Affordable Walt Disney World Vacation
THE DISNEY NEWS
Updates From Affordable Walt Disney World Vacation
January 13, 2010
Copyright © 1999 - 2010 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved.
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Hi Everyone!
REMEMBER: 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 - BIG offer for Affordable Disney Members only (FREE cruise + $500 rebate!), Universal Mardi Gras offers for Florida Residents, Amtrak sale (Includes Auto Train!), Luxury Hotel Chain special (Save 33%!)
News from around the "World":
* This day in Disney history
* Current photos of River Country that closed in 2001!
* Cantina expands at Epcot’s Mexico pavilion
* Children Customize Their Cruise Experience with Disney Cruises
* Inaugural Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend
* Disney Marathon 2010 winner
* EXCLUSIVE: Disney Actually Is Developing a "Lost" Ride
* First Look: D23’s ‘Disney Undiscovered’
* Walt Disney World Monthly Calendar
* Fresh pictures of Wizarding World of Harry Potter construction
* Universal's new ticket-price strategy
* A bargain: Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee
* Ringling sends three shows across Florida in January
* Revisiting some lesser-seen attractions at the theme parks
* Thinking Valentine's Day getaway, try these Florida options
* Orlando's theme parks ending sluggish year on bright note
* Anaheim Hills man plants Disney in his back yard
* Disneyland may distribute tickets for water show
* Sully Safely 'Landed' at SeaWorld San Diego
* Why For is "Captain EO" really returning to Disneyland Park?
* Disneyland Resort Calendar
* This week at Disneyland Paris
* What's new at Disneyland Tokyo
* This week in Las Vegas
* Branson Calendar of Events
* Beth, our travel agent, writes about BACKSTAGE TOURS at WDW
* Beth also writes about Disneyland's Club 33
* Universal Orlando Celebrates Mardi Gras 2010
=================================================
NEW THIS WEEK
WALT DISNEY WORLD
# FOR AFFORDABLE DISNEY MEMBERS ONLY
Beth writes: "Book A Qualifying Adventures by Disney vacation by 01/15/10 And get a FREE 3-Night Disney Cruise *And* a $500 Rebate! This offer is not available online or anywhere else - and it’s ONLY for Affordable Disney members, friends and family!
# Walt Disney World Annual Passholders save over $100 at this WDW venue!
--------------------------------
UNIVERSAL MARDI GRAS OFFERS FOR FLORIDA RESIDENTS
# Save $25 on Universal Orlando Annual Passes!
# Vacation Package starting at $79 per person, per night! includes:
• 2-night accommodations at a hotel near Universal
• 2-day/2-park ticket to both Universal parks
• Early park admission to select attractions in IOA
• Complimentary transportation
• Upgrade to on-site hotel from $147 per person per night
# Mardi Gras After-5 Ticket: Admission to Universal Studios after 5 PM. $49.99 + tax.
--------------------------------
AMTRAK® SALE
Save 20% on fares. Includes Auto Train to Florida!
--------------------------------
ALL YOUR 2010 WEEKEND TRAVEL IS ON SALE NOW
Book weekends at this luxury hotel chain in Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the
United States, including Puerto Rico, by January 31, 2010 and save up to 33% throughout 2010!
=================================================
Below are just some of the deals drawn from over 70 pages of current specials posted at our password-protected members-only site:
* Save up to $750.00 on this Walt Disney World vacation package
* FREE Disney Cruise with purchase of this package
* FREE nights and FREE tickets at Walt Disney World
* FREE night at a Walt Disney World luxury resort
* Two Nights FREE at Disneyland California
* Kids sail FREE on Disney cruise line
* All kids go FREE at Disneyland Paris
* Kids eat FREE membership card
* Kids fly FREE to Disneyland California
* Get a FREE ticket to the Walt Disney World theme parks in 2009
* Room discounts and FREE tickets for the military
* Buy a day, get a FREE day at Universal Hollywood
* Save 50% at these deluxe Walt Disney World resorts
* Give a Day, Get a Disney Day promotion
* BIG Downtown Disney Resort Hotel discount
* Florida Resident Discounts Galore! Too many to list here!
