 | Kung Hei Fat Choi! Happy Lunar New Year! |
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| DisneyDan
Friday, January 31, 2014 12:25:47 PM |
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Kung Hei Fat Choi!
It's the start of a new Lunar New Year for Chinese people across the world, and also the start of the Year of the Horse.
Some of our favourite Disney Characters are here to celebrate with us, in our usual cavalcade of photos, including of course Mulan and her friends, Mickey and his friends in special Chinese outfits, and some equine pals (for it is their year after all!)! Also, I thought I would share some photos that have a distinct Chinese theme to them from the Disney Parks around the world, including China at EPCOT, and of course Hong Kong Disneyland.
If you're thinking of planning a trip to Hong Kong Disneyland, you should most definitely check out our excellent, in-depth trip planner here at Character Central. We have everything covered from flights, hotels, shopping, attractions, dining and tonnes more.
Kung Hei Fat Choi!
Dan. |
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 | Happy 55th Anniversary Sleeping Beauty! | |
| DisneyDan
Wednesday, January 29, 2014 11:41:08 AM |
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Today, 29th January 2014, is the 55th anniversary of the release of Walt Disney's beloved masterpiece, Sleeping Beauty.
Despite the fact that the film was not released until 1959, Walt Disney opened Disneyland in 1955 with Sleeping Beauty Castle as it's central icon, an icon which has since been duplicated in Hong Kong Disneyland (2005), and vastly improved upon at Disneyland Paris (1992).
In our usual Character Central style, let's celebrate with a cavalcade of photos from the Disney Parks around the world.
Happy 55th Birthday Sleeping Beauty!
Dan.
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 | Character of the Week - Eeyore | |
| DisneyDan
Friday, January 24, 2014 7:48:27 AM |
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Eeyore is the ever melancholy donkey from the world of Winnie the Pooh, who mopes around from this place to that, looking for somewhere to live. He is one of Christopher Robin's best friends, and a much loved member of the Hundred Acre Wood.
Eeyore, sadly, never has much luck, and often finds himself without a house, a tail, and under a raincloud. His perpetual bad luck gives him a rather dim outlook on the world around him, and he can often be heard saying things such as, "Most likely lose it again, anyway”, "...but nobody listens to me, anyway” and “If it is a good morning, which I doubt.”
Eeyore often finds himself getting mixed up in the adventures with his more daring friends, often reluctant to get involve but somehow pulled along.
At the Parks and Resorts
Eeyore remains a very popular character, and can be found in many parades and other performances across the Disney Parks, including Disneyland Paris's Disney Magic on Parade, Hong Kong Disneyland's Flights of Fantasy Parade, Tokyo Disneyland's Happiness is Here Parade, special Christmas and Halloween parades in Florida, California and Paris, as well aboard the Rainy Day Express in Hong Kong.
Merchandise can be found at all the Resorts, with some of the cutest items we've ever seen at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Eeyore features in the Winnie the Pooh attractions in Florida, California, Tokyo and Hong Kong.
Meeting Eeyore
Eeyore makes frequent appearances at the Disney Parks and Resorts around the world.
At Walt Disney World you can always meet Eeyore at the Crystal Palace character meal, alongside the other 100 Acre Wood friends. In the past he has also made appearances in Fantasyland next to the Winnie the Pooh attraction, in the UK pavilion at EPCOT, and on the Streets of America in Hollywood Studios during 'Characterpalooza'. Aside from the Crystal Palace though, most of these other appearances are fairly random now, and cannot be guaranteed.
At Disneyland, Eeyore is nearly always at the Pooh and Friends meet 'n' greet in Critter Country, and is often at the Minnie and Friends Breakfast at the Plaza Inn.
At Disneyland Paris, Eeyore can pop up randomly in Fantasyland, on Main Street, at the Disneyland Hotel and the Sequoia Lodge quite frequently.
In Tokyo, you can often find Eeyore near the main entrance (in World Bazaar).
As far as we know, Eeyore does not appear at Hong Kong Disneyland or on the Disney Cruise Line at this time.
More information
More information about Eeyore, plus a lot more pictures of him, can be found on his official page here on this site.
