 |
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
Disney’s already begun its Christmas season- beautiful decorations are everywhere in the park, and almost all of the Disney cast members are clad in green and red costumes. While the Disney balloons are normal during the day, they turn into a Christmas theme for the parkwide Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party switchover. The poinsettias are a gorgeous red, and the garlands and wreaths throughout the park hang over the crowd and from the streetlights, as well as over archways and doors.
The decorations were all over the place even before we got through the line, with special touches added everywhere. We made a beeline for Adventureland, grabbing some orange and vanilla citrus-swirl ice-cream (it tastes far different now from when we used to get it when I was a child) and walking around, looking at the stands selling hats and jewelry and clothes. And of course, the stand that sells carefully-crafted hand-blown glass. We finished the day early, leaving the park so that the Christmas party could get started; the last thing we saw was the castle being decorated in icicles made of light and color; a beautiful ending to a very wonderful day at the Magic Kingdom.
As per tradition, Disney’s annual Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party is already underway, starting at 7pm and finishing at midnight. It requires a separate ticket for entrance. Party days are as follows: November 17, 19, 20, 29 Christmas Party Ticketholders can enter the parks at 4pm. You’re given a wristband (since anyone without the special ticket must leave the park at 7pm) and if you’re in the park already with, say, an annual pass, you can get your special ticket processed at the main entrance. Prices vary depending on when you buy the tickets: -Advance purchase price - -Purchased day of event - There are many things to see and do during the park-wide party, including character dance parties, stage shows, and ’snow’ on Main Street. The castle itself goes through a gorgeous transformation- covered in ‘ice’ and lit up in beautiful blue hues to match the wintery theme. (And the weather is finally starting to catch up- temperatures are a bit erratic but it’s definitely getting cooler now!) A lot of the attractions will still be open, too, so if you didn’t get to enjoy those before 7, you’ll still have many chances to do so. Though if it were me, I’d be far too caught up in the Disney Christmas magic. If you’re a repeat visitor to Disney’s Epcot, or don’t feel like facing the long lines at the main entrance, why not enter Epcot through Disney’s Boardwalk?
On the latest trip, however, we decided to go through the Disney’s Beach Club Resort. True to its name, it is located directly in front of a ‘beach’- that is, a beautiful white-sand area on the lake that sits in the middle of the Boardwalk. After a short walk past the beach decor, you reach a beautiful, lush courtyard, and then another short walk brings you to the lake. On one side of the sidewalk is a large sandy area for guests to let go of some hyper energy and play some volleyball, soccer, or just tackle each other into the ground (much to the delight of the younger spectators and the mild amusement of the older family members). A stroll past the lake brings you directly to the Epcot’s back entrance, which leads not to the futuristic half, but to the World Showcase- the best place to enjoy your day, since the other part of Epcot is prettier at night with all of the lights on. It closes earlier, so you can resample the world at night just before the famous fireworks (which can also be seen from the Boardwalk) light up the sky.
In my last post, I mentioned my latest visit to Disney World’s futureworld and international showcase, Epcot. The food was good, the sights and sounds were great- but my favorite part is the people. Every day, thousands of people walk through the Disney parks; and among them you can catch a glimpse of Disney magic.
Epcot’s Food and Wine Festival finished yet another successful run yesterday, leaving many in anticipation for next year. I went to the Disney park Friday afternoon, not quite expecting the amount of people there but not at all surprised by the crowd. If you’re a repeat visitor and don’t mind not seeing the main entrance, you may want to do what we often do and enter through the Boardwalk; this time, we parked at the Disney Beach Club Resort, which had beautiful blue decor all along the outside. The walk along the Boardwalk itself is beautiful- amazing hotels, restaurants, stores, a dance hall, and more line a large lake, and there are often performers and entertainers moving through the crowd and delighting even the oldest Disney fans. Once inside Epcot, the fun and tasting began! The most popular areas were definitely the Mexico, Brazil, and Argentina stands, as well as the various pastry stands; Brazil in particular had an amazing passion-fruit pastry that was worth the $3. We tried a tuna dish from Japan- the Tuna Delight- to the sounds of authentic taiko (Japanese drum) performers, and a Mexican Tostada de Pollo (Chicken Tostada) that got several thumbs up. I’ll definitely make sure to try the suggested wines next year as well. The weather was perfect for a stroll through the countries- a cool breeze mingled with the warm (but not hot!) Florida sun, and it got colder as the sun set brilliantly behind the lake’s waters. (Photos are actual, the rich colors and all!) I’m sensing a visit to Magic Kingdom in the near future.
