Disney News

This offer is no longer valid.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

Book select departures of select 2011 season North American Adventures by Disney® itineraries before May 25, 2011 for travel between June 14, 2011, and September 24, 2011, and receive $300 off per reservation.*

Booking Window:
April 19 – May 25, 2011

Travel Window:
June 14 – Sep. 24, 2011

Select North American Itineraries:

• Quest for the West
  Wyoming
• Rocky Trails and Mountie Tales
  Montana and Alberta, Canada
• Southwest Adventures
  Arizona and Utah
• Spirit of America
  Pennsylvania, District of Columbia, Virginia
• Taming the Last Frontier
  Alaska

Get ready for the Adventure of a lifetime!  Contact your Magic Maker® for more information or click below to request a quote.

*Guests who book select departures of select 2011 season North American Adventures by Disney itineraries between April 19, 2011, and May 25, 2011, for travel between June 14, 2011, and September 24, 2011, will receive $300 off per reservation. Offer applies to the purchase at the non-discounted Regular Rate. Regular Rates vary depending on departure date and time of booking and are subject to change. Valid on new bookings only.  Land packages are subject to availability. Not transferable or redeemable for cash in whole or in part. Not applicable toward deposit amount. Cannot be sold or transferred for commercial use. Void where prohibited. Subject to conditions, restrictions and change without notice. Cannot be combined with any offers or promotions.

As parents of a preschooler, we are very familiar with Disney Junior!  Our three year old daughter has always loved heading to Playhouse Disney – Live on Stage at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ (or in Disney California Adventure®) and now we can’t wait to check the updated show, Disney Junior – Live on Stage.  She loves jumping up off the floor to dance, clap, catch bubbles.  It is the perfect place to go for energetic preschoolers!

This 24-minute spectacle is geared toward families with preschoolers and takes them on a journey through some of the most popular Disney Junior programming. A host of characters from “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse,” “Little Einsteins,” “Handy Manny,” take the audience along as they plan a surprise party for Minnie Mouse, participate in a space ship race, and fix a bubble machine.

A new scene that was added to the show earlier this month features characters from “Jake and the Never Land Pirates” – a young pack of friends who encounter Captain Hook and Smee during their search for treasure. During this scene, families can help Jake, Izzy, Cubby and Skully, get back their Team Treasure Chest full of gold doubloons.

Don’t forget to meet some of the Disney Junior characters, like Handy Manny and the Little Einsteins, outside of the theater!

What could be a better way to start a fun day at the parks than a delicious breakfast with some of your favorite friends?  Check out these breakfast character meals available at the Disneyland® Resort:

In Disneyland® Park: We like starting the day early in the theme park and getting photos with the characters checked off our to-do list. Minnie & Friends Breakfast in the Park at Plaza Inn fills us up and sends us on our way with cereals, made-to-order omelets, scrambled eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits and gravy, French toast, Mickey waffles, muffins, croissant, Danish and fresh fruit. And photos with Minnie and friends.

At Disney California Adventure® park: If you’ve got little girls, nothing beats starting the day at Ariel’s Disney Princess Celebration. Sit indoors or out and share the “breakfast tier” with fresh fruit, cheeses and cold cuts and pastries, bagels and croissants, followed by an ample platter of scrambled eggs, bacon, turkey sausage and potatoes. All those beautiful princesses make a stop at the table for memorable photos and smiling faces.

At Paradise Pier® Hotel: If you’re not in a hurry to get in the park, what’s better than breakfast with the Big Cheese? Surf’s Up! Breakfast With Mickey and Friends features made-to-order omelets, flatbreads, Mickey waffles, chocolate peanut butter banana French toast, smoothies, a parfait station, chilaquiles (one of our favorites), smoked salmon and all the fixins’ and more. It’s a satisfying meal, and Mickey Mouse and pals dance and sing and make a stop at every table.

At the Disneyland® Hotel: Join Chef Goofy and some other favorite Disney Characters at this whimsical Goofy’s Kitchen where everyone’s a kid! Dine on a wide selection of delicious dishes and laugh it up during your meal.  For breakfast, enjoy favorites like made-to-order omelets and fresh baked pastries or specialties like Mickey Mouse-shaped waffles and Goofy’s Peanut Butter Pizza.

At the Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa: Join the lively Chip ‘n Dale Critter Breakfast for an unforgettable experience filled with music and lots of interactive fun featuring some of your favorite woodland friends. You may order from the menu or select your favorites from the Farmer’s Market buffet that serves up Mickey Mouse-shaped waffles, fresh fruit and made to order omelets.

In honor of Autistic Awareness Month, one of our top Magic Makers®, Traci Elswick, writes of her experiences traveling to the Disney Destinations with her autistic son.  For her article on traveling to the Walt Disney World® Resort, please click here.

Is it possible to have a magical vacation on Disney Cruise Line® with an autistic child?  Yes, with proper planning by one of our Magic Makers® here at Off to Neverland Travel®. I have just returned from our first cruise with my 14 year old autistic son and had a wonderful time. I would like to share what I have learned and make it a magical trip for all who are traveling with an autistic child.

