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5 disney things

5 Disney Things You Should Know This Week – September 9, 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 Disneyland discount, Disney Cruise spotify list to keep you happy between cruises, a new afternoon tea at the Grand Floridian and a few halloween tidbits.

Fall 2016 Disneyland Discount

Disneyland Discount

This week brings us a new Disneyland Discount for 2016 Fall dates. This is the same discount that was released last week for Disney VISA cardholders. It is now available to everyone, a Disney VISA is no longer required.

  • Save 20% on premium rooms at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and the Disneyland Hotel.
  • Save 15% on standard rooms at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel & Spa and the Disneyland Hotel.
  • Save 10% on standard and premium rooms at Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel.

For more information: 2016 Disneyland Fall Savings

Disney Cruise Spotify Playlist

disney cruise spotify

Do you have days when you wish you were on a Disney Cruise? I have them all the time (ok, every single day if you must know). Well, while I can’t really solve that problem for you, I can help a little bit. Disney Cruise has launched a Spotify playlist complete with all your DCL favorites. It includes both timeless tunes and modern reworkings of old favorites by contemporary artists. There’s no doubt you heard many of these songs on your Disney cruise in our stage shows and deck parties – or just walking down the hallway!

Listening to this playlist is sure to put a smile on your face—and keep you whistling while you work. You just need to have or create a Spotify account to enjoy it. I hope you like it as much as I do!

For more information: Disney Cruise Line Spotify Playlist

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is back

not so scary halloween

If you are a fan of Disney, Halloween, Mickey Mouse or having fun, get yourself to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party this year.

This year’s event will feature many spectacular returning guest favorites, including “Mickey’s Boo-to-You Halloween Parade,” “Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular,” and “Happy HalloWishes” fireworks. But there are a few new additions to keep an eye out for.

  • “Zootopia” Clawhauser Stars In This Year’s Exclusive Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom Card – This year’s exclusive card is “Clawhauser’s Tricky Treat,” and when an “apprentice” uses this card to cast a spell in the game, dozens of magical donuts appear. (Learn how you can pick up your game card in this previous blog post).
  • “Zootopia” Nick and Judy Join The Creepa Crew – The Creepa Crew, which entertains guests waiting on Main Street, U.S.A. will be led by two of the Zootopia PD’s finest, BFFs Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps.
  • The “Boo to You” Parade Will Give You A Sugar Rush – Vanellope von Schweetz from “Wreck It Ralph” will bring in the candy this year during the “Boo To You” parade. Spy her and her squad of dancers toward the end of the parade.

As a reminder, Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party requires a separate ticket (a party specific ticket) that can be purchased here and is available for the following dates.

  • September – 2, 8, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 29, 30
  • October – 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31

Haunted Mansion Holiday Gingerbread Houses

haunted mansion holiday

Sticking with the halloween theme, have you ever been to the Haunted Mansion Holiday in Disneyland? One of my favorite all time Disney “attractions”. Well, this years is the 15th year of the makeover, and with that, we can now celebrate 15 years of Haunted Mansion Holiday Gingerbread Houses. If you haven’t been, get there. In the mean time, enjoy the video of 15 years of gingerbread houses.

Haunted Mansion Holiday Gingerbread House Fun Facts:

  • Heights have ranged from five feet (the smallest) to 15 feet (the tallest – almost touching the chandelier)
  • It takes 16 days to build and decorate the gingerbread house, on average
  • A team of 4 pastry chefs works together to create each masterpiece
  • Many of the pastry chefs have been part of this kooky tradition since 2001

This year’s house is made of:

  • 200 pounds gingerbread
  • 200 pounds powdered sugar
  • 4 gallons egg whites
  • 1 gallon lemon juice
  • 50 pounds fondant
  • 1/3 pound glitter

Do you have a favorite Haunted Mansion Holiday gingerbread house?

New Afternoon Tea available at the Grand Floridian

grand floridian afternoon tea

Recently, Afternoon Tea at Garden View Tea Room received a menu makeover, and now features the largest selection of Twinings loose-leaf teas, all of which are exclusive to Walt Disney World Resort. The stars of the new tea menu are the Twinings Signature Blends – served exclusively in the United States at the Garden View Tea Room – whether you select Perfect Afternoon, Garden Party or After Dinner Mint, you can’t go wrong. Pure Black and Flavored Black Teas, Oolong, Green and White Teas and caffeine-free Herbal Infusions are also available.

