Hidden Holiday Treasures at the Walt Disney World Resort

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

By Barbara Cash, Small World Big Fun Disney Authorized Travel Agent

So you are going to Disney World during the holiday season but, for whatever reason, you didn’t purchase tickets to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in the Magic Kingdom. No worries! There is so much to see and do at Disney World to get into the holiday spirit.

Below are some “insider” tips and advice for things to do that are not always included in the standard maps and guides.  If you have any questions you can contact me anytime!

  1. Check out the resorts. Every Disney resort will be decked out in their themed holiday splendor. The Grand Floridian has a huge gingerbread house and a five-story Christmas tree.  Many nights, the deluxe resorts also have characters in the lobby taking pictures with guests and signing autographs.  Last year, after finishing dinner at ‘Ohana at The Polynesian, my family was greeted by Mickey and Minnie in the lobby decked out in their Hawaiian holiday attire. Most of these activities aren’t listed in map guides or schedule sheets. These are just special moments guests happen upon while visiting Disney World.
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  2. Visit Disney Springs. Grab a hot chocolate from Ghirardelli’s and take a stroll through the Disney-themed Christmas trees along the Trail of Trees. If you need to wrap up your holiday shopping, the options are almost limitless!  There is no cost to visit Disney Springs.  Take a stroll, have a snack, and take in all the decorations.
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  3. Explore the holiday decorations in the parks. At Epcot, Chip & Dale’s Christmas Tree Spree is a fun scavenger hunt around World Showcase. Be sure to visit the Santas Around the World and learn a little about his history and traditions in other countries.  In Hollywood Studios, there are special fireworks and throwback decorations from earlier eras.
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  4. Last but not least… the food!  The special treats at Disney World are always great but they are completely over the top during the holiday season. Everything from Christmas-themed caramel apples to the Holiday Waffle featured at the Holiday Marketplace in Epcot – It’s a sweet potato waffle base stuffed with roast turkey and topped with green bean casserole!
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The holiday season is a special time at Disney World.  You can visit resorts, take in the decorations at the theme parks, happen upon special groups sharing their cheer, and have some fantastic treats that are beyond the usual at Disney World.  Don’t let the lack of a party ticket keep you from getting into holiday cheer.

Barbara Cash is an Agent with WDWNT’s Exclusive Disney Travel Partner – Small World Big Fun. You can learn more about Barbara here. 

PHOTOS: Pandora at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Prepares for Massive Thanksgiving Holiday Crowds

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

Pandora: The World of AVATAR at Disney’s Animal Kingdom has been quite popular since it opened back in May, but the wait times and crowd levels inside the park’s newest addition have certainly become more manageable since the Summer. However, the massive crowds expected at Walt Disney World for the Thanksgiving Holiday through Christmas have Disney expecting the return of those higher crowd levels in the new land.

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As you can see in the photo above, the barricade to seperate guests entering and leaving Pandora has returned. Should the crowds in the land reach its capacity, the space to the left can become a queue just to enter the area, nevermind to experience the two attractions or any other offerings inside it. Just two days ago we witnessed a 300 minute wait for Flight of Passage, so demand for Pandora attractions is clearly on the rise once again as many guests who haven’t been to Disney World since the land opened are now clamoring to visit during their holiday vacations.

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With lines expected to be quite long for the Windtraders store and the Banshee Rookery experience, a pop-up shop of some kind is being installed in some unused space outside. It will be interesting to see if this is used for express sales of the Banshee toys that won’t include the adoption experience.

If you are visiting Pandora: The World of AVATAR this week or during any of this holiday season, you should be prepared to battle some massive crowds based on these changes Disney is making.

Permits for Ratatouille Attraction & Expanded France Pavilion Reveal New Details of Epcot Project

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

A new round of permits have been filed for the upcoming Ratatouille attraction to be located at the France pavilion in Epcot.

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This permit shows the expansive show building to be constructed on the expansion pad between Morocco and France. If you look back to our detailed analysis in June, you’ll see that most of the buildings we predicted would be relocated are indeed now shown in their new locations.

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You’ll see in the lower right corner the new cast break building as well as relocated merchandise “sheds” located behind Morocco.

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North of the new show building you’ll find the one existing entertainment trailer as well as the newly-relocated entertainment trailer.

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What is most interesting in these new plans is the new area leading to the attraction, filled with new shopping and dining options.

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The new path will follow the canal side of the existing pavilion, then curve along the back of the existing pavilion until it meets with the show building for Ratatouille. While we don’t know everything about this new street area, we do know there is a restroom facility and that one of the new food options will be a establishment selling crepes.

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Stay tuned to WDW News Today as these plans slowly comes to fruition, and we’ll bring you updates as construction commences.

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BREAKING: Disneyland Discontinues SoCal Annual Pass

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

As of today, the Disneyland Southern California Annual Pass is no longer available for purchase. It was removed from the Disneyland website this morning.

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This popular pass was priced at $469 (plus tax) and allowed passholders admission for around 215 days each year. The main blockout dates were holidays, Saturdays, all of July, Fridays in June, and half of August. Note that the SoCal Select Pass, which permits admission for around 170 days each year, is still available at $339. The key difference is that the SoCal Select Pass adds Sundays and most of June to the blockout dates of the SoCal Pass.

This move is not surprising, and indeed was expected to come sooner or later, as Disneyland will be hosting massive crowds once Galaxy’s Edge opens in 2019. This is one step in an effort to reduce crowding in Disneyland, especially on weekends, when millions of locals are expected to descend on the area to be among the first to visit the newest land. The crowds will be even worse since Galaxy’s Edge will open in Disneyland before it opens in Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Walt Disney World, so for a few months it will be the destination for Star Wars fans.

