Today in Germany, Disney Cruise Line took possession of its newest ship, the Disney Fantasy, in a traditional maritime ceremony. The Meyer Werft flag was lowered, while the Disney Cruise Line flag was raised, transferring ownership from the shipbuilder to Disney.

The Disney Fantasy will sail on her maiden voyage on March 31, 2012 from Port Canaveral, Florida, also home to her sister ship, the Disney Dream.

“Today we celebrate the culmination of a wonderful partnership, as we take possession of the Disney Fantasy and prepare for the journey home to Florida. This ship is the result of the superb craftsmanship from the master shipbuilders at Meyer Werft and the innovation, imagination and ingenuity of the Disney team, who have partnered together so beautifully to bring this ship to life,” said Karl Holz, president of Disney Cruise Line. “We are eagerly anticipating our guests, who will experience storytelling in enchanting new ways onboard the Disney Fantasy while making magical memories that will last a lifetime.”

The ship will remain in Bremerhaven for another week while additional crew members board, and supplies and provisions are loaded. The Disney Fantasy is then scheduled to depart on Feb. 16 for its transatlantic voyage to the U.S., with an expected arrival to its homeport in Port Canaveral, Florida on March 6. Prior to its Florida arrival, the Disney Fantasy will have its Christening in New York on March 1.

Captain Tom Forberg will officially take the helm of the Disney Fantasy for Disney Cruise Line. As part of the Disney Cruise Line ship construction team, Captain Forberg has been with the company for more than 15 years and was responsible for launching Disney’s first three ships, the Disney Dream, the Disney Magic and Disney Wonder.

Meyer Werft and Disney first signed a contract to build two new ships in April of 2007. Shortly thereafter, planning for the design of the ships began and construction started on the Disney Dream, the first of the two new ships, with the first steel cutting on March 2, 2009. Since the recent completion of the ship’s float out and conveyance on the River Ems, the test-and-adjust period has been in full swing.

The Disney Fantasy will sail seven-night alternating eastern and western Caribbean itineraries beginning in 2012, from Port Canaveral, Fla., where she will join sister ship, Disney Dream, sailing three-, four- and five-night cruises to the Bahamas.

Leading up to the Halloween season, Universal Orlando is once again surveying theme park fans online to determine the level of interest in including a variety of film properties and celebrities for the popular annual event. Survey details combined with a few recent celebrity tweets have signs pointing to magicians Penn and Teller being a potential new act to join Halloween Horror Nights 2012.

In a new survey, Universal Orlando presents respondents with a list of movie and TV franchises as well as celebrities, asking if any of them would be desirable to be seen in future Halloween Horror Nights, either in development of haunted houses or as part of live performances. The list of 13 (naturally) celebrities includes familiar horror movie directors (Eli Roth, John Carpenter, Clive Barker, Guillermo del Toro, John Landis, Wes Craven), musical artists (AC/DC, Black Sabbath/Ozzy Osbourne, Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper), and two magic acts: Chriss Angel and Penn & Teller.

The list is similar to an annual survey Universal Studios Hollywood sends out shortly after the conclusion of each year’s event to get ideas for the following year. But amidst the usual array of horror and shock rock icons are Penn and Teller, who have had experience with Horror Nights in the past.

The first Halloween Horror Nights at Universal Studios Hollywood in 1992 featured many live acts, including Penn and Teller. Their show was appropriately filled with plenty of blood and gore. Could they now be returning to the Halloween event 20 years later, perhaps in Orlando this time?

A mention in a survey doesn’t guarantee inclusion in the event. Anyone listed above may or may not ever actually end up being part of Halloween Horror Nights. However…

The survey has been conducted online for several days. But just yesterday, Penn Jilette (of Penn & Teller) revealed via Twitter that he is indeed in talks with Universal Orlando about something:

@pennjillette: We did a fun show for Home builders this morning and then one of the most exciting meetings ever at Universal. If we do this, it’ll be great

@pennjillette: So excited about possibly doing this new thang with Universal.But, I guess I’ll go out to supper with friends. \Good house steak in Orlando?

Just yesterday, Teller was also tweeting from Orlando, though he was at Disney’s theme parks the day prior:

@MrTeller: Is THIS your card? I’m at Toy Story at Walt Disney World.

