Category: Walt Disney World

La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil Introduces New Acts And Special Offer

La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil is always evolving with new additions, and the newest acts introduced into the show honor the past while looking forward to the future of entertainment.

Aerial Bamboo may be new to La Nouba, but this rare performance has a deep history that starts in China and involves a pole-shaped apparatus, originally made of bamboo but now made of steel, suspended from the ceiling, with attached loops used for a variety of tricks and stunts.

This breathtaking performance marks the United States premiere of Russian couple Alexander and Ekaterina Abramov that will have you on the edge of your seat as Ekaterina is held only by Alexander – his arms, his feet and even his teeth – as he himself hangs by his feet or arms high above the stage.

I was spellbound by their talent, and I am pretty sure I didn’t breathe as the duo performed and she spun like a top. It was fantastic!

As a huge fan of America’s Best Dance Crew (Yes, I know I am dating myself here), I was really excited to see this B-Boy trio take the Cirque du Soleil stage for the first time!

If you aren’t familiar, B-Boying is a physically demanding form of dance, in which performers execute acrobatic tricks and moves, including flips and spins, to music.

The La Nouba artistic staff scoured the globe for its three inaugural B-Boys: Josh Ortiz (“Incredible Josh”), Jean Carlos Lloret (“Bebo”) and Dmytro Li (“Flying Buddha”). The three hail respectively from the Bronx, N.Y., the Boston area and Ukraine and are performing together for the first time. All three have been dancing since their youth and bring their own unique styles to the act.

I got the chance to see them dance on the La Nouba Stage (I totally geeked out), and it was a treat to see them up-close!

What makes these acts work so well is that La Nouba brought back original choreographer Debra Brown, original composer Benoit Jutras, and original lighting designer Luc Lafortune to seamlessly integrate these new acts into the show.

And if that wasn’t enough, La Nouba has created a new partnership with Morimoto Asia.

From now until July 31, 2016, all La Nouba by Cirque du Soliel guests will have the opportunity to purchase an alcoholic or non-alcoholic beverage on the Morimoto Asia menu and receive a complimentary four-piece California Roll or Vegetable Roll when they show their La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil ticket stub.

Morimoto Asia is located at The Landings at Disney Springs, approximately a 5 minute walk from the La Nouba Theater, and is a great way to round out your evening at Disney Springs!

If you can’t tell, I REALLY enjoyed the newest additions to La Nouba by Cirqu du Soleil and suggest that you check them out soon!

Wordless Wednesday:

January 27, 2016

This week’s Wordless Wednesday takes us to the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World, where we find a moment of stillness filled with emotions amid a bustling Main Street U.S.A.

Wordless Wednesday – January 13, 2016

It does not matter who

you are or where you

are from. We are all

Children of the World.

I found this week’s Wordless Wednesday on the streets of the Harambe Market in Animal Kingdom at Walt Disney World, and it’s message rings loud and true.

#OntheGo Around the Parks:

Taking It Easy In The Magic Kingdom

An awesome perk of living so close to Walt Disney World is being able to pop over for a quick visit, check out my last visit to Epcot, but it also means that when the Parks are busier you tend to steer clear of the crowds.

However on Monday I decided to venture to the Magic Kingdom for some time with my friend John for an easy, breezy day.

Now I say breezy, because it was definitely ‘Florida Cold’! We moved from Virginia and I went to school at Virginia Tech in the Blue Ridge Mountains (Go Hokies!), so I know it’s not cold-cold…but my blood has thinned considerably!

It was a beautiful day with a super blue sky! It was gorgeous.

It was the perfect morning to take a leisurely stroll to Cinderella Castle where we caught part of Dream Along with Mickey (which I hadn’t seen in awhile).

We are both trying to get 10,000 steps a day, so we decided to take a walk through Fantasyland. The area was busy but not crazy. I had to stop to take a picture of Zoe’s favorite Princess’ Tower.

And we also made a new friend. This little guy was so adorable!

