Disney News

One of our guests’ favorite things about the Downtown Disney® Area at the Walt Disney World® Resort is the great selection of dining options that are available. Starting next month, that list of options will be growing!

Beginning in early November, four new Disney Food Trucks will start serving guests in Downtown Disney® West Side. Open Wed. through Sun., the trucks will offer different menus themed after the four Theme Parks of the Walt Disney World® Resort. Locations and some of their offerings include:

Fantasy Fare Truck – “Delightful Dishes from Disney’s Magical Kingdoms Around the World”

• Hand-dipped Corn Dogs (from Disneyland® Resort)
• Croque Monsieur with Housemade Chips (from Magic Kingdom® Park)
• Glass Noodle Salad with Chicken and Pickled Veggies (from Hong Kong Disneyland®)

World Showcase of Flavors Truck – “The Best of the Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival”

• Lobster Rolls (from Hops & Barley)
• Pierogies and Kielbasa (from Poland)
• Grass-fed Beef Sliders (from Florida Local)

Superstar Catering – “Favorite of the Stars of Disney’s Hollywood Studios®”

• Spinach and Feta Beef Meatball Sandwich
• Turkey Sausage and Golden Raisin Meatballs on Polenta
• Lamb Meatball Flatbread with Tzatziki

Namaste Café – “Tasty Explorations from Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park”

• Irresistible Butter Chicken
• Slow-cooked Beef Short Ribs
• Tandoori Spiced Shrimp

Guests on one of the Disney Dining Plans can utilize (1) Quick Service entitlement per entree.

Update: Due to some challenging weather encountered during the Transatlantic trip, the initial sailing on Oct. 20th has been canceled. The ship’s first sailing is now set for Oct. 25th.

After spending a little over a month in dry dock at Cadiz, Spain, the Disney Magic® is on a Transatlantic voyage to Miami where it will relaunch on Sunday, Oct. 20th Friday, Oct. 25th!

Back in April, Disney Cruise Line® announced a long list of enhancements that were coming to the Disney Magic®. As it nears the shores of the Florida, crews are putting the finishing touches on some of those exciting enhancements.

Enjoy this video of Disney Magic® Assistant Cruise Director Carly Scott as she tells us about some of the changes you’ll find onboard:

Are you ready to set sail? Contact your Magic Maker® today for more information on Disney Cruise Line® sailings.

This November, Walt Disney Animation Studios will again be drawing us to theatres with buckets of popcorn and cups of soft drinks in hand for their next animated feature, Frozen. In Frozen, we will be taken on an epic journey with Anna of Arendelle, Kristoff and his sidekick reindeer Sven to save their kingdom from eternal winter.

Now, as only Adventures by Disney® can do, you can embark on an epic adventure across Norway. You will follow the footsteps of Walt Disney Animation Studios filmmakers as you experience the stunning landscape, quaint villages, and extraordinary people that inspired their creation of Frozen.

Adventures by Disney®’s Norway: Fjords, Bergen & Olso itinerary is a result of a carefully crafted partnership between Adventures by Disney® and Walt Disney Animations Studios.

Adventures by Disney® is known to give you so much more than a sightseeing vacation. With Adventures by Disney® you find yourself in the middle of a first-hand adventure where you experience the landscape, people and cultures of your destination; with plenty of VIP experiences and amazing accommodations to accompany your adventure.

Norway: Fjords, Bergen & Olso adventure is no different. After beginning your adventure in the storybook village of Bergen you’ll visit Fjord County where you’ll encounter local storytellers, fishermen and farmers as you explore the beauty and heritage of this Scandinavian region.

The adventure continues as you raft down Norway’s picturesque rivers, learn the art of Norwegian folk dancing and even cast your net on Lake Loen for trout.

Whatever your adventure is, Adventures by Disney® has an itinerary perfect for you and your family. Contact your Magic Maker® today to see what adventure lies ahead for you!

It’s mid-October which means Halloween is only 15 days away!

It should be no surprise to hear that the Disney Villains have taken over the Disneyland® Resort for Halloween Time! To celebrate the devious of all holidays, guests can find their favorite baddies through Oct. 31 in the Halloween Carnival at Big Thunder Ranch Jamboree which is included in regular theme park admission. Also, the Villains will be in attendance at the separately-ticketed Mickey’s Halloween Party which happens select nights inside Disneyland® Park.

Take a peek at this behind-the-scenes video that shows just what happens when the Villains take over the Disneyland® Resort!

Over the weekend, additional details were announced on what will be the largest expansion in the history of Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park.

The main part of the expansion comes in the form of a new land inspired by James Cameron’s AVATAR. This new area of Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park will bring the mythical world of Pandora to life for guests to enjoy. From soaring through the sky on a Banshee to exploring a rainforest at night full of bioluminescent plants, this is guaranteed to be an experience unlike any other.

Additional components of the expansion include all-new entertainment experiences as the park expands their operational hours into the evening. Planned experiences include a night version of Kilimanjaro Safaris® Expedition, new live entertainment on Discovery Island®, and a nighttime spectacular around and above Discovery River to bring a magical end to the day at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park.

Plans call for the expansion to be complete in 2017. Off to Neverland Travel® will bring you more details as they are announced.

Returning again this year, Disney Visa® Cardmembers once again have a place at Epcot® International Food & Wine Festival to call their own.

