Winter 2009 vol. 18 no. 4 - Disney Vacation Club · 2018-11-15 · curved braces from the wall. If you want to really impress (or annoy) your traveling party, make a snooty reference

Winter 2009 vol. 18 no. 4

Disney Files Magazine is published

by the good people at

Disney Vacation Club

P.O. Box 10350

Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830

All dates, times, events and prices

printed herein are subject to

change without notice. (Our lawyers

do a happy dance when we say that.)

MOVING?

Update your mailing address

online at www.dvcmember.com

MEMBERSHIP QUESTIONS?

Contact Member Services from

9 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Eastern daily at

(800) 800-9800 or (407) 566-3800

Fax Number: (407) 938-4151

E-mail Member Services at:

[email protected]

Stay up to date on the news between

magazines at www.dvcmember.com

This edition’s cover art by Don “Ducky” Williams

DVC-MBR-65-I

I look at this edition of Disney FilesMagazine, and I see a world of laughter. A world oftears. A world of hope. A world of fears. (Well maybe not tears or fears, but stay with me.)I’m reminded that there’s so much that we share. That it’s time we’re aware. Sing it with menow. “It’s a small world after all.”

To help celebrate the debut of Disney Vacation Club’s first California resort (cover andpages 2-4), we’ve reached beyond our home state of Florida to deliver a broader mix of newsand perspectives than ever. This puppy’s so global and happy that it should’ve been deliveredby a pack of singing dolls. (Stupid budget constraints.)

Let’s begin our journey in the aforementioned Golden State, where D23, the officialcommunity for Disney fans, recently hosted the first D23 Expo. Fans gathered. News broke.Films premiered. Legends were crowned. (Or inducted. But we think there should’ve beencrowns.) And your Disney Files staff recorded the highlights for those unable to attend(pages 5-6). Perhaps you were too busy sailing on the S.S. Member Cruise to attend theExpo. If not, check out the cruise recap on page 7.

Staying out west, we’re pleased to report that President Abraham Lincoln has returnedto Disneyland® Park (page 17). Alright, so it’s a state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics®representation of honest Abe. We’re just glad he’s back, advancing the art form, inspiringGuests and preparing to intervene if any tensions mount between Critter Country and NewOrleans Square. (That’s right, a Civil War joke. Too soon?) Throw in some notes about a newDowntown Disney® “studio,” a new Main Street, U.S.A.® window honoring a great friend ofDisney FilesMagazine and transformation plans for the iconic DisneylandHotel (all on page21), and we’ve covered California like Seacrest on a red carpet. (For more Seacrest references,see pages 8 and 25.)

Further broadening our scope, we present Walt Disney Imagineering’s blue-skyconcepts for the expansion of Hong Kong Disneyland® Park (page 18) and span the globe tobreak down the merry mix of holiday happenings at Disney Parks everywhere (pages 19-20).

Add an exclusive visit with the creators of The Princess and the Frog (pages 23-24), anexploration of Disney’s connections to the film’s “hometown” (pages 27-28) and a fun lookat Members enjoying their magazine during worldwide travels (pages 29-30), and you havean editorial reminder that there is just one moon and one golden sun. That a smile meansfriendship to everyone. That, while the mountains divide, and the oceans are wide, it’s asmall world after all. (Note to self: no more Fantasyland® rides before writing.)

Welcome home,

Ryan MarchDisney Files Editor

Disneyphiles (Diz-nee-fyles) noun, plural:

really cool people who love, or are attracted to, all things Disney

Disney Files (Diz-nee-fyles) noun, plural:

a really cool magazine for Disney Vacation Club

Members, the ultimate Disneyphiles Illustration by Keelan Parham

Disney FilesMagazine proudly usesrecycled paper and soy-based ink.

In 2005, as DisneyParks prepared to mark thegolden anniversary of theDisneyland® Resort with“The Happiest CelebrationOn Earth,” DisneyVacation Club saw a

goldenopportunity.

WhileDisneyland Resort

Hotels had long beenpart of our Disney

Collection of exchange resorts, we knewthat Members wanted – and deserved – much more at theplace that started it all. We recognized that Disney VacationClub wouldn’t even exist without Walt’s fulfilled vision inthose Southern California orange groves, and we werecommitted to bringing our magical community full circle.

Step one, achieved during an astonishingly fast 14-weekeffort, was establishing our first Disney Vacation Club salesoperations in Anaheim. With Guests discovering the “best-kept Disney Secret” at Information Centers throughout theDisneyland Resort and learning more about the magic ofMembership through our new onsite preview center (where aminiature doll-house-style replica of Disney’s SaratogaSprings Resort & Spa accommodations preceded oureventual full-scale model room), we officially became part ofthe Disneyland family and opened new doors for ourMember community.

Our heightened presence at this landmark Disneydestination immediately enhanced the Member experience,with new Member perks, attraction previews and Memberevents making the Disneyland Resort feel a lot more like“home.” We were proud of what we achieved in Anaheim insuch a short amount of time, but we were far from satisfied.(We rarely are.) We understood that, for Members to reallyfeel at home, we needed to build them a “home.”

Fast forward to 2007, and we were raising walls on The Villasat Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa, the first DisneyVacation Club Resort accommodations on the West Coast.Granted, the wall I helped raise personally was purely ceremonial,but the real ones soon followed with remarkable speed.Construction work on this ambitious project was so smooth, infact, that this new addition to your neighborhood was able towelcome its first Members “home” in September, well ahead of

our originally announced November opening date.I’m so pleased to see Member families enjoying their

new California “home” and being part of Disney history.Some are experiencing our villa-style accommodations forthe first time. Others are discovering how the iconic hotel’sCalifornia Arts and Crafts style has influenced the amenitiesthey’ve come to enjoy in other Disney Vacation Club Resorts.And all are reminding us that this golden dream was worthdreaming.

page 2 dvcmember.com

Disney Vacation Club President Jim Lewis, left, assists Mickey

Mouse at a 2007 “wall-raising” ceremony marking the official

start of construction on The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian

Hotel & Spa.

R E A L I Z I N G A G O L D E N D R E A M

FROM THE DESK OF JIM LEWIStop news & perspectives

by Jim Lewis, President, Disney Vacation Club

If you’re an avid reader of Disney Files Magazine (and we trust that you are), you already know a lot about The Villas at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa, now open at the Disneyland® Resort in Anaheim.

For example, you know that the 50 new two-bedroom-equivalent Disney Vacation Club villas – the first on theWest Coast – reflect the California Arts and Crafts movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, showcased inpainstaking detail throughout the hotel. You’re aware of the hidden Mickeys in the villas’ carpeting and the Pinocchiocues detailing bathroom walls. You even know that Mariposa (the new pool nearby) is Spanish for “butterfly.”

But how much do you really know about the grand hotel upon which the new villas were built? Are you trulyprepared to impress others with your knowledge of its art, architecture, flora and fauna? Are you suitably equippedto beat your traveling party in a spontaneous game of “name that beam style?” We can’t leave anything to chance.

So to help celebrate the newest addition to the Disney Vacation Club neighborhood, your Disney Files staff ispleased to present this handy guide to Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa fun facts. We’ll even give you theconversation starters. It’s what we do.


Where: Front of hotelWhat: Trellis-like entry gateYou say: “Unmistakably Bernie.”

The entry gate was inspired by renowned architect BernardMaybeck’s designs for the Lawson House, built in the SanFrancisco Bay Area after the great earthquake of 1906. Thescored lines and tile accents seen on the hotel’s exterior alsoreflect the influence of Maybeck, who’s noted as beingamong the first architects to use cement in his buildings.

Where: The Porte CochereWhat: The vintage car on displayYou say: “Quick everyone, name that Clooney film!”

This 1932 Cadillac V-8 seven-passenger sedan has been usedin Hollywood as a studio prop, appearing in such televisionshows as “Charmed” and in a variety of feature films,including the George Clooney-starring O Brother, Where ArtThou?, released in 2000 by Disney’s Touchstone Pictures.

Where: Great Hall (lobby) What: Grandfather clock near Acorn’s Gifts and GoodsYou point, jump up and down, and scream: “Mouse!”

Specially commissioned for the hotel, the wooden clockfeatures a hand-hammered copper face that, upon closerinspection, reveals a hidden silhouette of the big cheese.(Mickey, not Bob Iger.)

Where: Great Hall What: Ceiling beamsYou point to the ceiling and shout: “Hammer time!”

The style used for the Great Hall trusses is called hammerbeam, an architectural term describing a Gothic, open-timber roof design. To give the roof greater height at its

center, crews cut through traditional tie beams and supportthe remaining portions, known as hammer beams, withcurved braces from the wall. If you want to really impress(or annoy) your traveling party, make a snooty reference toEngland’s Westminster Hall, which houses what manyexperts believe is the finest example of hammer beam roofs.

Where: Hearthstone Lounge What: The “three-circle” chandeliers hanging from the ceilingYou say: “I’m getting flashbacks to Berkeley!”

Insipired by a Bernard Maybeck design, which featuresthree identically sized circles, Imagineers shrunk the uppertwo circles in their version, paying homage to the samemouse celebrated in the aforementioned clock. The originalMaybeck chandelier is located in the First Church of ChristScientist in Berkeley, Calif., which is the only Berkeleybuilding to be designated as a National Landmark.

