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DISNEY WORLD HOTEL DEAL INTO APRIL 2021

Disney World has a room rate deal that makes savings available compared to regular prices for stays most nights beginning January 3, 2021 through April 17, 2021.

The deal must be booked by March 15, 2021, and availability might be limited.

Savings are higher at the more expensive resorts, and typically are also highest Sunday nights through Thursday nights, with lower discounts available on those Fridays and Saturdays between January 15 and February 13, 2021.

Value resorts offer savings of 10% to 20%.

Moderate resorts offer savings of 15% to 25%.

Deluxe resorts offer savings of 25% to 35%.

Disney Vacation Club resorts offer savings of 15% to 35%.

More on this deal is here. You can book it directly, or through the long-time travel agent partner of this site, Kelly, who can also check to see if you are eligible for any other deals, and which would be best for you.

Contact Kelly using the form below:

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Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

THE ART OF DISNEY’S RIVIERA RESORT

By Jim Korkis

Disney resort hotels are renowned for their attention to artistic details and Disney’s Riviera Resort provides an opportunity to showcase the European influences of Disney heritage.

“The approach was to take the inspiration of a classical resort of a grand era along the European coast in a uniquely Disney experience. We do that by creating a level of casual elegance as part of the experience,” said Imagineer Dean Huspen.

“While the color palette itself is classical, the pops of colors on the awning and shutters and the area development and even the way we incorporate little discoveries in design features into the ornamental metal work and the railings became that approach.”

According to Imagineer Missy Renard, “The inspiration came from the renowned art heritage of the Riviera region itself where there was a prolific amount of work that came from the late 19th century and 20th century masters. What we’ve done is taken our Disney characters and icons and work them into these series of paintings and different kinds of art that reflect the subject, brush strokes and technique of what the artists were studying.”

The goal was to capture a European style and sensibility of art with a Disney twist. In addition, there is a variety of Riviera-themed artwork around the resort that doesn’t have anything at all to do with Disney.

As Disney has stated, “During the early-20th-century, artists along the Riviera were exploring ways to make still life objects come to life on a flat canvas. Artists would first break the objects into individual shapes and forms then accentuate each object with strong outlines.”

Inspired by the cubist style of art, Disney artists painted the enchanted objects from Beauty and the Beast (1991) – Cogsworth, Lumiere, Chip and Mrs. Potts – as they appear to come to life on a canvas entitled “Still Life With Teapot”.

The dramatic hues of sunset inspired Disney artists in painting Rapunzel and Pascal as they watch the glowing lanterns illuminate the evening sky, creating a delightful pattern of shape and color in the painting called “Girl With Lanterns”.

The S’il Vous Play interactive children’s water play area draws inspiration from the grand public fountains seen throughout Europe with its patina and limestone-inspired design.

Another inspiration for it was the “Dance of the Hours” segment from the animated feature Fantasia (1940). The area celebrates music, art, dance and storytelling by featuring whimsical animals from the film frolicking and playing in the water. An elephant filling a dump bucket with his trunk, hippos and ostriches dancing and playing, as well as hippos splashing water into decorative bowls and basins are meant to bring a smile to guests’ faces.

A dedicated Disney Skyliner station leads to an archway with two mosaic murals made from one million hand-cut tiles. One mural is the lantern scene from Tangled (2010) and the other shows pixie dust circling the Tower of London and arching over to the Neverland Lagoon where the golden Jolly Roger pirate ship takes flight from Peter Pan (1953). Both reference flight to tie-in with the Skyliner and both feature European stories.

Artwork referencing Peter Pan is scattered throughout the resort including in the one bedroom villas a painting inspired by Mary Blair’s concept art for that 1953 animated film with the Darling children flying out of their bedroom window, and in the hallways a painting of Mrs. Darling reading to her children and Nana the dog.

In the deluxe studio by the bed, there is an homage to a vintage French poster with Mademoiselle Minnie and for sharp-eyed guests in another painting guests can see the red Lightning McQueen racing along a bridge over the sea.

Of course, there are many Hidden Mickeys as well. The hallway carpeting is in gold, blue, and white to evoke a European elegance and hidden in the filigree pattern is the head of Minnie Mouse.

Rich colors, elegant metallics and metals, and playful artwork and décor once again show the care and skill of including artistic influences into a Disney resort hotel.

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Thanks, Jim!

Much more on Disney’s Riviera Resort begins here, with art from the resort particularly featured here.

