Disney News

Disney Fantasy’s Animator’s Palate Brings Guest Drawings to Life

23 May 2011 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

During a media press conference last Thursday, I was treated to some amazing previews of Disney Cruise Line‘s newest ship the Disney Fantasy. The Disney Fantasy is the second of two newly designed Disney Cruise Line ships that take the family cruise experience to new heights. Sister ship to the Disney Dream, which entered service in January 2011, the 4,000-passenger Disney Fantasy will sail week-long Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, Fla., with its maiden voyage scheduled for March 31, 2012.

There is so much to cover with the Fantasy, I’m going to break it down into a few posts. First up is the all new version of the classic restaurant featured on each DCL ship – Animator’s Palate. On Disney’s Magic and Wonder, Animator’s Palate features a color-changing finale during dessert filling the room with classic and modern Disney characters in full color. For the Disney Dream which debuted in January of this year, Crush, the laid-back turtle from Disney Pixar’s Finding Nemo interacted with guests at their tables, similar to Turtle Talk with Crush at Epcot. With the Fantasy, however, guests will be even more a part of the action and the magic…

“Animation Magic” at Animator’s Palate

Animator’s Palate on the Disney Fantasy brings the magic of Disney animation into the dining room with a new show called “Animation Magic.” The dinner show celebrates the magic of Disney animation and allows families to create and participate in a whole new way.

Like Animator’s Palate on the Disney Dream, the venue is wall-to-wall whimsy inspired by a classic animation studio. Throughout the restaurant, pillars are fashioned like huge pencils and brushes. Character sketches, maquettes (three-dimensional character models), film strips and other tools of the animation trade adorn the room. As a special nod to Mickey Mouse, the dining room chairs feature red and yellow colors and a trademark design – Mickey Mouse pants with two bright yellow buttons.

Upon entering Animator’s Palate, guests are surrounded by artwork featuring their favorite Disney characters. Guests get a sneak peek into the origins of these beloved characters through concept art, storyboards and character studies.

As guests are seated at their tables, they are invited to draw a character of their own using a simple template on their placemat. Then, just before dinner, house lights dim and a sprinkling of pixie dust illuminates the room.

Disney Fantasy Animator's Palate — Template to draw your character

Imagery is revealed on several large monitors showing animated, black and white drawings of Mickey Mouse. Mickey then places the Sorcerer’s hat upon his head which transforms him, as well as all of the other pencil drawings shown throughout the room, from black and white to color.

Mickey then invites guests to sit back, relax and enjoy a taste of animation as a montage of memorable food-themed moments from Disney and Pixar films set to “Be Our Guest” begins to delight guests. After the “Be Our Guest” number is complete, animated curtains are drawn on the monitors for a brief intermission. During this time, guests are encouraged to complete their own drawings, if they have not already done so, so they may be whisked off to Mickey Mouse who is conjuring a magical final act.

While guests enjoy dinner, the restaurant’s walls fill with classic Disney and Pixar characters gathering food, eating and drinking together, and celebrating over meals.

After dinner, the animated curtains are opened on the screens and Sorcerer Mickey returns for the exciting finale. With a flourish and musical crescendo, Mickey works magic as only Disney can do. Mickey conjures the guests’ drawings – now fully animated and brought to life – into the onscreen action.

A parade starts as Mickey leads the guests’ drawings in a march across the screens around the dining room. The animation of the drawings becomes increasingly more elaborate, and then the drawings step into scenes from beloved Disney movies and skip, skate and dance side-by-side with characters such as Mickey Mouse, Jiminy Cricket, Cinderella and Snow White.

At the conclusion of the show, Mickey returns to say “so long” to the guests and, as he does, credits roll on screen showing each guest’s name listed as a guest animator. To commemorate the experience, each guest will have their character drawing returned to them, with an added touch… a golden seal proclaiming them an Official Disney Animator.

