Category Archives: Events

The 2018 Disney Challenge Wrap Up

On Sunday, June 10th 2018, The Disney Challenge held its latest game. 18 teams entered the gates of Disneyland and 17 crossed the finish line. (Wow…that sounds bad!) The contest was underway, and the teams wasted no time pouring over their Challenge Packets, marking them up, strategizing, and racing off to find the answers.

At 1pm, we unveiled a brand new Bonus Challenge Category: Pictionary with a Disney Challenge Twist. (So…Dictionary???) The teams who stopped by Hungry Bear got to put their artistic and guessing skills to the test. The challengers seemed to love the new “Physical Challenge” category (thank you Johanna), and it looks like we may be seeing that one again very soon.

After solving the finish line puzzle, the challengers found The Event Crew camping out at Pizza Planet where they made their last minute guesses and turned their Challenge Packets in for scoring.


At the Awards Ceremony, Dave made two announcements about future challenges. The first was that our next Challenge will be a joint Challenge/Quest when we combine forces with the folks who bring you Questacular for our first ever Disney Quest Challenge-Tacular! It will take place on Sunday, October 21st and will be a Halloween Choose Your Own Adventure Themed Event taking place in Downtown Disney. The second announcement was that our 10 Year Anniversary Challenge will be held on Sunday, June 2nd 2019, and the details about that BIG game will be announced later in the year.


It was then time for the awards. The Enchanted Tikis took 3rd place with 388 total points. Frank ’n Weenies came in 2nd with 432 points. 1st place went to X-S Tech with a whopping 479 points. (All points out of a possible total of 566.)


A special shout out goes to Rick and Lindsey Kraut from Happily Ever Krafters for designing and building the beautiful 1st Place prizes. Check out their Facebook Page for some amazing crafts.


It seemed like everyone had a blast, and many have already marked their calendars for the next two Disney Challenges. You can check out this year’s Answer Key, Official Rules, and Teams Scores Here.

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Registration for The 2018 Disney Challenge is Now OPEN!

It’s time for The 2018 Disney Challenge. Registration is now open and will close on Friday, May 25th at midnight. To register your team to play, follow the links (in order) and meet us at Disneyland on Sunday, June 10th.

First, read the How To Play page. (Especially if you have never played before, or its been a few years.)

Next, click over to the Register A Team page. (And PLEASE read and follow Step 1 AND 2 to register your team correctly.)

Good Luck and we’ll see you at The 2018 Disney Challenge!

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The 2017 Mini Disney Challenge Coming Soon!

That first weekend in November…you know the one. We set our clocks back and get one extra hour of sleep. The Halloween decorations at Disneyland have just come down and the Christmas decorations have yet to go up. That’s the weekend we have played our all new game – “The Mini Disney Challenge” in Downtown Disney for the past two years. Well kids, get ready for a three-peat Disney Challenge style. The 2017 Mini Disney Challenge will be held on Sunday, November 5th in Downtown Disney.

As you can imagine, the Event Crew has been hard at work writing questions, rewriting questions every time they announce another store being closed, creating puzzles, beta-testing, editing, and doing everything we can to bring you the best Disney Challenge we possibly can. We are really excited to unveil our newest Challenge and even more excited to see all of our friends again this fall.

Registration for The 2017 Mini Disney Challenge will open on Friday, September 29th. Keep up to date with all the announcements and fun on our Facebook page. If you have yet to participate in a Disney Challenge, check out our How To Play section. (We’ve made a couple of small changes, so even if you have played before, it might be worth a look.)

We’ll see you there!

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What are these Event Crew members up to? Planning another Mini Disney Challenge…that’s what!

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D23 Expo Recap

What do you get when you cross 20,000 Disney Fans and The Anaheim Convention Center? A whole lot of lines that’s what! In all seriousness though, The Bi-Annual D23 Expo took place July 14th-17th in Anaheim where it has been held every other year since 2009. Johanna and I have been in attendance every expo except 2015. From its (not so) humble beginnings, it has grown into almost Comic-Con proportions. (And rumor has it, they were trying to compete with this year’s San Diego Comic-Con by moving up the date from August to July…just one week before the Mecca of all cons.)

