Star Tours Re-Opens Today at Disney Studios Orlando

Disney fans will be torn this weekend between Pirates and Padawan. Star Wars weekends at Disney Studios in Orlando kicks off today and taking center stage will be the re-opening of Star Tours. The ride has been completely re-imagined and promises a different experience every time you jump on board. If you can't make it to Orlando for the grand opening, information on the official Disney webcast is on the Disney Parks Blog.


If futuristic science fiction isn't your bag, well Disney has the answer. The latest installment of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise, "On Stranger Tides," sets sail today as well. Me, I'm planning on doing both.


Check out Ahsoka, Ashley Eckstein, from the "Clone Wars" animated series at a sneak peek, and read 
up on the new ride in the official press release. All included here for your enjoyment.




Official Disney Press Release:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The power of the Force and the magic of Disney have combined to create “Star Tours – The Adventures Continue,” a new 3-D attraction set to open at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park on May 20, 2011. The attraction also will open at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, Calif., on June 3, 2011.

Based on the Star Wars films, Star Tours will take Walt Disney World Resort guests to multiple Star Wars destinations where they will interact with characters from throughout the Saga. And it will all be in 3-D.

With eye-popping 3-D digital filming, a dramatic musical score and motion simulator-based technology, guests will be immersed in the Star Wars galaxy like never before on a theme park attraction. Walt Disney Imagineering worked with Lucasfilm, Ltd. and Industrial Light & Magic – the groundbreaking visual effects division of Lucasfilm – to bring the out-of-this-world attraction to life.

Star Tours, which had thrilled Disney Parks guests since the 1980s, was “powered down” at Disneyland and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in 2010 so Imagineers could begin work on the new attraction.

And in a new twist, guests may be able to enjoy the attraction multiple times without ever experiencing the same adventure. More than 50 story combinations are possible for guests to experience aboard Star Tours.

Just as the Star Wars films immerse movie-goers in storylines that keep them on the edge of their seats, Star Tours will feature multiple stories and scenarios that will hurtle park guests throughout the Star Wars galaxy. And all of the storyline’s twists and turns will be random, affording guests the chance to ride the attraction multiple times.

Whether it’s a battle with Darth Vader and his legion of stormtroopers or a plea from Princess Leia to help her save the Rebellion, guests will find themselves in the middle of the action – literally – in the 3-D, multi-sensory attraction.

Entering the attraction queue area, Star Tours guests walk into a bustling spaceport. The famed Star Wars droid duo, C-3PO and R2-D2, greet them as the Starspeeder 1000 is prepped for service. Anthony Daniels, the voice of C-3PO and the only actor to appear in every theatrical chapter of the Star Wars Saga, reprises his role as the golden protocol droid. Daniels worked with Walt Disney Imagineering to record new dialogue for the attraction. Guests also are introduced to AC-38, a hotshot droid pilot known simply as “Ace,” and Aly San San (voiced by actress Allison Janney), the “spokesbot” for the spaceport.

After winding through the spaceport, guests board the Starspeeder 1000 spacecraft and prepare for Star Tours Flight #1401. Through a series of mishaps, however, C-3PO finds himself in the pilot’s seat instead of Ace, and it’s up to him and R2-D2 to navigate their passengers through the galaxy. However, the tyrannical Empire is out to stop the Starspeeder at all costs. C-3PO and R2-D2 take the controls and try to outwit and outrun the Imperial forces and a galactic bounty hunter hired to pursue the spaceship and its passengers.

Utilizing the 50+ random story combinations, the Starspeeder then embarks on a wild trip through the galaxy, visiting several planets made famous in the Star Wars films. Among the locations that might provide haven from the Empire’s pursuit are the icy planet of Hoth, the lush jungles of Kashyyyk and the underwater Gungan world of Naboo. And along the way guests may encounter Star Wars characters that offer to help (or hinder) their journey, including Yoda, Admiral Ackbar, Darth Vader and Boba Fett. “Skytroopers,” a legion of stormtroopers created just for the Star Tours attraction story, might even join in the chase.

