Latest News

NEW Muppet Movie with Jason Segel First Look Photo!

10 November 2010 by Suzannah Otis 7 Comments

Check out this picture sent to us from Disney – the first look at the all-new Muppet Movie featuring the writing and acting talents of Jason Segel, which is tentatively called The Muppets and premiers December 25, 2010. Click for the full-size image:

Muppet Movie Jason Segel — Who's that Muppet with an iPhone?!

According to TheFilmStage.com, Jason shares that “His name is Walter and he teams with Kermit the Frog and his muppet pals “to put on a show to save their old theater.” … Walter is the kind of guy who faints when he sees Kermit. Walter has a little bit of a self-confidence issue because he’s the only person like him that he’s seen aside from the Muppets….Segel explained. His dream is to meet the Muppets and be around people who are like him.“

Can’t wait for this film, being a huge Muppet AND Jason Segal fan!

Disney Store Times Square NYC Behind the Scenes With Jodi Benson

9 November 2010 by Suzannah Otis 4 Comments

Today’s post is brought to you by fellow Disney fan and friend, Jennifer Meyering. Jennifer may be found with other Walt Disney World planning experts at their fan site – Disney Dream Depot. Each week they put on a web chat on Disney topics and share their advice with readers and viewers alike. She was recently chosen by Jim Fielding, the Disney Store President and favorite among Disney twitter fans, to experience a special backstage tour of the brand new Times Square Disney Store before its official grand opening. I asked Jen to share her family’s experience here with us – be sure to watch the accompanying slide show with pictures from the event! Enjoy!

I recently had one of the most amazing experiences I could have ever imagined– a Behind-the-Scenes look of the new Times Square Disney Store! I was able to have this wonderful experience courtesy of the Disney Store President (Jim Fielding) and a contest he had on Twitter. I won entrance into the very limited space D23 event at the new Disney store on November 7.

The event was a pre-opening behind-the-scenes look of the new store that included a continental breakfast, remarks by Jim Fielding, and the chance to meet Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel in The Little Mermaid. It was everything, and more, that you would expect.

Now in Walt Disney World – Disney SNUGGIES!

7 November 2010 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

Friend and fellow Disney and theme park fan Banks Lee spotted these beauties for sale at the Magic Kingdom the other day. I have to say, I have never before wanted a Snuggie^*…until now! I think Disney did a great job with the two designs and hopefully there will be even more in the future as well!

I also saw some Nightmare Before Christmas Snuggies when I was in Hot Topic the other day so be on the lookout for those too. (Which is funny since Tim Burton has actually openly poked fun at the Snuggie phenomenon!)

Disney Mickey and Minnie Snuggie — Banks did not catch the price, but I'm willing to bet they are around $20+ I will look for them next weekend!

EDIT: Thanks to Orlando Attractions magazine for tweeting that they are for sale at around $28 (30 with tax). I was in the ball-park huh? 🙂

Many thanks to Banks Lee for permission to share this photo with you all!

*Of course I have to say that Snuggie is a registered brand name and these are not Snuggie brand, but it’s much easier to say than “sleeved blanket” 😉

Epic Mickey and Kingdom Hearts Merchandise in Hot Topic!

6 November 2010 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

While visiting our local mall the other day, I noticed tons of cool new Epic Mickey and Kingdom Hearts merchandise at Hot Topic. I thought I’d share some here so Epic Mickey fans can be sure to stock up on their favorites before the game is released on November 30!

Epic Mickey Kingdom Hearts Hot Topic — Epic Mickey and Kingdom Hearts T-shirts and jewelry at Hot Topic

TRON: Legacy Preview Clip: “Quorra Saves Sam” from TRON Night IMAX Event

29 October 2010 by Suzannah Otis 1 Comment

In anticipation of TRON: Legacy, opening in theatres December 17, Walt Disney Studios has been celebrating each week as the countdown continues to the event of the season.

TRON Night: An IMAX 3D Experience, a special event took place on October 28, 2010, gave audiences worldwide the first opportunity to step onto the Grid and into the cutting-edge, 3D world of Walt Disney Pictures’ high-tech adventure “TRON: Legacy,” with an exciting 20-plus-minute sneak peek of the highly anticipated film, sponsored by ASUS Computer International.

