Oct. 1, 2007: Disney Parks Extends ‘Year of a Million Dreams’ Through 2008 With New Attractions, Entertainment on Both Coasts

Disney Parks announced today that its “Year of a Million Dreams” celebration will extend throughout 2008 at Disneyland Resort in California and Walt Disney World Resort in Florida, highlighted by the debut of blockbuster attractions and entertainment – and the 2008 Disney Dreams Giveaway in which Disney will award more than one million more dreams.

“ Our guests tell us they see Disney theme parks as the place where their dreams come true,” said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “That has never been more true than during ‘The Year of a Million Dreams.’ The 2008 Disney Dreams Giveaway is a chance for us to award even more over-the-top experiences that can only come true at Disney.”

In a bi-coastal event that began in late 2006, guests have discovered that wishing upon a star isn’t the only way to make their dreams come true. By being in the right place at the right time at Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts, more than one million guests have been selected through a random process as winners in the Disney Dreams Giveaway. Dreams also were awarded to mail-in participants.

When it was time to decide what to do for an encore in 2008, Disney Parks heard resoundingly from guests. They asked for:
More dreams.
Even bigger dreams.
More dreams money can’t buy.
More dreams that only Disney can make come true.

Building on the incredible success of 2007, Disney’s magic-makers went back to their dream drawing board. They created over-the-top experiences for the 2008 Disney Dreams Giveaway that will be awarded to eligible lucky guests and mail-in participants, including:

A chance for guests to stay inside Disneyland Park;
A private day at Disney’s tropical island paradise, Castaway Cay;
A New Year’s Eve night stay inside Cinderella Castle Suite at Walt Disney World Resort;
A star-studded trip to the “High School Musical 3” film premiere;
A flight of fancy in a hot air balloon above a Disney theme park.
These magical, money-can’t-buy Disney dreams and more are featured in a first-ever online catalog known as the Disney Dreams Catalog. Disney fans can flip through and browse the catalog at www.DisneyParks.com/DreamCatalog.

But that’s not all.

In 2008, Disney will award hundreds of thousands of dreams in all shapes and sizes, including Dream FASTPASS badges, gourmet dining packages, special viewing for parades, Disney shopping sprees, an additional hour – known as Dream Time – for chosen guests to enjoy a Disney park, or special Dream Mouse Ears or Pin and Lanyard sets.

It all adds up to over one million more dreams that will be awarded in 2008.

While full prize descriptions and a peek into the Disney Dreams Catalog can be found at www.DisneyParks.com/DreamCatalog, highlights of the 2008 Disney Dreams Giveaway include:

Reign at Disney’s Private Island for the Day: One winner will be awarded Disney’s private Bahamian paradise for the day. Castaway Cay, the Disney Cruise Line private island, will allow the winner and up to three guests to lounge in the lap of tropical luxury – all by themselves – with Disney amenities at their fingertips, including gourmet dining, recreation, beachfront cabana massages, entertainment and overnight accommodations on a private yacht.

Spend the Night Inside Disneyland in Walt’s Dream Suite: Using architectural renderings that Walt Disney himself commissioned for an in-park, family retreat that was never completed, Disneyland Resort is creating a lavish new guest suite in the park’s New Orleans Square. Beginning Jan. 31, 2008 – and continuing most nights throughout the year – a different winner will be chosen through a random process to bring up to five guests to live Walt’s dream and spend that night in the Disneyland Dream Suite inside Disneyland Park.

Be the Guest of Honor at the Largest Character Breakfast in Magic Kingdom History: On Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort, one winner and up to three guests will be treated to an unprecedented ultimate Disney character breakfast, with at least 25 Disney characters in attendance, including Mickey and Minnie. Served in the shadow of Cinderella Castle, it will be the largest Magic Kingdom character breakfast ever presented – and it will all be in honor of one lucky winner.

Celebrate New Year’s Eve Inside Cinderella Castle: One of the most magical nights of the year, New Year’s Eve, will be celebrated in royal style Dec. 31, 2008, by a winner and up to three guests inside the Cinderella Castle Suite, in the heart of Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort.

See the Stars at the “High School Musical 3” World Premiere: Two winners and up to three guests each will attend the star-studded film premiere of “High School Musical 3,” the next installment of the record-setting Disney Channel movie series. One prize includes a VIP vacation to Disneyland Resort in California and the other features a VIP vacation to Walt Disney World Resort in Florida where the music and excitement of “High School Musical” comes to life in high-energy shows.
Become a “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” to a Disney Imagineer: Taking on the honorary role of a “Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” one winner and a guest will get to peek behind the magic for a day and enter the secret labs of Walt Disney Imagineering. The prize includes a tour of the Walt Disney Imagineering campus and an Imagineer-guided tour of Disneyland Park.

Become Disney’s Grand Marshal Around the Globe: One winner and up to three guests will be sent on a 15-day whirlwind tour of four Disney destinations – Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World Resort, Hong Kong Disneyland and Disneyland Resort Paris. At each stop on the magical journey, the winner will serve as Honorary Grand Marshal of Disney’s daily parade.
And, just as both vacation resorts did throughout 2007, Disneyland Resort and Walt Disney World Resort also will introduce new attractions, shows and immersive entertainment as “The Year of a Million Dreams” continues through 2008.

