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Walt Disney World News

Disney World Dining Caters to Everyone โ€“ Special Needs Dining

Disney World Vacation - Infant Looking at MenuFrom Magic Makerยฎ Kip Dennis
Anyone who has visited the Walt Disney Worldยฎ Resort in the past can tell you about their excellent dining options. From the ethnic restaurants in the World Showcase at EPCOTยฎ, to the class act dinner theater like Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Review at Disneyโ€™s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, and the one-of-a kind restaurants like 50โ€™s Prime Time Cafรฉ, there is something for everyone. But when you have a dietary restriction, you may think that you choices are limited. With the MAGIC of Disney it is actually quite the opposite.

While recently traveling with someone with a food allergy, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of service provided. When placing my advance dining reservations (ADRs), I notified the cast member of the allergy. All of my reservations were noted to alert the staff of the extra care needed. Just let your personal Magic Maker know of your special needs and they will communicate those to Disney. They can also provide you with additional information relating to your restrictions including suggested restaurants that will be able to best meet your needs.

At our table service meals, our waiter/waitress told us that their chef would be out to talk about our particular dietary need. Each chef went to great lengths to ensure a meal was made without any allergen contamination. If it was a buffet meal, the chef escorted him around to identify โ€œsafeโ€ foods.

For counter service, we just notified the cast member at the order podium of our restriction. They once again notified a manager to come and consult us on what our available options were.

The Special Dietary program at Disney is just another example of how Disney continues to provide great service to their guests.

Holidays at the Walt Disney World Resort in 2009

Epcot Christmas TreeFrom Magic Makerยฎ Kim Restagno
How many times have you heard someone say โ€œYou need to see the Walt Disney Worldยฎ Resort at Christmastime?โ€ or โ€œHave you ever been the Walt Disney Worldยฎ Resort during the holidays?โ€ I know I heard it many times before I became a Magic Makerโ„ข! I must admit at the time I didnโ€™t understand what all the fuss was about, until I got to go in December and see for myself. It was one of my dream vacations; the whole family was able to go. What a grand gathering we had! After all I had heard about the holidays, now I understood the magic of it all.

Disney doesnโ€™t skip over anything when it comes to attention to detail. Decorations abound everywhere you look. Each of the parks and resorts has its own specially decorated tree that greets you as you enter. The Gingerbread House at Disneyโ€™s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is a must see! Wreaths, ribbons, and bows garnish doors, light posts and windows. Presents sit under Christmas trees. Garlands, lights, poinsettias and music all add to the magic!

Cinderella Castle is transformed every night at the Magic Kingdomยฎ Park during Castle Dreamlights, a glorious, wintry confection, twinkling in the sky! Or you can celebrate the holidays with your favorite Disney pals at Mickeyโ€™s Very Merry Christmas Party* at the Magic Kingdomยฎ Park. Join Mickey and friends, decked out in their holiday yuletide best, for the ultimate jungle holiday adventure at Disneyโ€™s Animal Kingdomยฎ Theme Park! Itโ€™s a jinglinโ€™, jumpinโ€™, jivinโ€™ time, you wonโ€™t want to miss!!

Donโ€™t miss the The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights* at Disneyโ€™s Hollywood Studiosโ„ข! Immerse yourself in the joy of the season as millions of blinking, twinkling lights dance in synchronized motion to holiday music! Believe it or not, you might even see those tiny white flakes falling in the sky! Epcotโ€™s World Showcase comes alive with diverse holiday traditions of food, fun and entertainment from across the globe.

You name it, you imagine it and the Walt Disney Worldยฎ Resort has done it!

*Select nights in Nov. & Dec. 2009; Admission to Mickeyโ€™s Very Merry Christmas Party requires a separately priced ticket.

Meet Disneyโ€™s Newest Royalty and See โ€œTianaโ€™s Showboat Jubilee!โ€

Disney's The Princess and the Frog at Walt Disney WorldBeginning Oct. 26, 2009, at the Walt Disney Worldยฎ Resort, you can meet Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen, from Walt Disney Picturesโ€™ full-length animated motion picture, โ€œThe Princess and the Frog.โ€ Both characters will be in Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdomยฎ Park eager to meet little princesses and princes.

In addition to hosting meet-and-greet opportunities with Guests, Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen and other colorful characters from the new feature film will star in โ€œTianaโ€™s Showboat Jubilee!โ€. This lively, jazz-filled parade starts in Liberty Square, heads down to the waterโ€™s edge, and boards the Liberty Belle riverboat. Guests can watch the performers sing and dance to jazz music and songs from the movie as they cruise along the river.

