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August 29, 2008

Winner Announced - A Bit of Magic for you and me

Thank you SO much to everyone you sent in entries for the American Adventure Dinner on Sunday August 31st. I wish I had enough tickets for all of you.

We held a random drawing this morning and the winning email belongs to

Chris and Jenny Murray!!!! Congratulations.

Thank you everyone!!!!!

Deb

August 28, 2008

A Bit of Magic for you and me

Every now and then I have the opportunity spread a little magic and support a great cause at the same time.... It's one of the really fun parts about being the All Ears guru.

Today, I have a very limited and very unique opportunity for 2 lucky folks.

Here's the scoop.

1) You must be in the WDW area on Sunday night, August 31, 2008
2) You must have your own admission into Epcot
3) You are TWO adults (both over 18)
4) You don't have dinner plans or you can cancel the plans you do have.
5) You must be free from 6:30pm until park closing.
6) You are interested in making a donation to the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

So far so good?

Ok, Here's the deal. I have 2 tickets for the special private American Adventure Dinner Party hosted by Steve Barrett and Myself on Sunday night August 31, 2008.

These tickets were selling for $70/a piece, so it's a $140 value.

How this works....

By midnight tonight send me 25 words or less on why you'd like to attend the American Adventure dinner on Sunday night. Include the names of both adults who will be attending and where you are staying.

Mail this to allearsnet@yahoo.com Put AA dinner in the subject line.

I will do a drawing and select one winner who will receive 2 tickets. I will notify the selected email by email on Friday morning.

Once notified, you make an online donation to my Avon Walk for Breast Cancer Fundraiser. The amount is up to you, but a minimum of $10 is required by the Avon Website. Once that is done, I'll send you specifics on where and when to meet me on Sunday.

This is not a contest or a sweepstakes. All decisions final by me. Lost emails are not my fault. There is no complaining or anything else. It's a bit of magic for you and a cause near and dear to me.

Time is a factor so act VERY quickly.

Good Luck!


August 26, 2008

Epcot's The Land - Circa 1982-1984

This is another in my sporadic series of "Step Back in Time" blogs -- this one returns to Epcot and the Land Pavilion.

The Land opened in Epcot's Future World on October 1, 1982 and was sponsored by Kraft. When the initial 10 year contract was up, Nestle became the new sponsor November 1992.

When the pavilion opened, the following components were in the building:

Listen to the Land Boat Ride - take a gentle cruise through various climates and learn about the history of farming. As the ride continued, you were taken into the future to see new and innovative techniques of both land and sea farming. While the ride is basically the same today, it has gone through several rehabs where the music and narration has changed.

Harvest Theatre - Symbiosis, an 18 minute film, explored the relationship between humans and their environment. The Harvest Theatre is still part of the pavilion, but now houses the environmental focused Circle of Life - Lion King movie with Timon and Pumba.

Kitchen Kaberet - these fun animated foods taught us about healthy eating and starred Bonnie Appetit, the Kitchen Krackpots and Hamm n Eggz. This attraction closed January 3, 1994 and gave way to Food Rocks on March 26, 1994 to make it more contemporary. Then on January 3, 2004, it was closed for good. Soarin now occupies that space once held by the singing fruits and vegies.

Farmer’s Market - 8 fast food booths offering wholesome and nutritious meals and snacks. Now called Sunshine Seasons

Broccoli & Co. - the souvenir store. As always, there is a merchandise store in every area.

The Good Turn Restaurant - a 250 seat revolving full service restaurant. It's gone through several name changes (including the Land Grille Room) and today is the Garden Grill.

The Land - Discover at Epcot -- Harvest new knowledge about man's relationship with planet Earth and dig into advanced food-growing technologies.

** Hydroponics
** Symbiosis and Resource Conservation
** History and Future of Agriculture
** Nutrition
** Aquaculture



Here are some postcards from the early days ...


"LAND - Explore creative partnerships with the land. Set sail for "Tomorrow's Harvest". Sing along at a show that has the whole town cooking. And enjoy country-store fun, food and flavor."


The Land Epcot Postcard


"Listen to the Land - in the "country fair" setting of the Land pavilion, review age old agriculture techniques. Then, sail through the environments of the world and glimpse Tomorrow's Harvest."


The Land Epcot Postcard


" The Kitchen Krackpots - During your tour through The Land, you will see a wacky show which tells the story of nutrition in a very unusual way." Notice that this postcard does refer to the Kitchen Krackpots which was the name of the band that played at the Kitchen Kaberet.

The Land Epcot Kitchen Krackpots



"Seasoned Performers flavor some spicy numbers on good nutrition at the Kitchen Kaberet, in the Land pavilion. Acts include Fiesta Fruit, Dairy Goods, and the hit of the Breakfast Circuit, Ham n Eggz".

Kitchen Kaberet - The Land Epcot Postcard



The following photographs are digital images of the PanaVue slides that were sold at the Magic Kingdom and Epcot in the 80s.

