Link to Article: 10 Sensational Benefits to Staying On Property at Walt Disney World

Disney's Grand Floridian - the Mother of all Disney hotels
Photo: dadsguidetowdw.com

Recently posted on disneyfanatic.com, this article raises some very good points:

Be Our Guest!

If you're going to make a trip to Disney World, why not totally immerse yourself in all things Disney?  It is great fun, and the convenience factors are worth it if nothing else is: no renting a car, paying for parking, etc.  Sure, you might be paying a higher price for a Moderate or Deluxe resort if you want to, but the money you save on transportation, parking and toll fees - as well as the headaches that can come along with any and all of those things - are worth it.  

Shades of Green - for military families and veterans
Photo: hotelodat.blogspot.com

There are over 30 Disney properties to choose from, and all of them are uniquely themed and will carry you away to another time and/or place.  

Wilderness Lodge interior, decorated for Christmas
Photo: disneytouristblog.com

Do it for yourself, AND your family!

Pirate themed room at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort
Photo: familyvacationcritic.com

Link to Article: 12 Overlooked Attractions at Walt Disney World

Railroad station - Magic Kingdom
Photo: wdwfacts.com

This article on disneyfanatic.com lists some great stuff that is usually overlooked:

Don't Miss It!

At one time or another I have enjoyed most of these, but I will say that I have not been on Magic Kingdom's PeopleMover or the Carousel of Progress (although I have them on my "to do" list for October).  I have also recently learned about the Animation Academy at Hollywood Studios - that is something I would find interesting, because I can't draw ANYTHING!

Animation Academy at Hollywood Studios
Photo: themeparkinsider.com

Some of my favorite missed items are at Epcot; every one of the eleven countries has so many hidden goodies, including shows, street performers, shops and museums, as well as some really great restaurants that are not crowded at all.  

Epcot has become my new favorite park for all-around entertainment.  Magic Kingdom is a close second - there is so much to see and do at both of them that I could spend days at each of them and not see or do everything in a single trip.

Voices of Liberty - Epcot's American Pavilion
Photo: landallears.net, Scott Thomas Photography

Look for the out-of-the-way stuff when you're there.  It's always worth the extra effort, and you'll be glad you did.

Link to article: The 13 BIG Changes That Are Coming to Walt Disney World

An artist rendering of what a ride in the new Avatar World at Animal Kingdom will look like - cool!  Credit: themeparktourist.com

I knew about some of these, but there are some very interesting things going on in WDW right now.  A list of the 13 biggest changes coming in the next year are listed here on themeparktourist.com:

Something BIG!

I am looking forward to most of these, especially making Animal Kingdom more of a "full day" park with the addition of a nighttime show, an expansion of Africa, and the whole new Avatar World.  These are things I would love to see.

The addition of Star Wars to all things Disney has been a great success, and I think even more families will go to what is currently Hollywood Studios (although it will change, but to what is anyone's guess) to see an entire Star Wars WORLD.

I've not been completely smitten with Toy Story at Hollywood Studios, but some of the new rides might draw me in.  I can see a whole new theme for the park going in when they "officially" change the name to...whatever it's going to be.  I'm just glad I have both an MGM Studios AND Hollywood Studios pin in my collection already!

Disney Springs is about 60% complete and should be done before Christmas.  I will be taking lots of photos around Halloween, so I hope most of it is done by then.

I am REALLY glad they are adding a third section to Soarin' at Epcot - the wait for this ride is always extremely long, unless you have a FastPass.  Even after all this time, it never gets old, and I love it.

I also think that the addition of the Frozen-themed ride in Epcot's Norway pavilion is going to create a LOT more traffic where people with small kids probably avoided that whole area before, sadly.  I tend to think of Epcot as a whole a more "grown-up" park, especially the pavilions 
in the World Showcase at the back.  The front of the park currently has all of the rides, and I haven't seen as many families spending too much time wandering through the 11 pavilions as I have, with many of them indulging in an adult beverage, or two, or three.

Still, this is why WDW never gets old - there is always something new going on!

