Ok, I know this isn’t specifically Disney theme park news…but given the FROZEN explosion we saw in the theme parks after the raging success of the FIRST Frozen movie, I figured you all might be at least MILDLY interested in this update: the Frozen II teaser trailer is HERE!
Walt Disney Animation Studios released the first official teaser trailer today for the long awaited sequel to Frozen. Take a look at the trailer below:
So, what do you think? Did this intrigue you? It’s a true teaser and doesn’t give away much. However, based on the teaser, I think we are in for some excitement.
The original voice cast is all back on board: Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad and Jonathan Groff. The academy award winning directing team of Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck are back to direct the sequel, and we can look forward to new music from Oscar winning songwriters Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez. Do you all remember hearing “Let It Go” everywhere for about a year after Frozen was released? Every little girl (and a lot of little boys) between the ages of 3 and well, 97, was belting that song out every chance they got.
I can’t wait to see what the “Let it Go” will be from Frozen II!
Frozen II Teaser
We can expect Frozen II to blow into our movie theaters this November. I suspect we will have some Frozen II tie ins to look forward to at the parks next Christmas!
Let me know what you think of the Frozen II teaser trailer in the comments below!
Happy Dreaming!
Brooke
Ready to Plan Your Disney Vacation!
Check out some of out most popular articles on the blog below:
Hello everyone! It’s time for another Disney Skyliner update!
As we discussed last week, the new Disney Skyliner transportation system has begun testing. I’ve seen pictures posted by guests on Disney property showing the gondolas in the air. It’s so exciting to see them up on the steel cables. But we didn’t have anything official. Until NOW!
Skyliner Testing: Official Photos Released
Disney has released some official pictures of the gondolas in testing!
Disney Skyliner Testing
The gondolas are being tested on the lines going from the primary station at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort to the the station at Hollywood Studios. As you can see, they are keeping the gondolas covered during testing. They won’t be “unveiled” in all their colorful and themed glory until opening day (or at least soft-open). If you remember, we got a “sneak peek” at what a gondola will look like at the D23 event a few months ago:
Disney Skyliner Gondola Revealed at D23 Event
Previously, Disney has told us that the gondolas will be different colors, and will feature characters from lots of Disney properties. Gondolas will be themed to classic cartoons, Disney and Pixar movies, Star Wars movies and Marvel movies. They have released some artist drawings of some sample gondolas:
Disney Skyliner Gondola Graphics, Updated January 2019. New characters include Woody, Buzz and Jessie from Toy Story, C3P0 and R2D2 from Star Wars, Daisy and Donald, and Starlord and Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy.Disney Skyliner Gondola Artist Renderings, showing sample graphics that will appear on some gondolas, including Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Goofy, and some Hitchhiking Ghosts.
Skyliner On Track to Open Fall 2019
We still don’t have an official opening day–but the system is definitely on track to open this fall, barring any unforeseen challenges arising during testing.
Disney Skyliner Testing: Tower of Terror
So far testing is going great, but I can’t wait to see more!
I’ve got a couple of my clients visiting Disney over the next couple of weeks, so I’m hopeful that I will soon have more photos to share of the gondolas in the air. I’m also hoping for some photos of the Skyliner stations themselves. Maybe these will tide us over until I can get down there myself and take some pictures and video specifically for you guys.
Are you getting excited about the Disney Skyliner gondola system? I can’t wait! See you soon with another Disney Skyliner update!
If you’d like to check out previous articles on the Disney Skyliner system, please go here, here, here or here.
One of the biggest expenses of any Disney vacation is the actual Disney park passes. Currently, Disney’s price for a single day, single park pass starts at $109 during value season. This pass climbs as high as $129 per day during “peak” season.
The average family purchases a vacation package that includes Disney park passes for four days. Of course, some families purchase packages that include Disney park passes for 10 days. Others purchase park passes for three days, etc. But in general, the average family will purchase a four day pass. Of course this may change once Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens. I suspect most of us will need at least one whole day just for that–if not more. So four days will soon not be enough for many families, if my instincts are correct. But for now, four works for MOST.
Once you decide how many days you are going to purchase, then you have another decision on your hands. Are you going to purchase one park per day passes or park hopper passes?
In this post we’re going to examine the different kinds of Disney park passes available. We’re going to look at the advantages and disadvantages of each. We’re also going to talk about the advantages of having a Walt Disney World annual pass. We’ll look at the current pricing for an annual pass, and when (and why!) you might want to consider purchasing an annual pass.
Toy Story Land’s Slinky Dog Dash
Magic at Cinderella Castle!
Epcot in the Spring!
The Islands of Pandora
FIRST UP: ONE PARK PER DAY PASSES
Disney’s One Park Per Day passes are the lowest tier and least expensive of the Disney park pass options. These passes allow the owner of the pass to visit one park per day for each day on the pass. For example, if you have a three-day one park per day pass, you can spend one day at the Magic Kingdom, one day at Animal Kingdom, and one day at Hollywood Studios during your vacation. If you wanted to, you could spend all three days of your pass at ONE park.
The only thing you cannot do with a one park per day pass is visit more than one park in a single day at any point during your vacation. For example, you could not visit Animal Kingdom in the morning, and then travel to the Magic Kingdom to spend the afternoon on the same day.
One park per day passes have the lowest price point of the various Disney pass offerings. If you are confident that you’ll be happy staying in one park for the whole day, one park per day passes are ideally suited for you. They’re a great way to save money, but they do limit your flexibility, so it’s important to consider the trade-off between cost savings and flexibility before making your decision to purchase this pass.
Here are some examples to consider where you might find park “hopping” an advantage:
Example 1: You visit the Magic Kingdom on Tuesday. After you arrive, you learn that Disney is going to be filming the Christmas parade all day for the Christmas Day special. This means there’s going to be extra crowds. In addition, the Main Street area is going to be blocked off for many hours during the day. This will make it difficult to get around the park and it’s going to be kind of a headache. You find this out AFTER you’ve r park pass to enter the park. If you have a one park per day pass, you’re in the Magic Kingdom for the day; you do not have any other options. You will be spending the day in the Magic Kingdom. Please know you’re still going to have a great day. There are lots of ways to enjoy the park on a day when it’s crowded. However, if you’d had a park hopper pass, you could have left MK as soon as you discovered this challenge. You would have spent the rest of your day at a different park, returning to the Magic Kingdom on a different day.
Example 2: You spend the day at the Magic Kingdom with the kids. Later, you want to have dinner in Epcot in the evening with your husband, and put the kids in the kids club at your resort. If you have a one park per day pass, this is not an option. However, if you have a park hopper, it is. (Again, there are other options–you could go for a nice dinner at a resort restaurant, or to Disney Springs–just not to another PARK.)
Example 3: It’s the last day of your trip, and you’ve planned to visit Animal Kingdom for the day. Everyone is very excited, but your teenage daughter tells you at lunch about a sweatshirt she saw at Epcot yesterday. She’s decided that she can’t live without it, and she’s looked at every store at AK and can’t find it. And, of course, her life will be OVER without this sweatshirt. With a one park per day pass, you would have no option to go back to Epcot and get the sweatshirt. If you have a park hopper, you COULD do that if you wanted to.
It’s important to note that there are satisfactory workarounds in all these scenarios. Workarounds that do not have to involve park hopping. These are just a few examples to show you where the flexibility offered by park hopping is a really nice advantage to have. However, that advantage is pricey, so if you don’t need it, don’t pay for it.
More Days Mean More Savings
Disney wants to keep you on property and in their parks as long as possible! If you look at the park pass pricing (in the table below), you will notice that as you add more days to your pass, the incremental price increase gets smaller.
