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Advent Calendar - 17th December 2014
DisneyDan  Wednesday, December 17, 2014 6:01:37 PM
Hello everyone,

It's the 17th December, which means it's time to open the seventeenth door of our very special Character Central Advent Calendar!

Here we go!...

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Christmas at Walt Disney World Photo Trip Report, Part One - Christmas at the Magic Kingdom including "Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party"
DisneyDan  Friday, December 12, 2014 4:53:06 PM
Hello everyone,

Last week Jon and I were in Walt Disney World, and while there we took in all the wonderful festive offerings at the Magic Kingdom, including three Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Parties.

This is a photo-heavy post, so be prepared in case you have a slow connection speed.

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Advent Calendar - 4th December 2014
DisneyDan  Wednesday, December 3, 2014 10:32:59 PM
Hello everyone,

It's the 4th December, which means it's time to open the fourth door of our very special Character Central Advent Calendar!

Here we go!...

  [ Read More... ]
Advent Calendar - 3rd December 2014
DisneyDan  Wednesday, December 3, 2014 1:02:18 AM
Hello everyone,

It's the 3rd December, which means it's time to open the third door of our very special Character Central Advent Calendar!

Here we go!...

  [ Read More... ]
Breaking! Frozen to take over Walt Disney World this holiday season, including Olaf!
DisneyDan  Friday, September 12, 2014 12:36:44 PM
The Disney Parks Blog just announced that Anna, Elsa, Kristoff and everybody's favourite snowman Olaf will be coming to Mickey's Once Upon a Christmastime Parade at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party this year!
They have also confirmed that Elsa will feature at Cinderella Castle, which will as always be turned into an ice palace - but presumably replacing Cinderella and the Fairy Godmother.

At Disney's Hollywood Studios, the Frozen Sing-a-long which features Anna, Elsa and Kristoff will run through the holidays.

We can't wait to see Olaf join the Disney character family this Christmas season!

Although not holiday related, it's also been announced that Frozen will take over EPCOT's Maelstrom (Norway) attraction, and "will take our guests to Arendelle and immerse them in many of their favorite moments and music from the film." The Blog also confirmed that Anna and Elsa would greet guests at the Norway pavilion, too.

Dare I say it? The only park missing a Frozen addition will be Animal Kingdom!...

Are you excited to see all these additions and changes at Walt Disney World for the holidays and beyond?

Dan.
Disneyland Paris August 2014 Trip Report and Photo Round-Up Part 2!
DisneyDan  Saturday, August 23, 2014 7:43:08 AM
Hello everyone,

Two weeks ago Jon and I were in DLP, and I put together a photo trip report which you can read here. Last weekend we were at DLP again! So, here's another photo report from our three days in the magic!

Let's start at Disneyland Park.   [ Read More... ]
News from around the world - Villains Unleashed, Halloween at DLP, Frozen at TDR and HKDL, Paint the Night and more!
DisneyDan  Thursday, August 21, 2014 6:47:22 AM
Hello everyone,

First of all, I'm sorry for the lateness with which this news article comes. Some of this news has been around for a few days, but Jon and I have been so very busy that I just haven't had time to post. However, if you join our forums our helpful members there nearly always post the latest things they find, so be sure to join our friendly community and never miss any updates! With that said, I've put together a roundup of the latest character news from this week, including brand new news today about Disneyland Paris' Halloween season this year, and a new Frozen event for Tokyo.

Let's start with an event that is just 2 days away, Villains Unleashed at Disney's Hollywood Studios!

Various sites across the internet, including this one, have been posting information regarding all the characters and locations for this hard ticket event. I have used various sources and compiled together the following guide based on everything we know so far. Of course, Disney can change anything at any time, so just bear that in mind. It should also be pointed out that there are no less than THREE brand new characters on this list that have never met guests before! Constantine from the Muppets Most Wanted (as announced here by the Disney Parks Blog), and the Star Lord and Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy (as announced here by the Disney Parks Blog)!

Characters with set locations (locations with a proper line):

  • Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow - Captain Hector Barbossa until 11.30pm
  • Animation Courtyard - Maleficent until 11.30pm
  • Sunset Boulevard - The Witch
  • Near MuppetVision - Constantine the Muppet
  • Streets of America - Cruella de Vil, Dr. Facilier, Jafar, Bowler Hat Guy, Shan Yu, The Queen, Captain Gantu, Dr. Hamsterviel
  • Near Star Tours - Darth Maul, Boba Fett, Darth Vader, Stormtroopers
  • Near the Sci-Fi Drive In - Emperor Palpatine and the Royal Guards

Wandering Characters (characters that may appear randomly and may or may not form a proper line):

