Tour of Buena Vista Street at California Adventure is next Limited Time Magic

Disney continues its tour a theme park with an Imagineer for its Limited Time Magic.

Buena Vista Street in this Disneyland publicity photo.

In this installment, from Dec. 9-13, 2013, you can take a tour of Buena Vista Street at California Adventure with an Imagineer.

The tour will focus on the architecture, design, music and even the replica of an authentic Red Car Trolley which Walt encountered on him coming to California, according to the Limited Time Magic website.

The space is limit and you must register at the Disney Parks Blog to get a spot.

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Special tour of Magic Kingdom in Disney World with VP Phil Holmes available

Disney publicity photo of Magic Kingdom

Vice President Phil Holmes.

Disney is offering a special tour of the Magic Kingdom with Magic Kingdom Vice President Phil Holmes as part of a special Limited Time Magic in Decembers.

On Dec. 9, 10, 11, 17 and 20, 2013, Holmes will take guests on a walkthrough of the park and talk about how the park and its Cast Members still look to Walt Disney for inspiration, according to the Limited Time Magic website.

Holmes is one of the original Cast Members from when Disney World opened in 1971. He wore the costume of a grim Haunted Mansion greeter in Liberty Square when the Magic Kingdom opened.

This is a special tour with very limited space so you need to register at the Disney Parks Blog to have chance.

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A Secret Santa Celebration coming to Disney World

The Limited Time Magic theme featuring Duffy continues.

From Dec. 9 to 13, 2013, at the Magic Kingdom in Disney World, you will be able to stop and see Mickey Mouse's favorite bear - Duffy - by the Town Square Christmas tree and get a hug.

In addition, there will also be a special keepsake card. And each of the Disney characters in the mark will have a special card as well after you take your picture with them, according to the Limited Time Magic website.

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Learn to be an Elf at Disneyland as a Limited Time Magic

You can learn to be an elf at the California Adventure in Disneyland as part of the Dec. 9- 15, 2013 Limited Time Magic.

At the Redwood Creek Challenge Trail in Disneyland guests are put through the ringer to learn to Santa's helper. As a new recruit you will head over the Jingle Bell Bridge, learn about Stocking Stuffing and and Present Tracking.

In the end you will receive your own official Elf name and learn the secret Elf Handshake, according to Disney's Limited Time Magic site.

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Smile of The Day: A view of Cinderella Castle lit up down Main Street

The holidays are in full swing at The Magic Kingdom in Disney World. Here is a view of the castle lit up down Main Street Street. This is taken before the Christmas tree was erected.

© Steven Liebman

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Walt Disney's birthplace being restored and preserved

The move to restore Walt and Roy Disney's birthplace in Chicago back to its 1901 state has started.

Google Street View of Disney birthplace

The house at 2156 North Tripp Ave. was was designed by Walt and Roy's mother Flora and built by their father, Elias in 1893. Elias also built two other houses on the same block as wells the St. Paul Congregational Church, according to a city of Chicago statement.

The home owners, Brent Young and Dina Benadon, own a production studio in California focusing on creating theme park rides and credit Walt Disney for inspiring their careers. They purchased the home with the intent on restoration and preservation.

"Our dream is that the home will serve as a place to inspire creativity in our children for generations to come," Benadon said.

"On behalf of the Disney family, we are so pleased to see Walt Disney's historic birthplace and family home being restored to its humble origins in the City of Chicago," said Roy Patrick Disney, grandson to Roy O. Disney and Walt's great nephew, in a statement.

The project is being financed through Kickstarter. For more information they have create the following website: www.thewaltdisneybirthplace.org.

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Historic Disney Photo: Happy Birthday Walt Disney

Happy Birthday Walt Disney.

Walter Elias Disney is born in Chicago on Dec. 5, 1901 to Elias Disney and Flora Call Disney. In 1906 the Disney family moved to Marceline, Missouri where Walt grew up on a farm.

In 1910, the family sold the farm due to Elias Disney's poor health. In 1911, the family moved to Kansas City, Missouri where Walt discovers and falls in love with vaudeville and movies, according to the Walt Disney Family Museum.

