We're starting a new featured section in our blog today, called "Disney World Did You Know Friday." Each week, we will post some Disney trivia or interesting factoid to enhance and further your Disney knowledge.
This week we will talk about parking at the Magic Kingdom. Did you know, the Magic Kingdom parking lot accommodates 12,213 vehicles? That's right and by 10:00AM on Christmas day, every one of those spaces will be filled. Most of the cars in the lot will be silver or white in color and all look the same at 9 or 10PM when you come out to find your vehicle. So, be very diligent about writing down your section and aisle number as you go into the park.
If you forget to write this information down or commit it to memory, don't fret! A creative Disney cast member (one of the parking lot attendants) came up with an ingenious way to help guests find their lost cars at the end of the day. The tram operators, security personnel, and parking lot attendants all get an index card version of the parking lot that includes the time of day that they completed each row. All you have to do is recall the general time frame that you arrived at the park and they will be able to get you into the proper section and probably the right aisle!
What a title, huh? Well, Walt Disney World is teaming up with MySpace to create a High School Musical 3 (HSM3) "School Spirt Contest." The contest kicked off, yesterday, September 2, 2008 and gives high school students the opportunity to win a magical Disney Grad Nite celebration for the 2009 graduating class at Walt Disney World(R) Resort or Disneyland(R) Resort, plus a HSM3 celebrity pep rally for the whole school featuring a live performance by Natasha Bedingfield. The contest runs through Nov. 3, 2008 and is hosted on the MySpace site.
The winning school will receive a senior trip that includes round-trip coach airfare, hotel accommodations for two nights, airport and hotel transfers in the destination city, admission to the theme park, Disney gift cards to cover meals, and admission to the Disney Grad Nite event.
Participants should log onto the website for eligibility, official rules and prize specifications.
Disney's High School Musical 3: Senior Year premiers in theatres across the country on October 24th, 2008.
Typically, September is one of the slowest months of the year for Disney World travel. Most families have children just starting a new school year and after Labor Day, no holidays until October. For this reason, Disney Travel generally has resort and park promotions during the month of September to encourage families to visit the Resort. The usually small crowds in the parks further encourage visits to the Walt Disney World Resort complex. We love to go to the parks in September. We currently have three trips planned this month, alone.
Currently, Disney has released their "value" season rates for the Resort through September 24th. You can visit the complex for as little as $49 per person per day during the value season and you can add the Disney Dining Plan to this vacation and save additional money on your food during your stay. Additionally, when you book with Destinations in Florida, you get extra perks that only our guests receive, including Disney Park Guide Maps, Members Only Section (just for our guests), Must See Must Do Guide, extra vacation planning information, and Character Call from your favorite Character.
With Tropical Storm Fay and now Hurricanes Gustav and Hanna, we always have a lot of guest questions surrounding hurricanes and other extreme weather with regard to Disney vacations. As we reported last week, Disney rarely closes the parks and because they are a self-sufficient community with their own backup power and water, staying on property can be one of the safest options for extreme weather. Also, in the case of storms that just brush the resort area, the parks may often be deserted with only a slight drizzle hampering your visit, but short lines to make up for the wetness.
For a more official answer, the 2008 Disney hurricane policy states the following:
From June 1 to November 30, 2008, in the event a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area or for the guest's place of residence within 7 days before the scheduled arrival date, the guest may call in advance to reschedule or cancel their Walt Disney Travel Co. Magic Your Way vacation package without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney. This temporary policy also applies to most Walt Disney World® Resort room-only reservations booked directly with Disney, as well as reservations at Disney's Vero Beach Resort or Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort in the event a hurricane warning is issued for those destinations.
Additionally, Disney notes,
Q. I did not book my package through the Walt Disney Travel Co. Does this policy apply to my package too?
A. No, you should contact your travel agent or tour operator directly for information relating to the cancellation and change policies that apply to your package.
Since we are a travel agent, we can state that we follow Disney's cancellation policy with regard to hurricanes, except for an extremely rare exception due to individual circumstances. We do encourage our guests to contact us with any concerns related to weather during their vacation.
Disney Cruise will not allow as many exceptions for weather and rarely cancels a cruise or refunds money. When they do cancel a cruise, it will generally be a last minute decision and they will expect all booked guests to act as if the cruise will still sail. This is why we strongly encourage guests to get travel insurance for cruises.
As with Disney resort vacations, we encourage guests to contact their travel agent for the most up-to-date information regarding storms and cancellations. We're happy to help in any way we can to make your vacation Magical!
Recently, one of our agents needed to get some information to a guest that was already on property at the Walt Disney World Resort. When she called the front desk and asked to be transferred to the guests room, the front desk agent asked myriad questions regarding the guest, including last name, check-in date, check-out date, and so on. This incident clearly indicated that something is going on at Walt Disney World with regard to contacting guests on property. In the past, a simple request to be transferred to a guests room would be followed by, "One moment, please," and nothing more.
So, on our recent visit to Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort, we found a card next to the phone with a kind warning from Disney not to give out your credit card information to anyone over the phone. Apparently, the Disney resorts have had some identity theft issues with their guests and people calling the rooms. This is not surprising with identity theft becoming the fastest growing white-collar crime.
