Archive for August, 2009

Step up to Disney’s Premium Plan for a much more inclusive alternative to the standard Magic Your Way package.  It consists of all the components of the Magic Your Way with Deluxe Dining package, plus a number of additional features.  It’s a great choice for travelers who plan to take advantage of the many recreational activities around Walt Disney World and like the ease of prepayment and knowing the full cost of their vacation up front.

Unlike the Deluxe Dining which assesses two dining credits for certain types of meals, on the Platinum Plan, Signature restaurants, character meals, even the dinner shows and in-room dining are included in the cost and represent only one meal. There are also many recreational opportunities: water sports and boating, horseback, pony, and carriage rides, miniature golf, fishing excursions and cane-pole fishing, parasailing, and biking.  As a Premium Plan guest, you enjoy unlimited golf with green fees, golf carts, rental clubs and shoes, even private golf lessons.   You can experience many of the behind-the-scenes tours and take advantage of a professional portrait session with print package.

If your party consists of eight or more, you can participate in the Grand Gathering experiences as part of your package. Tickets to Cirque du Soleil’s La Nouba and unlimited use of the Children’s Activity Centers are also included.  Disney’s Premium Plan is a spectacular way to sample some of the many activities and unique experiences that Walt Disney World has to offer.

One of the dividends of choosing the Magic Your Way package is the ability to add dining.  Food can represent one of the major expenses of a vacation at Walt Disney World, and there is a dining plan option to suit almost every visitor.

• The familiar standard Disney Dining Plan includes one Table Service meal, one Quick Service meal, and one snack per person, per night of stay.

• The Quick Service Dining Plan includes two Quick Service meals, two snacks, and a resort refillable mug per person, per night of stay.

• The Deluxe Dining Plan includes three meals, 2 snacks, and a resort refillable mug, per person, per night of stay.

• The Disney Wine and Dine package can be added to any of the Magic Your Way packages that include Table Service dining.

For the first time in 2010, there was a seasonal price change for the standard plan with an additional charge assessed for peak season.

Consider your itinerary and your group’s preferences when choosing a dining plan.  If you will be enjoying character meals with the kids, the standard Dining Plan, which offers a Table Service meal each day, can quickly pay for itself.  Those who prefer to grab and go rather than taking the time for a sit-down meal may find the Quick Service Plan best suits their needs.  Returning adults contemplating a more leisurely approach with a focus on fine dining will appreciate the Deluxe Plan and the Wine and Dine package.  Remember that multiple table-service meals can consume a significant part of each day.  If you hope to maximize your park and recreation time, the standard Dining Plan or Quick Service Dining Plan may be the best choice.

There are so many wonderful restaurants and snack venues throughout the parks and resorts of Walt Disney World, and Disney dining plans are a cost-effective way to try something new or revisit old favorites.

By far the most popular option for a Walt Disney World vacation is the basic Magic Your Way Package.  This always includes at least one night’s stay in a Walt Disney World Resort, and a minimum one-day base park admission ticket.  Some specially-priced offers may require a longer minimum stay or certain types of ticket options to qualify, or might only be available at specific resorts.

For 2011, the basic Magic Your Way Package also includes the following:

• A $15 voucher valid for food and non-alcoholic beverages and a souvenir merchandise keepsake at Planet Hollywood, Downtown Disney® West Side. VIP Preferred Seating is available from 11 am through 6 pm. Not valid with any other offers or discounts. (One per room).

• One certificate per room for a round of miniature golf at either Disney’s Winter Summerland or Fantasia mini-golf courses.

• Arcade Card valid for 100 game play points in arcades located in the Walt Disney resorts (One card per room).

• Walt Disney World® Marina Discounts – 15% off the regular price of any boat rental at participating Walt Disney World marina locations.

• One Walt Disney Travel Company luggage tag per person.

• Niki Bryan Spa Discount – 15% off most 50 minute or greater services at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa or Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa. (Hand and foot treatments are excluded. Age restrictions apply).

