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John and Donna Gross "The Full Mickey - At a Discount!" The Wall Street Journal
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Cinderella’s Holiday Wish Returns to Magic Kingdom Park Nov.
4
Sneak Peek: Holidays at the Disneyland Resort Begins November 14
Disney World’s Cinderella Castle projection show to feature holiday
segment
Guide to Halloween at the attractions
Disney World ends free trick-or-treating event at Downtown Disney
Dr. Facilier stars in revamped Disney Halloween Party villains
show
Photo tour: New candy patch at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween
Party
Which Disney Halloween costumes are expected to be most popular?
Photo tour: Disney World’s Magic Kingdom dressed up for
Halloween
What’s new, different at 2011 Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween
Party
Florida gets its dark side on with Halloween events around the
state
Disney Season: The Holidays
Early birds can take photos with tropical Santa at Walt Disney World Swan
and Dolphin
Fourth of July to Rock the Skies above Walt Disney World Resort With Special
Fireworks Shows at Three Parks
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Resources
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Where to find Santa Claus at Walt Disney World
Star-Studded Entertainment Lineup and Magical Parade Floats Make the Season
Bright During the 27th Annual ‘Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade’
Telecast on ABC-TV
Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin offers holiday activities worth a
visit
How to make the most of Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party with
kids
Decorate (and Save!) in Disney Style
Moments to watch for at Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party
Mariah Carey to tape Christmas Day parade, website reports
Thanksgiving Secrets from Disney Floral & Gifts
Holiday Harbor Nights at Loews Portofino Bay Hotel at Universal Orlando
Resort set for Friday, November 26
SeaWorld Orlando: Polar Express Experience ready for guests
Disney Stores to host Halloween parties Friday, Saturday
Sneak a peek at ideas for adding Disney magic to your Halloween decorating,
baking
Happy Haunting! returns Oct. 30-31 to Downtown Disney
Get your Halloween thrills, chills at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
campground
Halloween Costume Photo Contest - Amazing Disney Prizes!
Tips for navigating Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party with
kids
Disney Store expects ‘Tangled’ costumes to be Halloween
hit
Disney Calendar of events: September-October 2010
Make mom feel special with these Mother's Day specials
St. Patrick’s Day parties in Orlando
Thinking Valentine's Day getaway, try these Florida options
Send Your Child a Personalized Message From Santa courtesy of Disney!
Put your child's name on Santa's list. Upload your child's photo and Santa
will send him or her a personalized video message.
Disney's Epcot offers a tradition framed by candlelight
Holiday events: Ah, Christmas in Florida
Theme parks' holiday music warms our hearts
Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party online
Can't-miss holiday gifts for the traveler in your life
Parades, Fireworks Galore Head Entertainment Lineup on New Year’s
Eve at Walt Disney World Resort
Celebrating the ‘Season of Giving,’ 26th Annual 'Disney Parks
Christmas Day Parade' Broadcasts from Both Coasts, Airing on ABC-TV Dec.
25
Disney World soldiers on, looking for new ways to plus the Parks for the
holidays
Free holiday events: History Center Holiday and Holiday Pops
A flurry of fun in Florida for the holidays
Holiday travel tips for flying with children
Holiday ‘Sleigh’ Rides Debut at Disney’s Fort Wilderness
Resort and Campground
Ho, ho, ho or Oh, no? Holidays hit the parks
SeaWorld Orlando: Polar Express pulls in Friday, more new holiday fare
Nov. 27
Holiday travel guide to Orlando theme parks
The kids can have some fun at Disney's Haunted Holidays site
Disney World: Free face painting
Florida Halloween travel guide - Things go bump in the night all over
the state
Christmas by the Numbers at Walt Disney World Resort
Halloween Fun Has Begun -- and Continues Till Nov. 1 -- as Magic Kingdom
Hosts Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on Select Evenings
Halloween Fun Begins in Early September as Magic Kingdom Hosts Mickey’s
Not-So-Scary Halloween Party on 24 Select Evenings
Happy Haunting returns to Downtown Disney Stitch back in Magic Kingdom show for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party Note: The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights will open November 10 instead of the originally scheduled date of November 30!
