Walt Disney World Resort celebrates 40 years:

On Oct. 1,1971, Walt Disney World Resort welcomed its first Guests, fulfilling Walt Disney's dream for a built-from-scratch, all-encompassing family vacation destination. Adventureland, Main Street, U.S.A., Fantasyland, Frontierland, Liberty Square and Tomorrowland all gleamed that fall morning as the first Guests streamed into Magic Kingdom Park and its two hotels.
The resort, which will celebrate its 40th anniversary throughout the month of October, today has grown to include four theme parks, two water parks,four championship golf courses and a shopping and dining district. Its Cast Member population has soared from 6,000 to 62,000.
To celebrate this milestone, Magic Kingdom Park is rolling out special anniversary merchandise and memorabilia(much of it adorned with the famous Flordia Orange Bird), a special fireworks show and a character cavalcade culminating in a celebration at Cinderella Castle on October 1,2011-complete with a sing along.


Disney World is fun...DR LEE

Halloween Time :

No tricks-only treats...

Halloween Time is back at the Disneyland Resort through Oct. 31, featuring specialty food, drink and merchandise offerings that are scary good.

Just Desserts:
Resort bakeries are serving pumpkin-spice Halloween Time cupcakes- a perfect treat to reward yourself after riding Ghost Galaxy. If gingerbread is more your taste, head to Cafe Orleans for Haunted Mansion Holiday beignets. At select table service restaurants, delicacies come served in a ghoulish Donald Duck demitasse (that's a fancy French word for "half cup").

Spooky Snacking:
A coffin, Jack says, makes a fine popcorn bucket! Find them in New Orleans Square and Frontierland, or Ghost Mickey popcorn buckets throughout both parks.

Runaway Brain:
Oh,no! A monstrous Mickey Mouse has jumped out of his classic 1995 animated short, joined by Minnie, Donald,Goofy and Tinker Bell sporting villainously cool costumes. Find them on coffee mugs,pens,yard flags and more.

Pumpkin Mickey:
Bring home Mickey's gourdesque likeness in ornament form, or on a unique candle votive. Specialty merchandise is available at Disney Showcase,Pioneer Mercantile,Off the Page and World of Disney.

The Disneyland Resort takes Halloween to a new level of family fun and memories....Dr Lee

Embarking on a new fantasy:

The D23 Expo at the Anahiem Convention Center, held Aug. 19-21 was bigger and better than ever this year, featuring new merchandise and opportunities to meet popular Disney artists. There were plenty of surprises, too. One of the biggest came when Tom Staggs, chairman, Walt Disney Parks and Resorts, announced that the boundaries of Fantasyland at Disneyland Park will be expanded with a new experience called Fantasy Faire.
The project will transform Carnation Plaza Gardens Stage into a storybook village where Guests will be immersed into the stories of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs," "Cinderella," "Sleeping Beauty," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Tangled." Surrounded by fairytale cottages and pavilions, Guests will travel to the heart of the village square-Tangled Tower. The village will come alive with activities and entertainment, including a Royal Ribbon Parade where Guests can dance and interact with their favorite Disney princesses. And at night, the Fantasy Fairs Stage will feature the classic music and dancing offerings that Guests have loved for years.

Disney is all about change...DR LEE

Halloween Time ,Disneyland Resort:

Halloween Time returns to the Disneyland Resort from Sept.16 through Oct. 31, 2011, and villainous surprises await Guests at both parks. Here's your briefing on all things bewitching.

Seasonal decor and entertainment:
Both parks will be spookily adorned, with special atmosphere entertainment along Main Street, U.S.A. and at Big thunder Ranch Barbecue. Classic Disney villains will make appearances at Disneyland Park along with other favorites dressed in their spooky best.

Food,beverage and merchandise:
Did someone say pumpkin spice latte? They're back along with seasonal treats from the resort's bakeries and candy kitchens. Fact: they're enjoyed more while wearing a Halloween-inspired Mickey ear hat.

Space Mountain Ghost Galaxy:
The green glowing exterior should be your first clue something's amiss. Creepy creatures are haunting Space Station 77- prepare for a close encounter like no other.

Haunted Mansion Holiday:
This is Jack Skellington's 11th year of decking the mansion halls. If the first 10 were any indication, one thing's certain: the goblin king's cooking up a mean gingerbread house.

