Do you remember when there were $1 coins in the US? Canada has its loonies ($1 CAD) and twonies ($2 CAD) but here in the US we’ve been relying on paper dollars for quite some time now. However, the growing trend of “going green” and changing our habits to be more environmentally friendly has even trickled down to the way we use and make our money. You might be thinking what this has to do with the Orlando theme parks or Walt Disney World Resort we’re always writing about? Well, everything! It’s no secret that the Walt Disney World Resort is keen on conservation efforts. Both Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Epcot are legitimate animal organizations that participate in breeding and rescue efforts. Now the Walt Disney World Resort’s Epcot and Magic Kingdom will be teaming up with the US Mint to distribute dollar coins throughout the parks in certain locations.

Dollar bills aren’t as environmentally friendly as coins. These dollar coins are gold in color and feature the image of Sacagwea both on the front and back of the gold-toned (not real gold) coin. On one side she is carrying a child in a papoose with the regular United States logos and on the other side she is harvesting corn, beans and squash in a field. The agricultural theme matches perfectly with the environmental goals that this collaboration with the US Mint is striving toward.

Many people are talking about these coins becoming a collectible, and we all know Disney fans love to collect! From pin trading to special figurines, we love taking advantage of special opportunities. Over at Epcot you can find the special coins in certain locations at the American Adventure in the United States pavilion at the World Showcase. Over in the Magic Kingdom you can find the coins in certain areas of Liberty Square and near the Haunted Mansion. The special coin usage will only be going on until December, so make sure you check out our discount Disney tickets and get to the parks soon!

Ebooks have become the next big thing. With devices like Amazon.com’s Kindle, Apple’s iPhones and iPods as well as an upcoming book reading device by Sony, some people are readily making the transition from paperback to paperless. While there are plenty of arguments both for and against Ebooks, you can’t deny their popularity and Disney is taking full advantage of it. The company recently announced Disney Digital Books. Don’t worry, you won’t have to purchase a Kindle or reading device, Disney is making it easy for everyone. All you need is a computer with Internet access.

Disney Digital Publishing will make 500 new and classic Disney books available for kids to read. Every character from Winnie the Pooh to Hannah Montana is included in that list of 500 reads. While you don’t have to purchase a device to read these books, you will have to pay either a monthly or annual fee. To test out the new project Disney is offering free trials at the moment where you can access 7 regular books, 1 Look and Listen book and 1 Story Builder Activity.

Not only will this program help out the clutter factor of buying tons of children’s books, but the Look and Listen book will help kids learn to read. Readers of the Disney Digital books will be able to click on the words as they read them and hear how they are pronounced. The interactive Ebook not only provides convenience but helps children recognize words they don’t understand instead of glazing over them. With the Story Builder Activity books children can mix and match different scenes to create their own story adventure.

This is a great way to encourage the kids to read and in a way, save money. One fee a year will provide access to 500 books—if you bought 500 books you would be paying way more than whatever fees Disney will be charging. Kids of all ages and adults will enjoy the interactive story options while they learn to improve their reading skills. Check out the new service today, it’s a great thing for Disney fans of all ages!

It has been quite some time since Disney has made a movie starring a princess as the lead role. This year we get a return to princesses and 2D animation with The Princess and the Frog, but next year we will get a special treat. Disney is already working on their first 3D animated fairytale with their version of the story of Rapunzel. This feature is going to be special for the Walt Disney Company. Not only will it be their first 3D animated fairytale but it will also be the 50th feature-length animated film for the House of Mouse.

As with every Disney adaptation, Rapunzel is going to be a little bit different. We all know Disney makes their fairytales more kid friendly even if they have to bend the truth a bit (especially with tales like Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid) but with Rapunzel they’re going to make her a princess for modern times and modern little girls. This Rapunzel is not going to be a damsel in distress but a superheroine in her own right.

Voiced by singer/actress Mandy Moore, Rapunzel escapes from her castle to embark on an adventure with a bandit named Flynn, voiced by Zachary Levi. Like her Disney princess predecessors, Rapunzel will sing, fall in love and may have some animals friends. But unlike her princess pedescessors she isn’t waiting for anyone to rescue her, and like her more modern counterpart Mulan, Rapunzel will have a bit of fight in her.

Her legendary hair is going to be more than just a rope for potential suitors. Rapunzel will be able to use her hair like a lasso, a whip and other objects. The princess has full control of her hair in the Disney version, in a way making it a character of its own. With music from legendary Disney composer Alan Menken and Home on the Range composer Glen Slater, Rapunzel is sure to be a hit next holiday season. She will be joining the newest Disney leading lady (who is also a milestone as the first African American princess) Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog in a long line of famous characters popular with girls of all ages. Rapunzel is slated to arrive in theatres during the holiday season of 2010.