Two cool things at Gaylord Palms
A ‘Celebration’ of the Season: During “What Will You
Celebrate?” Year, Glistening Ice Palace Marks Walt Disney World Resort
Transformation Into Festive Winter Wonderland
Three Disney Parks Plan Special Fireworks on July 4
We understand that Disney does NOT allow Santa outfits in the parks. I assume the same rule applies to Downtown Disney and the resort hotels as well. Disney is probably afraid of some predator using the outfit to attract children. It also confuses the children who may see 15 different santas in one day! And - perhaps the real reason - Disney wants to have absolute control over anyone wearing a costume on their property.
For a video of the Polar Express Experience at SeaWorld, see:
To read the Orlando Sentinel's Theme Park Rangers' review of "ICE"
- a walking tour of ice sculptures - at the Gaylord Palms, see:
"Cypress Gardens' Old Fashioned Christmas begins today at 6:30 p.m.
with the lighting of its Christmas tree. Among this Winter Haven park's offerings
are a living nativity show, an ice-skating presentation, carolers and some
of Cypress' Gardens original decorations on display."
"Walt Disney World is giving its Cinderella Castle a new nighttime,
ice-palace look for the holiday season, starting tonight... The ice-palace
look will be the big special effect of a new evening show running through
the holiday season, featuring the characters of Cinderella, including her
fairy godmother."
Disney is taping segments for its Christmas parade November 30 and
December 1. Donna and I were there once when Regis and Kathy Lee were taping.
They stopped the parade so many times that we felt it was easier to watch
it on TV! Orlando Sentinel's Theme Park Rangers talk about what you may or
may not see.
Beth, our travel agent, writes: "I thought I'd toss in my comments for what it's worth because so many families head to WDW for Thanksgiving. I agree with you that it's fun to go when the decorations are all up, but they aren't ALL up until the day after Thanksgiving, at which point the Candlelight Processional and other holiday activities begin. It's like getting two holidays for the price of one! When it comes to room rates, though, you have to be careful... There will almost certainly be some sort of offer out for November and early December, but the days right around Thanksgiving are usually considered "soft blackout" dates. That means that if you're arriving at the resort prior to those dates the discounted rate can carry through, but you can't arrive ON one of the blackout dates and get the discount. Last year the blackout dates were Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday of Thanksgiving week so that's a good bet for this year. Also, while the discounts may technically apply to the dates if you arrive before the blackout, they have very few rooms at the discounted rates. Many people don't understand that only a certain number of rooms per night at each resort are set aside as "discounted inventory" and the number of rooms given to that inventory varies based on many factors. Thanksgiving is a really popular time, so those nights will only have a fraction of the inventory available - and if even one night out of the dates you ask for isn't available Disney reservationists will just say that your dates aren't available. You have to push them to tell you what night or nights are messing up your request. Then you can either try another resort for the whole time, or split your stay amongst two or more resorts so that you're getting a discount the whole time. And as always, the key is to BOOK EARLY if you have your heart set on it. I always keep a list of people already booked that are waiting for discounts so that I can try to convert the rates within the first few hours of an offer, but if you've booked directly you'll need to be watching and jump right on it. And that's my two cents!"
Holiday decorations... Celebrations end New Years. They will begin taking the Christmas decorations down January 1, but there's a lot of them. If you arrive the first week in January, you may still be able to see some of them before they're all packed away.
Night of Joy concerts at the MK... The place is full of teens who can be pretty loud and hyperactive. If it's crowded, expect long waits to get on the rides and buses will be crowded at closing time.
