Disney News

Updated 8/26/2012 – 8:00p EDT

At Walt Disney World® Resort and aboard Disney Cruise Line®, the safety of guests, cast, and crew members are always their top priority.

Tropical Storm Isaac, which was upgraded from a Tropical Depression and received its name on Tuesday, Aug. 21, 2012, was expected to strengthen into a hurricane earlier this week, but has yet to do so. The storm is becoming a little more organized and is believed to be upgraded to a hurricane within the next 24 hours.

Our guests in Florida will experience minimal impact from the storm. As of now, no changes in operation have been announced by Walt Disney World® Resort. The Resort area was under a Tropical Storm Watch, but that has expired.

Disney Cruise Line® has announced that no changes have been made to the following itineraries:

• Disney Dream® Aug. 29th, 4-night sailing to the Bahamas

Courtesy NHC/NOAA

This offer is no longer valid. Please click here to view all current Disney Cruise Line® specials.

This is no trick!

For a limited time, guests can save 25% off prevailing rates on the October 27, 2012, 7-night Western Caribbean sailing from Galveston, Texas!

This 7-night itinerary makes stops at Grand Cayman, Costa Maya, and Cozumel. Onboard the Disney Magic®, you will enjoy amazing entertainment, delicious food, and the legendary hospitality that Disney Cruise Line® has become known for. But on this special Halloween cruise, you’ll discover some special “hair-raising” experiences:

• Haunted Parties: Your favorite Disney characters, dressed in their special Halloween costumes, will host a fun-filled Halloween costume party complete with live music, dancing and lots of candy! Adults will have a party of their own inside the nighttime entertainment district complete with a costume contest!
• Spooky Movies: Guests can enjoy Halloween-themed movies on Funnel Vision by the family pool or in their staterooms.
• Ghoulish Delights: Guests will enjoy Halloween-inspired cuisine and sweets – like chocolate cake with pumpkin filling, spider cakes, and “Witch’s Brew.”

Availability for this special offer is limited, so request a quote today!

Important Promotional Details

Valid on the 7-night Western Caribbean sailing aboard the Disney Magic® departing Oct. 27, 2012. This offer is only available to residents of the United States and Canada. Offer excludes IGT, OGT, VGT categories with restrictions. Government Taxes and Fees, Gratuities and Port Adventures are not included. Government Taxes and Fees are an additional $53 per person (subject to change). The number of staterooms allocated for this offer is limited. This offer cannot be combined with any other special offers or discounts. Offer subject to Disney Cruise Line Terms and Conditions. Offer excludes all other sailings. Promotional code: GAL

Forecasters, southern U.S. residents, and vacationers all have their eyes on Tropical Storm Isaac and Post-Tropical Cyclone Joyce.

Because of the unpredictable nature of Florida’s Hurricane season, Walt Disney Travel Company has a Hurricane Policy to provide some piece of mind to their guests.

This Hurricane Policy for an exclusive benefit for Magic Your Way® Packages and most room-only reservations booked through Walt Disney Travel Company by yourself or one of our Magic Makers®. This includes the three east coast locations – Walt Disney World® Resort, Disney’s Vero Beach Resort and Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort.

Here is a summary of Walt Disney Travel Company’s Hurricane Policy:

• The policy is effective when a hurricane warning is issued no more than 7 days before your scheduled arrival date by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area or for your place of residence. If you are traveling to Disney’s Vero Beach Resort or Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort, it is effective in the event a hurricane warning is issued for your place of residence or those respective locations.
• Once the above criteria has been met, your Walt Disney Travel Company Magic Your Way® vacation package and most room only reservations can be rescheduled or cancelled without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Walt Disney Travel Company. If you have products and services provided by third-party suppliers included in your vacation-such as airlines, hotels, car rental agencies or vacation insurance companies-you will be responsible for any non-refundable payments, as well as cancellation or change fees assessed by those suppliers. This policy also does not apply to certain special events or dining experiences.
• If your vacation is covered under the Hurricane Policy and you would like to reschedule, all amounts you paid for rooms, Theme Park tickets, Disney Dining Plans and other products and services not offered by third-party suppliers will be applied toward your new reservation. Unfortunately any discounts or free offers from your original vacation will not apply to the rescheduled vacation. Availability of similar accommodations for the new travel dates can not be guaranteed.
• If your air travel was booked by your Magic Maker® through the Walt Disney Travel Company and you wish to reschedule, they will attempt to re-book your air travel but you will remain responsible for any cancellation or change fees imposed by the airline. If you booked your air travel yourself, you should contact your airline directly.
• This Hurricane Policy does not apply to sports, youth, other group or special event rooms or packages, meetings and conventions.

Please note that this summary is not inclusive and is subject to change. If you have purchased Travel Insurance, please contact the Insurance Company directly to discuss your coverage options with them.

“Stop whining, what do you want to do next?”

I could feel the frustration in this mother’s voice as the words echoed from her lips amidst the crowd in Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park.

The child barely got their mouth open to answer before their mother chimed in with, “you know what I don’t care what you want to do…”

I am sure you can guess that this frustrated family was not smiling.

Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland® Resort and Disney Cruise Line® are amazing vacation destinations, second to none in quality and service. There truly is something for everyone.  But as with any destination so large and so popular it is easy to allow frustration to set in and begin to ‘steal’ away priceless memories with your family and/or friends.

Between the crowds, the fatigue from trying to ‘do it all’, the weather, personality clashes and unpredictable moments; it is easy to take away from the excitement of being at ‘the Happiest Place on Earth’.

What can we say, we are about full disclosure.

The best advice we can offer, “Don’t sweat the small stuff…and it is all small stuff.” – R. Carlson

While I don’t know about you and your family, it seems like the things that frustrate my family the most on our trips become the things we laugh about the most when we get home. From squirrels stealing our food to bird droppings in our hair and the occasional ‘sour apple’ person we’ve encountered, we’ve had plenty of situations to steal our fun.

We can become the frowning family in Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park because we let our situations get the best of us, or we can choose to be the family with mouse ears perched atop our heads and turkey legs in our hands…laughing our way through the good, and the bad.

A trip to Walt Disney World® Resort, Disneyland® Resort or Disney Cruise Line® does not happen every day, and learning not to sweat the small stuff will help you make the most of your trip and the time you have there with family and friends!

One way to help relieve a lot of vacation stress is to allow your Magic Maker® to help you plan and prepare for your trip, from itineraries to dinner reservations…all at no cost to you! Be prepared, take time to rest, and remember not to sweat the small stuff, and you are certain to make the most of your time at the Happiest Place on Earth!