T. Rowe Price to sponsor Epcot exhibit

T. Rowe Price Group is hopping onto a new financial attraction at the Walt Disney World Resort in Central Florida. T. Rowe Price said Monday it will sponsor a new interactive financial education exhibit at Innoventions at Epcot inside Walt Disney World.

The exhibit — The Great Piggy Bank Adventure — is slated to open May 19. The game is designed for a whole family to play.

Once inside the exhibit, visitors set financial goals, learn about savings and work on ways to keep up with the cost of inflation and diversify their investments. “Empowering parents to initiate discussion of the topics of saving and investing with their children is more important than ever before,” said Edward C. Bernard, T. Rowe Price Group vice chairman, in a statement released Monday.

The Baltimore-based money management firm declined to disclose the financial details of the sponsorship.

Disney Cruise Line Names New Ships!

(Disney Castaway Club release) As part of the Disney Cruise Line® family, we want you to be among the first to know that our two new ships now have names—Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy. Bob Iger, Walt Disney Company President and CEO, announced the official names today at the Disney shareholder meeting in Oakland, California.

Like Disney Magic® and Disney Wonder® before them, the names of the two newest ships in our fleet were chosen with care to celebrate Disney’s unique heritage-creating incredible worlds of fantasy where dreams really do come true. Disney Dream is scheduled to launch in 2011, with Disney Fantasy following soon after in 2012.

SEE THE CUTTING EDGE.
Disney Imagineers and ship builders have been working full-steam ahead since we first announced our two new vessels in 2007. On March 2, 2009, construction on both began at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany with a special steel cutting ceremony. The very first cuts created Disney’s signature, art deco-inspired scrollwork that will grace the bows of both new ships.

Click here to see a special podcast of this incredible event in Disney history.

Oscar winner Wall-E is absent at Disney World, but you can meet runner-up Bolt

(From Examiner.com)

Wall-E won the Best Animated Feature Oscar, but the little robot himself is absent at Disney World. Never fear, if you want to link up with Oscar celebrities, you can meet the stars of fellow nominee “Bolt” at Disney Hollywood Studio.

Bolt and his friend Rhino greet visitors throughout the day in the Animation Building at the Studio. You can also see a selection of memorabilia from the making of the film, including some early concept drawings by Chris Sanders. Sanders, of “Lilo and Stitch” fame, was removed from the Bolt project by John Lassiter, but you can see his influence in the original storyboards. The early Penny looks suspiciously like Lilo, while Bolt has an odd resemblance to Stitch.

As you can see by the photo, Mittens used to appear with Bolt and Rhino at the Studio. Unfortunately, she is missing in action, but Bolt and Rhino are still there. Their hours vary, so check the park schedule when you arrive. Their line can be quite long, but they spend quality time with each family so it’s well worth the wait. There may or may not be a Photopass photographer present, so bring you own camera just in case.

here are usually several other characters in the Animation building, such as Mr. and Mrs. Incredible, Frozone, and Sorcerer Mickey. If you’re lucky, some unexpected characters might show up.

Wall-E may show up someday, but in the meantime you can get your Oscar fix with Bolt and Rhino.

(Video) David Cook Speaks about Disney’s American Idol Experience

The American Idol Experience opens soon in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Disney gives free tickets to our armed forces

Disney is offering free admission to Disneyland and Walt Disney World to active and retired members of the military—plus active and retired members of the U.S. Coast Guard and activated members of the National Guard or Reservists.

Walt Disney World Resort
Through December 23, 2009, receive one free 5-day Park Hopper pass with the Water Park Fun & More option, getting you admission to all four theme parks plus five visits to other select WDW attractions, including its two water parks. Select resorts are also offering discounts of up to 40 percent.

Disneyland Resort
Through June 12, receive a free 3-day Park Hopper pass, admitting you to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure. You can also purchase up to five 3-day adult or child companion tickets for the price of a 1-day ticket. For more information or to make reservations, you can call 714/956-6424, or go to Disney’s website.

