Pictured below, I’m enjoying a frothy mug in Gaston’s chair, a centerpiece of Gaston’s Tavern.  It’s one of my absolute favorite places for a souvenir photo.  To find the famous chair, enter the Tavern and head to the room on the right.  You’ll spot it in the right-hand corner, next to the grand fireplace and surrounded by a wall-full of antlers (because, as the Gaston proudly sings in his famous tune,  “I use antlers in all of my decorating!”).

LeFou’s Brew, named after Gaston’s loyal sidekick in “Beauty and the Beast” is a no-sugar added frozen apple juice with a hint of toasted marshmallow, topped with all-natural passion fruit-mango foam. Sound tasty?  It is.  You can get this delicious drink in souvenir steins or goblets.

Have you tried LeFou’s Brew at Gaston’s Tavern yet?

With all the new real estate we’ve added to Magic Kingdom Park with the New Fantasyland expansion, new castles are popping up and Disney royalty is about to move in.

Check out this video, in which Belle and Beast enlist the help of HGTV’s “House Hunters International” to find them a new castle home. On Belle’s wish list is a library, of course, but with three lovely castles in the Fantasyland area, how can a girl choose?

Pirate Party Fireworks on the Disney Fantasy
January 15, 2013

Shooting fireworks on the DCL proved to be a challenge. It’s not like Wishes where I’ve seen the show dozens of times and know the scenes. I didn’t even know where the bursts would be!

Thankfully a few cast members helped me find a great position for the show. The next challenge was the all the bursts happen in about the same spot in the sky. For us that like long exposures of fireworks, this is a problem. They were just piling up on top of each other. So this show is a composite of 3 different bursts. I moved them around a little in post to fill the frame. I like the results although not a realistic view of the show. I’ll upload more shots later without the post manipulation.

Hope you enjoy!

Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort is decorated for the holiday season. And today, we have a fun look at how it happened this year.

Find New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom Park With Our New Interactive Website

By Will Gay, Creative Director, Disney’s Yellow Shoes Creative Group

I am very happy to share with you today something really exciting that we have been working on here at Disney for quite a while. It is a new online experience for New Fantasyland called The Story of New Fantasyland. It is complete with custom scored soundtrack, amazing fly-through animation, and even narrated by the voice of Cogsworth himself, David Ogden Stiers. Needless to say this has been an awesome experience for all of us that have worked so hard on this to see it come to life. Check back here on the Disney Parks Blog later this month for more on the behind the scenes on the making of FindingFantasyland.com. But now it’s your turn. Explore the lands. Break the Curse. Be the Hero. Enjoy!

First Look: Renderings of the New Test Track Chevrolet Design Center Pre-Show Released

While the reimagined Test Track – Presented by Chevrolet is still a few weeks away from opening at Epcot, we have a sneak peek of the attraction’s new pre-show to share with you today.

Upon entering the attraction, you’ll be invited into the Chevrolet Design Center where you can design your own virtual custom concept vehicle at design kiosks. Here, you’ll be asked to make a few selections that really allow you to create a unique vehicle design that’s personalized to your taste.

First, you’re asked to draw an outline of your vehicle. If you don’t have the steadiest hand, don’t worry because you’ll have a chance to smooth out the shape before moving on. Next, you’ll be asked to make some choices that adjust the shape, length and width of your vehicle.

Then you’ll select your type of engine, choosing among several fun choices, including Solar Drive, EV Hybrid, and Plasma Burner, among others.

Next up, you’ll make choices on your design’s aesthetics. Here you choose the face of your car, the paint color and graphics, and even choose the wheel size and style.

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And you’re design is complete and ready to be put to the test. From here, you’ll board a SimCar to see how your design compares, as they’re put to the test in the categories of Capability, Efficiency, Responsiveness and Power at different points along the attraction’s track.

Take a look at a tour:

As you’ll see from the video below – provided by Walt Disney Imagineering – the goal of this attraction is not just to give you a place to meet a Disney character, but to completely transport you into the world of “Beauty and The Beast.”

The journey begins at Maurice’s Cottage, where they’ll walk through the whimsical garden and find inventions created by Belle’s tinkerer father, Maurice. Inside are books, pictures and other symbols that define the home of Belle and Maurice and their lives there, including leftover gadgets and artifacts from experiments gone awry. But guests also will see a mirror that magically becomes a portal into Beast’s Castle…

Beginning in November, “Celebrate the Magic” at Magic Kingdom Park will transform Cinderella Castle with spectacular new projection effects. Here are some of the newest sneak peek images.

When shows begin, “Celebrate the Magic” will feature all-new music, storytelling and special effects. It’ll be a journey to the heart of the most beloved Disney stories and characters, according to show director Katy Harris.

Also, one of my favorite nighttime spectaculars at Disney Parks will be growing. We’re installing an additional 1,000 seats in the Hollywood Hills Ampitheatre for the popular Fantasmic! shows. Fantasmic! is performed nightly and you can view our online calendar for specific dates and times.