Kingdom Konsultant Travel Blog

Universal raised ticket prices for the second time in two weeks. A One day ticket to Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure went up from $88 to $89. Animal kingdom will be debuting a new indoor character meet n greet in the fall. The store, Beastly Bazaar, will close on 8/12/2012 and will be converted into this new meet-n-greet. Image from Disney Parks Blog Pinocchio Village Haus added 3 new flatbread pizzas to their menu.  The three new flatbreads include barbecued chicken, red onions, mozzarella and cheddar cheeses and a mango barbecue sauce, a caprese flatbread with plum tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, a blend of shredded mozzarella and Parmesan, balsamic glaze, and fresh basil, as well as a simple cheese and pepperoni flatbread for the kids. There appears to be some progress on the new Splitsville that will be replacing the closed Virgin Mega Store. Crews arrived earlier this week and began partial demolition of the building. Splitsville Image from Wdwmagic.com

There are some exciting things happening at Disney California Adventure this week!  Cars Land is opening on Friday!  Here's a blast from the California Adventure past.  Engine-Ears!

One of the things that make staying at a Disney World resort hotel unique is the theming. Where else can you stroll along the New England Coast, swim by a Mayan ruin, celebrate Mari Gras in New Orleans, and observe Okapi on the wild plains of Africa, all while staying within the confines of Central Florida.   Disney hotels are waiting to immerse and transport you to a different time and place.   Disney has now gone a step further with the creation of story rooms.   What an exciting way to step into the story and become part of the magic! The Pirate Rooms at the Caribbean Beach Resort were the first story rooms available in Walt Disney World.   Next in line were the Royal Guest Rooms at Port Orleans Riverside. OK, where do I sign up? I had a feeling this was going to be absolutely incredible and reserved my own “Princess Room” for my birthday trip this past May. The story begins with Princess Tiana inviting some of her princess friends to come and stay at her river home. Her

Online Check-In is a very popular topic for those who have never used it. Many wonder what the benefits are or will it hurt your room requests. I will do my best to give all of you a guide as to what to expect from Online Check-In, when to do it and most importantly what not to expect and when not to do it. Online Check-In or Not? Most people who are unfamiliar with Online Check-In seem to be at one of two extremes regarding what it actually does. Some are under the impression that Online Check-In is this magic wand that will make all of your Disney resort dreams come true. The others think that it is this evil thing that will remove all of your requests and shove you in the least desirable room in the resort. *cue evil laugh* Neither of those extremes are even close to the truth. Online Check-In will not exclude you from the increasingly rare free upgrade, it will not ignore your requests, nor will it give you golden FASTPASSES to all of the attractions. All Online Check-I

Both photos and video have been released shedding some light on the new interactive queue for Dumbo in the Fantasyland expansion. Guests entering the queue will receive a pager similar to the ones used in restaurants. Kids and adults alike will be free to play in the indoor playground while they wait. When the pager goes off it is your turn to ride.   Here’s a video . Star Wars Weekends Conclude this Weekend The “Sundowner Celebration” at Animal Kingdom began on the 3 rd and all the details are now available. In Asia you can find specialty food and beverages, tea brewing and cooking demonstrations, as well as an Indian dance and street party.” The Island Groove" steel drum group and "Viva Gala Street Band” will be playing on Discovery Island and there will be a Flamingo game for the kids. Africa offers specialized art, food demonstrations, a Wine Walk and Juice tasting, and a street party with the Tam Tam Drummers and Burudika Band.  Pricing for the Wine walk is

 You can find more pictures of this resort on our blog , and our Facebook page . Disney Parks are known for their attention to detail and ability to bring guests into their stories. For years, guests have played the part of a rowdy pirate sailing among the seas while riding on Pirates of the Caribbean, or perhaps hang gliding over California on Soarin’. Whatever the attraction, whatever the show, Disney has set themselves high above the rest when it comes to immersing their guests into a storyline. This not only takes place in their theme parks, but in their resort hotels, as well. The latest and greatest example of this is the newest hotel to open at the Walt Disney World Resort – Disney’s Art of Animation, which brings guests into the worlds of Finding Nemo, Cars, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid. Upon arriving at Art of Animation, guests will enter Animation Hall. Here is where you can check-in and get assistance from the concierge services.  Guests are welcomed by vibrant c

My nieces with Tinker Bell There is a wonderful service that Disney offers to its guests called Photopass.   At each park, and even in some resorts, you will find Photopass photographers ready and willing to snap shots of your family in front of iconic locations or meeting characters.   You can pre-order a CD and load your images to it after your trip, you can order individual prints, or you can make an array of items from your Photopass photographs.   This is a great convenience and makes for some really great memories.   I love some of the candids where my nieces are interacting with characters for the first time.   I understand that some people prefer to use their own camera and take their own pictures.   This is fine, and, to be honest, I do it many times too.   But only by using Disney’s Photopass photographers can you make some magic happen.   I’m talking about those cute photos commonly referred to as Magic Shots. In Magic Shots the photographers will add an animated c