Beyond the Castle

New Fantasyland Officially Open!

disneyfreak212 — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 21:01:29 +0000

Hello Disney lovers. As some of you may or may not have read, the big news of the day is that the new Fantasyland is officially open in Walt Disney World at the Magic Kingdom Park. Since its inception in 1971, this is the largest expansion in the history of the Magic Kingdom. From the new Be Our Guest Restaurant which I hear is absolutely spectacular, to the adding of the second Dumbo ride being built, I’m sure this expansion is something that Walt Disney himself would be proud of. Speaking of him, I wonder if he ever envisioned Disney World being this large both property wise and popularity wise. Like I mentioned yesterday, the only things he had come up with before his death were Disneyland, Magic Kingdom and the beginning of EPCOT. Now take a look at what Disney World has become. An entire community of not just one park but 4 amazing parks each with its own unique style and theme to it. Today’s expansion is just another amazing example of what the human mind is capable of when it has its own unique ideas to share to the world. What are your thoughts on the expansion of Fantasyland? Do you think it’s too large of an expansion? Too little of an expansion? Just the right size for an expansion? What ever your answer is, why do you feel this way? Please post your comments below or E-mail us at admin@beyondthecastleblog.com with your thoughts. For now though, as always, have a magical day!

Happy Birthday Walt Disney!

disneyfreak212 — Wed, 05 Dec 2012 21:40:09 +0000

Hello Disney lovers. Today is a very special day as it is Walt Disney’s birthday. Any Disney fan both young and old know who Walt Disney is. He is the creator of the entire enterprise that is the Walt Disney Company. I admire him for many different reasons. I think if I had to narrow it down, I would have to say I admire him for two reasons. The first would be his vision. Walt Disney always had a vision of the future. I know I mentioned this before, but one of my favorite stories is how he envisioned Epcot. It is said that even in his hospital bed when he was unfortunately dying of cancer, he was still drawing up plans of what he wanted Epcot to look like. That’s the vision I think Walt Disney had. He was always thinking no matter where he was. The other thing I admired about Walt Disney is his family values. If you were to go on Disney’s Carrousel of Progress, you would hear the narrator explain how much Walt Disney loved the American family. For this reason, I often wonder if Walt himself would approve of such Disney shows as Hannah Montana and The Suite Life of Zach and Cody. I also wonder if Walt would approve of the exact layout of the Magic Kingdom. Don’t get me wrong, the park is set up beautifully. However, the mad rush to the exits after the fireworks display Wishes is always something that concerns me and is also something I’m sure would concern Walt as well. There are many things though that I’m sure Walt would approve of about his beloved park and overall product. These things include seeing the smiles on children’s faces when they see their favorite Disney character. These moments make for timeless memories for both parents and children alike and are a wonderful reflection of Walt Disney. Happy birthday Walt from all Disney lovers around the world. How has Walt Disney inspired you? Please post your comments and birthday wishes to Walt below or E-mail us at admin@beyondthecastleblog.com with your best wishes. For now though, as always, have a magical day!

Change In Disney World Scooter Policy

disneyfreak212 — Mon, 03 Dec 2012 22:09:47 +0000

Hello Disney lovers. We here at beyondthecastleblog.com have the latest on the Disney World scooter policy controversy. According to The DIS Unplugged podcast, Disney has limited the providers of scooters that can deliver a scooter to your resort room. You can still rent your scooter from any provider you would like. The only difference now is that if you rent a scooter from a non-approved vendor, you will have to be present at the time of pick up. If you are not there at the time of delivery, Disney will confiscate it and charge the vendor a $75 fee. Just to reiterate, the vendor is charged $75 and not you. The list off approved vendors are Buena Vista Scooter Rentals, Best Price Mobility, Care Medical Equipment and Scooter Bug. If you rent your scooter from one of those vendors, there will be no problem with you having your scooter delivered even if you are not there to receive it. In other words, you can be at a park during the time it’s delivered and there will be no problem. The problem only lies if you choose a non approved vendor. Reaction to this news has been very harsh in nature. Some feel that this is Disney’s way to become even wealthier. I tend to agree. I believe that there should be no need to have an approved list of providers. The one thing the DJ of the DIS Unplugged Podcast said that I agree with is that something had to have happened in order for Disney to institute this rule. Disney does not do things just because they can. Whenever Disney creates a rule or policy, it is usually because something happened. What I’m guessing is that somehow a scooter became damaged on Disney’s watch and they got blamed for it. This was the opinion of the one podcast DJ as well. That’s the only reason I could see Disney changing their policy after so many years. That’s my opinion but what is yours? Why do you think Disney created a list of approved scooter vendors? Also, how do you feel about the new rule as a whole? Do you agree or disagree and why? Please post your comments below or E-mail us at admin@beyondthecastleblog.com with your thoughts. For now though, as always, have a magical day!

