New Feel The Force Dining Event for Star Wars Weekends!

Star Wars WeekendStar Wars Weekend will be adding another dining experience for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this year. In addition to the new Galactic Dine-In Breakfast and Jedi Mickey’s Star Wars Dine at Hollywood and Vine we told you about here, this new pre-paid event will start booking tomorrow morning, April 23rd online at disneyworld.com/dining, through the My Disney Experience apps and over the phone through Disney Dining at 407-939-3463.

The Feel The Force Dining Event will include VIP Viewing areas for both the parade, Legends of the Force Motorcade, and the nighttime fireworks, Symphony in the Stars. Also included will be soft drinks and water during the daytime parade and a dessert party with the fireworks. Guests will receive a souvenir PhotoPass card with a series of free Star Wars photos, which can be linked to their My Disney Experience account.

For the parade viewing area, guests will have a standing room only section near Echo Lake facing the Sorcerer’s Hat. The viewing area is open from 11am – 12pm with the motorcade starting at 11:30am. Guests in wheelchairs, ECVs and scooters will be permitted to remain seated.

The dessert party will be Star Wars themed and in the same location as the VIP Viewing area for the parade. It will take place from 9-10pm with the fireworks scheduled for 9:45pm each evening.

Check in for both events will be at Min and Bill’s Dockside Diner from 10:30am until 12pm. At that time, guests will receive a wristband which will provide entrance to the designated area for daytime and evening. Guests who miss the morning check in are still able to check in for the dessert party starting at 8:30pm at Min and Bill’s with a greeter.

Prices, including tax and gratuities are $54.00 for adults and $32.00 for children. Pre-payment is due in full at the time of booking. There will be no discounts accepted and no Disney Dining Plan entitlements may be used to pay for this event. If there is still availability, walk ups and same day reservations may be permitted. Please contact Disney Dining for any additional information or questions regarding this special event during Star Wars Weekends. As usual, all details are subject to change.

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Carousel of Progress 50th Anniversary with Kelly Christine

Carousel of Progress
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress

Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress was my favorite attraction at Walt Disney World during high school and college. For years it never made sense to my friends and family. They know me as a thrill seeker, a roller coaster nut. How can a ride with a slow moving theater satisfy an adrenaline junkie? The answer is simpler than you think.

Like It’s A Small World and Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln, Carousel of Progress debuted at the 1964 World’s Fair. When the fair was over, the ride was transported to Anaheim and installed at Disneyland. It was replaced in Disneyland by America Sings and then moved to Walt Disney World. It is one of the only attractions in Walt Disney World that Walt himself had a hand in creating directly. You can even see Walt Disney and the Sherman brothers in a pre-show video talking about the original attraction.

Originally debuting under the name “Progressland,” the Carousel of Progress follows a family through four different eras. The first scene is staged at the turn of the 19th into the 20th century, then the 1920s, 1940s, and present day follow, echoing the seasons of spring, summer, fall and winter respectively. The Carousel of Progress is the longest running stage show in the history of American theater.
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Springtime
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Halloween
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Christmas

After a few years, I finally explained to my friends and family why the Carousel of Progress was my favorite and it’s quite simple: despite how much the world around you changes, your family is a constant. I think about how my life has changed due to technology and despite all the convenience and distractions at my fingertips, the relationships I have have only improved. After 50 years, the significance of family has not changed. I believe in a great big beautiful tomorrow, it’s just a dream away.

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The Disneyland Story Presents Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln And Kelly

Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln debuted 50 years ago at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York, and Kelly Christine Delaney is back helping us celebrate this iconic attraction’s anniversary.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
The 1964 World’s Fair is something I’ve discussed with my dad many times. I have enjoyed all of the stories he has told me of what it was like and he kept repeating “it was nothing I had ever seen before. Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln was definitely something that had never been seen before.
Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln
Walt Disney had the idea for a show that would pay tribute to the Presidents of the United States in Disneyland but wasn’t able to due to technology and space. Instead imagineers focused on a show about one of Walt’s heroes, Abraham Lincoln. While this was being worked on, interested parties discussed bringing the show to the World’s Fair. It debuted in the Illinois state pavilion on April 22, 1964 and was duplicated and opened in Disneyland on July 18, 1965.
Since it has opened, there has been some additions to the show and times that Lincoln was taken out completely. The first time I saw the show it included the Walt Disney Story. The pre and post show have since changed and now include history of the Walt Disney company and Disneyland.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
In The Disney Story you can find an model of Disneyland as it appeared on opening day.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
You can see the park bench that Walt Disney used to sit on while he dreamed of creating Disneyland.
Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln
In the lobby of The Disneyland Story presents Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln, you can find exhibits that feature pieces from the Disney Archives that change throughout the year.
Every time I experience the attraction I get goosebumps thinking of the influence Walt had on the attraction. As someone who has spent much more time in the Florida Disney parks, I rarely felt the direct connection to Walt. I really appreciate the amount of history and tradition that is throughout this attraction. I look forward to seeing the evolution of it in the next 50 years.
Have you experienced this attraction in any previous forms or the current form? What are your favorite parts of Great Moments With Mr Lincoln?
Earlier today we celebrated the 50th Anniversary of It’s a Small World, so don’t forget to take a moment to check that out!
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Happy Anniversary It’s a Small World!

Today It’s a Small World is among three ground-breaking attractions created for the 1964 World’s Fair celebrating their 50th Anniversary, and we wanted to take a moment to talk about why each attraction is so special to us.

It's a Small World

This gentle boat ride is the ‘Happiest cruise that ever sailed around the world’, and was created for the 1964 World’s Fair to salute UNICEF and the children around the world. Filled with beautiful Animatronic Dolls, colorful lands, and an infectious song more than 10 million visitors from 1964-1965.

It's a Small World

It was great to see how each of the five Disney Parks around the world celebrated the anniversary of It’s a Small World, but it is really great to hear everyone’s personal connection to the attraction!

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My father is a big guy with a southern accent and usually stern face, but his absolute favorite ride at Walt Disney World is It’s a Small World!

I remember on our first trip to Walt Disney World in 1986 we rode It’s a Small World three times, so when my daughter’s, Zoe, first trip rolled around there was only one thing we could do!

As we walked down Main Street, we made our way to It’s a Small World where Zoe shared her first ride at Walt Disney World with my father at her side.

To this day it remains a family favorite ride, and I will never forget the look of delight and love that my father had as rode hand-in-hand with her.

Keep an eye out for our posts on Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln and Carousel of Progress that will be coming to you later today!

Do you have a special memory of It’s a Small World?

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