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Straight from the Disney Parks Blog - From flying over Never Land to taking a spin in a tea cup, Fantasyland has been home to some of our guests’ favorite experiences at Walt Disney World Resort since opening day. So when we set out to reinvent the most popular land at our most popular Disney destination, we knew that it had to be something truly spectacular – and I’m proud to say that New Fantasyland is exactly that. Last Friday, I toured the construction site as we complete the finishing touches for our official opening on December 6 , and while the entire expansion is extraordinary, there are a few aspects in particular that I think will be huge hits with our guests. Copyright 2012 Walt Disney Company Part of what makes Disney Parks so special is our ability to connect people with the Disney characters and stories they love. With Enchanted Tales with Belle , we’re doing that in a magical new way. Guests will enter Belle’s cottage , step through an enchanted m

Celebrate the magic of the holiday season with your family at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, a special event held select nights in November and December at Magic Kingdom theme park! This festive celebration is filled with spectacular fireworks, a very special holiday parade and live entertainment featuring your favorite Disney Characters. Purchase of an additional event admission ticket is required to attend this event, and tickets sell out quickly. Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party features: The enchanted Castle Dream Lights on Cinderella Castle Mickey's Once Upon A Christmastime Parade, complete with a special appearance by Santa Claus himself An exclusive holiday fireworks extravaganza — Holiday Wishes: Celebrate the Spirit of the Season Live entertainment featuring Disney Characters Meet and greet opportunities throughout Magic Kingdom theme park with some of your favorite Disney Characters Complimentary cookies and hot cocoa A magical snow fal

Now that Darth Vader is part of the Disney Family, find out where he's going next.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party  looks to be off to a strong start this year as the opening night on November 9, 2012 is now sold out. All other dates remain available.

In a surprise move, Disney today announced that it is acquiring LucasFilm LTD, home of the Star Wars saga. Burbank, CA and San Francisco, CA, October 30, 2012 – Continuing its strategy of delivering exceptional creative content to audiences around the world, The Walt Disney Company (NYSE: DIS) has agreed to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd. in a stock and cash transaction. Lucasfilm is 100% owned by Lucasfilm Chairman and Founder, George Lucas. Under the terms of the agreement and based on the closing price of Disney stock on October 26, 2012, the transaction value is $4.05 billion, with Disney paying approximately half of the consideration in cash and issuing approximately 40 million shares at closing. The final consideration will be subject to customary post-closing balance sheet adjustments. "Lucasfilm reflects the extraordinary passion, vision, and storytelling of its founder, George Lucas," said Robert A. Iger, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The

Meet Central Florida residents Mickey and Minnie Baus (yep, "Baus" rhymes with "mouse"). They're a couple of Disney Parks fanatics who annually entertain their neighborhood with an illuminating display of Disney decor in the weeks leading up to Halloween.  So...how far do YOU go with your Halloween decorations? I bet not this far!! Take a look at the video and see for  yourself. Happy Halloween everyone!

Luke Donald - 2011 Champion Former champion Joe Durant is the latest PGA TOUR pro to accept a sponsor exemption for the Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals Classic , Nov. 8-11, at Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla. Following his 2006 win at Disney, Durant finished that year a career-best 13th on the money list and received Player of the Month honors for October/November for his five consecutive Top-10 finishes. Along with his Disney victory, Durant’s career wins include the Motorola Western Open (1998), the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic (2001) and the Genuity Championship (2001). He was also named the PGA TOUR Comeback Player of the Year in 2001. Durant’s best finish this season has been a third place tie at the HP Byron Nelson Championship, his first PGA TOUR top-10 finish since the 2010 McGladrey Classic. He is currently 153rd on the PGA TOUR money list with $427,678. Durant joins Boo Weekley as two of the four sponsor exemptions for the tournament. The remainin

Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park  will remain closed on Tuesday, October 30, 2012 due to forecasted low temperatures . Also, please keep in mind that  Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park  is  down for refurbishment  until January 5, 2013.

Copyright Walt Disney Company The Downtown Disney area is an exciting metropolis of restaurants, theaters and merchandise shops incorporating the Marketplace , Pleasure Island and the West Side . Location :   The 120-acre area borders the south shore of Village Lake at the intersection of Buena Vista Drive and Hotel Plaza Boulevard in the east-central portion of Walt Disney World Resort.  Downtown Disney parking is free. Downtown Disney West Side The 66-acre West Side, the largest of the three Downtown Disney areas, includes 344,000 square feet of buildings and a 9,500-square-foot area for events and entertainment. AMC Downtown Disney 24 Theatres – 24 separate auditoriums with stadium seating in 18 theaters for unobstructed viewing.  Total area: 110,000 square feet.  Includes six Fork & Screen dine-in theatres featuring menu items from quesadillas to flatbread pizzas.  Reserved seating and table-top dining available. BLINK by Wet Seal - A young women’s