In other words…to visit one park for one day in peak season will cost you $121. But visit one park per day for 10 days in peak season will only cost $50.21 per day! Disney knows that the more you are in their parks, the more you are likely to spend on souvenirs, food and beverages, etc.. They price their tickets accordingly. They want to entice you to stay longer and use those days to visit Disney parks.
They want to make it more practical for guests to spend any extra time available at Disney parks than at Universal or Sea World. Why would you spend another $200 or $300 to spend a couple days at Universal when you could spend $25 and spend 2 more days at Disney?
It’s kind of genius really. It’s the same reason they work so hard to get guests to stay at Disney resorts. It’s the reason they make Disney transportation free. Why rent a car, if you can travel all over Disney property for free? If you don’t have a car, you are less likely to leave Disney property. You won’t go to Perkins or Denny’s for a more affordable breakfast, or head to Universal Studios for a day.
Current pricing for one park per day passes (prices shown as a range):
*Note that the table shows a range of ticket prices. This is because currently, Disney is using a date based pricing structure. The price of your park pass depends on the date your pass will first be used. Park passes of less than 7 days must be used within 7 days of the first date of use; Park passes of longer duration must be used within 14 days of the first date of use. Disney has only issued pricing through the end of 2019-we are anticipating higher ticket prices in 2020, based on both Disney’s reticence to release 2020 pricing and on the opening of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge in late 2019, and the much higher anticipated crowds in 2020 as a result.
STAR PLAYER: PARK HOPPERS
Park hopper passes are among the most flexible passes that Disney offers; however, they come with a price tag associated with that flexibility. Some of you may remember the days when park hopper passes were available with the “no expiration” feature; sadly, that feature is no longer available. If you purchase any park pass other than an annual pass you have to use the entire ticket up within 14 days of first use.
The primary benefit of a park hopper pass is, of course, freedom. With a park hopper pass, you can visit one, two, three or even four parks in one day should you wish to.
I tend to use hopping privileges the most on short visits, because I want to make sure that we can visit our favorite attractions and our favorite restaurants–we can’t always do that if we stick to one park per day especially on a short weekend trip. The last trip I did with my mom, we only went to Hollywood Studios basically for dinner and fireworks on one night of our trip–we spent the rest of the day doing other things.
The park hopper gives you the most flexibility— you can visit one park in the morning, and a different park at night. You can visit one park all day but go to a different park for dinner. You can even start with one park in the morning, move to another park for the afternoon, and then end the evening at still another park (or back where you started!). If you are visiting during a busy season when park hours are extended, park hopping is especially helpful!
Peak seasons that usually have extended hours include the two weeks around Christmas, the week of Thanksgiving, spring break, and the very busiest weeks of the summer season.
The park hopper pass is not as helpful in the seasons when the hours are shorter, as you do not have as many open park hours to play with. However, I have still found that I liked the freedom to hop during seasons with shorter hours. I find myself using the hopper option when one park gets more crowded than I am comfortable with–I will modify my plans and move to a different park. Or, even when the parks have shorter hours, Epcot and Magic Kingdom generally have longer hours than Animal Kingdom or Hollywood Studios. So I will use my hopper and take advantage of that–I will visit HS or AK for the day, and then end each night at MK or EP, which works great for me personally.
FREEDOM TO HOP AWAY FROM CROWDS
The biggest benefit that hopping brings is freedom as I’ve said before. When the park you chose feels too crowded, you can check your My Disney Experience app (or alternative app that you prefer), and if you see that lines are fairly short (comparatively speaking) at another park, you have the freedom to leave the park you are at, and move to a different park. You can release any remaining fast pass + reservations at your current park if you want to, and leave. Or if you suddenly get a craving for a particular food item that can only be found one place, you have the freedom to hop over to that park for a snack, maybe a quick attraction or two, before returning to your original park to continue with your original plan.
Again, all of this goes back to what I’ve said before—research research research. Before you make any decisions about your park passes, you want to do preliminary research on the time period that you’re going, the tentative park schedule for the days of your trip and which parks you think you will want to visit. You also need to consider if you are staying on property and will have access to extra magic hours, and which days of your trip have extra magic hours at which parks. It does make a difference.
So flexibility and freedom have value. But flexibility and freedom also carry higher costs. Significantly higher costs. Only you can decide if the higher costs are worth the value. You have to decide if hopping is worth the higher costs.
Disney does not allow you to purchase park hopper passes for some of the people in your reservation and not for others. If you are purchasing a vacation package, all tickets for all guests staying on that reservation must be the same. For example if you have booked a family suite at Art of Animation, and your reservation includes four adults and one child, all five park passes will be the same. The same number of park days, and the same, either park hopper or one park per day—whichever you have chosen.
An alternative to this would be to purchase a room only reservation, and purchase your park tickets a la carte. This gives you more flexibility, but it also usually costs more to do it this way. The packages are designed to try and save you money by linking everything together—because again, Disney is trying to entice you to stay on property and to stay as long as possible.
There are many creative ways to manage park passes—if you have a unique situation, contact me and we can discuss. There are a lot of different ways to fly around the world as they say.
Current pricing for park hopper passes (prices shown as a range):
*Note that the table shows a range of ticket prices. This is because currently, Disney is using a date based pricing structure. The price of your Disney park pass depends on the date your pass will first be used. Disney park passes of less than 7 days must be used within 7 days of the first date of use; Disney park passes of longer duration must be used within 14 days of the first date of use. Disney has only issued pricing through the end of 2019. Ticket prices are expected to rise in 2020.
FREE AGENT: PARK HOPPER PLUS
The park hopper plus pass is essentially the park hopper pass with “water park fun and more” added to it. “Water park fun and more” means that you will get a certain number of visits (based on the length of your park hopper pass) to Walt Disney World fun locations including:
Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park
Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park
ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Disney’s Oak Trail Golf Course
Disney’s Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf Course
Disney’s Winter Summerland Miniature Golf Course
For example, if you have a five day Park Hopper Plus pass, you’ll have five days that you can visit Walt Disney World theme parks, including park hopping privileges PLUS you will have 5 visits to “fun” locations in the list above. For each visit, you can choose ONE of the locations in the list.
BEST FOR LONGER TRIPS
The Park Hopper Plus pass is the most expensive of the short term passes but of course, also the most flexible. This pass is a good fit for families that are planning to visit Disney for a week or more, and are planning to build some “non-theme park” days into their vacation. It’s also a good fit if your family enjoys the activities in the list above and will actually use the visits.
It is not a practical purchase for your family if you are visiting for 6 days and purchasing a five day Park Hopper–you won’t have enough time to take advantage of the “Plus” features, and essentially would be wasting your money. Unless you are visiting during a time of year when you are going to be able to take advantage of the water parks, it’s likely not a valuable use of your money. It is also not a practical purchase if your family or group is unlikely to actually use the water parks and mini golf options—don’t waste your money.
However, if you love the water parks, and are visiting when the climate is warm enough that you will actually WANT to go in the water and use the water parks, you may want to consider the Park Hopper Plus option. If you have the time to build in a few “rest” days, the water parks ARE a ton of fun…and even if you don’t love water slides, both parks have a lazy river and lots of places to sit by the water and relax. Just to help you assess the value of the “Water Park Fun and More” add on, here’s some pricing to help you:
Water Park Tickets: $62.84 Child/$69.23 Adult
Miniature Golf: $12 Child/$14 Adult
Oak Trail Golf: $39 per player
Current pricing for park hopper plus passes (prices shown as a range):
*Note that the table shows a range of ticket prices. This is because currently, Disney is using a date based pricing structure. The price of your park pass depends on the date your pass will first be used. Disney park passes of less than 7 days must be used within 7 days of the first date of use; Disney park passes of longer duration must be used within 14 days of the first date of use. Disney has only issued pricing through the end of 2019. Ticket prices are expected to rise in 2020.
