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Copyright 2012 Walt Disney Company Planning Can Build Convenience, Flexibility, Savings, Extra Value into a Walt Disney World Vacation Affordable family vacations at Walt Disney World Resort can combine convenience , flexibility , savings and extra value. Planning is the key . . . and here are some ideas and things to consider while planning to chase the guesswork and let the fun begin!… Before You Go Covering about 25,000 acres, Walt Disney World Resort can be vexing to the guest for whom it is “uncharted territory.”  With their time at the Vacation Kingdom limited, guests who have done research and made preliminary determinations concerning what they want to experience discover they can be more “efficient” at having fun.  A couple of sources for information and advice about Walt Disney World vacations are: Birnbaum’s Walt Disney World 2012, available at bookstores coast-to-coast. DisneyWorldMoms.com , a panel of Disney-savvy parents who answer question...

Guests who prefer to include dining in their vacation packages can choose a Walt Disney World Magic Your Way vacation package which includes a Disney dining plan – which can save on dining and provide peace of mind knowing that most dining needs are taken care of before leaving home. Three vacation packages are available that include a Disney dining plan, Disney resort hotel accommodations and Magic Your Way tickets.  The Disney dining plans feature a variety of meal and snack entitlements – both in terms of the type of restaurants guests can visit and the number of meals and snacks included with the plans. The choices are: Magic Your Way Package Plus Quick-Service Dining - includes two quick-service meals and one snack per person for each night of guest’s vacation package stay, plus a resort refillable drink mug for each person which can be refilled as often as they like at any quick-service location at their Disney resort hotel.  Meals and snacks can be chosen at more...

Jack and Sally have just started their meet and greet at Downtown Disney West Side. Check out the photos below to see their first ever appearance at Walt Disney World. Appearing as part of the "Frankennweenie Weekend", they will be meeting and greeting from 6:00pm to 11:00pm all weekend.

Everything we have seen so far in Storybook Circus tells us that Walt Disney Imagineering have clearly paid a lot of attention to guest behavior in the old Fantasyland, and how things can be made better for the new Fantasyland. So far we have seen the indoor air-conditioned Dumbo queue, FASTPASS for most attractions, shade trees, wider walkways, and lots of wall-seating throughout Storybook Circus. It seems though that Disney are not quite done yet, and have another trick up their sleeve. The third Big Top in Storybook Circus (the yellow one), along with the new restroom area being built in the former skyway station area, is expected to feature something known as a "D-Zone." These areas are designed to allow people to relax, take a seat, and to have access to things like phone and ECV charging stations. These new additions, along with everything that Disney builds in as "standard", are going to even greater lengths to take guest comfort and convenience...

HGTV Star Designers Serve Up Home Entertaining Tips During 17th Epcot International Food & Wine Festival Celebrities Appear Weekends at Festival Center from  Sept. 28 through Nov. 12 HGTV presents fresh home-entertaining ideas by celebrity designers each weekend at the Epcot International Food & Wine Festival presented by Chase Sept. 28 through Nov. 12.  In each 30-minute noon seminar Friday through Sunday, designers will offer tips to festival guests on stylish table settings, perfect holiday gifts and other hot topics.  Celebrities also will meet guests at 1 and 3 p.m. at the Vineyard Stage. The HGTV celebrity lineup includes: Sept. 28-30 – Danielle Colding , HGTV Design Star winner , Season 7, Shop This Room.   Seminar topic: “Entertainment Passport: Your Ticket to Creating a Travel-Inspired Dining Experience.” Oct. 5-7 – Casey Noble , Design on a Dime.   Seminar topic: “Gifts that Keep Giving: Holiday Favors that Double as D...

"Characters in Flight" to reopen at Downtown Disney as new balloon installation begins  The new "Characters in Flight" balloon is now onsite at Downtown Disney and being prepared for test flights. No word yet on when it will reopen to the public, but the balloon is in position and crews are working on setup. The tethered balloon flight closed back in July 2012 to allow for an investigation with a similar balloon in Hong Kong .

