Mousekingdom Blog

Disney’s ”Pirates of the Caribbean; At Worlds End” World Premiere tickets, benefiting the “Make a Wish Foundation”, sells out in just 14 Days. People from all over the world ordered tickets and will be able to see the movie in Disneyland Anaheim.

Ticket buyers from countries such as Australia, Japan, Germany, Belgium, Canada and Mexico, and 35 U.S. states including Hawaii raced to log on to www.piratespremiere.com and purchased tickets to the event at $1,500 apiece. (Business Wire)

They’ll be enjoying the 3rd Pirates movie while helping children with life-threatening medical conditions fulfilling a dream.

(No tickets but still want to help too. Visit the Make a Wish Foundation website)

If you want to see over 20 new great promo shots from Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End featuring Keira Knightley follow the link to IESB.net site

A new High Definition trailer has been added on Apple.com. A lot is identical as the previous trailer but at the end some new things are shown, some real funny (they made me laugh). Don’t watch if you don’t like spoilers.

Picture copyright: Disney

The battle between Disney and Anaheim regarding the low-cost housing near Disneyland is far from over. Even with Anaheim winning the voting in preference for the housing, Disney will fight back to get their way.

A company spokesman had a losing statement prepared for the news media minutes after the vote. And Disney, already in an offensive mode, had filed a lawsuit to block the development and had joined forces with business leaders in a bid to force a citywide election that would preserve the area for tourist-related uses. (LA Times)

Disney is not alone. A referendum might change it all back into Disney’s advantage. They will find enough supporters that will back them up…

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In a move that makes perfect sense Buena Vista will be renamed to reflect the main business brand; Disney.

In February, Iger changed Touchstone Television production company to ABC Television Studio and Buena Vista Games became Disney Interactive Studios. “We are taking a look at our organizational branding so it aligns to the company’s new focus on our major brands,” (Orlando Sentinel)

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While posting on the blog I already mentioned in the past that the Cast Members are the hart of the Disney Parks. The same for the Disneyland Resort Paris Cast Members can be said. I have some great memories of all my visits and many of those could only have been created with the help of the Cast Members.

Celebrating 15 years of the park cannot be done without celebrating those Cast Members that have dedicated 15 years of their life to Disneyland. Before the public was invited to see the new “Once Upon a Dream Parade” Cast Members who worked for the mouse for 15+ years paraded down the parade route.

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So it was a prank (it seems) and it didn’t take long before it was uncovered. Jim Hill had a couple of answers ready showing this whole rumor was nothing bad a bad joke. (You wonder what is gained by it.)

Well, let’s start with that “500 S. Buena Vista St.” address. In the 50+ years that the Walt Disney Company has been in the theme park business, has the Mouse ever made this sort of bush league mistake before (I.E. Allowing the actual address of its corporate headquarters to be used on any documentation for a yet-to-officially-be-announced project)? No. (Jim Hill)

And there is more proof that this rumor is dead!

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If you would like to see some nice featurettes click on the picture; You’ll find 2 great little videos where some of the secrets of the new Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End are revealed.

They are real fun and will keep us Pirates fans busy until the release (25 May). Although, I don’t think it spoils it for me, if you want to be kept surprised maybe wait to see these until after you’ve seen the movie as some key scenes of the movie are shown.

The Disney Cruise Line has announced that they finalized the contract with the German Shipbuilder Meyer Werft shipyard. Two new ships will be built and will be added to the fleet in 2011 and 2012. These will more than double the passenger capacity for the Disney Cruise line that has been very successful with sold out cruises.

I am still one of those people dreaming of a Disney Cruise. I do hope to be on one of them for a 3 day cruise to Castaway Cay in the near future. For some reason this island is calling for me. On the other hand, maybe I should wait until 2011 and board one of the new ships once they are ready.

And remember; you will be able to see them get build via the webcam of Meyer Werft.

(Picture copyright Disney)

Wild rumors are going around that Disney might build a third resort in the US. The location would be Branson MO. This is big news and the rumor is backed up with some legal documents indicating that Disney might be involved.

An address listed on a document that the company filed with the Missouri secretary of state’s office is also the address listed for the corporate offices of Walt Disney Co. (The Joplin Globe)

But it isn’t the first time this rumor pops up. Disney was already linked to the location in 1990 when first rumors appeared of a possible new Disney park.

