Disney Publishing Announces First Printing for Final Book in Eoin Colfer’s Best-Selling Artemis Fowl Series

Disney Publishing Announces First Printing for Final Book in Eoin Colfer’s Best-Selling Artemis Fowl Series
Guests Celebrating One More Disney Day at Disneyland Could Receive Limited Edition Ear Hats
Coming to Disney in March/April 2012
Marvel and Harley Davidson Join Forces Again for New Contest
Top 5 Disney World Character Conundrums
Disney FamilyTime – Family Fun Night Sweepstakes

Posted: 18 Feb 2012 10:00 AM PST

Disney Publishing announced today a one-million first printing of The Last Guardian, the eighth and final book in the best-selling Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer. The Last Guardian releases simultaneously in hardcover and as an eBook from Disney Publishing's Disney-Hyperion imprint, and as an audio version through Listening Library on July 10, 2012. More than 13 million Artemis Fowl books are currently in print in the US. The books have been translated into 44 languages.

"Artemis Fowl has been like an imaginary son to me for more than a decade," said Eoin Colfer. "I was determined to finish the series with an adventure that will leave fans happily exhausted."

"Eoin has written a brilliant finale, full to the brim with the ingenious plot twists, heart-stopping action, and sly humor that his fans expect," said Stephanie Lurie, Editorial Director, Disney-Hyperion. "Artemis definitely goes out with a bang."

In The Last Guardian, Artemis Fowl's arch rival Opal Koboi is wreaking havoc yet again. The evil pixie has somehow reanimated dead fairy warriors who were buried on the grounds of Fowl Manor. Their spirits have possessed Artemis's little brothers, Butler's sister, Juliet, and assorted forest animals. Artemis and Holly must outwit all of them and defeat Opal before the world is destroyed in this thrilling finale to the blockbuster series. The cover of The Last Guardian and an excerpt of the first chapter are available online at ArtemisFowl.com

In support of the release of The Last Guardian, Colfer will embark on a multicity US tour and take to the stage—live, in bookstores and libraries—to bring the entire Artemis Fowl series to life for fans. Eoin will cast a few lucky volunteers in each location to participate in the theatrical performance. Video blogs from every tour venue will be featured online at ArtemisFowl.com.

Eoin Colfer is the New York Times best-selling author of the Artemis Fowl series; Airman; Half Moon Investigations; The Supernaturalist; Eoin Colfer's Legend of… books; The Wish List; Benny and Omar; and Benny and Babe. He is currently hard at work on a new time travel adventure series called WARP. The first book will be published in 2013. Eoin lives in Ireland with his wife and two sons.

Disney Publishing Announces First Printing for Final Book in Eoin Colfer's Best Selling Artemis Fowl Series

Guests Celebrating One More Disney Day at Disneyland Could Receive Limited Edition Ear Hats

Posted: 18 Feb 2012 08:00 AM PST

Big news for those planning to spend One More Disney Day at Disneyland park on February 29! Guests entering the park when it opens at 6 a.m. will receive a limited-edition ear hat commemorating the event, while supplies last. Ear hats are limited to a supply of 2,000 for guests who enter through the designated turnstiles when Disneyland park opens at 6 a.m. on February 29.

Here are some things you should know if you are planning on attending One more Disney Day at Disneyland when it opens at 6 a.m. on February 29:

Guests may begin lining up no earlier than 10 p.m. on Tuesday, February 28.
Guests planning to line up before Disneyland park opens must park in the Pumbaa Parking Lot on Disney Way between 10 p.m. on Tuesday, February 28 and 6 a.m. on February 29. Please note that the Pumbaa Lot will not begin to offer shuttle service to the East Esplanade until 6 a.m. on February 29. Click here for a map of Disneyland Resort parking areas.
Restrooms will be available for guests who line up before Disneyland park opens.
A special ticket booth will be available prior to Disneyland park opening for guests needing to purchase park admission for February 29. Valid park admission is required in order to enter Disneyland park and to receive the commemorative ear hat.
Commemorative ear hats will be distributed, while supplies last, to guests who enter through the designated turnstiles beginning at 6 a.m. on February 29, when Disneyland park officially opens. Limit one ear hat per person, and you must be present at the time of distribution.
Please remember that being in line and entering the park does not guarantee that you will receive a commemorative ear hat. Ear hats are limited to a supply of 2,000 for guests who enter through the designated turnstiles when Disneyland park opens at 6 a.m. on February 29.
Be sure to check the list of items that are not permitted inside Disneyland park as you plan what you will bring with you that day. Admission to the park is subject to capacity restrictions.

