Carol
09-10-2007, 08:30 AM
Disney Planner - Dawn of Disney's Hollywood Studios Highlights January-April 2008 Season
On With the (Even Bigger) Show at Walt Disney World in 2008! New Name, More Magic Transform Studios Theme Park
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- 2008 at Walt Disney World Resort dawns with the theme park famous for all things Hollywood launching a year of new attractions, new looks and new breakthrough experiences...with a brand-new name in January.
It's Happy New Year and hello Disney's Hollywood Studios as the former Disney-MGM Studios carries a new name that "reflects how the park has grown from representing the golden age of movies to a celebration of the new entertainment that today's Hollywood has to offer -- in music, television, movies and theater," said Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resort. "As a park all about entertainment, Disney's Hollywood Studios will deliver like never before. Now we can say that Hollywood is literally our middle name."
Framed by the park's supporting cast of classic Hollywood architecture are shows and attractions straight from contemporary Hollywood, such as Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" and many more. Disney's Hollywood Studios is also the place to meet favorite character stars of today including Lightning McQueen and Mater from Disney-Pixar's "Cars," Power Rangers and Little Einsteins.
And in addition to all that Hollywood-steeped fun, there are also new and coming attractions on the marquee in 2008:
With new songs and a rollicking new spirit, the fun of the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical 2" comes to life on the streets of Disney's Hollywood Studios in "High School Musical 2: School's Out!" It is interactive fun as high-energy performers on a traveling stage invite all ages to catch Wildcat fever by singing and dancing.
A whole new cast of friends from Playhouse Disney will be appearing in the popular "Playhouse Disney-Live on Stage!" Children will be on their feet singing, clapping and dancing to performing stars from "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," "Little Einsteins," "Handy Manny" and more when the new version of the show premiers in February.
Newcomer Handy Manny joins JoJo and Goliath and Little Einsteins for meet and greets with fans in the Animation Courtyard next to "Playhouse Disney-Live on Stage!"
Guests will play, party and dance when the Disney-Pixar Film Pals present "Block Party Bash," the wildest, most interactive parade in Disney history. Coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios in the spring, "Block Party Bash" invites guests to rock to retro tunes, be dazzled by high-flying acrobatics and join in the fun as more than 20 partying Disney-Pixar Film Pals fill the theme park streets. This immersive rolling spectacle features favorite characters from "The Incredibles," "Toy Story 2," "Monsters, Inc." and "A Bug's Life."
And here's a "sneak preview" of a coming attraction for summer 2008: Guests will get sporty in Toy Story Mania! An interactive competition inspired by Disney-Pixar's "Toy Story" films, Toy Story Mania! will take the interactive ride-game experience to infinity ... and beyond.
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New food adventures now available
Guests who travel to the land of Asia in Disney's Animal Kingdom can now get a real taste of that exotic part of the world with Yak & Yeti Restaurant. Inspired by the western Himalayan foothills in India and Nepal, this Asian-fusion establishment offers table-service dining and a full-service bar, as well as quick-service food and beer-garden options, and retail offerings from Pan-Asia ranging from silk purses, incense and saris to fine teapots. It seats 250 inside for table-service dining and 350 in a quick-service courtyard.
Meanwhile, in the Japan pavilion at Epcot, Tempura Kiku and Matsu No Ma Lounge have been replaced with a new spot, Tokyo Dining, showcasing traditional cuisine and ingredients of Japan with an emphasis on sushi and innovative presentation. The popular Mitsukoshi Teppanyaki Dining Room has been remodeled and renamed Teppan Edo.
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Popular events return during January-April
Early 2008 (January through April) also features the return of four popular events to Walt Disney World Resort -- capped by the ever-popular Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.
Now in its 15th year, the festival bursts into bloom with the theme Fun in the Sun on March 19 -- the earliest start ever -- and keeps on blooming for a record 75 days -- through June 1. Whimsical character topiaries, brilliant beds of flowers, rose displays, water gardens and many more verdant exhibits set the scene around Epcot's Future World and World Showcase for a garden party like no other. Guests can learn from the experts by participating in daily seminars focused on making their own home and yard more beautiful and enjoyable for outdoor living and entertaining. And to cap off the day, there are evening music concerts featuring top acts from the 1960s and '70s.