Rumors that a Disney attraction was coming to Branson were rampant in the mid-1990s. Now, Newton County Commissioners are investigating whether Disney could be linked to a theme park proposal made earlier this month. (News Leader)

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“Not another picture of the Castle, don’t you have enough of them”…

I hear it almost every trip, and my answer is always the same… “You can never have enough pictures of the Castle.”

Especially this time with the awesome decorations of the most famous and beloved Disney Characters that are placed on the turrets, each holding candles to celebrate the 15th birthday of Disneyland Resort Paris…

And as pictures say more then words; enjoy the collection from the Sleeping Beauty Castle from our celebration trip that I added here.

Next: Disneyland Resort Paris 15th Anniversary Celebration trip report: Cast Members Celebrating their 15 years

The Frog Princess has been given a voice.

The newest Disney princess, Maddy, a young African-American girl will be voiced by Anika Noni Rose.

She is best known for the hit “Dreamgirls” where she played alongside Jennifer Hudson and Beyoncé. Hudson also auditioned for the voice, so did Alicia Keys and Tyra Banks, but it was Anika Noni Rose who convinced the Disney team.

(Source and picture: E online)

… but let me start by saying that the money will go to “Make-a-Wish” foundation. (A Foundation that fulfills dreams for children who are battling a very severe illness, a organization I have supported myself in the past)

If you want to see the “Pirates of the Caribbean: At Worlds End” premiere together with the red carpet event and even do some Disney rides on May 15 then you should get some tickets for the world premiere in Disneyland. The tickets are highly priced at $1500 and will be a dream to far away for some (like me), but as this is for a good cause isn’t really that bad of news.

Disney hopes to get $3.000.000, which I don’t think will be a problems as I predict tickets to sell out fast. For more info and to order tickets visit the official Disney Pirates site.

Over the past 25 years, Disney has continued to support the Make-A-Wish cause, contributing more than $10 million in cash and in-kind donations on an annual basis. With more than 6,000 wishes granted each year including visits to the Disney Parks, Disney Cruises, meeting Disney Characters and visiting TV and movie sets, including “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, Disney-themed wishes continue to be the most popular requests. (Make-a-Wish)

You’re a Pirates fan? Sure you are! (Would you be reading this otherwise? :-))

How about going to see all three Pirates of the Caribbean movies in a row? Sounds great! Well, if you live in or around Hollywood you can go and visit the El Capitan Theatre on May 24th for a Pirates marathon.

I do advice making reservations. For more info visit the official Disney Site

We arrived on the 11th April in the early evening and went to check in the Newport Bay Club Hotel. My wife asked to see if we can have a ground or lower floor room. (She has been in a fire when she was young and feels more comfortable and less fearful knowing she is close to the ground floor).

So when I asked the CM for a ground floor room he checked if something was available…

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Don’t know how long they been out but they look awesome. (Via MoviesOnline: Poster Captain Jack and Davy Jones)

Some people have a strange way to promote something new like in this article where they talk about the new indoor “Dickens World” Theme Park in London that will open in May…

“You can’t Disney-fy Dickens,” managing director Kevin Christie said, “because he was better, and he was first.” (CBS News)

Charles Dickens might be best known for his Oliver Twist book and has now (after numerous films) also a theme park modeled after his creations and life.

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Artwork related to Tom Sawyer’s Island invasion by the Pirates of the Caribbean in Disneyland. (Via Ain’t it Cool)

It looks like it that Harry Potter is going to go to Universal after all (even with the rumor that floated the webs a couple of weeks ago that Disney might still have had a hand in it). If the rumors are correct Universal is planning to add Harry Potter in an unused area, both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure have possible free areas, with the second one being the top possibility (if rumors are indeed correct).

So did Disney lose on this deal? Some might think so but I don’t. I admit, the following might be a bit of a personal look at the situation, but I can’t help myself thinking that this was the best deal for Disney. Yes you read this right; I did say best deal for Disney.

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Narnia III, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, will be directed by Michael Apted. He is known as the director of “Gorillas in the Mist” and the James Bond movie “The World is not Enough” among many other big Hollywood movie productions.

Narnia IV is expected to be an adaptation of the The Silver Chair.” Book