Approximately 15 Padawan participants can register for the show, don a Jedi robe and pledge the sacred Jedi Oath. Then they will grab a lightsaber and hone their  battle skills under the supervision of a real Jedi Master. However… there seems to be a great disturbance in the Force… Stormtroopers have been seen in the area, and it is rumored that Darth Vader himself could make an appearance.

It’s available multiple times daily, so be sure to consult the daily Entertainment Times Guide at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Theme Park for performance times. Here’s a peek at what you may expect… and may the Force be with you!

In celebration of the Animal Kingdom’s anniversary and Earth Day, which just passed us, I figured now would be a better time than ever to talk about the Animal Kingdom that never was, specifically an entire “land” that went to the wayside. When Disney’s Animal Kingdom was built, it was the largest theme park outing for Disney and at a cost of nearly $1 billion to create, was a leap of faith for the company. On top of that, Disney also had plans for a grand scale luxury hotel right off to the side of the Animal Kingdom park, so the project in whole was a large stretch for Disney, but as it turns out, a good one.

One of the original plans for the $1 billion Animal Kingdom park and lodge project was a section of the park called Beastly Kingdom, or “Beastley Kingdomme” as some concept art spells it. This part of the park would have, without a doubt, been very popular and crowded had it come to fruition. The Beastly Kingdom would have dealt with the animals and creatures of mythology and folklore and would have had three major attractions in the area.

The Dragon Tower was to be a major thrill ride experience. As in most fairy tales, there are good and evil sides to the section of the park. The Dragon Tower would be a part of the darker side of the land taking guests on a roller coaster ride around the tower and past a deadly dragon. The detail going into the Tower itself would be incredible, as the castle would look half ruined and burnt down by the dragon, still in tact enough for guests to go inside.

On the good side of Beastly Kingdom would be Fantasia Gardens, a boat ride based on Fantasia, a movie that doesn’t get enough recognition in my opinion. This slow moving boat ride, similar to Pirates of the Caribbean or It’s a Small World, would take you past several scenes from the film including the “Dance of the Hours” scenes with the hippos and crocodiles and Beethoven’s “Pastoral” which features more centaurs, fauns, and Pegasus.

Beastly Kingdom’s good side would also feature a maze that leads to a secret grotto called Quest of the Unicorn. As guests would travel through the maze, they would run into several medieval and mythological creatures before finding the Unicorn in his grotto either in the middle of the maze or at the end of the maze.

So why did the Beastly Kingdom never get built? It’s simple economics my Dear Watson! (sorry, random non-sensicle Sherlock Holmes reference) With the rest of the park already over budget, it would be difficult to cut out Africa, Asia, or even Dinoland U.S.A. from the park to fit in the Beastly Kingdom. Truthfully, it makes the least sense of all the lands to be there. Can you imagine Animal Kingdom without a safari ride, jungle trek, or bone yard? IT would definitely be a wonderful addition to add in mythological creatures, but not a necessary component to the story of conservation and the history and beauty of animals.

Be sure to follow Josh Taylor on Twitter at @kidredo. You can read more from Josh at www.disneyparkhistory.wordpress.com

Created by actress Ashley Eckstein, the voice of Ahsoka Tano on Star Wars: The Clone Wars, the current seasonal offering from Her Universe Includes a racer back tank top and fashion tops featuring such beloved characters as Princess Leia, R2-D2 and Darth Vader as well as a unique Princess Leia zip-hoodie and a fun Ahsoka Tano youth tunic created to help young girls feel just like Anakin’s Padawan learner on The Clone Wars. To accentuate the new Star Wars apparel, Eckstein and Her Universe are offering two new charms – a Boba Fett design and a Japor Snippet replica, the good luck charm given as a gift to Padme from a young Anakin Skywalker. All of this Star Wars treasure can be carried in the new cotton canvas Star Wars tote bag featuring the Star Wars symbols. Several new apparel pieces are also being introduced for the younger “Jedi-in-training” including several Star Wars youth designs and, for the first time, a Jedi onesie for the tiniest followers of the Force featuring the adorable art of popular Star Wars illustrator Katie Cook.

