New Details About Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts

Posted on May 13, 2014 at 7:32 am by Beeb Ashcroft

Check out the brand new info just released this morning on Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, coming soon to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter:

ORLANDO, Fla. (May 13, 2014) – Today, Universal Orlando Resort revealed details about Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts – the revolutionary attraction found in the heart of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley. The Grand Opening date for the spectacularly themed environment will be announced at a later date.

Imagine being part of the iconic moment from the Harry Potter film series where Harry, Ron and Hermione break into one of the most guarded places in the wizarding world – Gringotts bank – to retrieve a magical object that will help defeat Lord Voldemort. You’ve seen the action on-screen, and now you get to be part of it.

Universal’s creative team worked hand-in-hand with Stuart Craig and his production team from the Harry Potter films to immerse guests in this pivotal scene from the final Harry Potter book and film.

During an action-packed, fully-immersive journey on Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, you will:

· Marvel at the 60-foot, fire-breathing Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon atop Gringotts Wizarding Bank

· Tour Gringotts bank and pass through the marble hall where you’ll see goblins hard at work

· Race through a labyrinth of underground Gringotts vaults

· Encounter the villainous Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange, as she attempts to send you to your doom

· Come face to face with He Who Must Not Be Named

· Experience even more mind-blowing moments

The multi-dimensional, multi-sensory attraction, Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts, will revolutionize theme park entertainment. This next generation thrill ride seamlessly integrates a compilation of the most innovative technology ever created, 360-degree themed sets, 4K digital high-definition animation, state-of-the-art 3-D Infitec projection systems and live special effects with beloved characters and breathtaking moments from the Harry Potter books and films.

“Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts will change the way you think about theme park attractions,” said Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative. “We’ve created an entirely new type of ride that propels guests into the story like never before, and guests will remember it long after their visit to Diagon Alley.”

CLICK HERE to watch a video with more details about Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter – Diagon Alley will bring even more of Harry Potter’s adventures to life. The new area will double the size of the sweeping land already found at Universal Orlando, expanding the spectacularly themed environment across both Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure. Inside the land, guests will enjoy themed shops, dining experiences and the groundbreaking thrill ride – Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts.

For additional information about The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, visit www.UniversalOrlando.com/WizardingWorld.

Printable Mother’s Day Cards From Disney

Posted on May 9, 2014 at 4:07 pm by Beeb Ashcroft

Have you gotten mom a card for Mother’s Day yet? If not, never fear – The Incredibles are here with some free printable cards for mom! Just click the image above to print.

First Look at The Goblins in Harry Potter And The Escape from Gringotts

Posted on May 8, 2014 at 10:18 am by Beeb Ashcroft

Are you getting excited for the Diagon Alley expansion at Universal Orlando yet?? Check out this sneak peek at the goblins from the “Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts” marquee attraction!

Baby Shower Gift Idea: D-Link’s Wi-Fi Baby Camera

Posted on May 7, 2014 at 5:14 pm by Beeb Ashcroft

Camera provided by D-Link.

This year, I know several people who are expecting at the same time, so I’ve been shopping for multiple baby shower gifts. Last week, I mailed out a package to a dear loved one who is due this month; since they live in another state, I can’t be there to attend the baby shower in person, so I wanted to ship out a box filled with some useful gifts for the baby. A baby monitor is one of those traditional standbys that many parents will use, so when our friends over at D-Link introduced me to a hip, modern version of your traditional clunky walkie-talkies, I was intrigued.

As you know, I’m a big fan of D-Link’s security cameras, and their new Wifi Baby Camera looks like a great version of these products for parents-to-be. Instead of carrying around a large radio to listen to baby, parents can now use this small, sleek camera wirelessly and stream the video right to their smartphone. I can’t think of a better tool for hip new parents than that!

Some quick specs on the product, courtesy D-Link:

This product has full smartphone integration, from push alerts on your phone, to the ability to take snapshots from the live feed to your phone (For those adorable Facebook updates!), and cool features like sound and motion detection, temperature alerts, HD 720p video + 4x digital zoom, and even the ability to play lullabies. And cosmetically, it’s cute, too: You can actually change out the decorative plates to either pink or blue, which is extra handy if you’re shopping for a gift before you learn the gender of the baby!

