Two Disney Parks Holiday Specials Coming to ABC This Season
Disney will continue with their tradition of holiday television specials by airing two separate events this year on ABC.
The first, “The Wonderful World of Disney: Magic Holiday Celebration” will air on November 30 from 9pm to 11pm. Julianne Hough and Nick Lachey will host the special from Walt Disney World, while Jesse Palmer will co-host the show from Disneyland Resort in California.
Specials performances will be made by:
- Ciara in a Christmas medley from Cinderella Castle.
- Darius Rucker, singing “Winter Wonderland.”
- Hit group, Fifth Harmony will sing “Can You See,” from “The Star” soundtrack, and “The Christmas Song.”
- Fitz and the Tantrums will perform “HandClap” and their original Christmas song “Santa Stole My Lady.”
- Hanson will sing “Finally It’s Christmas,” from their recently released Christmas album.
- Boy band In Real Life will sing “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.”
- Jason Derulo will perform “This Christmas.”
- Lea Michele will perform “Baby It’s Cold Outside.”
Disney will announce additional performances at a later date.
The second television holiday special, titled “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration,” will air on Christmas day from 10am to noon. Hough and Lachey will also be hosting the special, with Palmer once again co-hosting from Disneyland in California.
For “Disney Parks Magical Christmas Celebration” performances will be made by:
- Ciara will sing “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” from Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
- Darius Rucker singing “Home for The Holidays.”
- Fifth Harmony performing “Sleigh Ride.”
- Fitz and the Tantrums will be performing “Last Christmas.”
- Jason Derulo will sing “Silent Night” from Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland.
- ”Glee” star Michele will perform “Let It Snow.”
- 98 Degrees will play their new song “Season of Love” from their new holiday record.
- Telly Leung and Arielle Jacobs, from the stage show “Aladdin,” will perform “A Whole New World” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.
As with the first special, additional performances will be announced later.
Disney Parks Podcast Show #401 – An Interview With Keith Gluck From The Disney Project
Disney Parks Podcast Show #401 – An Interview With Keith Gluck From The Disney Project
In this episode, Tony and Parkhopper John talk with webmaster from The Disney Project and His up coming event here in Orlando and so much more!
Disney Parks Podcast Show #398 – An Interview With Former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World Resort Lee Cockerell
Disney Parks Podcast Show #398 – An Interview With Former Executive Vice President of Operations for the Walt Disney World® Resort Lee Cockerell
In this episode, Tony and Parkhopper John talk with Lee Cockerell about what its like leading Walt Disney World and so much more
Give Kids the World’s Once in a Lifetime Cinderella Castle Dream Suite Giveaway
ENTER NOW
Have you dreamt of stepping foot into the Cinderella Castle Dream Suite that sits four stories high overlooking Main Street, U.S.A. from one side and Fantasyland from the other? This magnificent suite features all of the comforts and conveniences of a luxury hotel and is located inside of Cinderella Castle at the Magic Kingdom. The features in the suite include rich décor and beautiful elements such as a cut-stone floor, mosaic art, rich, hardwood paneling, and stunning stained-glass windows.
As you may know, only a very select few will ever have the chance to step foot inside, let alone spend a night in the iconic Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World Resort. This once in a lifetime experience, you see, is not one that is for sale.
Today, we are sharing how you can have the chance to win this amazing experience from Give Kids the World and Disney!
By giving your support in the form of a donation to Give Kids the World, you and five guests will be entered to win:
- A dream-come-true night at the famed Cinderella Castle Suite at Walt Disney World Resort and 2-day Disney Park passes for each guest
- Feast on a fairy tale breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table
- Get flown to and from Orlando, courtesy of Give Kids The World Village
Give Kids The World Village is an incredible nonprofit organization that is located in Central Florida. This amazing resort grants weeklong, cost-free vacations to children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. The weeklong stay includes everything the families need, from meals to transportation, allowing these families to focus on having fun and being together.
Paddlefish Restaurant-A new take on an old favorite By Bill Iadonisi
Walt Disney left an amazing legacy to the world, more than most in history. But perhaps his lesser known gifts are his quotes and statements made over his storied career. (More akin to “Edicts”; when Walt spoke, like EF Hutton, everybody listens!) Two of his most important quotes, ones that the company adheres to this day are… “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world” and
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths”. Walt was never content to rest on his laurels and he detested sequels. His never wanted his park to become a museum, it was always to change with new and better entertainment for his guests. With this, many attractions, parades and shows have been re-imagined or replaced. This is the result of moving forward.
