Disney News

You’ve probably heard of the “5 P’s of Success” – Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance. When it comes to your Disney Destinations vacation, the 5 P’s count as well!

As part of our continuing “Breaking the Myths” series, today we are going to focus on planning!

1. Myth: You will be able to see/do everything in one trip.
   Covering nearly 40 square miles, the Walt Disney World® Resort is about the same size of San Francisco or two Manhattan islands! When visiting this vacation kingdom, the possibilities are limitless! Working closely with your Magic Maker®, we suggest making a “must do” list. Doing so not only sets reasonable expectations for your vacation, but it helps you keep from getting overwhelmed once you are at the Parks.The same theory applies at Disneyland® Resort and aboard Disney Cruise Line® – there is just so much to do. So, slow down and enjoy the sights, smells, and sounds of your Disney Vacation.
2. Myth: We’ve already been to “Disney” once – there’s no reason to go back!
   Walt Disney once said “Disneyland® will never be completed. It will continue to grow as long as there is imagination left in the world.” To this day, that is still the case. Whether at the Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland® Resort, or on Disney Cruise Line®, Imagineers are always working on creating new experiences for guests to enjoy! In the past couple months, the Walt Disney World® Resort has debuted the New Fantasyland® Area, a reimagined Test Track® Presented by Chevrolet®, and several other experiences throughout property. Disneyland® Resort completed a five-year expansion project last summer and next month will open Fantasy Faire inside Disneyland® Park. Both Disney Cruise Line® and Adventures by Disney® make regular changes to their itineraries to provide guests with the best experiences. And if you’ve only experienced a Disney Destination on one of the coasts, hop to the other side of the States as the Walt Disney World® and Disneyland® Resorts each offer a totally different experience with their own exclusive attractions!
3. Myth: Because there is so much to do, it is best to go to on a Disney Vacation with no plan.
   A “vacation” is something different to each and every one of us! Some will want to plan each and every minute of the vacation while others will want to go with the flow once they get there. Regardless of how you picture your dream vacation, having a base plan will only benefit you! For example, during peak times finding a walk up opening at a Table Service Restaurant can be difficult! Even doing something as simple as reviewing and familiarizing yourself with the park maps beforehand can save you time in the parks. Discuss your preferences with your Magic Maker® so they can help you make the most of your vacation!

Our Magic Makers® love planning! Allow our expertise to benefit your upcoming vacation. All vacations booked through Off to Neverland Travel® receive planning services free of charge, so you have nothing to lose! Contact us today!

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

Tonight after the big game, one player will stare into a TV camera and shout these famous words – “I’m going to Disney World!”

Started in 1987, New York Giants’ quarterback Phil Simms was the first to participate in Disney Parks’ “What’s Next?” campaign after his team’s triumph in Super Bowl XXI. Since then, this groundbreaking concept has been used to produce commercials for Disney Parks that air shortly after many current events.

Here are a few “What’s Next?” Fun Facts:

• While the Super Bowl has been the catalyst for the most “I’m going to…” commercials over the years, other athletes and celebrities have participated in them after winning these events:
  • America’s Cup
  • NBA Finals
  • World Series
  • Miss America
  • Stanley Cup
  • Brickyard 400
  • Olympics
  • Worlds Cup
  • American Idol 
• Some “I’m Going to…” repeaters include Joe Montana, Emmitt Smith, John Elway, Eli Manning, and Tom Brady
• Since its start in 1987, the only year the “What’s Next?” campaign wasn’t used after the Super Bowl was 2005
• The players chosen to participate in the “I’m Going to…” commercials are not always the Super Bowl MVPs
• Most of the ads have featured the song “When You Wish Upon A Star”
• The athletes and celebrities always make good on their promise – often participating in a special ticker tape parade inside the Parks days later

The Disney Princess experience will soon change at the Disneyland® Park when the new Fantasy Faire opens to guests on Mar. 12, 2013! An extension of the current Fantasyland®, Fantasy Faire will bring some of your favorite timeless tales to life! Located in the former Carnation Plaza Gardens in the shadows of Sleeping Beauty Castle, this expansion is an enchanting, immersive area for anyone who treasures fairy tales.

Inside Fantasy Faire, visitors will find the Royal Hall, a meet and greet area where many Disney Princesses await them. In the charming village square is Tangled Tower. At the Royal Theatre, enjoy two different shows telling the tales of Rapunzel (Tangled) and Belle (Beauty and the Beast) presented by a pair of vaudeville-style Renaissance storytellers. Fairytale Treasures is a shop found inside Fantasy Faire that will offers all kinds of Princess merchandise. And finally, Maurice, Belle’s inventor father, has transformed an old gypsy wagon into a colorful food cart, Maurice’s Treats, serving a new signature beverage, the Boysen Apple Freeze, along with bread twists – cheddar cheese garlic and strawberry almond cream flavors.

Let us help plan your next trip to the Disneyland® Resort! Contact your Magic Maker® and find out how the “Happiest Place On Earth” just got happier!

By Magic Maker®: Julie Paolino

I’m enjoying the breeze as I swing on a hammock nestled between two palm trees.  My husband has gone off to fetch me a frozen tropical drink and my kids are exploring the beach.  I can’t get over the beautiful scenery that is laid out before my eyes. The reflection of the pink cottages of Aruba, in the waters of Barefoot Bay, is breathtaking.  I could stay here forever. Oh wait…..I am at Walt Disney World® Resort! In a little while I’ll be hanging in midair on Tower of Terror at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ instead of this hammock!

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is definitely a tropical retreat not to be overlooked if you are considering a stay at a moderately priced resort right in the middle of all the magic that is Walt Disney World® Resort. Just a short bus ride from each of the parks, Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is an island themed resort that is spread out around the 45 acre Barefoot Bay.  A stay in a room situated in Trinidad South will delight guests with a fun pirate theme for just a little bit more than a standard room.  Meanwhile, guests staying in rooms directly on either side of Old Port Royal Towne Center, in Trinidad North or Martinique , will find quick and easy access to the food court, restaurant, gift shop and pool. The close proximity to the Towne Center puts these rooms in a preferred category, but it is definitely worth the slight increase in price to be near the food court and pool where you are guaranteed to spend most of your time while at the resort. Guests staying in rooms situated on the other side of Barefoot Bay in Aruba, Jamaica, and Barbados will enjoy a scenic walk across the Barefoot Bay Bridge as they make their way to the Towne Center.

Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort is bustling with activity at any time of day. In the mornings you may see walkers and joggers on the many scenic paths around the bay or families enjoying a leisurely surrey bike ride. In the afternoon you will definitely see swimmers enjoying pool time, complete with water cannons, water slides and dumping buckets, in the recently refurbished pirate themed pool near Old Port Royal Towne Center .  Out on the bay is where you will find boaters enjoying a leisurely sail on the calm waters.  And inside Old Port Royale Town Center you will find guest enjoying their food from the quick serve restaurants of Market Street or Shutters, the resort’s table service restaurant.  And don’t fret if you have forgotten something or want to pick up a special souvenir. Shoppers will find plenty of necessities and Walt Disney World® Resort themed merchandise at the Calypso Trading Post and Straw Market.  Evenings at this resort will bring you roasted marshmallows on the beach and movies under the stars.   Need I say more?

So, when you are ready to book your next Walt Disney World® Resort vacation don’t forget about this charming, tropical paradise called Disney’s Caribbean Beach Resort.   And don’t forget to call on one of Off to Neverland Travel’s® Magic Makers® to help you to make the most of your Walt Disney World® Resort vacation by utilizing their expert planning services.