Disney News Round Up: Fantasy Faire, Flying Carpets, and Oz

What happens when you cross the yellow line at the tram stop?  Have you ever been to Club 33?  We have pictures for you. Have you seen Disneyland’s new Fantasy Faire?  We’ve got you covered in today’s round up of Disney and theme park news and information.  But if Disney isn’t your thing, there is plenty to see at Universal parks too with Despicable Me announced for Hollywood and the Transformers store opening in Orlando.  Will Windseeker ever reopen at Knott’s? What’s going on at Carowinds? Want to go behind the scenes at Blue Horizons at SeaWorld Orlando?  We have all this for you today, plus a brand new Communicore Weekly,  a ride through of the newly reopened it’s a small world, and video of the Fantasy Faire Village.

Is the Disney force strong with you? Do you have what it takes to beat other fans in a race to see who can ride the most attractions at Disneyland in a single day? Take part in the Gumball Rally on May the 4th and prove to the world that you are the ultimate Disney theme park nerd!  Tickets and information HERE

The Princess Fantasy Fair has opened in its new location, and it brings several new things to see and a bit of controversy too.  Over in DCA, we are hoping to see the Magic Carpet returning with daily flights!  ~ Aladdin

Fantasy Faire Village opens to Disneyland Passholders, Photos and Review
Fishbulb has this review of the Fantasy Fair area, and gives us this full review of the new princess meet and great area! He likes it. But is the tent too pink and should Fantasyland be leaking out into the Hub like this? You be the judge.

First look at the Fantasy Faire
Princess Fantasy Fair premiered this week and there are several new things to explore. Figaro is playing with a bird – post 16, a video showing a new food cart, a new store, and a new music box – in post 37, and not one but TWO different shows in the Royal Theater – post 65 and 80. And of course, the meet and greet with 3 different princesses!

Aladdin show’s Carpet
Could it be possible that the Magic Carpet from Aladdin, will soon be flying overhead again? Keep your eyes posted here for the latest news!

My Disneyland Resort Photos – 2013
DizneyPhotoGuy has brought us some amazing photographs from around Disneyland and Disney’s California adventure park!

So I found out what happens when the yellow line is crossed while the tram is moving.
B2D watched and learned a valuable lesson that we all should read about.

2 crazy girls do Disneyland, 2 ‘dignified ladies’ dine at Club 33
Stormy just returned from a 4.5 day vacation to the happiest place on earth, brings us all the details on their crazy fun time!

Disneyland Resort is our focus this week, as Mice Chatters put forth some of their ideas. ~ Trekkie Dad

Follow-up to Mad T Party: Oz?
SoCalFan came up with this idea as sort of a joke, but now thinks it might work. You can express your opinion by voting in the poll.

AVATAR Land at Disneyland
MickeySmurfette24 thinks Avatar might be a good replacement for the Autopia and submarines in Disneyland’s Tomorrowland.

Animation Building additions/changes
imaginashton has some ideas for an update of the Animation Building at California Adventure.

Small world celebrations possibly coming to DL? First country to be Greece
imaginashton remembers reading this in Al Lutz’s column last month and wonders what’s become of it.

Pre Parade For Easter
The Disney Ninja heard from a source in the Disneyland entertainment department that there will be a pre-parade for Easter.

Are you a Mouseaddict? MiceChat has partnered with the best of the Disneyland in-park apps to bring you the best wait times, tips, maps, events, schedules and more . . . all with MiceChat integration and special deals. With just a tap in this beautifully designed app, you can read the very latest MiceChat blogs, check your private messages, find showtimes up to a week in advance, view menus and make dining reservations, see current wait times and crowd levels, see the park as it was in 1955, create reminders for shows, dining and FastPass… and too many more features to list here.

Here’s the best news: Mouseaddict is free and available right now in the App Store for iPhone and iPad. Visit http://mouseaddict.com to learn more and download the app for free.

Rapunzel Finally Has a Place to Go!
Witches of Morva report that Rapunzel has her own place to call home in the Magic Kingdom, enjoy their review here!

Boy Critical After Near-Drowning At Disney Resort
Stitchfanocala reports on a tragic event at one of the Value Resorts at Walt Disney World.

Please help me choose which of these 2 weeks to go to Disney!
Will you help a fellow Mice Chatter out? flmom79 needs to decide when to go on vacation and came to us for help!

We’re serving up the fantastic news that our world famous Gumball Rally is coming to the Disneyland Resort on May 4th – tickets are on sale now!

The world famous MiceChat Gumball Rally will roar into the Disneyland Resort on May 4th! And to celebrate the date (and Disney’s purchase of a beloved franchise), we are shaking things up a bit. It’s the biggest, best and most fun Disney fan event in the known universe. The Rally is a race to find out who can ride the most attractions at Disneyland in a single day.  Can you do it?

Gumball Rally 2013: Trash Talking Thread
Bookwyrm has started the thread to rile you up and get the trash talking started! Join in on that fun!

MiceTrip: Sail Away on the Disney Fantasy with MiceChat 
October 19th – 26th, 2013

We invite you to join us on a very special MiceChat voyage to the Eastern Caribbean on the newest ship of the Disney Cruise Line, the Disney Fantasy. Don’t miss out on this unique MiceChat experience!  Contact [email protected] today.

UNOFFICIAL UNIVERSAL ORLANDO PODCAST

There’s a brand new segment on this week’s show called NEWniversal. It’s a fun way to see what’s going on in the parks. Then, join the hosts for an interview with Len Tesla as they discuss the inclusion of the Universal Parks into the Touring Plans software.  Direct Link   |   iTunes Link

COMMUNICORE WEEKLY

Jeff and George talk about Disney A to Z, Tangled and More! In Disney History they teach us about EPCOT, E-ticket Bathrooms? And don’t miss this week’s Five Legged Goat!

