Tag: Disney World
View All TagsWalt Disney World / Disney World / Disney / Theme Parks / Florida Travel / Amusement Parks / → All Tags
Starting Next Month It's Goodbye Downtown Disney, Hello Disney Springs
Once again it’s time to break out the bulldozers and construction gear down at Walt Disney World; however, they’re not exactly building a new theme park. What they are doing is revamping and redoing the Downtown Disney area into something a little bit more than just shops and stores. They’re giving it a makeover, so that tourists everywhere will be even more interested in exchanging those hard earned dollars for Disney souvenirs.
They’re calling it Disney Springs, as it looks like they’re going for a kind of retro style with the renovation. The official Disney Parks Blog goes into some detail about how Downtown Disney has been kicking around for 30 years or so, but now it’s time to do something a little better. They even mention that they’ve scrapped existing ideas a couple times; as things the ideas just didn't come together in the right sort of way.
Disney World / Walt Disney World / Traveling With Children / Theme Parks / Amusement Parks / Florida Travel / → All Tags
Disney World's Revamped Fantasyland Will Have You Drinking Wine and Sitting in Clamshells
If there’s a family vacation to Disney World in the cards this winter, you’re in luck as Mickey and friends have been hard at work all year long to get things spiffed up for the season. We’re not just talking about the lights, decorations, and ubiquitous Christmas trees, but there’s a revamped and renovated Fantasyland now available to the masses. They didn’t figure out how to eliminate the line for Dumbo, but at least now you can score a drink afterwards.
A lot of the old stuff is still there so don’t worry if you just can’t live without the musical boat ride that’s known as "It's a Small World." They still have that—and the song—but there are two new areas within Fantasyland that will keep the big and little kids happy.
Social Media / DIsney / Walt Disney World / Disney World / Disneyland / Theme Parks / Facebook / Twitter / → All Tags
Disney Parks Go Full Tilt in Social Media with 'Limited Time Magic'
Visitors to Disney World and Disneyland next year may just need to stay a little more connected than they’re used to, as it looks like the theme parks will be all about social media in the coming months. Instead of announcing a new roller coaster, attraction, or other ride—in their defense they’re working on a couple things—next year is all about what they’re calling “Limited Time Magic.”
Each and every week will feature new events and fun stuff, as little surprises and celebrations are scheduled on and off all year long. Disney plans to use Twitter, Facebook, and other internet fun to share the scoop on stuff like character meet-and-greets, limited-time parades, concerts, and other Mickey Mouse activities. Of course there will be chances to grab special edition merchandise and assorted goodies. They've got to move those Mickey ears and shirts, after all.
Walt Disney World / Disney World / Disney / WiFi / Travel Tech / Technology / Theme Parks / → All Tags
Free WiFi Now Really Makes Disney World the 'Happiest Place on Earth'
Your carrier’s data plan just breathed a sigh of relief—as did your wallet—as one of the country’s favorite tourist attractions just announced the launch of free-for-all WiFi. Mickey and Goofy have been doing their best to hook up the right wires and transmitters, and now it’s all systems go for free WiFi at the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World.
You’ll need to agree to the park’s terms of service, but after you click the necessary boxes you should be free to surf the internet from the line of Space Mountain or Pirates of the Caribbean. Initial reports indicated that speeds weren’t super fast, but when it’s offered gratis we can’t really complain. It sounds like you’ll want to fire up your favorite mobile device and look for the "Disney-Guest" network.
Theme Parks / Florida Travel / Orlando Travel / Disney / Disney World / Amusement Parks / Universal Studios / → All Tags
Disney World and Universal Studios Hike Ticket Prices for Summer
Your summer vacation may have just gotten a little more expensive, as a couple pretty big theme parks have just increased their ticket prices—again. Universal Studios was the first to hike its admission prices a couple of weeks ago as the park raised the one-day ticket price from $85 to $88. That started the battle for the tourist dollars in Orlando, as officials at Disney World have reacted to the competition.
It seems like the parks want to be the most expensive option in town rather than the best deal. We guess the rationale is that if you only have one park from which to choose—and one day to visit—you might as well pay a couple extra bucks to visit the pricey one. After all, everyone know the best stuff costs the most—right?
Coffee Travel / Starbucks / Disney / Disneyland / Walt Disney World / Disney World / Amusement Parks / Theme Parks / → All Tags
Starbucks Dons the Mickey Mouse Ears to Enter Disney Parks
The countdown clock is approaching zero as Disneyland workers and engineers finalize the reboot of Disney’s California Adventure theme park. We’ve mentioned the new rides, attractions, and other excitement a couple times before; however, there’s one more addition that we’ve failed to discuss in the past. It might be time for us to update our picks for favorite and unusual Starbucks, as it now looks like overpriced lattes and coffee milkshakes are heading toward Main Street USA.
It’s not just the parks in California either, as the plan it to bring the caffeine to both the greater Disneyland Resort as well as Walt Disney World Resort down in Florida. Apparently there’s already discussion about sending some Frappuccinos and their passports overseas, but nothing has been worked out as of yet.
Theme Parks / Amusement Parks / Disney / Disney World / Disneyland / → All Tags
Disney Tightens Their 'FastPass' Ride Reservation Policy
There’s all kinds of tricks, tips, and tidbits when it comes to visiting a mega theme park like those in the Disney empire. However, one of the best secrets was a kind of loophole in the FastPass ride reservation system over at Walt Disney World and Disneyland.