The wait for Haunted Mansion wasn’t awful (25 minutes), so we decided to see if there was room for 2 more…

Afterwards we decided to set sail on the ‘Happiest Cruise That Ever Sailed’, and I had a lot of fun trying to catch some of the reflections. I’m going to go back with my DSLR to see if I can catch some better shots, but it was a fun photo adventure!

We caught a quick bite to eat at Pecos Bill…but I forgot to take a picture of my burrito…I was hungry! However, I will say that I really wish they’d bring back some of the BBQ options.

When we were done with lunch we flew over to Walt Disney’s Enchanted Tiki Room for a sing-along with some of our favorite feathered friends.

Our last ride of the day was on Pirates of the Caribbean, and while we were splashed quite a bit we had a great time.

It was a great day with a great friend (Check out John’s Big Fat Panda site for his antics), and I can’t wait to take you along #OntheGo Around the Parks soon!

Don’t forget to follow @onthegoinmco on Twitter & Instagram for all of our adventures!

#OnTheGo Around the Parks:

An Afternoon at Epcot

One thing that I really love doing is walking around the Parks, and while I usually tweet and Instagram my day I thought it would be a nice change to share my afternoon and my thoughts here.

It was a chilly (by Orlando standards) and slightly overcast afternoon at Epcot, but it was great to get out of the house for a few hours before I picked Zoe up from her after-school activity.

I didn’t have any plans or FastPass+ return times, and I wasn’t in a rush so I decided to take an easy stroll around Future World.

My first stop was to see Baymax in his new Meet and Greet area in Innoventions West.

This was my first time seeing the area, and it was great to see I wasn’t alone! He had a large line, and while his workshop background may seem sparse it fits right in with all of the construction that is going on inside of Innoventions.

After a quick picture, I decided to head over to The Seas with Nemo & Friends.

This is one of Zoe’s favorite rides, and when we ride it’s often filled with a lot of pointing and chatting about what is going on around us so it was weird to ride it in silence.

There was a lot of activity in the tanks as people were snorkeling. I would love to try that one day!

I also had to find one of my all time favorite Hidden Mickeys…

And Nemo!

Heading over to The Land Pavilion I decided to keep up my Hidden Mickey Hunting, and found this little guy.

While Soarin’ is closed until later this year, it was nice to see that the Pavilion was still chocked full of people!

Living with the Land has always been one of my favorite rides!

I found a ton of Mickeys and got to see a Florida Snowman.

Before I leave, I always take a moment to say goodbye to the balloons.

The latest addition to Epcot is the Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival.

The Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival is a 3D experience that begins with a short film where you hear from John Lasseter and Ed Catmull talk about the beginnings of Pixar by showing the progression of their work.

The Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival features 3 shorts in ways that you have never seen them before.

‘Get a Horse’ is the first short that pops off the screen (literally) bringing this classic short to life in a whole new way. While the 3 and 4D effects were really well done, what really was amazing was to hear Walt Disney voicing Mickey ringing through the theater. I won’t lie…it gave me chills.

‘La Luna’ really sparkled in the 3D format, and it was really nice to revisit a short that is one of my favorites.

And finally, ‘For the Birds’ is a really quirky and fun short that ends the experience on a solid laugh.

We’ll miss you Captain EO, but I have to say that I really enjoyed watching the Disney & Pixar Short Film Festival. I can’t wait to bring Zoe back with me next time!

Then it was off to Innoventions East to visit Colortopia Presented by Glidden.

If you haven’t had the chance to stop by and experience the newest spot in Innoventions…what are you waiting for?

I really love all of the the different interactive areas and activities, and it is a really great way to spend some time out of the Florida elements.

Seriously, what are you waiting for? I promise that you will really enjoy Colortopia…so go!

Walking out of Innoventions East I ran into the Jamminators. And while these guys have several identities throughout the year, I always like to stop for a second to watch them perform. They are a really fun group.

And I was in luck, because today was ‘Junior Jamminator Day’ and I am now an honorary Jamminator!

I haven’t ridden Test Track in awhile, so I decided to head over to the single rider line. It was a 25 minute wait, not too shabby, but it was nice to just relax and go with the flow!

