The Themed Entertainment Association have announced the winners of their ninth annual Thea Awards for excellence in themed entertainment. Several awards were given to Disney employees and attractions. The winners are…

Lifetime Achievement:

Tony Baxter, Walt Disney Imagineering, Glendale, California

- Outstanding Achievement:

Millennium Village at Epcot Center, Walt Disney World
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- Outstanding Achievement:

Pirates of the Caribbean: Battle for Buccaneer Gold, DisneyQuest, Downtown Disney, Lake Buena Vista, Florida

- Breakthrough Innovation:

FastPass, Disney theme parks’

The second Disney theme park in Europe, taking shape in the eastern Suburbs of Paris, will be called Walt Disney Studios and should be opening in April 2002. The name of the new park is already emblazoned across a Mickey-Mouse-ears water tower at the park site in Marne-la-Vallee.

Euro Disney hopes that the combined attendence levels of both parks will reach 17 million. Disneyland Paris had roughly 12 million vistors last year.

I have not been able to get on Rhino Rally, but would love to know what people think of it. Is it better then Kilamanjaro Safari?

Here are some number:
Kilamanjaro Safari is 20 minutes long
Rhino Rally is 8 minutes long
Kilamanjaro Safari is set on 100 acres
Rhino Rally is set on 22 acres

know that Busch Gardens was making the Rhino Rally more of a thrill ride, that would account for the shorter ride time. So what does everyone think? Anyone rode both?

A great piece of Disney Animation, not to mention nostalgia, will be aired on the Disney Channel on May 30th at 1:00 am (that is the early early morning). This Ward Kimball directed special from 1957 takes a look at space travel as imagined 44 years ago, and even includes a trip to Mars on a spaceship.