It wasn’t really that big of a secret, but it’s something we considered pretty slick. The FastPass kiosks read your park admission tickets and spit back out a reservation for when you can return to a ride like Space Mountain. Stick your ticket in around 10am and it might tell you that you need to come back between 3:30pm and 4:40pm. However, you just need to see Mickey during the 4pm parade! No big deal, as you can always just come after your reservation window expires—no questions asked.
Theme Parks / Amusement Parks / Disney / Florida Travel / Orlando Travel / California Travel / Disney World / Disneyland / Family Travel / → All Tags
Disney Asks for a Few Dollars More
It looks like an annual Disney tradition has taken place just in time for the summer vacation season, as the theme parks in California and Florida have raised their ticket prices. There wasn’t too much warning either—which is usually the case—as the house of mouse sent out a little reminder on their Disney Parks blog that things would be heading north effective Sunday, June 12.
For those looking forward to hitting up Walt Disney World anytime soon, tickets for one day of fun at one of the parks is now $85 per adult—it was $82 before the pricing update. Kids—which are only those between age three and nine—get a slight discount at $79 per day. Of course there are all kinds of multi-day park tickets which do provide some sort of discount in one way or another, but unfortunately those were increased as well. Expect a four day ticket—with the ability to hop between the four main parks—to now set you back $298.
Theme Parks / Amusement Parks / Roller Coasters / Disney World / Disneyland / Cedar Point / Six Flags / Summer Travel / Lists / → All Tags
The Top Three Theme Park Season Passes for Summer 2011
With the clocks moving ahead this weekend it’s only a matter of time before theme parks across the country throw open their gates for the summer season—check right here for the most anticipated theme park opening dates. However, if you’ve got more than one roller coaster in your sights, there are a few passes that will get you access to all the season’s screams and thrills. Here are our picks for the Three Best Park Passes for 2011:
· Cedar Fair Platinum Pass
There’s only 66 days until Cedar Point opens for the 2011 season, but that doesn’t mean that you need to wait to order your ticket. The ultimate season pass grants you access to every coaster, attraction, and ride in the Cedar Fair empire. So not only can you visit roller coaster mecca in Ohio for free, but any and all Cedar Fair parks are free too—think King’s Dominion and King’s Island. Free parking and exclusive ride nights are yours with the pass, but the best perk is getting into the park an hour before everyone else. All this can be yours for $165 per person, or $155 per person if you order in packs of four.
Super Bowl Travel / Disney Travel / Orlando Travel / Football Travel / Sports Travel / Disney World / → All Tags
Celebrate with Aaron Rodgers Today at Disney's Magic Kingdom
Super Bowl MVP Aaron Rodgers won't have much downtime today. He's already on his way to Orlando for the ticker-tape parade down Main Street U.S.A at Disney's Magic Kingdom, which he'll squeeze in before heading to New York City for Late Night with David Letterman tonight.
After helping the Green Bay Packers win Super Bowl XLV&3151;in a 31-25 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers&3151;in Dallas last night, Aaron stepped in front of the TV cameras and shouted the words every athlete dreams of: “I’m going to Disney World!”
Travel Tweet of the Week / Twitter / Twitter Travel / Disney World / → All Tags
Tweet of the Week: Disney's Security is a Doozy
We love Tuesdays. Why, you ask? Because the day brings many travel tips and quips as "Travel Tuesday" on Twitter, and we're going to share our favorite with you. Got an avid travel twitterer we should follow? Let us know.
Have you been to Disney World in Florida lately? We know quite a few people who haven't been since they were kids or at least teenagers, and if they set foot back into the place now, they'd be shocked by what has changed and what hasn't. One of the more recognizable adjustments has been the adoption of theme park technology, such as San Francisco Chronicle's Travel Editor Spud Hilton {@spudhilton) encountered today:
Just fingerprinted going into Magic Kingdom. I got into Poland and Bahrain without that.
Ah yes, but did Poland and Bahrain surround with a ratio of kids-to-adults that ran extremely high on the kid end? And did Poland and Bahrain count on peace, happiness and family friendliness to maintain an equilibrium? Nopeso fingerprinting it is!
Related Stories:
· @spudhilton [Twitter]
· Twitter Travel [Jaunted]
Theme Parks / Amusement Parks / Disney / Disney World / Florida Travel / Orlando Travel / Food Travel / → All Tags
Where to Find True Italian Pizza in the Middle of Walt Disney World
Don’t get us wrong, we love hot dogs, chicken fingers, and other fried delicacies when visiting theme parks, but sometimes we want a little more than that. Of course Disney World has plenty of alternative dining options—some we can’t even afford—but a new Epcot restaurant fits the bill between fancy and affordable.
Within the Italy pavilion around the World Showcase at Epcot sits a brand new restaurant dedicated to all things pizza; however, this isn’t your usual greasy concession stand slice. Via Napoli features wood burning ovens that reach temperatures of 700°F to create flatbreads just like they do back in the old country, or at least that's the idea. The restaurant gets its mozzarella from Italy and they're sure to keep plenty of San Marzano tomatoes around for the sauce.