For youthful "green thumbs," there are plenty of activities, too -- plus a special children's garden and an enclosed butterfly garden that includes a live exhibit showing how caterpillars form a chrysalis and emerge as butterflies.
More information about the 15th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is available by visiting disneyworld.com/flower or by calling 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639). The festival is included in regular Epcot admission.
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The festival puts the bloom on a season that earlier is a showcase for a trio of popular events for sports lovers and a first-time-ever Disney's Dreamers Academy:
Disney's Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey, an enrichment event with a special appeal for African American high-schoolers, brings 100 teens from across the U.S. to Walt Disney World Resort Jan. 17-20 for interactive workshops, motivational talks with sports and entertainment celebrities, and discussions led by Disney cast members and executives sharing their blueprint for success. Workshop topics feature everything from business to architecture/engineering, animation to set design, show production to culinary arts, to learning the business behind sports. Participants are being selected from among nominations submitted at www.steveharvey.com/disneysdreamersacademy.
The 15th annual Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (Jan. 10-13) includes a pair of premier running events -- the 13.1-mile half marathon on Saturday, Jan. 12, and the 26.2-mile full marathon on Sunday, Jan. 13. The weekend also features Disney's Health & Fitness Expo at The Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex Jan. 10-12, and the Family Fun Run 5K and Kids' Races Jan. 11.
The Atlanta Braves return for their 11th full season of spring training at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. Following the start of workouts in February, the team settles into The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex to prepare for the 2008 season with a schedule of "Grapefruit League" games in March. Information on spring training tickets will be available in January.
ESPN and Walt Disney World Resort team up to offer fans the opportunity to see and hear ESPN personalities and star athletes during the fifth edition of ESPN The Weekend presented by Dick's Sporting Goods, Feb. 29-March 2, at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The weekend features on-site ESPN telecasts, star motorcades, interactive sports activities, and Q&A sessions involving athletes. The fun is included with regular admission to the theme park.
On With the (Even Bigger) Show at Walt Disney World in 2008! New Name, More Magic Transform Studios Theme Park
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- 2008 at Walt Disney World Resort dawns with the theme park famous for all things Hollywood launching a year of new attractions, new looks and new breakthrough experiences...with a brand-new name in January.
It's Happy New Year and hello Disney's Hollywood Studios as the former Disney-MGM Studios carries a new name that "reflects how the park has grown from representing the golden age of movies to a celebration of the new entertainment that today's Hollywood has to offer -- in music, television, movies and theater," said Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resort. "As a park all about entertainment, Disney's Hollywood Studios will deliver like never before. Now we can say that Hollywood is literally our middle name."
Framed by the park's supporting cast of classic Hollywood architecture are shows and attractions straight from contemporary Hollywood, such as Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith, "Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show" and many more. Disney's Hollywood Studios is also the place to meet favorite character stars of today including Lightning McQueen and Mater from Disney-Pixar's "Cars," Power Rangers and Little Einsteins.
And in addition to all that Hollywood-steeped fun, there are also new and coming attractions on the marquee in 2008:
With new songs and a rollicking new spirit, the fun of the Disney Channel original movie "High School Musical 2" comes to life on the streets of Disney's Hollywood Studios in "High School Musical 2: School's Out!" It is interactive fun as high-energy performers on a traveling stage invite all ages to catch Wildcat fever by singing and dancing.
A whole new cast of friends from Playhouse Disney will be appearing in the popular "Playhouse Disney-Live on Stage!" Children will be on their feet singing, clapping and dancing to performing stars from "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," "Little Einsteins," "Handy Manny" and more when the new version of the show premiers in February.
Newcomer Handy Manny joins JoJo and Goliath and Little Einsteins for meet and greets with fans in the Animation Courtyard next to "Playhouse Disney-Live on Stage!"