Shanghai Disneyland closer to reality

(From the Los Angeles Times) Walt Disney Co. reports progress in its plans for a theme park in China, and local anticipation is building.

By Dawn C. Chmielewski and Don Lee
6:54 PM PST, January 9, 2009

Shanghai's Qigan village is one of the sites on mainland China that Disneyland is believed to be considering for a new theme park.

Walt Disney Co. said Friday that it would submit plans to build its first theme park in mainland China, targeting one of the largest and most prosperous markets in Asia.

The Burbank entertainment giant released a statement confirming its plans as news broke that the company was working with the Shanghai municipal government to build a $3.59-billion park to open as early as 2014. It would be Disney’s fourth theme park outside the U.S., after Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

A Disney spokeswoman portrayed the development as a milestone in a lengthy review process, which ultimately must be negotiated and approved by China’s central government. But no deal is in place, and the project is yet to be approved.

Walt Disney World’s Space Mountain closing for ‘refreshment’ on April 19

OrlandoSentinel.com is reporting that one of the more iconic attractions at Walt Disney World is getting a makeover.

Disney said Wednesday it will shut down Space Mountain this spring for what the company described as a months-long “refreshment” of the 34-year-old Magic Kingdom roller coaster.

The ride will close April 19, just after the Easter holiday. It is expected to reopen late in the year, Disney spokeswoman Andrea Finger said, though a specific reopening date has not been set.

The timetable means Space Mountain will be closed throughout the busy summer-travel season.

The construction work will include installing new track inside the enclosed coaster, which carries guests in the dark through a series of sudden drops and sharp turns. The layout of the track will remain the same, however. The construction work will include installing new track inside the enclosed coaster, which carries guests in the dark through a series of sudden drops and sharp turns. The layout of the track will remain the same, however. Read more.

Disney opening American Idol Experience Feb. 14

Finally there’s a date. Mercurynews.com is reporting that The American Idol Experience, an attraction inspired by the “American Idol” TV show offically opens at Disney’s Hollywood Studios Feb. 14. Read more.

(Video) Disney World 3D on Google Earth

Cinderella Castle Royal Suite will stay open in 2009

According to the Orlando Sentinel, Walt Disney World confirmed Wednesday that the Cinderella Castle Royal Suite — created in early 2007 for overnight stays by winners of Disney’s two-year “Million Dreams” promotion — will remain open for selected guests next year, though on a more limited basis.

The suite is in a tower of Cinderella Castle, in the middle of the Magic Kingdom theme park. During the Million Dreams promotion, which ends Wednesday night, there has been a nearly daily sweepstakes prize for a family picked at random on Disney World property.

The suite’s creation captured the imagination of Disney fans worldwide, and its availability as a daily door prize for Disney World visitors created enormous buzz for Disney’s marketing campaign.

Set into space originally reserved as a possible apartment for company founder Walt Disney’s family when the castle was first built, the 650-square-foot, three-room Royal Suite offers a mix of 17th-century French luxury, 21st-century convenience and 1950s-era motifs from Disney’s Cinderella movie.

Almost from the start, the suite inspired widespread speculation about what Disney might do with it once the Million Dreams promotion ends.

On Jan. 1, that campaign is to be replaced with the “What Will You Celebrate?” promotion that strives to get people to bring their personal celebrations to Disney World.

The room will continue to be available for use as the prize for promotions, including some run by outside companies, Disney spokesman Rick Sylvain said Wednesday.

For starters, the room is being offered as a prize in a sweepstakes called “Inside Your Celebration,” organized by the Internet travel portal Orbitz.

“This ties in nicely with our ‘What Will You Celebrate?’ ” Sylvain said. “Other uses and opportunities for the suite are still to be determined.

“We will continue to evaluate all options,” he added. “It’s all about ‘right fit.’ Not unlike a certain glass slipper.”