“I was very excited when Ashley approached me to do kids’ designs for Her Universe,” said Cook. “She’s doing a wonderful thing for the female fan community already… and she’s doing those of us with little girls an even bigger favor by giving the littlest fangirls nerdy gear of their own!”

In addition to the new product line being available at Disney’s Star Wars Weekends, Eckstein will also, for the fourth year in a row, be co-hosting the Behind The Force live stage show and signing autographs each weekend of the event.

“Disney’s Star Wars Weekends is one of my favorite events of the year,” said Ashley Eckstein. “I truly enjoy meeting Star Wars fans of all ages and that’s why I am so excited to be offering merchandise for women, girls and now babies! As the voice of Ahsoka Tano, I cannot wait to see baby girls in an Ahsoka “Jedi in Training” onesie or little girls running around in Ahsoka’s new costume top!”

Her Universe was launched in 2009 by Eckstein, and her partner, The Araca Group, known as one of the most innovative theatrical production and merchandise companies in the world. Her Universe was created to directly address the expanding market of female fans by entering into its first agreement with Lucas Licensing to develop and produce a line of female-centered Star Wars apparel and accessories. The success of that line was followed up with a collection for the Syfy network including such shows as Battlestar Galactica. Visit www.heruniverse.com to purchase the new Star Wars collection or visit a Hot Topic store near you to find select Her Universe items. You can also learn more about Her Universe by following Eckstein on Twitter and visiting the Her Universe Facebook page.

Running every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from May 18th through June 10th, Disney’s Star Wars Weekends is an annual event at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park celebrating the Star Wars Saga, as well the animated television series Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Each weekend offers fans a unique opportunity to join Jedi Masters, Sith Lords and Star Wars celebrities for special shows, presentations and memorabilia. For more information on Star Wars Weekends, visit:disneyworld.com/starwarsweekends or disneyparks.com/blog.

Photo credit: - Kelsey Edwards Photography

Costumes. Prizes. Wayne Brady. What more could you ever want? Let’s Make A Deal is a game show that started in 1963 hosted by Monty Hall and was brought back to television revamped and refurbished in 2009 hosted by Wayne Brady. It was a game of luck-you get a choice between money or a box or a curtain or something else. Each object behind a curtain, under a box, etc. can be something cool or a zonk, which is an object that isn’t so special. Zonks have included a live llama and a refrigerator full of rotten food. Now, I loved Whose Line Is It Anyway and I still do, so imagine my reaction when I found out the host was Wayne Brady. This pulled me in like Pudge on a fishing pole (if you didn’t get that reference, go watch Lilo and Stitch) so every weekday during the summer I would tune in to CBS at 10:00 in the morning. I’ve watched people win money and cars, and never thought I would be on the show. Little did I know that I was going to be a contestant on Let’s Make A Deal.

Well, kinda.

I remember it like it was yesterday-It was the Friday after ASK testing. I was in 7th grade- so this State Test counted towards high school more than all the others. I was nervous that I was going to do awful, so I was relieved when it was all over. We got out of the car at my house and walked up to the front porch to see my dad standing in front of the door. He had two envelopes in his hand. He gave one to me and one to my brother. “Open it,” my mom said. The sound of the ripping envelope echoed my thought about the conversation-it was unusual and made me wonder. The letter read something along the lines of “You have 5 minutes to change into your costumes and join us in the television studio (living room) to win games and prizes on Let’s Make A Deal!!” We ran to our rooms and got into our costumes. Mine was a Minnie Mouse costume and my brother’s was one of the green aliens from Toy Story. My mom (now dressed in a fancy white shirt) beckoned my brother and me out into the living room. As we were led to couches, I noticed the green sheet that hung from the ceiling. It had a Lets Make A Deal logo on it. The curtain almost reached the floor, but we could see an inch between the ground and the bottom of the curtain. We saw my dad’s feet as he made his way to the end of the curtain so he could see us for the first time in our costumes. He was met with applause and hoots from the rest of the family when he was introduced as our host, Mr. Sweety McTush. Then the game started.

