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On the Cover: The Wilderness Lodge lobby, photo by Barrie Brewer Volume 1 • Number 2 Unwrapping the Contents Magic: Holidays 40 Letters...... 6 in the Parks Calendar of Events...... 7 Disney News & Updates...... 8

A Christmas Tour MOUSE VIEWS...... 15 of the Resorts 44 Guide to the Magic by Tim Foster...... 16 Explorer Emporium by Lou Mongello...... 18 Holidays Around Hidden Mickeys by Steve Barrett...... 20 the World at Disney Style World Showcase by Cara Goldsbury...... 22 48 Photography Tips & Tricks by Tim Devine...... 24 A Very Walt Pin Trading & Collecting Christmas by John Rick...... 26 Travel Tips 52 by Beci Mahnken...... 28 Holiday Magic FEATURED ATTRACTION Beyond the Parks ...... 30 FEATURED RESORT 56 Disney’s Contemporary Resort...... 34

The Osborne Family Quick Quiz...... 68 Spectacle of Dancing 60 Lou Mongello’s Wayback Machine...... 70 By the Numbers...... 71 Lights In Search of......... 72 Kids Korner...... 74 Music by Mystery Quest: ...... 78 Candlelight Tim & Lou’s Top 10...... 80 66 Happy Holidays Everyone! This is a joyous time of year, the time of year when we celebrate the wonder of the holidays with family and friends. For those of us who remember staying up all night listening for reindeer on the roof, driving through the neighborhood looking at all the lights and decorations, or setting out that perfect dish of milk and cookies on Christmas Eve , the holidays are a magical time indeed. You might think that a trip to Florida wouldn’t be keeping in the holiday spirit (after all, it’s hard to keep a snowman comfortably chilled in the Florida sun!), but many of my fondest holiday memories have taken place at , or they have at least had a Disney connection. That should come as no surprise. The holidays are a magical time, and there isn’t a more magical place than Walt Disney World. Where else can you watch snow falling—even when it’s 70 degrees outside? Where else could you enjoy a piping hot cup of cocoa under the glow of a shimmering castle? Whether you’re at the Magic Kingdom enjoying the festive decorations on Main Street, U.S.A., exploring the joy of the holidays across the globe in World Showcase, or cuddling up in front of a crackling fire at the Wilderness Lodge, experiencing the holidays at Walt Disney World is something you will never forget. It is with that spirit in mind that we present our first holiday edition of Celebrations. Join us as we explore, in true pixie-dust style, all of the magic and wonderment that comes around at this special time of year. From the parks and resorts to the special shows and fond memories, we’ll take a look at all of the things that make the holiday season such a special time of year at the most magical place on Earth.

Looking ahead, we have lots more magic in store in our upcoming issues. We will have Part 2 of Lou’s interview with Richard M. Sherman, where he shares how some of the greatest songs in Disney history were created, and we’ll also take a look at tributes to closed attractions that you can find throughout the parks (and we’ll have some more surprises along the way!). Enjoy!

Tim Foster

2 · Celebrations Editors Tim Foster • Lou Mongello

Contributing Writers Steve Barrett Cara Goldsbury Tim Devine Jim Korkis Beci Mahnken John Rick Jennifer Bright Reich Ray Harkness Glenn Whelan Pat Whitson

Associate Editors Jennifer Bright Reich • Catherine Lusby

Creative Direction and Design Tim Foster Associate Art Director Michelle Foster

Contributing Photographers Tim Devine, Tim Foster, Barrie Brewer, Lou Mongello, Glenn Whelan, Pat Whitson

Editorial and Advertising Offices: PO Box 584 • Uwchland, PA 19480 • www.celebrationspress.com

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©2008 Celebrations Press, Inc. Celebrations is published six times a year in the U.S. by Celebrations Press, Inc. No por- tion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express written permission of the publisher. Statements and opinions herein are those of the authors and advertisers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. Celebrations is owned and operated by Celebrations Press, Inc. and is not affiliated with, authorized or endorsed by, or in any way officially connected with , Disney Enterprises, Inc., or any of their affiliates. Walt Disney World Resort® is a registered trademark of The Walt Disney Company. The Twilight Zone® is a registered trademark of CBS, Inc. This publication makes reference to various Disney copyrighted characters, trademarks, marks, and registered marks owned by The Walt Disney Company, Disney Enterprises, Inc., and other trademark own- ers. The use in this book of trademarked names and images is strictly for editorial purposes, no commercial claim to their use, or suggestion of sponsorship or endorsement, is made by the authors or publishers. Those words or terms that the authors have reason to believe are trademarks are designated as such by the use of initial capitaliza- tion, where appropriate. However, no attempt has been made to identify or designate all words or terms to which trademark or other proprietary rights may exist. Nothing contained herein is intended to express a judgement on, or affect the validity of legal status of, any word or term as a trademark, service mark, or other proprietary mark. While every care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the information in this publication, the passage of time will always bring changes in operating schedules, attraction openings and closings, and policies. The authors and publisher shall not be held liable for any information (valid or invalid) presented here and do not represent The Walt Disney Company. 3 · Celebrations Leaving the World Behind Leaving the world behind—the “real” world, not Walt Disney World, of course. That’s one of the things that I believe offers such wonderful appeal about visiting the Disney Parks. While you may get that same type of “disconnected” feeling while lying on a beach, hiking in the mountains, or even riding your bike, nothing seems to provide such a transformation as when you take those first steps into the Magic Kingdom, walk down Sunset Boulevard, stroll the promenade of World Showcase, or explore Discovery Island at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Admit it (it’s okay, you’re among friends here); you smile just a little bit as you pass through the archway under the train tracks and step foot onto Main Street, U.S.A. It’s because you know that you will leave behind “the world of today, and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow, and fantasy.” You get that same feeling as you leave Orlando and enter the Pacific Northwest of Disney’s Wilderness Lodge or when you journey to an African savannah at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Walt Disney World truly is a place of magic, where the ability to pass through a doorway provides a complete disconnect from the stress and pressures of the real world. Have you noticed that you can’t buy a newspaper in any of the parks? That you won’t find the news playing on a television in any of the restaurants in ? To allow yourself to be immersed in the experience, you can’t have distractions that might ruin the illusion that we all buy into so willingly. But even if you can’t get to Walt Disney World as often as you like (and who can?), you can get just a small sample of that same disconnect and experience a bit of the magic at home. Today, we have the ability to leave the real world behind and get a bit of Disney in our minds and hearts when we listen to a podcast, enjoy music from the Disney parks, talk with fellow fans in an online community, watch a Disney movie, and hopefully read this magazine. As we put together each issue, we want to continually bring you articles, information, and photographs that will provide you with even a small escape from your home or office cubicle. I hope you enjoy this issue and allow yourself to be transported in your mind’s eye to somewhere we all consider to be our own little “happiest place on Earth.” “Now, think of the happiest things... It’s the same as having wings!... Come on, everybody, here we go!”

Lou Mongello

4 · Celebrations Contributors When Barrie Brewer retired from her lifelong work in disability services, she was able to marry her newfound passion for photography and her love of Walt Disney World. Though she lives in Portland, Oregon, she finds a way to visit the Mouse several times a year, amassing thousands of photos from the parks and resorts. You can visit Barrie’s website (BarrieBrewerPhotography.com) to view more of her Disney World pictures. You’ll also find photographs from around Oregon, as well as some from her recent Ad- ventures by Disney trip to Italy and France.

Jennifer Bright Reich is a writer, editor, copy editor, and creator of www.DisneyWithKids. net, helping people traveling to Walt Disney World with kids save money, time, and sanity. Jennifer has contributed to more than 150 books and written more than 100 magazine and newspaper articles. Jennifer has traveled to Walt Disney World seven times, and she and her husband were married in the Wedding Pavilion in 2002. She lives in Hellertown, Pennsylvania, with her husband and their three- and one-year-old sons, who all anxiously await their next trip.

Ray Harkness thanks Disney for saving his marriage. As a self professed workaholic, vacation was a 4-letter word. After being shown the joys of a vacation by his lovely wife, he now cannot imagine being away from work if it doesn’t involved a Disney resort. He and his wife, Nancy, have logged almost 50 days in the parks since 2006. When not tour- ing the parks, Ray writes for his blog Grumpy’s Hollow under the name Grumpwurst (grumpyspace.blogspot.com). He also spends quality time in the gym training for bodybuilding competitions.

Jim Korkis is an internationally recognized Disney historian who has authored thou- sands of articles on Disney history. More than a decade ago, as part of his performing responsibilities at Six Flags Magic Mountain in Valencia, California, he played the role of Santa Claus.

Like so many of us, Glenn Whelan came to Disney very early in life. His connection began through the unusual route of the often underappreciated live-action films. However, “True Life Adventures”, “Johnny Tremain” and “Follow Me, Boys!” took a secondary role af- ter the opening of Walt Disney World. On a professional level, Glenn spent many years in the corporate world, then recently turned to writing as well as a new career with Rollins College located in Winter Park, Florida. You can read his blog at: www.passamaquoddy.blog.com

Pat Whitson is the Content Coordinator for DisneyWorldTrivia.com. She is the coordina- tor for The Dream Team Project’s annual charity auction at MagicMeets. She lives on Long Island with her husband and two kids.

5 · Celebrations baggage and came back up through We’ve Got a Problem! Letters the food court again to catch a bus Here’s a picture of my 18 year old to the Magic Kingdom. Now, either niece, Renee Barnett, on Expedition on the way through the first time, Everest. It was taken this July on her or possibly coming back, one of the first trip to WDW. When she reached CMs must’ve overheard us refer to the top of the broken track section, one of our sons by name. So as we I yelled her name a couple of times are passing through, he says “Hey to get her to turn around so I could Joshua, would you like to be Chef for snap a picture. She is a super-ham so the Day?” We all did a double-take the picture turned out great. since it caught us off guard. The CM calling him by name was the coolest! Monica Tompkins, Oklahoma It sure surprised him, in a “how does he know me” kind of way. Of course, Cast Member Magic my seven-year old says “Sure”. Who The year was 2004, and my wife and wouldn’t want to be chef of the day? I had the opportunity to bring our Before you know it, they’ve wheeled parents and our children to WDW. It out a cart with a Mickey waffle and was my fifth trip, my wife’s second, ten compartments of goodies: sprin- and countless times for my parents; kles, strawberries, syrups, etc…he but it was the first trip for my moth- gets a huge chef hat, (with his name er-in-law and our kids. As most of you on it already), and gets to go to town know, not much else beats bringing on the Mickey waffle. There was someone to the Magic Kingdom for singing, decorating, eating, and then the first time…and Disney did not pictures with the ASM food court disappoint. crew plus a big Chef for the Day We were staying at the All-Star certificate. My son had the biggest Great Timing! Music Resort and arrived just after grin on his face all day, his brother We took this amazing photo shortly the lunch crowd had left, so it was and sister were totally jealous, and after a Florida rain; I just happened relatively quiet. After checking in, we my mother-in-law couldn’t believe it. to be in the right spot at the right were going through the food court WE JUST GOT THERE!! We hadn’t yet time. Talk about a magical moment, I to find our rooms. A few Cast Mem- stepped one foot in a park! It couldn’t hope you enjoy it! bers were cleaning up, and we didn’t have been a better intro to WDW for think much of it. We dumped our them and it was an incredible start Cheers, Colin to an incredible week that we’ll never forget. It was such a simple act on the part of those Cast Members, but the Magic impression they left in those ten minutes or so was huge. Needless to say, it gets talked about all the time and we can’t wait to get back.

Jeff, Rochester NY

Got a question, photo or story you’d like to share? email them to: [email protected] 6 · Celebrations a 13.1-mile course that will take runners on Saturday from to Magic Kingdom and then back to Epcot for the Calendar of Events finish. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party December 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12, 14, 16, 18,19 Disney’s Dreamers Academy On select evenings in December, guests can experience with Steve Harvey the enchantment of “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Febuary 12-15, 2009 Parade” and the excitement of a holiday-themed fireworks One-hundred teens from across spectacular, “Holiday Wishes–Celebrate the Spirit of the the country with big dreams and Season,” during a special after-hours party inside the Magic aspirations will be celebrated Kingdom theme park. during Disney’s Dreamers Acad- emy with Steve Harvey at Walt Holidays Around The World Disney World Resort. Epcot An event created to inspire and December enrich high school students, Experience the joy and magic of the holidays through the Disney’s Dreamers Academy Photo ©Disney celebrations, customs and characters of different coun- will include workshops with Disney cast members and tries and diverse cultures from around the world. executives, sessions with entertainment celebrities and professional athletes, and time to enjoy the Disney theme The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights parks – where student participants can see, first-hand, the November 28, 2008 - January 4, 2009 results of people who turned their dreams into careers as Hollywood Studios “Disney dreamers.” Discover a dazzling display of pure Disney delight present- ed by SYLVANIA! Immerse yourself in the joy of the holidays International Flower & Garden Festival as you’re surrounded by millions of blinking, twinkling Epcot lights. March 18, 2009 - May 31, 2009 An elaborate “Cinderellabration” topiary featuring four Atlantic Dance Hall New Year’s Eve Disney princesses dressed in “blooming” finery will set the Disney’s Boardwalk scene for the 16th annual Epcot International Flower & December 31, 2008 Garden Festival. Move and groove into the New Year dancing and dining to Cinderella and Prince Charming, Snow White and the the latest sounds in an atmosphere of timeless elegance. seven dwarfs, Sleeping Beauty and Prince Phillip, and Belle and Beast from “Beauty and the Beast” will debut as the Walt Disney World Marathon grand front-entrance topiary during the 75-day festival. Weekend January 8-11, 2009 Atlanta Braves Spring Training The upcoming Walt Disney Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex World Marathon Weekend March, 2009 presented by CIGNA features Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves return to Cham- approximately 45,000 runners pion Stadium for their 12th edition of Spring Training at entered in the Walt Disney World Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex. The 2009 schedule Marathon, Walt Disney World is expected to feature the most appealing slate of oppo- Half Marathon and Family Fun nents since the Braves arrived in 1997, along with all-new Run 5K and Kids’ Races. The Walt entertainment and guest experiences, including the oppor-

Disney World Half Marathon is Photo ©Disney tunity to view pre-game batting practice from field level.

7 · Celebrations veryone who visits a Walt Disney World Resort or Re- Esort theme park on their birthday in 2009 can get in free, as Disney Parks embraces a newly identified family travel trend called “celebra- Disney News tion vacations.” In this new national trend, American families are hitting the road to mark life’s special occasions – birthdays, anniversaries, graduations, LET THE CELEBRATION reunions and more – with a “celebration vacation.” In 2009, Walt Disney World and Disneyland Resorts will lead this growing trend with new entertainment and services that allow guests to turn their personal BEGIN!: “What Will You milestones into magical Disney experiences. And to kick it all off – a first-ever opportunity for guests to receive a free ticket to one of the Walt Disney World or Disneyland theme parks Celebrate?” highlights on their birthday in 2009. “Birthdays are the one occasion that we all share every year,” said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “We thought a free 2009 at Disney Parks birthday ticket would be the icing on the cake as we extend this new ‘celebration vacation’ trend to Disney Parks.” Disney parks provide the perfect setting for this new style of vaca- tion that celebrates the special occasions in life, Rasulo added. Whether a guest is celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, Quincea- ñera or any special occasion, Disney parks already are filled with fa- vorite characters, world-class attractions and entertainment, and legendary guest service – exactly the “something for everyone” that trend-watchers say families look for in a “celebration vacation.” “The special moments in your life become truly magical when you celebrate at a Disney park,” Rasulo said. “Sharing a milestone at Disney connects families, friends and generations.”