Beth, our travel agent, sent us her Halloween trip report: Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party "None of us (three adults and two children, ages 5 and 6) had done this event before and really didn't know what to expect. First of all, the Magic Kingdom was really all decked out for this. They even had orange spot lights on the trees as you approached the Magic Kingdom, and a thick blanket of "fog" creeping into the area. Inside the gates, pumpkins and haystacks and Halloween balloons were everywhere, and the park music for the evening was Halloween-appropriate. We arrived right about 7:00 as the party officially started, and we were all given small black and orange trick-or-treat bags as we entered. The candy locations were clearly marked with giant green balloon-like things, and there were plenty of these stations all over the park, but for the most part the candy was pretty disappointing. We got a lot of Jolly Ranchers and Starburst Fruit Chews. Tweedle Dum took a liking to my daughter and showered her with tiny boxes of Junior Mints and bite-sized Nestle chocolate bars, but that's about as good as it got. In other words, don't bill this as an alternative to trick-or-treating at home. The vast majority of children were in costume, and a good number of adults were as well (although adults not in costume were numerous enough that you couldn't really go wrong either way). HINT: Don't bring hand-held props (like magic wands or light sabers) because you need your hands for other things, and because children tend to flail their props around, making them a potential safety hazard. Also, be sure costumes fit loosely enough so as not to hamper getting on and off attractions. The parade was done twice, but we only watched the first one. We grabbed a great spot on the wall in Frontierland about ten minutes before the starting time of the parade - and then we waited, and waited, and waited. The Headless Horseman rode through as the parade began at the foot of Main Street - and that was REALLY a wondrous thing to behold, given that the rider can't see a thing and it's up to the horse to get through the parade route at a gallop - but then it took a long time for the rest of the parade to catch up. It was worth the wait, though, despite it's shorter-than-normal length. Every costume and float that I saw was unique to what I've seen in other Disney parades. By the time we saw the 8:00 parade, it was time to go find a spot for the 9:15 fireworks. We raced through the square and then toward the Crystal Palace, cutting across Main Street and heading up to my favorite terrace for watching fireworks. If you go during the day you can see the wire that Tinkerbell flies on and it goes right over the tables and chairs of the Plaza Pavilion, but the terrace was closed and roped off! So we turned around and ran back a few steps to the outdoor seating area of Main Street's Plaza Restaurant. The dining terrace along the water is normally closed off for VIP fireworks viewing, but this night it wasn't and so we ran down and grabbed a table and five chairs. We were in place by 9:05, but the 9:15 fireworks didn't start until 9:20 so we found ourselves entertaining the children yet again. Finally, the fireworks started and they didn't disappoint. Tink didn't make her usual flight, but a witch decked out in green lights took her place, and the fireworks surrounding the MK were - as always - a sight to behold. Finally, we went back to doing attractions. The longest line of the evening was about 20 minutes at the Speedway, but otherwise the lines ranged from nonexistent to minimal. We accomplished six things in 90 minutes. We'd knocked out a few attractions prior to the parade as well, and out little darlings were beginning to get pooped. So, while there was still a good hour of party time to go, we headed for the exit. Apparently, other people had the same idea because there was a mass exodus heading down Main Street. It must have been WONDERFUL doing attractions that last hour, because almost everyone was gone by then! In short, I think this is a really fun thing to do if you're at WDW in October on one of the designated nights. If you've been to the Magic Kingdom numerous times then you can probably make this your one and only MK visit, and since the ticket costs just $32 for adults and $26 for kids (plus tax) if purchased in advance, it's a bargain compared to using a park hopper day to get in. If you've never been to the MK before or your children are small and will have a hard time with the 7 PM-midnight timing of the party, then you might still want to go because it's fun to see the characters in Halloween costumes, but you'll probably still need to go back for a half day or so at some point in your trip to finish up anything you didn't get to."
