 | Disneyland July 2012 Photo Trip Report Part 1 |
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| PeterPanFan
Monday, August 20, 2012 11:08:30 AM |
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Hi all, Dan is much more of a writer than I am so I don't normally do trip reports; however, in the past I have done "Photo Trip Reports" that are 95% pictures with some comments mixed in. I thought I would do one for our Disneyland Trip since there was a lot of new stuff. This will probably be the longest part as I have a lot more pictures from the 1st day (even though we didn't arrive until 1pm) than the other days. The "Magic Kingdom" park at a resort is almost always our first stop on a trip unless there is a really good reason for it not to be. This trip with all the new stuff in DCA there definitely was a reason to go to DCA first and that is what we did! I never hated Sunshine Plaza and I was sad to see some of its elements go away; however, after seeing Buena Vista Street all I can say is "WOW! What an improvement". I really love the look and feel of Buena Vista Street and think they did an excellent job. I saw pictures of many aspects of Buena Vista Street before we arrived and I had thought some of them (Carthay Circle Theatre) didn't look that impressive; however, everything makes a MUCH better impression in person. [ Read More... ] |
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 | Happy 70th Anniversary Bambi! | |
| DisneyDan
Monday, August 13, 2012 12:06:59 PM |
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Today marks the 70th anniversary of Walt Disney's beloved masterpiece, Bambi; released on this day in 1942.
Sadly, only three characters have ever been inspired and created from the movie (Flower, Thumper and Miss Bunny), and only two of them have been seen in recent history (Thumper and Miss Bunny).
Nonetheless, Thumper and his girlfriend Miss Bunny are here to celebrate.
Happy Birthday Bambi, Thumper, Miss Bunny, Flower and all their forest friends!
Dan. |
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Hi all,
I was going through some old emails and I noticed one I had sent to myself before the California trip regarding some news... But of course I had forgot to report it! LOL!
Anyway, there is some new news this evening, so I thought I would report this old news and new news altogether :)
The Disney Parks Blog finally announced when the New Fantasyland would fully open (minus the Fairytale Hall and Mine Coaster - they are both coming a lot later) on December 6th this year! This means that the new character features should be open by then too, including the new Enchanted Tales with Belle (replacement for Storytime with Belle), Pete's Silly Side Show (which I reported on earlier this week, and includes some cool new outfits for the VIPs!), Ariel's Grotto (which will see the return of Ariel in her true Mermaid form!) and also some new character appearances! We have heard that Gaston and Beast will start greeting guests in the New Fantasyland, as of course it will be heavily themed towards their home village.
We have also heard "someone" will move from EPCOT to Magic Kingdom. My theory is that this is Beast. He is a difficult character to cast, and thus having him two places would be awkward. So, although I could be wrong, the EPCOT character that is moving, in my opinion, will probably be Beast.
On top of that, because of the fact Donald and Goofy will now appear in the new Circus area in new outfits, they will no longer both meet in Frontierland. I have heard that Chip and Dale will be leaving Tomorrowland and will appear in Frontierland instead. This will leave Stitch and Buzz in Tomorrowland.
Overall this means we are gaining Gaston to the regualr character line-up at the Magic Kingdom.
For Mickey's Not So Scary in the Magic Kingdom, Panchito on our forum reported that Phineas and Ferb may appear in Town Square. Their addition could mean the loss of Rafiki and Timon in Adventureland.
At Disney's Hollywood Studios, Agent P is now strongly rumoured to start appearing in the Fall. If we hear more we'll report it!
Over at Disneyland Paris, you may recall that I had mentioned a while ago that Duffy had been sidelined in favour of more popular characters during quieter hours. Well, now it appears that he has been taken off the times guides altogether. The new one for this week completes omits his location on Main Street. We still hear he will be around for Halloween Season though in a special costume.
Also at DLP, a while ago I had heard that the Cowboy Cookout was returning to a regular restaurant from the start of November. User Frollo on our Forum now reports that he has heard this will be from the start of October. So, say goodbye to the the most peculiar tea party in the Wild West! (For those of you who aren't aware, Cowboy Cookout was an amazing counter service restaurant at DLP in Frontierland. About 3 years ago they stopped the regualr operation of the venue and added a "Tea Party with Disney Characters". A tea party with Woody, Jessie and the VIPs in their Western gear, in Frontierland. It was a n odd concept, but one which was very well received, reasonably priced, and offered good food).
I actually look forward to it returning as a counter service restaurant, despite being a huge character fan. It is more fitting that such a grand restaurant fulfil it's true potential.
That isn't all this week's news - check my post from two days ago, too, for some other relevant things!