Drinking Around Epcot's World Showcase

This is definitely a good idea for adult couples who enjoy a nice beverage or two while they wander.  And families - believe me, Dad would like to have a beer in Germany, or any other country, for that matter.  It's a lot of walking.

There's a sign for everything.
Photo: Pinterest.com

For the most part, Walt Disney World's parks are dry.  That is, Magic Kingdom currently serves alcohol in only one of its restaurants (Be Our Guest), and Hollywood Studios offers alcoholic beverages at The Brown Derby Restaurant.  Both of these are for dine-in only, meaning you can't take them with you when you finish your meal, and you can't just buy a beverage to walk around with.  Animal Kingdom does not offer any alcoholic beverages that I am aware of.

BUT...go to Epcot, and you will be surrounded by alcoholic choices in each of the eleven countries that are represented there, and not just one drink choice, either.  Each of the countries has a selection of alcoholic drinks available for purchase every day, and you can walk around with them instead of sitting a a restaurant.

Or wine!
Photo: thesipadvisor.com

To this end, the "Drinking Around the World Showcase" idea came about because I'm sure there were some couples who couldn't wait to try a little bit of everything.  From beers to wines and specialty drinks, there is something for every taste.

My personal favorite: the Grand Marnier slush in the France pavilion.  Delicious!  AND there's a beautiful, quiet little seating area nearby so that you can people-watch, which is one of my favorite past times anywhere.

The Grand Marnier slush and the Grey Goose slush - delicious!
Photo: DisneyFoodBlog

As a reminder, the eleven countries are (from right side to left side):

Canada
United Kingdom
France
Morocco
Japan
United States
Italy
Germany
China
Norway
Mexico

A full list of the beverages - and snack foods - are available on the WDW website for each of the individual countries.  If you don't want to try one of everything, it will help you plan to drink what you really, really want to try. 

If you decide to do this "tour", make sure that you follow a few common sense rules:

1) This is still a theme park with lots of kids.  Don't get drunk, and don't act like an idiot.  They will throw you out if you are acting extremely drunk and stupid, and it doesn't matter how much you paid for those tickets.

2) Drink lots of water in between your alcoholic beverages. The hot Florida sun and humidity can make you ill, and you'll be spending more time in your resort room than you intended if you don't.

3) Have a snack.  Or two.  Or three.  It's better to take some time in between your alcoholic beverages, so why not get a snack to share?  For that matter, why not share your beverage AND your snack if you're not a big eater or drinker, but want to sample everything?

My best advice for trying to "Drink Around the World" is to take your time, check out all the interesting things there are to see and do in each of the countries, and enjoy yourself completely.  There are little museums, shows, and lots of shopping opportunities while you're walking around Epcot, so don't forget about any of them.

Link to DisneyDining.com article: Top 8 Amazing Special Effects in the Parks

I really must be a big kid at heart.

DisneyDining.com's article about the top 8 special effects at WDW parks is right on - and I actually have NOT seen #1 (Fantasmic! at Hollywood Studios) or #7 (Maurice's Workshop in the Magic Kingdom).  Fantasmic! has been on my list, and Maurice's Workshop will be on it now.

Fantasmic!
Photo: disney.wikia.com

Here's a link to the whole article:
WOW!

If you have small kids, be sure to take them to see #3 on the list: Turtle Talk with Crush in Epcot's The Seas pavilion.  It is the best interactive "show" for little kids, because Crush will ask them questions.  It's not a super-long show, either, so it will hold their attention.  It is cute, funny, endearing and entertaining.

Photo: land.allears.net

My personal favorite: the Hitchhiking Ghosts of the Haunted Mansion in the Magic Kingdom.  But that's not really a surprise since it's my favorite ride.

Photo: cl-evolved.com

Magic Bands : What are they?

Magic Bands are a fairly new addition to Walt Disney World.  They have been in existence for about two years, and during the first year they were completely experimental and not given to everyone.  This allowed the Disney powers that be to see how well things worked and tweak some things before they rolled them out to everyone.

