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  • Blog Post: Is Disney's Hollywood Studios thinking of turning PI's "Comedy Warehouse" show into this theme park's seasonal safety valve?

    I know, I know. It's the holidays. So hearing people go "Ho-Ho-Ho" this time of year isn't all that unusual. But that steady wave of laughter which has been rolling out of the ABC Sound Studio at Disney's Hollywood Studios since this past Sunday, that IS kind of unusual. Especially...
  • Blog Post: Epcot brightens up its International Food & Wine Festival by bogging down

    It's once again Food & Wine time at the Walt Disney World Resort . Photo by Angela Ragno Now in its 16 th year, Epcot 's International Food & Wine Festival is in full swing. For the next five weeks, foodies will eagerly be eating their way around World Showcase, sampling cuisine from...
  • Blog Post: How Disney's dream of building Epcot, the city, sank in Lake Buena Vista

    Deerborn Duck wrote in to ask me about Walt Disney World's real estate development arm: What you tell me about the Buena Vista Land Company? That name keeps coming up in regards to that Flamingo Crossing complex which Disney is supposed to be building out along Western Way near the State Road 429...
  • Blog Post: Could WDW's New Year's Eve events possibly include a party inside of DisneyQuest?

    Look. I know. Hanukkah ended on the 9th. And Christmas and Kwanzaa are just around the corner. So the last thing that you probably want to hear about at this point is another holiday. But given that a lot of you like spending New Year's Eve at Walt Disney World but don't necessarily enjoy the...
  • Blog Post: Mickey always plans a few moves ahead when it comes to Walt Disney World

    There have been lots of looky-loos lately over that Fantasyland Forest construction fence. Which has resulted in an equally large number of theories floating around online about what's currently going on with this $300 million project. Take - for example - all that soil that's been piled up towards...
  • Blog Post: Trip the light fantastic with Walt Disney World’s new “Summer Nightastic!” program

    Okay. I know. The news coming out of Orlando these days all seems to be about a certain boy wizard (As well it should be. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter really is spectacular. The next time you’re in O-Town, you should definitely make a point of swinging by Islands of Adventure and checking this...
  • Blog Post: Monday Mouse Watch: Disney World uses coupons to promote off-peak dining & shopping

    Maybe you’ve heard about this coupon that Cast Members have been handing out at WDW ’s Magic Kingdom ? The one that gets Guests 20% off on all food that they purchase at Columbia Harbour House, Cosmic Ray's Starlight Cafe, Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Cafe, Pinocchio Village Haus and Tomorrowland Terrace...
  • Blog Post: Florida’s frosts fail to stop Disney World’s annual Flower & Garden Festival

    By now, you’ve probably heard about the freakishly cold weather that the Sunshine State experienced back in January. Where temperatures actually dipped down into the 20s in the Central Florida area. Well, it wasn’t just the state’s fruit & vegetable crop that got whomped by these...
  • Blog Post: Enjoy the return of Warm Weather with a 4-Day Dream Pass

    First, let’s start with the news that everyone has been waiting to hear: Florida’s freak cold snap appears to be over. After this past weekend, where the temperatures got so low that a few spots in Central Florida had scattered snow flurries, we’ll be back in the 60’s later today and the mid-to-high...
  • Blog Post: NFFC Disney World Holiday Extravaganza places the emphasis on in-park fun

    I don’t know how many of you got to see Jason Garcia ’s great story about the Space Mountain redo at WDW ’s Magic Kingdom (It was featured on the Orlando Sentinel ’s new Daily Disney blog . Which is well worth adding to your Favorites list, by the way). Copyright Disney. All Rights Reserved Anywho …...
  • Blog Post: Gary Vaynerchuk wants you to think outside of the box wine

    Epcot has long been noted known for its mix of education and entertainment. Which is why Gary Vaynerchuk fits in perfectly at this theme park. This self-trained wine expert flew into Orlando late last week to help kick-off the 14 th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival . And in his own...
  • Blog Post: Mickey varies the menu at Walt Disney World

    Once upon a time, if you wanted to get away from the crowds at the Magic Kingdom , you hopped on a bus and then headed over to the Lake Buena Vista Village. Where – if you could find a seat by the window – you could then kick back a cocktail or two at Cap’n Jacks Oyster Bar and watch...
  • Blog Post: When it comes to fun Fourth of July festivities, O-town is the “Oooh” & “Aaah” capital of the USA

    This year, there are lots of places around the country where you can go to see Fourth of July fireworks. The bank of the Charles River in Boston, South Street Seaport in NYC as well as the National Mall in my hometown of Washington DC. But what if you’re one of those “too much ain’t enough” types and...
  • Blog Post: How "One Little Spark" nearly fried the Dreamfinder

    As a kid I'd tune in the Wonderful World of Color every Sunday night. Most of the time Walt would introduce some western or historic feature - or some story like "Melvin, the Manic Marmoset" - and I'd switch over to watch Ed Sullivan . He had ventriloquists ! On a good week, there'd be an animated feature...
  • Blog Post: M-I-C ... as in "I wish that this microphone would work properly"

    Now THAT'S Dedication... Shortly after Disneyland opened in 1955, someone found an unpaid bill in a desk drawer amounting to thousands of dollars. When Walt heard about it, he is supposed to have said, “Well, when you do big things, you make big mistakes.“ Here's another example of this phenomenon, from...
  • Blog Post: "We're rollin' on the Mickey's Birthdayland Express"

    Today's lesson: Sometimes our Disney fan obsessions do pay off. When EPCOT Center opened in 1982, Steve Hansen was already an accomplished puppeteer and performer, working as the PuppetMan in World Showcase. Someone as talented & versatile as Steve was bound to go far in the Walt Disney world. In...