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Hello everyone,
If you had been following our Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Tumblr this past weekend, you'll know that Jon and I were at Disneyland Paris (yes, again!) for the Valentine's weekend. While I do not make "trip reports" per se any more, I thought that this trip to DLP warranted some kind of round-up, especially since there have been some real positive changes there recently - as well as some not so positive ones! So, I'll be incorporating some recent news into my report as we go along.
First things first, hotels!
Disney's Hotel Cheyenne
We spent 5 days at the resort, staying on site at Disney's Hotel Cheyenne. Here's some photos I took of the Cheyenne during our stay.
Hotel Characters
For those of you who are not aware, the Disney Hotels at Disneyland Paris have always featured morning meet 'n' greets with the Disney Characters. Each of the seven Disney properties feature a mixture of the Mickey and Friends VIPs and other characters that fit the hotel theme. For example, the Sequoia Lodge, which is forest themed and along similar lines to Wilderness Lodge at WDW, features Minnie and Goofy in cute ranger outfits, as well as the Pooh characters (since they are from the 100 Acre Wood).
Last week, much to the absolute horror of the Disneyland Paris fan community, Disneyland Paris decided that from November (3rd I believe, but it is subject to change) that the hotel characters would be cut! There has since been a massive outcry, but Disney have responded by saying that they want to alleviate the (apparent) impact that the crowding in the hotel lobbies creates, and instead want to offer something new to guests at the theme parks in the morning. Instead, from November, hotel guests will be able to have some brand new interactions with the Disney Characters in Town Square at Disneyland Park during Extra Magic Hours (EMH). We have heard all sorts of rumours, including one that the characters will be wearing PJ's, and another that it'll be a unique experience where guests will be able to join the characters as they "prepare the park for opening". Of course, all these things are subject to change and/or cancellation. I guess we shall see come November. The other thing that came out of this is the uncertainty surrounding the availability of EMH to Annual Pass Dream holders. Up until now, Dream passholders have always been able to access EMH without having to stay at a Disney Hotel, but come November, this could potentially change. We have heard that this will not be the case and that AP holders will not lose this benefit, and I sincerely hope not, but I guess you never know.
I am incredibly sad that we will be losing hotel characters, regardless of what we get in exchange. The character meet 'n' greets at the hotels have been a big staple of an on site stay since, well, forever, and along with the cute, unique outfits they wear, it'll be a heavy loss indeed. Having said that, as of the moment, we have heard that guests staying in the Castle Club, Manhattan Club or Golden Forest Club at the Disneyland Hotel, Disney's Hotel New York and Disney's Sequoia Lodge will still have characters at their breakfasts, but again, this is subject to change, and is course limited to the guests who pay the premium of staying in those rooms.
Anyway, back on track and to this past trip, we made a point of ensuring that each morning we did the "hotel rounds" (as us and our character hunting friends like to call it) to ensure we got all the hotel characters before they disappear forever. We'll be doing the same in April and August when we are back in DLP, too.
This trip started on Valentine's Day itself, and true to DLP's form, they had some special character opportunities for the most romantic day of the year. At Disney's Hotel New York, Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy were greeting guests in special outfits, and Pluto made an appearance in his normal collar, too.
At Disney's Hotel Cheyenne, Mickey and Minnie were greeting guests in special costumes also, but sadly we only got to see Mickey. There was also heart balloons and heart shaped chocolates being given out for free.
Throughout the rest of the trip we visited the hotels in the mornings, and tried to grab whatever pictures we could. Here are just some of the characters we saw, including one that I am incredibly happy to have finally got - Mickey wearing his Indian headdress! I am especially happy that he was wearing this during our trip, as we had tried so many times before, and now the hotel characters are leaving, was worried I would never get to see it!
Valentine's Day at the Disneyland Hotel
Valentine's festivities continued later in the day at the Disneyland Hotel, when Mickey and Minnie appeared in special Valentine's costumes alongside a very smart looking Goofy and Pluto at the hotel's afternoon Magical Moment, which was specially themed for the occasion (balloons and decorations accompanied a special soundtrack).