Fans of the Pirates of the Caribbean film franchise will be excited to hear what Walt Disney Studios chairman Dick Cook revealed about 2011. Cook stood before a crowd of about 5,000 Disney fanatics and announced he had a special treat for them. In 2011 Disney will release the next installment of Pirates of the Caribbean, the popular franchise that stars Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley in a series of swashbuckling adventures with Depp’s character Captain Jack Sparrow.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides will be the title of the new movie. At D23, however, it wasn’t only Cook that announced the awesome news, but Captain Jack Sparrow himself! As smoke filled the stage and the familiar theme song from the Pirates movie played, a pirate ship glided onto the stage commandeered by none other than Johnny Depp dressed in full Captain Jack regalia. The crowd went crazy for Depp who remained in character the entire time while he was on stage. We’re sure for many of the kids in the audience it was just like seeing their hero right before their eyes.

Up until now the Pirates films have been directed by Gore Verbinski, but he recently left the franchise to pursue other projects. While the newest film now has a title and Johnny Depp will be back as Captain Jack, the rumor mill is still buzzing about who will be the next director. Jerry Bruckheimer supposedly has his eye on Rob Marshal, director of movies like Chicago, Nine and Memoirs of a Geisha, to direct the new pirate flick, but we’ll just have to wait and see until further details come out. If you can’t wait for the new movie why not have a watch party marathon and check out Pirates of the Caribbean, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest and Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.

The best way to get in the pirates mood is head down to Walt Disney World Resort and check out the attraction that inspired the movies over at the Magic Kingdom: Pirates of the Caribbean. While you’re there check out the Pirate’s League where you get to dress up like your favorite Pirates of the Caribbean character as well!

If you’ve seen Hellboy chances are director Guillermo Del Toro is the last guy you’d ever expect to be working on Disney animated films. The comic book film is only one of Del Toro’s dark ventures into the storytelling world. Pan’s Labyrinth which received six Academy Award nominations and a BAFTA for Best Film Not in English was a dark fantasy tale set in Spain during the Spanish Civil War in 1944. Violence and tragedy were naturally a part of this film and its tragic ending is difficult to watch for many.

But a big bit of news concerning this incredible director emerged from the D23 Expo that has everyone in the Disney community talking. Del Toro, who admitted to being a huge Disney fan, has signed on to produce a series of animated horror films as part of a franchise called “Disney Double Dares You.” The Disney Double Dares You (DDDY) world plans to include an entire series of books, merchandise and films that are scary yet appropriate for all ages. The first film is reportedly called Trollhunters but further details have yet to be revealed. Del Toro did say the series of DDDY films would all be tied together by one major film of which Disney fans will be familiar with the subject matter.

Could that one major film be Del Toro’s version of The Haunted Mansion? The popular Disney attraction is apparently the Mexican director’s favorite. He loves how the story of the mansion’s ghouls and grinning ghost inhabitants comes together throughout the ride. While the final movie remains a mystery he plans to do the same with all of these animated projects, books and movies.

With Disney’s recent acquisition of Marvel Comics, fans are also buzzing about the possibility of Del Toro getting his hands on the world of legendary Marvel creator Stan Lee. Could Del Toro be bringing some of these Marvel characters to life with his usual dark twist? As more details regarding the Disney Double Dares You project emerge we will get to find out. Make sure you check back with DWTickets.com for more news regarding this exciting project.

When you think of Walt Disney films animation usually comes to mind; but what about documentaries? Come to think of it, when you’re enjoying Orlando theme parks like the Walt Disney World Resort do you ever stop and think about the inner workings of all of the magic? The latest film to come out of the Disney group is Walt & El Grupo. If you’ve ever been on the Grand Fiesta Tour attraction at the Mexican Pavillion at Epcot, you might have seen a trio of comical characters featuring Donald Duck, a rooster by the name of Panchito and a parrot by the name of Jose Carioca. This comical trio is better known as The Three Caballeros and they were a direct result from a trip to South America Walt Disney took with a company of animators in 1941.

Those were trying times for Walt Disney. There was an animators strike, the world was at war and the fate of Disney appeared dismal. The US government recruited Walt and a group of his hand-picked animators to go to South America on a mission of goodwill. Walt and his group visited Argentina, Brazil and Chile to meet with famous Latin American artists and musicians and collaborate on a project. The result of this trip was two movies: The Three Caballeros and Saludos Amigos.

Walt Disney was only 39 on this trip and Disneyland hadn’t even opened yet! But it was an imperative mission to the world of Walt Disney and one that produced some animation firsts. The Three Caballeros featured a combination of live-action cinema and animation. It also featured some prominent Latin stars from the era including Aurora, the sister of Carmen Miranda, Dora Luz and Carmen Molina. The title song of The Three Caballeros was composed by legendary Mexican composer Manuel Esperon.

Walt & El Grupo is expected to be a great inside look into the world of Walt Disney, a man surrounded by many legends. Fans of the animation genius will get a rare glimpse at what life was like during the early stages of the Disney empire and see how the trip influenced Disney’s multicultural aspects as shown by attractions like It’s A Small World and the World Showcase Pavillion. If you’re a Disney fan, Walt & El Grupo is a must see.

Could we be seeing Iron Man in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom or Spiderman on top of Spaceship Earth at EPCOT? Considering Disney just bought Marvel for $4 billion dollars, fans of both companies are already reeling with ideas and theories as to what will happen next. With this important purchase, Disney will acquire the rights to over 5,000 Marvel characters with the main focus being on: Spider-Man, Iron Man, Thor, The Fantastic Four, Captain America and the X-Men.

