In today's Disney Doodle, artist Ashley Taylor imagines what Princess Tiana and her bestie, Lottie, would do if they had the chance to visit Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa during this time of year, right when the resort's beloved gingerbread house appears.
"Tiana is always cooking and baking," Ashley said. "It's easy to imagine her and Lottie baking the delicious gingerbread treats for the Grand Floridian's life size gingerbread house!"
This weekend, more than 100 Disney VoluntEARS laced up their shoes to support City of Hope at this year's Walk for Hope 2K/5K, raising funds and spirits in the fight against women's cancers. Disney has a strong legacy of supporting hospitals like City of Hope, providing financial support, hospital visits from our characters, VoluntEARS support, and more. This year, our support took on a whole new dimension, as Disney Parks, Experiences, and Consumer Products Chairman Bob Chapek had the honor of serving as Chair of the Walk for Hope.
"We all know someone who has been impacted by cancer—and some of us are fortunate enough to have had City of Hope in our family's corner during that fight," said Bob. "City of Hope saves lives, brings people together, and gives hope to thousands, and I was thrilled by the opportunity to support them in this meaningful way."
Supporting the communities we call home is a top priority—and we are committed to building on Walt Disney's legacy. Disney VoluntEARS have provided more than 10 million hours of volunteer service worldwide since the program began 35 years ago at Disneyland Resort, and continue to find new ways to impact families and communities.
"My family has been impacted by cancer, and research hospitals like City of Hope give women the edge they need to keep fighting," said Shelby Grasser, Team Disney VoluntEARS Captain. "I'm proud to join Disney and our amazing VoluntEARS team to support and raise funds for this critical research."
"Supporting City of Hope with more than 100 Disney VoluntEARS from across the company was an incredible experience," said Bob. "I am constantly amazed—but never surprised—by the giving spirit of our Cast Members, and today was no exception."
If you're planning a trip to Walt Disney World Resort around Thanksgiving and love college basketball, then you've struck gold.
As you plan your visits to Toy Story Land at Disney's Hollywood Studios or Pandora – The World of Avatar at Disney's Animal Kingdom, you can also add a college hoops game or two to your vacation, because the AdvoCare Invitational will be underway at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.
The tournament runs Nov. 22-25 and includes a loaded field lauded by college basketball experts as one of the most competitive preseason tournaments in the nation this year.
Three of the eight teams in the AdvoCare Invitational are ranked in preseason top-25 polls – Florida State, LSU and 2018 NCAA National Champion Villanova. Alabama-Birmingham, Canisius College, College of Charleston, Memphis and Oklahoma State round out the field.
The tournament bracket features 12 games taking place over three days, with each team competing in one game per day. The AdvoCare Invitational championship game is Nov. 25.
So, in between exploring all of the fall magic taking place across Walt Disney World, be sure to visit ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex for some great college hoops action! Visit ticketmaster.com to purchase tickets for the AdvoCare Invitational.
