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Happy 59th Birthday Disneyland!
DisneyDan  Thursday, July 17, 2014 11:52:47 AM
Hello everyone,

Today (17th July) is the 59th anniversary of the grand opening of the original Disney theme park, Disneyland in Anaheim, California!

For a change, for my photo tribute, I thought I'd share with you non-character pictures. Let's celebrate and enjoy the beauty of the park itself!

Happy 59th Birthday Disneyland!

The Matterhorn

Wandering thru Adventureland

Enchanted Tiki Room

Wandering up Main Street

Christmas in New Orleans Square

Pirates of the Caribbean

Down by the Rivers of America

Tomorrowland by night

Exploring the new Fantasy Faire

Main Street by night

Main Street by night

Main Street by night

Main Street by night

"it's a small world"

Wandering thru Tomorrowland

Wandering around New Orleans Square

Wandering around Frontierland

Sleeping Beauty Castle

Wandering down Main Street

Main Street by night

Dan.
Happy 4th of July!
PeterPanFan  Friday, July 4, 2014 1:20:44 PM
Today is the day that the United States of America celebrates the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776 making it a free nation.  On this most patriotic of US holidays we will celebrate with a Disney Character picture cavalcade celebrating both America's birthday as well as her history and the diversity of her people.


DDE May 2013 - Welcome to Walt Disney World Event

DDE May 2013 - Welcome to Walt Disney World Event

DDE May 2013 - Welcome to Walt Disney World Event

DLP Feb 2010 - Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show

WDW Sept 2008 - Meeting Pocahontas and Meeko

DLP Dec 2010 - Christmas Carolling with the Disney Characters

DLP Feb 2010 - Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show

DDE May 2013 - TDR 30th Anniversary DDE Event

Davy Crockett Donald

DDE May 2013 - Disneyland Opening Event

DDE May 2013 - Disneyland Opening Event

DLP April 2012 - Meeting the stars of Frontierland Celebrates!

HKDL April 2013 - Meeting Grizzly Gulch Chip and Dale

Meeting Route 66 Goofy

Disneyland July 2012 - Meeting Buena Vista Street Chip and Dale

WDW Feb 2012 - Wandering down Main Street U.S.A

WDW Feb 2012 - Fire Chief Smokey Miller

DCL Feb 2012 - Meeting Lilo and Stitch

DDE May 2013 - Easter in New York
Donald Duck
New York Sept 2008 - Meeting Minnie Mouse 

Then all 4th of July celebrations need a grand finale... so here is the "To Honor America" section of the Main Street Electrical Parade!
WDW Feb 2012 - Main Street Electrical Parade
Disneyland Aug 2009 - Disney's Electrical Parade
News - Anna and Elsa arriving at Hollywood Studios for "Frozen Summer Fun - Live"!
DisneyDan  Friday, June 27, 2014 7:50:54 AM
Yesterday the Disney Parks Blog announced a summer full of fun at Disney's Hollywood Studios featuring the incredibly popular Frozen characters, Anna and Elsa.

The biggest news to come out of it is that it would seem Kristoff will be stepping out of Arendelle to make his Disney Parks debut in a special procession through the park! 'Anna and Elsa’s Royal Welcome' will happen at 11am each day.

There is mention of Olaf too, and although we don't know for sure yet, from the description it is likely he will appear on the big video screen only, and not as a character on stage. However, anything could happen, and we really hope he does appear!

Here's a roundup of everything you can expect from 5th July through to 1st September inclusive.

  • Olaf on Summer Vacation – Olaf the snowman is having the time of his life on his very first summer vacation! He chimes in throughout the day to keep everyone updated on all his adventures. Plus, you can pick up your very own Take-Along Olaf from locations in the park, so he can join you on your summer vacation. And when you share your photos with Olaf on social media, be sure to tag them with #OlafSummerVacation. They may just get selected to appear in that day’s grand finale!

  • Anna and Elsa’s Royal Welcome – At 11am each day, Elsa and Anna arrive in Hollywood as part of their goodwill tour of neighbouring kingdoms, making their way down Hollywood Boulevard in a horse-drawn sleigh. Kristoff is along for the fun, too, joined by a flurry of skaters, skiers, ice cutters and more! The entire procession culminates in a special moment at the Sorcerer’s Hat Icon Stage to officially welcome the visiting royalty to this kingdom of Hollywoodland.