Starting October 1, Disney's Animal Kingdom will begin offering complimentary animal guides to guests. Covering most of the animals that you can find in the park, the guides will give additional information to guests as they move through the park. The paper guides will be available for pickup at the tip board, the main entrance, and Mombasa Marketplace. The trial period is set to conclude on November 30, 2012.

“Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom” is now open at Magic Kingdom, and it's up to guests to discover and defeat the Disney villains who are wreaking havoc behind the scenes at the Walt Disney World Resort theme park. In this role-playing game, guests become apprentice sorcerers and embark on a challenge to stop these animated villains from stealing one of the four shattered pieces of Merlin’s powerful crystal ball.  Armed with spells in the form of special cards, guests follow magic symbols that lead them to different villain hideouts in Adventureland, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, and Main Street, U.S.A.  Once there, apprentices use magic keys to access the villain’s lair, and “spell” cards to halt the evildoers in their tracks. Seventy different spell cards are part of this trading card game, and guests will receive five complimentary cards every day they play.  Each of the cards features a different Disney character that offers a spell unique to his ...

The International Food and Wine Festival is a large annual event held at Epcot. The festival showcases food and drink from around the world, and gives guests the opportunity to taste the special dishes that they offer. The 2012 Festival will run from September 28, 2012 to November 12, 2012.  Event Details HGTV Design Celebrities Conjure Home-Entertaining Magic on Weekends   For a record 46 days beginning Sept. 28, Disney guests can taste their way around the world during the 17th annual Epcot International Food & Wine Festival presented by Chase at Walt Disney World Resort. The culinary event, named one of the Best Food and Wine Festivals by the Travel Channel, runs through Nov. 12 and includes daily Eat to the Beat pop concerts plus one extra day of festival fun.  This year’s foodie celebration introduces a new chocolate tasting experience, fresh Florida Local flavors and the first marketplace with vegan cuisine, TERRA. The festival ...

The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10-Miler race will be held this weekend and will cause some road closures and restrictions around Walt Disney World property. Here is a rundown of what you can expect if you are traveling in the area (subject to change). Road Closures Osceola Parkway (Eastbound from Sherberth Road to Victory Way) - Saturday Sep 29 8pm to Sunday Sep 30 1am Osceola Parkway (Westbound from Victory Way to Sherberth Road) - Saturday Sep 29 8pm to Sunday Sep 30 1am World Drive (Northbound - Ramps to East and Westbound Osceola Parkway) - Saturday Sep 29 8pm to Sunday Sep 30 2am World Drive (Southbound - Ramps to East and Westbound Osceola Parkway)  - Saturday Sep 29 8pm to Sunday Sep 30 2am Buena Vista Drive (Ramps to East and Westbound Osceola Parkway)  - Saturday Sep 29 6pm to Sunday Sep 30 5am 192 Westbound and World Drive Northbound ramps to Disney's Hollywood Studios  - Saturday Sep 29 6pm to Sunday Sep 30 5am 192 Ramps to Osceola Pa...

In celebration of Disney’s new stop-motion animated movie “Frankenweenie,” directed by acclaimed filmmaker Tim Burton and opening October 5 in 3D, Walt Disney World Resort is hosting a variety of engaging experiences inspired by the new movie, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Alice in Wonderland.” The fun takes place at Downtown Disney West Side Sept. 28 – 30, 2012. Here’s a look at what’s in store for guests: Special 3D screenings of “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Alice in Wonderland,” featuring a 3D extended preview of “Frankenweenie,” which debuts Oct. 5. Tickets may be purchased for $6. The fun takes place at AMC Downtown Disney 24. Show times: “The Nightmare Before Christmas” 4:15 p.m. and 8 p.m. “Alice in Wonderland” 6:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. New Holland Pet Cemetery picture spot presented by HGTV will place guests in one of the key locations of “Frankenweenie” among tombstones of beloved turtles, rabbits, cats and of course, dogs. Located betwe...