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5 Disney Things You Should Know This Week – August 26, 2016

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Welcome to another week of Disney things you should know. Not everyone can keep up with all of the Disney news (not even me, and I do this stuff full time), so we provide you with 5 Disney Things you should know from this week to help you keep up to date. This week features a new discount and dinner show at Aulani, a live stream of the soon to be discontinued Main Street Electrical Parade as well as a new Disney cookbook and more fun at Raglan Road. Enjoy!

Watch the Main Street Electrical Parade Live From the Magic Kingdom

main street electrical parade

Are you a fan of the Main Street Electrical Parade? Did you know it is leaving the Magic Kingdom later this year? Well, you are in luck, as Disney has decided to live broadcast the Main Street Electrical Parade this weekend, for free!

The Main Street Electric Parade will soon be “glowing” away to inspire our friends at Disneyland Resort in California. But before it makes its cross-country journey, guests have until October 9, 2016 to enjoy this sparkling spectacular here at Magic Kingdom Park. We hope many of you will be able to see the parade in person before it leaves, but if not we have you covered with our live stream!

It will be broadcast Sunday night at 8:55 p.m. ET. Just check the following link right before then for broadcast details:

Broadcast Details available Sunday evening: Disney Parks Blog

Aulani Winter 2017 Discount

aulani winter discount

Aulani is a Disney resort located on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. While not adjacent to a Disney theme park, Aulani provides you with the Disney magic in one of the most magical places on earth. The resort is down right beautiful, with fantastic rooms, pools and a near perfect beach. Plus, there are no resort fees, so there isn’t any additional cost to use the pools, beach or any of the fantastic kids clubs or other activities.

Now you can save up to 35% during the most popular time of the year to visit the islands. Travel between January 2 and March 24, 2017 and you can save up to 35% on your room reservation, plus book early and receive a free meal per person in your family at one of Aulani’s great restaurants, the Ulu Cafe.

For more information: Aulani Winter 2017 Discount

New Discover ‘Menehune Mischief’ Dinner Show at Aulani

Menehune Mischief

Speaking of Aulani, Disney has just launched a brand new dinner show at Aulani for guests. “Menehune Mischief” at Makahiki restaurant celebrates the story of the Menehune—the magical little people of Hawaiian legend—with the help of Aulani’s beloved Uncle and favorite Disney Characters. During a delicious buffet dinner, you’ll enjoy delightful tales brought to life through enchanting music, sing-along fun and engaging storytelling!

The essence of Makahiki – The Bounty of the Islands can be found throughout the restaurant’s art and design, as well as in the fresh, locally-sourced cuisine. My favorites include the rotating carving stations, the abundant selection of seafood and, of course, house-made desserts! There is also a special “Keiki Corner” for youngsters to fill up on macaroni pasta, baked chicken tenders and more!

Menehune Mischief is offered on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Dinner reservation times are 4:30 p.m., 4:45 p.m. and 5 p.m. The character dinner experience is $49 for adults and $24 for keiki (ages 3-9 years old).

Delicious Disney Cook Book

delicious disney

Who doesn’t love having a little bit of Disney magic at home with them between Disney vacation? I find that eating one of my favorite Disney meals make me extra excited for any upcoming Disney adventure. Well, now you can enjoy your favorite Disney sweets with the new “Delicious Disney” cookbook.

Vacation is often a time for indulgence, so Disney dessert recipes are among the most requested, and the new “Delicious Disney Sweet Treats” cookbook features 40 irresistible recipes from the pastry chefs at Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa and Disney Cruise Line.

The book includes elegant sweets such as the madeleines from Chefs de France at the France pavilion at Epcot, the Warm Apple Butter Cake from Steakhouse 55 at the Disneyland hotel and the Mom’s Favorite Chocolate Peanut Butter Layer Cake from 50’s Prime Time Café at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

Each recipe has been tested in a home kitchen to make it easier to re-create a vacation favorite. Now you can make your favorite desserts any time of the year!

This new cookbook will be available shortly at Walt Disney World, Disneyland and online in the Shop Disney Parks app.

Great Irish Hooley

Great Irish Hooley

Raglan Road is one of my favorite Disney restaurants, and a “DO NOT MISS” on every single Disney World vacation, no matter the length (I at there one time between the end of a Disney Cruise and my flight home that afternoon, and I nearly missed my flight because of it). Raglan Road just has fantastic food and an even better atmosphere.

This year, Raglan Road celebrates the 5th Anniversary of their “Great Irish Hooley” with craft beer, cool cocktails, authentic Irish food, and, perhaps most impressive, a brand-new “Rhythms of Raglan” show—a 90-minute live spectacle of music and dance, produced in Ireland and directed by David Hayes of “Riverdance” and “The Voice: Ireland Edition” and choreographed in part by Michael Donnellan, famous for his work in “Lord of the Dance.”