  • For the First Time in Forever: A “Frozen” Sing-Along Celebration – Cool down inside the Premiere Theater, where Anna and Elsa join the Royal Historians of Arendelle for a fun and comedic retelling of the unique history of their Kingdom, filled with delightful, sing-along moments from “Frozen.”

  • Wandering Oaken’s Trading Post and Frozen Funland – Inside Soundstage One, Oaken and his cousins have created a Frozen Funland filled with cold weather activities, unique photo opportunities, and more! There’s a frozen pond with ice skating demonstrations, wintertime fun for kids in the “Do You Want to Build a Snowman?” play area, a “big summer blowout” with plenty of “Frozen” merchandise, and special “Frozen”-inspired food and beverage offerings.

  • “Coolest Summer Ever” Dance Party – Starting at 5.30pm each day, a dance party takes over the area around the Sorcerer’s Hat Icon Stage, with a DJ, live band, and more! The band plays a variety of classic and contemporary summer rock and roll hits, as well as a cool, rocking medley of “Frozen” favourites. It’s going to be hot!

  • “Frozen” Fireworks Spectacular – Everything wraps up at 9.45pm when Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf come together at the Sorcerer’s Hat Icon Stage for a grand finale to the day’s festivities, kicking off an awe-inspiring fireworks display set to the glorious music of “Frozen!”

Once more information becomes available, I'll be sure to post it here on the blog.

Have a great weekend everyone,

Dan.
Disneyland Paris June 2014 Trip Report and Photo Round-Up
DisneyDan  Sunday, June 22, 2014 5:48:59 AM
Hello everyone,

Last weekend I was very lucky to be able to spend an unexpected, last minute trip at Disneyland Paris to once again enjoy all their Spring offerings.

While I never do trip reports, I thought it would be nice to just showcase some of my experiences in a photo round-up.

Instead of jumping from thing to thing, I'm going to group items into categories, such as meals, meeting characters, shows etc. So these aren't necessarily chronological.

Be warned! This is a very photo heavy post!

First up, Disney Magic on Parade. For some reason, the day we watched the parade Princess Aurora, Prince Phillip, Duffy, the Clubs Card and the White Rabbit were missing. The Peter Pan ship was also out because of being refurbished, however the characters were walking on the ground. The floating wizards that are usually before Mickey and Friends were behind, for some reason.

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

Disney Magic on Parade

I was very happy that I got to watch Disney's Spring Promenade a couple more times before it ends (today in fact is its last day this year). I am in love with this parade/show, and am obsessed with the music, especially the "Let's Go Fly a Kite" sequence!

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Disney's Spring Promenade

Along similar Spring lines, we saw the Welcome to Spring show once, which I was happy about. I am so glad that this show will be staying through the summer (obviously with a different title!). It brings much needed life and energy to Main Street, like similar shows at the US parks.

Welcome to Spring

Welcome to Spring

Welcome to Spring

Welcome to Spring

Welcome to Spring

Welcome to Spring

Welcome to Spring

We also watched Disney's Stars 'n' Cars. I have to say that having known this parade from Walt Disney World more than a decade ago, and also knowing what it was like when it first came to Paris (where it was vastly different in concept to WDW), it is not too surprising that it is coming to an end.

Disney's Stars 'n' Cars

Disney's Stars 'n' Cars

Disney's Stars 'n' Cars

Disney's Stars 'n' Cars

Disney's Stars 'n' Cars

Disney's Stars 'n' Cars

Disney's Stars 'n' Cars

Disney's Stars 'n' Cars

Disney's Stars 'n' Cars

Disney's Stars 'n' Cars

Disney's Stars 'n' Cars

Disney's Stars 'n' Cars

Disney's Stars 'n' Cars

Disney's Stars 'n' Cars

Sticking with Stars 'n' Cars, we stayed for both sets of the lunchtime Stars 'n' Cars greetings one day. Here's who we managed to see.

Stars 'n' Cars Greeting

Stars 'n' Cars Greeting

Stars 'n' Cars Greeting

Stars 'n' Cars Greeting

Stars 'n' Cars Greeting

Stars 'n' Cars Greeting

Stars 'n' Cars Greeting

Stars 'n' Cars Greeting

Stars 'n' Cars Greeting

Stars 'n' Cars Greeting

Stars 'n' Cars Greeting

Stars 'n' Cars Greeting

Stars 'n' Cars Greeting

Stars 'n' Cars Greeting

I think we did exceptionally well meeting everyone that we did in two sets!