Case in point is the iconic Downtown Disney area. For more than thirty years, this shopping, dining and entertainment venue gave guests a place to come to enjoy some Disney magic out of the parks, and without the cost of a ticket. Previously billed as Lake Buena Vista Shopping Village, Walt Disney World Village, Disney Village Marketplace and Downtown Disney. Now it has been re-imagined into four distinct districts, 150 new tenants, with new upscale outlets and new eateries, and two parking garages, ending the struggle to find a parking space.
Some of the original restaurants have closed to make room for the new, or have shuttered to be renovated to blend into the new upscale landscape. One such guest favorite was the iconic Fulton’s Crab House. The eatery resided in a building replica of a riverboat Walt named after Lillian, his wife. The operators, Levy Restaurants have completed a stem to stern renovation, up and down, which now showcases a luxurious and modern sternwheel steamboat, with interior designs that Disney states reflects the “crisp luxury of modern yachting”.
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Recently, the restaurant hosted a limited seating, Rooftop Wine Dinner, the only eatery in Disney Springs to offer rooftop-level waterfront seating. This culinary event was hosted by Executive Chef Steve Richard. This event gave the lucky attendees a chance to experience the world-renowned offerings of Chef Richards, and the unique wine pairing selections from some of Italy and Spain’s eclectic wineries, but before I get into the evening, I got a rare chance to interview Chef Richards and Jimmy Kraus, the General Manager. I asked Chef Richards his take on the new theming of the restaurant and he said…” You can see that Disney Springs is very different than Downtown Disney was, the entire area was upgraded, activities, retail and different food and beverage options have been added, it was time to upgrade and move forward and bring it to the next level”. I asked if he worked at Fulton’s, and he stated…” I worked at Portabella’s for five years, now under construction, soon to become Terralina’s”. “Since then, I have been the area chef for Levy Restaurants at Disney Springs, and my oversite included Fulton’s and recently been focused as the executive chef at Paddlefish”.
I then asked if the new menu would resemble the old Fulton’s, and Steve replied…” We were careful to preserve some of the favorite items from Fulton’s because it was a staple brand from Downtown Disney and we didn’t want to leave the old fans of Fulton’s behind, so there are a number of things we’ve kept, including lobster corn dogs, a terrific appetizer item, a fantastic crab cake dish with Maque choux. We still have three species of crab that we steam, Snow crab, Queen crab and King crab, which were a pillar of the Fulton’s menu. In addition to steaming the crabs, we now serve them from the seafood boil kitchen, which is a new kitchen, not found at Fulton’s”
I asked Chef Richards if he could elaborate on the different species of crab, and he summed up with…” King Crab is the largest of the three, Queen Crab is also known as Beardi Crab, and two main species of Snow Crab, one called Opilio, and the larger one, more prized is the Queen Crab”. I than asked what is a guest favorite, and he replied…” The Snow crab is the most popular, because people are most familiar with it” “But the best crab, if you are going to have one bite of crab; the Beardi, or Queen crab is the one I recommend. It’s not as large as the King crab, but much sweeter”
Is the seafood served local, I asked? “Some of it is local, since we opened we served Mahi Mahi from the waters of Florida, to Hawaiian Opah, from the Pacific” I asked who designed the new menu, and Steve said…”I was certainly involved in the development of the new menu, and we worked with a talented group of people who worked together to get the menu where it is today” “In fact we changed it a few times since we opened in February”. How often do you anticipate changing the menu? “Since opening, we have changed the menu approximately once a month, not fully, but a few items, we are listening to what our guests tell us, what they like and what they would like to see”. “We recently added several new sandwiches, we added a blackened catfish sandwich for the lunch menu, and for dinner a terrific buffalo chicken sandwich and a Cajun chicken sandwich and chicken Caesar wrap”
Asking about the major differences between lunch and dinner menus, Chef Richards replied…” There is a lot of overlap between the two. There are more sandwiches available for lunch, and several lighter entrée salads for the daytime” “There is a considerable part of the dinner menu for lunchtime, so no matter what time you come, there will always be something to please the guests” And what about landlubber crowd I asked…” We have two steaks on the menu, filet mignon and a prime New York strip, nicely marbled which is served with saluted mushrooms. We also offer a pork chop with applesauce, also available is a terrific burger, a proprietary blend of brisket and chop, served with pimento cheese, red onion on a brioche bun” I inquired about the wine list, and Steve said…”Jimmy (Manager Jimmy Kraus) worked very hard on the wine list, and we have an unique list of wines for our guests” Manager Jimmy chimed in and said…”Our servers are trained in making suggestions for wine choices for our guests, and we have three wine stewards in the building, all sommelier certified”
So, from my brief interview, you can see that the new Paddlefish is in capable, confident hands. So, let’s talk about the four-course tasting wine dinner that evening. Held on the restaurants rooftop deck, my wife and I strolled around the top deck before things began and were struck by the amazing 360deg views of Disney Springs. The Décor is modernist with a lean towards the nautical. The rooms are nicely appointed and give an airy, outdoor feeling. We started our appetizer selection with warm skewers in a small glass, of grilled shrimp and lemongrass, followed by Thai glazed Louisiana broiler claws. Both offerings were flavorful with just the right hint of spices. The vino served was Contratto extra Brut, a wonderful compliment to the food.
