Affordable Walt Disney World Vacation
THE DISNEY NEWS
November 29, 2006
Copyright © 1999 - 2006 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved.
=================================================
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=================================================
Hi Everyone!
In this blog...
* Deals and specials - FREE Customized Park Maps for Walt Disney World!
* The latest news from around the "World" - Holiday Activities for children at the Walt Disney world Swan and Dolphin Resorts
* Profile of Disney's magical SpectroMagic parade
* Vegas on a budget
* This week's money saving tip - a coupon for Downtown Disney's Portobello restaurant
=================================================
NEW THIS WEEK
WALT DISNEY WORLD
We now list 32 Sweepstakes to win a Walt Disney World/Florida/Disneyland/Southern California vacation!
FREE Customized Park Maps for Walt Disney World!
Already booked your Disney vacation? Receive a FREE phone call from Mickey Mouse on Christmas day announcing the news!
--------------------------------
DISNEY CRUISE LINE
Magical Cruise Rates are the discount rates that Disney offers to those who book early! The latest Magical Cruise Rates start at $429!
--------------------------------
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
New promotion for AAA members and Annual Passport holders.
--------------------------------
VEGAS
Enjoy a Holiday Shopping Spree at this Resort & Casino! Rates from $79 per night, including a $50.00 Gift Certificate good toward purchases of $200.00 or more at the resort's Holiday Shop!
Experience winter with an exclusive offer at this AAA Five Diamond resort casino:
* Deluxe Rooms - $139/night
* Suites - $249/night
* Upgrade any suite to lakeview for only $50/night!
--------------------------------
Below are just some of the deals drawn from 53 pages of current specials posted at our password-protected members-only site:
WALT DISNEY WORLD
>> Holiday Special: Stay at the Swan and Dolphin starting at $159!
>> Save up to $90.00 or more per night per adult on your next WDW vacation package!
>> This group gets a special rate:
* Value resorts - up to $20 off!
* Moderate resorts - up to $45 off!
* Deluxe/Home Away from Home resorts - $75 off!
>> Save up to $900.00 on Disney's New 2007 Adventures!
These are trips organized and guided by Disney to Spain, Hawaii, Wyoming, Costa Rica, Paris/London, Italy, the Canadian Rockies, and more!
* Receive a 5th Day FREE when you purchase a Walt Disney
World 4-Day Magic Your Way Base or Hopper ticket with 14 day
Expiration!
* Deals for the military, teachers, government workers,
nurses, Florida residents!
--------------------------------
OUTSIDE WALT DISNEY WORLD
>> Save up to 25% per night at Universal's Royal Pacific Resort!
>> FREE admission for kids to Tarzan, Lion King and Beauty and the Beast on Broadway!FREE admission for kids to Tarzan, Lion King and Beauty and the Beast on Broadway!
>> Get FREE admission to Cypress Gardens until December 24!
>> Enjoy a suite for only $99 at this themed hotel just 1/8 mile from Walt Disney World Resort!
>> These teachers receive a FREE ticket to both Universal Orlando theme parks!
>> Save up to 40% on Your Fall Getaway! $143 includes a Premium Room Upgrade!
>> New Discounts available on tickets to SeaWorld and Busch Gardens! Good for 6 consecutive days, too!
>> This group saves 40% at Universal!
>> Universal vacation package from $364 per adult, double occupancy!
>> A 7-day ticket to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for only $12 per day!
>> All you can eat at Universal Studios or Islands of
Adventure for less than $20!
>> Kids go to SeaWorld FREE when you book this vacation
package!
--------------------------------
DISNEY CRUISE LINE
* Three nights from $429!
* Four nights from $539!
* Seven nights Land & Sea from $899!
>> This group receives a $50 onboard credit good for buying merchandise, shore excursions, etc. on their 2007 Disney cruise!
>> New discount rates just posted for Florida residents and the military - rates too low to publish!
>> New discount rate for Canadians - includes stateroom credit, too!
--------------------------------
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
* 4th night FREE with this vacation package!
* Adults get in at kids prices with this vacation package!
* Ticket upgrade, tour discounts, FREE photo souvenir for these groups!
* Save up to $40.00 per ticket to Disneyland California!
* Save $10.00 on admission to Universal Studios Hollywood and get a second visit for FREE!
