Cruise lines and cruise goers long ago figured out two things about inside cabins. One, they suck. Two, installing web cams to stream outside views into the room TV makes them suck only very slightly less. But trust Disney to figure out a way to take the idea of outside web cams, create something unique, and then add a flair of animation magic for good measure.

Disney engineers started by creating rounded digital "virtual portals" on their new Disney Dream cruise ship, which bring high-def images of the horizon into people's cabins. Of course those will still looks kitschy and a little artificial, and there's really no way around that even with current technology.]]> Omri 2009-11-23T17:06:06-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/10/8178/7359

The holidays are a big time for Walt Disney World. The parks are transformed into a winter wonderland—well, a fake one as they are in Florida after all—and the guests pour in through the turnstiles. Some days the park has to limit guest access because there are just too many tourists dreaming of a holiday photo with Mickey and friends. All these people are starting to worry some, especially if these people are coughing, sneezing, and leaving their germs all over Space Mountain.

Thankfully, Disney is ready to combat the spread of germs, and is hoping that their efforts will be enough to convince people that their park is safe. After all, the threat of catching that pesky H1N1 flu is kind of a downer and not the stuff dreams are made of. Thus, Disney World has ordered about 200,000 hand sanitizers—although we're wondering why they haven’t always had some. ]]> kjb 2009-11-10T08:59:25-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/11/4/105230/203

Here's to unholy matrimony: Disney announced yesterday that China has allowed them to move forward with construction of a new park in Shanghai, its first new resort since 2005's Hong Kong Disneyland and its third in Asia. You thought the fight over EuroDisney was good? Wait till you see the Chinese version of "It's A Small World."

According to the New York Times, the park has been in the works since the 1990s when a mayor of Shanghai visited Disneyland in Anaheim and could take up to 6 years to build. At 1,700 acres, the planned park, in the city's Pudong district, will be slightly bigger than Original Flavor Disneyland but resemble the Magic Kingdom of Walt Disney World. ]]> egw 2009-11-04T11:41:15-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/10/13/72822/511

You know Disney has some deep pockets when it comes to their theme parks, so visitors looking to celebrate Halloween have nothing to worry about if they make Walt Disney World their spooky holiday headquarters. For many years the Magic Kingdom has been shutting things down early and welcoming families to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.

It’s a Halloween bash that encourages both parents and their kids to dress up; however, some of the adults get a little carried away and that’s always slightly frightened us. As you take in all the seasonal decorations be sure to stop and fill your bags with candy. There’s plenty of trick or treat spots throughout the park and they are usually pretty generous. The best part of the party is that the crowds are manageable. Disney only sells a certain amount of tickets to the shindig, so it’s a great chance to ride Space Mountain like five times in a row without waiting. ]]> kjb 2009-10-13T09:38:36-05:00 28.3829163 -81.567704 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/29/22716/0595

The Walt Disney Family Museum will open its doors October 1, but don't expect to see Mickey's mug plastered all over the place. Instead, the museum explores the man behind the mouse in Walt Disney’s own words through listening stations, interactive media and more than 200 video monitors.

Within the museum's 10 galleries, you'll find drawings Disney made when he was young; drawings and cartoons from Laugh-O-gram Films, Disney’s first company; early sketches of Mickey (see, you'll get some mouse fun); storyboards, a technique Disney developed to map out film classics; the multiplane camera, an innovation at the time that brought depth to his revolutionary Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs flick; the unusual Academy Award Disney won for Snow White, which included a full-size Oscar and seven mini Oscarettes; the narrow-gauge Lilly Belle train he built for his Hollywood home, which recalled his youth and helped spur his vision for Disneyland; and a model of the Disneyland that the animator envisioned. ]]> Jennifer Kester 2009-09-30T16:33:51-05:00 37.7900921 -122.40220 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/30/102717/935

Mickey's giving away free one-day passes to Disney's Theme Parks and all you have to do to get one is spend a day volunteering. Beginning on January 1, 2010, you can sign up to volunteer with any participating organization for just one day, and in return you will receive a one-day pass to any Disney park. Disney is hoping to inspire one million people to volunteer (and spend money at Disney World) next year.

If you're not sure how or where to volunteer, Disney has made it easy by teaming up with HandsOn Network, which links volunteers with more than 70,000 nonprofits across the country. Once you've completed your day of service, it will be verified by HandsOn and you will receive a voucher good for one day at any Disney park. ]]> cmb 2009-09-30T13:21:41-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/14/81744/1127

While most were firmly planted on the couch watching Sunday’s football games, things were wrapping up at the D23 Expo in Anaheim. Disney hopes that this year’s expo—which is much like Comic Con for Disney fans—is just the first of many for years to come. If they announce as much as they did during this year’s edition, then we’ll definitely be intrigued year after year. However, we did know about a lot of their new projects already, including a revamp of the Star Tours attraction, thanks to the ol’ rumor mill.

One big surprise was to see Johnny Depp himself step onto the stage in full Captain Jack Sparrow regalia. He was in character and playfully going back and forth with one of the Disney suits on stage; he even commented about what poor Kermit the Frog tasted like. Depp was there to confirm that he will be returning in 2011 to star in the fourth edition of the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise. ]]> kjb 2009-09-15T09:03:53-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/