Disney Blog at Magical Kingdoms

• The holiday season at Disneyland Resort gets underway Monday, Nov. 14, and will continue daily through Sunday, Jan. 8, 2012.
• For the first time, the Holiday season at Disneyland Resort will be extended to celebrate Three Kings Day, known as Día de Reyes. From Jan. 6-8, 2012, look for special décor and entertainment in Frontierland that showcases western and Mexican heritage, along with food themed to this holiday and children’s activities.
• The first Disneyland holiday celebration was in 1955, when Walt Disney placed a Christmas tree in the Hub at the north end of Main Street, U.S.A., near Sleeping Beauty Castle.  For many years now, the tree has been located in Town Square near the Main Street Disneyland Railroad Station.
• Beginning Friday, Nov. 18, “The Magic, The Memories, and You!” show gets a new, Yuletide glow. The show features photos and video of guests creating memories at Disneyland park, with favorite holiday melodies underscoring images of guests enjoying their holidays at Disneyland.
• The lively street show “Phineas and Ferb’s Rockin’ Rollin’ Dance Party” gets a merry twist at Disney California Adventure park, with holiday décor and songs. The show is performed several times a day in Paradise Pier.
• Lanny and Wayne, the techno-savvy elves from the “Prep & Landing” holiday TV specials, make guest appearances in a new holiday prelude sequence in the nighttime “World of Color” show in Disney California Adventure.
• Decorating experts at the Disneyland Resort have to get started early. They trim nearly 700 trees for the season, on display in Disneyland, Disney California Adventure, the resort’s three hotels and the Downtown Disney District. The smallest tree is at Storybook Land and the largest is at Town Square – both in Disneyland.
• The Disneyland Christmas tree in Town Square has become a favorite spot for snapping holiday photos. The artificial tree stands 60 feet tall and has 280,000 pine-tip branches molded from actual tree branches. It is decorated with more than 2,000 ornaments, including the three-foot star on top, and nearly 4,800 energy-efficient LED lights. When the Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle show reaches its finale crescendo, more than 60,000 LED lights and 1,200 strobe lights are added to the effect.
• Mickey’s Toontown is decorated with its own distinctive “toon” trees this 2011 holiday season. Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse each have personal Christmas trees in the front yards of their Toontown homes, and a cartoon-themed tree beckons guests for photos in front of Toontown City Hall.
• Since the introduction of the artificial Christmas tree and LED lighting technology in 2008, the Disneyland park Christmas tree has used 50 percent less electricity than it did previously.
• Carolers in traditional Victorian holiday garb make regular appearances throughout the season at each of the three Disneyland Resort hotels:  Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel, the Disneyland Hotel and Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel.
• The Dapper Dans, the popular Main Street, U.S.A., quartet, add holiday songs to their repertoire, with holiday chimes as accompaniment. Favorites range from the traditional “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” to “Frosty the Snowman,” “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” and “Christmas in Killarney.
• The nighttime Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle light show is divided into three “acts” over the course of the evening. Each one begins at the Castle and travels the length of Main Street, U.S.A., finishing at the Town Square Christmas tree. Each act features a magical snowfall, and the final act concludes with “Believe…in Holiday Magic” fireworks.

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Miles of garland, ribbon, twinkling lights and glitter transform Walt Disney World Resort into a winter wonderland during the holiday season.  Here’s a sample of what guests will experience throughout the Vacation Kingdom:

• 1,300 decorated trees throughout property
• A wreath 25 feet in diameter adorning the Cirque du Soleil building at Downtown Disney West Side
• 10 miles of twinkling rope lights in the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• 150 tractor-trailer truckloads of decorations for 24 resorts, 4 theme parks, Downtown Disney and other locations
• 15 miles of garland strung and 1,314 wreaths hung throughout the Vacation Kingdom
• 300,000 yards of ribbon and bows draping over Christmas trees across property
• 8.5 million lights strung throughout Walt Disney World Resort
• 100 percent of the lighting used for holiday décor is LED
• 11 countries dressed for Holidays Around the World at Epcot World Showcase
• More than 800 performers each night during Candlelight Processional at Epcot
• More than 200 guest choirs during the entire run of Candlelight Processional
• A Christmas tree in Magic Kingdom with a base 25 feet wide
• One 70-foot-tall tree takes center stage in Disney’s Contemporary Resort entrance lobby featuring nearly 35,800 white LED lights
• 6 life-sized creations cooked up by Walt Disney World pastry chefs, including:
  • One 16-foot-tall gingerbread house at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa baked with 1,050 pounds of honey and involving more than 160 hours of decorating
  • One life-size gingerbread carousel at Disney’s Beach Club Resort featuring ponies made of chocolate and fondant, giant candy cane poles, handcrafted poinsettias and hand-painted portraits of famous Disney characters
  • 100 percent chance of snow flurries during Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, taking place on select holiday evenings in Magic Kingdom
  • 365 days of the year that guests can shop for holiday merchandise at the Disney’s Days of Christmas shop in Downtown Disney Marketplace

Here’s a preview of the latest Toy Story Toon, “Small Fry,” which will play before Disney’s The Muppets, in theatres November 23.