Make sure you catch this boat soon, because after Jan. 3, 2010, โ€œTianaโ€™s Showboat Jubilee!โ€ ships off for good!

โ€œThe Princess and the Frogโ€ Movie Ticket Offer from Walt Disney World and Disneyland

Princess and the FrogWhen you enter a Disneylandยฎ Resort Theme Park or Walt Disney Worldยฎ Resort Theme Park Oct. 5 โ€“ Nov. 22, 2009, and present your valid Theme Park ticket at select merchandise locations, you will receive a special card with details on how to get a certificate good for up to $8 towards the purchase of one childโ€™s movie ticket when they purchase an adult movie ticket to see โ€œThe Princess and the Frogโ€ at participating theaters. This full-length animated feature opens Dec. 11, 2009, and the certificates are redeemable Dec. 11-31, 2009. You must be age 10 or older to receive the special card.

Walt Disney World Special 2010 โ€“ Buy 4 Nights, Get 3 Free (2009 & 2010 Dates)

This special is no longer applicable, but be sure to out check the
Walt Disney Worldยฎ Resort page for current offers.

YDisney World 2010 Specialou can get more magic without spending more booty, with free nights headed your way.

When you buy a non-discounted Walt Disney Travel Company 4-night, 4-day Walt Disney Worldยฎ Resort room and ticket package at select Disney Moderate, Deluxe or Deluxe Villa Resorts, youโ€™ll get three more nights with tickets FREE.

โ€“ OR โ€“

When you buy a non-discounted Walt Disney Travel Company 5-night, 5-day Walt Disney World Resort room and ticket package at select Disney Value Resorts, youโ€™ll get two more nights with tickets FREE.

This offer is available for stays most nights:

  • Nov. 1-24, 2009
  • Dec. 8-24, 2009
  • Jan. 3 โ€“ March 27, 2010

*Room charge based on average per-night rate of your room during your stay. The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Tickets are for one Theme Park per day and must be used within 14 days of first use. Advanced reservations required. No group rates or other discounts apply.

Disney Magic Starts on Arrival Day in Walt Disney World

Walt Disney World Entry SignAfter all the planning and anticipation, the day will finally come when you arrive for your Walt Disney Worldยฎ vacation! What you do on that very first day can set the tone for your entire trip. How about some fun, undeniably magical, and yes, even relaxing suggestions for your very important arrival day?

If youโ€™ve got a longer trip planned, lucky you! Why not spend your first day outside of the parks? Often, guests are so tempted to get in every last ride in at the parks that the special qualities of the resorts are often overlooked. Ease in to the experience by taking a swim, explore the resort grounds and participate in some of the activities going on there. You will be glad when you awake the next day rested and ready to take on the World!

If you are planning to stay just a few days, getting right into a park is probably on your agenda. But thereโ€™s no need to rush through the whole park in one day! Try a more laid-back approach: pick one headliner attraction you really want to experience and grab a FASTPASSยฎ for it as soon as you arrive.

Then stop and smell the roses while you wait for the return time โ€“ watch the zany Streetmosphere performers in Disneyโ€™s Hollywood Studiosโ„ข or get a dazzling hairstyle with colored gel and โ€œMickey Dustโ€ at the Harmony Barbershop in the Magic Kingdomยฎ Park. Eat a Mickey Bar and watch the spectacular fountains in Epcotยฎ or wander around the trunk of the Tree of Life in Disneyโ€™s Animal Kingdomยฎ Theme Park. Be open to just letting the magic happen!

Whatever you do, plan something to top off your first day with that essential Disney feeling. A character meal might just do the trick! Try Chef Mickeyโ€™s and be welcomed in a festive atmosphere hosted by the Big Cheese himself. Thereโ€™s Disney magic even in a simple thing like taking a loop on Disneyโ€™s Monorail. Riding through the Disneyโ€™s Contemporary Resort, catching a glimpse of Cinderella Castle, you could just have that moment โ€“ when you feel a little thrill and know youโ€™ve truly arrived.

Walt Disney World Vacations

Celebrity Chef, Cat Cora, Opens New Restaurant in Walt Disney World

Celebrity chef Cat Cora and Disney are joining together to open a casual, family restaurant at Disneyโ€™s Boardwalk Resort.

Kouzzina by Cat Cora features time-honored Mediterranean recipes, as well as the chefโ€™s personal favorites. The new table-service restaurant is included in the Disney Dining Plan and available to book simply by letting your personal Magic Makerยฎ know your desired date and time.