And finally…
Despite his gloomy outlook on life, Eeyore is a loving and caring member of the Hundred Acre Wood, always willing to help his friends, and always puts others before himself. With his calm nature and big heart, Eeyore is a truly loved donkey by all that meet him.
The vote is now open for the next Character of the Week!
Voting is conducted by polling on the forum topic for this article. Click here to cast your vote and leave your thoughts about this article and Eeyore!
The options are:
- Chip 'n' Dale (together)
- Emperor Kuzco
- Mary Poppins
The next Character of the Week is likely to be about 8 days from now – which gives you all plenty of time to vote!
Dan.
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 | National Hug Day | |
| DisneyDan
Tuesday, January 21, 2014 2:28:56 PM |
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Today is National Hug Day for many countries, so I thought we could spread the love and share some hugs here on the blog!
Here's some of your favourite Disney friends hugging.
And who of course could forget Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear!
Dan. |
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.jpg) | Penguin Awareness Day | |
| DisneyDan
Monday, January 20, 2014 3:05:25 PM |
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Today is Penguin Awareness Day, which is a day to celebrate these beautiful animals.
Of course, a penguin lover myself, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to celebrate with a post dedicated to them and our favourite Mr Penguin from Walt Disney's Mary Poppins!
Happy Penguin Awareness Day everyone!
Dan. |
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Hello everyone,
The Disney Parks Blog announced this week that Disney California Adventure would play host to Disneyland Resort's Lunar New Year Celebrations this year, which will feature Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Chip and Dale, Mulan and Mushu over at Paradise Gardens. There will be crafting, Chinese dragon and lion dances, as well as Vietnamese and Korean dance groups. The event will run from 31st January until 2nd February inclusive, from 11am until 5pm.
The Disney Parks Blog also announced that the Disneyland Resort is playing host to another round of rare character weekends from now until May, yes May! Every Friday through Sunday you can head over to the Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree to see who is appearing. Our good friend Loren was there last weekend, and you can check out his report on who he met, here.
The Tokyo Disney Resort Blog made a post revealing some information (albeit all in Japanese) about this year's spring events at the resort. From the 2nd April through 23rd June inclusive, the resort will play host to various shows and parades at both parks.
At Tokyo Disneyland, after a hiatus last year, the park sees a spring parade back on its streets, titled Hippiti-Hoppiti Spring Time. The parade will feature seven new floats, starring Mickey and his friends in their spring finest, as well as Marie. The blog also mentions Easter Bunnies, but it's hard to make out whether it means that the Easter Bunny himself will feature, or if he's just a statue on a float.
At Tokyo DisneySea, Lido Isle Welcome to Spring, Easter in New York and Springtime Surprise all return for another year, at the various ports around the park.
In addition to the shows and parade featuring the characters, there will be special menus, merchandise and decorations.
Jon and I will be there in May, and cannot wait to see the new parade!
I want to also point you to my previous news posts from the last week or so, in case you missed them, because there were some interesting things that are still relevant.
To find out about news for Captain America, Marie, and a brand new Disney On Ice show featuring the Frozen characters, click here.
To find out about Disneyland Paris Spring events, queue lines, Aurora and Camp Minnie-Mickey, click here.
To find out about Doc McStuffins and other news, click here.
For my tribute to the recently retired Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade, click here.
For my tribute to the recently closed Camp Minnie-Mickey, click here.
For my massive photo-filled year in review for 2013, click here.
For my most recent dining review for Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show, click here.
Finally, I have been adding more and more content to the site, including locations and characters! As well as that, new photos show up across the site on many pages almost daily, as we continue to work through our massive backlog! Whenever you visit a page on the site, you never know what you might see that's new or different! So be sure to check back regularly.
Ok, I think that's everything for this evening,
Dan. |
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Hello everyone,
Today's dining review is of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show with Mickey and Friends, at Disneyland Paris' Disney Village.
We have experienced Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show (BBWWS) several times over the past few years, most recently in October 2013 with family members who were visiting Disneyland Paris for the first time.
BBWWS is located in the same building complex as the Gaumont Cinemas and IMAX, which is at the "front end" of Disney Village (nearest the parks and Marne La Vallee Chessy train station).