* Universal Orlando Resorts half off strategy
* Disneyland ticket deal for locals
* Luxury cruise discount exclusively for police and firefighters
* New parties for Walt Disney World Resort guests
* CityPass discount for Affordable Disney members
* Disney Cruise Line discounts for Floridians and the military
* Non-Disney theme park/cruise vacation packages
* New source for discounted Disney Villas
* SeaWorld San Diego ticket deal
* Disney World discounts for annual passholders
* Universal hotel discounts
* Disneyland California hotel special
* Universal Orlando discounted vacation packages
* SeaWorld Discovery Cove discounts
* Orlando Theme Park Package
* Universal Blue Man Group discount
* Disneyland Annual Passes on a monthly payment plan
* Universal Hollywood All You Can Eat Pass
* 2011 Disney cruises now booking
* Nickelodeon Family Cruise
* Disney cruise early booking discounts
* Vegas Resort & Casino discounts
* Super Branson Promotion
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
Basic Member
=================================================
NEWS FROM AROUND THE "WORLD"
WALT DISNEY WORLD
This Day in Disney History
River Country closed in 2001. Here are photos of what it looks like today!
Cantina expands at Epcot’s Mexico pavilion
Children Customize Their Cruise Experience with More Choices than Ever on Disney Cruise Line
Inaugural Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend Set to Satisfy a Runner’s Palette in 2010
Disney Marathon 2010 winner: 'Never in my life have I run in this kind of cold'
EXCLUSIVE: Disney Actually Is Developing a Lost Ride - - based on the TV show, "Lost"
First Look: D23’s ‘Disney Undiscovered’ - a calendar of Disney’s unrealized masterpieces
Walt Disney World Monthly Calendar.
=================================================
OUTSIDE WALT DISNEY WORLD
Islands of Adventure: Fresh pictures of Wizarding World of Harry Potter construction
Universal Orlando rolls out new ticket-price strategy ahead of Harry Potter - some big increases: two-day, two-park pass: increased 36% from $99 to $135; 7-day pass for $99 eliminated - now costs $179 - a 72% increase! On the positive side, the more days you visit the parks, the cheaper the tickets become (like Disney's Magic Your Way tickets)
A bargain to see bucking broncs at Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee
Florida circus guide: Ringling sends three shows across state in January
Revisiting some lesser-seen attractions at the theme parks
Thinking Valentine's Day getaway, try these Florida options
Orlando's theme parks ending sluggish year on bright note
=================================================
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
Anaheim Hills man plants Disney in his back yard- amazing!
Disney may distribute tickets for water show
Sully Safely 'Landed' at SeaWorld San Diego - Pilot Whale is in Good Health and Getting Acclimated
Why For is "Captain EO" really returning to Disneyland Park?
Disneyland Resort Calendar
--------------------------------
DISNEYLAND PARIS
This week at Disneyland Paris
--------------------------------
DISNEYLAND TOKYO
What's new at Tokyo Disneyland
--------------------------------
BRANSON, MO
Branson Calendar of Events
--------------------------------
LAS VEGAS
This Week in Las Vegas
--------------------------------
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 addres
=================================================
Beth, our travel agent, writes about Disneyland's Club 33:
In the last week or so, two people have mentioned Club 33 to me - one who actually got to dine there and another who will be having her wedding rehearsal dinner there next summer. It occurs to me that there are probably a lot of people who don’t even know what Club 33 is, so I thought I’d toss out this bit of trivia…
The next time you’re in Disneyland, head over towards the Blue Bayou restaurant in New Orleans Square. Look for 33 Royal Street. While the door may look like any other, it’s one of the most difficult doors to get through you’ll ever come across. Well, actually, if you take the 'Footsteps' tour, you’ll get in - and even see the inside of the exquisite elevator - but that’s as far as you can go unless you know someone. A very important someone!
The story goes that Walt really liked the private VIP clubs he came across while at the World’s Fair so he decided Disneyland should have one as well. Walt went all out on this project; the club is filled with fine antiques and pieces from famous movie sets. I hear the food is pretty amazing, too! And for the price, it ought to be. Dinner at the club will set you back about $75 per person, and that’s before tax and gratuity and without wine. The lunch buffet is rumored to be equally yummy and less pricey.
