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The Magic Kingdom Park will be extending operating hours on the following days: Friday, May 31; Saturday, June 1; Monday, June 3; Wednesday, June 5; Monday, June 10; Tuesday, June 11 and Friday, June 14, 2013. The park will be closing at midnight instead of 11 p.m. as originally scheduled for each night. Thanks to Orlando Theme Park News

See the Citizens in a Summer Trolley Show Starting June 2, 2013 Starting in June at Walt Disney World Resort, hop on for a magic ride down memory lane as the Citizens of Main Street U.S.A. get summer hummin' along in style! The second you walk through the gates at Magic Kingdom park, keep your eyes peeled for a toe-tappin', parasol-spinnin' good time—the Citizens have got the red, white and blue spirit after all and they're ready to pass it along to you! So get in the mood for some good old-fashioned summertime fun and join the Citizens for this unforgettable bit of Limited Time Magic!

Here is the line-up and full schedule for the third week of the 2013 Star Wars Weekends at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Weekend 3 (May 31 - June 2) Visiting celebrities: Sam Witwer (Voice of Darth Maul in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars") Tim Rose (Admiral Ackbar in "Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi") Warwick Davis - (Wicket the Ewok - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi) Hosts: Ashley Eckstein (Ahsoka from The Clone Wars) and James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan Kenobi from The Clone Wars) Autograph Sessions at Echo Lake: James Arnold Taylor – 9:45 a.m. Ashley Eckstein - 4:30pm, 5:45pm (Fri, Sat), 1:30pm, 5:45pm (Sun) Warwick Davis - 9:45am, 1:30pm (Fri, Sat), 9:45am, 1:30pm (Sun) Sam Witwer - 9:45am, 3pm, 4:30pm (Fri, Sat), 9:45am, 1:30pm, 3pm (Sun) Tim Rose - 1:30pm, 4:30pm, 5:45pm. Park Hours: 8am to 10pm Jedi Training Academy (Star Tours Stage): 8:45am, 9:20am, 10:05am, 10:35am, 12pm, 1pm, 1:30pm, 2pm, 2:30pm, 3pm, 3:30pm, 4pm, 4:30p

The Character Spot Meet and Greet location at Epcot's Future World will be reopening to guests on June 3, 2013. As you recall, the Character Spot closed back in October 2012, and was originally expected to reopen in February 2013. No reason was ever given for the delay, but I'm pretty sure that Disney had their rationale behind it. The characters that will be appearing have yet to be announced, but I'm pretty sure that will be seeing our good friend Mickey, to say the least. For the latest updates, keep on reading and we will keep you posted.

The new Wilderness Explorer's Adventure Game is scheduled to open on Saturday, June 1, 2013 at Disney's Animal Kingdom. Specifically for younger guests, the adventure game will encourage guests to explore the park using a field guide, completing challenges, and earning over 30 badges as they go. The game will also need to be both fun and educational, with an emphasis of understanding animals, their environments, and conservation. Wilderness Explorers will be included with regular park admission, and Disney will make available multiple sign up locations, including a kiosk on the Oasis Bridge leading to the Tree of Life. Check back soon for an update as we give this a hands on experience later on next month.

The Passholder RFID conversion center at Epcot's Odyssey that has been upgrading guest's old paper tickets to the new RFID enabled cards is now closed. If you are looking to convert an old pass, you can now do so at any park Guest Relations window.

The Magic Kingdom's Monstrous Summer All-Nighter is just a few short hours away and to help with your planning here is the latest information on the monorail schedule. The Resort Monorail and Express Monorail will be operating for much of the 24 hour period, beginning operations at approximately 5:15am. The Resort beam will be closing from approximately 2:30am to 4:30am on Saturday. The Express beam will be closing from approximately 7:00am to 9:00am on Saturday morning. During the monorail closures, bus and water transportation will remain available. Check out my guide to the entire 24 hours.