To begin your experience you have to wait in the lobby area; there are double doors which people usually start forming a line in front of about forty five minutes before showtime, though Disney suggests arriving an hour in advance. There is some vague theming and the menus are displayed. Once it is time for you to enter, the doors will open and you will proceed down the line to the check in area. You'll be assigned a coloured zone and given a straw hat with the appropriate coloured band on it to wear during the show and keep afterwards.
Once checked in and with your groovy new hat on your head, you'll find yourself in the Colonel Cody's Saloon. There is a bar selling alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, a stage (which I'll explain in a moment) and a character greeting area. You'll often find Mickey Mouse meeting his fans wearing his special BBWWS costume if you arrive early enough, or sometimes another character, but nearly always Mickey. There is also a store selling Western Disney themed merchandise.
The stage in the bar area comes alive shortly before the main show with a band and lasso demonstrations performed by a talented stuntman. Near the end of the show Goofy joins them on stage for a few minutes, before it's announced the main show is about to begin.
Once you're allowed into the main arena you'll have to follow the coloured signs to your appropriate section. You'll have to go up some stairs on the bar side, and down stairs into the arena on the other side. If you have a disability when you check in they'll assign you the green section, and once in the bar you can ask a cast member to use the elevator to the arena, where you'll be seated at the top of the green section.
The main show is quite lengthy and features Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Chip, Dale, alongside historical figures William Cody (Buffalo Bill), Chief Sitting Bull, Auguste Durand-Ruel and Annie Oakley. There are several different acts, featuring stunts which include live animals (buffaloes and horses), so if you have allergies or asthma you should be aware that the dirt and sand can be spread throughout the arena. You'll get to see stunts such as lassoing, rough riding, gun slinging, races, buffalo herding and competitive cowboy games between the performers and characters.
During the show you'll be presented with all your food and drink directly at your bench. You'll get a chilli starter, cornbread, a main consisting of potatoes, sausage, chicken and ribs and a dessert which is usually ice cream and crumble. The food is actually pretty good (the pictures don't do it justice really), but it is hard to eat in the dark while trying to watch such a lively performance! Some may find picking at the chicken on the bone a pain while watching the show. There are vegetarian and pork free options available, too.
The show lasts for about an hour and a half, and while enjoyable I do feel that it needs some updating. About three years ago they added the Disney characters, after having the same show for nearly 20 years, but even now I feel that the show needs some reworking. Some scenes last too long, and it can feel a little drawn out. Having said that, it is fun, and I do recommend it for first timers.
During seasonal times of the year, such as Halloween and Christmas, the show usually receives an overlay meaning you'll get to see a slightly altered, festive version.
The show runs up to twice nightly during peak times (6.30pm and 9.30pm), but off peak it often only operates a few nights per week, or even only one performance per night. Reservations are encouraged, though the show is rarely sold out. Typically, shows are daily, except Wednesdays and Thursdays, but this can change with season and demand.
There are two tiers of seating; first category and second category. Prices for 2nd category seating start from 59,90€ for adults and 46,90€ for children. Prices for 1st category seating start from 74,90€ for adults and 61,90€ for children. Disneyland Paris quite often have special offers for the show, with tickets occasionally even as low as 20€ per person, so be sure to keep an eye out for those.
Annual Passholders receive up to a maximum of 20% discount, depending on the pass they hold. Shareholder Club members also receive up to a maximum of 20% discount on presentation of a valid Shareholder Club card and ID.
Reservations can be made 60 days in advance by calling the Disney Dining line on +33 1 60 30 40 50, by visiting the BBWWS box office at its Disney Village entrance, through any Disney Hotel concierge, or by stopping into guest relations at either theme park.
You can leave your comments by clicking here, where you will be magically transported to our forum.
Dan. |
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Hello everyone,
Today the Disney Parks Blog announced that the First Avenger, Captain America, would soon be making his Disney Parks debut at Disneyland in California. Captain America had made his world debut as a Disney Character at D23 last summer, and has since been greeting young guests in the kids' area aboard the newly refurbished Disney Magic, but this marks the first time he will be made available for all guests in a public space at the parks.