Ok, I think that's all for now. Please remember that everything is rumour or speculation until confirmed by Disney. We try to be as accurate as possible, but s with everything, things can change!
Dan. |
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Hi all,
After our hectic trip to California and other things that get in the way, I have some news to report this evening! Hooray I hear you all cry!
Starting in California, and the Disney Parks Blog announced this week that the Princess Fantasy Faire will close on August 12th to make way for a brand new show that will debut in summer 2013!
The Princesses will be moving to a temporary location along the Small World Mall until their new Fantasy Faire next to the Castle is completed - which the article claims will be next spring.
We look forward to seeing the developments on the new show and the new Princess meet 'n' greet area.
At Disneyland Paris, Angel has been seen out with increasing frequency. She was with Stitch at the Disneyland Hotel again this week, further laying the path for her to start meeting regularly in the Park. We understand that she will be in Discoveryland on a regular basis. My guess is that it is going to be sooner rather than later, seeing as she is being seen more often in random spots. Maybe in time for Halloween?
I have also heard that for Christmas this year, despite the rumours, that FantIllusion will return, but the long running Mickey's Winter Wonderland will not.
I have also heard on a more exciting note, that there will be a cavalcade for Christmas Season this year too. I had heard previously that DLP are reluctant to change the Parade this year due to it being the 20th Anniversary. So, a separate daily cavalcade would be a great addition instead!
Of course, these things are not confirmed officially by Disney yet. When we know more, we'll let you know!
Also, we and a few of our fans on our Forums here at Character Central have noticed that DLP have seemingly increased their character offerings again, and have returned to how they were before the 20th Anniversary began. For the first half of this year, DLP seemed to suddenly lose a lot of characters, which was mostly due to the massive resources required for launching the 20th. But, DLP has always had a good reputation for random characters, and true to form, the last few weeks have seen a dramatic increase once again. Friends in the Parks have reported to us that they have seen everyone from the Sheriff of Nottingham to Friar Tuck! (Not to mention Angel, like I reported above!)
At Walt Disney World, the Disney Parks Blog, just today in fact, revealed - finally - some information about the new Pete's Silly Sideshow in the New Fantasyland. Minnie and Daisy will appear together, as will Goofy and Donald. All of them are now confirmed to be getting brand new circus themed outfits. I especially love Daisy's! No date has been set yet, but reading the comments, the Blog replied to one person saying the dates would be coming very soon. We'll keep you posted!
Finally, we have been working really hard to get more and more content on the site, and to update pages that had been left behind. We are really excited for some brand new features and new content that I promise will be coming soon! Just a little more patience! In the meantime be sure to have a look around, discover some of the new stuff - including a bunch of new characters! - and let us know what you think by going to our Forums and joining the conversations and fun there!
Ok, I think that's all for now,
Dan. |
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 | A Very Disney Olympics! | |
| DisneyDan
Saturday, August 4, 2012 2:59:21 PM |
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With all the Olympic fever going on here in London, and around the world with people supporting their teams, I thought we'd take a look at some very special moments we have had with the Disney Characters, during some sporting moments.
Of course, the Olympics started in ancient Greece, and what better competitor than the most famous Grecian of them all, Hercules? [ Read More... ] |
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 | Disneyland Resort Trip Photo Update! | |
| DisneyDan
Wednesday, August 1, 2012 2:55:54 AM |
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Hi all!
We are back from our amazing trip to Disneyland in California!
There are a lot of updates to come, but I just wanted to share some pictures that were
posted to our Facebook page while we were there, in case you don't use Facebook,
or missed our posts for some reason. [ Read More... ] |
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 | And we're off! Again! | |
| DisneyDan
Tuesday, July 24, 2012 1:09:52 PM |
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Hi all,
Just to let you know that we are off on our travels again this evening!
We'll be at Disneyland in California for 5 days starting tomorrow (Wednesday), so be sure to follow our live updates from the Parks on our Facebook and Twitter pages!
There will of course be full updates here on the blog, when we return next week.
All the best,
Dan. |
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| Meet Mickey Mouse! | |
| DisneyDan
Sunday, July 22, 2012 7:14:33 AM |
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Hi all,
On our most recent trip to Disneyland Paris we got to meet Mickey Mouse in his new home, in Fantasyland.
The Fantasyland Theatre finally closed its doors last year to make way for the brand new meet 'n' greet experience, after nearly 20 years of service to the fans.
Fantasyland Theatre had previously showcased such shows as Winnie the Pooh and Friends (and it's Christmas version), as well as the Magic Music Days.
Mickey had never really had a real permanent position in the parks, and had spent many years at the Boarding House on Main Street USA (and even further back in time at Casey's Corner).
Of course, the parks are his home, and anywhere is good for Mickey, but he really needed somewhere warm and dry.