--------------------------------
DISNEYLAND PARIS
>> Christmas Special! 2 nights/3 days from $274 per adult!
--------------------------------
VEGAS
>>Stay at this Resort & Casino from $69! Upgrade to a Suite from $89!
>> Enjoy the luxury of this Hotel & Casino from $64 per night! Includes Room Upgrade, 2 FREE Drinks, 2-for-1 Breakfast, 2-for-1 Lunch, Admission for 2 to the Spa, and more!
--------------------------------
MEXICO
>> Grand Reopening Special at this Cancun Resort & Spa! Includes $100 food and breakfast credit per room and one free night with a four-night stay!
--------------------------------
BRANSON, MISSOURI
Free Accommodations for the military!
This luxury Branson golf resort community is offering two FREE nights - no strings attached - to active-duty U.S. military personnel on leave from the Middle East. Located just off the Branson Strip, it is conveniently situated between international award-winning theme park, Silver Dollar City, and Branson’s 49 live music theaters.
Reservations will be accepted until January 1, 2008 for stays occurring before February 1, 2008.
--------------------------------
CRUISES
>> Cruises to Europe and the Caribbean from $599 per person - even during the holidays!
>> Inexpensive Shore Excursions and Tours!
>> Luxurious accommodations in the Virgin Islands for only $199 per room per night!
--------------------------------
If you are not a member, you can join our Disney family here. Members can use the following URLs to log in:
Lifetime Deluxe Member
Lifetime Basic Member
Deluxe Member
Basic Member
=================================================
NEWS FROM AROUND THE "WORLD"
WALT DISNEY WORLD
"El Rio del Tiempo will be closed for refurbishment Tuesday, January 2, 2007, through Sunday, April 1, reopening Monday, April 2. Unofficial: The Three Caballeros, featuring Donald Duck, Jose Carioca and Panchito, will be integrated into a new redesign of the attraction." (Source: 2719hyperion.blogspot.com, 11/22/06)
--------------------------------
"'Finding Nemo -- The Musical,' which has been in public previews since Nov. 5, will be given a grand opening Jan. 24... Some older shows at the Disney parks use only a few singing actors and have other performers lip-sync to a recording... In 'Nemo,' though, all 18 of the actors speak or sing -- and there are two full-time casts and a third cast of subs." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/26/06)
--------------------------------
See the Eiffel Tour or Walt Disney World from every direction!
Google Earth "gives you a list of sites to visit for information on a topic and also displays almost any location on the planet in 3-D. Google Earth accesses maps, satellite imagery and aerial photography taken in the last three years. That image can be manipulated using a variety of features: navigational controls for tilting, zooming in and out and moving left or right. You'll also find a distance calculator; line or route marker; overlay mechanisms that sandwich different images together; and ancillary video and print information from sources such as the National Park Service and the Discovery Channel." (Source: Orlando Sentinel Travel Unraveled Newsletter, 11/22/06)
--------------------------------
This Day in Disney History
--------------------------------
Holiday Activities for children at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts:
* Santa's Workshop - activities for children
* Photos with Santa
* Cookie decorating
* Santa's hotline - send messages to Santa and his elves
* Elf Tuck-In - Santa's elves read a bedtime story
* Camp Dolphin Cinema - complimentary movie and games
* Poolside Disc Jockey and Activities - for kids of all ages
* New Years Eve Party - just for kids
(Source: swandolphin.com)
--------------------------------
(Source: Walt Disney World Monthly Calendar.
