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Disney Parks to Kick Off a ‘Monstrous Summer’ With 24 Hours of Magic on Both Coasts

Spaceship Earth Transforms into “Monsters University” Star Mike Wazowski To Announce All-Night Parties for Walt Disney World, Disneyland Resorts

ANAHEIM, Calif. and LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (April 25, 2013) – Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort will kick off a Monstrous Summer by keeping three theme parks open for 24 hours nonstop on Memorial Day Weekend, the traditional start of the family travel season.

The Magic Kingdom Park in Florida and Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure Park in California will stay open from 6 a.m., May 24 to 6 a.m., May 25, 2013, local time* marking the beginning of a summer of fun inspired by the upcoming Disney•Pixar comedy adventure Monsters University.

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Music to Ease the Post-Vacation Blues (or Pre-Vacation Anxious Waiting!)

So, you just had the time of your… or maybe it was a while ago.  Either way, you have a wait till you’re back at the happiest place on earth, and you need something to ease the wait.  One of the best ways to make your days magical in-between trips is with listening to Disney music.  But with a ton of Disney music out there, it can be daunting to find the music that best captures the essence and magic of Disney, especially the magic of Walt Disney World.  Here’s a quick look at at few Disney CDs  (and an internet radio station) that do a great job of easing the wait between till your next Disney trip.

4 Parks CD front

Four Parks – One World

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Finding Dory at Last

Official logo for new film

 

This is the moment we all have been waiting for. That little fish that taught us all to “just keep swimming” is back. On April 2nd it was announced that Disney’s Pixar will be releasing the  sequel to Finding Nemo. The sequel will be titled Finding Dory. The movie, which will be directed by original Nemo co-director Andrew Stanton, is set for release on November 25, 2015 in the U.S. I cant wait that long!

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Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives

I love Disneyland. My love for Disney reaches far beyond the park. I love anything that is connected to the name Disney. One can’t help but think happy thoughts when you hear the name Walt Disney.  When there is anything Disney related I really try to check it out. Recently we decided to take a trek out to the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, CA. The Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives exhibit were there for a limited time and I had to see it before it was gone.

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Trip Report – The Days Leading to Thanksgiving

Hello, fellow neurotics. Our most recent trip to Disney World occurred November 16 -21, and I thought I would give an account of our trip that led right up to Thanksgiving day because it is not to early to begin planning for next year. Many of you may ask, why didn’t you stay through Thanksgiving? Well, we, of course, knew of the crowds on Thanksgiving Day and figured to avoid those, to be home for Thanksgiving, to continue our tradition of Black Friday shopping, and all the while to enjoy the experience of Disney holiday magic by attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party.

First, let’s discuss Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. WOW! If you knew my son, the next statement would say it all:  my 11 year old boy was dancing in Main Street! My son doesn’t dance, but I guess it was once again that Disney magic. As is normal practice, Disney sold tickets (known as a “hard ticket” event) for this after-hours event, and from what I understand, November 16th is the only date that didn’t sell out. This being said, you should buy your tickets as early as possible because they go fast. Characters are in their Christmas regalia around the park making for some great photos for adults and children alike. You can find stations of free cookies and cocoa throughout the park. Many of the rides are open during the extended hours making for shorter waits — a gift this time of year. Last, but not least, the Christmas parade is amazing, a must see for anyone who loves Disney. Before the parade begins, there is snow on Main Street with shows and dancing led by Cast Members in the street. Did I mention a special Christmas-themed Wishes fireworks display?


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Disney’s Queue Lines…Attractions in Themselves

We have all heard the old saw…”You can’t see the forest for the trees” and I think that it originated in Walt Disney World. The most magical place on earth is literally a treasure trove of visual, audio and olfactory treats for the senses. There is nowhere one can go in the parks that does not contain one or all three going on at the same time. Walt Disney never wanted his Disneyland to be just a place for people to ride the attractions or see the shows. He wanted his guests to be totaled “Immersed” in the experience, to be a living part of the attraction or show.

And the reason that Walt’s parks are different than other venue is that Walt was perhaps one of the world’s greatest storytellers. Well before Disneyland Walt believed that a great story is the formula for success. Even as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs were in production, Walt many times acted out scenes from the fairytale in front of his animators and story men to make sure they understood just what he wanted. And this continues on today

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Test Track Rehab – First Impression

After much time, the long anticipated opening of the refurbished “Test Track” is finally here. Originally presented by General Motors, it is now sponsored by another GM division, Chevrolet. GM wanted the new ride experience to spotlight on one brand.  When you first arrive, the outside looks very much like the Test Track we all are familiar with. The only big difference is the monikers outside proclaiming the new sponsor.