After the reception, the group walked forward to an interior dining room/bar, with an outside area, complete with a dozen white, high-boy tables, if you wanted to take in the view of Disney Springs while imbibing on your favorite libation. It was before the first course while at our table the group was introduced to Chef Steve Richards, Manager Jimmy Kraus, and the rest of the crew. Notable, Trey our wine sommelier was introduced, and he was on hand to explain all the wine offerings served with each course. First up, Yellow-fin tuna Crudo with avocado mousse, miso soy glaze and Snracha emulsion. Sommelier’ choice…Gramona Gessami Blanco, which went well with the tuna and accompaniments.
The second course was a velvety smooth Plant City cream corn bisque, King Crab toasted bread center and chive oil. The soup had a huge depth of flavor, and the King Crab bread center melted in your mouth. The wine, Monte Carbonare Soave, was another perfect choice that Trey selected. Our Third course was my favorite, because I simply love lamb and octopus, and because my wife is not a fan either selection, I sampled two servings! The lamb was cooked to perfection and you could cut it with your fork, and the octopus, which I know from personal experience, is very hard to cook just right…Too much and it’s chewy like gum, too little, mushy and not very appetizing. However, the chef got it down perfect, it was done to perfection, and the marmalade and mint gremolata were the perfect sidekicks. Wine pairing for this course…Mocali Brunello de Montalcino. For myself, this wine was a bit bold for my palate.
The fourth course was dessert. White chocolate and Passionfruit mousse, and a Ginger Florintine cookie. This was my wife’s favorite course, dessert. This dessert was heavenly! The chocolate and Passionfruit complimented each other perfectly, the ginger cookie made a nice ending. The wine for the dessert course was Poire Prisonniere, a specialty brandy with a real pear in the bottle. The brandy was very good, as brandies go, but neither myself or Donna drink brandy, but our fellow diners said it was top notch!
There you have it. The new and improved former Fulton’s Crab House, now re-named and re-imagined as the Paddlefish Restaurant is in the very capable and competent hands of Head Chef Steve Richards and Manager Jimmy Kraus. This four-course Wine Dinner was a little tease of what to expect at the new eatery. With Chef Richards at the helm in the kitchen, offering fresh eclectic menu choices, along with some old favorites, and a rooftop scenic dining area, the only one in Disney Springs, Paddlefish will continue to be the top pick on every Guests list to dine.
Paddlefish is at 1670 Buena Vista Dr.
Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830 407-934-2628
Sunday -Thursday 11:30am-11:00pm
Friday-Saturday 11:30am-12:00am
Rooftop Deck Live Music Every Friday & Saturday 9pm – Midnight
The Incomparable Wally Boag By Bill Iadonisi
Here’s a quick trivia question…According to the Guinness Book of World Records, what theatrical presentation has the greatest number of performances in history? The answer is…” Disney’s Golden Horseshoe Revue” And the actor, comedienne and star of this production was none other than Wallace Vincent “Wally” Boag. By the time Wally retired, he had performed in nearly 40,000 productions of the Horseshoe Revue. Wally was born in Portland Oregon on September 13th, 1920 to Evelyn and Wallace B. Boag. At an early age, Wally loved dancing and at the tender age of nine, joined a professional dance team; and eventually founded his own dance school. But he gravitated at age 19 towards what would be his trademark in show business, comedy. He was a natural, with almost perfect comedic timing. He began performing in theaters and nightclubs, in this country and worldwide. As a tribute to his skill, he graced the stages of the Tivoli Theaters in Australia and New Zealand, Radio City Music Hall in New York City and the Palladium in London.