Where: Storytellers Café What: The seven, six-foot murals depicting life in CaliforniaYou say: “Bet you can’t name all seven stories!”

From west to east, the murals draw inspiration from TheCruise of the Dazzler by Jack London, The Mark of Zorro byJohnston McCulley, Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck, TheCalifornians by Gertrude Atherton, the Miwok IndianLegend Ahwahnee Tale, The Celebrated Jumping Frog ofCalaveras County by Mark Twain and Island of the BlueDolphins by Scott O’Dell.

Where: Anywhere at the hotel (making this one particularly useful)What: Anything made of woodYou say: “There must be about 30 varieties of wood in this place!”

You’d be right. (Smarty.)


Disney leaders, visionaries, legends and celebritiesgathered in California with fans this fall for the first D23Expo, turning the Anaheim Convention Center into a news-breaking, buzz-building, secret-revealing wonderland of allthings Disney.

Presented by D23, the official community for Disneyfans, the sprawling exhibition pressed the Disney FilesMagazine staff into “double-duty,” gathering news from thePacific while presenting similar sneak peeks in the Atlantic(as in the ocean) as part of the S.S. Member Cruise 2009 (seepage 7).

“This was an extraordinary stretch of days for ourcompany,” said Disney FilesMagazine Editor Ryan March.“All of us at Disney Vacation Club were excited to be part ofthe Expo, giving fans an inside look at The Villas at Disney’sGrand Californian Hotel® & Spa, while at the same time,partnering with our friends at D23 to share someunbelievable sneak peeks from the Walt Disney Studios withMembers at sea. Disney fans have never had this level ofaccess to official insider information, which makes this areally fun time to be in the Disney-news business.”

For those unable to attend, here are a few of our favoritenews items from the D23 Expo.

Legendary: Bea Arthur, Estelle Getty, Rue McClanahan andBetty White, stars of the Disney-produced television series“The Golden Girls,” were among the 2009 Disney LegendsAward honorees. (To each golden girl we say, “Thank you forbeing a friend.”) Other new legends included Tony Anselmo,the raspy voice of Donald Duck; Bill Farmer, the goofy voiceof, well, Goofy (Bill had a busy week, appearing at both theexpo and the S.S. Member Cruise); Harry Archinal, theformer President of Buena Vista International who helpedexpand Disney’s cinematic presence outside of the United

States; Don Iwerks, son of Disney Legend Ub Iwerks and thedeveloper of revolutionary film systems used in landmarkDisney films and attractions; Leota Toombs Thomas, a WaltDisney Imagineer immortalized as the disembodied head ofMadame Leota in The Haunted Mansion attraction; andHollywood A-lister Robin Williams, whose acting creditsinclude such Disney films as Aladdin, Good MorningVietnam, Dead Poets Society and Old Dogs.

The ceremony continued a 22-year tradition (actor FredMacMurray became the first Disney Legend in 1987) andcreated a rare opportunity for fans to witness the typicallyprivate festivities. Like the 227 legends who preceded them,the new inductees participated in a special hand-printceremony, creating molds for bronze plaques that will gracethe pillars of Disney Legends Plaza at the Walt DisneyStudios in Burbank, where previous Disney Legendsceremonies have taken place.

“This year’s recipients have had a truly indelibleinfluence on the Disney legacy,” Disney CEO Bob Iger said atthe ceremony. “Whether on screen or behind the scenes,these 10 men and women have contributed their talents incountless ways, and we are very honored to name them asDisney Legends.”

Star Tours II: Darth Vader and an army of stormtroopersjoined Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo(pictured below) on stage as he announced the October 2010closing of the popular Star Tours™ attraction at Disneyland®Park in California and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ inFlorida. Far from sad news, the announcement continuedwith the revelation that a new version of the attraction is

Star Tours II

slated to open in its place in 2011, launching Guests on a newadventure with cutting-edge technology, including a 3-Ddigital projection system that promises to take the experiencelight years into the future. Jay noted that the updatedattraction would do things, “that have never been done inany Park attractions before at any Theme Park anywhere.”

Fantasyland® expansion: Confirming a frenzy of Internetrumors, Jay officially revealed that the Fantasyland area ofthe Magic Kingdom® Park in Florida will double in size by2012, marking the largest expansion project (represented inrenderings below) in the Park’s nearly 40-year history.

A new area called Fantasy Forest will let Guests explorethe fairytale homes of their favorite Disney princesses. Guestswill learn how to waltz at Cinderella’s chateau, attend asurprise 16th birthday party for Princess Aurora in hercottage, be magically transported from Belle’s house to theBeast’s castle and more.

Ariel’s Undersea Adventure, the immersive new ride-through attraction now in development as part of theexpansion of Disney’s California Adventure® Park inAnaheim, will open a second location in Florida as part ofthe sweeping project (look for the attraction to open on both

coasts in 2011). Other plans call for an extreme makeover tothe iconic Dumbo the Flying Elephant attraction, doublingits capacity and surrounding Guests with new interactiveelements under a three-ring circus tent.

Looking ahead to 2013, the expanded land is scheduledto welcome Pixie Hollow, allowing Guests to join Tinker Belland friends in a magical world of towering flowers, giantblades of grass and plenty of dust (pixie dust, of course).

Perfect stranger: While famous faces became almostcommonplace at the star-studded expo (Miley Cyrus, NicolasCage and John Travolta were just a few of the attendees), ourfavorite celebrity moment came when the incomparableJohnny Depp appeared in full Captain Jack Sparrow regaliato wrap The Walt Disney Studios movie preview experience.The fourth film in the hit series, slated for a summer 2011release, now has an official title: Pirates of the Caribbean – OnStranger Tides.

Watch Disney Files Magazine for in-depth coverage ofthese and other future projects. And to learn more about

D23 membership, visit www.disney.com/d23.

Images presen

ted are concept design

s only. A

ll elements are su

bject to change.

Animation inspirations take center stage

Members returned “home” to the Disney Wonder® this fall, sailing once again on thewaves of Disney Inspirations as they enjoyed the S.S. Member Cruise 2009.

“We introduced the Disney Inspirations theme on our S.S. Member Cruise 2008 withhigh expectations, but we couldn’t have predicted just how well it would play out at sea,”Disney Vacation Club Events Manager Jennifer Haile Tinn said in a special edition ofDisney FilesMagazine, distributed exclusively in S.S. Member Cruise 2009 staterooms.“Inspirations are at the heart of everything we do at Disney, and revealing thoseinspirations allows you to see even the most familiar worlds through new eyes.”

Focusing the inspirations concept in 2009 tightly on the art of animation, the teampeeled back the curtain on future films, freed lost animation from the Disney vault,celebrated legendary voice talents, previewed a masterfully restored classic and more.

Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures Group International executive Mari Gastineauoffered an inspiring look at “Animation’s Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,” giving Membersa sneak peek at films in development, including The Princess and the Frog (see pages 23-24for more details about that film), Cars 2, a new Winnie the Pooh feature, Toy Story 3,Rapunzel and the upcoming ABC Television animated holiday special “Prep & Landing”(read more about “Prep & Landing” on page 25).

Disney animation veteran Dave Bossert, meanwhile, showcased “Disney’s LostAnimation,” presenting deleted sequences from Disney classics and concepts for never-completed animated features. Dave even treated audiences to a screening of “Plight of theBumble Bee,” a Mickey Mouse short created decades ago but never released, and anabandoned version of the “Pomp and Circumstance” sequence from Fantasia 2000, in

which the Disney Princes and Princesses marry and start families. In another show,Dave shared his firsthand knowledge of the painstaking film-restorationprocess before presenting a high-definition advance screening of WaltDisney’s original full-length masterpiece, Snow White and the SevenDwarfs (allowing Members to see the film in HD weeks before itsDisney Blu-ray Disc release), outdoors and under the stars on theship’s giant Ariel screen.

Other highlights of the voyage included a lively talk showfeaturing the voice actors behind some of Disney’s most belovedanimated characters, including Disney Legend Kathryn Beaumont,voice of Alice in Alice in Wonderland and Wendy in Peter Pan, and newDisney Legend (inducted just days before the cruise) Bill Farmer, voice

of Goofy and other iconic characters; and an interactive experiencestarring acclaimed Disney artist Don “Ducky” Williams, who helped

Members create their own animation cel.There’s little time for rest at Disney Vacation Club headquarters, as the

S.S. Member Cruise planning team is hard at work on a new slate of offerings for next year’s voyage.

news and insight from around the neighborhood

S a i l i n g o n t h e w a v e s o f d i s n e y i n s p i r a t i o n s


by Andrew SantelliClever Couture

Disney Vacation Club Advance Sales Associate(and Disney FilesMagazine contributor) AndrewSantelli has a keen eye for wearable wit. Disney FilesMagazine is pleased to share some of the mostmemorable T-shirts Andrew has observed on Guestsfrom his prime viewing location at Disney VacationClub Information Centers throughout the WaltDisney World® Resort. Enjoy the madcap, short-sleeved hilarity.

Where: Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme ParkT-shirt slogan:What was the greatest thing beforesliced bread?Why I loved it: It’s a great conversation starter. Ivote for the knife. What would sliced bread bewithout it?

