Category — w. Most Recent Stuff

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: MARCH 15 TO MARCH 23, 2014

The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

The same stuff is in the image, but organized by park, not by topic.

For more on March 2014 at Walt Disney World, see this.

[Read more →]

My buddy Joe Black  is reporting on disboards  that a new Disney World room-only discount for the summer will be out for the general public on Monday and available to Disney Visa holders today.

It will cover June 15 – August 28, and discounts will be higher for longer stays, and less for shorter ones.

Some resorts and room types will be excluded, and others likely will show up at just 5% off. For the rest, Joe expects deals in the range of:

• Values – 20%
• Moderates – 25%
• Deluxe – 30%

I’ll post more as the contours of the deal become clearer.

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The Magic Kingdom’s afternoon parade, “Disney’s Festival of Fantasy Parade,” debuted March 9, 2014.

The parade presents “Mickey and his Fantasyland Friends” through a series of new floats, music and dancers.

It begins typically every day at 3p, although two afternoon parades are scheduled on the very busiest days of the year.

The parade presents a mix of both classic Disney characters and those from its most recent films, and, because of its “Fantasyland” theming, a more coherent set of characters than in some past parades.

The new floats are really tall, which means littler kids can see most characters even if they are not right at the very front of the parade viewing areas.

The all-new musical track combines a new parade song with stretches from the classic songs of the films depicted on the floats, and ends with a really big beat.

The more visible floats, more current characters, and a bunch of really nice designs make the Festival of Fantasy Parade the best new parade at Disney World in decades.

Belle and the Beast lead off the parade, as the first part of a three part-float.

At the center of this float is Cinderella…

…and at the rear is a rotating tableau, with Tiana on one side…

…and these hot yet Frozen princesses on the other.

Rapunzel is next…

…then Ariel.

Then we go back to the golden age, with Peter Pan and Captain Hook…

…and some evidence via Tinkerbelle at the rear of the Peter Pan float that this parade is fun for dads, too.

A float themed around Brave is next, presenting Merida.

Following it, the tone shifts for exactly one float to Disney villains, with Maleficent in her dragon form. I love this float, but its presence makes no sense in the order of ideas depicted so far.

The tone shifts immediately back, with another multi-scened float, this one circus-themed. The lead scene is Pinocchio.

Next is Donald and Daisy…

…then Dumbo…

…and Pluto bringing up the rear.

The parade ends with Mickey and Minnie in a very cool hot air balloon float!

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There have been several reports lately about off-siters with in-park dining reservations being able to book FastPass+ in advance  

One of the more detailed discussions is in this disboards thread, started last Wednesday by Velvetsqueeze.

Deep in it, Lizabu quotes an email from Disney World (I’ve edited it a bit):

Since you took the time to plan a dining experience at a Walt Disney World Theme Park in advance, we’d like to invite you to test Disney FastPass+ service so you can reserve access to select Theme Park experiences in advance as well! You can do this by helping us test our Disney FastPass+ service while you’re here!

With Disney FastPass+ service you can lock-in some of your must do fun before you arrive. That means you can enjoy less time waiting in line and more time having fun. Best of all–it’s included with Theme Park admission.

Complete the following steps if you’d like to participate in this test.

1. Link your tickets
If you haven’t done so yet, you’ll need to link and assign a Walt Disney World Theme Park ticket for each member of your travel party age three (3) or older.
2. Link your dining reservation
If your upcoming dining reservation is not listed on your My Disney Experience planning page, then click here to link it now with confirmation number: xxxxxx.

Complete these steps by March 6, 2014. On March 7, we’ll send you a confirmation letting you know you’re part of the test!

So if you are planning an off-site stay, and want at least a shot at being able to book FastPass+ in advance, figure out which park you’ll go to your first day, and

1. Set up your MyDisneyExperience account
2. Make an in-park dining reservation for the first park day of your trip and link it up.
3. Link up your tickets

Who knows what will happen next–but you might get the invitation that Lizabu and Velevtsqueeze got!

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: MARCH 8 TO MARCH 16, 2014

The material below details operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

The same stuff is in the image, but organized by park, not by topic.

For more on March 2014 at Walt Disney World, see this.

[Read more →]

Later this week the family heads off to Disney World.  Here’s what’s on the agenda this time:

Testing FastPass+ during a high crowd period. The spring break mobs begin March 8, when most of the state of Texas moves in to Disney World. During this visit, I’ll do our first FP+ test during a higher-crowd period (the prior four tests have all been during low-crowds dates).

As in Test# 3, we’ll do most of our FastPass+ reservations the night before or day of, to see how that goes during higher crowds, and as in Test #4, I’ll also buy a regular ticket and test day-of FastPass+ as though I were an off-siter, but during a high-crowd period.

Finishing up the revisits to the DVC resorts, with stays at the Beach Club Villas and Boardwalk Villas. With these done, I’ll have gained material for revised reviews by staying again in two-bedroom villas (or, where I couldn’t book those, a one bedroom and then a studio) in all the Disney World DVC resorts in the last 10 months.

Yes I am way behind in publishing the revised reviews, but—so far—the rankings have not changed.

Seeing the new afternoon parade at the Magic Kingdom. The new “Festival of Fantasy” Magic Kingdom afternoon parade debuts Sunday March 9 at 3p.

I’ve got it on FastPass+ (you can take this “day of use” testing too far, you know) and will be reviewing it soon after. It’s got “Frozen” so will be a monster hit…

Working on the book!!!!

Relaxing with my family…

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