• 10% off the regular price of Guided Bass Fishing Excursions and Bass Nitro Fishing Excursions at select Walt Disney World marinas. Excursions include fishing equipment, rod, reel, shiners, artificial bait, non-alcoholic beverages and a 1-year membership to B.A.S.S. (Bass Anglers Sportsman Society).

• 10% off the regular price of all activities including parasailing, water skiing, wakeboarding and tubing trips at Sammy Duvall’s Water Sports Center located at Disney’s Contemporary Resort. (Subject to availability; restrictions apply.)

• NEW! Children Activity Centers – 15% off the regular hourly rates at the Children Activity Center located at select Disney Resort Hotels. Minimum charge of two (2) hours per child. Services available for children age 3-12.

The Magic Your Way base ticket, available from one to ten days, is valid for admission to one park per day.  You may choose to come and go from the same park as many times as you wish during the day, but cannot use the ticket to visit more than one park on the same day.  Tickets are valid for visits to all the parks, and can be used for any combination of park visits during the stay, but only one each day.

The Park Hopper option allows you to move from park to park throughout you stay, visiting as many parks as you wish on a single day.  So, you may choose to go to one park for breakfast, travel to another for an afternoon parade, and catch the evening fireworks at a third.  This is a great convenience for returning guests, but not always necessary for first-time visitors, or those with young children.

The Water Park Fun & More option adds access to Disney’s Blizzard Beach, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon, Wide World of Sports, DisneyQuest, and Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course.  For each day of your ticket, in addition to regular park admission, you receive a “Plus” option for admission to one of these water park or “fun” venues, or a round of golf at the nine-hole Oak Trail walking course.  You may or may not choose to use a plus option on the same day you use one of your park admission days.

Keep in mind, that the Plus options do NOT allow you to come and go from the different venues as the Park Hopper admission ticket does for the major parks.  For each Plus venue you visit, you will have to use another of your Plus options.

The standard Magic Your Way ticket expires 14 days after first use.  The No Expiration option can be added prior to the end of the 14-day window to prevent the loss of any unused days.  This can be an expensive option since a flat fee is added based upon the length of the original ticket, not the remaining unused days.  Since additional days after the first four cost only a few dollars, this is generally not cost-effective unless you are planning to return for a couple of days only and don’t wish to book a package for the stay.

For some more tips on tickets, visit our fav5 tix tips!

If you wish to add dining, Disney offers several different options for that, as well.  Tomorrow, we’ll review the various types of dining plans available with the Magic Your Way Package.

Sometimes, planning a vacation to Walt Disney World can be a bit overwhelming.  There are a seemingly infinite number of things to see and do and so many decisions to be made.  At Whimsical World Travel, we like to break this down into manageable pieces by concentrating first on the major components of the trip.

There are generally five key areas that need to be addressed:  transportation, accommodations, park admission, dining, and recreation.  Years ago, the convenience of bundling these together came at a premium.  Disney packages were more expensive than the same options purchased separately.  For some time now, however, packages have provided equal or better value.  Currently, Disney offers three distinct choices:  the basic “Magic Your Way” package, the “Magic Your Way Premium Package” also called the “Premium Plan,” and the “Magic Your Way Platinum Package” also referred to as the “Platinum Plan.”

While the names have sometimes changed and there have been minor modifications to the inclusions and benefits, all three offer the following:

• Accommodations at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel

• Customizable Disney Theme Park tickets

• Complimentary Disney’s Magical Express airport transfers

• Commemorative luggage tags

• Voucher packet of dining and recreation discounts

It’s the differences amongst the three that usually cause the most confusion.  Over the next few weeks, we’ll be reviewing each package and examining the elements that are included as well as the available additions.  Being knowledgeable about your options will help you make the best choices for your next Walt Disney World vacation!

I read something today written by a person who has taken 120 cruises.  He stated that the most memorable, by far, was the one he took with extended family.  This type of trip is so much more than the sum of the shipboard activities, it is about memories shared, and a ship encourages and fosters the family reunion experience.  It offers opportunities for people to spend time together, and the space for separate pursuits.

Disney cruises, in particular, are a great choice for a multi-generational vacation.  One of the concerns when planning an extended-family trip is making sure that there is something for everyone.  On a Disney cruise, there are activities, dining options, recreation, and public spaces for all ages and interests.