CURVE BALL: ANNUAL PASS
Generally speaking, when talking to the casual Disney vacationer, we usually focus on the Disney park pass types above. One category that usually gets completely ignored is the the annual pass. The main reason for this is that annual passes are fairly expensive–generally more expensive than your average one park per day pass or park hopper pass.
However, there are some benefits that come with an annual pass that might make it worth considering purchasing one for one member of your party. It really depends on the length of your trip, whether you want to park hop, if you will have a car on property, how often you visit Disney, how important memory maker is to you and your family, if you are a DVC member or Florida resident, and how much shopping and eating in the parks you do. The current price of an annual pass is $952.11 (including tax). Keep in mind, Florida residents and DVC members are eligible for discounted pricing on annual passes.
Obviously, an annual pass is very expensive. I’m sure a few of you had a heart attack when you saw that number! I know I did, originally–and it was less expensive in those days! There are lots of sites on the Internet that will calculate out for you the ideal number of days of you would need to visit Disney in a calendar year to make it a wise or profitable decision to purchase an annual pass.
However, I tend to look at more than just the number of days and the cost of the pass. There are several benefits that the annual pass gives you that go beyond the simple price per day of the pass. These benefits, in my opinion, carry a LOT of tangible, cost savings benefits, and should be considered, along with the actual cost of the pass. A lot of those websites will tell you if you’re not going to be visiting the parks for at least 12 or 14 days during a 365 period, an annual pass will not be worth the investment. If you strictly look at the price of the pass and you calculate it out by the number of days, those sites might be right…but I believe you should look at more than that.
Here’s a brief list of the official benefits.
Annual Pass Benefits:
Admission for one year to all four Walt Disney World theme parks
Visit up to four theme parks in one day
Parking at the theme parks (savings of $25/day)
Up to 20% discount on select dining
Up to 20% discount on merchandise in park stores and in Shop Disney Parks online
No blackout restrictions
Disney Photopass Downloads for all photos captured during the period the pass is active and tied to the passholder account (Savings of $169 per trip, equivalent of Memory Maker purchase)
Special limited edition merchandise, only available to passholders
Invitations to special events
Occasional “freebies”, only available to passholders
Right off the bat, you can see that there are some categories that could save you significant money. If you will have a car on property, for example, and you intend to park at the parks, you will save $25 per day in parking. Even for a 5-7 day trip, that’s a benefit that adds up quickly.
PHOTOPASS AND MEMORY MAKER
If you usually purchase Memory Maker* (or download Photopass pictures), you will be saving up to $199 per trip. Even if you only visit once during the year–if you’ve rented a car and park at the parks just 4 days (but visit the parks for 8 days total), you’ve already saved $299 off the cost of your pass.And you haven’t even started saving on meals or merchandise yet.
*To clarify the Disney Photopass downloads that are included with the annual pass: Technically, this is not the same thing as the Memory Maker product. The Memory Maker product is a one time purchase, for a specific vacation, for all Photopass pictures and ride videos taken by Disney during that vacation. If you purchase it before your trip, it’s $169; if you purchase it during or after your trip, it’s $199.
If you don’t purchase Memory Maker, and you want to keep or download any of the Disney ride photos, videos or Disney Photopass pictures taken during your vacation, you will have to pay for them individually. Prices start at $14.95 per photo; there are packages available, but generally speaking, they are expensive–Memory Maker is almost always the best value–especially if you try to make sure your family or group takes a lot of Photopass pictures. Memory Maker basically gives you access to your photos online for 30 days, and permission to download them. After that, photos are removed from the online portal.
PhotoPass Magic Shot Minnie Mouse with Linda
With an annual pass, any Disney ride photos, ride videos or Disney Photopass photos associated with the magic band tied to the annual pass are available for download on that person’s My Disney Experience site for the entirety of the year their pass is active. If you take a trip near the end of the life of your pass, your photos are available online for 365 days from the date they are taken. You do not pay for the downloads, you don’t have to order Memory Maker or anything else, the photos are simply in your account, available to download whenever you want them.
If you’ve read any of my other articles, you know that I am a big proponent of both Photopass and Memory Maker. I love pictures. I love photos as souvenirs. I love photos as memories. And I love the Photopass service. I cover both topics in detail in this article.
ANNUAL PASSHOLDER DISCOUNTS
Annual pass holders also can get room discounts. Generally these discounts are offered on a limited short term basis. They can be hard to get before they are gone, but vigilance can really pay off. As a passholder, you will have access to these discounts for 365 days.
If you have an Annual Pass, you can get 10% off most merchandise purchases at the parks–and sometimes 20%. There are some exceptions: some shops aren’t owned by Disney; those shops may not honor the discount. However, even if you just buy a couple of T-shirts or some coffee mugs, you’d be surprised how quickly that discount can add up. Disney does have strict rules–you can’t use your annual pass to purchase merchandise with the intent to resell it or anything like that, or they will rescind your pass. But there have been some years I did a lot of Christmas shopping at Disney, and the discount really helped!
Most Disney restaurants also give 10% (and sometimes 15-20%) off to annual passholders as well. Some quick service restaurants even offer the discount. Tip: if you have an annual pass, ask EVERYWHERE if they offer a discount for annual passholders. I’ve been very surprised by some of the places at Disney that I’ve gotten discounts. One thing to remember: while your Magic Band can serve as your annual pass for park admittance and many other things, you will need your actual annual passholder plastic card to get any of the discounts, so make sure you carry that with you always. Most cast members will ask for your pass and your ID to verify they match before applying the discount.
If you are fortunate enough to be able to visit Disney once every year or so, another way to maximize your savings with an annual pass is to plan your trip for the second year a couple weeks EARLIER, so that it will fall within the 365 days your pass is active. That way, you’d get two trips out of your pass, instead of just one.
Obviously, if your trip is a very brief one, an annual pass may not be a practical investment for you. But if at least a couple of the following items apply to your situation, it might be worth doing the math to see if one annual pass might offer enough savings to make a purchase worthwhile:
You are traveling with a larger family or group
You will be renting (or bringing) a vehicle
You plan to use Photopass
You plan to eat at table service restaurants as a group at least a few times
You expect to purchase souvenirs at Disney owned gift shops at the parks or your resort
Your trip is 5 days or longer
BUT WAIT, WHAT ABOUT THE UNIFORM?
Hopefully, by this point, at least some of your questions about Disney park passes have been answered. But this is usually where a whole bunch of NEW questions come up. “If I buy a 4 day park hopper, how do I get a Magic Band?” or “Is my 3 day one park per day pass going to work the same as a Magic Band?” or “What IS a Magic Band, and do I need one?” I cover Magic Bands in more detail in a different article, but in a nutshell, here’s the basics:
A Disney Magic Band is a waterproof wristband with an embedded RFID chip in that will contain information about you, your resort reservation, your Disney park pass, your Disney Photopass pictures, even your payment information–if you choose to link all those things to your Disney account, and by extension to your Magic Band. They become your hotel room key, your entrance “key” to the parks, your Photopass ID, even your method of payment–simply by touching your Magic Band to the touch point on a door, stanchion or kiosk when directed.
Magic Bands are automatically mailed out by Disney to all Disney resort guests or Annual Passholders. You will have an opportunity to “customize” your bands prior to the mail out date if you want to–if you don’t, the bands will be the default gray color for everyone in your party. Disney does not charge an extra fee for the Magic Bands. If you have added your Disney park pass information to your Disney account, that information is linked to your Magic Bands, and they work as your entrance pass to the parks, as well as your room key, once you’ve checked into the hotel.