Tune In Monday!

disneyfreak212 — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 21:18:19 +0000

Hello Disney lovers. Right now, I am doing research on a new Disney controversy regarding the use of scooters being delivered to your Walt Disney World resort. Tune in on Monday to read about my findings. In the meantime, have you heard about this development. If so, what do you think of it? Please post your comments below or E-mail us at admin@beyondthecastleblog.com. For now though, as always, have a magical day!

Christmastime in Disney

disneyfreak212 — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 21:46:54 +0000

Hello Disney lovers. As you all know it is the holiday season and for many of us that means it’s time for Christmas. Even though I have never been there during this special time of year, I think Disney does a great job of celebrating the season in all of its parks. From Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park to the Candlelight Processional at Disney’s Epcot Center, which is supposed to be very moving to say the least. Disney’s Animal Kingdom gets into the act as well with their own special parade to celebrate the season. Finally, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Osbourne Family Spectacle of Lights is a Christmas light display that you apparently have to see to believe. If I were to go during the holiday season, one of my first stops would be Epcot. There, you can listen to stories from different countries about how they celebrate Christmas in their country. I would find that to be truly fascinating to listen to.Disney is magical all throughout the year. Around this time of year though, I feel that a family could make even more memories that will last a lifetime. What about you? Do you have any Disney memories from this special time of year? If so, what are they? If you haven’t been to Disney World during the holiday season, do you have any plans on doing so? Please post your comments below or E-mail us at admin@beyondthecastleblog.com with your thoughts. For now though, as always, have a magical day!

Update On The Main Street Bakery

disneyfreak212 — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 21:07:11 +0000

Hello Disney lovers. We hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday this past weekend. Even though it’s a bit late, I wanted to give an update on the Main Street Bakery controversy. For those of you who don’t know, Disney had the idea of closing down the Main Street Bakery in Magic Kingdom on, obviously, Main Street U.S.A. To take it a step further, Disney was considering opening up a Starbucks in replacement of the beloved bakery. This angered a lot of people and Disney has eventually listened. The latest information that we have is that Disney has decided to have a limited selection of Starbucks items on the Main Street Bakery menu. Disney will no longer take over the Main Street Bakery with a full fledged Starbucks. As I stated in my previous post, in so many words, I think it was a very bad idea to have a Starbucks or any corporate store or restaurant for that matter in Walt Disney World. To me, Disney World is a place where families to go to get away from corporations. It also should be a place where people don’t want to be reminded of the every day world with things that they would see every day such as Starbucks. People may argue with me, but I think that’s why McDonald’s left Downtown Disney. People may say it was for other reasons which I am not disputing. However, I think one of the reasons the biggest fast food chain in the world left is because people don’t want run of the mill restaurants that people can see every day. This is why I give great kudos to Disney for responding to feedback from their guests. How do you feel about this latest change of heart that Disney has had regarding the Main Street Bakery? How did you feel when you found out that Disney was closing the Main Street Bakery to open up a Starbucks? Did you like it or were you upset? Please post your comments below or E-mail us at admin@beyondthecastleblog.com with your thoughts. For now though, as always, have a magical day!

Latest Disney Controversy

disneyfreak212 — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 21:26:29 +0000

Hello Disney lovers. Today I wanted to talk about the latest controversy to hit Walt Disney World. Lately, I had heard that the coffee giant Starbucks will be replacing the Main Street Bakery on Main Street inside Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. Now unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard from some type of source that Starbucks was coming to Walt Disney World. The two locations that fans knew that these coffee shops would be located were Epcot and Magic Kingdom. People knew that Starbucks would be placed at The Fountain View in Epcot. People didn’t seem to mind this and I don’t blame them. I don’t feel that there is any significance to The Fountain View. However, what people seem to be up in arms about is where Disney is placing the Starbucks at Magic Kingdom. The plan is to put it where the Main Street Bakery is now. I’ve heard conflicting reports on this subject. On the one hand, I’ve heard that indeed Disney would completely close down the bakery and open it as a Starbucks. However, I have also heard that the bakery would stay as is and then Starbucks would just be incorporated into the existing bakery. Of the two options, I hope the second choice is decided. I honestly feel like by putting in a full fledged Starbucks, Disney would basically be telling its guests that they care more about making money than preserving the historical significance of the Magic Kingdom. When it comes to Disney World, people care about memories. They also care about remembering those important places and passing those memories down to their children and grandchildren. What they don’t care about are large corporations invading the most magical place on Earth. They care about counting the memories. Not the dollar signs. That’s my opinion, but what’s yours? Do you feel it’s a good idea that Starbucks is being put into the Main Street Bakery at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom? Why or why not? Please comment below or E-mail us at admin@beyondthecastleblog.com with your thoughts. I look forward to reading your comments. For now though, as always, have a magical day!