  • Near Hades Hangout (AKA the Sorcerer's Hat Stage at the centre of the park) - Queen of Hearts, Big Bad Wolf, Captain Hook, Mr. Smee, Governor Ratcliffe
  • Near Indiana Jones Stunt Show - Brer Fox and Brer Bear, the Hyenas - Shenzi, Ed and Banzai
  • Villains Dominion (the Streets of America) - Stromboli, Gaston, Prince John, the Sheriff of Nottingham, Frollo, Lady Tremaine, Drizella, Anastasia, Gideon, J. Worthington Foulfellow
  • "The Dark Side" (near Star Tours) - Jawas, Jango Fett, Stormtroopers, Greedo, Asajj Ventress, Tusken Raiders, Gamorrean Guard, Zam Wesell, Aurra Sing

Shows and Happenings (all information adapted from the Disney Parks Blog):

  • “Guardians of the Galaxy” Awesome Mix Tape Dance Party at the Animation Courtyard - Dance party featuring Gamora and the Star Lord. They will not greet guests, but the Disney Parks Blog did say they would "interact".
  • Hades Hangout - The party kicks off at 8pm at the Sorcerer's hat stage, where hosts Hades, Megara, Pain and Panic. They’ll be joined throughout the night by other villains such as the Queen of Hearts, the Sheriff of Nottingham, the Big Bad Wolf and Captain Hook. None of them will be greeting guests, as per the norm with Disney dance parties.
  • Oogie Boogie’s Freaky Funhouse Show - On Sunset Boulevard, Theater of the Stars presents a production of extreme performances, hosted by Oogie Boogie. It’s an all-new show that’s sure to thrill!
  • Fantasmic! - On Sunset Boulevard, a gang of villainous henchmen, known as the Night Crawlers, tempt you to join them for a special pre-show to the evening’s performance of Fantasmic!
  • “Villainy in the Sky” Fireworks - Hades summons Maleficent to the main event stage (Sorcerer's Hat) to close things out with a devilishly dazzling display of pyrotechnics!

What's interesting also about this list is that The Witch and The Queen will both be greeting, in separate locations. I think there may be some sorcery involved in this one! (Remember, they are both the alter egos of the evil Queen Grimhilde!) It's also worth pointing out that Emperor Palpatine and the Royal Guards will be greeting, which is very rare. On top of that, of course as we already knew from a couple of weeks ago, Captain Gantu and Dr Hamsterviel will be landing for some alien terror!

On to some Frozen news now, and Hong Kong Disneyland announced at a special media event, and later via their Facebook page, that Anna and Elsa from the wildly popular movie Frozen would feature as characters at the park during their "Disney's Sparkling Christmas" celebrations, from mid-November this year.

Just a few hours ago the Tokyo Disney Resort Blog also announced some news regarding Frozen at the resort. From January 13th until March 20th a new Frozen section will be added to their poplar nighttime show, Once Upon a Time, and, from what I can make out (the Japanese being difficult to translate, as always), they will also feature in some capacity either in the parade, or at least along the parade route during the day.

Staying with the Asian parks, Hong Kong held special preview event of their brand new nighttime parade, Paint the Night, which debuts in October this year. We have some videos posted on our forum here which you should check out, it looks really awesome!

We come to Paris now, where just today they sent out their press release regarding the upcoming Halloween season. The complete English version is below.

A Maleficent Halloween at Disneyland® Paris

From 1 October to 2 November 2014, Disneyland Paris is the place to be to meet the Halloween gang of Disney Villains. Every day, Maleficent will bring together the Disney Villains in a cheerfully ominous atmosphere, promising Disneyland Paris guests encounters to die (laughing) for. The Sleeping Beauty Castle Courtyard will be transformed to welcome the good Disney Villains who will take mischievous pleasure in taking over Disney's Halloween Festival.

And that's not all! During this delightfully frightening month, ghosts and "Disney’s Funky Pumpkins*" will take possession of Main Street, U.S.A., astonishing pumpkins will take over the flowerbeds in Central Plaza and Frontierland will be transformed into an autumn garden, where sunflowers and pumpkins will take centre stage. Finally, Mickey and friends will offer guests a special Harvest festival-themed cavalcade, not far from Minnie's Halloween Costume Corner or the incredible candy-making machine invented by greedy Goofy, all designed to ensure Disney's Halloween Festival is a laugh a minute!

NEW: The Maleficent Disney Villains Promenade

Every day, the Disney Villains will be happy to have their photos taken with guests to immortalize this fearsomely funny occasion forevermore. Together with Maleficent, the Disney Villains will parade around Central Plaza to welcome guests.