Disney & Orlando Digest – Week of May 20, 2013 Disney Discounts Walt Disney World FREE Dining – EVERYONE can get the free Disney Dining Plan for travel dates of 9/2/13 – 9/25/13. You must purchase a package that includes a minimum of 3 nights’ accommodation at a Disney Resort and a minimum 2-day Base Ticket.  If you stay at a Disney Value Resort, the Quick Service Dining Plan is free.  If you stay at a Disney Moderate or Deluxe Resort, the Basic Dining is free.  You can also upgrade from the Quick Service to the Basic Dining for an additional $19 per adult per night and $3 per night per child.  You can also upgrade from the Basic Dining to the Deluxe Dining for an additional $45 per adult per night and $20 per night per child.  Book by 7/31/13. Disney will require a deposit of $200 and final payment is due 45 days prior to arrival.   Save Up To 30% on Rooms at Select Walt Disney World Resort Hotels -  Book your room only or package reservation and save up to 30%

The Sounds Like Summer concert series kicks off at Epcot in a few weeks featuring a whole host of tribute bands. Included with your regular Epcot park admission, the concerts take place from June 9 through July 27, 2013 at the America Gardens Theatre in World Showcase. The current list of performers and schedules are listed below: Showtimes are at 5:30pm, 6:45pm, 8:00pm July 4 - Showtimes 5:15pm, 6:30pm, 7:45pm and 9:00pm Stayin' Alive  - A Tribute to the Bee Gees  June 9-15 Hotel California  - A Salute to the Eagles  June 16-22 Mike DelGuidice & Big Shot  - The Ultimate Billy Joel Show  June 23-29 Slippery When Wet  - The Ultimate Bon Jovi Tribute   June 30-July 6 SouthBound and Company  - A Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd  July 7-13 The Police Experience  - A Tribute to The Police  July 14-20 2U  - A Tribute to U2  July 21-27

Now I know this is a Disney Blog but I would be remiss if I didn't reach out and help those who make my Disney Lifestyle possible... Allow me to introduce once again Mr. John R. Gordon PA of Keller Williams Classic Realty and the Owner and CEO of Gordon Group FL . Mr. Gordon is also a good friend and sponsor of MikeandTheMouse - Contact John at 407-488-8802 I wanted to reach out to any of my readers who may be contemplating a move to the Central Florida area, and suggest that you contact John for any of your real estate needs. John is one of the top Realtors in the area and is ready and willing to assist you in any way that he can. Whether you are a first time home buyer or looking to make a change with the home that you are currently in, John and his team will work very hard for you throughout every facet of the process. Please take a look at Gordon Group's Featured Listing this week - 1014 John's Point Drive Winter Garden, FL  34787 4 Bedrooms 3.5 B

Plan on spending a MONSTROUS 24 hours in the Magic Kingdom Park this Friday/Saturday? If so, here is the rundown on all the events, entertainment and attractions that will be available to all of us crazy, die hard, Disney Lifestylers! As usual, things can change so make sure to check the park schedule upon arrival for any changes and/or additions. See you there! Operating Hours: May 24 - 25, 6am to 6am Entertainment Dance Party at the hub (2:00am to 5:45am) Monsters Movie Night in Tomorrowland (11pm to 5:00am) Monsters Dance Party in Tomorrowland (4:00pm to 9:00pm) Monsters pre-parade (12:15pm, 2:45pm) Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade (12:30pm, 3:00pm) Main Street Electrical Parade (9:00pm and 1:00am) Celebrate the Magic (9:45pm, 12:00am) Wishes 10pm  Meet and Greets Mike and Sulley: Intermittent from 11:00pm to 5:00am Captain Jack Sparrow Tinker Bell's Magical Nook Ariel's Grotto Town Square Theater Mickey and Minnie in PJs 11:00p

I found this cool little graphic on the Disney Parks Blog - maybe this will help you with those BIG Disney decisions!