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror:
You know this "tall" tale happened on Halloween night in 1939, right? "Drop in" and refresh your memory.

Micky's Halloween Party:
On select nights, Sept. 30 through Oct.31, everyone's invited to scare up a costume and trick-or-treat across Disneyland Park. It's the exclusive place to see the boo-tiful Halloween Screams fireworks.


My costume this year will be, A Bartenter,Ha-Ha...DR LEE

Walt and Mickey Mouse Statue unveiled:

During the D23 Expo, Imagineers unveiled a small model of a statue of Walt Disney with Mickey Mouse, which will greet Guests at Disney California Adventure Park when Buena Vista Street opens next summer. The statue will depict a youthful Walt Disney just arriving from Kansas City to Los Angeles to pursue his dreams, along with his pal, a young Mickey Mouse. The maquette will be on display in the Blue Sky Cellar at Disney California Adventure Park.


Disneyland Resort will never be finished...DR LEE

History and Heritage:

The day: Sept. 8,1986

The man: Captain EO

His mission: to change the world

Twenty-five years ago, at the height of his career, Michael Jackson collaborated with "Star Wars" Producer George Lucas and "The Godfather" Director Francis Ford Coppola on a 3D space epic. Michael Jackson played the leader of an intergalactic brigade, who is captured after crash landing on a strange planet and forced to confront an evil spider-like queen(played by Anjelica Huston). Captain EO uses the power of music to subdue the queen's subjects and change their world for the better.

Michael Jackson contributed two songs for the feature, "We Are Here to Change the World" and "Another Part of Me." The film enjoyed an 11-year run in Tomorrowland, closing in 1997 to make way for "Honey, I Shrunk the Audience."


Trivia: When did Captain EO return to the Disneyland Resort, giving Disney guests one more chance to watch the "King of Pop" light up the screen?


amazing how time fly's, 25 years ago...DR LEE


answer to Trivia...Captain EO returned to Disneyland Park on Feb. 23,2010.

Where were you on the morning of 9-11:

Most everyone that I have talked with has a story to tell about the morning of 9-11! Where they were,their feelings, their thoughts.

For myself,at approx. 10:30 a.m. New York time, those towers were falling.
Living in Southern California and going to work at Disneyland Club 33, we are 3 hours behind: 7:30 a.m. west coast time.
I was on the 7:21 a.m. metro link(commuter-train)from Riverside,California to Disneyland. Riding this metro-link many times,I was getting ready to take my morning nap. On any other day, commuters are checking e-mails, small talk,relaxing before a busy day,enjoying the moment!
As we were picking up commuters in Corona, California,approx. 7:45 a.m., there was this energy inside the train as we traveled through the Santa Ana Canyon. I was not aware of anything that morning,so I asked a fellow commuter what was going on. He told me, "that the twin towers in New York were falling down," and I asked ,"what movie are you talking about?"
I was informed by several other commuters and was speechless!!
Now as I arrived for work, my fellow commuters and I were stopped at the cast member entrance and told to return home."Disneyland" was closed!!!!
The out-bound train to Riverside normally has only a few commuters on it for most are at work. Not this day. It was standing room only,and I mean, like sardines. I stood for approx. 55 minutes all the way home. I was thinking, how was this train able to move with so many commuters on it?
Returning home, I turned on the TV and then got my American Flag and stood on a very busy corner waving old glory(started with just me,then grew to approx. 40 strangers standing with me). I served in the Army from 1971-1977, chaplin-asst.,and if needed,was ready to serve again.

Tell me what you were doing on that day, in the comment section at the bottom of this article... thanks,DR LEE

The Philosophy of Wine:

A philosophy professor stood before his class with some items in front of him. When the class began, without a word, he picked up a very large jar and proceeded to fill it with rocks, each about two inches in diameter. He then asked the class if the jar was full. They all agreed that it was.

So the professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles, of course, rolled into the open areas between the rocks.

He then asked the class again if the jar was full. They all agreed it was.

The professor picked up a bag of sand and poured it into the jar. The sand filled in between the pebbles.

He then asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with an unanimous...yes!

The professor then produced a bottle of red wine from under the table and proceeded to pour the entire contents into the jar effectively filling the empty spaces bewteen the sand.

"Now," said the professor, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The rocks being the important things,your family, your health and your childern-things that if everything else were lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, your house, your car. The sand is everything else...the small stuff.