Check out this preview video I took at the press event showcasing the Be Our Guest song and guest animations:

The Disney Fantasy will depart on her maiden voyage March 31, 2012, and will sail out of Port Canaveral on seven-night Caribbean itineraries – alternating eastern (St. Maarten and St. Thomas) and western (Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Cozumel). Special Eastern Caribbean sailings in November and December 2012 stop at St. Thomas and San Juan, Puerto Rico. All Disney Fantasy itineraries include a stop at Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.

Rates for the seven-night Caribbean cruise itineraries on the Disney Fantasy start at $959 per person for a standard inside stateroom, based on double occupancy. All pricing reflects a category 11C standard inside stateroom, Government Taxes and Fees not included.

To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, guests can visit disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888/DCL-2500 or contact their travel agent.

Celebrate the Fourth of July with Independence Day Duffy!

21 May 2011 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

Something I noticed park-wide this past week at Walt Disney World was the presence of red white and blue everywhere. Cookies, cupcakes, and other treats were the most noticeable, aside from these plush friends –

Fourth of July Duffy — Fourth of July Mickey Mouse joins his Duffy friendsth

Costumed 4th of July Duffy is on sale $30 these guys were spotted at World of Disney in the Downtown Disney Marketplace. I thought the cute old-school Mickey Mouse was adorable too! Hooray for the red white and blue! 😉

NEW Muppet Movie Teaser Poster AND Trailer!

20 May 2011 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

If you recall from our previous post on the new Muppet movie from the creative mind of Jason Segel, The Muppets were set to hit theaters in December – that date has now been pushed up to November 23, 2011. Check out this new promotional poster for the movie:

There is also now a full synopsis of the film’s storyline:

On vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world’s biggest Muppet fan, and his friends Gary (Jason Segel) and Mary (Amy Adams) from Smalltown, USA, discover the nefarious plan of oilman Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) to raze the Muppet Theater and drill for the oil recently discovered beneath the Muppets’ former stomping grounds. To stage The Greatest Muppet Telethon Ever and raise the $10 million needed to save the theater, Walter, Mary and Gary help Kermit reunite the Muppets, who have all gone their separate ways: Fozzie now performs with a Reno casino tribute band called the Moopets, Miss Piggy is a plus-size fashion editor at Vogue Paris, Animal is in a Santa Barbara clinic for anger management, and Gonzo is a high-powered plumbing magnate. With secret, signature, celebrity cameos, “The Muppets” hits the big screen Nov. 23, 2011.

Hopefully we will get a few more teases before the Fall!

UPDATE: New #GreenWithEnvy trailer added!

NEW! Disney Dooney & Bourke Minnie Bow Purses in Black and White

14 May 2011 by Suzannah Otis 21 Comments

Yet another new design in the uber-popular Disney Dooney & Bourke handbag collaboration. Thanks to @njoysiscaretti who spotted these at TrenD last week and sent over the first two photos!

Available styles in both black and white with black leather straps and brass accents are:

Wristlet – $49

Small Patty Pouchette – $145

Medium East West Shopper – $235

Disney Dooney and Bourke Minnie Bow — White Minnie Bow wristlet - $49

Don’t forget to check DisneyStore.com for sales of select current released Disney Dooney & Bourke purses and Zannaland’s Disney Dooney & Bourke page with ALL handbag photos and info.

*DisneyStore.com links are affiliate links, which means it costs you nothing extra to click or buy, but if you do, I get a small commission. Thanks for reading!

INTERVIEW: Ashley Eckstein – a Disney Girl Whose Dreams Came True

11 May 2011 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

If Disney could pick an “it-girl” to properly represent the company in the way they have tried with so many Disney Channel stars – Ashley Eckstein would be the perfect fit. Ashley is a Disney fan through and through, something we instantly bonded about. In doing my research, I read Ashley’s most recent blog entry at the Her Universe site and was struck by how heartfelt it was. I truly got how she was sharing her first-ever memories of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, how she later had a dream come true when she danced in a parade down Hollywood Blvd. and how now yet another dream was coming true as she was able to share her very own line of clothing at Star Wars Weekends. We joked about how it sounds cheesy, but Disney really is the place where magic lives. I knew then, she was one of us.