The Land Epcot PanaVue Slide



The Land Epcot PanaVue Slide


The Land Epcot PanaVue Slide


The Land Epcot PanaVue Slide



The Land Epcot PanaVue Slide



Here are some websites that offer photos and/or information about the early days of the Land:

All Ears Kitchen Kaberet Archives

Epcot Field Guide - The Land


Lost Epcot Features descriptions and photos from the early days of the Land.

Do you have photos from the 1980s of the Land Pavilion or any of it's attractions? I'd love to see them and possibly include them in a future blog. Please send to
allearsnet at yahoo dot com

Thanks!

August 24, 2008

Deb and Steve Cruise - Almost Time

Deb and Steve Cruise Logo

WOW! We have been planning this special cruise for well over a year now! Steve Barrett and myself are hosting a very special Disney Magic Cruise that begins September 1st. Originally we planned to do a 7 night cruise this fall, but when Disney announced this special 5 night cruise with 2 stops at Castaway Cay, we jumped on it!!

There has been a LOT of planning going on behind the scenes. And with that planning we hope we've included some Magic too.

Deb and Steve cruisers have access to special events designed just for them! Here are just a few of the planned events!

Steve will be doing Hidden Mickey Walk Abouts on the ship as well as hosting a Hidden Mickey hunt on Castaway Cay.

We have a Suite Tour set up for Embarkation Day with our cruisers having the opportunity to tour a one bedroom and two bedroom suite aboard the Disney Magic.

10 lucky folks had their cabin numbers drawn to dine in Palo's private dining room for brunch and also for dinner thanks to special arrangements by MouseFanTravel, the official travel agency of the Deb and Steve Cruise!

Oh and Steve and I are each hosting a boat of 10 folks to go Parasailing at Castaway Cay!!! That's always a special treat.

Oh and I forgot to mention the special dinner at the American Adventure that will be held on Sunday night August 31st! We even have some special magic thrown in for those attendees as well!

This weekend is time to pack the bags and get all the final items organized and ready to go.

LindaLou and I will be headed to Orlando on Saturday so look for blogs starting next weekend.


August 14, 2008

Quest for the West - Adventures by Disney

This blog was originally scheduled to tell you about an exciting Adventures by Disney trip that I will be hosting August 25 - 31, 2009.

I planned to share some details about the trip to see if you might join me!

Like... it's an adult only trip.

Like...we'd be visiting Yellowstone National Park and the Grand Tetons!

Like... Beci Mahnken of MouseFanTravel worked up an incredible deal for those who wish to adventure with us with the hopes we'd have enough folks sign up for it to be exclusive for us only!

Like Special Guests Steve Barrett (Hidden Mickeys) and Mike Newell (MouseWorldRadio and WDWToday Podcast) would be joining me on this Adventure.

"So what happened Deb"? you may be thinking.

This past Sunday I announced the Adventure on AllEars.net. By late Monday more than half the Quest for the West trip was booked.

Today, I am here to tell you the Quest for the West Adventure I am hosting is SOLD OUT.

Yes, within 72 hours, folks faxed their deposits to MouseFanTravel and we are now fully booked!

For those of you lucky enough to snag a spot... we are going to have a Fantastic Time! For those of you who missed out, MouseFanTravel is keeping a "waiting list".

And...for those families/adults that are still interested in joining an Adventure hosted by Beci and myself, fill out the blog comment form - be sure to select Deb's Blog and let me know what US Adventure you are seriously interested in.

We don't have any plans right now to add another trip, but you just never know what opportunities may present themselves!

Here are the US Adventures for 2009:

1) Golden Path to Yosemite: Lake Tahoe, Yosemite and San Francisco

2) Rocky Trails and Mountie Tales: Glacier National Park, Canadian Rockies, Banff National Park

3) Taming the Last Frontier Alaska: Fairbanks, Denali National Park & Reserve, Kenai Peninsula, Anchorage

4) Beantown: Boston, Newport and NYC

5) Backstage Magic: Hollywood and Disneyland® Resort

6) Spirit of America: Philadelphia, Washington D.C. and Williamsburg

7) Southwest Splendors: Arizona and Utah: Sedona, Grand Canyon National Park, and Moab


July 29, 2008

Magic Meets Saturday

It's impossible to capture the spirit of Magic Meets in words...pictures do a better job.

Here are photos from Saturday, July 19, 2008. Most pictures are from LindaLou and a few from Scott Thomas. Enjoy....

The AllEars team is well represented!

 The All Ears Team


Michelle, Cathy and Glo - Team AllEars

 Michelle, Cathy and Glo

Keynote Speaker Dave Anderson checks out the Dream Team's Silent Auction

 Keynote Speaker Dave Anderson checks out the Dream Team's Silent Auction

Deb bids on a Silent Auction Item

 Deb bids on a Silent Auction Item

The Magic Meets Sponsors!

 The Magic Meets Sponsors

Getting ready for the Cruise Breakout!

 Getting ready for the Cruise Breakout


Also during the first breakout session was Shontell Crawford, talking about the Disney Vacation Club.

 Shontell Crawford, talking about the Disney Vacation Club

and Disney's First Chief Magical Officer (CMO) Justin!

 Disney's First Chief Magical Officer (CMO) Justin

Deb gets a few minutes to chat with Justin.

