New Landmark Rising at Disney's Contemporary Resort
History is in the making at the Walt Disney World® Resort, where one of its original resort hotels is welcoming a “kissing cousin” in the form of a spectacular new Disney Vacation Club tower.
Dubbed Bay Lake Tower, the new structure is already turning heads as it rises above the shores of Bay Lake, just steps away from the Magic Kingdom® Park on the north side of Disney’s Contemporary Resort.
And while Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort is scheduled to open in late 2009, reservations begin this spring 2009.
The resulting labor of love pays numerous tributes to its elder “cousin,” mimicking the original tower’s color palette and strong horizontal lines, and sporting a “Top of the World” lounge (named after a popular entertainment venue that thrived for decades at Disney’s Contemporary Resort), which will be housed in a rooftop structure giving a visual nod to its neighbor’s iconic A-frame architecture.
Bay Lake Tower’s eye-catching crescent shape, which will hug lush landscaping, recreation fields, a lakeside pool and more, is designed to deliver some of the most dramatic views available anywhere at the Walt Disney World Resort. Some villas will face scenic, undeveloped stretches of Bay Lake, while others will offer spectacular views of the Magic Kingdom Park.
The views promise to be equally appealing inside the tower’s 295 two-bedroom-equivalent villas, where contemporary styles and a bit of Disney whimsy will define spaces created to sleep nine. Some units also can be divided into one-bedroom villas that sleep five and studios accommodating four, creating flexible options for smaller groups.
“These vacation homes will be furnished with some amazing custom pieces that are works of art unto themselves,” McFarland said. “It’s all about maintaining that feel of clean lines and open spaces, with plenty of Disney touches.”
Add a spacious lobby filled with woven woods and glass-wrapped columns, sweeping views from the aforementioned rooftop lounge, and the convenience of a sky bridge linking families to the original resort’s shops, restaurants and Monorail station, and you have a Disney Vacation Club destination that’s as perfectly practical as it is fetchingly fashionable.
Ahoy! Pirate Rooms Now Available!
Have you ever dreamed of sailing the seven seas or searching for buried treasure? Would you like to drift off at night in a pirate-ship bed, dreaming of far- away lands? A new option at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort may be your dream come true!
Beginning in January 2009, 384 rooms in the Trinidad South village will be transformed into Pirate Rooms. These special rooms feature two double beds, along with highly themed furniture, buccaneer accessories, and swashbuckling décor from stem to stern. They are sure to immerse your vacation in the spirit of “The Pirates of the Caribbean!”
Live out your pirate dreams, and stay in one of these unique rooms. There’s nothing else like it this side of the Seven Seas!
Call or email for more information.
It’s Time to Play! Toy Story Mania
Walt Disney World Press Release
May 16, 2008
LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – Walt Disney World guests start donning 3-D glasses and entering a wild and wooly 4-D world of Woody, Buzz and other favorite “Toy Story” characters when Toy Story Mania! makes its grand premiere May 31 at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. As part of Disney’s “Year of a Million Dreams,” the attraction will also debut on the West Coast, with a scheduled opening in Disney’s California Adventure at Disneyland Resort June 17.
Inspired by the Disney-Pixar films "Toy Story" and "Toy Story 2," Toy Story Mania! raises the bar for interactive ride-game attractions. It's a high-energy, immersive adventure that puts guests right in the action as their game play triggers fun surprises that provide a fourth dimension of fun. Toy Story Mania! engages guests in a whole new way with the delightful characters of the films.
In the timeless tradition of Disney storytelling, Toy Story Mania! takes its inspiration from the fact that Andy’s toys spring to life whenever he is away. Soon after Andy got a “Midway Games Play Set” for his latest birthday, the toys jumped at their first chance to open the box and set up the game booths and carnival trams so everyone could ride and play. That means “no assembly required” for their game-playing guests – just nonstop fun. (That is, until Andy gets home!)
Upon entering the attraction, guests are welcomed by Mr. Potato Head, more than five feet tall and looking like he stepped right down from the movie screen. The state-of-the-art Audio-Animatronics Mr. Potato Head makes a perfect carnival barker, capable of engaging guests in two-way conversation and encouraging them to "step right up" for the immersive Toy Story Mania! experience.
