Issue 1 December 2010 - March 2011

Why Disney fans need Universal

Disneyland Paris Photo Challenge

Visit the Dream Castle Hotel

Disney CharacterDining

WelcomeThe Disney community is a wonderful thing.

No matter where in the world you go there is always someone who loves Disney and, it seems, to varying degrees. Some people love visiting the

parks once a year and get a thrill out of riding Everest, Mission: Space or Test Track. Some people enjoy visiting the park to taste the delights of

the Food and Wine Festival or the presentations at the Flower and Garden Festival.

There are also some people who take their obsession a little more seriously. That fact that you are currently reading this means you are probably one of those people. The sort of person who wants to know every little detail of the Disney company, be it the parks around the

world, the movies or the merchandise.

This magazine is a little unique. The people lling the pages of this magazine are people like you. Ordinary fans from across the globe who feel they have something to share with the rest of the community. This magazine is designed to let you share your joys and your experiences,

your magical moments and your memories. Your content is what will ll the following pages. Through opening an invitation to you all, we hope to

bring a huge array of articles that we hope will entertain, educate and provoke thought and discussion.

So....... Welcome to Issue 1 of Mousemag.

We hope that this magazine lls many happy hours of reading, no matter where you are.

Adam GoodgerEditor

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If you are interested in writing for Mousemag. Send us an email with you name and submission idea to podcast@Disneybrit.com

This magazine is written by the Disney Fans, for the Disney fans.

EditorAdam Goodger

Contributing WritersAdam Goodger

Kevin YeeEmma ProsserJustine Welsh

Louise WaghornKathryn WatsonTara Renee Petar

DesignAdam Goodger

Associate EditorZoe GoodgerJuz Grifths

Craig Duncan

Contributing PhotographersAdam GoodgerEmma Prosser

Kathryn WatsonTara Renee PetarLouise Waghorn

Advertising enquires (including information on rates and opportunities) can be found by emailing podcast@disneybrit.comWe are always looking for story proposals or contributions. Please send ideas to podcast@disneybrit.com. Any unsolicited materials must be accompanied by a stamp addressed envelope. By sending unsolicited material such as photos, you agree that One Moon

Media are not responsible for their safety or return.

©Just One Moon Media. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express permission of the publisher. Statements and opinions herein are those of the authors and advertisers and do not necessarily reect the views of the

publisher.Mousemag is owned and operated by One Moon Media and is not afliated with, authorised or endorsed by or in anyway ofcially

connected with the Walt Disney Company, Disney Enterprise, Inc. or any of their afliates. Walt Disney World Resort® is a registered trademark of the Walt Disney Company. The Twilight Zone® is a registered trademark of CBS inc. This publication makes reference to various Disney copyrighted characters trademarks, marks and registered marks owned by The Walt Disney Company, Disney Enterprise, Inc. and other trademarks owners. The use on this publication of trademarked names and images is strictly for editorial purposes, no commercial claim to their use or suggestion of sponsorship or endorsement , is made by the authors or

publishers. Those words or terms that the author has reason to believe are trademarks are designated as such by the use of initial capitalization, where appropriate. However, no attempt has been made to identify or designate all words or terms to which

trademark or other proprietary rights may exist.Nothing contained herein is intended to express a judgement on, or affect the validity of legal status of any word or term as a trade mark, service mark, or other proprietary mark. While every care has been taken to

ensure accuracy of the information in the publication, the passage of time will always bring changes in operating schedule, attraction openings and closings and policies. The authors and publisher shall not be help liable for any information (valid or invalid) presented

here and do not represent The Walt Disney Company. All other trademarks and other copyrights are acknowledged

EditorAdam Goodger

Contributing WritersAdam Goodger

Kevin YeeEmma ProsserJustine Welsh

Louise WaghornKathryn WatsonTara Renee Petar

DesignAdam Goodger

Associate EditorZoe GoodgerJuz Grifths

Craig Duncan

Contributing PhotographersAdam GoodgerEmma Prosser

Kathryn WatsonTara Renee PetarLouise Waghorn

Advertising enquires (including information on rates and opportunities) can be found by emailing podcast@disneybrit.comWe are always looking for story proposals or contributions. Please send ideas to podcast@disneybrit.com. Any unsolicited materials must be accompanied by a stamp addressed envelope. By sending unsolicited material such as photos, you agree that One Moon

Media are not responsible for their safety or return.

©Just One Moon Media. No portion of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the express permission of the publisher. Statements and opinions herein are those of the authors and advertisers and do not necessarily reect the views of the

publisher.Mousemag is owned and operated by One Moon Media and is not afliated with, authorised or endorsed by or in anyway ofcially

connected with the Walt Disney Company, Disney Enterprise, Inc. or any of their afliates. Walt Disney World Resort® is a registered trademark of the Walt Disney Company. The Twilight Zone® is a registered trademark of CBS inc. This publication makes reference to various Disney copyrighted characters trademarks, marks and registered marks owned by The Walt Disney Company, Disney Enterprise, Inc. and other trademarks owners. The use on this publication of trademarked names and images is strictly for editorial purposes, no commercial claim to their use or suggestion of sponsorship or endorsement , is made by the authors or

publishers. Those words or terms that the author has reason to believe are trademarks are designated as such by the use of initial capitalization, where appropriate. However, no attempt has been made to identify or designate all words or terms to which

trademark or other proprietary rights may exist.Nothing contained herein is intended to express a judgement on, or affect the validity of legal status of any word or term as a trade mark, service mark, or other proprietary mark. While every care has been taken to

ensure accuracy of the information in the publication, the passage of time will always bring changes in operating schedule, attraction openings and closings and policies. The authors and publisher shall not be help liable for any information (valid or invalid) presented

here and do not represent The Walt Disney Company. All other trademarks and other copyrights are acknowledged

ContentsTraveling to Walt Disney World with Special Needs.......... Pg7by Kathryn Watson

Tangled: A Review ............................................................. Pg10By Adam Goodger

Classic Corner: Peter Pan .................................................. Pg14By Justine Welsh

Top Ten Tips ..................................................................... Pg17By Emma Prosser

Dining with Friends: Character Meals in Disneyland Paris ... Pg20By Tara Renee Petar

Disneyland Paris Photo Hunt ............................................. Pg23

Vienna International Dream Castle .................................. Pg24By Adam Goodger

Kevin’s Touring Plan: The Commando visit to the Magic Kingdom ................................................................................. Pg29By Kevin Yee

Why Disney Fans Need Universal ..................................... Pg31By Adam Goodger

A Sweet, Spooky Night: Disney at Halloween .................. Pg33By Louise Waghorn

Who needs a complicated advert?Come and join us over on iTunes for a very british look at

Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World. The bi-weekly show is filled with news, rumours, fun facts, discussions, trivia

and general silliness. What are you waiting for? Come and visit us at www.disneybrit.com or call us on 0121 2882858 (UK and Europe)

or 407 545 7980 (USA)

Who needs a complicated advert?Come and join us over on iTunes for a very british look at

Disneyland Paris and Walt Disney World. The bi-weekly show is filled with news, rumours, fun facts, discussions, trivia

and general silliness. What are you waiting for? Come and visit us at www.disneybrit.com or call us on 0121 2882858 (UK and Europe)

or 407 545 7980 (USA)

Traveling to Walt Disney World with Special Needs by Kathryn Watson

Walt Disney World is amazing at providing a rst class experience for people with disabilities and their families. Our son Charlie has Autism, a lifelong developmental disability and in severe cases, such as Charlie’s he has only a few words of speech and has severe difculty with all aspects of communication. He has difculty with social contact with people and he has difculty with social imagination. Most people with severe autism live in a world of their own with no emotional connection to their caregivers and a very low IQ. Autism often shows itself through repetitive behaviours and at its most severe people with autism cannot sleep in a different bedroom, eat different foods or have their daily routine changed. Not many people with autism resemble the characters portrayed in lms like Rainman and Mercury Rising. An important point to note here is that people with autism are unique. Charlie has what doctors would think of as classic autism, however his imagination is incredible and he has a loving, warm caring relationship with all his family (particularly Me!)Consequently what strategy works for one person – may not work for another!

Charlie has an obsession and thankfully it’s DISNEY! He watches Disney movies and the Disney Channel. He draws Disney, makes his own movies with Disney characters and music. He makes FIMO models of Disney characters. He pretends he’s Ichabod Crane or the Wicked Queen or Alice in Wonderland!

Travelling to WDW takes military operation style planning. Charlie has a visual timetable so he understands before leaving the UK where he will be staying, which Park he will be in and we also give him the opportunity to decide what he wants to do during our visit.