FRONT

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Christmas in Disney: The Busiest Week of the Year (Part 2)

This is the second part of a blog series that will look at the different steps of planning for an upcoming Christmas trip to the World.  Essentially, I found myself in August suddenly planning for a Christmas trip.  In my last post, I went through the reasoning that led me to choose the Contemporary Resort as the best choice for the week.  This post is all about Advanced Dining Reservations (ADRs).

ADRs can be made 180 days in advance of the first day of your trip, and for some restaurants which fill up quickly, you definitely need to call as soon as that window opens- especially during busier times of the year.  So, maybe you can imagine that I was a bit panicked to begin planning meals in August for a Christmas trip- we were already more than a month inside that 180-day window for the most crowded week of the year.  I knew there wasn’t time to lose in making ADRs.  But, it’s not as simple as trying to make ADRs at any restaurant possible… I didn’t want to make an ADR at the Brown Derby on a day that we would end up spending in the Magic Kingdom.  So I quickly had to plot out which day we’ll be in which park (because it would stink to be in Animal Kingdom with an ADR in Epcot!). This is a huge task, but an important one- and there is only one resource I trust to help with such plotting… the “Crowd Calendar” over at touringplans.com.

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Orlando Attractions Magazine: The Show 9. 27.12

On this week’s episode, Banks and JL cover this week’s Attraction news:

  • Big Thunder Mountain Railroad in the Magic Kingdom is getting a new interactive queue
  • Epcot celebrates 30 years
  • PYQ, a new novelty store, opened up in City Walk
  • The Frankenweenie celebration takes place in Downtown Disney with a Nightmare Before Christmas Meet and Greet featuring Jack and Sally
  • Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival starts this upcoming weekend
  • Tampa’s Lowry Park Zoo kicks off it’s annual Zoo Boo event

In addition, there are our weekly Hidden Mickey and Travel Tips. Have fun!

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Finding Nemo 3-D Review

By now, anyone who reads this site is sure to know the story of Nemo and his father’s adventures while searching for him. If not, should you really be on a site called The Disney Driven Life? Nevertheless, two items of discussion we can cover in this review: 1) A review of the 3-D release; 2)Why do we keep going to the theater for a movie already on DVD and about to have a release on blue-ray?  (Duh, we love DISNEY movies!)

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Could You Possibly Have Enough Disney Music?

mickeymusic

Sitting in your car wondering what to listen to? Kids saying, “Mom, put on Lady Gaga”? At this moment, you realize your family needs more Disney music in the car. Never fear! There is more on the way.

Cinemedia Promotions sent us a press release announcing the release of two new Disney albums: THE ESSENTIAL DISNEY COLLECTION and THE KAROAKE DISNEY COLLECTION.

Now, everyone will have their own opinions on what an essential Disney Collection should contain, but this one is pretty good with fun sing-alongs and beautiful instrumentals, but, obviously, with such few titles included in the set, “essential” is only for marketing. I have to admit, “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” remains one of my favorite “Friday after work on the way home” songs.

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Home too Quiet?: A Disney Universe for Xbox 360 Review

Are you suffering from a home way too quiet? Do you have a headache from your children getting along for an extended amount of time? I have the answer for you – Disney Universe for Xbox 360. In no time your house will fill the sounds of “Hey, those are my Mickey ears!”, “Let me level up!”, or “I am going to be Stitch!”

To start off the game you select which costume your character will wear for your current adventure, but you may switch costumes as you progress. Part of the fun of the game encompasses unlocking new costumes for each level you conquer, and you can even replay each level up to a certain amount of times to unlock more costumes. The Stitch costume causes the most noise (read as: fighting) in my home and they HAVE NOT EVEN UNLOCKED IT YET! Each costume comes accessorized with its own tool to ward off the baddies you may encounter. As you progress, you may purchase your unlocked uniforms with the Mickey Ears (coins) that you collect throughout your play.

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Neurotic or Not, Planning the First Trip can be Overwhelming

Are you as neurotic of a Disney World trip planner as you are a fan of Disney? Did you laminate a mini itinerary for everyone in your group as I did? Yes, it contained all our dining reservations for each day along with parade and show times, FastPass rides, and the back listed the best locations to use Disney Dining Plan snack options each day. Matching t-shirts are only an option and not required.

