Cheers to 10 years!!

This month, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of becoming the Disneyland Resort. Disney California Adventure Park, Downtown Disney District and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel &Spa in 2001. Here are a few of highlights of the areas celebrating a decade of creating Disney magic:

2000...Mickey and Friends parking structure opens.

2001... Disney California Adventure Park, Downtown Disney District and Disney's Grand Californian Hotel and Spa open
Return of "Disney's Electrical Parade."

2002... ABC Super Soap Weekends
First Grad Nite Blast Off
"a bugs land"

2003..."Playhouse Disney Live on Stage!"
Lucky the Dinosaur

2004...The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

2005...Turtle Talk with Crush

2006...Monsters, Inc. Mike and Sully to the Rescue
Disny's Food & Wine Weekends
Mickey's Halloween Treat

2007 Resort Expanansion plans announced for Disney California Adventure Park

2008..."Pixar Play Parade"
Toy Story Midway Mania!
Walt Disney Imagineering Blue Sky Cellar

2009... The Villas at Disney's Grand Californian Hotel & Spa open
Mickey's Fun Wheel and Games of the Boardwalk reopen
Cocina Cucamonga Mexican Grill and Lucky Fortune Cookery reopen
The Little Mermaid-Alriel's Undersea Adventure and Cars Land Groundbreaking

2010...Silly Symphony Swings Premiere
Glow Fest and ElecTRONica
World of Color


DR LEE

Let the growth continue:

For 40 years, Disneyland was a single theme park and one hotel birthed from creative mind of Walt Disney. In 1995, a second hotel was added to the property, but it wasn't until 2001, that Walt's original vision expanded to become the Disneyland Resort. Using Walt's own words "Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world."

The expansion not only created the Disneyland Resort, but also improved the Anahiem Resort District, generating revenue benefiting the local community. Streets surrounding the resort received a beautiful makeover and signage at local businesses were redesigned to create a consistent look.

Along with the major expansion, thousands of cast members were hired and today nearly 21,000 are employed at the Disneyland Resort. In 2012, the resort's largest expansion to date will near completion with the opening of Cars Land. Of course, this will not signal the end of our growth. One thing is certain, as long as we continue to dream big, and imagine blue sky ideals; the Disneyland Resort will forever change and evolve.

DR LEE

Pixar Pals:

On January 14, 2011, Disney California Adventure Park debuted a new entertainment offering called Pixar Pals. The show features Mr. and Mrs. Incredible and Frozone from " The Incredibles " and their Hit Squad. The team searches the crowd for " heroes in training" and prepares them for a future of crime fighting.


DR LEE

Walt Disney:

" I' ve always wanted to work on something alive, something that keeps growing."

Walt Disney

Welcome to the West, Disney Wonder:

For more than eleven years, the Disney Wonder called Port Canaveral,Fla., home. But now it has a new home- the Port of Los Angeles. On January 21,2011,after spending 15 nights at sea, including a historical pass through the Panama Canal, the Disney Wonder arrived on the West Coast for an extended stay.

The ship will sail seven-night voyages to the Mexican Riviera with stops at Puerto Vallarta and Cabo San Lucas. In May, the ship repositions to Vancouver, British Columbia, for 7-night itineraries through Alaska, with stops at Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan. The ship will return to the Port of Los Angeles in late September and finish the year sailing the Mexican Riviera.

With the brand-new Disney Dream now online, the repositioning of the Disney Wonder to California marks another significant milestone in the growth and expansion of Disney Cruise Line.


Third time's a charm:

Even though this marks the first time the Disney Wonder has sailed the West Coast, it is the third time for the Disney Cruise Line.
In 2005, the Disney Magic repositioned to California to help celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Disneyland Resort and sailed on seven-night itineraries to the Mexican Riviera. During the summer of 2008, the Disney Magic also sailed Mexican Riviera itineraries.
With the Disney Wonder now calling the Port of Los Angeles home, cast members have the opportunity to sail on the ship for a discounted rate.



DR LEE

Thought for the day....

If it weren't for golf balls, how would we measure hail??????


DR LEE

U.S. Postal stamps feature Disney characters:

A new set of commemorative stamps announced by the United States Postal Service will soon be available for your correspondence to reach its destination bearing the face of Buzz Lightyear. In addition, characters from the Disney/Pixar films "Toy Story," "Cars," "Ratatouille," "Up" and "Wall-E" will be among the entertainment figures honored on stamps that the Postal Service will begin selling this August.

