Disney News

Over the weekend, additional details were announced on what will be the largest expansion in the history of Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park.

The main part of the expansion comes in the form of a new land inspired by James Cameron’s AVATAR. This new area of Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park will bring the mythical world of Pandora to life for guests to enjoy. From soaring through the sky on a Banshee to exploring a rainforest at night full of bioluminescent plants, this is guaranteed to be an experience unlike any other.

Additional components of the expansion include all-new entertainment experiences as the park expands their operational hours into the evening. Planned experiences include a night version of Kilimanjaro Safaris® Expedition, new live entertainment on Discovery Island®, and a nighttime spectacular around and above Discovery River to bring a magical end to the day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park.

Plans call for the expansion to be complete in 2017. Off to Neverland Travel® will bring you more details as they are announced.

Returning again this year, Disney Visa® Cardmembers once again have a place at Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival to call their own.

Chase has opened a special lounge which is available exclusively to their customers with one of their debit or credit card which includes Disney Visa®. Located on the third floor of the American Adventure Pavilion, the lounge is in an uniquely-themed area typically not accessible to guests. The Chase Lounge gives Cardmembers a chance to relax, charge their cellphones, catch some sports on tv, and refresh with complimentary soft drinks.

The Chase Lounge is open from 11a-9p Sun.-Thu. and 11a-10p on Fri. and Sat. through Nov. 11, 2013. Cardmembers can access the lounge by using the elevator (between the attraction and the gift shop) and showing their Chase debit or credit card.

Capacity may be limited. Each Cardmember may bring 9 guests into the lounge with them. Valid Theme Park admission required.

Sorry, this offer has expired. Click here to see current offers for the Walt Disney World® Resort.

2014 is a great time to Show Your Disney Side at Florida’s Vacation Kingdom! From the Theme Parks with world-class attractions and entertainment to the unique restaurants and shops, your vacation to the Walt Disney World® Resort will be full of memories that will last a lifetime.

And now, you can save on your upcoming 2014 stay at a Walt Disney World® Resort Hotel!

Stay at select Walt Disney World® Resort hotels most nights Jan. 5–Apr. 12, 2014, and save up to 35%!

Booking Dates:

Book now – Dec. 31, 2013 for stays most nights Jan. 5-Apr. 12, 2014

Availability is limited, so contact your Magic Maker® today!

Room Only Offer: The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Length-of-stay requirements may apply. Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same room. Additional per-adult charges may apply if more than two adults per room at Disney Value, Moderate and Deluxe Resorts. No group rates or other discounts apply. Advance reservations required. Offer excludes campsites, 3-Bedroom Villas, Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, and is not valid for The Little Mermaid Standard rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. 35% savings for select Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts; lower savings for other Resorts and during peak travel dates of 3/6 – 3/13/2014. Everyone in the same room must be on the same package.

For years, Disney Parks has provided unparalleled services to those with disabilities to ensure that each and every guest has an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, the growing abuse of the Guest Assistance Card (GAC), the current program used by Disney Parks to provide special accommodations, has spurred the need for change.

Starting Wed. Oct. 9, 2013, the parks of the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida and the Disneyland® Resort in California will replace the GAC with a new Disability Access Service (DAS) Card. This new program will allow Cast Members to better focus their attention and service to those guests that the program has always been intended.

Here are a few pointers on the new DAS system:

