LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. -- Disney
Another Year of Dreams to Come!
2007 has seen families entering a fairy-tale realm within the Magic Kingdom to spend a night living like princes and princesses. It's found Guests throughout the Disney Parks gifted with surprises big and small as part of the Disney Dreams Giveaway - from custom trading pins to cruises to Europe, from a DREAM FASTPASS badge that cuts the wait time for some of the most popular Disney attractions to a personal chat with a Disney Princess. This year has truly seen the magic of Disney come alive for Guests at Disney Parks as never before.
Faron is "global project development director" - and, as he explains it, "Basically, that means I'm the celebration guy!" And he says that the new plans have been in the works for about half a year, although they've been kept tightly under wraps until now. "After the six months for The Year of a Million Dreams, we said 'This is really something that's just too good to take away.' We wanted to give a longer chance to more of our Guests to experience it," he explains.
"Some dream prizes will be brought back by popular demand, such as the one-of-a-kind Mickey Mouse ears, which have been redesigned a little bit; the Dream FASTPASS badge, which has been wildly popular item; and the limited-edition pin and lanyard set, also redesigned for the celebration. We'll also continue with $500 shopping sprees, some fun dining experiences, and with the one-night stay in the Cinderella Castle suite.
One prize that is not returning, however, will be replaced by something that is sure to have Disney fans buzzing. "We're not going to be continuing the Mickey suite in California, because we have a brand-new surprise that's coming in - the development of the Disneyland Dream Suite, which will give Guests on most nights the opportunity to stay overnight inside Disneyland Park," Faron reveals. "The Disneyland Dream Suite is being built specifically for The Year of a Million Dreams. It's going to be in what was once the Gallery in New Orleans Square. That space, amazingly enough, was originally intended by Walt to be an apartment for family and friends. Walt had his own apartment on Main Street, but he wanted a larger space where family and friends could stay when they visited the Park. It was never brought to fruition, but working with Walt Disney Imagineering we found the original plans that Walt Disney himself had commissioned, and those renderings are being used as inspiration for the development of the Disneyland Dream Suite!"
In addition to the prizes, The Year of a Million Dreams will see some exciting new attractions and entertainment at both Resorts in 2008. Look for "Toy Story Mania!, an amazing new attraction opening this summer at Disney-MGM Studios in Florida and Disney's California Adventure. It's a ride-through Toy Story competition inspired by Disney*Pixar's 'Toy Story' films," Faron explains. "It has some wonderful effects - in addition to keeping score for you as you interact with the attraction, it's done in 3D so you wear 3D glasses as you ride through using your spring-action shooter as you aim at targets, It's a very immersive experience for the entire family."
Also, in spring 2008, look for Block Party Bash to leave Disney's California Adventure and make its way across the country to Disney-MGM Studios. The new Pixar Play! Parade will open at Disney's California Adventure. At both Disney-MGM Studios and Disney's California Adventure, Playhouse-Disney Live on Stage! will have a whole new cast of characters and a new show beginning in the spring.
Isn't a year normally 365 days? Sure - but for the dream-makers at Disney, anything is possible, and with the new prizes and surprises coming your way, we're betting that Guests will not be complaining about this two-year-long Year of far more than a Million Dreams.
Making the Haunts Even HappierThat old, creepy, uninhabited mansion -- you know, the one where you sometimes hear mysterious sounds and see eerie apparitions? I think something's going on up there. Ever since June, I seem to hear weird noises in the dead of night ... noises suspiciously like hammering and sawing. But none of the 999 permanent residents seem to be leaving the joint. Is it possible that that place is going to get even SPOOKIER? That's right -- in case you haven't heard the news through the ghoulish grapevine, the Magic Kingdom Park's venerable Haunted Mansion is getting a facelift. New details are being added to reward sharp-eyed spookhunters, and some high-tech magic is being put to use to create old-fashioned thrills. Kathy Rogers, Senior Show Producer for the attraction, told us what to expect if you dare to venture through the doors of this most beloved attraction, which is slated to reopen this month. "For several months, our team has been "illusioneering," making the invisible, visible," explains Kathy. "For example, a previously unseen... ... wing of the Mansion has been revealed for the first time. Observant Guests will see more of the 999 happy haunts cavorting on a seemingly endless staircase leading to secret realms. Watch closely and you'll see evidence of these residents -- their glowing footprints, candles going out -- is it the wind or did someone blow them out? It's for you to decide. Other haunts reveal themselves in the mansion's infamous Corridor of Doors -- don't blink or you'll miss the clues!" The Haunted Mansion is one of the Disney Theme Park attractions that have inspired legions of passionate fans. The last thing anyone wanted to do was to change the experience in a way that would disappoint Guests, and Kathy and her team were acutely aware of the necessity to "strengthen the story, and not change it." So in many cases they expanded on the lore that already existed -- as in Kathy's own favorite addition: "In the attic the long, sad tale of Constance on her wedding days finally comes to light. For almost 40 years, our Guests have come face to face with Constance the bride. Now it's time for them to meet her and her grooms face to face -- all five of them! They all loved Constance," she laughs. "In fact, you could say they lost their heads over her." In addition to adding to the story, the Imagineers are taking advantage of some technological advances since the Mansion first saw the light of day. You won't be overwhelmed with high-tech bells and whistles that disturb the eerie atmosphere, but, Kathy promises, "Imagineers constantly look for new ways to combine compelling stories with new technologies. As we've worked to enhance Haunted Mansion, we've added a few surprises that may make the ghosts seem a little closer than before." So whether it's your first visit to the Mansion or your hundredth, when Guests are allowed to enter that elegant but eerie house again, keep your eyes peeled. You never know when you'll stumble across the evidence of a haunt you haven't encountered before! And remember -- there's always room for one more.
Elaborate sets and costuming went into the transformation of Weisz, Andrews, Breslin and Federer. Soundstages morphed into pixie-dusted spectacles as Leibovitz clicked away."It's thrilling to have an opportunity to re-create the characters we all loved as children," Leibovitz says. "The stories are real to my own children now, and their belief inspires me."Dreamlike images in a year of dreams was a natural, added Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts."Putting celebrities right inside their fantasies reinforces the power of dreams, where anything is possible," he said. "Disney's ‘Year of a Million Dreams' is about the imaginations and dreams that are inside us all. Through the lens of Annie Leibovitz, these dreams and fantasies come alive. It's the perfect fit."For Weisz, slipping on the familiar hair band and dress of Snow White was a dream come true. Her finished image, "Where You're the Fairest of Them All," is a soft, sylvan scene in which she is surrounded by forest friends."I think you always want to be Snow White, it's every little girl's dream," Weisz said.Federer traded his tennis racket for a regal sword, posing on a rock as the gallant King Arthur.The finished photo, entitled "Where You're Always King of the Court," shows Federer, red cape flowing, beside a roiling sea.In another photo, Breslin as Fira (from the "Disney Fairies" series) reposes on a giant leaf while the wand-waving Julie Andrews as the Blue Fairy of "Pinocchio" showers her with pixie dust. "Where the Magic Begins," reads the photo.The special insert will be unveiled in the December editions of Cookie, Condé Nast Traveler, Details, Glamour, GQ, Men's Vogue, New Yorker, Self, Vanity Fair, Vogue and W.On Oct. 1, Disney announced its "Year of a Million Dreams" celebration would be extended throughout 2008 at Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida. The celebration is filled with new attractions and entertainment plus more "dream-come-true" moments for guests than ever before.
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