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This year’s D23 Expo began like most do. Check into the hotel as early as possible on Thursday, try to get a good night’s sleep, wake up before sunrise, and get into line before too many others attempt the same. While waiting to get in, we were delighted to run into some Disney Challenge family members, such as Marie and Donald Beckermann, Nikki Llido (who had been camping out the night before), Frank Pepito, and of course our long-lost Event Crew Member Jeremiah Good. The expo kicked off Friday morning with the ever popular and very inspiring Disney Legends Ceremony hosted by the Chairman and CEO of Disney, Bob Iger. This year’s inductees included such Disney notables as Stan Lee, Jack Kirby, Oprah Winfrey, Whoopi Goldberg, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill. Seeing these stars, or the family members of those who are no longer with us, getting choked up over receiving such a distinguished recognition from their beloved Disney makes this particular seminar unlike any other. Not wanting to lose momentum, we exited that panel, took a very quick look at the epic showroom floor, made a mental note of what we HAD to come back and see later, and jumped back in line for the next Hall D23 Panel: Disney Animation and Pixar Studios. This panel, hosted by none other than John Lasseter himself, gave us an inside look at some of the most anticipated and even some yet to be named animated shorts and features coming down the Disney pipeline. Clips from Olaf’s Frozen Adventure and The Incredibles 2 were met with thunderous applause, especially when celebrities like Josh Gad, Kristen Bell, and Samuel Jackson showed up. But the real kicker was when a clip from the upcoming Wreck-It Ralph 2: Ralph Breaks the Internet was shown. The unfinished clip featured Vanellope meeting all of the Disney Princesses, who it turns out were all voiced by the original actresses for this incredible reunion. Then, in true D23 Expo fashion, almost a dozen current and past Disney Princess Voice Actresses graced the stage, each one introducing the next to a standing ovation.

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Saturday, however, is the day the expo gets REALLY busy. Probably the most anticipated panel would be the Disney Studios Live Action Film seminar. The line for this event was completely filled by 4:30am. Johanna and I missed the cut-off by about an hour, and we were bummed we couldn’t get in to see it. Clips and trailers for upcoming movies such as A Wrinkle In Time, Mary Poppins Returns, The Lion King Live Action, Star Wars VIII, and of course The Avengers Infinity Wars Part I were shown. This unbelievable spectacle could only be topped by the gaggle of celebrities from the aforementioned movies coming out on stage. Later that afternoon, we were able to get some pretty good seats for the final Hall D23 panel of the day and the one Johanna and I most wanted to see: Disney Parks and Resorts. This hour and a half panel was a Disney Nerd’s glimpse of paradise, as they unveiled their plans for such amazing new experiences such as Star Wars Galaxy’s Edge, Pixar Pier, Avengers Land, Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway, Ratatouille at Epcot, Tron Light Cycle Coaster at the Magic Kingdom, as well as some new vacation destinations like the new Disney Vacation Club property coming to Florida, three new Disney Cruise Line ships being constructed, and the ultimate rumor confirmation…An All Inclusive Star Wars Themed Resort. (Unlike ANYTHING Disney or anyone else has ever done!) As if that weren’t enough, they unveiled the opening of the new “Fantasmic!” debuting on Monday. The big surprise to most in attendance was that they were going to do four special sneak peak previews on Saturday and Sunday, and everyone who attended that panel was to receive a Fast Pass to go see the show. (Blog about that coming next!)

On Sunday, we decided to sleep in late (till 9am)! When we finally ventured down to the Convention Center, the line to get inside was wrapped around the entire building. Johanna and I decided this would be the best day to debut our newest cosplay…Hipster Mickey and Minnie! What we did not anticipate was the hour+ long line in the sun before we got to the much-needed air-conditioned showroom floor. (Hey, when you’re wearing a morph suit under several layers of clothes plus hats and gloves, it gets toasty real fast!) We wandered around the expo floor and even ran into Disney Challenge Family Members Don Todd, Kimberly Vuoso, along with Jeremiah Good and The Beckermann’s (again…but this time, with Ariel!) Our costumes lasted until about 2pm, when the need to use our phones again outweighed the compliments we were getting from those who “got the joke.” We took a short break, ate lunch, and wandered back into the expo (no line this time) to finish up some shopping, see a few exhibits that we had missed the past two days, and just take it all in one last time. It was an amazing, albeit exhausting, weekend. I’m sure in 2019, we’ll have forgotten all about the pain in our feet and buy tickets for another fanatic weekend of all things Disney.

