For golfers, staying at a Disney resort property comes with many benefits. Guests receive free transportation to and from whatever golf course they play and receive discounted green fees. You can book your tee times up to 90 days in advance (visitors may only book within 30 days). You're also never more than a few minutes from a golf course, which means no long commute and waiting in Orlando-area traffic.

The golf at Disney is also top notch. Two courses, the Palm and Magnolia, play host to the PGA Tour's Children's Miracle Classic presented by Wal-Mart, which culminates the Fall Series. Each of the four championship courses at Disney recently replaced their greens with a new TifEagle Bermuda grass over the last several years.

Though just minutes from the parks, Osprey Ridge is secluded from all the action, with only wildlife as your gallery. Lake Buena Vista on the other hand is set right in the heart of all the action, just around the corner from the Disney Institute and Downtown Disney.

The Polynesian Resort: One of Disney's Deluxe Resort properties, the Polynesian Resort is a Pacific-themed village that features tiki torch-lined walkways and lush tropical vegetation. It's also complete with a white sand beach, where you can lounge in the sun or strike up a volleyball match. Dining options are highlighted by the all-you-care-to-eat Spirit of Aloha open-air dinner theater.

The Polynesian also boasts a fantastic location for both golfers (located across the street from the Palm and Magnolia) and families, as it's on the monorail line, which offers access to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot in minutes.

Grand Floridian Resort & Spa: Spa buffs will want to stay just down the monorail line at the elegant Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, which is set in a classic Victorian theme paying homage to Palm Beach's golden era. Like the Polynesian Resort next door, it's also within the Magic Kindgom and on the monorail line.

Disneys' Luxury Resort Villas are another way to go at Disney. Rather than a single bedroom, they are spacious, condo-style accommodations in studio, one and two bedroom units that can accommodate up to eight guests, making it ideal for golf groups or families.

The Boardwalk Villas - The Boardwalk Villa Resort is awash in nostalgia and old-fashioned charm. Ragtime and carnival sights light up the waterfront entertainment district. Villas are airy and spacious, and many feature balconies or patios. One and two bedroom villas feature whirlpool tubs as well. There are numerous dining options, from the ESPN Club and Big River Grille & Brewing Works, to signature dining at the Flying Fish Café.

The Boardwalk also features an onsite health club with exercise equipment and massage treatments.

Yacht & Beach Club - Disney's Yacht & Beach Club is one half resort (Yacht Club) and one half villa resort (Beach Club). The resort sits across the water from the Boardwalk and is within walking distance to Epcot. The Yacht Club is themed in a late-19th century Nantucket Club, while the next door Beach Club is inspired by colorful mid-Atlantic décor. Both the Yacht & Beach Club are rife with water fun, including watercraft rentals and three acres of water slides, currents and sand-bottomed areas at Stormalong Bay. The Shipshape Health Club features exercise machines and a spa.

Alongside such legends of the high seas as Captain Jack Sparrow and Barbossa, a specially created portrait of Jenifer Greenwell of St. Petersburg, Florida, now appears along the wall where queuing guests approach the dock to board the attraction. Jenifer was selected at random as the grand prize winner from hundreds of thousands of entries in the “Become a Disney Pirate” sweepstakes conducted in connection with the DVD release of Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest.  Her likeness as “Mademoiselle Greenwell” in pirate costume will stand alongside the others and be viewed by millions of Disneyland guests.

Jenifer’s pirate journey, following the news of her big win, took her to the headquarters of Walt Disney Imagineering in Glendale, California. There, in May 2007, she was sketched as a pirate in full costume by Imagineer artist Jim Crouch. She also was given a tour of Imagineering, which few non-Imagineers ever get to experience.

Jenifer returned to California in July where, in the Pirate Suite of the Disneyland Hotel, Jim Crouch and other Imagineers showed her the original artwork that he would paint as a four-foot-tall mural on the wall of the attraction. (The other notable pirates in this Pirates of the Caribbean rogues gallery were also painted by Crouch.)