DR LEE

Village Haus Fun Fact:

Just over the main entrance door is a painted image of Figaro pulling the exit sign. During construction, the sign was installed incorrectly. There was no time to go back, move the sign, replaster and paint. Instead, Imagineers created a humorous fresco of Figaro pulling the sign. The design solution proved so popular that when a similar restaurant was built at Disneyland Paris, an exit sign was placed in the correct spot with Figaro leaning against the exit sign with a "thumbs up" for a job well done.

DR LEE

Disney Dream a Reality:

The maiden voyage for the Disney Dream is under way, having left Port Canaveral, Fla., for the Bahamas, Jan. 26. The ship, which began construction nearly two years ago at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Germany, stands 14 decks high, 1,115 feet long and features 1,250 staterooms making it 40 percent larger than the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder,
Combing an art deco style with state-of-the-art technology, the Disney Dream features innovative offerings, such as Magical Portholes found in inside staterooms, Enchanted Art featured throughout the ship and the first water coaster at sea, The AquaDuck, which stretches 765feet in length and sends guests 13 feet over the edge of the ship.
The Disney Dream will sail on three- and four night itinrtaries to the Bahamas, including a stop at Castaway Cay, Disney's private island.


DR LEE

Disney Wonder facts:

Built; Fincantieri Shipyard, Marghera, Italy

Maiden Voyage: Aug. 15,1999

Godmother: Tinker Bell

Tonnage: 83,000

Length: 964 feet

Width: 106 feet

Speed: 21.5 knots

Guest Capacity: 2,700

Decks: 10

Staterooms: 877

Stern Decoration: Donald Duck and Huey Painting

DR LEE

Disney wonder on it's way to Los Angeles:

With the arrival of the Disney Dream in Port Canaveral, Fla., the Disney Wonder will reposition to the Waet Coast for an extended stay. The Disney Wonder will cruise to the Mexican Riviera and to Alaska. The Disney wonder will arrive in the Port of Los Angeles January 21,2011!

DR LEE

New attraction:

Walt Disney World said that it will build a new indoor roller coaster in the Magic Kingdom, as part of its expansion of the Fantasyland section of the theme park.
Dubbed "The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train," the moderately intense attraction will feature a first-of-its-kind ride system in which vehicles that swing back and forth along a twisting track. The attraction will be set to music from the classic animated movie "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs."
The coaster is among several new elements Disney has added to the Fantasyland project, which was initially announced in September 2009 and is scheduled to open in phases begining late next year.

DR LEE

Did you know...

As part of "Let the Memories Begin," a new nighttime entertainment offering will debut at Disneyland Park later this month. The Magic, The Memories, and You! will turn the facade of "it's a small world" into a canvas where guests can view photos taken earlier that day by a Disney's PhotoPass photographer projected onto the attraction's exterior. The show lasts approximately 10 minutes and will feature a new song written exclusively for "Let the Memories Begin."


DR LEE

Disneyland Resort Line get it's name...

The very first issue debuted in 1969 featuring Mickey Mouse on the cover of its two-page, typewritten newsletter. Mickey was shown talking on the phone-or "line"- which gave the publication its name. The Disneyland Resort Line is the longest-running employee publication in The Walt Disney Company.

DRV LEE

My oldest daughter,Kimberly:

This up-coming weekend,January 8,2011, my oldest daughter,Kimberly,is getting married. This wedding will take place in Seattle,were she has lived the past 2 years,working for the probation dept. in Seattle. She will be 27 on January 25 and her and her husband will live in the Seattle area.
A little history on my daughter, she worked at the Disneyland Resort for appox. 4 years,as a attaction hostess on the "it's a small world(trainer/lead),Matterhorn,Storybook and parade controll. In high school, she was in marching band(I remember well,how many times at 4:30 a.m. she was up and wanting me to drive her to school at 5 a.m. for band practice.),she lettered in band and has alot of friends.
She is very active in her church and loves kids and older folks. Her humor is like her fathers(me),loves to laugh and enjoys traveling. Her sister and her have been in the White House,Gettysberg,Disney World Resort,Hawaii,Mexico, and many states. I remember as a small child, she would sit next to me and would ask """Alot""" of questions.
As her father,I am very proud of her for so many reasons,however, as I give her away this week,another exciting part of her life begins, as for that, Dr Lee is very Proud!!!!!


DR LEE