Sadly, most of us will never know for sure because this is a super-exclusive club. Membership is limited to roughly 400 people, and my understanding is that they are no longer taking a waiting list. You’ll often see the wait time to join listed at about 14 years, but it seems that 3-4 years is more the norm. There are several types of membership. For us mere mortals, the individual membership is (I think) $7,500 to join and then $2,500 annually. This gets you and up to nine guests access to dining at the club as well as admission to the parks. (Members can come hang out at the club, but your guests MUST dine there in order to have the free park admission. Otherwise, you’ll be billed for their admission tickets.)
Walt died before Club 33 ever opened, but I think he’d be pleased with the way it turned out. If you’re still curious, check out Wikipedia and/or Snopes for more details and additional links. And if you’re a member of Club 33, I’d be more than happy to join you for a meal ANY TIME!"
=================================================
Beth writes about BACKSTAGE TOURS at Walt Disney World:
"Regular readers know that I attended a travel agent conference at Disney World recently. One of the coolest things they did for us was give us the opportunity to see some backstage areas that are off limits to regular guests. I did two of these tours.
The first was a tour that took us to Central Shops, located in a remote part of the property beyond the Magic Kingdom. This is where new things are created and existing things are refurbished. Anything broken or chipped gets sent here to be fixed up. We saw a flying elephant from the Dumbo attraction, a log from Splash Mountain, a few carousel horses, and a strange assortment of other items that you may or may not recognize when taken from their usual surroundings. Each gets lovingly restored to 'stage ready' status by Disney’s many craftsmen and artists.
When animatronics are ready to go on stage (meaning, into the park where they’ll be seen by guests) they must first pass numerous tests. There’s actually an area where these robot-like figures get turned on and left for DAYS at a time to be sure they’ll hold up. Central Shops also does some creating for other Disney theme parks, the Disney ships, and just about anything else they’re asked to tackle - from giant Christmas trees to miles of tracks to dozens of fiberglass magic carpets. We were there late in the afternoon and it was a little disappointing to not see all that many people working, but when the place is in full swing it must be almost surreal.
The other tour took us to three different places. The first was a warehouse (near Central Shops) where all the holiday decorations are stored. In this case, most of them were gone because the parks, resorts and ships were already nearly completely decorated. There was enough left to give us the idea, though. The aisles have big signs (like a grocery store) to tell you what’s stored there. Then the shelves are labeled so you know what goes into each section. Finally, the storage containers are carefully labeled with the contents. Many also have photos on the ends of the boxes to show what the décor looks like when done (which must be a HUGE help to those hanging the stuff). HINT: The caps of ornaments are hot-glued onto the ornament, and then they’re hung with wire so that they don’t fall off the tree, wreath, or garland. Smart, huh?!
One of the most interesting things was to see the Main Street Christmas tree in pieces. That baby is HUGE! Disney fans know that the annual parade you see on Christmas Day is actually taped over several days in early December. Regis and Kelly sit on the balcony at the train station so that the camera shot over their shoulders is of the length of Main Street with the castle in the background. Years ago, they assembled the tree near the castle, then after shooting they had to remove all the garland across Main Street and relocate the tree at the foot of Main Street where it belongs. That was a big job, though, so now the tree isn’t assembled until after shooting ends. As a result, we got to see the thing in pieces. Mickey’s elves were busy making new 'popcorn' for its giant strings of the stuff. Very fun to see!
Our next stop was the most fun… The utilidor system under the Magic Kingdom. We were restricted to the area right under Main Street, but that was OK. You know when you walk past that bakery and it always smells so good that you can’t resist? Well, that’s the plan. They actually have a machine under the street that pumps out the scent of fresh baked goods. Really!! And you know how the cast members are required to trade pins with you if you ask? Well, there’s a station down below where they take all those yucky pins you give them and trade them in for the good stuff, some of which you can ONLY get from cast members!
