Today’s Hidden Mickey Monday is from the Magic Kingdom dock on the Seven Seas Lagoon.    This is an easy Mickey to spot as long as you are looking over the side of the ferry boat as you rush to the entrance of the Magic Kingdom.    The ferry boats are 120 feet long and 35 feet wide.   They can carry up to 650 passengers and no they are not on a track.

Are you a member of D23?   If not you will soon be able to join at no cost.   This free membership will not include the magazine but it will give you access to the D23.com website and it’s wealth of information which will be expanding with this announcement.   The free membership will also include the ability to purchase exclusive merchandise and get discounted D23 Expo tickets.   We truly enjoy having the magazine sitting on our coffee table, but this new membership level will be a welcomed addition to the D23 program.

The Detailed Press Release follows …….

(May 16, 2013) On June 17, D23: The Official Disney Fan Club, will launch a massive reimagining of its D23.com website, opening up the wonderful worlds of Disney like never before to its members. The site will provide access to newly digitized content that delves deeply into The Walt Disney Company’s vault of material, past and present, along with exclusive glimpses of the future. The new gated content will be free to current D23 Members; plus D23 is launching a new free level of membership, which will include access to this incredible content. D23.com will continue to offer the latest Disney news free to all guests who visit the site. But D23 Members can unlock even more magic in each section by logging in and accessing content whenever a golden key is shown.

“We’re creating a unique destination that celebrates, in all respects, the essence of Disney,” says Steven Clark, head of D23. “We believe the new site will offer one of the most engaging Disney experiences yet—with even more to come in the future. We look forward to debuting the new D23.com to our current members as well as to new ones from around the world.”

The reimagined D23.com will feature exclusive celebrity interviews; vintage film clips; rarely seen artwork and photography; treasures from the Walt Disney Archives; behind-the-scenes previews of new movies and theme park attractions; and more.

Website highlights at launch will include:

• 23 Questions We enhance our popular feature with audio interviews with Once Upon A Time star Ginnifer Goodwin who reveals her Disney favorites—and what she’s looking forward to in the next season of the hit ABC show. Plus an exclusive  with Phineas and Ferb’s popular “evil mastermind” Dr. Heinz Doofenschmirtz, who talks about his truly devious plans… and Christmas.
• D’scovered – Treasures unearthed by the Walt Disney Archives. In the coming weeks the Archives will share extremely rare imagery from the proposed Mickey Mouse Park, a concept which evolved into Disneyland; spine-tingling alternative dialogue for the Haunted Mansion penned by Disney Legend X. Atencio; the illustrated story script for “The Karnival Kid,” the 1929 short in which Mickey Mouse first speaks; and a very special memento created for Walt by legendary artist Salvador Dali.
•  Disney A to Z – A complete and newly-updated electronic version of the definitive Disney encyclopedia with more than 7,000 entries written by Dave Smith, founder and Chief Archivist Emeritus of the Walt Disney Archives.
• D23 Presents– A deeper dive into all parts of Disney from the opening of Mystic Manor in Hong Kong Disneyland to rarely seen footage of the former Disney Studio on Hyperion Avenue.
• Disney Legends and the Walt Disney Archives Two new microsites; Disney Legends will provide a deeper look at those who’ve made significant contributions to the Disney legacy, and the Archives site will open up the doors of this venerable institution so D23 can share more of The Walt Disney Company’s expansive collections.

In addition, new departments and sections include: Weird Disney, looking at some of the more unusual and outrageous pieces of Disney’s past; Characters, profiling the most beloved characters from television, film and comics with concept art and complete biographies; The Quotable Walt Disney, a digitized version of the out-of-print book featuring some of Walt’s most enduring words; Ask a Legend, a video feature in which Disney Legends like Marty Sklar answer fans questions; First Look, which gives members a glimpse into what’s new and what’s next including Monsters University; Attraction Rewind, celebrating the beloved attractions of Disney’s past which once delighted theme park guests; and Muppetology, which opens up the Muppet-acular universe of our fuzzy friends. D23’s popular video series Armchair Archivist and Disney Geek will also return with all-new episodes.

And that’s just the beginning—on launch day, D23.com will reveal even more surprises.

 D23 Free Membership will include:

• Members-Only Website Content: Access to all exclusive content on D23.com.
• Exclusive Merchandise: D23 offers its members access to exclusive, limited-edition merchandise and collectibles.
• Subscription to Weekly D23 FanFare E-newsletter with breaking news and special offers. (You may opt out of receiving FanFare after your first e-newsletter arrives.)
• Discounted tickets to the D23 Expo 2013: The Ultimate Disney Fan Event (For more information click here.)

Today’s Hidden Mickey Monday is from Animal Kingdom, more specifically Conservation Station at Rafiki’s Planet Watch.   This hidden Mickey is super easy to spot and right at kids eye level so it’s always fun to see how excited the kids get when they spot it.   If you are at Animal Kingdom, be sure to take a little time out of your day and jump aboard the Wildlife Express Train and visit Conservation Station along with Affection Section.   Here you get a look at animal care and behind the scenes activities required to keep the animals at Animal Kingdom healthy and happy.   Oh and you can pet some goats too.

Hey guys, looking for that perfect gift to get that special someone.  And don’t forget Mother’s Day!   This new LeSportSac medium weekender is that perfect gift and winning one would even make it more perfecter (if that was a word)   Anyway, we have teamed up with a great group of bloggers to offer up an amazing giveaway.   Be sure to enter and visit these great sites. Good Luck!

• Picturing Disney
• Magical Mouse Schoolhouse
• Temporary Tourist
• Homeketeers
• Heidi’s Head
• Can Do It Mom aka Mouse Fan Diane
• Mickey by Mel
• Living with the Magic
• Jackie’s Magical Moments
• My Dreams of Disney

GIVEAWAY opens Sunday, May 5, and closes at midnight on May 11.

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