 The art was unveiled the morning of Tuesday, January 29, in a special presentation featuring Jenifer and some of the pirate denizens of New Orleans Square in Disneyland. “Mademoiselle Greenwell” will remain on view in “Pirates of the Caribbean” through June 2009.

In addition, Jenifer was given a VIP tour of Disneyland Resort during her January 29 visit. She met and posed for photos with Disneyland pirates, and took home the original “Mademoiselle Greenwell” artwork developed for the attraction.

About Disneyland Resort

The Disneyland Resort includes two theme parks – Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure – three hotels and the Downtown Disney shopping, dining and entertainment district. Disneyland Resort is celebrating its “Dreams Come True” heritage with the Year of a Million Dreams through 2008. In addition to meeting and playing with Disney Princesses at the Disney Princess Fantasy Faire, guests can experience other Dream Come True opportunities such as dueling with Darth Vader at Jedi Training Academy, creating mayhem with the denizens of Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island and showing their school spirit by joining in the fun of “High School Musical 2: School’s Out!” at Disney’s California Adventure park. The Year of a Million Dreams is being celebrated at both Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.

For more information about new attractions, the Year of a Million Dreams, and vacations at Disneyland Resort visit www.disneyland.com, call (866) 60-DISNEY or visit local travel agents. Please visit our podcast at www.disneyland.com/podcast.

About Walt Disney Imagineering

Trina Shumsonk, 24, plays the mail-carrier-turned-hostess, or "postess." She's all for getting the little ones ramped up.

"Be as fun and crazy as you want," she says. "We want their full participation."

The show follows Mickey as he plans a huge musical party for his friends. Shumsonk delivers the invitations to pals throughout the show, including Tigger and Pooh's new human friend, Darby.

The kids will also hang out with Handy Manny the handyman and his friends from Sheetrock Hills.

Children are a tough crowd, Shumsonk says.

"If you don't grab their attention right away, it's hard to get it back," she says. "When I welcome them, I'm as energetic as I possibly can (be). Children have all the energy in the world."

The characters encourage activity. The Little Einsteins power their rocket ship by patting their laps with their hands, so they ask the children to do the same.

Other highlights include Darby, Tigger and Pooh singing a nature song using sounds from the forest. Handy Manny and friends make music with instruments from the toolbox. And your child might be picked to dance with Mickey.

Be prepared to call Mickey onto the stage once in a while, Shumsonk says, with the magic words, "Meeska, Mooska, Mickey Mouse."

When the show rolls out of town, Shumsonk encourages parents to continue to take their children to the theater, especially local children's productions.

The Pixar film landed five Oscar nominations and was ranked by many critics as one of the year's best, yet was never a serious contender for best picture. Instead, it was relegated to the relatively new category of best animated feature, which the academy began dolling out in 2002.
Directed by Brad Bird, "Ratatouille" has garnered an aggregate score of 96 on Metacritic.com, ranking it above "Pulp Fiction," let alone this year's best picture candidates: "No Country for Old Men," "There Will Be Blood," "Juno," "Atonement" and "Michael Clayton."

And its other nominations across three different disciplines -- best original screenplay, best score, best sound mixing and best sound editing -- suggests the kind of broad consensus that often results in bigger awards like best director or best picture.

Its five nominations rank as the most ever for a computer animated film, and rate second among all animated films, only surpassed by the six received by Disney's "Beauty and the Beast." That picture, done in the traditional Disney style in 1991, stands as the only animated film to ever be nominated for best picture.

If not for the best animated feature category, it's safe to say "Ratatouille" would have been strongly considered for best picture. Brad Lewis, the film's producer, is quick to point out that he has no sour grapes with the academy -- and that he's ecstatic about the five widespread nominations.

Still, he has to wonder.