Already have plans for New Year’s? While it’s still over two months away, you may want to start thinking about it. Disney World already has events lined up for New Year’s Eve, which are sure to be as popular as every year- “today’s economy” or not! I found this info online: Animal Kingdom Magic Kingdom * Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! parade and street party (11 a.m., 12:30 and 5:40 p.m.) Disney’s Hollywood Studios Epcot My personal favorite can be achieved by getting the Hopper option added to your tickets- by planning your day carefully, you can spend time at each park, enjoying most of the parades, events, and usual fun, before picking a park to end your night at. I recomment Epcot’s IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth special edition at 11:40 p.m. as your last event- Epcot’s fireworks have always been the most magical in my eyes.
Here’s some news for the SeaWorld fans: Orando’s SeaWorld has raised its prices to keep up with the Disney World and Universal Escape price hikes. Its one-day admission is now priced at $78.95, which is just barely lower than Disney and Universal, priced at $79. However, there’s also good news for Florida residents- SeaWorld’s Fun Cards, which allow access to SeaWorld for one entire year, were lowered in price to a mere $69.95. So while the economy may sometimes make things seem a bit bleak for avid vacationers, there’s always a deal to be found in Orlando. Disney’s also been offering some pretty good deals itself; it never hurts to shop around and find the best discounts out there. Following the tragic and fatal accident on Disney World’s monorail system, where a communications error resulted in a two-train crash and the death of a young employee, Disney has combined the undamaged portions of the purple and pink trains to create a new one. Monorail Teal started its service today at approximately 1:30pm, transporting guests safely on the usual monorail routes. Ever since I was just a little Disney fan, one of my favorite parts of Disney World has always been the Monorail “rides.” There’s really nothing quite like watching Disney World pass by under you, or watching the other guests sitting or standing around you and wondering how their day is going, or if they like the monorail as much as you do. If you get the chance, even if you aren’t planning to go anywhere, I definitely recommend riding the monorail once (or twice). Personally, I’m looking forward to riding the new Teal train this weekend.  Image taken from http://backstage-insider.blogspot.com/ I recently posted about Disney’s newest princess- Princess Tiana- from the upcoming movie The Princess and the Frog. Well, the movie isn’t out yet, and already the characters are growing in popularity with young people and adults everywhere! Thanks to that, a new ride has come to Disney World’s Magic Kingdom with a jazzy Mardi Gras flavor true to the movie’s setting of New Orleans- Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee, with jazz music and character choreography, audience participation, and more. A good place to watch the show from, according to guests, is the Tom Sawyer bridge, near Splash Mountain. The show runs twenty minutes and the characters are available for meet-and-greets in Liberty Square afterward, so be sure to go meet Disney’s newest prince and princess! Here’s some more good news: You may be able to get a special card that contains details on how to get a voucher that’s good for up to $8.00 toward one child’s movie ticket for The Princess and the Frog at participating theaters. The cards can be picked up at these locations: Magic Kingdom- The Emporium, Main Street Confectionery, Main Street Cinema, Town Square Exposition Hall, Uptown Jewelers, Cornelius Coot’s County Bounty Epcot- Mouse Gear, Gateway Gifts, Epcot Camera Center, World Traveler, Port of Entry, Disney Traders Disney’s Hollywood Studios- Mickey’s of Hollywood, Keystone Clothiers, The Darkroom, Celebrity 5&10, LA Prop Warehouse, In Character, Disney Studio Store, Animation Gallery Animal Kingdom- Island Mercantile, Outpost, Garden Gate Gifts But you’d better hurry- supplies won’t last and the offer ends November 22nd! |
|||||||||
|
Copyright © 2009 Welcome to The Orlando Vacation Store Blog - All Rights Reserved |
|||||||||
Our Friday trip to Disney’s Magic Kingdom was magical, as usual. We decided to park at Disney’s Polynesian Resort, a beautiful themed resort that has a gorgeous waterfall pond in front, as well as an array of flowers and even trees inside the lobby. We went up to the second floor, which has a few places to get candy and merchandise- and the monorail stop. We boarded the orange train and rode past the Contemporary Resort, a large lake, the wedding pavilion, and a few other sights on our way to Magic Kingdom. The monorail windows are decorated with stickers of the iconic Mickey Mouse balloons. When we got to the park, the lines were divided into three sections- guests with bags, those without bags, and people with Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas tickets.
The hotel I use most often is the Boardwalk Resort itself. It has gorgeous, themed decor from the inside out, and its Christmas decorations are unparalleled- from a gingerbread town made entirely of confections, to beautiful Christmas trees- lined, of course, with brightly-colored lights and Disney ornaments. Though to be strictly honest, my favorite part of the hotel is just beyond the front doors and before you reach the actual lobby- a giant, fluffy couch to jump on and sink into. What can I say, Disney always brings out the child in me!