• The DAS Card will be used to better accommodate guests who aren’t able to wait in a standard attraction queue.
• DAS Cards will be issued at a Guest Relations location inside the main entrance of the Theme Parks. The registration process for receiving a DAS will include having your photo taken. Each DAS will be valid for the length of the guest’s current ticket (maximum 14 days). Once issued a DAS at one of the Theme Parks, it will be valid at all other parks within the issuing resort.
• DAS cards will provide guests with a return time based on the current wait time of the attraction. While guests may only have a single active return time at once, they may also utilize the legacy Disney’s FASTPASS® Service or Disney FastPass+ service.
• At the Walt Disney World® Resort, guests will obtain a return time by showing their DAS card to the Cast Member at the front of the attraction. At Disneyland® Resort, you will take your DAS card to one of the Guest Relations kiosks located throughout the park. The DAS Cardholder does not have to be present to obtain a return time, but they must board the attraction with their party upon redemption. The DAS doesn’t have to be redeemed at the exact return time listed – they will be valid until redeemed by the DAS Cardholder.
• Guests with a disability based on needing a wheelchair or scooter will not need a DAS card. These guests will be accommodated at the attraction by waiting in a standard wheelchair-accessible queue or given a return time (based on the attraction’s current wait time) when they will utilize an alternate entrance.

While Disney Parks feels the new DAS system will better serve those in need, they realize that each disability is different and may require additional assistance. While speaking to the Guest Services Cast Member regarding the DAS card, please make your individual needs knows so that they can better assist you.

In a recent memo from Meg Crofton, President of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations, United States and France, shared the following:

Our commitment to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all our Guests has not changed… As with any change, there will be a period of adjustment, particularly for those families who have developed and refined their preferred ways of enjoying our parks with their loved ones over the years. I thank you in advance for your patience as we fine-tune our new program to mitigate the current abuse, while still providing the special experience our Guests have come to expect from Disney.

For the past five years, Off to Neverland Travel® has played an integral role in assisting our families with disabilities have the most magical vacation possible. Planning is the first (and most important) step, so be sure to contact your Magic Maker® with your specific questions/needs.

If asked to name two things you can find at any runDisney event, inspiration and excitement would be the two most common answers! Thousands of runners grouped together running for their own reason – whether just for fun, raising funds for a charitable group, or even celebrating their own personal victory!

Tonight, runners will participate in The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ 10-Miler at Disney’s Hollywood Studios®. To celebrate the race, we thought it was the perfect time to share the inspiration of a runDisney participant, 81-year-old Flor Irlandez from Portland, OR. A little over a month ago, Flor participated in the Disneyland® Half Marathon Weekend Races by completing the Dumbo Double Dare – a 10K race on one day followed by the half marathon the next! 19.3 miles later, Flor finished the races as the oldest participant and a true inspiration to those around her.

Enjoy this video of Flor’s story:

Interested in participating in upcoming runDisney events? With multiple events scheduled throughout the year, they offer races for participants on all skill levels. Contact your Magic Maker® for more details!

This October, many of the restaurants in the Downtown Disney® area at the Walt Disney World® Resort are serving up some of their fantastic flavors at a discounted price! Called “Downtown Disney® Foodtopia,” the program allows guests to order a three-course dinner and a non-alcoholic beverage off a specialty prix fixe menu for a low price of $30 or $60 depending on location! Whether or not you are a “foodie,” this is a great way to try some of the restaurants’ most popular appetizers, entrees, and desserts without breaking the bank!

Locations participating in “Downtown Disney® Foodtopia” include:

• 3 courses for $30 dollars:
  • Bongos Cuban Cafe®
  • Crossroads at House of Blues®
  • Paradiso 37
  • Planet Hollywood®
  • Portobello
  • Splitsville Luxury Lanes™
  • Wolfgang Puck® Cafe
• 3 courses for $60 dollars:
  • Fulton’s Crab House

As an extra bonus, guests participating in “Downtown Disney® Foodtopia” can save 20% on Category 2 seats at La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil for their Tue.-Sat. shows!

“Downtown Disney® Foodtopia” runs Oct. 1-31, 2013 between 5:30p – 7:30p. Please contact your Magic Maker® for additional details and reservations.