=================================================
OUTSIDE WALT DISNEY WORLD
ICE! show at Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center
"The show, which Gaylord Palms began doing four years ago, has attracted thousands of visitors since opening day. Although many main attractions stay the same, additions are made each year... [Exhibits include] Santa's Toyland -- complete with gears and carved toy giraffes, cars and panda bears -- a Victorian house where a couple could be seen kissing under mistletoe, and a church wall with colorful stained-glass windows. A Nativity scene carved out of 470 blocks of ice, a crowd favorite, glowed in ice and light." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/26/06)
--------------------------------
St. Augustine
"The city turns on its charm and its lights in what is described as 'an Old World and a Victorian Christmas all wrapped into one.' The holiday season on northeast Florida's 'First Coast' has the trimmings of a small-town celebration, with parades, special events and tours of inns and homes -- any of which would be a good centerpiece for a weekend jaunt." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/25/06)
--------------------------------
"Gatorland -- shut down by a spectacular early-morning blaze that destroyed its entrance, gift shop and other buildings -- welcomed visitors back with music, dance, gator wrestling and hugs... Gatorland expects to have everything completely rebuilt by December 2007." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/25/06)
=================================================
TOKYO DISNEY
"Just recently, the resort lost a daisy chain of lucrative contracts with Nissan Motor Co., Takara-Tomy, Morinaga, Nihon Suisan, Nihon Hills and Colgate when agreements it had with these top firms all reached their end at the same time... What's more, sponsors for two of Disneyland's most popular attractions -- Splash Mountain and the Western River Railroad -- still haven't been found." (Source: mainichi-msn.co.jp, 11/23/06)
=================================================
BRANSON MISSOURI
"Already recognized by national publications and travel associations as a premier place to celebrate the Christmas holidays, America’s hometown entertainment capital is aglow with the spirit of the season, unveiling its biggest Christmas ever. The World’s Largest Titanic Museum Attraction, the trendy Branson Landing shopping-and-dining waterfront destination, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater, the Music of Mannheim Steamroller and more will celebrate their first Christmas in Branson." (Source: Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB News, 11/17/06)
Click here to read the newsletter online.
=================================================
NOTE: Links to newspaper articles change quickly and without notice. If you receive a "File Not Found" error message, search the newspaper's archives for the story. Certain newspapers require a free registration to view their articles online. If web addresses are broken into more than one line, copy and paste all lines.
=================================================
WALT DISNEY WORLD
From time to time we'll publish profiles of certain attractions at WDW. Today's topic is the magical SpectroMagic parade!
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Combine the energy of seven lightning bolts, the electrical power of a fleet of 2,000 highway trucks and a sprinkling of pixie-dust. Then turn down the lights in Magic Kingdom. It's showtime for the Walt Disney World nighttime wonder "SpectroMagic."
Designed as a moving gallery for audiences along a darkened parade route, the show uses a techno-workshop full of lighting effects to re-create pixies and peacocks, sea horses and flying horses, flower gardens and fountains -- all the whimsical creatures and environments of Disney's worlds of wonder and fantasy.
Some "SpectroMagic" highlights:
* The Genie from Disney's "Aladdin" is the eccentric conductor of an orchestra producing a rainbow of music notes that flow into the air.
* Practical Pig, poised before the magical world of Disney's characters (a parade segment more than 100 feet in length and featuring castle towers, a carousel, a bejeweled coach and other dreamlands), flicks a paint brush to change the colors of the characters' world into silvery white.
* Chernabog, memorable for his role as the monstrous demon figure in "Fantasia," is portrayed in dark and eerie colors as he dramatically spreads his wings to a 38-foot span.
* The Three Good Fairies in Sleeping Beauty's garden create the sparkle of day among the flowers and insects...and magically transform the scene to the mystery of night.
"SpectroMagic" borrows from the prismatic holographic industry, military lighting developments, electro-luminescent and fiber-optic technologies, and tosses in light-spreading thermoplastics, clouds of underlit liquid-nitrogen smoke and good old-fashioned twinkle lights. The visual spectacle is choreographed to music produced for the show and presented over an array of 204 speakers with 72,000 watts of power.
It is the Disney entertainment wizards' 21st century show to rival the charm and splendor of the "Main Street Electrical Parade," which ended an encore engagement in March 2001. "SpectroMagic" is presented on select evenings at Magic Kingdom.
Mickey Mouse in glistening lights with "a confetti of light" sparkling in the air around him heralds the 20-minute production. Dressed in an amber and purple grand magician's cape, he plays the role of a light-controller capable of altering colors, brilliance and types of lighting effects.
Title float, proclaiming "SpectroMagic" in flowing fiber optics, is surrounded by SpectroMen atop spinning, darting whirlyballs. Effect is a ball of energy, alive with blue and purple mini-lights and twinkle lights. SpectroMen are robed in rope lights (points of light inside transparent ropes), mini-lights, fiber optics and twinkle lights. Electro-luminescent panels make dragonfly wings as bright as day and costumes enchanting.