Features like the split bathroom design and large staterooms make family travel more comfortable.  Rotational dining allows the group to stay together with their wait staff while enjoying different dining venues during the cruise.  There are food choices to suit every taste, from kid-friendly buffets to the elegant Palo for adults.  Of course, everyone loves the chocolate chip cookies and milk delivered to the stateroom for late-night snacking.

Disney’s beautiful private island, Castaway Cay, has separate beaches for families, teens, and adults.  Onboard, there are the renowned children’s programs with specially-designed areas and appropriate activities for different age groups from three to seventeen, plus a nursery for little ones.  Adults can enjoy their own special areas – a separate adults-only pool, a sybaritic spa, a café, and special nighttime entertainment venues.

Those who love the parks will appreciate those special Disney perks – top quality family entertainment and, best of all, Disney characters!  A Land and Sea Vacation Package will seamlessly blend a fun-filled stay at Walt Disney World with a relaxing cruise experience.  Whether you’re considering a trip with grandparents or a once-in-a-lifetime get-together with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins, Disney Cruise Line can help make it unforgettable.

Spaceship Earth, symbol of EPCOT and one of the most beloved attractions in all of Walt Disney World, follows the evolution of human communication from the dawn of time to the 21^st century.

A geodesic sphere, Spaceship Earth is clad in a composite material and designed to channel rain water through small gaps in the exterior and ultimately to the World Showcase Lagoon.  The giant hand and wand, added for the Millennium Celebration, have finally been removed, much to the relief of many.

Inside, ride vehicles transport guests on a gentle, upward-spiraling journey through the millennia, experiencing sights, sounds, and even smells, as they learn about pivotal moments in history when communications took enormous leaps forward.  At the very top, the vehicles move slowly around a curve to reveal the earth, suspended like a jewel in the starry skies.  Sadly, the soundtrack that lent this moment such grandeur has been replaced. Today’s child simply doesn’t have the impact of Tomorrow’s Child.  Updated in 2008, the ride now features some truly extraordinary audioanimatronic figures, and interactive touch screens in the vehicles entertain guests on the way down.

More than any other park, EPCOT embraces the commonality of mankind, the diversity of cultures around the world, and the universal search for knowledge.  Nonetheless, it remains a testament to American ingenuity and creativity, and the legacy of that most proudly American man, Walt Disney.  I understand that Americans adore the British accent, and it has been wonderfully represented by both Jeremy Irons and Judi Dench.  Still, in a country of more than 300 million, surely Walter Cronkite was not the last great American voice.

Spaceship Earth

EPCOT

Wheelchair guests must transfer to the ride vehicle

Assistive listening and captioning devices available

Appropriate for all ages

Park admission required

Photo by S.E. Smith

You’ve got Beaker and bubbles and a beribboned Miss Piggy; what’s not to love?  Don your 3-D glasses and get ready to smile.  The fun begins in the pre-show area which features a number of visual puns to amuse the waiting crowds.  Find the sign that tells you the key is under the mat, and look under the mat!

The plush theatre, designed to recreate the one from the television series, holds nearly 600, and will generally accommodate most everyone waiting in the line for the next show.  It’s a wonderful mix of movie, muppetry, and mayhem with many of the best-loved muppet friends making appearances.  Look for Waldorf and Statler ensconced on their balcony, the Swedish Chef, Fozzie Bear, and of course our favorite lean and green one.

Join the gang for a “Demonstration of Muppet*Vision Technology” where a behind-the-scenes tour of Muppet Labs goes horribly wrong in amazing 3-D!

Muppet*Vision 3-D

Disney’s Hollywood Studios

Wheelchair and ECV accessible

Assistive listening and captioning devices available

Appropriate for all ages

Park admission required

On October 27, 2009 Walt Disney World will return to its previous format of accepting reservations 180 days in advance.  The dining reservation system has long been a source of confusion for many visitors due to multiple changes through the years.  Currently set up for 90 days in advance, this was a departure from 120 days in place for several years.