On day 1 of our trip we visit City Hall or guest relations and we are issued with a FastPass for the length of stay. This is an incredible privilege and we value it highly. Wherever possible we use the standard FastPass system and try not to inconvenience guests unnecessarily, but when all FastPasses have been issued and only The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh will do – we are thankful for this pass. Charlie’s disability means he cannot cope with a line for a signicant period of time or with a crowd of people in a conned space. He does not understand the need for social conventions of waiting your turn and Disney understand this is an important aspect of disability in Autism. So, you may see a family bypass a line with a seemingly healthy child/young person. However, don’t judge a book by its cover – it may just be Charlie, nearly 6ft tall with size 11 feet, build like a front row rugby player, stubble on his chin but holding an Alice in Wonderland cuddly doll. Smile, catch the parents eye and nod, you understand what’s happening and thank your lucky stars your child is able to join a line and moan about the wait and that they can reason, argue, joke and share what a fantastic time they are having in Walt Disney World. A strange inconsistency is that the pass cannot be used in the Waterparks, so Charlie is limited on the time he can spend there. We always take advantage of extra magic hours and head straight to the slides he wants to enjoy. We try and ride them as many times as possible before the general public arrive and then head out before

it becomes too busy. One day hopefully, Disney will include the chairlift in Blizzard Beach and the family raft rides in both water parks in the pass.

Charlie has his favourite rides and one year even rode Primeval Whirl 8 times in a row!!!!! He would ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority all day taking photographs with his camera. He ADORES any of the villains and even got to kiss the Wicked Queens hand but he is scared to death of the Haunted Mansion. He is so scared he hates walking past it and can’t even look at the building!

A wonderful part of a visit for all children is meeting characters. Some memorable moments include Pinocchio using sign language to communicate with Charlie, and Pluto “biting” him. We booked a character meal in Cinderella’s castle and he enjoyed meeting all the beautiful Princesses and being their Prince! Restaurants are brilliant at

catering for dietary needs. We plan in advance the restaurants we know Charlie can choose something from the menu and buffets are excellent because he is free to eat what he wants. We chose Liberty Tree Tavern for their thanksgiving style meal, however we called in advance and asked if it was possible for Charlie to have fries instead of mashed potato and he had the best English style chips we’d tasted!

We stay on-site and are Disney Vacation Club members this allows us to return to the hotel for a lunch break and give Charlie an opportunity to chill for a while. Sometimes we sleep (just the adults), watch TV, swim, explore or plan in detail the next few hours. We have been members for 5 years now and have stayed in all the properties in WDW. Bay Lake Tower makes walking back and forth to Magic Kingdom SO easy! Old Key West is one of our favourites because it is a quiet resort and we can spend time feeling

Charlie & sister Becky in Liberty Tree Tavern

it becomes too busy. One day hopefully, Disney will include the chairlift in Blizzard Beach and the family raft rides in both water parks in the pass.

Charlie has his favourite rides and one year even rode Primeval Whirl 8 times in a row!!!!! He would ride the Tomorrowland Transit Authority all day taking photographs with his camera. He ADORES any of the villains and even got to kiss the Wicked Queens hand but he is scared to death of the Haunted Mansion. He is so scared he hates walking past it and can’t even look at the building!

A wonderful part of a visit for all children is meeting characters. Some memorable moments include Pinocchio using sign language to communicate with Charlie, and Pluto “biting” him. We booked a character meal in Cinderella’s castle and he enjoyed meeting all the beautiful Princesses and being their Prince! Restaurants are brilliant at

catering for dietary needs. We plan in advance the restaurants we know Charlie can choose something from the menu and buffets are excellent because he is free to eat what he wants. We chose Liberty Tree Tavern for their thanksgiving style meal, however we called in advance and asked if it was possible for Charlie to have fries instead of mashed potato and he had the best English style chips we’d tasted!

We stay on-site and are Disney Vacation Club members this allows us to return to the hotel for a lunch break and give Charlie an opportunity to chill for a while. Sometimes we sleep (just the adults), watch TV, swim, explore or plan in detail the next few hours. We have been members for 5 years now and have stayed in all the properties in WDW. Bay Lake Tower makes walking back and forth to Magic Kingdom SO easy! Old Key West is one of our favourites because it is a quiet resort and we can spend time feeling

Charlie & sister Becky in Liberty Tree Tavern

we are away from the hustle and bustle. We usually book a 1 bedroom apartment and this gives Charlie plenty of space to relax. The apartment has a huge whirlpool bath, kitchen area with all the appliances that make our stay great. We stock the fridge with ice-cream, fruit, drinks and snacks and take some time to allow Charlie to calm.

We use our hire car to travel back and forth to the parks as Charlie has become older. He doesn’t have to wait for a bus, and doesn’t have to wait his turn to get on the bus when it arrives. He cannot travel without sitting down either and we often had challenging behaviours if he had to stand on the journey. As he is not a wheelchair user and physically is t and healthy it was rare that someone would offer him a seat on the crowded bus. Returning from the park also makes life easier as we know we can get straight into the car, he will have a seat and this eases what can be a difcult part of the day. Parking is simple at all the parks except Magic Kingdom and we try to stay at Bay Lake Tower or the Contemporary Resort and walk to the park.

Unfortunately things don’t always go to plan and there are times when Charlie has severely challenging behaviour problems. These can happen when his senses have been overloaded. It could be as simple as too hot, cold, too loud, too colourful or a combination of many sensory overloads. It is almost like his body cannot cope with all the excitement Disney presents. I think of it as being tickled. What starts off as a funny sensation can become uncomfortable and upsetting. Sadly Charlie does not have the communication to say “I’m upset/angry etc and I need to leave now!” And the only way he can communicate these overwhelming feelings is through aggression. Unhappily this meltdown in teenagers with autism is not a pretty sight and can unfortunately happen even in the Happiest Place on Earth! Social stories are picture stories to explain how we behave in a certain situation. They are a super way to help people with poor communication deal with their emotions and we use these to remind Charlie there are other ways of dealing with his feelings. In these cases the Cast Members are great at quickly providing a wheelchair and helping the family get a fast exit from the park so that the family can soothe and help the child. Cast Members are wonderful and many are familiar with the diagnosis of autism. We have experienced some real “magic moments” when cast members have taken Charlie to the front of a meet and greet queue, made him an honorary Lost Boy and Pirate, given him their parade bubbles to help pass the time waiting for the parade to start, traded a pin without getting one back and cut his dinner into pieces so we could eat ours whilst it was still hot!

We feel fortunate that we have the privilege of having Charlie in our lives and every day brings a challenge and a blessing. He has an incredible sense of humour, an incredible artistic talent, a warm heart and a joy for life. He has brought a dimension to our lives that is unique and special and I would not change a single thing! As I said at the start, Disney acknowledge their exceptional guests and outstandingly cater to their needs. Roll on Florida trip 2011.

A Review

A Review

Tangled: A Reviewby Adam Goodger

Let us start back at the beginning.

It is December, 1937. The world waits with baited breath as Walt Disney unveils the next

project in his line of “rsts”. The Carthay Circle theatre is to host the World Premiere of the

rst ever feature length animated cartoon. The Hollywood A-list turned out in style: Shirley

Temple, Charlie Chaplin, Judy Garland to name but a few. All of them were there out of

courtesy because it was the “done thing” but no one could understand how a cartoon could entertain for such a long time. Oh, how wrong they were!

Fast forward 73 years. Having heard so many good reviews coming out of the USA

and knowing that the lm broke two records (biggest Thanksgiving opening ever and

biggest opening weekend for a Walt Disney Animation movie) I was a little skeptical.

After some of the movies Disney have released in the past years (Meet The Robinsons,

Bolt, Princess and the Frog) under performing, is it possible that this lm has received

such praise because it is one people really like? Don’t get me wrong, I loved Bolt (we

even named our family pet hamster after Rhino). I thought Meet the Robinsons was

one of the most under appreciated Disney movies in the past 10 years and Princess and the Frog didn’t get the plaudits it deserved. Was Tangled really going to top all of

these?

The lm takes us back to the CG animation that we became accustomed to with Bolt

and Meet the Robinsons. Unlike these two, the animation has a much more cartoon

feel to it. The background art at times is stunning. You would expect this sort of

quality to come from something Pixar had created rather than a Studios release. The

style of animation sets up the perfect world for Rapuzel and Co. to live in. On only a

few occasions does the CG graphics let the lm down with some unrealistic human

movement.

Tangled, based loosely on the Grimm fairytale, follows a teenage Rapunzel as she

struggles with growing up locked away in a tower. Her guardian, Mother Gothal

(played brilliantly by Donna Murphy) keeps her “safe and sound” making sure nothing

from the outside world can harm her.

As the story unfolds, we nd out how all of the characters in the movie have an effect

on Rapunzel’s thoughts and state of mind. Although thought provoking it doesn’t

come in heavy handed or impress a moral message on to its audience.

This is a great movie. A real return to form for Disney and as I watched the story unfold it became

more and more obvious as to the reason it has done so well. Whether it was planned this way or not,

Disney seem to have taken all the best bits from the “Disney Renaissance” movies and sewn them in

to this one.

Rapunzel is the modern day princess. A head strong girl who wants to be independent but fears as to

what others may think. She can hold her own if she needs to but at the same time shows a

vulnerability and naivety of a young girl inexperienced in the World. Does that not remind you of

Ariel? Flynn Rider, the main male protagonist brings the charm of Aladdin’s thief with the

egotistical arrogance of Gaston. Rapunzel’s Chameleon sidekick Pascal brings the charm of

Pocahontas’ Meeko, Flynn and Maximus the horse brings the comedic bickering of Cogsworth and

Lumiere where as the setting looks like it could be the next town to Belle’s Village.