"Ultimately, it makes it perhaps too convenient for people to look at an animated film from an isolated perspective," said "Ratatouille" Lewis. "Somebody can say, `You know what? We have a place for that, so we don't necessarily have to give it broader consideration."

Tom O'Neil, a columnist specializing in awards coverage for the Los Angeles Times' "The Envelope" Web site, has pondered whether "Ratatouille" -- which he calls the best reviewed movie of the year -- is the equivalent of "Beauty and the Beast," only it had to deal with the specialized category.

"Is this a case where it's penalized and ghettoized because there's a separate category for animated fare?" O'Neill said. "It seems to have the same respect in the industry and among film critics as `Beauty and the Best.'"

"Ratatouille," made by Walt Disney Company and its Pixar Animations Studios, is also not a conventional animated movie. Its framing is largely based on the techniques of classic filmmaking, and the story of a rat who dreams to be a chef has been called a Joycean "Portrait of the Artist as a Young Rat."

"I don't think people when they walk out of `Ratatouille' the first thing that they're thinking about is `I went and saw an animated film today,'" said Lewis. "It's partly because we're telling more sophisticated stories and I think it's because we have a more sophisticated filmmaking tool."

"Ratatouille" also has the support of that great international critical body: the French. The film, which is set in Paris and imbued with French culture, was No. 1 at France's box office for six weeks in a row -- surpassing a record set by "Titanic." After making $206 million at the domestic box office, "Ratatouille" made $410 million internationally.

Those totals are much greater than any of the best picture nominees, which combined haven't grossed as much domestically as "Ratatouille."

New York Times film critic A.O. Scott listed "Ratatouille" as one of the five films that deserved to be nominated for best picture. He earlier called it "a nearly flawless piece of popular art, as well as one of the most persuasive portraits of an artist ever committed to film."

That judgment is notable in part because it doesn't make use of the word "animated."

Lewis, who's working on directing a film for Pixar, cited fellow nominee "Persepolis" -- an animated French language film about a girl coming of age during the Islamic Revolution -- as proof of the breadth to animation today. (The third Oscar nominee is the more standard family fare of "Surf's Up.")

"The type of filmmaking that's taking place in the animation category is very broad," said Lewis. "And it's perhaps traveling beyond what people felt the parentheses of the industry were before."

And considering the increasing role that digital animation and computer-generated imagery play in the making of nearly all movies today, it's becoming difficult to firmly say what is and isn't animated. Just as "Ratatouille" reflects live-action filmmaking, live-action films like "King Kong" and "Transformers" often reflect animated works.

"It's folly to have a separate animated category because it hurts the chances of a movie like `Ratatouille' for being in the best picture race," said O'Neil. "But considering the academy history and the fact that only once did they have the guts to do it, at least the little rat is getting the chance to be a big cheese in one category."

That's right. You're still ankle-deep into 2008, aren't you? I've been taking an "unauthorized field trip" through time this week, checking in on what many of my favorite companies are up to two years later.

Think you know Disney? You won't believe what the company is up to in 2010.

A walk around the theme park
We'll start at the theme parks, because that's what many people associate with the Disney brand. They're doing great, by the way. Even Disney's California Adventure is a hotbed of turnstile clicks. Since Disney telegraphs its expansion plans early, you already know about the makeover that has added the popular Little Mermaid ride and will soon add the highly anticipated Cars Land.

It worked. Attendance at DCA still can't rival what Disneyland is drawing next door, but no one laughs at Disney's investment in the park anymore.

Out in Florida, Disney finally announced plans for a sixth theme park. It won't open for several more years, but the company finally dusted off the plans for the villains-themed amusement park that has been part of cyberspace chatter for ages.

The huge role that Expedition Everest played in turning Animal Kingdom around inspired Disney to make a gated attraction that caters to thrill-seekers. It's not all coasters, though Disney is really pushing the envelope on that front. Don't worry. There will still be plenty of rides for the entire family. I just can't wait for the park to open in a few years. I hear Disney is actually going to top the creepy Halloween scare houses that you find at your local Six Flags (NYSE: SIX) and Cedar Fair (NYSE: FUN) October events.

