Disney Gift Giving

Christmas is upon us in just a little over a month.  With the holiday gift giving going on it brings a question to my mind.  What does Mickey Mouse get for Minnie Mouse at Christmas?  I am sure that they exchange cheese, and things like that.  I wonder if Mickey would get into video games?  I know he needs something to take his mind off the continual work that they have him doing in Walt Disney World, DisneyLand, and all the other parks.

One of these years I think Mickey should just pop the question and ask Minnie to marry him.  This would be the ultimate in Christmas gifts for girlfriends in my opinion.  It should have happened by now as far as I am concerned.  At least they were living in seperate houses until the Fantasyland Expansion started.

While I am in Disney World this December I plan on going to visit them with my family.  We usually get some good group shots with them.

What do you think about how long this relationship has been going on?  Don’t you think that they should get married, and get it over with?

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Winnie The Pooh BluRay & DVD Review

I was always a big fan of Winnie the Pooh.  My wife and daughter also love the entire Pooh family.  When they announced a new movie was coming I was a little skeptical, but also quite happy.

Seeing the story unfold on the screen in fashionable Winnie the Pooh manner was a pleasing sight.  A lot of the animations looked just as good, if not better than the original animations from the earlier films.  This was a brilliantly funny movie.  I was a bit surprised to see that the movie was only 60 minutes in length.

I think that this movie goes to prove the ever growing problem of “Jumping to conclusions.”  The storyline was straightforward without any deviations.  The movie kept our attention, and also the children that watched with us.  No boring parts.

The Ballad of Nessie was a very cute mini movie.

I recommend getting this video for your whole family to enjoy.  Winnie the Pooh movies will always be loved by all.

Here is the official release…

ALL THE BELOVED CHARACTERS

FROM THE HUNDRED ACRE WOOD ARE BACK!

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DELIGHTFUL ALL-NEW MOVIE COMES HOME TO BLU-RAY,

DVD AND MOVIE DOWNLOAD OCTOBER 25th

Includes an Exclusive Short, Sing-Along Option and Hours More

of Exciting Bonus Features!

Walt Disney Studios proudly invites families and audiences of all ages to return to the HundredAcre Wood with some of the world’s most beloved characters, as “Winnie the Pooh,” the delightful all-new animated feature film comes home to Blu-ray Combo Pack for the very first time, as well as DVD and Movie Download on October 25, 2011.  Reuniting audiences with Pooh, Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore (who has lost his tail), “Winnie the Pooh” is a honey of an in-home release containing hours of immersive bonus features, including exclusive animated shorts “The Ballad of Nessie” and “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon;” a sing-along viewing option; an informative behind-the-scenes featurette for the whole family and deleted scenes with director commentary – all available on Blu-ray Combo Pack.

Inspired by the beloved stories from A.A. Milne’s books and crafted in Disney’s classic style, “Winnie the Pooh,” is the most critically-acclaimed animated film of 2011*.  It is narrated by the voice of John Cleese and features the vocal talents of legendary voice actor Jim Cummings(over 350 voices including Gnomeo & Juliet) and a host of other distinctive actors including Craig Ferguson(TV’s ‘The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson’), Tom Kenny (TV’s ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’), Bud Luckey (Toy Story 3) and musical performances by Zooey Deschanel (indie folk band “She & Him”).

* RottenTomatoes.com, as of 9/9/2011

The all-new “Winnie the Pooh” brings back to life the timeless charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes and characters.  Sure to become a family favorite for every household, it is directed by Stephen Anderson (Meet The Robinsons) and Don Hall (The Princess and The Frog) and Executive Produced by John Lasseter.

Blu-ray ™Bonus Features:

· Exclusive bonus short “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon” – In this charming short, Pooh comes up with a daring plan to get a hold of some honey by fooling a group of bees.

· “The Ballad of Nessie” – The animated short film included in the theatrical release is the heartwarming tale of how Nessie found her new home in the Loch Ness.

