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Australian and New Zealand Disney travellers, now that Disney Cruise Line has unveiled the complete list of itineraries and ports for 2014, I’m sure many of you are busying researching and planning which voyage is best for your family. It’s a tough decision, isn’t it?

Luckily, Cruise Director Darren walks us through all of the options available in this video. Check it out, and let us know in the comments which new itinerary we can expect to see your family enjoying in 2014!

Glimpse at Disney Cruise Line’s 2014 Itineraries by Jonathan Frontado: Original Article By The Disney Parks Blog

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Australian and New Zealand Disney travellers,beginning in May, the Disney Wonder will return to Alaska for another summer season exploring the grandeur of America’s 49th state.

Don’t you just love this shot of the ship sailing through the Tracy Arm fjord? We’re wrapping up all the final details on the Port Adventures in Skagway, Juneau and Ketchikan, and I’m looking forward to telling you about my favorites. Like always, Disney Cruise Line worked closely with local tour operators to create exclusive-to-Disney family-friendly Port Adventures in Alaska.

Until then, I leave you with this fun time lapse video showing some of the breathtaking vistas and exciting excursions that await Disney cruisers this summer.

Original Article By The Disney Parks Blog

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Here is a great article from by Robert Hitchcock, PR Manager/Content Producer, runDisney that I wanted to share with you.

Image courtesy of runDisney

If I am not running in a runDisney event you will find me at my second favorite place – the finish line. It’s there I find inspiration and a reminder of why I run.

Of course it’s exciting to see the winners glide across the finish line with ease, and admire faster runners setting personal records, but for me the thrill is seeing the smiles, laughter, cheers and tears of runners finishing in the middle and at end of the pack. Whether they are doing it for themselves, for a specific cause or in honor of someone who can’t run, they set a goal, achieve it and make their dreams come true. Winners train to win – these runners train to finish.

It’s because of that determination, beating the odds, that I find myself cheering louder for the last place finishers than I do for the first place winner. On Sunday at the Tinker Bell Half Marathon at Disneyland Resort, after the bleachers cleared and confetti from the winners blew around on the ground, I got to cheer on my newest runDisney hero, Jenna Boyd from Wisconsin. Fighting the clock and turning down offers for rides by race staff, she fought her way to the finish line and was greeted with a welcome fit for a champion. You see at a runDisney event, finishing last is just as special as finishing first.

Please allow me to introduce you to my hero Jenna Boyd.

Congratulations, Jenna!

Original Article By The Disney Parks Blog

If you would like to join all of us at Disney Traveller at the 2014 Walt Disney World Marathon, like our new runDisney Fitness Team (RDFTeam) Facebook Page

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Fellow Disney travellers, join us today as Samantha Brown travels to Florida to bring us “Stories from the Savanna. Sam is Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas, where the celebrated travel guru showcases the resort’s exotic beauty, immerses herself in African culture and pulls insider stories from Imagineers.

Here’s a little sneak peek of her African-inspired adventure.

Enjoy the show!

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Australian and New Zealand Disney travellers, a quick and delicious treat can that can be found at the  Paradise Garden Grill at Disney California Adventure park are the  skewers of beef kefta, grilled steak, lemon-oregano chicken, and veggies and tofu.

Our favorite is the kefta, a popular type of ground, seasoned meat, much like meatballs, that’s popular in the Middle East. Served with rice pilaf, a kicky chili sauce and cool cucumber salad, it’s healthful and filling.

Disney California Adventure park chef Jay Garcia shows you how to make this delectable version at home.

