Did you miss us? The MiceChat Roundup returns after a short break while our editor relocated to Southern California. We’ve got a lot of news, stories and events to share today, so settle in for some Disney and theme park fun.The sudden transition from Halloween to Christmas has taken all of the parks by storm. Frozen is making a big splash across the Disneyland Resort. Broadway stars are singing Disney to benefit the Walt Disney Birthplace. Fantasmic is getting Fastpass and lots of other news. Enjoy!

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Miceage Disneyland Update – The Bridge To Nowhere
Disneyland has just finished another very successful Halloween Time season, with sell-out crowds for Mickey’s Halloween Parties and peak hotel occupancy keeping the parks jammed with locals and tourists alike. There will be two short weeks of “off season” while the Resort decorators rush to install all the Christmas trimmings before the holiday season officially kicks off Friday, November 14th. There are still many things Disney hasn’t announced yet, and in this update we’ll fill you in on how those projects are coming along and tell you what changes are coming to the Resort sooner than later.

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Holidays soft-launch at Disneyland as Hiro and Baymax arrive in Tomorrowland
The holidays soft-launched at Disneyland over the weekend, bringing most of Disneyland’s big holidays season online for park guests. With the holidays officially launching this Thursday, November 13, we’ve got a full update today filling you in on this year’s seasonal offerings. In addition to Christmastime, we also take a look at the new Big Hero 6 meet-and-greet in Tomorrowland where guests can now meet Hiro and Baymax from Disney’s latest animated film.

LET’S START SOME GOOD
Join us as we support the project to save the home in which Walt Disney was born. This 501c3 nonprofit is restoring Walt’s birthplace so it may honor Walt’s remarkable history and inspire future generations of dreamers and doers.Pick up some fun items for yourself and help save the magic at the same time .

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Evening with Michael-Leon Wooley and Broadway stars!Disney News, Disney News Round Up: Christmas Time is here!

Back by popular demand, it is once again time for the Triple Threat Disney show! Hosted by none other than Broadway’s Michael-Leon Wooley, or also known as the voice of Louis the Alligator from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, the night will consist of Broadway performers and all things Disney! This very special Disney show will also be a benefit performance for the Center for Early Childhood Creativity and Innovation at the Walt Disney Birthplace (CECCI).

GET YOUR TICKETS HERE!

An Evening with Bob Gurr

Who says that all of the good events are held in California?  If you are close to Walt Disney World you can spend a magical evening with Disney Legend Bob Gurr in beautiful Celebration, Fl. This cocktail party type event will include special guests, Magic, Memories, and a rare opportunity to meet a true Disney Legend and learn more about the man who started it all . . . Walt Disney!

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Bob was hired by Walt Disney himself to work on Disneyland.  He has spent countless hours with the legendary Uncle Walt and eagerly shares amazing stories about those early days at the magic factory.  What was the code word around the studio for when Walt was in a bad mood?  What was the tell tale sign that Walt was getting agitated?  Just ask Bob!  He’ll be there, Gurrtini in hand, to share his recollections from the day he was hired on at Disney Imagineering.  This is also the perfect way to close out your visit to the IAAPA convention if you plan on being in town that weekend.

There are an extremely limited number of tickets available for this private affair, and some exclusive opportunities will be available for event attendees. Don’t miss out on this one-of-a-kind night, and the opportunity to meet a true Magic Maker!

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MiceChat 7 night Alaska Cruise on the Disney Wonder – June 1st, 2015: Join us as we sail toward the top of the world on the delightful Disney Wonder. We’ll hold all sorts of special MiceChat meet-ups on board. Suggest group excursions you might want to join us on. Dine as a group to discuss our adventures and more. Vancouver, Tracy Arm, Skagway, Juneau, Ketchikan, glorious glaciers, whales, and spectacular nature everywhere. Don’t miss this MiceChat adventure at sea!

Ask us for more details on any of our upcoming MiceTrips or for Disney adventures of your own by emailing us at [email protected]. It doesn’t cost you more to use our travel agent, it’s just more magical. Let us do the work, you enjoy the Disney fun!!!

MiceChat Podcast

The MiceChat crew returns to Disneyland to celebrate the 45th anniversary of the Haunted Mansion and ponder the upcoming enhancements to the Fantasyland dark rides. As Disneyland prepares to celebrate its 60th anniversary, there’s lots for us to talk and speculate about. So, join Doug, David and Dusty as we take you for a walk in the park. It’s an amazing audio adventure. Then, we’ll transport you to Scare LA, where Disney Legends Bob Gurr and Alice Davis have a few things to say about the amazing Haunted Mansion.  Be sure to stick through for the very end of the show for a special surprise!

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Profits from the sale of every bottle of refreshing O-Zell soda supports the restoration of theWalt Disney Birthplace in Chicago. Pick up some delicious Victorian style natural soda AND help a great cause at the same time: O-Zell Soda  For a special treat, listen to the O-Zell jingle here: O-Zell Soda Song

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Disney Parks News and Reports

This week we discover that the Mainstreet Alley project is done, Big Hero 6 comes to Tomorrowland and big changes to the now over 20 year old Fantasmic!  ~ Aladdin

MiceChat Newsletter

Birthday Trip – October 28th
KellyMcG86 brings us her Birthday Trip report to the resort, flowers, fun and Big Hero 6. Oh My!

