If you are vacationing at Walt Disney World Resort next week, be sure to stop by the Mexico pavilion at Epcot on September 16th.
The pavilion will be celebrating Las Fiestas Patrias (Patriotic Holidays), the independence of the country, with several activities for every member of the familia.
The Plaza de los Amigos will be decorated for this special and important occasion. Guests that visit will be able to take part in a scavenger hunt, a bean bag toss game, and much more!
Cast members will also be distributing brochures with information on the significance of the day, inviting guests to explore Mexico by discovering and learning more about its history and culture.
This complimentary special event takes place next Wednesday, September 16 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. inside the Mexico pavilion. Admission to Epcot is required.
With hundreds of delectable foods (and drinks) to try throughout Epcot’s International Food & Wine Festival, you can bet there may be one or two you are just dying to get the recipe for. Well you are in luck, for the festival has a new and more expansive cookbook available for sale throughout the event. The “Epcot International Food & Wine Festival” cookbook for 2015 is a little heftier than the usual collections of recipes they share. It also includes 50 pages of history, photos and memories from the last two decades.
The recipes go all the way back to 1996 and include dishes that represent the festival through the years. And for 2015, Epcot Executive Chef Gregg Hannon is returning some classics to the Marketplace menus, such as pao de queijo (Brazilian cheese puffs), apple strudel in Germany, spicy chicken sausage with polenta in Canada and the lobster roll at Hops & Barley.
They’ve got those recipes, along with dishes that have never left the menu, like Canadian Cheddar Cheese soup, Belgian waffles with berry compote and bo ssam in South Korea. A little bit of history, and a lot of good eating in 20 years.
You’ll have 53 days, September 25-November 16, to enjoy the food, live entertainment, demos and seminars. Go to Epcotfoodfestival.com to start planning! Meantime, here’s a recipe from the book to whet your appetite.
Pepper Bacon Mac and Cheese
Farm Fresh Marketplace Serves 6
Pepper Bacon Macaroni
1 pound macaroni
8 slices pepper bacon
1/2 cup diced white onions
1/2 cup diced green pepper
1/2 cup diced red pepper
3 small jalapeño peppers, seeded and diced
Cheese Sauce
2 cups heavy cream
1 pound (4 cups) shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 pound (1 cup) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/4 pound sliced American cheese
2 ounces (1/2 cup) shredded Gruyere cheese
Topping
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
2 slices pepper bacon, cooked and chopped
3 green onions, sliced
Coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste
For pepper bacon macaroni:
Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
Cook pepper bacon until crisp. Chop and set aside. Reserve 2 tablespoons of grease.
Heat grease in a medium-skillet over medium heat for 3 minutes.
Add onion, green pepper, red pepper and jalapeño. Sauté for 3-5 minutes, until vegetables are warm, but still crisp. Set aside.
For cheese sauce:
Heat cream in large saucepan over medium heat. When it begins to simmer, slowly stir in all of cheese, mixing well to melt cheese.
To assemble and serve:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Combine cooked pasta, vegetables and cheese sauce in a large bowl.
Pour into a 9- x 13-inch baking dish and top with breadcrumbs. Bake 15 minutes, or until breadcrumbs are golden brown.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with green onions and bacon. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot.
New Cookbook Celebrates 20 Years of Epcot International Food & Wine Festival by Pam Brandon: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog
Source: Disney Parks Blog
Fall has officially arrived at Magic Kingdom Park here at Walt Disney World Resort. Over the past few nights, teams of cast members have readied the park for the season, dressing it up with fall foliage, wreaths, town scarecrows, pumpkins and more. As soon as you enter the park you will notice the festivities all around you.
Check out the video above for guided tour with Art Director David Hartmann & Holiday Services Planner Doug Benedict.
Of course, this area really comes alive during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties, which returns to the park less than a week from today!
Magic Kingdom Park Transforms for Fall by Jennifer Fickley-Baker: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog
Ubisoft has announced The Smurfs™, a brand-new video game featuring the famed blue creatures from the original comics beloved by children worldwide. Dive into the Smurfs’ universe and meet some of the most famous Smurfs, including Papa Smurf, Smurfette, Hefty Smurf and many more. Plus, encounter and defeat notorious villain Gargamel and his cat Azrael. Exclusively for Nintendo 3DS™, The Smurfs will be available on October 13 and will retail for $29.99 suggested retail price.