You can also purchase specially designed and limited edition Magic Bands in Disney stores and at Disney gift shops and link these bands to your account. These special Magic Bands will then work as your Disney park pass (or room key) as well.
Once you have a Magic Band, you can customize it however you like. The internet is FULL of pictures of people’s customized bands. You can paint them, bedazzle them, attach things to them…You can buy stickers for them , all kinds of stuff. For our wedding trip, I got a package of stickers; we customized our bands and then let the group choose the band stickers they wanted to use.
All Magic Bands do include a little extra “Magic” here and there. For example, when you ride the “It’s a Small World” attraction at Magic Kingdom, there are devices near the end of the ride that are scanning the Magic Bands and will show your name on the signs at the end of the ride. There are lots of little magic touches like that–nothing necessary, but nice little magical bonuses. The bands also help various rides link ride photos to your account. Don’t worry, there is also usually a place at the end of the ride where you can identify your photo and scan your park pass or Magic Band to link your photos.
This is a very old example of a “card” style park pass, but the newer versions are similar. They just don’t have as much information printed on the front.
Note: You do NOT have to have a Magic Band to use your Disney Park Passes to enter the parks. If you are not a Disney Resort Guest, you will be sent a plastic card when you purchase your park pass. It looks a lot like a credit card. It will have a lot of numbers on it. You will enter the numbers on your My Disney Experience account to link your pass to your account. You will use the card to enter the parks if you do not elect to purchase a Magic Band, and you will use your card to scan for Photopass pictures.
WHICH PLAYER IS THE WINNER?
Choosing which Disney Park Passes are right for you and your travel group is a challenge, as you’ve probably realized by now! It’s more than just “how long are we going for?”. Choosing the RIGHT pass takes some planning and some thought (and some budgeting!).
Ultimately, which Disney Park Pass is right for you depends on your unique situation. Your family, your budget, the way you like to travel, etc. Every kind of Disney park pass has its advantages. Which one will be the best player for YOUR Disney vacation depends on YOUR team. In this article, we’ve talked about each type of Disney Park pass, the benefits and drawbacks of each, and included current pricing for each type of pass.
Now it’s up to you. Think about your unique situation, how you like to visit Disney, what your budget concerns are, and how flexible you like your vacations to be. If you need advice, I’m always here to help. Feel free to reach out to me at brooke@disneycastledreaming.com. You can also find me on Facebook at DisneyCastleDreaming, DisCastleDreams on Twitter, and DisneyCastleDreaming on Instagram.
Very exciting news from Walt Disney World today, guys! Disney has officially started “initial testing” for the new Disney Skyliner transportation system this week. There are gondolas IN THE SKY above Hollywood Studios, Epcot and the four resorts that will be served by the Skyliner system. (Disney’s Art of Animation Resort, Disney’s Pop Century Resort, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort, and the new Disney’s Riviera Resort–opening late this year, and now accepting reservations.)
As many of you already know, Disney began construction on the Disney Skyliner transportation system almost a year ago. We’ve seen the towers and the cable lines being put into place as the months have gone by. We’ve seen the stations under construction, and we’ve seen the prototype gondola that Disney showed us at the last D23 event. But gondolas actually in the sky, on the lines–this is very exciting stuff, and a sign that we are getting much closer to be able to ride in the darn things!!!
Disney Skyliner Testing Underway
Disney released this video today when they announced that testing had begun. I love this behind the scenes look at the station at Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort. We get a good look at gondolas loaded into the station, and we start to see how the system will work. Take a look:
Skyliner Gondolas Will Feature Characters from MULTIPLE Disney Movies and Properties
Along with the announcement that testing has begun, Disney also released some new fun sketches of the animation graphics they have planned for the gondolas.
We’d already seen a few sample images, very early on:
Disney Skyliner Gondola Artist Renderings, showing sample graphics that will appear on some gondolas, including Mickey and Minnie, Donald and Goofy, and some Hitchhiking Ghosts.Disney Skyliner Gondola Graphics, featuring Mickey & Minnie and Belle & her Beast
With today’s announcement, Disney also let us know that the Disney Skyliner gondolas will feature a LOT more characters than the images we’ve seen previously.
Disney says that you will hop into a gondola and from the ground, it will look like characters from a variety of Disney movies, Disney cartoons, and movies produced by studios owned by Disney, have joined you for the ride. Instead of just 5- 10 characters in a rotation on some gondolas, as I’d originally thought, it sounds like there will be LOTS of different characters featured on LOTS of the gondolas. For example, we can expect to see characters from:
Classic Disney Cartoon Shorts
The Princess and the Pea
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Toy Story
Guardians of the Galaxy
Moana
Zootopia
Finding Dory
Ratatouille
Peter Pan
Lilo and Stitch
Ralph Breaks the Internet
Monsters Inc.
Pirates of the Caribbean
Frozen
Beauty and the Beast
The Haunted Mansion
Star Wars
Sneak Peek at Some of the New Skyliner Graphics
Disney Skyliner Gondola Graphics, Updated January 2019. New characters include Woody, Buzz and Jessie from Toy Story, C3P0 and R2D2 from Star Wars, Daisy and Donald, and Starlord and Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy.
Pretty cool, eh? I don’t know about all of you, but I’m pretty excited to see the Disney Skyliner system start initial testing. Of course, there is still a long way to go before this system will be ready to transport Disney guests. Disney takes guest and cast safety VERY seriously, so I’m confident that they are going to test this system VERY thoroughly. It will be a while before any people ever get a chance to ride it, even in a testing capacity. However, I can’t wait until until we start hearing reports of testing with actual passengers!
On Schedule for Fall 2019 Opening?
I think we will see Disney meet, if not actually “beat” their target Fall 2019 opening date. That’s assuming all the testing goes well. Based on the pictures I’ve seen from around WDW, along with this announcement today from Disney, I’d say they’re on track for the Disney Skyliner gondola transportation system to open on schedule this Fall. Hopefully, it won’t be long before we get a more concrete date than “Fall 2019”.
I’m hoping for VERY early fall myself. I suspect Disney will want the Skyliner system up and running for a while before Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens, don’t you? If I were a gambling woman, I’d bet that a LOT of Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge guests will be excited to use the Skyliner. I know I will be!
Disney Skyliner Gondola Featuring Star Wars Characters
So what do you think? Are you ready to take a ride on a Disney Skyliner gondola? Are you excited to hear that Disney Skyliner testing has started?
If you’d like to take a look at any of my previous articles about the Disney Skyliner system, you can find themhere, here, and here.
Happy Dreaming!
Brooke
email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com today to start planning your next Disney adventure!
For lots of Disney fans, EVERY year is a good year to visit Disney World. In fact, if you ask me, almost every month of every year has lots of terrific reasons to visit Disney World!
Freezing at Disney?
I never met a Disney day I didn’t like. Croaking hot or freezing cold. Crowded, rainy, crabby people, phone calls from the office, giant group, or just me and my husband–never matters. I always love my time at Disney. (Of course, I might be just a LITTLE crazy, so there’s that).
However, this year, a lot of die hard Disney fans are deciding to wait to visit Walt Disney World until 2020, wanting to ensure their next trip includes the long anticipated Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. I don’t blame them at all. If Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is a MAIN attraction for your next trip to Disney, I am recommending 2020 to a lot of my Disney travelers.