Buzz Lightyear is left behind at a fast food restaurant when a kids’ meal toy version of Buzz takes his place. While Bonnie’s toys are stuck with the annoying three-inch-tall Buzz impersonator, the real Buzz is trapped in the restaurant at a support group for discarded toys. As Woody and the gang devise a way to rescue their friend, Buzz tries to escape the toy psychotherapy meeting.

From 7 November 2011 to 8 January 2012, the magic of Christmas will descend on Disneyland Paris! The enchantment of Christmas pervades the Disneyland Park with unforgettable, unique experiences to be shared with family and friends. For two months, Mickey Mouse and his friends don their best finery to welcome Santa Claus; the Christmas tree — and snow — arrives on Main Street, U.S.A.; and the roofs of Sleeping Beauty Castle sparkle with a myriad of twinkling lights.

This year, to make Christmas even more magical, Mickey and Minnie’s new friend, Duffy, the Disney Bear, is coming to Disneyland Paris, too.

Get to know this new friend — just waiting to be adopted!
This year, a surprise awaits visitors. Duffy, the Disney Bear, will be arriving at Disneyland Paris for the Disney Enchanted Christmas! Duffy is not just any teddy bear — he has been lovingly and affectionately crafted by Minnie especially for Mickey. As Mickey was preparing for a long sea voyage, Minnie thought he wouldn’t be so lonely if he had a friend stowed away in his luggage. When Mickey saw the little bear, it was love at first sight and he decided to call him ”Duffy”. They travelled the world together, discovering new cultures. At the end of their travels, Mickey and Duffy shared their magical memories with Minnie. Duffy is a really soft teddy bear with gentle eyes — and he is absolutely irresistible! Duffy is a cuddly little bear who just loves new adventures and making new friends.
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Christmas and New Year are some of the busiest times at Walt Disney World. If you’re planning to visit during this time here are some tips to help-

Arrive early and if staying on-site, take advantage of Extra Magic Hour, both morning and night.

Have patience if you want to do the rides. It’s crowded and the waits will be long. Fastpass is your friend but arrive early and get a Fastpass for the attraction that’s most important to you first, as they run out quickly.

Make your Advanced Dining Reservations (ADR) early. However, if you don’t have one, Guest Services can try to find you something somewhere.

If you have an ADR, allow extra time for getting there if using Disney transportation.

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The Wave is located on the 1st floor at Disney’s Contemporary Resort and is described as featuring American cooking with world flavors.

It’s a restaurant we’d been meaning to try but hadn’t gotten around to it on our previous trip. Whilst at Disney’s Hollywood Studios one day we decided to stop by the dining reservations counter to see if we could get an ADR for dinner that evening. As luck would have it, we managed to snag one at The Wave for 6:20pm, although the Cast Member said we could probably get seated earlier if we arrived before our time. As it was, by the time we’d finished at the park, got back to Bay Lake Tower and changed, it was 6:10pm when we arrived.

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Here are our pick of the top Disney Christmas gifts this year:

FOR THE KIDS

Fisher-Price Disney’s Rock Star Mickey

Learn the secrets to being a classic rock star with the Disney Rock Star Mickey from Fisher-Price. Jam out as Mickey kicks across the floor, bobs his head to new tunes, and drops into a Mickety-Split. As you learn move after move, you’ll find yourself thinking: Now, that’s one talented mouse!

Buy from amazon.com
Buy from amazon.co.uk

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Cast in the “Disney’s Maleficious Halloween party “ show:

• A total of 31 performers on stage:

• Maleficent
• Dr Facilier
• Queen of Heart
• Snow White Queen
• Snow White Witch
• Jafar
• Captain Hook
• M Smee
• Cruella Devil
• 4 Disney Villains incl. Dr Facilier
• 4 Disney Villains incl. Dr Facilier / Heart cards
• 4 tarots cards
• 4 dragons ladies
• 4 Parrots

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An array of wet and wonderful new surprises help guests cool off as they enjoy soaking up the sun aboard the Disney Fantasy, Disney Cruise Line’s newest ship scheduled to set sail in March 2012.

AquaLab Debuts on the Disney Fantasy

On the Disney Fantasy, guests can splash and play in the AquaLab – a brand-new water play area on deck 12, near the entrance to the AquaDuck water coaster. Families can frolic among pop jets, geysers and bubblers in this fun and fanciful 1,800-square-foot space. As the story goes, AquaLab was created by Donald Duck’s nephews, Huey, Dewey and Louie, and features a variety of water “experiments” designed to drench the whole family.

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As you’d expect from a Disney Cruise ship, the Dream is truly a dream for children!

From the moment you arrive at Port Canaveral you’ll realise that this isn’t going to be any ordinary cruise!Providing you don’t arrive too late, you’ll find Mickey or Minnie posing for photographs in the terminal building, giving a small taste of what’s to come.

If you have an oceanview stateroom, kids will enjoy sitting in the over-sized porthole window. Verandah staterooms offer them the opportunity to sit outside, although little ones shouldn’t be allowed out unsupervised, and ensure that all kids know not to climb on the table and chairs. Even if you have an inside stateroom, kids will love having visits from their favorite Disney friends on the virtual porthole in every room. Infants are catered for with pak ‘n’ play cribs, highchairs and diaper bins, all available free of charge from your stateroom host(ess).

On-board fun begins soon after boarding with the Sailing Away deck party, which we’ve covered in more detail here.

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