Christmas by the Numbers on the Disney Dream

Now that Halloween is over it's time for all of Disney to transform into the Holiday Season. This includes the Disney Cruise Line.

Here's a look at what Christmas by the Numbers is on the Disney Dream ship:

Disney publicity photo

1,016:  Feet of garland on the ship.

300: Custom designed décor pieces around the ship.

66: Holiday sprays ranging from 15 inches to six feet.

41: Christmas trees ranging from 2 feet to 20 feet.

 

29: Wreaths on the ship.

Source; Walt Disney

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This week in the Disney Universe: Nov. 4 - 10

There's a lot going on this week as Disney transforms itself from Halloween to Christmas, the Festivals of the Masters returns and more DVD releases:

NOVEMBER 4: Howard Jones LIVE performs at the "Eat the Beat" concert series as part of the 17th annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival in Epcot at Walt Disney World.

NOVEMBER 5: Space Mountain closed for refurbishment.

NOVEMBER 5-6: Blues Traveler performs at the "Eat the Beat" concert series as part of the 17th annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival in Epcot at Walt Disney World.

                                                                                          © Steven Liebman

NOVEMBER 6: "Prep and Landing Totally Tinsel Collection" released on Blu-Ray and "The Muppet Christmas Carol Special Edition" released on DVD and Blu-Ray

NOVEMBER 7-8: Dennis DeYoung, original member of the group STYX, performs at the "Eat the Beat" concert series as part of the 17th annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival in Epcot at Walt Disney World.

NOVEMBER 8-11: More than 100 world-class golfers will come together at the annual Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic at Walt Disney World.

NOVEMBER 9-11: Big Bad Voodoo Daddy performs at the "Eat the Beat" concert series as part of the 17th annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival in Epcot at Walt Disney World.

NOVEMBER 9-10: Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon at Epcot in Walt Disney World.

NOVEMBER 9-11: Festival of the Masters, an open-air art festival held at Downtown Disney in Walt Disney World featuring over 150 artists.

NOVEMBER 9-12: Emily Henderson of HGTV's “Secrets From a Stylist” appears as part of the 17th annual Epcot International Food and Wine Festival in Epcot at Walt Disney World.

NOVEMBER 9- JANUARY 4: The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights takes place on the Streets of America at Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World.NOVEMBER 9, 12, 15, 16, 25, 27, 29 and 30: Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World with the enchanted Castle Dream Lights on Cinderella Castle, snow on Main Street, U.S.A., Holiday Wishes: Celebrate the Spirit of the Season fireworks, complimentary cookies and hot cocoa and special shows.

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New song added to Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights

A new song is being added to The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights at the Hollywood Studios in Disney World.

                                                                                                  © Steven Liebman

"As we talked about adding a new piece, we wanted to add something lyric and flowing,” said  Creative Entertainment Music Director Dan Stamper told the Disney Parks Blog.

Added to the list of songs will be "Winter Wonderland" with Santa Goofy joining the fun. Santa Goofy will be making nightly appearances in a special area in front of Tri-City Square called Goofy's Winter Wonderland.

Since 1995, the lights have been dancing at the studios with songs  “Feliz Navidad” by Jose Feliciano and Barbara Streisand’s version of “Jingle Bells.” The show will take place Nov. 9 through Jan. 6.

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Doing Disney in the rain

It's two weeks before your Disney trip, and you're checking the extended weather forecast only to find -- horrors! -- the forecast calls for rain. Certainly rain will dampen your Disney vacation, but it doesn't have to put a damper on it.

We have some tips -- drawn from painful experience -- on how to navigate the theme parks in wet weather:

Don't wear sneakers: Whatever you do, don't wear shoes that will get soaked and stay soaked. Nothing will make you more miserable than sloshing through the parks wearing sponges on your feet. Go with sandals. They'll dry faster when you go inside -- or when it finally stops raining.

Choose an umbrella over a poncho: If it's hot and rainy, a poncho will only make you feel like a potato being steamed in a microwave. An umbrella will keep you reasonably dry, and you can stay as cool as possible. (One caveat: Giving the kids umbrellas might not be the greatest idea. Rugrat-height umbrellas can cause a lot of damage!)

Pack quick-drying clothes: There's a universe of moisture-wicking, quick-drying clothes out there. If you don't have any, look at sporting-goods specialty stores like REI. Plus, a lot of men's bathing suits can double as shorts -- for women as well as men. And hey, if it doesn't rain, you've got a wardrobe well-suited to riding Splash Mountain or Kali River Rapids all day long.

Pick your park carefully: If you're heading to Disney World, you have a lot of choices. Epcot has lots of places you can duck out of the rain for 20 or 30 minutes at a time (gorgeous movies at Canada, China and France, plus Ellen's Universe of Energy -- usually my nap-time destination). But it's a sprawling park, and you'll have to do a lot of walking between attractions. Hollywood Studios has its fair share of indoor attractions, but you might not get to see Lights, Motors, Action (metal bleachers are a lightening magnet). Magic Kingdom has the appeal of closely-spaced rides, so you don't have to walk far to get from one to the next. Animal Kingdom -- unless you're a real adventurer, just cross it off your list. It's the largest park in Disney World, and while you can go to some sheltered attractions, you won't have a lot of fun walking around to see the animals outdoors. Is your Disney trip on the other coast? I'd head for the Disneyland park -- it's much, much smaller than California Adventure.

Make a lunch reservation: Try to get a table at a sit-down restaurant at lunchtime so you can have a respite from the rain and you won't have to fight for a dry spot to eat. All of the parks have good options, although some of them can be hard to get into on short notice. Call for a reservation as soon as you make your plans for the day.

Go shopping: Not up for going to a park in the rain? Try Downtown Disney instead. Sure, it's a lot of walking, but you can linger in the shops all you like -- and maybe take in a movie or go to Disney Quest. If the kids are old enough to be on their own, drop them at Disney Quest and have a lingering lunch or take in a movie.

Rainy night got you down? Go see "La Nouba," the Cirque du Soleil show at Downtown Disney.

Whatever you do, as long as you keep your spirits up, you'll have fun. If you can embrace being a little damp, you'll even escape some of the normal crowds.

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Smile of The Day: Skull and Crossbones

A spooky look at The Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at The Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World.

                                                                                                                              © Steven Liebman

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Winner of the Disney Villain Face-Off Announced

She is the self-proclaimed "Mistress of All Evil." The Fearsome Fairy. The original Dragon Lady. And now, Maleficent is The Unofficial Disney Villain Face-Off winner.

Yes, you, our readers, have voted Maleficent as "The Baddest of All Bad"over The Evil Queen.

Seventy percent of those voted believed the villain from "Sleeping Beauty" was far more devious than The Evil Queen,

"Maleficent - she is truly the evil one," one voter wrote. "She's not just upset because someone is prettier than her, she's upset she didn't get invited to a party. And as far as transformations go... hag or dragon... really is there any comparison?!"

Another voter wrote: "I voted for Maleficent because I've always loved her as a villain...what's not to love about someone who can turn into a dragon? :-)"

Yes, turning into a dragon seems to be the key.

We started this contest off with 16 villains, from their narrowed it down to 8 and down to the Fearsome 4.

Here are the top four villains ranked by you:

1. Maleficent

2. The Evil Queen

3. Ursula

4. Scar

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We have a winner of the $25 Disney Gift Card Giveaway

We have a winner of the $25 Disney Gift Card Giveaway. Congratulations Kelly W.

I hoped you all had some fun voting.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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