Where:Magic Kingdom® ParkT-shirt slogan:Oedipus was a momma’s boy.Why I loved it: Because who doesn’t love a littleancient Greek trash talking? (Kudos to those whorecall that the original version of Spaceship Earthat Epcot® featured ancient Greeks performingOedipus Rex.)

Where:Disney’s Contemporary ResortT-shirt slogan: This statement is false.Why I loved it: It got me thinking about otherconfounding statements. Like Rhode Island beingneither a road nor an island. Or Greenland beingicier than the considerably greener Iceland.

Where: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme ParkT-shirt slogan: Rock is dead. Long live paper andscissors!Why I loved it: Because, try as you might, rockscan’t make those cool snowflake decorations thatbring holiday cheer toelementary schoolcafeterias.

This

statement is

false.

Who Call4What2

Your Disney Files staff has received several recentquestions about questions (that’s not a typo), andwe’re here to help by offering this handy littlebreakdown of who to call for what. (Fortunately, it’sless confusing than this sentence.)

You have questions about your resort while stayingin said resort:Use the labeled buttons on your in-room phone to connect directly to the appropriate on-site department (Housekeeping, Maintenance, FrontDesk, etc.).

You have questions about your Membership,Vacation Points or Disney Vacation Club offeringsin general: Call Member Services (800-800-9800).

You have questions about sales promotions or newresorts joining the Disney Vacation Clubneighborhood: Call your Vacation Club Guide.

You want to know how to work 17 jobs and still havegreat hair: Call Ryan Seacrest.

They’re kidding

.

Don’t call me.

Enhanced perks begin Jan. 1, 2010

WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort: Forget the hypeabout New Year’s resolutions. (Your weight’s fine, the timeyou spend playing those fantasy warlord games is perfectlyhealthy, and we’re fairly certain that you’ve got your online-shopping addiction under control.) Let’s talk about somecool Member Perks that are poised to get even better in 2010.

Your friend Sammy Duvall will invite you to continuesaving 10 percent on merchandise (excluding sale items) athis Curl by Sammy Duvall store on Pleasure Island, and asan added bonus for the new year, Members who spend$100 or more will get a free T-shirt (a $22 value).

Now if the name Sammy Duvall sounds familiar(hence our calling him a “friend” just a paragraph ago), it’sprobably because the Sammy Duvall Watersports Centre atDisney’s Contemporary Resort Marina has sent Membersand Guests flying over and across Bay Lake for years.Popular activities include parasailing, personal watercraft,waterskiing, wakeboarding and tubing. Members in 2010will save 20 percent (currently 10 percent) off all water

sports activities before noon, while continuing to save 10percent after noon. Call (407) 939-0754 for reservations.

Hungry after all that activity on the lake? House ofBlues at Downtown Disney®West Side will increase its lunchand dinner discount from 15 percent to 20 percent(excluding alcohol, tax and gratuity), and its famousSunday Gospel Brunch will continue to let Members save20 percent off advance tickets or get a free ticket with thepurchase of three at the regular price (lowest priced ticket isfree). (Other restrictions apply to the brunch discount,which is not valid with any other offer.)

No offense, but when you’re done with your soul-food-eatin’, wakeboard-ridin’, free-T-shirt-wearin’ day-o-discounts under the Florida sun, you’re going to be in direneed a bath. Why not make it extra special with someindulgent soaps from the good people of Basin® atDowntown DisneyMarketplace? After all, they’re increasingtheir Member discount from 10 percent to 15 percent.

If that’s not a good enough reason to look forward toJanuary, we don’t know what to tell you. Though we canremind you that January begins the final season of “LOST”on ABC. (‘Tis the season for synergy!)

h a p p y n e w y e a r !


p e r k s b e y o n d t h e p a r k s

Golden opportunities in the Golden State

DISNEYLAND® Resort: For some vacationers, theperfect Disney day doesn’t involve piloting a pachyderm,jumping to light speed or picking up a hitchhiking ghost. Infact, it doesn’t involve a Park at all. (Insert collective gasp fromDisney brass here.)

For this trendy traveler, it’s all about the shopping. Thethrill of the hunt. The ecstasy of finding the unexpected. Andthe smug sense of satisfaction that comes with whipping out aDisney Vacation Club Member ID card at the register, as if tosay “not so fast, my friend” to the friendly person announcingyour total.

To these wranglers of retail, we present some of thesurprising stuff one can get at a discount while conquering theDowntown Disney® District at the Disneyland Resort.

Your youth:While you can’t actually get younger, theAMC® Theatres let you turn back the clock on ticket prices.Visit on Tuesdays, for example, and buy adult tickets at childticket prices. On Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdaysand Sundays, buy adult tickets at matinee prices.

Kids in pots: Explore the flagship store of famedphotographer Anne Geddes, whose iconic images of babiesdressed as flowers have made Moms look at gardeningthrough new eyes. Members get a 10 percent discount onregularly priced photographs, clothing and other merchandiseitems (excluding limited-edition prints).

Bombs that won’t land you in prison: To be clear, they’rebath bombs, and the only thing they’re really capable ofdestroying is stress. Pick up some of these fizzy friends or anynumber of scented soaps, shampoos or massage bars atBasin®, and be sure to take advantage of your 10 percentdiscount. (Note: the discount soon gets even better, growing to15 percent effective Jan. 1, 2010.)

The bear necessities: See what we did with there? You willin a second. It’s a 10 percent discount on merchandise at theBuild-A-Bear Workshop®, the place that lets you choose frommore than 100 outfits as you add distinctive accessories toyour custom teddy bear. (Restrictions apply. Not valid on giftcard or party purchases.) Now you see how fun our bear punwas? Let’s move on...

Unmatched socks: Known for selling non-matchingsocks in sets of three to encourage self-expression throughmixing and matching, LittleMissMatched™ has expanded itsofferings to include everything from books to bedding, PJs topencil pouches and flip flops to furniture, and the place offersa 10 percent Member discount.

Mahogany flying machines: Take a tropical trip to IslandCharters, where hand-crafted airplanes, authentic flightjackets and collectible models are among the treasures eligiblefor your discount of 10 percent off any single item priced at$50 or more.

Bricks:We’re talking the brightly colored, stacking varietyavailable at the LEGO® Imagination Center, which invites youto “build a bridge to family fun.” (Clever LEGOmarketers!)Shop from a huge collection of LEGOmerchandise and enjoya 10 percent discount off any purchase of $50 or more.

A bright future:Okay, so we can’t guarantee yourprosperity. But when we got to this perk, we started singingthat “My Future’s So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades” song. Save10 percent on select merchandise at Sunglass Icon, home to“must-have” sunglasses from such noted designers as Prada,Versace, Gucci, Oakley and others.

(The symbolic equivalent of) second place at the WinterOlympics:Disclaimer time again. We’re certainly not givingyou athletic talent. Just a discount on silver. Discover uniquejewelry and accessories for men and women at SomethingSilver®, and proudly claim your 10 percent discount.

*All shopping perks are subject to change without notice. Must show your Disney VacationClub member ID Card to receive discount or benefit.

While Members will have to wait until a planned 2011opening date to check into Disney Vacation Club villas onthe Hawaiian island of O‘ahu, they don’t need to wait thatlong to enjoy the Aloha State through the magic ofMembership. With exchange resorts on Kauai, Maui, O‘ahuand the “big island” of Hawai‘i, RCI® offers a variety ofopportunities to whet your island appetite.

Member Services can get you on your way, but it’s ourjob here at Disney FilesMagazine tomake sure you’re packingenough random facts toannoy others. So withoutfurther delay, pleaseenjoy 10 of the manythings we find funabout Hawai‘i.

10: Looking to get away? You can’t get much

further away (without leaving civilization

entirely) than Hawai‘i. Located 2,390 miles from

California, 3,850 miles from Japan and 4,900

miles from China, Hawai‘i holds the distinction of

being the most isolated population center on

Earth.

9: Looking for pleasant weather? History

suggests there’s no safer bet than Hawai‘i.

Excluding Alaska, Hawai‘i stands out among all

other states as having recorded the highest

record-low temperature and lowest record-high

temperature. In other words, with summer

averages in the low 80s and winter averages in

the low 70s, the weather’s pretty darn pleasant.

8: At 10 miles long and 3,500 feet deep, Waimea

Canyon on the island of Kauai is known as the

“Grand Canyon of the Pacific.” Just don’t forget to

fill your tank before you get there, as gas stations

don’t exist along the 40-mile Waimea Canyon

Road. Also note that early morning offers the best

canyon viewing, as clouds typically roll in by

afternoon.

7: While Honolulu is the nation’s 11th largest

metropolitan area, it’s technically the largest city

in the world. How is this possible? The state’s

constitution dictates that any island or islet not

belonging to a particular county belongs to

Honolulu by default. This includes Midway Island,

located 1,500 miles northwest of Hawai‘i. By that

technical definition, Honolulu’s physical width

would stretch halfway across the 48 continental

United States.

6: The hit ABC television series “LOST” films on

the island of O‘ahu. (You can’t really visit the set,

but including this fact on our list gave us an

excuse to publish a photo of star Evangeline Lilly,

who’s rather attractive.)

1 0 f u n t h i n g s a b o u t h a w a i ’ i


5: In your fall magazine, we mentioned that South Africa trails only

Australia in total number of windmills. (And then we made a

delightfully clever Don Quixote reference, if we do say so ourselves.)

