Suite Dreams

Disney Accommodation, As Given Away During “The Year Of A Million Dreams”

‘The Official Disneyland Resort Podcast’ has just released a new “Year Of A Million Dreams” videocast, and once again, as a result of seeing one of the amazing prizes I’d melt my left hand off for being given away to someone else, I ended up crying.

© 2007 The Walt Disney Company

The Year Of A Million Dreams

“The Year Of A Million Dreams”, for all you Non “Disney Nuts”, is a kind of celebration (hear ‘promotion’) which the Disney company has been running at it’s Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resort theme parks since the beginning of 2007, and which it has now extended to cover 2008.

Basically, anyone visiting the U.S. parks has a chance of being randomly selected to win one of the 1 million prizes given away each of the two years. These prizes can be anything from special Fast Passes, to Limited Edition “Dream” Mickey Ears, to Disney shopping sprees, to Disney Cruises all the way to single nights in the two newly built park suites“Cinderella Castle Suite” at Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park or, as seen in said videocast,
Disneyland’s “Dream Suite”.

All these prizes, feel extremely precious to me, as decent Disney Merchandise can be a serious hassle to get hold of here in South Africa.
Yet none feel as magical as the possibility of spending a night in either of the parks. Both suites were originally Uncle Walt’s ideas, but both fell by the wayside when Walt Disney died in 1966. So staying in one of them just blows my mind!

The Castle Suite

In the “Cinderella Castle Suite”, I’d be right in the centre of the Magic Kingdom. Non Disney Fans are saying “so?”. Umm….did I mention I’d be right in the centre of the Magic Kingdom….for a night….alone…..
In The Castle…

Photo Courtesy Of “Zesmeralda” on Flickr

Who wouldn’t want to spend a night in a fairytale castle anyway?!? Well okay, it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but from what I’ve seen, the sheer grandeur of this place would cause anyone to enjoy it! It’s all meticulously decorated, as only Disney does, in a 17th Century style that includes a carved limestone fire place, stain glass windows and a starlit roof surrounding a sunken bathtub, stone pillars and stone walls with wooden panelling. I’m drooling all over myself just thinking about it.

The Dream Suite

The “Dream Suite” keeps an even bigger space in my heart. Nestled in the heart of New Orleans(…..well, actually only in “New Orleans Square” in Disneyland) It’s a wonderful, elegantly themed 2 bedroom piece of Disney Magic. Not only are each of the rooms themed to match one of Disneyland’s, well, lands (themed sections), but almost every room contains “surprises” that involve animating the rooms objects and decorations. This includes a “Goodnight Kiss” button in both bedrooms, which, when pressed activates a comforting and magical show to remind you you’re actually about to fall asleep in Disneyland. To me, the shows are so subtle and indicative of the times in which Walt grew his magic, that they’re almost a goodnight kiss from Walt himself. I also pick up a close resemblance in decor to that of Walt’s very own, apartment above the firehouse, though the “original” is no where near as fancy!
Click here for a fairly in depth explanation of the suite and it’s effects.
I can’t express enough how much I feel connected to this suite. Disney Nuts will tell you, that there is a certain resonance that emanates from good Disney stuff, and a lot of it tends to be from the work that Walt had a direct hand in producing while he was alive. However, when I watch this videocast, I feel that resonance, I fall in love and I cry.

This And All Disneyland ‘Dream Suite’ Photos Courtesy The Disney Company
and © 2008 The Disney Company

See All The “Year Of A Million Dreams” Prizes In This Awesome Picture Catalog!

Advertisement