Off to Neverland Travel

When discussing upcoming vacation plans with guests, our Magic Makers® encounter some common misconceptions on the Theme Parks of the Walt Disney World® Resort and Magic Your Way Tickets. As a continuation of our “Breaking the Myths” series, today we are focusing on these misconceptions!

1. Myth: Instead of adding the Park Hopper® Option, I can purchase extra days and use them to visit more than one park on one day.
   The Magic Your Way Base Tickets can only be used at one park per day. In order to visit more than one park per day, a guest must upgrade their ticket with the Park Hopper® Option which gives them access to any of the four main Walt Disney World® Resort Theme Parks – Magic Kingdom® Park, Epcot®, Disney’s Hollywood Studios®, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park. Without the Park Hopper® Option, there is no way to visit more than one park on the same day.
2. Myth: Upgrading tickets for longer lengths of stay is expensive.
   The Magic Your Way Tickets follow this basic pricing principle – the longer you play, the less you pay per day! So, upgrading from a 3-day Magic Your Way Ticket to a 7-day Magic Your Way Ticket will cut your per day pricing for the ticket almost in half! In some cases, you can add an extra day for as little as $10+tax! Spending an extra day in the Magic may not cost as much as you think.
3. Myth: Walt Disney World® and Magic Kingdom® Park are the same thing.
   The Walt Disney World® Resort is a 40 sq mile vacation kingdom! The Resort is primarily made up of four main theme parks (Magic Kingdom® Park, Epcot®, Disney’s Hollywood Studios®, and Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park) two water parks (Disney’s Blizzard Beach Water Park and Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park), an entertainment and shopping district (Downtown Disney® Area) and 25 Disney owned/operated Resorts. The attractions of the Magic Kingdom® Park is just one small piece of what the Walt Disney World® Resort has to offer!
4. Myth: My kids won’t have any interest in Epcot®. And since we have a zoo at home, so we are going to skip Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park as well.
   All four of the Walt Disney World® Resort Theme Parks have so much to offer guests of all ages that none of them should be immediately written off! We have discussed before about fun activities awaiting your children at Epcot®. When Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park was first opened, it was marketed as “nahtazu” (not a zoo), and we tend to agree! It offers so much more than the average local zoo. Whether young or old, Disney’s Imagineers have focused on ensuring each park has something for everyone. Depending on your family, interest levels will vary for each park. Working closely with your Magic Maker®, you will be able to determine about how much time you should set aside for each park. But do yourself a favor and explore what each park has to offer. You may be surprised by what you find!

Let’s start planning your next Walt Disney World® Resort Vacation! Contact your Magic Maker® today!

Miss some of our past “Breaking the Myth” articles? Click here to access them.

This past week, IBM launched a new interactive experience inside Innoventions® West at Epcot®. The new exhibit, named IBM THINK, explores how technology transforms the way we live and work. Its theme fits perfectly within Innoventions® underlying goal to celebrate inspiration and the innovations that improve our lives and expand our horizons.

The 6,600 sq ft exhibit showcases how the world can work better if we use the help of technology and innovation. IBM uses an unique combination of experiences throughout the THINK exhibit to showcase this like:

• A 40-foot dynamic “gesture wall” that reveals the ebb and flow of data in our daily lives through colorful visualizations
• A 12-minute inspirational film discussing building a better future
• A self-guided tour featuring 20 seven-foot interactive touchscreens that encourage discovery

The fun doesn’t stop there – IBM has created an app so you can continue your exploration at home!

The IBM THINK exhibit joins many other great experiences in the Innoventions® Pavilion at Epcot® like The Sum of All Thrills™, The Great Piggy Bank Adventure℠, and Where’s the Fire?. IBM THINK is scheduled to remain open to the public until Winter 2014. All of these experiences are included with regular park admission to Epcot®. The operating hours of the Innoventions® Pavilion is often different than the Park, so be sure to check your times guide for details.

Enjoy this video preview of the IBM THINK exhibit:

This weekend, you can expect to see more tiaras and tutus at the Walt Disney World® Resort than normal!

One of the largest women-specific running events in the nation, the 5th Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend, kicks off today! More than 36,000 runners are expected to participate in this weekend’s races. Participants this year represent all 50 states and over 30 countries!

Disney’s Princess Half Marathon Weekend is made up of several events – the Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse Royal Family 5K and runDisney Kids’ Races on Saturday, Disney’s Princess Half Marathon on Sunday, and the Disney Fit for a Princess Expo at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort.

runDisney is a series of events that provides runners unique opportunities to run through Disney theme parks. Each year, more than 100,000 running enthusiasts participate in runDisney events. Off to Neverland Travel® has helped many guests plan runDisney trips in which they earn Disney-themed medals, experience legendary Disney entertainment and guest service, and ultimately celebrate their accomplishments with a Disney vacation!

Upcoming runDisney events include:

• Expedition Everest® Challenge – May 4, 2013
• Disneyland® Half Marathon Weekend – Aug. 30 – Sep. 1, 2013
• The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ 10-Miler Weekend – Oct. 4-5, 2013
• Disney Wine and Dine Half Marathon Weekend – Nov. 8-9, 2013
• Walt Disney World® Marathon Weekend – Jan. 9-12, 2014
• Tinker Bell Half Marathon Weekend – Jan. 17-19, 2014

Contact your Magic Maker® today for more information on participating in an upcoming runDisney event.

