In This Edition:
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Across Walt Disney World Resort: July 4th
celebrated with special fireworks shows
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Disney's Hollywood Studios: Toy Story Mania!
scores topping 300,000 in first month; 'Prince Caspian' comes to
life in new soundstage attraction
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Epcot: Tribute bands rock during Sounds Like
Summer concert series; crab-catching TV stars from 'Deadliest
Catch' appear at Norway pavilion
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Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex: Tampa Bay
Bucs return for NFL Training Camp and guests invited to view
practices
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Disney Resort Hotels: Disney's Grand Floridian
Resort & Spa celebrates 20th anniversary with a step into the
future
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Disney Dining: New restaurant opens at Disney's
Contemporary Resort
Guests Score Big on Toy Story Mania! During First Month of
Attraction's Operation at Disney's Hollywood Studios
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The points are piling up
and the spring-action shooters are getting a workout during the
first month of operation at Toy Story Mania! -- the new 4-D
attraction at Disney's Hollywood Studios.
An arcade-style tally at the ride's conclusion
heralds the high scores of the day as guests try their best to beat
the top totals. During the first month of daily operation, daily
high scores regularly topped 200,000+ points, while all-time highs
have reached the 300,000+ point range.
In Toy Story Mania!, guests don 3-D glasses and enter
a wild and wooly 4-D world of Woody, Buzz and other favorite "Toy
Story" characters. Inspired by the Disney-Pixar films "Toy Story"
and "Toy Story 2," Toy Story Mania! raises the bar for interactive
ride-game attractions.
As vehicles move among midway-style game booths,
guests aim for 3-D, animated targets using their own on-board
spring-action shooters. Players pair up and sit side-by-side,
scoring points in a friendly competition that delivers an
ever-changing variety of targets and surprises.
As they play, guests can actually see the "virtual
objects" they've launched -- everything from pies, plastic eggs and
pointed darts ... to baseballs, rings and suction-cup darts -- leave
their spring-action shooters and hit (or miss) the targets. And
thanks to the 4-D special effects technology, they may sense objects
popping out of the 3-D scenes and whirring past them.
Disneyland Resort in California also welcomed Toy
Story Mania! when the attraction debuted June 17 at Disney's
California Adventure theme park.
Independence Day Sparkles Across Walt Disney World Resort With
Star-Spangled Pyrotechnics Performances
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- A popular July 4th
tradition at Walt Disney World Resort will continue this year as
star-spangled salutes to America's independence are presented all
across the Florida Vacation Kingdom.
Here's some of the fireworks fun scheduled for July 4
this year:
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A Fourth of July "Concert in the Sky" will light
up the night at Magic Kingdom in honor of Independence Day.
Featuring a magnificent display of aerial fireworks, dazzling
pyrotechnic effects and dynamic music, the show, entitled
"Disney's Celebrate America!-A Fourth of July Concert in the
Sky," is a grand tribute to the United States, its people and
traditions. The special show is scheduled for 9 p.m. Magic
Kingdom also will feature two performances of the "SpectroMagic"
nighttime parade, first at 10:30 p.m. and then again at 12:30
a.m. that same night.
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A holiday-inspired finale will be added to
Epcot's nightly fireworks extravaganza, "Illuminations:
Reflections of Earth." The park's American Adventure pavilion
also will feature enhanced entertainment throughout the day,
with visits from historic characters who will share their
stories. American Adventure also will feature additional
performances of its signature musical group, Voices of Liberty,
performing patriotic classics.
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Disney's Hollywood Studios will present a special
July 4th fireworks show at 9 p.m., with skyrockets and patriotic
music filling the air at the showbiz-themed park. The park's
popular "Fantasmic!" show, featuring fireworks, animation,
dancing waters and Disney characters, will be presented on July
4 at 10:30 p.m.
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Downtown Disney will present July 4th fireworks
at 10:30 p.m. for the revelers, shoppers and diners enjoying the
nighttime entertainment district.
The Wave Opens at Disney's Contemporary Resort With Plenty of
Healthy Choices and an Innovative Wine List
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- A new Disney dining
experience, The Wave, has opened at Disney's Contemporary Resort,
serving breakfast, lunch and dinner daily in a 220-seat restaurant
that takes casual dining into the health-conscious 21st century.
The classic American breakfast menu includes plenty
of egg creations, but guests also can make their own Wave muesli or
sip a Beta Berry Smoothie with raspberry puree and non-fat yogurt
blended with Odwalla Berries GoMega (a great source of Omega-3). The
Pure Sunshine breakfast cocktail features organic vodka and orange
juice topped with Vitamin Energy Drink. Coffee is organic Colombian
(fair trade and "Smithsonian-certified bird-friendly") and teas are
whole leaf Pyramid bags in flavors from chamomile blossoms to
monsoon chai.
At lunch, light eaters might enjoy lettuce wraps with
sautéed lamb and bay scallops, or a lump crab cake with crispy
papaya slaw. Entrées range from oversized salads and a vegetarian
sandwich with grilled tofu, roasted veggies and herb goat cheese on
multi-grain bread to an Angus chuck burger with cheese and Applewood
smoked bacon, or a classic grilled Reuben.
The dinner menu offers a delicious spin on comfort
classics such as pan-seared Alaskan black cod with corn and edamame
(soybean) stew with cilantro chutney; braised lamb shank with bulgur
lentil stew and red wine sauce, and a nouvelle chicken pot pie with
thyme pastry. Sides at both lunch and dinner include braised greens
and roasted sweet potatoes and carrots.