In celebration of mothers and daughters everywhere, Disney proudly welcomed Merida from Disney∙Pixar’s Academy Award winning film, “Brave,” into the Disney Princess royal court.  With her mother Queen Elinor proudly by her side, the ceremony took place at the Magic Kingdom in front of Cinderella Castle at Walt Disney World Resort in conjunction with Mother’s Day festivities. Gymnastics Gold Medalist and All-Around champion, Gabby Douglas, hosted the celebration accompanied by her mother, and shared her personal story of strength, perseverance and courage – the true meaning of being a Disney princess. Watched by hundreds of park guests, Merida’s procession through the Magic Kingdom to Cinderella Castle was led by a troop of Scottish dancers and an authentic pipe and drum band. In true Merida fashion, she forged her own path, foregoing the traditional horse-and-carriage arrival and instead wowing the audience as she rode in on her trusty horse Angus. She was welcomed on stage b

Typhoon Lagoon is closing from May 12-16 for a short refurbishment. The water park is expected to reopen again on May 17, 2013, but as always, that is subject to change. Blizzard Beach will remain open as normal during the work at Typhoon Lagoon. Limited Time Magic will be celebrating Mother's Day this weekend. On May 12, 2013, all Moms will be honored with a special flower on entering any of the four Walt Disney World Theme Parks. That's a nice touch! Happy Mother's Day to all the hard working Moms out there! I miss mine very much. The Magic Kingdom's "Celebrate the Magic" projection show is set to debut a new edition of the show later on this month.  Like the previous castle projection show, "The Magic, The Memories and You!," (still my favorite) the current show will make seasonal changes to segments of the show throughout the year. The summer edition of the show is rumored to begin on May 24, 2013, which is also the day of the

The Garden and Fairway courses at Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Courses will be closed for a private event on Friday, May 10, from 4:30-8:30 p.m. In addition, the Garden course will also be closed on Saturday, May 11, from 5:00-8:30 p.m. Both courses will promptly reopen to Guests at 8:30 p.m. (on May 10 and 11, 2013). The Winter Summerland Miniature Golf courses will remain open to Guests on both days.  La Nouba™ by Cirque du Soleil® will be dark from Sunday, May 12 through Monday, May 27, 2013. The next scheduled performances are Tuesday, May 28, 2013.

The operating hours for Splitsville have been updated (again) - with most days having slightly reduced hours. The new hours are: Sunday - 10am to 12:30am  Monday to Wednesday - 10:30am to 12:30am  Thursday and Friday - 10:30am to 2am  Saturday - 10am to 2am Thanks to WDWMagic for posting this information.

Straight from the Disney Parks Blog - As the Limited Time Magic “May the Fourth Be With You!” celebration fades into the galaxy, the team at Disney’s Hollywood Studios is busy wiping out its droids’ memories and resetting them for Friday, May 17, opening day for Star Wars Weekends 2013. Actors and voice artists from the Star Wars film saga and Star Wars: The Clone Wars are ready to hop aboard Starspeeders and head to the park for the annual event. A trio of talent will appear each weekend, along with celebrity event hosts James Arnold Taylor and Ashley Eckstein. Here’s a list of scheduled celebrities for this year’s Force-filled fan fest: Weekend I (May 17–19)  Ray Park (Darth Maul – Star Wars: Episode I The Phantom Menace) Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett – Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi) Dee Bradley Baker (voice of Captain Rex – Star Wars: The Clone Wars) Weekend II (May 24-26) Ray Park (Darth Maul – St

CLICK HERE for SAVINGS! We have some new specials to announce from our great friends at Destinations in Florida Travel! Please read below for all of the details and be sure to click on their link directly below the logo to take advantage of these great savings today! NEW!! Disney Visa - FREE Dining - Disney’s Visa cardholders can get a free Disney Dining Plan for travel dates of 9/2/13 – 9/25/13. You must purchase a package that includes a minimum of 3 nights’ accommodation at a Disney Resort and a minimum 2-day Base Ticket.  If you stay at a Disney Value Resort, the Quick Service Dining Plan is free.  If you stay at a Disney Moderate or Deluxe Resort, the Basic Dining is free.  You can also upgrade from the Quick Service to the Basic Dining for an additional $19 per adult per night and $3 per night per child.  You can also upgrade from the Basic Dining to the Deluxe Dining for an additional $45 per adult per night and $20 per night per child.  Book by 7/31/13. Disney wil