Top 5 Apps for your Disneyland Vacation (chipandco.com)
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Guests Celebrating One More Disney Day at Disneyland Could Receive Limited Edition Ear Hats

Coming to Disney in March/April 2012

Posted: 18 Feb 2012 06:00 AM PST

The Flower Power concert series returns to Epcot starting March 9^thduring the 19^th Annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival

Among millions of beautiful blooms, gorgeous garden walks and dozens of whimsical topiaries, you may just hear the sounds of some of the greatest pop, rock and R&B hits from the grooviest decades. During the 19^th Annual Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival which runs from March 7 to May 20, guests will have the chance to hear music from artists such as Davy Jones and Jose Feliciano at the Flower Power concert series.

With a different artist every weekend during the festival, this unforgettable live music show will take you back in time with tunes from the 1960s and 70s. Don't miss two new acts—Chuck Negron formerly of Three Dog Night and The Orchestra featuring former members of ELO and ELO Part II—perform some of their greatest songs.

Performances are at America Gardens Theatre and are included with Epcot admission. Show times are Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 5:15p.m., 6:30p.m. and 7:45p.m.

Here's the complete Flower Power concert series lineup:

March 9-11 Jose Feliciano "Light My Fire"

March 16-18 Starship starring Mickey Thomas "We Built This City"

March 23-25 The Guess Who "American Woman"

March 30-April 1 The Spinners "Cupid"

April 6-8 Chubby Checker & The Wildcats "The Twist"

April 13-15 Paul Revere & The Raiders "Good Thing"

April 22-24 The Turtles featuring Flo & Eddie "Happy Together"

April 27-29 NEW! Chuck Negron formerly of Three Dog Night "Joy to the World"

May 4-6 NEW! The Orchestra featuring former members of ELO and ELO Part II "Don't Bring Me Down"

May 11-13 Herman's Hermits starring Peter Noone "I'm Henry the VIII, I Am"

May 18-20 Davy Jones "I'm a Believer"

For more information about the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, please visit www.disneyworld.com/flower.

Early Fantasyland Openings Greet Spring Guests

Set for completion in 2014, the New Fantasyland will come to life starting spring 2012, offering guests the chance to fly high with The Great Goofini or with Dumbo the Flying Elephant, later "immerse" themselves in Under the Sea ~ Journey of the Little Mermaid and "be our guest" at the Beast's Castle, plus other great attractions.

With the expansion, Fantasyland will nearly double in size and immerse guests in Disney stories as never before. As the largest expansion project in Magic Kingdom history, Fantasyland will open in phases with most new experiences open by 2013.

St. Patrick's Day Festivities Invite 'Wearin' of the Green' at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island March 15-17

Authentic Irish food, music and dance performances set the scene for a three-day St. Patrick's Day celebration and the "wearin' of the green" March 15-17 in and around the Raglan Road Irish Pub & Restaurant at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island.

At Raglan Road, a true Irish pub with Dublin roots, entertainment revs up the evenings of March 15 and 16 with house band Creel on the restaurant's main stage while Murphy's Law and The Irish Rogues perform on the Raglan Road patio. When St. Patrick's Day arrives March 17, non-stop entertainment kicks off at noon with Creel, The Raglan Road Dancers, more outdoor entertainment and a special appearance by U2 tribute band Elevation.

The weekend of festivities spans Pleasure Island with live Pleasure Island stage performances by The Wyndbreakers — Florida's own "neo-traditional, pub-rockin', guitar pickin' Celtic" musicians; Celtic Wave, with its own traditional Irish flair; and Celtic Nova, putting its own twist on popular lrish tunes. Family-fun activities will include face painting and stilt walkers, and St. Patrick's Day souvenirs will be in abundance.

More St. Patrick's Day fun is in store:

Authentic Irish cuisine is featured March 15 at 1 p.m. as Raglan Road celebrity Irish chef Kevin Dundon creates a four-course kickoff luncheon and culinary demonstration in the restaurant's Grand Dining Room. (Call 407-938-0300) or visit www.raglanroad.com for reservations).

March 15 and 16, beginning at 6 p.m. Irish bands Murphy's Law, known for modern Irish music, and The Irish Rogues, popular for ballads and other Irish folk tunes, perform on the Raglan Road patio. At 7 p.m., house band Creel rocks the audience on the restaurant's main stage – expect surprise guest appearances. Guests can order favorites like fish 'n chips and Shepherd's pie from the restaurant's lunch or dinner menus.

March 17, St. Patrick's Day, doors open at 11 a.m. House band Creel performs on the main stage at noon and at various times throughout the day. Entertainment on the patio kicks off at 1 p.m. with Irish dancing from The Raglan Road Dancers and performers from the Watters School of Irish Dancing, established in Central Florida more than a decade ago to train young dancers for championship performances. U2 tribute band Elevation is expected to bring down the house with renditions of U2′s greatest hits. Guests can order from Raglan Road's dinner menu throughout the day, which includes the authentic Irish dish of St. Patrick's Day — loin of bacon and cabbage. A $10 cover charge applies on March 17 for guests 18 and older.