In fact, with multiple ways to experience each flight, guests will never know where the Force will take them.

At Walt Disney World Resort, Star Tours opens May 20, 2011, the same day the annual Star Wars Weekends event begins at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park. Star Tours and Star Wars Weekends event activities are included in regular admission to Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park.

Spy Camera Video of EPCOT's Test Track

Of course, it isn't necessary to hide a camera at Walt Disney World, but I had to play with my ultra-mini video camera. The quality isn't the best, but the camera is the size of a small USB flash drive. It does really well for outdoor sports activities, including scuba with the waterproof housing that clips to a mask. Amazing where technology is getting.

“The Magic, The Memories, and You!” at the Magic Kingdom

Disney's new show, “The Magic, The Memories, and You!” is visually spectacular and a great addition to the Magic Kingdom's night time schedule. I've seen it a couple times now and can honestly say that it is one of the more impressive things Disney has come up with, mainly because of the wonderful blending of technology, music and imagery. "Two Thumbs Up!"

Here is the entire Disney Press Release:

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – In a dramatic new projection show filled with special effects and magic, Cinderella Castle will transform into a shimmering canvas for images of Walt Disney World guests and the memories they made that day at Magic Kingdom.

In the nighttime spectacle, photos of guests captured that very day in the park will be projected larger-than-life among the spires and turrets of Cinderella Castle. In similar fashion, guest images will be projected onto “it’s a small world” on select nights at Disneyland Park in California, beginning Jan. 27.

The ten-minute experience – called “The Magic, The Memories, and You!” – will dazzle park guests on both coasts in ways never before experienced, themed to beloved Disney stories and with playful animated sequences that seem to defy the architecture of the buildings. The spectacle is scheduled most nights with up to two shows per night depending on theme park operating hours and other special ticketed events.

As many as 500 images shot that day will project onto the castle each night the show is presented, producers estimate. Disney PhotoPass photographers will capture guests creating new memories as they “smile for the castle.”

“Disney parks create family vacation memories to last a lifetime,” said Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resort. “What better canvas for those memories than Cinderella Castle, one of the most photographed icons in the world.”

After the sun goes down, 16 high-powered state-of-the-art projectors will bring the castle to life as that day’s photos (and videos taken from Disney’s “Let the Memories Begin” online hub) seem to dance about the famous facade, explained Alan Bruun, associate creative director, Walt Disney World Entertainment.

As classic Disney music weaves in and out of the new “Let the Memories Begin” theme song, turrets spin while the castle shimmers and magically transforms itself in playful and exciting ways to accompany the guests’ memories of fun, adventure and family experiences.

“The images dance to the music and culminate in a spectacular finale punctuated by animated and actual fireworks,” Bruun said.

As Disney Parks encourages families to “Let the Memories Begin,” guests have been celebrating their only-at-Disney memories by sharing their stories and by uploading photos and videos online at DisneyParks.com/memories.

Vacation memories hold a special place in the hearts of families, too, according to a recent survey of Americans and Canadians conducted by Ypartnership, a leading research firm that tracks consumer insights and trends in travel.

Nine out of 10 parents polled said they plan their vacations with the express hope of creating a lasting family memory. And most memories don’t fade with the passage of time. Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed said they think back “often” or “very often” on their most cherished vacation memories.

The No-Name School That Mints Grammy Winners

Time writes about Full Sail University's part in the success of this years Grammy award nominees. All five of the "Album of the Year" nominees were mixed or engineered by Full Sail graduates, and there are 74 alumni with credits on Grammy Award nominated projects. Makes me feel good about all the money I've spent at this school, even though I'm not in recording arts.

Read more at: The No-Name School That Mints Grammy Winners

SeaWorld to Launch New Killer Whale Show: “One Ocean”

 “One Ocean” is scheduled to premiere at SeaWorld Orlando at the end of April, SeaWorld San Diego on Memorial Day weekend and SeaWorld San Antonio in June. Check out the video below to get the scoop from Julie Scardina, the curator of animal training. 