I asked Ashley how “growing up Disney” had affected her career and career choices. She said that as a child, having Disney in her backyard and being a Disney family (her dad worked for Disney for 15 years as a food buyer) her parents often played the song “When You Wish Upon A Star” (a song Ashley would later play at her Disney wedding reception) and would reiterate that statement. Ashley remarked that kids believe what you tell them, and being around such a magical environment and seeing dreams actually come true made it a tangible belief that she carried with her. At her first professional acting job at age 11, singing with the Orlando Opera Company and filming a segment for the Disney Christmas Parade on ABC, Ashley realized that while it was an amazing experience to be a part of, it was also very possible; “Disney provided so many opportunities for dreams to come true.”

From her first childhood visit to a Mickey Mouse Club taping at the then-Disney-MGM Studios, it was Ashley’s dream to appear on the Disney Channel. When that dream also came true in her recurring role as Muffy on “That’s So Raven“, Ashley quickly learned the importance of personal responsibility to her fans and children everywhere, both at the show’s live tapings and watching on the Disney Channel. “I realized the power I had to be a positive role model for kids. I do not take that power lightly and try in any way I can to make a positive difference. I view it as an honor to do so.”

After we reminisced about Disney past and what we missed in the Parks (Disney, if you’re reading, the Ecksteins would really appreciate the return of the non-chocolate-covered Mickey ice cream bar – remember the one with chocolate ice cream ears and a vanilla face?), we turned to Ashley’s latest passion – Her Universe – fandom-based apparel and accessories specifically designed for women and girls. I thanked Ashley for filling the void of Star Wars fan girl clothing, previously consisting mostly of slave Leia bikinis. Ashley is super hands-on with Her Universe and was quick to correct the common misconception that she’s merely endorsing a brand – this is her company that she started from scratch and she’s involved in every step of production from design tohang tag and neck tag. “I’m never going to release something at Her Universe that I would not buy myself. If I wouldn’t buy it, I’m not going to sell it.” And her passion shows.

Her Universe currently sells Star Wars licensed items, viewing designs more as “wearable art”, using creative printing techniques vs. just a logo on a t-shirt. Ashley is most excited about her Ahsoka shirt designs, one specifically designed in little girl sizes. She’s knew there was a lack of shirts for the character she’s played for the last 3 years on the Star Wars: Clone Wars animated series, but definitely not a lack of interest. This Ahsoka shirt and two other shirts will be premiered at Star Wars Weekends on May 20th and Ashley couldn’t be prouder that these shirts will be available in both little girl sizes and women’s sizes up to 3x. I was happy to hear that my favorites – the Padme art deco shirt and the Boba Fett-ish undies set are two of her personal favorites as well.

As for the future of Her Universe, I asked Ashley if there were plans to expand it beyond the Star Wars franchise. “It’s funny you asked that because we just came from New York where we met with the folks at SyFy and will now be handling all of SyFy’s female merchandise and merchandise for two of their shows.” Similar to Star Wars fans – almost half of SyFy’s demographic is actually women and thankfully they have recognized that! I look forward to what Her Universe will have to offer in the coming months!

Now of course, another reason I was excited to speak to Ashley is her obsession, well, we’ll say passion, it always sounds nicer, for Alice in Wonderland. Faithful readers will note this is yet another thing I share with Ashley. She actually joked about reading my post on the Alice in Wonderland sculpture in Kissimmee and how she needed to drive out there and see it herself! Proving once again that she is a Disney fan at heart, Ashley’s most prized possession in her extensive collection is actually the very first Alice costume her mom got her when she was just a little girl of five. Ashley fondly remembers dressing up in that dress and hopes to someday pass it along to her daughter should she have one. Another favorite is the Alice in Wonderland animation cell she was gifted with from Captain Rex at last year’s Star Wars Weekends.

