Disney Parks Blog Weekly Recap

This week, we introduced Disney Parks Blog readers to the newest member of our family – Stella, a female elephant calf born recently and now exploring the savanna at Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney's Animal Kingdom.

We shared a quick video showing Stella taking her first steps on the savanna with her mother – 28-year-old Donna. Stella raises the number of elephants in the Disney's Animal Kingdom herd to 10, including three males and six females. Check out our original story for more details.

And this weekend, you can vote for Mickey Mouse or Goofy to join the NFL Pro Bowl in Orlando later this month. Visit Darrell's original story to see a special video and to vote for Mickey or Goofy to be added to one of the Pro Bowl teams.

Here are some of the other stories we worked on this week.

• Cross the Finish Line in Style with Products for 2017 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend – The 2017 Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend returns to Florida from January 4-8. If you plan to cross the finish line in style, here is a first look at commemorative products created for the biggest runDisney event of the year.
• Enter The Disney Movie Rewards Unforgettable Getaway Sweepstakes Through Jan. 31 – Just keep swimming! In honor of "Finding Dory," Disney Movie Rewards is giving away a 4-night Disney cruise to the Bahamas aboard the Disney Dream or Disney Wonder.
• From Screen to Park: Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin at Disneyland Park – Head on over to Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin for a wacky ride through the streets of downtown Toontown at Disneyland park! This "hare"-raising adventure is based on the 1988 Academy Award-winning film "Who Framed Roger Rabbit" directed by Robert Zemeckis and produced by Steven Spielberg.
• A Few of My Favorite Things on an Adventures by Disney Holiday Danube River Cruise – The New Year is here, but I can't stop reliving the amazing time I had on the Adventures by Disney Holiday Danube River Cruise last month. I could go for days about all the things I loved about this experience, but in the interest of time I've pulled together a (somewhat) short list of my favorite things from throughout this 7-night, 8-day vacation.
• Paraplegic Runner Defies All Odds at Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend – Walt Disney World Marathon Weekend is well under way and already there are countless inspirational stories emerging. One of them is 30-year-old Adam Gorlitsky, who is pushing boundaries and bridging the gap between what it means to be disabled and able-bodied.
• 'BEYOND' begins with 'Membership Magic Ever After in 2017' – Fueled by that forward-looking spirit, Disney Vacation Club recently unveiled "Membership Magic Ever After," a colorful collection of extended Membership Extras from 2016, additional offers and opportunities for 2017 and new Disney developments that together will help pen the next great chapter in our community's collective story.