Those places may have more windmills than Hawai‘i, but not bigger

windmills. O‘ahu sports a 20-story-high windmill equipped with dual

400-foot-long blades, making it the world’s largest wind generator.

And in case you’re wondering, the “big island” of Hawai‘i is home to

the world’s largest telescope.

4: The state fish is called the humuhumunukunukuapua‘a, which

we’re pretty sure dominates the annual “Most Frequent Use of the

Letter U in State Animal Names” competition. If you struggle to

pronounce the name when whipping out this particular fun fact, it’s

also known as the rectangular triggerfish.

3: Downtown Honolulu’s Iolani Palace, the only royal palace in the

U.S., sported electric lights four years before the White House.

2: If you see a snake in Hawai‘i, it’s a tourist, not a

native. The state has no indigenous snakes, and the

few illegally “introduced” snakes found on the islands

are the target of aggressive eradication programs.

1: The Hawaiian alphabet includes only 12 letters: A, E,

I, O, U, H, K, L, M, N, P and W. All of us at Disney Files

Magazine (or ine ile Maaine) hope you learned a little

something today about your new island neighbor.

Just missing the cut: Hawai‘i leads the nation in life

expectancy. (Forget vacationing in Hawai‘i. We’re

moving there!)

ANSWERS: (1) The boy on the left now has a Mickey Mouse-shaped float on his fishing pole, (2) the boy in the middle has lost hisback pockets and (3) gained a fish in his bucket, (4) the boy on the right now has a really bad haircut, (5) the Treehouse Villa in thebackground has lost its windows, (6) more trees have grown on the left side of the forest and (7) a vertical post is missing above therailing on the right.


PPIICCTTUURREE TTHHIISS

The Disney Vacation Club Member community has a famously sharp eye for detail.Put that skill to the test by spotting the seven things we’ve altered in this photo, shot atthe Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa.

P I C T U R E T H I S

ORIGINAL

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SPICY SEARED SWORDFISHTo help celebrate the opening of The Villas at Disney’s Grand CalifornianHotel® & Spa in Anaheim, Disney FilesMagazine is pleased to present thissimple and tempting recipe from the nearby Storytellers Café. If you’vehad swordfish sitting in your fridge and just didn’t know what to do withit, this is your answer. If you don’t have any, get some. We’ll wait.

Serves 4

Main dish ingredients:4 (6-8 ounce) swordfish filets1/2 cup olive oil4 teaspoons store-bought Cajun spice

Main dish steps:1. Coat the swordfish with olive oil.2. Rub the oiled filets with Cajun spice and sear both sides in a hot sauté pan for 2-3 minutes on each side or until the filets reach your desired internal temperature. (“Medium rare” typically occurs at an internal temperature of 125 degrees Fahrenheit, while “well done” occurs at 140 degrees.)

3. Top with tomato-garlic relish (see below).

Relish ingredients:5 Roma tomatoes1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil1/4 cup olive oil (any variety)1 clove garlic, minced1/2 medium sweet white onion, diced large1 green pepper, seeded and diced1/4 cup dry white wine1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar1 teaspoon store-bought Cajun spice

Relish steps:1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.2. Place tomatoes in baking pan and drizzle with the teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil and bake for 30 minutes in the pre-heated oven. (Thecooked tomatoes should be tender but not too soft.)

3. Remove from oven, let tomatoes cool, then peel the skins and squeeze out the seeds. Chop in large chunks and set aside.4. In a pan over high heat, sauté the garlic and onions in the 1/4 cup of olive oil until slightly browned. Add the green pepper and sauté until tender.

5. Stir in wine and balsamic vinegar, loosening browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add tomatoes and season to taste with Cajun spice.6. Add the relish to your swordfish filets, serve and enjoy!

Tip: You can prepare the relish in advance, refrigerate and reheat before serving.

Honor your family: Send your family’s good news, along with your name, address, phone number andMember Since year, to Disney FilesMagazine’s Fridge-o-Fame, Disney Vacation Club, 1390 Celebration Blvd.,Celebration, FL 34747. (Submissions become property of Disney Vacation Club and will not be returned.)When sending your submission, please sign and include our release form for each person pictured orreferenced. For your convenience, the form is available in the download center of your Member Web site atwww.dvcmember.com/releaseform.

A refrigerator is more than just

a place to store your holiday

fruitcake. It’s a place of family ho

nor, a surface on which to

display report cards, award cert

ificates or that disturbingly fun

photo of Captain Hook attackin

g your terrified kid on the

carousel. Like a proud parent, D

isney FilesMagazine celebrates

the achievements of Members a

nd their families here on the

“Fridge-o-Fame.”

Going the distance: Early this year, David

Helgesen of New Mexico, Member since 2005

,

successfully completed his first mara

thon. His

selection of the Walt Disney World® Marathon for

his endurance-running debut and his

brilliant choice

in inspirational reading material easily

earned him a

place on our fridge. All of us at Disne

y Files

Magazine congratulate runner 16206 on

his

personal triumph and praise his impec

cable taste

in periodicals.


Your annual dues dollars at work: Crews at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort have installed 30 solar panels to heat waterserving the Inn Building, reducing both propane costs and the resort’s carbon footprint. The installation follows theearlier introduction of new heat-pipe systems and Guest room thermostats as part of an ongoing effort to supportDisney’s Green Initiatives. The resort also has increased the occupancy of its one- and two-bedroom vacation homes byadding a sleeper chair. Elsewhere in the neighborhood, Disney’s Beach Club Villas and Disney’s BoardWalk Villas arerefreshing soft and hard goods, and similar efforts are on tap for Disney’s Old Key West Resort in 2010. Watch DisneyFilesMagazine for more details.

SMALLTALK

UR ROOM IS RDY: The new Mobile Room ReadyNotification Service lets Members and Guests who arriveprior to their select Disneyland®, Walt Disney World® orDisney Vacation Club Resort hotel check-in time to simplifytheir arrival by alerting them through their cell/mobilephone when their room is available. To utilize the service,simply provide your cell/mobile phone number upon check-in and request a return-notification preference. When yourroom is ready, a text message or automated call will alert youto your room number.

For your protection: Disney Vacation Club has a variety ofmeasures in place to protect Members from unauthorized useof their Vacation Points. As a reminder, Members mustprovide their Club ID or Member number when callingMember Services. A Vacation Advisor can help Members adda password to their account, which can be used on future callsin place of the aforementioned numbers. Members also mustverify the last four digits of their Social Security Number ifthey are U.S. residents. (Members who aren’t U.S. residents orhave no Social Security Number on record must verify theirhome address or phone number.) Associates (individualsauthorized to use a Member’s Vacation Points) also mustprovide their home address and phone number, along withthe Member’s Club ID or Member number (or password).

Online dining reservations:Members and Guests now maymake dining reservations for select table-service restaurantsand dinner shows at the Walt Disney World Resort online atwww.disneyworld.com/dining. Members and Guests with WaltDisney World Resort hotel reservations may enter theirresort-reservation number to book as many as 10 days worthof dining reservations (depending on the length of theirResort stay) beginning as many as 180 days before theirresort check-in date. (Members and Guests without WaltDisney World Resort hotel reservations may simply book as

many as 180 days before each dining-reservation date.)Members who encounter any challenges booking their diningreservations online may call Member Services to book byphone.

Important Web site news: Details about changes to theHome Resort Rules and Regulations regarding the rights andlimitations of an Associate (effective Nov. 30, 2009) areavailable at www.dvcmember.com. Also watch the Web site fordetails about a new travel insurance option in the works.

Valet parking update: Complimentary valet parking forDisney Vacation Club Members has been discontinued.Similar to other fee-based services, such as additionalhousekeeping or additional room amenities, only thoseMembers who choose to valet park will be charged ($12 aday), instead of including fees as part of the annual dues forall Members. Complimentary Resort hotel self-parking isavailable for all Members and Guests, and drivers withdisabled parking permits will continue to receivecomplimentary valet parking.

Pool hopping:When using your Membership to stay at aDisney Vacation Club Resort at the Walt Disney World Resortor at Disney’s Vero Beach Resort, you and any Guests stayingwith you are permitted to pool hop to most other pools ifthey are not at capacity. Due to expected high occupancy,pool hopping isn’t available Nov. 23-29, 2009, and Dec. 13,2009-Jan. 3, 2010. Other restricted dates may be added. Poolhopping is never available at Bay Cove Pool at Bay LakeTower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Uzima Pool andSamawati Springs Pool at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge,Stormalong Bay at Disney's Yacht & Beach Club Resorts, theleisure pool at Disney's Beach Club Villas, or at theDisneyland® Resort in California. Full details are available inPortable Perks and at www.dvcmember.com.

Reimagining a Disney classic

DISNEYLAND® Resort (California): This winter, Disneyland Guests are scheduled toonce again enjoy “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”

The reimagined attraction marks the latest evolution of an Audio-Animatronics®experience Walt Disney created for the 1964 New York World’s Fair and moved later toDisneyland Park. The show underwent a series of changes until closing to make room for afilm called “Disneyland: The First 50 Magical Years,” honoring the Park’s goldenanniversary in 2005.