The Richard Petty Driving Experience at Walt Disney World Speedway is the place of dreams, offering race fans and adventure-seekers the ultimate thrill of riding in or driving a racecar around the one-mile tri-oval Walt Disney World Speedway. Guests are offered several ride and drive experiences as they follow their dream of leaving the grandstands and climbing into a racecar, just like The King himself. Four driving experiences and a ride-along program are offered at the Walt Disney World Speedway location: Ride-Along Program : A three-lap thrill ride as a passenger at a top speed of 145 mph. New! Junior Ride-Along Program: A three-lap thrill ride for 6- to 13-year-old passengers, who are at least 48 inches in height. Rookie Experience : A three-hour program that places guests behind the wheel for eight exhilarating laps around the track. King’s Experience : Features 18 laps of drive-yourself thrills divided into one eight-lap session and one 10-lap session. Bey

Straight from the great folks over that the Disney Parks Blog - Now that all you Epcot fans have had a few weeks to recover from celebrating Epcot history at the park’s 30th anniversary festivities, let’s take a look forward at what’s next for the park. We have an update to share on Test Track – Presented by Chevrolet , which will celebrate a milestone in its construction this week as it unveils its new exterior to guests. Copyright 2012 Walt Disney Company As you can see from this image, the attraction’s color scheme has been changed from a yellow-and-black checkerboard pattern to a sleek, bold blue design that incorporates smaller icon designs that guests will encounter within the attraction. (And I think I spy at least one nod to Epcot history here. Anyone else?). The attraction’s new marquee also reflects a sleek automotive-inspired design. Copyright 2012 Walt Disney Company As a reminder, the reengineered Test Track will officially open this Dec. 6

Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park  will be closed on Monday, October 29, 2012 due to forecasted low temperatures ( high temperature expected for tomorrow: 71 degrees ). There's a good chance that the water park will continue to remain closed throughout Tuesday as well, as the forecasted high temperature for October 30, 2012 is 68 degrees. Also, please keep in mind that  Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park  is  down for refurbishment  until January 5, 2013.

Mickeys Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is officially sold out for October 31, 2012. All other remaining dates are available.

Financial support is now available for eligible local nonprofits through the   Disney Helping Kids Shine   Grants program, one of many initiatives that seeks to strengthen the Central Florida community and the well-being of children and families. Grants ranging from $10,000 to $75,000 will be awarded to programs that focus on character development, compassion, and creativity and innovation to build better futures for local children. Last year, Walt Disney World Resort gave a total of $1.5 million  in Disney Helping Kids Shine  grant s  to 59 nonprofits and school districts in Central Florida. Combined, the programs are expected  to benefit an estimated 70,000 in Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Polk and Lake counties. “At Walt Disney World, we invest in programs that can make a lasting change in our community and promote the success and well-being of children and families,” said Nancy Gidusko, director of community relations for Walt Disney World. “We do that by sharing our in-kind r

In the true spirit of a Disney VoluntEAR, Brian Reif shares his time and expertise to help bring a smile and a unique experience for many kids who come to Central Florida searching for “magic.” “I’m proud to be involved with these VoluntEAR opportunities because I know I’m not just impacting one family’s experience on one day,” said Reif about the many hours he spends every week volunteering at Give Kids The World Village (GKTW). “I’m helping to ensure that every family that comes to the Village has a better experience.” Give Kids the World is a non-profit resort in Kissimmee that offers children with life-threatening illnesses and their families, free, weeklong vacations where they can experience the best of Central Florida. Since 1986, GKTW has welcomed more than 115,000 families from all 50 states and more than 70 countries. The organization depends on volunteers to fulfill approximately 1,500 shifts every week. “I’m one of the facilitators of new volunteer orientation, w

Disney's Typhoon Lagoon Water Park   will be temporarily closed for refurbishment from October 28, 2012 through January 5, 2013 . During that period of time, Guests can still enjoy   Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park , which will continue to be open until January 5, 2013 as an alternative. The reason behind this extended closure is simply routine maintenance to improve the various areas of the park. Copyright Walt Disney Company

Please be advised that the Garden and Fairway courses at  Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf will be closed Sunday, October 28, 2012 from 5:00 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. for a private event. The courses will reopen to guests at 9:30 p.m. Disney's Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Courses will be open for our guests to enjoy.

A short, but fun, featurette for Disney Animation’s Wreck-it Ralph. It features some behind the scenes insight into the movie from the people involved. It also begins to explore some of the relationships that are key to making the film work: One of the most amazing things about Wreck-it Ralph is the world creation. These are all unique games and yet familiar enough to audiences that they feel like they could walk into any arcade and see the games there.

Disney has reopened the Fantasyland passholder previews for the additional dates, and this time they are using a sweepstakes system. From http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/wdw/passholder/landing   We are excited to share more information about the New Fantasyland Previews for Passholders. With 11 more days of previews, more of our Passholders will be able to attend and we will be using a sweepstakes option to enable those who have not registered an equal chance to attend a preview.  Sweepstakes Details:   You have multiple days to submit your entry. Regardless of when you enter, you will have an equal opportunity to attend a preview. Entries must be received by Wednesday, October 31 at 2:59 am EST. Those who are randomly selected will receive a follow-up email from the Walt Disney World Passholder Program on or around November 2, 2012.  You may only enter the sweepstakes once but you may select multiple time periods, which will increase your chances of being sele