Below is a portrait of Walt Disney taken in 1954 from  NASA photograph.

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WesJet unveils a Mickey Mouse Sorcerer airplane

WesJet is the latest airline to create a custom Disney plane.

WesJet publicity photo

The Calgary-based airline painted a 737-800 aircraft featuring Mickey Mouse as Sorcerer Mickey. The plane took its inaugural flight this past week.

The plane was painted with 36 different colors, according to a new release from Disney. It took 26 people 24 days to paint the plane which has mirror images on both sides of the plane.

The plane, which is expected to fly more than 400,000 guests over the next five years will be serving Disney shaped character cookies.

WestJet has 39 flights to Orlando during peak winters months from Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Hamilton, London, Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Halifax, Moncton and St. John’s, Newfoundland.

In November, Alaska Airlines unveiled its fifth Disney-themed planefeaturing images of Disney-Pixar's "Cars" characters.

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Special 'Christmas sweater t-shirts' available from Disney

This is the time of the year that many people receive Christmas sweaters from family.

But wearing these sweaters in Orlando when visiting Disney World during the holidays is a bit problematic. Especially when the temperature goes into the 80s, as it has the past few days. So, Disney is now letting you wear the Christmas sweater with a little twist. They made four of them into t-shirts.

We found these four at the World of Disney Store at Disney World's Downtown Disney location and thought they are phenomenal. The cost is $24.95 each and all are created in classic Christmas sweater style.

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Smile of The Day: Osborne Soldiers

Here is one of the many photos we took during this year's visit to the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights. We will come back with a more complete essay in a short while.

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Historic Walt Disney Photo: Walt in 1935

Here is another in a series of historic photos of Walt Disney. Here is a nice portrait of him, taken in 1935.

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Monsters University segment at Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor

On our winter trip here in Disney World, we revisited the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor in the Tomorrowland area of the Magic Kingdom and was delighted to see an update in the pre-show and main show.

For those unfamiliar with the show, follows the exploits from the original "Monsters, Inc." movie. After finding out that laughter powers the city of Monstropolis better than screams, Mike Wazowski comes up with the idea of bringing humans to the monster world to see a comedy show, this capturing the human laughter to power things.

The show updates involve incorporating elements from the "Monsters University" movie which came out earlier this year.

The first change can be seen in the pre-show. Instead of the segment rewritten from the original "Monsters, Inc." in which the Child Detection Agency was altered to the Comedy Detection Agency, the changed segment involves showing how monsters gain their comedic prowess through Monsters University School of Laughing.

Inside the show, Marty Wazowski, who is Mike Wazowski's nephew, starts out in front of a Monsters University entryway talking about how he would like to go to MU and how MU taught many to be funny.

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Historic Disney Photo: Walt Disney and head of rocket program

A variety of people have worked with Walt Disney over the yeas. Dr. Werhner von Braun who built the V2 rocket for Germany and after World War II came to the U.S. and worked for the U.S. government, was also a Disney employee for a short time.

In the1950's, von Braun worked with Disney Studio as a technical director, making three films about space exploration for television.

Here is a photo of Disney and von Braun in 1954, when von Braun was Chief, Guided Missile Development Operation Division at Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama.

Wikimedia Commons

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Holidays around the World at Epcot kicks off

Holiday festivities are in full swing at Disney World with the Holidays Around the World at Epcot.

Disney publicity photo

The Canadian Holiday Voyageurs perform at 

the Canda pavilion.

If you are heading down to the Disney World this December, you will find what Disney is terming "An International Yuletide Extravaganza" at Epcot. 

Each pavilion hosts special holiday festivities, performances, food and sharing of traditions. Here is the breakdown of what you will find around the World Showcase.

Here is what's going on:

American Adventure:  Meet Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus and celebrate the traditions of Hanukkah and discover the spirit of Kwanzaa.

Canada:  The Canadian Holiday Voyageurs go on a musical tour as you explore seasonal customs.