“Faced with an opportunity to reintroduce this classic attraction, we challenged ourteam to bring a new sense of realism to Mr. Lincoln,” Walt Disney Imagineer Tony Baxtertold Disney FilesMagazine. “You can literally now, in the computer, design a jawbone, andonce it’s been animated on the screen, the image can be sent to a three-dimensional printerthat literally grows that design element. It comes out as a finished piece that’s much moresculptural and organic, a dramatic departure from the nuts-and-bolts, robotic look ofpieces used in the past. This is a big step toward what we believe will be a new generation ofAudio-Animatronics figures.”

Inspired by this and other technological breakthroughs, Imagineers turned theirattentions to the attraction’s storyline.

“In creating the original attraction, Walt considered using Lincoln’s famed GettysburgAddress, which the president had delivered to a wounded, post-war nation,” Tony said.“But instead, Walt selected words Lincoln spoke to deliver a more optimistic message. Inlooking at our options for the new show, we kept going back to Walt’s selections. We saw, inthe state of our country today, a real need to give audiences a shot in the arm, to remindourselves that this is a pretty great place. We really liked the words Walt had selected. Waltsaw way into the future with everything he did, creating experiences that remain relevantfor generations beyond the time in which they were created, and that’s proven to be thecase once again with this project. You listen to the words Walt selected, as spoken byPresident Lincoln 150 years ago, and it sounds like he’s addressing the issues we face today.”

Next, Tony and his team looked to music, an element regarded by fans and Imagineersalike as a Disney hallmark.

“When you hear a song on the radio, you turn the volume up and say, ‘I love thissong,’” Tony said. “Music is a big part of what makes attractions repeatable. So we’ve putfour major musical compositions into this show. They’re stirring pieces that we believeGuests will look forward to hearing every time they return.”

More than an Audio-Animatronics presentation, the multi-media attraction is filledwith new and refreshed elements designed to surprise even the most seasoned Disneyphile.Restored digital soundtracks bring even the most subtle breaths of the show’s star to life.Emerging filmmaking technology animates still paintings created by Disney Legends. Newimagery from renowned animator John Pomeroy reflects the artist’s passion for Civil Warart. Even dialogue from a lost holiday version of the attraction (which Walt once planned topresent on the Fourth of July and other patriotic occasions) finds its way into the show.

“We open our show with the song ‘America the Beautiful,’ and dialogue from thenever-heard holiday show gave us the perfect transition from that song to Mr. Lincoln,”Tony explained. “Spoken by narrator Paul Frees, the line reads, ‘No one cared more aboutAmerica than the 16th president of the United States, Abraham Lincoln.’”

news and insight from the places where dreams come true

T H E I N C R E D I B L E M R . L I N C O L N

DESTINATIONS

Theme Park to welcome three new lands

HONG KONG DISNEYLAND® Resort:Walt Disney Parks and Resorts recently received approval from the LegislativeCouncil of Hong Kong to expand the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort by nearly 25 percent, adding three new lands and dozensof new experiences to Hong Kong Disneyland Park.

While more details about the expansion plans will materialize during the months ahead, Disney FilesMagazine is pleasedto share a sneak peek at the initial “blue sky” concepts from Walt Disney Imagineering. Our lawyers, of course, would like usto point out that the art presented is concept art, that some of the elements depicted are owned by Hasbro and are not yetapproved, and that the concept designs are not final. (We’re nothing if not lawyer-friendly.)

H o n g K o n g E x p a n s i o n p l a n s g r e e n l i t


©Disney•Pixar Slinky®Dog is a registered trademark of Poof-Slinky, Inc. All rights reserved.Barrel of Monkeys®, Tinker Toy® and Lincoln Logs® are registered trademarks of Hasbro, Inc. Usedwith permission. ©2009 Hasbro, Inc. All rights reserved. ©K’NEX 2010

Grizzly Trail: The path along Grizzly Trail will welcome Guests toa town called Grizzly Gulch (founded on Aug. 8, 1888 – theluckiest day of the luckiest month of the luckiest year), whereminers have discovered gold in the surrounding hills. Guests willboard mine cars for a thrilling, out-of-control adventure, racingthrough bear caves, a rickety mine shaft and the middle of town.Explorers also will pose with the largest gold nugget ever found inthese here parts (and use phrases like “these here parts”), hopaboard the Geyser Gulch Stage Line for a photo and step into theold time jailhouse for a portrait behind bars. Thirsty travelers willfind Frontier refreshments at the local saloon, while shoppers willfind mining supplies and souvenirs at the Bear Necessities.

Mystic Point: Somewhere in the heart of a dense, tropical rainforest liesMystic Point, the site of mysterious forces and supernatural events.Strange happenings are afoot in Mystic Manor, home to a collection ofexotic artifacts gathered by a group of international explorers. Guests willtravel through the old mansion, where unexplained phenomena andbizarre turns of events take place in a dazzling array of special effects asthey follow a mischievous monkey. Plans also call for the manor to housea merchandise shop and restaurant (where diners will feast amid a vastcollection of relics, antiques and a few surprises). In the manor garden,meanwhile, Guests will discover a hidden world of illusions and mysteriesfrom ancient cultures, and pose with unusual artifacts from around theworld at the local freight depot.

Toy Story Land:While Andy’s away, the toys will play.Shrinking to the size of a toy, Guests will join the stars ofthe hit Disney•Pixar Toy Story films, taking a spin withSlinky Dog on a whirling roller-coaster in the round,dropping in parachutes from an 80-foot tower with thetoy soldiers and riding with RC Racer on a huge, plastichalf-pipe race track.

What will you celebrate this holiday season? Christmas? Hanukkah? Kwanzaa? National Handwashing Awareness Week?(We didn’t make that up. It’s Dec. 6-12.) Whatever you’re celebrating, Disney Parks are pulling out all the festive stops to helpyou mark the occasion in memorable style. (Here’s hoping the Cast Members who stock the restroom soap dispensers areprepared for the Dec. 6 rush!) To help you plan your travels, Disney FilesMagazine is pleased to present our annualbreakdown of key holi-dates from Disney Parks around the world. Enjoy. (And wash your hands.)

DISNEYLAND®Resort (California)

Disneyland Park: “it’s a small world” holiday embarks on the merriest cruise that ever sailed, Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castletwinkles beneath a blanket of snow, A Christmas Fantasy Parade takes to the streets, holiday fireworks fill the sky, Santa andhis reindeer take up residence at Big Thunder Ranch and Haunted Mansion Holiday sends doom buggies throughChristmastown. (Through Jan. 3, 2010)

Disney’s California Adventure® Park: The recently enhanced Disney’s Electrical Parade returns to the Park to help celebratethe season. (Dec. 18, 2009-Jan. 3, 2010)

WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resort

Magic Kingdom® Park: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party returns with the spectacular Castle Dreamlights, the “HolidayWishes—Celebrate the Spirit of the Season” fireworks spectacular, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade and more.Tickets to this “after hours” party are available online at www.disneyworld.com/holidays (remaining dates as this magazinebegins mailing include Dec. 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 13, 15, 17 and 18; 7 p.m.-midnight).

Epcot®: International holiday foods and traditions enrich the World Showcase® area throughout the day as part of HolidaysAround the World, while nightfall brings a joyous finale to Illuminations: Reflections of Earth and, of course, the popularCandlelight Processional, with multiple nightly performances (5, 6:45 and 8:15 p.m.) pairing celebrity narrators (includingsuch newcomers as Whoopi Goldberg and Vanessa L. Williams) with a mass choir and 50-piece orchestra for a grand retellingof the Christmas story (through Dec. 30).

Disney’s Hollywood Studios™: What started as a power-sucking, traffic-creating, headline-grabbing display at a privateArkansas home has gone Hollywood, becoming the annual Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights along the Streets ofAmerica, “bathed in bulbs of brilliance” as millions of lights keep time with the beats of a high-energy holiday soundtrack(through Jan. 4, 2010).

Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park: Jammin’s out and jinglin’s in as Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade becomes Mickey’sJingle Jungle Parade, and Disney characters don their holiday best for greetings at Camp Minnie-Mickey (through Jan. 3,2010).

TOKYO DISNEY® Resort

Tokyo Disneyland Park: Sparkling décor, a holiday parade and special entertainment create a “Christmas Fantasy” (throughDec. 25), while Jack Skellington hosts his “Haunted Mansion Holiday Nightmare” (through Jan. 14, 2010).

Tokyo DisneySea® Park: The lighting of a waterbone Christmas tree on Mediterranean Harbor as part of the “CandlelightReflections” show (this year marks the final performances of the “Candlelight Reflections” show, which debuted in 2003)highlights the “Harborside Christmas” experience (through Dec. 25).

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DISNEYLAND® Paris

Disneyland Park (Paris): Santa Claus’ Village returns to the Park, inviting kids tomeet the man himself and post their holiday wish lists at the SantaClaus Post Office. Guests also enjoy the Disney Once Upon aChristmas Dream parade and the nightly Sleeping BeautyCastle lighting spectacular (through Jan. 6, 2010).

HONG KONG DISNEYLAND®Resort

Hong Kong Disneyland Park: A “Sparkling Christmas”celebration transforms thepark into a winter wonderland. Catch the “Let it Snow” ChristmasParade, enjoy a merry voyage with It’s a Small WorldChristmas and take in theilluminating spectacle of theLights of Winter (through Jan. 3, 2010).