Mother Gothal brings the Jekyll and Hyde of Frodo and the adventure and action sequences are

reminiscent of those found in the Lion King. As for songs, there is an new take on the Gaston style Tavern scene and another romantic boat sequence. Both earn their merits as stand outs.

But, it isn’t the characters or the set pieces that have impressed me the most. For me personally, Alan

Menken’s music has once again hit the sweet spot. All of those most memorable from the

renaissance have been given the Menken touch. A Disney musical movie is only as good as its score

and this is top class. The catchy songs hit you within the rst two minutes of the movie and

come in heavy handed or impress a moral message on to its audience.

This is a great movie. A real return to form for Disney and as I watched the story unfold it became

more and more obvious as to the reason it has done so well. Whether it was planned this way or not,

Disney seem to have taken all the best bits from the “Disney Renaissance” movies and sewn them in

to this one.

Rapunzel is the modern day princess. A head strong girl who wants to be independent but fears as to

what others may think. She can hold her own if she needs to but at the same time shows a

vulnerability and naivety of a young girl inexperienced in the World. Does that not remind you of

Ariel? Flynn Rider, the main male protagonist brings the charm of Aladdin’s thief with the

egotistical arrogance of Gaston. Rapunzel’s Chameleon sidekick Pascal brings the charm of

Pocahontas’ Meeko, Flynn and Maximus the horse brings the comedic bickering of Cogsworth and

Lumiere where as the setting looks like it could be the next town to Belle’s Village.

Mother Gothal brings the Jekyll and Hyde of Frodo and the adventure and action sequences are

reminiscent of those found in the Lion King. As for songs, there is an new take on the Gaston style Tavern scene and another romantic boat sequence. Both earn their merits as stand outs.

But, it isn’t the characters or the set pieces that have impressed me the most. For me personally, Alan

Menken’s music has once again hit the sweet spot. All of those most memorable from the

renaissance have been given the Menken touch. A Disney musical movie is only as good as its score

and this is top class. The catchy songs hit you within the rst two minutes of the movie and

continue, whether it be the heart wrenching ballads, humorous thugs song or the Tour de Force of

character acting by Donna Murphy in “Mother Knows Best”, the score, with its Celtic roots is a

perfect compliment to the lm.

With 3D being added to nearly ever movie these days, critics have often been quick to jump on

Disney’s attempt at adding it to a movie whether it needs it or not. I saw both Bolt and Up in 3D

and although it was novel I never felt it added anything to the story. Tangled is different. The depth of eld 3D adds to the movie at times adds to its spectacle. When we see Rapunzel looking down

from her tower it adds to the realism of just how far apart from the world she is. The effects in the

lantern scene are stunning and for me, it is the rst movie I have seen in 3D where I felt it worked

without detracting anything from the story.

This is to be the last princess movie Disney are to produce for a while but this princess is not your

archetypal character. She is the princess for the modern girl, she has ght and isn’t afraid to speak

her mind or get in to the action. Her attitude gets the characters in to more than one scrape but this

gives the lm its appeal for the whole family. Is this a movie just for girls? Absolutely not! There is

enough comedy and action for the boys too. Disney have created the perfect princess movie for the entire family.

Is this the next Disney renaissance? It is a little too early to tell but with the runaway success of Alice

in Wonderland the pending release of Tron Legacy, it seems that Disney may have just hit a stride of

good fortune. Or should it be good story telling and good leadership? I suppose only time will tell.

Disney’s Tangled will be released nationwide in the UK from 28th Jaunary and is only

general release in the USA. Photos © Disney

Classical Corner

Peter Panby Justine Welsh

Disney has brought so much joy through fantastic lms over many generations. Classic tales that include princesses and their dreams, ying elephants, curious little girls, singing cats, ying ships, love, the most evil villains but also some of the strongest, most meaningful friendships. For many people, when thinking of Disney they will remember it for the more classical lms produced many years ago. They have depth, remind people of their childhood, and are full of meaning and happiness.

One of Disney’s popular classical tales is 1953’s Peter Pan. This movie is full with ying children, pirates, fairies, indians, erce crocodiles, mermaids, enchantment, friendship, daring sword ghts and the hope of believing that anything is possible. Peter Pan is well known as The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up and in the lm Peter Pan is at the Darling household in London to take them to Neverland to join in his youthful fun. Peter’s erce yet loyal fairy Tinkerbell provides them with her pixie dust in order for them all to y to the island where Peter and The Lost Boys live. However, Peter Pan’s worst enemy Captain Hook awaits him on his ship The Jolly Roger with his sidekick Smee. He is sworn to take revenge on Peter for cutting off his hand and feeding it to a crocodile that now follows Captain Hook wanting the rest of him. Hook forms a plan to nd Peter Pan’s secret hideout using the Indian princess Tiger Lily, holding her hostage.

Meanwhile, Peter and the Darling children arrive on the island to meet the Lost Boys, however things get off to a rocky start when jealous Tinkerbell tells the boys to shoot Wendy down, which leads to her being banished for her treachery…but is later forgiven. The Lost Boys are 6 young children dressed in animal costumes who look to Peter as their leader. While Peter takes Wendy to see the mermaids, Michael, John and the Lost Boys go searching for the Indians but are instead captured by them, thinking that they are responsible for Tiger Lily’s abduction. If she is not back by sunset they are to be burnt at the stake. Things at the mermaid lagoon don’t go too well either when they try to drown Wendy! They soon ee at the sight of Hook, where Peter and Wendy spy that Hook and Smee have Princess Tiger Lily prisoner. Peter rescues the princess and returns her home, where he is honoured by the tribe. Having had his plan fail, Hook decides to take advantage of Tinkerbell and her jealousy towards Wendy…and tricks her into revealing where Peter Pan’s hideout is. Tink warns Hook ‘not to lay a hand or hook on Peter’ which he agrees to, but then locks the fairy in a lantern so she cannot escape. The novelty of Neverland soon wears off for the Darlings and they soon grow home sick, so plan to return to London but be accompanied by Peter and the boys too. The Lost Boys excitedly agree, but Peter is far more reluctant and sticks by his ways to never grow up, and assumes they all will be returning soon. As the Darling children and Lost Boys exit they are captured by the pirates waiting for them, and leave behind a bomb to kill Peter Pan. Tinkerbell ies to the rescue knowing Hook’s evil plan and snatches the bomb in the nick of time to save Peter, they both y off together to confront the pirates. They release the Lost Boys and Darling children just before they have to walk the plank, and engage in a great sword ght….children against the crew! Peter and Hook ght each other in single combat, and nally Peter triumphs and humiliates the captain. Hook and his crew ee, with the crocodile hot on their trail! Peter commandeers the ship and with the help of Tinkerbell’s pixie dust it takes ight to return the Darlings to their home in London. The Lost Boys nally

Classical Corner

Peter Panby Justine Welsh

Disney has brought so much joy through fantastic lms over many generations. Classic tales that include princesses and their dreams, ying elephants, curious little girls, singing cats, ying ships, love, the most evil villains but also some of the strongest, most meaningful friendships. For many people, when thinking of Disney they will remember it for the more classical lms produced many years ago. They have depth, remind people of their childhood, and are full of meaning and happiness.

One of Disney’s popular classical tales is 1953’s Peter Pan. This movie is full with ying children, pirates, fairies, indians, erce crocodiles, mermaids, enchantment, friendship, daring sword ghts and the hope of believing that anything is possible. Peter Pan is well known as The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up and in the lm Peter Pan is at the Darling household in London to take them to Neverland to join in his youthful fun. Peter’s erce yet loyal fairy Tinkerbell provides them with her pixie dust in order for them all to y to the island where Peter and The Lost Boys live. However, Peter Pan’s worst enemy Captain Hook awaits him on his ship The Jolly Roger with his sidekick Smee. He is sworn to take revenge on Peter for cutting off his hand and feeding it to a crocodile that now follows Captain Hook wanting the rest of him. Hook forms a plan to nd Peter Pan’s secret hideout using the Indian princess Tiger Lily, holding her hostage.

Meanwhile, Peter and the Darling children arrive on the island to meet the Lost Boys, however things get off to a rocky start when jealous Tinkerbell tells the boys to shoot Wendy down, which leads to her being banished for her treachery…but is later forgiven. The Lost Boys are 6 young children dressed in animal costumes who look to Peter as their leader. While Peter takes Wendy to see the mermaids, Michael, John and the Lost Boys go searching for the Indians but are instead captured by them, thinking that they are responsible for Tiger Lily’s abduction. If she is not back by sunset they are to be burnt at the stake. Things at the mermaid lagoon don’t go too well either when they try to drown Wendy! They soon ee at the sight of Hook, where Peter and Wendy spy that Hook and Smee have Princess Tiger Lily prisoner. Peter rescues the princess and returns her home, where he is honoured by the tribe. Having had his plan fail, Hook decides to take advantage of Tinkerbell and her jealousy towards Wendy…and tricks her into revealing where Peter Pan’s hideout is. Tink warns Hook ‘not to lay a hand or hook on Peter’ which he agrees to, but then locks the fairy in a lantern so she cannot escape. The novelty of Neverland soon wears off for the Darlings and they soon grow home sick, so plan to return to London but be accompanied by Peter and the boys too. The Lost Boys excitedly agree, but Peter is far more reluctant and sticks by his ways to never grow up, and assumes they all will be returning soon. As the Darling children and Lost Boys exit they are captured by the pirates waiting for them, and leave behind a bomb to kill Peter Pan. Tinkerbell ies to the rescue knowing Hook’s evil plan and snatches the bomb in the nick of time to save Peter, they both y off together to confront the pirates. They release the Lost Boys and Darling children just before they have to walk the plank, and engage in a great sword ght….children against the crew! Peter and Hook ght each other in single combat, and nally Peter triumphs and humiliates the captain. Hook and his crew ee, with the crocodile hot on their trail! Peter commandeers the ship and with the help of Tinkerbell’s pixie dust it takes ight to return the Darlings to their home in London. The Lost Boys nally

decide to stay in Neverland with Peter, Mr and Mrs Darling return home from a party to nd Wendy sleeping at the open window and John and Michael in their beds. Not knowing anything of their adventures until Wendy wakes up and excitedly tells them the story. The lm ends with them looking out the window to see what appears to be a ship in the clouds, Mr Darling recognising it from childhood, until it breaks up into clouds itself.