What made this a little different was that we already knew we were going on a trip (that’s a story or another time) so instead of finding out that we are going back home, we won prizes (and zonks) for our road trip to Florida. We were driving down in our van for the first time and we didn’t know what we needed entertainment wise since we were used to 2 hour plane rides, not 16 hour car rides!

The actual show on CBS consists of many games in one episode. We played many challenges-from trivia about our past vacations together to guessing what our siblings’ favorite restaurant was. A few games stuck out in my mind.

I call this challenge “The Snake.” Everybody loves those classic “snake-in-a-can”s that you can get at any prank store. I personally despise them because of the noise they make when they pop open-well, I did until this challenge. My brother and I each had to pick one of these snakes in a can and had to open it-one can had the snake still packed inside ready to be free, while the other had a prize inside. On the count of three, we opened up our cans- I shut my eyes as hard as I could and pulled. The cap popped off easily and no snake came out! YES! My brother was still trying to untwist the cap when he realized that mine didn’t have the snake, which meant his had to. 5 hours passed (okay, more like 5 seconds) when I heard the POP! Luckily, I was prepared and had my hands over my ears (I hate loud noises like balloons popping [That is the only reason why I hate Figment and I will NEVER ride that ride again] and yes, even fireworks [I just cover my ears]). My can contained an envelope with a dollar bill taped to the front. I wasn’t allowed to open the envelope, but was told by my dad there was also money inside the envelope. He didn’t tell me how much though. But the game wasn’t over-I had to pick ANOTHER can. Once I picked my lucky can (from numerous times switching them back and forth) I was instructed not to open it. Then I had to make a life changing decision-do I keep the envelope that I was sure contained money or take the risk and open up the new can? I did what my gut told me to do. My motto for the whole thing was to go big or go home. So, for all challenges I risked everything for the unknown (which might explain why I got a lot of Zonks). Anyway, I picked the can. I pulled, tugged, and yanked with all of my might. I heard the pop, but no snakes came out. I defeated the snake cans again! This time I looked in my can and saw a pin. Not just any pin- A HIDDEN MICKEY PIN! I collect these because they couldn’t be bought anywhere and you could only own them if you traded with Cast Members (of course we all know that now you can buy some of them in the gift shops). YAY!

The next challenge was a competitive one. My brother and I had to bid on three boxes with only 5 dollars. Whoever bid the most on a box got it. You didn’t have to only bid on one box, you could bid on all three! Every box seen throughout the day had an icon on it aimed at my brother or me. My brother’s boxes had SpongeBob characters and mine had pictures of Phil Collins. It didn’t mean anything, but it was easier to say “The Phil Collins Box” than “That box….no that one…no the one to the left…MY left!” As fate would have it, the box that I decided that I would bid the most on had a zonk-an increase in parent tax (A little joke in my family: An adult can steal a french fry or any other type of food because of “parent tax” but a child can’t steal a piece of food from an adult and say “parent tax”). Oh well!

A few events later, my favorite challenge came about. If you watch Survivor, you know that sometimes when they need to divide the people into tribes, they pick rocks out of a bag. On the count of three, they would open up their hands and look at the rock. They were painted the tribe colors and they would separate into tribes based on the color they got. So this challenge was similar (see? I told you in my last blog that we LOVE Survivor!) except that instead of rocks we picked out poker chips. In the bag were 19 green chips and 1 red chip. If you picked the red chip, you were out. If you picked the green chip, your torch was still lit (Survivor reference)! My brother and I picked a chip and revealed the color when told to. We both got green chips! This went on for about 7 more rounds before the red chip was chosen. And guess who got it?

Me. Of course. Austin won 1 dollar for every green chip he got, so he got 8 dollars.

