I have signed up for a pair of Twitter accounts for myself and for Inside the Magic.
I haven’t entirely figured out what I’m supposed to do with them, but I suppose that will come over time. For now, I’ll be posting things there that won’t be anywhere else… day-to-day, hour-to-hour, and minute-to-minute type things.
Let me know if there’s anything cool I’m missing about Twitter.
add to del.icio.usFrom canoe.ca:
add to del.icio.usMadame Tussauds New York unveiled a wax figure of the wildly popular teen actress-singer on Thursday amid such likenesses as Depp, Leonardo DiCaprio, David Wright, Rachael Ray and Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton.
The smiling wax Miley — aka Hannah Montana — is featured in skinny black jeans, a blue and gold silk top, open-toed shoes and, of course, long flowing hair.
The flock of young fans was not deterred by the fact that she’s faux.
Said Emma Brick: “I’ve seen every episode of hers and she has so much personality. . . . It is almost the spitting image of her. It is so exciting.”
From tradingmarkets.com:
add to del.icio.usUS-based Walt Disney Company has decided to build a Disneyland at Chuansha town, Pudong, Shanghai, expected to be announced around the period for the opening of the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, according to reliable news.
Shanghai mayor Han Zheng once said that the city, having the ability to build a Disneyland, was preparing for the construction and waiting for approval from the State Council, China’s cabinet.
From attractionsmagazine.com:
The Haunted Mansion at the Magic Kingdom recently received several major updates. However, despite being open for over 4 months since the refurbishment, tweaks are still being made inside. The latest update is a significant improvement to the singing busts in the graveyard scene.
No longer do their faces glow, clearly revealing the secret behind the effect. Now, the busts are wonderfully evenly lit, full of detail, and are quite realistic:
As you can see from these before and after video stills, the “old” busts had bright faces with dark stone surroundings, while the “new” busts don’t obviously separate the moving face from the non-moving stone parts. In order to make the busts more evenly lit, the area surrounding them is not as bright as it once was. However, it is a bit lighter than what you can see in the above “after” still image.
Be sure to check out the video of the “new” singing busts below.
add to del.icio.usFrom macys.com:
add to del.icio.us
If you are looking for some quality luggage, check out the Delsey Helium Pro collection (in black or green) — we just purchased some and found it some of the best quality for the price. We purchased through Macy’s and through various promos and discounts, really got an amazing buy on this luggage set. - Dr. Disney
Experience travel on your own terms. This lightweight collection wont weigh you down, leaving you lugging less and exploring more. Each piece features a feather-light polypropylene honeycomb frame and all the amenities you need to make life on the road easier. Lifetime warranty
From attractionsmagazine.com:
Today marked the official grand opening of Disaster A Major Motion Picture - Starring You at Universal Studios Orlando. Disaster replaces Earthquake, which had been open since the park’s opening in 1990. The grand opening kicked off with a big bang, literally ignited by a family selected from the crowd. Emerging from the dust and rubble was none other than Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson who plays a role in the new attraction.
Disaster takes all of your favorite elements from Earthquake, namely the earthquake scene on the subway, complete with fire and a flood, and adds a brand new, technology-filled pre-show starring a very lifelike Christopher Walken amongst other entertainment.
We have complete coverage of this grand opening including a 10-minute video of the whole ceremony, along with a sampling of part of the pre-show and ride. The video also includes brief interviews with Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Mark Woodbury of Universal Creative, and Universal Orlando President Bill Davis.
Be sure to check out the link for video and photos from the event.
add to del.icio.usWe went to Chicago this summer and rented a car. When we were there, we had to go through a myriad of tolls around the Chicago area. When we returned fairly late from the Great America theme park, we stopped at an automatic toll, put our money in and it never registered. It was 10:30 at night and no one was around — obviously the machine was not working properly. We drove ahead and I noticed a bright light — obviously we were being photographed. We didn’t think any more about it, until we recently received a letter from our car rental company saying we owed for a traffic violation. I called the Illinois Tollway number and told the representative what we had experienced and that the machine was apparently not operating correctly. She said that “we would have to pay the fine since they had no way to know if we were lying or not.” Welcome to our fair city! She continued that it would be senseless to try and fight it since she didn’t want to have us travel all the way back to Chicago for a hearing and then lose. No kidding, Sherlock.
I wrote the governor’s office in Illinois and suggested that rental cars should be given an iPass so visitors (who can’t access the IPass) don’t have to drive on unfamiliar roads, come up on a toll unexpectedly and have to start fumbling for change. It is like charging a guest in your home a fee to use the bathroom. So far, they never responded. Maybe they don’t care since I can’t vote in their state.
add to del.icio.usFrom canoe.ca:
The opulent penthouse suite on the Crystal Symphony.
Cruise lines continue to one-up each other in offering the most opulent accommodations that ensure “suite” dreams at sea.
In fact, an elegant duplex apartment the size of a house, exclusive courtyards and verandahs with private pools, hot tubs and fitness areas, and private space large enough to entertain 100 friends can be found in suite accommodations.
Toss in 24-hour butler and concierge service and marble-appointed baths for every bedroom, today’s cruise ships redefine luxury with over-the-top suite accommodations unimagined only a few years ago, says Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA). Read the rest of this entry »
add to del.icio.us
From ocregister.com:
The first new monorail car in two decades slid onto the Disneyland track on Thursday as the theme park prepares for guests to ride it starting in late February.
Starting Monday, five flat-bed trucks transported in the five cars of the first redesigned train from Vancouver, Canada, where they were built. Crews ripped off white shrink wrap, which made the cars look like a Space Shuttle, and took about an hour and 15 minutes for a crane to hoist the nose of the first red-striped train to the parking area.
[…]
The biggest change is the look of the train: The first electric cars have blue glass and red stripes that change color in the sunlight. The next two cars will be blue with purple glass and orange with blue glass.
Bench seats will face the windows, allowing visitors a full view of the parks, Downtown Disney and the Disneyland Hotel. The capacity and speed will remain the same.
Until the February debut, Disney workers will put finishing touches on the construction and test the train after the park closes.
Wow! I can only hope this new design makes its way out here to Walt Disney World. It looks FANTASTIC. It resembles the original monorail design from decades ago, but is different enough to be contemporary. I love it.
Link to full article with more photos
add to del.icio.usI returned early this morning from the Dream Job Contest Reunion at Disneyland. It was a BLAST! I don’t have a written trip report (yet?) but I do have a bunch of photos.
Enjoy!
add to del.icio.us