Disney had some news about the ongoing construction of Disney Springs: As we begin to re-imagine Downtown Disney, construction will kick off for the Disney Springs project May 6, 2013. Crews will install construction walls in the area around the West End Plaza on Pleasure Island in the overnight hours of Sunday, May 5 to Monday, May 6. The construction will have an impact on some existing operations, including Laffers Cantina Bar and nightly Entertainment. Laffers Cantina Bar The last day of operation for the Laffers Cantina Bar at Downtown Disney Pleasure Island will be Sunday, May 5. Guests can enjoy other nearby bars, including Paradiso 37, PI Live bar and Raglan Road Irish Pub and Restaurant. In addition, a temporary bar will open at the Lily Pad near Fulton’s Crab House May 7 and will offer beer, wine and other alcoholic beverages. Entertainment Moves The nightly Entertainment acts at the West End Plaza on Pleasure Island will move to new locations beginning

The Magic Kingdom will welcome Merida as an official Disney Princess on May 11, 2013 as part of Limited Time Magic. The celebration begins at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday at Cinderella Castle in Magic Kingdom Park. Join us for a joyous and regal celebration at Magic Kingdom park when Merida—the heroine from Disney/Pixar's Brave - is officially christened into the Disney Princess Royal Court! As part of Limited Time Magic, all 10 Disney Princesses will be gathering together to coronate their newest member. And to commemorate the special occasion, you can purchase a limited edition Merida-inspired T-shirt, available in Youth and Toddler sizes while supplies last, and only at the Emporium inside Magic Kingdom park!

From May 5 to May 11 celebrate Cinco de Mayo at Epcot with "Limited Time Magic." Here is the full list of what you can expect. Meet The Three Caballeros Don't miss a rare opportunity to say "¡Saludos Amigos!" to three of the most famous Latin American lovebirds in history, The Three Caballeros! Panchito, Jose Carioca and, of course, el Pato Donald are getting the band back together and they're ready to pose for a picture or two—stop by and meet these classic Characters while you have the chance! Move Your Feet to the Music Once you've had your fill of The Three Caballeros, get ready to groove to music from south of the border, and maybe even move your feet a little! First, soak up the spirit of the occasion with an energetic set by delightful marionettes. Then, float through the romanticized beauty of Mexico's history with some folkloric dancing. Finally, work up an appetite with a little dancing of your own, set to the tune

Tickets are now on sale for the 2013 Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at 407-W-DISNEY. Here are all the dates and pricing details. Dates November 8, 11, 14, 15, 17, 21, 22 December 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20 Advanced Purchase Advance Purchase pricing is available for all events except 11/22, 12/6, 12/13, 12/19 & 12/20. For events on these dates, only Same-Day Sales Pricing applies. Ages 10+ - $62 + tax Ages 3 to 9 - $57 + tax Same Day Purchase Ages 10+ - $67 + tax Ages 3 to 9 - $62 + tax Premium Night December 20 2013 Ages 10+ - $71 + tax Ages 3 to 9 - $66 + tax Passholder and DVC Discounts Specially priced tickets are available to Disney Vacation Club Members and Passholders with the following Annual Passes - Premier Passport, Premium Annual Pass, Annual Pass, Seasonal Pass, Weekday Select Pass, and Epcot After 4pm Annual Pass for the following event days: 11/8, 11/11, 11/14, 11/15, 11/17, 11/21, 12/1, 1

Tickets are now on sale for the 2013 Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party at 407-W-DISNEY. Here are all the dates and pricing details. Dates September 10, 13, 17, 20, 24, 27, 29 October 3, 4, 6, 10, 11, 14, 17, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31 November 1 Advanced Purchase Advance Purchase pricing is available for all events except 10/11, 10/18, 10/25 & 10/31. For events on these dates, only Same-Day Sales Pricing applies. September nights Ages 10+ - $59 + tax Ages 3 to 9 - $54 + tax September 29, October and November nights Ages 10+ - $62 + tax Ages 3 to 9 - $57+ tax Same Day Purchase September nights Ages 10+ - $65 + tax Ages 3 to 9 - $60 + tax September 29, October and November nights Ages 10+ - $67 + tax Ages 3 to 9 - $62+ tax Premium Night October 31 2013 Ages 10+ - $73 + tax Ages 3 to 9 - $68 + tax Passholder and DVC Discounts Specially priced tickets are available to Disney Vacation Club Memb