Oh, and speaking of regional amusement parks, Disney is a hit in Canada. It acquired a Canadian amusement park from a publicly traded operator. Was it the Six Flags park in Montreal or the Cedar Fair property just outside Toronto? I'm not at liberty to say. Since Disney is now building smaller, localized themed experiences like indoor water parks and high-tech arcades, it was able to get a great deal from a cash-starved operator and enter a lucrative market that won't cannibalize its coastal bookends back home.

Animation in motion
Disney's back on track in animation. Those Pixar folks did a great job of reshaping Disney's full-length features. There are no more Home on the Range or Treasure Planet stinkers. Those direct-to-Blu-ray sequels also don't go out unless they're actually good.

The company's rebirth as an animation studio -- now well ahead of DreamWorks Animation (NYSE: DWA) -- has helped it in other ways. Along with its continued stream of hip live-action releases, Disney is a character magnet again.

Sure, that has boosted the company's licensed consumer products division, but Disney is also now one of the largest music labels. The Mickey Mouse company is also huge in cyberspace. The 2007 purchase of Club Penguin was really just the beginning. The company has created virtual worlds online, beyond the Disney Princess, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Virtual Magic Kingdom experiences that you already know about.

The hottest Disney virtual community is themed to WALL-E, the 2008 Pixar smash that got kids -- and kids at heart -- online to create their own virtual robots. Collectively, Disney's online communities in 2010 have a wider audience than World of Warcraft. Really.

Big things on the small screen
Are the writers still on strike? That's right. An amicable resolution didn't come together until the third week of February. Regardless, Disney's ABC resumed its golden network status by the time fresh shows emerged for the new fall prime-time season. No, Cavemen isn't on the air anymore. Breathe easy.

Since the economy didn't get back into high gear until after the summer, the programming gap was a mixed blessing. The advertisers came back just as consumers resumed their couch-potato poses.

ESPN is even bigger now in 2010 than it was in 2008. Pro sports are somehow even more popular. ESPN even shows hockey sometimes. You can thank the 2009 fashion trend that made hockey fantasy leagues hip for getting the NHL back on ESPN.

The Disney Channel is huge, too. Viacom's (NYSE: VIA) Nickelodeon is doing OK, but Disney is where young pop stars are born. Even after the Hannah Montana craze died out in the summer of 2009, Disney had the pipeline ready to go with more fresh talent.

M-I-See
Bob Iger is still CEO. Yes, he's still a Wall Street and shareholder darling. Even when eBay's (Nasdaq: EBAY) Meg Whitman returned to Disney's executive ranks after a brief retirement from the auction giant, there was no perceived power struggle at Disney. This is Iger's show, but he knows how to share the spotlight.

Disney's stock bounced back, as did most media companies. Seasoned media conglomerates like Disney and CBS (NYSE: CBS) should never have been fetching dirt-cheap multiples in the low teens the way they were when they bottomed out in the spring of 2008.

Roper, of Avon Park, has been cast in the lead role of Walt Disney World Hollywood Studios performance of "High School Musical 2."

Tweens will squeal when Roper, who uses the stage name Antwuan, takes the stage to sing and dance in the daily performances in front of Mickey's Sorcerer's Hat on Hollywood Boulevard in the park formerly called Disney-MGM Studios.

The role is a dream come true for the 23-year-old, who said he has always wanted to be in a professional musical.

"The director said the audience gets really into the show, and the kids love all the characters," Roper said. "We will have people really energized and singing and dancing along."

He has to be energized as well. He described the dance choreography as "very aerobic," and the cast has about six performances per day. He likes the message of the movie and show, and thinks its an important one to convey to kids.

