Disney to build Princess Suites

In a move that was sure to happen, Disney announced the building of new Princess Suites. These suites will be located at Port Orleans Riverside, with 512 royal Guest Rooms planned to open by March 2012. It seems that Princess tianna has invited some of her royal friends for a getaway; hence, guests will notice special items left behind by various princesses.

As I've pointed out in the past, Pirates and Princesses usually go together at Walt Disney World. With the creation of Pirate Suites at the Caribbean Beach. I've already predicted that, after the completion of the heavily Princess-themed Fantasyland makeover, I would look for a Pirate-themed land to follow in the coming years. For more on that topic, see a prior blog post.

In addition, Disney also announced the addition of Health and Wellness Suites, which will be located at the Contemporary Resort. More on these suites will follow in a future posting.

So, what do you think of this announcement? Will you stay at a Princess Suite? Do you think its a good idea? Share your thoughts and comments below.

Fantasyland Expansion Changes, and Goodbye to an Old Friend?

As the Fantasyland expansion continues, we always knew that changes to the master plan were possible. We also know that the parks are always changing, with new things coming and, sadly, a few old things leaving. Back in August, Disney announced that changes were being made to the original Fantasyland expansion plans.

The latest word is somewhat sad to say the least, that Snow White's Scary Adventures will be closing forever...possibly as early as February 2011. It seems like only yesterday we were saying goodbye to an old friend, Mr. Toad. I for one am always sad to see the loss of classic attractions, even when its in favor of newer ones.

Add that to the word that Disney is scrapping Pixie Hollow, as well as the Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty areas, and it seems to change the direction of the expansion altogether. While some things appear to be on the chopping block, there is also word of at least one new addition...the Seven Dwarfs Mine coaster that has been rumored off and on. If true, this would put Snow White somewhat back into the mix, but (in my opinion) not replace the classic attraction that may close. Word is that Snow White will become a princess meet & greet area for the foreseeable future.

Of course, all of this is somewhat speculation; however, it has been mentioned by several sources at this point...so we all know what that tends to mean. The Fantasyland expansion plans were probably the worst kept secret ever, even though that may have been on purpose. So what would cause a change of plans mid-stream? Could it be the continued Harry Potter effect? Rumors are also swirling that Universal is set to start on phase II of the Wizarding World, taking up the remainder of the Lost Continent land. Could it be the latest announcements from Sea World's Discovery Cove or even Busch Gardens?

While the reasons are hard to say, I do think its safe to assume there will be many more changes before the expansion is finally complete. To top it all, there have also been mumblings of changes in Adventureland, but that's another blog altogether (or perhaps a past blog from long ago).

A Few of My Favorite Things ~ The Last Week

First, many apologies for my lengthy absence. All work and no play has made Joe a lazy boy. Now you're probably wondering what I mean by "The Last Week", and it's a good question. I'm talking about that last week before your Disney vacation, the excitement, anticipation and how it all comes boiling over as the days and hours draw near. First comes the final planning, gathering things together, getting together everything to pack, and all of it makes the anticipation all the greater.

In case you're wondering, its my final week before I return to Walt Disney World for two weeks of fun and excitement. I prefer to drive, which takes me on a 14 hour journey through 6 states. Each time I cross a state line, the excitement gathers, until I cross the gate that welcomes me to the Walt Disney World Resort...then I'm home.
Just a little something to think about as your trip draws near. Nothing matches the exhilaration of seeing this for the first time!!!

Free Dining Offer Extended

Walt Disney World's free dining offer has now been extended and is available all the way into late-December. If you book a five night/six day stay at a WDW Resort, with a six day ticket, the dining plan is free. Just as the previous offer, the value resorts get the quick service plan, while moderate and deluxe resorts will get the regular dining plan.

The offer is available for the following dates: August 15-October 7, October 22-28, November 12-18, November 27-December 2, and December 10-21, 2010. You can book by calling Disney at 407-WDISNEY.

So start making those holiday plans to visit Walt Disney World in all its splendor.

Free Dining for 2010 Released

Free dining has been officially released as of this morning. The dates are for August 15 - October 2 and will offer the quick service plan for value resorts and the regular plan for moderate and deluxe resorts. Disney Visa holders can book now, while the general public can book beginning on Monday, May 3.

Free Dining in 2010? -- Update

I've been waiting to pull the trigger and actually post this, as I wanted to wait for any further details to possibly emerge.