I wondered what Alice would say if she met Ahsoka, to which Ashley quickly quipped in a British accent, “Oh my!” She then thought that Alice would be very curious about Ahsoka and her lightsaber and where she came from. “Some of the reasons why I love Alice so much are that she always speaks her mind, always asks questions and is a smart, strong female character.” Sounds like a certain Padawan Jedi we all know and love, yes?

I ended by asking Ashley if she’d gotten to check out Star Tours 2 yet and she had not but is looking forward to filming some behind-the-scenes videos next week and checking it out then. She shared that Star Tours actually has made her motion sick in the past but the last time she rode it she was okay and is hoping she fares well with the new ride. (I am with her on that one, I’m a little nervous about the 3D aspect with the motion!)

Ashley graciously agreed to answer these fan questions which I gathered from twitter and facebook before our interview:

@VoyageofAriel Tammy asked: If Star Wars was a musical what would her character’s song title be & could she sing some of it?

“It would definitely sound like it was right out of a Disney movie. I can sing, but I don’t sound like a pop singer, I sound like a Disney character! I think the title would “Patience”. As a Padawan, Ahsoka’s a student and makes mistakes like all students do and must find patience. She wants to be perfect and gets frustrated when she isn’t. It’s Anakin’s job to try to teach her patience.”

Tammy you’ll have to wait for it to appear on Broadway to hear Ashley sing it! 😉

Ryan from the Main Street Gazette wanted to know: What’s your favorite Ahsoka quote?

“My favorite quote would be, “You’re stuck with my sky guy” for a few reasons. I love the nickname sky guy – some of the fans hated it and some of them loved it but she doesn’t use it anymore director says she’s grown up and doesn’t say that line any longer. It also encompasses Ahsoka in general. When she first appeared some fans viewed her as the new Jar-jar. Now she’s gone in the direction that the fans wanted her to go in, and she hopes the fans are happy that she’s stuck around. I think people are wondering what happens to her and accept that she is part of the Star Wars franchise. AND represents part of her cocky little attitude not bratty, but just a little cocky.”

@agalaxyfaraway Amanda asks: Which Star Wars movie is her favorite? And who is her favorite character.

“Empire Strikes Back. I am a sucker for the romantic – the girl gets the guy, the “I know” line is one of my favorite moments. My favorite character is R2D2. He’s actually always there to save the day, he’s saved many lives!”

@MeCcAFeTT wants to ask Miss Ashley, when we gonna see Her Universe swimsuits and more cute bras and panties!?

This made Ashley giggle because “That’s something we are working on right now! It’s tricky for size reasons. Some items have to be custom made literally from scratch – most clothing uses blanks in standard sizes which exist for men, but not for many women’s or girls sizes. Designing them on our own takes longer, a 6 month or longer minimum to design and it may be a year before you see them for sale. It’s frustrating at times because of needing real sizes for women. I’m constantly researching and studying to find “women’s sizes” available to design in a timely manner. Some just don’t exist, but we are looking into absolutely doing these for the line!”

Shane from Parkeology wanted to know does Ashley prefer the original Tiki Room or the Under New Management version?

“I am always an original girl. Since I grew up at Disney, you go back to what you know and prefer what you had going up. I’m a classic girl!” (This is what got us discussing Mickey ice cream bars and Ashley proceeded to sing a little Veggie Veggie Fruit Fruit, which warmed my heart!!)

Cliff W. from facebook wanted to know is Ashley was going to experience all 68 versions of the new Star Tours? Which is what led to Ashley revealing her motion sickness, so I’m gonna go with a no on that, you probably won’t catch Ashley riding 68 times. Ashley stayed true to her Jedi character in saying, “I am going to be tough and give it a try though!”