Disney has stated they believe this merger will work successfully much like the Disney/Pixar merger has been working for the last few years noting the box-office hits the 3D animation company has been producing. While Marvel has a number of films currently in production, including the sequel to Iron Man, Disney has stated it has no intentions of interfering with the current projects but will eventually move towards becoming the sole distributor of Marvel films in the future.

As for the parks themselves, expect to see plenty of new merchandising on its way. Disney hopes this new partnership will help cater to the younger male audiences which may have felt left behind with the princess boom Disney has experienced over the last few years. Despite having characters like Buzz Lightyear and Jack Sparrow as favorites with boys, Spider-Man and Iron Man are just as, if not more popular with the audience Disney is trying to target.

While many fans of the respective companies are concerned as to what this merger could mean, both Marvel and Disney leaders are trying to reassure the public this will be a mutual partnership and not some sort of takeover. Many details have yet to be revealed as the merger will be finalized later today if not sometime this week, but Marvel is excited to welcome Disney aboard.

"Disney is the perfect home for Marvel`s fantastic library of characters given its proven ability to expand content creation and licensing businesses," said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel`s Chief Executive Officer. "This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney`s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world."

Visitors on their way to Florida via I-4 might have seen a sign or two leading to “Celebration.” This festively named city is located near Walt Disney World, and you might have even heard one or two interesting things about it. You might have heard, for example, that it’s an ultra-private city masterminded by Walt Disney as the perfect community. You might have also heard that it’s inhabited exclusively by Walt Disney World executives and employees. You may have even been told that Celebration features audioanimatronic wildlife (robotic birds and bees). Rumors about this city run the gamut, but while people are quick to gush all the juicy secrets about Celebration, no one is telling the real story.

Believe it or not, it’s really just a regular town.

What makes Celebration special, and what has sparked its illustrious reputation as a Disney-fied city, is that it was developed by the Walt Disney Company. In the early 1990s, the Disney Development Company established the Celebration Company to spearhead its development within 4,900 acres of land in the southern portion of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. This land eventually became Celebration in 1994, a $2.5 billion master-planned community designed in an early 20th century-architectural style.

Many say that Celebration was designed to be a realization of one of Walt Disney’s plans. Before his death, Disney had created an ambitious concept for a city – the Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. In this city of the future, there would be no home ownership and no unemployment. People would zip to home and work on underground roads, and weather would never be an issue, because the city would be underneath a climate-controlled dome. This is obviously a far cry from what Celebration is today, an idealized small town where in fact, there are only homeowners. Disney’s prototype of a dream city actually morphed into Epcot, which you’ll notice is the abbreviation of Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.

Since Celebration was run by The Celebration Company early on, there were some unusual decisions made that were geared more toward Disney profits rather than town prosperity. For example, the downtown area was developed with several collectible stores, but no gas stations. Today, however, Celebration is now a part of Kissimmee and Osceola County as a non-incorporated city. The Celebration Company only owns a few commercial parcels on Celebration Boulevard. And though some employees of Walt Disney World do live in Celebration, there are certainly plenty of non-Disney employees living in the town.

Celebration has also caught a rep for its housing rules; homeowners are required to maintain the upkeep of their homes, and window treatments must be neutral colors (not all white, contrary to popular belief). What maybe causes people to talk about Celebration so much, however, is the fact that the town truly is beautiful. The bank, post office, movie theater, town hall, and other downtown buildings were all designed by renowned architects. The streets are clean, and the crime rate is low. And though residents don’t zip around on underground roads, they do frequently use Segway scooters and small electric cars called “NEVs” (Neighborhood Electric Vehicle).

To anyone coming from a less wholesome place in the country, Celebration might not seem real. It might seem like some kind of animatronic Disney production. But in actuality, Celebration is really just a nice place to live. A place that maybe at one point or another, got a little Disney fairy dust sprinkled on it.

For the past 25 years, the Magic Kingdom has donned its decorations and opened its nighttime doors for special guests at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. This is an all-out holiday celebration that spans the Magic Kingdom park on select nights throughout the season. The party mood envelops park guests the minute they come through the gate and see the gigantic Christmas tree in the Town Square at the start of Main Street USA. As visitors continue down Main Street, they will be immersed into the holidays even further as the snow falls from the beautiful night sky above this magical park.

Throughout the evening, there are special Christmas shows that can only be seen during the holiday season. Mickey, Minnie, the Fairy Godmother and other friends join in “Cinderella’s Holiday Wish” each evening in front of the castle and the result is a dazzling display of over 200,000 shimmering lights covering Cinderella’s Magic Kingdom home. The “Celebrate the Season” show moves onto the castle stage later in the evening and should not be missed.

“Mickey’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’” takes the stage in Tomorrowland five times each night to tell the classic Dickens tale with a Disney touch. And every little princess will want to see “Belle’s Enchanted Christmas Story,” which is shown four times throughout the night. Along with the shows, you can’t miss “Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade” and, of course, the Holiday Wishes fireworks fantasy takes a new seasonal shape with “Celebrate the Spirit of the Season.”