Roger Rabbit of 1988′s Who Framed Roger Rabbit hasn’t been seen up close at Disneyland for over a decade, but for Easter, the character made a rare appearance at the California theme park this week to lead guests in the annual Bunny Hop dance.

Check out the video here below, captured by the folks over at Behind The Magic, of Roger Rabbit mingling with the park guests on Main Street USA, doing the holiday dance with them [...]

The Walt Disney Company claimed a number of momentous milestones and achievements in 2012, such as boasting the highest-grossing film of the year (Marvel’s The Avengers). But as Disney reached some considerable points, they also faced and developed a handful of issues. This special edition of Disney In Depth looks back at the world of Disney in 2012, with my top 10 best in this edition, and “bottom” 10 worst (with some suggestions on how to remedy those problems) in next week’s edition.

Continue reading for the best of list. [...]

‘Tis the season to be surprised with Disney cheer. The gift of the Mouse, or at least the gift from individuals who care about people who love the Mouse, is one that keeps on giving each year. Thanks to the Internet, and specifically YouTube, everyone can enjoy these special holiday moments. Often parents bring their children yuletide joy through bestowing them a Disney present, sometimes as cool as a vacation to one of the magical destinations.

Here below watch some of the funniest and most heartwarming reactions [...]

Welcome back to Disney In Depth for the “top five” of a special two-part edition that explores the movies that deserve theme park attractions. Just in case you missed the previous edition, you can check it out here.

Before exploring the “most deserving” films, we cannot ignore the movies that would least work as attractions. Among them are great films and some bad ones, too. [...]

Sometimes it takes many years, even decades, for a popular Disney film brand to enter the theme parks in the form of an attraction. For instance, while the Voyage of The Little Mermaid first graced Disney’s Hollywood Studios only two years after the film’s debut, over 20 years passed before a ride shaped up in the parks.

Now the exquisite dark ride exists at both Disney California Adventure Park and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. In this first section of two-part edition of Disney In Depth I will share five films that deserve to be translated into theme park attractions. [...]

We were all shocked to discover when Darth Vader revealed himself to be Luke Skywalker’s father. But we experienced perhaps even more shock when news broke this week that The Walt Disney Company was acquiring Lucasfilm, George Lucas’ 41-years-strong company. Now, Mickey Mouse will be both Vader’s and Luke’s parent, though not by blood — what an awkward “modern family” that deserves some critical examination.

Puns and jokes aside, this $4 billion purchase follows what has been a whirlwind of new ventures for Disney in just the past seven years since Bob Iger attained the role of CEO of The Walt Disney Company. 2006 marked Disney’s purchase of Pixar. 2009 signified Disney’s purchase of Marvel. And now 2012 represents news of Disney’s purchase of Lucasfilm. One can only imagine what the Mouse House will obtain in 2015 if this ironically-consistent pattern of buying a big entity every three years continues. These heavily-expensive, but ingenious acquisitions reflect Disney’s focus of branding and leveraging well-known and well-received properties [...]

Are there real ghosts inside The Haunted Mansion, the famous ride at Disneyland? A new video claims that the answer to this question is “yes,” and you can check it out below.

The story, as told to the Disney blog Inside the Magic, is that an “anonymous cast member” sent along a single blurry image as a tease of a supposed little boy ghost haunting The Haunted Mansion ride (see it here), and a promise of a full video to come. That video did eventually come. But the question remains, is it real? [...]

The most magical kingdoms on Earth are unfortunately not spared from mistakes taking place. Though the Disney theme parks, resorts and ships are almost perfect in every way in how they operate, every now and then a blunder or error temporarily disrupts the magic.

In this edition of Disney In Depth, I’ll provide some commentary on a variety of funny and regrettable videos found on YouTube that even make Goofy appear less clumsy. [...]

We Disney aficionados simply cannot obtain enough neat tidbits of trivia, seeking answers to everyday quandaries that strike us. Fortunately, Disney Editions just released a fine trivia book that puts many questions to rest. Dave Smith, Chief Archivist Emeritus of the Walt Disney Archives, has long been known to help fans with this endeavor in his legendary “Ask Dave” column. Now, Smith, author of this fact-filled title Disney Trivia from the Vault: Secrets Revealed and Questions Answered, has compiled together over 1,000 questions, providing responses and well-explained descriptions as well.

In this edition of Disney In Depth, I’ll impart my thoughts on this book, and also share some of the more unique questions and answers that you can find inside Disney Trivia from the Vault. I’ll give you 23 fun facts. Why 23? If you’re a Disney fan you should know the reason. (1923 is the year the company was founded).