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~Written by Dave Mancini – Event Crew Member

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The 2017 Disney Challenge: “The Return Of The…” Mystery Revealed

Sunday, June 4th was a busy day at Disney California Adventure. Raver Day was happening, The new Guardians of the Galaxy Mission Breakout attraction was drawing record crowds, and 22 teams showed up to find out the burning question…”WHAT’S IN THE BOX???” The 2017 Disney Challenge kicked off in Cars Land outside of Flo’s V8 Cafe. With only a couple of interruptions from Lighting McQueen and Mater, the event crew got through the opening announcements and moved on to the big reveal. The mystery that plagued our players from the day we announced the subtitle of this year’s challenge: “The Return Of The…” As we opened the box containing the item that was making its triumphant return…the crowd hushed as it was revealed. The Monkey Wrench was pulled from the box to an overwhelmingly silent “huh?” from about 95% of the players. (Exactly the reaction I was going for!!!) Since The Monkey Wrench was last seen in 2011, most of the challengers had absolutely no idea what this plastic thing on a string was. However, once explained, the name became clear. This little guy was really going to throw a Monkey Wrench in their strategies for that year if they wanted to contend for the massive amount of bonus points it could be worth.

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At 10:00am, the teams were on their merry way. Most stuck around Cars Land to figure out Rick’s License Plate-inspired Finish Line Puzzle. Others just took a seat and planned out their day. At 10:30, The Monkey Wrench was released, and the game took a twist. Teams started lining up to steal it from one another, as their photos started appearing on Twitter. The Event Crew did not help the chaos by Facebook Living and Tweeting our location, as well as the last known location of the Wrench. At 2:30pm, The Event Crew tweeted their location, and one team found us. “Suitcase and a Dream…and a Stroller” (who made their own triumphant return after an absence) snagged the Monkey Wrench and proceeded to play Hide and Seek from the rest of the teams anxious to get the final 25 points. No one found them by the 3:00 cut off, and they ended the game with an amazing 35 bonus points, which rocketed them up to third place.

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Our former 2015 Minnie Disney Challenge Champions “Frank ’n WeenieS,” who were out in full force with all four players, took second place with the exact same score as our third place team. For the first time in the history of The Disney Challenge, our long ago implemented but never used “tie breaker” system was put into place. Scoring 17 Secret Bonus Points to Suitcase’s 15, The Weenies pulled ahead. However, what no one expected was a brand new team consisting of some very recognizable players snuck in and grabbed first place. “X-S Tech,” made up of some of the creators and writers of the famous Mouse Adventure Scavenger Hunt, was crowned The 2017 Disney Challenge Champions.

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It was an amazing year and an amazing Challenge. We look forward to seeing all of you (and some new faces) at the next one. Be on the lookout for the announcements regarding The 2017 Mini Disney Challenge taking place on November 5th.

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Click Here to see The 2017 Disney Challenge Answer Key, Rules, and Team Scores and Places

~Written by Dave Mancini, Event Crew Member

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Registration for The 2017 Disney Challenge: “The Return Of The…” is now OPEN!

Welcome back to another edition of The Disney Challenge. 2017 brings us back to Disney California Adventure with its own special brand of warped humor, tricky trivia, and good times. (Not to mention a little bit of frustrating mystery.) In 2015, The Disney Challenge set a new record with 28 teams participating. Will we break the 30 team goal this year? Who knows. What we do know is 2017 is gearing up to be one VERY interesting Challenge! You won’t want to miss this one.

If you are brand new to The Disney Challenge, might I recommend heading over to www.TheDisneyChallenge.com/past-challenges to see just what you are in for. (Start with 2015 and 2013…those were the last two DCA Challenges.) Then, pop over to www.TheDisneyChallenge.com/how-to-play/ to learn all the do’s and dont’s of The Disney Challenge.

