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Hello everyone,
Last week's Throwback Thursday was for the Enchanted Adventures Parade at the Magic Kingdom, so this week I thought we would take a look at another sorely missed Walt Disney World parade, Mickey's Jammin' Jungle.
Running for nearly 13 years, and one of Disney's most creative and fun parades, the Jammin' Jungle Parade celebrated the culture and music of the indigenous people of the jungles and outback areas of the world, from Africa to Australia. The beat of the drums, and the lively songs all made the Jammin' Jungle Parade a treasure to enjoy - accompanied of course by all your favourite Disney friends in their finest adventure clothing.
Let's take a look at the regular version of the parade, then the Christmas version.
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Hello everyone,
I thought instead of just posting a photo on social media, I would actually make a more in-depth article for this week's "Throwback Thursday".
Back in 2008, Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom held a series of spring/early summer ticketed special events that closely followed the model of their popular Halloween and Christmas parties.
The Pirate and Princess Party ran from around February until June, on select nights, and featured characters, a parade, fireworks and special merchandise.
The key highlight for us was the Enchanted Adventures Parade. This parade, although mostly just utilised existing parade floats and characters at the park, was put together in such a way that it really felt very unique and special. Some of the characters included the Lost Boys, Captain Hector Barbossa, Mickey and friends wearing special costumes, and even Aladdin and Jasmine riding horseback down the parade route! A new soundtrack was also specially written and produced for the parade, and to date is one of my all-time personal favourite Disney parade soundtracks.
Unfortunately, the parties did not become popular enough for Disney to continue them (apparently, although everyone I know always loved them), and they were sadly discontinued. So, today's Throwback Thursday is a homage to that short lived parade that is missed by many.
Note that we saw this parade several years before Character Central was even conceived, so we didn't have the best cameras; but I'm glad we have the photos we do have, if nothing else just for "memory's sake", as I like to say. I hope you enjoy looking at them as much as I did when writing this piece.
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 | Happy Earth Day! | |
| DisneyDan
Wednesday, April 22, 2015 10:18:46 AM |
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Today is the 45th annual Earth Day across the world, a day which aims to highlight to environmental challenges we face, and what can be done to preserve this fragile little blue planet we call home.
From deep under the sea, to bugs under the ground, many Disney friends rely on the delicate balance of the ecosystem in which they live. Disney's official ambassador of the Environmentality program is Jiminy cricket, but I thought it would be fair to also showcase some of Disney's other characters who embrace the environment and the world around them, and further down this post, some of the beautiful animals found at the Disney parks.
Disney's Animal Kingdom is home to many animals from around the world, and are part of Disney's own conservation program. The Seas at Epcot features some oceanic creatures that are under Disney's care. Let's take a look inside some of the habitats at Animal Kingdom and Epcot at some of the beautiful animals who live there.
Dan.
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 | Happy 32nd Anniversary Tokyo Disneyland! | |
| DisneyDan
Wednesday, April 15, 2015 8:21:35 AM |
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Today is the 32nd anniversary of the grand opening of Tokyo Disneyland at Tokyo Disney Resort in Japan.
As always, I thought I would share with you some photos from our trips to the park over the years.
Happy 32nd anniversary Tokyo Disneyland!
Dan. |
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Hello everyone,
Yesterday I shared with you my trip report for our trip to Disneyland at the start of this month (April). I also now want to share with you a very special day we had while we were in California. We were very fortunate to be invited to visit the Walt Disney Studios in Burbank.
The Walt Disney Studios opened in stages between late 1939 and mid-1940, following on the from the success and profits of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Over the years, like anything - like the parks - the studio has grown and developed, adding to its rich history and success.
It was an amazing opportunity to walk around the studio lot and through some of the buildings that Walt Disney himself worked in during the early days of the company.