The innovative wine list has a quirky claim to fame
-- all screw caps, no corks. Cutting-edge wines from around the
globe are showcased on the list.
Tampa Bay Bucs Return to Disney for NFL Training Camp
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers
will come back for their seventh NFL training camp at Disney's Wide
World of Sports Complex, from July 26-Aug. 14.
The team's daily practices are free and open to the
public, with the schedule often incorporating two-a-day sessions in
the morning and afternoon.
Featuring one of the league's most animated head
coaches, the Jon Gruden-led Bucs seek to build on their winning ways
from 2007 with a collection of established stars such as quarterback
Jeff Garcia, linebacker Derrick Brooks and cornerback Ronde Barber.
The 2008 season will also see the return of Warrick
Dunn back into the Buccaneer fold. The diminutive, big-play tailback
spent his first five seasons with Tampa Bay, totaling more than
6,500 yards of offense and 26 touchdowns.
A fertile breeding ground for success, the Buccaneers
have produced three division titles and one Super Bowl championship
since first arriving at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex in
2002. Fans once again will be allowed the unique access to witness
the daily workouts and drills that NFL players undertake in
preparation for the rigorous regular season, along with routine
autograph opportunities following practice.
'Sounds Like Summer' Brings Tribute Bands to Epcot Through Aug. 10
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Timeless tunes performed by
tribute bands have guests groovin' at Epcot America Gardens Theatre
during the return of the Sounds Like Summer concert series.
The series, which began June 9 and runs through Aug.
10, features a lineup of 'tribute' bands covering famous tunes that
have been performed by some of the greatest artists from around the
globe. Concerts are included in Epcot admission.
The lineup of acts for July and August (talent
subject to change) includes:
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June 30-July 10: Bjorn Again (A Tribute to
ABBA)
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July 11-20: Slippery When Wet (A Tribute
to Bon Jovi)
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July 21-27: 52nd Street (A Tribute to
Billy Joel)
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July 28-Aug. 3: Captain Fantastic (A
Tribute to Elton John)
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Aug. 4-10: The Sounds of The Supremes (A
Tribute to The Supremes)
Crab-Catching Stars of TV's 'Deadliest Catch' Slated to Appear at
Epcot
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The Norway pavilion at
Epcot will host Sig Hansen -- one of the featured stars on the
popular reality series on The Discovery Channel, "The Deadliest
Catch" -- for an in-park appearance July 10-13, 2008. Hansen will
appear inside The Puffin's Roost, the pavilion's merchandise
location, each day. He will be joined by his brothers, Edgar and
Norman Hansen, who also appear on the show.
A fourth-generation Norwegian fisherman, Sig Hansen
is the captain of the Northwestern, one of the crab-catching
vessels on "The Deadliest Catch." He, Edgar and Norman own and
operate the Northwestern. Based in Seattle, Wash., the
Hansens have fished together for nearly 20 years.
The Hansens' crab-catching skills on the television
show also have inspired "Deadliest Catch: Alaskan Storm," a video
game for the Xbox 360 system.
In addition to signing autographs and posing for
photos, the Hansens will have Northwestern merchandise for
sale during their Epcot appearance.
Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa Celebrates Two Decades
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- On July 1, 1988, Disney's
Grand Floridian Resort & Spa opened its doors and invited Walt
Disney World guests to rediscover a bygone era of elegance and
luxury among the gabled roofs and Victorian balustrades of a
turn-of-the-century seaside resort.
In the two decades that followed, approximately 15
million guests have enjoyed the splendor of its 867 deluxe
accommodations and the gracious hospitality of its cast members.
Countless others have been enchanted by the creative cuisine of its
incomparable restaurants, including Narcoossee's, Cítricos and
Victoria & Albert's, a consecutive recipient of the annual AAA
Five-Diamond Award since 2000.
Disney's flagship resort is celebrating its 20th
anniversary with plenty of "grand" new magic for Grand Floridian
guests, including extensive renovations completed in late 2007 that
upgraded its guest rooms with sophisticated new furnishings, carpet,
drapes, bedspreads, flat-screen televisions and more.
Also new is the latest yacht to bear the Grand 1
name, a 52-foot Sea Ray pleasure craft available for chartered
cruises across the tranquil waters of Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay
Lake, and a floating view of nighttime fireworks spectaculars above
Magic Kingdom.
Coming soon is an opulent marble floor to be
showcased throughout the hotel's main lobby and mezzanine. Designed
by the creative minds of Walt Disney Imagineering, the lavish
enhancement will add another magical touch to a destination resort
created as a fantasy image of Florida's past.
For rates and availability of Grand Floridian rooms
and suites, guests may call 407/W-DISNEY or visit
disneyworld.com.
'Journey Into Narnia: Prince Caspian' Comes to Life In New
Experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Some of the characters from
the timeless fantasy "The Chronicles of Narnia" come to life in a
new experience at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park.
"Journey Into Narnia: Prince Caspian," an all-new
soundstage experience (opening in late June), offers an in-depth and
unique look into the making of "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince
Caspian," the hit motion picture released in May 2008 by Walt Disney
Pictures and Walden Media Films.
The journey begins at the attraction queue where
guests can test their knowledge of the "Narnia" stories. Next,
guests will have an option of participating in a meet and greet with
Prince Caspian himself. Or, fans have the option to head directly
into the new movie attraction "Journey Into Narnia: Prince Caspian."
The soundstage experience features a
behind-the-scenes look at the making of the film with narration from
director Andrew Adamson. Guests also can view authentic props from
the movie set and costumes worn by the actors and actresses in the
film.
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