Turning Life’s Special Moments Into a Personal Disney Celebration “We see our parks as the ideal setting for a personal celebration,” Ra- sulo said. “Guests can immerse themselves in their favorite stories and their favorite characters, creating a visit they’ll never forget. “And when our cast members get involved, it feels as if the entire park is celebrating along with you.” At Walt Disney World Resort, guests can add on to the fun, choosing from more than 200 experiences ranging from breathtaking (magi- cal fireworks cruises, sunrise safaris, diving the depths with undersea creatures) to mirth-making (Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, character din- ing, kids’ pirate adventures). At Disneyland Resort, celebrants can book more than 50 magical experiences, including “My Disneyland Birthday Party” and unique Disneyland guided tours. With all there is to do in Disney parks, guests can tailor their celebra- tion with favorite attractions, favorite characters and special experienc- es. Maybe they have a “princess” day with themed meals, shows, attrac- tions and perfectly princess merchandise at Disneyland. Or they turn Walt Disney World “wild” with trail riding, bass fishing and water skiing. Photo ©Disney

8 · Celebrations Even before the Ypartnership findings, Disney noticed the Set Sail: Book a private romantic cruise on a yacht or set celebration trend happening in its parks, Rasulo noted. For your party afloat on a shared magical fireworks voyage. instance, guests have visited the parks to propose marriage, Go Inside the Magic: Behind-the-scenes tours take you in- celebrate a child’s passage into high school, or pull the whole side the storytelling, adventure and history of Disney Parks. family together for the golden anniversary of their parents. Disney Story Book Experiences: Choose from pirate ad- “But Walt Disney World and Disneyland are now poised to ventures, tea parties, princess makeovers and more – all champion milestone vacations for families and friends in a with the magic of Disney. breakthrough way,” he said. “We’re asking our guests, ‘What Disneyland Parties: “Celebration Roundup and Barbecue will YOU celebrate?’ at Big Thunder Ranch,” all-new in 2009, is a full-blown party “Part of the celebration is all the firsts that magically hap- complete with frontier entertainment, goodie bags and a pen at Disney Parks,” Rasulo said. “Guests become the star of surprise treat for everyone – no matter what they’re cele- their own celebration. It could be a first trip to Disney or a brating. “My Disneyland Birthday Party” features cake deco- first family vacation without the stroller. We want to make rating, party hats and even Mickey and Minnie pay a visit. a first visit – and every visit – even more memorable.” Even if they’re not celebrating, Rasulo said, guests will be Celebrating in the Parks immersed in a “Celebrate Today!” spirit, making every day a Disney is unwrapping all-new entertainmentwith mem- party. ory-makers in mind, allowing guests to focus their celebra- tion on favorite characters, favorite attractions and favorite Customizing Your Celebration stories to create a custom celebration in the park. New park Depending on the Disney park they are headed to, guests experiences coming in 2009 for all park guests to enjoy: can order everything from special dining to princess tea Street Parties: Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort parties, from yacht cruises to treasure hunting on a pirate and Disneyland Park come to life with interactive street sailing adventure, from a quiet trail ride to parasailing parties. The call to “Celebrate Today!” goes out to guests, mu- thrills. Or they can opt for magical experiences for their sic floods the streets, dancing kicks into high gear and the group – from dessert parties to a Magic Kingdom fireworks parks become “the happiest party on Earth.” cruise to special entertainment. Tomorrowland Party: A high-energy, retro-futuristic mu- Among add-on experiences guests can choose to custom- sic video dance party features Stitch, an interactive dance ize their “celebration vacation”: troupe, and a DJ celebration host who’s inviting all Walt Dis- Custom Bakery Cakes and Signature Desserts: Disney ney World guests to come party, dance and celebrate. chefs create an unforgettable finale to a special dinner with Park Décor: The parks will be decorated with colorful ban- a beautifully decorated cake themed to any occasion or a ners, balloons and festive party hats – as if awaiting your new line of celebration desserts. celebration. For Lovebirds: Sweetheart dinners for two in which cou- Buttons: Complimentary celebration buttons will help Dis- ples can clink “Celebrate Today!” champagne flutes. ney cast members and fellow guests recognize you and your Family Portraits: Capture the memory with a portrait ses- celebration. sion with Walt Disney World photographers. Build a custom “We believe Disney parks are uniquely positioned for any photo album with Disney’s PhotoPass. celebration and offer the ultimate setting for marking a Personalized Souvenirs: Mark your occasion with person- cherished milestone,” Rasulo said. “People trust Disney to alized Mouse ears, character T-shirts and collectible pins. make an occasion truly magical. And now more than ever, Decorate Your Disney Guest Room: Step into a resort Disney will help guests seize those special moments and room decorated to fit your celebration theme with confetti, turn them into memories that will live forever in their banners, surprises and more. hearts.” Stay Inside a Dream Theme: Book a themed guest room at either destination – princess-themed or Mickey-inspired For more information or to book a Disney “celebration at Disneyland or – coming in 2009 – pirate-themed at Walt vacation,” guests can visit www.disneyparks.com, call Disney World Resort. 407/W-DISNEY or contact their local travel agent.

9 · Celebrations Photo ©Disney Disney’s Favorite Pixie, Tinker Bell, Introduces Magic Kingdom Guests to Her New Fairy Friends o celebrate the animated film “Tinker Bell,” Disney’s here are some “fun fairy facts” about the sprightly pixie: Tmost famous fairy and four of her best friends are fea- • Tinker Bell debuted at Walt Disney World Resort in 1971, tured in a meet-and-greet experience in Mickey’s Toontown as the classic attraction Peter Pan’s Flight opened in Fair at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort. . The beloved attraction immerses guests To meet Tinker Bell and her fairy friends, guests en- in the “Peter Pan” story as passengers board flying pi- ter a magical forest called “,” a special place rate ships bound for Never Land. deep in the heart of Never Land. • Tinker Bell began “flying” from high atop Cinderella Tinker Bell, made famous in the 1953 Disney animated Castle in 1985. Since then, she has taken her flight thou- classic “Peter Pan,” for her “hostess” role in Disney tele- sands of times to light the sky with fireworks. vision specials and for “flying” above the Disney theme • Tinker Bell made her Walt Disney World parade debut parks, is joined inside Pixie Hollow by four fairy friends: in 2007. She made that premiere appearance atop a Fawn, an animal fairy; Iridessa, a light fairy; Rosetta, a float in “Disney’s Enchanted Adventures Parade,” an en- garden fairy; and Silvermist, a water fairy. tertainment extravaganza during Disney’s Pirate and In addition to meeting the Fairies at Magic Kingdom, Princess Party. guests can learn more about the Disney Fairies at dis- • Tinker Bell merchandise continually ranks among the neyfairies.com. top sellers of character-based merchandise at Walt And if Tinker Bell doesn’t “ring a bell” or jog a memory, Disney World Resort.

10 · Celebrations T-Rex at Downtown Disney Takes Guests on a Dining Adventure to a Prehistoric Time alt Disney World guests can go on an adventure back crafted animatronic dinosaurs and even a meteorite found Win time to dine among the dinosaurs at T-Rex: A Pre- in Argentina. historic Family Adventure, A Place to Eat, Shop, Explore and A full-size skeleton replica of Argentinosaurus, one of the Discover® at Downtown Disney. largest of the dinosaurs and copied from a museum speci- T-Rex, developed by Schussler Creative, Inc. and operated men about 125 feet in length, looms over the entrance, joined by Landry’s Restaurants, Inc., features dining and retail in by a Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton. a 30,000-square-foot, 600-seat, family-friendly interactive The prehistoric theme extends to the menu, which fea- prehistoric environment. The concept is built around wa- tures items with names such as Caesarsaurus (Caesar salad), ter, fire and ice: Guests are greeted with life-size animatron- Raptor Ribs (Asian BBQ ribs), Pterodactyl Wings (Buffalo ic dinosaurs among cascading waterfalls, bubbling geysers, chicken wings), Triassic Tortellini (tri-colored cheese tortel- a fossil dig site and much more. lini) and Gigantosaurus Burger (think really big hamburger!). Schussler Creative Chairman Steve Schussler, the found- Menu choices range from starters (appetizers, salads and er of Rainforest Cafe and the T-Rex restaurant, depicts the soups) to pastas, burgers and sandwiches to a broad selec- experience as “edutainment,” noting that this “treat for all tion of entrees plus desserts. Some favorites include rotis- five senses” includes artifacts such as fossils – all carefully serie chicken, fried shrimp, steaks and ribs, tarragon chicken labeled – that are hundreds of millions of years old, carefully salad sandwich, Cobb salad and “Chocolate Extinction.”

RAPTOR RIBS OR TRIASSIC TORTELLINI?: A giant animatronic dinosaur looms diners in “T-Rex: A Prehistoric Family Adventure, A Place to Eat, Shop and Discover”

Photo ©Disney

11 · Celebrations Disney Vacation Club Continues Unprecedented Growth With Two New Development Projects

wo highly anticipated resort developments announced Bay Lake Tower and the Treehouse Villas, development con- Ttoday will expand the Walt Disney World experience tinues on Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas at the Walt Disney and continue the rapid growth of Disney Vacation Club, Dis- World Resort in Florida, The Villas at Disney’s Grand Califor- ney’s innovative vacation-ownership program: the 15-story nian Hotel & Spa at the Disneyland Resort in California and Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort is sched- the recently announced resort at Ko Olina on the island of uled to join the Disney Vacation Club family of properties Oahu. in fall 2009, while the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga “What excites me most about this tremendous growth is Springs Resort & Spa, scheduled to open in summer 2009, that we’re not only creating new accommodations, but new will become the next room category offered at that resort. experiences,” Lewis said. “Each of the projects we’ve under- Disney Vacation Club also announced that Bay Lake Tower taken at Disney Vacation Club is unlike anything previously sales are scheduled to begin on Sept. 21 for Disney Vacation available in our resort portfolio, and both Bay Lake Tower Club Members, while sales to the general public and sales and the Treehouse Villas proudly build on that tradition.” for the newest phase of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa will begin at a later date. Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort “Our founder, Walt Disney, was well known for having one The new, curvilinear Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contem- foot in the past and one in the future,” said Disney Vacation porary Resort is designed to complement the fabled styling Club President Jim Lewis. “These new resort developments of the original building, which opened with the Magic King- share that dynamic sensibility, blending modern luxury and dom Park on Oct. 1, 1971, and featured comedian Bob Hope as design with the nostalgic master of ceremonies. spirit of two of the most Mimicking the color storied resorts in Walt palette and strong hor- Disney World history.” izontal lines of its iconic The announcement predecessor, the new comes during an unprec- structure even sports a edented era of growth rooftop lounge inspired for Disney Vacation Club, by the original resort’s established in 1991 to A-frame architecture. give families decades of The tower’s crescent affordable vacations at shape, hugging lush Disney destinations and landscaping, planned beyond. Disney Vaca- recreation options and tion Club membership a lakeside pool, prom- has more than doubled ises to deliver some since 2004, expanding to of the most dramatic include more than 350,000 individuals from approximately views available anywhere at the Walt Disney World Resort. 100 countries and every U.S. state. Some villas face scenic, undeveloped stretches of Bay Lake, That membership growth has also driven Disney Vaca- while others offer spectacular views of the Magic Kingdom tion Club expansion, inspiring Walt Disney Imagineers to Park, located a short walk away. dream up new vacation home opportunities. In addition to The views promise to be equally appealing inside the

12 · Celebrations tower’s 295 two-bedroom-equivalent villas, where visionary Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs design meets Disney chic to define the vacation experience. Resort & Spa As the closest resort to the Magic Kingdom Park, Bay Lake Meanwhile, nestled in natural forest glens just around Tower guests can easily return to their rooms for quick the river bend from the bustling Downtown Disney area, breaks from their busy day in the Park, where they can relax the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & in an inspiring setting offering many of the conveniences Spa will mark the newest phase of what has become the of home. largest Disney Vacation Club resort. Phase one of the idyllic Most of the rooms in this iconic resort will feature innova- lakeside community debuted in 2004, and phase three sold tive touches, such as modern artwork designed specifically out earlier this year. for Bay Lake Tower, flat-screen TVs, full kitchens complete with granite countertops and modern appliances, sepa- rate bedrooms, washers and dryers, and other home-like amenities. Plus, to accommodate larger families or families traveling together, many Bay Lake Tower vacation villas are designed to sleep up to nine, though some units can also be divided into one-bedroom villas that sleep five and studios that accommodate four, creating flexible options for small- er groups.

This new phase will revive Walt Disney World “treehouse living,” a cherished tradition from 1975-2002. While crews are replacing villas of the ‘70s with brand-new vacation homes, Imagineers took special care to honor the original octago- nal design. The construction process itself is unique as each stand- alone Treehouse Villa will come together like a giant 3-D puzzle to ensure both superior quality and environmental sensitivity. All 60 three-bedroom homes, elevated 10 feet off the ground on pedestals and beams designed to blend into the forest environment, will sleep nine and are planned to offer “These vacation homes will be furnished with some modern luxuries such as cathedral ceilings, granite coun- amazing custom pieces that are works of art unto them- tertops and flat-screen TVs, all presented in a style dubbed selves,” said Imagineer Brian McFarland. “It’s all about main- “cabin casual.” taining that feel of clean lines and open spaces, with plenty “I was lucky enough to have a treehouse as a kid, but it was of Disney touches.” certainly nothing like this,” said Imagineer Todd Thomas- Add to the plans a spacious lobby filled with woven son. “In developing this resort, we’ve all learned a new word, woods and glass-wrapped columns, sweeping views from a ‘glamping,’ which apparently means glamorous camping. rooftop lounge and fireworks viewing deck, and the conve- The Treehouse Villas will be glamping at its absolute best.” nience of a sky bridge linking families to shops, restaurants Disney Vacation Club is owned by Disney Vacation Devel- and the monorail station, and you have a Disney Vacation opment Inc., part of the magic of The Walt Disney Company. Club destination that is both practical and fashionable. To learn more, visit www.disneyvacationclub.com.

Photos ©Disney

13 · Celebrations

elcome to MouseViews, a special section of WCelebrations Magazine where you’ll get an insider’s peek at the Walt Disney World Resort. In every issue we’ll bring you a treasure trove of tips, secrets, magical moments, special insights, little known facts and a whole lot more! Whether it’s a different look at a familiar attraction, a hidden secret waiting to be discovered, or a helpful piece of advice for your upcoming trip, you’re sure to find lots of fun-filled information inside.

So put on your Mickey ears, set your imagination free, and get ready to discover all of those things that make Walt Disney World the most magical place on Earth.

Ready? Then here we go...!

15 · Celebrations Lighting Up the Holidays

t Walt Disney World, you’ll find no shortage of festive displays during the holi- Aday season—everything from giant Christmas trees and gingerbread houses to falling snow and colorful decorations. But for me, what best evokes the magic of the holidays is the lights. There’s nothing quite like the spectacle of thousands of twinkling lights blinking and dancing in a myriad of shimmering colors to put you in that holiday spirit. And of course, at Walt Disney World, you’ll find lighting displays that will leave you spellbound.

A Holiday Dream Come True by Tim Foster A walk down Main Street, U.S.A., at night is always a magical time, but during the holidays it’s even more special. The stores are lined with hundreds and hundreds of lights (as they are every night of the year), but during the holidays they are also ac- cented with colorful Christmas decorations everywhere you look. Your walk down Main Street, U.S.A., takes you to , of course, and this is where you’ll enjoy one of the most astonishing lighting effects that you’ll ever see. The Castle Dreamlights (which made their debut in November of 2007), trans- form the fairy tale splendor of Cinderella Castle into an enchanting ice palace. LED lights—200,000 of them—twinkle and shimmer in cascading sheets down the cas- tle’s turrets, creating a mesmerizing spectacle that could only come from a dream. Intersperced among the lights are 500 strobes, which to help create the dazzling effect. What’s truly amazing is that the lights appear to be a part of the castle itself. This was achieved by anchoring the lights to 32,000 square feet of fishing net, all held in place by 15 miles of cable that was custom dyed to match the exterior colors of the castle walls. Tim Foster is the author of The Dreamlights display is the centerpiece of the Magic Kingdom’s holiday cel- the Guide to the Magic book ebration, but you’ll find other subtle lighting effects throughout the park. For ex- series, which includes the Guide to the Magic for Kids, the Lost ample, many of the trees found throughout Adventureland and on up through Lib- Journals, and the Guide to the erty Square are softly lit by deep reds and greens, creating an atmosphere of joyful Magic Autograph & Sticker serenity that helps create that holiday mood. Book. Tim is also the creator of the www.guidetothemagic.com Lighting Up the Winter website. The Magic Kingdom isn’t the only place where you can find impressive lighting displays. Epcot has it’s own share of holiday magic—though of a much different va- riety. The promenade to World Showcase turns into a kaleidoscope of color with the Lights of Winter display. More than 30,000 lights illuminate the canopy archway that connects Future World and World Showcase, leading to the giant Epcot Christ- mas tree. (Be sure to catch the tree lighting ceremony just before 6 p.m.) The lights are actually synchronized to a holiday soundtrack and pulsate, and they blink in time with the music. But as you make your way through, don’t forget to look back to- ward Spaceship Earth. You’ll see an charming display of glowing white-tipped trees, and you’ll also notice that the Fountain of Nations is part of the Lights of Winter show, with jets of water and colorful lights joining in on the fun. As in the Magic Kingdom, you’ll also find a host of other lighting displays at Epcot to enjoy. One of my favorites is near the America Gardens Theatre (home of the not-to-be-missed

16 · Celebrations The American Adventure pavilion crowds will swell to the point where everyone will form one during the holiday season huge line to walk up and down the street, but hopefully by that time you will have enjoyed the unique display to your heart’s content. It may take you a while to make your way through the crowd of people coming in as you leave, but as you exit the Hollywood Studios and catch a glimpse of the long line of people waiting to come in, you’ll be glad you ar- rived early !