Chaos has erupted in the Smurfs’ village and Papa Smurf is counting on you to save the day. Upon returning from a walk in the woods, the Smurfs find their home mysteriously destroyed. Players must embark on a journey to help solve the mystery of who damaged their village, and help to rebuild it.
In The Smurfs, players are challenged in a variety of 12 mini-games and must collect resources such as wood, rocks and bricks from iconic locations such as Gargamel’s Laboratory to the deep forest surrounding the village. By sawing logs, nailing planks and piling bricks, players will have the ability to get creative and customize the Smurfs’ houses and village, creating the greatest village ever seen for Papa Smurf, Smurfette and all their friends.
Developed by Magic Pockets, all of the game’s mini-games are tailored for Nintendo 3DS. Taking full advantage of its features, players will play hide-and-seek using the Nintendo 3DS Stylus, pilot a plane through the woodland, organize music contests and create their very own recipes by tilting the Nintendo 3DS to mix ingredients and blow into the microphone to cool their preparations.
For more information about The Smurfs, please visit thesmurfsgame.com.
National Video Games day is fast approaching on Sept. 12, and what better way to celebrate than with a day of Mario! He is, after all, one of the most recognized video game characters of all time.
Super Mario Maker launches exclusively for Wii U on the 11th of September, so it’s the perfect day to play, create and share the Super Mario Bros. levels of your dreams! Mario is one of the most iconic faces in video games, and this year marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of the original Super Mario Bros. on the NES.
To make your celebration of National Video Games Day complete, here are 10 fun facts about Mario and the Super Mario Bros. franchise that you might not know!
Fact 1: Mario has appeared in more than 200 video games.
Fact 2: Super Mario Bros. launched 30 years ago on Sept. 13, 1985.
Fact 3: In Super Mario Land, Mario has to pilot a submarine and an airplane to save Princess Daisy. Who knew he had his pilot license?
Fact 4: Nintendo composer Koji Kondo provided the iconic soundtrack to Super Mario Bros.
Fact 5: Since 1995, the voice of Mario has been provided by American voice actor Charles Martinet. He also voices Mario’s twin brother, Luigi, and nemesis, Wario.
Fact 6: Mario’s first appearance was in the 1981 Donkey Kong arcade game. And he wasn’t trying to rescue Princess Peach like in Super Mario Bros. It was actually his friend Pauline.
Fact 7: While the original Super Mario Bros. incorporated classic items like the Super Mushroom and Fire Flower, Super Mario Bros. 3 introduced a host of iconic power-ups for Mario to pick up like the Super Leaf, Tanooki Suit and Goomba’s Shoe. Ever since, creative power-ups and transformations have become a staple of the Super Mario Bros. series.
Fact 8: Mario was originally known as “Jumpman” in Donkey Kong.
Fact 9: Mario actually didn’t appear in Donkey Kong 3, but he did make his return to the series in Donkey Kong for Game Boy.
Fact 10: Some Mario games actually break the space-time continuum by having Mario interact with his younger baby self.
A new ongoing configuration of the Wii U console that includes a pre-installed version of the Mario Kart 8 game as well as a Nintendo eShop download card for the two Mario Kart 8 DLC packs is now on sale in retail stores across the country. The console is available at a suggested retail price of $299.99.
Also on September 11, Nintendo will launch Super Mario Maker for Wii U. Using the Wii U GamePad controller, players can quickly and easily create their own original Super Mario Bros. levels using items, enemies, graphical styles and even power-ups from four classic Mario games.
These levels can be easily uploaded online to share with players all over the world. Game concepts that were never possible before in a Super Mario Bros. game are now possible in Super Mario Maker – and players are in control of it all.
When someone first told me there was an historic presidential retreat in a small desert town near Palm Springs, I told them they must be seeing things. But it turned out they were right. I saw it myself, along with a host of exciting locations, on a recent trip to the town of Rancho Mirage.