Members on WDWMagic Forum have reported that Aristocat Marie has now taken to sporting her more up to date look while visiting Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. The Magic Kingdom was the last place that Marie was yet to sport her gentler new look, having made her debut last Valentine's Day at Disneyland Paris.
Also on WDW Magic Forum, there has been speculation that the Christmas garlands that hang across the street will no longer be put up going forward, as the new parade is too high for them, which is somewhat disappointing. But of course, this is only rumour at this stage.
Speaking of the new parade, the Disney Parks Blog have been teasing fans with images of an as-of-yet unreported float for the Festival of Fantasy. As of right now we know for sure that there will be a balloon for Mickey, a boat for Rapunzel, Monstro for Pinocchio, a flower garden for some other princesses, giant bagpipes for Merida, a clam shell for Ariel and a cool looking swinging ship for Peter Pan. However, the new images reveal to us a strange, almost steampunk inspired oven, that really could be anything! Current speculation is that it is either Tiana's Palace, one of Maurice's inventions, or something even cooler such as a machine from Treasure Planet or Atlantis, though, those last two are pretty slim chances, sadly!
Moving on now, and last night Jon received a survey from Disney On Ice, which proved to be quite interesting. The text below is from the survey:
"Act 1
Mickey and Minnie invite you to enter the magical world of Disney On Ice’s newest ice show! Dive into the vibrant aquatic world “under the sea” with Ariel, Flounder & Sebastian from The Little Mermaid. Join Rapunzel and her unlikely companions, Flynn, and Maximus from Tangled as they take adventure to new lengths! Be bedazzled by Snow White and her seven most trusted friends. And, celebrate the courage and inner beauty of Cinderella. Journey to the jungle heat of Africa as Disney’s The Lion King comes to life on ice with majestic sets and thrilling special effects. Plus, the toys are back in town with memorable moments from all of your favorite Toy Story movies.
Act 2
Bundle up and enjoy the dazzling winter wonderland and enchanting world of Arendelle as Frozen, Disney’s newest comedy-adventure takes to the ice. Be amazed as Anna teams up with mountain man Kristoff, his reindeer Sven and the hysterically funny snowman Olaf on an epic journey to find Anna's sister Elsa, The Snow Queen, and, through the power of sisterly love, puts an end to her icy spell and frees Arendelle from eternal winter.
From loveable toys to your favorite Disney Princesses to glorious ice palaces, your family's favorite Disney/Pixar moments come to life at Disney On Ice with dazzling skating, special effects and beloved characters certain to create a lifetime of memories."
(Copyright Disney and Feld Entertainment)
The survey then went on to ask questions specifically about the characters Anna, Elsa, Sven, Olaf and Kristoff (who were all mentioned in the above text), which leads us to believe that they will all soon be seen as characters in Disney On Ice shows! We are really excited about the prospects of them leaving Arendelle to make their public debut, and look forward to seeing them!
Ok that's everything for this evening, but if you want to catch up on all the news from earlier this week and last week, I have posted the links below.
Have a great weekends everyone,
Dan.
For news on the new Spring events at Disneyland Paris, rare character appearances at Animal Kingdom and Princess Aurora's dress, click here.
For news about Doc McStuffins, Star Wars Weekends and more, click here.
For my photo tribute to the now closed Camp Minnie-Mickey, click here.
For my tribute to the now retired Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade, click here.
To see my massive, photo filled review of all our adventures in 2013, click here.
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Hello everyone,
I have a few pieces of news for you today.
The Disneyland Paris Spring event (being dubbed "Spring Fling") that I previously told you about seems to really have taken momentum, and although still not officially confirmed by Disneyland Paris, two pieces of concept art have been leaked (one of Main Street Station, the other of Town Square), and even Vasile Sirli, the Resort's famed resident composer, posted about it on his Facebook page. We now know that as well as the really neat flowers and decorations, that there will be a show at the Videopolis, likely to be a short musical show with a character or two (similar to how the Jingle Bell Boys with Mickey worked at Christmas), as well as a small cavalcade that will feature two cars (thought to be former Stars 'n' Cars vehicles that are being repurposed). I have to say, this all sounds really awesome, and Jon and I will be there at the end of April for Easter, so we definitely cannot wait to see how it all finally comes together on the projected opening date of 3rd April!
