Changes...

The Magic of Disney Animation, at Disney's Hollywood Studios, is closing July 12th.  Also DisneyQuest, located in Downtown Disney, will be closing sometime next year to make way for the new NBA Experience (NBA themed attraction that will include a restaurant and store as well).

Are you going to miss these?

Disney fun for the fourth

Heading to WDW for the 4th of July?  Here are some things you can expect to enjoy:

(Photo credit: Disney Parks Blog)

You can check out a special fireworks show in the Magic Kingdom on both July 3rd and 4th at 9:00 pm.  In EPCOT, be sure to listen the Voices of Liberty, doing a special performance in the American Gardens (shows at 12:30, 1:45 and 3 pm).  While you're there, you can see Chip n Dale in their patriotic attire outside the American Adventure.  IllumiNations will also feature a special patriotic finale. Or, if you really want to party, head over to Hollywood Studios for a Rockin' 4th of July Celebration from 5:45- 10:15 pm. 

Not going to be at WDW for the fourth?  Here are a few ideas on how you can put a little Disney in your own July 4th celebration!

Make Rapunzel's Independence Day crown

(Photo credit: Disney Family)

For the sweet tooth, try your hand at Woody's Independence Day badge cookies! 

(Photo credit: Disney Family)

Make this Minnie Mouse Statue of Liberty craft!

(Photo Credit: Disney Family)

And here's a fun coloring page.

(Photo Credit: Disney Family)

No matter where you are, you can put a little Disney into your holiday!

No more selfie sticks

Disney announced this week, that due to safety concerns, selfie sticks will no longer be permitted in any Disney parks, as of June 30th, 2015. They are also not allowed at Disney's two water parks, or at DisneyQuest in Downtown Disney.  So, if you were planning on taking it with you, save the room in your suitcase, and leave it at home!

ANNOUNCEMENT!

I have a BIG announcement!  I am now a travel agent with Gateway to Magic.  I can help you with all your Disney vacation planning needs, as well as most cruise lines!  

I am really excited about this company, especially because they are a Christian based company that gives back.  Every time you book a trip with me, 10% of the commission is donated to the Make-A-Wish foundation!! On top of that, here's what you will get when you book your Disney vacation through me:

* Personalized service from someone who knows Disney inside and out!
* The best price available!  I keep an on Disney's discounts, and will get you any and all discounts available to you!
* Dining reservations- I will get up bright and early 180 before your trip and do my very best to get the dining reservations you want, when you want them!
* Fastpass reservations- I can make all your fastpass plus reservations for you!
* Special gift! You will receive a special gift when you arrive at your Disney resort hotel.

The best part about all of this is.... IT'S FREE!!!  That's right! You pay NOTHING to work with a Disney vacation planner, like me! So, what are you waiting for? Let's start planning your next Disney vacation.

(Already booked on your own? That's ok!  We may be able to transfer your booking, so you can take advantage of all these great benefits!)

2016 Magic Your Way Package

Disney has changed the Magic Your Way package "extras".  First, let's take a look at what you will get with the NEW Magic Your Way package in 2016.

* Hotel accommodations
* Park Tickets
* (4) Mini golf vouchers for either Disney's Fantasia Gardens, or Disney's Winter Summerland miniature golf courses. (Must be used before 4pm)
* (4) Vouchers for entry to the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex.
* 10% Discount at Splittsville Luxury Lanes (valid on bowling, merchandise, food, and non-alcoholic beverages)
* 10% Discount at Sammy Duvall's Watersports (Parasailing, water skiing, wakeboarding, and tubing) Subject to availability.
* House of Blues- 20% off food and non-alcoholic beverages and 10% off non-discounted merchandise.
* Joffery's Coffee & Tea- 20% off non-discounted purchases.
* Planet Hollywood- 15% off food and non-alcoholic beverages
* Portobello Country Italian Trattoria- 10% off food & non-alcoholic beverages during lunch or dinner.
* Wolfgang Puck Grand Cafe- 10% off food & non-alcoholic beverages during lunch or dinner.
* Little Missmatched- 20% off non-discounted merchandise
* Something Silver- 15% off non-discounted merchandise
* Arribas Brothers- 10% off purchases (Excludes Aramani, glassblowing custom/special orders, Herend, Hummel, Liuli, Nao Collection by Lladró, Starlite Collection (Acrylic), Swarovski, Wendt & Kuhn and shipping charges; some other restrictions apply. Discount may not be combined with any other offer).
* Basin- 10% off purchases at Basin located at Disney Springs or Basin White located in Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa.
* Curl® by Sammy Duvall - 10% off the price of non-discounted merchandise (excludes watches, sunglasses and electronics)
* Pop Gallery - 10% off the non-discounted price of merchandise (excludes published artists and shipping, other exclusions may apply).
* The Hair Wrap Company - One charm with a value of $5.00 with a purchase of a hair wrap at select Walt Disney World locations. Excludes pre-made wraps.