IN THE PARKS

A ride through of it’s a small world at Disneyland in Anaheim California. Just after the removal of the holiday overlay, and a light refurbishment, the ride looks and sounds great.

Visit the new Royal Hall Princess meet-and-greet here

In the Royal Theatre we share one of the two wonderful shows being staged there now.

We have reports from theme parks and other venues on both coasts this week. ~ Trekkie Dad

Joe’s South Coast Botanic Garden visit
If you like beautiful photos of plants and flowers, this is the thread to view, courtesy of mre200200.

Despicable Me – Minion Mayhem coming to Universal Studios Hollywood
Universal Studios Hollywood just announced this coming attraction.

The Collapsing Bridge!
SpaceMountain1974 was surprised by a Universal Hollywood tram tour that went across the little used collapsing bridge.

Universal Announces Transformer Store opening and Walk Around Characters
The ride at Universal Orlando may not be open yet, but you can shop! according to a press release found by KingEric.

Carowinds (with pictures and videos)
Coasterjunkie gives us this very visual trip report from a theme park that straddles the border between the two Carolinas.

WindSeeker Opens Next Week
Cadensmama07 observed Knott’s Berry Farm testing this long shuttered ride and was told it would reopen very soon.

Six Flags Great Adventure Hurricane Sandy Benefit and new additions for 2013
sir clinksalot found this press release from this New Jersey theme park opening its season with a benefit concert.

Behind the scenes at Blue Horizons
KingEric found this 18 minute YouTube video that takes you behind the scenes at Sea World Orlando.

SeaWorld Animal Rescue & Rehabilitation
Coasterjunkie would like to discuss Sea World San Diego’s rescue efforts featured in a YouTube video.

‘Oz The Great and Powerful’s Box Office Balloon
Director Sam Raimi’s ‘Oz The Great and Powerful’ delivered the studio the top North American debut of 2013 which exceeded early industry tracking projections taking in an estimated $80.3 million.

Epcot Flower and Garden and Food and Wine Festival
The Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival is back again this year, just in time for spring-like conditions. Except this year they’ve shaken up the status quo, tried new things, spent a bunch of money,…

Disney Princesses move into their new home at Disneyland’s Fantasy Faire
Annual Passholders were invited to preview Disneyland‘s new Fantasy Faire late last week, getting an early glimpse at the park’s rather intimate new princess meet-and-greet area. The new addition to Disneyland’s Fantasyland opens to the…

Dateline Disney World: Magic Kingdom Construction and Epcot Flower and Garden Food Booths
Hello, and welcome to Dateline Disney World. This week, we take a look at the ongoing construction at the Magic Kingdom as well as the continued installation of the Flower and Garden Festival over at…

Walt Disney World Memories – Part 3
In today’s From The Mouth Of The Mouse, we continue with a multi-part series we started two weeks ago where we talk to Stan, who worked all over the Walt Disney World Resort. We think…

Walt Disney World Mysteries Solved
With all of this discussion about the new Fantasy Faire opening at Disneyland, I thought we should take a look at the Fantasy Faire area at the Magic Kingdom. Yep, the area where Ariel’s Grotto used…

Full Throttle Construction heads over Superman Plaza at Magic Mountain
Construction of the new Full Throttle coaster has picked up the pace. The track for the entire back portion of the ride, inside the tunnel and over Superman Plaza has been completed. The large crane…

 
Harry Potter Goes Vertical at Universal Orlando Resort
Harry Potter goes vertical and Optimus Prime appears for guests in today’s Orlando Parkhopper.  Yes, Universal Orlando Resort has begun meet and greets with the transforming robots and it has proven to be wildly popular. …

Top 5 Tips for Surviving Disney Standby Lines with Kids
While we generally pass by lines with more than a 15-minute wait, we have been tricked into longer queues.  I’m looking at you, Astro Orbiter!  Or sometimes the wait for your dining reservation can be…

The Very Early History of Universal Studios Hollywood
Motion pictures can be an intoxicating and addictive drug for some people. Like a moth to a light, they are drawn into an all consuming passion that can never really be completely satisfied. Carl Laemmle,…

Disneyland Paris Previews Chapeau Magique Lumineaux: Glow with the Show Comes to Paris
We have an interesting Disneyland Paris update today from Alain Littaye of the Disney and more blog. We heard about the stockholder meeting last week and this week we have photos. It looks like they…

More Flowers & Gardens at Epcot
Epcot looks good all year, but it looks its best during the 75-day run of the Epcot Flower & Garden Festival.

What’s Happening at the Walt Disney Family Museum
Keith shares the info about an upcoming exhibit, Bringing Frankenweenie to Life. Disney producer/director/author Don Hahn takes a break from his work on projects like: Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, and Maleficent to talk about what went into creating and shooting the 3D stop motion-film Frankenweenie, as well as share a little insight on the history of stop-motion animation.

DESIGN: Those Were The Times No.5 – 1937 Grand Central Air Terminal the Original WDI Creative Campus
Disney Legend Bob Gurr shares what it was like to live in Glendale in 1934 and details the origin of his love for airplanes.

Blu-Ray Review: Hunchbacks and Mulan, Oh My!
George taylor reviews the two new Blu Ray releases of Mulan and the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Photos In Wonderland – Knott’s Berry Farm After Dark
Another of our brief digital photo ‘excursions.’ This time we travel through Knott’s Berry Farm at night.

We hope to see you online again soon, Dusty and the amazing MiceChat crew!

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