1/11/08

Our News from Walt's World, centers on a few experiences from our recent trip to Florida over the Christmas holidays (To see some pictures from our trip, visit here):

* Spaceship Earth is now experiencing "soft openings" where guests, if lucky, have the chance to ride this refurbished attraction prior to it's grand re-opening in February. We were happily part of the Holiday crowd to participate, and loved all the new changes and additions. More advanced animatronics and some cool 21st century interactive additions to the end of the ride make this still a great ride, just better. There are evidently still some "bugs" with the interactive second half of the ride, but it worked great for us, and gave us a good laugh. Dame Judi Dench is the new narrator, with a new "storyline" and while some online comments have not been positive about this part, we actually thought the story line flowed better and made more "sense" in terms of educating about communication, at least to younger children. We suspect that purists who loved the old ride may be a little disappointed, but we think the changes will make this attraction much more appealing to kids.

* The recent makeover of Haunted Mansion is a big success! We also enjoyed Monster's Inc. Laugh Floor Comedy Club in Tomorrowland, and Finding Nemo the Musical at Animal Kingdom. Laugh Floor Comedy Club is great fun: plan ahead and come prepared with some of your favorite jokes, as you have the chance to text them in during the show for possible inclusion in that show. Guests should also be warned that you may, at any time, find yourself as part of the "show" so be prepared to be a good sport!!

In other news:

*   The popular Disney Dining Plan has undergone some changes for 2008: the basic version now includes for table service, entree, drink, dessert, no appetizer and no tip. In our opinion (big Dining Plan fans here) that is a good thing, as the amount of food with the appetizer is just too much food! Cost is slightly reduced in line with this change.

*    Debuting January 7 was the new Disney World Mom's Panel an online resource of 12 parents (actually 11 moms and 1 dad) who were chosen from an applicant pool of over 10,000 as true experts in all things related to Disney planning. And I do mean experts. Visit the online forum at www.disneyworldmoms.com  for some real "World" planning advice from real people.

11/8/07 There has been a great deal of Disney news centering on the West Coast and Pacific areas in the past few months. If you have not heard, here are the highlights:

* Disney Cruise Line announced plans for two NEW, larger ships, scheduled for sailing in 2011 and 2012. It is expected that at least one of these ships will have regular West Coast sailings, as the recent California/Mexico cruises of the Disney Magic have been immensely popular.

*  Disneyland Resort's Grand Californian Hotel is scheduled to undergo some major renovations in the coming months, including the West Coast's first Disney Vacation Club villas, due to open in 2009.

*  Even more exciting for Disney hotel and Vacation Club fans, was the announcement of a grand hotel and Vacation Club Resort in Hawaii, also scheduled to open in 2009.

*   Lastly, but certainly not least, the Walt Disney Company just announced plans for a HUGE ($1.2 billion) re-theming and expansion of Disney's California Adventure theme park at Disneyland Resort in California. The details are amazing and very exciting for the many Disney fans who have been hoping for some changes to California Adventure. Again, all of this is scheduled to take place between now and 2012, coinciding with all the other big news out west. For more detailed information on some of the cool plans, visit http://www.passporter.com/articles/expanding-disneys-california-adventure.asp.

10/03/07 Many people were excited when Disney announced their "Year of a Million Dreams" which began last October. Featuring literally a million prizes to be bestowed on unsuspecting guests at Disney parks around the world, this unbelievable year has been a huge hit with the many Disney guests who have received a "Dream Prize"....and for the many more guests who hope they will be the next winner of a Dream.

Realizing the opportunity for another million or so happy Guests, Disney has extended the "Year of a Million Dreams" an additional year, now scheduled to end December 31, 2008. In addition to the "everyday" dreams such as Dream FASTPASS lanyards, Disney shopping sprees, Dream Mouse Ears etc. that continue to be awarded, Disney has some unbelievably special 2008 Dreams:

*  Beginning January 31, 2008, Guests will have the chance to spend one night in the newly designed Walt's Dream Suite, based on architectural renderings for a special in-park retreat commissioned by Walt Disney himself. This one of a kind retreat is located in New Orleans Square at the Disneyland Resort.

*  A private day at Disney's island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay.

*  A New Year's Eve night stay inside the lavish Cinderella's Castle Suite at the Magic Kingdom.

* A trip to the High School Musical 3 film premiere.