Project lighting designer John Haupt is aglow as he talks about the "SpectroMagic" "confetti of light effect" that uses xenon flashlights and mirror balls. "It produces six-million-beam candlepower," he says. "With a normal flashlight, you MIGHT have 125 candlepower. It is so brilliant you may actually see little beams of light glancing through the air -- thousands of them -- like when sun rays come through the clouds." The effect showers the air with color at the beginning and end of "SpectroMagic."
Banks of deep-cycle batteries -- 75 tons of them -- provide the awesome power to light and move "SpectroMagic" through Magic Kingdom. The battery supply is equivalent to that of a fleet of 2,000 trucks.
Approximately 100 miles of fiber-optic cables and threads become conduits for shimmering lights that create everything from the strands of "hair" on King Triton's beard . . . to giant, four-foot hibiscus blooms and three-foot daisy petals.
Some 600,000 miniature lights chase in wild patterns, moving in perfect concert with sound effects and music. Goofy's xylophone keys dance with light at his touch. Mickey's cape transforms in a 24-step cascade of color sweeping from shoulder height to the base of the float and upward to 17 feet above his head. It's a "first" for a float, accomplished through a custom computer.
In fact, "SpectroMagic" is a marvel of the computer age. For lighting alone, approximately 30 mini-computers are utilized. Audio is stored digitally on state-of-the-art micro-chips. A sequence of electronic triggers activates the visual effects and audio effects, and electronic cross-references synchronize the show.
And with all those batteries, "SpectroMagic" just keeps on going . . . and going . . . and going -- at night in Magic Kingdom. (Source: WDW Press Release)
=================================================
VEGAS ON A BUDGET
For a crash course on what you need to know about hotels and shows, visit vegas.com. To save money:
* Stay in downtown Vegas where hotels are much cheaper than those on The Strip and where gamblers can play for $5 or less.
* Visit during the summer months when the heat keeps crowds at manageable levels.
* For inexpensive places to eat, see lasvegas.citysearch.com
* Visit Italy at the Venetian, watch a pirate battle at Treasure Island, or tour any of the luxury resorts for free
* Buy show tickets half off at companies that sell surplus tickets like tix4tonight.com or tickets2nite.com.
* Ride by shuttle from McCarran International Airport for $10. Taxis cost four times as much. See mccarran.com/03-Shuttles-01.asp for details.
For the schedule of poker tournaments during your visit, see lasvegasvegas.com. If you just want to watch the best players, visit Binion's poker room. (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/17/06)
=================================================
MONEY SAVING TIP
Portobello Yacht Club
Downtown Disney
Walt Disney World Resort
1650 Buena Vista Dr
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Phone: 407-934-8888
Fax: 407-827-8896
Combines delicious regional Italian cuisine with a spectacular view of Lake Buena Vista and the WDW resort! Enjoy a complimentary tasting of their signature Vino con Frutta cocktail with this coupon. Expires 02/15/07.
=================================================
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Don't Leave Home Without It!
Universal offers special deals to Universal Entertainment MasterCard cardholders. Apply now and receive a movie ticket with your first purchase! For more details, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Disney Books
Disney and other new books 50-90% off the list price. Hundreds of books under $1.00! Plus! Over 700 videos have been marked down to $1.99! To check out the bargains, click here.
--------------------------------
Got Coupons?
With the Orlando Entertainment Book, you can save big on travel, groceries, shopping, movie tickets, and more! Save at hotels and restaurants near Walt Disney World, on car rental, airfare, admission to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa! For details, click here.
Get FREE shipping on the new 2007 book for a limited time!
--------------------------------
Affordable Disney Movies and CD's
Save 40-70% on your favorite Disney Movie or CD! Cheap shipping, too! Click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Accommodations
Enjoy Special Rates at select hotels, condos and vacation rentals near Disney. Plus! Receive up to a $100.00 rebate! For hotels, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Car Rental
Just enter in your travel dates, select the kind of car you want, and receive a list of car rental prices at over 12 companies starting with the cheapest price! Click here.
Cheryl writes: "I saved over $200.00 on my mini van rental!!!"
--------------------------------
Affordable Airfare
This service delivers as many as 230 flight options in a single search - more options than any other travel site. It's possible to save as much as 80%! To compare prices, click here.