I won't say too much more about the studios, but will just share my photos from the day. I didn't have my DSLR with me as it's a working studio and corporate HQ, and I felt it a little inappropriate, so image resolution may not be at our usual standard. DSLR aside, I took a lot of photos though, so I am going to share as many as I feel reasonable, but just note that we saw much more - there is so much history there.
After you've scrolled through the studios photos, I shall share with you something special in Disney history in Griffith Park, and finally some photos of some Disney connections in Hollywood - both of which we also visited this trip.
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Hello everyone,
At the start of April Jon and I spent nine full days in the Happiest Place on Earth, Disneyland Resort in California.
I'm going to break this report down into themed areas of the parks, as we did so much in nine days, it's actually easier to group things together to ensure I don't forget, or even repeat anything.
You should be warned that this report is very photo-heavy, so if you have a slow connection you may want to save it for later.
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 | Happy 23rd Anniversary Disneyland Paris! | |
| DisneyDan
Sunday, April 12, 2015 8:49:54 AM |
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Hello everyone,
Today is the 23rd anniversary of the grand opening of Disneyland Paris' main theme park!
Often described as the most beautiful of all the Magic Kingdom style parks, it features the gorgeous Sleeping Beauty Castle, and incredible detail in every land, attraction, boutique and restaurant. Parc Disneyland at Disneyland Paris is simply stunning.
So, in our usual tribute style, I'm going to post some of Character Central's pictures below, for your enjoyment!
Happy 23rd Birthday Disneyland Paris!
Of course, let's not forget that Disneyland Paris features its second park, the Walt Disney Studios, plus seven themed hotels, Golf Disneyland, Lake Disney and Disney Village!
Happy 23rd Birthday Disneyland Paris!
Dan. |
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 | Happy 63rd Anniversary Clarice! | |
| DisneyDan
Saturday, March 21, 2015 12:10:19 PM |
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On this day in 1952, 'Two Chips and a Miss' debuted, introducing the world to the glamorous and sassy Clarice. Working at the Acorn Club, she is the love interest of Chip and Dale. Sixty-three years later she is still as gorgeous as ever!
Clarice's appearances at the Disney Parks can often be sporadic, with her typically starring in more shows and parades in Tokyo than the other parks. With that said, we've been fortunate to see her on numerous occasions, and so in our usual style, let us celebrate her anniversary with a cavalcade of photos from our adventures with Clarice!
Happy 63rd Anniversary, Clarice!
Dan. |
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Hello everyone,
Here at Character Central we always strive to have good, reliable and up-to-date information, which is why I don't tend to use the blog to make these kinds of posts usually. Character locations and information are usually updated via the individual location and character profile pages on this site, as it is easier to control. However, recently we have received a lot more requests for information about how to find characters at the Walt Disney World theme parks. The reason I don't like to make blog posts about this is because things can change frequently, and I don't want to mislead anyone, especially when our location and character pages are updated often.
With that said, and I realise that was quite a detailed reasoning, I thought that it wouldn't hurt to answer some of the questions we get asked. Please remember that these are the most frequently asked questions that we get for Walt Disney World only.
Where can I find Mickey Mouse?
Mickey Mouse appears at set locations at all four of the Walt Disney World theme parks. His appearances are daily, and usually hold long hours (often, though not guaranteed, from around opening to just before closing. Check on the day of your visit). At the Magic Kingdom, you can meet magician Mickey near the park entrance, where talks and interacts with guests at Town Square Theater (on Main Street USA). At Epcot, he wears his classic outfit at the Epcot Character Spot in Future World. At Disney's Hollywood Studios, Mickey dons his Sorcerer's Apprentice robes to greet budding sorcerers. At Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Mickey wears his safari outfit at the Adventurer's Outpost on Discovery Island. The Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Animal Kingdom locations all offer Disney's Fastpass+ service, which allow you to make your greeting reservation in advance of your visit.
Who else appears besides Mickey Mouse? Can I meet the Disney Princesses, for example?