To learn more, access eachdestination’s Web site through

www.disneyparks.com

MORE TO REPORTgood to know before you go

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Disney Gift Cards:Disney vacations would make perfect holiday gifts, if only castlespires weren’t so darn tough to wrap. Fortunately, there’s the Disney Gift Card.Loaded with dollar amounts ranging from $5-$1,500, the reloadable cards areaccepted as payment for food, merchandise, accommodations and more at theDisneyland® and Walt Disney World® Resorts, and onboard the Disney Cruise Line®ships. They’re even valid at Disney Stores and at DisneyStore.com. Dozens of newcard designs are available this holiday season online at www.DisneyGiftCard.com.

DISNEYLAND® Resort (California): The new Studio Disney 365, now open in theDowntown Disney® District at the Disneyland Resort, is helping young Guests ages 3or older, accompanied by an adult, rock out like some of their favorite DisneyChannel stars. Five unique Studio Star makeover packages are available, along with avariety of wardrobe options. Visit www.downtowndisney.com/disneystudio365 to learnmore. For reservations, call (714) 781-STYLE (7895).

DISNEYLAND Resort (California): A bold renovation project is bringing bothinterior and exterior changes to the landmark DisneylandHotel. The historic hotelwill remain open throughout the project, which will be conducted in phases and isscheduled for completion in 2012. Reimagined Guest rooms will sport acontemporary look, anchored by Sleeping Beauty Castle-inspired headboardscomplete with fiber optic fireworks. Black-and-white art, meanwhile, will offer anostalgic look at Walt Disney’s original Theme Park. Large, double-pane windows,designed to be energy efficient and filter outside noise, will replace the rooms’ slidingdoors and faux balcony railings, giving the three towers – Magic, Wonder andDreams – a sleek look with a radiant-blue tint. Work began with the Dreams tower,scheduled for completion in June 2010.

DISNEYLAND Resort (California): Disneyland Park marked the retirement ofMarty Sklar, Executive Vice President and Walt Disney Imagineering Ambassador(and Disney FilesMagazine contributor), by honoring him with his own Main Street,U.S.A.® window. Walt Disney established the cherished tradition of windowdedications as a way to pay tribute to the men and women who were instrumental inthe creation and operation of the Park. Marty’s window, located above City Hall,reads, “Main Street College of Arts & Sciences, Martin A. Sklar, Dean.” Marty beganhis Disney career in June 1955 as Editor of The Disneyland News, worked with Walton several major projects, and helped develop every Disney Park thereafter. Look forMarty’s “Park Perspectives” column to continue in select editions of Disney FilesMagazine as the Disney Legend enjoys his well-deserved retirement.

DISNEYLAND Resort (California): The Disney Gallery at Disneyland Park has re-opened in a new location, showcasing Disney art and artifacts (such as the HauntedMansion piece by George Scribner, pictured here) next door to the Opera House inthe former Bank of Main Street. The gallery previously operated above the Pirates ofthe Caribbean attraction and closed to make way for the DisneylandDream Suite.Walt Disney Imagineers have maintained the building’s distinctive architecture,retaining the vault and other key features to visually tell the story of an old bankturned into an art gallery. For a list of upcoming exhibits and events, visitwww.ArtOfDisneyParks.com.

DISNEYLAND® and WALT DISNEY WORLD® Resorts: Princess Tiana, star of WaltDisney Animation Studios’ highly anticipated movie The Princess and the Frog (look fordetails about the movie on pages 23-24), is making herself at home in the places wheredreams come true. In addition to joining Prince Naveen to meet adoring Guests at theMagic Kingdom® Park in Florida and Disneyland Park in California, the newly crownedprincess is starring in a limited engagement of Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee at both Parksthrough Jan. 3, 2010. This immersive riverboat extravaganza brings characters andmusic from The Princess and the Frog to life both on the riverboat and along theriverside. Check each Park’s Times Guide for details.

WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort: La Cava del Tequila has opened next to the San AngelInn restaurant inside the Mexico pavilion at Epcot®, celebrating the heritage andtradition of tequila-making in Mexico through its décor, artwork, original artifacts andauthentic spirits. The quick-service bar serves more than 70 authentic tequilas; exoticmargaritas featuring tropical fruits, spices and flavored salts; and tapas-style snacksranging from tostadas to freshly made guacamole. An on-site “Tequila Ambassador”enhances the experience by educating Guests on the history and heritage of tequila-making.

WALT DISNEY WORLD Resort: The Sum of All ThrillsTM, the first ride ever created forINNOVENTIONS at Epcot®, recently opened to Guests. The experience lets Guestscustom-design their own roller coaster, bobsled or jet plane thrill ride usingmathematical tools and an innovative touch-screen table before riding their creationfrom beginning to end on the robotic KUKA RoboSim 4-D simulator. The attraction isa core component of the Raytheon MovesUTM program, which aims to engage middleschool students in math and science activities, and to help create the next generation ofinnovators. After returning home from their experience at the attraction, Guests maycontinue their adventure online at www.mathmovesu.com.

DISNEY CRUISE LINE®: Disney Cruise Line officials have unveiled sweepingenhancement plans for Disney’s private island paradise, Castaway Cay. Plannedhighlights include an expansion of the Castaway Family Beach, a new Cookies Toolunch buffet near the expanded beach, a new Sand Bar beach bar, a new Flippers &Floats rental location, a second merchandise store, new water play areas (including theoffshore Pelican Plunge, pictured right), the island-based Spring-a-Leak and a new playarea for the island’s youngest Guests at Scuttle’s Cove), 20 new private beach cabanas, anew location for Castaway Ray’s Stingray Adventure, a new secluded teen space calledHide Out, the new In Da Shade Game Pavilion, three new massage cabanas and more.The project is scheduled for completion by summer 2010.

DISNEY CRUISE LINE: As the new Disney DreamTM ship debuts at Port Canaveral in2011, the Disney Wonder® ship will move to Alaska for a four-month season of seven-night sailings. Book-ending the 2011 summer season in Alaska, the ship will sail seven-night Mexican Riviera cruises from the Port of Los Angeles to Cabo San Lucas,Mazatlan and Puerto Vallarta. The Disney Magic® ship, meanwhile, which will spendmost of 2011 sailing Caribbean itineraries out of Port Canaveral, will return to theMediterranean for summer 2011 voyages out of Barcelona. Call Member Services formore details about Disney Cruise Line vacations.



New movie drawn in the “classic Disney lineage”

Meet Tiana, the newest addition to the celebrated league of Disney princesses. Tirelesslywaiting tables in 1920s New Orleans, our new heroine sweats, struggles and saves everydiscretionary penny as she dreams of doing something more. (As you know, the whole“dreaming of something more” thing is a prerequisite for the Disney Princess gig.) Whilefocused on her goal of opening her own restaurant, Tiana’s journey takes a surprisingdetour when she reluctantly locks lips with an arrogant amphibian.

There’s more to the story, of course, as audiences will discover when Walt DisneyAnimation Studios’ The Princess and the Frog opens in theaters this holiday season.

The highly anticipated new film from acclaimed directors Ron Clements and JohnMusker – the team behind such hits as The Little Mermaid and Aladdin – builds on theclassic Grimm Brothers tale of “The Frog Prince” with a sweeping story that aims to reviveDisney’s grand tradition of musical fairytales, add a dynamic new face to Disney royalty andreturn the legendary studio to its celebrated hand-drawn roots.

Disney FilesMagazine caught up with the directing duo to get their perspectives aboutthis ambitious project.

Disney Files: There’s been a lot of buzz in the press about Tiana being AfricanAmerican, but this character is about so much more than her ethnicity. This is a verymodern princess.

Ron: Absolutely. Her dream has nothing to do with romance. She isn’t focused onfinding a man or true love’s kiss. In fact, falling in love is more of an obstacle to Tiana; anunexpected hurdle between her and her dream of owning a restaurant. We’re at oncecelebrating the great tradition of Disney Princesses and taking the genre in a bold, newdirection.

John: The Disney Princesses have almost become a band of superheroes. There’s acertain pressure involved in creating a new princess that upholds this tradition.

DF: As if that wasn’t enough pressure, you took a bit of a risk by telling this storythrough the somewhat abandoned medium of hand-drawn animation.

John: Everything we do at Disney begins with the story, and this story was truly writtenfor the hand-drawn medium. Whether you’re talking about clay animation, hand-drawnanimation, computer-generated (CG) animation or even the puppetry arts, you’re really justtalking about different paint brushes. It’s all about finding the right brush to paint yourstory. Hand-drawn animation puts The Princess and the Frog in the classic Disney lineage.It’s a style that Ron and I were fortunate to learn under Walt’s legendary ‘Nine Old Men.’Hand-drawn animation is so loose and organic. The water, curvy cypress trees, Spanishmoss and other elements of the bayou in this film really lend themselves to this medium.

I’m also a caricaturist by trade, so I have great affection for the hand-drawn approachto developing characters. With just a little slip of the pencil, you can really tweak anexpression. As filmmakers, this establishes a unique connection between artists and theircharacters, and I think that comes across on screen.

enjoying Disney between trips

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DF: Fans may be surprised to know that thedecision to return to the hand-drawn mediumbegan with John Lasseter, whose success incomputer animation led studios to abandontraditional methods in the first place.