A Rustic Winter Wonderland You’ll find a variety of wonderful Christmas displays at all of the Walt Disney World resorts, but there’s something extra special about the Wilderness Lodge that really brings the holiday spirit to life. Here you’ll find a giant Christmas tree in the eight-story lobby, and you’ll also notice that all of the balcony railings are adorned with pine garland, wreaths, ribbons, and lights. Those lights really sparkle against the dark backdrop of the wooden railings, creating a dazzling Christmas display that will leave you breathless. Combine that with a roaring fireplace and the timber frame construction, and you’ll really feel like you’re in the Pacific Northwest in the middle of winter. (I even had the occasion one year to enjoy a Christmas concert performed by a bell choir; that was truly a magical moment I will never forget!) For an extra special treat, go to one of the upper floor bal- conies and look for one of the many fireplaces tucked away Photo ©Tim Foster here and there. Grab a nice cup of hot chocolate, curl up on Candlelight Processional), where you will find the surround- a couch, close your eyes, and pretend you’re in a cozy, snow ing trees covered in hundreds of lights, shimmering like lodge in the middle of a winter wonderland! jewels in the nighttime air. The holidays at Walt Disney World are truly a magical time, and if one of your favorite holiday traditions is driv- Hollywood Holidays ing around looking at the neighborhood lights, you’ll find At Disney’s Hollywood Studios, you’ll find the biggest and enough dazzling displays here to create a lifetime of won- grandest of all of the Walt Disney World lighting displays, derful Christmas memories. Enjoy! the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. You’ll find a gallery of photos and lots of fun facts later on in this is- A bell choir performing in the lobby of the Wilderness Lodge sue, but here’s a touring tip for you. The Osborne Lights at- tract quite a crowd, so to avoid getting stuck in the teeming throng of people winding their way down the street, arrive at the Studios earlier in the afternoon. Enjoy some of the fine attractions and shows, then head on over to the Streets of America about a half hour before show time. You can wander around at your leisure and be there for the light- ing ceremony, which is an amazing sight to see. You should still be able stroll around and enjoy the lights as the crowds continue to build. This will give you a great opportunity to look at all of the wonderful details. Eventually, the incoming

Photo ©Tim Foster 17 · Celebrations The Best of the Best: Stormalong Bay alt Disney World (and Disney as a whole) is the very best at so many things, Wand that’s not only why we keep going back, but it’s what we’ve come to ex- pect from Disney, and what it always seems to deliver. On the WDW Radio show, I often highlight the very best that Disney has to offer in the Walt Disney World theme parks, resorts, and everywhere else. Now don’t get me wrong here. This isn’t always about the most expensive items, resorts, or souvenirs. I look at some of Disney’s best values, food (of course), freebies, hidden treasures, and so much more! That may be Disney’s best spa, best burger, or even the best place for a romantic couple’s getaway. by Lou Mongello For many Guests, much of their enjoyment is time spent outside the parks, en- joying the incredibly themed resorts on property. An integral part of each of the resorts is the amenities they offer, including pools that are appropriately themed to match that of the resort itself and that are unlike any others found elsewhere. Arguably the best of the best pools on property for adults and children at any Walt Disney World Resort can be found at Disney’s Yacht Club and Beach Club re-

Lou Mongello is the host of the award winning WDW Radio podcast (www.wdwradio.com), and the author of the definitive Disney trivia books, “Walt Disney World Trivia” Volumes 1 and II. You can discover more secrets, rumors and facts at Lou’s website: www.disneyworldtrivia.com He is also the producer of the newly released Audio Guides of Walt Disney World, a CD series that gives you a personal tour of the happiest place on Earth.

18 · Celebrations sorts. Called Stormalong Bay, this shared pool is the larg- Unlike the other pools at Walt Disney World, you must put est—and deepest—on property. on a free wristband before entering the pool area. These The “pool” actually consists of two quiet pools, a spa, a kid- wristbands are only available to Guests staying at Disney’s die pool, a lazy river, bridges, waterfalls, oh and just three Yacht Club and Beach Club resorts . acres of water slides, currents, and unique sand-bottomed When all of that swimming works up an appetite, visit areas. That’s right. Sand. This pool holds 750,000 gallons of Hurricane Hanna’s Grill for sandwiches, wraps, hamburgers, water, making it the largest sand-bottomed pool in the chicken, or a frozen tropical drink that you can enjoy in the world. There are zero-depth entry areas, making the pool casual poolside seating area. Ready to get back in the water? easily accessible to both adults and children. (And, yes, you Stop by the beach shack to rent giant inner tubes or noodles can bring your sand toys.) A number of lifeguards are sta- or pick up more suntan lotion or (free) towels. tioned throughout the entire area. So when we think of pools on property and say best of One of the first things you’ll notice at Stormalong Bay is the best, Stormalong Bay clearly comes to mind first. Then that across the promenade is what appears to be a giant, again, maybe “pool” is a misnomer, because clearly Stor- beached pirate ship called the Albatross. That’s where the malong Bay is more like a smaller, free water park, right at pool’s main slide is hidden, as well as a smaller slide for kids. your resort. If you want to see for yourself, you are welcome Throughout the large pool area, Cast Members lead to walk by and see the pool , or better yet, why not stay at Guests in a variety of games, volleyball, dance contests, and one of Disney’s best of the best resorts and explore Stor- much more, most of which are completely free. In fact, malong Bay on your own? I’ll race you to the water slide! there’s even a children’s 24-hour playground adjacent to To hear a full discussion of this attraction, including audio recordings and music, Stormalong Bay where kids and run, slide, and play. listen to Episode #41 of Lou’s WDW Radio Show at www.wdwradio.com

19 · Celebrations Animal Kingdom Lodge Hidden Mickeys ne of Walt Disney World’s deluxe resorts, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, is Othemed as an African game lodge. You’ll find many interesting sights here, including exotic animals such as giraffes, zebras, antelopes, and...Hidden Mickeys! Over 30 Mickey images are hidden inside and outside Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge. Here are a few of my favorite images at this scenic resort:

Make a special trip to Disney’s  Mickey on a Wide World of Sports to find Chandelier: this full-body Mickey. You’ll Inside the main find him looking out over the lobby, you can find a court near the high central classic Mickey near ceiling in the Milk House the bottom of the by Steve Barrett (the Field House). He’s on an second chandelier upper rafter above “The Milk on the right (as you House” sign, in front of a yellow face in from the front triangular wall partition that entrance). The Hidden is opposite the main entrance. Mickey is near the I spotted him to the upper left bottom of one of the of the lower seats of section shields. 104.

 Mickey near Jiko: As you enter Jiko Restaurant, stroll to the third table on your left, next to the glass windows. Look outside to the shallow pool Steve Barrett is the author of area and find the first “The Hassle-Free Walt Disney World rock island from the Vacation” and “Hidden Mickeys, A left with one pillar Field Guide to Walt Disney World’s jutting out of it. A Best Kept Secrets”. classic Mickey image is You can check out more Hidden in the side of the rock. Mickeys at Steve’s website: Kudos to the Disney www.hiddenmickeysguide.com rock sculptors!

Make a special trip to Disney’s  Mickey on the Zebra Wide World of Sports to find Trail Hallway Wall: this full-body Mickey. You’ll On the third floor, find him looking out over the check out the first court near the high central short hallway to the ceiling in the Milk House right of the main (the Field House). He’s on an Zebra Trail hallway. An upper rafter above “The Milk upside-down classic House” sign, in front of a yellow Mickey design hangs triangular wall partition that on the wall at the end is opposite the main entrance. of the hall. I spotted him to the upper left of the lower seats of section 104. 20 · Celebrations  Salmon-Colored Mickey at Arusha Rock: I’d been looking for this terrific Hidden Mickey for a long time. In retrospect, I’d not been able to spot it because I was always searching for it at dusk or later. I visited the area in the bright sunlight, and a helpful Cast Member knew right where it was. To find it, walk outside the rear of the main lobby and to the very back of the Arusha Rock Overlook. In the right middle of the rock wall opposite the Animal Overlook sign and about 5 and 1/2 feet above the ground is a tiny light brown, salmon- colored classic Mickey. It’s to the right of a vertical crack in the rock, behind the Cast Member’s umbrella. Spotting it is worth the effort!

Mickey on a Mural: On the right wall mural between the outer and inner entrance doors to the main lobby, an orange and brown creature sports a classic Mickey in a circle on its mid-back. 

 Mickey near the Staircase: Several classic Mickeys carved in rock are scattered around the resort. This image is a good example. Toward the bottom of the staircase that winds from the right side of the main lobby to Boma restaurant, there’s a classic Mickey on the rock wall next to a waterfall.

Mickey in the Vines: Outside the rear doors from the main lobby, a green Mickey in side profile hides in the decorative vines to the right as you exit. He’s about two-thirds of the way up the side of the vine-covered column, above the middle horizontal brace. Look for him at the top of an open space in the vines. He’s looking into the lobby. This Mickey is hard to find! He’s very difficult to spot at night, so look for him in daylight. 

 Mickey on the Water Slide Rock Wall: A light-colored classic Mickey is cut into a rock wall behind the swimming pool. The wall forms the back of the pool’s water slide. The Mickey is several feet above the walkway, below a gazebo that marks the starting point for the water slide.

Photos ©Steve Barrett 21 · Celebrations The Suitest Place on Earth oes a royal lifestyle appeal to you? Then I have just the thing—a fabulous Walt DDisney World suite in “The Most Magical Place on Earth.” Disney’s suites range from a 500-square-foot junior suite, to one- and two-bed- rooms suites with small parlors, to the ultimate in luxury—vice presidential– and presidential-style accommodations, some as large as 2,500 square feet. In them, you’ll find two or more bedrooms, numerous flat-screen TVs, expansive balconies, sweeping views, oversized marble baths, service kitchens, wet bars, living areas with plenty of room to spread out and relax, and rich furnishings. The list goes on and on. by Cara Goldsbury I know you’re thinking that for upward of $2,000 per night, these suites must sit vacant for most of the year. Wrong! It can be difficult to find availability in these VIP accommodations. They are extremely popular with both families and corporate executives, except in the slowest of seasons such as after Labor Day and New Year’s Day. So if you want the best, think many months if not a year or more ahead. Among the many great Disney suite choices, the following are two of my favor- ites.

Royal Assante Presidential Suite at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge Renovated in the fall of 2008, this two-bedroom, 2,115-square-foot suite is remi- niscent of famous African lodges. It offers panoramic views of the main savannah, which is teeming with exotic wildlife. Just off of the entry is the lovely dining room, boasting a massive table made from a single tree trunk and eight faux-zebra-skin chairs. The suite’s highlight is its circular living room with an amazing thatch ceiling, a stand-up balcony the length of the room, hardwood and stone flooring, rich African textiles and artwork, a rock fireplace, and hand-carved furnishings, including easy chairs and a curved sofa. The master bedroom comes with a wonderful mosquito net–draped king-size Cara Goldsbury is the author of bed composed of tree trunks, a wall of reed built-ins filled with drawers and a flat- “The Luxury Guide to Walt Disney screen TV, and a sitting area with sleeper sofa and drum-style table. The adjoining World Resort”, has appeared in 2008 bath is one of Disney’s best with its free-standing soaking tub, double sinks, vanity, as a leading Disney expert on two Travel Channel specials, Disney shower, mini TV, and separate toilet and bidet area. The second bedroom is stan- Splurge! and Disney Royalty, and dard sized with two queen-size beds. A deep balcony with lounge chairs and an out- has been cited numerous times in door dining table runs the length of both bedrooms, which is the perfect location national news articles as an expert for a dinner overlooking the savannah. on Walt Disney World. Visit her site at You’ll also find a half bath with a river rock vanity and raised basin, an office fea- www.WDWLuxuryGuide.com. turing a grass cloth and copper clad desk, and a service kitchen with a full-size re- A travel agent for over twenty years, she can plan your luxury frigerator, wet bar, microwave, and separate entry. Walt Disney World vacations at My only problem was I couldn’t bear to leave! www.LuxuryOrlandoTravel.com. Emperor’s Suite at the Walt Disney World Dolphin All of the presidential suites at the Walt Disney World Dolphin are stunning. But I tend to favor the look and space of the Emperor’s Suite, which was completely re- vamped just this summer. The only glaring drawback is the dated outside hallway that leads to this incredible abode. Once inside, however, all thoughts of the out-

22 · Celebrations Main Photo ©Disney; Inset Photos ©Cara Goldsbury

The presidential suite at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, also called the Royal Asante Suite, is a lavish, 2,115-square-foot oasis with hand- crafted armoires, a cozy curved couch nestled by a remote-control fireplace, a bubbly Jacuzzi, original African artwork decor, and a wood- carved grand canopy bed. Below: The Emperor’s Suite at the Walt Disney World Dolphin. side world are forgotten. This is Walt Disney World’s loftiest in the eight-seat dining room on meals prepared in the full suite. It’s situated high above Walt Disney World on the re- kitchen. Work, if you must, at a trendy desk in the spacious sort’s 20th floor. The suite offers a breathtaking panorama office. of Hollywood Studios, Epcot, and the BoardWalk Inn, which All baths, including the powder room, have been refit- are seen through massive windows ted with stunning contemporary and also from the splendid down- fixtures, cream-colored marble stairs balcony that runs the length of countertops, cutting-edge square the suite. sinks, and chocolate-colored marble The suite’s look and feel of opu- flooring. Both the downstairs and lence begins when you walk across upstairs guest rooms are fit for a the hardwood floor of the entry hall king (or an emperor for that matter) onto soothing charcoal gray carpet. with two queen-size beds adorned The opulence continues into the ca- in white silk. Upstairs, the enormous pacious vaulted living room with its two luxurious, taste- master bedroom is striking in its red and chocolate décor, fully contemporary sitting areas surrounding a shiny black with its bathroom outfitted with a walk-in closet, double baby grand piano. One sitting area contains a cherry red, sinks, whirlpool tub, separate shower, and separate toilet sectional sofa, and the other sitting area features a charcoal and bidet room. and white seating arrangement. Proceed through rooms In short, this suite is modern renovation at its best. I was filled with live palms and orchids, multiple flat-screen TVs, overwhelmed with its sheer beauty, and I hope that you get leather-topped desks, and other very chic furnishings. Dine to experience it someday too.

23 · Celebrations Photographing the Magic of the Holidays hen it comes to pure eye candy, there is no time like the holidays at Walt WDisney World. From the awe-inspiring Osborne Family Spectacle of Danc- ing Lights to the Cinderella Castle Dreamlights, there are new photo opportunities around every corner.

From the Osborne Family to Yours The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios by Tim Devine is a holiday lights spectacular like no other. If you are looking for photos of holi- day lights, this is your place. You’ll find plenty of opportunities to take pictures in this area, but you need to be careful because this area can get mighty crowded. The lights are bright enough to be able to hand hold your camera, but be sure to use a fast enough shutter speed so that you don’t get blur from camera shake. I pre- fer to use my tripod and use timed exposures to properly capture the experience. When using your tripod, take care to ensure the safety of your equipment and other guests and be patient so as to no obstruct others. I also prefer to use a cable release to activate the shutter so I don’t have to touch the camera. That’s because, even with a tripod, you can still get camera shake if you’re not very careful when pressing the shutter button. When photographing lights, it is very easy for your camera to get “tricked” into underexposing the scene. The lights are so bright that the camera’s meter wants to Tim Devine is an avid photographer expose them darker than they actually appear. You might want to try over exposing and the owner and webmaster or under exposing by up to one stop either way to improve your exposures. of www.themagicinpixels.com, a Be sure to vary your focal length to ensure a mixture of wide-angles and close-ups. website created for and dedicated to fellow Disney Photography Wide-angle shots down the Streets of America help establish the mood of the area, Enthusiasts. In addition to a large while tight close-ups of the set pieces lock in the details that make your memories gallery of photos you can browse, complete. Some of my favorites are the spinning ball near the entrance to Lights, Mo- you’ll also find tips, articles and tors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show and the manger scene near the entrance to the Stu- equipment reviews to help you create dio Backlot Tour. Using a tripod with a slow shutter will also cause spinning displays magical photo memories of your to appear as glowing orbs instead of wire-framed stands of lights. Take your time and Walt Disney World Resort vacation. Tim lives in South Jersey with his wife, experiment because some truly spectacular images can be created from the Osborne Karen, and their son, Billy. Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. Try the following settings as a baseline: ISO 100, f/8, 2-4 seconds. Experiment up and down from there, depending on your equipment.

In a Dream Similarly, the Cinderella Castle Dreamlights can be a wondrous sight to behold and a joy to photograph. The camera settings for photographing the Dreamlights are very similar to those used for the Osborne Lights. You may need to over or un- derexpose slightly to ensure a nice photograph. By using a tripod with a slower shutter speed, the lights will have a chance to cycle through their on/off phases, which makes them all appear to be on in the photograph. One thing to keep in mind is to make sure you turn off the flash! You are too far away from the castle and the flash is not powerful enough to have any effect. Plus, the flash will wash out the am-

24 · Celebrations bient lighting and colors in the area, leading to a drab, poorly exposed, uninteresting photograph.

In the Parades and Nighttime Shows Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade offers a unique photography challenge in that it is a nighttime pa- rade with floats that are not illuminated. If you want to be able to get good photos of the parade, stand on Main Street, U.S.A., where there is a lot of ambient light from the build- ings and floodlights on the roofs. Set your camera to ensure a fast enough shutter speed so that you don’t have motion blur due to the natural tendency of a camera to slow down because of lower light levels. But don’t set the shutter so fast that you underexpose the photos due to not enough light. I used settings of ISO 3200, 1/125 second during the parade last year with good results. Experiment to find out what suits your equipment best. Resist the temptation to use your flash during the parade. It will overpower the ambient light, wash out the details and colors, and give ugly black backgrounds. Photo ©Tim Devine Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade, by contrast, is a daytime pa- rade with the characters decked out in their holiday best. It you might want to increase the exposure compensation a is much easier to photograph due to the daylight. Ironically, bit to ensure bright, vibrant lights while taking care to not you should use the flash during the daytime parade. Dur- create blowouts or lose color due to overexposure. A baseline ing the day, the flash will fill in dark shadows and give just setting of ISO 100, f/8, and 2 seconds on a tripod should get enough fill light to make your images much more pleasing. you just about on the mark. Experiment a bit with your par- When trying to photograph the holiday finale to IllumiNa- ticular equipment. tions, be aware that there are a lot of shells in the air toward Once you are comfortable and confident with your camera the end of the presentation, which can quickly lead to overex- and you know how to properly adjust the settings to suit the posed blowouts. You will need to increase the shutter speed task and hand, you will realize that the holidays at Walt Dis- or stop down the aperture to ensure proper exposures. ney World are truly the most wonderful time of the year!