“The Zonk” activity was probably the shortest game we played. Three boxes of different sizes were brought out along with playing cards and a smaller table. My brother and I had to agree on a card (they were all face down). If the card had an odd number on it, we won the first box.  We had to pick from 2 of the cards. Luckily for us, we got a 5 on the card. But that wasn’t all of it. Now, we had to pick from FOUR cards and we had to find an even card. Or we could take the box that we won. We decided to keep playing. We picked an even card (no, it was not jinxed! We got shown all the cards after we won each round). Yes! But now we had to decide whether to keep both boxes and keep playing or give it all up and get 10 dollars each. Hard decision, but decided to keep playing. This time we had to pick a face card (Jack, Queen or King) to keep all the prizes and the new box. We picked a Queen! YAY! We opened the boxes in the order we won them. The first box contained two lollipops (Orange and Cherry-our favorite flavors!) and the second box had Razzles in it (we eat them all the time) and the third one was a box of shredded paper. A ZONK! But my mom just looked at us as we sat back down with the rest of the “audience.” Nobody moved. No boxes were taken back behind the curtain. My mom even still held the lid above the box, staring at us. So we stood back up and walked back towards the Zonk. It felt like a scene from Indiana Jones *cue creepy music during the beginning of Raiders of The Lost Ark* (yes, I am an Indy nerd). We approached it as if it was a vat filled with snakes. The host (aka Dad) was still staring at us. I finally got the message. I dug my hands in, not knowing what to expect. My hands gripped a… Any guesses? A worm? A bird? No, a prescription bottle. Hmm. I pull it out and untwist the top. There was a piece of paper inside. I unrolled it and guess what it was? Okay, you are probably sick of guessing games-a picture of the La Nouba poster/logo in Downtown Disney! WOOHOO! My parents then told us that we are going to see La Nouba!

Okay, one more game that I have to tell you about. It was *drum roll please* THE BIG DEAL OF THE DAY!! If you Watch Let’s Make A Deal, you know that at the end of the show somebody who already won something earlier in the show can risk it all to win something else. They are usually cars, vacations and money. But my brother and I are too young to drive, already are going to Disney and we know my parents well enough that they wouldn’t make a big deal of giving us money. This made me wonder-what could it be? Well, before I could see what it was, I had to win it first! My brother I had to agree on 3 wallets out of seven and get $5 from the three wallets we pick. If we didn’t reach a total of $5, we wouldn’t get the Big Deal of The Day. We picked our first wallet and discovered that it contained 2 dollars. The next wallet only had $1. We needed two dollars or else we didn’t get the Big Deal of The Day. We chose our final wallet and opened it with excitement and nerves pumping through our veins. It has two dollars in it! We were congratulated and then told to sit on the couch and wait for my dad to bring the Big Deal of the Day out. He came out minutes later with his back to us. It was our last chance to wonder about the prize. My dad whipped towards us really fast as he put a box on the table. It showed my brother and I zip lining last summer in NC, but our pictures were cut out and taped to wires hanging on this box. The box was decorated to look like mountains and rivers. On top it said “ZipQuest” it took a second for it to sink in-we were going zip lining! I have only done it once before-and I LOVED it! After we left the World, we were going to stop in Virginia for zip lining. It would put ice on the wound that is leaving Walt Disney World but not completely heal it.  I now had something to look forward to when leaving my home.

These are just a few highlights of the Let’s Make A Deal Game.  In all, we played 21 games that took over 6 hours.  It turns out that my parents had been working on the games, prizes and zonks for over 6 months and never even gave us a hint! Thank you for reading about my “Breaking The News” experience this week. Next week you will read about somebody REALLY special telling me about a cruise!

This week’s “Where in the World” picture is sort of difficult. Just keep your head up high and don’t give up

See ya REAL soon!
~Makena

PS: Congratulations to Jordan for beating his personal record for most consecutive years living! Have a magical birthday and keep on gaming!

Makena is a 13 year old middle school student who spends much of her free time researching Disney. She enjoys sharing Disney facts and even plans Walt Disney World vacations (including searches for secrets and Hidden Mickeys) for friends and family.