Other characters we met in Walt Disney Studios were Buzz and Spider-Man. We also saw Mickey at Toon Plaza, but didn't go to meet him.

Meeting Spider-Man

Buzz Lightyear

Buzz Lightyear

Mickey Mouse

At Disneyland Park, there were a lot of characters out and about over the few days I was there. Here's who I saw, including the special Spring greeting characters (Minnie and Duffy in special outfits, and Russell).

Minnie and Duffy dressed for Spring

Meeting Suzy and Perla

Genie

Goofy

Stitch

Queen of Hearts

Tweedle Dee

Tweedle Dum

Baloo

Meeting Chip 'n' Dale

Russell

Eeyore

Pluto

Tigger

Minnie Mouse

I also know that while I was there Scrooge, Donald and Daisy made an appearance in Fantasyland, Pluto in Frontierland, Tigger and Eeyore in Central Plaza, and King Louie and Mr Smee were in Adventureland. Those I know for sure, anyone else I can't attest to. Of course, as well as all of those, the Princesses were in the Pavilion, Meet Mickey was open as always, and Rapunzel was at the Spring location in Casey's Corner. I didn't get chance to meet any of those either, but thought it'd be good to mention.

On one of the days, the Auberge Royalty walked past me, and as well as Suzy and Perla there was the following.

Royalty walks past

Royalty walks past

Royalty walks past

I was privileged enough to stay in the Golden Forest Club in the Sequoia Lodge during my trip, and each morning had breakfast with the characters in the Golden Forest Lounge. Here's the Golden Forest Lounge (including the tea time items), my room and my breakfast greetings.

Breakfast at the Golden Forest Lounge

Breakfast at the Golden Forest Lounge

Breakfast at the Golden Forest Lounge

Breakfast at the Golden Forest Lounge

Golden Forest Lounge

Golden Forest Lounge

Golden Forest Lounge

Golden Forest Lounge

Breakfast in the Golden Forest Lounge

Breakfast in the Golden Forest Lounge

My room at the Sequoia Lodge

My room at the Sequoia Lodge

On my way from the Sequoia Lodge to the parks each morning I checked in the Hotel New York and the Disneyland Hotel. All regular characters the whole time, except one character at the New York one morning gave me a pleasant surprise!...

Launchpad McQuack

Launchpad McQuack

To break this post up a bit, here are some general park shots I took.

Spring in Town Square

Russell and Carl

Waiting for Disney Dreams!

Poster

Poster

Poster

New Ratatouille merchandise

New Ratatouille merchandise

Spring on Main Street USA

Princess Pavilion

The new entrance to Crush's Coaster

New Ratatouille merchandise

Spring on Main Street USA

Around the Studios

Horse-Drawn Streetcar

Wandering around Fantasyland

Wandering around Fantasyland

Spring on Main Street USA

Spring on Main Street USA

Spring in Central Plaza

Wandering around Fantasyland

Wandering thru Discoveryland

Wandering around Fantasyland

Spring in Central Plaza

Spring in Central Plaza

Spring in Central Plaza

Wandering thru Discoveryland

We ate dinner at Inventions two nights. The characters were almost identical both nights, so I won't post each occasion I met the same character, but instead just a photo of each different character between the two meals.

Dinner at Inventions

Dinner at Inventions

Dinner at Inventions

Dinner at Inventions

Dinner at Inventions

Dinner at Inventions

Dinner at Inventions

Dinner at Inventions

Dinner at Inventions

Dinner at Inventions

Dinner at Inventions

We also had lunch one afternoon at Restaurant des Stars at the Studios, which has now lost the Ratatouille theme, since the new area is opening imminently. Oddly enough there were some carvings that I thought were interesting.

Carving

Carving

Carving

Carving

Carving

We attended the Sunday Brunch at Inventions too. The theme this week was sports, but had an overriding feel of basketball only...

Inventions Sports Brunch

Inventions Sports Brunch

Inventions Sports Brunch

Inventions Sports Brunch

Inventions Sports Brunch

Inventions Sports Brunch

Inventions Sports Brunch

Inventions Sports Brunch

Inventions Sports Brunch

Inventions Sports Brunch

Inventions Sports Brunch

Inventions Sports Brunch

Finally, we saw the Magical Moment at the Disneyland Hotel on Sunday, after the Brunch.