Savannah M. from facebook asked: What’s been her favorite episode so far in the clone wars series?

“So far, the Mortis trilogy, which really should be watched as one continuous episode because you really get to see how far Ahsoka’s come and see her relationship with Anakin and Obi Wan. As an actress, selfishly, it was really a challenge – I had to be young Ahsoka, then grown up Ahsoka and Dark Side Ahsoka, three separate voices and characters. Those episodes are so well-done in terms of writing animation and directing, just visually stunning. Definitely get the season 3 dvd so they can be watched as one extended episode.”

Teronya H. from facebook (and fellow Moms Panelist!)’s 8 year old son Aaron wants to know wants to know if Ashley really learned how to fight so she could play Ahsoka?

“Yes actually I did! After the first Star Wars Weekends two yeas ago, I saw a photo of me posed with a lightsaber like Ahsoka and I looked so prissy it was awful! I thought I cannot be playing this tough Jedi and not know how to look like one, I feel like a fraud! So my niece, who is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do had her Master teach me how to fight like a Jedi and how to fight with a lightsaber!”

You can check out Ashley’s Jedi training below on her hosting reel – the Jedi training is 2:18 into the video:

I want to thank Ashley Eckstein for taking the time to speak with me today and share all of those fun answers above. It was an honor to speak to someone so passionate about Disney, Star Wars and Alice in Wonderland, and who truly has made her dreams come true. The Force is definitely with Ashley – as is the pixie dust!

You can follow Ashley on twitter at @HerUniverse and at facebook’s Her Universe page, where you can get updates on the product line and more. The official Ashley Eckstein facebook page has more news on Ashley’s appearances and upcoming events.

Ashley will be making a return appearance at this year’s Star Wars Weekends, which begin on May 20th – be sure to stock up on Her Universe items before you go!

A Closer Look at the New Haunted Mansion Interactive Queue

11 May 2011 by Suzannah Otis 2 Comments

I’m sure by now you’ve seen and heard of the new interactive queue that’s been added to Walt Disney World’s Haunted Mansion. I took these photos about a month ago but you know how it is, things are often as busy in ZannaLand as they are in any other land! Despite the lack of scoop on these photos, I figured I’d share them here anyway, mostly because I know my mom hasn’t seen them yet, so hey, that’s at least one person! 😉

The great part about these new interactive queues Walt Disney World is creating is that if guests want to experience them, they must separate from the regular standby line, thereby essentially agreeing to engage in a more laid back, slower-paced approach to a ride. The interactive queues are also not accessible by the FastPass line since those guests are clearly on a mission.

When I first walked through the new Haunted Mansion queue, it was a strange feeling. You could stop and really explore the details to each section; posing for photos or trying out all of the interactive elements, but what that meant was that you were also willing to relinquish your spot in line if you wanted to wait for a picture while guests behind you chose to move on. It really goes against everything Disney has drilled into us as guests! Keep moving, no line cutting and definitely don’t hold up the line with silly antics like taking pictures or playing with displays!

At first, people were polite and tended to stay within their ‘places’ but once some saw I was taking kind of a LOT of pictures, they went ahead. And…that was okay. It was sort of a zen-like experience to just let people go and know that we were all getting to the same place anyway (which is really my philosophy in the parks anyway, granted this is easier to do when you are a resident, I know). It was also a lot of fun watching other families and children experiencing everything at the same time. All in all, I think the interactive queues are a great addition and will hopefully foster this new type of park-goer that is more mellow and willing to spend longer to get to the same attraction at a more leisurely pace vs. the ever-present Dumbo-or-die mentality.

And now, without further ado, here is a video montage of my photos from my last visit – designed just to give you an overview, so you can discover them in detail on your own. Make sure you watch till the end for a very special part of the new queue. Of course die-hard Disney fans will notice the previous tombstones honoring Imagineers Marc Davis, X. Atencio, and Yale Gracey among others. The new organ also pays tribute to Thurl Ravenscroft, famous for his part in the singing busts at the end of the ride (as well as the voice of Tony the Tiger and the Grinch songs). Be sure to look for these details on your next visit!

