Happy Halloween 2011

From Disney Parks all over the world!

Mickey’s Super-Stretch LiMOUSEine

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“Make it a stretch; in fact make it a super stretch.” You may not know but Rock 'n' Roller Coaster's limo wasn’t the first super-stretch limo to hit Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Mickey Mouse also had a limo of his own? Take a look at this beauty.

That’s a 40-foot LiMOUSEine that Mickey Mouse rode while on a 37-city tour promoting the opening of the Disney-MGM Studios in 1989.

LiMOUSEine’s features: Four cellular phones, a radio remote DJ booth, two Sony TVs with VCRs, and four sunroofs. But, the crown gem has to be that hood ornament: a 24-karat gold-plated Tinker Bell and a lot of pixie dust!

The LiMOUSEine was also equipped with a Sony RDSS Wayfarer Mobile Communication System, which allowed Minnie to pinpoint Mickey’s whereabouts on a personal computer back at home.

And just in time for the Walt Disney World Resort 25th Anniversary, the LiMOUSEine got a paint job.

* All pictures by Disney

Amazing Fireworks at the Magic Kingdom

Pictures by Cory Disbrow

Giant Disney Sleeping Beauty Sand Castle Created in Paris

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For the first time, Disneyland Paris is participating in Paris Plages. This is a 16-foot sand sculpture of Sleeping Beauty Castle. Paris Plages is a yearly summer event held in the heart of Paris where the Seine riverbanks are transformed into a giant beach.

Seven expert sculptors worked for nearly 300 hours to transform 60 tons of natural sand into our famous castle along the Seine River. Take a look at their finished work [Click to Enlarge]:

*All Pictures by Disney

Parasol Parade at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort

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Early rising guests at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort can enjoy a parade of over fifty parasol-toting housekeepers on Mondays and Fridays. The tradition began when the Resort first opened in 1988. The Housekeeping Team members gather at 8 a.m. at the marina and stroll through the Victorian courtyard around the pool.

"This morning (October 3rd, 2011), 5-year-old cousins and resort guests Eva Brackmann and Rachel Pinne had the honor of leading the colorful procession. Joseph Brackmann, 7, captures the special moment, sure to be a special one that will not soon be forgotten."

- Gene Duncan

Pictures by Gene Duncan, Photographer, Walt Disney World Resort

The Freaky Gingerbread House in Haunted Mansion Holiday

Here’s a shot of the fabulous gingerbread confection that’s the centerpiece of the table in the ballroom in the Haunted Mansion at Disneyland park. It may look fancy, but there’s a dark side to all that sweetness and 500 pounds of gingerbread.

The six-foot-tall house is on display through Christmas, thus the “Jack Skellington Meets Santa Claus” theme. 

 

 

Brian D. Sandahl, Senior Designer for Disney Entertainment Creative Development, shared a quick color sketch that was used to inspire pastry chef Jean-Marc Viallet to create the edible overlays.

The foundation is wood and wired for animation, then the house goes to the Disneyland Resort Central Bakery for a 3-week layover to apply more than 500 lbs of gingerbread, ten yards of fondant and miles of frosting and oversized candies. Because the six-foot house stays on display through Christmas, the design is a blend of the holidays, inspired by Jack Skellington and the animated film, “Tim Burton’s Nightmare Before Christmas.”

“Imagine if Jack Skellington had landed on the Haunted Mansion and decorated it with his vision of Halloween and Christmas,” says Brian. “The two holidays collide with pumpkins, freaky presents, a dead Christmas tree and more.”

This year’s house is more pastel, done with light orange and purple. But the cuteness gives way to a “freaky twist” when the house opens to reveal evil teeth, red eyes that light up, a “happy cookie” that revolves to a “mean cookie.”

There is so much to see in the ballroom scene, says Brian, including that dead, 25-foot-tall Christmas tree. It takes several trips through the attraction to take it all in.

Work on the gingerbread house started at the end of 2010, with construction beginning in spring 2011. Opening day was September 16!

 

Golden Oak Homes at Walt Disney World Resort

Golden Oak at Walt Disney World Resort is a luxury residential resort community within the Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. It was designed by Walt Disney Imagineering and will be owned and operated by a newly formed Disney subsidiary, Golden Oak Realty. The development will be located southeast of the Magic Kingdom and Bay Lake. The area was named to pay homage to Walt Disney's Golden Oak Ranch in California. 

One of the first community members will be a grandfather who has been visiting the theme parks with his extended family for years. His home is amazing. It includes a bedroom and play area for his seven grandchildren filled with special touches. 

Another special Disney touch on the exterior of every Golden Oak home will be a customized medallion.

This is the first released artist rendering of a Tuscan village courtyard home from June 2010

Golden Oak celebrates the timelessness of Old World and Old Florida architecture while being attuned to contemporary resort living. Expressing this enduring statement of design will be four lovely neighborhoods, with homes starting at $1.4 million.

Once existing only in dreams, this magnificent resort community can now be your family's destiny. Golden Oak offers first-ever whole ownership of custom single-family homes at Walt Disney World® Resort—a glorious place to share time together, where the recognizable whistle of the Walt Disney World® Railroad can be heard from the Magic Kingdom® Park.

The story of Golden Oak begins in true once-upon-a time fashion. As a youth in Missouri, Walt Disney would lie beneath the spreading branches of his "dreaming tree" and let his imagination run free. It was here that Walt's talents for storytelling and fantasy began to take shape into some of the world's most beloved characters.

Years later, a scenic ranch in California's Placerita Canyon proved an equally inspiring location for filming segments of The Mickey Mouse Club TV show. Walt Disney Productions purchased portions of the property in 1959 and, over the years, acquired more than 900 acres to reserve its quiet vistas for TV and movie productions and protect its harmony with nature. In fact, Walt and his family spent time relaxing and playing on the ranch.

The name of this ranch? Golden Oak, in honor of a storied tree there, under which some say gold nuggets had been found in 1842. From these illustrious origins, the legacy continues with Golden Oak at Walt Disney World® Resort.

Mickey Welcomes a New DVC Member

"When this little one stood in the doorway, he gave us the reaction we live for as parents that tells us we just made a dream come true – his jaw dropped, he gasped and said, “Wow!”


See the sash on the door? It reads “Welcome Home” on one side and “Member Since” (and the year you became a DVC member) on the other. You can even bring it back to your Disney resort each time you visit to let everyone know you’re a member. And those magical footprints on the floor? They can also serve as computer mouse pads."

 - Jean Volante, Manager of Dream Making

For more details, visit http://www.disneyflorist.com/

Two Princesses Meet at the Magic Kingdom

"On this special morning, I photographed a darling little girl as she met Rapunzel for the very first time. Ava was nearing her fifth birthday (which she spent having breakfast with the princesses inside Cinderella Castle) and her autograph book lacked only one princess – Rapunzel. As a surprise, Ava’s parents took her to the Magic Kingdom early one morning and walked directly to Fantasyland to make sure she was first in line to greet Rapunzel. I hope these photographs speak for themselves."

- Gene Duncan, Photographer, Walt Disney World Resort