Magical Moment

Magical Moment

Magical Moment

Magical Moment

Magical Moment

Magical Moment

Magical Moment

We experienced some attractions and other shows too (Animagique, Cinemagique, Armageddon, Swiss Family Treehouse, Phantom Manor, Pirates of the Caribbean to name a few), watched Dreams! from Central Plaza and walked around, a lot!

Have a great Sunday everyone!

Dan.
Happy first day of summer!
DisneyDan  Saturday, June 21, 2014 2:43:34 PM
Today is the Summer Solstice, which means in the Northern Hemisphere it is the first day of summer and the longest day of the year!

I thought I'd share some of my favourite pictures from fun in the sun with our Disney pals!

Having fun at Castaway Cay!

Having fun at Castaway Cay!

Meeting Mickey and Minnie Mouse in their Summer Beach outfits

Having fun at Castaway Cay!

Having fun at Castaway Cay!

Having fun at Castaway Cay!

Beach Goofy

Having fun at Castaway Cay!

Having fun at Castaway Cay!

Having fun at Castaway Cay!

Meeting Chip and Dale

And finally, these guys know all about summer!...

Phineas and Ferb's Rockin' Rollin' Dance Party

Happy first day of summer everyone!

Dan.
Happy 12th Birthday Lilo and Stitch!
DisneyDan  Saturday, June 21, 2014 11:32:54 AM
Hello everyone,

Today is the 12th anniversary of the general release of Disney's Lilo and Stitch. Although I would normally go by premiere date for birthdays, I was out of the country on Monday (16th) when it was theirs. Therefore their general release date is considered their secondary birthday!

Without further delay here are a cavalcade of pictures of the stars of the film, Stitch, Lilo, Captain Gantu and Dr Jumba Jookiba!

Happy 12th Birthday Lilo and Stitch!

Disney's Stars 'n' Cars

Captain Gantu at Stitch's Hawaiian Paradise Party

Stitch

Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade

Fantasmic!

Stitch

Having fun with the Characters at Stitch's Hawaiian Paradise Party

Happiness is Here Parade

Surf's Up! Breakfast with Mickey & Friends

The Golden Mickeys

Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights

Disney's Halloween Street "Welcome to Spookyville"

Stars 'n' Cars Greeting

Dan.
News and Rumours - Tokyo's Tanabata Star Festival, Summer and Halloween, Unleash the Villains at WDW and MUCH more!
DisneyDan  Friday, June 20, 2014 7:47:41 AM
Hello everyone,

Sorry for the lack of news updates lately. I, as always, have been quite busy with normal life. Anyway, there are a number of things I want to talk about that have come up in the last couple of weeks.

We'll start with Tokyo Disney Resort, and work our way around the world.

From 24th June until 7th July at Tokyo Disney Resort, you can celebrate the magic of Disney Tanabata Days, also known as the Star Festival. At Tokyo DisneySea you can meet ShellieMay and Duffy in their special Disney Tanabata Days costumes at Cape Cod's Village Greeting Place in American Waterfront. You can also see Mickey and friends in a very special show on Mediterranean Harbor, three times per day (10.45am, 1pm and 4.30pm) wearing their special Star Festival costumes.
At Tokyo Disneyland there is a special parade each day at 11.20am and 4.15pm, featuring your favourite Disney friends wearing yet more beautifully crafted costumes.
At both parks guests will be given the opportunity to make a wish on special cards, and tie them to specially dedicated "Wishing Places" in the parks.

After the Disney Tanabata Days end, summer season arrives at the resort, and so does the water! Jon and I have been to Tokyo Disney Resort in the summer before, and I must warn you - prepare to get wet!
At Tokyo DisneySea's Summer Festival, Minnie's Tropical Splash is described as being a "carnival celebrating the bountiful harvest of fruit" and where "hot Latin rhythms begin to throb as colourful fruit themed barges appear on the Harbor". The TDR website then goes on to describe the "torrent of water" that then sprays from the barges and the shore! Characters appearing in the show - and in new costumes this year too - are Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy and Clarice. The show will be presented three times daily and lasts about 20 minutes.
At Tokyo Disneyland's Natsu Matsuri event, "hot and lively dances" are the thing at the Castle Stage, during Garyo Gunbu. Team Miyabi Kenran starring Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Max and Pluto compete against Team Ryobu Shippu's Donald, Daisy, Chip, Dale and Clarice in a water filled dance battle! We've seen these water canons in action, and trust me when I say, if you don't want to get wet, avoid Central Plaza during your visit! The show will be presented three times per day and lasts about 13 minutes.
The other show at Castle Stage will be Ondo-Ko-Don! which will be presented once per day, morning only, lasting 11 minutes. It will feature Mickey, Minnie, Donald and "others" in a special performance of a Japanese dance called the "ondo".
At both Tokyo DisneySea and Tokyo Disneyland there will be special merchandise, decorations and menu items to accompany these events.
Summer season at both parks runs from 8th July through 31st August inclusive.