Guests will play, party and dance when the Disney-Pixar Film Pals present "Block Party Bash," the wildest, most interactive parade in Disney history. Coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios in the spring, "Block Party Bash" invites guests to rock to retro tunes, be dazzled by high-flying acrobatics and join in the fun as more than 20 partying Disney-Pixar Film Pals fill the theme park streets. This immersive rolling spectacle features favorite characters from "The Incredibles," "Toy Story 2," "Monsters, Inc." and "A Bug's Life."
And here's a "sneak preview" of a coming attraction for summer 2008: Guests will get sporty in Toy Story Mania! An interactive competition inspired by Disney-Pixar's "Toy Story" films, Toy Story Mania! will take the interactive ride-game experience to infinity ... and beyond.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
New food adventures now available
Guests who travel to the land of Asia in Disney's Animal Kingdom can now get a real taste of that exotic part of the world with Yak & Yeti Restaurant. Inspired by the western Himalayan foothills in India and Nepal, this Asian-fusion establishment offers table-service dining and a full-service bar, as well as quick-service food and beer-garden options, and retail offerings from Pan-Asia ranging from silk purses, incense and saris to fine teapots. It seats 250 inside for table-service dining and 350 in a quick-service courtyard.
Meanwhile, in the Japan pavilion at Epcot, Tempura Kiku and Matsu No Ma Lounge have been replaced with a new spot, Tokyo Dining, showcasing traditional cuisine and ingredients of Japan with an emphasis on sushi and innovative presentation. The popular Mitsukoshi Teppanyaki Dining Room has been remodeled and renamed Teppan Edo.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Popular events return during January-April
Early 2008 (January through April) also features the return of four popular events to Walt Disney World Resort -- capped by the ever-popular Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival.
Now in its 15th year, the festival bursts into bloom with the theme Fun in the Sun on March 19 -- the earliest start ever -- and keeps on blooming for a record 75 days -- through June 1. Whimsical character topiaries, brilliant beds of flowers, rose displays, water gardens and many more verdant exhibits set the scene around Epcot's Future World and World Showcase for a garden party like no other. Guests can learn from the experts by participating in daily seminars focused on making their own home and yard more beautiful and enjoyable for outdoor living and entertaining. And to cap off the day, there are evening music concerts featuring top acts from the 1960s and '70s.
For youthful "green thumbs," there are plenty of activities, too -- plus a special children's garden and an enclosed butterfly garden that includes a live exhibit showing how caterpillars form a chrysalis and emerge as butterflies.
More information about the 15th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival is available by visiting disneyworld.com/flower or by calling 407/W-DISNEY (934-7639). The festival is included in regular Epcot admission.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The festival puts the bloom on a season that earlier is a showcase for a trio of popular events for sports lovers and a first-time-ever Disney's Dreamers Academy:
Disney's Dreamers Academy with Steve Harvey, an enrichment event with a special appeal for African American high-schoolers, brings 100 teens from across the U.S. to Walt Disney World Resort Jan. 17-20 for interactive workshops, motivational talks with sports and entertainment celebrities, and discussions led by Disney cast members and executives sharing their blueprint for success. Workshop topics feature everything from business to architecture/engineering, animation to set design, show production to culinary arts, to learning the business behind sports. Participants are being selected from among nominations submitted at www.steveharvey.com/disneysdreamersacademy.
The 15th annual Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend (Jan. 10-13) includes a pair of premier running events -- the 13.1-mile half marathon on Saturday, Jan. 12, and the 26.2-mile full marathon on Sunday, Jan. 13. The weekend also features Disney's Health & Fitness Expo at The Milk House at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex Jan. 10-12, and the Family Fun Run 5K and Kids' Races Jan. 11.
The Atlanta Braves return for their 11th full season of spring training at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. Following the start of workouts in February, the team settles into The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex to prepare for the 2008 season with a schedule of "Grapefruit League" games in March. Information on spring training tickets will be available in January.
ESPN and Walt Disney World Resort team up to offer fans the opportunity to see and hear ESPN personalities and star athletes during the fifth edition of ESPN The Weekend presented by Dick's Sporting Goods, Feb. 29-March 2, at Disney's Hollywood Studios. The weekend features on-site ESPN telecasts, star motorcades, interactive sports activities, and Q&A sessions involving athletes. The fun is included with regular admission to the theme park.