At World Showcase While in Epcot, be sure to check out the Candlelight Pro- PHOTOGRAPHY 101 cessional, which is a moving and passionate retelling of the Here are some handy photography basics. Christmas story, complete with a 50-piece orchestra, massive • If you don’t have a cable release or if your camera will choir, and celebrity narrator. Photographing the Candlelight not accommodate one, use the self-timer to achieve Processional can be challenging because of the stage light- the same effect. ing, but it is possible. Because you might be seated quite a • Follow this simple rule of thumb for hand holding a distance from the stage, avoid using your flash. It will be not camera: 1/x seconds, where x is focal length. For ex- be powerful enough to have any effect. You will need to raise ample: If you are shooting at 200mm, you should try to the ISO a bit, but the good thing here is the performers are have at least 1/200 second shutter speed. mostly stationary, so you can use slower shutter speeds, if • Using lower ISO with a tripod will require longer shut- your hands are steady enough. ter speeds at night. However, your images will appear One last nighttime feature of Epcot is the Lights of Winter sharper and have better colors and less noise. archway, which spans the walkway between Future World • Timing is everything during parades. Wait until the and World Showcase. This beautiful display features lights characters look at you before taking the photo. that flash and change colors to a musical soundtrack. Again,

25 · Celebrations Collecting Holiday Magic illions of holiday lights dancing to Christmas music, a magnificent choir ac- Mcompanying a celebrity narration of the Christmas story, dressed as Santa Claus, and snow on Main Street, U.S.A.—these are some of the signs of the holiday season at Walt Disney World. For many, the holidays at Walt Disney World are a time for great family memo- ries. For me, the holiday season at Walt Disney World will always hold a special place in my heart because it marked my first return visit to the World as an adult. The recollection of entering Main Street, U.S.A., from under the railway station on that by John Rick Christmas Eve night to find the Magic Kingdom in full holiday splendor is a memo- ry I will always cherish. Disney has a way of bringing a unique perspective to the meaning of a holiday celebration as it relates to people and places around the country and around the globe. The holidays typically generate the largest release of pins for the entire year. In addition to the parks and resorts being depicted in their holiday finery, the char- acters, attractions, and special holiday events are also represented with many holi- day pins.

Holiday Pins from the Parks In the world of Disney pins, we see this connection starting with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Disney releases numerous limited edition pins during the evenings of these parties, and Disney also releases many open edition pins specific to Christmas. During Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, a framed set contain- ing all the pins from each of the parties is also available, as well as a “completer pin” that is only available in that framed set. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Christmas party celebration, and to commemorate that milestone, each of the pins for this year’s event carries a special 25th anniversary logo. Annual passholders exclusively can purchase a pin uniquely designed for them. And finally, there is usu- John Rick founded the Central ally a colorful holiday jumbo pin as well as a boxed set, featuring favorite characters Jersey Disney Pin Traders in 2002. You can visit the website at engaged in holiday activities. www.cjdpt.com and contact him at The Magic Kingdom is not the only park celebrating during the holidays. Epcot’s [email protected]. John is also one of Candlelight Processional, Hollywood Studio’s Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing the Hosts of the Disney Pincast- the Lights, and Animal Kingdom’s Mickey’s Jingle Jungle Parade all have pins, each cap- only weekly podcast dedicated to turing the essence of these events as portrayed by the very talented artists of the Disney Pins. It can be found at Disney Design Group. Many of these tiny holiday treasures become quite popular, www.disneypincast.com. John and his wife Sheila live in for the event or party they represent, and also for the ability of the artist to provide central New Jersey. Guests with a unique opportunity to celebrate or relive family memories of trips. Representations of our favorite characters, attractions, or resorts help us com- memorate any occasion at any time, but it seems that holiday pins remind us more vividly than any others.

Holiday Pins at the Resorts Not to be outdone by the parks, the Walt Disney World resorts also are celebrated with special holiday pins. I hope you have had the opportunity to see some of the wonderful gingerbread houses displayed annually at the resorts during the holi- days. This year, Disney has also released pins to celebrate the art of the various chefs

26 · Celebrations at the resort and the fantastic gingerbread creations they er a typical ornament, while others move beyond the norm. create each holiday season. This season, Disney chefs will be These pin ornaments can become very interesting addi- available for pin signings so Guests can have their pins au- tions to your tree, or perhaps they can become the basis of tographed. a pin-themed Disney tree. Being one of the busiest times of the year, Disney wants to be sure to Buying Holiday Pins provide us with many different ways For the pin collector on your holi- to add holiday pins to our pin collec- day shopping list, Disney makes it tions. Each resort on property has its easy to shop for pins from the com- own pin to mark the holidays. Many fort of your own home. You don’t pin collectors try to collect holiday need to plan a Walt Disney World pins from all of the resorts. With the vacation or break the bank on the number of resorts, the fact that the secondary market to get pins for pins are only available at each specif- the pin collector in your life. At ic resort, and the mileage involved in www.odpt.com you can find all the gathering them, this becomes quite information you need to purchase a quest. Because there is a large as- pins directly from Disney. You can sortment of pins to choose from, I also search to find out which pins suggest holiday pins as a possible fo- are being released and when. Some cus for new Disney pin collectors. In pins will be marked “not available via that very large group of pins, you’ll no mail order,” such as pins from Mick- doubt find some aspect that will ap- ey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. peal to you. Perhaps a specific charac- However, in the case of open edition ter dressed for the holiday may be the pins, each description offers a “sku” start of your latest search. number for each item. If you call 407- In addition to Christmas, Disney 363-6200 on the day a pin is released, recognizes the other December holi- you can purchase it typically with days with pins that mark the obser- no limit, because there is no limit vance of Kwanza and Hanukkah, plus in Walt Disney World on purchasing special New Year’s Eve and New Year’s open edition pins. You can also order Day pins. Although there are fewer by email at wdw.mail.order@disney- choices, these events receive the rec- world.com. ognition they deserve with the very The same directions apply for pur- creative use of the characters along chasing limited edition pins; howev- with the traditional symbols associ- er, you must wait until 30 days after ated with these festive events. Typi- a pin’s release to call. If at that time cally, the New Year’s Eve pin is coor- there are any left, you are permitted dinated with the New Year’s Day pin to purchase two of each, which is in some way. For example, the same the same restriction on purchasing characters may be featured on both limited edition pins in the parks. pins, although themed a bit different- Collecting holiday pins from Walt ly. This way, if you display the two pins Rick Photo ©John Disney World is only limited by your together, they convey a very cohesive portrayal of these two own interests, memories, and favorites. Disney has once occasions. again provided us with a large and diverse selection of Another very interesting take on the holiday theme are product to choose from, as well as some convenient ways pins that have been designed to be used as Christmas tree to acquire them. ornaments. Some take the shape of what we would consid- Until next time, happy trading and happy holidays!

27 · Celebrations Disney’s Dining Plans Offer Something for Everyone’s Appetite! reat hotels? Check. Thrilling theme park rides and exciting shows? You betcha. GA wide array of culinary delights from tasty snacks to world class fine dining? Absolutely! Walt Disney World has it all, including affordable options so that you can truly savor your vacation. In addition to the basics of accommodations and theme park tickets, Disney’s Magic Your Way package offers a host of add-on options that offer easy ways to prepay for dining and save money, too. By Beci Mahnken, How does it work? Depending on the dining plan you select, you will receive a cer- CTC-MCC tain number of credits, per person, per night, that are encoded onto your Key to the World card. You can use these credits at more than 100 participating dining loca- tions around Walt Disney World, providing variety and flexibility to the plan. To properly identify the best vacation plan for you and your appetite, it’s important to understand the following meal credits and benefits that are offered in the plans. Quick-service meal: This meal can be obtained from a walk-up counter-service location, aka fast food. A quick-service meal includes one entrée or combo meal (think burger or chicken strips), one juice at breakfast or dessert at lunch/dinner, and one single-serving nonalcoholic beverage. Snack: You can purchase snacks at participating carts or kiosks or from some counter-service locations. Choices include ice cream, popcorn, and grab bags of chips. Table-service meal: These meals are eaten at traditional restaurants where you are seated at a table and usually have the benefit of a server. The meal includes an entrée, nonalcoholic beverage, and dessert, or a buffet and a nonalcoholic beverage. Refillable mug: If mugs are included in your package, each person in the party Beci Mahnken, CTC-MCC is the Founder, President and CEO of will receive one keepsake, refillable mug. You can refill your mug with certain bever- MEI-Travel & Mouse Fan Travel. ages at select soft drink locations at your resort. Beci has over 10 years vacation Unlike some vacation meal plans that require you to use your credit each day, the planning experience, specializing Disney dining plans allow you to use credits in any combination over the course in vacation packages and cruises, of your stay, up until midnight on the day you check out. This comes in handy if with a team of over 50 affiliates your stomach is set on one of the premier signature restaurants or for the very nationwide. Visit www.MouseFan.Travel popular dinner shows such as the Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue or the Spirit of for expert planning of magical Aloha Dinner Show because all of these options require two table-service credits. vacations to Disney destinations, and www.MEI.Travel for vacation Now that you have all that down, let’s dig a little deeper and look at some of the packages & cruises around the globe. package add-on options. Disney’s Magic Your Way Plus Quick-Service Dining: New for 2009, this pack- age includes two quick-service meals and two snacks, per person, per night, plus one refillable mug, per person. This package is a good choice for Guests who want flexibility in their schedules and may not want to be tied down to table-service res- ervation times, yet still want some prepaid options in their plans. Disney’s Magic Your Way Plus Dining: In my experience, this option has been

28 · Celebrations Photo ©Disney

Chef Mickey and his friends take a break from cooking up delicious, well-balanced meals to mingle with guests of Chef Mickey’s at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, just one of the many resaurant choices you can enjoy on the Disney Dining Plan. the most popular choice for the typical family. It includes one The following tips will help you to make the most out of your table-service meal, one quick-service meal, and one snack, per dining plan. person, per night. Many people find that this plan offers flex- • Before you select a plan, really think about your eating hab- ibility without overdoing the amount of food being offered. its when you are on vacation. Do you tend to eat three full Disney’s Magic Your Way Plus Deluxe Dining: This meals a day? If not, the standard dining plan might be a plan offers three meals and two snacks, per person, per good choice for your needs—and your pocketbook. night. Unlike the dining plan above, this plan also includes • Due to the popularity of Walt Disney World restaurants, I appetizer choice, and a refillable mug. It’s ideal for people strongly recommend that you take advantage of Advanced who really enjoy culinary experiences as a primary part of Dining Reservations, which can be made up to 180 days in their vacations or for people who prefer to eat frequently advance. throughout the day. • Each time you redeem credits, your receipt will show how Just in case you don’t think you have enough choices, if many credits you have left. you are looking for full meal plans that include select ac- • Some things are not included in the dining plans, so you tivities, explore the Premium Package or Platinum Package. may receive a bill with your credit deduction. For example, If you’d like to let out your inner sommelier, check out the most gratuities are not included, and alcoholic beverages Wine and Dine Plan, which includes one bottle of wine from are an additional expense. a selected list, per night. You can add the Wine and Dine Plan • Try to preplan how you intend to spend your credits. Many to any dining plan that includes table-service credits. Guests don’t use all of their snack credits, for example. Un- I am often asked if I recommend the dining plans. My used credits are not refundable. answer is, “It depends.” Your needs and expectations are • If you are a Disney Vacation Club member staying on unique. I highly recommend taking some quality time with points, an Annual Pass holder, or a Guest traveling on a your vacation planner to ensure that you are matched with Disney Cruise Line land/sea package, special dining plan the right package. With so many choices, the Disney dining options are available. Ask your booking source which plans options offer something delicious for every taste. are available during your stay.

29 · Celebrations 30 · Celebrations hen ECPOT was being developed as a new two spheres. The outer sphere is comprised of 11,324 Wtheme park, Disney Imagineers knew that silvered facets on 954 triangular panels. The inner it would require an iconic landmark similar to Cin- sphere contains the tracks and maintenance rooms derella Castle to represent it. But while Cinderella for the attraction itself. Castle symbolized fantasy and fairy tales, the EPCOT Originally, the attraction featured narration by landmark needed to represent the future and tech- actor Vic Perrin and a quiet orchestral ending. On nological innovation. May 26, 1986, Walter Cronkite rerecorded the narra- Imagineers came up with the concept of a geode- tion, and a new ending was developed with a new sic sphere, which was soon to be named Spaceship theme song, “Tomorrow’s Child.” Earth and home of a dark ride that took Guests on a On August 15, 1994, Spaceship Earth closed for ren- tour through the history (and future) of communi- ovations, during which time new final scenes were cation. To create the attraction, Disney Imagineers added (dropping the ending theme “Tomorrow’s collaborated with noted author Ray Bradbury (who Child” in the process). Spaceship Earth reopened on would later contribute to the conception of the Or- November 23, 1994, with a new narration provided bitron space ride at Disneyland Paris, then known by Jeremy Irons, and the new Global Neighborhood as Euro-Disney ), the Smithsonian Institution, the replaced the original Earth Station in the post-show Huntington Library, the University of Southern Cali- area. Five years later, the Global Neighborhood was fornia, and the University of Chicago. updated and renamed the New Global Neighbor- The phrase Spaceship Earth goes back to 1879, hood with new hands-on exhibits. when it was used in a passage from the book Progress During the Millennium Celebration, a large Mick- and Poverty by Henry George. The phrase was popular- ey Mouse hand was added to the exterior of Space- ized by R. Buckminster Fuller, who wrote a book titled ship Earth. It originally included the year “2000” in Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth in 1963. Fuller also large numbers. After the Millennium Celebration investigated the concept of geodesic domes in the concluded, the “2000” was replaced with “Epcot.” The early 1950s. Although Fuller was not the original in- entire structure was removed in 2007. ventor of the geodesic dome, he developed and popu- Spaceship Earth closed for a lengthy rehab at the larized the idea, receiving a U.S. patent in the process. end of 2007, reopening on February 18, 2008. Many of The geodesic dome is extremely strong for its weight. the animatronic figures were updated (with stun- When the dome is expanded to a full sphere, it enclos- ning results), and a new interactive video feature es the greatest volume with the least surface area of was added to the latter half of the ride. A few scenes any three-dimensional shape. It seemed only natural were removed, such as the Internet communication that a geodesic sphere become the home for Space- scene between two teenagers and all of the scenes ship Earth, and the very symbol of Epcot itself. after the planetarium segment (including the much The massive construction project took 26 months beloved City of the Future). New scenes included the to complete, requiring a total of 40,800 labor hours birth of the personal computer and a retro-futuris- to build. (That’s more than 4½ years!) Spaceship tic computer center. An updated narration was also Earth is 180 feet high and 165 feet in diameter, and recorded by Dame Judi Dench (who recently played it weighs nearly 16 million pounds. The support pil- the role of M , James Bond’s boss, in the James Bond ing for the six massive support legs are buried from films, and was the voice of Mrs. Caloway in the Dis- 120 to 185 feet into the ground. The sphere is in two ney animated film Home on the Range). parts; the upper part sits on top of a “table” support- Spaceship Earth is filled with dazzling effects and ed by the six legs, while the bottom half is suspend- spectacular visuals, and it is truly a classic attrac- ed underneath. The sphere is actually composed of tion that’s not to be missed!

31 · Celebrations Your adventure begins as you board your Time Machine and climb through a dazzling star field. During your ascent, you will have your picture taken. This will be used later in your journey, so be sure to smile!

Starting with a cave scene set in prehistoric times (demonstrating the beginnings of the spoken language), your vehicle takes you past various scenes depicting highlights and important breakthroughs in man’s never- ending quest to reach out to one another.

After the cave scene, you’ll visit an Egyptian temple. Note the hieroglyphics on the walls. They are recreations of actual writings, and the pharaoh’s letter is a duplicate of an actual letter sent by an Egyptian pharaoh.

Next up are two scenes showing Phoenician merchants and a Greek math teacher. Both of these scenes are especially magical due to their nighttime settings. Look to the right in the Phoenician scene for a beautiful view of a distant ship under a star-filled sky .

You’ll then venture to Rome, where you’ll hear about the extensive network of roads that crossed the vast empire. Watch for the chariots driving off in the distance! As you turn the corner to see Rome in ruins, make note of the markings. They are based on actual graffiti found in the ruins of Pompeii. You can also smell Rome burning!

The Islamic scene is next. See if you can spot the authentic replica of a tenth- century quadrant, which was a device used for navigation and astronomy.

In the Sistine Chapel scene, look closely at the system used to convey paint up to Michelangelo as he paints the ceiling. It is an exact duplicate of the original.

In the Renaissance scene, the book being read is Virgil’s Aeneid, and the musical instruments are intricately detailed replicas of two instruments from the period, a lute and a lyra de braccio . The Bible inspected by Johannes Gutenberg in the Renaissance scene is an exact copy of one of the pages of the original Gutenberg Bibles. Plus the type on the printing press is actually movable!

As you journey into the 20th Century scene, it also offers its share of detail. The steam press is an exact replica of one developed by William Bullock in 1863. The Morse code message being received in the telegraph office announces the driving of the golden spike at Promontory Point in 1869, which was the event that completed the transcontinental railroad.

You’ll next witness several new scenes chronicling the development of the computer, and you’ll take a trip through the Tunnel of Facts and Figures. As you near the top of Spaceship Earth, you’ll see a truly stunning sight. The interior of the giant sphere is transformed into a colossal planetarium, with a majestic view of planet Earth high overhead.