When you go through the single rider line you don’t get the full design experience, but the car I chose placed 2nd which is much better than when I do the designing so I will call it a win!!!

And it wouldn’t be a trip to Epcot without riding my absolute favorite ride in the world…Spaceship Earth.

All in all it was a lovely afternoon at Epcot, and I hope that you enjoyed tagging along with me on my trip!

See ya real soon!

-Shelley

Wordless Wednesday – January 6, 2015

This week’s Wordless Wednesday is one final thank you to the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights.

Thank you for the memories, and I hope that this isn’t goodbye but instead see you real soon (in some way, shape, or form).

Dreaming of a Disney Christmas: Christmas Ornaments With Character

Adding a touch of Disney magic to your Christmas Tree is as awesome as ever with these new Christmas Ornaments from Disney Parks.

I’ve shared several of these Disney Christmas Ornaments over the years, but I love how they keep getting better with even more details and expanding to new characters.

All of these ornaments are $19.99 plus tax, and I would love to hear which ones are your favorites!

Don’t forget you can use the Shop Disney Parks App available on iTunes and Google Play Store to find these and more great Disney Parks items with free shipping!

Visiting the newly opened Star Wars Launch Bay at Disney’s Hollywood Studios can seem intimidating if you aren’t familiar familiar with the Star Wars Saga, but fear not because it is actually a really great place to start your Star Wars Fandom if you keep a few things in mind!

The first thing to know is that there is no shame in admitting that you aren’t a huge Star Wars fan! After the initial gasp, you will find that the only thing that Star Wars fans are more passionate about than the movies is sharing their love of the movies!

Now that you’re ready for your visit to the Star Wars Launch Bay, here are a few things to do to make your visit awesome!

1. Bring a friend who is familiar with Star Wars with you.

While visiting the parks alone is always fun, having a friend visit with you who is familiar with Star Wars is a great resource for any questions you may have along the way.

2. Once you arrive at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, head directly to the ABC Soundstage to watch ‘Path of the Jedi’.

This dramatic 10 minute film compiles exhilarating Star Wars movie moments to tell the tale of the Jedi Order’s fall and return.

For over a thousand generations, the Jedi Order protected the galaxy and brought peace to the Galactic Republic—with the help of a mysterious power called the Force. A young Jedi named Anakin Skywalker—secretly influenced by the scheming Darth Sidious—turned to the Dark Side of the Force and brought ruin to the Jedi. Anakin became the dreaded Darth Vader and Darth Sidious became the evil Emperor Palpatine.

A generation passed and Anakin’s children, Luke and Leia, joined the Rebel Alliance to oppose the tyranny of the Galactic Empire. With the help of a charming rogue named Han Solo, Luke and Leia succeeded in defeating the Empire and turning Darth Vader away from the Dark Side.

Star Wars: Path of the Jedi retells this epic saga and hints at what’s next! The Star Wars story continues in the new movie, Star Wars: The Force Awakens—Luke, Leia and Han return along with a new cast of brave heroes and dastardly villains.

3. Don’t skip the line to enter the Star Wars Launch Bay.

Why it may be extremely tempting, don’t skip the line to line to enter the Star Wars Launch Bay through the Launch Bay Theater. because the queue is FULL of great details and images!

4. Get Hyped by watching the ‘Behind-the-Scenes’ short film in the Launch Bay Theater!

Inside this stellar screening room, watch a stirring short film celebrating the Star Wars saga. Running continuously throughout the day, this 10-minute “behind-the-scenes” movie includes exclusive interviews with the directors, writers, producers and other key players responsible for bringing the Star Wars galaxy to life.

Now why will you get hyped? I’m glad you asked!

The short film’s interviews are a great glimpse into the passion that the creators have for Star Wars with peeks at the movies.

5. When you are waiting in line for the amazing Meet and Greets in the Star Wars Launch Bay, make sure you pay attention to the trivia that is playing on the screens.

While the Meet and Greet queue itself is full of great props and replicas from Star Wars, along the walls you will find screens playing Star Wars Trivia. This is a great opportunity to learn details from the movies and to find out even more by asking questions.