WOW that's a TON of discounts!  Here's what was included in the 2015 MYW package, but has been removed for 2016:

* Arcade game card (was a 100 point card per room)
* Dining discounts at Bongos (was 15%), Fulton’s Crab House (was 10%), and Paradiso 37 (was 20%)
* Children’s Activity Center Discount (was 15%)
* Disney Tours discount (was 15% for most tours)
* DisneyQuest admission vouchers (was 2 per room)
* Recreation discounts for horseback riding (was 15%), guided bass fishing (was 15%), and marina rentals (was 10%)
* Spa and salon services discount (was 15% for services 50 minutes or longer)

Also changing in 2016- you now have until 30 days before your trip to pay it off, as opposed to the 45 days before that it is now. You can now only hold a room for 3 days without a deposit, instead of the 7 days you have now.  All in all, I like the changes.  What do you think?

Now Booking: 2016 Disney vacation packages!!

It's the moment we've all been waiting for! (Well, I know I have!)  This morning, Disney released their 2016 vacation package prices, so you can finally book your 2016 Disney World trip!!  I STRONGLY suggest using a Disney travel agent for all your Disney vacation needs.  Let them do all the work for you (you still have control over all dining reservations, if you want to book those yourself)! I know a few good ones, if you need a recommendation. 

When will YOU be visiting Disney in 2016?

Top 5 things to do on a non-park day

You've scheduled a non-park day during your Disney vacation.  So, what do you do all day?  Here are my Top 5 suggestions on what to do on your non-park day(s).

1. Go to Downtown Disney!  You can spend an entire day there.  With tons of restaurants, shopping, entertainment, and attractions, there's something for everyone to do at Downtown Disney!

2. Resort hop!  I LOVE doing this, especially if you go during a holiday season, when the resorts are decorated. Grab your camera, and take a few family pictures at each resort.  Or just photograph the resorts, themselves. Have your meals and snacks at different resorts, too!

3. Explore your resort!  Take time to check out all the fun Disney touches, and look for hidden Mickeys! Or just relax in the hotel pool, go on a boat ride, or have some fun in the arcade.

4. Go to the beach!  If you have a car, take a short drive to one of the many local beaches.  This is a great way to relax mid-trip, or even at the end of your trip.

5. Explore Orlando!  Go to the Outlet malls, see a movie, play mini-golf, etc.

Disney Movie Night

Did you just get back from your Disney vacation, or do you just have the Disney blues?  Here's a fun (and affordable) way to put some Disney in your life!  

Step 1: Choose a movie!  I will be using pictures from our "Little Mermaid" movie night, but you can do this for ANY Disney movie! 

Step 2: While you're cooking dinner, have the kids decorate for the movie.  My kids put out stuffed animals and colored ocean themed wooden pieces I got from the dollar store.   

Step 3: Fix dinner according to your movie's theme.  I made octopus hotdogs, Velveta "sea shells", goldfish crackers, and got blue Gatorade that I re-labeled as "Mermaid juice".

Step 4: Watch the movie!  After dinner, we all sat on the couch and watched the movie, together as a family.  

My kids LOVE these movie nights!  While we usually do these as a "countdown to Disney", you can do them any time you need some Disney in your life.  

It's raining! Now what?

Florida summers are known for their afternoon rain showers.  So, what do you do when it's raining during your Disney vacation?  Here are my top 5 rainy afternoon ideas:

1. Take a nap.  This one takes my #1 spot, because my family likes midday breaks, anyway.  As soon as you see those dark clouds coming in, hop on the bus back to your Disney resort.  When you wake up, the rain will be gone, and you will be well rested, and ready to tackle the next park.

2. Grab a bite to eat.  Most rain showers, especially during the summer, don't last very long.  Take the opportunity to enjoy some amazing Disney food!

3. See a show.  There are indoor shows at all four Disney parks.  Some of these shows are ones a lot of people tend to skip.  Why not take the opportunity to check them out.

(Photo credit: Undercover Tourist)

4. Go on the "water" rides!! If you're going to get rained on, you might as well just go all in!  Go on Kali River Rapids if you're in Animal Kingdom, or take a ride on Splash Mountain in the Magic Kingdom.

5. Tough it out.  While everyone else is running for shelter, grab your poncho and keep on enjoying your day!  There's still plenty to do, even in the rain.  After all, a rainy day in Disney is better than a good day at home, right?

How to make "The Grey Stuff"

The grey stuff is delicious!  Don't believe me, ask the dishes!  My kids and I love making (and eating) this, and we wanted to share the recipe with you. 