Right now, it looks like Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge will open at Disneyland in California some time this summer. Hopeful reports say June…more practical reports are anticipating July or August. I suspect we’ll know more by March or April. At Disney’s Hollywood Studios in Florida, early reports predicted late October/early November, but more recent reports have indicated December is more likely. Again, we’ll know more later this year.
However, Disney has SO much more to offer than Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, especially THIS year. Yes, I’m SUPER excited that Galaxy’s Edge is coming and I’m DYING to check it out, but that doesn’t mean that 2019 isn’t still the PERFECT time to visit Disney World. Here are my Top 5 Reasons to Visit Disney World in 2019.
Ticket Prices
Disneyland raised its ticket prices a few days ago. I’m sure there are a variety of reasons behind this decision. Most of you are probably aware that ticket prices have been steadily increasing at BOTH Disneyland and Walt Disney World every year for quite a while now. Here are a few things to consider:
Disney has invested more money in BOTH Disneyland, California Adventure AND Walt Disney World in the last 10 years (adjusted for inflation) than they have at any other time in the Company’s history. Toy Story Land opened to record crowds and crazy long lines. Pandora’s VERY popular Flight of Passage attraction continues to routinely attract crowds and lines in excess of 90 minutes. While the Toy Story franchise is of course much beloved, it doesn’t hold a candle to the popularity of Star Wars. Avatar’s fan base is tiny in comparison to Star Wars and while it will probably grow over time as more films are released, it will never touch the popularity of Star Wars. I do believe Disney’s Pandora (as a land) will grow it’s own fan base, separate and distinct from the Avatar movie franchise, but again, a drop in the ocean against the size of the Star Wars fanbase. And of course, there are are tens of thousands of Star Wars fans that are not necessarily “Disney” fans or Disney theme park fans that will be VERY interested in Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge…and may discover a previously undiscovered love of Disney in the process. (I suspect there is more than one executive at Disney betting their bonus on this possibility!)
Star Wars is a unique phenomenon in fandom. It has fans from all over the world, in almost all age groups, and in most ethnic groups. Star Wars fans are passionate and voracious for new Star Wars “stuff” and Disney hasn’t been the number one leader in entertainment for the last fifty years without learning a few things about how to provide new “stuff” and how to make lots of money related to all that new “stuff”. Disney has gambled BIG with their acquisition of LucasFilms and the Star Wars franchise, and they’ve had some major victories as well as some pretty significant setbacks. They have invested BILLIONS in these theme park expansions, and while I fully expect they will earn BILLIONS more as a result, that’s going to take a while. And Disney is a publicly traded company–some of you probably own stock.
Disney has shareholders to keep happy–and shareholders like to see VERY healthy bottom lines. So in the short term, I personally think Disney theme parks is going to justify (and help offset) those giant investments and shore up profit margins with higher ticket prices, merchandise prices and probably resort prices heading into late 2019 and 2020. (I think this is also why we have so many feature films on the docket this year. Disney movies tend to be VERY profitable and make lots and lots of money!)
Movies…boy, do we have movies…
Note: Disney’s fiscal year is unusual–it runs October through September instead of January through December like many companies. Disney’s fourth quarter ends with September.
What does this mean for you, and why do I think you should visit Disney this year? While I do suspect Walt Disney World ticket prices will see another ticket price increase later this year, I believe ticket prices are set for right now, especially in packages. Disney World released their “date based” ticket pricing last fall, and scheduled ticket prices right up through mid December 2019. I’m hopeful that indicates that tickets prices will hold steady through most of the year.
Planning ahead is always best, and booking sooner rather than later will always protect your pricing–this holds true for trips next year as well. Plan your trip as early as you can–lock your prices in early. If prices decrease, you can usually get the discounts added, especially if you work with a Disney travel agent (like me 😉), but if they increase, you won’t have to pay the higher prices. Ticket prices are lower now than they are likely to be next year: a great reason to visit Disney World in 2019!
Lighter Crowds
The reality is that many people will not have the budget to visit this year AND next year–and SO many people will want to make sure to visit Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, they’ll be planning their trips to Walt Disney World for late 2019 or 2020. Which means you, my savvy traveler, can benefit from lighter crowds (in theory at least) THIS year.
It’s a beautiful day to be at the Magic Kingdom! Let’s pretend the crowds will be this light ALL DAY!
I’m not promising empty streets and no lines…those days are long gone, I’m afraid. And of course there are TONS of families that just don’t care about Star Wars (REALLY??? Who ARE these people??? Just Kidding). BUT, the numbers don’t lie, and current resort bookings support lighter crowds at this point for much of the year. Of course that can change at any time, especially as Disney adds special promotions designed to attract higher crowds. [FREE DINING, anyone?]
But lots of folks have already booked their trips for next year and aren’t likely to move them. And here’s the real hardcore truth: this year is probably the last year where the crowds won’t be just BANANAS all the time. If you look at how aggressively Disney has been adding resorts, expanding resorts, partnering with local “good neighbor” hotels–they are anticipating a LARGE increase in visitor volumes in the coming years, once Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens.
Here’s my thoughts on all this expansion: all those lovely people occupying all those lovely rooms are NOT going to be spending ALL their time (and money) inside Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge. They ARE going to visit the rest of Hollywood Studios and the other three parks. They won’t be able to resist the MAGIC. We have all known it for years…The magic of Disney is irresistible. They will attracted to a particular character or attraction and they will visit a park “just for a little while to check it out” and twelve hours later, they’ll still be there. It’s happened to all of us. It’s the magic of Disney. And what it means is that crowd volumes won’t just rise in Hollywood Studios for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge…they will rise EVERYWHERE.
There simply will be no more “lighter crowd” periods, I suspect. Of course, I could be wrong. But Disney is adding capacity for thousands of additional hotel rooms. THOUSANDS. And Disney resorts, for the most part, tend to stay at 80% or better capacity most of the time–and they usually don’t have to work too hard to do it.
c Disney. Artist Rendering of Disney’s Riviera Resort, the 15th DVC Property, expected to include 300 family villas. And this is just ONE of the new resorts they’re working on…
Bottom line: Unless you are a fan of wall to wall crowds, you may want to plan a visit for this year just to bask in the glory of what will soon be fond memories of “normal” crowds and the “good old days”.
I trust Disney, and I am sure they have lots of creative ideas up their sleeve to help with crowd management…but I also know the reality is that “if you build it, they will come”…and Disney has built it, and THEY are COMING. 😉 So visit this year if you can…before they get here!
Special Celebrations
Mickey and Minnie Birthday Celebration
This year features several new limited time celebrations you won’t want to miss. First up: Mickey and Minnie’s Surprise Celebration. This begins January 18, 2019 and finds Mickey and Minnie at the Magic Kingdom wearing their fabulous new 90th birthday outfits. The “Move It! Shake! MousekeDance It! Street Party” has been updated for the celebration, and Magic Kingdom will feature new merchandise and specialty food and beverages in honor of our favorite duo. You’ll also be able to meet both Minnie and Mickey together, in their birthday outfits, at the Town Square Theatre! I’m a sucker for Mickey and Minnie together, so this is a MUST DO for me!
Linda and Brooke with Mickey and Minnie at Animal Kingdom
Disney’s Hollywood Studios turns 30! This year marks the 30th Anniversary of Disney’s Hollywood Studios (though it was originally called MGM Studios, and was conceptually quite different than the park we have today…sigh), and Disney is planning to honor this anniversary all year with a special logo and of course, special anniversary merchandise. There will also be a new “Party with Pixar Pals” at Disney’s Hollywood Studios starting January 18, 2019, where you can celebrate the 30th Anniversary with the Incredibles at a Dance Party–and you’ll be able to meet Edna Mode, as well as other Pixar favorites, like Mike and Sully from Monsters, Inc. and Woody, Buzz Lightyear and Jessie from Toy Story.