6. Learn to read Aurebesh…No really…do it!

Along the walls of the Star Wars Launch Bay you’ll see sayings from the movies in Aurebesh, and if you ask a Cast Member they may have the Aurebesh alphabet with our alphabet to help you ‘decode’ the messages.

7. Take your time!

The Launch Bay is full of great galleries chocked full of costumes, props, models, actual items from the movies, and more so make sure you take your time to read all the plaques and to ask the near-by Cast Members questions.

8. Bring something to trade with the Jawas.

It doesn’t have to be anything fancy, but bringing something to trade with the Jawas is always a ton of fun!

The Jawas love shiny things, don’t we all really, however you can see in my video that I traded an On the Go in MCO button and things went swimmingly!

9. After you’ve had the full Star Wars Launch Bay experience, pick a character that you really liked to learn more about before Star Wars: The Force Awakens opens on December 18, 2015!

Find your favorite character, find out more about them, buy some fun merchandise, and have fun…just keep away from Bobba Fett…he’s all mine!!!

Colortopia Presented By Glidden Is Now Open At Epcot

New interactive exhibit creates colorful experiences for Guests of all ages

Colortopia Presented by Glidden is a new and colorful experience opened at Epcot, and it is such a great addition to Innoventions East!

Colortopia is an interactive, educational experience that is full of memories, inspiration, and fun.

To experience the Colortopia exhibit, the Glidden brand has created three unique walk-through areas that bring to life color theory, the psychology of color and the perception of color, all while engaging Guests in fun and surprising hands-on activities.

The three areas of the exhibit include:

• The Power of Color – After you enter this specially designed standing theater, you find yourself engulfed in color that is overwhelming in the best way possible to explore the psychology of color. It really gets you thinking of the immediate response and memories that color holds.

• The Color Lab – There are two activities located inside The Color Lab area that are incredibly interactive and competitive.

  In Color Mix ‘n Match, you use slides to mix red, green and blue to create bold new colors. I played this game several times through, because it was incredibly interesting to learn how color is mixed and tons of competitive fun. I don’t mean to brag…but I am a Honolulu Color Guru!

  Spinning Spectrums is the second interactive area in The Color Lab that shows the persistence of vision through painted spinning discs. Before pressing the buttons you have to guess what color their eyes will perceive once the multi-colored discs start to spin quickly, which is trickier than you may think!

• Color Our World –  Guests can play with fun color shadows while they wait to receive a magic paint brush, which they can use in the studio to bring the world around them to life with their personal color choices.

“Combining Glidden paint’s rich tradition of innovation and color inspiration with the creative power of Walt Disney Imagineering was a perfect collaboration to create a one-of-a-kind experience that engages visitors with color in ways they never have before,” said Max Wetzel, chief marketing officer and general manager of home centers, PPG Architectural Coatings, U.S. and Canada, makers of Glidden paint. “With the Glidden brand, we know the important role color plays when selecting paint for your home. Color also has a powerful role in our everyday lives, and it is truly brought to life in the Colortopia exhibit.”

Colortopia by Glidden paint demonstrates that color is not only a visual treat, but also a dynamic and emotional experience that fits in well with Disney’s history in color exploration and innovation.

“Starting with Disney’s premier full-color film in 1932, our company has been fascinated by color,” said Melissa Valiquette, vice president, Epcot. “That fascination is evident throughout our parks and our resorts and is why we’re thrilled to collaborate with Glidden as we work together to bring Colortopia to life for our guests.”

If you think that the fun ends when you leave the 3,700 square-foot exhibit you’re wrong!

The Colortopia experience extends beyond the exhibit with the Colortopia mobile app and website, allowing Guests to bring a world of colorful fun into their own homes.

I can’t wait to share more about the Colortopia App soon! 

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Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party takes place on select nights from now until December 18^th, and this separate ticketed event is a great way to kick off your Holiday Season!

As with any Special Event at Walt Disney World planning is key to making your most of your time, and with so many exclusive entertainment, character, shopping, or food offerings prioritizing your ‘Must Do’s’ is as important as ever!

