Skip to main content

Ears the News with Richard

The 2013 Disney Parks Christmas Day Parade is now scheduled for taping at the Magic Kingdom on 12/6/2013 and 12/7/2013. No special participation tickets are required, and this year guests in the park during regular hours can take part in the filming and may appear in the TV show.


Photo Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog
Photo Courtesy of Disney Parks Blog
Disney has just released some new concept art for the upcoming 'Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade' which is set to open at the Magic Kingdom in Spring 2014. The new images are of the Little Mermaid and Brave floats.






FastPass+ at the Magic Kingdom is set to add additional offerings for the month of October. Wishes, the Main Street Electrical Parade, and Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade will all be available for FastPass+ from 9/30/2013 to 10/30/2013. FastPass+ for these attractions will not be available on days with a Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

The Wishes viewing location for FastPass+ holders is in the Rose Garden area, and the parade viewing area is in the castle forecourt area of the hub.

Epcot's secondary entrance is now fully converted to MyMagic+ touch-to-enter with all legacy turnstiles removed. The new RFID entry points allow guests to enter with the touch of a card or MagicBand, and there is no physical barrier to entry.

Downtown Disney's Disney Quest is hosting a hard ticket Halloween Party on 10/31/2013 from 6:00 PM to 11:00 PM. The party includes access to all the Disney Quest games, character meet and greets, trick or treating and DJ dance party. Tickets are $45 + tax and can be purchased in advance from 407-W-DISNEY, or from any guest relations location on property.

Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at the Magic Kingdom is scheduled to be closed for a single day refurbishment on 11/5/2013. The coaster will be back open again on 11/6/2013.

Epcot's United Kingdom Pavilion Winnie The Pooh meet and greet is expected to reopen on 10/4/2013 after its refurbishment. Changes include a reversal of the entry and exit, with the entrance now being at the rear of the gardens with a small queue area, and a new exit into the gift shop.

Disney introduced a major change to table service dining back in October 2011 when it began to enforce a $10 per person penalty for failing to provide 24 hour notice of a reservation cancellation. Previously this policy only applied to signature restaurants, but Disney will now be applying the policy to all table service restaurants at Walt Disney World. 

The new cancellation policy will come into effect on 10/31/2013, when guests will be required to provide a credit card for all table service reservations. A charge of $10 per guests will then be automatically applied if a cancellation is not provided at least one day in advance. 

In the case of pre-paid locations such as dinner shows, the entire amount will be retained in the event of failing to cancel. The new policy also applies to non-Disney operated restaurants.  Disney has been trying to reduce the number of cases where guests book multiple restaurants, then simply do not appear at several of their reservations.


Cancellations can be made on the Disney Dining website, at guest relations, a restaurant podium, or via a special phone number at 407-WDW-CNCL. To avoid the penalty, the cancellation must be made up to 11:59 PM on the day before the reservation.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Cruising with a Baby: A Complete Guide

You took a baby on a cruise!? Yep, and I'd do it again knowing what I know now. So, say goodbye to months of research - Everything you need to know is here!! One of the biggest challenges of traveling with a baby is planning what you need to bring. I wanted to share what worked for us, and hopefully help others who are planning their cruise! Remember, babies can only cruise after their 6-month birthday on sailings from the U.S. If you are going transatlantic, or have more than three days out at sea, they must be 12 months old by the first day of your cruise. Pre-Cruise   We flew to the cruise port, and I couldn’t bring all the food and snacks I needed, so I placed an Instacart order for pick up near the port. I chose Publix in Cocoa Beach which is a few miles from Port Canaveral. I placed the order a few days before we left home, and set the pickup time to 11:00 a.m. I ordered formula, a box of diapers, swim diapers, bottle brush, dish soap, baby food, and baby snacks. I also broug

The Villas at the Disneyland Hotel Review

I love staying at the Disneyland Hotel so when I got the opportunity to stay at the new Villas at the Disneyland Hotel during opening weekend, I couldn’t pass it up. Because it was opening weekend, we were greeted in the entrance way of the lobby with balloons and many photo opportunities. When we arrived, there was a mural of the Haunted Mansion. I love how the seats in the main lobby were designed like the teacups in the parks. You can check in using the Disneyland app, drop your bags with bell services and head into the parks or use the amenities why you wait until your room is ready. When your room is ready, the resort will send you a text and you can use the Disneyland app on your mobile device to unlock the room. We dropped off our bags and went straight to the parks. We received a text around 1PM that our room was ready. In the new Discovery Tower (the Villas), you'll find that the lobby is very spacious with many places to sit while you read or wait for your family. Th

Chronos Club Review at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort

I recently stayed at the Chronos Club at Disney's Coronado Springs Resort. I've been a fan of Disney's Coronado Springs Resort since my first visit as it reminds me of my hometown, San Antonio. I've stayed in rooms ranging from preferred, Casita Suite, Tower King, and now Club Level access. The Chronos Club is located on the 15th floor of the Gran Destino Tower and can only be accessed with a key card or MagicBand to a corresponding Club Level reservation. I've previously stayed Club Level at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney's Polynesian Village Resort, Disney's Grand Floridian Resort, Disney's BoardWalk Inn, and Disney's Grand Californian Resort. These are all considered Deluxe Resorts. Something that makes the Chronos Club stand out is that it is located in what Disney considers a Moderate Resort. I was really excited to check out the difference in experience, since there can be a notable difference in price tag for Moderate vs. Deluxe Res