Once you are all set and you have your team assembled, go to www.TheDisneyChallenge.com/register-a-team and fill out the form, make the registration donation, and wait for the confirmation email. It’s as easy as 1-2-3.

Good Luck to all the teams and we’ll see you at The Disney Challenge!

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Wrapping Up The 2016 Mini Disney Challenge

The 2016 Mini Disney Challenge was played on Sunday, November 6th. This was our second year doing this smaller, less formal challenge in the Downtown Disney District. However, the competition and comradare were as epic as ever. The TinkerBelles, who have been playing every Disney Challenge since 2015, gained their first win, edging out last year’s newcomers and champions, Frank ‘n Weenies by only five points. And in third place, The Enchanted Tikis, who made their triumphant return after missing The 2016 Disney Challenge in June.

The scores were all close, but the friendships we have made over the years are so much closer. In fact, the whole reason we introduced The Mini Disney Challenge last year was just an excuse to see our friends and hang out with everyone more than once a year. While we love bringing you the best Disney Challenge possible, seeing all of your faces again and again, and adding new ones each year makes all the work we put into The Disney Challenge so worth it.

Thank you all once again for your continued love and support!

Just incase you haven’t explored the website, here are the links to all the info about The 2016 Mini Disney Challenge:

Past Challenges

Photos

Hall Of Fame

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~Written by Dave Mancini, Event Crew Member

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Registration For The 2016 Disney Challenge Is Now Closed

As of midnight on May 28th, The 2016 Disney Challenge registration period has come to a close. We want to thank all the teams who have registered and wish everyone the best of luck. The 2016 Disney Challenge will be held on Sunday, June 12th at Disneyland Park. It’s going to be a great time!

~Written by Dave Mancini, Event Crew Member

 

Thank You Mickey

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Registration For The 2016 Disney Challenge Is Now Open!

It’s that time of year again. Time for those of you die-hard Disney Challenge fans to stay up till midnight to be one of the first ones to register. Well, the waiting is not over…The 2016 Disney Challenge Registration is now OPEN!

If this is your first year playing, welcome to the madness! We hope you will join us in the fun about to take place on Sunday, June 12th at Disneyland Park.
All you have to do to get in on the action is follow this link to read the rules, tips, and everything you will need to know about registering a team:
Then, point your browser over to the registration page and sign up:
Registration will remain open until midnight on Friday, May 27th.
Good luck and we’ll see you all at The Disney Challenge!
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~Written by Dave Mancini, Event Crew Member

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The 2015 “Minnie” Disney Challenge Was A Success!

On November 8th, 2015, The Disney Challenge had its first ever “Minnie” Disney Challenge. This was a completely different challenge played exclusively OUTSIDE the gates of the parks. 12 teams took over Downtown Disney, The Hotels, and The Esplanade to compete in a shorter, faster but just as challenging scavenger hunt. We kicked off the challenge at noon in the picnic area, and the teams had to figure out where the finish line was. They all did because at 4pm, all of the teams met at Tangaroa Terrace to turn in their packets. The awards ceremony took place at 6pm back at the Picnic Area, where a brand new team, Frank ‘n Weenies, were crowned the 2015 “Minnie” champions.

One of the things I have always loved about The Disney Challenge was the camaraderie amongst the teams and players. This year, we had two examples of how our challenges bring people together. The White Rabbits, who placed 6th, formed their team when two players asked for a third member on the Disney Challenge Facebook page, and there was another person who wanted to participate but had no team respond. We also another possible problem when two teams of three each lost one of their members the night before the challenge. These teams contacted me, and I was able to bring them together to form Dr. Disney, who ended up placing 5th.

Check out the photos we just added to the website, as well as the newly updated Hall of Fame. We also added the Answer Key, Rules, Team Scores, and Places for The 2015 “Minnie” Disney Challenge here. Keep checking back here and on the Facebook page for the information on The 2016 Disney Challenge happening in June.

~Written by Dave Mancini, Event Crew Member

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