Operated by the Patina Restaurant Group, Tutto Gusto joins the line-up in the pavilion’s expanded dining, offering 200 Italian wines, Italian beers, coffees and a selection of authentic Italian small plates.

“We are always looking at ways to keep Epcot fresh and vibrant for our guests,” says Erin Youngs, vice president of Epcot. “The new Tutto Gusto Wine Cellar and refreshed Tutto Italia are excellent enhancements to World Showcase. Both nicely complement Via Napoli and offer guests a chance to enjoy the richness of Italian culture as they savor the authentic flavors of Italy.”

The delectable small plates at Tutto Gusto, perfect for sharing, include simple, flavorful small plates such as bruschetta di Capri, pizze fritte, polenta funghi e taleggio. Artisanal Italian cheeses are offered, with everything from soft, creamy La Tur to salty-sweet aged Parmigiano Reggiano. Fresh hand-crafted mozzarella is made in bufala and fior di latte styles.  Also featured are cured, sliced meats, including prosciutto di Parma, mortadella, sopressata and more. The corkscrew-shaped cavatappi pasta is highlighted in its own section, with different preparations.

The rustic wine cellar is furnished with authentic design elements directly from Italy: chandeliers, marble and limestone floors, wall hangings and more.  A long bar is the centerpiece of the room, with a fireplace and other classic touches.

Newly Renovated Tutto Italia

The makeover gives Tutto Italia a more expansive feel, with covered outdoor seating  for 45 with ceiling fans and lighting, and pretty new carpet,  dark-wood booths and spacious banquettes replacing some of the tables in the dining room. The lovely wall murals and elegant chandeliers remain.

The menu is classic Italian, with starters such as lightly fried calamari fritti and minestrone with pancetta.  Pasta dishes range from spaghetti with veal and beef meatballs to a handmade pasta with zucchini, mint and burrata cheese. Entrées include beautiful grilled swordfish, braised lamb shank, and creamy polenta with braised beef short ribs.  For dessert, the cannoli with sweet ricotta or mocha tiramisu are the most requested.

A gluten-free menu shows it’s not just an afterthought, with entrées including rice pasta pomodoro, risotto, and a salmon filet with artichokes, potatoes and olives.

Chef Renzo Barcatta oversees both Tutto Gusto and Tutto Italia, with Benito Sevarin leading the front of the house. Barcatta grew up in Cavalese, Italy, and honed his skills in restaurants in Venice, Milan and Rome. He prepares authentic dishes with choices sourced across Italy, offering the best of each region. In addition to pairing well with wine, Chef Baracatta’s creations also match nicely with family-friendly agua frescas and other non-alcoholic beverages.

Via Napoli

The first authentic Italian pizzeria to ever open at Epcot, Via Napoli features a selection of classical Neapolitan pizzas, ranging from pizza bianca, quattro stagioni, piccante, ortolano and a traditional margherita. Chef Charlie Restivo, a pizza expert hailing from New York, is executive chef at Via Napoli, where he crafts the pies using simple and delicious Italian ingredients such as San Marzano tomatoes, Caputo flour, handmade fresh mozzarella, Parma Cotto, crumbled sausage and water calibrated specifically to the pH found in Naples.

A distinctive feature at Via Napoli is the wood-burning ovens, which are named after the three active volcanoes in Italy – Mount Etna, Mount Vesuvius and Stromboli.  Each oven is sculpted with the “face of the volcano” — reflecting the gods whose mythology surrounds each volcano’s history.

For reservations at Tutto Italia or Via Napoli, call (407) WDW-DINE / (407) 939-3463; both are on the Disney Dining Plan. Tutto Gusto doesn’t take reservations and is not on the Disney Dining Plan.