"The theme of the movie is all about coming together as a team," Roper said.

Cynthia Barrett, one of Roper's mentors, said she cannot think of anyone to better convey that theme and serve as a role model.

"Children naturally look up to him as an idol because he has made great decisions and is a great person," Barrett said. "He is a very positive role model, and I am so excited for him."

Barrett, a social sciences teacher at Avon Park High School, had Roper in class for four years and served as his mentor through the College Reach Out Program. She is one of the first people Roper called when he went to auditions and again when he was offered the part.

"Some people discouraged him, but I always stood by him and believed in him," Barrett said. "I believe in my students and always tell them to follow their dreams."

Roper, a 2003 graduate of Avon Park High School, was president of his class, homecoming king and active in community choir, cheerleading and dance. Barrett said she recognized his potential right away.

"I saw something special in Derrick the first time I met him, and I wanted to make sure he reached his full potential," Barrett said. "I think he is a great success story – a kid from a single-parent family, who grew up in Avon Park, and is proving that you can succeed."

The transition into professional theater has been a whirlwind for the performer. Roper found the audition information online while looking for an internship and decided to go for it. The hiring director called him a few days after the audition to offer him the role.

Before accepting the part, he consulted with Barrett and Felicia Dozier, a counselor at South Florida Community College, who was his advisor when he was a student there, about putting his education on hold.

Roper, a senior performance major at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University in Tallahassee, was set to graduate this year.

"He was very torn between whether to finish college or take this role," Dozier said. "We decided this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that he just can't pass up.

Now I just can't wait to take a group of kids up there and see him."

FAST FACTS
When "High School Musical 2" debuted Aug. 17, 2007 on the Disney Channel, more than 17.3 million viewers tuned in making it, at the time, the highest-rated basic cable broadcast in U.S. history.

Pali Research analyst Richard Greenfield, in a note to investors today, also increased his estimate for fiscal 2008 earnings to $2.15 a share from $2.13. The average of 22 analysts' estimates compiled by Bloomberg is $2.14.

Disney Chief Financial Officer Thomas Staggs said yesterday he was ``pleased with the pace of business'' at the company's parks. He was responding to a report from Citigroup Inc. analyst Jason Bazinet, who said a reduction in rates for Disney's hotel rooms indicated diminished demand.

``We take this to mean that Disney will maintain an upbeat view of their theme-park business,'' Greenfield said of Staggs's remarks. Greenfield previously rated the stock ``neutral,'' meaning he didn't expect the stock to rise or fall meaningfully over the next year.

Disney gained 55 cents, or 1.9 percent, to $29.35 at 9:59 a.m. in New York Stock Exchange composite trading. The stock had fallen 16 percent in the past year before today.

The strong connection kids and families have to Disney Channel's hit series "Hannah Montana" has made Miley Cyrus a sensation across the country. Throughout the year Wal-Mart will offer more ways for fans to express their inner pop star, with more than 140 unique Hannah Montana-inspired products.

Hannah Montana fans can already begin to browse new accessories in Wal-Mart's "Hannah Montana Shops" in 750 Wal-Mart stores across the U.S. Wal-Mart will offer unique assortments of Hannah Montana-inspired products, including apparel and footwear, handbags and cosmetics, bedding, room decor, games, music and more. The new line will appeal to tweens looking for on-trend casual and athletic-inspired styles as well as accessories and decor.

"Beginning now and continuing through the fall, parents and kids can depend on us for the best selection of Hannah Montana merchandise at the Wal-Mart price," said Janet Bareis, marketing vice president.

Presented by Siemens, the relaunched Spaceship Earth looks on the outside like it did when Epcot opened a quarter century ago. But on the inside, Spaceship Earth has undergone changes since summer 2007 that will treat guests to an innovative "interactive" attraction with many new scenes, new costumes and set decorations, new lighting and special effects, a new musical score and narration, and a totally re-themed interactive post-show.

