Kevin Yee
Kevin Yee is an author and blogger writing about travel, tourism, and theme parks in Central Florida. He is a founding member of MiceAge and has written numerous books about Disney parks (see http://bit.ly/kevinyee).
We fans like to talk a lot about the Disney Difference — a vaguely defined set of guidelines and expectations which loosely encircle concepts like immersion, the wow factor, and attention to details. They can often be seen only...
Disney World has really gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to the national promotion called limited time magic. Disney considers the program to be part of its one Disney initiative, meaning that it can choose...
When Habit Heroes opened for previews in Innoventions in early 2012, it faced an immediate firestorm for its portrayal of fat people. The story went viral and became national news when the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance objected...
Enough happens in O-Town that it's impossible for a single person to see everything, especially if trying to cram it all in on weekends. So it happens sometimes that I'm very late to the party, which is the case...
New President at Walt Disney World
George Kalogridis, currently in charge of Disneyland, will move to take the top spot at Walt Disney World on February 1. Michael Colglazier, currently the vice-president in charge of DAK, will become President of...
A bit more than a week ago, clowns invaded Storybook Circus at the Magic Kingdom. My wife hates clowns with a passion. I've always been cautiously indifferent about them. There's something creepy about them on a conceptual level, but...
A faux holiday famously invented for the Seinfeld TV show, Festivus includes a bare aluminum pole in place of a Christmas tree, a Feat of Strength wrestling match, and an Airing of Grievances at which each person tells his...
Lost in the deafening roar of this past week's Disney press event junkets (which celebrated Test Track with a visit by band One Republic and New Fantasyland with a visit by a nighttime dragon flapping its wings overhead) has...
Color me impressed. The new Test Track is no mere reboot from a tired industrial setting to a multi-hued digital world that would look right at home in the movie Tron, a concept that struck many fans as lackluster...
From the trade show IAAPA to SeaWorld Christmas and Antarctica updates, there's a lot to talk about. Do note this post was delayed a bit due to the holiday. We'll get back to Disney updates soon!
SeaWorld: Christmas installations, and...
It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas! Decorations are going up around the various parks, and they are also fully in place at Downtown Disney already. At the Magic Kingdom, the upcharge Very Merry Christmas Party has begun...
Be Our Guest... and the Iger Sanction
Fantasyland is in full-time previews now: passholders, DVC, cast members, D23--pretty much every slice of the population. In general I like this approach, but I wish they had let the CMs see it...
I’ve admitted previously online that my visits to official Disney hotels have been international in character until now. I’ve spent nights in Disneyland Paris and Tokyo Disneyland hotels, but none at Walt Disney World (I did sleep on a...
Mermaids and Bears, oh my!
Last week, Disney World quietly unveiled two quiet new changes in the Magic Kingdom, The Country Bear Jamboree reopened after a several-week refurbishment, and Pirates of the Caribbean debuted a new effect after a one-night changeover....
Starting last Friday, all of new Fantasyland began operating during a soft opening phase, which this time they are calling a "dress rehearsal." Except for the unfinished Seven Dwarfs Mine Coaster, the land is fully finished and operational. The...
The final elements of the Storybook Circus portion of the new Fantasyland project at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom park were opened late last week, and the results are mostly delightful.
With Pete’s Silly Sideshow, guests are treated to an...
On Sunday, September 30th, the official Disney fan club, D23 posted in early celebration for Epcot's 30th anniversary (which was on Monday, October 1). Unlike the October 1 celebrations, which were free and open to the public, the D23...
The pace of change here in Orlando is fast enough that sometimes I do not see new attractions or experiences for a few weeks, even several weeks, after they've been opened. That goes double for things that opened inside...
This past weekend, the fourth and final section of Disney's Art of Animation Resort (DAR) opened up to paying visitors, after a brief preview phase for Cast Members. Themed to Little Mermaid, this last wing is different from the...
New Fantasyland is gearing up at Walt Disney World, with unannounced random test previews now occurring daily for the Beauty and the Beast meet and greet. These aren't "soft openings" where you can reasonably hope to find it open...