Staying with Disneyland Paris, and it is being reported today from various fan groups at the parks that DLP have finally taken the initiative to set up organised lines for randomly appearing characters throughout the parks! This is a double edged sword for me, but one I think I am willing to accept. Anyone who has ever visited Disneyland Paris will know two things; one, that there are some really awesome characters out and about, including some rare ones that cannot be met usually elsewhere, and two, that queuing up has never seemed to been a concept they entirely grasped. The problem is though that it wasn't just that people would not queue, but that they would push and shove, and basically make the entire experience unbearable. I asked Philippe Gas (CEO of EuroDisney, S.A.S) about this personally in April last year at a small meeting in London, and he basically told me that they try to avoid confrontation. My argument has always been, well it's private property, if someone doesn't like to follow the rules, then have them removed! You might wonder why I am going on about this so much, but trust me, this is a huge deal for Disneyland Paris. For them to make this step is quite exceptional. The reason though I think it is a double edged sword, is that sadly I do think this will take away slightly from some of the randomness, and some of the fun interactive experiences you can get by following characters around, playing games with them, chasing them, etc. But, if it means I won't get bruised and in an argument with someone about who was next, then I am more than happy to compromise!
I just have a few other things I wanted to mention this evening.
In my last news post I forgot to mention that Princess Aurora has decided for now to return to the parks wearing her former dress that she has had for many years. Apparently Disney made the decision for her as they were not happy with the new one, launched last year, for one reason or another (many fans weren't either). So, if you got to see Aurora in her former new dress, you got to meet her in what will now be a retired outfit, and if you liked her old-old dress better, you have a chance to meet her in it again!
Finally, over at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom, again, as I had said previously, Camp Minnie-Mickey closed this week to make way for the new Avatar Land, but right after I posted that article, I discovered that since there is no Festival of the Lion King show right now, that a dance party will be taking place daily in Dinoland, featuring some random and very rare characters! Earlier this week Gypsy and Slim were seen, and various fan pages have reported seeing numerous other characters that haven't been seen in a while out, too!
You can check out all the other news I posted earlier in the week here.
I made a tribute to the now retired Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade earlier this week, if you missed that you can see it here.
Finally, if you want to see my tribute to Camp Minnie-Mickey, you can find that here.
Have a great day everyone,
Dan.
Check out what an awesome year Character Central had in 2013, in our massive '2013 - A Character Filled Year in Review!'
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Hello everyone,
Yesterday (6th January 2014) saw the final day of operation for Camp Minnie-Mickey at Disney's Animal Kingdom, in Walt Disney World.
Camp Minnie-Mickey was an original land that opened with the park on 22nd April 1998, and was home to several entertainment venues as well as lots of characters.
One of Disney's most popular shows, The Festival of the Lion King, was based in Camp Minnie-Mickey, at the Theater in the Wild, and featured incredible stunts, music and dancing from The Lion King, hosted by Timon.
The Greetings Trails offered character meet and greets with all your favourite Disney friends, such as Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and Donald. Often the characters would also wander around in the open area in the middle of the land, greetings fans and just generally having fun.
The Good Times Gathering Spot used to be where Pocahontas would introduce some cute little critters to the stage, along with the help of Grandmother Willow. After that show ended, the space was used for additional character greetings.
Other activities included talks by owl handlers, and Gi-Tar Dan, the resident comedic one-man band.
Jon and I both have fond memories of Camp Minnie-Mickey, and it will be very much missed. Camp Minnie-Mickey as a nice place to hang out, meet some Disney friends and catch a show or two.
The area is now being re-imagined to become Avatar Land, a collaboration between Disney and James Cameron. The Festival of the Lion King will be moved at a later date, and some of the characters can now be found elsewhere in the park (check out my recent news article here for more information), but the park will never be the same without this cute area.
Thanks for the memories Camp Minnie-Mickey, it was definitely a lot of fun!
Dan.
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