With features like these, I thought this would be an awesome gift, so I tucked it inside my baby shower parcel this week along with some other essentials. I think it will go over well and if they like it as much as I like all of my D-Link cameras, it should be a huge hit!

The D-Link Wifi Baby Camera retails for $179.99 and is available on Dlink.com.

Tara Strong Interview, Meghan McCarthy Q&A Plus Big Announcement!

Posted on May 6, 2014 at 9:24 pm by Beeb Ashcroft

This afternoon, I participated in a fun Google Hangout on-air with some major players in the My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic universe: Tara Strong, the voice of Twilight Sparkle, Meghan McCarthy, the show’s story editor and co-executive producer, and Ted Biaselli, Hub Network’s VP of Programming. Check out this video of my chat with them, where we discuss the process of recording dialog, busting out the Twilight Sparkle voice at the coffee shop, and kidnapping Bronies:

So, has anyone written this My Little Pony/Game of Thrones fanfic yet? 😉

The full hour long “Hub Network’s What’s the Hubbub?” Q&A can be watched below, which covers a slew of fabulous questions from other press in attendance:

During this session, we also got the scoop that MLP is officially coming back for season 5 in 2015 – hooray!

The season 4 finale airs in two parts this Saturday, May 10th at 7 AM PST/10 AM EST on The Hub Network.

My Little Pony Season Four Finale – Images & Video

Posted on May 6, 2014 at 7:46 pm by Beeb Ashcroft

In addition to the breaking My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic season 5 news, I also have some images and clips to share from from this Saturday’s season four finale, airing at 7 AM PST-10 AM EST:

Click on the images to view full size:

My Little Pony Season Five Announcement

Posted on May 6, 2014 at 7:33 pm by Beeb Ashcroft

As you may know, I’m a big fan of My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. This afternoon, I participated in a fun video Q&A with Tara Strong and Meghan McCarthy that drew so many Bronies it broke the Internet! I’ll have the full video for you as soon as it becomes available, but in the meantime, here’s some very exciting news for you: MLP is officially coming back for season five! Full press release:

For Immediate Release
May 7, 2014

THE HUB NETWORK RENEWS “MY LITTLE PONY FRIENDSHIP IS MAGIC”
FOR A FIFTH SEASON

Popular Animated Series Set to Debut in 2015

LOS ANGELES – Twilight Sparkle and her beloved pony friends will continue to celebrate the magic of friendship as the Hub Network announces season five of its hit animated series “My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic.” The series, from Hasbro Studios, is slated to air in 2015 on the Hub Network, champions of family fun and the only network dedicated to providing kids and their families entertainment they can watch together. The network has ordered 26 episodes for season five.

“My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic” follows the magical Princess Twilight Sparkle and her trusted assistant Spike, who live in Ponyville in the enchanted land of Equestria, along with her colorful pony friends – honest Applejack, generous Rarity, kind Fluttershy, loyal Rainbow Dash and fun-loving Pinkie Pie. Together, they teach one another valuable lessons about the most powerful magic of all – the magic of friendship.

“My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic” features key voice talent including Tara Strong, Cathy Weseluck, Andrea Libman as well as Tabitha St. Germain and Ashleigh Ball, who both also provide voice to characters of the Hub Network’s “Littlest Pet Shop.” The series is executive produced by Chris Bartleman, Kirsten Newlands and Stephen Davis and was developed for television by Lauren Faust. In addition, season five will continue to include co-executive producers Meghan McCarthy and Jayson Thiessen, who is also the supervising director, as well as composer Daniel Ingram, who was nominated for a Daytime Emmy® Award for his previous work on “My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic.”

Follow the new season of “My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic” on Twitter at #MLPSeason5.

Total Gym XLS: May 2014 Update

Posted on May 5, 2014 at 3:41 pm by Beeb Ashcroft

We received a complimentary Total Gym XLS for the purposes of this series; this post also contains affiliate links. This article is an account of our personal experience only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, prevent or cure any medical condition. Always consult with physician before embarking on any fitness program.