On a trip through time inside the Spaceship Earth attraction, guests discover how each generation of mankind has invented the future for the next generation, and how the spirit of innovation has moved people from caves to the cosmos.

During the journey, new scenes depict: a family in the late 1960s viewing the moon landing on television; a massive, two-story computer room of the late 1960s with reel-to-reel-computers; a garage of the early 1970s where the "personal computer" is born; and a "tech tunnel" in which guests become part of a digital data stream.

Even scenes that guests have experienced since 1982 have been touched by the project. "Practically every Audio-Animatronics figure in Spaceship Earth has been updated in one way or another," said Show Producer Bob Zalk of Walt Disney Imagineering. "To make the figures more realistic, they've received a makeover of everything from their hair to their costumes to their movements."

Meanwhile, the makeover of the narration and music benefited from some "star power":

-- The new narration is delivered by English actress Dame Judi Dench, who earned an Oscar as best supporting actress in 1999 for her role in the motion picture "Shakespeare in Love." While Dench delivers the ride vehicle narration in English, guests can also choose five other languages for their vehicle, a Disney "first" - French, German, Japanese, Portuguese and Spanish.

-- The new musical score was composed by Bruce Broughton, who has won a record 10 Emmy Awards and has been nominated for an Oscar and a Grammy during a career writing in every medium - from theatrical releases and TV feature films to the concert stage and computer games. A 62-piece orchestra and 24-voice choir brings his latest composition to life.

As the ride-through adventure nears its finish, interactive touch-screens in the ride vehicles light up with a series of questions, soliciting guests' preferences concerning things such as where they'd like to live and work in the future. Then guests are treated to a personalized view of themselves in their idyllic future.

When guests disembark the time travel experience, they are invited to visit "Project Tomorrow: Inventing the World of Tomorrow" presented by Siemens, where interactive exhibits bring to life the ideas and technologies Siemens is developing to help make the world a better place for the future. The space is filled with fun, interactive games and displays that showcase innovative technologies. Here, guests step into the world of tomorrow and glimpse the future of medicine, transportation and responsible energy management across the globe. Project Tomorrow includes:

-- Body Builder, a 3-D interactive game that enables users to assemble a digital human body, simulating the Siemens technology developed to perform remote surgeries.

-- Super Driver, a driving simulation video game that showcases motor vehicle accident avoidance systems developed by Siemens.

-- Innervision, a view into the future of medical diagnostics in the home.

-- Power City, a game that demonstrates how to manage power in a growing city.

Epcot is the Walt Disney World discovery park, where guests are immersed in a celebration of both technological accomplishments and international cultural achievements. The 305-acre theme park encompasses two unique worlds -- Future World and World Showcase -- with attractions, shows, entertainment, dining, shopping and architectural wonders. Epcot is part of the 25,000-acre Walt Disney World Resort, near Orlando, Fla. For more information, guests may call 407/824-4321 or visit www.disneyworld.com.

Murry, who lives in Social Circle about 45 miles east of downtown Atlanta, is sharing what she's learned as an inaugural member of the Walt Disney World Moms Panel.

The 12 panel members of 11 moms and one dad answer questions posed by folks planning a visit to Walt Disney World on an online forum — www.disneyworldmoms.com.

The dozen Disney experts were selected from 10,000 applications that asked for tips when visiting the 40-square-mile assemblage of theme parks, water parks, hotels and restaurants.

Murry, 38, is quick to note she isn't a Disney employee. She isn't paid for posting her advice.

"We get a family vacation for four," Murry says. "That means we will pick up the cost of the other three because there are seven in our family."

And her assessments can be quite candid.

The Coral Reef Restaurant at Epcot, with underwater views of nearly 100 different kinds of tropical fish, is a swell place for dessert, Murry says, "but it is way overpriced for dinner."

Murry goes online most weekday mornings to answer questions. She has posted more than 240 answers since the Web site went up earlier this month.

