LilSugar

Avatar to Come to Life at Disney Theme Parks

Kelly Schwarze — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 04:21:03 PDT

Disney seems to be the biggest Avatar fan of all, as it recently announced plans to bring the mythical land of Pandora to life at Disney theme parks around the globe.

According to the film's director, James Cameron, two new upcoming Avatar films will help to develop Pandora in theme park form in greater detail. "Our goal is to go beyond current boundaries of technical innovation and experiential storytelling, and give park goers the chance to see, hear and touch the world of Avatar with an unprecedented sense of reality." The first Avatar-themed land will open at Animal Kingdom, part of Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL, though construction isn't slated to start until 2013. Additional Avatar land theme park locations are still under consideration.

Will you plan a trip to see the future Avatar land?

When Did You First Visit Disney?

babysugar — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 04:00:00 PDT

With schools' rolling spring breaks in full swing many families' thoughts turn to the magical world of Disney. Whether it be frolicking with the princesses, riding It's a Small World or taking pictures with Mickey and his pals, the Disney theme parks have caught the attention of youngsters and their parents for generations.

But with single day ticket prices costing as much as $68 per child – and that doesn't even include transportation to the parks and accommodations once you arrive – a trip to the land of the Mouse is hardly an inexpensive one. Given the costs, many families hold off on visiting the wonderlands until their children are old enough to enjoy the whole park, while others plan a trip as soon as their tots can utter the characters' names.

When did you first take your lil ones to a Disney resort?

Shades of Green - A Disney Resort For Military Families

CitizenSugar — Sat, 17 May 2008 11:00:09 PDT

I can't believe I had never heard of this place until I cracked open the Times yesterday - Shades of Green. It's a vacation spot for soldiers on active duty (and other eligible service folks) to call their own when they come home to visit their families or need a vacation.

Nestled within Walt Disney World in Orlando, FL, the name is inspired by camouflage colors and features everything you'd expect from a fun-in-the-sun resort - all housed on property leased by the Army. Shades of Green is one of five Armed Forces Recreation Centers (the other fun-spots: Hawaii, Germany, South Korea and Virginia) where servicemen and women can reunite with families.

The resort has the usual - swimming pools and tennis courts - but there are some service-specific goodies as well. The pond has radio controlled boats emblazoned with service insignia so branches can compete with one another, and strict attention is paid to making the resort ADA-accessible. To see the other perks,

There's the Disney attention to detail. Keeping the resort family-friendly, video games are not permitted to have any blood, gore, or foul language. Staff uniforms, nail polish, and mustache length are all regulated and potentially dicey magazines have all inappropriate material edited out before they're put on display. And adult beverages? The Shades of Green's cocktail lounge, Eagles, closed due to lack of business.

Spending time with family is only one bonus of the resort - as a military haven, it gives service members a chance to spend time with sympathetic strangers who understand the challenges of being in uniform. One Army MP just back from Iraq said: “You can enjoy the esprit de corps of being with other military.” Another attraction? The price. A room at Walt Disney world can cost as much as $350 a night while an "oversized" room at Shades of Green is available for $89. Oh, and lines for rides? Taken care of. Sea World has a special Heroes line on popular rides getting them to the goods that much quicker.

Have you been to one of the Armed Forces Recreation Centers? Did you know they existed?

Source

Walt Disney Banning Children?

babysugar — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 09:00:24 PST

Children dream of going to the wonderful world of Disney to meet their heroes, wear mouse ears, ride the Dumbo ride, and eat cotton candy. And, most parents love taking their kids to Disney to fulfill those childhood fantasies while relaxing a little bit themselves. Apparently, some adults, in the midst of all things Disney, will be able to relax kid free according to a Tampa Bay news report.

Victoria and Albert's, an upscale restaurant at Walt Disney World, has closed its doors to children eleven and under. At first, I flinched thinking, isn't Disney World a place where two large rodents by the names Minnie and Mickey Mouse roam free? And Bambi and Donald the Duck are revered and not hunted? But after reading up on the swank eatery, I realized that maybe this was the right call. To see why I think the restaurant made a good decision,

As I learned from Frommer's, Victoria and Albert's is a "jackets required" romantic hot spot with limited seating – only room for 65 people to dine at a time. While a harpist serenades patrons, they can browse the menu, set at $95 prix fixe minimum. The fare, which is offered across seven courses, includes duck, pheasant, abalone, veal, or tuna. At the end of the meal, the diners are presented with a personalized menu and a rose.

Call me crazy but this doesn't sound like the kind of place that has chicken tenders or French fries for emergency tantrum solutions. But just in general, it seems like an oasis for adults and older children, those who can appreciate silverware and the lack of sippy cups, to enjoy a nice night without a pair of oversized round ears poking out from every table.

