Okay I admit that I may opt from time to time to write about news happening in other amusement parks besides Disney, especially if I have personally visited the park. This is one of those times so if you are in a monogamous relationship to Disney parks and Disney only, please forgive me this liberty with the announcement of a new wooden roller coaster at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Terminator: The Coaster, will be a $10-million Great Coasters International wooden roller coaster scheduled to open Memorial Day weekend 2009.

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Disney is coming to the island of O’ahu, Hawaii. No it will not be another theme park but rather a Disney themed resort. Ko Olina Resort & Marina scheduled to be completed by 2011 will be a 830-unit resort on 21 acres of property.

Announcing the project, Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks & Resorts says, “We are very excited to share the early designs of our resort, which we believe will offer a base for families to discover the wonders of Hawai‘i and connect with the local culture. We hope the magic of Disney storytelling and service will combine with the rich history, heritage and natural beauty of Hawai‘i to create a special experience the whole family can enjoy.”

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Blue Sky Cellar is scheduled to open Monday, October 20 and will be a preview center of what is new and what is in store for the expansion of the Disneyland Resort. It is to be located in the former Seasons of the Vine Theater in the California Adventure theme park located in Anaheim, California. Guests will be able to view working models as well as dozens of concepts and sketches from Disney Imagineers, the creative minds behind the design and construction of Disney theme parks and attractions.

Blue Sky Cellar will allow guests to preview for the first time works in progress at Disneyland Resort by immersing themselves in a facsimile of an Imagineering workspace. Based on the belief that idea gathering is best when “the sky’s the limit,” the Blue Sky Cellar is designed to resemble an Imagineering “charette,” an extended creative idea development meeting. Guests receive an inside-look at how Imagineers take “blue sky” ideas and refine them into the classic storytelling that characterizes Disney Theme Park attractions and adventures.

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Landry’s Restaurants, the same company that brought us The Rain Forest Cafe, has created an amazing new concept in dining experience with the opening of the T-REX Cafe in Downtown Disney Orlando. This new eatery will feature dining and retail in an interactive prehistoric environment built around water, fire and ice. Guests visiting T-REX will experience life-sized animatronic dinosaurs, bubbling geysers, a fossil dig site and much more, taking them back to a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth.

“T-REX will attract visitors of all ages with its mix of delicious food and unique entertainment,” said Tilman Fertitta, president, chairman and CEO of Landry’s. “Downtown Disney is the perfect location for this innovative concept.”

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The Walt Disney Company inducted 11 new Disney Legends at a ceremony at the Burbank Walt Disney Studios yesterday. The Legends are chosen by a selection committee created by Roy E. Disney. The program honors gifted animators, Imagineers, songwriters, actors and business leaders as having made a significant impact on the Disney legacy.

There are now 227 Disney Legends, including the 11 inducted yesterday.

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Walt Disney World’s Animal Kingdom, having a bit of a baby boom this year, welcomes the birth of a fourth baby giraffe. Entering the world at 6-feet tall and 155 pounds, Bonsu delighted members of the animal programs team at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in the early morning hours on Sunday September 28.

Bonsu’s name means biggest and strongest fish in the sea and is inspired from the Akan language in Ghana. Since the park opened in 1998 Bonsu is the fourth male and 11th giraffe overall born at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. He is also the second calf for his mother Nikki whose first offspring, a female named Rori, was born in 2006. She can be seen today on the Savannah at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge.

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Note: The following is a guest post so graciously contributed by Angela Lytle of Christmas-Decorations-Online.com.

If the magic of your holiday season needs a boost, there is nothing more magical, more inviting, or more awe-inspiring than Disneyland at Christmas time. From the third week in November through the first week in January, the park will transform into a magical wonderland that will have your family talking for years. Take the whole family, plan in advance, or show up early—this is quite an adventure!

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In July I wrote about Disney’s new channel on YouTube and a contest that was being held at the time where participants where encouraged to share their most cherished Disney Parks memories with other Disney fans around the world. The winner would enjoy an all expense paid vacation to The Disneyland Resort which includes a stay in the exclusive, new Disneyland Dream Suite.

The contest is now over and a winner has been announced. It’s Nate Silverman and his video of his favorite “Disney Parks memory” includes a very cute child. Nate and his family will receive a once-in-a-lifetime trip to the Disneyland Resort, including a night in the Disneyland Dream Suite, airfare, 2-day Theme Park passes and ground transportation for a family of 4. All other finalists will receive an Annual Pass to the Disney Park of their choice.

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Bowling anyone? As if Walt Disney World did not offer enough variety of entertainment already, the resort will soon have a 100 lane bowling alley, one of the largest in the United States. The bowling alley is to be built at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on the grounds of Walt Disney World Resort, executives said at a business briefing Wednesday, and represents a bid for Disney to capture a largely ignored and potentially gigantic piece of the sports tourism market.

“The sports tourism market is really growing and we want to grow with it,” said Ken Potrock, senior vice president of sports enterprises, Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. “We needed to create a project where we would be able to bring in the single-largest tournaments.”

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Visit either Walt Disney World in Orlando or Disneyland Resort in Anaheim anytime in 2009 on your birthday and you’ll get in for free. It’s all part of Disney embracing a newly identified family-travel trend called “celebration vacations.” Disney wants to lead this growing trend with new entertainment and services that allow guests to turn their personal milestones into magical Disney experiences.

This is quite a bargain seeing that a one-day ticket costs $75 at Walt Disney World and $69 at Disneyland resort. I’m sure if you want the “park hopper” option or wish to add extra days to your visit, you’d simply pay the difference.

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