China:  The agile Monkey King weaves his tall tale with twists and turns celebrating Chinese New Year.

France:  Père Noël shares the joy of the season through a Christmas letter from a child.

Germany:  Helga tells the story of the first Christmas tree and the tale of her first Nutcracker.

Italy: The the kind-hearted witch La Befana  arrives on the eve of the Epiphany to grant gifts to good children.

Japan:  The story of the Daruma doll and the Japanese customs of the New Year are shared.

Mexico: Los Tres Reyes Magos, the Three Kings, is celebrated as they tell of their journey to the Posada and traditions today.

Morocco: Join Taarji, a Moroccan drummer, reflects on family traditions commemorating the holiday of Ramadan.

Norway:  Sigrid teaches about Julenissen, the Christmas Gnome.

United Kingdom: Meet Father Christmas, dating back to 15th-century England.

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New Santa Mickey and Minnie Santa hats are out for the Holidays

The latest Limited Time Magic at Disneyland and Disney World are new Santa Mickey and Minnie Santa hats.

This is the latest ear hat in the Year of the Ear series. At Disney World, it could be found  by the Emporium and other  locations throughout Magic Kingdom.

At Disneyland it could be purchased at at the  Fantasyland Mad Hatter and other locations.

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Donating Duffy the Disney Bear is the next Limited Time Magic

The gift of giving is the next Limited Time Magic at Disney World.

From Dec. 2 to 8, 2013, you can donate a Duffy the Disney Bear to the Toys for Tots program for $5 at the Once Upon a To or World of Disney Store at the Downtown Disney in Disney World.

The $5 purchase does not qualify as a charitable donation, according to the Disney Limited Time Magic website.

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Spend Thanksgiving with Lady Gaga and the Muppets

What are we thankful for this Thanksgiving? A new TV special featuring the Muppets.

Miss Piggy, Lady Gaga and Kermit

"Lady Gaga & the Muppets' Holiday Spectacular" will air on ABC at 9:30 on Thanksgiving night. The 90-minute special includes Gaga and Kermit the Frog performing songs from her album "Artpop." Also appearing with the Muppets: Elton John, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, RuPaul and Kristen Bell.

And what's a network TV show these days without a love triangle? Gaga and Kermit perform a duet of her song "Gypsy." We can't wait to see how that sits with Miss Piggy.

Also expect classic holiday tunes -- including Jingle Bells and Deck the Halls -- performed by the Muppets.

Gaga will also been seen in the next Muppets movie, "Muppets Most Wanted," due March 21.

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Disney historic photo: Walt Disney in 1912 at gathering of newsboys

Would you believe that Walt Disney was a "newsie."

Here is a photo of 10-year-old Walt Disney (center, right) at a gathering of the Kansas City newsboys in 1912.

Wikimedia Commons

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The Simpsons parody Disney's Silly Symphonies "MusicLand" short

The Simpsons are well known for taking classic movies and television and turning them into hilarious and even touching parodies for the couch gags at the start of the episode.

Whether a take off on AMC's "Breaking Bad" or HBO's "Game of Thrones," a parody of the Harem Shake viral video or an homage to the film "The Longest Daycare," the family from Springfield have now taken on Disney.

The Simpsons have paid homage to Disney's "MusicLand" a Silly Symphonies short from 1935. "MusicLand" merges jazz and classical music, none of the characters speak through sound and musical tones.

The gag is called "‘MusicVille" with all of the The Simpsons characters as musical instruments. They live in a jazz world where Mr. Burns tries to change it into a classical music world.

Here's the original "Musicland" and . . .

. . . and The Simpson's "MusicVille" parody.

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3 Disney theme park division executives are laid off

Three upper-level executives from the Walt Disney Co.'s theme park division have been laid off, according to the Orlando Sentinel 

The senior vice president of park sales and services, Rick Continelli; and two vice presidents fro the information technology group, Laura Hall and Allen Fazio have been let go.

The changes are part of an overall restructuring of the parks division, the newspaper said. The latest moves bring to six the total number of executives who have been laid off in the recent months.

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