Across all four Walt Disney World theme parks, you can nearly always meet Minnie Mouse, Goofy, Donald Duck, Chip, Dale and Pluto. All six of those have regular locations at all four parks, but times and availability may change depending on the day of your visit. The Disney Princesses appear at the Magic Kingdom at various locations, such as Princess Fairytale Hall, Ariel's Grotto, around the Fantasyland walls, the Fairytale Garden and, schedule depending, in the garden next to City Hall on Main Street USA. Princess Fairytale Hall is the current home of Cinderella, Rapunzel, Anna and Elsa, although of course Disney could change this at any time. Princess Fairytale Hall accepts Disney's FastPass+ reservations. You can either reserve Cinderella and Rapunzel OR Anna and Elsa. If you want to meet all four, you need to make separate reservations. Other characters, such as Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, Winnie the Pooh, and many more, all appear throughout the theme parks. You should check the schedules for the day of your visit (see further below for more information).
Do the Disney characters appear randomly at the Disney Parks?
Most of the character appearances at the Disney theme parks are on the published schedule, which can be picked up upon entering the theme parks. There are some that are not always listed though, depending on whether there are other events happening, and how much space is dedicated to the characters on that schedule. If a character does appear that is not on that day's schedule, chances are they nearly always out in the parks anyway. Infrequently, characters may appear at other locations around the parks, and these are not scheduled. For example, when we were a recent trip, Peter Pan, Merida and Ariel all appeared at the International Gateway at Epcot's World Showcase. These greetings are not scheduled, and are not repeated regularly.
Do the Disney characters walk freely around the Disney Parks?
The short answer to this, really, is no. The Disney characters at the Walt Disney World theme parks nearly always have set locations that have a queue line in order to meet them, even the randomly appearing ones that I described above. Sometimes, however, you may be walking around and suddenly a character will appear, and they may not form a line. This is fairly unusual, but it can happen. Experiences like this can actually be fun, as sometimes the characters will take the opportunity to roam and explore the park. Like I said though, for Walt Disney World, this is pretty unusual.
Do the Disney characters visit the Disney Resort Hotels?
The Disney characters do not regularly make appearances at the Disney Hotels. In the past, Easter Sunday has seen the Easter Bunnies and some other characters appear at the deluxe resorts (such as Mr Easter Bunny and Chip 'n' Dale at the Contemporary). Around the week of Halloween and the week of Christmas you may also find characters in themed outfits at any number of the resort hotels, deluxe or otherwise. None of these appearances are ever guaranteed and you should not expect to find them during your stay.
Do rare characters appear at the Disney theme parks?
This one is a tricky one to answer, but overall the answer is, "no, not nearly as often as we'd like!" Of course, the definition of "rare" can change considerably from one year to the next, but generally speaking, if a character has not appeared in over a year, and show no signs of returning, then they are pretty "rare". Characters at the Christmas and Halloween parties, although not appearing daily, aren't so much rare as they are seasonal or event specific. We would not consider Scrooge McDuck to be rare, since he appears almost nightly for two months at the Christmas parties, but he definitely is not a regular. Mr Walrus from Alice in Wonderland however, who hasn't appeared in around seven years, is considered rare.
Do you have any tips for a better experience when meeting the characters? Do the characters sign autographs, for example?
This one is pretty open ended, but I would say that if you're going to meet a character, be sure to know who they are! Before your trip, if you think there is a chance you may meet one particular character, watch their movie before you visit. When you visit them, you can ask them about their adventures, their friends and families, etc. For example, if you are going to meet Aladdin, ask him how Abu is and if he has gotten into any more trouble lately. You could ask Mickey - when he's feeling talkative at the Magic Kingdom's Town Square Theater - to perhaps send a special message to your friends back home; be sure to have your camera recording, because you never know what he might say! Characters also love seeing themselves on clothing and accessories, bags, pins and lanyards, etc. Be sure to have your cameras ready to capture any cute moments, and buy an autograph book and a pen that works, so they characters can sign their names. Something which we have taken to doing recently, which both us and the characters really enjoy, is taking along our Disney Tsum Tsums to meet the characters. If we know we are going to meet a specific character on any given day, we try to take with us the Tsum Tsum of them, or someone related to them. They’ll often (though not always) pose with the Tsum Tsums, making for super-cute photos!