* and many many more fabulous prizes. If you don't have a trip planned yet for 2008, you might want to do so now! ;)

8/22/07 The Disney Company has been extremely busy in the past few weeks, announcing lots of new information. Here are some of the highlights:

Disney MGM Studios will be renamed Disney's Hollywood Studios, effective January 2008. There are also a number of changes and new attractions that will be debuting at this park in the near future. Among them are:

* "Block Party Bash" will be a new, interactive parade to replace the current "Stars and Motorcars" parade, which will feature characters from The Incredibles, Toy Story 2, Monsters Inc., and A Bug's Life. It is scheduled to start in Spring 2008.

* The new Toy Story Mania attraction, which will take over the site of the former Who Wants to be a Millionaire soundstage, is set to open Summer 2008.

* Playhouse Disney Live on Stage will get an entire new cast, including Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins, Handy Manny, and more. This attraction is scheduled to close for most of Jan. 2008, and will reopen  in February.

* Disney's High School Musical 2: School's Out will replace the current High School Musical Pep Rally street show sometime this fall.

Disney's Festival of the Masters, featuring artwork from over 150 artists, is scheduled for the Downtown Disney area from Nov. 9-11. Visit here to learn more.

Walt Disney World now offers Little Ones Travel Time, a special travel season designed for families with pre-schoolers. From August 26 to October 28, special events just for toddlers and preschoolers will be featured. Visit here to find out all the details.

Other new attractions at the Disney parks include the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor in Tomorrowland at the Magic Kingdom, the National Treasures exhibit inside the American Adventure in World Showcase at Epcot, and the redesigned ride in the Mexico pavilion at Epcot, starring the Three Caballeros (featuring Donald Duck).

8/1/07 Visiting Walt Disney World during the Christmas holidays? Disney florist now offers a Disney World Holiday Dream Tree, that can be delivered to your Disney Resort room, or off-site home (additional fee)! This is a themed 4-foot-tall tree that comes fully decorated with lights and ornaments. Price is $365. To order, or for more information, call: 407-827-3505. (Note: many florists in the area offer similar products with smaller trees and for less money.... Some families even share a tree by rotating it among families throughout the season....And many ship a small tree with decorations directly to their resort from home: call your hotel in advance to see if you can do this.)

7/25/07 The annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, which runs September 28 through November 11, will begin taking reservations on August 6 for the specialty dining events that are offered such as the Party for the Senses. The festival's separately ticketed events are extremely popular with festival guests and availability is limited. Call 407-WDW-FEST (939-3378) beginning August 6. Even if you are not interested in this specialty event, the Food and Wine Festival is a fabulous way to "eat your way around the world". If you have a trip planned for this time period, make sure you check it out!!

7/13/07  Tickets for Epcot's Candlelight Processional dinner package are now on sale. Now in its 37th year (2007), the Candlelight Processional is a presentation of Christmas music and readings, with a celebrity narrator and music by a choir and 50-piece orchestra. If you are going to be at Disney World during the Christmas Season, this is a not-to-be-missed experience. While the performance is free to park guests and does not require a ticket, the Dinner Package does provide in addition to dinner at one of Epcot's Table Service restaurants, a ticket for reserved seating at the performance. Since lines form for each night's 3 performances well over an hour in advance, many people find the Dinner Package to be well worth the cost. For more information, visit disneyworld.com. For detailed information about the program narrators, package costs, and tips, visit allears.net. From personal experience, this is a moving and beautiful performance and is highly recommended!!

Celebrating a birthday, anniversary, or other special occasion while you're at Walt Disney World? Consider ordering a special, personalized cake for your celebration at most table service dining locations. You may call the "Cake Hotline" which is 407-827-2253 to place your order: please note that this requires 48 hours notice. Guests may also request a 6-inch, non-personalized, cake upon arrival at the podium of a table service restaurant for $12.50 + tax: there is no advance notice required for this!

5/30/07 Tickets are now on sale for this summer's Pirates and Princess Party (select dates August 11 through Sept. 3); Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party (select dates Sept. 14 through Nov. 2); and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (select dates Nov. 12 through Dec. 21). If you are planning a visit during those times, check out experiencing one of these fun-filled parties! They are "after hours" events which means they occur after regular park hours. There are always extra activities, new parades/fireworks, stage shows, and tons of fun!

Be sure to visit disneyworld.com for the most up-to-date information and allears.net for additional detailed information!!!