Good Night, Walt! It has been my pleasure to hold an annual pass at the Disneyland Resort in Anaheim for a number of years now. One of my regular traditions when I enter Disneyland is to give a little salute of recognition to Walt Disney’s apartment over the fire station on Main Street. It is nothing more than...
A Peek into the Jungles of DisneyNature “Chimpanzee” Thanks to Disneynature, a new Earth Day tradition has evolved – we can look forward to another breathtaking film to debut every year on Earth Day. Previous years have taken viewers to the savannahs with “African Cats,” below the world’s great bodies of water with “Oceans,” and around the world and back with “Earth.” Now...
Can’t Imagine Life without Disney! I visited Walt Disney World twice as a kid, and my husband had been there once as well. In September 2001, his parents decided to take the family – my husband (then boyfriend), his brother, and myself – back to Disney World. The unthinkable happened on 9/11, but that didn’t stop us. All flights were...
How Does Disney’s Flower & Garden Festival Grow? Character topiaries, unique gardens, and everything green? It must be time for the 19th Annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, which is currently in full bloom at Walt Disney World Resort now through May 20, 2012. This celebration of spring is the perfect excursion for Guests interested in brilliant botanicals as well as beloved...
Disney Animal Kingdom Explorers Join the globe-trotting adventures of a team of wildlife experts as you create and nurture your own wildlife preserve around the iconic “Tree of Life” in the new Facebook game, “Disney Animal Kingdom Explorers,” the first social game inspired by Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park.. From the creators of “Gardens of Time,” (Winner of Best Social...
A Bus-Ride Surprise On July 2005, my family made a week-and-a-half trip all about Disney. We caught the 50th anniversary of Disneyland in California, then spent a week over in Walt Disney World. Our family is a bit older and we were first-timers at Walt Disney World. At the time my sisters and I were 21, 17, and...
Two Amazing Trips to Walt’s Favorite Places For many lovers of Disney, trips to the Theme Parks and repeated viewings of classic films make them want to get closer to the man behind all the magic. What influenced Walt Disney? And what places did he love? Recently, Disney aficionados had two once-in-a-lifetime chances to walk where Walt once did, and see the...
Polynesian Deja Vu When my daughter Piper was eight-years-old, we stayed at Walt Disney World‘s Polynesian Resort and attended the big luau and hula show. Piper was one of the kids selected to go up on stage and dance. Twenty-three years later, Piper and her two sons were in the audience at the “Spirit of Aloha” show and...
Take 2: “Newsies The Musical” Many of us who lived through the 1990s were singing and dancing to music from Disney’s “Newsies,” a film based on the real-life New York City newsboy strike of 1899. The movie, which quietly garnered a cult following over the years, now has a chance to win over a new generation as “Newsies The Musical”...
Family Picture Our family has been visiting Walt Disney World since the week it first opened in 1971. Our four children and our grandchildren have always considered it their playground. Our children and most of our grandchildren are grown and living their own lives, but we are Florida residents and visit Walt Disney World three to five...
Do you miss the Wasteland? Have you played Disney Epic Mickey all the way through more than once since it first hit the game stores? Are you dying to explore Mickey and Oswald’s world even further? Well, the Insider has some great news for you! Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two will be released this fall. We had...
The Insider Turns Ten! It seems like yesterday that the Disney Insider began sharing the latest and greatest Disney news with subscribers – but it’s actually been a full decade as of this month. In the last ten years, we’ve broken news, shared your stories about what Disney means to you, and brought you interviews with some of Disney’s...
My Son’s Dream Come True My 18-year-old son has always been a huge Disney fan. From the time he was very young, we would visit Disneyland and Disney California Adventure – we even attended Disney California Adventure on opening day! He was eight at the time and it was a very special moment for both of us. He’s also had...
Who’s Duffy? He’s huggable, adventurous, and even has a popular Facebook page – but WHO is Duffy the Disney Bear? If you don’t already know, you’ll be charmed to discover that Duffy is Mickey Mouse‘s very own teddy bear (not to mention travel companion!) … and the newest character that Disney Theme Park Guests around the globe...
Saved Pennies for a Priceless Moment When we first moved to Orlando, Florida, my son Noah was four years old. He was so excited that we were moving that he told everyone he “was moving to Disney World” – how cute! With all this excitement, he knew that we would be making a trip to the Magic Kingdom. He told me...
From Earth to Barsoom On March 9, audiences will journey to a strange new world – or perhaps not so new. We will join John Carter on his journey to Mars (Barsoom to its inhabitants) and explore that world’s cities, ruins, and cultures. Carter’s epic travels across the desert planet of Barsoom reveal a world as old, and as...
New Friends While waiting for the Main Street parade to begin at Disneyland two years ago, I met a great family from Texas
Spring’s Call of the Wild … Disney’s Animal Kingdom Park Can’t wait to store the snow clothes and revel in the annual rebirth we call spring? Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Park is kicking things off with Earth Day plans that celebrate Walt’s dedication to conservation, wildlife, and everything nature. Plus, with the upcoming release of the DisneyNature film “Chimpanzee” and one of the most exciting animal...
Night in the Castle This event happened in 2008. We go to Disney World every year over Thanksgiving, and it was the “Year of a Million Dreams.” This particular morning we were going to Blizzard Beach, but we didn’t get a very early start as it was sort of chilly. My granddaughter, who was nine, went running over to...
A New Day Dawns at Disney California Adventure Park It’s no secret that big changes are underway at Disney California Adventure Park, one of the jewels of Disneyland Resort. Some of the new additions have already been unveiled – but much more is on the way. Today The Insider is honored to give you a peek behind the wall with looks at two big...
A Dream Come True I was 23 the first time I ever went to Walt Disney World. My boyfriend took me as a Christmas present, and that’s been our special thing ever since. We’ve been to Disney World four times, but never Disneyland. This May he told me to pack my bags for a surprise trip. When we arrived...
Enter the Secret World of Arrietty Missing one earring? Can’t find any needles? Where DID all the safety pins go? You’ll find the answers to these persistent mysteries of life in “The Secret World of Arrietty.” Opening February 17, this enchanting film is based on the classic children’s book “The Borrowers” and was created by Japan’s Studio Ghibli, which has given...
A Conversation with Diane Disney Miller Among an assortment of cool bonus goodies from Disney’s Lady and the Tramp, Diane Disney Miller (yes, Walt’s eldest daughter!) gives fans a rare, videotaped glimpse into her father’s personal life. But the Insider wanted to hear first-hand what it was really like growing up Disney and went straight to the source. We were honored to...
Mickey Mouse, aka, The Tooth Fairy I was born in Florida and managed to visit Disney World at least twice a year. After moving to California, I didn’t get back there too often. So when my wife and I took our six-year-old son and four-year-old daughter to Orlando for their first-ever Disney World trip, I couldn’t tell you who was more...