We have a discussion topic about the summer fun, here on our forum.

A week later on the 7th September, the long running Legend of Mythica will end. If you're visiting before then, be sure to see this jaw dropping show before it goes away forever!

After the summer, we come to Halloween. At Tokyo DisneySea, the park will be filled with Disney Skeletons! In American Waterfront you can join the skeletons as well as the Disney characters in special costumes for their brand new show "New York's Halloween Follies". At Mediterranean Harbor you can join skeletons for "Welcome Skeleton Friends" in a participation show as they try to make new friends. In the Lost River Delta you can watch Chip 'n' Dale's Skeleton Fiesta, and finally "Street Party of the Skeleton" will be carried out in multiple areas of the park, where skeletons will dance and play around, interacting with guests and greeting them.
At Tokyo Disneyland, from what I can make out from the Japanese release, the Happy Halloween Harvest parade will return with the theme of a Halloween fair.
As with every event in Japan, there will be decorations, merchandise and food involved, too! Halloween at Tokyo Disney Resort runs from 8th September until 31st October inclusive.

Don't forget that throughout the year you can enjoy the brand new nightly spectacular at Cinderella Castle, Once Upon a Time. You can read my review of it from opening week, last month, here.

Additionally, remember that Oswald the Lucky Rabbit made his Disney Parks debut just about 8 weeks ago at Tokyo DisneySea's American Waterfront! He is super cute and gives you yet another reason to visit this summer - as if you needed ay more excuses, right?! You can check out my blog post about meeting Oswald for the first time, here, and our dedicated Oswald page, here.

Finally for Tokyo, member Ryo on our forum posted that OLC have announced some new changes to Dreamlights in 2015, including the addition of Rapunzel and an update to Peter Pan's float! I can't seem to find the actual OLC release for this, as it's probably entirely in Japanese, but if I do, I'll link it here.

Ok, moving on to Walt Disney World now, and the Disney Parks Blog released a short list of some of the characters we can expect at the Unleash the Villains event on 23rd August this year. This is the only official list posted so far, but rumours have been flying around the internet of all sorts of rare appearances! None of the characters on the current list come as any great surprise, so it'll be interesting to see who else they put into the mix. We have a discussion topic about the event here on our forum, so join us in the speculation!

The new Harambe Theater District opened in Animal Kingdom just recently, and is now the new home to the Festival of the Lion King, after a short hiatus when it closed in Camp Minnie-Mickey. Not too much to report here, but people seem to like the new location and the show remains as popular as ever. I'm glad that Timon and friends have now moved back to their native Africa after spending the past ten years in an American Summer Camp!

Finally for WDW, our friends on our forum noticed that when visiting the Magic Kingdom recently, Winnie the Pooh has decided to sport a slightly different expression! Check out this discussion thread to see how he looks now when greeting at the Crystal Palace.

Jumping across the continent to Disneyland in California, and summer has kicked off with a special Frozen pre-parade at Disneyland Park. You can check out this video of it from Inside the Magic here, and discuss it here on our forum.

Also at Disneyland, Merida has now stopped meeting at her location near "it's a small world", and has been moved to inside the Royal Hall, where I guess her appearances will be more random (switching with her royal friends). In other princess news, Anna and Elsa's greeting times have apparently been extended, and they now meet until 8pm daily.

Flying across the Atlantic to Disneyland Paris, the press preview of the brand new Ratatouille attraction and restaurant happens this weekend. The restaurant is believed to be character dining (based on concept art and even one lady on the reservation line at Disneyland Paris), but is yet to actually be confirmed - we shall find out in the next day or two for sure! Rumours have been circulating for quite some time now, and have additionally strongly suggested that Linguini will appear in the new area (not inside the restaurant)! I'll let you know of any developments on those rumours as the weekend progresses. Jon and I have reservations for Chez Remy in August, and cannot wait to see the new land! You can join our discussion topic about Chez Remy (the new restaurant), here on our forum.