My getaway began at the luxurious Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa (www.westinmissionhills.com), where I checked into a gorgeous suite overlooking the property’s championship golf course. Highlighted by soothing taupe tones with textured accents, the room featured a comfortable, king-sized “Westin Heavenly Bed;” a large flat screen TV; office station with complimentary Wi-Fi; mini-fridge and microwave; a bathroom area with double sinks and a rain forest shower head; and a private balcony overlooking said golf course.
Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort & Spa is pure luxury in the desert
After acquainting myself with the Westin, I began my Rancho Mirage tour with a great lunch at Babe’s Bar-b-que & Brewhouse (www.babesbbque.com) Founded in 2002 by Don Callender of Marie Callender fame, Babe’s is renown for its secret BBQ smoking process that brings in hungry customers from all over Southern California.
Menu favorites at Babe’s include the pulled pork sandwich, boneless short ribs, skillet cornbread, fresh pies and shortcake, and award-winning micro brews, made at the restaurant’s onsite brewery. My lunch featured a succulent and memorable plate of baby back ribs, accompanied by a tasty sampling of the Babe’s brew master’s latest beers.
Babe’s Bar-b-que & Brewhouse is Rancho Mirage favorite for succulent smoked meats
After lunch it was time for a presidential trip to Sunnylands (www.sunnylands.org), a sprawling West Coast “Camp David,” where US presidents and world leaders meet in seclusion to party in the desert, while mixing in a little work.
Also opened to the public, the retreat was created in the mid-1960s by philanthropists Walter and Leonore Annenberg. Sunnylands covers more than 200 acres of lush, tree-filled lawns, ponds and stately residences, designed by Los Angeles-based architect A. Quincy Jones (1913-1979) in a classic midcentury modernist style that fits in with existing Palm Springs area structures.
Sunnylands is a Westcoast Camp David in the desert for US Presidents
Signatures of Jones’ openness in design are seen in the many overhangs that shield interiors from direct sunlight, and glass walls that in turn, take advantage of the desert sun. The exposed theme continues with visible trellises, steel beams, and coffered ceilings. Some of the most dramatic architectural features can be found at the main house, where the Annenbergs lived between 1966 and 2009. Here, where Mayan accents add flair, there is a large, pink pyramid roof and a tall Mayan monolith fountain out front.
Inside the 25,000 sq-ft residence there is majestic sculpture of Eve by Auguste Rodin in the center of the atrium, surrounded by hundreds of priceless paintings, sculptures and art pieces from around the world, and scores of pictures and letters from all the presidents and world leaders that have visited the estate. And judging from the amount of Ronald Reagan pictures and letters, it seems he was a favorite guest of the Annenbergs. His notes and images dot numerous walls throughout the place. In fact, I read that he celebrated New Year’s Eve at Sunnylands 18 times.
In all, seven presidents were regulars to the estate. The most recent was President Obama, who last year met with ChinesePresident Xi Jinping, played golf, and enjoyed a dinner cooked by Chef Bobby Flay. Other celebrities to escape to Sunnylands include British royal family, Bob Hope, Frank Sinatra, Jimmy Stewart, Ginger Rogers, and more.
Famous art at Sunnlylands includes works by Rodin, Yaacov Agam, Harry Bertoia, Jean Arp, Emile Gilioli, and Pablo Picasso, along with important works of Chinese porcelain, Meissen vases, Steuben glass, and English silver-gilt objects.
Sunnylands’ Visitor Center is open to the public Thursdays – Sundays and officially opens for the season on September 24. Visitors can enjoy interactive educational kiosks, informational panels and videos, an orientation film in the theater, and paths that wind throughout Sunnylands Gardens. Tours of the estate are $40 and reservations are required. For more info visit: www.sunnylands.org.
Escaping to Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, is wonderful all year round, but guests visiting the Hawaiian resort during the fall will be delighted with a variety of seasonal experiences and special surprises, ranging from Halloween spooks to Christmas cheer. As a mahalo for staying at Aulani during this time of year, guests are invited to take part in a special offer. With Aulani Mahalo Season, the more nights you visit, the more you’ll save – with 30 percent on stays of five or more consecutive nights or 25 percent on stays of four consecutive nights!