Here’s another fun tidbit… There are cast members who replace filled garbage cans with empty plastic containers, then take the full ones to stations at convenient locations throughout the Magic Kingdom. The trash is emptied into vacuum tubes which whisk it away to a central area for sorting (they recycle!) and disposal. Occasionally, they have to dump rocks into the system to clean all the gunk out of the tubes. Anyway, the whole 'underworld' of the Magic Kingdom is really fascinating.
Finally, we stopped at one of several laundry facilities. The one we saw handles towels and sheets. It’s truly an automated wonder. Parades of laundry bags hanging from ceiling tracks move around the room, dumping laundry that magically gets sorted and cleaned and folded before being loaded back onto special carts (called metros) and sent back to the resorts. Along the way, TV remotes and stuffed animals that got wrapped into the bedding are collected and (hopefully) redirected back to the appropriate places and people. Factoid: Housekeeping folks were griping about how hard moving the metros full of linens could be when you had to go uphill, around tight corners, etc. Disney Imagineers re-designed the metros to be somewhat self-propelled to make maneuvering them easier. The design was patented and is now in use all over the world.
In summary, I would highly recommend that anyone who is truly a lover of all things Disney try some of the backstage tours that are available. They can be arranged by calling 1-407-WDW-TOUR. Be aware that some tours require park admission and some have minimum age requirements. Also, some are rather lengthy, even including meals, so you can lose a bunch of time you’d otherwise maybe be spending in the parks. For those that have visited the parks many times, though, the tours can really provide a very unique perspective."
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Universal Orlando Resort Celebrates 15 Years Of Beads, Bands And Good Times With Mardi Gras 2010
Celebration Includes Authentic Mardi Gras Parade and Cuisine, Along with Live Performances by Acts Such as Aretha Franklin, 3 Doors Down and Miranda Lambert
On February 6, Universal Orlando Resort will kick off its 15th year of Mardi Gras – the biggest and most authentic Mardi Gras celebration outside of New Orleans. Guests will experience the spirit of Bourbon St. in the heart of Universal Studios, with festivities including live concerts by artists like Flo Rida, Sheryl Crow and Chicago, authentic Cajun cuisine, a spectacular parade and tons of beads.
With a combined total of more than half a billion records sold worldwide, this year’s Mardi Gras lineup features an eclectic mix of 13 of the biggest names in music. From hip-hop to pop, country to rock, and R&B to disco, there will be something for everyone. Along with Flo Rida, Sheryl Crow and Chicago, Mardi Gras guests will enjoy live performances by headliners like “The Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin, country sensation Dierks Bentley, hip-hop artist Akon, multi-platinum selling rock band 3 Doors Down and the No. 1 selling American band of all time, Beach Boys.
In addition to seeing top-name talent perform on the main stage, guests can also visit Universal’s very own “French Quarter” – a replica of the New Orleans’ famed district – and groove to the authentic bayou sounds of bands directly from New Orleans.
To commemorate this special year, guests will enjoy a heritage-themed Mardi Gras parade featuring new colorful renditions of floats from past year’s events. Universal worked with New Orleans-based Blaine Kern Artists, Inc. to incorporate new elements into some of the most memorable floats in the event’s history. The twelve vibrant floats will cruise the streets of Universal Studios during the festivities, filled with riders tossing beads by the handful to excited park guests.
Guests will also enjoy the aroma and taste of authentic Cajun cuisine – such as jambalaya, gumbo, beignets and king cake – along with hundreds of costumed characters and stilt walkers dancing and mingling in the streets. Party-goers will also enjoy Universal Studios’ most popular attractions, including the all-new Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit – a radically-innovative roller coaster that combines hit music, first-ever maneuvers and highly-sophisticated audio and video for a one-of-a-kind ride experience.
# # #
MARDI GRAS 2010 AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT
Event Overview
• Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras celebration is the biggest and most authentic celebration outside of The Big Easy, featuring hundreds of costumed characters, tons of souvenir beads, Cajun cuisine and an elaborate parade featuring floats designed by Blaine Kern Artists, Inc – the same company that designs floats for the New Orleans parade.
• Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras 2010 Mardi Gras celebration kicks off on February 6 and runs every Saturday night through April 17, with additional dates on Sunday, February 14 and Friday, April 9.