DOUBLE Trip Report: Disneyland AND Walt Disney World. Who does it better?
Strikeuptheband did, but would you? He went to both parks in a 24 hour period? Check out the entire crazy amazing report here!

Something happened this year. Something unexpected and somewhat unnerving….
Fjhuerta brings us a written account of his recent trip to Disney’s California Adventure, an overwhelming positive experience !

Main Street OverFlow Alley Picture !
Pictures have finally surfaced of the new MS overflow alley, most of us deem it as acceptable but what do you think? Could Disney have done more ?

Fastpass For Fantasmic!
Just like World of Color in California Adventure, this beloved show has Disney Fastpass coming to it to manage the crowds. How do you feel about this change? Good, bad or just indifferent? There has been a lengthy discussing over it and you can read it all here.

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MiceChat Newsletter

Magic Kingdom Photos – November 2013.
RegionsBeyond shares some great photos from the Magic Kingdom.

WDW Xmas Party NEW Parade Music, Sandy Claws, improved Jingle Cruise
Aladdin attended the first Christmas Part of 2014 and brings us a quick update about the offerings.

Too Much Unavailable?
With so much closed, PlutoHasFleas is wondering if the WDW APs are ‘getting the short end of the stick!’

Big Hero 6 meet’n’greet
Baymax and Hiro Hamada from Big Hero 6 are now doing meet’n’greets in the Animation building in the Studios.

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Another great week of Rumors and ideas abound from both coasts this week. Some of the more notable ones are below. ~ Trekkie Dad

MiceChat Newsletter

Parade of Dreams fire?
maddiehatter
wants to know if this really happened at Disneyland.

7 Days of week of Fantasmic during Winter thru Spring = No night Steamship rides 🙁
CAspace
is fearful that it will be a long time until the Mark Twain is offering nighttime cruises.

Time to Move Fantasmic – Really!
Redd Rocket
has an idea to move Fantasmic! to a location away from New Orleans Square.

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MiceChat Newsletter

Disney Dreams of Christmas!
TimmyTimmyTimmy
shares a video of Disney Dreams! of Christmas 2014 from Disneyland Paris.

Star Tours II (2017)
Fultimate
brings us info that it’s now official that Star Tours II will open in Disneyland Paris in 2017

CNN: Disney’s Nightmare in Europe
jcruise86
shares a link to a CNN Business News section about Disney in Europe.

Christmas 2014
Although it is in Japanese, disneydogs brings us information about the Tokyo resort this Christmas season.

Themed Mock-ups Looking Good!
RandySavage
found some mock-ups of themes for the Shanghai Disneyland castle and other areas around the park.

ShellieMay has arrived!
According to Roger55, the ShellieMay Disney bear has arrived at Hong Kong Disneyland.

Disney News, Disney News Round Up: Christmas Time is here!

While our favorite theme parks transition from Halloween to Christmas, we have new threads that look in both directions. ~ Trekkie Dad

MiceChat Newsletter

HHN Montage
imagineashton
has created a video from one of Universal Studios’ Halloween Horror Nights.

HHN25 – Jack is back…
A video promoting next year’s Halloween Horror Nights is already online and Alexshow has found it.

Knott’s Merry Farm 2014 Offerings
Halloween jus ended but explodingboy can hardly wait for the opening of Knott’s Merry Farm!

Ghost Train at Griffith Park
JesterMn
has a short trip report from this seasonal offering in Los Angeles.

‘The Pirates of Central Park’ Improv Everywhere video
Pirate recently invaded New York’s Central Park in this video found by JL Skellington.

What’s your favorite NON-Disney theme park on Earth?
So we know all of you love DISNEY! But one person jcruise86 wants to know what other theme park on this Earth you just love!

AV Room

 

Who’s ready for some Sarah Snitch the MiceChatter?  Sarah delivers another great video here.

The Haunted Mansion Show Episode 23: “Scary Tales” Even though the scariest time of the year is over, we still have time for a story or two. Tonight, the Ghost Host and Madame Leota will supply you with more stories to make your bones shiver. Who knows what will materialize from the spoken words of Madame Leota and the Ghost Host? When a scary story is told at The Haunted Mansion, anything can happen.

Communicore Weekly – Disneyland’s Big River, Stitching Snow, Maleficent, Planes, Storybook Circus! We talk about Disneyland’s Big River, Stitching Snow, Maleficent, Planes, and Storybook Circus! DISNEY HISTORY! – Travel along Disneyland’s big river as Jeff and George talk about dark water in this week’s Disney History! BOOK OF THE WEEK! – George and Jeff review the futuristic take on Snow White, Stitching Snow, for the Book for the Book of the Week! 60 SECOND REVIEW! – George and Jeff look at the Maleficent and Planes Fire and Rescue Blu Rays for the 60 Second Review! FIVE LEGGED GOAT! – And finally, Storybook Circus Fire Department hides this week’s Five Legged Goat!