--------------------------------
Affordable Luggage
Save up to 60% on Luggage, Backpacks, and more! Donna and I bought a beautiful 5-piece set of Samsonite luggage for our daughter for Christmas for $144! Click here.
--------------------------------
Own a piece of the Magic Kingdom
Disney framed stock certificates are works of art. They feature Walt Disney and the Disney characters. Unlike stock brokers that require you to purchase several shares of stock, OneShare sells one share of stock and mails you the certificate. You can frame the stock certificate yourself or OneShare will frame if for you at a nominal cost. Click here.
=============================================
See You Real Soon!
John
AffordableDisney.Com.
johngross@affordabledisney.com
=============================================
Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee the accuracy of information contained in THE DISNEY NEWS. Always check to be sure. The views and opinions expressed by others in THE DISNEY NEWS do not necessarily reflect the views of AffordableDisney.Com.
=============================================
November 29, 2006
Copyright © 1999 - 2006 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved.
=================================================
To subscribe to Affordable Disney's blog, click the following
icon:
Or copy and paste the following URL into your RSS Reader:
http://affordabledisney.blogspot.com/atom.xml
: My Yahoo! users can instantly add our blogcontent to My Yahoo! Add My Yahoo!
: You can also subscribe to our blog at MSN! Add to My MSN!
=================================================
Hi Everyone!
In this blog...
* Deals and specials - FREE Customized Park Maps for Walt Disney World!
* The latest news from around the "World" - Holiday Activities for children at the Walt Disney world Swan and Dolphin Resorts
* Profile of Disney's magical SpectroMagic parade
* Vegas on a budget
* This week's money saving tip - a coupon for Downtown Disney's Portobello restaurant
=================================================
NEW THIS WEEK
WALT DISNEY WORLD
We now list 32 Sweepstakes to win a Walt Disney World/Florida/Disneyland/Southern California vacation!
FREE Customized Park Maps for Walt Disney World!
Already booked your Disney vacation? Receive a FREE phone call from Mickey Mouse on Christmas day announcing the news!
--------------------------------
DISNEY CRUISE LINE
Magical Cruise Rates are the discount rates that Disney offers to those who book early! The latest Magical Cruise Rates start at $429!
--------------------------------
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
New promotion for AAA members and Annual Passport holders.
--------------------------------
VEGAS
Enjoy a Holiday Shopping Spree at this Resort & Casino! Rates from $79 per night, including a $50.00 Gift Certificate good toward purchases of $200.00 or more at the resort's Holiday Shop!
Experience winter with an exclusive offer at this AAA Five Diamond resort casino:
* Deluxe Rooms - $139/night
* Suites - $249/night
* Upgrade any suite to lakeview for only $50/night!
--------------------------------
Below are just some of the deals drawn from 53 pages of current specials posted at our password-protected members-only site:
WALT DISNEY WORLD
>> Holiday Special: Stay at the Swan and Dolphin starting at $159!
>> Save up to $90.00 or more per night per adult on your next WDW vacation package!
>> This group gets a special rate:
* Value resorts - up to $20 off!
* Moderate resorts - up to $45 off!
* Deluxe/Home Away from Home resorts - $75 off!
>> Save up to $900.00 on Disney's New 2007 Adventures!
These are trips organized and guided by Disney to Spain, Hawaii, Wyoming, Costa Rica, Paris/London, Italy, the Canadian Rockies, and more!
* Receive a 5th Day FREE when you purchase a Walt Disney
World 4-Day Magic Your Way Base or Hopper ticket with 14 day
Expiration!
* Deals for the military, teachers, government workers,
nurses, Florida residents!
--------------------------------
OUTSIDE WALT DISNEY WORLD
>> Save up to 25% per night at Universal's Royal Pacific Resort!
>> FREE admission for kids to Tarzan, Lion King and Beauty and the Beast on Broadway!FREE admission for kids to Tarzan, Lion King and Beauty and the Beast on Broadway!
>> Get FREE admission to Cypress Gardens until December 24!
>> Enjoy a suite for only $99 at this themed hotel just 1/8 mile from Walt Disney World Resort!
>> These teachers receive a FREE ticket to both Universal Orlando theme parks!
>> Save up to 40% on Your Fall Getaway! $143 includes a Premium Room Upgrade!