Come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis! In the meantime, check out his books, including his new Halloween-appropriate Vault of Walt Volume 9: Halloween Edition, and his other new book, Hidden Treasures of the Disney Cruise Line.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: DECEMBER 26, 2020 TO JANUARY 3, 2021

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

Things are … a little different… as Disney World re-opens.  See this for park previews and key insights.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/26/20-1/3/21

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 8a to 10p 12/26 through 12/30, 8a-11p 12/31, 8a-9p 1/1 and 1/2, and 8a-8p 1/3

Epcot will be open from 10a to 9p 12/26 through 12/27 through 12/30, 10a to 10p 12/31, 11a to 8p 1/1 and 1/2, and 11a-9p 1/3

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open from 9a-8p 12/26 through 12/30, 9a-9p 12/31, and 9a-7p 1/1 through 1/3

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 7a-7p 12/26 through 12/30, 7a-8p 12/31, and 8a-6p 1/1 through 1/3

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/26/20-1/3/21

There will be no Extra Magic Hours until further notice.

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/26/20-1/3/21

There will be no parades until further notice.

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/26/20-1/3/21

Some brief incidental fireworks happen at various times at Magic Kingdom.

Otherwise, there will be no evening shows until further notice.

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/26/20-1/3/21

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

YOUR PERSONAL DISNEY LIBRARY (35)

By Jim Korkis

• Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings by David Tutera

There are many different types of magic that can take place at Walt Disney World. For some it is the site of their first date or kiss. For others, it is where they proposed. Increasingly, it is the place where people get married.

Disney fans have always wanted to get married at a Disney park. I recall even in the late 1980s friends doing “guerilla weddings” by hiding the appropriate clothes like a tux or a wedding dress in the lockers and having a handful of guests attend a “quickie ceremony” at a pre-arranged time and location before Disney security was alerted.

The Walt Disney Company saw this desire as an opportunity to increase revenue (and to control the situation) by officially hosting weddings in September 1991. Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings & Honeymoon division was started in 1992. It is part of the Disney Parks Experiences and Products division.

The Disney Wedding Pavilion opened in 1995 near the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa with a wedding for the first episode of the television show Weddings of a Lifetime. In 2017, Freeform and Disney+ offered the Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings documentary television series profiling couples’ marriages at the parks.

Disney’s Wedding Pavilion is an intimate setting that hosts up to 250 people and is only accessible by the footbridge from the Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. It features a view of Cinderella’s Castle at the Magic Kingdom.

However, the Wedding Pavilion is not the only location to host WDW weddings. Disney has used the World Showcase pavilions at Epcot as well as locations like the BoardWalk Resort, Yacht Club Resort, and Polynesian Village Resort.

A wedding can cost from as little as $4,000 for just four guests at a small resort location to well over $12,000. For Magic Kingdom after hours, the minimum expenditure is $50,000.

And, of course, those are all just minimum prices. Including just one Disney character performer for thirty minutes can cost an additional $1,500. Including Cinderella’s Glass Coach can add an additional $3,500.

Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings avoids all those discussions of hard costs, not only because they keep increasing, but not to spoil the magic. It focuses on invitations, food and beverage, the wedding cake, lighting, decoration, fashion, flowers and other similar topics for upscale weddings.

Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings is written by David Tutera, a notable celebrity event planner whose portfolio includes weddings, with additional contributions by Kirstie Kelly, a bridal gown designer who works with Disney Fairy Tale Weddings to create bridal gowns, bridesmaid dresses, flower girl fashions and accessories.

The information provided in Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings is more for any type of upscale wedding rather than specifically focused on a wedding that might showcase a particular Disney movie, theme or characters. More recent information can be found at the Disney Fairy Tales Wedding website.

As with all Disney Editions books, Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings is overflowing with beautiful full color photographs on every page. For me, I was disappointed that the text was not more Disney-centric. Moreover, a simple search on the internet will garner many more creative (and less expensive) ideas for a Disney-themed wedding.

However, the appeal of getting married at Walt Disney World is an idea that appeals to tens of thousands of hopeful couples every year, with two thousand or more actually doing it.

Since Disney’s Fairy Tale Weddings lacks any historical data and information specific on creating a Disney themed wedding, I would have difficulty recommending including this book in your collection unless the topic is a particular fascination of yours.

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Thanks, Jim! and come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including his new Halloween-appropriate Vault of Walt Volume 9: Halloween Edition, and his other new book, Hidden Treasures of the Disney Cruise Line.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

DISNEY WORLD NEXT WEEK: DECEMBER 19 TO DECEMBER 27, 2020

The material below details next week’s Disney World operating hours, Extra Magic Hours, parades, and fireworks.