I want to point out that the Magical Moment has been another staple of the hotel character opportunities for a long time, and has often been a way of getting some really cool characters and characters wearing some very unique outfits. This will also be lost when the characters leave the hotels in November.
Later that evening there was a special meal at the hotel's California Grill restaurant, which featured the same characters as the Magical Moment.
I noticed that Goofy was also giving out special heart chocolates upstairs at the Castle Lounge, and had to get a picture...
Magical Moments
The Magical Moments for the rest of the trip weren't quite so exciting as the Valentine's Day one, but it's always nice to see who appears anyway. I was happy to see the White Rabbit and Mr. Penguin appear on two separate days, as I love them! On Sunday, Peter and Wendy also appeared, since they were at the Brunch (which we'll talk about shortly), and the Magical Moment is just downstairs in the lobby an hour later.
Queue Lines and Character Greetings at Disneyland Park
One thing that we have always loved about Disneyland Paris is the variety of different characters that can pop up in random locations across the parks. Sometimes, admittedly, they don't always fit the theme of the area, but generally speaking, in the past there has been an excellent number of characters. Sadly, more recently, that trend has been in decline. For as long as anyone can remember, DLP have also been notoriously bad at organisation when it comes to character greetings. There has never really been a queueing system, or any real enforcement of control or order when characters come out. It often makes what should be an enjoyable experience quite infuriating, and is something that all character fans have frequently complained about. That is all until recently, when randomly at the start of this new year, DLP started enforcing queue lines at most character locations across the parks! At once a huge sigh of relief swept through the fan community as our wishes were finally granted! No pushing or shoving, no more random people in your photos, and nice orderly lines where you be guaranteed to meet the characters!
All this of course comes at a price. The recent decline in more random characters seems to have been exemplified by the now orderly way of doing things. "Set locations" with set greeting times are now the normal thing, with the same characters appearing at those locations daily. Sound familiar? Sounds like how the US have done things for a long time, right? There are still some random characters, but no where near as many as there used to be.
I think it's very sad indeed that the cool characters that used to appear randomly have had to be sacrificed because guests at the parks cannot behave themselves! Perhaps if people had been more polite to start with, we'd still get a lot more random pop up characters?
Nonetheless, it was wonderful (and I mean, really wonderful) to finally be able to meet some of our favourite characters at the parks knowing that we can stand in a line, have a nice clear shot with no other heads, elbows or small children in the shot, and have a proper interaction without being shoved out of the way by other guests. As you know, Jon and I adore DLP - it's our favourite place in the world - and to finally be able to have decent interactions and get good pictures of the characters was a huge relief. It made the trip go from being another good Disney trip, to being an amazing Disney trip.
So, here's a cavalcade of photos of all the fun we had at Disneyland Park with the characters this trip!
We were really happy to see Timon. He had been back in Africa for quite some time, and so it was great to see him back at DLP!
Besides all of those characters, we also saw Alice and Pooh out, but didn't get to meet them, and of course Meet Mickey and the Princess Pavilion were open as usual, but we didn't stop by.
Disney Magic on Parade
Of course we watched the parade while we were there. Some floats are currently being refurbished, including the Mickey and Friends finale float, which meant those characters were walking along the ground, and Tinker Bell was missing. Please bear this in mind if you're planning a trip to the park soon.
Disney Dreams!
No trip to DLP would be complete without several viewings of their spectacular nighttime show, Disney Dreams! The first couple of days we were there Second Star was under refurbishment, and I was surprised how little its absence actually impacted on the overall show. Having said that, it did return on our last night, and it really does add something to the show. I was happy we got to see it on our last night.
Queue Lines and Character Greetings at Walt Disney Studios Park
We did of course visit the Walt Disney Studios while we were at DLP, and although it can easily be ranked as the poorest of the Disney Parks around the world, we still enjoy visiting, and meeting all the cool characters they have over there.
We were really happy to see that the new queue line system was also being enforced there, too, and managed to meet some of our favourite stars this trip, who previously we may have not bothered trying to meet simply because it would have been sheer chaos! Long live queue lines!