Murry in a recent telephone interview provided these tips for visiting The Happiest Place on Earth:

Room to Ooooh and Aaaah: The best spot from which to watch the nightly fireworks display billed as the Wishes Nighttime Spectacular is the rose garden near Cinderella's Castle in Magic Kingdom. "There is usually not that many people there," Murry says. Ask an employee — pardon us, cast member — for more specific directions, she says.

This way, no waiting: Most people know of the free FASTPASS service that reduces waits for rides. Grab as many tickets as you can, Murry says, and don't worry if you miss the designated time on the slip. "You can show up after the time on the pass," she says. Her boys last fall used that tweak of the FASTPASS system for back-to-back-to-back battles at Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin.

Thrill ride: Expedition Everest at Animal Kingdom is a must-ride roller coaster. It's a bit scary. "I was sure we were going to run into the other roller coaster," Murry says.

Don't get too close: Finding Nemo — The Musical at Animal Kingdom is well worth viewing, Murry says, but avoid sitting in the first couple of rows. "You're looking up at their (the actors') legs," she says. Beyond the rows up front, "there really isn't a bad seat in the house," Murry says.

T-shirts tied to Yak & Yeti restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom

Theme Park Rangers - I'm on a T-shirt kick lately, and there's a lot of choices at our theme parks. The inventory is always changing, so it's hard to know what's newest.

I'm feeling pretty confident that these from Yak & Yeti over at Disney's Animal Kingdom are fresh since the restaurant is newly opened. I was surprised by the selection and happy with the designs. The shop is right outside the restaurant -- on the side leading to Kali River Rapids -- in the park's China section.

This is one of the displays. Act fast if you want the Year of the Pig (upper left) as we are quickly approaching Year of the Rat.

Disney's California Food and Wine Festival

Disney News - Disney's California Food and Wine Festival presents the magic of cooking and the artistry of fine wine at the Disneyland Resort this spring, part of the Resort's celebration of the “Year of a Million Dreams.”

Now in its third year, Disney's California Food and Wine Festival will be held April 11 through May 5, 2008, with daily complimentary demonstrations and premiere ticketed events.  The four-week festival will include the popular "Taste of California" Marketplace at Disney's California Adventure park, along with exclusive cooking courses at the Napa Rose restaurant and expert wine instruction from a master sommelier. 
 
Nearly 100 Disneyland Resort chefs will present cooking demonstrations and guests can learn more about their favorite beverages at the wine, beer and spirit tasting programs held throughout the festival. Culinary demonstrations and seminars are included with admission to Disney's California Adventure park. Guests can also experience a dash of magic at these Disney's California Food and Wine Festival events:

• Master Sommelier Michael Jordan, of the award-winning Napa Rose restaurant, will share his passion for wine in the “Taste Wine Like an Expert” class that introduces guests to the joys of wine tasting.  For a fee and with advanced registration, each class will offer a basic training in the different types, varietals and blends, taste, structure, and characteristics found in wine servings.
• “Festival Wine Receptions” will offer guests an opportunity to enjoy a beautiful sunset and evening under the stars on the patio of the Golden Vine Winery inside Disney’s California Adventure. While sampling from a variety of selected wines and enjoying hot and cold hors d’oeuvres, guests will also be treated to a sparkling way to end the evening – a special viewing of Disney’s Electrical Parade.
• Disneyland Resort chefs will partner with premiere California Winemakers to prepare outstanding culinary delights at the exclusive “Winemaker Dinners.”  Each chef will prepare a Festival meal and pair it with award-winning vintages.
• Executive Chef Andrew Sutton will lead the hands-on “Napa Rose Cooking School.” Each class will create a themed meal paired with wines, and at the conclusion of the course, each guest will receive a Napa Rose Cooking School chef coat to commemorate the experience. Tickets for the cooking school and other signature events are limited and go on sale beginning Feb. 15, at www.disneyland.com/foodandwine.
• At the “Taste of California Marketplace,” guests will enjoy festival foods created especially for the event.  Delicious tapas-sized tastings, along with expertly paired wines and beers, will be available in the Pacific Wharf area. 
• The new “Sparkling Bar,” located in the upper terrace of Golden Vine Winery, will feature champagne and sparkling wines by the glass, paired with wine country tapas. 
• The Festival’s grand finale, “Taste – Food, Wine, Life,” will be held Saturday, May 3, offering guests a delicious celebration of the culinary talents of numerous chefs.  “Taste” will also feature specially selected beer, wine, and spirits, along with entertainment throughout the evening.  