Jennifer Garner Starts Her Family Weekend With Sera and Ballerina Violet

Allie Merriam — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 08:33:41 PDT

Jennifer Garner brought her daughter Seraphina Affleck along on Saturday to pick up big sister Violet Affleck from a ballet class in LA. It was a weekend of fun family time for the Garner-Affleck clan. Ben Affleck joined in on the fun yesterday, when Jennifer hit the beach with the kids - even baby Samuel Affleck made a cameo at the sandy outing! Ben, Jen, and their three kids attended a small party together in Malibu. Ben and Jen have been sticking close to home with their young son Samuel, who entered the world back in February. She nonetheless had to jet to Las Vegas last week to chat up her upcoming film The Odd Life of Timothy Green at CinemaCon. Jennifer Garner's postbaby debut on the red carpet came Tuesday at a Walt Disney Studios event.

Disney-fied Star Wars Action Figures Coming to Disney Parks

Kelly Schwarze — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 12:34:48 PST

If a trip to a Disney park is included in your Spring break plans, in between Star Tours and It's a Small World, find time to track down the latest Star Wars action figures, exclusive to the amusement parks. Animated Disney characters get into cosplay gear to fill some powerful Star Wars shoes.

Donald Duck's nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie, dress as Tatooine natives Jawas and are even pictured hard at work fixing a busted droid. Not available in stores or online, the figurines are only found at Disneyland and Walt Disney World.

Check out one more peek at the Disney-meets-Star-Wars action figures, this one of Donald Duck himself as a Clone Trooper, after the break.

Sugar Shout Out: See Eva Mendes in 38 of Her Sexiest Editorials

Kimberly Timlick — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 23:55:19 PST

A Whole Lotta Lil in This Week's Links

LilSugar — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 04:19:08 PST

Jennifer Garner and Ben Affleck welcomed a son this week! Take a look back at her comfortably chic maternity wardrobe.
Baby bottles go high tech! Check out the new bottles coming out in 2012.
You can survive your first trip to Walt Disney World - here are our tips for doing so!
Usher in Spring with some new flouncy dresses for the expectant mom.
We've gone bananas for the amazing style of Rachel Zoe's son!
Go ahead and play with your food! These adorable ideas will have kids begging for snacks!
Get more out of your workweek maternity clothes.
A Georgia woman was compared to a stripper for breastfeeding in church. Who was wrong here?
Planning to see The Lorax this weekend? Check out our review of the flick (hint: we like it!)!
Alyson Hannigan spoke with us about the secret she's trying to keep about baby number two.
You'll want to add these nursing bras to your new mom wardrobe.

Training Advice From Marathoner Kara Goucher

espnW — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 04:14:28 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Becky O'Neill

Sage Steele, SportsCenter anchor, is preparing to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World on Feb. 26 and is hoping to fall in love with running in the process. Follow Sage’s journey on espnW.com.

With less than two days until Steele's first half marathon, elite distance runner Kara Goucher shares a few surprising secrets to combat "taper madness."

Lashinda Demus Clears Every Hurdle

The athlete: Kara Goucher

Running résumé: At her first Olympic appearance in Beijing in 2008, elite distance runner Kara Goucher competed in the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter events for Team USA, taking ninth and 10th place, respectively. That same year, Goucher's record-breaking debut marathon earned her third place in the New York City race and the first spot on the podium for an American woman in more than a decade. After a year off from competition to celebrate the birth of her son (she ran up to and including the day he was born), Goucher is back in fighting shape and headed to London. There, she'll get a second shot at bronze, silver, glory, and gold.

Read Kara's advice after the break.

The Five Best Races For Women

espnW — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 04:09:19 PST

We are excited to share one of our fave stories from espnW here on FitSugar!

By Dimity McDowell and Sarah Bowen Shea

Sage Steele, SportsCenter anchor, is preparing to run the Disney Princess Half Marathon at Walt Disney World on Feb. 26 and hoping to fall in love with running in the process. Follow Sage’s journey on espnW.com.

Women's races offer a decidedly different vibe than their coed cousins': more camaraderie, a sole sister atmosphere that welcomes all runners and walkers, and lots more running skirts. Here are five of the top women's races and series in the country. Sign up then train like Sage.

Disney Tinker Bell and Princess half marathons
Sage picked a winner. Let your inner child run free through the Magic Kingdom at these festival race weekends. Tinker Bell is in Disneyland, while Princess is in Disney World, but both allow thousands of runners to mix and mingle with Disney characters on courses that wind through each park. Racers put almost as much effort into costumes - Snow White, Belle, or Minnie, anyone? - as training. Bonus: your kids will be especially psyched to cheer you on.

Sage Steele gets some training advice from Disney runMom Lori Lovell

Nike Women's Marathon
Yeah, it's tough to snag an entry, but if you can, this race is so worth it. (Psst: Go through Team in Training.) This 26.2-mile race, and its half-marathon companion, traverses San Francisco with sweeping vistas of the Golden Gate Bridge and Pacific Ocean to take your mind off the killer hills in the first 10 miles of the race. Tuxedo-clad firefighters bestow each finisher with a Tiffany & Co. pendant.

Run fast by fueling up smart

Three more great races after the break.