>> New Discounts available on tickets to SeaWorld and Busch Gardens! Good for 6 consecutive days, too!
>> This group saves 40% at Universal!
>> Universal vacation package from $364 per adult, double occupancy!
>> A 7-day ticket to Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure for only $12 per day!
>> All you can eat at Universal Studios or Islands of
Adventure for less than $20!
>> Kids go to SeaWorld FREE when you book this vacation
package!
--------------------------------
DISNEY CRUISE LINE
* Three nights from $429!
* Four nights from $539!
* Seven nights Land & Sea from $899!
>> This group receives a $50 onboard credit good for buying merchandise, shore excursions, etc. on their 2007 Disney cruise!
>> New discount rates just posted for Florida residents and the military - rates too low to publish!
>> New discount rate for Canadians - includes stateroom credit, too!
--------------------------------
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
* 4th night FREE with this vacation package!
* Adults get in at kids prices with this vacation package!
* Ticket upgrade, tour discounts, FREE photo souvenir for these groups!
* Save up to $40.00 per ticket to Disneyland California!
* Save $10.00 on admission to Universal Studios Hollywood and get a second visit for FREE!
--------------------------------
DISNEYLAND PARIS
>> Christmas Special! 2 nights/3 days from $274 per adult!
--------------------------------
VEGAS
>>Stay at this Resort & Casino from $69! Upgrade to a Suite from $89!
>> Enjoy the luxury of this Hotel & Casino from $64 per night! Includes Room Upgrade, 2 FREE Drinks, 2-for-1 Breakfast, 2-for-1 Lunch, Admission for 2 to the Spa, and more!
--------------------------------
MEXICO
>> Grand Reopening Special at this Cancun Resort & Spa! Includes $100 food and breakfast credit per room and one free night with a four-night stay!
--------------------------------
BRANSON, MISSOURI
Free Accommodations for the military!
This luxury Branson golf resort community is offering two FREE nights - no strings attached - to active-duty U.S. military personnel on leave from the Middle East. Located just off the Branson Strip, it is conveniently situated between international award-winning theme park, Silver Dollar City, and Branson’s 49 live music theaters.
Reservations will be accepted until January 1, 2008 for stays occurring before February 1, 2008.
--------------------------------
CRUISES
>> Cruises to Europe and the Caribbean from $599 per person - even during the holidays!
>> Inexpensive Shore Excursions and Tours!
>> Luxurious accommodations in the Virgin Islands for only $199 per room per night!
--------------------------------
If you are not a member, you can join our Disney family here. Members can use the following URLs to log in:
Lifetime Deluxe Member
Lifetime Basic Member
Deluxe Member
Basic Member
=================================================
NEWS FROM AROUND THE "WORLD"
WALT DISNEY WORLD
"El Rio del Tiempo will be closed for refurbishment Tuesday, January 2, 2007, through Sunday, April 1, reopening Monday, April 2. Unofficial: The Three Caballeros, featuring Donald Duck, Jose Carioca and Panchito, will be integrated into a new redesign of the attraction." (Source: 2719hyperion.blogspot.com, 11/22/06)
--------------------------------
"'Finding Nemo -- The Musical,' which has been in public previews since Nov. 5, will be given a grand opening Jan. 24... Some older shows at the Disney parks use only a few singing actors and have other performers lip-sync to a recording... In 'Nemo,' though, all 18 of the actors speak or sing -- and there are two full-time casts and a third cast of subs." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/26/06)
--------------------------------
See the Eiffel Tour or Walt Disney World from every direction!
Google Earth "gives you a list of sites to visit for information on a topic and also displays almost any location on the planet in 3-D. Google Earth accesses maps, satellite imagery and aerial photography taken in the last three years. That image can be manipulated using a variety of features: navigational controls for tilting, zooming in and out and moving left or right. You'll also find a distance calculator; line or route marker; overlay mechanisms that sandwich different images together; and ancillary video and print information from sources such as the National Park Service and the Discovery Channel." (Source: Orlando Sentinel Travel Unraveled Newsletter, 11/22/06)
--------------------------------
This Day in Disney History
--------------------------------
Holiday Activities for children at the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resorts:
* Santa's Workshop - activities for children
* Photos with Santa
* Cookie decorating
* Santa's hotline - send messages to Santa and his elves
* Elf Tuck-In - Santa's elves read a bedtime story
* Camp Dolphin Cinema - complimentary movie and games
* Poolside Disc Jockey and Activities - for kids of all ages
* New Years Eve Party - just for kids
(Source: swandolphin.com)
--------------------------------
(Source: Walt Disney World Monthly Calendar.