Disney Aquires Lucasfilm

disneyfreak212 — Fri, 09 Nov 2012 20:30:32 +0000

Hello Disney lovers. The big news coming out of Disney this past week is its acquiring of media giant Lucasfilm. Disney purchased the company for $4.05 Billion. This latest deal done by Disney opens the door for a potential avalanche of new things for the Disney parks. What Lucasfilm is most notably known for is the incredibly successful Star Wars franchise. What most people may have forgotten, myself included, is that Lucasfilm also owns the Indiana Jones movies. Some may think this is no big deal as Disney World already has the Indiana Jones stunt show at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. However, a lot of people feel that this mega deal will cause a major expansion of both Indiana Jones and Star Wars in the Disney Parks. In fact, shortly after the deal was announced, Disney fans were already drawing up their own blueprints for a Star Wars land that could be constructed inside Walt Disney World or in Disneyland. Speaking of Star Wars, as part of the purchase of Lucasfilm, Disney announced the making of 3 new Star Wars movies starting in 2015. Apparently this will be Episodes 7, 8 and 9 in the franchise. One can only imagine how the Star Wars movies will be with the added Disney touch. All of these avenues that Disney now has at their disposal should make Disney an even larger force in the media world. How do you feel about Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm? Do you agreee with it? Why or why not? Please comment below or E-mail us at admin@beyondthecastleblog.com with your thoughts. For now though, as always, have a magical day!

Wreck It Ralph Scores Big!

disneyfreak212 — Tue, 06 Nov 2012 20:48:43 +0000

Hello Disney lovers. The big news over this past weekend was the huge success of Disney’s new movie Wreck It Ralph. The movie came in at #1 in the box office with a revenue of $49.1 million. The movie is about Ralph, a video game character, who wants to be a nice person after a lifetime of being a mean video game character. I think the fact that this movie revolves around video games really appealed to the younger generation. This element I feel really drove up the ticket sales, thus making Wreck It Ralph the #1 movie in America. For Disney, this is a huge lift after the very disappointing performance of Frankenweenie in the box office. When Frankenweenie was released, it had an opening weekend release of 5th place and only grossed $11 million. I for one am not surprised by the fact that Frankenweenie did not do as well as Wreck It Ralph. When you look at Frankenweenie, all the elements of the movie were very dark and somewhat disturbing in my view. Now I realize that type of animation is what Tim Burton is known for. However, I feel that there is a distinct difference between what one director’s vision is and what appeals to the general population, especially children. From what I’ve seen with Wreck It Ralph though, that movie is very lively as far as visuals are concerned. This visual advantage obviously was a smash hit for children and adults alike. How do you feel? Do you feel that the visuals of Wreck It Ralph aided in the high box office sales? Why or why not? Have you seen Wreck It Ralph in theaters yet? If so, what did you think of it? Please post your comments below or E-mail us at admin@beyondthecastleblog.com with your thoughts. For now though, as always, have a magical day!

Hidden Mickeys

disneyfreak212 — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 20:01:45 +0000

Hello Disney lovers. One of the more fascinating aspects of Walt Disney World are the hidden Mickeys that are spread out all over Walt Disney World. Hidden Mickeys are basically the shape of Mickey Mouse hidden in various things that you would never expect the Mickey shape to be in. For example, one of the most notable ones I remember seeing happened this past vacation. As I was admiring the amazing detail of our princess room, I had noticed a hidden Mickey on the curtains of our window. As you begin seeing them, you start wanting to find them wherever you go. At least that has been my experience with them. Also, the more you do see them, the better you are at finding them. You almost develop a “Hidden Mickey eye” so to speak. It really can become a fun adventure if you make it that way. Just think of it as a great big game of I spy as you go along Walt Disney World. If you want to find them faster, I heard that there is actually a mobile app that can assist you in finding them. I’ve never actually downloaded and used this app, but I have it on good source that it does exist. Now you may ask: What is my favorite hidden Mickey? Well for me, it may or may not even be one, but look in the Rainforest Cafe at Downtown Disney. I won’t tell you exactly where it is. I will just give you a hint. Look in the plants when you sit down for your meal. My father doesn’t think there is one where I think there’s one, but Ill leave it up to you to find it. What is your favorite hidden Mickey in Walt Disney World? Where exactly is it located? Where do you wish there was a hidden Mickey and why? Please post your comments below or E-mail us at admin@beyondthecastleblog.com with your thoughts. For now though, as always, have a magical day!