NEW: Maleficent's Court

This year, Maleficent will cast a spell on the Sleeping Beauty Castle and the Disneyland Park and will invite some of the Disney Villains to join her in the Castle Courtyard. Maleficent, surrounded by her friends, the Disney Villains, will take over the place - it has now been invaded by imposing brambles, which guests will be able to pose in front of, next to the Disney Villains.
That is how huge brambles mysteriously appear in the Castle Courtyard. Shaped like the famous horns of Maleficent herself, these brambles form the outline of an imposing dragon. As night falls, the bramble will take on a more disquieting look, immersing guests in a universe of bright, unsettling colours.

Mickey's Halloween Celebration

To celebrate Halloween and to provide guests with a unique party, Mickey and friends will offer guests a cavalcade specially dedicated to the Harvest festival, and have naturally been inspired by the autumn and Harvest theme. Several times a day, Mickey and friends will parade in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle and along Main Street, U.S.A., surrounded by dancers wearing autumn colours.
This year, the lovely Daisy will open the cavalcade. The Three Little Pigs and Horace will join Mickey's Halloween Celebration on their brand new float "Raise the Rafters!". Surrounded by owls, black cats, spiders and bats, the Three Little Pigs, Horace and Clarabelle will dance to country music in front of their farm. A tree and an enchanted mushroom will come to life as if by magic.

As for the Disney Characters, they will be showing off their most stunning seasonal costumes. Donald will explore the wonders of autumn in a world made of straw and pumpkins, together with his inseparable nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. Meanwhile, Uncle Scrooge will bring up the rear, determined to keep determined to keep careful watch over a strange pumpkin that appears to be worth its weight in gold…

Mickey and Minnie pay homage to the Harvest season from their huge horn of plenty, filled with autumn leaves, fruits and pumpkins. Behind them, Chip and Dale, accompanied by the charming Clarice, have taken advantage of the Harvest to steal and hoard as many hazelnuts as they can lay their hands on!

Ghosts invade Disneyland Park

They thought they could keep a low profile throughout Halloween month, but guests will only be able to unmask them and immortalise them in a photo!

The ghosts of the former residents of Main Street, U.S.A. will use Halloween as the perfect opportunity to make their grand appearance. Delighted to be able to make an appearance during Disney's Halloween Festival, they will take over Main Street, U.S.A., trying to blend into the scenery. The Park's apprentice ghost hunters will be invited to unmask them, armed with their cameras.

Hilarious encounters with Disney Characters

The Disney characters get dressed up to the nines to welcome guests in a vibrant and colourful Halloween atmosphere for those special photo opportunities with guests.

Halloween Costume Corner - Passionate about sewing and fashion, Minnie will invite guests to discover her amazing sewing workshop, specially created for Halloween. An extravagant, colourful world where everyone is encouraged to let their imagination run wild. Minnie, in her fabulous Halloween-inspired dress will no doubt jump at the opportunity to pose with her admirers.

Goofy Bonbons - Halloween would not be the same without bonbons and spells. For that reason, Goofy has designed and created a truly amazing candy-making machine to dazzle those with a sweet tooth, young and old! Fans of bonbons and Goofy will not miss the opportunity to stop in front of this astonishing machine. Goofy might even join them to make sure everything is in good working order. A moment to treasure and a chance for everyone to persuade him to share his confectionery secrets!

Jack and Sally's Cemetery (from Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas© Disney) - The famous couple created by Tim Burton will be at Disneyland Paris during Halloween for a mortally enchanting encounter. The set recreates the universe of the film The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Jack and Sally in person will welcome those who will be courageous enough to meet them. A reproduction inspired by the universe of Tim Burton, Jack and Sally's Cemetery is a unique place.

NEW: Disney PhotoPass+

The perfect opportunity to capture your best moments with the Disney Villains.
Disney PhotoPass+ allows guests to collect all their souvenir photos taken on rides or with Disney Characters by Park photographers at photo locations in high definition in a virtual portfolio. The photos are also available on a dedicated website (www.disneyphotopass.eu) and on a mobile app that enables guests to download them, share them on social networks and even purchase personalised photo products (photo albums, mugs, calendars etc.).
Disney's Halloween Festival will therefore be the ideal time to capture the best poses next to the Disney Villains.

Disney's Halloween Party: the grand finale on 31 October!

Guaranteed screams, even for the bravest guests. The most magical Halloween night will take place at Disneyland Paris!

The now famous Disney's Halloween Party (ticketed event) will be held on 31 October 2014 in Disneyland Park. A unique experience to share with family or friends from 8.30 pm to 1 am.

Disneyland Park will reopen its doors after dark and guests will see it as they have never seen it before - in a more mysterious atmosphere than ever, with unexpected animations, terrifyingly delicious surprises and a "hellish" atmosphere. The moon will bring out the ghosts, Disney Villains and other creatures for the party, who are all ready to play their tricks around the most mysterious of places. After enjoying the many attractions Disneyland Park has to offer, guests will be able to immerse themselves in the magical extravaganza of the Disney Dreams®! night-time show.

