Darth Vader Does Disneyland

Hilarious Disney ad for the new and vastly improved Star Tours:

Darth Vader does Disneyland

I love the heavy sigh (listen for it).

Special Anniversary

The Hubby and I recently celebrated our anniversary of over 4 decades of wedded bliss (and whatever). Thank you. :)

He said I could choose anywhere for dinner, including Victoria and Albert's, if I so desired. Before you go awwwww, he felt pretty certain that I wouldn't choose V & A's. He was right.  Not because I can't get fancy-schmancy dressed up, I just don't care for the menu.

So, I chose the California Grill.
Yes, the one on top of the Contemporary Resort.
We made a reservation for the earliest time available hoping to avoid the 'fireworks crowd'.

It was much smaller than I expected.
The view was incredible.
The service was friendly; the serving technique was so-so.

The food was very, very good, except for dessert, which was disappointing.  We had the triple cheese flatbread for starters, then the oak-fired filet mignon (cooked perfectly), and the Lemon Trio for dessert.

And since it was our anniversary 'celebration', we were surprised with Mickey confetti, a half-glass of champagne, and a large piece of  yummylicious chocolate cake.

The only real downer to the experience was:

Disney's rather liberal dress code.

The California Grill is a Signature dining experience, and even tho there is a dress code ...

Dress Code Guidelines:
Men: Khakis, slacks, jeans, dress shorts, collared shirts.  Sport coats are optional.
Ladies:  Capris, skirts, dresses, jeans, dress shorts.

Not permitted in dining room: Tank tops, swimwear, hats for gentleman, cut offs, or torn clothing. While T-shirts are now allowed, the policy remains that T-shirts with offensive language or graphics are not acceptable.

... most of the other diners looked as though they had just come from the parks. I guess WDW considers cargo shorts as dress shorts.

My rating: B
Hubby's Rating: B-

Ultimate Pin Sharks

Pin Sharks are one of the reasons I got over my obsession with pin trading.

These guys are the Ultimate Pin Sharks

150 pounds of pins? That's more than I weigh!

Good Night Grad Night

Last night was the last Grad Night at WDW's Magic Kingdom, a tradition since 1972* that will be missed by future high school seniors.
 
Why would Disney cancel such a popular event?

"Because of concerns about scheduling and handling extra spring attendance at the Florida theme park....increased spring attendance has made it difficult to schedule the separate-ticket, after-hours events."


Grad Nights necessitate closing the Magic Kingdom at 7p.m., not a popular move with the folks paying to stay in the resorts (and who would spend more bucks at the parks than than the kids).

So now Disney World will offer Florida school groups a one-day, one-park ticket for $55 as a future alternative.

Aha. Disney has figured out that instead of having busloads of kids come in for 5 hours on four nights of the year and closing the MK to thousands of resort guests, it might be better (=more profitable) for these kids to come on personal graduation trips, most likely with their families.

Hey, I'm not complaining and neither are most of the Cast Members who worked these usually raucous events.

* In 2009 Disney tried it out at the Studios, but apparently there were mucho complaints about that because of fewer rides and attractions.

WDW Resort 'Specialty' Rooms

WDW will offer something special to resort guests in the very near future.

At Port Orleans-Riverside,  over 500 Royal Guest Rooms will be available for guests starting in the spring of 2012.

These rooms will feature:

• Ornately decorated beds that include headboards with fiber optic special effects and gold and crystal accents
• Custom bed coverings and drapes that create a more luxurious “royal” experience
• Unique, in-room artwork featuring Tiana ("Princess and the Frog") and her royal visitors

Meanwhile at the Contemporary Resort, over 20 Health and Wellness Rooms on the 14th floor of Disney’s Contemporary Resort will be available starting in the fall of 2011 and will feature:

• environmentally-friendly design elements; Relaxing scents; A custom food and beverage menu for the concierge lounge and private dining; Cardio fitness equipment so guests may exercise in the comfort of their own suite and at their own pace; Customized spa, fitness and nutrition treatments either provided in-room or in the wellness studio, an exclusive offering on the 14th floor; Unique concierge lounge experiences; Traditional club level services, like advanced itinerary planning; Sweeping top-floor views of Magic Kingdom Park and Bay Lake

Guests may begin booking these offerings mid-summer.

