Thursday's Tip

Since it's close to Christmas (and, in full disclosure, I am soooooo not finished with my shopping), I've got gift-giving on the brain. What parent doesn't want to give their child a fun souvenir or gift to commemorate their trip to Walt Disney World? But the prices in the many gift shops around the World can often be exorbitant. (There are a few "clearance" spots to be found--even in the in-Park stores...you just have to look for them!) This is a tip I've shared before, but it is worth repeating: do your Disney vacation souvenir shopping before your trip at discount stores. If you're looking for small "get-a-gift-every-day-of-your-trip" items, you might want to check your local dollar store, as they stock tons of Disney licensed items. And nearly every major discount store has a full line of Disney items, many of them exclusive to a particular store. Additionally, shop your local Disney Store or DisneyStore.com for clearance items--many of them are the very same official Disney Parks items that you can buy on site.

Finally, if you have time to order, I find some of my best Disney deals on Amazon. You have to search frequently, as inventory and pricing changes often. Here are a few of my favorite items up for grabs right now:

Roundup of Updates

I have been terribly remiss about keeping up with the updates around Walt Disney World. My only defense is the same as everyone else's: busyness! The holidays have really snuck up on me. (That explains why so many of my posts lately have been Amazon deals...I am still struggling to get my shopping done!) Pair that with a still fairly new-to-us home, a husband's crazy work schedule, the start of Upward cheer season (I'm a coach), and our normal lives as a homeschooling family, and I simply haven't been able to keep up with the Most Magical Place on Earth as much as I would like. But this morning, I finally carved out some time to read up on some exciting new developments, which I now share below (in shorthand) for you.

• The new Fantasyland expansion area continues to draw the crowds, with wait times exceeding 100 minutes at the Under the Sea--Journey of the Little Mermaid attraction. FYI, if you have a visit planned, you'll want to note that Fastpasses for the ride are located in OLD Fantasyland near Mickey's Philharmagic, not near the Little Mermaid attraction.


• Be Our Guest restaurant (new Fantasyland) will be testing a system that would allow guests to essentially reserve a time for lunch and even pre-order food. Guests would then arrive at the restaurant at the appointed time and go through an express checkout, where they would be given a magical rose (much like traditional restaurant "beepers") to take to their chosen table where the food would later be delivered. Sounds like a viable solution for eliminating the lunchtime bottleneck that seems to be happening in this very popular new eatery.


• WDW has just completed yet another test of the new Fastpass+ system--the first of these tests that also included live shows. (Many of us were curious as to how they would fit into the picture when the original concept was first introduced.) Certainly there are both pros and cons to the system, but based on how many of the new kiosks are sprouting up around the World, I'm guessing it's here to stay. I have yet to personally experience it, but I'm fluctuating between being excited about the new technology and lamenting over losing a system that I am familiar and comfortable with.


• There was a lot of buildup, and if you weren't in the Magic Kingdom on the evening of December 5 you missed it, but the dragon flew. And, as Forest Gump would say, "That's all I have to say about that."


• While Fantasyland was having its "Grand Re-Opening," Test Track was not to be outdone, when it rolled out its 2.0 version on December 6. There was a band (One Republic), pyrotechnics, WDW execs and such...it was kind of epic. I hear the attraction is pretty cool too. Our family is pretty psyched about giving it a whirl on our next visit!


• Disney has retooled the official Walt Disney World website. Check it out here.

Those are the highlights for now. Back to my Christmas shopping. Oooh...here's another great deal I found on Amazon (Ok, this one is actually from MY list):

Still Time for Amazon Deals with Free Shipping

Apparently today is "Free Shipping Day" for many online dealers. It's also one of the last days you can order from many sites and still get purchases by Christmas (at least without paying outrageous overnight fees!). I was doing another perusal of Amazon and found that several of my Disney favorites had gone down in price! Here are some deals to grab today:







Additionally, Amazon is offering free overnight shipping on select items. Click here to see if the free shipping applies to anything from your Christmas list.

Hidden Mickey Monday

We've been in our new house for almost 2 months now, and we're pretty much finished with the interior cosmetic work--i.e., painting. I had forgotten about this fun little Hidden Mickey that showed up on my hand. FYI, that's the color of our guest powder room.

Disney Savings on Amazon

Now through December 22, you can save up to 47% off regular prices of various DVDs and Blu-ray products distributed by Disney. Click here to discover what titles are covered. (There are quite a few of the more obscure movies, which is exciting to those of us who own pretty much every mainstream Disney film available!) Once on the page, you can click on the tabs--Animation, Live Action, Blu-ray, etc.--for even more titles and savings!

AND, I also just found this deal for savings of up to 65% off Star Wars toys! Check it out here.

 

Is Cars Land Coming to WDW?

It has been rumored for some time now, but I'm hearing buzz that there might be an official announcement as early as this week that Disney is indeed bringing Cars Land to Disney's Hollywood Studios! The area would likely cover the area now occupied by the Studio Backlot Tour and the Lights! Camera! Action! Extreme Stunt Show. I, for one, am thrilled at this new, as it will save my family a large chunk of change that we probably have dropped in the next year on a trip to the West Coast to see the original Cars Land. As it is, we'll likely hold out for the much closer Orlando version.

While I tend to be a traditionalist and often cling to older attractions--especially those that are original to any Park--I think the Backlot Tour has definitely overstayed its welcome. If there were any amount of realism or actual studio backlot insight to be gained from the attraction, I might feel differently. But since very little work is actually being done on the site--and almost no filming, other than promotional materials--the attraction has lost its credibility. It's time for it to go. And, well, I never really cared for the stunt show, so I'm OK with that too. These two will be a small price to pay for the awesomeness that will be Cars Land.

Hidden Mickey Monday

Spotted this one during our September trip. Guess where:

Friday Photo

We just caught a glimpse of the new Test Track on Good Morning America. Did you see it? It happens to be one of our family's favorite attractions. And this Friday Photo of my crew (minus me, the photographer) is proof.

New Fantasyland Officially Opens!

While it has been operating in soft opening for quite a while now, today is the official opening of the new Fantasyland, including several new attractions, restaurants, and experiences. Hop on over to the Official Disney Parks Blog for highlights and photos. I so wish I could be there!

More Amazon Disney Deals

Just Dance Disney for Wii is just $19.99!



OK, not exactly Disney, but related: the complete Indiana Jones set is just $39.99 on DVD!


 And I found this obscure quartet of films for just $12.49 on DVD!

Walt Disney's Birthday

Walt Disney would have been 111 today. Happy birthday, Mr. Disney!

Cinderella Doll Lightning Deal on Amazon

This deal starts at 4:00 p.m. PST (that's 6 Central). Not sure yet what the price will be, but this doll is gorgeous. It retails for $34.99, and it's already on sale for $29.99, so you can expect it to go quite a bit lower than that. Click below to check it out.

Amazon Lightning Deal for Epic Mickey 2

There's a Lightning Deal on Amazon.com right now for Epic Mickey 2 on PS3. Click below to follow the link: