I was checking out Disney World videos over on YouTube ... and came across the most delightful video! WEDisney has put together a great montage of photographs to the music "It's A Wonderful World." Take a look...

If you come across a YouTube video about Disney World, send me a note... Maybe it will be our next featured video!

Well, it's official... We're all getting more chances to spend the night in Cinderella's Castle, the highlight of every Disney World map and loved by millions!

The Disney team has announced that the Year of A Million Dreams is being extended through 2008. That means the daily prize awards in the parks will continue through then, but few details on whether some of the other programs will continue. Of course, the most covered prize is a night in Cinderella's castle!

There's one more special treat for Annual Passholders... another chance to win a night in Cinderella's Castle this year. To enter, send a 3-by-5-inch or 4-by-6-inch photograph of you (or you and your family) "experiencing a Disney Dream come true in one of the Walt Disney World Theme Parks" and a completed entry form to this address by September 30, 2007:

Passholder Dreams Photo Contest
PO Box 1000
Lake Buena Vista FL 32820

Download the official entry form on this Disney World web page.

Your entry must be postmarked by 5:00 PM September 30. The grand prize includes one night in Cinderella's Castle on November 8, dinner for two at Cinderella's Royal Castle, selected merchandise and $500 for travel expenses if you live more than 150 miles from Disney World. There will be four "first place" prizes of $200 gift cards.

One sticky little rule: You must have been a Passholder on July 31 in order to be eligible. To read more, visit the Passholder Dreams Photo Contest page on the official Disney World web site.

This just in from Walt Disney World ....

"LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Aug. 9, 2007) -- In the Walt Disney World theme park famous for all things Hollywood, it's curtain up on the launch of new attractions, new looks, new breakthrough experiences...

"...and a brand-new name.

"Disney-MGM Studios will be renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios, effective January 2008, announced Meg Crofton, president of Walt Disney World Resort.

"'The new name reflects how the park has grown from representing the golden age of movies to a celebration of the new entertainment that today's Hollywood has to offer -- in music, television, movies and theater,' she said."

A name change had been anticipated for some time... so this announcement answers a few questions. The news release had a few other tidbits:

I was bouncing around the Internet today and discovered Eventful.com . How cool... It's "the world's largest collection of events." I poke around a bit, and it's got some cool features. (Actually I discovered it while reading Wil Wheaton's blog entry about the Star Trek convention this weekend .)

So I searched for the Orlando area and found some great listings. Of interest to Disney World fans are these venues...

I just realized that I never posted a link to a great lens on Mouseopolis ! Barrie has done a wonderful page about Expedition Everest . Here's an excerpt...

Expedition Everest, at Walt Disney World's Animal Kingdom park, is a perilous journey aboard a runaway train through the Himalayan mountains. Adventurous riders push deep into the lair of the feared yeti, guardian of the forbidden mountain. En route, they encounter torn tracks, spiral backwards through the fog into an ice cavern and dart into and out of the mountain on this high-speed roller coaster adventure.

And here's a menu of what you will find...

• Fun Facts
• Take a Ride on Expedition Everest (YouTube video)
• Souvenirs (link to Ebay shop)
  
• and much more.

Go take a look... Just watch out for the Yeti!

From a news release posted today on the US Marine Corp Public Affairs web site:

Military families who are unable to travel to a base to buy specially priced Walt Disney World Theme Park tickets have a new option. Retired and active military personnel are now able to purchase these specially priced tickets over the phone.

"Many military families don't live near a base. We wanted to make sure they were able to take advantage of the savings on Disney Theme Park tickets without having to travel for hours to their nearest base," said Randy Gerber, Disney Military Sales director.

Disney Military Sales has offered discounted tickets to military families for over 20 years. Discounted tickets for qualifying military families may be purchased via mail-order by calling the Navy ITT Office Orlando at (407) 855-0116, or Naval Station San Diego at (619) 556-2173.

If you're ready for a real adventure, check out the new Grand 1 yacht sailing on the Seven Seas Lagoon ant Bay Lake near the Magic Kingdom. It's a 52-foot Sea Ray yacht, seven feet longer than the "old" Grand 1. You can book voyages for the morning, afternoon and evening. Rates begin at $450 per hour (plus required tax and any tips you might add) for up to 18 passengers. Dining and butler service are available for additional fees.

Of course, the obvious question is this... Why book a cruise? Specialty cruises are very popular at Walt Disney World. The Grand 1 is largest in the fleet. Other watercraft hold only 12 guests, so if you have a large group, such as your family reunion, the Grand 1 is definitely the way to go.

Want to know more? Call 407-824-2682 for details on booking.

Thanks to the Tourism Central Florida blog at the Orlando Sentinel for letting us all know about this upgrade.

It's that time of year... when football fans start celebrating. Training camps have begun... and if you're either a Tamp Bay Bucs fan or just happen to be at Disney World in the new few weeks, head over to the Wide World of Sports!

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are back this summer for their sixth year of training camp at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex. Sessions officially began on Friday (that's July 27 for those reading this post later) and continue through Thursday, August 16.

You can watch practice for free... Just go to the Wide World of Sports, located near the Pop Century Resort. My recommendation (as always) is to use Disney transportation. You should be able to catch a bus directly to the Wide World of Sports Complex from Disney-MGM Studios.

Here's the schedule as posted on the Bucs' web site :

Wow, talk about a fun event coming up! If you're into pin trading and plan to be at Disney World in early September, make plans to attend Disney's Pin Celebration 2007 at Epcot.

The event, which runs Sept. 7-9, costs $90 per person (plus your admission to Epcot). Here's what is included:

• Opportunity to pre-purchase Limited Edition pins designed especially for this event.
• "Purchase with Purchase" pin promotion for event Guests only featuring exclusive pins.
• Trading activities and games at World ShowPlace located at Epcot.
• Limited Edition commemorative gifts.
• Live and silent auctions of pre-production pins, artist proof pins and more.
• Be the first to collect brand new Hidden Mickey pins featuring new designs.
• Opportunity to meet Disney Pin Partners from The Walt Disney Company.
• Two $15 Gift Cards redeemable at Epcot® Food and Beverage locations.
• Plus extra special surprises throughout the event.

Looks like that's going to be a busy weekend... and I'm going to be there! The Night of Joy will be Friday, September 7, and Saturday, September 8. Read more on the Disney World web site.

Just added to Mouseopolis on Squidoo ... a complete guide to Star Tours at Disney-MGM Studios. I really enjoy building Squidoo pages, and it's a great way to organize the basic information about Disney World attractions in one place.

Here's the introduction:

On the far side of Echo Lake, at the end of Commissary Lane at Disney-MGM Studios is proof that movies can come to life! It's a dream come true for Star Wars fans... a ride to the moon of Endor.

Actually, it's Star Tours, a space journey in a 40-seat advanced flight simulator created by Disney Imagineers and Star Wars creator George Lucas. It's the ultimate "Star Wars" adventure.

"I have a very bad feeling about this..."

Do you have a favorite attraction at Disney World? Come build a Squidoo page, and get a free copy of the EZ Fun Guide to Walt Disney World eBook.