Category — w. Most Recent Stuff

Just got back from a week-long visit to Walt Disney World, and coming out of that here’s what’ll be showing up soon on the site:

• Revised reviews of the Polynesian, Pop Century, and All-Star Music resorts
• All-new reviews of Victoria and Albert’s, Jiko, the Lilo and Stitch Best Friends character breakfast at ‘Ohana, and the Biergarten
• Revised Epcot itineraries–the days and dining will remain the same, but what attractions to do when, and what’s optional, will change. As part of the “optional” issue, I’ll be publishing many more reviews of Epcot rides to help families decide for themselves what to see and what to skip
• And the post I know you are all looking forward to: some whining about how hard it is to build itineraries for Epcot unless they are for two full days!

So look out for all this to come out in later May and June!

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My friend Steve has a great post here to help military families choose between the great deals available to them for most of September 2013 vs. the September free dining deal available to the general public.

The short version is that you need to do the math, as the final cost to you varies depending on family size, ages, and which hotel you are targeting!

Check out Steve’s post here.

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OVERVIEW: DECEMBER 2013 AT DISNEY WORLD

This page reviews December 2013 Walt Disney World crowds, prices, deals and discounts, weather, and operating hours; adds a few other notes; and ends with week by week summaries.

Early December, with lower crowds, lower prices, and wonderful Christmas decorations and events, has the best weeks of the year to visit.

Later December with Christmas and New Year’s weeks has the highest crowds and prices of the year. Park closings to additional guests are common in this period, as are 8a openings and daily morning Extra Magic Hours.

December also has a special party, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, a special evening event–with its own ticket–that has become a family tradition for many.

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DO YOU HAVE A FREE DINING PIN CODE? ARE YOU SURE?

Since the September Disney World Free Dining deal was announced, Disney has been emailing lotsa people with “pin codes” for free dining for other dates in 2013.

According to one of my readers (the mysterious “B”), the eligible arrival dates are…

• 8/25 – 10/2
• 10/18 – 10/31
• 11/11 – 11/23
• 11/30 – 12/4
• 12/15 – 12/22

..and these deals need to be booked by August 15.

Lots of you have asked how to get one of these pin codes emailed to them and my answer has been consistently that I have no idea.*  Crack commenter Jennifer emailed Disney to find out, and the canned response she got was that these “are offered randomly.”

But then I got a curious report via email–crack emailer Rachel called Disney to book her dates, and, according to Rachel,  the reservationist “said ‘let me see if you have any pins.’ Then she told me there was a pin tied to my account!”

Rachel ended up moving her arrival dates so she could get the offered free dining in early December!

So the moral of the story: even if nothing has been emailed to you, you might have a 2013 free dining pin for Walt Disney World after all!

Does this mean free dining will come out for the general public for those dates? Honestly, I have no idea* on that either…but I still do doubt it.

Update:  Nichole just posted this on the Facebook page:

“I just called and they did say it was random to some extent, but that it was more likely to be offered to those that have had a recent visit.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t a pin associated with my reservation.

At the end of the call she told me to watch the website closely though because if they were to extend the offer to include October reservations they would probably announce it very soon.

That gives me hope that they may extend it!”

*Oh, I have lots of ideas, but none I have any confidence in…

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DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: MAY 18, 2013 TO MAY 26, 2013

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

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

Unusual stuff this week:

• “Star Wars Weekends” kicks off at Disney’s Hollywood Studios for 2013 on Friday May 17, and continues the weekend of the 24th
• The Magic Kingdom is open for 24 hours–6a til 6a–Friday the 24th into the 25th
• The Studios close at 6p on Thursday the 23rd, likely for  a private party.

Because of this, you’ll see slightly different Extra Magic Hours than normal, early openings at both HS and AK over the weekends, and a very odd schedule at MK the 24th into the wee hours of the 25th.

Star Wars weekends increasingly are mobbing the Studios, so avoid Disney’s Hollywood Studios the 17th-19th and 25th and 26th.  The 24 hour opening at the Magic Kingdom may make the Studios more tolerable the 24th…I’m not sure.  I’d avoid MK the 24th …

I’ll be at Walt Disney World until the 19th, at the Polynesian, focused on fine and fun dining with older son, who just graduated from law school!

(For more on May 2013 at Walt Disney World, see this.)

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2013 NEW YEAR’S EVE AT DISNEY WORLD

New Year’s Eve festivities will happen on December 31, 2013 at Disney World’s Epcot, Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios theme parks, and also at the Magic Kingdom on December 30.

The Animal Kingdom has no special New Year’s Eve events.

Here’s what’s known so far for the calendar for New Year’s Eve at Walt Disney World:

• Epcot is scheduled to be open until 1a on New Year’s Eve; Disney’s Hollywood Studios until midnight for the general public, and 2a for Walt Disney World Resort hotel guests; and the Magic Kingdom is scheduled to be open until  2a
• The Magic Kingdom has Wishes at 8.30p and special New Year’s Eve fireworks at 11.50p
• Epcot has its Illuminations fireworks show at 6.30p and 11.40p, plus DJs in various pavilions.
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios will have fireworks at midnight, and several sets over the evening from “Mulch, Sweat and Shears,” a live band
• Note that alcohol is not available at the Magic Kingdom, but is available at Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios

The Magic Kingdom will have the same fireworks at the same times on 12/30. This date will likely be a little less crowded than 12/31.

DISNEY WORLD PARK CLOSURES ON NEW YEAR’S EVE

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