Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Affordable Walt Disney World Vacation

THE DISNEY NEWS
October 31, 2007
Copyright © 1999 - 2007 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved.
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Hi Everyone!

NOTE: If you want to visit Walt Disney World when there is no deal for the general public, you will need to follow the discount strategies that are revealed in our online book, "Secrets To An Affordable Walt Disney World® Vacation," to make your vacation affordable.

Now on with the show...

In this blog...

* Deals and specials - Promotion for vacationers currently at Walt Disney World, new Disney World promotion for Disney Rewards Visa cardholders, new Disney World promotion for the general public expected November 1, Disney cruise special for Florida residents, and a 16-day Panama Canal cruise with FREE airfare

* The latest news from around the "World" - an in-depth look at changes to the Magic Kingdom's Haunted Mansion

* The Holidays At Disneyland Resort

* This week's coupon - Save at these 4 Sizzler locations in Florida
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NEW THIS WEEK

WALT DISNEY WORLD

If you're staying at a WDW resort now through the end of 2007, you can save up to 40% on a 2008 vacation with this promotion not known by the general public!

2008 Disney Rewards Visa promotion for 2008! Receive a room discount and a FREE ticket upgrade with dining and wine options with these discount codes!

We believe Disney will release this special to the general public November 1. Beth, our travel agent, adds: "We always scan our list of outstanding bookings and automatically try to get them adjusted. If the promotion comes out on the 1st and you haven't heard anything by Monday, November 5, email me."

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DISNEY CRUISE LINE

Florida residents enjoy Disney cruise specials with this discount code!

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CRUISES

Panama Canal Cruise

16 day-cruise departing on January 12 starting at $200 per person per night. Includes FREE airfare and up to 40% off regular cruise rate. Beth writes: "I know - sounds expensive compared to other cruises, but you get what you pay for! This trip amounts to a pretty much all-inclusive vacation, and it's a very upscale line. With free air it's a great deal if you've got the time and like luxury travel." Book by December 31, 2007.

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Below are just some of the deals drawn from over 50 pages of current specials posted at our password-protected members-only site:

WALT DISNEY WORLD

>> Several ways to win a Walt Disney World/Florida vacation!

>> Holiday specials at the Downtown Disney Resort Hotels!

>> Annual Pass and Florida Resident Specials for October-December, 2007!

>> Exclusively from one of our providers: UK visitors get their 6th Night FREE when they stay at the Walt Disney World Resorts!

>> FREE meals for Kids at these resorts on Disney property!

>> FREE Customized Park Maps for Walt Disney World!

>> Deals for the military, teachers, government workers, nurses, Florida residents!

>> Receive a 5th Day FREE when you purchase a Walt Disney World 4-Day Magic Your Way Base or Hopper ticket with 14 day Expiration!

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OUTSIDE WALT DISNEY WORLD

>> Save up to 30% at Universal's Portofino, Hard Rock and These teachers receive a FREE ticket to both Universal Orlando theme parks

>> Book your Tee Times at this site where rates start at $69

>> Florida residents save $80.00 on day visits to this Orlando venue

>> All you can eat at Universal Studios or Islands of Adventure for less than $20

>> These teachers receive a FREE ticket to both Universal Orlando theme parks!

>> Save up to 40% at this Luxury Resort just 6 miles from Walt Disney World!

>> New Discounts available on tickets to SeaWorld and Busch Gardens! Good for 6 consecutive days, too!

>> All you can eat at Universal Studios or Islands of
Adventure for less than $20!

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DISNEY CRUISE LINE

>> Three nights from $389!

>> Four nights from $449!

>> Seven nights Land & Sea from $799!

>> This group receives a $50 onboard credit!

>> Discounts for Florida residents and the military - rates too low to publish!

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DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA

>> Win a Disneyland/Southern California vacation!

>> Fourth Night Free at Disneyland Hotels!

>> Save up to $40.00 per ticket to Disneyland California!

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DISNEYLAND PARIS

>> Discover the secret to getting FREE admission!

>> Kids under 7 stay and play FREE!

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VEGAS

>> Specials at the Bellagio, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Mirage, Treasure Island and Venetian. Low rates - sometimes as low as $79 per night - dining discounts, show tickets, FREE room upgrades, FREE spa admission, and FREE play money are not uncommon.

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BRANSON, MISSOURI

Free Accommodations for the military!

This luxury Branson golf resort community is offering two FREE nights - no strings attached - to active-duty U.S. military personnel on leave from the Middle East. Located just off the Branson Strip, it is conveniently situated between international award-winning theme park, Silver Dollar City, and Branson’s 49 live music theaters. Reservations will be accepted until January 1, 2008 for stays occurring before February 1, 2008.

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CRUISES

>> Cruise discounts, FREE upgrades, kids travel FREE!

>> Inexpensive Shore Excursions and Tours!