If you put the sand in the jar first there would be no room for the pebbles or the rocks. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

Take care of the rocks first,the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the wine represented.

The professor smiled,"I'm glad you asked. It goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a good bottle of wine.


Nice...DR LEE aka tigger

Vinylmation Robots:

The robots are coming! The robots are coming! Disney Store recently announced the launch of its exclusive Vinylmation Robots series invading Disney Store locations nationwide and DisneyStore.com. Designed by Disney Store artists who were inspired by vintage wind-up robot toys of the 1950's, the new Vinylmation Robots are also featured in a never-before-seen video on DisneyStore.com/Vinylmation and on the 2,000-square-foot digital billboard above Disney Store in Times Square.

Disney Store also revealed its first limited-edition Disney POP! Vinyl by Funko. The POP! Vinyls are Funko's creative take on Disney characters and the limited-edition designs were on sale in July at Comic-Con in San Diego.


Fall lineup at ABC:

Summer is winding down, but ABC's new primetime shows are heating things up. Many favorites are back with new surprises, including "Desperate Housewives," "Grey's Anatomy," and "Dancing with the Stars," and they're being paired with brand new series. ABC's "Pan Am," takes flight Sunday, Sept.,25, and stars Christina Ricci. "Once Upon a Time" joins the ABC schedule Sunday Oct. 23. In this modern day fairytale, the words of fantasy and reality collide in an epic battle between good and evil. Tim Allen returns to primetime Oct. 11 in ABC's "Last Man Standing" and an all new "Charlie's Angels" takes over Miami begining Sept. 22.


Sounds great...DR LEE

The windows on Main Street, U.S.A.

Have you ever wondered about the names of the fictional business owners you see on the windows above the ground floor on Main Street, U.S.A.? It was a tradition started by Walt Disney when Disneyland opened on July 17,1955, to pay tribute to the men and women who were instrumental in the initial planning, design, construction and operation of the park.

The honor continues today for those who have made significant contributions to Disneyland Resort as Imagineers or Cast Members.

For the 50th anniversary of Disneyland Park, a window was dedicated to those who have helped keep alive Walt's vision for Disneyland.


Trivia: Who was the most recent recipient(s) to receive a window on Main Street, U.S.A.??


Wonder what my window would say, "Bartender to the stars"...DR LEE


ANSWNER:The Sherman Brothers, who wrote "it's a small world," were the most recent reipients of a window on Main Street, U.S.A., on March 10, 2010.

Say this 3 or 4 times fast,ha-ha...

Remember "Mary Poppins"...


""Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious""...


have fun and enjoy...DR LEE

Disneyland Tips :

Having worked/retired from the Disneyland Resort, I have learned a few tips to make your stay a little better.

Free Commemorative Buttons...Go to City Hall on Main Street U.S.A., near the entrance, and if it is your birthday,first time or if you are celebrating something,ask the cast member there to give you a button. Now as you travel throughout the Disneyland Resort, other cast members and some guests will take note of your button.

Land by Land...When I play inside the Disneyland Resort, I plan what attractions I want to experience land by land. I usually start my day at Disneyland. Adventureland, then New Orleans Square, then Critter Country so on and so on. I try real hard not to spent my day walking from one land only to return because I forgot a attraction. I like to walk and stay fit, but I hate wasting time!!!

Wake Jose at the Tiki Room...If you arrive a few minutes early before the next show at the Tiki Room,you can ask the cast member there if your child can wake Jose to begin the show. Your child will be part of the show and given the opportunity to wake up the birds. This is always cute and fun.

Watch your Receipts...When I play at the Disneyland Resort, I always ask for my receipts after I have bought something. This is because, at the bottom of these receipts,certain stores offer discounts at certain times up to 25% off items. You never know what might be printed and what times these discounts apply.

Single Rider...While the fast pass is a great way to save time and plan your day, I have discovered a better way than the fast pass. Single Rider pass is available on a few attractions at the Disneyland Resort. Indian Jones and Splash Mountain are in Disneyland Park and Grizzly River Run,SCREAMIN and Soarin are located in Disney's California Adventure Park.Just a quick note here, check daily with City Hall about any changes. Simply walk up and ask for a single rider pass,do not stand in line. After this pass is given to you, the cast member for that attraction will show you were to stand. There is always a need for single riders.