Here's some of the characters we met or saw walking around from the lunchtime "Stars 'n' Cars" sets:
Woody and Aladdin were also out, but we kept missing them!
At Disney Junior Live we stopped by to see Princess Sofia and Jake in their pre-show dance party.
Over at Toon Plaza, Mickey and Buzz were there as usual.
The Neverland Brunch
During our trip, we attended one of our favourite meals - the Brunch at Inventions inside the Disneyland Hotel. For those who don't know, Inventions is the fabulous character dining location that constantly has different themes for its meals. This trip we were lucky to catch the Neverland Brunch, which is one of the more regular rotating themes.
As always, the food was excellent, and the characters were amazing!
You can check out more photos of the Neverland Brunch on its dedicated page, here.
For my recent in depth review of Inventions from breakfast to dinner and other brunch themes, you should check out my dedicated report, here.
For the dedicated Inventions page here at Character Central, click here.
For our popular, "official" forum topic about Inventions, click here.
Cafe Mickey
Cafe Mickey is a character dining location in Disney Village, and while we used to go quite frequently, it had been a long time since we had dined here. Our main reasons for the drop in visits to Cafe Mickey are that, one, we discovered the wonder of the Sunday Brunches at Inventions, and two, the characters at Cafe Mickey had gone from being very random to very static. In the past we had seen everyone from Scrooge McDuck, Robin Hood, Frollo and the Genie at Cafe Mickey, but for at least a year now it has nearly always been Mickey and Friends and one or two Pooh friends. While I don't have a problem with this, and it's great for young families, for Jon and I we always want more (especially when compared to the Brunch)!
Anyway, we thought it was about time that we dined here again, to see what had changed, what had improved, etc. I have to say that we were not disappointed. Despite the standard nature of the characters and their outfits, they were all very interactive and did not in the least seem tired having already greeted guests all day in the park! Tigger was especially awesome, and made us feel really special! The food was really good too, which I was pleased about, having recently heard some negative things. We enjoyed everything we ordered (and we ate a lot!), and have no complaints about our experience what so ever.
Here's some photos from the great time we had!
For more photos of Cafe Mickey, you can check out our dedicated Cafe Mickey page here at Character Central. It should be noted that the Cafe Mickey page needs updating to reflect our recent experience there, but I thought it was good to at least link to, so you can see it.
Everything Else
Of course, we spent a lot of time wandering around, taking photos like we usually do, and so I thought I'd finish up this report with some photos with other things we did, and some general shots I took around the resort this trip.
If you have any questions or comments about anything in this report, be sure to post it on our forum topic, here.
If you're considering a trip to Disneyland Paris, you can check prices and availability on the official Disneyland Paris website, hereg(214505)a(1961589)) . They have some great offers right now, including up to 30% off hotel and and park tickets, and kids under 12 go free!
Have a great weekend everyone,
Dan. |
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 | Character of the Week - Princess Aurora | |
| DisneyDan
Thursday, February 20, 2014 9:32:57 AM |
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Princess Aurora is the beautiful daughter of King Stefan and his Queen, from Walt Disney's 1959 masterpiece, Sleeping Beauty.
She was betrothed since her birth to King Hubert's son, Phillip. At the celebration of her birth, Aurora was blessed by two of the three good fairies with the gifts of beauty and song, but as the third gift was being given, the evil fairy Maleficent arrived. Disgusted not to have been invited to the celebrations Maleficent curses Aurora with death by the pricking of her finger, by the time the sun sets on her 16th birthday.
The three good fairies could not dispel the curse, only lessen it's power. Merryweather makes it so that in the event Aurora did prick her finger, she would fall into a timeless slumber, until her true love came to wake her.
Despite the fairies best efforts to protect Aurora as she grows up in exile, hiding from Maleficent's all-seeing gaze, ultimately nothing could stop the Mistress of all Evil. Tricked into pricking herself, Aurora is laid in state at King Stefan's castle. Prince Phillip came to her rescue though, defeating Maleficent and breaking the spell.