• Mardi Gras is included in admission to Universal Studios.
• More information is available at http://www.universalorlando.com/mardigras.
MARDI GRAS TALENT LINEUP
Saturday, February 6 KC and the Sunshine Band
Saturday, February 13 Heart
Sunday, February 14 Kool & the Gang
Saturday, February 20 Blondie
Saturday, February 27 Dierks Bentley
Saturday, March 6 Akon
Saturday, March 13 Aretha Franklin
Saturday, March 20 Miranda Lambert
Saturday, March 27 3 Doors Down
Saturday, April 3 Beach Boys
Friday, April 9 Sheryl Crow
Saturday, April 10 Flo Rida
Saturday, April 17 Chicago
(Source: Press Release, 01/08/10)
=================================================
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
By the same author:
"100 Prayers of Purity for the Mission of Our Lady of America."
The Virgin Mary, Our Lady of America, encourages us to seek Her as our model of purity. The prayers in this book petition God the Father, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the great Saints for the grace we need to lead pure and holy lives. Click here to read the book for FREE.
"Achieving Weight Loss through the Prayers of the Divine Office of the Virgin Mary." True peace with food can only come from establishing a close relationship with God. Click here to read the book for FREE.
"Rosary Meditations: A Bouquet of Roses for Our Lady." Shows the beginner and the highly experienced how to meditate while praying the rosary. Click here to read the book for FREE.
Be sure to check out Father Ron Camarda's "Tear in the Desert." It's one of the most spiritual books I have ever read!
"To me, today at age 61, all prayer by the humble or highly placed has one thing in common: supplication for strength and inspiration to carry on the best impulses which should bind us together for a better world. Without such inspiration we would rapidly deteriorate and finally perish." Walt Disney (Source: startedbyamouse.com)
--------------------------------
Affordable Disney Books
Disney and other new books 50-90% off the list price. To check out the bargains, click here.
--------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------
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.
--------------------------------
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.
=============================================
See You Real Soon!
John
AffordableDisney.Com.
johngross@affordabledisney.com
=============================================
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.
=============================================
Updates From Affordable Walt Disney World Vacation
January 13, 2010
Copyright © 1999 - 2010 by John P. Gross. All rights reserved.
=================================================
To subscribe to Affordable Disney's blog, click the following
icon:
Or copy and paste the following URL into your RSS Reader:
http://affordabledisney.blogspot.com/atom.xml
: My Yahoo! users can instantly add our blogcontent to My Yahoo! Add My Yahoo!
: You can also subscribe to our blog at MSN! Add to My MSN!
=================================================
Hi Everyone!
REMEMBER: 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 - BIG offer for Affordable Disney Members only (FREE cruise + $500 rebate!), Universal Mardi Gras offers for Florida Residents, Amtrak sale (Includes Auto Train!), Luxury Hotel Chain special (Save 33%!)
News from around the "World":
* This day in Disney history
* Current photos of River Country that closed in 2001!
* Cantina expands at Epcot’s Mexico pavilion
* Children Customize Their Cruise Experience with Disney Cruises
* Inaugural Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend
* Disney Marathon 2010 winner
* EXCLUSIVE: Disney Actually Is Developing a "Lost" Ride
* First Look: D23’s ‘Disney Undiscovered’
* Walt Disney World Monthly Calendar
* Fresh pictures of Wizarding World of Harry Potter construction
* Universal's new ticket-price strategy
* A bargain: Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee
* Ringling sends three shows across Florida in January
* Revisiting some lesser-seen attractions at the theme parks
* Thinking Valentine's Day getaway, try these Florida options
* Orlando's theme parks ending sluggish year on bright note
* Anaheim Hills man plants Disney in his back yard
* Disneyland may distribute tickets for water show
* Sully Safely 'Landed' at SeaWorld San Diego
* Why For is "Captain EO" really returning to Disneyland Park?