· “Winnie the Pooh and His Story Too” – A fun and informative behind-the-scenes look at the film, designed for the whole family. Hosted by John Cleese (narrator of the film), and with occasional help fromPooh himself, this featurette explores Winnie the Pooh’s history from his beginnings as a character in a book, to his continued life in the movies. The filmmakers reveal how they worked to keep the look of the characters and settings in this movie consistent with their first appearances on-screen in1966. Pooh, being a bear of very little mind, finds much of this confusing, but the Narrator and the filmmakers make it all clear to Pooh – and you!

· Deleted Scenes introduced by directors, Stephen Anderson and Don Hall – 5 deleted scenes including “The Tummy Song,” “”Rabbit’s Friends and Relations,” “Original Eeyore Intro,” “Original Tigger Intro” and “Pooh Searches for a Tail”

· Sing-Along with the Movie – Follow the red balloon and changing word colors to seven song lyrics featured in the film.

· Disney Song Selection – “Winnie the Pooh Theme Song,” “The Tummy Song, “A Very Important Thing To Do,” “The Backson Song,” “It’s Gonna Be Great,” “Everything is Honey” and “The Winner Song Finale”

DVD Bonus Features:

· “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon”

· “The Ballad of Nessie”

· Deleted scenes introduced by directors, Stephen Anderson and Don Hall – 3 deleted scenes including “The Tummy Song,” “”Rabbit’s Friends and Relations” and “Pooh Searches for a Tail”

Movie Download Bonus Features:

· “Mini-Adventures of Winnie the Pooh: The Balloon”

· “The Ballad of Nessie”

· Deleted Scenes introduced directors. Stephen Anderson and Don Hall – 3 deleted scenes including “The Tummy Song,” “Rabbit’s Friends and Relations” and “Pooh Searches for a Tail”

Disc Specifications:

STREET DATE:                         October 25, 2011

Direct prebook:                           August 30, 2011

Distributor prebook:                     September 13, 2011

Suggested retail prices:               3-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD + Digital Copy)
$44.99 U.S. and $51.99 Canada

2-Disc Blu-ray Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD)
$39.99 U.S. and $46.99 Canada

1-Disc DVD
$29.99 U.S. and $35.99 Canada

High-Definition Movie Download
$39.99 U.S. and $44.99 Canada
Standard-Definition Movie Download
$29.99 U.S. and $35.99 Canada

Feature Run Time:                      Approx. run time 60 minutes

Rated:                                       G

Aspect Ratio:                             1.78, 16×9

Sound:                                      5.1

Languages:                                English, French and Spanish

Social Media:

Stay connected with the latest news and information on Winnie The Pooh.

· “Like” us on Facebook  at www.facebook.com/WinniethePooh

· Follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/disneyanimation

· View exciting trailers, video clips and more at www.Disney.com/WinnieThePooh

Film Synopsis

Disney returns to the Hundred Acre Wood with “Winnie the Pooh.” Featuring the timeless charm, wit and whimsy of the original featurettes, this all-new movie reunites audiences with the philosophical “bear of very little brain” and friends Tigger, Rabbit, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo – and last, but certainly not least, Eeyore, who has lost his tail. “Ever have one of those days where you just can’t win, Eeyore?” asks Pooh. Owl sends the whole gang on a wild quest to save Christopher Robin from an imaginary culprit. It turns out to be a very busy day for a bear who simply set out to find some honey. Disney’s all-new “Winnie the Pooh” movie is inspired by three stories from A.A. Milne’s books in Disney’s classic, hand-drawn art.

About The Filmmakers:

Directed by Stephen Anderson (Meet The Robinsons, The Emperor’s New Groove) and Don Hall
(The Princess and the Frog, Meet The Robinsons), the film was supported by a variety of industry and highly-creative Disney veterans including Producers Peter Del Vecho (The Princess and the Frog, Chicken Little) and Clark Spencer (Bolt, Meet The Robinsons), Executive Producer and two-time Academy Award®-winning director John Lasseter (Toy Story franchise, WALL●E, Bolt) and senior story artist Burny Mattinson (Academy Award®-nominee for Best Animated Short Film, Mickey’s Christmas Carol, 1983 and key animator on the 1974 Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too!).