Mediterranean Kabob with Moroccan Chili Sauce, Rice Pilaf, and Cucumber Salad
Serves 4 to 6

Kabob Mixture
1/2 cup bulgur (cracked wheat)
1 cup boiling water
2 pounds ground beef
1/2 cup finely diced onions
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Moroccan Chili Sauce
1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons harissa (Mediterranean chili paste)
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, diced
1 carrot, diced

Rice Pilaf
4 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups white rice
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped celery
Coarse salt, to taste

Cucumber Salad
4 cucumbers, sliced on a diagonal
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1/4 teaspoon sugar
1/4 cup olive oil

For kabob mixture:

1. Soak 10 wooden skewers in cool water for at least 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place bulgur in a large bowl. Pour boiling water over bulgur and set aside until water is absorbed and bulgur is cool, about 30 minutes.
3. Add ground beef, onions, parsley, mint, garlic, cumin seeds, salt, pepper, paprika, and cayenne to bulgur in bowl. Mix with hands until just combined. Refrigerate 1 hour.
4. Shape mixture into 15 to 20 oblong balls and form around skewers.
5. Grill kabobs over medium-high heat, 8 to 10 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 158°F. Alternatively, bake in a 400°F oven 20 to 25 minutes, or until cooked through.

For Moroccan chili sauce:

1. Place stewed tomatoes, garlic, lemon juice, harissa, red pepper flakes, sugar, salt, cinnamon, and cayenne in the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth; set aside.
2. Heat olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and carrots; sauté 2 minutes, or until onion is translucent.
3. Add tomato mixture. Simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

For rice pilaf:

1. Combine vegetable stock, cumin, and pepper in a medium saucepan over medium heat.
2. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rice and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden. Add onions and celery; cook until vegetables are softened.
3. Carefully add hot vegetable stock mixture to rice mixture. Bring to a simmer, then place lid on pan. Cook until rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork before serving. Season to taste with salt.

For cucumber salad:

1. Combine cucumbers, red pepper, and green pepper in a large bowl. Set aside.
2. Whisk together lemon juice, salt, pepper, oregano, and sugar in a small bowl. Whisk in oil until completely combined.
3. Pour dressing over vegetables; toss to combine. Refrigerate salad until ready to serve.

To serve:
Serve skewers over rice pilaf with cucumber salad on the side and with Moroccan chili sauce for dipping.

Mediterranean Kabobs from Paradise Garden Grill at Disney California Adventure Park by Pam Brandon: Original Article By The Disney Parks Blog

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Australian and New Zealand Disney travellers,after working in the Candy Palace for 38 years, Disneyland park candy maker Rob McHargue truly knows his way around a kitchen. In the video below, Rob gives us a tour of his “office” in the newly remodeled Candy Palace.

The updated Candy Kitchen has double the square footage as before, providing more viewing space – a bigger window of opportunity to see the candy makers at work. A pass-through window, more counter space, a kitchen stock room and a second copper kettle were also added. The kitchen produces approximately 63 different items year-round. Lucky for me, they happened to be making my favorite toffee treats during my visit. What’s your favorite confection from the Candy Palace?

A Tasty Tour: Inside the Candy Kitchen on Main Street, U.S.A., at Disneyland Park by Shannon Swanson: Original Article By The Disney Parks Blog

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Australian and New Zealand Disney travellers, we have told you about the special Lasseter Family Winery Port Adventure Disney Cruise Line guests can do on the California Coastal voyages this fall, but now you can hear about it straight from the Lasseter family!

Take a look at this video with John and Nancy Lasseter as they give you a glimpse of their beautiful Sonoma Valley property and tell you about the unique experiences guests will have on this private VIP tour offered exclusively for Disney cruisers.

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Legendary Shock Rocker Alice Cooper Evokes Maniacal Mayhem Inspired from His Landmark Concept Albums for This Year’s Eagerly-Anticipated Halloween Horror Nights Experiences at Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood

Australian and New Zealand Disney travellers, multi-platinum recording artist Alice Cooper, a mastermind of the rock horror genre, will conjure up his peculiar vision of disturbing horror imagery in two new haunted attractions debuting this fall at Halloween Horror Nights at both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood.

For the first time ever at Universal Orlando Resort’s award-winning event, Alice Cooper’s own version of a demented and dark subconscious will come to life in the haunted maze, “Alice Cooper – Welcome to My Nightmare.”  Inspired by iconic elements from his first solo album, the attraction will put guests inside the haunted dreams of the album’s recurring character, “Steven,” as he endures the scream-inducing madness spawned from the mind of the legendary rocker.

