Nov 6 2014

Disney World News – Celebrate Thanksgiving At Disney World

If you are fortunate enough to be in Disney World on Thanksgiving Day this year, you have several places to choose from for your special Thanksgiving meal. Here’s the scoop from Disney:

Walt Disney World Resort guests can indulge in a fresh take on an American tradition by enjoying their Thanksgiving feast November 27, 2014 with a bounty of Disney tastes. With more than 30 different dining choices at Disney theme parks and resorts, families and friends can come together for a variety of Thanksgiving lunch and dinner offerings.

Special holiday menus include roasted turkey breast with all the trimmings plus traditional Norwegian meatballs and pan-seared salmon at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, poppy seed lavash, house-made naan, and apple-cranberry achar at Sanaa, roasted heirloom beets with candied walnuts and mulled apple cider at Artist Point, and other unique dishes to enjoy with the holiday classics.

At Epcot, guests can dine on Thanksgiving menus during lunch and dinner seatings at Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, Biergarten Restaurant, Coral Reef Restaurant, Le Cellier Steakhouse, and Rose & Crown Pub & Dining Room, as well as quick service at Sunshine Seasons.

Holiday menus also are offered at Be Our Guest Restaurant and Tony’s Town Square Restaurant in Magic Kingdom, Hollywood & Vine and The Hollywood Brown Derby in Disney’s Hollywood Studios, Tusker House Restaurant in Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Within the Walt Disney World Resort hotels, special Thanksgiving dining options are available at:

Artist Point and Whispering Canyon Café at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge
California Grill and The Wave… of American Flavors at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
Cape May Café at Disney’s Beach Club Resort
Captain’s Grille and Yachtsman Steakhouse at Disney’s Yacht Club Resort
End Zone Food Court at Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort
Flying Fish Café at Disney’s BoardWalk
Mickey’s Backyard Thanksgiving Feast and Trail’s End Restaurant at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground
Grand Floridian Café, Narcoossee’s and Victoria & Albert’s at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa
Jiko – The Cooking Place at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge
Kona Café at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort
Olivia’s Café at Disney’s Old Key West Resort
Sanaa at Disney’s Kidani Village Resort
Shutters at Old Port Royale at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort
The Turf Club Bar and Grill at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa

Availability is limited and dining events are subject to change. For information and reservations, please call 407-WDW-DINE.

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Nov 5 2014

Disney World News – Big Hero 6 Arrives At Hollywood Studios

Anyone else excited for this Friday’s release of the new Disney film, Big Hero 6? My boys and I have been watching the preview of this movie for months and can’t wait to see it. Disney is preparing for its release as well by readying a new Meet & Greet and creating lots of great Big Hero 6 merchandise. Here’s the scoop from Disney Parks Blog:

Big Hero 6 Meet & Greet

After Disney’s new animated feature Big Hero 6 hits theaters in November, the stars of the film are heading to Disney Parks to greet their fans. At Walt Disney World Resort, Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests can step inside The Magic of Disney Animation attraction to tour the lab from the San Fransokyo Institute of Technology, and then meet Hiro Hamada and his huggable buddy Baymax in Hiro’s garage workshop.

Big Hero 6 Merchandise

There are merchandise items that were developed specifically for Disney Parks. They include some apparel items and a six-pin, open edition pin set. In select merchandise locations in Disney’s Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World Resort, guests will also find a limited release, graphic MagicBand. In order to purchase this retail MagicBand, guests must present one of the following for the MagicBand to be linked to at the time of purchase: valid theme park admission, Memory Maker card or an active MagicBand. A D-Tech on Demand case for the iPhone 5/5S will be released at both Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts. In the D-Tech on Demand boutique at the Marketplace Co-Op in Downtown Disney Marketplace, guests will soon find six new art designs with characters from the film. The cases shown above are for the iPhone 6, but they are also offered for iPhone 4/4S, iPhone 5/5S, iPhone 5C, Samsung Galaxy SIII and Samsung Galaxy S4 at the boutique. We will begin offering cases for iPhone 6+ and Samsung Galaxy S5 later in November at D-Tech on Demand. Finally, there will be a limited release Vinylmation mystery series coming to Disney Parks in early November.