Is your ‘ohana ready for some festive fall fun? On select Saturday evenings in October, the resort will host Aulani Ho`olaule`a, a Halloween Party with face painting, balloon artists, games, prizes, dancing and more on the Halawai Lawn. Disney friends including Mickey, Minnie, Chip and Dale appear in their best Halloween costumes for photos and character greetings.
For those choosing to celebrate Thanksgiving with their family at Aulani, the resort’s chefs take guests through a culinary journey with many dining options, including a celebratory meal, Aulani Thanksgiving Feast, featuring an all-you-care-to-enjoy buffet mixed with Disney fantasy. During the Holiday season, carolers sing various holiday songs in the Maka‘ala Lobby and Waikolohe Valley and for those lucky enough to stay at the resort on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus will visit Aunty’s Beach House throughout the day!
Stay tuned for updates on the festivities throughout the rest of the year on the Disney Parks Blog and visit DisneyAulani.com for more details on Aulani Mahalo Season. Book the special offer now through October 26, 2015, for stays most nights August 16 through December 21, 2015 (excluding November 25 through November 28, 2015). Click the button below to get a Free Travel Quote now!
Enjoy the Holidays at Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa, During Mahalo Season by Tyler Slater: Originally posted on the Disney Parks Blog
Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, the world’s largest regional theme park company, has announced a wide-ranging lineup of exciting and innovative rides and attractions coming to its parks in 2016, including high-thrill coasters, interactive rides, expanded family offerings, new twists on iconic favorites, and Northern California’s first-ever hybrid roller coaster.
“Our rides and attractions are consistently ranked as the most thrilling and innovative in the regional theme park industry and our 2016 lineup will build on that success,” said Jim Reid-Anderson, Chairman, President and CEO. “For five years we have maintained our strategy of introducing something new at every park, every year, delighting our guests with differentiated new attractions and experiences. It is clear our strategy is working – guests are thrilled by the continuous stream of exciting new attractions and park upgrades and we look forward to wowing them again next spring with our 2016 offerings.”
Here is what’s coming:
Six Flags Discovery Kingdom will open the most-anticipated new roller coaster in Northern California in over 10 years, The Joker. The villainous character’s personality is evident in this extreme hybrid coaster’s chaotic twists and turns throughout its 3,200 feet of dual-colored track. With a first ever “step-up under-flip inverted roll” that takes riders horizontal, The Joker ride will also feature the ultimate “fake-out” with a unique breaking wave turn, the only one of its kind on the west coast. Riders will experience a wild Zero G barrel roll plus 15 extreme airtime moments at maximum speeds of 53 mph.
Six Flags Great Adventure will dominate as the “king of chaos” in 2016 when the world’s largest theme park debuts its 14th coaster and the most unique scream machine in its history — Total Mayhem. After being lifted straight up a 12-story, 90-degree hill, this 4-D, free-fly coaster will wreak havoc as riders flip head-over-heels at least six times along the weightless journey. Thrill seekers will experience exhilarating leaps and dives along a horizontal plane, along with unexpected drops as they tumble from one level to the next. The wing seats amp up the pandemonium since riders will experience all of this chaos with no track above or below — just the sky, ground and adjacent lake churning around them. The sister ride introduced at Six Flags Fiesta Texas in 2015 was named among the Top 10 most anticipated new roller coasters by USA TODAY and FOX News.
Both Six Flags Great America and Six Flags Mexico, in partnership with Warner Bros. Consumer Products and DC Entertainment, will bring the next generation of interactive thrills to their parks with the debut of JUSTICE LEAGUE: Battle for Metropolis. This immersive, 4D virtual reality-like ride was named by USA TODAY readers as one of the Top Ten New Amusement Park Attractions in 2015 and was most recently awarded Best New Attraction by Theme Park Insider. Guests become members of the JUSTICE LEAGUE Reserve Team and engage in a full-sensory journey as they battle alongside BATMAN™, SUPERMAN™, WONDER WOMAN and GREEN LANTERN against Lex Luthor, The Joker and his henchmen. Traveling in six-passenger vehicles, riders must outsmart the villains to save the city of Metropolis.