Direct Link | iTunes

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Window to the Magic:
Enjoy the sounds of the park on our weekly journeys into the wonderful world of the Disney sound experience!

Disafterdark: Welcome back to the Mouse’s Head and thank you for the download. Back from our various summer breaks, the team is here and raring to get back on air. Not too much has changed, we still drink occasionally and we talk about Disney stuff. We have a new theme track on the way, so if you know of anyone who can sing that would help us ! It is now Paul D’s and Nicks turn to give us their trip reports. Paul was in Florida and Nick went to Paris for a few days.

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Dead Man’s DIEgest: On this episode of the Dead Man’s DIEgest we bring you ALL the announcements for the Houses and Scarezones for Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood.

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The Season Pass: The Essential Theme Park Podcast: We close out the Halloween season with the original Haunt at Knott’s Scary Farm!  Massive show, plus interviews with Elvira, John Cooke, Gus Krueger and much more.

Direct Link | iTunes Link

Disney Avenue Podcast: On this episode of the Disney Avenue Podcast, host Keith Michael Mahne and Dusty Sage of MiceChat.com team up for another amazing interview with the one and only Rolly Crump! Words may not fully describe this man, but one thing is for certain, he was a true “original,” even among Imagineers as Rolly drew forth genius in others.

Mousetalgia! – An Unofficial Disneyland Podcast Imagineering develops Spirit Photography for the Magic Kingdom’s Haunted Mansion gift shop, and we have an exclusive interview about the project. Mousetalgia welcomes Imagineers Jim Clark, Brian Crosby, and Daniel Joseph to the show to discuss the inspiration, the creative process, and some of the magic behind the amazing new custom changing portraits that park guests can purchase at the Memento Mori store at WDW.

Direct Link | iTunes Link

DoomBuggies Spook Show: In this spook-er-sized Halloween episode, we discuss the recent “Ghostly Materials” exhibition at Disneyland and speak with one of the artists, Bridget McCarty, about the opening day of this release of Haunted Mansion-related artwork. We also talk about the recent flood of Haunted Mansion merchandise in the parks, and the new Haunted Mansion-specific store called “Memento Mori” at the Magic Kingdom.

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The Sweet Spot: In this Episode we welcome former Disneyland cast member Vern Hoiland. Vern was hired into Disneyland in 1969 and retired in 2006. Vern saw a lot fo changes over the years from managment, park changes, his own changes in roles, and much more. This is a great interview if you want to learn about how it was working in Disneyland as far back as 1969. Plus, we’ll look at the latest in the Disneyland Resort news with Tommy. Enjoy and please visit our new website www.thesweepspot.com

Unofficial Universal Orlando Podcast: We begin with Butterbeer preference from Steve from New Jersey and then get in to the NEWS, as there is a lot to cover. We start with Orlando, move on to Hollywood, then Beijing and finish in Singapore. Don’t forget to enter our competition to win a Ghostbusters keyring from the Film Vault store at Universal Studios Florida.

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Featured Columns
MiceChat Newsletter

Plancha at the Four Seasons Resort Walt Disney World
This past week I tried out Plancha, a Cuban-American cuisine restaurant inside the new Tranquilo Golf Club at the Four Seasons at WDW. The location of the restaurant is inside the former clubhouse of Disney’s Osprey Ridge, in which Disney Legend Dick Nunis and Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner had meals and drinks together.

MiceChat Newsletter

Knotts Berry Farm Goes From Scary to Merry
The scariest time of year has suddenly become the merriest at Knott’s Berry Farm.  Yes, all of the monsters have gone home for the season and now Santa’s elves are getting everything ready for a fun-filled Christmas time hoedown with all of the trimmings.  Today we fill you in on all the work that is being done to get ready for Christmas at Knott’s along with what is planned for Thanksgiving.  Then, of course, we have the usual pictures from around the resort including the refurbishment of Bigfoot Rapids and the removal of some trees near the Timber Mountain Log Ride.  Another burning question is this; What are they doing up in the old Kingdom of the Dinosaurs spot?

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The MiceEars Crew puts a lot of time and effort into making these Round-Ups happen.Our thanks to:Editor CakvalaSC and the MiceEars Crew: Aladdin, Yoyoflamingo, Trekkie Dad, DLandFansAZ, RegionsBeyond, Fishbulb & Dustysage.

We hope to see you online again soon, Dusty and the amazing MiceChat crew!

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If you have questions for Anthony our Editor or our MiceEars Grew they can be e-mailed at: [email protected] or Follow him on Twitter @CakvalaSC | Flickr: flickr.com/photos/cakvalasc/ | Instagram: instagram.com/cakvala

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CakvalaSC
MiceChat.com's webmaster and occasional writer. Cakvala is senior graphic designer and photographer. Admirer of all things Disney and theme-parks !