am, just about when Bill Davis, U/O prez started to open the envelope (see below).  Our local ABC channel switched over to The PTL Club! So I switched over to the local all-news station.

From someone who was there:

The Harry Potter Morning-After Report

I am definitely gonna go, later, tho, like about November.

And I'm already saving up $$ for all the HarryPotterCrap I want ... definitely a wand, both kinds of butterbeer (frozen and not frozen), cauldron cakes, chocolate frogs (seeing a trend here...)



(Line photos: Orlando Sentinel)

Harry Potter Actors Tour the Wizarding World

James Phelps (Fred Weasley), Robbie Coltrane (Hagrid),  Emma Watson (Hermione Granger), Oliver Phelps (George Weasley), and Matthew Lewis (Neville Longbottom) get a sneak peek at Universal Orlando's Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

They visited Ollivander's where a wand chose Emma, the Three Broomsticks where they sampled butterbeer, and got a ride on HP and the Forbidden Journey.

photo: Matt / Orlando Attractions Magazine

Star Wars Weekends Are Back

Star Wars Weekends return to Disney's Hollywood Studios on May 21-23,  May28-30, June 4-6, and June 11-13.

This year they're saluting the 30th anniversary of "The Empire Strikes Back" ( the best of the series, IMHO).


And this year you can meet a new character:

 R2-MK

Jedi Mickey's new droid

And the Jedi Training Academy, always fun to watch, will 'double the villainy' as the young Padawans face off against Darth Vader and Darth Maul.


Photo:
Orlando Attractions

Pop Goes the Pop Century Legendary Years

WDW's Pop Century Resort has been half-built since 2003.

Phase I, The Classic Years, opened in December, 2003, but the unfinished buildings of Phase II, The Legendary Years, which can be seen across the lake, have been moldering away for years.

Until now.

Walt Disney Parks and Resorts unveiled plans May 12 for Disney's Art of Animation Resort featuring quality family suites designed around four themes: The Lion King, Finding Nemo, Cars and The Little Mermaid ... and will be "located adjacent to Disney's Pop Century Resort".


It's a pretty good guess that the Legendary Years will become ....

Disney's Art of Animation Resort, the 26th resort at Walt Disney World Resort ... one-of-a-kind, with themed building exteriors and room interiors, and larger-than-life icons from the animated films in the courtyard areas. 

Er. It's not exactly one-of-a-kind. Hello? Pop Century. The All-Stars.
Still, it will be a good thing to finally complete those buildings.

All of the themed suites and rooms at Disney's Art of Animation Resort are expected to open by the end of 2012.