Now this was Disney’s adaptation to the story, but it was originally written by a Scottish novelist named J.M. Barrie. He rst made Peter Pan’s appearance known in a story called The Little White Bird that he wrote in 1902, and went on to a stage play named Peter Pan or The Boy Who Wouldn’t Grow Up. It was so popular that it was soon turned into a novel in 1911. Since then there has been many adaptations and sequels of the story, including books, lms and musicals. Peter Pan himself is based on Barrie’s older brother who tragically died in an ice skating accident just before he turned 14 years old, therefore staying forever young in everyone’s minds. Barrie never really describes Peter Pan’s appearance in much detail, but is clearly known to be between the ages of 10 and 13. His personality however is much more clear…a boastful, eager boy who takes pride in telling others how great he is. A charming yet cocky attitude and very daring when it comes to dangerous adventures. Barrie made it so Peter had an effect on the whole of Neverland, stating that the island ‘woke up’ whenever Peter was there. His ying ability was originally described in The Little White Bird novel, as all babies were part bird therefore giving Peter ight. But in Disney’s adaptation to the story Peter gains his ight through Happy Thoughts and Pixie Dust, which enables the Darling children to y too.

Peter Pan has many relations within the story. The main one being his arch nemesis Captain Hook, who is forever out to kill him. After Pan cut off Hook’s hand and feeds it to the crocodile, who now stalks him wanting to taste more, Hook swore to go to any lengths to take revenge. Captain Hook’s sidekick Smee and the other pirates also consider Peter as a foe. From Peter’s frequent visits to the real world he befriends children there, particularly Wendy Darling as he enjoys her stories, so recruits her to be the Lost Boys ‘Mother’. He brings her 2 brothers Michael and John to Neverland as she requests, but they eventually get home sick and leave.Peter is known to all who live in Neverland, including the mermaids, fairies and Indians. His best friend is the dedicated Tinkerbell who comes across as a jealous little pixie but she always has his best interests at heart. However, Peter does not know his parents. Barrie wrote that Peter ran away from his home and when he returned the window was closed, and inside was a new baby. Peter ees to Neverland, assuming they no longer want him anymore.Over the years in any Peter Pan movie, story or play there is always one thing in common- his ability to have unending youth. I think that’s one of the main reasons why Disney made this movie, as he had youthful memories of playing Peter Pan in a school production. He stated “All the characters in Peter Pan are in some way touched with magic” which made him shape the story in his own way. He brought Tinkerbell to life as a person instead of a spark of light, and gave the crocodile a comical personality instead of being an offstage sound. Disney truly did this movie justice, he enlightened thousands of children with a far off enchanted place and hope of forever staying young. The magic of the lm is that it also connects adults to their inner child once again. That’s why it was such a success, as it not only relates to the children watching it but also touches the hearts of the parents too, reminding them of their childhood and bringing out the child within them. Walt Disney’s aim was to bring magic, love and happiness through his work…and he did exactly that through Peter Pan.

10Top

TipsBy Emma Prosser

Top Ten Tips for Taking a

Toddler to Walt Disney World

From a recent trip, here are my top 10 tips on tackling Disney with a toddler!

1.Make a plan, then revise it, halve it and think again! Disney with a little one means a

whole different pace, a very slow one. It will be less about how many rides you can cram in

and more about about relaxing and enjoying your time in the park.

2.Take a nap or get a comfy buggy! Little ones need sleep and, with the time difference, it’s

difcult to predict when that need to nap will strike. So, have a buggy that lets them sleep in

comfort (unlike the plastic Disney ones) or go back to the hotel to let off some steam.

3.Hit the pool! My son loved meeting the characters but he also totally loved the hotel pool

and would have happily spent 14 days whizzing down the slide! So, have lots of pool time

as it makes a welcome break from the pace of the parks.

4.Be wary of the giant mouse! Mickey may be cute and cuddly on TV but suddenly being

confronted by a six foot mouse can be daunting (it was for me, let alone for my two-year-

old!) We found he was much happier if the characters bent down to his level or he was held

by us. So don’t be surprised if you get tears at character meetings, it takes a while but by the

end he was running up to them for a cuddle!

5.Enjoy the magical moments. For us many of the most magical times were things we could

not have planned, like the endless coins from the door man at Port Orleans French Quarter

and dancing with Woody at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party! Seeing Freddie’s face

light up at seeing the characters and watching him take everything in just made the holiday.

6.Buffets are your best friend! When it comes to table service, toddlers are all about getting

in and out faster than you can say ‘breakfast lasagne’! So, don’t book table service meals

where you’re dining a la carte, buffets and family style meals mean the food is there fast,

they can try what they want and you can get out before a meltdown hits!

7.Think about the dark and noise. Many of the rides at WDW and DLP take place in the

Top Ten Tips for Taking a

Toddler to Walt Disney World

From a recent trip, here are my top 10 tips on tackling Disney with a toddler!

1.Make a plan, then revise it, halve it and think again! Disney with a little one means a

whole different pace, a very slow one. It will be less about how many rides you can cram in

and more about about relaxing and enjoying your time in the park.

2.Take a nap or get a comfy buggy! Little ones need sleep and, with the time difference, it’s

difcult to predict when that need to nap will strike. So, have a buggy that lets them sleep in

comfort (unlike the plastic Disney ones) or go back to the hotel to let off some steam.

3.Hit the pool! My son loved meeting the characters but he also totally loved the hotel pool

and would have happily spent 14 days whizzing down the slide! So, have lots of pool time

as it makes a welcome break from the pace of the parks.

4.Be wary of the giant mouse! Mickey may be cute and cuddly on TV but suddenly being

confronted by a six foot mouse can be daunting (it was for me, let alone for my two-year-

old!) We found he was much happier if the characters bent down to his level or he was held

by us. So don’t be surprised if you get tears at character meetings, it takes a while but by the

end he was running up to them for a cuddle!

5.Enjoy the magical moments. For us many of the most magical times were things we could

not have planned, like the endless coins from the door man at Port Orleans French Quarter

and dancing with Woody at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party! Seeing Freddie’s face

light up at seeing the characters and watching him take everything in just made the holiday.

6.Buffets are your best friend! When it comes to table service, toddlers are all about getting

in and out faster than you can say ‘breakfast lasagne’! So, don’t book table service meals

where you’re dining a la carte, buffets and family style meals mean the food is there fast,

they can try what they want and you can get out before a meltdown hits!

7.Think about the dark and noise. Many of the rides at WDW and DLP take place in the

dark, which may be scary for a toddler. Freddie loved the idea of Pirates of the Caribbean

until we got on the boat and it was dark! I spent most of these rides with him cuddling into

me (and often falling asleep!) Fireworks were another unknown. The rst night he slept

through them (kids headphones are brilliant!) and the second time he watched and loved

them, not bothered by the noise at all. So, be prepared for noise and dark just in case.

8. Use parent swap! By using Fastpass and the rider switch option then you can still go on the

big rides without the big waits. Just ask a cast member at the start of the ride. If you have

older children they may also be able to get to ride twice, once with each parent.

9. Learn to love Disney transport. Another trip highlight was the Monorail, which Freddie

loved so much we had to buy our own mini Monorail to bring home! The buses, trains, boats

and trams are a source of endless fascination to toddlers so use them as much as you can.

10.Stay on site. Being on Disney property so we could go back to chill out, get a boat to

Downtown Disney and use Extra Magic Hours was a big bonus and made our trip so much

more fun. It’s worth the extra money for the Disney perks and makes your trip even more

magical!

Photo © Disney

Dining with Friends Character Meals in Disneyland Parisby Tara Renee Petar

The Disney Parks are lled with all sorts of wonderful magic the second you pass through the gate; from the tiniest of details in the buildings to the attractions, shows and yes, the food. One of my favourite magical experiences is meeting all of the beloved Disney characters. There are many ways in which you can do this from queuing up at the various Meet & Greet spots, happen upon them walking around the park, the Character Express or even resort hopping. But my favourite way of spending some personal time with Mickey and all his friends is by enjoying character meals at various restaurants throughout the parks and resorts.