Everyone gets a front row seat when guests put on their 3-D glasses, "shrink" to the size of a toy and board Toy Story Mania! carnival tram ride vehicles which add a huge amount of fun to the interactive experience. The exciting and colorful route takes guests through "Andy's Bedroom" filled with oversized murals and toys. The vehicles angle to face Toy Story Mania! game booths -- high-tech yet rooted in classic midway games of skill -- and guests aim for 3-D animated targets using their own on-board spring-action shooters. Players pair up and sit side-by-side for a friendly competition that delivers an ever-changing variety of targets and surprises.
No matter how many times guests return to ride and play, they can be sure every ride-through will seem different.
A Spectacular Street Party
It’s time to swing and sway as the Block Party Bash is under way. The wildest, most interactive parade in Disney history has hit the streets at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™. And over 20 favorite Disney·Pixar characters will be part of the playful procession. This non-stop musical block party doubles as a fun-filled interactive street spectacular, complete with rockin’ retro tunes, incredible acrobatics and never-ending surprises. With the beat of vibrant pop tunes, Block Party Bash includes appearances by some of the most popular Disney·Pixar characters including Woody and Buzz Lightyear from "Toy Story," Mike and Sulley from "Monsters, Inc." and Mr. and Mrs. Incredible from “The Incredibles.” From beginning to end, this parade is non-stop entertainment for everyone. The parade features floats with spectacular props custom-made trampoline units, and dance stages which will dazzle you.Choreographed sections immerse guests into interaction with the "toys," screaming with the "monsters" and bee-bopping with the "bugs." The energetic performances are bursting with dancers, acrobats, jumping stilts and a caravan of scooters that fill the area with an awe-inspiring array of visuals and sound sensations. So come live out your dreams like never before during The Year of a Million Dreams celebration, and immerse yourself in Block Party Bash at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
AMERICAN IDOL COMING TO HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS.....
Walt Disney World Resort Press Release Feb. 7, 2008 LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla.-- Walt Disney Parks and Resorts will create an "American Idol" attraction that will bring the television and pop culture phenomenon to life at Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, it was jointly announced today by Jay Rasulo, chairman of Disney Parks and Resorts; Simon Fuller, CEO of 19 Entertainment; and Keith Hindle, executive vice president of FremantleMedia Licensing. The attraction, slated to debut in late 2008, will be located at Disney's Hollywood Studios theme park and will follow the model of the high-energy show. Disney guests will be able to experience the challenge of auditioning, the rush of performing on stage in competition, or the thrill of judging the performances in a live interactive entertainment setting with all the glitz and glamour of the distinctive "American Idol" set. That experience will include an audition process, open to all who register, where guests perform “live” in front of a Disney’s Hollywood Studios producer to be cast in a theme park show. After backstage preparation -- working with a vocal coach, hair and make-up -- it’s lights up and showtime in front of a “live” audience and a panel of judges. Guest performers with the highest votes will compete in an end-of-day Grand Finale show at Walt Disney World, and the winner of the Grand Finale show will receive a guaranteed reservation for a future regional stadium audition -- to ensure no waiting in long lines. But when it comes down to the television show auditions, everyone is treated equal. "Millions of people have imagined themselves standing on the 'American Idol' stage," said Rasulo. "We're excited that we will be bringing this dream to life every day at Walt Disney World." Added Fuller, "One of the most remarkable elements about 'American Idol' is that for a brief moment each week, we can provide TV viewers the opportunity to imagine life as America's next superstar. Disney's new attraction perfectly captures what we at 'American Idol' feel is the heart and soul of this brand, real people getting a shot to make their dream a reality." "This partnership," noted Hindle, "brings the number one show on television, watched in over 100 countries, to the number one theme park destination in the world. It's a perfect combination and opportunity to offer everyone a taste of the 'American Idol' experience." The coming "American Idol" attraction will reflect the best and brightest of the TV show, giving starry-eyed park guests a chance to become a star on the attraction's stage. It joins an all-star lineup at Disney's Hollywood Studios, a celebration of today's Hollywood in movies, television, music and theater.
Artist drwaing of American Idol at Disney's Hollywood Studios
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