Disney News

Wildlife thrills are part of the upcoming Wild Africa Trek experience at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park and now you can start makingreservations.

Wild Africa Trek will be a three-hour, expert-led adventure offering up-close-and-personal experiences with wildlife species that make their home in Pangani Forest as well as other areas of the park’s Harambe Wildlife Reserve. As part of the adventure, you’ll clip onto a lifeline and step to the edge of a cliff to get amazingly close to the hippos and crocs. Here are a few highlights for curious explorers:

• Trekking with experienced guides through areas of Harambe Wildlife Reserve that aren’t explored during regular Disney’s Animal Kingdom experiences.
• Navigating through fern and vine forests on a bushwalk.
• Clipping into a harness attached to a safety line, crossing a rope bridge over the Safi River and cliff-hanging at the edge of gullies that are home to hippos and crocodiles.
• Experiencing the thrill of “over-landing” in customized open-air vehicles following the edge of a wide-open savanna.
• Unwinding from an unforgettable adventure at a private safari camp for wildlife viewing. At this station elevated above the savanna, guests will savor sample tastes of Africa.

Harambe Wildlife Reserve will be offered several times daily at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. Groups will be kept small, consisting of no more than 12 trekkers per safari.

Contact your Magic Maker® for more details on making a reservation. Pricing for this unique adventure will vary seasonally. Guests who reserve a booking from Jan. 16-Feb. 26, 2011, may take advantage of an introductory offer starting at $129. Park admission is required for participants.

*Tours are subject to availability and may be canceled at any time without notice.  Price is subject to change without notice. Guests must be at least 9 years to participate.

The Disneyland® Resort has transformed into a Halloween wonderland. Mickey and Minnie and their pals are decked out in their favorite Halloweencostumes, hundreds of pumpkins decorate the resort and autumn is in the air. It’s really a great time to visit, but if you’re a Halloween junkie then there are some special tours available, complete with your own “Ghost” or “Ghostess.”

Two tours enhance the Halloween experience at the Disneyland® Resort by giving guests a look at how Halloween comes to life, with fun holiday facts and a chance to experience the resort’s most popular Halloween attractions.

“Disney’s Happiest Haunts Tour” will be held daily through October 31. The cost is $64 plus park admission. “Disney’s Happiest Haunts Ultimate Experience” costs $99 and includes admission to Mickey’s Halloween Party. It’s available on Tuesdays and Fridays only. Park admission is included.

Tours have limited space and start at 5 p.m. and 5:05 p.m. Contact your Magic Maker® for more information.

*Tour schedule and price are subject to change at any time without notice and are subject to availability.

Rapunzel and Flynn Rider from the upcoming Disney movie, Tangled, are now greeting guests in Fantasyland® at Disneyland® park.  Beginning October 24, both characters also will appear at Fairytale Garden in the Magic Kingdom® Park at the Walt Disney World® Resort in Orlando.

You can also see Rapunzel and Flynn Rider on the big screen when Tangled debuts in theaters this Thanksgiving.

You might think it is a little crazy to cruise with infants and toddlers, but it is actually easier than you think!  The ships of Disney Cruise Line® have all of the amenities and services that you need to have a magical experience with your little cruisers.

Sleeping

Guests don’t have to worry about bringing their own pack-n-play from home, just that favorite stuffed animal.  Pack-n-Plays/ Cribs are available upon request from your stateroom host/hostess.

Meal Time

High chairs and booster seats are available in all of the restaurants on board.  Don’t see something that your child will eat on the menu?  Not a problem!  Your servers can bring you things that aren’t on the menu.  Our daughter (at eleven months) ate peas, a banana or applesauce, and chicken every night.  You will need to bring your own baby food and/or formula, but if you forget, there is some available for sale in Treasure Ketch*.

Bottle warmers and sterilizers are also available upon request from your stateroom host/hostess.

Play Time

While there are many fun activities for everyone onboard the Disney Cruise Line® ships, there are some tailored specifically for the toddlers and infants.  You and your toddler can experience interactive play together in the pirate ship themed area of the Oceaneer Club (Deck 5, midship).  The Oceaneer Club is the kids’ club for kids age 3-12 but parents are invited to come in with little ones to climb around on the ship, slide, and read books together.