=================================================
OUTSIDE WALT DISNEY WORLD
ICE! show at Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center
"The show, which Gaylord Palms began doing four years ago, has attracted thousands of visitors since opening day. Although many main attractions stay the same, additions are made each year... [Exhibits include] Santa's Toyland -- complete with gears and carved toy giraffes, cars and panda bears -- a Victorian house where a couple could be seen kissing under mistletoe, and a church wall with colorful stained-glass windows. A Nativity scene carved out of 470 blocks of ice, a crowd favorite, glowed in ice and light." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/26/06)
--------------------------------
St. Augustine
"The city turns on its charm and its lights in what is described as 'an Old World and a Victorian Christmas all wrapped into one.' The holiday season on northeast Florida's 'First Coast' has the trimmings of a small-town celebration, with parades, special events and tours of inns and homes -- any of which would be a good centerpiece for a weekend jaunt." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/25/06)
--------------------------------
"Gatorland -- shut down by a spectacular early-morning blaze that destroyed its entrance, gift shop and other buildings -- welcomed visitors back with music, dance, gator wrestling and hugs... Gatorland expects to have everything completely rebuilt by December 2007." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/25/06)
=================================================
TOKYO DISNEY
"Just recently, the resort lost a daisy chain of lucrative contracts with Nissan Motor Co., Takara-Tomy, Morinaga, Nihon Suisan, Nihon Hills and Colgate when agreements it had with these top firms all reached their end at the same time... What's more, sponsors for two of Disneyland's most popular attractions -- Splash Mountain and the Western River Railroad -- still haven't been found." (Source: mainichi-msn.co.jp, 11/23/06)
=================================================
BRANSON MISSOURI
"Already recognized by national publications and travel associations as a premier place to celebrate the Christmas holidays, America’s hometown entertainment capital is aglow with the spirit of the season, unveiling its biggest Christmas ever. The World’s Largest Titanic Museum Attraction, the trendy Branson Landing shopping-and-dining waterfront destination, Dick Clark’s American Bandstand Theater, the Music of Mannheim Steamroller and more will celebrate their first Christmas in Branson." (Source: Branson/Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce & CVB News, 11/17/06)
Click here to read the newsletter online.
=================================================
NOTE: Links to newspaper articles change quickly and without notice. If you receive a "File Not Found" error message, search the newspaper's archives for the story. Certain newspapers require a free registration to view their articles online. If web addresses are broken into more than one line, copy and paste all lines.
=================================================
WALT DISNEY WORLD
From time to time we'll publish profiles of certain attractions at WDW. Today's topic is the magical SpectroMagic parade!
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Combine the energy of seven lightning bolts, the electrical power of a fleet of 2,000 highway trucks and a sprinkling of pixie-dust. Then turn down the lights in Magic Kingdom. It's showtime for the Walt Disney World nighttime wonder "SpectroMagic."
Designed as a moving gallery for audiences along a darkened parade route, the show uses a techno-workshop full of lighting effects to re-create pixies and peacocks, sea horses and flying horses, flower gardens and fountains -- all the whimsical creatures and environments of Disney's worlds of wonder and fantasy.
Some "SpectroMagic" highlights:
* The Genie from Disney's "Aladdin" is the eccentric conductor of an orchestra producing a rainbow of music notes that flow into the air.
* Practical Pig, poised before the magical world of Disney's characters (a parade segment more than 100 feet in length and featuring castle towers, a carousel, a bejeweled coach and other dreamlands), flicks a paint brush to change the colors of the characters' world into silvery white.
* Chernabog, memorable for his role as the monstrous demon figure in "Fantasia," is portrayed in dark and eerie colors as he dramatically spreads his wings to a 38-foot span.
* The Three Good Fairies in Sleeping Beauty's garden create the sparkle of day among the flowers and insects...and magically transform the scene to the mystery of night.