Taking place September 2-5, 2016 over the long Labor Day Weekend, this music-festival-meets-festive-food soiree mixes authentic Irish entertainment with some of the best bites and sips this side of the Emerald Isle. The fun begins at noon on Friday, September 2nd and runs through last call the following Monday.

Make plans now to make The Great Irish Hooley part of your Labor Day Weekend – and be sure to catch The Rhythms of Raglan show, taking place at 4 p.m. Sept. 2, and at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Sept. 3, 4 and 5. (Tip: pencil in extra time for Celtic face-painting, happening Saturday through Monday!)

For the full entertainment schedule, visit www.raglanload.com and www.greatirishhooley.com closer to the event.

Did I miss any Disney news this week that should have been included?

disney things you should know

5 Disney Things You Should Know This Week – August 19, 2016

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Sorry, it has been a while. I seemed to have poorly plan my family vacations this year to destinations that are stuck in 1984. Internet access has been hard to come by. But to tell the truth, taking a break from the world wide web does wonders, you should consider it. Each Friday, I provide 5 Disney things all Disney fans should know from this past week, just in case you missed them. This week, we feature news about a long time Magic Kingdom parade leaving, a brand new Disneyland entrance and some fun other Disney news items.

Main Street Electrical Parade Leaving the Magic Kingdom

main street electrical parade

The Main Street Electrical Parade, Magic Kingdom Park’s long-running nighttime parade, will officially end its historic run at Walt Disney World Resort on October 9 and then head to Disneyland Resort for a limited-time encore engagement. The quintessential Disney Parks nighttime parade, the Main Street Electrical Parade began at Disneyland park in 1972, shining brightly in the memories of thousands of Disneyland park guests until the end of its initial run in 1996. It returned to the Disneyland Resort as Disney’s Electrical Parade, bringing magical Disney stories to Disney California Adventure park from 2001 until 2010, when it crossed the country to begin its most recent run at Walt Disney World Resort.

“Paint the Night” parade will continue nightly performances, just before “Disneyland Forever” fireworks, through September 5 as part of the Disneyland Resort Diamond Celebration. And I’m excited to share today that this popular parade will return on select nights during the holiday season later this year.

New Disneyland Resort East Entrance Coming Soon

Disneyland East Entrance

Disneyland Resort is planning to break ground on our Eastern Gateway, a new arrival point that will provide guests even more choices for access and parking when it opens in late 2018. This project on the east side of the Disneyland Resort will include a new parking structure with 6,800 spaces, a new transportation facility and an elevated pedestrian bridge.

The largest infrastructure project in the Anaheim Resort Area in the last 20 years, the Eastern Gateway will make it even easier to get to the Happiest Place on Earth by providing an east-side entry point to the Anaheim Resort Area. The new transportation facility will be the arrival point for buses, taxis, bicycles and various shuttles that currently use the existing transportation facility located on the west side of Harbor Boulevard. The new pedestrian pathway and elevated bridge over Harbor Blvd. will directly link guests arriving at the parking structure and eastern transportation facility with the main entrance plaza.

YesterEars Vintage Apparel

YesterEars

Do you have a favorite Disney t-shirt from your childhood? You may be in luck, as Disney has launched YesterEars Apparel, which will feature remakes of vintage Disney park apparel. It appears that they will be offering limited time items, so each t-shirt may be available to order for only a week, and then new shirts will be added. The name of this collection was inspired by a shop with the same name once found at the former Downtown Disney Pleasure Island. During the next three months, you’ll find limited release apparel inspired by classic Walt Disney World Resort attractions and locations.

yesterears apparel

Currently, there is a fantastic Dreamfinder and Figment t-shirt that my brother used to wear all the time (my parents like him better), as well as a cool X-S Tech themed shirt from the defunct Alien Encounter. Finally, there is a Walt Disney World Preview Center shirt, celebrating a short lived preview center located in Orlando before Walt Disney World opened. Check back each week for a new crop of vintage Disney t-shirts.

Disney YesterEars Collection

Disney Parks Moms Panel Search

Think you know a lot about Disney? Want a really cool job? Check out the Disney Parks Moms Panel. Please note, you don’t need to be a mom, woman or anything else, any human being can apply (except those that are restricted by their current occupation of course).

You should consider applying for the 2017 Disney Parks Moms Panel. The application window will open at 12:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, September 7, 2016 and close at 12:00 p.m. EST on Wednesday, September 14, 2016. The first round application process includes short essay questions, basic information questions, and a sample question similar to what you’d find on the Disney Parks Moms Panel website.

This September marks the 10th year of the annual search for new panelists. The first Moms Panel search launched in September 2007 and since then more than 140 moms, dads, grandparents have helped other guests with decisions and planning logistics around all types Disney vacations.

The Disney Parks Moms Panel focuses on nearly every type of Disney vacation including Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland Resort, Disney Cruise Line, Disney Vacation Club, runDisney and events at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. And because the site is available in four languages, we hope to find panelists fluent in Portuguese, French, and Spanish.