Guests staying at Walt Disney World Resorts have been allowed to make all of their reservations, up to ten days worth, beginning from the date of arrival, known as the 90 plus 10 rule.  It hasn’t been formally announced whether this on-site perk will continue when the new 120-day format is adopted.

With the advent of the Disney Dining Plans, obtaining dining reservations has become a bit more challenging than in the past.  Those hoping for some of the more popular venues, such as breakfast at Cinderella’s Royal Table, need to be up bright and early on the first day their window opens, ready to dial just before 7:00 a.m. Eastern time. As one cast member said, “If there are Princesses involved, the earlier the better!”

The popularity of the free-dining promotions, which have added an entirely new demographic to the mix, make it even more important to secure reservations early. Over the past year or two, it’s become increasingly common to see signs placed outside many of the restaurants, advising guests that they are fully-booked and no seating is available on that day.

There is a rumor that a credit card guarantee may be required for all dining reservations when the new system debuts.  This would certainly help avoid a lot of the current abuses by those who make multiple reservations for the same meals and then decide which to use at the time of the meal; leaving a trail of unused slots that could have been used by another party.  However, it will also further erode any attempts at dining spontaneity.

Fortunately, there are a number of ways to make those reservations:

• Call 407-WDW-DINE  (407- 939-3463)

• Access the online dining reservation system at http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/restaurants/?forceDomestic=true

• Use a travel agent specializing in Disney Destinations who will advise you about all the different dining venues and book your reservations for you

• Take advantage of the concierge staff.  Guests staying in club-level accommodations can contact the Itinerary Planning Office by phone or email and have them arrange all reservations.

As mentioned in our recent post, 5 Top Tips for a Walt Disney World Vacation, we think it’s important to have a basic itinerary and this includes dining reservations.  Plans can be changed, but they can’t always be made at the last minute.

#5 Candlelight Processional

It’s an unbeatable combination; music and candlelight.  Borrowing a tradition from Disneyland, Walt Disney World hosts a number of different choirs from around the country who join the cast member chorus and Voices of Liberty in the America Gardens Theatre for a joyous performance of holiday favorites, accompanied by a full orchestra.

The much-loved Christmas story is retold  by a celebrity guest narrator;  the familiar tale interwoven with  the songs of this most beautiful season.

This year, the tentative schedule is:

November 27-29 — Isabella Rossellini
November 30, December 1-2 — John O’ Hurley
December 3-5 — Steven Curtis Chapman
December 6-8 — TBA
December 9-11 — Andy Garcia
December 12-14 — Vanessa Williams
December 15-17 — Abigail Breslin
December 18-20 — Whoopi Goldberg
December 21-23 — Brian Dennehy
December 24-26 — Edward James Olmos
December 27-30 — Angela Bassett & Courtney B. Vance

The concerts are free with admission to EPCOT, but the standby queue can be long and many people line up as much as two hours early.  Those wishing to avoid the standby waits can opt for the Candlelight Processional Dinner Package.  This includes lunch or dinner before the assigned showtime at a choice of several different EPCOT restaurants, and a ticket for reserved seating at the concert.  In the past, there have been three different pricing tiers for the restaurants and the package was available for one Table Service credit on the Disney Dining Plan, and the Platinum and Premium vacation plans.  Package attendees also have a long line, but it moves quickly and they are guaranteed a seat up to 15 minutes before the concert when the standby group is allowed in.

Each concert, performed three times nightly, features the solemn procession of the guest chorus members from the back of the theatre onto the stage.  The cast member choir, dressed in green robes, forms the shape of a Christmas tree in the center, complete with a star “tree topper” worn by the same singer for more than twenty years.  There are the stirring sounds of trumpets from the wings and an absolutely mesmerizing sign-language interpretation on stage; one of the highlights of the event.  The signer has the extraordinary ability to convey the “music” and emotion of the performance with beauty and eloquence.

The Candlelight Processional is a stirring and uplifting event and the perfect way to start a new holiday tradition of your own.

Candlelight Processional

EPCOT

November 27 to December 30, 2009

Nightly 5:00 p.m., 6:45 p.m., and 8:15 p.m.

Park admission required