 Deb gets a few minutes to chat with Justin

WDWToday Podcast broadcast live the drawing for Palo meals during the Deb and Steve September cruise. Jill and Carolyn learn they will be joining Deb and Steve for a special Palo dinner!

 Jill and Carolyn


Terry and Stephanie won Breakfast with Deb from the Dream Team Silent Auction during the Mousefest Cruise!


 Terry and Stephanie

Laura wins the AllEars MagicMeets Prize Basket (value over $325)

 Laura wins the AllEars MagicMeets Prize Basket


There were 2 incredible Grand Prizes. Here is Sara Moore and Fred Block with the winner of the 7 night All Star Vacation Home prize.

 Sara and Winner of All Star Vacation Home

Beci and Fred with the other Grand Prize winner - A cabin on the 2009 MouseFest Cruise!

 Beci and Fred with the other Grand Prize

Fred receives special gifts of thanks in honor of his 5 years of dedication to MagicMeets!

 Fred Block


Still to come, Sunday at Magic Meets!


July 27, 2008

Magic Meets - Friday Part 2

Seems I took very very few photos on Friday. Here are LindaLou's pics from the evening festivities.

First up is the Meet before the Magic Event --

The Sponsors for this year's Meet before the Magic were Beci Mahnken (MouseFanTravel), Sara Moore (All Star Vacation Homes), Deb Wills (All Ears) and of course, Fred Block.

Deb Wills, Beci Mahnken, Sara Moore, Fred Block at Magic Meets


Magic Meets Door Prizes

 Magic Meets Door Prizes

Enjoying the light snacks

Enjoying the Munchies

The happy door prize winner of the AllEars Basket o goodies.

 Magic Meets Door Prizes

While this event was winding down, the next event was being setup. Mike Scopa wrote a Pre-Magic Meets blog on Magic Tunes which will give you the background info.

Basically, it was a charity event benefiting Lou Mongello's Dream Team and my Avon Walk for Breast Cancer.

I want to thank everyone who attended this event and donated to these worthwhile causes. I was honored to receive half of the donations, a total of $325, which I have already deposited in my 2009 Avon Breast Cancer Walk Fundraiser!

Mike Scopa was the MC.

Mike Scopa MC

The 4 contestants were Lou Mongello, Annette Owens, Steve Barrett and myself. Suffice to say I was the first eliminated, LOL.

Lou and Deb

July 18, 2008

Magic Meets - Friday

What a day!!! It began bright and early with all the volunteers and sponsors gathered in the ballroom to begin set up.

Here are some photos taken during the morning:

Magic Meets Ballroom Setup

Magic Meets Ballroom Setup

Magic Meets Ballroom Setup

Magic Meets Ballroom Setup

Magic Meets Ballroom Setup

Magic Meets Ballroom Setup

Magic Meets Ballroom Setup

Magic Meets Ballroom Setup

July 17, 2008

Countdown to Magic Meets - Thursday Evening

Everyone gathered together again around 6:30 this evening. More folks have arrived, such as Dave Marx (Passporter), Laura (who write the Magic Meets newsletter articles), and several of the volunteers.

Lots of truck loading and unloading was done by a group of guys (Brad, Jim and others).

And some of us were at the ballroom to assist in unloading the cars

Unloading the Cars

Unloading the Cars

Unloading the Cars

Fred on the Segway

At some point the Mongello Family arrived... and went to check in.

And Fred was keeping things rolling on his Segway.

Packing the Car

Many of the folks are still in the ballroom. The goal tonight was to help Mike Newell get all the audio set up. Me, it's past my bedtime and the next few days are VERY full.

Tomorrow, the official start of Magic Meets!
Will blog as time allows!!!!

Countdown to Magic Meets - Arrival Day

Thursday Morning --

We decided to sleep in this morning as it will be our last day of doing that until Monday! Beci and Shontell arrived last evening and we had a great time catching up.

After breakfast we packed the car and headed out. There was so much stuff to bring, that LindaLou and I each drove our own car. Fortunately, we will not have packed cars when we return home.

Packing the Car

In the past, we have always left for Magic Meets on Friday, but last year so many of our friends arrived on Thursday that we decided we would do that also. In addition, it gives the speakers and sponsors time to catchup and spend some down time together before the arrival of over 500 attendees.

After we checked in and unloaded the car, we headed over to Perkins to meet up with folks who had already arrived.

Mike (AllEars.net and WDWToday Podcast) and Carol Scopa, drove in today from New Hampshire:

Mike and Carol Scopa


Mike (MouseWorldRadio and WDWToday Podcast) and Mary Newell drove in from New York:

Mike and Mary Newell

Michelle Scribner-MacLean and LindaLou (AllEars.net) and Beci Mahnken (MouseFanTravel). Michelle flew in from New Hampshire, Beci (Seattle) and LindaLou drove in today from Maryland.

Michelle, Linda, Beci

After a while, Mr. MagicMeets walked in the door, Fred Block!

Fred Block

We all chatted for a while and then decided to head back to the hotel, get settled in our rooms and reconnect later today.

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