Please look for my review of Big Hero 6 this Friday, November 7!

Nov 5 2014

Disney World News – Elsa’s Sorcerers Card To Be Released At Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

For fans of either Frozen or the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom interactive game, here’s some exciting news for you. A brand new exclusive card is being released at this year’s Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Here’s the scoop from DisneyParksBlog.com:

Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party returns to Magic Kingdom Park on November 7, and this year’s event-exclusive Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card will be “Elsa’s Icy Shield” and will let players harness some of Queen Elsa’s special “Frozen” powers. In case you haven’t played Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom yet, this interactive game allows you to join Merlin’s quest to defeat Disney Villains who are trying to take over Magic Kingdom Park. You use maps to find villain hideouts throughout the park, visit magic portals and use spell cards (like this one) to spoil a villain’s plan. Cards feature different Disney characters with unique powers. You can also use multiple cards to enhance your attack on the villains. The Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom quest begins at the Firehouse on Main Street, U.S.A., where you can pick up complimentary key cards, spell cards and maps (additional cards can be purchased at select merchandise locations). The “Elsa’s Icy Shield” card will be distributed in addition to the regular Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom card packs. Guests must present their party ticket and event wristband in order to get one.

Anyone else excited about this news? Please leave a comment!

Nov 4 2014

Disney World News – PhotoPass Photos Automatically Linked To MagicBands

A great new feature! If you’re wearing an active MagicBand on select Walt Disney World Resort attractions, your photos will be automatically associated to your My Disney Experience account. You don’t have to do anything. In fact, if you’ve worn your MagicBand on one of the participating attractions in the last 45 days, you should be able to find that photo in your account now. Don’t have a MagicBand? Don’t worry. They’re making it easier for you, too. Recently Disney turned on new touch points at Magic Kingdom on Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin, Space Mountain and Splash Mountain. So after you ride, simply find your photo on the preview wall and touch your park ticket or Memory Maker card to the touch point to associate your photo. Disney expects to have photo touch points installed at Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme parks by mid-November. Beginning soon, guests wearing active MagicBands will have attraction videos automatically associated to their accounts as well. Videos are currently available for Seven Dwarfs Mine Train and The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.

I just returned from Disney World a couple of weeks ago and when I logged into my My Disney Experience account today, I was pleasantly surprised to find all of my attraction photos right there for me to review and purchase. What a nice surprise!

What do you think of this new feature? Please leave a comment!

Nov 3 2014

Disney World News – Candlelight Processional Returns To Epcot

Candlelight Processional is one of the most beloved holiday traditions Walt Disney World Resort, with the joyous retelling of the Christmas story by a celebrity narrator, accompanied by a 50-piece orchestra and glorious mass choir. Among new celebrity narrators this year is Jonathan Groff, who voiced the rugged mountain man Kristoff in Frozen. Candlelight performances are at 5:00, 6:45 and 8:15 pm at America Gardens Theatre in Epcot. (showtimes on December 7 are 6:45 and 8:15pm only)

11/28 – 11/29: Jodi Benson

11/30 – 12/2: Neil Patrick Harris

12/3 – 12/4: Jonathan Groff

12/5 – 12/6: Whoopi Goldberg

12/7 – 12/9: LeVar Burton

12/10 – 12/11: Edward James Olmos

12/12 – 12/14: Joe Morton

12/15 – 12/17: Chita Rivera

12/18 – 12/20: Ana Gasteyer

12/21 – 12/23: Marlee Matlin

12/24 – 12/25: Isabella Rossellini

12/26 – 12/27: Blair Underwood

12/28 – 12/30: Steven Curtis Chapman

Please note that narrators are subject to change without notice.

Guests may purchase Candlelight Dining Packages to reserve a seat at the Candlelight Processional. These packages, available on select nights, include a delicious meal, a guaranteed seat for one of the Candlelight Processional performances and a pre-arranged location for fireworks viewing. Guests may call 407-WDW-DINE for reservations or book online at DisneyWorld.com. Hurry – Availability is limited!