Thrilling rides

Hair-raising, high-speed sensations!

Halloween will be the perfect occasion to test guests' vocal chords on rides that will make them tremble with fear! With The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster with Aerosmith, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril, Crush’s Coaster® and Space Mountain: Mission 2, Disneyland Paris will be the place to be to test the limits of the most overwhelming fears.

The Disney Villains have chosen the right occasion for their largest gathering — Disney's Halloween Festival 2014 has become autumn's unmissable event.

In an atmosphere where laughter mingles with spells cast by Maleficent, guests will find themselves immersed in a strange, delightful world that only Disneyland Paris knows how to create. To celebrate Halloween and the Harvest season with Mickey and friends, come to Disneyland Paris from 1 October to 2 November 2014.

Finally, although nothing official has been announced (as far as I'm aware, and I get all the press releases such as the one above for Halloween), Merida will finally be coming to Disneyland Paris for Christmas, and Anna and Elsa will be greeting guests there, too, instead of just being in the parade. Many sites and pages on the internet have been circulating this news this week, and I have reason to believe it holds a good amount of truth. What's interesting is that Anna and Elsa are said to be going into the Princess Pavilion - I wonder where the other princesses will go? Of course, Disneyland Paris only today released the full Halloween information (above), so until they release the full Christmas press release, anything can change! When they do finally release it, I'll be sure to post it here on the blog.

Ok that's everything for today. We were at DLP on two separate occasions over the past few weeks, I have already compiled one photo trip report which includes over 50 photos of the brand new Ratatouille area there, so be sure to check that out! Another report for our second trip will be coming soon!

Also, don't forget to read part one of my Grand Circle Tour of all the world's Magic Kingdoms, here. Part 2 is coming soon, too!

Dan.
Disneyland Paris August 2014 Trip Report and Photo Round-Up - including Ratatouille!
DisneyDan  Thursday, August 14, 2014 11:56:17 AM
Hello everyone,

Last week Jon and I were in Disneyland Paris again for three days. As always, we had an awesome, action packed time! I wanted to share with you some photos from our trip.

Let's start on Main Street USA with the brand new "New Century Notions - Flora's Unique Boutique" that has replaced the former Town Square Photography. It should be noted that PhotoPass pictures can still be viewed and purchased here.
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Happy International Day of Happiness!
DisneyDan  Thursday, March 20, 2014 1:07:01 PM
Today is International Day of Happiness, and so I thought I would share some photos of Disney's happiest parade, Happiness is Here from Tokyo Disneyland!

Happy International Day of Happiness everyone!

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiniess is Here parade

Happiniess is Here parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Happiness is Here Parade

Dan.
News and updates - Avengers runDisney half marathon and new night parade both coming to Disneyland!
DisneyDan  Tuesday, February 25, 2014 10:59:05 AM
Hello everyone,

Hot on the heels of the Marvel/Spider-Man news the last few days from Disneyland Paris, which I talked about yesterday, today the Disney Parks Blog announced that the Disneyland Resort would be hosting an Avengers half marathon from 14th - 16th November this year! The promotional video clearly states that Avengers characters and entertainment would be at the event, with the picture showing a cartoon of Iron Man, Thor and Captain America, who have all previously featured as characters, but also now the Hulk! If the image is accurate then as far as we know right now, this will be the first time the Hulk will be featured as a character at the Disney Parks! There is of course the chance he may appear before then anyway, or he may not show up at all, but I am guessing they are going to be fairly accurate with their concept portrayal and who actually shows up. Very exciting news indeed!
EDIT: I just checked the official runDisney site, and it states "Join the Avengers team of Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Black Widow, Hawkeye, and Tony Stark for the Inaugural Avengers Super Heroes Half Marathon Weekend." Could this mean that Black Widow and Hawkeye will come to Disneyland, too? It would be amazing if true!

Also, the blog site Disney and More posted yesterday that the new Hong Kong Disneyland nighttime parade, Paint the Night, that I had previously mentioned could be on its way to Disneyland for their 60th anniversary next year also! This would mean that, sadly, it would only be a Hong Kong exclusive for a few months before Disneyland get their own version. Although it is awesome that Disneyland could get a new night parade again, it is sad that they have to degrade the uniqueness of Hong Kong's efforts by copying it. Nonetheless, I'm sure it will be a welcomed addition to both resorts.

There has been a ton of news the last few days, so why not check out my previous blog posts for all the latest information. Links below.

Read here the news about Spider-Man at Disneyland Paris, Festival of Fantasy at WDW and Oswald the Lucky Rabbit.

Read here the news about Star Wars Weekends at WDW, Oswald the Lucky Rabbit, Spring season at Disneyland Paris and parade changes at Hong Kong Disneyland.

That's all for now!

Dan.
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