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If you are not a member, you can join our Disney family here. Members can use the following URLs to log in:

Lifetime Deluxe Member
Lifetime Basic Member
Deluxe Member
Basic Member
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NEWS FROM AROUND THE "WORLD"

WALT DISNEY WORLD

This Day in Disney History
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Click here for the recipe for Pumpkin Cheesecake from the kitchens of the Walt Disney World Swan and Dolphin Resort.
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Twilight Zone Tower of Terror race at Walt Disney World

"Villager Beth Braun crossed the finish line at this weekend’s inaugural Twilight Zone Tower of Terror race at Walt Disney World... This weekend’s race enjoyed the usual Disney flair as it was run under the night sky with actors and actresses playing insane mental patients along the course." (Source: thevillagesdailysun.com, 12/29/07)
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"Children’s Miracle Network Classic presented by Wal-Mart is... for players looking to finish the season in the top 125 on the money list. That’s what they must do at the Palm and Magnolia courses at Disney World near Orlando to keep their playing privileges for 2008." (Source: thegolfchannel.com, 10/27/07)
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Canada in US Video

Disney's new travel to America promotion film "chose the Horseshoe Falls, the only one of Niagara's three waterfalls to lie almost entirely on the Canadian side of the border separating western New York state from southern Ontario province." (Source: google.com, 10/29/07)
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You can combine Disney characters with your photos at Wal-Mart to create mugs, mousepads, and more.
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"Eight serious injuries and illnesses -- none apparently life-threatening -- were reported at Central Florida theme-park rides in July, August and September." (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 10/25/07)
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"Disney unveiled its new logo Thursday for the soon-to-be-renamed "Disney's Hollywood Studios." It features the torso, arms and head of Mickey, who is holding a filmmaker's clapboard amid simple, brown lettering that gives the whole thing a retro-Hollywood look." The name will officially be changed January 7. (Source: Orlando Sentinel, 10/26/07)

You can see the new logo here.
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Consumer Alert

"Retail giant Target is recalling 110-thousand magnetic game pieces that are part of Disney's 'Cars' backpacks... The pieces could be potentially swallowed by youngsters and, if ingested, the magnetic pieces could lead to blood poisoning and even death." (Source: ozarksfirst.com, 10/23/07)
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Walt Disney World's Haunted Mansion

"Jim Hill begins a new series that takes an in-depth look at this Magic Kingdom favorite which recently underwent a three-month-long overhaul that significantly enhanced many of the effects found in this Liberty Square attraction." (Source: jimhillmedia.com, 10/22/07)
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DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA

Theme Parks in Fire Zones

"Disneyland and California Adventure in Anaheim were open, said Bob Tucker, spokesman for Disneyland Resort. He said Disney hotels were waiving penalty fees for guests who canceled stays because of the fires." (Source: latimes.com, 10/29/07)
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Disneyland Resort Calendar
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LAS VEGAS

There are alternatives to negotiating the crowded Strip by car: mobility scooter, double-decker buses, Vespa, party buses, or even a monorail. (Source: Orlando Sentinel email blast, 10/25/07)
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NOTE: Links to newspaper articles change quickly and without notice. If you receive a "File Not Found" error message, search the newspaper's archives for the story. Certain newspapers require a free registration to view their articles online. If web addresses are broken into more than one line, copy and paste all lines.
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Snow Blankets Sleeping Beauty Castle, Creating New Look For The Holidays At Disneyland Resort

New enchantment arrives in Disneyland as the holiday season finds "Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle" covered in freshly fallen snow. With its exciting new look, the Castle will serve as a shimmering centerpiece for a daytime holiday celebration, and as a snow-capped stage for the new music, lighting and special effects that will precede the legendary "Believe ... in Holiday Magic" nighttime fireworks spectacular.

The Castle will create a magical sense of wintertime enchantment throughout the holidays at Disneyland, adding to the many delights that traditionally welcome guests when Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure parks are transformed into dazzling holiday wonderlands.

By day, "Sleeping Beauty’s Winter Castle" will be a sparkling Disneyland landmark and photo location for holiday visitors from around the world. As evening arrives, the Castle will undergo a transformation as special lighting effects and a new musical score take guests on a journey that dramatizes a young child’s dream for snow!

This magical spell will build to the highlight of the evening: the fireworks spectacular, "Believe ... in Holiday Magic," which will take guests on a journey of sights and sounds of the season and will end with a touching rendition of "White Christmas" and one of Disneyland’s most beloved holiday traditions: a climactic snowfall that swirls down on Main Street, U.S.A., small world mall and New Orleans Square. To top it all off, the beautiful blanket of snow on the Castle will begin to shimmer like never before!

Such holiday magic may be found throughout the day in both Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure during the holiday season. Themed entertainment, sparkling decorations, tasty treats and the annual holiday transformations of "it’s a small world" and the Haunted Mansion will add festive seasonal fun and warmth to Disneyland Resort visits from November 16 through January 6. The transformation at the Resort will come during Disney Parks’ ongoing Year of a Million Dreams celebration where guests’ dreams, large and small, are coming true through the Disney Dreams Giveaway.