That magician-joke tweet was accompanied by this image:

The pair has been in Orlando for a few days, having recently performed on Feb. 3, 2012 at Universal Orlando CityWalk’s Hard Rock Live. They have another Central Florida show coming up on Friday in St. Petersburg, near Tampa. But it seems that aside from having fun in the parks and enjoying a good steak (Penn ended up dining at International Drive’s Texas de Brazil restaurant), they’re also discussing either performing at Universal Orlando, developing a new show, or possibly even joining in the design of a haunted house, much like Alice Cooper did at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2011, Rob Zombie before that.

Beyond their 1992 Halloween Horror Nights appearances at Universal Studios Hollywood, Teller was recently used by Universal in promotion of magician Brian Brushwood appearing nightly at the event, with Teller quoted as calling him “dangerous and brilliantly original.”

Penn and Teller’s act has grown over the years and their current act, regularly performed in Las Vegas, would certainly fit in well with Halloween Horror Nights, particularly with some of their “darker” magic acts, including unique spins on classic tricks like catching a bullet in the mouth and sawing a woman in half, the latter a particularly bloody version of the trick:

Video: Penn & Teller saw a woman in half on America’s Got Talent in 2009

www.youtube.com/watch?v=HilgRWyE-T4

The duo never falls into the glitzy “illusionist” realm, instead offering a realistic and often comedic take on magic, surprising audiences with seemingly simple, yet entirely entertaining and effective “tricks.”

Celebrities aside, 13 movie and TV horror properties were also included in the survey: Exorcist, True Blood, Hellraiser, An American Werewolf in London, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Paranormal Activity, Trick ‘r Treat, A Nightmare on Elm Street, La Llorona, Halloween, Walking Dead, Universal Classic Monsters (i.e. Dracula, Frankenstein), and The Devil Inside.

The survey goes on from there to spotlight a few select celebrities and properties, asking survey takers to individually rate each one. Those highlighted are Wes Craven, Eli Roth, Clive Barker, “Halloween,” and “A Nightmare on Elm Street.” Each of these have been featured in a Halloween Horror Nights event at one time or another, so it’s interesting that they are once again asked about in this new survey.

In addition, Universal Orlando asked respondents to decide which of the following haunted house themes is the most appealing:

Comparing the Orlando and Hollywood versions of Halloween Horror Nights, the survey concludes by including two TV commercials from 2011’s events and asking for thoughts on which was better, which was scarier, which had a better story, and which had more memorable characters.

Here Universal is essentially comparing Lady Luck from Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights 21 to the vague notion of terror portrayed in Hollywood’s 2011 ad. Both ads are included below.

Universal Orlando “Lady Luck” TV commercial

www.youtube.com/watch?v=LWslmXZnSGU

Universal Studios Hollywood’s 2011 commercial

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dju4biBpGA0

With this new survey, Universal Orlando has now made it a trend to survey its fans in February to help decide the direction of their popular annual Halloween event. In a survey last year, Universal Orlando asked about adding a new ticket option, which ultimately came true. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that Penn & Teller, or any other person or property mentioned above, will find their way into the event.

Nothing can be firmly concluded from the survey with regards to what themes, characters, franchises, or celebrities will appear in either coast’s version of Halloween Horror Nights 2012, but it does offer a bit of interesting insight into the development of the event, which began the moment 2011’s version ended. Though the creative forces behind the event want to use the best ideas possible for their haunted experiences, from a marketing standpoint, Universal simply wants to decide which properties and personas will sell the most tickets and generate the most buzz.

Would a a show developed by magician duo Penn & Teller be more enticing to potential visitors than a haunted house featuring Bill and Sookie from True Blood? Would Universal’s classic monsters draw more horror fans than a haunted house inspired by Guillermo del Toro’s recent works in the genre? And does featuring an “icon” like Lady Luck help inspire more interest in the event than showing a more abstract representation of fear in a TV commercial?

These are the questions Universal asks in deciding exactly what Halloween Horror Nights 2012 will be. But it’s not likely we’ll know those answers until the annual teasing and eventual reveal over the summer. Until then, fans can once again this year speculate about Halloween Horror Nights a few months early. And, based on the recent celebrity tweets, we can be sure that Penn and Teller are at least in talks to work on something for Universal Orlando Resort.

The highly-successful, informative, and enjoyable Entertainment Designer Forum is returning later this month for its third year, offering a chance for fans to talk with leading theme park experience designers from Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando, and Busch Gardens.

This year’s event will take place on Feb. 24, 2012 in a new location, at the Orange County Regional History Center in downtown Orlando, currently home to “The Serious Art of Make-Believe” exhibit featuring artwork from a variety of Universal Orlando entertainment offerings.

But the event itself showcases talent from more than just Universal Orlando. This year’s group of panelists also includes designers from Walt Disney Imagineering, Nickelodeon Recreation, and Busch Gardens. The event is split into two sessions, each separately ticketed, with 100% of proceeds donated to the American Cancer Society in honor of the late Stephanie Girard, Universal Orlando designer.

Here’s full line-up of panelists for each session:

6:30 p.m. Session

9:00 p.m. Session

Moderating both sessions will be Mike Aiello, Show Director, Universal Entertainment Production.

In addition to hearing about the process of designing theme park attractions, shows, and other experiences, attendees will have a chance to ask questions and mingle with the panelists, the ultimate opportunity to get to know those who create what goes into Orlando’s theme parks in a personal, relaxed environment.

While photography is permitted during the sessions, recording of any kind is not, as the event is put on separately from each of the theme park companies. But a similar event was recently also held at the History Center, featuring a panel of many of the same Universal designers, plus a few more, detailing how their ideas grow from concept to completion. To get an idea of the type of insight and conversation that will be shared during the Entertainment Designer Forum, you can watch the full video of that presentation below:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrX_Vm7-7xk

You can also read our recap of the first Entertainment Designer Forum, offering tips on how you can become a theme park designer.

Between sessions, Universal manager and “prosthetics wizard” Michael Burnett will offer a makeup demonstration straight out of Halloween Horror Nights. Last year, Burnett transformed his daughter into a Who from Grinchmas:

A silent auction of theme park memorabilia will also take place between sessions, featuring a variety of rare and normally unavailable-for-purchase items from Halloween Horror Nights, other events and attractions, and a few unforgettable and unique experiences. Here’s a preview of a few of the Horror Nights items that will be up for auction at this year’s event:

Tickets are $25.00 per session and can be purchased by calling 407-836-7010. More information about the Entertainment Designer Forum can be found on their Facebook page.

After leading his team to a game-winning drive and the Super Bowl championship Sunday night, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning led another drive this afternoon: down Main Street U.S.A. to cheering fans at Walt Disney World.

Manning shouted “I’m going to Disney World!” shortly after his team scored a 21-17 win over the New England Patriots to capture Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. In a motorcade today at the Magic Kingdom, Manning smiled and waved alongside Mickey Mouse from a red convertible, surrounded by excited fans.

Video: Super Bowl 46 Eli Manning at Walt Disney World

www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5uCEeDc4-o

As New York Giants balloons mixed in with red, white and blue balloons along the parade route, Mickey Mouse was joined by other Disney characters and confetti in the shape of the Lombardi Trophy (awarded to the NFL champion) rained down on the happy scene. Manning was also joined in the Magic Kingdom by NFL Youth football players.

The tradition of “I’m going to Disney World!” Super Bowl commercials began in 1987 when Phil Simms led the New York Giants to a Super Bowl win. This was Eli Manning’s second time at it, after in 2008 he was celebrated following the Giants’ 17-14 win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII. It’s the 45th time the phrase has been exclaimed as part of a Walt Disney World ad.

Those who have shouted the catch phrase over the years have included more than Super Bowl MVPs, but also winners of Miss America, American Idol, NBA, MLB, NHL, World Cup, and Olympic trophies, among others.

Valentine’s Day is just over a week away and we want to arm you with the best gift you could give a fellow Disney fan: money! We’re randomly giving away a $50 Disney Gift Card, which will be mailed to you just in time to treat your special someone (or possibly just yourself) to some extra Disney fun.

The Disney Gift Card prize is being provided by Pixie Vacations, an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner that knows how to save you time and money on your next Disney vacation.

How to Enter and Win

There are two ways to enter for a chance to win the $50 Disney Gift Card, with up to 4 chances to enter:

ENTRY METHOD 1: Comment on this post below with your favorite romantic scene from a Disney movie!
(When commenting, be sure to completely fill out the form, including your name and e-mail address so we can contact you if you’re chosen to win.)

ENTRY METHOD 2: On Twitter, follow @InsideTheMagic and post the following phrase in its entirety:

Follow @InsideTheMagic & retweet this for a chance to win a $50 Disney Gift Card from Pixie Vacations! Contest details: http://bit.ly/yjwxNP

You must be following us to have a chance to win via this method.

RULES: The contest period begins immediately upon this article being posted and ends February 8, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. ET. One (1) winner will be randomly selected from all entries. Entry Method 1 may be used once per person for the duration of the contest. Entry Method 2 may be used once per day, per person, for a contest total of four (4) possible entries per person. The winners will be contacted on or around February 9, 2012 either via e-mail or direct message on Twitter, depending on method of entry. Any attempt at duplicate or fraudulent entries by the same person using multiple email addresses or names will immediately disqualify that person from the contest.

Pixie Vacations is a free service helping plan magical Disney vacations at the lowest prices. Find out more at PixieVacations.com or by calling 678-815-1584.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eq-ySYsxUn8

Disneyland has announced plans to add even more life to the already-festive New Orleans Square in celebration of Mardi Gras. Their family-friendly offering will be held on select days throughout February and early March, bringing additional entertainment to the area.

Live music, Disney characters, street performers and plenty of food food will be featured in the New Orleans Bayou Bash from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. on these dates:

Princess Tiana, Louis Naveen, Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Donald, Goofy, Pluto and Chip ‘n’ Dale will all come dressed to party Mardi Gras-style, offering special performances and meet and greets.

Beyond the characters, more special food and entertainment offerings will be available, though Disney hasn’t yet revealed those specifics. All of the extra entertainment is included with park admission, though food will cost extra, naturally.

Autobots and Decepticons will be continuing their decades-old battle on Earth when Transformers: The Ride 3D opens at Universal Studios Hollywood in May 2012. Sooner than that, the theme park will begin promoting the ride this weekend with a Super Bowl commercial.

Ads for recent “Transformers” movies ran during the Super Bowl in previous years, but the ride commercial will actually be aired before the big game. Like so many companies have been doing in advance of Sunday’s event, Universal Studios Hollywood has released a teaser for the ad:

Video: Teaser for “Transformers: The Ride 3D” Super Bowl commercial

www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1F-eGddzKI

UPDATE (2/5/12): It’s Super Bowl sunday and Optimus Prime broke into the pre-game show to warn humans about the impending doom, just before Megatron stole the spotlight in the full commercial below.

Video: Full “Transformers: The Ride 3D” Super Bowl pre-show commercial

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljlHOZ9GVCQ

In the 8-second tease, the most famous Autobot of them all, Optimus Prime, issues a warning: “Humans, you are in grave danger.” The full commercial should show off more from the ride, which is still under construction in Hollywood, though has already opened overseas in the Universal Studios Singapore theme park.

But the Super Bowl ad isn’t the only way Universal Studios Hollywood is promoting the upcoming attraction this weekend. Beginning Saturday, Feb. 4, 2012, an online game is launching at PrepareForBattle.com, offering players a chance to win a variety of prizes including artwork, individually-numbered embroidered patches, T-shirts, toys, hats, and even a trip to Universal Studios Hollywood for the debut of the ride. The video below shows off a few of the prizes and offers more details.

Video: Transformers: The Ride 3D online game teaser

www.youtube.com/watch?v=h-TcTrPGyzs

Video: Game introduction from Optimus Prime

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lni0WCFnZDw

Players are invited to share their own personal dashboard links (like mine here) to “recruit” other players to join in the fight against Decepticons, leading up to the ride’s opening.

Transformers: The Ride 3D will feature a similar technology and ride system as The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man attraction at Universal Orlando’s Islands of Adventure theme park, but set in the world of “Transformers,” placing passengers riding in a new character named EVAC, at N.E.S.T headquarters (the Non-Biological Extraterrestrial Species Team). Ultimately, the battle unfolds in 3D between Optimus Prime, the evil Decepticon leader Megatron, and plenty of of other robots in disguise.

The official Disney D23 fan club has announced an upcoming limited-access special event that promises to bring members to areas of Disneyland not featured on its map, but distinctly part of the park’s history.

On Tuesday, March 6, 2012, the 12-hour event will take D23 members (and their guests):

Disneyland Resort certainly has many unique restaurants, leaving that last item particularly intriguing. I’m sure a few D23 members will be hoping the surprise dining location will be New Orleans Square’s exclusive Club 33 – but that won’t be known until the event.

D23 is also promising “surprises, special gifts, and more than a little bit of pixie dust” to be included.

UPDATE (2/9/12): The event sold out within seconds of going on sale, with even a wait list quickly filling up.

Tickets to Disneyland Off the Map are $250 per person, available to D23 members plus one guest each, on sale on Feb. 9, 2012, at 10 a.m. PST. on the D23 web site.

Registration for the event on March 6 will begin at 9 a.m. at a yet-to-be-disclosed location and it will all wrap up at around 9 p.m. that night.

This year, fans missing the “Back to the Future” ride at Universal Orlando should get their watches synchronized for June 14 – 17, 2012 when the DeLorean Car Show and Convention 2012 heads to Walt Disney World. Taking place at the Hilton Orlando Lake Buena Vista just across from Downtown Disney, the show will not only feature “Back to the Future” special guests and exhibits, but also plenty of other fun for DeLorean enthusiasts.

Among the special guests at the event will be “Back to the Future” trilogy creator, writer, and producer Bob Gale, appearing at the BTTF.com booth for photos and autographs. The popular web site will also be showcasing toys, games, and other “Back to the Future” items.

A DeLorean Time Machine from “Back to the Future III” will be making its DeLorean Car Show debut in Orlando, available for an up-close viewing. It’s the only privately-owned, screen-used vehicle of its kind and was recently displayed at the 2011 San Diego Comic-Con.

In addition to these “Back to the Future” sights, the event schedule includes special presentations surrounding DeLorean cars, Hot Wheels, and even an appearance by Kathryn DeLorean, daughter of DeLorean founder John DeLorean.

Registration is open at DeloreanCarShow.com for the 2012 DeLorean Car Show, with the $25 cost including a metallic DCS 2012 DeLorean lapel pin. Special hotel and Disney ticket rates are available for attendees. Registration closes on June 10th.

Following last week’s big announcements from Universal Orlando surrounding all the new experiences they’ll be debuting this year, the resort is also offering a variety annual passholder perks for 2012 to entice repeat visits.

One of last week’s announcements was that a new Blue Man Group show is set to debut next month. According to Blue Man Group, the first preview of the new show will be performed at Universal Orlando on February 9th with an official opening on February 24th.

Universal Orlando passholders were offered free tickets for a preview show on Friday, Feb. 17, 2012. However, seating was extremely limited (reportedly only 100 tickets were made available) and they are already sold out, long before most passholders even received their newsletters in the mail announcing the offer.

Here’s a glimpse at what the new Blue Man Group show will be:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI-TvddH2Yw

But beyond Blue Man Group, Universal Orlando passholders can enjoy a few more perks during this year’s Mardi Gras celebration, beginning Feb. 11. On Mardi Gras nights, passholders get 10% off most Mardi Gras food tents, a parade viewing area in Battery Park, and free Mardi Gras beads (normally $10.95 + tax) when showing a receipt after spending $30 on theme park merchandise at either Universal Orlando park between Feb. 11 and April 14.

Passholders can also sign up to ride on a Mardi Gras float, throwing beads and dancing to the music during the parade. Sign-up is at UniversalOrlando.com/APMardiGras.

Other new Universal Orlando annual passholder benefits for 2012 include savings on food and drinks at the new Churrascaria Dining Experience at Latin Quarter in CityWalk, 10% off purchases at Family Art and Galleria Portofino at the Loews Portofino Bay Hotel, and 10% off Hollywood Drive-In Mini Golf at CityWalk when it opens in February.