Good luck to all our guests, Magic Makers®, and their families participating in this weekend’s races! Run swiftly, safely, and have fun!

We are often asked, “Is my child old enough for a visit to Walt Disney World® Resort?”

That is a good question, and one you may have asked (or at least thought about) before making an investment in a Walt Disney World® Resort vacation yourself.

There are those that argue that a child can be ‘too young’ for a trip to Walt Disney World® Resort. Most often, their case rests upon the statement that before a certain age the child will never remember they were there, or that up to a certain age the attractions won’t keep them entertained.

While the first part of their statement may be true, a child may not remember their first trip to Walt Disney World® Resort, they often forget that as a parent YOU will remember their first trip to Walt Disney World® Resort, and those memories are just as special.

Having just returned from a trip with a 17 month old and a 4 year old, as a parent, there’s not a price tag you can put on the smiles of your children as they ‘experience’ all that a Disney vacation has to offer for the first or second time.

While they may not remember the trip into adulthood, my wife and I will never lose the images of the smiles, laughter and joy burned into our memory on this magical trip.

At their age, Walt Disney World® Resort comes alive. It is so much more than actors in costumes and ride experiences…it is a wonderful reality in which they are immersed in they story.

And about there not being enough to do…

The Walt Disney World® Resort has much to offer for visitors under 3 years old.  Starting with free admission, there are countless attractions and shows that will engage and entertain young travelers! Magic Kingdom® Park alone has ‘enough’ for the little ones to do to keep you busy for days! From the dark rides that the entire family can ride together to play areas and interactive queues, your little ones are certain to have a blast.

As you venture outside of Magic Kingdom® Park into the other three parks, two water parks, and resort areas, you will find that play areas and attractions designed just for these younger guests abound!

In our article Walt Disney World® Resort for Toddlers we explored some of the options available for you and your family! And if you are worried about ‘managing your day’ with young ones around the park then our article Visiting Walt Disney World® Resort with Toddlers is a must read!

And of course our Magic Makers have not only visited Disney Parks countless times ourselves, but we have helped take the stress out of planning vacations for families just like yours for over five years now! Regardless of age, there is something for EVERYONE at any Disney Destination, so just call on your Magic Maker® to help uncover that hidden treasure!

When the 20th Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival kicks off on Mar. 6, 2013, it will debut a new concept for the festival – Garden Marketplaces. These Garden Marketplaces will mix garden- and backyard-living-inspired food and beverage items into the annual Epcot® festival of blossoms.

Let’s get down to the details! Walt Disney World® Resort Chefs and Cast Members have worked hard to ensure that each Marketplace offers a whirlwind culinary adventure without repeating any offerings from the Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival. While this is not a complete list of food and beverage offerings, here’s just a taste of the of gourmet bites and beverages that will be available:

• The Smokehouse – Barbeque and Brews (The American Adventure): Finger-lickin’ barbecue at its finest – Pulled pig slider or smoked beef brisket. Also enjoy red wine and a selection of craft beer.
• Lotus House (China Pavilion): Far Eastern flair will be showcased with delicacies like Beijing-style candied strawberries, spring pancakes with grilled chicken and green apple, bubble teas, fruit beverage cocktail and Chinese beer.
• L’Orangerie (France Pavilion): Pair a rustic ratatouille tart or a country pâté and cherry compote with a sip from a selection of French wines.
• Bauernmarkt – Farmer’s Market (Germany Pavilion): Savory spring pea and mushroom bread pudding and a German meatloaf sandwich with sweet mustard and fried shallots are among the menu items in Germany. Beverage options include Hugo, an elderflower sparkling wine cocktail, and a selection of German beers.
• Primavera Kitchen (Italy Pavilion): Try some green asparagus and lobster with garden cocktail sauce or lasagna primavera. No Italian cuisine would be complete without a  fruity cocktail or Italian wine!
• Hanami (Japan Pavilion): Now this is something you won’t want to miss! Frushi, or fruit sushi, will be made with fresh fruit and coconut rice.
• Jardin de Fiestas (Mexico Pavilion): Crab tostadas, pork tacos, the strawberry-infused Rosita margarita and tequila flights will keep the culinary party going in Mexico!
• Taste of Marrakesh (Morocco Pavilion): Enjoy Morocco’s lamb kebabs and couscous, harissa chicken drumettes with chermoula, desert rose cocktail and more.
• The Cottage – Savories, Trifles and Tea (United Kingdom Pavilion): The UK will feature a selection of tea and delectable dainties including a salmon tartare-topped cheddar biscuit and a Caprese and a trio of trifles.

And outside of the World Showcase Pavilions, three additional Marketplace options will be available.

• Fruits by the Glass (World Showcase Plaza): How about a toast to Spring? Options include mango and blueberry wines, nonalcoholic wild berry slush and gluten-free raspberry ale.
• Pineapple Promenade (World Showcase Promenade): This one is sure to be a crowd favorite! Try everyone’s favorite Dole Whip, but with a twist of spiced rum! Other options include pineapple upside down cake, fruit cups and more.
• Florida Fresh (World Showcase Promenade): Enjoy a taste of the Sunshine State with watermelon and feta salad, shrimp and grits, and tomato and carrot wines!

The 20th Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival runs Mar. 6, 2013 – May 19, 2013 and is included with regular admission to Epcot®. It’s not too late to experience this year’s festival for yourself. Contact your Magic Maker® today!