Teas are available in several ‘shires’ or packages, including The Bedfordshire Tea, The Derbyshire Tea, The Cheshire Tea, The Berkshire Tea and The Yorkshire Tea. Of course, there is a special tea available for guests age 3-9, Mrs. Potts includes tea sandwiches, a jam tart, delicate house-made pastries and a special ‘dark tea’ (chocolate milk).

Reservations can be made by visiting DisneyWorld.com/dine, or by calling 407-WDW-DINE. How will you celebrate afternoon tea?

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

magic kingdom holiday parties

8 Tips for Magic Kingdom Holiday Parties

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Everyone loves the Holiday Parties that are held in the Magic Kingdom every year, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party and Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. Between September 8 and December 22, 2016, the Magic Kingdom has several parties a week in the Magic Kingdom. These are extra ticket events, your normal Disney park pass does not gain you access. Separate tickets just for the party are currently available, and run between $72 and $102 per person plus tax. You must purchase a ticket for a particular date, and tickets are non-refundable, so make sure your date is exactly what you want before paying out the cash.

While hundreds of thousands of people visit the parties every year, make sure you know before you go. A little knowledge and planning can make your Magic Kingdom holiday parties perfect.

Top 8 tips for getting the most out of the Magic Kingdom Holiday parties

  1. Show up Early – While the party may not start until 7 PM, you can enter the Magic Kingdom with just your party ticket starting around 3 hours before party time. This is a great option for those who want to relax during the day, or maybe want to visit a water park or Disney Springs and not pay for a regular park pass for that day. This will give you time to catch a few rides so that during the party you will be able to do party things.
  2. Wristbands – For party goers, Disney gives you a wristband as you enter the parks in exchange for your party ticket. This gives Disney a way to easily see who is supposed to be there and how isn’t. But, what if you are already in the Magic Kingdom during the day? No one wants to head all the way back up to the front gate and wait in line to just get a wrist band. Stop by Castle Couture in Fantasyland and show your party tickets, they have wristbands there for you.
  3. Eat Early – The parties are very short. While it seems like 5 hours is a lot of time, there is way more to see and do that you can ever do in 5 hours. Showing up early helps. While it may sound awesome to dine in Cinderella’s Castle during the party, you are paying roughly $20 per hour per person to just be in the park during party time, do you really want to spend 90 minutes of your time sitting in a restaurant? Eat before you go, grabs snacks as needed to keep you going.
  4. Dress Up – While you often see people dressed up for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, consider, even as an adult, dressing up for both parties. While you may not want to come in your Halloween costume for the Christmas Party, consider dressing up in nice clothes or your ugly Christmas sweater to make it an even more festive event. If you are going to dress up, make sure you are aware of the new rules for 2016: While costumed attire may be worn, guests ages 14 and older are strongly discouraged from wearing layered costumes or costume props that surround the entire body as they may be subject to additional security screening. Additionally, costumes may not contain any weapons that resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon.
  5. Plan Ahead – Before you go, find a guide map online, they are usually pretty easy to find once the parties start. Make sure you know what special events are going on, where and when they are, and which ones you want to go to. These parties are pretty popular, especially on weekends, much more crowded than the parks will be during the day than when you are there. You can ride Space Mountain anytime, but you can only see Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas Time Parade once (well, twice a night). Know what special merchandise is available only during the parties. For 2015 they had special Magic Bands, t-shirts, pins and other small items.
  6. Know What is Free – During the Halloween Party, kids are able to trick or treat at quite a few places in the park, while at Christmas, some restaurants have Holiday treats for the kids, including hot chocolate and cookies. Also, watch for other items like ice cream and treats throughout the parks.
  7. Plan and Work from Front to Back – As most party visitors arrive sometime around 7 PM, and all enter the front gate, most party goers start their event going down main street and working out into the park. Start your party time away from the front entrance, where the crowds will be light.
  8. Avoid the Early Parade – Each night, there are two night time parades, Mickey’s “Boo-To-You” Halloween Parade and Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmastime Parade, usually around 8:30 PM and 10:30 PM, though I can promise you that the parades the night you will be there will not be at those time. The Halloween Parade tends to be later, the Christmas Parade is earlier. During either event, avoid the early parade, it is by far the most crowded, as it is a MUST DO, and many people go to the early one so they don’t have to worry about it later on. Don’t be like everyone else, get other stuff done while everyone is at the parade and stop by and see the last one.

Whatever you do, have fun. These are fantastic events and a great way to see the Magic Kingdom like never before. You may not ride one ride, but it is something you and your family will remember for years.