Offer is valid 10/1-31, 2013. Offer is valid between 5:30–7:30 p.m. Reservations must be made at least 48 hours in advance of your dining time. Limited reservations available. Cannot be combined with any other discounts, offers or promotions. Cancellations must be made 1 day prior to the confirmed reservation date to avoid a $10 cancellation fee per person. Three course prix fixe meal includes (1) appetizer, (1) entrée, (1) dessert and (1) non-alcoholic beverage from the prix fixe menu.   La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil offer is valid Tue-Sat 10/1-31, 2013 on Category 2 seating. Seating subject to availability. Advance purchase required at time of booking Downtown Disney® Foodtopia dining reservation and valid for the same number of Guests in that reservation. Offer not valid for previously purchased tickets, the purchase of gift certificates or with any other discounts offers or promotions.

Earlier this month at Disney’s EarMarked conference, we were given a sneak peek of Disney Parks’ new advertising campaign which calls for you to “Show Your Disney Side!” Just being shown the sketches of three of the new commercials and hearing about the inspiration behind them, we have been anxious to see the final result!

Enjoy the first commercial – “I Am Your Father”

As an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, we know better than anyone that regardless of age, everyone does indeed have a Disney Side! We’re excited to have our agents share their Disney Side, and we’d like to see yours! It’s EASY to share your Disney Side with us:

through Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/offtoneverlandtravel
on Twitter: @neverlandtravel
on Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/neverlandtravel
via email: disneyside@offtoneverland.com

Note: By submitting “Your Disney Side,” you acknowledge that your submission will be posted on Social Media sites that can be visible by the public.

Unsure about your “Disney Side?” Count on the help of our expert Magic Makers® to help find it during your next Disney Destinations trip!

In the words of one of my favorite attractions at Walt Disney World® Resort, “there’s a great big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of every day.” This line is as true today for Walt Disney World® Resort as it was when Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress debuted at the 1964 New York World’s Fair.

Off to Neverland Travel® is an Authorized Disney Vacation Planner, and as such we are honored to participate in the annual EarMarked Conference for Authorized Disney Vacation Planners. This year’s EarMarked Conference was hosted at Walt Disney World® Resort, and as true with years past, many exciting things were laid out for the years to come for Disney Destinations.

One of the more exciting changes on the horizon for Walt Disney World® Resort is the introduction of new technologies to your travel experience, MyMagic+, MagicBands and FastPass+. While change can be intimidating at times, change can also be exciting, and we are thrilled about how these new technologies are going to enhance your Walt Disney World® Resort experience, giving you and your Magic Maker® a new dimension of control and planning to your unforgettable trip!

As you can imagine by our participation in EarMarked Conference 2013, Off to Neverland Travel® is excited about the change coming to the parks, and our Magic Makers® are being trained and equipped to help you navigate the new technologies that will be a part of your Walt Disney World® Resort vacation experience!

The all new MagicBands, which are currently being tested at select resorts throughout Walt Disney World® Resort, are fully customizable armbands that become your ‘key to the world’. Your MagicBand will allow you to touch to enter your room, or the parks. In addition, you can touch to redeem meals, charge to your room, and access your new FastPass+ selections! And if your customized MagicBand color isn’t enough to let your personality shine, there are plenty of accessories available at Walt Disney World® Resort to ‘bling’ your armband out!

FastPass+, also in testing, is going to revolutionize the way you wait for your favorite attractions at Walt Disney World® Resort! With FastPass+ you can reserve your favorite attractions before ever leaving your home! You’ll be given a reservation time to visit  your attraction to plan your day around it! No longer do you have to do the FASTPASS® dash to get a FASTPASS® for  your favorite attraction when you get to the parks.

Our Magic Makers® are ready to help you take on these exciting new changes at Walt Disney World® Resort! In fact, you may even be selected to help test these exciting new technologies in the parks! If  you are selected by Walt Disney World® Resort, your Magic Maker® will help you through the experience!

While this is just a glimpse of a few of the exciting changes on the horizon at Walt Disney World® Resort, we assure you there are more to come! Be sure to contact your Magic Maker® today about experiencing more of the magic at Walt Disney World® Resort!