Upon entering Main Street, U.S.A, in Disneyland, holiday guests will find the traditional 60-foot-tall evergreen Disneyland Christmas tree that is grandly decorated with 10,000 ornaments and holiday lights.

"Santa’s Reindeer Round-up" will return to Big Thunder Ranch in Frontierland, with the ranch transformed into a "West Pole" getaway where Santa can unwind with Mrs. Claus and his team of reindeer. Kids and their families can chat with St. Nick, see real reindeer grazing in a corral, play some reindeer games, create take-home Yuletide souvenirs and join in holiday line dances with music from a Western trio.

The Resort’s annual holiday parade, "A Christmas Fantasy," will be presented November 16 through January 6 on Main Street, U.S.A. This ever-popular procession depicts an enchanting collection of holiday scenes, music and a cast of Disney characters and performers in Yuletide vignettes. Toy soldiers march in cadence, friendly snowmen dance and Santa waves from a soaring sleigh as his reindeer prance below.

Haunted Mansion Holiday returns with a madcap celebration where the traditions of Halloween and Christmas collide. The ghoulish but well-meaning Jack Skellington from the film Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas has come to the Haunted Mansion to transform it with his skewed vision of the holidays.

In Fantasyland, the classic "it’s a small world" again will become "it’s a small world Holiday" with a popular seasonal overlay that transforms this classic Disneyland attraction into a holiday trip around the world. More than 300,000 glittery lights will adorn the attraction’s façade.

Disney’s California Adventure will celebrate the season with fanciful park-wide decorations and lively entertainment. Guests approaching the park will immediately get in the holiday mood as the iconic entrance-way letters that spell "CALIFORNIA" will be transformed to appear as swirling red and white peppermint sticks.

Inside "a bug’s land," Flik and his bug buddies will spread giant Christmas lights, oversized ornaments and towering candy canes throughout their realm. Alongside Paradise Bay, a beautifully decorated Christmas tree will provide a dazzling sight as other nearby trees sparkle with hundreds of lights and the lampposts are decorated with seasonal wreathes.

Sunshine Plaza becomes "Santa’s Beach Blast," where the Disney characters playfully blend classic holiday images with the California beach lifestyle. Santa the Surfer greets guests near a Woody wagon sleigh, and the area is filled with seaside-style holiday decorations.

During the holidays, the fun will be extended with expanded park hours for both Disneyland Resort theme parks for much of the season. Downtown Disney District and the Disneyland Resort hotels will join in the merriment with twinkling lights and ornaments, special entertainment and holiday dining.

Also contributing to the holiday fun will be the continuation of the Disney Dreams Giveaway and the immersive entertainment experiences of the Year of a Million Dreams at Disney Parks. At Disneyland, guests can meet and interact with Disney Princesses at Disney Princess Fantasy Faire, with Jedi Knights at the Jedi Training Academy and with Captain Jack Sparrow and his crew at Pirate’s Lair on Tom Sawyer Island. At Disney’s California Adventure, guests young and old will be dancing to the beat of the new High School Musical 2: School’s Out! street show, inspired by the megahit Disney Channel original movie. (Source: Press Release)
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MONEY SAVING COUPON

Sizzler in Florida

9142 International Drive, Orlando, 407-351-5369
6308 International Drive, Orlando, 407-248-9711
12195 S. Apopka Vineland Rd., Lake Buena Vista, 407-238-1551
7602 West Irlo Bronson Hwy., Kissimmee, 407-397-0997

Save 10% on any dinner entree or kids eat FREE with this coupon.
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ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Affordable Disney Books

Disney and other new books 50-90% off the list price. Hundreds of books under $1.00! Plus! Over 700 videos have been marked down to $1.99! To check out the bargains, click here.
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Got Coupons?

With the Orlando Entertainment Book, you can save big on travel, groceries, shopping, movie tickets, and more! Save at hotels and restaurants near Walt Disney World, on car rental, airfare, admission to Universal Orlando, SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa! For details, click here.
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Affordable Disney Movies and CD's

Save 40-70% on your favorite Disney Movie or CD! Cheap shipping, too! Click here.
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Affordable Accommodations

Enjoy Special Rates at select hotels, condos and vacation rentals near Disney. Plus! Receive up to a $100.00 rebate! For hotels, click here.
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Affordable Luggage

Save up to 60% on Luggage, Backpacks, and more! Donna and I bought a beautiful 5-piece set of Samsonite luggage for our daughter for Christmas for $144! Click here.
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Own a piece of the Magic Kingdom

Disney framed stock certificates are works of art. They feature Walt Disney and the Disney characters. Unlike stock brokers that require you to purchase several shares of stock, OneShare sells one share of stock and mails you the certificate. You can frame the stock certificate yourself or OneShare will frame if for you at a nominal cost. Click here.
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See You Real Soon!

John

AffordableDisney.Com.
johngross@affordabledisney.com
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Disclaimer: We cannot guarantee the accuracy of information contained in THE DISNEY NEWS. Always check to be sure. The views and opinions expressed by others in THE DISNEY NEWS do not necessarily reflect the views of AffordableDisney.Com.
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