Mar 6 2019

2019 Garden Rocks Concert Series Bands Announced

If you plan to visit Walt Disney World this spring during the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival, here is some exciting news! Disney has recently released the information about which bands will be appearing in the Garden Rocks Concert Series that runs during the festival. Here’s everything you need to know courtesy of Disney:

Garden Rocks Concert Series is back – every single day of the 26th Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival!

For the first time since the popular spring extravaganza expanded to 90 days, Garden Rocks concerts will play seven days a week, three times daily, for a total of 270 concerts spanning multiple genres across four decades of chart-topping hits.

Twelve brand-new Garden Rocks acts include: A Flock of Seagulls, Ambrosia, Peabo Bryson, War, Eddie Palmieri, Colin Hay of Men at Work, TobyMac, Steven Curtis Chapman, John Michael Montgomery, Magic Giant, Jon Anderson of YES and Journey former lead vocalist Steve Auger. Other new-to-this-festival acts that have performed at other Walt Disney World events include Glass Tiger, Wang Chung, Air Supply and more.

Guests can dance in their seats each evening to classic tunes at the park’s outdoor America Gardens Theatre overlooking the World Showcase Lagoon. An eclectic mix of Flower & Garden Festival fan favorites includes 1960s icons Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone, ’70s-’80s chart-toppers Rick Springfield, Dennis Deyoung and Don Felder, and ’90s hit-makers Sister Hazel.

Performance times are 5:30, 6:45 and 8pm and are included with Epcot admission. Guests can enjoy guaranteed concert seating by reserving a Garden Rocks Dining Package and enjoying breakfast, lunch or dinner at select Epcot restaurants. Here is this year’s lineup (subject to change without notice):

March 6-8: Journey former lead vocalist STEVE AUGERI (NEW) “Don’t Stop Believin’”
March 9-10: Glass Tiger (NEW to Garden Rocks) “Don’t Forget Me (When I’m Gone)”
March 11-12: Jon Anderson of YES (NEW) “Owner of A Lonely Heart”
March 13-14: Tony Orlando “Knock Three Times”
March 15-16: Wang Chung (NEW to Garden Rocks) “Everybody Have Fun Tonight”
March 17-20: Simple Plan “Perfect”
March 21-22: Ambrosia (NEW) “Biggest Part of Me”
March 23-24: Magic Giant (NEW) “Set on Fire”
March 25-27: Air Supply (NEW to Garden Rocks) “All Out of Love”
March 28-29: Berlin featuring Terri Nunn “Take My Breath Away”
March 30-31: The Smithereens (NEW to Garden Rocks) “Top of the Pops”
April 1-2: Rick Springfield “Jessie’s Girl”
April 3-4: Christopher Cross (NEW to Garden Rocks) “Sailing”
April 5-7: The Spinners “Working My Way Back to You”
April 8-9: Dennis DeYoung, original member of the group STYX “Come Sail Away”
April 10-11: John Michael Montgomery (NEW) “I Love the Way You Love Me”
April 12-13: Sister Sledge (NEW to Garden Rocks) “We Are Family”
April 14-16: Night Ranger “Sister Christian”
April 17-19: Sister Hazel (NEW to Garden Rocks) “All For You”
April 20-21: Steven Curtis Chapman (NEW) “Cinderella”
April 22-23: TobyMac (NEW) “The Elements”
April 24-26: Lonestar “Amazed”
April 27-30: The Orchestra starring former members of ELO “Evil Woman”
May 1-4: Herman’s Hermits starring Peter Noone “I’m Henry VIII I Am”
May 5-7: Don Felder, Formerly of the Eagles “Hotel California”
May 8-9: A Flock of Seagulls (NEW) “I Ran (So Far Away)”
May 10-11: Marshall Tucker Band (NEW to Garden Rocks) “Heard It in a Love Song”
May 12-13: Peabo Bryson (NEW) “If You’re Ever In My Arms Again”
May 14-15: Richard Marx (NEW to Garden Rocks) “Right Here Waiting”
May 16-19: STARSHIP starring Mickey Thomas “We Built This City”
May 20-21: Colin Hay of Men at Work (NEW) “Who Can It Be Now?”
May 22-23: War (NEW) “Why Can’t We Be Friends”
May 24-27: The Guess Who “American Woman”
May 28-29: Jon Secada “Just Another Day”
May 30-June 1: Blood, Sweat and Tears “Spinning Wheel”
June 2-3: Eddie Palmieri (NEW) “Vamonos Pa’l Monte”

Heading to Disney World soon?

If you are planning a vacation to Disney World, be sure to check out these valuable resources to help you save time and money:

Check out my UPDATED book 501 Ways to Make the Most of Your Walt Disney World Vacation for secret insider tips and tricks that you won’t find anywhere else!
View the latest Disney World discounts currently available!
Guarantee the best vacation price by clicking here for more information!

Which concert are you most excited to attend?
Please leave a comment; I would love to hear from you!

Mar 4 2019

2019 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Tickets Now On Sale

This year Magic Kingdom is celebrating the Halloween season with the annual family friendly Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party on select nights August 16 through November 1.

Here are the dates for 2019:

August 16, 20, 23, 27, 30
September 2, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29
October 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31
November 1

The party is held at Magic Kingdom from 7pm to 12am.