For the remainder of your journey, your attention shifts to a video screen in your vehicle, where you can get a glimpse of what the future holds for you. Simply answer a few questions via the touchscreen, and you’ll get to see a whimsical video of your personalized “future.” You’ll see that your face has been digitized into the characters on the screen. Aren’t you glad you smiled? Spaceship EarthSpaceship Photos ©Tim Interior Devine

32 · Celebrations Secrets & Hidden mickeys In the Renaissance scene, look for the painter on the left. On In the scene showing the birth of the personal computer, his table, you’ll see that he’s left three rings of white paint... look for the poster of Fleetwood Mac on the wall. Could the second part of the band’s name give you any clue as to which Look carefully at the parchment on the sleeping monk’s computer is being developed? desk to find another Hidden Mickey. On the second floor of the back of the building facing Future In the Middle East scene, look on the bookshelves behind the World is a VIP lounge. The curved room is highlighted by a scholar to the left. You’ll see three parchment scrolls facing wall made up of several large windows that provide a stun- out, with their ends forming a clever Hidden Mickey. ning view of the park. When Siemens took over sponsorship of Spaceship Earth , the lounge was named “Base21 .” In the new exit area, watch the screens on either side of the giant blue globe. You’ll see lots of spots gliding slowly across A specially developed gutter system keeps rain from cascad- the screen. Occasionally they will form Hidden Mickeys! ing off of the sphere. Rainwater is instead channeled through underground drains that lead to To be mathematically precise, Spaceship World Showcase Lagoon. Earth is not a sphere but a pentakis dodecahedron.

Photo ©Disney

33 · Celebrations What do Cinderella Castle, Spaceship Earth and Disney’s Contemporary Resort have in common? All of them are iconic symbols of Walt Disney World, recognized the world over. It may seem odd to include a resort on that list, but the Contemporary’s distinctive A-frame structure is an awe-inspiring sight, especially as you pass through the interior aboard the futuristic monorail. No other resort provides the spectacular views of the Magic Kingdom that you’ll find here, and it’s also the only resort that’s within walking distance to the park. So join us as we take a tour of this innovative resort and discover the magic inside!

34 · Celebrations Guest Room Photo ©Disney; All Other Photos ©Tim Foster

s one of the original Magic Kingdom resorts (it opened suede replacing the Art Deco kinetics that evoked historic vi- Aalong with Disney’s Polynesian Resort), the Contempo- sions of the future (as seen in Tomorrowland). rary Resort was (and still is) a bold, innovative architectural In addition to the main building (known as the Contem- concept. Modular rooms slid into a towering A-frame struc- porary Tower), the complex also features the South Garden ture with a grand, open concourse (dubbed, appropriately Rooms, a convention center, and the DVC Bay Lake Tower, enough, the Grand Canyon Concourse). Because the Contem- which is currently under construction. On the second floor of porary Resort was meant to provide a glimpse into the future, the Contemporary Tower are several meeting rooms, which it faced the same challenges that Tomorrowland had: How is where you can discover one of the Contemporary Resort’s do you portray the future without it become dated over the best kept secrets. You might think it would be difficult to find course of time? Having the monorail pass though the Grand a nice, quiet, out-of–the-way place to relax in one of the most Canyon Concourse certainly helps. (There’s nothing quite like popular tourist destinations in the world. But if you make the sight of the monorail gliding overhead as you make your your way to the second floor, you’ll find a number of quiet way to Chef Mickey’s!) But the true charm of the Contempo- sitting areas tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the rary Resort lies inside. In stark contrast to the concrete forms lobby and the Grand Canyon Concourse. It’s the perfect place and angular lines seen on the outside, the interior of the re- to kick up your feet and enjoy a quiet moment. Best of all, sort is alive with color and retro-futuristic décor. The lobby when you’re all refreshed, you can take a quick ride up the es- and rooms have recently undergone an extensive transfor- calators, hop on the monorail, and head on back to the Magic mation, with modern day stylings of earth tones, metals, and Kingdom for an evening of Disney fun and excitement!

35 · Celebrations LITTLE KNOWN FACTS & SECRETS The giant mural in the Grand Canyon Concourse was de- You can spot an unusual Hidden Mickey in the landscaping signed by Mary Blair, who also created the distinctive shapes leading up to the main entrance. If you’re on the monorail and colors found on “it’s a small world.” The mural consists or on the west side of the building, see if you can spot the gi- of 18,000 hand-painted tiles, and it is 90 feet tall. ant wristwatch hidden in the landscaping!

See if you can spot the five-legged goat in the mural. It is best The monorail isn’t the only form of transportation available viewed from the seventh and eighth floors on the monorail at the resort. You can take a boat to the nearby Wilderness side of the tower. Lodge and Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.

If you want to walk from the Contemporary Resort to the The Contemporary and Polynesian resorts were only two Magic Kingdom, you’ll find a path outside the main en- of the original five resorts planned for the Magic Kingdom. trance leading to the park. The walk takes about 10 minutes, The other resorts were going to be the Asian Resort, the and you’ll be able to see the monorail gliding overhead! Persian Resort, and the Venetian Resort .

See if you can find this Hidden Mickey at the Sand Bar (the Talk about style! Some of the rooms in the new Bay Lake refreshment stand near the pool area). In the wallpaper Tower with a Magic Kingdom view will have moveable par- border are several figures holding semaphore flags. If you titions in the bathrooms so that you can watch the evening look on the upper left wall, you’ll see that one of the figures fireworks from the luxury of your bathtub! is wearing a pair of Mickey ears!

36 · Celebrations The California Grill, located on the 15th floor, is one of Walt Disney World’s most critically acclaimed restaurants. If you time your dinner right, you can enjoy a unique view of the Magic Kingdom fireworks!

The Wave, located on the main level, is the Contemporary Resort’s newest restaurant, featuring a unique menu of healthful cuisine. You can also relax in one of the several futuristic lounges (below) and enjoy a quiet drink or snack.

(left) Gone but not forgotten! The Concourse Steakhouse was an upscale restaurant located on the Grand Canyon Concourse underneath the monorail. Serving scrumptious steaks (and wonderful creamed spinach!), the restaurant recently closed to make way for a quick-service eatery .

Concourse Steakhouse and Wave Photos ©Tim Foster All Other Photos ©Disney 37 · Celebrations Photo ©Barrie Brewer

38 · Celebrations The holiday season is a magical time at Walt Disney World, and in this special section of Celebrations, we’ll explore all of the things that make this festive time of year so wonderful. Grab some hot chocolate, find yourself an open sleigh, and climb aboard as we celebrate the holiday season—Disney style!

39 · Celebrations Photo ©Disney

40 · Celebrations Photo ©Tim Devine

rlando may be thousands of miles away from first glimpse of Main Street, U.S.A., Othe North Pole, but that doesn’t stop Santa’s elves decked to the halls with baubles, (with a little bit of help from Disney’s Imagineers), from bows, garland, greens, and tinsel, with Cinderella Castle transforming Walt Disney World into a magical holiday adorned in shimmering lights in the distance. wonderland. Take a turn off of Main Street, U.S.A. into any of the Around every corner of every park, you’ll discover the lands, and you’ll discover even more holiday magic. enchantment and splendor of the Christmas season. For instance, you’ll find special character greetings The characters are dressed in their holiday best, stores throughout the Magic Kingdom. Keep an eye out for burst with special treasures, joyous parades feature Minnie and Mickey, dressed in their best holiday finery. dazzling displays and traditional music, and every win- You’ll also get to enjoy many of the most popular Magic dow and street lamp is aglow with twinkling lights. So Kingdom attractions, but in a way you’ve never experi- join us as we take a look at what happens when pixie enced them before. Just imagine catching a glimpse of dust combines with Christmas sparkles… the Cinderella Castle Dreamlights while you’re riding the Tomorrowland Transit Authority, or seeing giant Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party snowflakes illuminating the futuristic spires of Space Every holiday season, the Magic Kingdom is trans- Mountain. formed into a storybook Christmas scene. And while But there’s more to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas you can enjoy the festive decorations throughout the Party than decorations and attractions. You’ll find day, an evening at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party plenty of spectacular shows and events, starting with is where you’ll really get into that holiday spirit. Taking the lighting of the Castle Dreamlights. The ceremony place on select nights through the holiday season, this actually takes place at 6:30, so if you’re coming to the wondrous celebration is filled with dazzling entertain- Magic Kingdom for the party (which starts at 7:00), be ment, scrumptious treats, and even a bit of snow. Snow sure to arrive a bit early so you can see this amazing in Florida?? Why not! This is Walt Disney World after all, sight (it’s truly a magical moment that you will never the most magical place on Earth! Once you pass under- forget). Of course, that’s only the beginning! neath the Walt Disney World Railroad station, you’ll be At the Castle Forecourt Stage you can see the delight- transported to a glittering Christmas setting straight ful “Celebrate the Season” show, where all of your favor- from a fairy tale book. There’s nothing quite like that ite Disney pals (including Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy,

41 · Celebrations Pluto even Chip and Dale) are joined by characters from that perfect spot), try attending the second parade; it “The Nutcracker Suite” for a magical evening of fun and usually draws much lighter crowds. music. You can also see Mickey’s “’Twas the Night Before When you think of Magic Kingdom nighttime spec- Christmas” at the Galaxy Palace Theater in Tomorrow- taculars, fireworks inevitably leap to mind. During land, with shows running throughout the evening. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, you can see the You’ll never hear the classic Christmas song “Santa spectacular Holiday Wishes show, made even more Baby” the same way again once you see Minnie Mouse magical by the accompanying musical score of holiday singing it to Santa Claus (or is that Goofy dressed up in classics. In the mood for some dancing? Then be sure a big red suit?). to check out the two Character Dance Parties, where If you like parades, you’ll definitely want to check out you can join some of your favorite characters as you Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas Parade, which winds take the dance floor to classic Christmas tunes. Join its way from down Main Street, U.S.A. Lady Tremaine, Drizella and Anastasia (from Cinder- Highlights of the parade include Chip and Dale building ella) and others at Ariel’s Grotto, or groove along with a pair of unusual “snowmen”, Goofy’s magical gumball Stitch, Chip, and Dale over at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café machine, and a deliciously charming collection of gin- in Tomorrowland. gerbread men marching down the street. But the high- All of these shows and parades may make you a little light of the parade is most certainly Cinderella herself; hungry, and of course the holiday season wouldn’t be riding in an elegant, snow white carriage drawn by a complete without a nice cup of hot chocolate and some team of horses (speaking of Snow White, you’ll find her cookies. So why not get some? You can stop at one of there too, waving from a magically lit float of her own!). the special holiday stands found throughout the park Here’s a tip: there are two parades during the party, one for some complimentary hot cocoa and Christmas at 8:15 and one at 10:30. If you want a great view (or don’t cookies. You’ll even find delicious apple slices and juice, care to jostle through throngs of people looking for as well as sugar-free hot chocolate and cookies. If it’s

42 · Celebrations more of a meal you’re looking for, the Liberty Tree Tav- one of the most breathtaking fireworks displays that ern and Tony’s Town Square restaurants serve special you will ever see. To holiday fare. Looking for more magic? At Disney’s Hollywood Stu- Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party will be held se- dios, check out the breathtaking Osborne Family Spec- lect nights through December 19th, from 7 p.m. to mid- tacle of Dancing Lights. In addition to millions of danc- night. A separately priced ticket is required for admis- ing lights, there’s also a 100 percent chance of snow! sion, and advance purchase is recommended. Over in Disney’s Animal Kingdom, look for the tower- ing 65-foot Christmas tree as you enter the park. Once Other Holiday Happenings inside, stroll over to Camp Minnie-Mickey, where you Not to be outdone by the Magic Kingdom; Epcot, Dis- can find your favorite Disney characters decked out ney’s Hollywood Studios, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom in their holiday best. You’ll also find plenty of photo all have their own seasonal surprises. opportunities here, along with beautifully decorated Over in Epcot, holiday magic abounds. Many of the trees and live entertainers. Finally, the Animal Kingdom pavilions in World Showcase offer storytellers, includ- welcomes in the holidays with Mickey’s Jingle Jungle ing France’s Père Noël, Italy’s LaBefana, and America’s Parade. Join Mickey and his friends on a holiday adven- Santa Claus, who share their tales of holiday folklore. ture, celebrating the holidays and the world of nature At 6 p.m., stop by the World Showcase Plaza Tree Stage as the parade winds through the park. to watch the tree lighting ceremony, which is hosted by Mickey himself. Take your time walking there so There’s no end to the holiday magic at Walt Disney you can marvel in the beautiful Lights of Winter that World, and if you visit during this special time of year line the World Showcase Promenade. This festive light you’ll be sure to discover that it’s the perfect place to show runs nightly at the World Showcase Plaza. share the Christmas spirit with family and friends. Three times a night, you can also see the Candlelight Joy to the World! Processional, which is an unforgettable retelling of the Christmas story at the American Gardens Theater in World Showcase. You can make a whole night of it with Disney’s Candlelight Dining Package. It includes dining at an Epcot restaurant and reserved general seating for the processional. The event is extremely popular, so be sure to make arrangements early. If you don’t happen to get a seat in the theater itself, you can still enjoy the beautiful music as you stroll through the American Ad- venture pavilion. Celebrity narrators for the 2008 holi- day season include John O’Hurley, Neil Patrick Harris, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Viginia Madsen,Marlee Matlin, Monique Coleman, Chita Rivera, Abigail Breslin, Steven Curtis Chapman, Edward James Olmos, Angela Bassett and Courtney Vance. At the end of the evening, you can enjoy a special holiday version of IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth. It begins with a new song, “Let There Be Peace On Earth”, which plays as the giant Earth globe slowly closes. Next, several messages of peace are spoken in different lan- guages, with the appropriate pavilion lighting up for each reading. You’ll then hear the famliar voice of Wal- ter Cronkite as he delivers a moving message of peace and holiday wishes, after which you will be treated to

Photos ©Disney 43 · Celebrations 44 · Celebrations RESORTS

Every resort at Walt Disney World puts on its own unique holiday display. Christmas trees, lights, wreaths and more adorn every lobby, with a few surprises along the way. For a magical evening, take the monorail and visit the Magic Kingdom resorts, or stroll along Crescent Lake to see the Epcot resorts. Be sure to bring your holiday spirit!

(opposite) The beautiful Victorian Christmas tree in the Grand Floridian lobby (above) The Yacht Club makes a magical evening outdoor spectacle, and you can gather ‘round the Christmas tree in the lobby for some holiday storytelling! (right) Festive decorations transform the Boardwalk Inn lobby into a colorful carnival of Christmas magic

Grand Floridian Photo © Pat Whitson; All Other Photos ©Tim Foster 45 · Celebrations The Wilderness Lodge and Animal Kingdom Lodge (below) have some of the most extravagant holiday displays in all of Walt Disney World. The rustic decorations and breathtaking lights will leave you spellbound...and wishing for a cup of hot cocoa!

46 · Celebrations Photos ©Barrie Brewer

47 · Celebrations By Lou Mongello

Photo © Pat Whitson

48 · Celebrations ne of the best times to visit Walt Disney World is Norway Oduring the holiday season, as Disney celebrates Much like Mexico, Norway does not celebrate with a with special events throughout the parks and resorts. large, jolly fat man with a white beard dressed in a red In addition to the incredibly well-themed holiday deco- suit. Instead their stories are told by Julenissen, a short rations in and around the resorts, each of the theme fat elf with a white beard dressed in red and green. parks is decorated appropriately as well. Epcot’s World Nevertheless, the holidays in of the Midnight Showcase offers an additional number of experiences Sun are very festive, and here the animals get as many that are not to be missed. And unlike a ticketed event gifts as the people do! On Christmas Eve, animals that such as Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party over in inhabit the farms and barns in which Julenissen lives the Magic Kingdom (which is also a must-see!), all of are offered the very best barley and grains, and even the holiday festivities in Epcot are included with your the birds are given the finest grain, placed high upon admission. spruce poles. But before you start worrying that chil- Along the promenade of World Showcase in front of dren in this beautiful land celebrate the season by feed- each nations’ pavilion at various times throughout the ing the farm animals, have no fear. They also get to feed day, the legends and folklore of the holidays are told Julenissen as well, by leaving a bowl of porridge in the by storytellers native to that country. Dressed in tra- hayloft to thank him for acting as the guardian of their ditional attire, the storytellers explain the traditions family. But what about the toys and presents, you ask? of their countries, along with the fascinating stories Don’t worry; the children’s pre-holiday celebrations are behind them. They are often interactive, and their 5- rewarded with not one, but two Christmas days! On to-10-minute-long presentations are fun for kids and “Christmas day,” children attend church and then spend adults alike. Join me as we explore the promenade in a the day at home with family. On “second Christmas day,” clockwise direction . the holiday takes on an almost -like atmo- sphere, as costumed children celebrate “julbukke” by Mexico going door to door for treats. These storytellers hold a unique distinction of all those we’ll see on our journey. They are the only “they” in China the list, because the storytellers are actually the Three Here, the Monkey King, known as “Sun hou-kong” re- Kings. “Los Tres Reyes Magos” tell their story of search- counts the ancient, humorous yet moral legend from ing for the blessed infant in Bethlehem. Christmas in birth redemption. Born from stone, Sun hou-kong was Mexico is known as “La Navidad,” with its primary cele- raised by humans and earned his title by conquering a bration being known as “Las Posadas.” Meaning “shelter,” monster in China. After pilfering a magical stick from this celebration focuses on the journey of Mary and Jo- the Dragon King, he began to abuse his powers and was seph seeking and finding shelter in the town of Beth- banished inside a mountain by Buddha. A monk name lehem. To honor that journey, for nine nights begin- Thang Seng, trusting in the Monkey King, asked Bud- ning on December 16, children dress like the holy family dha to release him, so that he could join Thang Seng on and visit their neighbors and enjoy the nacimientos a journey to retrieve Buddha’s original teaching texts. It (Nativity scenes) set up in their homes. But the festivi- is a captivating story celebrating China’s heritage and ties don’t end on Christmas day. January 6, known as its biggest holiday. “Dia de los Tres Reyes” (Three Kings Day), celebrates the day the Three Kings arrived in Bethlehem, met, and Germany gave gifts to the baby Jesus. As part of the traditional Stories from Germany will be familiar to many peo- celebration, Mexican children leave their shoes on ple, because many American traditions and customs their doorsteps, much as the kings probably did before are rooted in German legends. St. Nicholas tells the entering the stable in which Jesus was born. The tale of the first Christmas tree, an oak cut down by St. next morning, the childrens’ shoes are surrounded Boniface, the saint who brought Christianity to Ger- by presents brought to them in the middle of many. The oak was cut from the site of where the son the night. of a chieftain was to be sacrificed, and in its place grew