Staying in France, and DisneylandBerry on Twitter (who is often very reliable) has suggested that long running show Animagique will close at some point in 2015. As much as I love this show, it would be great if they put in a brand new show, since this once has been here for over 10 years now! Disneyland Paris are notoriously bad at announcing anything, so we won't know if this is actually true for quite some time yet, I would imagine. Our members are discussing this topic here on our forum.

Finally for Disneyland Paris, InsideDLParis revealed that from 5th July this year Disney's Stars 'n' Cars parade would end. The meet 'n' greets that currently take place using the same characters and cars would be extended to include more set times, and 4 of the current cars would be used to transport the characters on and off set from the greetings. InsideDLParis also revealed that the Incredibles would return to the park for the summer near the new Spider-Man location.

To our final topic today, Iron Man. Our good friend DisneyMart discovered something interesting yesterday, while randomly poking around the Disney Consumer Products website. The recent Disney Consumer Products at Licensing Expo 2014 featured Iron Man as a character, alongside Mickey Mouse, Stormtroopers and Buzz Lightyear! What's interesting is that his appearance has been kept so quiet. He did appear at D23 last year, but since then fans have discovered that the Marvel characters at the event were not wearing their official Disney outfits, meaning that Iron Man and Spider-Man were not appearing as they will at the Disney Parks. I have no idea if this is the case for this most recent appearance, and it could be why Disney have kept hush about it, not wanting people to believe they have already developed Tony Stark's new outfit for him, but instead using an older outside design of his!

Finally, although it was a couple of weeks ago now, why not check out my previous news post to read about the Frozen Disney On Ice show and Hong Kong Disneyland's new nighttime parade!

Ok, that is everything for today! Have a great weekend everyone,

Dan.

To read my May 2014 review of Tokyo Disneyland's Crystal Palace Character Dining, click here.

To read my May 2014 review of Tokyo Disneyland's Mickey and Company Dinner Show, click here.

To read my May 2014 review of Tokyo Disneyland's Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise Dinner Show, click here.

To read my May 2014 review of Tokyo Disney Resort's Chef Mickey Character Dining, click here.

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise - A Review
DisneyDan  Thursday, June 19, 2014 10:38:21 AM
Hello everyone,

On our most recent trip to Tokyo Disney Resort we had the pleasure of dining at the Polynesian Terrace for Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise dinner show. The Polynesian Terrace is a table service dinner show venue that offers two different shows daily (the other being Lilo's Luau and Fun at lunchtime).

Lilo's Luau and Fun at Polynesian Terrace

Reservations are always required, but sadly can only be made on the Japanese Tokyo Disney Resort website or by calling their reservation line, both of which are in Japanese language only. Fortunately we have some very good Japanese friends who are able to make the reservations for us. If you are able to get someone to make reservations for you, or you can read Japanese (which if you're reading this report is unlikely), then you should ensure that you do it well in advance of the date and time you want. In our experience, reservations for table service and buffet dining at Tokyo Disney Resort sell out virtually instantly, unfortunately.
On the plus side, the respectful and thoughtful nature of the Japanese means that if they cannot make their reservation they usually call to cancel it, which means times can show up at any moment. We have actually gotten several reservations this way in the past, so it's definitely worth checking back everyday before your trip to see if the venue you want has any availability.

On the day of your reservation you will need to go to collect a ticket for the meal at the will call window at the side of the restaurant. This must be done at least half hour before show time, I believe, but it might be more than that. You will not be allowed to enter later on without the ticket. Once you have the reservation ticket you simply come back later at the time specified (printed on the ticket). The Japanese are very particular about details, and so once you have your reservation there is no need to show up any more than about 5 or 10 minutes before the specified time. There will be a line outside the restaurant, but once the doors open everyone is let in very quickly, and your table is preassigned which means that you do not stand any better chance of a better table than if you were in line half hour before opening.

There are three categories of seating available for the shows, "A", "B" and "S", which all increase in price the closer you are to the stage (with "S" being the closest to the stage). The most expensive category was just short of US$50 per person. Prepayment is required and is non-refundable.
The restaurant is located at the back of Adventureland near the Western River Railroad and Enchanted Tiki Room.