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is a lively and light-hearted experience and it is truly a family friendly event. There are special parades, exciting dance parties, stunning fireworks, and tons of trick-or-treating stations filled with candy for everyone! Adults and children alike get into the spirit of the event by dressing in costume, trick-or-treating, and dancing the night away with all of the characters. Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party tickets start at $79. You’ll want to purchase your tickets as soon as possible if you plan to attend, because they do sell out. To buy tickets, please click here or call 407-827-7350.

Please keep in mind Disney’s costume policy (from the official website):

While we encourage creativity, we also value safety and good judgment. If you’re planning to attend these special holiday events, take a moment to read over our latest rules and regulations:

General

Disney reserves the right to deny admission to or remove any person wearing attire that is considered inappropriate or attire that could detract from the experience of other Guests.
All Guests may dress as their favorite character, but may not pose for pictures or sign autographs for other Guests.
Costumes must be family-friendly and may not be obstructive, offensive, objectionable or violent.
Costumes may not contain any weapons that resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon.
Costumes may not contain sharp objects, pointed objects or materials that may accidentally strike another Guest.
Guests who do not adhere to these guidelines may be refused entry into, and/or removed from, unless his or her costume can be modified to meet the above standards.

For Guests ages 13 and under:

Costumes and some masks may be worn, as long as the mask does not cover the entire face and eyes are visible.

For Guests ages 14 and older:

Layered costumes or costume props that surround the entire body are strongly discouraged and may be subject to additional security screening.
Costumes may not reach or drag on the ground. (e.g.,full-length Princess dresses)
Capes may be worn if the length does not go below the waist.
Themed T-shirts, blouses, sweatshirts, and hats are acceptable.
Acceptable accessories include: transparent wings, plastic light sabers, toy swords, and tutus. Headwear may be worn as long as it does not cover the face.
Masks of any kind may not be worn.

Here’s a little video from the party to get you in the spirit!

Have you been to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party?
Please leave a comment; we would love to hear from you!

Mar 3 2019

Disney World Enthusiast Weekly Round Up March 3, 2019

Here’s the Disney World Enthusiast Weekly Round Up for March 3, 2019!

Latest Disney World Enthusiast Articles

Tip Of The Week

Epcot is a perfect choice for doing a split day with one park in the morning and another at night. My family often spends the morning in Magic Kingdom using our prebooked Fastpass+ then, after a mid-day break; we head over to Epcot to tour World Showcase at night where no Fastpass+ reservations are needed.

Looking for more tips like this? Click here!

Disney Did You Know

At least 25 different plants, grasses and mosses of various colors, including pink and red begonias, dusty miller, palm fiber, palm seeds, ficus and lichen, are used to create and define facial and other features of festival character topiaries displayed during the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. The topiary team uses about 200 one-pound boxes of hairpins to attach plants and flowers to the topiaries.

Walt’s Words

“You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.”

Featured Advertiser

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Featured Book

UPDATED! The difference between an average and an outstanding Walt Disney World trip is in the details. Kristi Fredericks helps make your dream vacation a reality with her numerous tips and tricks to save money, time, and sanity while at the happiest place on earth in her new book “501 Ways To Make The Most Of Your Walt Disney World Vacation”. For more information, to read an excerpt, or to purchase, please click here.

Considering A Disney World Vacation

Jennifer Hardy, a Disney Vacation Planner with Destinations in Florida, is the official travel partner of Disney World Enthusiast. She can help you book your next Disney vacation whether it is to Disney World, Disneyland, or aboard the Disney Cruise Line. Currently Jennifer has some incredible deals for discounted travel to Walt Disney World. For more information about Jennifer’s amazing and absolutely free services or to get a free no-obligation quote, please click here!

You’re Invited

Jennifer Hardy, from Destinations in Florida, and I have teamed up to create a brand new Facebook Group called Next Disney Vacation! It is the perfect place to talk about your next Disney vacation, voice your opinions, ask your questions, get them answered, and share the magic. Whether it’s Disneyland Resort, Walt Disney World, or the Disney Cruise Line, Jennifer and I are ready to help. Everyday you’ll find posts, photos, trivia, tips, and more that we find all throughout the Disney Universe. If you’re counting the days until your next Disney vacation or just dreaming of one, we would love to have you join in the fun and conversation! Please click here to be a part of our group!

Coming Up Next Week

Next week I’ll have some planning information plus all of the latest Disney World news!

Have a wonderful week!

Mar 1 2019

First Look At Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy Coming To Hollywood Studios In 2019

Hey fans of the Radiator Springs gang and Lightning McQueen in particular…KaChow! I have exciting news if you’re heading to Walt Disney World soon…Lightning McQueen’s Racing Academy will be racing from the starting line at Hollywood Studios on March 31, 2019. Here’s a first look at what we can expect, courtesy of Disney:

Learn what it takes to be a champion racer from the legendary Lightning McQueen at Sunset Showcase.

To kick things off, Lightning demonstrates what he’s learned over the years by using his brand-new, state-of-the-art racing simulator and its wraparound screen. Of course, as this seasoned racer has discovered throughout his career, things don’t always go according to plan, and he has to think fast to get back on course.

With Tow Mater, Cruz Ramirez and the gang from Radiator Springs rooting him on, Lightning gears up for the challenge. Will he emerge victorious? Speed on over to find out.

Bonus: after the show, you’ll even have the chance to snap a photo with trainer-turned-racer Cruz Ramirez just outside the Academy.