Atlanta Braves Return to ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for Spring Training

Atlanta Braves Spring Training returns to Walt Disney World for the 15^th consecutive year, with an 18-game home schedule featuring Major League Baseball's top teams at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

Marquee opponents visiting Champion Stadium in March include the World Champion St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets and Detroit Tigers.

Guests also will be treated to game-day entertainment and additional fan experiences in a way only Disney can do, from character appearances, to an exclusive On-Field Spectator Experience and kids running the bases after the game.

The schedule features three night games at Champion Stadium – the Washington Nationals on March 14 and the Houston Astros March 16 and 30.

Information on the Braves' spring training season, group tickets and mini-packs is available by calling 407/939-GAME (4263) and online at www.espnwwos.com/atlantabraves. Individual game tickets are available through Ticketmaster (800/745-3000 and ticketmaster.com) and at the sports complex box office.

2012 Atlanta Braves Spring Training Home Schedule:

*SS – denotes split squad

All times are Eastern and are subject to change

Bon Voyage! Disney Fantasy Sets Sail Starting in March

Fresh from its March 1 christening in New York City, the Disney Fantasy will begin whisking guests away on week-long Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, Florida, with her maiden voyage set for March 31, 2012. Rates for enchanting seven-night Caribbean itineraries start at $959 per person for a standard inside stateroom, based on double occupancy. Disney Fantasy itineraries will alternate between eastern (St. Maarten and St. Thomas) and western (Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, Cozumel) Caribbean destinations.

And it wouldn't be an East Coast Disney cruise experience if each Disney Fantasy itinerary didn't include a day at Disney's private island, Castaway Cay. Guest comments suggest that this port of call is the "best stop" of the cruise, and is a day that can be filled with water fun, beach play or just plain relaxation plus cookout eating.

The Disney Fantasy is the second of two newly-designed Disney ships that take the family cruise experience to new heights – and features many of the innovations found on her sister ship, Disney Dream, plus exciting new shipboard additions. Both cruise ships are 1,115 feet in length, with 1,250 staterooms and suites and 4,000-passenger capacity.

To learn more about Disney Cruise Line or to book a vacation, guests can visit www.disneycruise.com, call Disney Cruise Line at 888/DCL-2500 or contact their travel agent.

Royal Rooms Make Debut at Port Orleans Riverside

An enchanting new hotel offering fit for a prince or princess opens its regal doors at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside in spring 2012.

Behind a special door is a hidden jewel, The Royal Guest Room, with 512 themed rooms where beds are trimmed with dazzling crystals and gold accents and "magical fireworks" swirl about. The new Royal Rooms immerse families in favorite Disney fairytales with fun and engaging features, playful artwork, plus richly appointed drapery and custom linens. Rooms sleep four with rates starting at $198. Call 407-W/DISNEY for reservations.

St. Patrick’s Day Festivities Invite ‘Wearin’ of the Green’ at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island March 15-17 (chipandco.com)
Epcot 2012 Flower and Garden Festival Events (chipandco.com)

Marvel and Harley Davidson Join Forces Again for New Contest

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 06:00 PM PST

Harley-Davidson and Marvel Entertainment have come together again for the Assemble Your Freedom contest where customers can assemble their dream bike and become a character in an Avengers comic.

From now through July 1, anyone can enter the Assemble Your Freedom contest online at www.harley-davidson.com/wcm/avengers. Just create a profile with a hero name and description along with selecting a Super Hero bike model and features on the Harley-Davidson H-D1 Bike Builder.

“We’re excited to collaborate with Marvel again and to do it with such a great and historic property like the Avengers,” said Dino Bernacchi, Harley-Davidson Marketing Communication Director. “The Assemble Your Freedom contest gives anyone who believes in things like freedom and independence the chance to express their passion and spirit for Harley-Davidson and Avengers in a truly unique way. They’ll be able to ride into an Avengers mission and be immortalized in this special edition digital comic.”

The Assemble Your Freedom contest will be select five winners based on various factors with prizes that include the motorcycle they created and being immortalized with a personal likeness and motorcycle drawn into a custom Avengers comic book.

Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, the Avengers film brings together the mightiest Super Hero characters on screen for the first time. The recently launched Harley-Davidson Softail Slim motorcycle will have a role in the new Avengers film, scheduled to premiere on May 4, 2012.

Marvel and Harley Davidson Join Forces Again for New Contest

Top 5 Disney World Character Conundrums

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 04:00 PM PST

Let's face it…we're all little kids when we're at Walt Disney World and although we blame it on our children, we're just as excited to see the characters as they are. Something inside of us still jumps when we see Mickey Mouse and we point and yell…and pretend we're doing it for the sake of our children.