At the Parks and Resorts
At the Disneyland Resort in California, you can visit the original Sleeping Beauty Castle, which opened with Disneyland in 1955 - four years before the film was released! The Castle features a walkthrough experience that tells the story of Sleeping Beauty in beautiful detail.
When Hong Kong Disneyland opened in 2005, it came complete with a copy of Disneyland's Castle, but sadly minus the walkthrough experience.
Disneyland Paris also has a Sleeping Beauty Castle, but instead of being a copy of the Californian one, it is much more majestic. It features 16 dreamy spires (Aurora's age when she touched the spinning wheel), a dragon's lair and an absolutely beautiful gallery on the upper level that retells the story of Sleeping Beauty through stained glass and tapestries.
There is a lot of merchandise available, including plushes, accessories, toys, dolls and clothes, at most, if not all, the Disney Parks and Resorts (the Asian parks might not have quite so much).
Princess Aurora can also be seen in many parades and shows around the world, from Soundsational at Disneyland, Dream Along with Mickey in Walt Disney World, Disney Magic on Parade at Disneyland Paris, One Man's Dream at Tokyo Disneyland, and the Flights of Fantasy Parade at Hong Kong Disneyland.
Meeting Princess Aurora
Aurora is fairly regular at the Disney Parks.
At Walt Disney World she can sometimes be found in France at EPCOT, and the Akershus Restaurant. In the Magic Kingdom she is normally at the Princess Fairytale Hall. She may also usually be found at Cinderella's Royal Table.
In Disneyland California Aurora can sometimes be found at the Princess meet 'n' greet in Fantasyland, and Ariel's Grotto at DCA.
In Disneyland Paris she is often at the Princess Pavilion and in Auberge de Cendrillon in Fantasyland.
In Tokyo Disneyland she is out in Fantasyland and World Bazaar almost daily.
In Hong Kong she sometimes appears near the Wishing Well.
Aurora meets guests aboard select Disney Cruise Line sailings. You should check your Personal Navigator for details.
I should point out that, for the foreseeable future at least, Princess Aurora greets guests in her blue dress at Disneyland Paris; the only place she does so regularly.
More information
For more information about Princess Aurora, where to find her at the Disney Parks and Resorts, and lots more photos, you can check out her dedicated page here at Character Central.
And finally…
Through the power of true love, Prince Phillip and Princess Aurora bring together their kingdoms and live happily ever after.
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 Princess Aurora!
The options are:
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Goofy
- Wendy
- Christopher Robin
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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 | Happy 61st Anniversary Peter Pan! | |
| DisneyDan
Wednesday, February 5, 2014 11:13:07 AM |
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Today, 5th February, is the 61st anniversary of the premiere of Walt Disney's classic, Peter Pan. Debuting at the Roxy Theatre in New York City in 1953, it is the studio's 14th animated feature film.
Peter Pan, his Lost Boys, the Darling children and the pirates have gone on to become some of the most iconic characters ever produced by Walt Disney. They feature in many parades, shows and attractions round the world, as well as still greeting their fans.
Just as time stands still in Neverland, time has been good to Peter Pan and friends, allowing them to continue to have adventures for the past six decades, bringing joy and happiness to millions across the world, with their two simple beliefs that you should never grow up and if you think of all the joy you'll find when you leave your worries behind, you really can fly.
Youthful and timeless, and not looking a day older than their debut in 1953, Peter Pan, Wendy and all their friends will continue to bring adventure to those who believe for many more years to come.
Happy 61st Anniversary Peter Pan and friends!
Here's a selection of pictures from our travels through Neverland with Peter and the gang over the years.
Dan. |
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 | Character of the Week - Chip 'n' Dale | |
| DisneyDan
Saturday, February 1, 2014 4:09:19 AM |
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| Chip 'n' Dale are the cheeky, mischievous duo who first appeared on 2nd April 1943, where they started their onscreen careers harassing poor Pluto, in Walt Disney's animated short, 'Private Pluto'. [ Read More... ] |
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 | Kung Hei Fat Choi! Happy Lunar New Year! | |
| 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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