Friday Photo

In about a month, we'll be heading back to Walt Disney World. And this time, my parents are going with us. The last time the grandparents went to WDW with us was 2008--here's a pic from that trip:

Disney Legend to Appear at DHS for Book Signing

Disney Legend Marty Sklar, who held several posts at the Walt Disney Company--including Chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts--over his many years of service, has written a new book about his experiences. Guests will have two opportunities to meet Sklar and purchase a signed copy of Dream It! Do It! My Half-Century Creating Disney's Magic Kingdoms. Here are the details:

• September 11 from 9:30 to 11:00 Sklar will be at Writer's Stop in Disney's Hollywood Studios. While you're there, try one of their amazing Carrot Cake Cookies--yum!


• September 12, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Sklar can be found at Art of Disney in the Downtown Disney Marketplace.

Or, if you can't make it to these events, you can purchase the book by clicking below.

Disney to "Unleash the Villains" on Friday the 13th

What looks to be one of the more exciting editions of "Limited Time Magic" is coming to Disney's Hollywood Studios, as they "Unleash the Villains" on September 13. But what, exactly, does that mean? Here's the info from Disney's site:

Coming Friday, September 13, get ready to experience the most spine-tingling bit of Limited Time Magic yet at Walt Disney World Resort! From 8:00 PM until 1:00 AM—a.k.a. the 13th hour—the Disney Villains will be waiting for your arrival as they make their way to the dead center of Disney's Hollywood Studios. Come along for this devilishly delicious affair, on a night jam-packed with 13 dastardly Disney baddies and a host of fiendish festivities. It's a one-time event you won't soon forget… even if you try! And be on the lookout for further announcements and more details as the date of the event draws closer, only at Disney Parks!

With the enormous popularity and limited availability of the Disney Villains, I would expect the Studios to be exceptionally crowded for this event. That said, if you're a Villains fan, don't be afraid to brave the crowds--how often do you get to see these baddies? But if you're not planning to join in the villainy fun, I highly recommend choosing another park to visit on Friday the 13th to avoid the crowd.

Hidden Mickey Monday

Found this Hidden Mickey (OK, it's a bit of a stretch) in my youngest daughter's math book:

 



 

 

Update on Available Discounts

Here's a brief update on discounts available at Walt Disney World at this time. You can always visit the Special Offers page on Disney's website for the most current list. (Note: other discounts may be available from various sources and to various groups, but these are the official Disney discounts offered to the general public.)

• Free Fall Dining. This deal must be booked by September 15, and it is good for travel dates of September 29 through December 22.


• Fall Room-Only Discount. Book by September 15 for travel dates September 29 through December 22.


• Disney's 2-Round Golf Pass. Savings of up to $60 off for two rounds of golf on two separate days within a 14-day travel period. Book within 90 days of your preferred tee-time.

There are also several different discounts offered to active and retired (career) military personnel, including room discounts and special ticket pricing. Those are also listed on the  Special Offers page.

 



 

Bonus 40% Off Select Items at DisneyStore.com

©Disney

Now through August 25, you can get an additional 40% off select items at DisneyStore.com by using the promo code BONUS40. Click here to see the items included. You can also get free shipping on order over $75 (pre-tax and post-discount) by using promo code SHIPMAGIC.

 

New Annie Leibovitz Disney Dream Portrait Released

I love these so, so much! Here's the latest Disney Dream Portrait by renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz, featuring Jennifer Hudson as Princess Tiana:

 ©Disney

This photo ad will appear in publications like Vanity Fair, People, and O--the Oprah Magazine.

 

 

Hidden Mickey Monday

I spotted this one at my salon...



 

New on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack

Several Disney movies have recently been released (or will be soon) on Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack. Here's the list:

• The Sword in the Stone (50th Anniversary Edition)


• Robin Hood (40th Anniversary Edition)


• Oliver and Company (25th Anniversary Edition)


• The Muppet Movie (Nearly 35th Anniversary Edition)


• Coming August 20: Return to Neverland


• Coming September 24: Iron Man 3


• Coming October 29: Monsters University


• Coming December 10: Mary Poppins and Planes

What If Disney Princesses Had Instagram?

This is one of the funniest Disney spoofs I've seen in a while. Enjoy!

 

Meet-N-Greet Update

photo ©Disney

Sofia (as in, "Sophia the First") is now greeting guests at Disney's Hollywood Studios, just outside "Disney Junior--Live on Stage!" Check the entertainment times guide for specific times so that your little princess doesn't miss it.

 

Hidden Mickey Monday

School has started at the Gibbs Family Academy! Found this near-Mickey on my youngest daughter's math book:



 

My Favorite Limited Time Magic So Far...