It’s been a while since I’ve been able to give you a Total Gym XLS, so last week I filmed a video to let you know what’s been going on: Namely, being sick non-stop since December! Thankfully, we’re both feeling a lot better and knocking on wood that we won’t catch any more bugs for a while. We’ve been so thankful to have the XLS around this last month as we started our special “Couples Challenge” with our favorite food plan, and it feels great. I’ll be keeping you posted each month on how our fitness goals are coming – we have a little catching up to do after sickness kept interrupting our workouts for so long, but I can already feel my core strength coming back as I’ve been focusing on my abs a lot. I’m excited for this spring and summer!

On a side note, I’m always telling you how convenient Total Gym is – and case in point, right after I finished this video, I did a workout in that exact same dress. I love not having to change into special gym clothes, since I’m in the privacy of my own home! 😉

Did flu season impact your fitness goals this year?

Wordless Wednesday: Ouch

Posted on April 23, 2014 at 3:01 pm by Beeb Ashcroft

My Adventures in Florida

Posted on April 20, 2014 at 7:09 pm by Beeb Ashcroft

All travel consideration provided by Experience Kissimmee.

I’ve been talking about my trip to Florida from the minute it ended. I was telling a TSA agent about my zip line adventures while she was giving me the opt-out patdown in the Orlando airport; I showed my “Experience Kissimmee” portable charger to the lady I was sitting next to on the plane and told her about how much fun I had on my trip. As soon as I walked into the PDX airport, I began telling Jai all about the details behind the activities he’d seen pictured on my Instagram account. It’s safe to say that I had a good time!

Thank you to Melissa for this photo!

I purposely got out of my comfort zone on this trip and faced fears in the spirit of personal growth and adventure. The biggest of these – literally – was SkyCoaster, a ride that takes you 300 feet into the air in a harness, then cuts loose to create a swinging freefall. I was sick to my stomach just thinking about it, and although it was terrifying to do, I am so proud of myself for doing it and feel like it was a valuable experience!

Photo courtesy Gatorland & Experience Kissimmee.

Somewhat less terrifying – but still really scary – was when I rode the Screamin’ Gator Zip Line over alligators!

But not every ride was terrifying! I had the opportunity to ride a hot air balloon at sunrise and it was amazing.

I also loved taking an airboat tour at Wild Florida to spot alligators in their natural habitat!

Yes, this was a very alligator-filled trip! I stepped into a “Gator Wrestlin'” arena at Gatorland, checked out the alligators swimming in their zoo, held a small gator at Wild Florida, and fed a gator too!

Photo provided by SeaWorld and Experience Kissimmee.

Actually, I fed a lot of other animals on this trip, too. I gave grapes to lemurs and also had a chance to feed dolphins and stingrays!

Thanks to Experience Kissimmee for this photo.

But it wasn’t just a non-stop adrenaline rush – we also got to enjoy more relaxing activities like shopping at Orlando Premium Outlets!

Photo courtesy Experience Kissimmee & Medieval Times.

We also ate a royal banquet fit for a king at ye olde Medieval Times!

As seems to be the norm on these type of vacations, I ate my way through the state at a number of wonderful places, trying everything from gator bites and cheese grits to Tiramisu!

Photo thanks to Experience Kissimmee.

No matter what activity we did – going to dinner, heading to Gatorland to wrestle alligators, or even make a pitstop at Walmart, we were chauffeured there in style by Southern Elegance Limousines.

At night, I relaxed in an All Star Vacation Home with all of the other bloggers who were on the trip. It was so much fun!!

We hosted a Twitter party at another All Star Vacation Home in conjunction with the Rock Your Vacation contest. In addition to have 9 bedrooms and bathrooms, this home also had a special Star Wars themed home theater and gaming room. Maybe I’ll stay here next time I’m in the area! 😉

My trip to Kissimmee was unforgettable; it’s amazing to think how many new and exciting experiences I had jammed into the course of a few short days. I had an incredible time!