Tag Archives: Resort Hotels

Aug 6 2015

Sneak Peek At Holiday Season 2015 In Disney World

Christmas

One of the most magical times of year at Walt Disney World is during the holiday season. The entire resort is brimming with dazzling decorations and special celebrations. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s in store for us this year, courtesy of Disney:

Magic Kingdom

Add some very to your merry at the veriest, merriest Christmas party of the season. Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party at Magic Kingdom hosts 20 nights of yuletide cheer from November 8 – December 18, 2015. From 7pm to 12am during select nights at Magic Kingdom park, this annual ticket event will bring Christmas joy to guests of all ages with festive decorations, towering Christmas trees, and wintry wonderful entertainment.

Beginning at 7pm (after regular park hours), guests with special event tickets can enjoy the spectacular holiday splendor, along with complimentary cookies and hot cocoa, and snow flurries on Main Street, U.S.A. Special holiday entertainment during the event includes Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, A Totally Tomorrowland Christmas! Dance Party, “Celebrate the Season” musical stage show starring favorite Disney characters, and “Holiday Wishes: Celebrate the Spirit of the Season” fireworks spectacular.

Disney characters dressed in their Christmas best will be available for meet and greets throughout the park. In addition, don’t miss Queen Elsa from “Frozen” as she uses her incredible powers to transform Cinderella Castle nightly into a glistening ice palace for the holidays during “A Frozen Holiday Wish” castle lighting show. (Please click here for additional party information or to purchase tickets.)

Also for the holiday season, the iconic Jungle Cruise will temporarily transform into “Jingle Cruise” for Magic Kingdom guests. Festive decor in the attraction queue and boathouse gives guests a bit of Christmas cheer. The Jingle Cruise boats each are given a unique holiday name, and the Skippers share a slew of seasonal holiday jokes throughout the tour.

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

A spectacular light display boasting millions of glittering lights, the Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights is perfectly synchronized to a high-energy holiday symphony. This magical display of Christmas lights can be seen on the Streets of America at Disney’s Hollywood Studios from November 6, 2015 through January 3, 2016.

Epcot

One of the most beloved holiday traditions at Epcot, the Candlelight Processional inspires guests and instills the Christmas spirit through the retelling of the Christmas story by celebrity narrators, accompanied by a masterful orchestra and choir. The Candlelight Processional is performed three times each evening, 5:00pm, 6:45pm and 8pm, from November 27 to December 30.

Guests become immersed in holiday festivities while experiencing holiday traditions from various countries throughout World Showcase during Holidays Around the World November 27 – December 30. Share in the sights and sounds of the nations of World Showcase as each country’s holiday heritage comes to life amid joyful music, interactive storytelling and time-honored traditions.

Epcot features special holiday merchandise perfect for every shopper’s Christmas list. Santa’s Village in American Adventure and Christkindlmarkt in Germany feature extra special shopping experiences with unique Christmas ornaments and holiday items.

While shopping, guests can stop by the Future World Fountain Stage for a joy-filled performance by “Joyful!” This spirited ensemble uniquely blends the soulful expressiveness of gospel and inspirational music with the sounds of jazz, R&B and urban music. This holiday performance features classic Christmas tunes with a soulful spin.

The merriment continues with meet and greets with Santa and Mrs. Claus, plus the nightly “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth – Holiday Edition,” a laser, light, fireworks display capped with a seasonal finale.

This spectacular light display boasting millions of glittering lights is perfectly synchronized to a high-energy holiday symphony and is capped off with a flurry of snow.

Disney’s Animal Kingdom

Meet Mickey and Minnie at Adventurers Outpost in Disney’s Animal Kingdom during the holiday season for a special photo opportunity. Mickey and Minnie dress in their holiday best, which makes for the perfect Christmas card photo.

Downtown Disney

Downtown Disney will be decked with holiday décor to bring Christmas cheer to holiday shoppers and guests. Santa will be available for a special meet and greet, along with jolly holiday entertainment throughout the season.

Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

All of Walt Disney World shines brightly with merry décor during the holiday season, including Walt Disney World Resort Hotels. Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort is a favorite holiday stop with its 16-foot-high Victorian gingerbread house located in the lobby. Disney’s Beach Club Resort hosts an incredible gingerbread carousel display, accompanied by the sweet smell of Christmas treats wafting through the entryway. Disney’s Contemporary Resort and Disney’s Boardwalk Resort have their own festive gingerbread holiday displays for guests’ delight. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge showcase breathtaking Christmas trees towering inside the resorts. With so many splendid sights to see, Christmas joy radiates to every corner of Walt Disney World Resort.

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:

Are you visiting Disney World during the holidays?
What are you most excited about? Please leave a comment!

Disney World Magic Kingdom Country Bear Jamboree
May 30 2014

Friday Favorites – Best Ways To Beat The Heat In Disney World

For today’s Friday favorites, I would like to share with you my picks for the best ways to beat the heat in Disney World. It’s that time of year again when kids are getting out of school for summer break and the temperatures and crowds are beginning to rise. By midday, you might be overwhelmed by the heat and wondering what you should do to escape. Here are my favorite ways to beat the heat at Disney World!

  • Take A Nap This option is especially great for families with little ones. Head back to your hotel room for a cool shower and a peaceful nap. You’ll be refreshed and ready to go for the night.
  • Go To The Pool Another terrific choice is to head for your resort pool during those scorching afternoon hours. Grab yourself a cool drink from the pool bar and take a relaxing dip!
  • See The Shows This works well when you want to stay in the parks, but you still need a little break. Make your way to the large capacity air-conditioned theatres in the afternoon. Great choices are the Enchanted Tiki Room, Country Bear Jamboree, Hall of Presidents, Mickey’s Philharmagic, Carousel of Progress and Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor at the Magic Kingdom, Ellen’s Energy Adventure, Impressions de France, O Canada, Reflections of China and American Adventure in Epcot, Muppet*Vision 3D at Hollywood Studios and It’s Tough to be a Bug at Animal Kingdom. Even during the busiest times, you can usually get into these shows quickly.
  • Head To The Resorts Another wonderful possibility is to explore some of the resort hotels. If you are at the Magic Kingdom, hop on the monorail and check out the resorts on the loop. Have a cool beverage, do some shopping and play some games at one of the arcades. If you are at Epcot or Hollywood Studios, hop on the boat. Enjoy the cool breeze on your ride to the Crescent Lake resorts. Once there, explore the area and cool off with some ice cream from Beaches & Cream at Disney’s Beach Club Resort.
  • Go To Downtown Disney You can also escape to Downtown Disney to get a break from the heat. There are lots of exciting air-conditioned places for entertainment. You can bowl a few games at Splitsville, see a movie at AMC Dine In Theatre, buy souvenirs at World of Disney, enjoy a meal at one of the many restaurants or play games at DisneyQuest.

So there you have it…my favorite ways to beat the heat in Disney World!

Do you have a favorite way to escape the heat while in Disney World? Please leave a comment!

Disney World Epcot Illuminations
May 23 2014

Friday Favorites – Best Disney World Nighttime Activities

For today’s Friday Favorites, I would like to share with you my picks for best Disney World nighttime activities. I love the ambience that Disney World has at night in the theme parks and beyond. Nighttime at Disney World is my favorite time of all! So without further ado, here are my picks for best nighttime activities in no particular order.