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

Once you have entered the restaurant and taken your seat dinner is served and the show begins shortly after.
The food is a set menu and is very difficult to change, however, being the awkward westerners that we are, we are vegetarian, which is non-existent in Japan. We had a Japanese friend with us who was able to call over the manager, and after some discussion they said that they could prepare something just for us! We have to say that we were exceptionally impressed with their willingness to accommodate us and the fact that we actually got something fairly decent to eat, despite their restaurant not being equipped for vegetarian diners.
For starter on the regular menu, there is ham, salad, cheese and various mixtures of seafood cocktails. The regular set main item is a pork steak with rice.
For dessert the regular menu was yellow and soft, but honestly, I don't know what it was! It was served with fruit, sauce and a cracker of some sort. It's probably best you see the photo below! Drinks are included, and are refillable.

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

For our vegetarian selection they prepared us some rice, carrot, broccoli and potatoes, with fresh salad. For dessert we had mixed fruit. The vegetarian option was a bit lacking, but honestly, this is a country where everything has some sort of meat product in it, so by all accounts we were grateful for their efforts! Next time I think we would make sure to have something else in the park beforehand, as the food we received was not substantial enough. Otherwise it tasted good, and it's not their fault we are vegetarians in a country that doesn't know that means!

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

The show doesn't really have a story, but is more a wonderful showcase of Polynesian style dancing and music, which is beautifully presented. The show features Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale who all dance and play along with the performers and musicians. There are several costume changes for the characters and performers, which include some really amazing ones for Mickey and Minnie. The entire show from start to finish is a delight to watch and really adds something enchanting and magical to their Adventureland.

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

During the show there is an audience participation section. The hula dancers will come to tables and invite the men in your party up onto the stage for what appeared to be a dance off competition! I have to say, without any disrespect to the men who were brave enough to do it, it was an odd sequence, and almost fascinating to see how competitive Japanese men are when presented with a hula dancing competition at a Disney dinner show!

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

Overall we really enjoyed the show and the food, even if it was a little limiting for us. The cast members were amazing and went out of their way to help us with our needs and our food was very nice.

If you can make a reservation then I'd definitely recommend it, just remember that to do so will require someone who reads or speaks Japanese.

Mickey and Minnie's Polynesian Paradise

Dan.
Mickey and Company at the Diamond Horseshoe - A Review
DisneyDan  Tuesday, June 10, 2014 2:05:23 PM
Hello everyone,

On our most recent trip to Tokyo Disney Resort we had the pleasure of dining at the Diamond Horseshoe for the Mickey and Company dinner show. The Diamond Horseshoe is a table service dinner show venue that offers two different shows daily (the other being the Horseshoe Roundup at lunchtime).

The Diamond Horseshoe

Reservations are always required, but sadly can only be made on the Japanese Tokyo Disney Resort website or by calling their reservation line, both of which are in Japanese language only. Fortunately we have some very good Japanese friends who are able to make the reservations for us. If you are able to get someone to make reservations for you, or you can read Japanese (which if you're reading this report is unlikely), then you should ensure that you do it well in advance of the date and time you want. In our experience, reservations for table service and buffet dining at Tokyo Disney Resort sell out virtually instantly, unfortunately.
On the plus side, the respectful and thoughtful nature of the Japanese means that if they cannot make their reservation they usually call to cancel it, which means times can show up at any moment. We have actually gotten several reservations this way in the past, so it's definitely worth checking back everyday before your trip to see if the venue you want has any availability.

On the day of your reservation you will need to go to collect a ticket for the meal at the will call window at the side of the restaurant. This must be done at least half hour before show time, I believe, but it might be more than that. You will not be allowed to enter later on without the ticket. Once you have the reservation ticket you simply come back later at the time specified (printed on the ticket). The Japanese are very particular about details, and so once you have your reservation there is no need to show up any more than about 5 or 10 minutes before the specified time. There will be a line outside the restaurant, but once the doors open everyone is let in very quickly, and your table is preassigned which means that you do not stand any better chance of a better table than if you were in line half hour before opening.

There are three categories of seating available for the shows, "A", "B" and "S", which all increase in price the closer you are to the stage (with "S" being the closest to the stage). The most expensive category was just short of US$50 per person. Prepayment is required and is non-refundable.