Edna Mode at Hollywood Studios
The Lion King turns 25 this year, and not only do we have the new live action movie to look forward to, we have a 25th anniversary celebration happening at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, starting January 18, 2019. Rafiki and Timon will lead guests in dances and games during the Hakuna Makata Time Dance Party on Discovery Island.
Farewell to Illuminations
If you are a fan of Epcot’s long running nighttime show, Illuminations: Reflections of Earth (It’s been running since October 1999!), it is scheduled to end sometime during the second half of 2019. We don’t have a final performance date yet; hopefully Disney will give us some advance warning before this beloved show goes dark–but if you want to see it one last time, don’t wait too long–you won’t be able to see it in 2020.
Epcot Illuminations Reflections of Earth
Disney will of course be presenting a new nighttime show at Epcot, but we do not have any information about the new show yet.
This one is pretty tough for me. Frank and I love Illuminations, and on our wedding day, we hosted a dessert party for our guests so that everyone could watch it together. It was really magical and is a memory I will never forget… I am definitely sad that this show will be no more.
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I still haven’t recovered from Wishes being replaced. {sigh}. I may have an issue with change. 😉 Or I’m really sentimental. Or a combination of both…
New Attractions
Believe it or not, Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge is not the ONLY new thing on the horizon. There are some other really big things coming, especially if you look ahead to 2021 and 2022. (Guardians of the Galaxy and Tron roller coasters, a Ratatouille attraction…lots of good stuff ahead…)
But there are some exciting things happening THIS year, too!
c Disney Jaleo Disney Springs Artist Rendering
At Disney Springs, there is a new restaurant coming. (Ok, that’s not necessarily an attraction unless you’re a foodie, but I’m excited about it, so I’m sharing). It’s called “Jaleo”. It is coming to us from Chef Jose Andres and will bring the flavors of Spain. The new restaurant will feature Spanish tapas style food and a lively atmosphere. Sounds like a winner to me!
Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
Mickey and Minnie’s Runaway Railway is opening later this year at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. This is officially the first EVER ride through attraction featuring Mickey and Minnie Mouse. I’m not sure how I feel about this one, but I’m hopeful.
c Disney Artist Rendering Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Railway
It’s replacing the Great Movie Ride, which has left a GIANT hole in my heart, but the Studios really needs another attraction, and I’m hoping it will be cheerful and fun and that kids will love it.
Also at Hollywood Studios this spring, Lightning McQueen is bringing his new “Racing Academy to town this spring. This will be a show featuring Lightning McQueen, and will hopefully be lots of fun for CARS fans.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios is also getting a new cinematic nighttime experience…hopefully to put a little Hollywood back into the studios. This show is also part of the anniversary celebration, and will begin on the actual anniversary date, May 1, 2019. It’s called “Wonderful World of Animation” and uses technology to take us through 90 years of animation–back to where it all started…with a mouse.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios’ Wonderful World of Animation
I’m pretty excited about this show. I saw the special Star Wars show last May 4th (may the fourth be with you) and was BLOWN away by what Disney did with technology. Hopefully they are breaking more new ground with this Animation show.
Disney Skyliner: I’m not sure this REALLY counts as an attraction as it’s considered “transportation”, but it should! (In my opinion, anyway!) I am SO excited to see these gondolas in action. What an amazing way to move from the Studios to Epcot! As a reminder, we don’t have a concrete opening date yet; all we know is “Fall“. Gondolas have been seen on site at construction locations and we’ve heard that preliminary testing of the cables is happening. It’s all very exciting.
Disney Skyliner Gondola animation graphics showing what the gondolas will look like
Top 5 Reasons to Visit Disney World in 2019
So there you have them: my top 5 reasons to visit Disney World in 2019. I actually have a much longer list, and had a difficult time paring it down! To summarize: if you CAN visit in 2019, I highly recommend it. Ticket prices are going to be climbing in the coming years. Make your reservations for travel this year before ticket prices rise.
Crowds are going to be lighter in 2019 than they will be for the foreseeable future. Once Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge opens up, crowd levels are likely to set new records. I suspect those crowd levels will stay high for many years to come.
There are quite a few special celebrations happening this year. Most celebrations are starting in January and will continue throughout the year. Visit this year to enjoy these limited 2019 celebrations.
Epcot’s Illuminations: Reflections of Earth is ending later this year. 2019 is definitely your last opportunity to see this show if you love it. We don’t have a final end date yet; however, Disney has confirmed the show will end in the second half of 2019.
And finally, there are several new attractions opening in 2019. Don’t you want to be among the first to check out these new attractions?
Are you considering a trip to WDW for 2019? What are YOUR top 5 reasons?
The good news? Disney has recognized that the near constant high volume of crowds has dampened some fans’ enthusiasm for Disney’s beloved theme parks. Over the last couple of years, Disney has piloted a few different ideas to offer visitors the opportunity to visit their favorite park or parks with significantly lower crowds, and the “After Hours” events seem to have won the battle, at least for the short term, as Disney has recently announced a slew of new Disney After Hours Events dates for 2019.
The bad news? Disney has also recognized that many fans are willing to pay a premium for that “lower crowd level” experience. Based on Disney’s raging success with the Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Parties and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Parties, Disney already had a fairly good idea that some guests would be willing to purchase an extra ticket to attend a “special event” at the Magic Kingdom–but they weren’t sure if that willingness would extend beyond special holiday themed parties or beyond the Magic Kingdom.
Last year, Disney tried several experimental “After Hours” events, with varying degrees of success. Early reviews from attendees raved about the low crowd levels, and being able to walk on favorite rides (something I remember from the early days of the MVMCP and MNSSHP, too) and taking pictures of an almost empty park near the end of the night… But those events were very limited, not publicized a great deal, and in many cases, priced significantly lower than these new offerings.
In the current round of After Hours events, there are dates scheduled through April 2019, and events are being held at three of the four theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios.
Here’s a video Disney has released from a recent Disney After Hours Event at Animal Kingdom:
The Bottom Line: What Does An After Hours Event Cost?
Tickets for each Disney After Hours Event are $125 per person + tax if purchased in advance. Tickets purchased the day of the event will be $129 per person + tax. Discounts are available for Annual Passholders and DVC Members. Contact me for more information.
Technically, this is officially a three hour event. The event begins when the regular park day “ends” and runs for three hours after that. Guests without After Hours event tickets will not be permitted to enjoy the After Hours events or attractions.
What’s Included in my Disney After Hours Event Ticket?
Enjoy the parks after dark with an After Hours event ticket!
There is some really good news about these events, in addition to the lower crowds and easy access to your favorite rides.
Ice Cream, popcorn and select beverages are included in your Disney After Hours Event Ticket. (Most likely “beverages” is limited to soft drinks).
Your After Hours event ticket will grant you access to the park where your event takes place as early as 7 pm–so if your park “closes” at 11 pm that day, that’s an extra four hours of park time you’ll be able to enjoy on your park ticket, in addition to the three hours of “After Hours” event time. BUT, there are some event days where the park closes at 8 pm, so you’ll only be getting 1 extra hour. It’s important to consider the total amount of time you’ll have in the park when determining if this ticket will have value for you and your family.
Character Greetings with little or no lines! If you are a person who enjoys Character Greetings, but hates sacrificing valuable park time to stand in lines for Characters, you may really enjoy the short lines or no lines to be found at the Character Greetings at After Hours events.
There are usually some “special” After Hours “experiences, including Dance Parties, unique Character Greetings or Streetmosphere.
Some quick service places will be open during each party, so you will have some options for late night dining if you are so inclined.