Here is a short clip of that sneak peek:

How Do You Pronounce Karamell-Küche? Simple: Delicious!

26 October 2010 by Suzannah Otis 4 Comments

Or scrumptious, or heavenly…any of those adjectives will work. All joking aside, if you really want to know how to pronounce küche, just click to listen. And now you know. Ok, housekeeping aside, lets get to the good stuff! Pictures of yummy caramel creations!

While I can in no way compete with the amazing coverage of all things food-related at Disney from AJ at the Disney Food Blog, I also could not resist taking pictures to share while inside Epcot’s newest siren of sugar, Karamell-Küche. Located within the Germany pavilion at Epcot’s World Showcase. If you are a fan of caramel, you will quite simply, have reached nirvana when you step inside. And it’s not just caramel hard candies that the shop’s sponsor, Werther’s is most known for here in the states. There are caramel dipped apples covered in chocolate, caramel and chocolate fudge, caramel-filled cookies, caramels rolled with marshmallow, caramel-infused cupcakes. It’s everywhere.

As if that weren’t enough, the good folks at Karamell-Küche have seen fit to give us another gift – caramel coated popcorn which words alone cannot describe, you simply must try it. It is the perfect mix of buttery caramel crunchy perfection. Sadly the day I walked in they had just started to make a new batch so I don’t have any fun pictures of them mixing up the popcorn, (darn, guess I’ll have to go back!) but when you queue up to place your order, you walk by the huge copper bowls where they are mixing the heavenly concoction. There’s that word again – heavenly! It truly is. At only $2.95 for a small bag or $5.95 for a large one, it’s also the best new snack value in Epcot, in my opinion!

What follows are some of the items available that day. I urge you to take the time to wait in line and experience these wonders for yourself. You’ll be glad you did.

Downtown Disney Restaurants Pollo Campero and Fresh A-Peel Construction Photos

25 October 2010 by Suzannah Otis 4 Comments

Over the weekend we met up with friends who have just relocated to central Florida and walked around Downtown Disney. I hadn’t seen the construction progress on Pollo Campero – the new Latin chicken restaurant opening soon – since McDonald’s closed down, so I thought I’d share what looks like a really cool design. Love the colors and the stonework!

EDIT: Thanks to Keith from MouseMisers for clearing up the “Fresh A-Peel” signs that I thought were part of Pollo Campero. We now know that Fresh A-Peel is a new fresh concept named (featuring fresh salads, sandwiches, fruits and healthy snacks) plus vegetarian, gluten-free, sugar-free, low-sodium or organic offerings.

Photos of Disney’s Old Key West Resort’s Renovated Rooms

20 October 2010 by Suzannah Otis 8 Comments

A few weeks back, we stayed at Disney’s Old Key West Resort, one of our family’s favorites and were able to request and receive a renovated room. The Disney Parks Blog recently posted some pictures of the updated rooms, so I thought I’d add a few of our own highlighting some other details.

My family are not Disney Vacation Club members, but with my husband and I, an 11 and 10 year-old, a 2 year-old and occasionally my mom, we like staying in DVC properties because of the extra space. We rarely use the kitchen facilities other than the refrigerator but we definitely use every other inch of space and amenity these wonderful resorts offer.

Old Key West in general is one of our favorites because of the beautiful lush, secluded atmosphere the resort possesses. I’ve said this many times, but I could really spend a month at Disney just chilling out at the resorts they are so relaxing and Old Key West is no exception. We’ve always loved Olivia’s restaurant and the pool area too. The only issue we ever had with Old Key West was that it was starting to show its age. In fact, the last time we stayed there around my birthday last year, we actually complained to management about some things, just because I wanted them to be aware of what we’d experienced. So when we were told at that time that the resort was scheduled for refurbishment in the coming year, we were relieved and excited.

Our most recent stay was completely problem-free and we had a wonderful time. Old Key West continues to be on our ‘favorites’ list (which actually has a lot of resorts on it because it’s so hard to choose just one!). The renovated rooms, which will be completed resort-wide by March 2011, now all have the same mattresses and shower heads used in the other Deluxe resorts, which are heavenly. There are other little decorative touches here and there, but the most prominent changes are shown below —

Old Key West's Renovated Rooms — New laminate wood floors everywhere but the bathrooms, where the original tile remains, granite counter tops and Roman blinds on the French doors.