The United States Public Health Service requires all children to be potty trained in order to enter shipboard pools and spas.  But that doesn’t mean your toddlers can’t have fun in the water, too!  Head up to Mickey’s Splash Zone*, located on Deck 9, for interactive water fun perfect for little ones in swim diapers.

On Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay, take your toddler to Monstro’s Point and discover together fossils and bones in this archeological dig.  Your Personal Navigator will have times for the Family Whale Dig Program.  Don’t forget to head to the new Spring-a-Leak splash park for some fun in the water!

A limited number of strollers are available at Guest Services on board the ship.  A limited number of strollers and wagons are also available for use on Castaway Cay.

Time for Mom and Dad

Need some alone time for a quiet romantic dinner at Palo?  Or what about a couples massage at the Spa?  Flounder’s Nursery* is the perfect place for your little ones (ages 3 months to 3 years) to play.  Inspired by the enchanting under-the-sea theme from the hit Disney film, Flounder’s Reef Nursery immerses young Guests in a soothing environment where picturesque sea-blue walls adorned with seahorses, clams and bubbles mesh with an aqua floor of ocean waves and the calming sounds of music.  It consists of two spacious rooms, one for active play and one offering a relaxed atmosphere.  Besides, you just never know who might show up!  We walked in to pick up our daughter and Pluto came in to play with the babies.  Another guest tells of Cinderella rocking her baby to sleep.  Priceless memories.

Flounder’s Nursery is available at an additional charge ($6/hour for first child, $5/hour for siblings) and has limited availability.  Reservations must be made in advance and can be done prior to departure date.

Forget Something?

Traveling with infants and toddlers can be an overwhelming experiences especially when it comes to packing.  It is easy to forget that one thing that you needed.  Disney Cruise Line makes it easy to get what you need.  Treasure Ketch has several baby items available for purchase including baby wipes, diapers, lotions, formula, baby food, bath items, and pacifiers.

Pack-n-Plays, bottle warmers, bottle sterilizers, and diaper pails are all available upon request from your stateroom host/hostess.

Cruising with infants and toddlers can be a magical and enjoyable experience.  Our daughter took her first steps on the deck of the Disney Wonder as it was leaving Port Canaveral.  There is nothing like walking through the halls and Aladdin stops to give her a kiss.  She may not remember these first few cruise experiences, but we sure will!

*The names of certain locations refer to location names on board the Disney Wonder® and Disney Magic®.  Location names are different on board the new Disney Dream™, but it will still have the same services and amenities offered by the other two ships.

Disney Cruise Line® is pleased to announce selected itineraries* for 2012, including the maiden voyage of its fourth ship.

The Disney Fantasy™ is scheduled to set sail on April 7, 2012, offering 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises from Port Canaveral, Fla.

A sister ship to the Disney Dream™, the Disney Fantasy will feature an AquaDuck water coaster, magical children’s areas, world-class entertainment, delightful dining, retreats for adults and immersive experiences for Guests of all ages with beloved Disney Characters and stories.

These new itineraries are available to book beginning at 8:00 am EDT on October 20, 2010.  Check back often for more information.

Disney Fantasy™

• Maiden voyage: April 7, 2012
• 7-night Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean cruises
• Sailing from Port Canaveral, Fla.
• Itineraries and sail dates: April – August 2012

Disney Dream™

• Maiden voyage: Jan. 26, 2011
• 3-night, 4-night and 5-night Bahamian cruises
• Sailing from Port Canaveral, Fla.
• Itineraries and sail dates: January – August 2012

Disney Wonder®

• 7-night Mexican Riviera cruises
• Sailing from Port of Los Angeles, Calif.
• Itineraries and sail dates: January – April 2012

Disney Magic®

• 7-night Eastern Caribbean and Western Caribbean cruises
• Sailing from Port Canaveral, Fla.
• Itineraries and sail dates: January – March 2012

Don’t wait until 2012 to sail away?  Click here to see a list of all Disney Cruise Line Itineraries.

*Itineraries and sail dates subject to change without notice.