Six Flags Magic Mountain, the Thrill Capital of the World, will commemorate its 45th operating season and the 40th anniversary of the world’s first 360-degree looping coaster, Revolution, which has delighted over 45 million guests during its 40-year reign at the park. The New Revolution will feature newly-created special ride effects, a new look, and newly designed trains that will deliver a smoother, sleeker ride experience for guests.
Six Flags Over Texas, the Thrill Capital of Texas, has plans for an impressive expansion to the GOTHAM CITY section of the park that will include three new rides in 2016. The area will become the ultimate battle of BATMAN™ versus villains with the opening of The Riddler Revenge — a new twist on thrills with guaranteed wicked high-flying fun; Catwoman Whip — a sinister spin and tilt ride that is much like its namesake; and Harley Quinn Spinsanity — a devious take on a classic spinning ride.
Thrilling family fun is in the works as Six Flags Over Georgia introduces the world’s first DC SUPER FRIENDS themed area and the all-new Bugs Bunny Boomtown. The two newly-themed children’s areas will feature 12 rides and attractions that families can experience together at the Thrill Capital of the South. This latest expansion is part of a multi-year plan to provide thrills for guests of all ages at the park and includes the addition of Hurricane Harbor in 2014, two new devious rides in Gotham City in 2015 and other exciting additions planned for the future.
It is off to the races to see who is the fastest in the family, as Six Flags White Water adds the new 60-foot tall exhilarating Wahoo Racer water slide. The multi-lane mat racing slide complex is the largest slide of its kind in the world at the South’s Most Thrilling Water Park. Riders will experience the thrill of racing against their friends and family members reaching speeds of up to 40 feet per second on six aero-dynamic designed water toboggans.
The Great Escape is introducing the hair-raising Greezed Lightnin’ in 2016. The all-new super looping thrill ride will rocket guests 360 degrees, reach exhilarating speeds and leave them hanging, waiting for more. Thrill seekers will be hurled a series of seven full inversions, both frontward and backward, experiencing suspenseful hang time at over 70 feet in the air. The new attraction will be located in one of the most historic and visible sections of the park, and its impressive lights and flames will transport guests back in time with its 1950’s theme and hot rod inspiration.
Six Flags America is adding Splashwater Falls — a giant interactive water playground that features dozens of slides, nets, sprays, geysers and thrills for the entire family to enjoy. To top off the fun, a super-sized tipping bucket atop the huge play structure will dump gallons of water on guests throughout the day. While the kids are splashing away, parents can relax on the deck area complete with new lounge chairs and umbrellas.
La Ronde in Montreal is set to bring guests exciting new adventures as it flips the trains on the iconic Vampire coaster to run backward, and adds two rides in an all-new section of the park: Avenue Aventure: Phoenix — a flying scooter ride that puts guests in control as they soar against the wind; and Gravitor — a fun adventure that lifts guests high above the ground as they turn around and around in an ocean of lights and sounds for a real dance party in the sky!
Six Flags St. Louis — the Coaster Capital of Missouri, and Six Flags New England — the Coaster Capital of New England are heating things up next season with the new seven-story tall Fireball looping thrill ride. Fireball features a single loop allowing guests to soar back and forth, pendulum style, as they build up speed to propel them head over heels. Traveling back to back in unique “face-off” seating, guests will rocket through a series of 360° revolutions stopping upside down for some insane, inverted hang time before reversing directions.
Six Flags Fiesta Texas — the Thrill Capital of South Texas is bringing three new thrill rides to the park along with an all-new boardwalk area. In addition to the looping excitement of Fireball, two other mind-bending rides will round out the park’s exciting new Fiesta Bay Boardwalk. On Hurricane Force 5, riders take on the power of a storm and swirl round-and-round while soaring high into the air; and Spinsanity will offer the ultimate whirling adventure for thrill-seekers.
Six Flags New England is thrilled to relaunch its iconic steel coaster Bizarro as Superman™ the Ride featuring superhero music and theming throughout this epic coaster. Riders will feel like Superman™ as they climb over 20 stories into the air and race down like a speeding bullet at 77 miles per hour. Guests will also experience twists, turns and weightlessness along the coaster’s one mile of track. Thrill-seekers will not want to miss this heroic coaster as Superman™ regains his title at the Coaster Capital of New England.