The Toys are Back in Town in a New Disney•Pixar-inspired Attraction
Beginning in summer 2008, the toysare back in town at Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts with Toy Story Mania! an attraction that combines the popular characters from the smash hit Disney•Pixar “Toy Story” films with whiz-bang technology to create an interactive ride-through video game – in three dimensions. Guests board fanciful ride vehicles and zip into a world of exciting midway-style games. Using spring-action “shooters,” they launch darts at balloons, toss rings at aliens and throw eggs at whimsical barnyard targets to see who can score the most points. And it’s all presented in stunning 3-D technology designed by Walt Disney Imagineering. In California, guests will try their luck inside Disney’s California Adventure, while at Walt Disney World Resort, the ‘toon fun will be found inside Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Interactive Entertainment Brings Dreams to Life for Guests of All Ages
Disney Parks’ unique brand of entertainment that makes guests the stars of the show – literally – will continue to share the spotlight at Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts during “The Year of a Million Dreams” 2008, with expanded offerings that feature be-bopping, lightsaber-wielding and pirate-plundering fun.
It’s this type of interactivity that allows guests to live the fanciful dreams of their imagination. Some of the highlights for 2008:

Disney•Pixar Parades Debut on Both Coasts: The Disney•Pixar fun will continue to rock and roll throughout Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort in 2008, as characters from smash-hit animated films like “Toy Story,” “The Incredibles,” “Monster’s, Inc.” and “A Bug’s Life” take to the street in “Block Party Bash.” Disneyland Resort will be the home to the new “Pixar Play! Parade,” an all-new Disney•Pixar-inspired parade that invites guests to play and dance along with favorite characters from hit films like “Toy Story,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “Finding Nemo,” “The Incredibles,” “Cars” and “Ratatouille.”

Wildcat Fever Pitch Spreads Across Disney Parks: “Wildcat fever” has guests dancing in the streets at Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts in the new “High School Musical 2: School’s Out!” interactive show. Inspired by the Disney Channel’s record-breaking, original film, “High School Musical 2,” the high-energy cast invites guests to join the fun as they sing and dance along to the movie’s hit tunes. “High School Musical 2: School’s Out!” concludes with an all-out dance finale featuring one of the film’s soundtrack hits, “All for One,” and a reprise of “We’re All in This Together,” from the original “High School Musical” film. “High School Musical 2: School’s Out!” is presented multiple times daily at Disney’s California Adventure in California and Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida.

‘ Obi-Wanna Bes’ Learn the Ways of the Force: Taking a cue from the popular Star Wars™ Saga, the power of the Force and the magic of Disney combine for “Jedi Training Academy,” an original and intergalactic entertainment experience. Young Jedi hopefuls – known in ‘Star Wars-speak’ as “Padawans” – learn lightsaber moves from a Jedi Master before facing off in a final test against the evil Darth Vader. Created with Lucasfilm Ltd., “Jedi Training Academy” is presented multiple times daily, adjacent to the popular Star Tours attraction, at both the Disneyland Park in California and at Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida.

Playhouse Disney Rocks the Mouse House: Debuting at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts in 2008 will be some of the most beloved characters from the Disney Channel lineup in “Playhouse Disney-Live on Stage!” – a singing, clapping and be-bopping show. Designed for preschoolers, the show stars favorites from popular Disney Channel programs including “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “Little Einsteins,” “Handy Manny” and more.

A Pirate’s Life for Me!: Building on the worldwide popularity of Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean” films and attractions, Captain Jack Sparrow and his band of merry mates invite guests to their world of adventure at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World resorts. At Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World Resort, Captain Jack himself leads a series of pirate “skill tests” to find honorary crew members, while at Disneyland Park, young buccaneers can enjoy the new Pirates Lair on Tom Sawyer Island, an island of interactive adventures and immersive entertainment for plundering pirates of all ages.

Have Some Hootin’ & Hollerin’ Fun with Woody, Jessie & Bullseye: There’s a rootin’ tootin’ good time in store as Woody, Jessie and Bullseye from the hit Disney•Pixar film “Toy Story 2” invite everyone to “Woody’s Cowboy Camp!” in the Walt Disney World Magic Kingdom. Designed for younger cowpokes, the rollicking hoedown features an Old West obstacle course – maneuvering around parents donning hats shaped like cacti, mountains and mine shafts. It’s kick-up-the-spurs, hootin’ and hollerin’ fun as the cowboy spirit comes to life on the dusty streets of Frontierland in Florida.

A Magical Main Street, U.S.A. Parade: Guests are able to parade down Main Street, U.S.A. in Magic Kingdom in Florida alongside favorite Disney characters in an interactive parade. For guests, it’s a pennant-waving, drum-beating rush as they join characters to march alongside parade floats, a marching band and an old-timey fire truck. To accommodate pint-size paraders and their parents, there’s even a “stroller drill team.”

For more information about “The Year of a Million Dreams” celebration, visit disneyparks.com. For more specific information about the 2008 Disney Dreams Giveaway, visit disneyparks.com/2008rules. To browse the new Disney Dreams Catalog, visit DisneyParks.com/DreamCatalog.

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