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.

Did you know that Epcot is an acronym for “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow?” Aside from the World Showcase Pavilion, Epcot focuses on science and technology, as Walt Disney originally intended the park to be an actual prototype community for futuristic cities back in the earliest days of Epcot’s design. While some Disney fans aren’t keen on Epcot’s educationally focused attractions, they might not even notice how much they’re learning while waiting in line for the popular Test Track attraction.

Sponsored by GM, Test Track is the fourth fastest ride in the Walt Disney family, reaching speeds of up to 64.8 mph. As you wind your way through the queue you learn about vehicle safety and watch robotic demonstrations of crash dummies experiencing various accident situations from being crushed in a vehicle to slamming into a wall. You can also see the inner components of various vehicle parts, which is a must for any car fan. Once you get into the waiting area, you and your fellow guests will get to view a video that shows what your vehicle will experience on the Test Track ride. You, the guest, are the driver of GM’s latest vehicle and will ride it as it goes through tests of heat, cold and corrosive material, swerving and bump tracks before finally launching outdoors for a drive around the track.

This is where you get to experience that 64.8 mph we mentioned earlier as you speed around bank curves of 50 degrees and zoom over hills and turns. Despite not having any inversions or loops, Test Track is surprisingly fast and will give you a great view of the surrounding area once you finish the “initial testing” and your vehicle launches toward the outside track. This ride has the FastPass option available and we recommend you use it. Being near the front of the park and also one of the most popular rides in Epcot, the lines for Test Track can be extremely long. If you’re one of those that loves the Single Riders option on these popular rides, Test Track also has that choice available to you. This is a great ride for both young (as long as they meet the height requirement) and older crowds that want a bit of thrill without feeling terrified. Test Track at Walt Disney World is fun for all.

September 24th, 2009 would have been Jim Henson’s 73rd birthday. His name is almost as recognizable as Walt Disney and his contribution to the world of film and even, in an indirect manner, to our Orlando theme parks has continued on since his tragic death on May 16th, 1990. He was only 53 years old when a strange case of Streptococcal Toxic Shock Syndrome, a bacterial infection, took over his body and caused his organs to fail. On that day the entire creative world and the millions of fans Jim Henson gained through his work with the Muppets and Sesame Street mourned the tragic loss of this creative genius.

There was a lot Jim Henson did that the general public might not realize. He’s usually immediately grouped with the Muppets and rightfully so. Who doesn’t love Oscar the Grouch or Kermit the Frog? But Jim Henson’s genius expanded throughout a number of movies and even to a galaxy far, far away. Henson designed Muppets which lead to movies like Muppets Take Manhattan, the show Fraggle Rock and the popular animated series Muppet Babies.

Henson was also responsible for creating one of the most beloved sci-fi puppets of all time: Yoda from the Star Wars series. Henson helped George Lucas’ team create Yoda and help with the puppeteering of the little green Jedi Master before he went CGI in the additional three prequels to the films. It was Jim Henson who suggested Frank Oz be Yoda’s puppeteer and voice. Thanks to Henson. Lucas selected Oz to voice one of the most memorable film characters of all time.

Singing was yet another thing Henson dabbled in. Though he wasn’t out playing rock concerts, the song “The Rainbow Connection,” which he performed using his Kermit the Frog voice, was #25 on the Billboard Top 100 and still considered a favorite children’s song today. Jim Henson’s Creature Shop continues on and his company is now run by his children, who loved going on set with their dad and learning the ropes of puppeteering when they were young and Henson still lead the way. His legacy lives on through the Muppets, Sesame Street, Star Wars and movies like The Dark Crystal and The Labyrinth. If you want your dose of Muppet madness, head to Disney’s Hollywood Studios to checkout Muppetvision 3D.

Even though we live in Florida and don’t get any snow, Orlando does become quite chilly during the winter months. This time of the year is your last chance to get to the Orlando water parks before it becomes chilly outside. If you’re a fan of Blizzard Beach, you’d better get your discount tickets quick. As of January 10, 2010, Blizzard Beach will be closing for refurbishment until March of 2010. Blizzard Beach is one of the world’s most popular water parks. With its ski resort theme and scary slides Disney guests love to cool off and have fun at this great Disney theme park. If you’re in the mood for a classic, you can always check out Typhoon Lagoon, where you can learn to surf and swim with the sharks.

There’s also Wet ‘n Wild. This Orlando water park was voted the best water park in America by Amusement Business magazine, and when you go you will see why! The water slides at Wet ‘n Wild go from kid-friendly to downright terrifying. On the Bomb Bay, you rocket down a water slide at a near vertical angle from 76 feet up in the air. If you would rather take it easy you can check out the lazy river or try your hand at wake skating or knee skiing over at the Wake Zone.

If you want to check out one of the newest water parks to open up in the Orlando area, look no further than SeaWorld’s Aquatica. This brand new water park opened up last year in March and is decorated with bright colors and tribal imagery modeled after the indigenous cultures of New Zealand and Australia. The park’s most famous slide is the Dolphin Plunge. Here you can slide down a clear tube that dips through a pool of beautiful Commerson’s dolphins. For a little bit of friendly competition you can head to the Taumata Racer. This is a partially-enclosed waterslide that features eight lanes set side by side so you can race other guests of this great water park.

Whichever park you decide to get to make sure you make it there soon, because the chilly weather is right around the corner!

This is a big week for the Walt Disney World Resort! The Magic Kingdom is celebrating its 38th year and Epcot is celebrating its 27th year in operation. Both of the parks opened October 1st in 1971 and 1982, respectively. The Walt Disney World resort, which included the Magic Kingdom, only featured two hotels when it opened back in 1971. The Polynesian and the Contemporary were the first two resorts built back when the WDWR only consisted of the Magic Kingdom and the two hotels. Incredible how much it has grown since then! While Walt Disney was heavily involved in the planning of the resort, he died of lung cancer in 1966, a year before construction began.

While Walt didn’t get to see his dream realized, those he left in charge of the Disney company did it for him. Not only did they build the Magic Kingdom by using Disneyland as a guide, they made it bigger (and some would say better) than the original Anaheim destination. In 2008 17 billion people visited the Magic Kingdom, making it the most visited theme park in the world.

Epcot originally had a different purpose. We all know Walt Disney was an innovator in every sense of the word, but did you know he wanted to build an entire futuristic city? When it first opened, Epcot was written EPCOT, as it was an acronym for “Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow.” While we now know the park for attractions like Test Track, Soarin’ and the World Showcase, Walt Disney originally had other plans.

He was quoted as saying, “It will be a planned, controlled community, a showcase for American industry and research, schools, cultural and educational opportunities. In EPCOT, there will be no slum areas because we won’t let them develop. There will be no landowners and therefore no voting control. People will rent houses instead of buying them, and at modest rentals. There will be no retirees; everyone must be employed.”

But now Epcot is considered a vacation destination instead of a living environment. It’s always interesting to learn about the inner-workings and initial ideas of what Imagineers go through in building and conceptualizing these great Orlando theme parks. We can’t wait to see what Walt Disney World comes up with next!