Disney fund set to benefit HK kids

Variety - The Mouse House is extending its charitable operations to Hong Kong, where it built its most recent theme park.

Hong Kong Disneyland Monday announced the creation of The Disney Children's Fund, which will give grants to local non-profit organizations working with kids.

Backed by the Disney Worldwide Outreach arm, the fund will provide HK1 million ($128,000) in its first year. This follows the Hong Kong park's recent launch of a VoluntEARS program by "cast members" -- the park's staffers.

Disney's Port Orleans Resort Review

About - The beginning of our stay for two days was at the military hotel "Shades of Green" at Disney. The dinning plan can only be used at "Official" Disney resorts, which was OK, I guess. To make this short, it seems that no one has ever stayed at different hotels.

I had already checked in, it would have been nice if they took our bags up to the room and the luggage was waiting when we got in at 12 midnight. It took one hour to receive our luggage and I had to call three times. When you have two young children already tired it doesn't help to have to wait an extremely long time, it's not like it was rush hour or anything.

Oh, yeah, when we got in the room there was spider webs and spiders all over the television and we had to get the maid at that hour to clean it up.

The room, what can I say but it was horrible. The room is very and I mean very small. It is only meant for TWO people with really no luggage. The beds are double beds and one of the beds you can only get in/out on one side. So you either crawl backwards to get out or go over the other person.

There is no place to put your luggage at all. Not even one luggage stand. There is no closet. The only place you can hang something is in the bathroom next to the sinks.

If you hear a sound like a bomb going off in the middle of the night, don't worry, it's your neighbor flushing the toilet or it could be yours. The toilets are INCREDIBLY LOUD.

Don't trust the alarm clock, ours didn't work, luckily I could set my cell phone. Hopefully your first morning you won't have to wake up to no electricity. Luckily I woke up and realized, we would have missed our character breakfast because at that time I didn't know the alarm clock wasn't working too (I guess no electricity would do that too). Taking a shower in the dark wasn't fun.

Let me see what was good about the French Quarter, it was very very quiet. A little too quiet at times, you didn't know that anyone else was really staying there.

The pool is over rated. There is only one slide and it actually is very dangerous because it goes it shallow water. My nine year skinned her knees hitting the bottom.

The food at the food court is expensive as most of Disney. Get the dining plan!!! The gift shop/store is very nice. They even had donuts that you could buy or use your snack plan. You can use your snack plan in the gift shop for other things too.

There is a great distance between the French Quarter and Riverside. They have a van but if you have a car drive yourself.

Our five days at the French Quarter wasn't too great. The Shades of Green is way much better and cheaper of course. Only one advantage we had was that we could use the Dining plan, which really made things cheaper and easier when it came to food.

Disney Youth Don’t Bop; They’re Singing in Hindi

New York Times - How do you sing “bop to the top” in Hindi? If you are the Walt Disney Company, very carefully.

Disney Japan is no exception, of course, so it's no surprise that the Magic Kingdom of the Pacific is coming out with yet another mobile handset for kids. But its new DM001SH model, which MobileWhack says is produced jointly with Tokyo-based Softbank, looks decidedly more grown-up and polished than previous phones and other gadgets aimed at the kodomo market.