About The English Language Voice Talent:

The “Winnie The Pooh” movie is narrated by funnyman John Cleese (Shrek Forever After, A Fish Called Wanda) and voiced by the talents of Jim Cummings (Gnomeo & Juliet, The Princess and the Frog, Shrek) as Winnie the Pooh and Tigger, Craig Ferguson (TV’s ‘The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson) as Owl, Tom Kenny (TV’s SpongeBob SquarePants) as Rabbit, Travis Oates (TV’s My Friends Tigger & Pooh, Tigger & Pooh and a Musical Too) as Piglet, Bud Luckey (Toy Story 3) as Eeyore,
Kristen Anderson-Lopez (TV’s The Wonder Pets,Off-Broadway’s ‘In Transit’) as Kanga, Wyatt Hall (seven-year-old son of director Don Hall) as Roo and Huell Howser (this was his first role as an actor) as Backson and Jack Boulter (this was his first role as an actor) as Christopher Robin.

About The Music:

The amazing musical scores featured throughout the film were created by Tony® Award-winning songwriter Bobby Lopez, and his wife Kristen, who wrote all of the six spirited new songs for Pooh and his pals, including “The Tummy Song,” “A Very Important Thing To Do,” “Everything Is Honey,” “The Winner Song,” “The Backson Song,” and “It’s Gonna Be Great.” Lopez is behind the Broadway hits “Book of Mormon” and  “Avenue Q” and together they’ve written for Nickelodeon and Disney, including the stage version of “Finding Nemo” and composed songs for several episodes of “The Wonder of Pets,” which earned him two Daytime Emmy® Awards in 2006 for Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition.

The original score, a special rendition of the beloved “Winnie the Pooh” theme song for the film was composed by Henry Jackman (“The Da Vinci Code,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest,” “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End,” “Monsters vs. Aliens”) and sung by actress, musician, singer and songwriter, Zooey Deschanel (Indie folk band, “She & Him”). Deschanel also provided vocals for
“A Very Important Thing To Do” and “So Long.”

About Disney Blu-ray Combo Packs:

To provide consumers with unprecedented quality, value and portability of their favorite Disney classics, in 2008 Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment pioneered the Combo Pack – a Blu-ray Disc plus a DVD and in some cases plus a Digital Copy of the movie in a single package. To date, the company has released almost all their films as Combo Packs. Recent Disney titles released as Combo Packs include Tangled, Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, Bambi, Santa Paws, Beauty and the Beast and Fantasia.

About The Walt Disney Studios:

For morethan 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which TheWalt Disney Company (DIS: NYSE) was built. Today, the Studio brings qualitymovies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under four banners: Walt Disney Pictures, which includes Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, Disneynature, Touchstone Pictures and Marvel. Through the Home Entertainment division, innovative distribution methods provide access to creative content across multiple platforms. Original music and motion picture soundtracks are produced underWalt Disney Records and Hollywood Records, while Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Broadway theatrical productions, Disney on Ice and Disney LIVE!  For more information, please visit www.disney.com.

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Outlook for Orlando vacation home industry in 2012

Ever since Walt Disney decided to build Disney World in Orlando, Florida, tourism has been at the center of the city’s economy. Today, Orlando has more entertainment attractions and theme parks than any other city in the world.  With such a buzzing tourism industry and so many places to see and things to do, there are a large number of vacation homes in the city. There are hundreds of vacation home rentals just minutes from the major attractions.

The figures

Although these figures are representative of the hotel industry, we can still recognise general tourism trends that are likely to impact the vacation home industry. Hotel Horizons magazine published a variety of predictions for the 2012 year. These figures and estimate are courtesy of PKF Consulting USA, a real estate firm and advisory that specializes in the hospitality industry.