Official Press Release


SEAWORLD TO LAUNCH NEW KILLER WHALE SHOW:

“ONE OCEAN”

Orlando, Fla. (February 3, 2011) -- SeaWorld parks across the United States will debut an all-new killer whale show this spring and summer, connecting guests to the sea with a new level of energy, excitement and vibrancy as it educates and inspires them to make a difference in this world.

“One Ocean” features SeaWorld’s majestic killer whales as ambassadors of the sea, and the ocean as the center of our natural world. The show connects guests with these remarkable animals and immerses the audience in the vivid colors and sensations of the underwater world. At the core of the show is the unifying message that both animals and humans are part of one world, with one ocean, and its future is in our hands to cherish and protect.

“One Ocean” is scheduled to premiere at SeaWorld Orlando at the end of April, SeaWorld San Diego on Memorial Day weekend and SeaWorld San Antonio in June. It will replace the popular “Believe,” a show that enjoyed a five-year run in all three SeaWorld parks.

“This new show brings to life SeaWorld’s mission in the most powerful way yet,” said Jim Atchison, President and Chief Executive Officer of SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment. “This show is what guests love about our parks – thrilling entertainment that educates and inspires you to celebrate, connect and care for the world we share.”

The show features spectacular whale behaviors, including thrilling high-energy leaps and multiple whales performing simultaneously. The whales interact in new ways with trainers, the audience, each other, and even the set itself. In one segment, the whales play amid giant fountains.

Shamu Stadium – with its three-story set, panoramic LED screens and hundreds of surround-sound speakers – will feature special effects that envelop guests in the show experience, including brilliantly colored lights; soaring fountains; stunning underwater imagery and an original, contemporary musical score with global rhythms.

But even more important is the educational message the show imparts: we are all part of one world and have the power to make a difference. The message of caring and respect for the world we share is woven throughout the show – encouraging guests to make a difference through their own everyday actions.

“There is an unprecedented level of energy, excitement and passion in this show,” said SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment’s Curator of Animal Training, Julie Scardina. “It is the ultimate SeaWorld experience: world-class entertainment that educates and inspires action. Trainers, producers and educators are collaborating on new ways to connect with the audience and show how closely the human and animal worlds are connected.”

For updates, information and photos as the shows are developed, visit www.SeaWorld.com/OneOcean.

Disney Animal Kingdom's Wild Africa Trek

This Sunday, January 16th, Disney Animal Kindom will introduce its "Wild Africa Trek". The program will be operated much as the "DiveQuest" program at EPCOT. Guests will pay a fee for a three hour VIP guided "safari" through the Animal Kingdom savanna. The tour will include a special camp area to observe the animals and a rope bridge crossing over a crocodile filled riverbed.


I have personally participated in the "DiveQuest" program twice and some of their other behind the scenes tours, and I think the programs are well worth the price. This looks to be an interesting addition to Animal Kingdom and should become very popular with the Disney devotees.


I've seen reports that reservations for "Wild Africa Trek" between now and Feb. 26, 2011 can take advantage of an introductory offer starting at $129 per person. Initial estimates I've seen for the normal pricing place the program at $180 per person, but it appears this will change seasonally. As with any other special program at Disney, I would call for exact pricing and to see if any discounts can be applied. The Disney reservations site does not list the price of the program as of this writing.


Check out the video preview of the experience:

Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey

The signature ride of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Orlando, Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, is an immersive experience from start to finish. The line wanders through the castle of Hogwarts and visitors are greeted by Professor Dumbledore as they enter his office and join Harry, Ron and Hermione in the Defense Against the Darks Arts classroom. The detail is fantastic and the ride is an exciting blend of film and "live action" adventure.

The lines are almost always long, but there is a hidden single rider line that dramatically reduces wait time if you don't mind being split up. Ask the guides as you enter the castle because the single rider line isn't publicized or easily spotted.

The photos are my own, but the video is courtesy of wizardingworldharrypotter.com

Check out their site for more photos and video.