First when making your reservation let your Magic Maker® know your special needs so it can be brought to the attention of the Disney Cast Members. Also, if your child is on a special diet the cast members need to know to accommodate you better. I noticed on our vacation, like at the Disney Parks, my son seems to be more verbal and “living in the moment” unlike in the “real world”. My son is very hypersensitive to sounds so the music from the deck and shows seem to bother him quite a bit. My recommendation for children sensitive to sound is to bring ear phones to block out some of the noise. My 15 year old typical son wore them when listening to music so it won’t make your child stand out.

My son really loves all the character interaction. Your Personal Navigator (the daily cruise itinerary left in your cabin each night) details out which characters are appearing each day, where to find them, and what time they will be available.  Plan to be in line about 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time so you can avoid long lines. The characters seem to be trained on knowing how to approach a special needs child and are very patient and kind with them. I never had any problems with the character interaction.

Take lots of breaks during the day. I would suggest doing one of the 4-night itineraries so you don’t feel so rushed to see it all. Remember its a leisurely cruise, not a Walt Disney World® marathon!

My son enjoyed watching the movies playing on board. Disney Cruise Line® even offers 3D and first run movies. There is variety of Disney movies playing on the Ariel Vision Screen at the Goofy Pool and in your staterooms. The live, Broadway quality shows were a bit loud and overstimulating at times for my son. Sit on the end of the aisle in case you might have to leave with your child. Don’t forget the headphones for the shows if your child is hypersensitive to loud nosies.

The kids clubs are excellent on Disney Cruise Line®. With a visitor’s pass, my son and I would check out the kids club together for a short time each day. They even offered for him to stay by himself. I know the limitations of my son and knew if wasn’t a good idea for us; but if your child could handle it they will be in great hands.

We had a bit of pixie dust sprinkled on us during our trip which is why I feel the Disney Destinations are the best choice for our family vacations due to the special care they take to accommodate the special needs traveler. The youth counselors left a bag full of goodies for my son on the 2nd night of our cruise. They knew how much he loves Toy Story and made him picture of Woody and Buzz with a Toy Story calendar and a bag full of goodies.  The gift bought tears to my eyes. That is the Disney Difference. That is why when I pick a vacation for my autistic son I always come back to the Disney Parks or Disney Cruise Line®. From the theme parks to the cruise ships, the Cast Members know how to treat the special needs traveler.

So, what are you waiting for? Get ready to set sail with your child on board the Disney Wonder®, the Disney Magic®, the Disney Dream™, or on the Disney Fantasy™ (maiden voyage March 2012)!

The Disney Destinations are one of the top destinations in accommodating all types of special needs from autism to mobility issues to special dietary concerns.
What experiences do you have in traveling with an individual with special needs?

Mickey Mouse now reigns at a new location in Magic Kingdom® Park to meet and greet his friends at Walt Disney World® Resort. Guests can now go backstage at Town Square Theater for photos and autographs with Mickey — without waiting in a standby queue!

Mickey’s new location in the park also heralds the first-ever use of Disney’s FASTPASS Service for a character meet-and-greet experience. FASTPASS allows guests to reduce waiting by designating a window of time when they can return for a theme park experience.

The fun takes place at the Town Square Theater presented by Kodak, located just inside the Magic Kingdom® entrance. Previously known as Town Square Exposition Hall, the venue has been re-imagined as a turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century theater where posters proclaim Mickey Mouse as the star of a magic show.

A glistening marquee with gold-leaf trim and sparkling lights beckons guests to enter a lobby that serves as a hub for character meet-and-greet queues, the Box Office Gifts merchandise shop and Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. Lush curtains with gold rope tie-backs, polished-brass chandeliers and a huge tile floor mosaic of the Town Square Theater logo adorn the space.

Just beyond the lobby, guests pass through an ornate arch and enter a queue to meet Magician Mickey Mouse — or a queue to meet the Disney princesses, for whom Town Square Theater will be a meet-and-greet location during New Fantasyland construction.

The meet-and-greet experience begins when magical posters featuring Mickey’s various magic acts come to life, enhancing guests’ journey through queues into the backstage corridors of the theater. Mickey greets guests in a rehearsal-room environment amid posters, steamer trunks and stage props. It’s a classic backstage area with a wood floor and ceiling. One wall is brick, the others are papered in red and black — Mickey colors.

During the Princesses’ limited engagement at Town Square Theater, they will greet guests in an area fit for royalty — replete with plush carpeting, lush velvety-blue drapes with gold tiebacks, and a large mural backdrop of a chateau amid green, tree-covered hills and fields.

Exiting the meet-and-greet areas, guests pass through Curtain Call Collectibles, a shop with design elements suggesting a backstage area used for theater shipping and receiving — with large, barn-like doors through which props and set pieces could pass.

Guests wanting to meet Mickey or the Princesses can either obtain a Disney’s FASTPASS ticket or get in standby queues. FASTPASS tickets, which are available near Town Square Theater, designate an hour window of time during which the guest can return to the theater and have their “magic moment” with Mickey or the Princesses without joining the standby queues.

**Photo not taken at Mickey’s new location.