Tokyo Aug 2010 - Looking around Westernland

The restaurant is located on the left hand side of the entrance area to Westernland (Tokyo's equivalent of Frontierland), and looks very similar to its sister restaurants in Disneyland and the Magic Kingdom (both inside and out).

Once you have entered the restaurant and taken your seat, the show will begin very promptly. There is a warm up part which introduces some of the characters (not Mickey and friends, they come later!) and dinner service begins soon after.
The food is a set menu and is very difficult to change, however, being the awkward westerners that we are, we are vegetarian, which is non-existent in Japan. We had a Japanese friend with us who was able to call over the manager, and after some discussion they said that they could prepare something just for us! We have to say that we were exceptionally impressed with their willingness to accommodate us and the fact that we actually got something fairly decent to eat, despite their restaurant not being equipped for vegetarian diners.
The regular set items are potato wedges, sausage, grilled vegetables, pumpkin, chicken, corn on the cob and I think shrimp, but since I didn't eat it I can't remember exactly (the picture below shows the food, but I can't make out what is on the back of the plate).
For dessert the regular menu consisted of a fun cake that looks like Donald Duck's bottom! Drinks are included, and are refillable. Bread is in a basket on the table and can be refilled upon request. There is a bowl of salad on the table also, which is prepared and has salmon and eggs in it.

Mickey and Company

Mickey and Company

Mickey and Company

Mickey and Company

For our vegetarian selection we had basically the same, except we were given rice, and potatoes shaped like stars! For dessert sadly we only got strawberries, but it's nice that they made the effort to find out that the dessert had gelatine in it. Strawberries aren't even on the menu, so they must have put some effort in to obtain them, which we appreciate.

Mickey and Company

Mickey and Company

The show involves Mickey and his friends helping a hapless young romantic gain the affections of Slue Foot Sue. There are some really great scenes, including Mickey playing the drums! It's a great show and has a nice happy feel to it. It's something which I really wish that the other parks would bring back to their Horseshoe venues. It adds a life and vibrance to Westernland that sadly the other Frontierland's lack.

Mickey and Company at the Diamond Horseshoe

Mickey and Company at the Diamond Horseshoe

Mickey and Company at the Diamond Horseshoe

Mickey and Company at the Diamond Horseshoe

Mickey and Company at the Diamond Horseshoe

Mickey and Company at the Diamond Horseshoe

Mickey and Company at the Diamond Horseshoe

Mickey and Company at the Diamond Horseshoe

Mickey and Company at the Diamond Horseshoe

Overall we really enjoyed the show and the food. The cast members were amazing and went out of their way to help us with our needs and our food was very nice.

If you can make a reservation then I'd definitely recommend it, just remember that to do so will require someone who reads or speaks Japanese.

Mickey and Company at the Diamond Horseshoe

Dan.

Mickey and Company at the Diamond Horseshoe
Happy 80th Birthday Donald Duck!
DisneyDan  Monday, June 9, 2014 10:23:24 AM
Today is Donald Duck's 80th birthday!

Starring in more roles than his best pal Mickey, Donald Fauntleroy Duck is hot tempered but ever loveable. His very human, and often hilarious, frustration with the more irritating side of life has provided entertainment to his fans since his debut in the Silly Symphonies in 1934. Donald Duck’s ever suffering love interest is Daisy Duck, who along with her short temper, make the perfect match.
A very keen traveller, Donald is also friends with Jose and Panchito whom he met on his exploits to South America.
While something very small can make him flip, Donald's down to earth approach to life means he is adored by generations of fans world over.

Happy 80th Birthday Donald Duck!

In our usual Character Central style, here's a cavalcade of photos from some of our favourite moments with Donald at the parks.

Meeting Donald Duck

Easter Monday Brunch

Meeting Donald and Daisy Duck

Character fun at Pete's Silly Sideshow

My Friend Duffy

Easter Sunday Brunch

Dinner at Chef Mickey

Kitchen Beat

Disney's Spring Promenade

Mickey's Halloween Celebration

Meeting Halloween Donald and Daisy

Christmas Cavalcade

Mickey's Winter Wonderland

Disney's Hotel New York New Year's Eve Character Dinner

Meeting Donald Duck

Meeting Donald Duck

Meeting the Three Caballeros

Meeting Donald and Daisy

Dan.
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