Special thanks to Denise from MouseSteps.com and Jeff and JeffLangeDVD.com for letting me use her photo of the wedding ring in the queue. This was added after I took my photos so I haven’t yet seen it in person. If you’d like to see the interaction in action, check out their video of the Haunted Mansion queue. I’m also including their video of the new Hitchhiking Ghost scene at the end of the ride, if you haven’t yet experienced that (with location of the wedding ring at the end of the video!) —

Downtown Disney’s LEGO Imagination Center Gets An AMAZING New Look

10 May 2011 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

The LEGO Imagination Center has been opened for a few weeks now but I was just able to get over and check it out this past weekend. It was worth the wait!! While the LEGO merchandise within the store is certainly enough to entertain even the oldest LEGO-maniac, what I was most excited about seeing were the new giant LEGO scenes put together off-site and shipped over to install at the Downtown Disney location. I had seen pictures, but nothing compares to seeing them in person. Well, if you aren’t visiting the area any time soon, hopefully these photos will tide you over, or if you’ve seen them before, serve as reminders of the amazing talent on display!

It was a super crowded Mother’s Day when I arrived but there was still plenty of space to explore and take photos. Actually, too many photos for one post, so I threw them all into a video for you! I am so completely impressed with the LEGO sculptures, especially the Maleficent dragon, which I seriously could have taken about 100 pictures of. If you look closely at the end of the video, you’ll see that Maleficent’s raven, Diablo, came to perch…okay, it was just a crow, but I couldn’t pass up capturing that image. The way the LEGOs seem to have texture and shadows on the dragon and the Prince’s cape, and the colors in the flame from the rocket with Buzz and Woody…just breathtaking. This will definitely be a favorite spot for me to explore in future visits.

I hope you enjoy the video! Oh, and the song I chose was for no other reason than I just like it. 🙂

Parks Merchandise Update: Yo Ho, Yo Ho, Some Pirates Garb for Ye!!!

9 May 2011 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Ever since the first Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides trailer washed ashore, nary a pirate or landlubber alike could keep their excitement hidden for the 4th installment of the Johnny Depp-infused pirate movies, named after the classic Disneyland and Walt Disney World attraction. While there has never been a shortage of pirate merchandise at the parks, Disney has now made it even easier to part with some of your dubloons!

Check out the latest booty, including On Stranger Tides themed items too: (as always, click to enlarge the photos!)

Pirates On Stranger Tides Merchandise in Epcot's Mouse Gear

You can check out some of these items at DisneyStore.com if you aren’t heading to the parks any time soon! Head over to the Disney Parks Blog for more exclusive merchandise from On Stranger Tides.

Ashley Eckstein Brings Star Wars Fangirl Fashion to Life with Her Universe

28 April 2011 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

Star Wars^TM Fangirl Apparel from Her Universe^TM
to be Offered for the First Time at Star Wars Weekends at
Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park

LOS ANGELES, CA – Returning to Star Wars Weekends at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. as Celebrity Host of “The Clone Wars: Behind the Force,” actress Ashley Eckstein (voice of Ahsoka Tano on Star Wars: The Clone Wars) will also be bringing an all-new, unique range of Star Wars fangirl-focused products to the month-long event at Walt Disney World Resort. Available for the duration of Star Wars Weekends 2011, Eckstein’s line of Her Universe apparel and accessories was created as a response to the ever-increasing demand for fashionable “geek chic” products among the growing community of female fans.

In addition to a product line that already includes female-focused shirts and undergarments, Her Universe will be premiering two new shirt designs at this year’s Star Wars Weekends event. Featuring images of Jedi Master Yoda and other famous characters from the beloved Star Wars Saga, both designs will be offered in female sizes with female fits – and, for the first time ever, two popular Her Universe designs will also be available in children’s sizes. The new designs will be available exclusively for a limited time at Disney’s Hollywood Studios during Star Wars Weekends 2011.