"SpectroMagic" borrows from the prismatic holographic industry, military lighting developments, electro-luminescent and fiber-optic technologies, and tosses in light-spreading thermoplastics, clouds of underlit liquid-nitrogen smoke and good old-fashioned twinkle lights. The visual spectacle is choreographed to music produced for the show and presented over an array of 204 speakers with 72,000 watts of power.
It is the Disney entertainment wizards' 21st century show to rival the charm and splendor of the "Main Street Electrical Parade," which ended an encore engagement in March 2001. "SpectroMagic" is presented on select evenings at Magic Kingdom.
Mickey Mouse in glistening lights with "a confetti of light" sparkling in the air around him heralds the 20-minute production. Dressed in an amber and purple grand magician's cape, he plays the role of a light-controller capable of altering colors, brilliance and types of lighting effects.
Title float, proclaiming "SpectroMagic" in flowing fiber optics, is surrounded by SpectroMen atop spinning, darting whirlyballs. Effect is a ball of energy, alive with blue and purple mini-lights and twinkle lights. SpectroMen are robed in rope lights (points of light inside transparent ropes), mini-lights, fiber optics and twinkle lights. Electro-luminescent panels make dragonfly wings as bright as day and costumes enchanting.
Project lighting designer John Haupt is aglow as he talks about the "SpectroMagic" "confetti of light effect" that uses xenon flashlights and mirror balls. "It produces six-million-beam candlepower," he says. "With a normal flashlight, you MIGHT have 125 candlepower. It is so brilliant you may actually see little beams of light glancing through the air -- thousands of them -- like when sun rays come through the clouds." The effect showers the air with color at the beginning and end of "SpectroMagic."
Banks of deep-cycle batteries -- 75 tons of them -- provide the awesome power to light and move "SpectroMagic" through Magic Kingdom. The battery supply is equivalent to that of a fleet of 2,000 trucks.
Approximately 100 miles of fiber-optic cables and threads become conduits for shimmering lights that create everything from the strands of "hair" on King Triton's beard . . . to giant, four-foot hibiscus blooms and three-foot daisy petals.
Some 600,000 miniature lights chase in wild patterns, moving in perfect concert with sound effects and music. Goofy's xylophone keys dance with light at his touch. Mickey's cape transforms in a 24-step cascade of color sweeping from shoulder height to the base of the float and upward to 17 feet above his head. It's a "first" for a float, accomplished through a custom computer.
In fact, "SpectroMagic" is a marvel of the computer age. For lighting alone, approximately 30 mini-computers are utilized. Audio is stored digitally on state-of-the-art micro-chips. A sequence of electronic triggers activates the visual effects and audio effects, and electronic cross-references synchronize the show.
And with all those batteries, "SpectroMagic" just keeps on going . . . and going . . . and going -- at night in Magic Kingdom. (Source: WDW Press Release)
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VEGAS ON A BUDGET
For a crash course on what you need to know about hotels and shows, visit vegas.com. To save money:
* Stay in downtown Vegas where hotels are much cheaper than those on The Strip and where gamblers can play for $5 or less.
* Visit during the summer months when the heat keeps crowds at manageable levels.
* For inexpensive places to eat, see lasvegas.citysearch.com
* Visit Italy at the Venetian, watch a pirate battle at Treasure Island, or tour any of the luxury resorts for free
* Buy show tickets half off at companies that sell surplus tickets like tix4tonight.com or tickets2nite.com.
* Ride by shuttle from McCarran International Airport for $10. Taxis cost four times as much. See mccarran.com/03-Shuttles-01.asp for details.
For the schedule of poker tournaments during your visit, see lasvegasvegas.com. If you just want to watch the best players, visit Binion's poker room. (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 11/17/06)
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MONEY SAVING TIP
Portobello Yacht Club
Downtown Disney
Walt Disney World Resort
1650 Buena Vista Dr
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830
Phone: 407-934-8888
Fax: 407-827-8896
Combines delicious regional Italian cuisine with a spectacular view of Lake Buena Vista and the WDW resort! Enjoy a complimentary tasting of their signature Vino con Frutta cocktail with this coupon. Expires 02/15/07.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
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See You Real Soon!
John
AffordableDisney.Com.
johngross@affordabledisney.com
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posted by AffordableDisney.Com at 6:26 AM