Then, prepare for the scare this fall as Six Flags parks unearth Fright Fest® — the biggest Halloween event in North America — with more ghouls, more haunted mazes and scarier experiences than ever before.
Later this year, the world’s largest regional theme park, Six Flags Great Adventure joins six other Six Flags parks by ringing in the holidays with Holiday in the Park® — a Six Flags signature event featuring a winter wonderland of all the beloved sights and sounds of the season along with rides and attractions for the entire family.
Six Flags is also announcing the start of 2016 Season Pass sales with its special Flash Sale through Labor Day weekend featuring the best deal of the year on 2016 Passes. From September 3 through 7, guests will receive a free upgrade to a Gold Season Pass with every Pass purchased. Gold Season Passes include admission to any Six Flags theme park, as well as free parking and special admission offers for friends. 2016 Season Passes provide unlimited visits any operating day for the rest of 2015, including park admission to Fright Fest, Holiday in the Park and all of 2016.
Passholders may also purchase a Gold Season Dining Pass, which includes a lunch, dinner, and snack during every park visit, plus they will receive a 2016 All Season Sport Bottle for unlimited drink refills. Gold Season Dining Passes may be used at any Six Flags theme park. Six Flags has the best regional theme parks on the planet and continues to deliver incredible value for its guests year after year.
Hulu is offering a commercial-free option to subscribers. Viewers now have the choice to watch Hulu commercial free for $11.99 per month or with limited commercials for $7.99 per month. Current Hulu subscribers will maintain their existing subscription, but will have the choice to switch to the commercial-free option at any time for an additional $4 per month. For viewers who choose to watch content with limited commercials, Hulu will continue to show fewer commercials than scheduled television.
“At Hulu, we pride ourselves on listening to our customers and giving them the best possible experience,” said Mike Hopkins, CEO, Hulu. “Many of our customers have asked us for a commercial free option, and so today we are excited to introduce just that. Providing more choice for consumers is fundamental to the Hulu experience, in addition to an array of choices in content and devices, our customers can now choose to watch with or without commercials.”
Over the last year Hulu has aggressively expanded its content lineup. Most recently, Hulu announced a landmark, multi-year agreement with EPIX that will bring premium and hit films from Lionsgate, MGM and Paramount to Hulu for the first time. Hulu also signed groundbreaking licensing deals with networks including AMC, FX and Turner, and acquired the exclusive subscription streaming rights to full libraries of hit broadcast and cable shows including Seinfeld, Empire, Fargo, South Park, CSI, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Nashville, Deadliest Catch, The Last Ship and more. Earlier this year, Hulu also became the only subscription video on-demand service to offer the SHOWTIME® premium service as an add-on directly to subscribers for an additional $8.99 per month.
In addition, Hulu has made a strong investment in its original programming and has greenlit an exciting slate of originals, including the event series 11/22/63 from Stephen King and J.J. Abrams starring James Franco; comedy series Difficult People produced by Amy Poehler with stars Julie Klausner and Billy Eichner; Casual, a comedy series from Oscar®-nominated Director Jason Reitman; The Way (wt), a drama series starring Aaron Paul and Michelle Monaghan from Jason Katims; the first long-form project from Freddie Wong and the RocketJump team; and season four of the critically-acclaimed comedy The Mindy Project, starring Mindy Kaling.
For viewers who choose the limited commercials viewing option, Hulu remains dedicated to providing a seamless and relevant ad experience by connecting viewers with the right advertisers. Most recently, Hulu announced strong investment in advertising technology with its programmatic offering to deliver the right ad to the right user at the right time.
Since its launch in 2008, Hulu has been at the forefront of entertainment and technology. In 2015, the company announced it had grown to nearly 9 million US subscribers, an overall 50% growth year over year.
McDonald’s enthusiasts throughout Southern California have a new way to enjoy food and beverage deals with the launch of a brand new McDonald’s Mobile App, offering national and local deals from the convenience of their smartphone.