Disney’s Family.com Disney Store New York Prize Package Sweepstakes!

19 October 2010 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

Remember my recent coverage of the opening of my Tampa area Imagination Park Disney Store? The cool lock and key to “Unlock Imagination” and how each day a child would be chosen to turn the key? Well now your child could win the opportunity to do just that at the brand new Times Square, New York location, along with an amazing prize package too!

There’s only one week to enter, so read the details below and get right on that —

Disney Launches Online Search for Child to “Unlock Imagination” at Disney Store in Times Square

One Week Only to Enter Disney’s Family.com Sweepstakes for a Chance to Win Ultimate New York Prize Package

PASADENA, Calif., Oct. 19, 2010 — Disney announces an online contest on Family.com to win a trip to the grand opening celebration of Disney Store’s Times Square, New York City location on November 9 and a starring role during the star-studded opening ceremony. The crown jewel of Disney Store’s slate of store openings around the world this year, the Times Square location will be celebrated with magical festivities including celebrity appearances, live musical performances, a parade of Disney’s most beloved characters and interactive experiences storewide. Beginning October 19, Disney fans will have just one week to register online for the chance to join the fun in-person, win a $250 shopping spree, and have the distinction of their child taking the stage to turn the key to imagination and officially unlock the all-new Disney Store in Times Square. The lucky family will also meet award winning singer Jordin Sparks during a private VIP reception after she performs Disney’s “Beauty and the Beast” theme song, which she rerecorded to celebrate the 2010 release of the Blu-Ray and DVD.

To participate, families should visit www.Family.com/sweeps/disney-store between October 19-26 and register for Family.com’s Disney Store Times Square Grand Opening Sweepstakes. Details will also be shared on Disney Store’s Facebook page and through its Twitter feed. One lucky family of four will be notified on October 27 and then set to pack their bags for a 3-day/2-night trip to New York City (November 8-10). See www.Family.com for complete details and official rules.

The lucky winners will join VIPs, celebrities, tourists from around the world and New York guests in exploring the magical new store. Centerpieces include:

Two-story Disney Princess Castle complete with its “talking” Magic Mirror
Colorful Lucite trees spring up throughout the store, showcasing custom Disney content
Disney-Pixar CARS-branded Ridemakerz interactive custom car building experience
Disney Store Theatre that allows guests to customize their experience by selecting their favorite Disney film clips, videos, classic animation and more

To find a Disney Store, guests can visit www.DisneyStore.com/storelocator or call (866) 902-2798. Guests can also sign up for email alerts at www.DisneyStore.com/Updates, become a fan on www.facebook.com/DisneyStore or follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/DisneyStore to stay connected to your favorite destination.

NEW Peace-Love-Mickey-Live-Laugh-Minnie Disney Dooney & Bourke Bags

18 October 2010 by Suzannah Otis 12 Comments

On the last Disney Dooney & Bourke Balloon Design post, I mentioned there was another style – a blue denim background with writing on it – the Erica style of Dooney & Bourke’s fabric line. Thanks in part to Tonya2426 on the DIS Boards, I am able to share some more pictures with you.

EDIT: I have now been to Tren-D again and seen these new designs in person so I have a bit more to add. I tried to capture this on the picture below, but the writing on these new bags is actually raised up and has a velveteen flocked feel. I didn’t realize that in all the other pictures, so I wanted to pass that information along to those making their lists and checking them twice with these new styles that keep coming out! 🙂

Disney Dooney and Bourke Peace Love Mickey Minnie bag — I love Tren-D for taking pictures! Always great lighting. 😉

denimdooney — Erica in Turquoise image from ebay

ericared — Erica in pinkish/red - image courtesy of Tonya2426

ericaredblue — Disney Erica Dooney & Bourke styles - image courtesy of Tonya2426

ericabluetag — The Erica style sells for $150 - image courtesy of Tonya2426

This style is definitely more subtly “Disney” while being graphically trendy. I’m not a big denim person, but I can see how this would appeal to lots of teens and those that want to show their Disney love without big Mickeys everywhere. What do you think of the new style?

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!