At just over 250 pages, this eight-chapter book, each dedicated to a different aspect of The Walt Disney Company, contains a vast variety of little-known pieces of trivia that you can bring up at social events. Well, I’m not sure how relevant bringing up the “Kids Amateur Dog Show” at Disneyland from the 1960s would be, but would you know about that had you not picked up a copy of this? I don’t think so. The allure of trivia books is that they contain such oddball details, each with fascinating and extensive stories, making this a treasure trove [...]

We are told in Peter Pan that through having faith, trust, and pixie dust, we can fly. To soar. To flee from society, even if only briefly. We believe in this magic for the hope that our worries will disappear. Disney seems to possess that touch on individuals, especially “geeks” like me, who find value in a break from reality for the hope of dream-like atmospheres.

Since the devastating massacre in Aurora, Colorado, struck the United States with another tragedy, in an environment where many Americans seek diversions – at the movies – I began thinking of the importance of escapism in our society. Though we cannot avoid actuality, and boy would it be unhealthy if we denied truth, I feel we must continue to place merit in visiting worlds of whimsy. Whether they be fictional in the form of Disney films, or where the lines become blurred even further in the Disney theme parks, Americans shall always depart from reality in favor of some fantasy [...]

If you’re heading to Universal Orlando Resort or Universal Studios Hollywood this fall season, one of the attractions worth seeking out is Halloween Horror Nights, the embodiment of all things Halloween where movies, your worst nightmares, and other inspirations are used to build intensely terrifying attractions for visitors to experience.

This year marks a big first for Halloween Horror Nights with the announcement that AMC’s hit zombie drama The Walking Dead is making its debut, the first time a TV show has been featured.

Continue reading for more information and to see a video of the announcement below. [...]

Ka-ching. It’s becoming increasingly more expensive to savor the magic of a Disney theme park, as a recent rise in ticket prices at the Disneyland Resort has struck many guests with frustration and anger. Although it is normal to witness changes each year, the most recent list of ticket prices shows quite significant upsurges. Here I’ll focus on the fiscal value of what you’re receiving for spending time at The Happiest Place on Earth.

Say you want to go to either Disneyland or Disney California Adventure for just one day. If you’re any adult, that will now cost you $87. Previously it was set at $80. Let’s consider that you take said ticket to Disneyland on a day when the park is open for 16 hours, and you stayed the entire day there. You would be paying $5 an hour, mind you the park would likely contain heavy crowds. Now let’s say you choose to “park hop” between both parks for that same day. For the past decade or so, the Park Hopper plans have been very popular, especially for those who might want to head to Disneyland during the morning and California Adventure in mid-afternoon when the original park feels packed. Well, that one-day park hopper ticket will now cost you a whopping $125, up from $105. Suddenly your money is not worth as much, as you would be spending $7.81 an hour over a 16-hour period. But really, who is in the park from opening to closing over such a long day? [...]

Transformers: The Ride 3D
Universal Studios Hollywood
Ride previewed: April 28, 2012
Ride opens to public on May 25, 2012

Hasbro‘s Transformers films have excited the public for years now with fulfilled promises of high-speed action, fiery pyrotechnics, and intense Autobot vs. Decepticon battles on land and in the city skies above; everything you’ve come to expect from a Michael Bay production. The question is, could Michael Bay effectively translate that experience to a theme park ride? Recently I went on that ride, and I can honestly say, “Mission Accomplished.”

Michael Bay collaborated with the ride builders at Universal Creative to bring the experience from his films to life. I rode Transformers: The Ride 3D during what Universal Studios Hollywood called their Technical Preview (which just means that some aspects of the ride may not have been fully functional, but to be honest, everything seemed to work fine to me).

I’ve included an unabashedly enthusiastic post-ride video reaction and photos here below, along with a description of the ride and of the whole experience [...]

OK so maybe getting frozen in carbonite isn’t your greatest Star Wars dream—it actually appeared to be rather uncomfortable for Mr. Han Solo—but if you’ve ever wondered what your expression would look like after being betrayed by a trusted friend and imprisoned in the tightest of cells for delivery to a 600-year-old gangster slug, now’s your chance…and without all the discomfort it comes with!

During Star Wars Weekends this year at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, those who reserve a spot will enjoy the “Carbon-Freeze Me” experience, which is part of the new D-Tech line that uses technology to offer up insanely cool personalization options. [...]

For the most passionate of fans and thrill seekers, few things are more exciting than being thrown into your favorite movies via the rides of Universal Studios.

For fans of the Transformers movies, that ride is quickly approaching with Transformers: The Ride 3D at Universal Studios Hollywood. The ride is set to open on May 25th, but until that time, a new video has been released showing the making of the ride and what fans can expect. [...]