Chase has opened a special lounge which is available exclusively to their customers with one of their debit or credit card which includes Disney Visa®. Located on the third floor of the American Adventure Pavilion, the lounge is in an uniquely-themed area typically not accessible to guests. The Chase Lounge gives Cardmembers a chance to relax, charge their cellphones, catch some sports on tv, and refresh with complimentary soft drinks.

The Chase Lounge is open from 11a-9p Sun.-Thu. and 11a-10p on Fri. and Sat. through Nov. 11, 2013. Cardmembers can access the lounge by using the elevator (between the attraction and the gift shop) and showing their Chase debit or credit card.

Capacity may be limited. Each Cardmember may bring 9 guests into the lounge with them. Valid Theme Park admission required.

Sorry, this offer has expired. Click here to see current offers for the Walt Disney World® Resort.

2014 is a great time to Show Your Disney Side at Florida’s Vacation Kingdom! From the Theme Parks with world-class attractions and entertainment to the unique restaurants and shops, your vacation to the Walt Disney World® Resort will be full of memories that will last a lifetime.

And now, you can save on your upcoming 2014 stay at a Walt Disney World® Resort Hotel!

Stay at select Walt Disney World® Resort hotels most nights Jan. 5–Apr. 12, 2014, and save up to 35%!

Booking Dates:

Book now – Dec. 31, 2013 for stays most nights Jan. 5-Apr. 12, 2014

Availability is limited, so contact your Magic Maker® today!

Room Only Offer: The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Length-of-stay requirements may apply. Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same room. Additional per-adult charges may apply if more than two adults per room at Disney Value, Moderate and Deluxe Resorts. No group rates or other discounts apply. Advance reservations required. Offer excludes campsites, 3-Bedroom Villas, Villas at Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, and is not valid for The Little Mermaid Standard rooms at Disney’s Art of Animation Resort. 35% savings for select Disney Deluxe and Deluxe Villa Resorts; lower savings for other Resorts and during peak travel dates of 3/6 – 3/13/2014. Everyone in the same room must be on the same package.

For years, Disney Parks has provided unparalleled services to those with disabilities to ensure that each and every guest has an enjoyable experience. Unfortunately, the growing abuse of the Guest Assistance Card (GAC), the current program used by Disney Parks to provide special accommodations, has spurred the need for change.

Starting Wed. Oct. 9, 2013, the parks of the Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida and the Disneyland® Resort in California will replace the GAC with a new Disability Access Service (DAS) Card. This new program will allow Cast Members to better focus their attention and service to those guests that the program has always been intended.

Here are a few pointers on the new DAS system:

• The DAS Card will be used to better accommodate guests who aren’t able to wait in a standard attraction queue.
• DAS Cards will be issued at a Guest Relations location inside the main entrance of the Theme Parks. The registration process for receiving a DAS will include having your photo taken. Each DAS will be valid for the length of the guest’s current ticket (maximum 14 days). Once issued a DAS at one of the Theme Parks, it will be valid at all other parks within the issuing resort.
• DAS cards will provide guests with a return time based on the current wait time of the attraction. While guests may only have a single active return time at once, they may also utilize the legacy Disney’s FASTPASS® Service or Disney FastPass+ service.
• At the Walt Disney World® Resort, guests will obtain a return time by showing their DAS card to the Cast Member at the front of the attraction. At Disneyland® Resort, you will take your DAS card to one of the Guest Relations kiosks located throughout the park. The DAS Cardholder does not have to be present to obtain a return time, but they must board the attraction with their party upon redemption. The DAS doesn’t have to be redeemed at the exact return time listed – they will be valid until redeemed by the DAS Cardholder.
• Guests with a disability based on needing a wheelchair or scooter will not need a DAS card. These guests will be accommodated at the attraction by waiting in a standard wheelchair-accessible queue or given a return time (based on the attraction’s current wait time) when they will utilize an alternate entrance.

While Disney Parks feels the new DAS system will better serve those in need, they realize that each disability is different and may require additional assistance. While speaking to the Guest Services Cast Member regarding the DAS card, please make your individual needs knows so that they can better assist you.

In a recent memo from Meg Crofton, President of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Operations, United States and France, shared the following:

Our commitment to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all our Guests has not changed… As with any change, there will be a period of adjustment, particularly for those families who have developed and refined their preferred ways of enjoying our parks with their loved ones over the years. I thank you in advance for your patience as we fine-tune our new program to mitigate the current abuse, while still providing the special experience our Guests have come to expect from Disney.

For the past five years, Off to Neverland Travel® has played an integral role in assisting our families with disabilities have the most magical vacation possible. Planning is the first (and most important) step, so be sure to contact your Magic Maker® with your specific questions/needs.

If asked to name two things you can find at any runDisney event, inspiration and excitement would be the two most common answers! Thousands of runners grouped together running for their own reason – whether just for fun, raising funds for a charitable group, or even celebrating their own personal victory!

Tonight, runners will participate in The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror™ 10-Miler at Disney’s Hollywood Studios®. To celebrate the race, we thought it was the perfect time to share the inspiration of a runDisney participant, 81-year-old Flor Irlandez from Portland, OR. A little over a month ago, Flor participated in the Disneyland® Half Marathon Weekend Races by completing the Dumbo Double Dare – a 10K race on one day followed by the half marathon the next! 19.3 miles later, Flor finished the races as the oldest participant and a true inspiration to those around her.

Enjoy this video of Flor’s story:

Interested in participating in upcoming runDisney events? With multiple events scheduled throughout the year, they offer races for participants on all skill levels. Contact your Magic Maker® for more details!