If you’re the go-to vacation planner in the family and consider yourself very knowledgeable about Disney Parks vacations, consider applying for next year’s panel.

Tiffins Lunch Menu

Tiffins Lunch

The very popular Tiffins in Disney’s Animal Kingdom has launched a new lunch menu, which is very, very welcome. After opening, Tiffins added lunch but just offered their dinner menu at lunch, which didn’t go over very well. The new menu is just that, A Tasty of Tiffins, is a perfect way to try big flavors in lunch-sized portions.

Served daily from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., you can choose two appetizer-sized dishes, served with Jade blend rice. Check out Tiffins, dinner there is downright fantastic, I am sure this new lighter lunch menu is too. Can’t wait to go in a few weeks.

Did I miss any Disney news this week that should have been included?

5 reasons to stay at disney's boardwalk inn

5 Reasons to Stay at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn

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Disney’s Boardwalk Inn is one of my favorite places to stay on Walt Disney World property. Not only is it a great deluxe resort with all the amenities you expect, but it also offers one of the best (if not THE BEST) locations in all of Disney World. I have quite a few reasons why I love to stay at the Boardwalk Inn, but in order to try to convince you, here are 5 reasons to stay at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn.

boardwalk inn

5 Reasons to Stay at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn

  1. The Boardwalk – Located right below your window (if you are lucky), or just outside your room is Disney’s famous Boardwalk area. The boardwalk is full of great restaurants, street performers, ice cream shops and surrey bikes. If you are looking for a place to stretch your legs, have a great dinner or entertain the kids before bedtime, there really isn’t anywhere as fun or special as the Boardwalk.
  2. Boardwalk Inn Garden Suites – Without a doubt, Disney’s Boardwalk Inn features the most romantic rooms on Disney property. Well, the new bungalows at Polynesian Village may rival them, but then again, the bungalows are about 3 times the cost, so they should be completely awesome. The garden suites feature their own little white picket fence, English garden and outside entrance. Inside the suites, you have a huge living room and separate kitchenette plus a loft master bedroom. Plus, you get access to the Boardwalk Inn concierge lounge too!
  3. Epcot and Disney’s Hollywood Studios – Easy access to theme parks is important to me when choosing a Disney resort. Now, I don’t mind riding the bus from time to time, but I don’t like to be 100% dependent upon the Disney transportation system to get me to my theme park. When staying at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn, you are literally minutes away from 2 Disney theme parks. Epcot is a short walk away, maybe 5 minutes if you walk quickly. You also enter through the International Gateway that drops you into the World Showcase between Great Britain and France. Early in the morning, this area is deserted and a great way to see the park without all the crowds as you make your way to Future World. Or imagine watching the Epcot fireworks with your family, knowing you have just a short walk home to your comfy beds rather than having to walk to the front of Ecpot, wait through the lines for a bus and make your way to your room. That is a wonderful feeling. Disney’s Hollywood Studios is a little further away, you can walk it in about 20 – 30 minutes, or you can take one of the friendship boats that make the trek from Epcot to Hollywood Studios, with stops at the resorts on the way. With the addition of the Disney Skyliner, you can now take to the air from just outside Epcot right to the front gates of Disney’s Hollywood Studios, giving you another great option to get around. Really hard to beat this location for park access.
  4. Restaurants and more restaurants – If you want someplace to stay on Disney property that offers you plenty of dining options, you can’t be the Boardwalk Inn. You have instant access to all the restaurants on the Boardwalk (Flying Fish, ESPN, Big River Grille and Trattoria al Forno), plus a short walk gives you access to the restaurants in the Beach and Yacht Club as well as the Swan and Dolphin resorts. Plus, if you feel like a slightly longer walk, you have access to all the restaurants in the World Showcase area of Epcot. Without doing the math, you have access to probably 20 restaurants within a few minutes of your room. Not even Disney Springs offers that. Plus, there is a ice cream parlor right on the boardwalk (Ample Hills Creamery) as well as the BoardWalk Bakery to satisfy your sweet tooth.
  5. Swimming Pools – Yes, that is right, multiple pools. And not just boring square quiet pools either, but two awesome pools, one located at the Boardwalk Inn and an even more fun/creepy pool next door at Disney’s Boardwalk Villas. The leisure pool at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn is beautiful and rarely busy, a great place for a quick dip or to relax poolside. The star of the resort is the Luna Park Pool, located on the other side of the resort. The Luna Park Pool features a 200+ foot long water slide where you exit the slide into the pool via a giant clown’s mouth, which creeps a lot of people out for some reason. The pool is complete with other circus animals, a great bar and even a fantastic kids’ play area. If you are looking to relax or just have fun at the pool, the Boardwalk Inn covers all the bases.

Why do you love staying at Disney’s Boardwalk Inn?