100 Years of Magic Celebration at Walt Disney World

Lake Buena Vista, FL -- The legacy of Walt Disney -- his creativity and spirit of adventure -- inspires a yearlong celebration featuring the biggest lineup of sparkling new live entertainment ever at all four Walt Disney World theme parks beginning Oct. 1, 2001. There also are special events and new attractions in store.

The 100 Years of Magic celebration marks the 100th anniversary of Walt Disney's birth on Dec. 5, 1901.

"The emotional connection that our guests have to the Disney legacy of innovation, imagination and family entertainment, combined with new entertainment and attractions, will make this our most magical celebration ever," said Walt Disney World President Al Weiss.

Paying homage to the extraordinary show-business contributions of Walt Disney, 100 Years of Magic is centered at Disney-MGM Studios. The park will unveil The Sorcerer's Hat, a 122-foot-tall icon celebrating Disney magic and entertainment wizardry, and introduce "Walt Disney: One Man's Dream," an attraction showcasing memorabilia from the Disney archives that never has been available to the public before about the career and heritage of Walt Disney.

Major live entertainment spectacles involving a total of nearly 400 performers are planned for all four Walt Disney Parks parks:

- Disney-MGM Studios guests will be treated to "Disney Stars and Motor Cars" -- a daily parade of outrageously customized cars loaded with favorite characters. Also, young guests will have a brand new live show featuring their favorite TV friends from Playhouse Disney.

- Larger-than-life snow globes will capture the magic and charm of Disney characters from a child's point of view in "Share a Dream Come True," a new Magic Kingdom parade. There's also a new Cinderella Castle forecourt stage show that brings guests up close and personal with Disney characters like never before.

- Disney's Animal Kingdom will be alive with color and pageantry during presentations of "Mickey's Jammin' Jungle" -- the first true Disney parade created for the newest Walt Disney World theme park.

- New characters called Dream Seekers and a colorful new float called the Dream Catcher will be part of the makeover that transforms the hugely popular Epcot procession "Tapestry of Nations" into "Tapestry of Dreams."

All four theme parks will feature the fascinating stories behind the Disney magic at computerized kiosks. Guests can play their way through a treasure trove of information that shows the heritage behind the family-entertainment fun of today's Disney parks.

Even special merchandise being created for the 100 Years of Magic celebration will carry on the Disney legacy of innovation. Disney's Magical Moments pins, available for purchase by guests, will put on a mini-light show -- like magic -- at surprise moments, interacting with live entertainment, attractions and interactive kiosks.

Walt Disney was born in Chicago on Dec. 5, 1901. His motion picture milestones were many, beginning with the "birth" of Mickey Mouse in a 1928 short titled "Steamboat Willie," which included synchronized sound on film for the first time in an animated motion picture. He pioneered animation as a form for feature-length motion pictures with the creation of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and turned animation into a cinematic symphonic concert through "Fantasia." He pioneered creation of the multi-plane camera, which recently earned him a place in the Inventors Hall of Fame.

Disney's landmark family-entertainment ventures also included classic television programming such as "The Mickey Mouse Club," "Davy Crockett" and "The Wonderful World of Disney," which continues today. With the opening of Disneyland in California in the 1950s, Disney began a theme park empire that now spans the globe. Through animated films, live-action features, television, theme parks and even Broadway, his legacy of imagination and entertainment lives on.

"Nearly everyone can remember when they were first touched by the magic of Disney," Weiss said. "Here at the resort that bears Walt Disney's name, we'll give them a chance to share those memories and make new ones."

The celebration also will feature other new theme park attractions and shows, uniquely themed resorts and shopping experiences, including:

- TriceraTop Spin and Primeval Whirl in Disney's Animal Kingdom.

- "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire - Play It!" in Disney-MGM Studios.

- The Magic Carpets of Aladdin in the Magic Kingdom.
- Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney's Pop Century Resort, and new Disney Vacation Club villas at Disney's Beach Club Resort and Disney's Wilderness Lodge.

- New Downtown Disney shopping adventures at Magic Masters and a Hasbro store.

Guest information about Walt Disney World Resort and the 100 Years of Magic celebration is available online at waltdisneyworld.com or by calling 407/824-4321.