Things are … a little different… as Disney World re-opens.  See this for park previews and key insights.

OPERATING HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/19-12/27/20

The Magic Kingdom will be open from 8a-9p 12/19, and 8a to 10p 12/20 through 12/27

Epcot will be open from 11a to 10p 12/19, and 10a to 9p 12/20 through 12/27

Disney’s Hollywood Studios will be open from 9a-7p 12/19, and 9a-8p 12/20 through 12/27

Disney’s Animal Kingdom will be open from 8a-8p 12/19, and 7a-7p 12/20 through 12/27

EXTRA MAGIC HOURS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/12-19/27/20

There will be no Extra Magic Hours until further notice.

PARADES AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/19-12/27/20

There will be no parades until further notice.

FIREWORKS AND EVENING SHOWS AT WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/19-12/20/27

Some brief incidental fireworks happen at various times at Magic Kingdom.

Otherwise, there will be no evening shows until further notice.

SHOW SCHEDULES FOR WALT DISNEY WORLD 12/19-12/27/20

See Steve Soares’ site here. Click the park names at its top for show schedules.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!

Welcome back to Fridays with Jim Korkis! Jim, the dean of Disney historians, writes about Walt Disney World history every Friday on yourfirstvisit.net.

THE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS AT DISNEY SPRINGS

By Jim Korkis

Lake Buena Vista Village opened on March 22, 1975. This shopping venue evolved into Walt Disney World Village starting in 1977.  In 1989, it underwent another name change and became the Disney Village Marketplace.

The name was changed yet again in 1996 to Downtown Disney Marketplace before being extensively remodeled into Disney Springs in 2015.

The original shopping venue had a store called Anniversary Room that sold china, silver and giftware. It became the Christmas Chalet roughly around 1986, and that store moved over the years to three other locations before finally settling where previously the Team Mickey Athletic Club was operating and being renamed the Days of Christmas in 1996.

The festive store celebrates Christmas, in particular a Disney themed Christmas, 365 days a year, with a variety of merchandise from a Santa hat with Mickey Mouse ears to ornaments, stockings, lights, cards, plush dolls, figurines, collectible plates, tree skirts and more. Many items can be personalized for a small fee and the staff can personalize more than 60,000 individual items in a year.

(c) Disney

At 6,000 square feet Days of Christmas is the largest Christmas shop on Disney property. Background music of holiday tunes fills the air along with the scents of cinnamon and winter herbs. While the store is especially busy during the holiday season, it still is very alive during the rest of the year with guests often purchasing items to save for Christmas decorating. In addition there are Hanukkah, Nightmare Before Christmas and Frozen items for sale as well.

The other two Walt Disney World Christmas stores are Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe in Liberty Square (opened February 1996) at Magic Kingdom and It’s A Wonderful Shop (opened in June 1992), with a name referencing the favorite Christmas film It’s a Wonderful Life, at Disney’s Hollywood Studios near the Muppet Stage 1 store.

The name of the Disney Springs shop comes from the famous song The Twelve Days of Christmas. Throughout the location there are twelve scrolls each with one verse and with matching scenes. Some guests love going through and finding them all.

Here are the verses of the Disney adaptation of the classic poem:

• On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Mickey in a yule tree.
• On the second day of Christmas my true love gave to me, Two Tweedledees.
• On the third day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Three Little Pigs.
• On the fourth day of Christmas my true love gave to me, Four chiming bells.
• On the fifth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Five Goofy Things.
• On the sixth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Six Ducks a-playing.
• On the seventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Seven Dwarfs a-mining.
• On the eighth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Eight Toys a-spinning.
• On the ninth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Nine Genies flying.
• On the tenth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Ten Minnies a-dancing.
• On the eleventh day of Christmas, my true love gave to me, Eleven puppies panting.
• On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave to me Twelve Fairies a-flitting.

For years, Days of Christmas was home to a very Hidden Mickey, because it was covered up by a wreath that has since been removed, so people were unable to find it. You might want to look at an area with dark grainy faux wood or ask a cast member working there to give you a hint.

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Thanks, Jim! and come back next Friday for more from Jim Korkis!

In the meantime, check out his books, including his new Halloween-appropriate Vault of Walt Volume 9: Halloween Edition, and his other new book, Hidden Treasures of the Disney Cruise Line.

Follow yourfirstvisit.net on Facebook or Twitter or Pinterest!!