What you'll need:

      1 (3.4 oz) box of vanilla pudding mix

      1 ½ cups milk

      15 oreos (regular, not double-stuffed)

      1 tub (8oz) whipped topping

      3 Tbsp chocolate pudding mix

      Pearl sprinkles (optional)

How to make it:

1.         Mix vanilla pudding mix and milk in a bowl.  Put in fridge to cool for about 10 minutes.
2.         Crush oreos into fine crumbs (be sure not to leave any big chunks)
3.         Add crushed oreos to the pudding/milk mixture and mix them together.
4.         Fold in the entire tub of whipped topping.
5.         Mix in the chocolate pudding mix.
6.         Place in the fridge to chill for about an hour.
7.         Top with pearl sprinkles when you serve it (optional)

We usually put this on graham crackers, and it is really good!  Although, it’s good enough to eat by itself.  

* We got this recipe from the Disney Diner website.  Check them out for more awesome Disney recipes!

The ALL STARS *Disney on a budget*

If you're wanting to go to Disney World, but you're on a tight budget, the ALL STAR resorts are perfect for you!  These are Disney value category resorts, but rooms cost less than the other two value resort, Pop Century and Art of Animation.  These resorts are also great if you have young kids who would really like the Disney theming that these resorts offer.

First let's take a look at the ALL STAR SPORTS resort.  

(Photo from the Disney website)

This resort focuses on sports such as football, baseball, basketball, tennis, and even surfing! With different sports themed areas, and baseball and surfer themed pools, your little athletes will love it here.  The End Zone food court even has a pretty cool name. 

(Photo from the Disney website)

The ALL STAR MUSIC resort is so much fun! I mean, who doesn't want to swim in a guitar shaped pool?!  Music fans of any age will find an area that suits them- from country to jazz, Rock n Roll to Calypso.  You can dine at the Intermission food court, or even spread out in a family suite at this value resort!

(Photo from the Disney website)

Now, if you're looking to see some of your favorite Disney characters at your resort, look no further than the ALL STAR MOVIES resort! Featuring themed areas that include 101 Dalmatians, Fantasia, Herbie: The Love Bug, The Mighty Ducks, and Toy Story, this resort has everything a Disney fan could want! 

Which is YOUR favorite Disney value resort hotel?

*SNEAK PEAK * at the new Frozen ride in EPCOT

I'm so excited about this new addition to EPCOT! It will open sometime in 2016. 

From the Disney Parks blog:

“Frozen Ever After,” is an adventure fit for the entire family that will take guests through the kingdom of Arendelle. The fantastic Disney storytelling combined with new technology and favorite moments and music from the film will make guests feel like they stepped into the magical world of “Frozen.”

Guests will be transported to the Winter in Summer Celebration where Queen Elsa embraces her magical powers and creates a winter-in-summer day for the entire kingdom. They will also visit Elsa’s Ice Palace and the ice-blue world of the North Mountain along with other locations before returning to the Bay of Arendelle. Of course, favorite “Frozen” characters, including the Snowgies from the animated short “Frozen Fever,” will be part of this new attraction, along with the spectacular sights inspired by the film.

The Norway Pavilion’s exterior will be expanded with many unique Norwegian architectural features and the interior design of the “Royal Sommerhus” will reflect the cultural arts and crafts of Norway, providing a charming setting for guests to meet Elsa and Anna.

Celebrating a BIRTHDAY at Disney World

Since it's my birthday I thought I'd do a post about a few ways to celebrate your birthday at the most magical place on earth!  Last year we celebrated my daughter's birthday at Disney World, so here are some fun things we did, or got, to celebrate her big day.

* Get a birthday button!  When we checked in, the cast member gave her one, but if they don't mention it, just ask.  It's completely FREE, and it lets everyone know about the birthday you're celebrating.  You'll be surprised at how many people, both cast members and other park guests, stop to wish you a happy birthday.

* When you make your reservations, let them know you are celebrating a birthday (your travel agent will do this for you).  Tell the seating hostess about the birthday again when you check in for your dining reservations. My daughter got free desserts (at every table service restaurant we went to), and two birthday cards, signed by the characters (at Crystal Palace and Akershus)!!

 


* Take some magic shots, just for the birthday boy/girl!  Technically this isn't "free", but if you're getting the memory maker anyway, these are included! When a photographer saw my daughter's birthday button while taking some family pictures, he asked if she wanted some special birthday pictures.  We loved how well they turned out!

* Get a special message from Mickey!  I didn't know about this until it happened, but one day we came back to our hotel room, and there was a birthday message on the phone from Mickey, for my daughter.  It was awesome!  Again, make sure you let the hotel know you are celebrating a birthday.