Character Meals are, in my opinion, the BEST way to meet your favourite characters, take photos, get autographs and have some one-on-one time with them. Unlike out in the parks, there are no long queues to wait in and no pushing and shoving in a crowd…it is a very nice, relaxed atmosphere. This is especially great if you have small children or anyone in your party has special physical needs. You are seated and eat as you would any other table-service restaurant; except this time, as you eat your meal, various Disney characters will come and visit you at your table. One thing I’d like to stress here, is that when you are having a character meal please stay at your table as they will all come to you in turn, please do not let your kids, or you, interrupt another families time with Mickey, etc.

While he is at their table or approaching their table. This will only lessen their time with him and could result in him not seeing you at all. I have seen characters ‘shoo’ away kids who have rushed another table’s visit and then did not go to visit them in return. It’s all about etiquette.

One of our favourite places to eat with characters is Inventions which is located in the Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris. This is a huge, lovely, posh buffet which has seafood, hot dishes like lamb and roast beef, fresh fruit, lovely deserts and more. We have always had the best times at Inventions and eat there once, if not twice while at Disneyland Paris. You don’t have to be staying in the Disneyland Hotel to get a table here so don’t worry about that. We’ve had Dale playing hide & seek with our son, Goofy take one of our chairs and act like it’s a car, Pinocchio sit and cut up our son’s food and help him eat it. If the place is not very busy you will have more time with the characters which is great. The food is very nice and the atmosphere is a tad more grown-up than some places. Depending on where you are seated, you can see the entrance to the park and at night you can see the reworks. One of our favourite places to eat with characters

Dining with Friends Character Meals in Disneyland Parisby Tara Renee Petar

The Disney Parks are lled with all sorts of wonderful magic the second you pass through the gate; from the tiniest of details in the buildings to the attractions, shows and yes, the food. One of my favourite magical experiences is meeting all of the beloved Disney characters. There are many ways in which you can do this from queuing up at the various Meet & Greet spots, happen upon them walking around the park, the Character Express or even resort hopping. But my favourite way of spending some personal time with Mickey and all his friends is by enjoying character meals at various restaurants throughout the parks and resorts.

Character Meals are, in my opinion, the BEST way to meet your favourite characters, take photos, get autographs and have some one-on-one time with them. Unlike out in the parks, there are no long queues to wait in and no pushing and shoving in a crowd…it is a very nice, relaxed atmosphere. This is especially great if you have small children or anyone in your party has special physical needs. You are seated and eat as you would any other table-service restaurant; except this time, as you eat your meal, various Disney characters will come and visit you at your table. One thing I’d like to stress here, is that when you are having a character meal please stay at your table as they will all come to you in turn, please do not let your kids, or you, interrupt another families time with Mickey, etc.

While he is at their table or approaching their table. This will only lessen their time with him and could result in him not seeing you at all. I have seen characters ‘shoo’ away kids who have rushed another table’s visit and then did not go to visit them in return. It’s all about etiquette.

One of our favourite places to eat with characters is Inventions which is located in the Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland Paris. This is a huge, lovely, posh buffet which has seafood, hot dishes like lamb and roast beef, fresh fruit, lovely deserts and more. We have always had the best times at Inventions and eat there once, if not twice while at Disneyland Paris. You don’t have to be staying in the Disneyland Hotel to get a table here so don’t worry about that. We’ve had Dale playing hide & seek with our son, Goofy take one of our chairs and act like it’s a car, Pinocchio sit and cut up our son’s food and help him eat it. If the place is not very busy you will have more time with the characters which is great. The food is very nice and the atmosphere is a tad more grown-up than some places. Depending on where you are seated, you can see the entrance to the park and at night you can see the reworks. One of our favourite places to eat with characters

If you get there early, why not have a rest in the Café Fantasia bar which is just across from Inventions. Or go there just to wind down a bit before you go to your room. They have some lovely nibbles and great drinks including character named smoothies in souvenir glasses.

Another good character buffet is the Lucky Nugget Saloon in Frontierland. The menu is lovely from simple foods like chicken nuggets, pizza and chips to chilli, salads, sh and barbecue. On the oor are some tables and then there are two tiers of bar seating which can be crowded. If it gets very busy there is even an upstairs seating area. This is a good place if you want to have a nice, quick meal with characters and then get back out into the park. Sometimes Goofy even gets up on the stage and does a little dance. Characters here, like at the other restaurants, vary and rotate so you’ll get a chance to see everyone once if not twice. At the character meals, buffet and table-service, kids also get a gift of some sort; a little toy or a Mickey mask, etc. so that is also nice.

At Disneyland Paris there is also the Auberge de Cendrillon in Fantasyland which is a Cinderella themed restaurant where Suzy and Perla greet you and you are joined by Princes and Princesses for your meal. I have yet to eat at this restaurant but I have heard lovely things about it so I’d like to dine there one day.

Café Mickey, which is located at the hotel end of Disney Village, is also one of my favourites. We usually eat here for breakfast, ask the concierge about transferring your hotel breakfast voucher to here. They do a lovely buffet in the mornings with pastries, fruit, cereal and hot foods like bacon, potatoes, eggs, etc. Now for lunch and dinner there is a menu rather than a buffet and no matter what time of day you decide to dine here, it will be great! We have had some of our most memorable character experiences here at Café Mickey. From it being our son’s rst character dinning experience when he was three years old, to

celebrating his seventh birthday with Mickey and Goofy bringing out his birthday cake. Here characters come out in groups of four and rotate with another four every so often. You can see 8-10 different characters here during one meal…all depending on how long you make your meal last. Believe me; we’ve had looks from the wait staff for being there so long.

Another thing that I nd great about these meals is sometimes you meet a character

that can be otherwise hard to nd. My son

met Scrooge for the second time at Café

Mickey and once we even saw Rabbit

there. However, we found it very sad that some kids and their parents thought

Scrooge was Donald. Characters are only

there during certain times so when booking

your table there be sure to point out that

you want the character dinning times.

Also in Disney Village there is Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. This isn’t an actual character

meet & greet meal but Mickey and friends are now in the show with Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull

and Annie Oakley. While you sit in stadium seating chomping down on your cornbread,

barbecue chicken and potatoes, you can enjoy a story about the old west and some real fun rodeo games. The crowd is split into four colour based teams with allocated seating and your

team is indicated by the colour band on your hat that you receive when you arrive. So when

the rodeo games start, each team is encouraged to cheer on their cowboy (or Indian) in their

endeavours. The last time we were there we had the best rodeo clown who just stole the show!

Being from Alabama this is one of my top favourite places to eat, and not just because it is some down-home southern cooking but also you are told to twirl your hat around and shout

“YEEHAW!” Another plus here is that they come around and serve all the kids before the

adults; which I think is very thoughtful. There are live animals here and a lot of dust and dirt

so I’d not recommend this to those with asthma or other breathing problems or possible

animal hair allergies although you won’t get close to them.

I will highly recommend making reservations for all of your character meals as these places

can be packed. Call (33) 01 60 30 40 50 to get your tables and be sure to ask about the

dinning/half board plans and which restaurants are available on them.

celebrating his seventh birthday with Mickey and Goofy bringing out his birthday cake. Here characters come out in groups of four and rotate with another four every so often. You can see 8-10 different characters here during one meal…all depending on how long you make your meal last. Believe me; we’ve had looks from the wait staff for being there so long.

Another thing that I nd great about these meals is sometimes you meet a character

that can be otherwise hard to nd. My son

met Scrooge for the second time at Café

Mickey and once we even saw Rabbit

there. However, we found it very sad that some kids and their parents thought

Scrooge was Donald. Characters are only

there during certain times so when booking

your table there be sure to point out that

you want the character dinning times.

Also in Disney Village there is Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show. This isn’t an actual character

meet & greet meal but Mickey and friends are now in the show with Buffalo Bill, Sitting Bull

and Annie Oakley. While you sit in stadium seating chomping down on your cornbread,

barbecue chicken and potatoes, you can enjoy a story about the old west and some real fun rodeo games. The crowd is split into four colour based teams with allocated seating and your

team is indicated by the colour band on your hat that you receive when you arrive. So when

the rodeo games start, each team is encouraged to cheer on their cowboy (or Indian) in their

endeavours. The last time we were there we had the best rodeo clown who just stole the show!

Being from Alabama this is one of my top favourite places to eat, and not just because it is some down-home southern cooking but also you are told to twirl your hat around and shout

“YEEHAW!” Another plus here is that they come around and serve all the kids before the

adults; which I think is very thoughtful. There are live animals here and a lot of dust and dirt

so I’d not recommend this to those with asthma or other breathing problems or possible

animal hair allergies although you won’t get close to them.

I will highly recommend making reservations for all of your character meals as these places

can be packed. Call (33) 01 60 30 40 50 to get your tables and be sure to ask about the

dinning/half board plans and which restaurants are available on them.

P hoto Hunt

It’s time for a regular feature of the magazine, our photo hunt.

Below are 5 photos found in Disneyland Park in Disneyland Paris.

Can you guess which attraction they come from?