  • Fireworks, Parades, Shows This one is a no brainer! Of course, one of the top nighttime activities has to be all of the stunning fireworks, parades and shows that the theme parks offer. At Magic Kingdom, you have Celebrate the Magic, the Main Street Electrical Parade and Wishes. At Epcot, you have Illuminations: Reflections of Earth. And at Hollywood Studios, you have Fantasmic! All of these nighttime spectaculars are amazing!
  • Magic Kingdom’s Tomorrowland My favorite part of Magic Kingdom at night is Tomorrowland. Something about all of those neon lights calls to me! My family and I love spending an entire night just soaking up the atmosphere of Tomorrowland. Our favorite nighttime ride is the Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover. It is rarely crowded and it offers beautiful views of the Magic Kingdom after dark.
  • Epcot’s World Showcase This is my favorite part of Epcot at night. I think it has a lot to do with the special lighting throughout the countries and the exhilarating feel that the World Showcase has at night. My family and I spend several nights of our trip touring this part of Epcot enjoying the shows, shops and snacks as we go.
  • Downtown Disney If you are ready for a little break from the parks, Downtown Disney is a fun place to go at night. You have so many options here including dinner and a movie, shopping, drinks, bowling, video games and live entertainment. We love visiting Downtown Disney on the night we arrive in Disney World, when we are too tired from traveling to head into a park, but we are eager to get our vacation started!
  • Arcade & Ice Cream This is a fun option when you are traveling with kids. My boys love video games so we always enjoy heading to Disney’s Beach Club Resort for some yummy ice cream at Beaches & Cream and then video games at the resort arcade.
  • Mini Golf & Cupcakes Another entertaining option that is wonderful for the whole family! My family and I love mini golf, but it usually too hot for us to play during the day. We love spending one evening playing a round or two at Fantasia Gardens and Fairways near the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel and then walking over to the Boardwalk Bakery for a delicious cupcake!
  • Monorail Resort Hotels This is a very relaxing evening option especially for the adults in your group. We have a great time hopping on the monorail and going from resort to resort exploring, shopping and hitting up the lounges. If you time it right, you can even watch the Electrical Water Pageant from one of the resort’s beaches!
  • Pizza & Games And if you are just too exhausted to go anymore, all of the resort hotels offer pizza delivery to your room. Get yourselves a couple Disney-themed games (we have Uno and Monopoly) at one of the shops and have an exciting family game night in your room!

So there you have it…my picks for best Disney World Nighttime activities!

Do you have a favorite Disney World nighttime activity? Please leave a comment!

Mar 10 2014

Disney World Planning Basics: Do I Need A Car?

One of the questions that I get asked most often by people while they are planning their vacation to Walt Disney World is if they will need a car while they are there. Here are a few things to consider when making the decision.

  • Cost Depending on what size car you need, you can get some great deals on rental cars at the Orlando International Airport. Even with a great deal, a car can cost a few hundred dollars for a week. Plus you will also need to pay for gasoline and tolls. Those expenses can really eat into your vacation budget.
  • Convenience Think about what is more convenient for you. Do you like the idea of getting into your own rental car and going to the parks on your schedule? On the flip side, do you feel like it is more convenient to just hop on the abundant Disney transportation and leave the driving to them?
  • Visiting Outside Attractions Are you planning to visit any other attractions besides Walt Disney World while you are in Orlando? If so, having your own rental car is very handy. Now, if you are traveling solo or as a couple, just catching a cab to Universal Studios on the day you want to visit is no big deal. But if you are a large family, especially one with small children that still require car seats, it’s not that simple.
  • Traveling Party Who are you traveling with? Do you need to take large strollers or wheelchairs to the park? This can certainly be done by using Disney World transportation, but sometimes the buses are full making it more difficult.
  • Where Are You Staying Are you staying on property at a Disney World resort hotel or are you staying off property? If you are staying off property, the hotel that you are staying at might say that they offer free transportation to the Disney World theme parks. Definitely get all of the details from your hotel about this. You will often find that it is a shuttle bus service that only runs certain times of the day. If that is the case, you will be forced to come and go by that bus schedule. That might work fine for some people, but others might need the flexibility that a rental car would offer.
  • Where Are You Going Inside Disney World Will you be visiting other resort hotels during your stay? If so, that can be very time-consuming to do without your own rental car. Disney’s official stance is to allow at least 90 minutes to travel between two resorts. That is because you will have to ride at least two forms of transportation to do it. So if you are staying at Pop Century and you are trying to get to your character meal at Chef Mickey’s at the Contemporary, it can take a long time on Disney transportation!
  • Supplies Are you staying at one of the Disney World resort hotels that offers a kitchen in your room? Or are you traveling with an infant that requires a lot of supplies? In either of these cases, you might want your own rental car to be able to leave Disney World and do some grocery shopping. However, it is not always necessary. Every Disney World resort hotel that offers rooms with kitchens also has a shop where you can buy basic food items to cook in your room. Other people use grocery delivery services like Garden Grocer.