Do the characters appear in shows and parades?
The Disney characters appear in many shows and parades across the Walt Disney World theme parks. Currently, and always subject to change, the most popular ones include: Disney Fantasy of Festival Parade, the Main Street Electrical Parade, and Dream Along with Mickey at the Magic Kingdom, Festival of the Lion King and Finding Nemo - The Musical at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, and Beauty and the Beast Live on Stage, Voyage of the Little Mermaid and For the First Time in Forever - A Frozen Sing-Along Celebration at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
Can I dine with the Disney characters?
Yes! You most certainly can! Character dining is a fun way to meet the Disney characters while enjoying a great meal at one of Disney's fabulous themed restaurants. Currently, and again, always subject to change, the most popular ones include: Chef Mickey's at the Contemporary (Mickey and friends), Ohana at the Polynesian Village (Stitch, Mickey and friends), 1900 Park Fare at the Grand Floridian (time of day depending, Cinderella and friends or Pooh, Alice and friends), Cape May Cafe at the Beach Club Resort (Minnie and friends), Cinderella's Royal Table at the Magic Kingdom (princesses), Garden Grill (Mickey and friends) and Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (princesses) at Epcot, Hollywood and Vine at Disney's Hollywood Studios (Disney Jr) and Donald’s Dining Safari at Breakfast and Lunch (Donald and friends) at Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park. What's fun about these meals is that at many of them, the characters wear special themed outfits for the occasion, for example Hawaiian shirts at Ohana, chef outfits at Chef Mickey's and safari gear at the Tusker House. Reservations are essential, and should be made well in advance of your visit (nearly all Walt Disney World Resort dining locations open their availability 180 days in advance).
Where can I find more information?
Here are some of my suggestions for finding out more about how and where to meet the Disney characters. Words highlighted in blue take you to that specific link.
- The official Walt Disney World Resort website has some limited character greeting information, however, I personally have found this to sometimes not have all the information I want.
- Here at Character Central we have a vast guidebook for all the Disney parks, locations and characters. A good start for a good general overview would be what we call our "cheat sheet" for finding characters at the parks. On this cheat sheet we list the characters we have seen at Walt Disney World, rate the chances of you finding them, and the general location you might spot them.
- I cannot endorse the accuracy of this next one, but it has not failed me yet, but take note I have no control over it. WDWEnt is a good source for all current Walt Disney World theme park schedules, and at the time of writing the person who runs it seems to update it frequently.
Those last two links are of course only my recommendations, and should be used as a guide for planning only. Anything can change at any time, without notice from Disney.
If you have any further questions, you can join our friendly forum, and us or our members will happily help you out!
Have a great day everyone,
Dan. |
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Today is the 13th anniversary of the grand opening of the Walt Disney Studios Park at Disneyland Paris. In the past the park has often been criticised for lacking any good, solid attractions and shows, however, time has been good to the park, and with the addition of the Ratatouille attraction last year, the park has now really started to come into its own. With 18 full attractions and permanent long-term shows - six of which are completely unique to the park! - it actually currently has more attractions and permanent shows than Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park, Epcot or Disney's Hollywood Studios. While you can argue that those parks have a lot more non-fixed entertainment and good dining options, it is undeniable that the Walt Disney Studios is, finally, stepping up its game. The new Ratatouille attraction has become one of my favourites in the whole Disney Parks world, and I hope that it is a sign of the many good things to come over the next 13 years.
In our usual style, I'm going to share a cavalcade of photos from our many adventures at the park.
Happy 13th anniversary Walt Disney Studios Park!
Dan. |
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