A Castle fit for a Princess

A Castle fit for a Princess

Hotel Review

Dream Castle Hotelby Adam Goodger

You may think that one castle at a Disney resort was enough. Well, Vienna International, a European hotel operator thought differently. That is why, in 2006 they took on the Dream Castle hotel, a 4 star property situated within Disneyland Paris. Modeled on the classic Chateaux of the 17th Century. The decor, themeing and atmosphere make you feel like the Three Musketeers could appear at any moment. With knights in armour and Renaissance objects spread through the hotel, it is hard not to nd this hotel appealing.

As you enter the hotel you arrive in the Royal Court. This is the hotels reception and is the hub of the hotels operations. The lobby has its own seating area, a children’s play area, amusement rides and there very own Disney Store.

The hotels beauty is not limited to it interior but also makes great use of the surroundings. If you are lucky enough to stay in a room to the rear you will be rewarded with a picturesque view of the surrounding hillsides as well as the beautiful French inspired garden that is nestled inside the U shaped building’s centre.

Hotel rooms are spacious and offer exibility for the family whether you be a large group or a intimate gathering. The hotel offers 386 rooms and 14 suites that all follow the theme of the hotel. Guests can stay in a King room which comes with a at screen television, and internet access (at a charge). The bathroom comes equipped with a bath and show as well as a

hairdryer and towels. Guests can keep their valuables safe in an easy to use safe.

Family rooms are also on offer as well as Double Queen rooms for up to four adults. For those wishing to splash out, why not try the 2 room Baron von Munchhausen or Rapunzel suites. The ultimate is of course the Royal Suite, suitable for 6 people.

The hotel staff speak no less than 6 languages making guest communication effective and easy. No problem is to big for them whether it is park

and ticket information to checking if your train is running on time.

The resort makes accessing the parks and surrounding area simple. If you happen to bring your own car, you will nd ample space

to park it. The hotel offer 300 parking spaces, nearly as many as they have rooms! There is also a regular bus service that makes an 8 minute journey to the Disney parks and the train station. What more could you ask for?

Not only does the restaurant offer a great location and excellent service but it also has a good selection if you want to eat at the resort. Included in many bookings is a buffet breakfast and in keeping with the hotels theme it is t for a king! Located within the Sanssouci restaurant, this 300 seater venue provides one of the best buffet breakfasts on property. Usually running from 7-11am, guests can choose from a range of hot or cold options. Fancy a very continental breakfast?

Hotel Review

Dream Castle Hotelby Adam Goodger

You may think that one castle at a Disney resort was enough. Well, Vienna International, a European hotel operator thought differently. That is why, in 2006 they took on the Dream Castle hotel, a 4 star property situated within Disneyland Paris. Modeled on the classic Chateaux of the 17th Century. The decor, themeing and atmosphere make you feel like the Three Musketeers could appear at any moment. With knights in armour and Renaissance objects spread through the hotel, it is hard not to nd this hotel appealing.

As you enter the hotel you arrive in the Royal Court. This is the hotels reception and is the hub of the hotels operations. The lobby has its own seating area, a children’s play area, amusement rides and there very own Disney Store.

The hotels beauty is not limited to it interior but also makes great use of the surroundings. If you are lucky enough to stay in a room to the rear you will be rewarded with a picturesque view of the surrounding hillsides as well as the beautiful French inspired garden that is nestled inside the U shaped building’s centre.

Hotel rooms are spacious and offer exibility for the family whether you be a large group or a intimate gathering. The hotel offers 386 rooms and 14 suites that all follow the theme of the hotel. Guests can stay in a King room which comes with a at screen television, and internet access (at a charge). The bathroom comes equipped with a bath and show as well as a

hairdryer and towels. Guests can keep their valuables safe in an easy to use safe.

Family rooms are also on offer as well as Double Queen rooms for up to four adults. For those wishing to splash out, why not try the 2 room Baron von Munchhausen or Rapunzel suites. The ultimate is of course the Royal Suite, suitable for 6 people.

The hotel staff speak no less than 6 languages making guest communication effective and easy. No problem is to big for them whether it is park

and ticket information to checking if your train is running on time.

The resort makes accessing the parks and surrounding area simple. If you happen to bring your own car, you will nd ample space

to park it. The hotel offer 300 parking spaces, nearly as many as they have rooms! There is also a regular bus service that makes an 8 minute journey to the Disney parks and the train station. What more could you ask for?

Not only does the restaurant offer a great location and excellent service but it also has a good selection if you want to eat at the resort. Included in many bookings is a buffet breakfast and in keeping with the hotels theme it is t for a king! Located within the Sanssouci restaurant, this 300 seater venue provides one of the best buffet breakfasts on property. Usually running from 7-11am, guests can choose from a range of hot or cold options. Fancy a very continental breakfast?

No problem! You will nd a range of pastries, toast and diary goods. If you want something a little hotter on a winter trip they also serve crepes, bacon. beans and an interesting chicken sausage.

The Musketeer restaurant opens from 6.30-10.30 pm for an evening dinner buffet (they also offer some a la carte). At €29 per person it is by no means the cheapest buffet on site and unfortunately also isn’t the best. You will nd much better offerings closer to the parks. The 80 seat Excalibur bar is a good place for an evening drink. Open from 11am until 12.30am, the bar offers food until 6.30pm as well as a wide range of drinks. A good side note is that it also has a good number of plugs so nding a place to charge your phone or use your laptop while having a drink is pretty easy. One of the nice touches available in all the Disney “Good Neighbour” hotels in this area is that they have their own Disney Store that often opens early in the morning and re-opens again later in the day until late evening.

As well as a great destination for a family retreat, the hotel also offers conference facilities, a well equipped spa and a family pool. The pool is quiet but is not the largest. If you are looking for a place to have a good swim then this may not be the place for you. They do have a small children’s slide to keep the little ones entertained.

The standard hotel rooms offer great space and come with ample storage for a short break. The beds are large and comfortable and will afford you a good nights sleep after a busy day in the parks. Each room has a complimentary pack with tea and coffee facilities but once they are gone be prepared to pay out for extras, they are not replenished each day. The rooms are clean and well presented. A little attention does need to be given to the bathroom. Our shower, although warm, needed a little more power. There is nothing like a good shower at the end of a day touring Disneyland Paris.

To nd out more about the Dream Castle, you can head to www.dreamcastle-hotel.com

The UK’s only Disney Fan Convention

www.mousemeets.co.uk

Come and join us for 2 days of pure Disney fun. Enjoy trivia quizzes, live

podcast recordings, presentations, merchandise stalls, pin trading and a

whole lot more!

Event Location - Copthorne Hotel, Birmingham

Dates - 30th April - 1st May 2011

Price - £20 per person (under 4's free)

Tickets on Sale Now!

The UK’s only Disney Fan Convention

www.mousemeets.co.uk

Come and join us for 2 days of pure Disney fun. Enjoy trivia quizzes, live

podcast recordings, presentations, merchandise stalls, pin trading and a

whole lot more!

Event Location - Copthorne Hotel, Birmingham

Dates - 30th April - 1st May 2011

Price - £20 per person (under 4's free)

Tickets on Sale Now!

Kevin’s Touring Plans

The Commando Visit To The Magic Kingdom by Kevin Yee

Welcome to Kevin’s Touring Plans. In this space I will discuss the actual hows, whens, wheres, and whys to the Disney World park experience. Think of it as suggestions for how to move around the park, which rides to hit rst, which to skip, when to use FastPass, and so on. If you ever learned to play Blackjack, you probably encountered “Basic Strategy,” 90% of which is assuming that any card you can’t see is probably a ten. This column is meant to evolve a similar Basic Strategy for visiting the theme parks. Partly we will rely on a set of guidelines (some ought to be rigidly considered rules in your head, so important are they!), and partly we will sketch actual scenarios to illustrate the principle. Over time we’ll delve into the minutiae, but let’s start big and work downward. Accordingly, we begin with the Magic Kingdom. Specically, we’re going to look at the “commando” mode of touring the park—meaning a visit with the military mindset of model efciency, inter-attraction speed, hyper-effective planning, and precise execution. We’re talking about the kind of visitor who wants to see everything, and do it all in one day if possible.

The rst step should always be ranking all attractions. This is most useful in case you decide you need to skip some rides—a good Commando knows to leave wiggle room (perhaps even a lot of wiggle room) in the plan. It’s better to know principles and guidelines than to have a timeline

for your visit. Next, come to grips with the idea that your list as written may bear some resemblance to the order you will actually ride those attractions, even though they are not next to each other. The days of traveling the parks in a lazy circle are over, doomed by FastPass, restaurant reservations, and inconsistent crowds. Recognize also that there are probably only 3-4 weeks per year, spaced out throughout the calendar with no rhyme or reason, that actually

qualify as the “off season” these days. If schools are not out, then Disney is running a promotion (free hotel nights or free dining), marketing an event (Food and Wine, ESPN Weekends, etc), or playing host to the mega-groups who ll in the rest of the weeks (cheerleaders, Brazilian tour groups). You just plain have to get lucky to nd an uncrowded week, even during the school year. So it’s best to plan for crowds.

Principle #1 – Maximize FastPass. Oh sure, it’s advertised as optional, but if you choose to skip it, you’re actually letting the other Commandos around you skip in front of you, especially if you think about an entire day’s worth of such jumps.