* Disneyland Resort Calendar
* This week at Disneyland Paris
* What's new at Disneyland Tokyo
* This week in Las Vegas
* Branson Calendar of Events
* Beth, our travel agent, writes about BACKSTAGE TOURS at WDW
* Beth also writes about Disneyland's Club 33
* Universal Orlando Celebrates Mardi Gras 2010
=================================================
NEW THIS WEEK
WALT DISNEY WORLD
# FOR AFFORDABLE DISNEY MEMBERS ONLY
Beth writes: "Book A Qualifying Adventures by Disney vacation by 01/15/10 And get a FREE 3-Night Disney Cruise *And* a $500 Rebate! This offer is not available online or anywhere else - and it’s ONLY for Affordable Disney members, friends and family!
# Walt Disney World Annual Passholders save over $100 at this WDW venue!
--------------------------------
UNIVERSAL MARDI GRAS OFFERS FOR FLORIDA RESIDENTS
# Save $25 on Universal Orlando Annual Passes!
# Vacation Package starting at $79 per person, per night! includes:
• 2-night accommodations at a hotel near Universal
• 2-day/2-park ticket to both Universal parks
• Early park admission to select attractions in IOA
• Complimentary transportation
• Upgrade to on-site hotel from $147 per person per night
# Mardi Gras After-5 Ticket: Admission to Universal Studios after 5 PM. $49.99 + tax.
--------------------------------
AMTRAK® SALE
Save 20% on fares. Includes Auto Train to Florida!
--------------------------------
ALL YOUR 2010 WEEKEND TRAVEL IS ON SALE NOW
Book weekends at this luxury hotel chain in Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, the Caribbean, and the
United States, including Puerto Rico, by January 31, 2010 and save up to 33% throughout 2010!
=================================================
Below are just some of the deals drawn from over 70 pages of current specials posted at our password-protected members-only site:
* Save up to $750.00 on this Walt Disney World vacation package
* FREE Disney Cruise with purchase of this package
* FREE nights and FREE tickets at Walt Disney World
* FREE night at a Walt Disney World luxury resort
* Two Nights FREE at Disneyland California
* Kids sail FREE on Disney cruise line
* All kids go FREE at Disneyland Paris
* Kids eat FREE membership card
* Kids fly FREE to Disneyland California
* Get a FREE ticket to the Walt Disney World theme parks in 2009
* Room discounts and FREE tickets for the military
* Buy a day, get a FREE day at Universal Hollywood
* Save 50% at these deluxe Walt Disney World resorts
* Give a Day, Get a Disney Day promotion
* BIG Downtown Disney Resort Hotel discount
* Florida Resident Discounts Galore! Too many to list here!
* Universal Orlando Resorts half off strategy
* Disneyland ticket deal for locals
* Luxury cruise discount exclusively for police and firefighters
* New parties for Walt Disney World Resort guests
* CityPass discount for Affordable Disney members
* Disney Cruise Line discounts for Floridians and the military
* Non-Disney theme park/cruise vacation packages
* New source for discounted Disney Villas
* SeaWorld San Diego ticket deal
* Disney World discounts for annual passholders
* Universal hotel discounts
* Disneyland California hotel special
* Universal Orlando discounted vacation packages
* SeaWorld Discovery Cove discounts
* Orlando Theme Park Package
* Universal Blue Man Group discount
* Disneyland Annual Passes on a monthly payment plan
* Universal Hollywood All You Can Eat Pass
* 2011 Disney cruises now booking
* Nickelodeon Family Cruise
* Disney cruise early booking discounts
* Vegas Resort & Casino discounts
* Super Branson Promotion
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
Basic Member
=================================================
NEWS FROM AROUND THE "WORLD"
WALT DISNEY WORLD
This Day in Disney History
River Country closed in 2001. Here are photos of what it looks like today!
Cantina expands at Epcot’s Mexico pavilion
Children Customize Their Cruise Experience with More Choices than Ever on Disney Cruise Line
Inaugural Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon Weekend Set to Satisfy a Runner’s Palette in 2010
Disney Marathon 2010 winner: 'Never in my life have I run in this kind of cold'
EXCLUSIVE: Disney Actually Is Developing a Lost Ride - - based on the TV show, "Lost"
First Look: D23’s ‘Disney Undiscovered’ - a calendar of Disney’s unrealized masterpieces
Walt Disney World Monthly Calendar.