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More Disney Themed Band-Aids for the Kid in All of Us

The kid in me still enjoys wearing Band-Aids.  Nothings makes a boo-boo better than a kiss from mom and a fun Band-Aid.  They have come a long way from the beige ones from my childhood.  Today, Band-Aids come in a variety of colors and characters.  Disney is well represented in the Band-Aid line.  There are Mickey Mouse, Muppets, Cars, Princess, Phineas and Ferb, Disney Fairies, and Spider-Man.

Which one is your favorite?  Do you hide your Disney Band-Aids from your children in order for them not use all of the Disney Band-Aids (LOL)?

Photo Credit: EH

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Show No Towels

I have a confession.  I look at DisneyStore.com every morning.  Well you probably already figured that out.  During one early morning “window shopping” cruising of the site, I discovered the Show No Towel.  This item can be described as a “standard bath towel with a vertical opening in the middle, hemmed with colorful fabrics and designs.  The towel can be used as a cover-up or a changing towel.”  Shelly Ehler, presented her creation on Shark Tank Season 3. More of Shelly’s story can be found here.  For the Disney Parks, the following Show No Towel was created.

Photo Credit: EH

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Dream #10 – How Disney Saved My Life

Hearing how Disney has touched different lives is always interesting and fun. Most of us have great stories of how Disney has had an impact on our lives. For one mother of four, it went much deeper. Rhonda – owner of ‘Walt’s Basement’ found herself in a terrible situation.

“Unexpectedly, it was Disney that saved my life as an adult. In the late nineties, I found myself in an abusive marriage after the birth of my third daughter. My ex had moved us to Florida for what he said would be a good job, yet nothing materialized when we arrived. We were homeless, having run out of money shortly before the baby came, and living with only the assistance of various churches and host families.”

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Disney Bathroom Items at Target

I have come to learn that Target has a lot of Disney items for the home.  I like to take at least a weekly walk-through at my local Target to discover any new items.  I have been hearing from other Disney enthusiasts about new Disney items for the bathroom.  My Target has the following:

Mickey Mouse shower curtain $19.99

Mickey Mouse shower curtain hooks $9.99

(Also saw Cars shower curtain hooks)

Mickey Mouse hand towel $7.99

Mickey Mouse bath towel $9.99

Mickey Mouse bath rug $19.99

Mickey Mouse soap pump $9.99

Photo Courtesy of Elantrice H.

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Disney Home Goods at Target

On a weekly shopping trip to Target, I discovered new Disney items in the home section.  I was very excited about this find and wanted to share the news with others.  The price point was $19.95.  The items observed were as follows:

  • Wall hangings
  • Lamp shades and bases (sold separately)
  • Serving tray
  • Frames
  • Mickey bank
  • Jewelry tree
  • Jewelry box
  • Earring stand
  • Mirror

I purchased the jewelry tree and I am satisfied with it.  It holds my necklaces, bracelets and earrings that have a long post or hoops.  I did not choose the earring stand because I wanted the flexibility to place more than just earrings on something.

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Dream #8 – Life is a Journey

With a website address that contains TheEnemyIsGood, a lot of people ask Connie M. which enemy is that? Connie laughs and points out how her blog started with a typo, she meant to nab “The Enemy is Food.” But with her new blog formally titled “Life is a Journey” in place, Connie was ready to blog, and embrace what she loved.

“The blog originally was started as a way for me to make a food diary but I gave up that idea when I realized that I am a sensory person and loved the sight, smell and taste of food. So…instead of trying to lose weight by dieting, I embraced my love of food but developed a new respect for it,” Connie said. “Slowly, I began to write less and less about food and now only occasionally include a photo of something I am enjoying on one of my little exploratory trips around Southern California. Or Disneyland!”

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Our Disney Driven New Years

Photo Credit: Molly B. Mickey and Friends banner supplied by Discount Party Supplies, 2012 Mickey banner hand made and supplied by Kush Event Planning

Besides actually being in Walt Disney World for New Years Eve, I’m not sure if I can think of any better way to ring in the New Year, then to do it Disney Driven Life style, and throw a Mickey Mouse themed party for the little ones, celebrating the birth of 2012! I truly envy those of you who were lucky enough to be within arms reach of my favorite castle on the eve of 2012, but I guarantee you that our little soiree was just a tad less crowded. Probably just as noisy though!

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