So here are 10 things to keep in mind when you are creating your game-plan for attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!

10 Things To Know On The Go: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

1. While the event begins at 7 pm, you can gain access to the Magic Kingdom at 4 pm and if you are in the park before the event you can get wristbands inside the park in Tomorrowland and Adventureland.

2. FastPass+ is not offered during the Party, so arriving early can help you knock out some attractions as the crowds will begin thinning as the party begins.

I suggest catching a ride on the Jingle Cruise as soon as you arrive, because the lighting is better for viewing all the festive additions to the attraction.

3. During Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party you can find several locations around the park offering Hot Chocolate and Sugar Cookies.

If you have allergies or dietary restrictions they offer apple juice, apple slices, grapes, and gluten free cookies at the same locations.

4. If you don’t arrive to the Party early, don’t fret that you’ve missed the Castle Lighting. ‘A Frozen Holiday Wish’ is performed at BOTH 6:15 pm and 8:00 pm.

5. The Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade steps off from Frontierland twice a night during the Party, and really there is no bad spot to watch from.

I will say that it is a slower moving parade, so if you are on Main Street you will have quite a wait for the parade to reach you.

6. This year I switched up my Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party game plan, and I really enjoyed it!

Now hear me out on this before you completely judge me…

As soon as the 6:15 pm ‘A Frozen Holiday Wish’ was over, I went on the hunt for a spot to sit in front of the castle.

While we did invest quite a chunk of our night to sitting (Thank you Heads Up for being a great app to have on your phone for the kids) from our spot we saw Celebrate the Season, A Frozen Holiday Wish, Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmastime Parade, Celebrate the Magic, and Holiday Wishes – Celebrate the Spirit of the Season without moving with Cinderella Castle as our backdrop.

However, since the girls were rested we were able to stay the rest of the party and enjoyed shorter waits for attractions and characters as the night went on.

Believe me when I say that this plan isn’t for everyone, and you need to make sure that everyone in your group is completely on board.

We were really lucky to have made friends with a wonderful family around us from Louisiana, so we were able to go on Hot Chocolate and Sugar Cookie runs together for the gang during the longer breaks.

7. The Exclusive Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card this year is adorable as it features Olaf and the Snowgies!

I suggest grabbing your card early, not because they will run out but because you might forget after a long night of merriment!

8. I feel like I’ve been saying this a lot lately, but the Party Exclusive merchandise is great!

I HAD to have this ornament!!!

9. New this year is performances by VoicePlay. Voice play is an acclaimed acapella group who you may know from ‘The Sing-Off’, and they take to the Rockettower Plaza Stage in Tomorrowland between performances of ‘A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas’.

Their show is short, sweet, and super fun! I totally recommend catching them at least once during the Party!!!

10. ‘Holiday Wishes – Celebrate the Spirit of the Season’ is a WONDERFUL fireworks show that includes perimeter launches, and while watching facing Cinderella Castle is the way that most people go don’t be afraid to watch from New Fantasyland. It is gorgeous!

BONUS!!!

11. If you love meeting Characters, you will LOVE Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!

You can find…

• Jack Skellington as Sandy Claws – Storybook Circus (If this is your top Character priority, as soon as you arrive head back to his area)
• Donald, Scrooge McDuck, Daisy, Minnie – Storybook Circus
• Santa Goofy – near Barnstormer
• Big Al, Liverlips, Shaker and Wendell – Liberty Square
• Seven Dwarfs – Fantasyland near Mine Train (very popular! Line up by 6 to meet them.)
• Princesses with their Princes – In Princess Fairytale Hall, you can find Cinderella with her Prince and Rapunzel with Flynn Rider. Just outside in Fantasyland, you will find Aurora with Prince Phillip and Snow White with her Prince.Tiana and Prince Naveen can be found in Liberty Square.
• Tigger and Friends – Fantasyland near Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
• Santa Claus – Town Square (Not Party Exclusive, but I thought I would leave him on the list)

You can see more of our pictures from Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party on our Facebook and Instagram Pages, and to follow along on our adventures make sure you follow us on Twitter!