49 · Celebrations an evergreen, which St. Bonafice said represented the Adventure pavilion, explains the Jewish traditions and Christ Child (Christkindl). He taught that the evergreen meaning behind the Eternal Flame lamp that burned Christmas tree (Tannenbaum) should be honored by for eight days, the story of the Maccabees, and much being placed in homes during the holidays. And speak- more. The Kwanzaa storyteller tells of the celebration ing of trees, how can we forget the pickle? No, not a tree of the harvest, as well as traditional values of fam- that is made from pickles, nor one upon which you hang ily unity in this traditionally African-American holiday. your Kosher dills, but the single pickle that hangs from The seven principles of Kwanzaa are explored, as well the Christmas tree. According to tradition, the pickle as the importance of this rich, spiritual celebration. brings good luck, and after every other ornament is hung, the pickle ornament was hidden among them. Japan On Christmas day, the first child to find the pickle (and One of the most unique stories can be heard in Japan, not break every other ornament in the process) would not by a Christmastime storyteller, but by the Seller of get a special present left by St. Nicholas. “Daruma,” good luck dolls and symbols of the New Year. Celebrated from January 1 to 3, O-Shogatsu is the Japa- Italy nese New Year, and an important element of the cel- The only woman among the traditional storytell- ebration is the Daruma doll. The dolls are named after ers is a witch. (Oh, that’s going to get me in trouble, I a Buddhist monk who meditated for nine years. After just know it.) No, really! But (like Glinda from The Wiz- sitting in a single position during that entire time, his ard of Oz), she’s a good witch. Italy’s La Befana recounts arms and legs shriveled up and fell off, which explains her story of her 2000-year-old search for “il Gesu Bam- the doll’s unique shape and ability to (as Japanese bino,” the baby Jesus. She also tells of how Christmas is proverb states) “fall down seven times, get up eight.” a very sacred, intimate holiday to be shared and spent The dolls are crafted without pupils in their eyes, and with family. However, instead of celebrating on Christ- custom dictates that children are to make wishes and mas Eve or day, which recognizes the birth of Jesus, paint their dolls’ left eyes. If their wish is granted before Italians celebrate the Epiphany, a celebration of the the end of the year, they may paint in the right eyes as birth of Jesus and the visits from the Magi (three wise well, as a lesson in patience and persistence. Family, men). On the eve of the Epiphany, celebrated on Janu- food, and reflection are also important elements of the ary 6, La Befana brings presents to boys and girls and New Year, as is the ringing of bells, as they are rung in leaves them in their socks. Christmas Eve is celebrated Buddhist temples throughout the country to ring in by a Nativity ceremony centered around a “Precipio,” the new year. Many homes will be decorated with kado- which consists of a manger and figures of all of those matsu trees, because their plum blossoms symbolize who were present at Jesus’s birth. Afterward, the fam- hope for the New Year, the pine branches represent ily attends midnight Mass, and then, well, yes, they eat strength, and the bamboo represents growth. (sounds like my house!), during the “cenone.” Morocco United States Tales of the Taarji, the storytelling drummer, are We stop next at the American Adventure, where we told in Morocco, where the history and celebration of check in with Santa Claus to be sure he received my Ramadan are told. A time for both worship and con- Christmas list, and to be sure I’m on the “nice” list and templation, Taarji shares the meaning of the Festival of hear traditional Christmas tales. If you feel as though Ashura, the celebration of the new year, and the nightly you need a little extra help, you can even put in a good celebration that occurs when the traditional fast is word with Mrs. Claus, who is on hand to join her hus- broken. He plays a traditional Moroccan drum as he ex- band as well. Of course, Christmas is but one holiday plains how well-behaved children get presents during celebrated by the diverse population of the United this festive season. States, and Hanukkah and Kwanzaa storytellers share the traditions of these celebrations as well. The Hanuk- France kah storyteller, normally located inside the American France’s Père Noël, known as the good spirit of the

50 · Celebrations season, looks very much like a Santa Claus on a low-carb Canada diet, dressed in a traditional red robe and sash. While In Canada, bigger isn’t necessarily better, because telling his story, he reads a Christmas letter from little once again we find a jolly little elf telling takes of the Babette and goes on to explain that in France, children nation that is the home of Santa Claus. (Technically the put their shoes by the fireplace on Christmas Eve in North Pole is in Canada.) Our little friend tells tales of hopes that Père Noël will leave some toys in their shoes. traditional cookie-baking parties and the fun and food- (Their goes François’s hopes for an Xbox 360.) And like filled celebrations on Christmas Eve. Because Canada, American children do for Santa Claus, French children like the United States, is filled with people from many also leave Père Noël snacks. But instead of milk and different cultures, religions, and background, he re- cookies, he is left a glass of wine, as well as beet greens counts tales of other traditions and how they are cel- for the donkey that travels with him. (That explains ebrated throughout the nation. While many Canadian the difference in Santa and Noël’s weight classes.) Also a traditions—such as waiting for Santa, trimming the very important religious holiday, homes and churches tree, and singing Christmas carols—are found through- traditionally are decorated with a “crèche” or nativ- out many nations, Canada has some unique traditions ity scene surrounded by candles. A as well. For example, we all know Yule log is burned in the fireplace, about the “naughty or nice” list, but and after midnight Mass, the fam- some Canadian children have to be ily enjoys Le Réveillon, which is a on the lookout for a little creature meal consisting of ham, goose, oys- known as a Belsnickle, who can en- ters, salads, cheese, champagne, and ter the homes of naughty children Bûche de Noël, a cake shaped like a and wreak havoc. For the Inuit chil- traditional Yule log. dren, creatures called Naluyuks pound the floor with sticks before United Kingdom questioning the children to see if As expected, many American they’ve been good or bad. The chil- traditions are rooted in those cel- dren sing carols to appease the Na- ebrated in the United Kingdom. luyuks, and then the Naluyuks give Christmas carols such as “Deck the the good children their presents. In Halls” were first sung in the United other provinces such as Quebec, a Kingdom, and even the hanging of traditional French dinner called Le mistletoe came from across the pond. One of the UK’s Réveillon is shared after midnight Mass on Christmas oldest traditions, it dates back thousands of years to Eve. And on December 26, Canada celebrates Boxing Day, the Druids celebrating the winter solstice. According to which is an old English tradition of giving boxes of gifts legend, berries were removed from the mistletoe every to the poor. time someone kissed beneath it until all of the berries (and thus the kissing) was gone. Most important, the The storytellers are one of the highlights of the holi- idea of Father Christmas comes from the United King- days in Walt Disney World, and I think that far too often, dom, and save for the color of his tunic (green versus too many Guests simply walk past without enjoying red), he looks very much like Santa Claus. Then again, the diverse tales they have to share. In continuing with while Santa received children’s letters, reads them, and the message of Epcot, they embody the concept of edu- brings presents to those on the “good” list (remember cation through entertainment, and for most people, me, Santa?), Father Christmas would get the child’s they will offer the only insight into the holiday tradi- card. And burn it. And while he would burn the un- tions from around the world. While some of the stories opened cards, he would be able to read the smoke that will seem familiar, because they have influenced the was carried up the chimney. Nevertheless, he is still holidays we celebrate today in the United States, other quite jolly, and of course, brings children presents and stories will give new insight into the people and tradi- holiday cheer. tions of many exotic lands from around the globe.

51 · Celebrations A Very Walt

Christmasby Jim Korkis

Photo ©Disney

52 · Celebrations n the Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World, Ithere is a letter from Joyce Hall, the founder of Hallmark Cards and a good friend of Walt Disney’s, where Hall recounts the story of being on an airplane with an excited child who had just visited Disneyland for the first time. Hall asked the child if he thought that Walt Disney was a real person or someone like Santa Claus. The child thought for a second and with the enthusiastic conviction that comes from being young, thoughtfully replied, “Both!” It’s certainly natural to think of Walt Disney as a modern Santa Claus. For many people, he brought presents into their homes weekly on his television program, whether it was an animated cartoon, a live action adventure, or a behind-the-scenes peek at something new for Disneyland.

53 · Celebrations n 1938, a magazine reporter asked Walt Disney if he “And every Christmas, he’s given us a little piece of Ibelieved in Santa Claus. Walt responded, “Certainly, jewelry. For Christmas, it was usually something an- yes. When my little daughters confront me with the tique. He loves antique jewelry. Nothing expensive or question, I shall say without a twinge, ‘Of course there elaborate but something like a little pair of antique is.’ Long live Santa Claus!” gold earrings. He gave Mother once some seals in the However, in that same Woman’s Day magazine arti- forms of a necklace and then at a later Christmas there cle, it was revealed that Walt “found out at the age of six were some seals hanging from a bracelet—seals used that there wasn’t any team of reindeer waiting up on for sealing wax and things like that .” the roof while a fat man slid down his chimney, but he Recently, Diane wrote that her parents “always used had fun pretending to his parents that he still believed to be very insistent upon observing the Santa Claus the whole works.” myth. Mother would fill our stockings in the middle of When Walt was a small boy growing up on a farm the night on Christmas Eve. They were hung outside near Marceline, Missouri, Christmas was a very special our bedroom doors. I think we probably had them out- time of the year with relatives coming from near and side the doors because it was easy for Mother to get to far and neighbors dropping by for holiday visits. The them. She probably arranged it that way.” hard daily chores on the farm were temporarily post- When Walt’s daughters were younger, he loved be- poned while attention shifted to the holidays. ing a little more theatrical at Christmas, especially Walt grew up in a family of limited means. With the when the box office success of Snow White and the feeding and clothing of five children (Herbert, Ray- Seven Dwarfs allowed him to use that windfall to re- mond, Roy, Walt, and Ruth), the Disney family had little ally have Santa bring an amazing gift. When Diane was or no money left over for luxuries. That often meant eight years old and Sharon was six, Santa Claus brought that a Christmas gift was something of a practical na- them a special playhouse that was very reminiscent of ture such as new clothes or shoes. the dwarfs’ cottage from the animated feature . Walt told a reporter that, “There were few extra dol- Last year, Diane shared the following Christmas lars for such frivolities in those days. I always got some memory that demonstrates Walt’s ingenuity and at- sensible, modest present. One time Roy (Walt’s older tention to detail. brother ) bought me a shiny gyroscopic top with its “One Christmas, Santa Claus brought us [Diane and wonderful spinning ability.” her younger sister, Sharon] a playhouse, and I just knew Walt fondly recalled those wonderful days before that Santa Claus did because it just appeared Christmas Christmas when he would go with his older brothers morning out in our backyard. It was this darling little into the woods in search of the perfect Christmas tree playhouse. It was designed at the studio, and the studio (usually a pine or a cedar) and harvest decorations for carpenters put it up. It was a little one room, about the the tree from nature, such as big red berries and mis- size of a good-sized closet. It had little leaded glass win- tletoe. Nights were spent with his family around the dows and one of those little mushroom chimneys on large potbellied stove, stringing popcorn and cranber- it, though there was no fireplace, and a sink with run- ries, cutting out stars and angels, and creating other ning water. It had a little tank inside the cooler that you homemade ornaments from scraps of paper and tin- filled then you could turn on the faucet and the water foil to decorate the tree. would come out. It had a little cooler all stocked with Walt followed those same simple holiday pleasures little tiny canned goods. You know, the small cans that when it came to his own family. Diane Disney Miller, you can buy. It had a telephone in it that would connect Walt’s oldest daughter, recalled in 1956, “My sister [Sha- with our phone in the kitchen. ron] and I were talking about Dad. When he gives gifts, “And I talked to Santa Claus on it that morning. We he wants to give gifts you can remember him by. He’s had a big butler at the time, and it must have been him afraid that he’s going to be gone and forgotten. He loves that I talked to. He asked if the house was all right, and to give us jewelry. He gave us each a watch when we I said, ‘Yes, Santa, fine.’ I was afraid to speak. My eyes were seven years old, and it was inscribed on the back were probably as big as saucers, because I knew it was with the dates. Santa, and I knew he had brought the house. Some way,

54 · Celebrations he had managed to keep me out of the house all day ton, and Gregory Peck. before Christmas. The studio carpenters had come up The Florida version of the Candlelight Processional and given their time to put the house up for us. I still began on Main Street, U.S.A., at the Magic Kingdom in have pictures, and I have a few things [out] of the little 1971, and it moved to Epcot in 1994, where it is held to- house. day. “It was so dear, and I knew Santa had brought it. And The Christmas Around the World Parade premiered a little boy next door was sort of cynical about it. I said at Disneyland in 1957 and ran until 1964, when it was of- to him, ‘Well, Morgan, look what Santa brought.’ He said, ficially replaced by the Fantasy on Parade that ran to ‘Santa Claus? You’re crazy. There were men up in your 1976 during the holiday season and was later revived front yard all day yesterday putting the house up.’ I said, for 1980 through 1985. The Christmas Around the World ‘Morgan, you’re a liar. I was out in the front yard playing Parade included brightly costumed local ethnic dance all day long, and there were no men.’ I was so positive. and choral groups. I remember it. I just couldn’t have been more positive A 20-foot tall Christmas star was installed on the that Santa had brought that house. It was really a won- in 1961, but it was later retired as derful thing. .” part of Disneyland’s energy conservation efforts. It wasn’t just Walt’s own children who received gifts The first two Disney television shows were run on from Santa. Walt maintained a file of hundreds of chil- Christmas Day. One Hour in Wonderland (1950) and dren of his personal friends, members of the press, stu- Walt Disney Christmas Show (1951) had Walt summon- dio workers, film executives, and more. Walt made sure ing the servant of the Magic Mirror to share clips of that his secretaries knew that each child was to receive Disney animated cartoons with millions of television one big, important Disney merchandise gift and a few viewers. The first show was seen by 20 million viewers smaller items at least until the age of 12. at a time when there were only 10 1/2 million televi- Walt’s secretaries were in charge of the gifts, and sion sets in the entire United States. The show served Walt’s direction was that each gift had to be wrapped as a template for the later weekly Disney television separately, no matter how small. This job kept a staff of program. assistants hopping right up to a few days before Christ- One of the most well remembered and loved pro- mas. A room in the studio warehouse was converted to grams of that weekly Disney television series was From a virtual Santa’s workshop early in November, and Walt All of Us to All of You, which premiered December 19, 1958, dropped in daily to inspect the packages and to make directed by Jack Hannah and updated over the decades sure that his directions were being followed. by adding a segment to spotlight the latest animated Walt loved Christmas so much that there was a holi- feature release. Jiminy Cricket takes over the hosting day celebration the first Christmas Disneyland opened. chores from Walt to share Christmas cards that trans- In December 1955, there was a live Christmas tree placed form into animated cartoons with a holiday theme . to the left of the entrance of . At On the Disney anthology television show episode the Magnolia Park Bandstand near the , “Holiday Time at Disneyland” that originally aired De- individual choirs performed. This “Christmas Bowl” cember 23, 1962, audiences discovered that Walt Disney (officially named that in 1956) featured scores of local was a friend of Santa Claus. At Disneyland, Walt gave youth bands and choral groups. the jolly old elf an early Christmas present of jingle bells That tradition led in 1958 to the creation of the first that Walt had been using to perform with the Disney- Candlelight Processional down Main Street, U.S.A., de- land Dickens Christmas Carolers. veloped from a concept by Charles C. Hirt of the Univer- Sadly, Walt passed away December 15, 1966, 10 days af- sity of Southern California School of Music. Celebrity ter his 65th birthday and 10 days before Christmas, but narrators who told the Christmas story were added his feelings about the magic of the season still resonate in 1961. Actor Dennis Morgan was the first celebrity to today. share the story of the first Christmas on Main Street, Walt was truly a Santa Claus 365 days of the year, and U.S.A. Other celebrity narrators over the years included his joy of the holiday season is still very much in evi- John Wayne, Henry Fonda, Cary Grant, Charlton Hes- dence at the Disney theme parks today.

55 · Celebrations Story and Photography by Pat Whitson

here’s no shortage of holiday spirit at Walt Disney sleigh in central Florida, specially decorated carriages TWorld Resort. During the month of December par- carry guests on “sleigh” rides from the Wilderness ticularly, the pixie dust spreads to virtually every cor- Lodge through a path in the surrounding woods. The ner of the property. Every planter, window, and build- ride is about 25 minutes long, and it costs $60 per sleigh ing has been decked out in holiday finery. . The sleighs depart on the hour and half-hour, and if The theme parks, of course, are spilling over with you time it right, you might be able to see some of the trees, tinsel, garlands, greens, baubles, and bows. But Magic Kingdom fireworks on your return trip. Make even beyond the theme parks, Disney’s decorating elves reservations by calling 407-WDW-PLAY . make sure that holiday magic is everywhere. Every re- Another fun horse-drawn trip is the carriage rides sort has its own carefully themed, unique decorations. through the Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground. For example, at the Caribbean Beach Resort, you’ll find Campers decorate their campsites with lights and dec- sea shells and tropical colors on the evergreens, while orations, turning the woods into a holiday wonderland. over at the Yacht Club, the trees have nautical embel- They even have a contest for best decorated campsite! lishments, including model yachts. The deluxe resorts To get the best view, take a carriage ride from Pioneer also have elaborate gingerbread and/or chocolate dis- Hall. They cost about $35 for a 25-minute ride, and the plays, and I’ve seen smaller displays at Caribbean Beach, carriages hold up to four adults or two adults and three near the food court. children. Call 407-WDW-PLAY to make a reservation.