Nothing is worse than passing a closed line for your child's favorite character and trying to explain why they can't meet them. Coming in close behind the closed lines are the other character conundrums you'll undoubtedly be faced with at some point during your trip. So what are they and how do you avoid them?

Closed Lines: The excitement on your child's face when they spot their favorite character is paralleled only by the despair when the character line is closed. There are few things worse than having to explain to your child why they can't meet their favorite character. Avoid this character conundrum by planning ahead. Get a times guide when you enter the park and highlight the locations and times of the characters that are on your "must do" list. Line up a few minutes before the character is due to come out and you'll be ready meet n' greet as soon as they are!

Unprepared fellow travelers in line: It never fails that you're finally in your character line and you're sweating bullets wondering when and where they're going to close the line at. In the midst of your frantic fears of being cut off from the line the person in front of you is fumbling around for their autograph book, can't find a pen, is dropping things everywhere and screaming at their children; simultaneously. Yes, they are the worlds worst multi-tasker and cause mass chaos. Don't be this person. If you're getting in line for a character meet n' greet be prepared to meet n' greet. That means have your autograph books out and open to the page you want signed. Have the pen ready, uncapped and in the page for the character to sign and if you have multiple books to be signed, open them all and prepare them and stack them on top of each other to make it easy for our furry friends to sign.

Can't Find Your Favorite Characters: Again, this can be avoided by planning ahead. The times guides in each park will tell you which characters you can find where and when. Grab a highlighter or a pen and mark which characters you can't miss and include those times into your touring plans. Remember that certain characters can be found in multiple places so you can optimize your touring plans and character hunting schedule. You should also consider character meals, they provide a very relaxed environment to meet and greet and can save you hours of running around the parks waiting in line. If you have a Princess in your family have a meal at Askherhaus in Epcot or Cinderella's Royal Table (this is a signature experience and will take 2 dining credits). If it's just Cinderella you're after, you can find her at dinner at 1900 Park Fare (Grand Floridian Resort and Spa).

People taking too long in line: Time is precious when it comes to character meet n' greets, particularly in the summer when the hot Florida sun is melting your skin and our fuzzy friends are about to drop from heat exhaustion. Be courteous to your fellow line standers and be prepared. Have your autograph books ready and opened to the page you want signed, have your camera ready and have a designated photographer in your travel party. If you want a family photo as the character handler, PhotoPass photographer (where available) or person behind you in line if they would mind taking a photo. This means you should plan ahead. If there's no PhotoPass photographer and the character handler looks busy you should start a conversation with someone in line and offer to do a photo swap-have them take a photo of your family and you take a photo of theirs. Prepare your kids while you wait in line, tell them if the autograph is coming first or the photo and occupy some time by asking them what they plan on saying to the character or any questions they would like to ask. This way when it's your turn they're prepared and have more quality time interacting with the character than saying "um…." and looking terrified. It's also a great way to pass time in line!

Line Jumpers: A line is a line. It's not negotiable and it's not serve yourself. While we appreciate that you love characters as much as we do, please wait your turn in line. This is a double edged sword and requires at least one person in your party to stand IN the line. This means not wandering around and coming back and getting in "your spot" whenever you feel like it or allowing 5 strangers to cut in front of you. If you are in the line, be in the line. Know who is front of you and who is behind you and be courteous. No one appreciates it when you run in with your child from the side and get your character interaction without being in line. Be fair and be a good example to the children standing and waiting in line and don't cause problems with other adults. While some adults may appreciate cage boxing, the Walt Disney World character line isn't the place to throw down on someone who has aggravated you.

These are just a few of the main character conundrums that you may face while in the parks. While you may not be able to control the behavior of others you can control your own. Be prepared and friendly and realize that you aren't the only person in the "world". Set a good example for your children (and others) and wait patiently. Don't forget that FastPasses are available for many of the popular character experiences, particularly in the Magic Kingdom.

If you are a character hunter, book your trip with me and i'll customize and personalize an autograph book for you with your favorite characters. All books are 5×7, spiral bound, double laminated and come with a chart of characters and locations. These books are never pre-made and are truly one of a kind! Book with Pixie Michele and mention Chip and Co and the book is yours at no cost (as are my concierge level services!) Michele@PixieVacations.com

New ‘Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Game Coming Feb 22nd to Walt Disney World (chipandco.com)
Where To Find The Best Character Meals At The Disney World Resorts (chipandco.com)

Disney FamilyTime – Family Fun Night Sweepstakes

Posted: 17 Feb 2012 02:00 PM PST

Every week until March 8th, FamilyTime is giving away a “Family Fun Night Pack” which includes games, movies, and snacks (including popcorn and Tyson® Chicken Nuggets) of your choice (value $100). On March 9th one lucky person will win a 42″ 3-D HDTV.

Click here to learn more and to enter