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Last few weeks to see the Princess Di exhibit at Downtown Disney

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You only have a few more weeks to see the Princess Diana exhibit at Downtown Disney. The showcase of artifacts and information about the life of Princess Diana will be closing at the end of November. Diana – The People’s Princess features a sampling of the royal dresses she chose to auction for charity and hundreds of authentic artifacts relating to her life.

My wife Jackie and I recently had a chance to tour the exhibit. She’s a fan of Princess Di. Here are her thoughts:

dsc02939“On the day Princess Diana died, I was taking care of my grandmother who had just had a stroke. I was moved to tears the moment I heard the news.

“I loved pretending I was a princess when I was younger. Part of the magic of Princess Diana was that she was a real princess and everyone could see how a real princess lived. I’m writing this on the anniversary of her death, just a few days after seeing the Princess Diana exhibit at Downtown Disney. I was deeply moved by the experience.

“Just like many people, I was in awe of her. She accomplished so much but died too soon. I loved looking at the many different displays. The dresses were the best part. She was so elegant. I loved seeing all the detail. You can just imagine how many wonderful events she attended in those dresses.

“I took my time through the exhibit and read all of the captions by her pictures and her hand-written letters. I even learned a few things I didn’t know. It was a great way to personally share in the celebration of her life. It’s nice that part of the proceeds go to breast cancer awareness. With all the good things she did during her life, it’s great to know good things are still being done in her name. For me, the exhibit was totally worth seeing.”

While visiting, Exhibit Manager Paul Joiner told us a story about a mother who visited with her daughter so she could tell her about a real princess. But the mother forgot to tell the young daughter that Princess Diana had passed on. The daughter was in tears when she reached the end of the exhibit and saw the memorial area. Seeing the anguish on the daughter’s face, of course, made the mother cry. When she relayed the story to the staff, they were all moved to tears, as was I when I heard the story.

For the rest of the exhibit’s run at Downtown Disney, they’re running a special. Adults can now get in for $10, lowered form the regular $14.50. Kids tickets are $5.

There’s no word on what will move into the space next. But we have heard a remodel of the entire inside of the building and some cosmetics work on the outside are planned.

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Photos: A look at Disney by helicopter

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We had a chance to go up in a helicopter today during the grand opening of the Waldorf Astoria and Hilton Orlando Bonnet Creek.

The property the two hotels sit on is surrounded by Disney World on three sides. So in addition to giving us a birds-eye view of the hotel property, we were able to see some of the local Disney areas. Here are some of our photos:

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Starabilias memorabilia store at Downtown Disney closes

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dsc01704The Starabilias memorabilia store at Downtown Disney West Side recently closed their doors for good. The long-time tenant was rumored to be possibly closing because of the many sales they’ve been having.

The Starabilias Web site is still active and still lists its Orlando location. Calls and e-mails to the company have gone unanswered.

Starabilias is the second store to close this year at Downtown Disney West Side. Earlier this year, the Virgin Megastore closed. Its large location currently houses a Princess Diana Exhibit. That exhibit is scheduled to run through Nov. 30, 2009.

There’s no word what will ultimately replace the Virgin Megastore or Starabilias locations.

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Video: Princess Diana exhibit open at Downtown Disney

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Hundreds of royal artifacts are on view in “DIANA – The People’s Princess,” a limited-time experience showcasing the life and story of Diana, Princess of Wales – open now at Downtown Disney West Side.

The exhibition, in the former Virgin Megastore location, includes royal dresses Diana chose to auction for charity, photos and personal effects. “DIANA – The People’s Princess” will be on display through Nov. 30, 2009. Tickets may be purchased at the exhibit – $14.50 for ages 10 and older, $5 for ages 3-9.

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Princess Diana Exhibit coming to former Downtown Disney Virgin Megastore location in July

Formerly Virgin MegaStore

If you were wondering what would become of the former home of the Virgin Megastore at Downtown Disney, wonder no longer. 

Beginning in early July, the People’s Princess Charitable Foundation, Inc. (PPCF) is bringing a new exhibit of royal artifacts called “DIANA–The People’s Princess” to that location. The limited-time experience showcases the life and story of Princess Diana, including a sampling of the royal dresses she chose to auction for charity and hundreds of authentic artifacts relating to her life.

The exhibit will consume the 17,500-square-foot former retail store and will feature:

  • The stories of Diana’s own childhood and ancestry and how that lineage was influential in her selection as the future bride of HRH Charles, The Prince of Wales, the future King of England.
  • Her magical royal wedding which was viewed by over 750 million people from around the globe; her favorite role as “mum” to princes William and Harry.
  • Kensington Palace, the royal residence where Diana lived from the moment she became the Princess of Wales until her death and which today plays an active role in preserving her charitable legacy.
  • The historical significance of her role as Princess of Wales and the impact she had through that role on the fashion industry and charitable landscape.
  • How at the Christie’s “Sale of The Century,” 79 of Diana’s royal dresses were sold to benefit charities which helped position her as an astute philanthropist.
  • Her untimely passing and the massive media and public interest in the tragedy.
  • The charitable impact still being recognized through her gowns and personal effects.

Some of the items on display will be:

  • Royal Doulton figurine of Diana in her wedding dress – Made in 1981 at the time of the royal wedding, the doll is wearing an exact replica of the famous wedding dress.
  • The Black Velvet “V” Neck – Designed by Bruce Oldfield and worn by Diana for her official royal portrait in 1985.
  • Wedding Breakfast booklet – Contains guest names and two tickets to observe the bride and bridegroom before and following the wedding ceremony in the quadrangle at Buckingham Palace and Clarence House.
  • Three-foot doll of Diana as a young girl – Released by the Great American Doll Company in 1998 as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales.

Unlike Virgin MegaStore, you will need to purchase a separate admission to the “DIANA–The People’s Princess” exhibit.

Prices will be $14.50 (ages 10 and above), $5 (ages 3-9). The exhibition will be through Nov. 30, 2009. Hours are 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily.

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See Cirque du Soleil set a stilt walking record at Downtown Disney

Some of the stilt walkers practicing at Downtown Disney. Photo courtesy of facebook.com/LaNouba
Some of the stilt walkers practicing at Downtown Disney. Photo courtesy of facebook.com/LaNouba

Five years after setting the first Guinness World Record for the most people simultaneously walking on stilts, Cirque du Soleil will reclaim the title in honor of its 25th anniversary. Cirque du Soleil will be holding stilt walking events in Orlando, Las Vegas, Nev., New York, N.Y., Montréal (Canada), Fortaleza (Brazil), Lisbon (Portugal), Macau (China), Nagoya (Japan), and Tokyo (Japan) on Tuesday, June 16, 2009.

The company is organizing public events, including in the streets of Québec, where it all started back in the days of the Échassiers de Baie-Saint-Paul (the Baie-Saint-Paul Stiltwalkers), a street theatre group founded by La Nouba Director of Creation, Gilles Ste-Croix. In the spring of 1980, Ste-Croix walked 56 miles on tall stilts from Baie-Saint-Paul to Québec City to raise money for a group of street performers that would soon influence the founding of Cirque du Soleil.

To honor this momentous occasion and the roots of Cirque du Soleil, the cast and crew of La Nouba, along with Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, invite the people of Orlando and visitors to witness the stilt walk. The event takes place from 4 to 4:30 p.m. outside the La Nouba theatre at Downtown Disney. The mayor will be on hand to proclaim June 16 ‘Cirque du Soleil Day’ in Orlando.

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Photos: Paradiso 37 restaurant opens in Pleasure Island

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Here are a few pictures of the new Paradiso 37 restaurant that opened today in Pleasure Island at Downtown Disney. The lakeside eatery offers a variety of menu offerings representing the 37 countries of the Americas, plus an international wine bar, 37 varieties of tequila and 10 signature frozen margaritas. They are open until midnight during the week and until 1 a.m. on weekends.

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Photos from the Downtown Disney balloon ride at night

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I finally got a chance to go up in the Characters in Flight balloon at Downtown Disney at night. I’d been up twice before during the day and got some great pictures, but I wanted to see the view at night. It was a particularly neat time to go, not just because it was dark outside, but because I had just finished watching the movie “Up” in 3D at the theater near by. (The movie was great.)

The top photo is looking up at the balloon from the que area. That’s the moon in the corner of the picture. [Read more…]

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Characters in Flight Balloon Video, Photos, and that Pesky Wind

The Characters in Flight helium balloon ride at Downtown Disney officially opened on April 21, 2009.

The balloon, operated by Aerophile, takes up to thirty guests 400 feet in the air for around five minutes, providing 360-degree views of all of Walt Disney World and the surrounding Orlando area.

One of the most-discussed aspects of Characters in Flight so far has been the fact that medium-to-high winds (which often feel like nothing more than a nice breeze) can ground the balloon for an unspecified amount of time. Until a couple of days ago, the attraction seemed to be closed more than it was open. Even on its official opening day, invited media were unable to ride due to the winds.

However, the winds have calmed down over the last couple of days and by 1 p.m. yesterday, Aerophile had already taken over 300 guests up into the skies above Walt Disney World.

But Orlando certainly has its fair share of windy days, so to help you figure out if a trip to Downtown Disney to take a ride on Characters of Flight is a good choice, we’ve included a handy wind watcher on our new Characters in Flight guide. The wind speed and direction are gathered from a meter located at the Reedy Creek fire station, just down the road from Downtown Disney, so you can get the most accurate wind information possible before venturing out.

So how far can you see when you’re 400 feet in the air? You can easily spot Spaceship Earth at Epcot, the Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, the Contemporary Resort, Space Mountain at the Magic Kingdom, and even downtown Orlando in the distance – normally a 30-40 minute drive away from Walt Disney World.

For a better idea, check out this panoramic photo shot by Orlando Attractions Magazine photographer Matt Roseboom while up in the balloon. Be sure to click on the image below to open a larger version in our photo gallery.

In attendance at the Characters in Flight grand opening were vice president of Downtown Disney Kevin Lansberry, general manager of Aerophile Erik Garcia, vice president of operating partners Keith Bradford, and 2009 Walt Disney World ambassador Vanessa Rosas.

To hear what they had to say about the new high-flying attraction at the ribbon-cuttong ceremony as well as learn a few interesting facts about the balloon and see the sights from 400 feet in the air, watch this video:

You can also download a copy of this video in our Video section, in both standard- and 720p high-definition.

For more great Characters in Flight pictures, visit our photo gallery here. And if you know anyone who is going to attempt to take a ride, be sure to send them to our Characters in Flight guide first to check the wind speed.

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