Just Hear Those Sleigh Bells Jingling Make a List, and Check It Twice In the month of December, on the closest thing to a What would the holidays be without shopping?

56 · Celebrations There’s no better place than Downtown Disney for all cream sundae while listening to strolling carolers ! your gift-buying needs—or at the very least for some Festival of the Seasons runs from November 28 serious window shopping! Downtown Disney’s Festival through December 24, 2008. of the Seasons features decorated window displays, Another place that’s open year-round, but is always holiday entertainment, and the chance to have your full of holiday spirit, is Disney’s Winter Summerland photo taken with the jolly ol’ elf himself, because Santa Miniature Golf. Here, you can putt your way through a has a place here, too. course designed by Santa’s elves while Christmas car- The World Of Disney store is the largest for all things ols play. You’ll find plenty of surprises on the courses to Disney, including holiday-themed home goods, cloth- guarantee that Santa won’t be the only one chuckling. ing, and accessories with that extra helping of pixie You even get a souvenir golf ball to keep at the end of dust. Here you’ll find the perfect gifts for all of the Dis- your game! It’s a fun way to spend an hour or so and ex- ney fans on your list. Check out my two favorite spots: tend those holiday feelings even if it’s after New Year’s the villains room for jewelry, watches, and pins and the Day. centrally located souvenir room for stocking stuffers. Just watch out for Stitch on the roof; he’s definitely on Celebrate Good Times Santa’s “Naughty” list! The town of Celebration, which is just a little ways A few steps away from World Of Disney, at Once Upon from the Walt Disney World Resort proper, has its A Toy , you can relive childhood memories or find the own holiday traditions. From November 29th through perfect gift for under the tree. Once Upon A Toy could December 31st, residents and visitors can enjoy Now almost be an extension of Santa’s workshop, especially Snowing, where “snow” falls on the town’s center every its LEGO Imagination Center. hour on the hour for about 10 minutes. It’s enough to Elsewhere in Downtown Disney, you’ll find dozens actually accumulate on the ground. Strolling Charles of specialty shops, spread from Downtown Disney Dickens Carolers and horse drawn carriage rides Marketplace to Downtown Disney West Side. A mu- complete the quaint scene. sic lover on your shopping list? Try Virgin Megastore. Of course, photos with Athlete or sports fan? The Team Mickey Athletic Club Santa and is the ticket. Culture buff? Check out the Cirque Du So- leil Shop. Budding paleontologist? T-Rex Café has dinos galore. Unique stocking stuffers? Check out Mag- netron Magnetz, Magic Masters, Candy Cauldron, Mickey’s Mart, and Basin. And, of course, you’ll want to visit the Disney’s Days Of Christmas shop. Despite it’s “Christmas” name, it’s open year round, and it is the perfect place to buy personalized ornaments and holiday decora- tions.

Figgy Pudding and Sugar Plums With all this shopping, you’re bound to work up an appetite. Luck- ily, you’ll find dozens of options at all of the great Downtown Disney restaurants. Truly, there is nothing quite like eating a Ghirardelli ice

57 · Celebrations distinctive shopping and dining are also a part of the picture. Many residents decorate their homes, so a tour of the side streets is in order. The Now Snowing event ends at midnight on New Year’s Eve with live music, fire- works, and the final snowfall of the year. Parking and admission are free, and it is a very nice way to spend an evening. You can find more information and directions at www.celebrationtowncenter.com. Happy holidays!

The Yuletide Fantasy Tour To really appreciate how much goes into the an- nual decorating of the 43 square miles of the Walt Disney World Resort, take the Yuletide Fantasy Tour. This 3½-hour tour gives Guests a behind-the- scenes look at what is involved in making the holi- day season truly magical. A motor coach whisks you to backstage entrances for short forays into the parks.

In Epcot, you’ll learn a bit about the Holidays Around The World. Then it’s over to Disney’s Hol- lywood Studios to learn about the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights and how Tinseltown influenced our holiday celebrations. A stop at a Magic Kingdom area resort follows; most often this is the Grand Floridian to see the incredible gingerbread house. The highlight of the tour for many people is the chance to see Holiday Services, which is the backstage area where the holiday decorations are created and stored. Of course, in December most of the decorations are out at the parks and resorts on display, but the size of this facility their organizational system are amazing. This tour may vary somewhat due to activities at the stops.

The Yuletide Fantasy Tour is only available Mon- day through Saturday from December 1st through 30th, and it costs $69 per person. The tour starts at 9:00 a.m., and some days a second 1:30 p.m. depar- ture is available. You must be at least 16 years old to take the tour. The tour often runs longer than the stated 3½ hours, and there is a lot of walking involved. You can get more information and make a reservation by calling 407-WDW-TOUR.

58 · Celebrations

60 ·Celebrations OSBORNE FAMILY Spectacle of Dancing Lights STORY By Ray Harkness • PHOTOGRAPHY BY TIM DEVINE

hat would the Christmas holiday season be without the lights? WFrom a single strand of multi-colored bulbs surrounding a front door, to a Christmas tree adorning the front window of a house, lights have become a major part of family decorating traditions.

61 · Celebrations ome people take the level of holiday luminescence quest by his then six-year-old daughter to put up a few Sto extreme heights. These folks plan elaborate dis- Christmas lights. The loving father obliged with 1,000 plays that the neighbors go out of their way to see when red lights. This is a rather small amount of lights, which they are on their nightly strolls or driving through the one might find on a well-strung Christmas tree. neighborhood. They spend as much time designing With each succeeding year, the display grew at such outdoor displays as a person would put into planning a a pace that by 1993, Osborne’s yard display contained wedding. Common annoyances such as increased pow- more than 3,000,000 lights. The display was rumored er bills, tangled strands of lights, and the frustration of to be so bright that a plane could spot his house from chasing down that one burned-out bulb don’t seem to miles away. deter them. To this day, Osborne insists that he didn’t create his For some people, lighting displays are all about the gargantuan lighting displays to garner attention; he celebration and sharing it with their communities. says he did it to make people happy. Osborne received For others, it’s all about the challenge of building a dis- countless letters of appreciation every year, which play that tops the past Christmas. Their passion drives helped remind him why he was doing the display every them to make bigger and bigger displays that even- year. tually garner the attention of the national press and turn the neighborhood into the Christmas version of a For Every Santa Claus, There Is a Grinch drive-through safari zoo. Osborne had to deal with his neighbors, who didn’t Jennings Osborne of Little Rock, Arkansas, is one such see his displays as being an attempt at altruistic gener- individual. His passion started in 1986 with a simple re- osity, but as an extreme annoyance. The neighbors be-

62 · Celebrations came so annoyed that they filed a lawsuit that made it Disney World in Orlando, Florida. all the way to the Arkansas Supreme Court. To keep the On November 4th, 1995, four giant moving trucks ar- display shining brightly, Osborne was forced to make rived at Disney’s MGM Studios (now Disney’s Hollywood concessions, which included time limits. Osborne was Studios), containing all of Osborne’s display elements. also required to hire police officers to keep things orga- The first year was stressful for the team of technicians nized and traffic flowing. and Imagineers. They needed to have the display ready But Osborne always remembered why he put up his for Guests by the Wednesday before Thanksgiving. For- display. When a family came to his house one night ty technicians worked 24-hour shifts to complete the moments after the mandated time to shut the display installation of the display on Residential Street, part of down, he couldn’t bear to send them home without the Studio Backlot Tour. Osborne personally assisted seeing the lights. Osborne lit up the night, just for them. with the initial design, walking down Residential Street This act resulted in a $10,000 fine, which he graciously with the team and giving advice on how he’d decorate paid. But Osborne’s detractors used this violation to each house. shut him down permanently. Even a plea to the U.S. Su- On November 22, 1995, the Osborne Family Spectacle preme Court couldn’t reverse what had been done. of Lights debuted with an explosion of glittering lights adorning Residential Street. The attraction was an im- Lights: We’re Going to Walt Disney World! mediate success, and visiting it quickly became a new No Disney story would be complete without a happy tradition for families at Walt Disney World during the ending. Shortly after Osborne’s lights were flicked off Christmas holiday season. permanently, the Walt Disney Company contacted him For several years, the lights shined on Residential about bringing his family’s spectacle of lights to Walt Street, but they eventually had to be moved to the

63 · Celebrations Streets of America to make way for the construction of ited control over the lighting effects. More than 1,500 of the Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show. these step relays are now used in the display. Since the light display’s transplant to Disney’s Hol- Each building has its own circuit and 36 additional lywood Studios, the Imagineers have constantly tried sub-circuits. Every circuit must be painstakingly pro- to plus the experience from previous years. One such grammed to create the dancing effect. This task is “plussing” was the inception of the dancing lights in undertaken by the very patient Cast Member Su- 2006, which prompted the attraction’s name to change san Rose, who sits in the middle of the street for 3 to the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. weeks each year, carefully listening to the music and One brilliant Imagineer stumbled across a special programming how each building’s lights will react to type of electrical component known as a step relay the sounds. that would allow them to control the light intensity in The entire process to get the Streets of America 1 percent increments. This gave the Imagineers unlim- dressed for the holidays now takes 15 weeks with a crew

64 · Celebrations of 25 technicians. Every evening after the lights switch smoke coming from the giant train to find a clever Hid- on, another crew of six to eight technicians walks the den Mickey! . street, looking for strands that need replacing. More than just lights, the magic of the Osborne Fam- ily Spectacle of Dancing Lights is in the little details. You Don’t Rain on Our Parade might spot a TV in a window that is playing the ABC “25 Anyone who has ever put up their own outdoor dis- Days of Christmas” TV promo. Or you might notice that play knows that a rainstorm wreaks havoc on the in- the fire escapes are decorated with different themes, tegrity of the display. The Osborne Family Spectacle of depending on the residents. Dancing Lights is no exception. The masterminds who The one constant with this attraction is that it’s always maintain this attraction are constantly coming up premiering something new. This year is no exception. For with new ways to increase the lights’ resistance to the example, a lot of the colors have changed . Also, as part of elements. Walt Disney World’s Green Initiative many of the strands Tying down the cords and insulating the lights from have been converted to LED bulbs. They consume less elec- the metal structures upon which they are hung was tricity than traditional incandescent bulbs, and the color one improvement. Previously, the lights were touch- intensity is much more brilliant as well. We’re not going to ing the metal building structures and catwalks (which give it away, but Guests will also have the pleasure of hear- weave throughout the backside of the buildings), which ing a new song debut this year . was causing electrical shorts when the metal got wet. So, if your travel plans afford you the opportunity to Using special plastic shrink wrap sleeves that cover tour the parks between November 28, 2008, and Janu- the connectors was another innovation. It’s a lot of ary 4, 2009, don’t forget to stop by Disney’s Hollywood work, but the effort seems to be paying off. According Studios after sunset to see one of the best Christmas to John Phalen, show director of the Osborne Family displays anywhere. The Osborne Family Spectacle of Spectacle of Dancing Lights, in 2007 they lost 25 percent Dancing Lights typically stays open for guests up to an of the lights to rain during test runs. But this year, they hour after park closing. lost only about 5 percent. (It should be noted that if the If you ask Osborne what he thinks about getting weather results in the quality of the display deterio- his display shut down, he would be quick to tell you rating too much due to line shorts, the display will be that he thinks that it was probably the best thing to turned off.) ever happen to him. Now he gets to share his gift with Phalen also points out that the technicians hanging the world. the lights are given a lot of liberty to think of unique and crazy lighting display elements. This has created Fun Facts such wonderful elements as the snowman in the phone • More than 5 million lights booth and lights being strung over grills and bicycles, • More than 500,000 strands of lights which is a tribute to Osborne, who was infamous for • Each strand of light holds 100 bulbs stringing lights over anything and everything left in • More than 35 miles of electrical cable the yard. • 10 miles of rope light • 800,000 watts of electricity consumed Tradition, Tradition! Tradition ! • 30,000 lights on the red canopy This attraction has traditions, like many attractions • 80,000 lights on the 70-foot tree with 3 layers of at Walt Disney World. One tradition is to find differ- color ent locations to place the giant illuminated cat. The • 110 angels cat was actually a design element from a Halloween • 33 snow machines, using 100 gallons of snow fluid display that somehow ended up being sent to Florida each evening along with Osborne’s Christmas lights. • 2 million tie wraps It wouldn’t be a Disney attraction without Hidden • 40 Hidden Mickeys Mickeys, and the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing • 20,000 man hours to install the display Lights is no exception. For instance, look closely at the

65 · Celebrations ou would think that after more than 400 perfor- Ymances of the same show over a decade, it would get boring. You might think that, if you’ve never met John Sinclair, D.M.A. One of Central Florida’s most prominent musicians, Dr. Sinclair is the director of music for Rollins College in Winter Park. He conducts high-profile orchestras around the world, but most prominent for our discussion is his involvement with Music by Walt Disney World where he conducts the Candlelight Processional in Epcot. Nightly throughout December, guests attending the Candlelight Processional experience an unforgettable Candlelight retelling of the Christmas Story by a celebrity narrator accompanied by a mass choir and a 50-piece orchestra. I talked with Dr. Sinclair about his experiences conduct- ing the masterful event.

After a decade, does the performance ever be- come routine? It feels different every night. And it feels different because the choir is different. And the orchestra, while they are the same players, they rotate in, too. It’s like a recipe, but the ingredients change every night. The out- come is not predictable. And that’s where the challenge and the fun come for me.

Are you involved in the preparation for the event? I do the warm-ups in the tent like every other con- ductor does. Rick Mizell [music director for Walt Disney Entertainment ] and I hear all of the audition tapes from the groups. I think we heard over 200 this year. I’ve been involved in writing rehearsal notes. At that point my main obligation is in preparation for the orchestra for the entire run. We’ll begin rehearsals starting on November 23rd, 24th, and 25th, and then the run starts on the 28th. An Interview with Dr. John Sinclair, Then I gratefully rely on this fabulous cast of people. Conductor of Epcot’s Candlelight There truly is “Disney magic” happening. How do they Processional get all students in there and coordinate all of their schedules? There is pixie dust! So I gratefully get to By Glenn Whelan wave my arms on those nights. It really is great fun and a blessing.

Do you enjoy the show? I don’t ever get tired of it. It’s exhilarating. It’s Christ-

Photo ©Glenn Whelan mas on steroids. It’s bigger than life. Even if I’m a little

66 · Celebrations Photo ©Disney

tired after a long day of teaching, at the downbeat all That’s a long run, more than a decade. Have there of a sudden it is magic again! been any changes over that time? There is always tweaking. And it is always with the There are all these different elements involved. eye on “How can we make this better? How do we You have the orchestra, the high school choirs, the streamline it? How do we make it more consistent?” cast choir, and the Voices of Liberty. They were all I believe it was last year that they put in new sound rehearsing separately? system elements as an upgrade. We’re always All separately. You don’t really hear all those pieces tightening the level of quality on the Disney choir together for that particular night until the perfor- end. mance. The students have had a short rehearsal in It is much harder to become a visiting high school the tent. The orchestra rehearsed on November 23rd, choir then it was a few years ago. That bar has been 24th, and 25th. You could have a different concert mas- raised. All the parts of the operation have gotten more ter from one night to the next. Of course, the Voices efficient and streamlined. of Liberty cast changes somewhat each night. And the cast choir changes every night. So, it’s not until This may sound odd, but you wear a mustache and the downbeat that you have the full list of your beard. Was there any problem with that? ingredients. Well, there was some controversy over it at the very beginning. This was a long time ago. I under- And there’s a narrator as well? stand that Disney does now allow for facial hair. I Yes! There’s a narrator, too, and sometimes they bring remember Mr. Eisner coming to one of the events. surprises. I’ve had one who has skipped readings, and Afterward one of the managers backstage gave you have to figure out if you should skip the piece or me a thumbs-up and said, “He thinks it looks like a catch them up or motion to go back. They usually smile costume.” at you and wave, unaware that they had skipped the I’ve had the beard for a long time. My daughter is 20, narration. You can’t fall asleep out there. That’s where and she hasn’t seen me without it. It used to be black. I get the exhilaration. You’ve got to bring your A game. Now it’s white. I’m only afraid that they’re going to For that reason, I truly feel that I give my best effort ev- change my venue and send me over to sit at the Santa ery time I’m out there. Claus stand.