Just a quick update on the latest rumors. My sources are now indicating that May 3 is looking strong for the release of free dining. As I mentioned before, the dates would begin on August 15 and go through the first few days of October. Also, its a good bet that it will be quick service for Values and the regular dining plan for moderate and deluxe resorts. Keep in mind though that if you stay in a value, you can still upgrade to the regular dining plan for $10 per person per day. Also, as before, we should expect Disney Visa holders to be able to book on or around May 1.

Free Dining 2010?

I thought I would post some historic dates of when the free dining promotion first opened for Disney Visa bookings. As you can see, only one out of the past five actually started bookings prior to April 1.

2005 - Booking started June 2
2006 - Booking started April 1
2007 - Booking started April 9
2008 - Booking started April 7
2009 - Booking started March 26

Also, try an experiment, go to Disney's dining reservations and try to book Cinderella's Royal Table(CRT) for....lets say....August 20 (well inside the 180 days). You'll find that you can get pretty much any time you like. In fact, the only place that's booking fast is Le Cellier (which is also one of the smallest dining establishments in all of Disney). Given the popularity of CRT and the speculation of free dining, why would it still be wide open, especially with the potential of being free?

When I booked my ADRs for the first two weeks of September, I got everything I wanted, including Le Cellier on two nights, as well as CRT.

So does these low bookings give insight into the booking levels for the fall? I think it very well might. If that's the case, it certainly makes sense to do a promo of some kind, wouldn't you think?

More to come...

A Very Merry Christmas Wish

I feel like its been such a long time since I've written a blog. I've been very busy lately, preparing several things I'll share with all of you soon. For now, I just want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. May the magic of the holiday season warm your hearts on even the coldest of winter days.

I would also like to share a clip from the Walt Disney World Christmas Special. I think this song sums it up so well. There's no reason to wait for Christmas to share the love and magic with those around you when you can do it every day of the year. As always, be sure to mute the music at the bottom of your browser before playing the video.

Citizens of Hollywood

Today we visit the Citizens of Hollywood, formerly known as the Streetmosphere characters at Disney's Hollywood Studios. During my birthday trip, I was fortunate enough to catch all the actors in full force on Hollywood Boulevard. With characters, such as Dorma Nesmond, Minerva Limpwhistle, Judy Pututy (Tinseltown Cutie) and many others, they love to interact with guests as they stroll down Hollywood Boulevard.

I was lucky enough to see quite a few and have included a few pictures and even a video below. Since I was wearing my birthday pin, I got quite a bit of attention as well. Here's a tip, these characters love the camera and love video cameras even more. If you point a video camera at one of them, get ready for a show, as you'll see below.

Next time you find yourself at the Studios, don't be in a rush to get to an attraction. Many people pass right by these characters without a thought, and in doing so, miss out on a real treat. I'll always remember some of the things said to me by Dorma Nesmond or Judy and Minerva and the pictures I got were absolutely priceless. Next trip, be sure to stop and say hi...and have your camera handy. I hope you enjoy my video below as much as I enjoyed making those priceless memories. And don't forget to pause the music at the bottom of the page before watching the video. Cheers!!!!

Sunrise to Sunset ~ A Day at the Magic Kingdom

I'll be blogging about some various topics hopefully over the weekend, but for now I wanted to share this with you. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did.

Predictions for the Future

So much has happened over the past few months that it seems difficult to absorb it all. Though most of the announcements were long standing rumors, it was nice to finally hear some confirmation. But what happens next? What lies around the next corner?

I wanted to take the time to actually list some of my predictions, along with the reasoning behind them. I tend to look at what they're doing and put two and two together to fill in the holes. Some of these may be announced in a few years, while others may be long term. Finally, these are in no particular order of when I think they could or would happen.

1. Radiator Springs - Let's cut to the chase right off the bat, Radiator Springs will come to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Allow me to put it all together for you. Pixar Street will eventually extend all the way to New York Street, changing the Honey I Shrunk the Kids set into A Bug's Life. Next comes the long rumored Monster's Inc. coaster next door to Toy Story Mania. After that comes the removal of the Backlot Tour (which isn't much of a tour these days) and a whole lot of real estate for Florida's incarnation of Radiator Springs. They could even integrate Catastrophe Canyon into this attraction since the theming is essentially the same. After all, every major attraction at California's Adventure has either come from or made its way to Walt Disney World. Don't think for one second that something this major will be left in the wings for long.

2. World Showcase Expansion - Ok, as I've said before, Future World is updated, they've refurbed nearly every pavilion so far. World Showcase hasn't seen an update for many years and there's plenty of land back there to do many things. This would be a good way to pull crowds around World Showcase Lagoon and disperse them throughout the park. There are a couple of possibilities here that were planned but never built, yet seem to be the most likely. Switzerland is my dream country, with its charming Swiss village and Matterhorn style coaster. This would be a great visual in the back of the park, but some feel it would be too close to Expedition Everest.