Ron: John Lasseter [who, with Disney’sacquisition of Pixar Animation Studios, became thefirst animation filmmaker since Walt Disney himselfto lead the company’s animation studios] loves hand-drawn animation as much as he loves computeranimation, and he’s been our biggest supporter.

DF:Many of John Lasseter’s films have benefited fromthe musical talents of Randy Newman, who wrote sevennew songs for The Princess and the Frog. What led you toRandy for this project?

John: Randy spent summers in New Orleans as a kid,and he has great affection for that city. We listened to a classicsong he wrote called “Louisiana 1927,” which really showedhow perfect he was for this project. We’ve always believed inthe marriage between music and animation. It goes all theway back to the “Silly Symphonies” … It gets you to theheart of a story in such a visceral way.

Ron: And musical numbers are such fun to do. John andI divide up the directing duties, with each of us takingindividual sequences of the film. We’re always fighting overthe musical sequences.

DF: Speaking of behind-the-scenes fighting, tell usabout your working dynamic.

John (laughing): Fortunately, you have a producer toplay referee. Seriously, it’s a great chemistry. Ron has a reallystrong sense of story structure, making sure that all of thescenes advance that story, interlock and pay off later. I’m alittle more focused on the specifics of the dialogue, theindividual performance of the characters and perhaps thehumor. We play to each other’s strengths.

DF: And nothing helps build that chemistry like somegood research trips to New Orleans.

Ron: John and I had never visited New Orleans, so we made three trips, once taking our entire production crew,

shooting thousands of photos that really inspired the artdirection of the film. Even some of the film’s characters cameout of those trips. A famous storyteller who toured usthrough the Garden District, for example, became the basisfor Mama Odie in the film.

John: Another tour guide inspired Ray, our Cajun fireflycharacter. And we met an accomplished restaurateur whostarted her career as a waitress. She really helped us pullTiana’s character into focus.

DF:With all due respect to both the princess and thefrog, the city of New Orleans itself may be the film’s mostimportant “character.”

John: It’s everything in this story. In researching NewOrleans history, we learned of these grand, formal ballsattended by European royalty, which gave us this wonderfulopportunity to weave the aristocracy of a fictitious countrywith this great American city. We’ve read comments on theInternet from fans asking, “How can you have a princess inNew Orleans? What are they thinking?” When you see thefilm, it all makes sense.

See for yourself when The Princess and the Frog opens inU.S. theaters on Dec. 11, after earlier debuts in New York andLos Angeles.

John Musker Ron Clements

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ABC airing Disney holiday magic

Can’t get to the Disney Parks this holiday season? Drythose tears, kids. The ABC Television Network is beaming adouble dose of holiday magic from the house of Mouse tothe house of just about every television viewer in America.Here’s the scoop.

“Prep & Landing”Santa Claus is coming to town, but he’s not

taking any chances.This holiday season, ABC Television

audiences get their first look at theNorth Pole Christmas Eve CommandCenter, a high-tech, top-secretoperation deploying specially trainedelves to prepare the world’s homes forthe big guy’s arrival. Titled “Prep &Landing,” the new computer-animatedspecial from the Walt Disney AnimationStudios pairs Wayne, a disgruntled elf whoselove of Christmas has been dampened by hundreds of yearson the job, with Lanny, an eager young recruit who countsWayne among his idols.

“Think of these guys [pictured below] as Santa’s SecretService,” co-director Stevie Wermers-Skelton told DisneyFilesMagazine. “They’re charged with making sure the roofis clear, that there’s no fire in the fireplace, that the Christmastree is just the right height, that there are no creaturesstirring. It’s a world we’ve never seen before.”

Inspired by the classic holiday specials of yesteryear andbased on an idea by Chris Williams (co-director of theanimated feature Bolt), “Prep & Landing” began as atraditional short and evolved to become a 30-minutebroadcast special after capturing the imagination

of producer John Lasseter.“John is a great collaborator and leader,” added co-

director Kevin Deters. “He has an incredible passion forstorytelling, and he inspires everyone around him. He’s reallyour Santa Claus.”

Discerning Disney Vacation Club Members (some ofwhom enjoyed sneak peeks of the special during the D23Expo, onboard the S.S. Member Cruise 2009 and during aspecial edition of “Welcome Home Wednesdays” at Disney’sBoardWalk Resort) may detect some familiar influences in

the film.“The layout of Disneyland® Park and the Magic

Kingdom® Park absolutely inspired the design of ourNorth Pole,” Kevin acknowledged. “And our officeshave been covered with inspirational photos fromDisney’s Winter Summerland Miniature GolfCourse in Florida. We’re big fans of the Parks.”

Viewers who miss the Dec. 1 debut of “Prep &Landing” on ABC may view the special for free

online at www.abc.com.

“Disney Parks Christmas Parade”Christmas isn’t Christmas until Regis works on his tan.

On Dec. 25 (10 a.m. Eastern, 9 a.m. Pacific, Mountain andCentral), ABC renews a holiday tradition with its broadcastof newly renamed “Disney Parks Christmas Parade,” givingviewers the gift of Disney Theme Park entertainment fromthe comfort of home.

Hosted at the Walt Disney World® Resort by theaforementioned Regis Philbin and his “Live with Regis andKelly” co-star Kelly Ripa, and at the Disneyland® Resort by“American Idol” host and one-man-entertainment-empireRyan Seacrest, along with Nick Cannon of “America’s GotTalent,” the show is scheduled to include performances andappearances by the Jonas Brothers, Gloria Estefan, Yanni andthe Yanni Voices, “American Idol” Kris Allen, Celine Dion,Stevie Wonder, Demi Lovato and the canine stars of the newholiday movie Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws. Inwhat’s expected to be among the show’s biggest spectacles,Anika Noni Rose (voice of Princess Tiana in The Princess andthe Frog) will lead an over-the-top, Mardi Gras-styleprocession celebrating the colorful music of New Orleans.

Throughout the broadcast, stars will share theirperspectives on the spirit of giving as Disney Parks roll outthe new “Give a Day, Get a Disney Day” program, whichaims to celebrate the generosity of a million volunteers in2010 with tickets to Disney Theme Parks. Learn more aboutthe program online at www.disneyparks.com, and look for aspecial feature story in the spring edition of Disney FilesMagazine, scheduled to begin mailing in February.

“Prep & Landing”

Disney Dogs get festive Nov. 24

Forget the dog days of summer. These puppies are allabout Christmas!

On Nov. 24, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainmentunleashes Santa Buddies: The Legend of Santa Paws, the latesttitle in the hit “Buddies” series.

The phenomenon began in 1997, when Air Bud becamea box-office hit and launched a beloved library of home-entertainment adventures. Following in the four-leggedfootprints of Air Bud’s canine star, an endearing quintet ofscene-stealing puppies (B-Dawg, Budderball, Buddha,Mudbud and Rosebud) grabbed the spotlight in Air Buddies,the most successful live-action, direct-to-DVD movie of2006. Far from one-hit wonders, the pups returned to No. 1in 2008 with Snow Buddies and rocketed up the charts againin February 2009 with Space Buddies.

“The overwhelming success of each of our ‘Buddies’adventures really highlights how irresistible Disney Dogmovies are and what great family entertainment can be,” said Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment PresidentBob Chapek.

The popular pups’ new holiday tale (or “tail” if you’re

enjoying our dog puns) begins as Puppy Paws, the fun-lovingson of Santa Paws, grows tired of life at the North Pole andbattles boredom by sneaking a peek at Santa’s closelyguarded “naughty” list. Seeing Budderball’s name atop theinfamous list, Puppy Paws heads south to meet the Buddiesand find out how ordinary pups (if you call talking puppies“ordinary”) spend their days. But when the world begins toforget the true meaning of the holidays and the magic of theseason begins to literally melt away, it’s up to Puppy Pawsand his newfound Buddies to save the day in an adventurehighlighting the importance of collaboration, courage andtradition.

The film features the voice talents of such stars as TimConway (“The Carol Burnett Show”), Richard Kind (“SpinCity”), Tom Bosley (“Happy Days”), Field Cate (“PushingDaisies”), Josh Flitter (Nancy Drew) and Skyler Gisondo(“The Bill Engvall Show”), along with the on-camera actingtalents of George Wendt (“Cheers”) and Christopher Lloyd(Back to the Future). Robert Vince returns to produce anddirect his fourth “Buddies” film.

Stores are carrying the film on standard-format DisneyDVD, and in a combo pack featuring both the standard DVDand high-definition Disney Blu-ray Disc.

S A N T A B U D D I E S : T H E L E G E N D O F S A N T A P A W S


by Disney-history

expert Jim Korkis

D i s n e y ’ s N e w O r l e a n s t r a d i t i o n

Colorful connections to the Big Easy

Walt Disney Pictures’ upcoming animated feature The Princess and the Frog(pages 23-24) will build on some of Disney’s greatest traditions: dynamic princesses,treasured fairytales, sweeping musicals, hand-drawn worlds and creative influences fromNew Orleans. Allow me to explain that last one.