Hello and welcome to The WDW Radio Show – Your Walt Disney World Information Station. I am your host, Lou Mongello, and this is show #274 for the week of May 13, 2012. Whether you’re a mom, mom to be, or just share some motherly advice, I hope you have a very Happy Mother’s Day

With the WDW Radio group cruise on the Disney Dream coming up in November, we’re opening up the inbox this week to answer your questions about not only our cruise, but cruising on the Disney Cruise Line in general. From pre and post-stays in Walt Disney World to getting to Port Canaveral and what to do once you’re there, dress code on board, things to do in port and on Castaway Cay, Richard Sherman, best places to get snacks on board the Disney Dream, kids clubs, excursions and much, much more. Whether you’re joining us on the cruise in November (and yes, there’s still time to book), are a first-time cruiser or have been on the Disney Cruise Line in the past, there’s something here for everyone.

I’ll have the answer and winner for last week’s Walt Disney World Trivia Question of the Week, and pose a new one for your chance to win a special prize for fans of Marvel’s The Avengers.

I’ll then have a few quick announcements, including information about the next WDW Radio Meet of the Month during Star Wars Weekends and how you can win some prizes if you join us throughout the day, our WDW Radio Meet in NYC in June, and our private dinner at the “American Adventurers Club.” I’ll then play more of your voicemails at the end of the show. So sit back, relax, and enjoy this week’s episode of the WDW Radio Show.

Thanks for listening! Be sure to tune in next week!

Information and Links from This Week’s Show:

Question for YOU: What is your favorite activity or place to relax on Disney’s Castaway Cay?

• Listen to this week’s episode for the Walt Disney World Trivia Question of the Week for a chance to win a one-year subscription to Marvel Super Heroes magazine! (US residents only)
• Private Tours of Walt Disney World with Lou Mongello
• Disney Fan Meets and WDW Radio Meets of the Month in Walt Disney World – Get dates and locations on our Events page
• Watch & chat during our LIVE WDW NewsCast Wednesdays at 7:30pm ET at WDWRadioLIVE.com
• Get Celebrations Magazine on your iPad/iPhone in the iTunes App Store
  

Listen to our Top Tips to Get the Most Out of Star Wars Weekends (and interview with David Prowse – the man behind the mask of Darth Vader!) on Show #273

More Star Wars Weekends coverage, planning and special events can be found here

First off, I would like to apologize for not writing for a while. Lots has happened since my last piece! I have officially been in Florida and participating in the Disney College Program for three months!! I survived the Spring Break rush that lasted almost a month and then was quickly followed by Easter. I have made so many friends, and I am starting to feel like I’m in a good rhythm at the Emporium, and in Disney World in general.

About a month into my program I was stock trained, so that is pretty much all I do. Stocking is great because I feel like you are more open and readily available to the Guests. I feel like I have been given the opportunity to get to know my Leaders, Coordinators, and fellow Cast Members better… and I can almost comfortably say that most of the people at the Emporium know who I am too; and that can be interpreted as both good and bad.

I feel like I have grown some as a person in the three months that I have been here, and I have started to change into the person I want to be. My program isn’t even close to being done yet, and I know that it has opened doors for me already. A lot of that is thanks to the amazing leadership team at the Emporium; specifically my CP Champion, Kaitlin. She has helped me realize what my strong points are and what my weaknesses are that I can work on. I’ve had some issues that I needed help with, I knew I could go to her for help, and that I can trust her. There are so many people at the Emporium that I completely trust; if at anytime I have a problem or I need to talk to someone, I know that I can go to almost anyone for help.

On the rare occasion that I’m not at work, I’m hanging out with my friends in the parks. I have gone to the beach, to a paint party on the party bus, to one of the water parks, resort hopping, to the movies, to a concert, and a whole bunch of other things. Some friends and I recently tackled the Kitchen Sink at Beaches and Cream at the Beach Club Resort; I suggest that you do it, but don’t eat a lot before you go! I always have fun hanging out with all of my friends at various places because it gives you the opportunity to know who they are outside of work and vice versa.

On May 8th, Disney Internships and Programs held a party for all the CPs, ICPs, Culinary Students, and Professional Interns at Typhoon Lagoon at night called the “Starlight Splash.” It was so much fun! They had everything open like it is for Guests, but it was even better because there was free food!!! And not just regular boring food, but free Mickey Bars, Mickey Ice Sandwiches, fruit bars, chips and salsa, and all sorts of gourmet Disney restaurant food. They had a DJ who was giving away free stuff and playing music so we could dance on the beach, there were pirates walking around, palm readers, and then a huge fireworks show at the end of the night! It was a great night spent with my friends outside of work, and with other CPs!