Beth, our travel agent, writes: "And speaking of Mickey's Party... This was the sixth year that I've attended. The complimentary cookies aren't as good as they were when I started going, but the hot chocolate to wash them down with is as good as ever. It no longer snows on Main Street all night long, but it flurries frequently enough to keep everyone happy. The giant Christmas Tree is as lovely as ever, and the shows and two parades are equally good. I applaud Disney for finally wising up and providing more dining opportunities this year than before. (It used to be mighty hard to get a bite to eat!) For those that aren't familiar with the event, Disney selects about a dozen evenings every December (usually Thursday, Friday and Sunday) for this extra-special celebration. They shut down the Magic Kingdom at 6:00, then reopen at 7:00 just for those with special party tickets (sold in advance, or at the gate if still available). There are a limited number of tickets sold, so the lines tend to be significantly shorter than what you encounter during the day. Not all attractions are open, but the majority are. Cookies and hot chocolate are complimentary (and as we found out this year, so are stroller rentals!), and every guest can have a complimentary holiday photo taken as well. It's mailed to you - or anyone else you designate - several weeks later. There are two special Christmas parades, several shows, and a fireworks display that has to be seen to be believed. The Main Street snow flurries with the huge Christmas tree at one end and Cindy's Castle at the other - and all those incredible holiday decorations in between - add a really magical touch. We also attended the Candlelight Processional in Epcot. It was significantly colder that evening than it was for Mickey's Party, so we had the long-Johns and mittens on, but it was still great. (Yes, it does get that cold in Florida!) The Candlelight Processional occurs several times nightly starting right after Thanksgiving. Students from high schools all over the country process to the American Gardens Amphitheatre wearing golden choir robes and holding tall candles to light their way. They join a "tree" of Disney castmembers in green robes already on stage in tree formation. A fabulous 50-piece orchestra and six of Disney's best vocalists are gathered in front, and the most incredible sign language interpreter I've ever seen (she truly sings with her hands) returns each year. About a dozen of the most beloved carols and holiday music are performed to perfection, and in between a celebrity guest narrator tells the Christmas story. We saw Rita Moreno this year, but other narrators include Robby Benson, Edward James Olmos, David Ogden Stiers, and Gary Sinise, to name a few. The Processional may be seen by anyone that cares to wait in line for a long time or stand in the back, but if you want a guaranteed seat you need to purchase the dinner package. There are three tiers of Epcot restaurants participating, the least expensive of which are the ones offering buffet-style meals. We once again opted for Chefs de France, a top tier location. We paid about $45 per adult, but that includes an appetizer, soup or salad; an entree; dessert; a non-alcoholic beverage; tax and gratuity. I quickly added up my choices, and I'd have spent about $52 if I'd done it without the package so the guaranteed show seating is really just a nice bonus to what would otherwise be a bargain meal. The theatre holds about 2000 people, and we were told that there were just under 1000 packages sold for the 8:15 performance we saw Saturday night, so the first 1000 or so that stood in the general admission line got in (after the rest of us were seated). You don't know what the availability will be, though, so if you have your heart set on it and don't want to pay for it then be prepared to stand in a very long line for a very long time! Also, note that every person needs a regular admission to Epcot to enter the park in the first place, that if you wait until the narrators are announced before you book your room you'll probably miss out on the best deals, and that dinner packages for kids are available for around $10 + tax. It's a great way to get in the holiday mood, whether you happen to be Christian or not!"
Gay Week at Walt Disney World Beth writes: "Anyone that plans to be at WDW the first week in June might want to take a quick look at the schedule below. I don't know who designates them, but that's the way it is. Sure, there are gay people in the parks all the time and no one cares or even gives it another thought because it's a non-issue. But during Gay Days many people that would never, ever walk around the parks groping their partner in public displays of affection seem overcome by the knowledge that on these four days they are much less a minority than usual. Not everyone, mind you. Not even most. But many more people than usual, and if you are in the 'park of the day' then you will most assuredly see what I mean. If you're looking forward to the event, then good for you. Go and have a wonderful time. If you're of the other ilk and you're thinking of NOT going because of the event, don't deny yourself the pleasure of the parks. Just avoid the places on the schedule at those times, relax, and have fun. They are very big parks, and there's plenty of room for everyone. Whatever your thoughts may be on the subject, set them aside for a few days and concentrate on the things that are really important in life. A spin or two through 'It's a Small World' ought to do the trick." For Gay Days schedule of events, click here.
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