Kouzzina is the Greek word for kitchen. This family dining restaurant has an open kitchen with a wood-burning grill and oak-fired ovens. It will serve creative, Greek-inspired dishes that are described as simple, yet sensational.

To complement the flavors and aromas wafting out of the open kitchen, Chef Cora has hand-selected a beverage menu, including her special cocktail recipes and private label wines from California.

Cat Cora achieved celebrity status by becoming the first female Iron Chef on the Food Networkโ€™s hit show โ€œIron Chef America.โ€ Sheโ€™s been a featured chef at the Epcotยฎ International Food & Wine Festival and at Disneyโ€™s California Food & Wine Festival at the Disneylandยฎ Resort.

Walt Disney World 2010 Packages Released

Just dropping a quick note to let you know that Walt Disney Worldยฎ 2010 Packages have been released and are now ready to be booked. If youโ€™ve been waiting for 2010 Walt Disney Worldยฎ Packages, please contact us now to request a quote so that we can get you the best option possible for your Walt Disney Worldยฎ 2010 Vacation. As always, if you book with us, and a Walt Disney Worldยฎ Special is released that is applicable to your package, we will automatically and gladly have it applied in order to save you money or add on something special.

What are you waiting for? Magic Makersยฎ are standing by to help with your 2010 Walt Disney Worldยฎ Vacation.

Click here to request a quote!

Disney World Free Dining Fall 2009 Extended Dates into December

This special is no longer applicable, but be sure to out check the
Walt Disney Worldยฎ Resort page for current offers.

Disney World Free Dining Fall 2009Are you hungry for some fun? Check out this fantastic Walt Disney Worldยฎ Resort vacation packages that not only include hotel accommodations and Theme Park tickets, but also includes:

  • Disney Dining Plan (Deluxe and Moderate Resorts) or
  • Disney Quick-Service Dining Plan (Value Resorts) for FREE!

These vacation packages are available for stays most nights Sept. 29 โ€“ Nov. 24 and Nov. 29 โ€“ Dec. 17, 2009.

President Obama Joins the Cast of the Hall of Presidents at the Walt Disney World Resort

presidentobamahallofpresidentsA remarkably lifelike Audio-Animatronics figure of President Barack Obama enters the spotlight in a revised and refreshed Hall of Presidents show that recently reopened in the Magic Kingdomยฎ Park at the Walt Disney Worldยฎ Resort.

The figure of the countryโ€™s 44th chief executive โ€“ which comes to life with recognizable mannerisms and makes comments that were recorded at the White House โ€“ is only part of a makeover so significant that the iconic attraction in the parkโ€™s Liberty Square has been retitled The Hall of Presidents: A Celebration of Libertyโ€™s Leaders.

Other updates to the โ€œre-Imagineeredโ€ attraction which has been entertaining Magic Kingdom Park Guests since 1971:

  • A re-programmed Abraham Lincoln delivers arguably the greatest speech in the history of the presidency โ€“ the Gettysburg Address.
  • For the first time in the attractionโ€™s history, George Washington stands and delivers a stirring speech.
  • Developed with the assistance of Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, the show now tells a moving story of the bond between the presidents and โ€œWe, the People,โ€ focusing on the chief executives who have guided America through trying, turbulent times.

โ€œOur goal with every major Disney attraction is to completely immerse our Guests in a compelling story,โ€ said Jay Rasulo, Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. โ€œThe stories associated with the American presidency are some of the most engaging and relevant our Guests will hear while they are with us. And, like all great stories, these stories inspire, motivate and teach us to appreciate the challenges and personal triumph that comes with overcoming adversity.โ€

True to Walt Disneyโ€™s vision, The Hall of Presidents features the appearance on stage of every United States president โ€“ life-sized, three-dimensional and fully animated. Seven presidents have been added to the โ€œHallโ€ since the attraction opened during the presidency of Richard Nixon.

The figure of President Barack Obama is not only the seventh addition but also the most dynamic figure Disney has ever created. Disney Imagineers, whoโ€™ve been refining Audio-Animatronics technology since 1963, have discovered new ways to integrate an array of subtle movements and facial expressions into the figures. Imagineers also worked closely with White House staff to create realistic clothing and accessories worn by the Obama figure in the show, right down to a lapel pin and watch.

Imagineers enhanced the soundtrack with digital production and state-of-the-art speakers; they also upgraded the lighting with energy-efficient LED technology.

Presentations of The Hall of Presidents show takes place daily and are included with Magic Kingdom Park admission.

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