This is not the first time that Disney has discontinued the SoCal Annual Pass. In 2014 it was discontinued due to crowds expected for the Diamond Celebration of Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary. After the Diamond Celebration concluded, the pass became available again in 2016.

 

PHOTOS: Trader Sam’s, Great Movie Ride, and Haunted Mansion Cast Costume Bags Coming Black Friday

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

This Friday at Disney Springs in Cherry Tree Lane inside the Marketplace Co-Op, Guests will find bags made from authentic Walt Disney World cast costumes.

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The bags will be made using material from the cast costumes of Trader Sam’s Grog Grotto, The Haunted Mansion, and the shuttered Great Movie Ride.

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The totes will retail at $48 each, the cosmetic case at $18, and the zipper case at $14. Disney has not announced what the purchase limits will be on these items.

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VIDEO: Take A Ride Through the New Magic Kingdom Resort Area Entrance

WDWNT on November 20, 2017

Last week, the new roadway passage to the Magic Kingdom Resort area opened, allowing guests to skip the toll plaza.

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The new road extends from a right lane exit on World Drive just before the Magic Kingdom toll plaza. Guests can them turn right or left onto Vista Blvd. depending on their resort destinations.

Below we have a narrated video drive-through of the new road to give you a better idea of how it works:

PHOTOS: New Outdoor Seating Area Opens at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe, Magic Kingdom

WDWNT on November 10, 2017

After months of work, the new outdoor covered seating area at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Cafe at the Magic Kingdom is complete.

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The new seating area features quite a few seats, which should help out the popular restaurant. It also has fans installed for the warmer times of year.

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In recent months, Cosmic Ray’s has also gone to a single menu for all bays and opened completely remodeled restrooms.

PHOTOS: Limited Edition Jingle Cruise Pin Released at Magic Kingdom

WDWNT on November 10, 2017

With the 2017 seasonal return of the Jingle Cruise today at the Magic Kingdom, a limited edition pin was released to mark the occasion.

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The pin features the recently-returned rhino from the attraction, with fruitcake stuck to his horn of course.

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The pin is $14.99 and has an edition size of just 2000. It is available at the Frontierland Trading Post shop. The usual purchase limits of 2 per guest apply.

Disney Offers An Update on Sumatran Tiger Cubs at Animal Kingdom

WDWNT on November 10, 2017

It’s been a couple of months since we last saw the precious Sumatran tiger cubs that were recently birthed at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.

Now that the cubs are two months old, Disney has shared an update on the cubs’ growth and habitat. Below we have Jeda (male cub on the left), and Anala (female cub on the right).

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The cubs are continuing to develop a strong bond with their mother, Sohni, and are beginning to display their own unique personalities. Jeda is very laid back, as is his father, Malosi. The name Jeda means “pause” in Malay, and is representative of the two parallel stripes on his head that resemble a pause button.

Anala loves to explore and has a more independent spirit. Her name means “fiery, sizzling” in Hindi.

Here is some additional information about the cubs from the Parks Blog:

“The cubs wrestle with each other constantly and love jumping on plants and logs,” said Erin Heavey, an animal care specialist who cares for the tigers. “Jeda in particular loves ripping the bark off the logs and playing with all the pieces that come off. Anala is becoming more adept at sneaking and pouncing and loves hiding behind things (even when she isn’t entirely hidden) and trying to surprise attack Sohni or her brother. This is actually something she gets from Sohni, who loves to “hide and sneak” even though she isn’t always very covert about it.”

It is still too soon for the cubs to make their way to the Maharajah Jungle Trek for the public to see, but the parents are still out on stage in the meantime.

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Okay, this one is too cute…

BREAKING: OtterBox to Bring New Phone Cases to U.S. Disney Parks

WDWNT on November 10, 2017

OtterBox and Disney announced today that OtterBox will be the “Official Protective Case” of Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort as part of a new multi-year strategic alliance.

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Whether Mickey Mouse or Minnie Mouse is your favorite character, or you just love all things Disney, OtterBox has you covered with its exclusive Symmetry Series Classic Disney Collection. (PRNewsfoto/OtterBox)

Whether Mickey Mouse or Minnie Mouse is your favorite character, or you just love all things Disney, OtterBox has you covered with its exclusive Symmetry Series Classic Disney Collection.

This will bring OtterBox cases to several D-Tech locations throughout Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort and eventually expand OtterBox’s in-park presence, offering guests a way to protect their vacation memories with the No. 1-most trusted mobile case brand.

“The collaboration between OtterBox and Disney allows us to combine the trusted protection of OtterBox with the magic of Disney Parks,” OtterBox CEO Jim Parke said. “Not only can we help protect guests’ precious memories inside the park and beyond, but we can help them express their passion for Disney with cases that represent some of their favorite characters and attractions.”

OtterBox will also collaborate with Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media to offer a wide variety of brand new case designs. The first will be a signature series called the Classic Disney Collection, featuring timeless Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse designs on OtterBox Symmetry Series for iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone 7 Plus.

“This alliance joins two companies that share a commitment to providing high-quality products and experiences,” said Carlos Castro, vice president of Disney Corporate Alliances. “We are thrilled to collaborate with OtterBox and look forward to introducing a variety of new Disney-inspired merchandise for our guests to enjoy.”

Symmetry Series Classic Disney Collection cases are available now for iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus on otterbox.com and are coming soon to D-Tech retail locations at Walt Disney World Resort and Disneyland Resort. For more information, visit otterbox.com.

About OtterBox:

OtterBox innovates bold products that deliver confidence and trust in any pursuit. From its humble beginnings with a drybox in a Fort Collins, Colo., garage, OtterBox has honed and leveraged its expertise in manufacturing and design to become the No. 1-selling smartphone case brand in the U.S. and a leader in rugged outdoor lifestyle products.