  • All markets will exceed the previous peak level of demand in 2012.
  • Demand for vacation accommodation will rise an estimated 3.1%, with a 0.7% increase in room inventory. This shows that although new accommodations are still being developed, the demand for them is rising by a much higher margin.
  • Occupancy in hotels in America is expected to rise to 61.2% in 2012, as the demand for growth surpasses that supply.

These figures indicate that the amount of tourist is growing much quicker than the amount of room space available. This means that there is scope for a more extensive hospitality industry in Orlando, including that of vacation homes.

In the midst of a recession, the rental of vacation homes in Orlando may become even more popular as people shy away from expensive hotels and expensive meals and choose self-catering options.

 

The benefits of renting a vacation home

  • Many have amenities such as pools, spas, and more so you don’t miss out on hotel facilities.
  • Cooking your own meals means saving money.
  • Orlando Vacation rentals are often cheaper over a longer stay.
  • Parking is usually free and accessible.
  • You have your own private space.

In these times of real estate crash, one could even consider buying a rental home in Orlando, as real estate prices are far less than they were three or more years ago.

Considering all these benefits, the outlook of the vacation rental industry in Orlando is a positive one, as people continue to seek some Disney magic in an economic downturn.

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Staying Fit In Disney And With Disney

Each year we go to Disney World my wife and I discuss going down to the exercise rooms.  Well… That never actually happens.  (Getting there.)  Recently my wife started her dieting, and exercising again.  She tries hard.  I told her that when we go to Disney World this Christmas we can both go to the fitness room and workout.

I think that Disney could do a lot of good if they started offering things like workout classes, and other things like the ever growing zumba work out.  I know nothing about Zumba, and don’t think that I want to, but I will support my wife 100% if she decides that she wants to do something like that back at home.  Disney could make some money at this if they thought about the idea. It surprises me that they don’t even have things like zumba on the cruise.  I have read many peoples posts on some sites about how they wish the cruise had zumba.

If you want to get in a little bit of sweating and exercise just look around whatever Disney resort you are staying in.  There is almost guaranteed to be a fitness room.  Some properties even have bicycle rentals.

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Is A Disney Timeshare Worth The Money?

YES!!!

Many years ago I asked this very question.  I had gone to many timeshare tours in Florida, and also Atlantic City.  I knew what kind of money I was spending by going to Disney World 1-2 times per year.  This was calculations based on 2 adults + 1 child in a “Value” resort.  We were spending on average $600-$700 in accomodations.  My mother and father came home one year and told us about the Disney Vacation Club.  Being we had done many timeshare tours in the past we basically tried to tell them what we didn’t want.

My parents showed me where the savings would be, and asked if we would just meet with the guide and see what she could offer.  We agreed to this as long as noone tried to pressure me.  We got there and met with Kelly.  She went over everything and at the end told us to call if we were interested.  My wife was very hesitant at first.  She said that we should just look into houses for rent when we go to Florida.

WAIT… She didn’t try to keep us at the table and sell us on the spot?  No.

After we got home and evaluated everything we called Kelly and told her that we were ready.  She said she would send us all the paperwork to finalize through the mail.  We were very pleasantly surprised at how easy everything went in comparison to the other timeshares that we saw.  Disney financing went through quick, and easy.

Disney Vacation Club accomodations have Studios, 1 Bedroom, 2 Bedroom, and Grand Villas.  Each accomodates a maximum amount.  Each also has a specific set of ammenities included.  The best part is that I get points, and those points can be used at any of the DVC resorts.  I am automatically part of an exchange program so I can go to other places that aren’t part of Disney.

Looking back at our decision I realize that it was one of the wisest things we could do.  We have already made our money back.

Would I do it again…?  Yes.  I would hope to get my hands on any of the original properties only because of the cost.  The cost of the DVC properties has gone up quite considerable since we bought.

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