My Thoughts: This year I will be taking two trips to Walt Disney World. During one, we will be renting a car and during the other, we will be using Disney transportation exclusively. During our first trip this year, we will be renting a car, because my husband is coming with us and he prefers to drive. We will be staying at Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa that features rooms with full size kitchens, so we’ll be going to the grocery store to get a few snacks and drinks to have in our room. We’ve also made some dining reservations at other Disney World resort hotels which would require us to take two modes of transportation to get to them if we didn’t have the car. During my second trip this year, I will be traveling with my parents and my kids and I’ll be staying at the Art of Animation resort. I prefer to leave the driving to Disney and I won’t have a kitchen in my room. When my kids were younger, I really loved having the rental car. It was so convenient not having to wait in line for a bus or to stand on a crowded bus holding a baby. Plus getting two kids, a huge double stroller and a backpack full of baby supplies on a crowded bus or monorail wasn’t always easy.

Whether you chose to rent a car of your own or to take Disney transportation, they both can work for you!

Mar 5 2014

Disney World Planning Basics: Where To Stay – Walt Disney World Resort Hotels

Walt Disney World has a wide variety of resort hotels to fit any budget or taste. They are divided into several categories based on cost and amenities.

  1. Value Resorts There are five resorts that fall into the value category. They are Disney’s All-Star Movies Resort, Disney’s All-Star Music Resort, Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort and Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. These resorts are the least expensive in the Disney family starting at around $85 per night. They offer food courts, gift shops, swimming pools and arcades. The rooms in this category are small, but clean and nicely themed. The atmosphere of these resorts is loud and energetic. You will generally find a lot of young families staying here.
  2. Moderate Resorts The resorts that are considered in the moderate category are Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort, Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort Cabins, Disney’s Port Orleans – French Quarter and Disney’s Port Orleans – Riverside. These resorts are next up in the line of pricing starting at around $162 per night. They offer counter service as well as table service dining, gift shops, swimming pools with slides, arcades and lounges. The rooms in this category are a little larger than the value rooms and nicely themed. The atmosphere of these resorts is slightly more relaxed than the value resorts, but is still very appropriate for families, couples and individuals.
  3. Deluxe Resort Hotels Next up are the deluxe resort hotels which include Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Beach Club Resort, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, Disney’s Polynesian Resort, Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Yacht Club Resort. These resorts start at around $284 per night. These amazing resorts offer incredible amenities including counter service as well as table service dining, bars and lounges, room service, gift shops, swimming pools with slides and hot tubs, arcades and other on-site recreation such as boat rentals and beach access. The rooms in this category are even larger than the moderate rooms and are sophisticatedly decorated. The atmosphere of these resorts is more elegant and relaxed, but still very family friendly.
  4. Deluxe Villas The resorts in the deluxe villa category are Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Jambo House, Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas – Kidani Village, Disney’s Beach Club Villas, Disney’s Boardwalk Villas, Disney’s Old Key West Resort, Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, The Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and The Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. These resorts start at around $318 per night. These top-of-the-line resorts offer exceptional amenities including counter service as well as fine dining, bars and lounges, room service, shopping, swimming pools with slides and hot tubs, arcades and other on-site recreation and features. The rooms in this category are by far the largest and feel like a home away from home. They offer kitchens, living spaces, bedrooms and multiple bathrooms. The atmosphere of these resorts is warm, inviting and comfortable…a wonderful place for large families.
  5. Other On Property Options There are two other deluxe resort category hotels located on Disney property near EPCOT that are not operated by Disney. They are the Walt Disney World Dolphin Hotel and the Walt Disney World Swan Hotel. Disney also offers campsites at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort.

My Thoughts: As a former sales and catering employee of Marriott Hotels & Resorts, I can be picky about the hotels where I stay. What I really enjoy about Walt Disney World is that no matter your budget, there is a Disney resort hotel for you. Over the years I have stayed in every category of hotel (and the campground) and I have enjoyed them all. Each resort hotel is unique and special in its own way. From the value resorts through the deluxe villas, the theming and attention to detail is amazing. The real difference in cost is based on the size of room, hotel amenities and location.

 
No matter what category of Walt Disney World resort hotel you choose, you can’t go wrong. You are in Disney World after all!
 
More Information: For more details about each resort, please click this. For booking information and pricing, please click here.
 
What about you? Where do you like to stay when visiting Walt Disney World? How do you decide?
Please leave a comment!