Generally speaking as these events run pretty late into the night, there will be fewer very young children and strollers in the mix. These events are not being actively marketed as adults only, but there are no discounts for children ages 3-9, which is a fairly good indicator that Disney does not expect much participation from that age group.
With some proper planning, you can sleep in the day of the event and have a mostly “lazy day” and not spend a “park ticket” day on the day of the event, enter the park at 7 pm and stay until the party ends to maximize your value. If you’re an annual passholder, this doesn’t really help, but if you’re purchasing park passes or a package, you could theoretically, reduce your ticket package by one day.
If you are someone who struggles with large crowds or too much overstimulation from all the noise associated with the crazy mid day crowds, you may discover the later night lighter crowds are much more comfortable for you.
What Dates Are Available?
Animal Kingdom: January 8, 16, 22 and 31, 2019; and February 5, 6, 12, 13, 19 and 26, 2019; and March 5, 20 and 27, 2019; and April 3, 2019.
Magic Kingdom: The event takes place from 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM on the following dates: March 21 and 28, 2019; and April 4 and 11, 2019.
The event takes place from 9:00 PM to midnight on the following dates: February 14 and 21, 2019 and March 7, 2019.
The event takes place from 8:00 PM to 11:00 PM on the following dates: January 7, 17, 24, and 28, 2019; February 7 and 28, 2019.
Hollywood Studios: January 5, 12 and 19, 2019; February 2, 9 and 16, 2019; March 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30, 2019; and April 6 and 13, 2019.
Disney After Hours Events: Are They Worth It?
Short answer? It depends. You’ve heard me say it before, and I’m sure you will hear me say it again–everything is relative, based on what is important to you and your family or travel group. It also depends on your financial situation, and what kind of park ticket or vacation package you’ve purchased.
For me personally, lower crowds and shorter lines are becoming a higher priority. Having a day to sleep late on vacation? That might also be a nice change. I’m not sure it’s worth $125, though.
I love the idea of getting more pictures without hundreds of strangers in them, especially for the blog. And I would like to attend a couple of parties as the year goes on to see what changes Disney makes. I’m just not sure 3 hours is enough time to really justify the expense. I feel that three hours with light crowds is probably enough time (although for me personally…10 hours would probably never be enough, much to my poor husband’s chagrin!), but I think $125 is a pretty high price for three hours. Of course, that’s probably the point. If it was affordable for everyone, you wouldn’t have the lighter crowds and shorter lines they’re promising. So they don’t WANT to sell this to everyone. They want to sell this to a few thousand people for each party and that’s it.
I think for me personally, it would be worth it. At least so I can report back to all of you! 😉
What do you think? Do you think Disney After Hours Events would be worth it for you and your family? Are you anxious to attend one? Please comment below, I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Happy Dreaming!
Brooke
P.S. If you are interested in booking tickets for a Disney After Hours Event, I can book them for you. We can add them to an existing package, look for discounts, and/or book them all on their own. Email brooke@disneycastledreaming.com to get started.
Very exciting news today! Disney launched Free Dining and other offers that might interest you if you are planning a Disney vacation for later this year.
As you may already be aware, Free Dining is a VERY popular Disney vacation discount program that MANY vacationers wait to plan their trips around. This is the earliest that Disney has announced a Free Dining offer in recent memory. In addition, this particular offer includes dates from July 5 – September 30, 2019. It’s pretty unusual for Disney to include ANY portion of the summer in their Free Dining promotions, so this year’s offer is an especially big deal.
In addition to Free Dining, Disney also released some 30% off room discounts for May 28-September 30.
Mickey Greets Special Guests at Magic Kingdom
Details: Free Dining
If you purchase a 5 night/6 day Disney World travel package by February 10, 2019 that includes a room at a select Walt Disney World Resort hotel and a ticket with a Park Hopper or Park Hopper Plus option with your planned arrival between July 5 and September 30, 2019, you can get a FREE dining plan added to your package for each guest on the reservation. Note: this promotion is available for reservations with a minimum of 4 nights/4 days. Other package lengths are available.
If your chosen resort is a Disney Deluxe Resort or a Disney Deluxe Villa Resort, you will get the Disney Dining Plan. If you choose a Disney Value Resort or a Disney Moderate Resort, you will get the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan.
Reservations MUST be booked by February 10, 2019, and the number of rooms allocated for this offer are limited. This promotion cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.
Details: 30% Room Discount
If you book your reservation by March 24, 2019, you can save up to 30% for stays most nights, May 28 – September 30, 2019. If you would like to travel sooner, you can save up to 25% for stays most nights, April 28 – May 27, 2019; those reservations would just need to be booked by the last day of the promotion, May 27. This offer is based on 2 adults per room; the full discount is for the Deluxe resorts; Value and Moderate resorts will have lesser discounts available.
The number of rooms allocated for this promotion is limited. This promotion cannot be combined with any other discount or promotion.
The Fine Print
As with any promotion or discount, there are always exclusions and restrictions. Certain room types, resorts, or restaurants may be excluded from the Free Dining promotion. Similarly, some resorts and room types are excluded from the Room Discount promotion.
More importantly, though, is that not every discount is right for every person or family. It’s important to weigh how YOU visit Disney, what your priorities are, WHEN you visit, and evaluate any and all discounts that might be available to you when you are ready to plan.
One of the advantages of working with an authorized Disney Vacation Planner is that we have access to ALL the available discounts out there at any one time, whether Disney is actively promoting them or not. We can run comparisons for you to determine what you’ll save by booking your trip with one promotion or another. There is no cost to you to work with an authorized Disney Vacation planner to plan your vacation, and often, we have access to discounts or resort information that is not available to the general public. Working with an authorized Disney Vacation Planner will always save you headaches and aggravation, and will usually save you money as well!
In addition, we have the ability to monitor our reservations and as new promotions are released, update those reservations when it will save our customers money. For example, for all my clients that have reservations booked with me for later this year, we’ve already looked at the free dining promotion to see if it makes sense for them–and where it did, we’ve made the changes.
Toy Story Land’s Slinky Dog Dash
Act Quickly
The response to the Free Dining promotion today was incredible. Disney’s servers crashed around noon, and it took several hours for them to get back to normal. They anticipated high demand, but I don’t think they were quite prepared for how popular this promotion would be when it was announced. Based on the volume of inquiries the system handled today, it would not surprise me if records were set.
The moral of the story is that if you are strongly considering taking advantage of either of these new promotions, or if you at least want to price out a trip using the promotions, I highly recommend you act very quickly. You can reserve any reservation for 48 hours before a deposit is required, so if you’re even 80% sure, I suggest you reach out and get a quote going. I suspect that unless Disney plans to expand the promotion(s), these will sell out and close out very quickly.
What to Consider When You Consider Free Dining
Many Disney vacationers LOVE the Disney Dining Plan. They love being able to budget and essentially “prepay” for the majority of their meals before their trip, and know that they won’t need to spend a whole lot of money on food during their vacation. If you fall into this category, and are already a fan of the Disney Dining Plan or the Disney Quick Service Dining Plan, and are already accustomed to making Advanced Dining Reservations 180 days before your trip, you are likely a good candidate for the Free Dining Promotion.
Conversely, if you tend to order in groceries, and eat a lot of meals in your room, or pack picnic lunches for your family to enjoy at the parks, you are most likely NOT a good candidate for the Free Dining Promotion.
It’s important to think about how your family dines on a Disney vacation. Do you eat in sit down restaurants for most meals? Do you eat primarily quick service meals? Do you do many character meals? Do any members of your family routinely share meals? Does your family like to snack? Are you big Mickey Bar or Popcorn fans? Are you comfortable planning your meals in advance?