Whatever you do during your program, enjoy it!!! Get to know people and go out and have fun. Go to dinner one night and then go to a park and watch the fireworks. I can’t tell you how many times my friends and I went somewhere and then ended up at the Magic Kingdom to watch Wishes and the Electrical Parade! Make the best of everything, and be willing to meet new people because that’s when you will be the happiest! Also, don’t be afraid of change; I was terrified by the idea of change and I still am, but I’m coming around to the idea. I know that there will be a lot of change soon to come when some of my closest friends’ programs end and they go back home. Having them go back home will be one biggest changes that I have faced since moving here, but I know that the friendships that I am making with them will last a lifetime, and these people will always be there for me.

Basically, whatever you do, have fun! Spread pixie dust and magic, because I guarantee that the moment that you “go above and beyond” for a Guest and make there trip memorable, you will feel great about what you did, and you will love your job even more.

Have a Magical Day!

Chandler Witzigreuter is a 19 year old from Fort Wayne, IN, who has been obsessed with all things Disney ever since she was very young. She began the Disney College Program Spring Advantage Session in February.

What do you do if you’re a Disney fan stuck in the UK and need a fix of the magic? Well, why not attend a Disney meet right here in the UK?! This past weekend I had the pleasure of attending my first Mousemeets event, along with some of my WDW Radio UK buddies. Mousemeets are unofficial Disney events that have taken place for the last couple of years, run by Disney fanatics for Disney fanatics!

Mousemeets 2012 was organised and hosted by Adam Goodger, the man behind the Disney Brit podcast. This year’s event took place at a hotel in the centre of Birmingham over the Saturday and Sunday, and was organised so that people could attend every scheduled session over both days or choose just the sessions which interested them. In addition to the presentations in the main conference room there was also a pin and Vinylmation trading room nearby.

It was great fun turning up at a hotel for a fan ‘convention’, passing people at the entrance that also had no shame in wearing a Disney t-shirt outside of WDW! At registration on the Saturday morning we were even given a Mousemeet lanyard, which would be our ticket for the events over the next two days.

Having not yet had the good fortune of being able to attend an official Disney event (D23 Expo, Destination D etc) I can only assume that I felt a fraction of the excitement that you must feel attending one of those events…but it was great! From the first moment I took my seat in the main convention room I was taking pictures and posting messages on Twitter and Facebook. It was fun to be able to share the information with both my US and UK friends who couldn’t attend.

Now as this was a fan weekend rather than an official Disney event we weren’t expecting big reveals or Captain Jack Sparrow to make a surprise appearance (that would have been just too dangerous with all the females in the audience!!). The weekend was broken down into scheduled sessions which covered an excellent variety of Disney subjects such as ‘WDW: How It All Began’, ‘Disney Dining vs DDP’, ‘The Grand Opening of WDW’, ‘Getting Married in WDW’ and ‘Becoming a Disneyland Paris Shareholder’.

Now the most obvious drawback of holding a Disney fan event in the UK is that most of the people involved in the wonderful world of Disney just happen to be based in the States. Luckily these days it’s easier to connect with people in different time zones and with the aid of technology we were able to talk live with Len Testa from Touring Plans and the Unofficial Guide to WDW, AJ Wolfe from the Disney Food Blog and the DFB Podcast, and last but by NO means least….Bill Farmer, the official voice of Goofy. You just know that we all had our ‘nerd’ moment when Goofy made an appearance and even recorded a message for an audience member’s voicemail!!

There was also some live podcast recording on both days and Sunday morning saw a big screen ‘Mousemeets only’ showing of Beauty and the Beast at the UK’s oldest working cinema. The trivia quiz on the Sunday afternoon was tough but was proudly won by a group made up of WDW Radio friends.