With Fantasyland Theatre so infrequently occupied in recent years, it became the obvious choice.
DLP had released a picture long before the new theatre opened, that depicted something that, without using too much away, looked a lot like the recent Town Square Theater make over in the Magic Kingdom.
When we visited last month we were suitably impressed with the transition.
The building still retains the feel of a theatre, and the concept is similar to the Magic Kingdom, with the idea of going backstage to Mickey's dressing room.
The difference though is that the queue line is much more interesting and builds the atmosphere up more into actually being a real theatre! (unlike the Magic Kingdom).
Building into the existing theatre does end the years of speculation that any future expansion may be accomplished by going under the tracks of the railroad by taking the theatre out.
It does also make me wonder what will happen at seasonal times of the year. Will Mickey continue to have seasonal clothing like he has in the past? I guess this Halloween and Christmas we'll know that for sure.
Instead of describing in intricate detail every nook and cranny, let's now take a photographic tour of Mickey's new place!
The tour begins as you approach the building at the back of Fantasyland. [ Read More... ] |
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Hi all!
Sorry that it has been a few days since a proper update.
I have been very busy with getting ready to move house, preparing for our trip to Disneyland this week, and a whole lot of other things that basically get in the way!
We do actually try to keep up to date on our forums, and our members there often post news before I get chance to blog about it; so be sure to join our friendly forum to get the most out of Character Central!
Ok so to the news!
Tokyo Disneyland have finally added Rapunzel and Flynn as meet 'n' greet characters, which means that Rapunzel can now be met at all five resorts worldwide!
Disneyland celebrated it's 57th birthday last week, and there was a small ceremony in Town Square. Here's a link to a video of the occasion.
Hong Kong Disneyland's newest land opened last week. Grizzly Gulch features a new take on the Frontierland concept, with a new attraction that is a unique take on Big Thunder.
Of course characters now meet there, and guests can meet Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale in brand new Western outfits. Koda and Kenai also meet there.
Over in Disneyland Paris they released their press information for Halloween Season this year.
I had already said previously here on the blog that people should expect the Mickey's Trick or Treat in the Street to return, and I was right!
Goofy will have a new Halloween location in Town Square, and will be themed around the Goody Candy Co concept which they have in the US.
The Villains will of course be back, but in Fantasyland, and Jack and Sally will return as usual, this year near Phantom Manor.
The Soirée sadly will not be getting a replacement show because of the loss of Central Plaza Stage, but Disney Dreams! will be run instead (which can of course be seen any night of the year).
I haven't heard of any more changes to the Soirée, so hopefully all the other weird French entertainment, performers and characters will return as usual.
There is one last thing for Halloween, but it is linked with a recent event too.
We all know that Duffy the Disney Bear has never been popular at any park except Tokyo, despite the fact that he continues to be pushed everywhere. Well, despite the US pushing him ever forward, Paris actually decided last week (unofficially I guess) to drop him!
Now, instead of Duffy at the Boarding House in Town Square, any other main character (usually a Big 8 or Pooh pals) appears if they decide to do that, at any given point (Duffy might still appear, but it is less likely now).
What we have heard though is that Duffy will be back full time for the Halloween Season in a Halloween outfit. I wonder if it will be the same as the US Parks outfit?
I think that's everything for the news today!
A couple of things here at Character Central before I go.
First off, and I hate to write this sort of thing but needs must, I have seen on a number of occasions again recently people copying our work. Whether that be pictures and even my blog posts. Please do not do this. We work hard - and unpaid! - at this to bring you the best character website on the Internet, and it is so disappointing that people can't even be bothered to link back to us or credit us. Groan over!
Second, we have been working really hard to get some great new content up on the site ready for our relaunch, and we are really pleased with how it is all going! I know some of you have asked us on the forums when you can expect to see the new version of the site, and at the moment all I can say is, just be patient and it'll come soon enough!
Thirdly, we are off to Disneyland in California on Wednesday, and as always - where possible - we will be updating throughout our trip with pictures and more on our Facebook page and Twitter. So be sure to follow us there!
Finally, we are still trying to reach our goal of 2000 Likes on our Facebook page, and when we do, we'll be running another great prize giveaway! So get sharing our page with all your friends!
All the best,
Dan. |
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 | Happy 57th Birthday Disneyland! | |
| DisneyDan
Tuesday, July 17, 2012 9:22:16 AM |
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Hi all,
On this day in 1955, Walt Disney's original Magic Kingdom of Disneyland opened its doors to the world!
Let's celebrate with some pictures from our own trips to the park. Here's to another 57 years of Disney magic in California!
Happy 57th Birthday Disneyland!
Dan. |
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