The second possibility, and one surfacing in more and more rumors, is Russia. This pavilion would be stunning, surrounded by red brick walls, opening into a recreation of Red Square, with a very impressive recreation of St. Basil's Cathedral. Planned attractions included 'Russia - The Bells of Change', a theatrical experience combining Audio-Animatronic characters, animated sets, film, and a live actor to tell the story of this vast country. There was also a ride-through attraction inspired by one of Russia's best loved folk tales, 'Ivan and the Magic Pike.'

3. Adventureland becomes Tortuga - This would completely tie in the expansion at the Magic Kingdom. For so long they have built on two things, Princesses and Pirates. First, we have the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in Fantasyland and Pirate's League in Adventureland. Then comes the confirmation of the large expansion of Fantasyland into nearly being an entire land of Princesses. Is it any stretch of the imagination to next see Adventureland become Tortuga? The hint has even been dropped a few years ago with the above concept art, yet no explanation of any kind. Think of what could happen here. How about a Black Pearl that you could board and explore? How about a character dining experience with Capt. Jack and the other Pirates? So far we've seen similar happenings with Pirates and Princesses, I think the trend will continue.

4. Walt Disney World's Fifth Gate - I've blogged on this before as well, so I'll only touch on it. It's real simple, DisneySea without a doubt. This park has all the makings of a great addition in Walt Disney World and has proven itself on the world stage as one of the most desired parks to visit. Another park wouldn't likely happen for many years, but it will eventually happen and you have to think this is on their short list.

5. Beastly Kingdom - Ok folks, if they weren't still planning on building this, then why are there still mythical creatures on all of the Animal Kingdom signage? This was always to be the park's second phase, and has yet to happen. What are we talking about here? How about Dragon Tower, a ruined castle home to a greedy fire-breathing dragon, where guests board a thrilling roller coaster ride through the castle ruins, climaxing by coming face to face with the evil dragon himself. How about Quest of the Unicorn, sending guests through a maze of medieval mythological creatures to seek the hidden grotto of the unicorn. How about Fantasia Gardens, a musical boat ride through animal scenes from Disney's animated classic, Fantasia. Does this sound like fun?

Doesn't the sheer possibility of these things just make you want to jump up and down? Each make sense in their own way and, while it would take many years to do them all, I think you'll agree there's plenty of plans on the drawing boards to keep Imagineers busy for a long time to come. I believe that the latest announcements are just the beginning of a lot of new things to come at Walt Disney World. We could be seeing the beginning of another "Disney Decade"....or beyond.

Keep Dreaming and Never Lose Hope!!!

A Birthday To Beat All Birthdays

This year is all about celebrating at Walt Disney World, so I took them up on the offer and spent my birthday at the happiest place on earth. It was everything it was made out to be, from the little surprises to all the people who wished me happy birthday along the way. I managed to get a room at the Dolphin over my birthday, which got me a free night, plus I took advantage of the free ticket to Epcot as well.

My day began with breakfast at Cape May in the Beach Club. All the characters were great and I got my happy birthday cupcake as well. But the week had only just begun (yes, I had not a single day but an entire birthday week).

I spent a very nice day at Epcot where I did a passport around World Showcase; I call it my birthday card from around the world. I was treated to several small surprises along the way as well. For example, as I watched the band perform in Mexico, one of the members asked me to come up with them and they sang happy birthday (video clip is posted to my youtube page).

Upon returning to the Dolphin, I was treated with a birthday card and champagne, courtesy of the resort, what a nice touch. This would also be my last night in the Dolphin before moving over to Pop Century for my actual 7-night package, and just the beginning of a wonderful week.

On the first day of my package, I had tea at the Grand Floridian, where the manager presented me with a birthday card signed by the entire staff. Wow, this was now my second card of many that I would receive. Sitting there sipping tea in this fancy setting was very enjoyable and I highly recommend it to anyone to try at least once.

It seemed that everywhere I went, someone would wish me a happy birthday, both castmembers and guests alike. Even people in the parades would yell happy birthday as they walked past. One highlight was when I was watching Jim the piano man playing ragtime and he cut into a happy birthday tune for me, it definitely made me smile.

Below are more pictures of a very nice card, a very crazy guy, and one of many happy birthday cupcakes I received at various dinners at Walt Disney World. If you haven't been on your birthday, you should make it a point to do so if possible. It will be one of the most memorable birthdays of your lifetime.