Available for iOS and Android devices, the app will engage customers by providing convenient ways to interact with the McDonald’s brand, how and when they want. The app showcases McDonald’s commitment to meeting customers where they are and enhancing their lives by making McDonald’s offerings more convenient and valuable. To encourage participation, McDonald’s is offering a free large sandwich and a frequency program through which customers can earn a free McCafe drink after five McCafe drink purchases*.
“Digital has become a really big focus at McDonald’s,” said Julia Vander Ploeg, vice president of digital at McDonald’s USA. “The Mobile App will transform how our customers engage with us by removing physical boundaries so they can connect to McDonald’s any time or place. While McDonald’s and our franchisees have partnered to create strong, valuable national and local offers for our customers, the app is fundamentally local and a way for customers to interact and engage with their everyday McDonald’s restaurant.”
In addition to national offers, customers will have the opportunity to take advantage of local Southern California offers. Initial Southern California-specific offers include buy one, get one for Breakfast Sandwiches, Free Happy Meal with Premium Salad purchases, $4 off any purchase of $20 or more and $1 off any Premium Burger. New app specials will rotate each week.
“Connecting with our customers is always a priority and now we can do it digitally,” said Clay Paschen III, President, McDonald’s Operators’ Association of Southern California. “We look forward to gleaning insights that will allow for customized deals and exclusive promotions only available to users.”
The McDonald’s Mobile App is available for download in the app store for Apple devices and in the Google Play marketplace for Android devices. For more information, visit www.mcdapp.com.
*Available only for the first 8 million downloads. Customers who download the app must also register to receive national offers. Offers expire after redemption and by end of day on December 31, 2015.
Segerstrom Center for the Arts continues with its second year of participation in Disney Musicals in Schools, having recently selected four Orange County public elementary schools to embark in the 2015 program. Last year, Segerstrom Center was awarded a $100,000 grant from Disney to help bring the Disney Musicals in Schools program to Orange County, and the first year of the program resulted in a total of 250 students and 20 teachers from four elementary schools going on a musical journey that would find them discovering the world of musical theater, all while developing and honing various skills throughout the process. Their journey, from the school grounds to the big stage, culminated in a production of a Disney KIDS musical.
Through an application process, Segerstrom Center has selected four Orange County public elementary schools, new to this program, to participate during the 2015 – 16 school year: Agnes Ware Stanley Elementary (Garden Grove), Ethan B. Allen Elementary School (Fountain Valley), San Juan Elementary School (San Juan Capistrano) and Westmont Elementary School (Westminster).
The four selected schools will participate in a 17-week musical theater residency. Segerstrom Center will train and assign teaching artists to work with each school. At no cost to them, the schools will receive performance rights, educational support materials and guidance from the teaching artists. The role of the teaching artists is to help produce the chosen Disney musical and to create a sustainable theater program in the participating schools. The programs will culminate in 30-minute Disney KIDS musicals at each school site. On March 22, 2016, Segerstrom Center will host a Student Share Celebration, where each school will have the extraordinary opportunity to perform a selection from its show on the Center’s stage for an audience of fellow students, family members and friends.
Disney Musicals in Schools is an outreach program initiative developed by Disney Theatrical Group to create ongoing theater programs in local elementary schools. The after-school programs are completely free to participating schools. Disney Musicals in Schools helps to keep the arts in schools and utilizes the unique world of musical theater to build positive relationships between students, faculty, staff, parents and the community. Students work in teams to develop or restore self-confidence, strengthen communication and collaboration skills all while learning and enjoying the process of creating a Disney musical theater production.
Disney Musicals in Schools was launched in response to Disney Theatrical Group’s concern that lowincome students in urban, public schools were not afforded equitable access to the arts. After successfully offering the program in New York City schools, Disney Theatrical Group began partnering with organizations in other communities around the United States.
Disney KIDS musicals, created in partnership with Music Theatre International (MTI), are about 30 minutes in length and have been adapted from the classic Disney films, 101 Dalmatians, Aladdin, The Aristocats, Cinderella, The Jungle Book, The Lion King, Sleeping Beauty, and Winnie the Pooh.