The highlight of the weekend for me was the charity auction, in aid of the Great Ormond Street Hospital charity. Some wonderful prizes had been donated such as Podcaster for the Day, a limited edition Rapunzel doll, a Glen Keane signed Animators doll, a selection of pins and Vinylmation, a Euro Disney map from 1992 and six posters featuring artwork from the new Storybook Circus in WDW. There was lots of good natured banter in the room during the bidding (although apparently my face indicated that I wasn’t leaving without the 9” Florida Project and the 3” Passholder Orange Bird vinylmations!!) and the auction alone raised £2,300 for the charity.

The weekend was an excellent example of how people from all walks of life can be brought together because of their love for one thing and the one man who created it all. My first Mousemeets event was a lot of fun; it was great to meet new people and make new friends, and I look forward to attending again in the future!!

Emma Godbold lives in the East of England and has been visiting Walt Disney World since she was a teenager. In between trips, Emma can be found reading about Disney history or researching and planning her next Disney vacation. She also writes her own blog at www.daydreamingdisney.com.

Reminder About Snow White’s Scary Adventures, and More!

by Don Myers

First I’d like to wish all the mom’s out there, especially my Mom, Kim, a very Happy Mother’s Day! And now, it’s time for the latest edition of the WDW Radio Newswire…

Thursday, May 31st. That’s when Walt Disney World’s newest Resort, Art of Animation, opens up its doors along the shores of Hourglass Lake. And according to the White Rabbit’s trusty watch, the very important date is just over two weeks away! However, only one of the four wings, Finding Nemo, will be opening on that date. The other three wings will be welcoming in their first Guests later this Summer. The Cars section is slated for a June 18th opening, and the Lion King is scheduled to follow suit on August 10th. Little Mermaid will round out the quartet, with an opening date of September 15th on tap. And for you aquatic lovers, there are going to be not one, not two, but three swimming pools featured at the Resort! The Main Feature Pool is located in the Finding Nemo section, and has been appropriately titled the Big Blue Pool. The other two swimming pools are smaller. One can be found in the Cars area, while the other is located in the Little Mermaid wing. They have also received clever names, as they have been dubbed the Cozy Cone Pool (Cars) and the Flippin’ Fins Pool (Mermaid), respectfully.

Now let’s head into the Parks. Our first stop is the Magic Kingdom. More specifically, Fantasyland, where tarps have just popped up at it’s a small world. It doesn’t appear as if the attraction will be experiencing any downtime as a result of this construction however, as all indications point to this simply being the latest in a long line of exterior refurbishment projects around the Park

Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for one of Fantasyland’s other attractions, Snow White’s Scary Adventures. The opening day dark ride is scheduled to drift into the realm of extinction in just over two weeks time, so if you plan on experiencing the ride one more time before it’s gone forever, you’ve got until Wednesday May 30th to do so. On Thursday May 31st, the attraction closes its doors for good to make room for Princess Fairytale Hall, an all-new meet and greet experience scheduled to open up in 2014.

Now let’s Park Hop from the Magic Kingdom over to Disney’s Hollywood Studios, where there is a small bit of news to report on the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular. Indy will be going on a two-day hiatus later this month, as there will be no performances of the stunt show on Wednesday May 16th or Thursday May 17th. But fear not; as Dr. Jones will be back in action on Friday May 18th, just in time for the kickoff of the 2012 edition of Star Wars Weekends!

Speaking of Star Wars Weekends, the final celebrity spot for the third weekend has finally been confirmed. The spot now belongs to Catherine Taber, the voice behind Anakin’s one true love, Padme Amidala, in the Clone Wars series. Back in the April 19th edition of the Newswire, I detailed the complete list of Celebrity Guests for all four weekends, which can be viewed at:

http://www.wdwradio.com/2012/04/wdw-radio-newswire-avenge-o-rail-coming-to-a-monorail-station-near-you/

Well, that’s gonna do it for today’s update. But I’ll be back again soon with another edition of the WDW Radio Newswire