Most of being an effective Commando boils down to knowing which rides need FastPass and which don’t. Here, then, is a breakdown of the FastPass rides in the Magic Kingdom and my impressions regarding each of them. They are ranked in my subjective order for how urgently you need to use FastPass on that attraction.

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• Splash Mountain. In my opinion, this is the ride most in need of FastPass at the MK. The standby line is long, slow, and boring—plus it’s out in the elements. Use FastPass at all costs, even if it means sending a runner at the start of the day with all the tickets while everyone else rides the PeopleMover (and some variation of that is usually the best plan).

• Peter Pan’s Flight. It may or may not be in your top-two attractions to see overall at the park, but it should be in the top-two for your FastPass strategy. This line is way too long most of the day, and it’s a boring line that moves excruciatingly slowly.

• Space Mountain. The “return” time can be anywhere from 1 hour to 5 hours away. If it’s a high number, take that as a sign that the park is so busy you won’t nish every ride that day, and adjust your plans accordingly. The standby line is equipped with games for part of the time, and it’s not a horrible standby line to wait in, especially since it’s climate-controlled. On a truly busy, I’d do standby and keep the FastPass for Splash or Big Thunder. Usually, one of the two sides is letting through the standby line, so it doesn’t languish forever.

• Big Thunder Mountain. Although it’s in the corner of the park, Thunder draws crowds and the long standby line is irritatingly uncomfortable weather-wise (it’s covered, but the building has open sides). Its return times are usually more reasonable than Space or Splash, and its standby lines are shorter too. Often they use a full half of the capacity for standby.

• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. The high visibility of this ride makes it always busy. FastPass is usually a good idea, since the standby line fairly crawls. Also, mistrust the posted wait time for standby; more than most, this ride’s line grows and shrinks without being reected in the posted times.

• Jungle Cruise. The standby line usually won’t exceed 30 or 40 minutes even on busy days, so FastPass is almost always unnecessary here. Still, if the return times aren’t so far in the future for your other rides (Space, Splash, Thunder), then you’re probably working your way around the park in a modied circular fashion. You might have time to grab a FastPass and hit the other rides in the area, but it’s nothing urgent.

• Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. There’s a FastPass line, but you won’t need it. The standby line usually only takes 20 minutes, and (as of late 2010) it’s chock full of games and interactive displays. Use the standby.

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• Splash Mountain. In my opinion, this is the ride most in need of FastPass at the MK. The standby line is long, slow, and boring—plus it’s out in the elements. Use FastPass at all costs, even if it means sending a runner at the start of the day with all the tickets while everyone else rides the PeopleMover (and some variation of that is usually the best plan).

• Peter Pan’s Flight. It may or may not be in your top-two attractions to see overall at the park, but it should be in the top-two for your FastPass strategy. This line is way too long most of the day, and it’s a boring line that moves excruciatingly slowly.

• Space Mountain. The “return” time can be anywhere from 1 hour to 5 hours away. If it’s a high number, take that as a sign that the park is so busy you won’t nish every ride that day, and adjust your plans accordingly. The standby line is equipped with games for part of the time, and it’s not a horrible standby line to wait in, especially since it’s climate-controlled. On a truly busy, I’d do standby and keep the FastPass for Splash or Big Thunder. Usually, one of the two sides is letting through the standby line, so it doesn’t languish forever.

• Big Thunder Mountain. Although it’s in the corner of the park, Thunder draws crowds and the long standby line is irritatingly uncomfortable weather-wise (it’s covered, but the building has open sides). Its return times are usually more reasonable than Space or Splash, and its standby lines are shorter too. Often they use a full half of the capacity for standby.

• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin. The high visibility of this ride makes it always busy. FastPass is usually a good idea, since the standby line fairly crawls. Also, mistrust the posted wait time for standby; more than most, this ride’s line grows and shrinks without being reected in the posted times.

• Jungle Cruise. The standby line usually won’t exceed 30 or 40 minutes even on busy days, so FastPass is almost always unnecessary here. Still, if the return times aren’t so far in the future for your other rides (Space, Splash, Thunder), then you’re probably working your way around the park in a modied circular fashion. You might have time to grab a FastPass and hit the other rides in the area, but it’s nothing urgent.

• Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. There’s a FastPass line, but you won’t need it. The standby line usually only takes 20 minutes, and (as of late 2010) it’s chock full of games and interactive displays. Use the standby.

Why Disney Fans Need Universal by Adam Goodger

You may have read the title of this article and wondered what on earth it is doing inside a Disney magazine. Why on earth do you want to be told why Universal is good for the theme park soul? The truth is, Disney fans need the Universal parks far more than many like to let on. It isn’t because we need to experience how someone else does it but more that we need to make sure Disney is kept on their toes.

Often I hear from Disney fans on podcasts and forums how much they hate Universal and all the work that park does. It doesn’t seem to matter how much good that comes from it, many fans nd it hard to swallow that, yes, Universal Studios creates some really excellent stuff. We only have to look at the advancements in technology Universal have brought to the theme park industry in the past few years and it becomes more and more evident that they have a major part to play in the success of Walt Disney World. In the past 10 years alone they have perfected the moving 3D attraction with Spiderman, the vertical lift of Rip Ride Rockit and the truly immersive experience that is The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. All of these things have shown Disney that they are not the only big cheese on the block (excuse the pun!)

Imagine Orlando without Universal. Yes, Seaworld, Discovery Cove and Aquatica also have a part to play but Disney would not have the company that they are continually looking to out perform. If Universal didn’t exist, Disney management wouldn’t have to pay out the millions they do on research and development in new technology. There wouldn’t be the need to update the parks with multi-million dollar attractions because there would be no pressure from other larger theme parks trying to come up with something new. Would Hollywood Studios have been built if Universal Studios hadn’t been announced? Probably not. Eisner was happy to build a movie pavilion in Epcot until he heard of their plans. It was also at that point he decided a larger park was a much better idea. Would Pleasure Island have been as well developed if it hadn’t had Citywalk to compete with? Would Disney be looking at developing the new Hyperion Wharf if they didn’t want to keep people from straying to other properties in Orlando?

The building of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter was a big challenge to Disney. Yes, they knew that buying up that particular franchise would not be a good option for them but they would have to compete with it in someway. The announcement of Harry Potter came and went with no news from Disney. That is, until the D23 Expo in August 2009 when Jay Rasulo announced the biggest ever expansion of the Magic Kingdom with the addition of the Fantasyland Forest. Was this to be Disney’s response to the big Harry Potter announcement? After all, many believed it was very girl focused.

Not much else was heard about the project after the initial release of artwork. A utter of rumours appeared online and Imagineers were heard talking about it but that was all. Why? I don’t have the answer but my guess it that Disney were playing the waiting game. Waiting until May 2010 when Universal pulled back the curtain surrounding its most ambitious project to date.

Finally, in June 2010, Universal ofcial opened their new land. Calling it a success is an understatement. The addition increased Universal’s attendance by 36% and Disney had to ght

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back. In recent gures released, Disney have shown a small drop in park attendance for the 2010 Fiscal year. We aren’t ringing alarm bells but it is clear that Universal have got a stronger hold. How does Disney respond? Well, we don’t know for sure. The Fantasyland Forest plans that were so set in stone suddenly seem less certain. There are certain elements of the expansion that will remain for certain (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast) but doubt has been cast over the additions of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty’s forest dwellings. Doubt has also been cast upon Pixie Hollow and all that was to be associated with it. Have Disney realised that this Fantasyland Forest is to girl-centric? Have they released that their master plan may not compete with Harry Potter as they had hoped? All these answers are buried deep in Imagineering.

Although they are all interesting points, we must get back to the point. Disney fans need Universal to keep the Disney brand moving forward. Without Universal, Disney Imagineers wouldn’t always be looking for new ways in which to bring exciting, never before seen experiences. They wouldn’t have to make sure they were one step ahead of the rest. The park would probably become stagnant. Maybe no development for 4, 5 or 6 years. Fans would always ock back to the parks but when would they see something new?

I’m not telling you that you must embrace Universal with open arms. I’m not even saying that you must visit the resort on every vacation but I asking that you wish Universal Studios the best of luck in everything they do. That they make the right decisions in order for Disney to make the right decisions and that by Universal moving forward Disney will keep moving forward too.

No-one like a one horse race now, do they?

Imaginering concept art for the new Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. Part of the new Fantasyland Forest Expansion. Will this be Disney answer to Harry Potter?

Photo © Disney

back. In recent gures released, Disney have shown a small drop in park attendance for the 2010 Fiscal year. We aren’t ringing alarm bells but it is clear that Universal have got a stronger hold. How does Disney respond? Well, we don’t know for sure. The Fantasyland Forest plans that were so set in stone suddenly seem less certain. There are certain elements of the expansion that will remain for certain (The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast) but doubt has been cast over the additions of Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty’s forest dwellings. Doubt has also been cast upon Pixie Hollow and all that was to be associated with it. Have Disney realised that this Fantasyland Forest is to girl-centric? Have they released that their master plan may not compete with Harry Potter as they had hoped? All these answers are buried deep in Imagineering.