Making an encore performance at Universal Studios Hollywood’s acclaimed event, Alice Cooper’s new haunted attraction, “Alice Cooper Goes to Hell 3D,” will be inspired by the musician’s classic concept album centered on unending darkness, eternal torment and unimaginable horrors.  The terrifying maze will beckon guests to experience hell’s interminable inferno as imagined through the eyes of hard rock visionary Alice Cooper.  To experience this daunting new maze, guests will don 3D glasses for an optimum up close and personal three-dimensional encounter with Alice Cooper’s underworld.

Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Alice Cooper pioneered the concept of the theatrical rock concert.  His recording career spans six decades, includes more than two dozen albums, millions of record sales, countless world tours and appearances in scores of movies and videos, including “Nightmare on Elm Street:  Freddy’s Dead,” Universal Pictures’ “Prince of Darkness” and a memorable appearance in the recent “Dark Shadows.”  Last fall, Alice Cooper released his acclaimed “Welcome 2 My Nightmare,” his long-awaited sequel to his 1975 classic “Welcome to My Nightmare.” The album, which debuted onto the Billboard 200 at No.22, proves Alice Cooper’s continued relevance and popularity, cementing him as of one of music’s most influential artists of all time.

Sharing his enthusiasm, Alice Cooper said, “I grew up watching classic Universal horror movies so it’s a thrill for me to work with Universal’s designers to create the quintessential Alice Cooper maze for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Orlando Resort. To have Alice Cooper haunted attractions at both parks this year is truly an honor…or is it a horror? Last year, Universal Studios Hollywood scared the wits out of me with their maniacal and demented creation and they’ve promised to up the ante with ‘Alice Cooper Goes To Hell 3D.’  I can’t wait to see the final terrifying masterpiece. It will be hell!  I’m even more excited to see Universal Orlando Resort’s maze, ‘Alice Cooper – Welcome To My Nightmare.’  Let’s see if they can scare me!”

“There are few as coolly demented as Alice Cooper,” said Jim Timon, Senior Vice President of Entertainment at Universal Orlando Resort.  “He’s a cult classic icon and his partnership on the ‘Alice Cooper – Welcome to My Nightmare’ maze will bring something completely new and unexpected to our Halloween Horror Nights fans.”

John Murdy, Creative Director at Universal Studios Hollywood, said, “We wanted to break new ground with the insanely immersive ‘Alice Cooper Goes to Hell 3D’ maze and elevate its journey into the abyss to a shocking new level.  The cutting-edge 3D technology we invented for this haunted attraction will add a palatable sense of realism to an already twisted environment that only music genius Alice Cooper could envision.  Through innovative sets and LED technology, we’ve totally pushed the envelope to turn Alice’s maze into a mind-blowing 3D experience for his fans and Halloween Horror Nights guests.”

Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights® events have a more than 20-year history of creating incredibly entertaining, horrifying Halloween experiences that are consistently rated the nations’ best.  The events on each coast feature highly-themed, disturbingly real, haunted mazes based on everything from film to nightmares — and streets filled with hundreds of specially trained “scareactors.”

For more information about Halloween Horror Nights at both Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Hollywood, visit www.HalloweenHorrorNights.com. Watch Alice Cooper’s announcement video on Universal Orlando Resort’s YouTube Channel or on Universal Studios Hollywood’s YouTube Channel.

AJ/Disney Traveller 

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Australian and New Zealand Disney travellers, Christmas is still a few months away; however, a handful of cast members are already working behind the scenes to plan a very merry holiday season at Walt Disney World Resort.

Check out this sneak peek of what they’re already working on, including new holiday décor and fresh holiday merchandise offerings.

And speaking of the holidays, it’s never too early to start planning your seasonal fun at the Walt Disney World Resort. I just booked a Candlelight Dinner Package for my family. This year, we’ll be seeing first-time narrator Olivia Newton John, and having dinner at Via Napoli. Now, if I could only decide which night to buy tickets for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party!

Original Article By The Disney Parks Blog

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