Disney News Blog

New Grand Marshal Vehicle Accommodates Wheelchair Users

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., July 23, 2008 – A new Grand Marshal vehicle has debuted at Magic Kingdom, carrying guests of honor down the daily Main Street parade route in grand style. It’s most impressive feature: enabling guests who use wheelchairs to board easily and ride in the main seating area.

This new automobile will be the primary vehicle for all Grand Marshal guests at every Magic Kingdom day parade, with the wheelchair lift built into its underside for use when needed.

To fit the theme of Main Street, USA, the vehicle was designed after a 1912 touring car and carries up to 11 Grand Marshal guests. Also an added touch of the new vehicle -- Mickey Mouse tread designs on all four tires and the spare tire attached to the rear.

“The unique and innovative design of this vehicle, which is also available at Disneyland in California, will provide all guests, including those with mobility disabilities an opportunity to participate and serve as Grand Marshals in our parade as well as other special events,” said Mark Jones, operations manager for Services for Guests with Disabilities at Walt Disney World Resort.

(Garth Vaughan, photographer)

Michael Phelps Wins Record-Setting Gold in Beijing… What's He Doing Next? "He's Going to Disney World!

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla., August 29, 2008 /PRNewswire/ — Direct from the Beijing Games where he won a record eight Gold Medals, world champion swimmer Michael Phelps celebrated his unprecedented achievement with an all-American homecoming parade in his honor at Walt Disney World Resort.

In a star-spangled salute amidst confetti and thousands of flag-waving fans in the Magic Kingdom, Phelps was honored for his record-setting wins and for the spirit in which he captivated the world in his quest for Gold.

The 23-year-old from Baltimore beamed as he rode through the park alongside Mickey Mouse, waving to fans who chanted his name. Magic Kingdom guests joined in "America's Homecoming Parade" for the swimmer who broke records in each event he entered in Beijing.

For Phelps, who also was honored in Disney parades at both Walt Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Park in California following the 2004 Summer Games, it was a sweet homecoming to the United States and to see fans who supported him in his quest for Gold in Beijing.

"I am so happy to celebrate here and see some of the fans who supported me," said Phelps. "It's great to feel so much excitement around the sport of swimming in the U.S. and around the world. To top it all off with a parade at Disney World is just incredible."

During his celebration in the Magic Kingdom, Phelps also took time to meet a group of local swimmers from the central Florida area. The aspiring young swimmers had the chance to talk with Phelps, ask about his record-breaking experiences and see the Gold Medals he won in Beijing.

Phelps' celebration at Walt Disney World is planned to be the next feature on his wildly popular Facebook.com page. Phelps, one of the most popular public figures on the social networking site, has nearly 1.5 million Facebook "fans" who have subscribed to receive his latest news and updates. Phelps said he plans to offer photographs and video of his Walt Disney World visit on his Facebook.com site.

Phelps, who has announced he will train for the 2012 Games, now owns the record for most Gold Medals in a single event (8) and for a career (14).

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- To celebrate the animated film “Tinker Bell,” Disney’s most famous fairy and four of her best friends are featured in a meet-and-greet experience in Mickey’s Toontown Fair at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort.

To meet Tinker Bell and her fairy friends, guests enter a magical forest called “Pixie Hollow,” a special place deep in the heart of Never Land.

Tinker Bell, made famous in the 1953 Disney animated classic “Peter Pan,” for her “hostess” role in Disney television specials and for “flying” above the Disney theme parks, is joined inside Pixie Hollow by four fairy friends: Fawn, an animal fairy; Iridessa, a light fairy; Rosetta, a garden fairy; and Silvermist, a water fairy.

In addition to meeting the Fairies at Magic Kingdom, guests can learn more about the Disney Fairies at www.disneyfairies.com.

And if Tinker Bell doesn’t “ring a bell” or jog a memory, here are some “fun fairy facts” about the sprightly pixie:

-- Tinker Bell debuted at Walt Disney World Resort in 1971, as the classic attraction Peter Pan’s Flight opened in Fantasyland. The beloved attraction immerses guests in the “Peter Pan” story as passengers board flying pirate ships bound for Never Land.

-- Tinker Bell began “flying” from high atop Cinderella Castle in 1985. Since then, she has taken her flight thousands of times to light the sky with magical fireworks.

-- Tinker Bell made her Walt Disney World parade debut in 2007. She made that premiere appearance atop a float in “Disney’s Enchanted Adventures Parade,” an entertainment extravaganza during Disney’s Pirate and Princess Party.

-- Tinker Bell merchandise continually ranks among the top sellers of character-based merchandise at Walt Disney World Resort.

Everywhere you look in Walt Disney World, the holidays are coming to life, starting with the 200,000 lights that decorate Cinderella Castle in the Magic Kingdom and cover it with sparkling ice from top to toe. See how the Disney Imagineers make this phenomenal transformation take shape.

Each holiday season, the streets of Disney's Hollywood Studios in Orlando, Florida sparkle with five million lights. In 1995, Walt Disney World® Resort adopted the displays from Little Rock's Jennings Osborne after his neighbors grumbled. Now, Disney crews start work in March to get ready for guests in November and December.

For more information about how Walt Disney World celebrates the holidays, visit www.disneyworld.com/holidays