While the promotion is called “Free” Dining, it’s also important to recognize that by getting the dining package for “free”, you are paying full price for your room and park tickets. You are saving a LOT of money on meals, so it is a substantial savings in many, many cases–but again, it’s really important to evaluate how YOU and YOUR family vacations.
If you tend to eat more meals in the room, or pack picnic lunches, you likely will get a bigger savings from a room or package discount that does NOT include free dining.
Again, I strongly recommend speaking with an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner like myself to help you identify the best vacation package for your family.
If you have any questions, or would like to get quotes on any packages or vacation dates, please email me at brooke@disneycastledreaming.com. You can also reach me on Facebook or Instagram, also at DisneyCastleDreaming.
Good News!! We’ve got an update for January 2019 on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge!
Happy New Year Everyone!!! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season and are racing into 2019 eager to plan your next Disney adventure.
Disney has released it’s latest update on Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge with a fun Behind the Scenes video. Check it out below:
While Disney is still being relatively elusive about actual opening dates, this video does include some new footage that seems to show actual ride tests and potentially marketing videos being shot in at least a partially completed Galaxy’s Edge (most likely Disneyland, since it’s slated to open first).
Did this video get you more excited about Galaxy’s Edge? I got goosebumps in a couple of places. I really think they’ve raised the level of Imagineering with this “land” to a whole new Stratosphere, based on what we’ve seen so far. I have been so impressed by what Imagineers did with Pandora at Animal Kingdom, and it doesn’t have one-tenth of the investment, size, intellectual property, fan base, and commitment from Disney that Star Wars has. I just can’t wait to walk into Galaxy’s Edge for the first time.
That does it for this January update for Star Wars: Galaxy’s Edge, but hey, it’s only January 2nd. With any luck, I’ll be back with more Galaxy’s Edge news very soon!
I will keep you posted as Disney releases more information!
Are you wondering if a Disney Cruise Line Wedding or Vow Renewal might be the right choice for you and your partner? Check out the positives and negatives of a Disney Cruise Line Wedding or Vow Renewal.
The holiday season is upon us once again, and a wonderful side effect of the holidays is often lots of proposals and newly engaged couples. I’m looking forward to hearing about all the new engagements as we head into the end of the year…but in the meantime, knowing that we will have some new brides and grooms entering in the mix got me thinking about wedding planning, and one of the questions I’m hearing more often these days:
Could a Disney Cruise Wedding be Right for Me?
In today’s fast past world of WAY TOO BUSY to breathe, let alone plan a wedding, a Disney Cruise Wedding may in fact be the perfect solution for many couples who are wanting a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding, but aren’t really wanting to do much planning or coordinating.
I just added a pretty detailed article to the Disney Weddings & Proposals section of the site about Disney Cruise Weddings, you can check it out here if you are looking for details and pricing. I go into this topic in lots of depth there, but here are some brief highlights:
Potential Positives:
Picture courtesy of David and Vicky Arndt Photography, in my opinion, some of the BEST Orlando area photographers–and VERY experienced at working with Disney and Disney couples.
Disney Cruise Line is consistently rated one of the top large cruise lines in the world.
The Disney Cruise Line Wedding package is just that–a package, with most details pre-planned. There are a few categories where you make a few choices, and that’s all you need to do. Everything else is taken care of.
You are assigned an onboard wedding coordinator that you will meet with on Embarkation Day and they will work with you to ensure your wedding goes smoothly.
This is a great way to combine your wedding (or vow renewal) and your honeymoon and/or family vacation into one trip and one budget.
Of all the Disney Fairy Tale Weddings, this is one of Disney’s most affordable Wedding packages, so if a “Disney” wedding is important to you, this might be an avenue worth exploring if budget is an issue. Of course, a cruise reservation is required.
A Disney Cruise Line wedding is classic, elegant, simple and a little glamorous–without breaking the bank or costing you your sanity as you try to plan lots of details.
There’s no real “reception” in a Cruise Line wedding. You have a cake and champagne celebration, and then everyone goes back to enjoying their cruise. No first dance, no uncomfortably standing around wishing you could get back to the beach.
You can get married on the beach or dock on Castaway Cay, or on the ship in a few different locations. (Getting married on Castaway Cay is more expensive than getting married on the ship).
You are a “Disney Fairy Tale Wedding” couple, and can book a Disney Fairy Tale Wedding Bridal Portrait shoot in one (or more) of the parks within one year of your wedding (for an extra fee).
While photography packages are available for additional fees, the services themselves are not provided by Disney Fine Art Photography–they are provided by Cruise Line Photographers.
There is no real “reception” in a Cruise Line wedding. There is a cake and champagne celebration following the ceremony; however, it’s not a long event–time enough for toasts, cake cutting, some pictures and enjoying some cake and then it’s over. I have this as both a pro and a con—where it falls for you will be a matter of your personal preference and priorities.
Disney Cruise Line is a high end cruise line, and priced accordingly.
If you are someone who likes to plan every detail and be in constant contact with your planner, a cruise line wedding will not be a good fit for you.
Your onboard ceremony is not actually legal, so you are married in a civil ceremony in Port before the ship departs on your cruise.
Every guest you want to attend your wedding will need a cruise reservation and a passport.
I think Disney Cruise Weddings are actually perfect for a lot of couples, and even more perfect as a vow renewal. If you would like more information, please check out my more detailed article on Disney Cruise Weddings in the Disney Weddings and Proposals section of the site.
Were you one of the hundreds of thousands of Disney fans that played the #ShareYourEars game in Disney’s November campaign to celebrate 90 years of Mickey? If so, YOU ROCK!!!
I had so much fun posting my pictures, and seeing everyone else’s pictures…but the best thing? As a result of the incredibly high number of “ear photos” that were shared, Disney is donating three million (US) dollars to the Make-A-Wish Foundation to help them grant even MORE wishes for critically ill children and their families!
The #ShareYourEars campaign brought Disney fans together from all over the world to show their ears, but also to show their warm hearts and compassion for others. It was so wonderful to see so many people responding to the campaign and finding creative ways to share their ears.
I am such a dork, I love wearing my Disney ears on Disney trips, and I’m always sad to pack them away…it was really fun to dig out lots of “ear” pictures to help Make-A-Wish…and I know many in my family also played along.
The Make a Wish Foundation is a terrific institution, and Disney has been working with them since 1980 to help grant the wishes of children with critical illnesses and their families. Currently, approximately 10,000 Disney wishes are granted EVERY YEAR with Make-A-Wish, helping wish kids replace fear with confidence, sadness with joy and anxiety with hope.
You can learn more about the Make-A-Wish Foundation here.
I feel I would be remiss if I didn’t ALSO mention the amazing Give Kids the World Village in Kissimmee, Florida. Give Kids the World is a very special resort that works with many different “Wish” organizations from around the world that cater to critically ill children and their families, including the Make-A-Wish foundation.
Give Kids the World Village is a non-profit resort that covers 84 acres and provides week-long, cost-free vacations to children with critical illnesses and their families. The Village partners with various organizations to provide children and their families with accommodations in fully furnished villas, transportation, tickets to theme parks, meals, daily entertainment, and much more.
Since 1986, more than 165,000 children and families have had their wishes and dreams fulfilled in this very special Village.
Give Kids the World is consistently rated among the top twenty fiscally responsible charities nationwide by Charity Navigator, who has awarded GKTW their highest designation, the four star rating, ever year since 2005. Of every dollar donated, 93.1 cents goes directly to programs for the children and families that GKTW serves. This is something that is really important to me, so when I donate to charity, this is where my funds go.