One way Disney tries to avert this problem is with their Key To The World card. This card unlocks your room, holds all your ticket information, and pays for anything on property. You never have to take your wallet/purse with you or give out that information over the phone. Disney will never call your room and ask for your credit card number. Never give anyone that calls your room a credit card number, unless you are expecting the call from someone you know or have done business with on a previous occasion.
As an additional measure, we use LifeLock, a very well-known identity theft protection company where the CEO gives out his social security number in their commercials. :) There are many other identity theft protection services, including some from the credit card companies themselves.
Either way, it's obvious these thieves have found their way to the Walt Disney World Resort and we need to be very aware of whom we give our financial and personal information to while visiting the parks and resorts in Orlando. Stay safe, be smart, and have a Magical vacation!
The rooms at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort are getting a new look! All of the rooms at this resort are getting updated with a new theme from Finding Nemo. The rooms feature new comforters, accessories, and even a wall border themed after this popular Disney-Pixar movie. Disney started the updates in the Preferred Rooms at Martinque. It will take about a year for this new update to be completed throughout Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. Here are some pictures from these new rooms:
Notice Dori, Marlin and Crush in the comforter!
Be sure to check back for pictures from the new Pirate Rooms at Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort. The new Pirate Rooms are available for booking on January 1, 2009. For more information, visit our website.
Disney World started the FastPass system to help guests eliminate the waits in the long theme park rides and attractions. Universal Studios created their own version of this system called Universal Express. Now, Sea World Orlando is testing out their version of this line skipping option for guests. Sea World is calling this extra option the Quick Queque. You can pay an extra $29.95 per person on top of the regular theme park admission. This option will allow you front of the line access on more popular rides like Kraken and Journey to Atlantis. Plus, you also get special seating at some of the more popular shows like Believe and Blue Horizons. This testing phase runs until September 1. If you are planning a trip to Sea World before September, you may want to try out this new feature to save a little time waiting in lines at Sea World.
Before heading to Sea World, before to pre-ordering your tickets online with the Official Ticket Center. This wholesale company offers some great discounts on 1-Day Passes to Sea World. Plus, you get a 2nd day free with your 1-Day Pass. Two days for the price of one! Click here for more details about purchasing discount Sea World tickets.
We know Fay scared alot of guests planning their Disney World vacation this week. Fay actually brought cooler weather to a normally hot time of year in Orlando. The tropical storm is up in the Northern part of Florida and no longer a threat to Orlando. All of the Disney Theme Parks and Disney Resorts are open and fully operational.
The past few days we did have some rain and wind, but today it has turned out to be a nice day. There is a light rain in several parts of Orlando including Disney World. This afternoon is suppose to be dryer and just a little overcast. Thanks to Fay, it is much cooler at the Disney Theme Parks. Usually this time of year is exceptionally hot, but thanks to Fay it is pleasant at the parks. It is so nice that quite a few of the Orlando locals have been hitting the Disney Parks the past few days. If the locals hit Disney World, you know it is a great time to visit!
Disney released a discount package just in time for the seasonal special events this Fall. You can book Disney's Magic Your Way Package that includes your room, tickets, and a few free gifts. Plus, add one of the Dining Plans for 30% savings off of meals at Disney World. With this package, you can save hundreds of dollars on your Disney World vacation. This discount package is for vacations from September 28-November 23.
This Disney Package sale runs right during some of Disney's best special events including Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party, Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, and much more. It is the perfect time of year to visit Disney World with seasonal events and great rates! Hurry - this discount package ends on September 24. Click here for more details.
We have a lot of guests today that are asking about Tropical Storm Fay and the effects the storm may have on the Walt Disney World complex. Although Fay is coming back across the state of Florida, it's crossing quite a bit to the north of the Disney World area. This puts the weak side of the storm over Orlando, meaning that the worst of the storm has passed the area. As the storm crossed the state for the first time on Tuesday and into Wednesday, we were at Disney's Carribbean Beach Resort and went to EPCOT for most of the day, Tuesday. The storm actually made for a very pleasant trip. Most of the rides had short lines; although windier than normal, the rain was not pouring down, just a light sprinkle and it was not dreadfully hot, as would be normal this time of year.
Disney rarely closes the parks for tropical storms and hurricanes. On the rare occasions that they do close the parks, it's only on a temporary basis and not for the whole day. Additionally, Walt Disney World is almost entirely self-sustaining, meaning they would be one of the safest places to be located in the event of a hurricane. Don't let Fay drown out your vacation. There's still plenty of magical experiences at Walt Disney World, just be sure to pack a poncho!
Disney World started the FastPass system to help guests eliminate the waits in the long theme park rides and attractions. Universal Studios created their own version of this system called Universal Express. Now, Sea World Orlando is testing out their version of this line skipping option for guests. Sea World is calling this extra option the Quick Queque. You can pay an extra $29.95 per person on top of the regular theme park admission. This option will allow you front of the line access on more popular rides like Kraken and Journey to Atlantis. Plus, you also get special seating at some of the more popular shows like Believe and Blue Horizons. This testing phase runs until September 1. If you are planning a trip to Sea World before September, you may want to try out this new feature to save a little time waiting in lines at Sea World.