And it was at the Starlight Roof in the London Hippodrome that, during his magic and balloon act, he brought out a 12-year-old girl, future Disney star Julie Andrews to assist with the act. Her singing voice so astounded the audience she was kept in the show. Wally’s beginning with Walt Disney and the Golden Horseshoe Revue came about in the 1950’s with Boag performing in revues in Australia, met English actor and tenor Donald Novis. Novis liked what he saw in Boag and got Walt Disney to let him audition for the new show. Novis was the Horseshoe Revue’s first tenor. The 45-minute stage show was written for Walt by American jazz pianist and bandleader Charles LaVere and American songwriter, composer, and screenwriter, Tom Adair.
The show was a success from the beginning. Wally portrayed Pecos Bill, a traveling Salesman in the old west; with a spirited, fast-paced comedy act, besieged with squirt guns, (Which he “blasted” the audience’ with!) and old vaudevillian “slapstick” humor. He always seemed to spit out an endless quantity of broken teeth and would create colorful animals out of balloons, which he gave the moniker, “Boagaloons”. Boag once quipped that “My longest job before the Golden Horseshoe Revue was 54 weeks. And to think it all began with a two-week contract I signed with Walt Disney when the park opened.”
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Wally quickly became one of Walt’s favorite comedy actors. Before the Revue, in 1945 he won a contract with Metro-Goldwyn Mayer, appearing in such films as Without Love, starring Spencer Tracy and Katharine Hepburn, and The Thrill of Romance, with Esther Williams. In addition to his performances in the Golden Horseshoe Revue, because of Walt’s admiration of Boag, did everything he could to broaden his career at Disneyland. Some of the many contributions of Boag to Disneyland was voicing Jose in the “Enchanted Tiki Room” and also contributed to the script for the attraction. Wally was also involved in the development of the Haunted Mansion in Disneyland. In addition, Boag often toured and consulted on special projects and promotions for The Walt Disney Company. In 1980, he entertained audiences around the country during a 28-day, 20-city tour promoting the re-release of Disney’s animated classic Lady and the Tramp. He also traveled to Japan to help translate material for the opening of Tokyo Disneyland in 1983. Wally published his memoir, Wally Boag, Clown Prince of Disneyland, in 2009.
In Disney films, Walt has scripted small roles for Boag in the Absent-Minded Professor and the Son of Flubber. Walt had also intended to have Boag voice Tigger in Winnie the Pooh. During a story meeting for Pooh and the Bluster Day, Walt believed that Wally would be perfect for the role. But, sadly Walt passed away in December of 1966, and although Wally auditioned for the Tigger role, in the end it went to actor Paul Winchell. The last Disney production that Wally had a role, was a cameo in the Love Bug. He also made a guest appearance on The Muppet Show as himself in 1980, but that was the end in Disney films. However, his original Golden Horseshoe performance was showcased in 1980 on the Danny Kay TV special that was celebrating the 25th anniversary of Disneyland. Wally got to host a 1981 episode of the Muppet Show, performing several skits of his “Pecos Bill” routine.
1971, Boag revived his Pecos Bill character for the newly opened Walt Disney World and re-imagined the show into the faster, funnier Diamond Horseshoe Revue. Three years later he returned to Disneyland and finished his career there, retiring in 1982. The Golden Horseshoe Revue closed in 1986. In 1995, Boag was inducted as a Disney Legend and has his own window on Main Street in Disneyland above the Carnation Company. The inscription reads… “Theatrical Agency… Golden Vaudeville Routines… Wally Boag, Prop.”
The famous and iconic building and stage that Wally performed on was the Golden Horseshoe Stage. (During construction, it was described as Pecos Bill’s Golden Horseshoe Saloon) It debuted in 1955 with some original attractions at Disneyland. The “saloon” is located in Frontierland and has a colorful view of the Rivers of America, New Orleans Square and part of Critter Country. The interior of the saloon was designed by Imagineer Harper Goff. He also designed a saloon set for the movie Calamity Jane starring Doris Day. Goff at the time was also designing exteriors for buildings on Main Street, USA when asked to work on this project. The first “unofficial” use of the stage was on July 13, 1955. It was Walt and Lillian’s 30th Wedding Anniversary, and Walt utilized it for a private party with friend and family for the celebration. It had the premiere of the Original Golden Horseshoe Revue.
Wally’s first official appearance and performance of Pecos Bill was on Saturday, July 16th, 1955 as the Golden Horseshoe opened a day early for a corporate sponsors private party. On July 17th, 1955, the first show to open on stage was Slue Foot Sue’s Golden Horseshoe Revue. The show ran for a record 40,000 times. One of the key highlights of the show was when the children in the audience got to sing and dance on the stage. The favorite song was “Davy Crockett”. The show played from July 17th, 1955 until October 12th, 1986. In addition to Wally Boag, it starred Ron Schneider, Judy Marsh, Betty Taylor, Fulton Burley, Jack Watson, Burt Henry and many others. Saloon owner Slue Foot Sue and her entourage would welcome the audience with “Hello Everybody” and follow up with classic songs such as “Riverboat Blues”, “A Lady has to mind her P’s and Q’s and then introduce the performances of Wally Boag and others. The show would be interjected by Pecos Bill, singing his self-titled signature song. Over the years, the building has housed numerous stage shows, and now it currently plays Laughing Stock and Company seven days a week.
In a tribute to Wally Boag and his longtime partner Betty Taylor, who played Slue Foot Sue, his one-stage sweetheart, Disney announced a limited show run entitled “A Salute to the Golden Horseshoe Revue” was a tribute to the family musical shows of the past. It ran from January 10th to February 4th, 2013. It showcased many dance routines and songs from the original Revue, as “Can Can”, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”, “Hello Everybody” and “Belly up to the Bar”.
Wally Boag and Betty Taylor shared a stage at Disneyland five days a week for nearly three decades. Taylor was born on October 7th, 1919 in Seattle Washington. She, like Wally got the show business bug at an early age, taking dance lessons at 3 years old. By the time, she was 14, she performed in nightclubs around the country and led her own band called Betty and her Beaus at 18 years old, which included 16 male musicians and performed at the Trianon Ballroom in Seattle. While in Los Angeles, Taylor heard about auditions for a performer at Disneyland, applied and got the job. After nearly 45,000 performances in which she appeared as the charming, energetic blonde in the role of Pecos Bill’s sweetie, she never lost her enthusiasm for the role. Betty retired from the Golden Horseshoe Revue in 1987.
But the deaths of both these beloved and iconic performers makes one pause and reflect. Wally Boag passed away on June 3, 2011 in Santa Monica California. And as if to say “I’ll always be your sweetheart”, Betty Taylor passed on June 4th, 2011, just one day after Wally. George Kalogridis, then president of Disneyland Resort stated…”Wally was instrumental in the development of live entertainment during the early years of both Disneyland Park and Walt Disney World Resort,” Kalogridis said. “His characters will continue to live in the hearts of our guests, while his larger-than-life personality will forever make him the true Clown Prince of Disneyland.
After the Death of Betty, Kalogridis stated… “Betty’s role as leading lady in Disneyland’s Golden Horseshoe Revue helped turn it into the longest-running stage show in entertainment history” `’It is a tragic coincidence that her passing comes just one day after the death of longtime co-star Wally Boag.”
Wally Boag influenced generations of performers, most notable of whom is Steve Martin. Martin studied Boag’s humor and timing while working at Disneyland as a teenager. On June 3, 2011, after Boag’s passing Steve Martin proclaimed on Twitter “My hero, the first comedian I ever saw live, my influence, a man to whom I aspired, has passed on. Wally Boag.
Wally Boag will continue to entertain in the minds of Disney fans worldwide, those who were fortunate enough to see him perform live. He and his fellow performers are a testament to Walt Disney and his dedication to bringing to the masses, the best in family entertainment and amusement.
Disney Parks Podcast Show #387 – An Interview With Ken Kebow Creator of the Documentry “The Whimsical Imagineer”
Disney Parks Podcast Show #387 – An Interview With Ken Kebow Creator of the Documentry “The Whimsical Imagineer”
In this episode, Tony and Parkhopper John interview Ken Kebow and talk about the making of the whimsical Imagineer who is Disney legend Rolly Crump and so much more
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