Tag Archives: disney world

New Events at Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party

If you’ve ever been to Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party — Walt Disney World’s tickets-only, after-hours, month-long Christmas bash — then you think you’ve seen it all.  While that’s not entirely untrue – most of the major elements of the party don’t change from year to year – visitors in 2012 can expect to see something a little bit different this year.  Disney Parks site Inside the Magic has, well, the insider’s details on the new things you can expect to see at this year’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Of course the biggest thing on everyone’s minds is the brand new Fantasyland … Continue reading →

New Disney World Attraction: The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow

The cycle is complete: “Pirates of the Caribbean” was a movie based on a classic Disney World ride.  Now there’s a new Disney World attraction based on the movie that was based on the ride.  The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow is a new immersive walk-through at Disney World that opened on December 6.  The Disney Parks released a behind-the-scenes video with the Imagineers detailing the attraction, and the famous talent that helped bring it to life. The centerpiece of the attraction is the virtual image projected onto the deck of a pirate’s ship: that of Captain Jack Sparrow.  But … Continue reading →

Finding Fantasyland Website Mini-Game

Now that Fantasyland is about to debut, I received an email in my Inbox: an invitation to take a Hero’s Journey to discover the new Fantasyland.  This was per my sign up from the New Fantasyland website. Taking the Hero’s Journey doesn’t tell us a lot about the new Fantasyland, but it’s a cute story nonetheless.  Visiting the site sucks guests into the story, telling about how the villains came to Fantasyland, stole powerful talismans, and obscured them with their magic (which just so happens to take the shape of a big puffy purple mist, just like in Disney-ABC’s “Once … Continue reading →

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival 2011

The Epcot Food & Wine Festival is just around the corner, so that means it’s time to look at what events are on the schedule this year. The festival runs from September 30 to November 13, and you can bet that those weeks are the ones I most wish to visit Orlando. Some of the F&W special parties require ticketing in advance. For a list of the most exclusive for which, if you’re interested, you ought to book now, check out my previous article here. Other events, while they do require that ahead-of-time admission, happen often enough or are large … Continue reading →

Fun for Grown-Ups at Disney: Epcot

Given that Disney World is a family friendly park there aren’t a lot of places there that are exclusive for adults. Today I’ve decided to focus on somewhere that, although it contains plenty for kids as well, would also make a fun day out for grown-ups. Many of the Epcot attractions I’ll look at might also appeal to some kids, but I tried to choose things that would better hold an adult’s interest. When I think of Epcot the World Showcase comes first to mind. Epcot is home to pavilions dedicated to 11 different countries from across the globe. Each … Continue reading →

Mousejunkies: One Man’s Life at Disney World

Today I’m looking at the second of the three books my mother bought me about Disney World vacations. This time around it’s the multi-titled “Mousejunkies! Tips, Tales, and Tricks for Disney World Fix: all you need to know for a perfect vacation” by Bill Burke. I’d call Burke’s book a proto-blog, but it was published in 2009 and thus right at the height of the blogosphere’s popularity. I want to name it that because like “Mini Mickey,” “Mousejunkies” is essentially a review of a Disney World vacation, containing looks at all the relevant restaurants, attractions, and hotels. “Mini Mickey,” however, … Continue reading →

Mini Mickey: The Ultimate Disney World Travel Guide

Learn how to avoid the crowds This weekend my family and I engaged in an activity along with many others across the country: raiding the clearance sales at Borders. I’m devastated at the mega-bookstore’s demise, but that didn’t stop me from seeing what books I could obtain. Before I made a separate trip to the store with my mother, she gifted me with three books she’d bought there earlier in the day (thanks, Mom!) They’re all unofficial guides to Disney World. Between them the three contain myriad tips on taking a Disney vacation: how to find the best savings, how … Continue reading →

International Day of Forests at the Animal Kingdom

When I was in third grade I had my future career decided: zoology. I loved animals but didn’t think I could handle many of the messier aspects of veterinary medicine, so I decided I would study animals from a strict scientific viewpoint instead. Although my skill set ended up steering me away from any future career in the sciences, I’ve never lost that inherent love of learning about animals. That explains why Disney’s Animal Kingdom is my favorite part of Disney World, and why I’m always so excited to share what’s new with the park. On Wednesday July 27 the … Continue reading →

Dreamers Academy Applications and King of the Elves

Today I have two very different news stories to share; the one is brief, but important, so I just matched it up with the other story I planned on running. For the first one: wdwinfo.com has the scoop that applications are now being accepted for the 2012 class of the Disney Dreamers Academy. A quick refresher into the Disney Dreamers Academy: it’s a joint venture by Disney World, actor/writer/comedian Steve Harvey, and Essence Magazine to promote youth education. Around 100 youth are chosen every year to visit Disney World for four days free of charge. While there they’ll of course … Continue reading →

Disney Youth Programs

Your kids could learn physics from a roller coaster Three times now I’ve written about special events offered by Disney World under the Disney Youth Programs division: Grad Nite/Senior Class Trip, STEP Classic, and Festival Disney. So what is Disney Youth Programs itself? Its official website doesn’t have an “about” section, but perhaps that’s because the name of the department is rather self-explanatory. Disney Youth Programs is the banner under which the Disney Parks offer a multitude of deals, discounts, and opportunities for youth groups and organizations. Youth Programs falls under four main categories: Performing Arts, Education, Celebrations, and Field … Continue reading →