67 · Celebrations Lou’s Trivia Corner by Lou Mongello

1. Where in Walt Disney World have you heard: 6. What in the world is “kaki-gori”? “We’ll blow you up as soon as possible.”? a. The acrobats in China a. Stitch’s Great Escape b. A comedian in Monsters, Inc Laugh Floor b. Dinoasaur! c. An appetizer at Ohana c. MuppetVision 3D d. A dessert in Japan d. Honey, I Shrunk the Audience 7. Where can you see a “salute to all nations, but 2. Who is the Director of The Dino Institue in mostly America”? Dinoland USA? a. American Adventure a. Dr. Helen Marsh b. Illuminations b. Dr. Grant Seeker c. Hall of Presidents c. Dr. Catherine Jobson d. Muppet Vision 3D d. Dr. Bunsen Honeydew 8. In World Showcase, what country is located 3. What attraction did Mickey’s Philharmagic between Germany and the American Adventure? replace in 2003? a. Japan a. The Mickey Mouse Revue b. Italy b. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride c. France c. Legend of the Lion King d. Morocco d. Magic Journeys 9. What was the original name of Cosmic Ray’s 4. What are Sonny Eclipse’s backup singers Starlight café? called? a. The Lunching Pad a. The Star Queens b. Tomorrowland Terrace b. The Moonbeams c. Mickey’s Mart c. The Rayettes d. Aunty Gravity’s d. The Space Angels 10. Who was the first sports personality to say “I’m 5. The topiaries located outside The Universe of going to Disney World” after winning a sports Energy were originally located where? championship and MVP honors? a. 1964-65 World’s Fair a. Phil Simms b. Disneyland b. John Elway c. Marceline Missouri c. Troy Aikman d. Rockefeller Center d. Emmit Smith

68 · Celebrations 11. What is your destination on Star Tours? 14. Where in Walt Disney World can you find The a. Endor “Dimensional Duplicator”? b. Tattoine a. Stitch’s Great Escape c. Endor’s moon b. “Honey, I Shrunk the Audience” d. Hoth c. ExtraTerrorestrical Alien Encounter d. ’s Space Ranger Spin 12.  in Tomorrowland was originally called: 15. Disney’s BoardWalk is located alongside what a. Star Jets body of water b. Rocket Rods a. Crescent Lake c. Astro Blaster b. Bay Lake d. Mission to Mars c. Echo Lake d. Stormalong Bay 13. The Theater in the Wild has an attraction based on what film? a. Finding Nemo Answers: b. A Bug’s Life 1. D 2. A 3. C 4. D 5. D 6. D c. The Little Mermaid 7. D 8. B 9. B 10. A 11. C 12. A d. The Lion King 13. A 14. B 15. A

ANSWERS: SECRET PHRASE: 1. The wait time has changed 4. Jewel in the ground near Magic KIDS KORNER (pages 74-77) To Infinity and Beyond! 2. The “I” point value has changed Carpets of Aladdin 3. The “A” block is a different color BRAIN BUSTERS SCAVENGER HUNT MATCH ‘EM UP 4. The “&” is missing Mexico 1. Abu: Aladdin 5. The back of the card is blank Norway 2. Enchanted Tiki Room sign Rex: 6. The crayon is missing China 3. Jungle Cruise Sally: Cars 7. The hole is missing from the “O” Germany 4. Cleo: Pinocchio 8. The rope is gone Italy 5. Magic Carpets of Aladdin Flower: Bambi 9. There is an extra monkey United States (American Adventure) 6. Swiss Family Treehouse or Aloha Isle Gus: Cinderella 10. The pencil tip has changed Japan 7. Jungle Cruise temple HIDDEN MICKEY HUNT Morocco WORD SCRAMBLE 8. Pirates of the Caribbean queue area There are 18 Hidden Mickeys France 1. 9. Swiss Family Treehouse kitchen United Kingdom 2. Prince Charming WHERE AM I? TRIVIA CORNER Canada 3. Flounder 1. Swiss Family Treehouse 1. C 2. C 4. Minnie Mouse CONNECT THE DOTS BONUS 2. Jungle Cruise queue area 5. Robin Hood SPACE RANGER SCRAMBLE Japan 3. Pirates of the Caribbean queue area 6. Thumper CLUE ANSWERS: 4. Jungle Cruise sign 7. Simba Hamm Sid FIND THE DIFFERENCE 5. Entrance to Adventureland 8. Pocahontas Bullseye Wheezy 6. Enchanted Tiki Room preshow area Toy Barn Fusion 7. Enchanted Tiki Room interior Pete Mania 8. Shrunken Ned’s Junior Jungle Boats MYSTERY QUEST ANSWERS Scud Andy near the Jungle Cruise Emperor Tim Allen (pages 78-79) Ranger Friend SECRET SYMBOLS Planet Tom Hanks 1. Swiss Family Treehouse Sign Round Up 2. Agrabah Bazaar Sign Bo 3. Aloha Isle

69 · Celebrations ragtime tune with Bonnie to “chase those mealtime blues away.” You never heard of the Kitchen Krackpots? It was the band with Mustard on the saxophone, Parmesan Cheese on guitar, BBQ Sauce on bass, and Mayonnaise on drums. (The drums being a can of tuna and a can of beets.) Next on stage was Mr. Dairy Goods and his Stars of the Milky Way, including Miss Cheese (a well-dressed... well, piece of Swiss cheese that resembled Mae West), Miss Yogurt, and Miss Ice Cream. or this issue’s trip aboard the Walt Disney World Wayback The Cereal Sisters then sang about their favorite piece of FMachine, we’re going to look at something that, according trumpet-blowing toast, during the Boogie Woogie Bakery to Disney, had the whole town cookin’! It’s an attraction that Boy act. The next scene introduced us to two of the show’s not every reader may remember, or many even have seen. But most memorable characters, the vaudeville-style comedy if you did, chances are it left an indelible impression on you duo of Hamm and Eggz, who sang about the wonders of for a number of reasons—the music, characters, or even the the meat food group. message. For me, well, I just can’t forget Bonnie Appetit and The next act gave us the show’s unofficial theme song, the rest of the cast of the Kitchen Kabaret. “Veggie Veggie, Fruit Fruit,” which was sung by Colander The (kitschy) Kitchen Kabaret opened with the Land pa- Combo and the Fiesta Fruit, in a scene that also gave us vilion (and all of EPCOT Center) in October 1982, sponsored Bonnie reappearing from the top of the stage on a crescent by Kraft. This very unique musical moon, dressed like Carmen Miranda. show was developed by Imagineers In the show’s finale, Bonnie (still on Jeff Burke, Rolly Crump, and Steve the moon) and the rest of the cast sang Kirk, and it offered a whole new twist a medley of songs from the show. Bon- on the education-through-entertain- nie then reappeared on a side stage to ment concept. highlight the importance of nutrition Guests entered the lobby, which and the four food groups. was made to resemble a movie the- Kitchen Kabaret closed on Janu- ater. The entrance to the show was ary 3, 1994, and it was replaced by an- located where the queue for Soarin’ stands today. Back then, other musical show featuring singing food items—Food it had jazz music piped in, and it was lined with benches. Rocks. Why? First and foremost, sponsorship of the pavil- Kitchen Kabaret was a very interesting show that deliv- ion changed from Kraft to Nestlé. Also the concept of the ered a musical education in basic nutrition and the four four basic food groups had been replaced by the theory of food groups. Because of its use of music and Audio-Anima- the nutritional food pyramid. Bonnie was replaced by a hip tronic figures, Kitchen Kabaret was really the only attrac- rapper called Fud Wrapper in a show that was meant to be tion in all of EPCOT Center that resembled what Guests a benefit concert for good nutrition. The Kitchen Kabaret might have been used to seeing in the Magic Kingdom, such music was replaced by popular, modern songs. The only as the . character from the original show that made the cut and This musical show featured a number of songs written stayed on for Food Rocks was Mr. Dairy Goods. by Scott Hennesy and Norman “Buddy” Baker, and it was Why was it so popular and memorable? Well, for a num- hosted by the only human character in the production, ber of reasons. The show was fun yet educational (you never Bonnie Appetit. As the show opened, a tired-looking Bonnie realized that you were being taught anything useful, which appeared onstage, sitting atop a stack of cookbooks. Bonnie was one of the goals of EPCOT Center), had a definite Disney sang about not being able to figure out what to cook, thus feel to it (much like the shows Guests were used to seeing in she had a case of the mealtime blues. The curtain opened to the Magic Kingdom), and left us with a cast of unusual char- reveal Bonnie’s kitchen, including the large refrigerator and acters and catchy tunes. Trust me, if you had heard “Veggie oven. The house band, the Kitchen Krackpots, then sang a Veggie, Fruit Fruit,” you’d be singing it to yourself now!

70 · Celebrations Cinderella Castle Pieces of glass used to make the Year the castle was decorated in 300,000 interior murals honor of the 50th anniversary of 2005 Disneyland (shown here) Number of towers on the castle (Twenty nine were Number of candles that adorned 27 originally planned, but the castle when it was turned into a two were deleted during 26 giant pink birthday cake for the 25th construction) anniversary of Walt Disney World Number of feet Cinderella Number of days the castle Castle soars above the was playfully vandalized 189 Magic Kingdom 1 with toilet paper and Total number of bricks graffiti to “commemorate” and stone used in the the opening of Stitch’s 0 construction of the castle Great Escape! (The castle is actually Number of elevators constructed of steel inside the castle frames and reinforced 3 concrete.)

Photo ©Tim Foster

71 · Celebrations In the previous issue, I discovered the elusive Tom Morrow, forever being paged to meet his party from Saturn on the Tomorrowland Transit Authority. When I found him in Epcot, he declined to come back and meet his party, instead remarking that they should visit Pluto instead. So off I went, looking for this mysterious “Pluto,” who I was told was some sort of dog. Back in Tomorrowland, I visited and found this playful canine, but alas, it wasn’t Pluto.

Yep, that’s really Pluto! (The space object, not the dog!)

I found the dog story to be rather far- fetched, so I grabbed my telescope and looked up. Aha! That must be the Pluto Tom I took a walk down a quiet pathway Morrow was talking about! It made sense next to some train tracks and because Tomorrowland is the home of the came upon a whimsical place called League of Planets. But I was reminded by a Mickey’s Toontown Fair. As I local resident that Pluto is no longer a planet, walked past a colorful barn, I so I renewed my search for a dog. noticed an odd hole in one of the walls, no doubt made by a dog who crashed through it in his plane! I asked if that could be Pluto, but was told no. The chap who made that hole was known at one time as Dippy Dawg, though I found that name to be a bit Goofy.

I continued on to a strange but magical house, and this is where I found my first real clue. There in the backyard I found Pluto’s doghouse, as well as his food bowl and an old chewed-up bone. But where was Pluto (and where was the owner for that matter)? I searched and searched but to no avail. I was about to give up hope when I heard a faint howling in the distance. Thinking that might be the mysterious pooch, I went off in search of the source of that mournful cry.

72 · Celebrations Soon I came upon another house, but this one was very different from the last one. I ventured inside and found a ghoulish collection of ghosts and spirits, and I eventually stumbled into a graveyard where I saw this scrawny fellow standing next to his equally scrawny master. “Pluto!” I yelled. No answer. But I did hear a catchy song called “Grim Grinning Ghosts,” sung by a collection of marble busts. One of the faces bore a striking resemblance to the statue of Walt Disney that I had seen in front of the castle. (I later learned that they are not the same person. The face on the bust was a gentleman named Thurl Ravenscroft, who I’m told also provided the voice of Tony the Tiger, but that’s another tale.) But I still thought the coincidence was significant, so I headed to the castle to see what I could find.

Well hello! This little fellow turned out to be Pluto himself, though of course he was just a statue. (I guessed that Pluto was quite an important figure around these parts.) Someone then told me that they spotted Pluto back in Tomorrowland, so I quickly headed back to see if I could discover him for myself.

Not having checked inside the Carousel of Progress, I went in to see if Pluto was there. I did discover this friendly canine, and while I found out that he has answered to various names over the years (including Rover, Sport, Buster, and Queenie), Pluto was not one of them.

I left the theater and was about to give up hope when I looked up and...there he was! Riding high atop the Astro Orbiter, Pluto was flapping his ears and wagging his tongue, seemingly enjoying his high flying adventure (though I couldn’t help chuckling to myself, wondering if he realized he was only going around at 11 revolutions per minute). I yelled up at him, asking if he had met up with Tom Morrow’s party from Saturn. I’m not sure if he was too dizzy to speak or didn’t understand the question, but he just tilted his head to one side and bounded off toward his home in Mickey’s Toontown Fair. I would have followed, but I thought I might take this Astro Orbiter for a spin. Maybe I can meet the party from Saturn myself...

Photo ©Disney 73 · Celebrations Match these Disney characters with the film they appeared in: Abu Cars Rex Bambi Sally Aladdin Cleo Cinderella Flower Toy Story Gus Pinocchio

How many Hidden Mickeys can you find in the shapes below?

1. In which state was Dino-Sue discovered? A. Massachusetts B. Idaho C. South Dakota D. Texas 2. How tall is The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror? A. 52 feet B. 156 feet C. 199 feet D. 5,280 feet

74 · Celebrations All of these Toy Story clue answers are missing a letter. Fill them in, then copy the letters into the matching numbered spaces at the bottom to discover a famous quote from Buzz Lightyear himself!

Answer on page 69

75 · Celebrations There are 11 countries represented in World Showcase at Epcot. Can you name them all?

Connect the dots to find a famous landmark in World Showcase.

BONUS: Can you name the country this object appears in?

76 · Celebrations Looks like the toys are up to some mischief at the Toy Story Mania! attraction in the Hollywood Studios. Can you spot the 10 differences?

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Unscramble these Disney characters.

1. LANDDO CUDK 5. BONRI DOHO

2. NICERP GARINCHM 6. HEPRUTM

3. DONLEFUR 7. BAIMS

4. NIMINE SOMUE 8. SHONTACOPA

Answers on page 69 77 · Celebrations Follow along as we journey into a land of exotic jungles and faraway lands. You’ll never know what will happen as we make our way through Adventureland. Just be sure to pay attention to your tour guide! Answers on page 69. Secret Symbols: Where would you find these cryptic inscriptions? 1 2 3 4

Adventureland Secrets Scavenger Hunt • Landscapers needed to bore through 14 inches Here are a variety of items of impervious clay to make the pits necessary to you might find around accommodate the root structures of the various trees. Adventureland. This is because the Adventureland area of the Magic Do you know where they are? Kingdom was constructed over an extensive landfill (created to raise and level the grade of the site). 1. A Cat • Great care was taken in the landscaping of Adventureland. Imagineer Morgan (“Bill”) Evans was 2. A Paintbrush primarily responsible for the design. The variety of exotic plants in Adventureland includes the cape honeysuckle, 3. A Gas Can the Chinese hibiscus, Mexican flame vines, Brazilian bougainvillea, sword ferns, spider plants, and Australian 4. A Waterwheel tree ferns. 5. Jewels in the Ground • When Pirates of the Caribbean was being conceptualized for Disneyland, it was originally going to be a walk-through 6. A Pineapple attraction with wax figures. Partly out of concern for crowding and traffic flow, it was later decided to 7. Golden Plates incorporate boats as the means of conveyance through the attraction. 8. Chess Pieces 9. A Potato

78 · Celebrations Where Am I? Can you determine where these photographs were taken?

1 2

3

5 6

4

8 7 Only the best explorers will be able to figure this one out...

79 · Celebrations Top 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Mickey Mouse

1. Mickey’s birthday is November 18, 1928, the day that the short Steamboat Willie was released. But that wasn’t Mick- ey’s first appearance. He made his debut in Plane Crazy and had a follow-up short called The Gallopin’ Gaucho. However, Steamboat Willie was the first Mickey Mouse cartoon to find a distributor, and that’s when his career really started.

2. Fifty years later, Mickey celebrated his birthday by getting a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, making him the first cartoon character to be so honored.

3. Mickey’s ears have the unusual characteristic of always appearing perfectly round, no matter which way he is Photo ©Disney facing. travagant? You can purchase a diamond studded, hand- 4. He also has three fingers on each hand instead of four. painted Mickey watch with a Mother of Pearl dial for a Why three? It’s not a bizarre quirk of mouse anatomy; it mere $4500. just makes his hands easier to draw. 9. Mickey Mouse’s voice was originally provided by none oth- 5. Mickey made his CGI debut in the Magic Kingdom attrac- er than Walt Disney, who took great pride in perfecting tion, Mickey’s Philharmagic. The 3D film actually follows Mickey’s falsetto vocal style. Mickey’s current voice actor the adventures of Donald Duck as he searches for Mickey’s is Wayne Allwine, who is coincidentally married to Russi sorcerer’s hat as seen in the film Fantasia during the Sor- Taylor, the current voice of Minnie Mouse. cerer’s Apprentice sequence. 10. The name Roy Williams may not be familiar to Disney 6. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice scene was also the inspiration fans, but he’s responsible for one of the most familiar Dis- for the giant Mickey hand that adorned Spaceship Earth ney symbols of all. A long time Disney employee, Roy was for many years. The Mickey hand held a giant magic wand, handpicked by Walt Disney to be a new (but much older) despite the fact that Mickey never held a wand in the film Mouseketeer on the “Mickey Mouse Club”. Why? According itself. to Roy, Walt “looked up at me and said, ‘Say, you’re fat and funny looking. I’m going to put you on [the show] and call 7. Steamboat Willie was the first cartoon to feature a syn- you the Big Mooseketeer.’ But his greatest contribution chronized sound track. However, Mickey himself wouldn’t would come, not through his acting, but from his idea speak for six more shorts. And what were his immortal (inspired by a gag in the 1929 short The Karnival Kid where first words? “Hot dogs, hot dogs!” Mickey tips his ears to Minnie), of creating a little cap for Guests that would let them tip their own set of ears. And 8. The first Mickey Mouse watch was manufactured in 1933 thus was born one of the most endearing Disney souve- and sold for $3.25. Looking for something a little more ex- nirs of all time, the famous Mickey Mouse Ears.

Keepsake Image: “Partners Sharing a Dream” • Photography by Tim Devine 80 · Celebrations Back Cover Photography by Barrie Brewer

Happy Holidays from our family to yours!