Disney News

Recently, a group of 50 Disney VoluntEARS from the Walt Disney World® Resort completed a CANstruction – a combination of a design competition and a food drive. And with this past weekends opening of Disney’s Wreck-It Ralph in theaters, he served as a great source of inspiration!

After two months of planning and the proper placement of 7,634 non-perishable canned and boxed goods, the Ralph CANstruction came to life. Watch the video below to see the process.

The Second Harvest Food Bank in Central Florida benefited from these canned goods. The structure won the following awards: Structural Ingenuity, The Big Canhuna, and People’s Choice.

West Coasts guest can rejoice in the opening of California’s first EARL OF SANDWICH® – right in the heart of the Downtown Disney® District!

Originally expected to open earlier this summer, the new EARL OF SANDWICH® location is schedule to have its Grand Opening today. Famous for their hot sandwiches served on freshly baked artisan bread, the counter-service location will also feature soups, salads, wraps, and desserts on their lunch and dinner menus. Breakfast sandwiches and pastries will be available during the morning.

The restaurant will offer guests 14 different sandwiches all priced at $6.99, including their Original 1762 sandwich with roasted beef, sharp cheddar and creamy horseradish sauce. And through January 6th, their special Holiday Turkey Sandwich (oven roasted turkey, hearty stuffing, zesty cranberry sauce, seasoned mayonnaise, & warm gravy) will be available.

EARL OF SANDWICH® has become one of the most popular quick service dining locations in the Downtown Disney® Area of the Walt Disney World® Resort, and we expect the same at the Disneyland® Resort!

Today is an exciting day for Off to Neverland Travel® as we celebrate 5 years of making your travel dreams come true!

While Off to Neverland Travel® is turning five, our story actually began in 1998 when our owner, Chet McDoniel, was on his 2^nd trip to Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida. It was on this trip that Chet fell in love with Disney and thus began the journey towards the birth of Off to Neverland Travel®.

Chet tells his story best:

“To set the stage, let me tell you that I couldn’t wait to see SpectroMagic Parade. It was the one thing I was most excited about.  On our day at the Magic Kingdom® Park, we arrived to watch the parade too late to get a decent spot to view it, and did not know about any other seating options, so I watched it from a distance, while at the time my hopes were crushed. Being in a wheelchair, I couldn’t even see the parade due to all the people around me.

On the last day of our trip, we were at MGM (now, Disney’s Hollywood Studios™) and as we were leaving, I noticed that there was an hour before the SpectroMagic Parade. We decided (upon my request) to make another attempt at viewing the parade.  I was fearful when we arrived because when we had seen it a couple of days earlier, we tried to get seats about an hour early, and here we were attempting the same at about 20 mins before the parade. When we arrived, Main Street, U.S.A.® Area was PACKED. Here I am in a manual wheelchair with someone pushing me through holes that people couldn’t even walk through. I would never make it. My hopes dashed again, I was ready to leave…

We pushed and shoved through the crowd as my parents had decided that if we couldn’t see the parade, we might as well ride a high-profile attraction while we were here. Then a Cast Member walked right up to us on the street as we were trying to hurry to get out of the parade’s way. It hadn’t started, but Jimminy Cricket had made several announcements. She knelt down, eye-to-eye level with me and in the middle of the chaos, said with a great big smile, “I saved a special place just for you sweetheart.” She turned and walked over to handicapped seating area not 10 ft away, where, there was just enough room to park my chair. My front wheels were practically hanging off the curb. I turned to say thanks and she winked and left. I watched the parade in all of its splendor.  My dreams came true, and my vacation was made perfect.”

That kind of vacation magic is what we are all about at Off to Neverland Travel®. Disney provides a level of service and entertainment that no other destination can provide, and Off to Neverland Travel® is here to serve you and your vacation needs with ‘white gloves’. Our service goes far beyond the average, helping you create lasting vacation memories.   From dining arrangements and tours to tips and general questions, and everything in between, our Magic Makers® are committed to making your vacation all it can be.

While Disney is our specialty, we are a full-service travel agency, and we can help you with your vacation plans to any destination.

We are strong believers that wonderful, lasting memories are made when families and friends go on vacation, and that is why Off to Neverland Travel® has been here for five  years serving you, and will continue to be here in the years to come. Whatever your vacation dreams may be, they are only “a wish away” here at Off to Neverland Travel®.

Yesterday, The Walt Disney Company announced its agreement to acquire Lucasfilm Ltd., the company owned by George Lucas that is known for Star Wars and Indiana Jones. Under the deal, Disney will acquire ownership of Lucasfilm, a leader in entertainment, innovation and technology, and LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic, and Skywalker Sound – operating businesses in live action film production, consumer products, animation, visual effects, and audio post production.

For the past 35 years, one of my greatest pleasures has been to see Star Wars passed from one generation to the next. It’s now time for me to pass Star Wars on to a new generation of filmmakers. I’ve always believed that Star Wars could live beyond me, and I thought it was important to set up the transition during my lifetime. – George Lucas, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Lucasfilm

The Walt Disney Company and Lucasfilm have had a long-standing relationship that had previously integrated Star Wars into the Walt Disney World® Resort, the Disneyland® Resort, Disneyland® Paris, and Tokyo Disney® Resort. This acquisition will not only increase the presence of Star Wars within the Disney Parks, but The Walt Disney Company has already announced the making of Star Wars Episode 7 in which George Lucas will serve as creative consultant. Star Wars Episode 7 is targeted for release in 2015, with more feature films expected to continue the Star Wars saga and grow the franchise well into the future.

Tucked inside the Disney Animation Building at Disney California Adventure®Park is the Beast’s Library. Inside this glorious library, guests can find their “Disney self” by participating in an interactive quiz with Lumiere.  After answering a couple questions, the enchanted books will reveal the Disney character you are most like.

Recently, this interactive experience was updated to include addition characters. Watch the video to see the fun waiting for you inside Beast’s Library!