Disney News

So, you’re enjoying your day at one of Disney’s magical theme parks and you see on your entertainment guide that you have a chance to see a Disney parade. First of all, you are in for a treat! Disney is the master of entertainment and their parades are wonderful sites to behold. Here are just a few quick tips to maximize your viewing pleasure and enjoyment of your Disney parade. Follow these, and your Disney parade time will be magical!

Tips for Enjoying Disney Parades:

1. Arrive Early – Disney parades are extremely popular and many people line up anywhere from forty-five minutes to one hour and a half before the parade starts. Unless you are there during an extremely busy day, forty-five minutes should be plenty of time to find a good viewing location.
2. Find a Great Viewing Spot – Check your park map for parade routes. Some parades actually stop their forward motion for a period of time to put on a street party/show. You should definitely try to position yourself where those events occur. They are marked on your park map. Also, when in doubt, ask a Cast Member for the best viewing location. They’ve seen the parade tons of times and can tell you their favorite spot.
3. Prepare for the Elements – Whether hot or cold outside, be aware that you may be waiting in extreme weather conditions for over an hour. Be ready to cool off with a fan or sprayer (and don’t forget your sunscreen) OR be ready to warm up with a nice hot chocolate and a blanket.
4. Attend the Late Parade – If the Disney parade you are wanting to experience is running twice on the same day, attend the second running as it will almost always have less of a crowd and you can get a better spot to experience the magic.
5. Be Ready to Party – Disney parades are full of excitement, music, dancing, and other crowd pumping activities. If you want to experience the parade to the fullest, then jump out there and participate. Dance, sing, and have fun. Don’t worry about making a fool out of yourself…you’re on vacation…you’ll never see these people again!

Following a few simple tips can make your Disney parade experience magical. Disney parades are a perfect way to expierence the wonder and fantasy that the Disney parks are famous for!

Here’s a great new offering for families assigned to second dining! The Dine and Play program allows children to get their meals quicker and adults to check-in a child for Youth Activities without leaving the dining room.

Dine and Play

• Available on both the Disney Magic® and Disney Wonder® Cruise Ship.
• Offered during second dining in any of the main dining rooms – Animator’s Palate, Lumieres, Tritons and Parrot Cay.
• Open to children ages 3-12.

Here’s how it works: You arrive in the dining room and inform the server that your child would like to participate in Dine and Play. The dining room team brings the child’s meal first while serving the adults at a more leisurely pace.

About 45 minutes after seating begins, Youth Activities Counselors arrive in the dining room and sign in your child to their respective groups in Disney’s Oceaneer Club or Disney’s Oceaneer Lab, eliminating the need for you to escort your child to Deck 5.

Adults are then able to enjoy the full dining experience with the knowledge that their child is having a great time in a safe, fun and comfortable environment.

You can sail with popular Disney Channel stars this summer aboard the Disney Wonder® Cruise Ship during the first-ever “Disney Channel Summer at Sea,” presented by Kodak.

Popular stars from Disney Channel shows like “Hannah Montana,” “Sonny With a Chance,” “JONAS,” “The Suite Life on Deck,” “Camp Rock,” and “Hatching Pete” will join Guests on 3- and 4-night cruises beginning July 9 through Aug. 2, 2009.

All eight sailings are available to book now with special fan activities included.

During the voyages, Disney Channel stars will help pump up the volume during onboard deck parties and join Guests for Q&A and autograph sessions as well as preview screenings of Disney Channel programming.

The onboard fun culminates with a “Party with the Stars” event, an evening in which Guests are invited to join the stars for a special musical performance by a Disney recording artist.

Each cruise will include multiple Disney Channel stars. Among those scheduled, with more to be announced shortly, are:

3-Night Disney Channel Summer At Sea Cruise Sail Dates and Appearance Schedule*

• July 9 to 12, 2009 – Tiffany Thornton and Doug Brochu (Sonny with a Chance), Roshon Fegan (Camp Rock) and Nicole Anderson (JONAS)
• July 16 to 19, 2009 – Jason Earles (Hannah Montana)
• July 23 to 26, 2009 – Jason Dolley (Hatching Pete) and Chelsea Straub (JONAS)
• July 30 to August 2, 2009 – Debby Ryan (The Suite Life on Deck)

4-Night Disney Channel Summer at Sea Cruise Sail Dates and Appearance Schedule*

• July 12 to 16, 2009 – Tiffany Thornton (Sonny with a Chance), Roshon Fegan (Camp Rock) and Nicole Anderson (JONAS)
• July 19 to 23, 2009 – Musical Act Mitchel Musso and Jason Earles (Hannah Montana)
• July 26 to 30, 2009 – Jason Dolley (Hatching Pete) and Chelsea Straub (JONAS)
• August 2 to 6, 2009 – Alyson Stoner (Camp Rock) and Jennifer Stone (Wizards of Waverly Place)

*Schedule and talent subject to change. Not all stars available for each sailing.