A century before animators placed Princess Tiana against the vibrant back drop of“The Big Easy,” a young Walt Disney was fascinated with the grand steamboats of theMississippi River. Entering adulthood, he had grown to love that river’s bustling port city,which he visited with his wife, Lillian, in the late 1940s. As the couple browsed antiques inthe city’s eclectic shops, Walt discovered a small, windup birdcage containing a moving,singing, mechanical bird. Walt purchased the piece and presented it to his team of artists atthe studio as they helped develop Walt’s dream of entertaining audiences in threedimensions.

In 1963, the Enchanted Tiki Room began inviting Disneyland® Guests to a place“where the birds sing words and the flowers croon.” Inspired by that New Orleans trinket(now housed in the Walt Disney Archives), the attraction gave birth to the Audio-Animatronics® art form that remains a cornerstone of the Disney Parks experience.

But it wasn’t the only piece of New Orleans to influence the happiest place on earth.When the Park opened in 1955, Walt already had plans to develop a New Orleans area.Opening-day broadcast hosts Ronald Reagan and Bob Cummings even referenced thesouthern flavor “down on New Orleans Street over in Frontierland®.”

Four years later, Walt met Blaine Kern, a New Orleans float designer known as "Mr.Mardi Gras." Walt was particularly taken with one of Kern's more inspired creations: an 18-foot-tall gorilla containing five men, who operated the walking, expressive beast. Kern'sgorilla landed a spot in an episode of Walt’s “Carnival Time” television program (March 4,1962), in which Ludwig Von Drake sends Donald Duck to report on the Mardi Grasfestivities from New Orleans.

Walt offered Kern a job designing floats forDisneyland parades, though the famed designer opted toremain in his home city. (Kern’s son, Barry, carries on thefamily business today, designing props and sculptures forDisney Parks and other destinations.)

Walt’s television productions returned NewOrleans to the airwaves on April 15, 1962, whenmusic legend (and New Orleans native) LouisArmstrong appeared in a show titled “DisneylandAfter Dark,” filmed during the annual“Dixieland at Disneyland” event. The hit showlater reached domestic and international

audiences as a short subject in movie theaters. Beyond the “Dixieland at Disneyland” event, the music

of New Orleans filled the Frontierland area year-round withthe sounds of groups like the “Young Men from NewOrleans,” "Royal Street Bachelors," "Side Street Strutters”

VAULT

from Disney’s Port Orleans Resort

and "Bayou Brass."Walt’s vision for a dedicated New Orleans area of the Park came

to fruition on July 24, 1966, with the official grand opening of NewOrleans Square. New Orleans Mayor Victor Schiro was on hand forthe opening ceremony, as was a New Orleans reporter, whodescribed the land as being “the next best thing” to New Orleansitself and reported (with an assist from Disneylandpublicitymaterials) that the land was built for almost the exact amount paidfor the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

At the ceremony, Walt explained that, "Disneylandhas alwayshad a Big River and a Mississippi sternwheeler. It made sense to builda new attraction at the bend of the river, and so New Orleans Squarecame into being -- a New Orleans of a century ago, when she was the'Gay Paree' of the American frontier."

When New Orleans Square opened, Guests could hear thechants and ringing bells of a voodoo queen living off a balcony onthe backside of the square. I often wondered if it was the infamousMarie Laveau, who practiced voodoo in New Orleans in the 1700sand 1800s, and whose portrait appears in the land’s two signatureattractions: Pirates of the Caribbean and The Haunted Mansion.Perhaps I’ll never know.

Walt was so fond of New Orleans Square that he selected a siteabove the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction for a new apartmentfor his family (larger than his apartment atop the Main Street,U.S.A.®, fire station).

Unfortunately, the New Orleans Square ceremony was Walt’s last public appearance at the Park before his passing on Dec. 15, 1966.

Decades later, as DisneylandPark celebrated “35 Years of Magic”in 1990, the New Orleans influence returned once again with the“Party Gras” parade. Singers, dancers, and stilt walkers threw beadsand Party Gras coins to Guests, as 40-foot-tall, inflated floatscelebrated favorite Disney characters and dwarfed Main Street,U.S.A.buildings.

The parade shipped across the country the next year to helpcelebrate the 20th anniversary of the Walt Disney World®Resort,which had come close to welcoming its own New Orleans-themedsite a decade earlier.

It was 1982when thecompanyannounced plansto develop amoderatelypriced, NewOrleans-themedresort at the Florida site that laterbecame Downtown Disney® Pleasure Island. TheEmpress Lilly steamboat-themed restaurant (known today asFulton’s Crab House), was to anchor a riverfront town inwhich Guest rooms would be "hidden" on upper floors ofbuildings resembling a cotton mill or a boatwright’s shop.

Financial turmoil in The Walt Disney Companyprevented the concept from materializing and left the Floridaproperty without a New Orleans-themed destination until1991 (the same year that the aforementioned “Party Gras”parade entertained Guests in the Sunshine State), whenDisney’s Port Orleans Resort opened its wrought-iron-detailed buildings and cobblestone streets to Guests.Trombone playing alligators are among the whimsical Disneytouches found at the resort, while authentic Mardi Grasprops (some of which the company purchased directly fromMardi Gras warehouses in New Orleans) salute the city’sfamed holiday festivities. (In 2001, the resort merged withthe nearby Disney’s Dixie Landings Resort and becameknown as the French Quarter district of the now broadenedDisney’s Port Orleans Resort.)

So as you head to theaters this holiday season to enjoy an endearing animated musical set against the rich backdropof New Orleans, remember that it’s just the latest example of the company’s longstanding love affair with the city by the bayou.

Did you know? Walt Disney Pictures’ animated feature The Hunchback of Notre Dame premiered at

the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans.


Dis

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from The Princess and the Frog

PHOTOFILES from your cameras

to our pages

Have we mentioned how much we enjoy seeing you take Disney FilesMagazine on vacation? We must have, because our inbox has runneth over.(But don’t worry, we got a bigger box.) From Stonehenge to Trevi Fountain,and from the White House to the Great Wall, the Files have logged someimpressive miles.We’ll return to our usual mix of Member photos in thespring, but first we’re dedicating this entire spread to our unapologeticallyself-promoting “File it Away” gimmick. Keep those photos coming!

Stephen and Amanda Scherer of Florida, Members since 2001, take the Files to

the White House in Washington, D.C.

Eric and Deborah Kirby of Florida, Members since 2008,

take a break from their European vacation to read the

Files at Stonehenge.

Alexander and Barbara Thompson of Minnesota, Members since 1998, share the Files

with Queen Elizabeth II (or at least her wax facsimile at Madame Tussauds museum)

during a visit to London.


Congratulations to the

Valedofsky family of Rhode

Island, Members since

2006, for winning our

“Royal Ribbit” challenge

with this photo of their

adorable princess and frog.

The Valedofsky family

home now sports a

limited-edition serigraph

from Walt Disney

Animation Studios’

The Princess and the Frog,

signed by the film’s

producer, Peter Del Vecho.

Royal Ribbit

Share your memoriesSend your vacation photos to Disney Files Magazine, Disney Vacation Club, 1390 Celebration Blvd., Celebration, FL34747. Submissions become property of Disney Vacation Club and will not be returned. Remember to include yourname, hometown and “Member Since” year so the staff can credit you with the submission, as well as your phonenumber so we can contact you with questions. Also remember to sign and include our release form for each personpictured. The form is available in the download center of your Member Web site at www.dvcmember.com/releaseform.

Tip: Photos that tell a story have the best chance of getting into the magazine. So look for your best tight, candid shots that focus more on people than places. If you can make the staff laugh or cry, even better!

While celebrating 10 years of marriage to husband Tim, CarolynBennett of Illinois, Member since 2007, catches up on some reading atRome’s Trevi Fountain.

It’s official. Carter Kleoppel

of Kansas, Member since

2004, is funny. Carter

submitted our favorite

caption for the “Best

Pick-ture” photo of young

Member Anthony Potope

in our fall magazine. We’ve

sent Carter his very own

Disney Files Magazine

baseball cap and pin (which

apparently are big hits on

eBay, not that we endorse

that kind of thing).

Robert and Carolyn Neth of Indiana, Members since 2003, take the

great magazine to the Great Wall (of China, lest you confuse it with

the far-less-impressive Great Wall of Kissimmee).

I did NOT give you authorizationto pick my nose, MAGGOT!

©Disney VCDFM1109A

Disney through the rear-view mirror

Pluto channels his inner madscientist as he lights the Christmastree on Dec. 1, 1989, at thefledgling Theme Park known todayas Disney’s Hollywood Studios™.We’ll assume the camera anglemade this festive moment appearmore maniacal than it actually was.From all of us at Disney VacationClub, happy holidays!

BACK FILES

This concludes this edition of Disney FilesMagazine. We’ll be back in a few months, of course,but it’s still a sad moment. Like the moment BuzzLightyear learned he wasn’t a real space ranger.Until the spring magazine arrives, you can fill theeditorial void by getting the latest news about

special offers, events and more through the magicof e-mail. Simply visit www.dvcmember.com/emailto register for e-mail communications. You’ll evenget an animated e-mail signature when you sign up.We hope you enjoy being an e-mail insider while we

work on the next installment of the Files!

Documents

Winter 2009 vol. 18 no. 4 - Disney Vacation Club · 2018-11-15 · curved braces from the wall. If you want to really impress (or annoy) your traveling party, make a snooty reference