“As the voice of Ahsoka Tano, it warms my heart to see an increase in young girls who are now Star Wars fans because of The Clone Wars,” says Eckstein. “However, it bothered me when those little girls had to go to the boys section to buy their Star Wars shirts. Now little girls can buy shirts that are specially made just for them!”

In addition to regular autograph signings each weekend, Eckstein will also be available for special merchandise autograph signings each day inside the theme park where her exclusive Her Universe apparel will be sold.

“Disney’s Hollywood Studios has played a huge part in my life,” says Eckstein. “Growing up in Orlando, my dad worked for Walt Disney World and I was at the theme park the first week it opened in 1989. It was a dream of mine to follow in my father’s footsteps and work for Disney. On my 16th birthday, I applied for a job at the ‘happiest place on Earth’ and was assigned to Disney’s Hollywood Studios where I would spend my weekends dancing in the parades and working in the restaurants! Now, to return to Disney’s Hollywood Studios for Star Wars Weekends as a host and a designer is magical!”

Running every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 20 through June 12, Disney’s Star Wars Weekends is an annual event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park celebrating the Star Wars Saga, as well the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. In addition to offering fans a unique opportunity to join Jedi Masters, Sith Lords and Star Wars celebrities for special shows, presentations and memorabilia, the 2011 event also marks the launch of the all-new Star Tours attraction: Star Tours –The Adventures Continue. For more information on Star Wars Weekends, visit: disneyworld.com/starwarsweekends or disneyparks.com/blog.

Ashley Eckstein Her Universe — Love this Padme Art Deco shirt!

Ashley Eckstein Her Universe Boba Fett Underwear — And hello? Who *doesn't* have a Boba Fett-ish?? 😉

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty psyched for this line!! As one Star Wars fan to another, this is a Force to be reckoned with!

For more information on Her Universe, visit www.heruniverse.com or by following Ashley on Twitter at and visiting the Her Universe Facebook page.

Lucasfilm, STAR WARS™ and related properties are trademarks and/or copyrights, in the United States and other countries, of Lucasfilm Ltd. and/or its affiliates. TM & © Lucasfilm Ltd. All rights reserved. All other trademarks and trade names are properties of their respective owners.

Mickey, Minnie and the Princesses Move in to Town Square Theater

15 April 2011 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

The same day we checked out the Easter treats in the Magic Kingdom we also ventured over to the all-new recently opened Town Square Theater. The theater is the new home for the character meet and greets that were taking place over in Mickey’s Toon Town Fair before it closed. Formerly Expo Hall, Town Square Theater is adjacent to Tony’s restaurant, to the right as you enter the Magic Kingdom park. There are some lovely details to this new area, so I thought I’d share some photos below:

Character greeting sign — Mickey's hand points out that character greetings are this way! (and crushes that lady's head 😉 )

Wait time for Mickey — When we were there, the wait time for Mickey was only 5 minutes

Princess wait time — While the Princesses wait was 30 minutes

Town Square Fast Passes — Around the corner from Tony's, to the right of the Chapeau, is the Fast Pass distribution area for Town Square Theater

Town Square Theater entrance — Atrium inside Town Square Theater leading to the queue

Tony's Town Square — Looking over to Tony's from the atrium of Town Square Theater (construction was still going on on the low walls)

Town Square queue — The extensive queue area, leading to either Princessess or Mice!

Mickey wait time — Inside is another wait time board for Mickey

I’ll leave the rest of the experience inside Town Square Theater as a surprise for when you are able to visit but until then, I leave you with some friends, posing with our favorite rodents –

Thanks to pals and all-around awesome folks Nicole, Cade, and Mike for letting me share their photo with you all!