The holidays are a big time for Walt Disney World. The parks are transformed into a winter wonderland—well, a fake one as they are in Florida after all—and the guests pour in through the turnstiles. Some days the park has to limit guest access because there are just too many tourists dreaming of a holiday photo with Mickey and friends. All these people are starting to worry some, especially if these people are coughing, sneezing, and leaving their germs all over Space Mountain.

Thankfully, Disney is ready to combat the spread of germs, and is hoping that their efforts will be enough to convince people that their park is safe. After all, the threat of catching that pesky H1N1 flu is kind of a downer and not the stuff dreams are made of. Thus, Disney World has ordered about 200,000 hand sanitizers—although we're wondering why they haven’t always had some. ]]> kjb 2009-11-10T08:59:25-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/9/22/133244/352

Donnie and Marie might be known for their wholesome perkiness, but they've got nothing on Orlando "Smile Ambassadors" Kyle and Stacey. The cheery duo—Kyle, a Broadway actor, and Stacey, who works with children—hail from New York and have been BFFs for a dozen years and counting. They applied and won their coveted position by submitting an audition video and essay to the 67 Days of Smiles contest, and their merry attitude was deemed good enough to represent the city of Orlando.

On their 67-day journey (they're currently 26 days in), the gleeful twosome are experiencing all of Orlando's 100 attractions, with blog entries and constant Twitter updates (@67days) documenting their every step. ]]> Heidi Atwal 2009-09-22T15:28:47-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/8/4/8123/69395

Apparently the fact that the country is in a huge economic mess doesn’t seem to phase the suits at Disney. We understand that earnings were down this quarter compared to last year, and that you need more cash, but the ticket prices to your parks already cost a lot of money. Nonetheless, over the weekend the admission costs to Disneyland and Walt Disney World both went up by a few bucks, just like they have for the last couple of years.

If you have your heart set on heading to the mouse house in Florida this summer, a one-day ticket will now cost $79. This is an increase of $4 over the former rate, and once you add in the tax, you’re looking at well over $80 for a day with Mickey and friends. Like always, it pays to stay longer—they want to fatten you up on churros. The difference between a three day base ticket and a ten day base ticket is less than $30, but it will still cost you over $200 per person. ]]> kjb 2009-08-04T08:54:23-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/6/19/7035/19427

Of must-see things to visit at Walt Disney World, the Hall of Presidents is certainly not as exciting as Space Mountain, but it continues to draw visitors in for a little history with a side of air conditioning. However, starting Independence Day weekend, the show becomes a little more interesting. You see, it'll reopen for the first time since the 2008 election, as President Obama takes the stage in audio-animatronic form.

To craft the figure, Disney folks traveled to the White House in March to make sure every little part of the Obama robot was correct, right down to his braided wedding ring. The President shared his busy schedule with park designers to lend his voice and measurements, so that the new figurine could be practically perfect in every way. ]]> kjb 2009-06-19T09:32:14-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/5/14/72328/0548

With the economy in the toilet, you might not have the funds to head out on once in a lifetime diving trip, and with that Swine Flu constantly lurking around every corner the only safe place is under the sea. That’s why we’ve compiled some strange SCUBA spots right here at home. If you’ve got a better one (or a worse one), please let us know!

Although Walt Disney World seems like a never-ending sea of tourists, there is at least one awesome way to escape from all the strollers and crowds.

Go where it's quiet and cool by strapping on that air tank and those fins for DiveQuest, an experience within The Seas with Nemo and Friends at Epcot. As long as you are open water scuba certified, promise not to touch the fishies and stay on your best behavior, you’ll be free to dive around inside of their 5.7-million-gallon saltwater tank. ]]> kjb 2009-05-14T13:01:55-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/3/25/71827/5749

During this gloomy recession, coughing up the dough for a family vacation at Walt Disney World might not seem possible. But if you can't stand to see your kids bereft at the thought of not meeting any of the Disney Princess, traveling to Orlando in the summertime is quite a bit cheaper. The Disney Resorts are running a promotion where you get three nights free (and tickets) when you buy four. Just hurry up, you only have a few more days to book.

Even though discounts abound in hopes of selling more and more churros and t-shirts, officials keep moving forward with new offerings. Iron Chef Cat Cora is building a new restaurant on the Disney Boardwalk—it’s right by Epcot. She’s kicking out the former tenant, Spoodles, and setting up shop with her own place that will focus on food with a Mediterranean flare. It’s safe to say we’ll get something better than gyros and stuffed grape leaves. The new place will be known as Kouzzina by Cat Cora—roughly Greek for kitchen. ]]> kjb 2009-03-25T09:03:49-05:00 http://www.jaunted.com/story/2009/3/13/74333/7132

Things over at Mickey’s house have been less than stellar lately. They just had to show a bunch of management the door, and we’re thinking that the budget for the next great ride has already been cut. Luckily, The American Idol Experience snuck in under the wire, and recently welcomed the masses to its home in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Contestants will try out in the park, and if they’re good enough, will be promoted one of the several shows that run throughout the day. Once making to Disney’s version of Hollywood they’ll have to do their best to impress the judges who take on the personalities of the usual Idol crew—except we’re at Disney so even the meanest comment is going to be nice. They probably don’t want to make anyone cry on their vacation with their parents. ]]> kjb 2009-03-13T11:16:00-05:00 Search Jaunted string http://www.jaunted.com/search/