Toy Story Parking,the Blue Bus...When I again play at the Disneyland Resort, I always like to park at the Toy Story Parking. Located near the corners of Harbor and Katilla,across the street from the Hilton on Katilla, these buses are air-conditioned/heated and are every few minutes when arriving/departing.

Eat a "Big Breakfast" before entering the Disneyland Resort...I like to have a bowl of oatmeal,honey, banana and orange juice before I play at the Disneyland Resort.
I have found, that eating a large breakfast, gives me energy through-out my stay and I can drink water and likely skip lunch all together. About 4p.m. I like to buy a nice dinner,like in Downtown Disney(Naples, pizza,yummy), Ariel's Grotto, Blue Bayou,French Market or Redd Rockett's Pizza Port.
I have enjoyed dinner at Club 33, however, my money tree isn't that big!

Fireworks at 9:30p.m....Most will agree, that the Disneyland Resort by far has the best fireworks at 9:30p.m. over Sleeping Beauty's Castle. And most will agree, that standing in front of Sleeping Beauty's Castle is a great place to see this show. However, that being saided, would you like to know were I like to see this show and you can also. Stand near "it's a small world" attraction(near Micky's ToonTown entrance). Here, you still can hear "SOME" of the soundtrack, but what you will feel is the energy, noise and power of this show. It's amazing...


Hope this will help you on your next visit...Dr Lee aka
"kitten"

Buena Vista Street:

Disney California Adventure Park is reaching another major milestone in the on going expansion. On Monday, August 29, 2011, the Sunshine Plaza area will close to allow crews to start the transformation of the current park entry into Buena Vista Street, reminiscent of what Walt Disney encountered when he first arrived in California in the 1920's.
While the shops will close to make way for Buena Vista Street, guests will continue to enter the park through the new Pan-Pacific Auditorium-inspired turnstiles and follow a temporary walkway which will feature renderings of the future Disney California Adventure Park and connect the turnstiles with the Condor Flats area. This area will be the temporary entrance and exit for guests during the transformation of the former main entrance stores to Buena Vista Street.
This entry and exit location will remain in place until Buena Vista Street opens in 2012.


sounds great...DR LEE

Cast Members Canoe Races:

The annual Cast Canoe Races at Disneyland began in 1963 when employees, who Walt Disney calls cast members, challenged one another to a race.

Nearly 50 years later, the event has evolved into a gathering with more than 600 Disney cast members,on 72 teams rowing around the Rivers of America in canoes from Davy Crochett's Explorer Canoes.

At dawn on Wednesdays, before the park opens, 12 teams in 3 divisions competed for bragging rights and medals in front of a crowd of 250 family members and friends.

The 4 finalist teams in each division-men, women and coed- were comprised of 8 to 10 rowers per canoe. The teams started and finished at the Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes dock, one at a time, rowing the quarter-mile lap around Pirate's Lair on Tom Sawyer Island. The teams were timed.

Cast members of the Davy Crockett's Explorer Canoes swept the divisions, taking first in the men's,women's and coed divisions. The men's team won it's 12th title by circling the course in 4 minutes,6.72 seconds; the women finished in 4 minutes,38.09 seconds, while the coed winners won in 4 minutes, 21.20 seconds.

Teams practice before the park opens to guests.

Having worked at Club 33, I would sit and watch all this from Club 33,a birds eye view...DR LEE

Best Buy, Gadget Magic:

If you've ever gone on vacation and realized you forgot some critical gadget or cord, Best Buy aims to help you.
The next time you stroll Downtown Disney you might spot two new installations-a pair of Best Buy vending machines selling various device chargers,headphones and even iPods.
The kiosks, which have the moniker "Gadget Magic," carry a hodgepodge of goodies vacationing families might want, need or forgot at home, from the new "New Super Mario Bros." game for the Nintendo DS to every kind of iPod and various headphones, earbuds or iPhone cases. There is even a 3G moblie hotspot out of contract available through the kiosks.
The new self-service kiosks went up in June and put Downtown Disney among 150 locations where the Best Buy kiosks have been installed in the last three years, including college campuses, train stations and airports. Kiosk prices are the same as at Best Buy stores and Downtown Disney is among 22 locations in California.


just another great service item for guests while at the Disneyland Resort...DR LEE