Although they are all interesting points, we must get back to the point. Disney fans need Universal to keep the Disney brand moving forward. Without Universal, Disney Imagineers wouldn’t always be looking for new ways in which to bring exciting, never before seen experiences. They wouldn’t have to make sure they were one step ahead of the rest. The park would probably become stagnant. Maybe no development for 4, 5 or 6 years. Fans would always ock back to the parks but when would they see something new?

I’m not telling you that you must embrace Universal with open arms. I’m not even saying that you must visit the resort on every vacation but I asking that you wish Universal Studios the best of luck in everything they do. That they make the right decisions in order for Disney to make the right decisions and that by Universal moving forward Disney will keep moving forward too.

No-one like a one horse race now, do they?

Imaginering concept art for the new Ariel’s Undersea Adventure. Part of the new Fantasyland Forest Expansion. Will this be Disney answer to Harry Potter?

Photo © Disney

A Sweet, Spooky Nightby Louise Waghorn

As you may be aware Halloween is big in the USA. Each year the Magic Kingdom hosts Mickey’s Not so Scary Halloween Party during the Halloween season (early September - 1 November). This year we were lucky enough to visit Walt Disney World whilst the rst of the parties were starting. Our fortune continued as we had brought my parents with us on holiday so our 2 year old could stay at the apartment whilst we had a night off to party with the ghouls.

Getting on the Monorail always brings a smile to my face, but this time in particular it was heading towards a beaming grin. As we got on, I looked round to nd a seat and had to make a decision- do I sit next to the Munsters, the mad scientists or Cruella De Vil? We decided to stand.

Getting off the monorail we were joined by Woody, Jessie, some scary looking witches and Harry Potter (yes they did let him in!).

Although we had park tickets, you can enter using your event tickets any time after 4pm, with the park closing to regular guests at 7pm. We arrived around 6:30 and as we presented our tickets and went through the turnstiles we were met by Cast Members in their special Halloween costumes to collect our wristbands and our trick and treat bag. We had seen some of the initial décor when we visited MK the day before. The entrance was strewn with pumpkins carved with various images and orange and purple drapes. For the party they had added extra pumpkins, special spooky lighting and projections on to buildings and oors.

You can’t help but feel special as you walk towards the castle being greeted by welcoming signs from smiling cast members. They do serve a dual purpose as if you turn around you see the goodbye signs to the leaving guests.

We looked at the program for the night’s events and saw there were two parades and as we looked around we saw the families with young children so decided to opt for the second parade. The reworks were on about 9 so we decided to make our way to Tommorowland to

hit a few rides that we’d not managed to ride together given the toddler who was usually in tow.

As we approached on the bridge there was a Photopass photographer on his own so we took the opportunity to load up our Photopass. As it was a special event we got a souvenir card. This offered a special discount on photos purchases from the event, however we’d pre-ordered the Photo CD, so didn’t

make use of that. However, it also added some extra stock Halloween photos to the CD and some of the pictures taken during the evening had some ‘special effects’ added on the site.

The queues for attractions were pretty much walk-ons, with the longest wait for Laugh Floor but that was mainly down to show cycles. We even had time to go on the Astro Orbitors which I haven’t been on for years – this gave us change to take a good look at the park with it extra decorations. In the dark the ride was a lot quicker than I remember and so will denitely be leaving it a few more years before I take off again.

We decided not to do character greetings but the queues for the various characters, all bedecked in their Halloween costumes, certainly explained the short queues elsewhere – the waits were not terrible but if you go wanting to meet the characters you are going to use a good portion of your night collecting the set.

No Disney party would be complete without a rework display and this party is no exception. With my rst ever Dole whip in hand (recommended strongly by a few guys I know) we found a good viewing spot in front of Crystal Palace about 10 minutes before they were due to begin. This was a quieter location with an uninterrupted view of the castle and a good place to lean.

The display starts with a Haunted Mansion theme, punctuated by bright and creative reworks, with the other villainous characters and music getting in on the act. Initially, the reworks were good but nothing special as we had been lead to believe, and Andrew and I worried we were heading for a rare disappointment within Disney World. But we needn’t have worried as suddenly a whole circle of reworks erupted around us with dazzling effect – our rst experience of the awesome perimeter reworks!

We now decided to nish off the left-hand half of the park, taking in the obligatory rides on pirates, haunted mansion and also the favourite night time trip on Big Thunder Mountain. As you’d expect the decorations for Haunted Mansion were on a different level to the rest of the park, with some particularly effective use of dry ice and green lighting on the graveyard.

It was now time to watch the parade, and we easily found a good spot just by the bridge to Splash Mountain in Frontierland. Although this was where the parade starts the area was relatively quiet up to about 10 minutes before the start and we found a very good spot with about 15 minutes to kick off. The parade was outstanding. The music, especially the “Boo to You” song was up to Disney’s usual high standard and had the happily annoying effect of remaining in my head for at least 24 hours. It has more twists than the day parades with an amazing headless horse man to set things up followed not long after by most of the cast from The Haunted Mansion with some sparks ying along the way. All the baddies were there strutting their stuff, alongside favourites such as the Country Bears and of course, Mickey. Then ending the parade comes Goofy on his wacky bicycle with the obligatory sweets being handed out.

During my husband’s usual meticulous research for our trip he had read that the most efcient way to collect our treats was to wait until later before collecting because as the evening progresses they just start handing out the sweets in larger portions as they want to get rid of that night’s stock. So for the rst 2 hours our bags had remained virtually empty while other guests had bags half full (only half because they had emptied their bounty into a larger shopping bag). We started collecting slowly just going to the stations (marked

make use of that. However, it also added some extra stock Halloween photos to the CD and some of the pictures taken during the evening had some ‘special effects’ added on the site.

The queues for attractions were pretty much walk-ons, with the longest wait for Laugh Floor but that was mainly down to show cycles. We even had time to go on the Astro Orbitors which I haven’t been on for years – this gave us change to take a good look at the park with it extra decorations. In the dark the ride was a lot quicker than I remember and so will denitely be leaving it a few more years before I take off again.

We decided not to do character greetings but the queues for the various characters, all bedecked in their Halloween costumes, certainly explained the short queues elsewhere – the waits were not terrible but if you go wanting to meet the characters you are going to use a good portion of your night collecting the set.

No Disney party would be complete without a rework display and this party is no exception. With my rst ever Dole whip in hand (recommended strongly by a few guys I know) we found a good viewing spot in front of Crystal Palace about 10 minutes before they were due to begin. This was a quieter location with an uninterrupted view of the castle and a good place to lean.

The display starts with a Haunted Mansion theme, punctuated by bright and creative reworks, with the other villainous characters and music getting in on the act. Initially, the reworks were good but nothing special as we had been lead to believe, and Andrew and I worried we were heading for a rare disappointment within Disney World. But we needn’t have worried as suddenly a whole circle of reworks erupted around us with dazzling effect – our rst experience of the awesome perimeter reworks!

We now decided to nish off the left-hand half of the park, taking in the obligatory rides on pirates, haunted mansion and also the favourite night time trip on Big Thunder Mountain. As you’d expect the decorations for Haunted Mansion were on a different level to the rest of the park, with some particularly effective use of dry ice and green lighting on the graveyard.

It was now time to watch the parade, and we easily found a good spot just by the bridge to Splash Mountain in Frontierland. Although this was where the parade starts the area was relatively quiet up to about 10 minutes before the start and we found a very good spot with about 15 minutes to kick off. The parade was outstanding. The music, especially the “Boo to You” song was up to Disney’s usual high standard and had the happily annoying effect of remaining in my head for at least 24 hours. It has more twists than the day parades with an amazing headless horse man to set things up followed not long after by most of the cast from The Haunted Mansion with some sparks ying along the way. All the baddies were there strutting their stuff, alongside favourites such as the Country Bears and of course, Mickey. Then ending the parade comes Goofy on his wacky bicycle with the obligatory sweets being handed out.

During my husband’s usual meticulous research for our trip he had read that the most efcient way to collect our treats was to wait until later before collecting because as the evening progresses they just start handing out the sweets in larger portions as they want to get rid of that night’s stock. So for the rst 2 hours our bags had remained virtually empty while other guests had bags half full (only half because they had emptied their bounty into a larger shopping bag). We started collecting slowly just going to the stations (marked

by Goofy’s Candy Company balloons) that we passed between attractions. The handfuls were small but probably contained 7 – 10 sweets.

Now we had watched the 2nd parade of the evening it was time to get serious. We were not going to be greedy, we just had a target to ll our bags provided at the start of our evening. We’d been recommended to take the trick or treat trail along the path between Toontown and Tomorrowland – which made sense given the 3 collection points. However this turned out not to be the way to go as they were not that generous, but at Minnie’s house our luck changed and I went round the circuit 3 times to get my bag to the third full stage. Then we discovered the jackpot! 2 stations in Fantasyland near Peter Pan, not far apart but with generous Cast Members and plenty of sweets!

With mission accomplished (6½ pounds of sweets we discovered at a weigh in later) and the evening drawing to a close we decided to exit the long way round, jumping on a a few more rides (and sweetie queues) on the way.

Photo © Disney

Prepared by MagCloud for peter rix. Get more at disneybrit.magcloud.com.