And don't bother looking on mousesavers for discounts on these rooms.

Royal Room

There was no mention of the 'Haunted Mansion' -themed rooms.

Bye, Bye British Invasion

After 15 years at Epcot, the British Invasion has sung their last at the U.K. pavilion in the World Showcase.

Photo: Orlando Attractions Magazine

On the band’s Facebook page:

To Our Fans.
First thanks to all the fans of the British Invasion for all their support over the years!!
It has been an honor to perform for you and Disney all these years!
We have given our notice to Disney Talent and Casting that we wouldn’t be playing after April 30th some time ago. We will be back to play at Disney from time to time and you will find those future dates posted on the British Invasion Facebook page!! Stay tuned for a British Invasion fan appreciation party in May and details of our first concert appearance in downtown Orlando on May 14th.
Sincerely,
The British Invasion 2011

On May 3rd, a new band will begin playing tunes Dave Clark Five, Led Zeppelin, The Who and Beatles (and more) tunes.

UPDATE:

The new band's name is .... British Revolution

Bazillions of Brazilians

The 'official' Disney seasons are: Holiday, Peak, Summer, Value, and Regular.   There is however one other season that WDW regulars know all about - Brazilian. This occurs in January when it's summertime below the equator and lots (I mean BAZILLIONS) of Brazilians flock to the Mouse House in well, flocks.

Why is this of interest?
Because columnist Monica Bergamo from Folha, one of the two biggest newspapers in São Paulo, reported:

“Brazil got a seat in a great international “forum”: Disney. Representatives from the greatest theme park complex in the world approached the federal government this week to announce they’ll include a Brazilian pavilion at Epcot Center, in Orlando (USA). The country will be featured alongside nations such as the US, China, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico and Canada."

Wow! Finally a new country in Epcot's World Showcase. Well, maybe. Disney has not confirmed this, so it's not yet official.

The choice of new country is not real surprising. South America is not yet represented around the World Showcase Lagoon. And remember those bazillions of Brazilians?
 
Frankly, if a Brazilian pavilion would include a steakhouse like Texas de Brazil , GREAT!  It would save me trip down International Drive!

Confession # 17: Disney's Dumb Decisions Part DUH

Disney has just broken ground on a new 963-acre park to the tune of over 3.7 BILLION dollars - in Shanghai, China.
Say what? Yep. Shangahi. China. Not to be confused with the Disney park already located in Hong Kong.

Disney Shanghai

Well. I think that 3.7 BILLION dollars could have been better spent at the American parks. Have you been to WDW lately? Have you paid $82 for a DAY ticket? Have you seen the trash all over the ground? Has the Magic dimmed a bit?

At WDW, Disney could have: hired more Cast Members (especially custodial) / added a new land in the World Showcase / added a new area to the Animal Kingdom (this has been a rumor, but no action yet) / added new rides: like Monsters,Inc and Indiana Jones at DLR / built a new Moderate resort / extended the monorail to run from park-to-park / maybe even lowered ticket prices.

Confession # 16: I Think Disney Makes Dumb Decisions, Sometimes.

WDW is in the process of dismantling Pleasure Island.  The clubs Motion and Rock 'n Roll Beach Club have been demolished, their rubble already carted off. Mannequins, BET Soundstage (the BET has been removed from the sign), The Adventurers' Club and the Comedy Warehouse will be next.

In their place will be, what else, shopping and dining venues.
Family-friendly, of course.
Big whoop.

I liked Pleasure Island when it was what it was originally built for - a place where adult Disney-goers could have adult fun, because not ALL Disney guests are princess- or pirate-loving children.

They could at least have spared one or two clubs for us older folks, maybe The Adventurers' Club which has a huge fan following .

Town Square Theater

Town Square Theater (formerly the Exposition Hall) will become a permanent location for Mickey Mouse meet 'n greets ... And it will become the first character experience to feature Disney's FASTPASS.

 “This isn’t just remodeling Expo Hall; it is completely re-imagining this entire venue as a beautiful Victorian-era theater and the new home for Mickey Mouse,” Jon Georges, WDI Director, senior show producer, said.

Town Square Theater is scheduled to open this spring, while New Fantasyland will open in phases beginning in late 2012.

Disney Concept Art

H/T: Matt Roseboom at Orlando Attractions Magazine