OK, I must confess that so far this whole "Limited Time Magic" thing has seemed a little lame to me. Yes, it's fun to see characters that you don't often see...or hear the Dapper Dans sing boy band hits. But for a year-long promotion, this one has been rather lackluster. Still, this week is the start of a "Limited Time Magic" event that I truly wish we could take part in: The American Idol Experience Juniors Edition. From August 12 until August 18, kids 6-13 can now participate in The American Idol Experience, with a special Juniors Edition of the show each night at 6 p.m. No, there won't be any Dream Tickets given out, since the actual AI show doesn't permit kids under 14 to audition, but this is still a great opportunity for younger kiddos to show off their talents. A special song list has been selected, and kids can audition for a spot on the show every day from opening until 4 p.m.

Let's just say that my little wannabe Divas are sick--SICK!--over the fact that our trip to WDW isn't until October. This is totally their kind of thing! If you're lucky enough to be heading to WDW next week, you can get more specific information on this totally cool "Limited Time Magic" experience here.

Friday Photo

My youngest daughter has suddenly become obsessed with watching old family videos. And a good portion of our home movies include Walt Disney World vacations. We love re-living those precious memories! Today's Friday Photo is a "take me back" kind of pic from my little one's first Disney trip. Where are we?



 

Thursday's Tip

Here's a tip that can mean the difference between a great Walt Disney World vacation and no Walt Disney World vacation: book early! Sometimes it can be hard to "pull the trigger" on booking a trip. There are so many choices--particularly when it comes to where to stay. But since, in most cases, room deposits are fully-refundable up to five days prior to arrival, your best bet is to get one in the books as soon as you have decided on travel dates and make any changes later.

Case in point: yesterday, I called the WDW reservation line in hopes of changing our reservation in October. What I discovered is that almost every Value and Moderate resort is already booked (except for some premium rooms) for our dates. Bad news for us. But the good news is that we're already booked, and we have a room, even if we weren't able to upgrade to the resort of our choice. We'll still have a great vacation. And since we are saving some cash by sticking with the Value resort, we will have some flexibility in our budget to treat ourselves in other ways, such as fine dining or souvenirs.

Any trip to WDW--even if you don't get every detail the way you want it--is still better than no trip to WDW!

 

Refurbishment Update

Here are the current and upcoming ride closures/refurbishments at Walt Disney World.

 

Magic Kingdom

• The Liberty Bell closed this week for a brief refurbishment. It will reopen on August 9.


• The Enchanted Tiki Room is closed through August 28.


• The Prince Charming Regal Carousel is closed until August 22.


• The Jungle Cruise will be closed August 19 through September 30 for refurbishment.


• Peter Pan is closing September 30 through November 13 for refurbishment.


• The Walt Disney World Railroad will be closed September 30 through November 20.

 

Epcot

• Fountain View Ice Cream will remain closed through early September as it is being converted into a Starbucks location.


• Spaceship Earth will be closed August 18–24 for refurbishment.

 

Disney's Hollywood Studios

• Muppet Vision 3D will remain closed through September 2 for refurbishment.


• The Honey, I Shrunk the Kids Playground closes September 3 for refurbishment and will reopen November 20.

 

Animal Kingdom currently has no refurbishments or closures on the schedule, although the Festival of the Lion King show will be moving to a new theatre sometime in 2014.

 

 

Former Mouseketeer Celebrates Special Day at WDW

I love Lisa Whelchel. Sure, I enjoyed her as Blair on "Facts of Life." And I was inspired by her strength and character on "Survivor." And I certainly relate to her as a fellow homeschool mom! But I'm one of the chosen generation of kids growing up in the 70s who still remember her as a Mouseketeer--my favorite Mouseketeer!

Lisa recently celebrated a milestone birthday (half a century!) at WDW (much like I did for the big 4-0). The Disney Parks Blog caught up with her. You can read the story and see video here. Happy birthday, Lisa!

 

Hidden Mickey Monday

I'm getting our homeschool classroom organized this week for the start of school next week, and I noticed this Hidden Mickey while sorting through our craft supplies:

Friday Photo

Made this at home this week...one of my favorites! Mine was pretty good, but not quite as good as the Disney version. Do you know where they serve it?



 

New Fall Discounts Released

Disney has just released two discounts for fall. First, they've extended the Fall Dining to include dates beyond September. New dates included are: Sept. 29-Oct. 2, Oct. 18-Nov. 2, Nov. 11-23, and Dec. 12-22. Same basic restrictions as usual (full-price package must include at least 3 nights and no more than 14 and a minimum 2-day per person park ticket; Value Resort bookings get the Quick Service Dining and Moderate and Deluxe get the Disney Dining Plan). Several Resorts are excluded from this deal, and availability is extremely limited. Deal must be booked by September 15.

Second, Disney has released a room-only discount for fall travel dates Sept. 29-Dec. 23 (some blackout dates apply, notably Nov. 23-29). Discounts range from 15% off rack rates for most Value Resort to 30% for most Deluxe Villas. Most moderates and Deluxe Resorts fall into the 20% off category. Travel dates through early November need to be booked by Sept. 15, but late November and December dates must be booked by Nov. 3.

Check out both of these deals on the Special Offers page of the Disney website.