This is how they will be delivered to your home before your WDW trip.
Photo: wordpress.com

The Magic Band is worn like a bracelet, and comes in several different colors:  

Gray (the standard color if you don't choose one, or if wait until you get to your resort or the park to get it)
Yellow
Blue
Pink Red
Green
Orange

When you book your trip, go to the Walt Disney World website, pick a color you like for each person in your party and personalize a name on each of the bands.  The name isn't visible; it's under the band, but it helps identify whose is whose if you have several people in your party. The RFID chip inside is linked to each individual band, so once you link your Magic Band to you it is yours for life.  Your bands will be mailed to you approximately 30 days before your trip.  Be sure to put your Magic Bands on at the airport!  You will be using them to check in for your Magical Express bus at Orlando International Airport, and from then on you will be using them pretty much everywhere until you head back to the airport again.

Photo: passporterboards.com

The Magic Band replaces the former "Key To the World" card, which is a card that was basically used for everything Disney: room key, a credit card for charging to your resort room, accessing the Disney Dining Plan, and for obtaining Fast Passes for the parks.  Magic Bands are waterproof, so you don't have to worry about getting them wet on a water ride, at a water park, or just by sweating throughout the day.  Having a Magic Band on your wrist means you won't have to carry a room key, a credit card, or any other form of ID, so your hands are free and no purse or backpack is really necessary in the parks or when you go to dinner.  Unless you have small children.  Then all bets are off.

The top of each Magic Band has a Mickey head on it that contains an RFID chip, and this is the part that activates everything from your resort room door to credit card charges.  It can even be used for Photo Pass purchases and Fast Pass+ selections.

Photo: mouseonthemind.com

As a Room Key
When you check into your Disney resort, you will touch the Mickey head on your Magic Band to a small Mickey head on the resort desk and enter a PIN.  This will officially activate the credit card charging ability and give you some security.  Children under 10 years of age do not use a PIN, since they generally are not allowed to purchase anything without parental permission (or shouldn't be allowed - who knows how many Mickey ice cream bars they would buy when you're not looking).  When you get to your room, just touch Mickey's head against the Mickey head on your resort room door, and the light will turn green.

Photo: attractionsmagazine.com

As a Credit Card
If you didn't link a credit card to your Magic Band when you personalized them online, you can do so at your resort.  This will allow you to "charge" any purchases you make at the parks, restaurants, and Downtown Disney to your account by just touching your Magic Band to another Mickey head at the time of each purchase.  At the end of your stay, you will get a detailed report with all of your charges listed, and your credit card will list one charge for all of your purchases made via the Magic Bands.  If you have any questionable charges, you can visit the front desk to go over them in person before you leave.

Photo: militarydisneytips.com

For Park Entry
If you purchase your Magic Bands in advance, you can link your theme park tickets to them, as well.  When you get to your first theme park of the trip, you will touch your Magic Band to another Mickey head at the entrance but also use one finger (pick one you will remember) to "activate" the Magic Band at ALL of the parks from that moment on.  Like the PIN associated with the band for credit card charges, the finger you use will be linked to that Magic Band as long as you use it.

Photo: allthingsd.com

For the Dining Plan
If you sign up for the Disney Dining Plan, you can use the Magic Band to track your meals and snacks used on a daily basis.  Depending on the type of Dining Plan you get for your party, you may have a lot of meal choices to keep track of, and you can get a printout from any restaurant or quick service counter to see how many meals and snacks you have left in your plan.

Fast Pass+
This is my absolute favorite benefit of the Magic Bands.  You can make Fast Pass+ reservations on line 60 days in advance, up to three per park (all in the same park), per day, in order to bypass the lines at the parks for some of the more popular rides.  Also, you can reserve Fast Pass+ times for everyone in your party at the same time, so that none of you are separated and can all ride or experience shows together.  At the parks, you can also select a fourth Fast Pass (and a fifth, if you plan it right) after you have used your first three for that particular day.  Not all rides have Fast Pass+ available, but most do.  Also, some rides cannot be chosen together.  (I will go into this in another article.)  Just go to the WDW website when your 'window' opens up at 60 days and start planning for your favorite rides.

Photo Pass
There are photographers everywhere in the parks, and you may want to have your family's picture taken everywhere you go, especially at Character meets and in front of Cinderella's castle (who wouldn't?).  Just ask an available photographer to take your photo, and they will scan your Magic Band and "link" your photos online so that you can view them for 30 days after your trip.  This will allow you to purchase any (or all) of the photos and personalize them with Disney borders and other special effects.  They also take special effects photos that add Tinkerbell and other characters to your photos magically, as you will see online when you view them.  These photographers will also take photos with your camera at no charge to you, so don't be afraid to ask.

Tinkerbell!  Hayley and I didn't see you when the photo was taken!

Other things you may want to be aware of:

Lost...and Found?
If anyone in your party loses their Magic Band, ask a Cast Member where you need to go to replace it as soon as possible.  They will make sure that the old one is deactivated and no one else will be allowed to use them to charge, enter your resort room, or use your passes.  If you find it again, you can reactivate it again, or you can just keep it as another souvenir.

Limited Editions
In addition to the Magic Bands you get for free online when you book your stay, you can also buy Limited Edition Magic Bands at the parks.  These have special designs or cover and include everything from Star Wars themes to Christmas and character designs.

Photo: wdpromedia.com

And this is the coolest marriage proposal idea EVER!

Oh. Em. Geeeeee!
Photo: howheasked.com

Bling it!
There are many, many ways to personalize your Magic Bands, from "skins" to something called "Magic Bandits", and they can be found in many shops throughout the parks.  They can be character pieces or just bright and shiny stuff.  Lots of options there.  You can also purchase some items online from the WDW online store before you go if you'd like:
Yourwdwstore.net

Photo: Pinterest.com

Get your Magic Band before you go!  You don't want to be stuck like this:

Photo: blog.ges.com

That photo seriously made me laugh out loud!

What are you waiting for?  Start planning!

Special Events at Walt Disney World (Magic Kingdom)

Photo: lebeauleblog

Depending on the time of year you travel to Walt Disney World, your trip may coincide with a "hard ticket" event, meaning you have to have an actual ticket specifically purchased for the event in order to get into the park, and you cannot use your Magic Bands, Park Hoppers, or Annual Passes to do so.

These "hard ticket" events are called Special Events on the WDW site.  You can purchase your tickets directly from the official WDW site: disneyworld.disney.go.com/tickets/events/, or even through one of several third party vendors if you're particularly adventurous.  

I would highly recommend going directly through the WDW site to ensure you are getting a "real" ticket, and not one that has been re-sold and may not be valid for you.  It would be a shame to get to the park on the day of the event and find out that either your tickets are not good for the event, or that the park is SOLD OUT because of the Special Event, and your family will not be able to attend.  That would be a real bummer, especially if there are little kids - or adults - in your party who were really looking forward to something.  

On these Special Event nights, the Magic Kingdom is actually closed to ALL other guests, even those staying at Disney Resorts.  If you are already in the Magic Kingdom prior to the Special Event, you will have to return to the front of the park prior to the Special Event in order to get a special wrHere's a list of the biggest Special Events that Disney World has every year that require a "hard ticket":

Night of Joy (September) - Christian bands performing on two nights, in the Magic Kingdom.  Cost: $65.00 + tax per person.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, or MNSSHP (September-November 1) - 7 pm until midnight on select nights (check the WDW calendar).  Candy, special performances, the Disney villains, a special parade with a ghostly Halloween theme, and extreme fireworks are the benefits of having a ticket to this event.  Oh, and much shorter lines for the rides and attractions.  This year will mark the first time I've attended this event, and I am very excited! The closer you get to Halloween, the quicker the tickets may sell out.  Cost: $63.00 - $68.00 + tax per person.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party (November-December) - As with MNSSHP above, these tickets are available for select nights only, and the closer you get to Christmas, the tickets will be harder to get.  Christmas is a very popular time for families to visit the parks.  There are special fireworks displays, and Elsa from Frozen lights Cinderella's castle each night.  That is sure to set the little girls off on a scream fest!  Cost: $69.00 - $74.00 + tax per person.

So check the website for these events, and book your tickets early to make sure you get your first choice.