Disney News 2008

ANAHEIM, Calif., April 8, 2008— In beloved recognition and gratitude for her service as Honorary Ambassador of Disneyland’s 50th anniversary celebration, Disneyland Resort Cast Members today presented legendary star Julie Andrews with a unique dedication that will forever ensure her place in Disneyland’s storied history.

07 April 2008
DISNEY PARKS ANNOUNCES TOP THREE FINALISTS FOR CHIEF MAGIC OFFICIAL

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA., APRIL 7, 2008 – After three captivating weeks of online voting for Disney Parks’ Top 10 Chief Magic Official (CMO) candidates, Disney Parks and CareerBuilder.com today announced the top three CMO finalists: David Hawley of Roseville, Calif., Justin Vance Muchoney from Seven Fields, Pa. and Tripp West from Powder Springs, Ga.

04 April 2008
A CELEBRATION FIT FOR A PRINCESS - DISNEY PARKS OFFERS DREAM-COME-TRUE QUINCEAÑERAS IN GRAND STYLE TO 15 LUCKY GIRLS
ANAHEIM, Calif. – March 28, 2008 – Pixie-dusted dreams will come true April 24 for 15 young ladies from across the United States and Puerto Rico when they celebrate their Quinceañeras with an enchanted experience in front of Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland Resort in Southern California. 

ANAHEIM, Calif., Jan. 25, 2008— Disney's California Food and Wine Festival presents the magic of cooking and the artistry of fine wine at the Disneyland Resort this spring, part of the Resort's celebration of the “Year of a Million Dreams.”

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Goofy catches a topiary wave while Mickey Mouse and gal pal Minnie chill at the "beach" for the 15th annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival March 19-June 1 at Walt Disney World Resort. Last year's popular 60-day event has sprouted runners and expands to 75 days, with a first-ever March launch offering oceans of floral fantasy and gardening fun for spring break visitors to the Vacation Kingdom.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – March 21, 2008 – Innovative new attractions and colorful, new live entertainment are coming to the Disneyland Resort this spring and summer to entertain guests during The Year of a Million Dreams.

Disney Parks guests will don 3-D glasses and enter a wild and wooly 4-D world of Woody the Cowboy and Buzz Lightyear when Toy Story Mania! premieres this summer. The attraction will debut on both coasts: at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, and along the Paradise Pier midway in Disney’s California Adventure at Disneyland Resort in California.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – March 14, 2008 - All the exciting and colorful worlds of the Disney•Pixar pals – from “Toy Story,” “a bug’s life,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles,” “Cars” and “Ratatouille” – will come to life in the all-new “Pixar Play Parade,” debuting March 14, 2008, in Disney’s California Adventure as part of the Year of a Million Dreams celebration at Disneyland Resort.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – March 14, 2008 – A whole new cast of friends from “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “Little Einsteins,” “Handy Manny” and more welcome children and their parents to the all-new “Playhouse Disney Live on Stage!” debuting March 14 at Disney’s California Adventure.

ANAHEIM, Calif., (February 13, 2008) – The Disneyland Resort today announced a five-year alliance with Microsoft, HP, Life|ware and home builder Taylor Morrison to showcase integrated digital technologies for the home in the immersive, story-telling experiences for which Disney is known. 

ANAHEIM, Calif. - Today,  the Top 10 semi-finalists for Disney Parks’ Chief Magic Official (CMO) joined the online campaign trail to ask America to cast votes for the first-ever CMO who will oversee magic throughout Disney Parks. The semi-finalists were chosen from more than 1,300 applicants who applied to be the Disney CMO in a national search contest sponsored by CareerBuilder.com.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Feb. 7, 2008) -- Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will create an "American Idol" attraction that will bring the television and pop culture phenomenon to life at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, it was jointly announced today by Jay Rasulo, chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts; Simon Fuller, CEO of 19 Entertainment; and Keith Hindle, executive vice president of FremantleMedia Licensing.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – February 5, 2008 – It’s a celebration that has Mickey Mouse’s name written all over it … well, half of his name, anyway. The most famous Mouse of all is inviting families to celebrate the Lunar New Year and Year of the Mouse at Disneyland Resort, the place “Where Dreams Come True.”

GLENDALE, ARIZ. – From the Super Bowl “field of dreams” to the place “where dreams come true,” Super Bowl XLII MVP Eli Manning of the New York Giants Sunday night became the latest sports hero to seal victory by shouting the famous phrase “I’m going to Disneyland!”

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Spaceship Earth, the iconic centerpiece of Epcot, relaunches in February with changes and refinements installed during more than seven months of construction and detailing.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – January 29, 2008 – A new name and face are joining the ranks of those infamous pirates whose images appear inside the entrance to “Pirates of the Caribbean” in Disneyland.

DREAMING IN DISNEYLAND---Christine Terwilliger of Salem, Oregon (fourth from left), became the first-ever winner of an overnight stay inside Disneyland park in California. Shown here entering the Suite with her family, was randomly selected today (Thursday, Jan. 31) to spend the first night in the new Disneyland Dream Suite, located above Pirates of the Caribbean in the New Orleans Square area of Disneyland.

ANAHEIM, Calif. – January 29, 2008 – For the first time in history, lucky guests will have the chance to spend an unforgettable night inside Disneyland Park during the Year of a Million Dreams, most nights starting January 31, 2008, as part of the 2008 Disney Dreams Giveaway. 

ANAHEIM, Calif., Jan. 25, 2008— Disney's California Food and Wine Festival presents the magic of cooking and the artistry of fine wine at the Disneyland Resort this spring, part of the Resort's celebration of the “Year of a Million Dreams.”

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- The storybook setting and amorous ambiance of Walt Disney World Resort has lovebirds flocking to the Vacation Kingdom for a romantic getaway. Moonlit strolls, luxurious spas and intimate dining make it feel like Valentine's Day every day at the Vacation Kingdom.

BURBANK, Calif. – From Never Land to flying carpets to the forested domain of an Indian princess, stars travel to their very own Fantasylands in a new round of celebrity images from famed photographer Annie Leibovitz.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Friday, Jan. 18, 2008) -- Walt Disney World Resort Thursday night opened the doors of the magic behind Disney to 100 creative and imaginative teens from all across the United States -- from New York to New Orleans, from Compton, Calif., to Wichita, Kan. -- at the kickoff of the inaugural Disney's Dreamers Academy. Working with nationally syndicated radio personality Steve Harvey, Disney developed the innovative program for launch during "The Year of a Million Dreams" and fittingly scheduled activities to occur during Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, a national celebration of the ultimate dreamer.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Enter a wonderland of enchanting princesses and swashbuckling adventurers during Disney's Pirate and Princess Party returning to Magic Kingdom for 13 magical nights beginning Jan. 21, 2008.

  CELEBRATION, Fla. -- Disney Cruise Line will transform one of the most beloved animated features of all time into a stage spectacular aboard the Disney Wonder cruise ship when "Toy Story-The Musical" makes its debut at the Walt Disney Theatre this spring. This is the first time the popular Disney•Pixar classic has been adapted for the stage.

BURBANK, CA., JANUARY 8, 2008 – Do you wish your M.D. really stood for “Magic Director?” Or perhaps that your Ph.D. had something to do with Pixie Dust? As millions of Americans resolve to search for a new job this New Year, Disney Parks may have just the position they’ve been waiting for!

ANAHEIM, Calif. (January 3, 2008) -– As Disney Parks celebrate the “Year of a Million Dreams,” local Disneyland Resort guests can experience the magic of the celebration first-hand with the value-packed “Southern California 2Fer Ticket” that features admission to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks on two different days –- all for the price of one park!