=================================================
OUTSIDE WALT DISNEY WORLD
Islands of Adventure: Fresh pictures of Wizarding World of Harry Potter construction
Universal Orlando rolls out new ticket-price strategy ahead of Harry Potter - some big increases: two-day, two-park pass: increased 36% from $99 to $135; 7-day pass for $99 eliminated - now costs $179 - a 72% increase! On the positive side, the more days you visit the parks, the cheaper the tickets become (like Disney's Magic Your Way tickets)
A bargain to see bucking broncs at Silver Spurs Rodeo in Kissimmee
Florida circus guide: Ringling sends three shows across state in January
Revisiting some lesser-seen attractions at the theme parks
Thinking Valentine's Day getaway, try these Florida options
Orlando's theme parks ending sluggish year on bright note
=================================================
DISNEYLAND CALIFORNIA
Anaheim Hills man plants Disney in his back yard- amazing!
Disney may distribute tickets for water show
Sully Safely 'Landed' at SeaWorld San Diego - Pilot Whale is in Good Health and Getting Acclimated
Why For is "Captain EO" really returning to Disneyland Park?
Disneyland Resort Calendar
--------------------------------
DISNEYLAND PARIS
This week at Disneyland Paris
--------------------------------
DISNEYLAND TOKYO
What's new at Tokyo Disneyland
--------------------------------
BRANSON, MO
Branson Calendar of Events
--------------------------------
LAS VEGAS
This Week in Las Vegas
--------------------------------
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 addres
=================================================
Beth, our travel agent, writes about Disneyland's Club 33:
In the last week or so, two people have mentioned Club 33 to me - one who actually got to dine there and another who will be having her wedding rehearsal dinner there next summer. It occurs to me that there are probably a lot of people who don’t even know what Club 33 is, so I thought I’d toss out this bit of trivia…
The next time you’re in Disneyland, head over towards the Blue Bayou restaurant in New Orleans Square. Look for 33 Royal Street. While the door may look like any other, it’s one of the most difficult doors to get through you’ll ever come across. Well, actually, if you take the 'Footsteps' tour, you’ll get in - and even see the inside of the exquisite elevator - but that’s as far as you can go unless you know someone. A very important someone!
The story goes that Walt really liked the private VIP clubs he came across while at the World’s Fair so he decided Disneyland should have one as well. Walt went all out on this project; the club is filled with fine antiques and pieces from famous movie sets. I hear the food is pretty amazing, too! And for the price, it ought to be. Dinner at the club will set you back about $75 per person, and that’s before tax and gratuity and without wine. The lunch buffet is rumored to be equally yummy and less pricey.
Sadly, most of us will never know for sure because this is a super-exclusive club. Membership is limited to roughly 400 people, and my understanding is that they are no longer taking a waiting list. You’ll often see the wait time to join listed at about 14 years, but it seems that 3-4 years is more the norm. There are several types of membership. For us mere mortals, the individual membership is (I think) $7,500 to join and then $2,500 annually. This gets you and up to nine guests access to dining at the club as well as admission to the parks. (Members can come hang out at the club, but your guests MUST dine there in order to have the free park admission. Otherwise, you’ll be billed for their admission tickets.)
Walt died before Club 33 ever opened, but I think he’d be pleased with the way it turned out. If you’re still curious, check out Wikipedia and/or Snopes for more details and additional links. And if you’re a member of Club 33, I’d be more than happy to join you for a meal ANY TIME!"
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Beth writes about BACKSTAGE TOURS at Walt Disney World:
"Regular readers know that I attended a travel agent conference at Disney World recently. One of the coolest things they did for us was give us the opportunity to see some backstage areas that are off limits to regular guests. I did two of these tours.
The first was a tour that took us to Central Shops, located in a remote part of the property beyond the Magic Kingdom. This is where new things are created and existing things are refurbished. Anything broken or chipped gets sent here to be fixed up. We saw a flying elephant from the Dumbo attraction, a log from Splash Mountain, a few carousel horses, and a strange assortment of other items that you may or may not recognize when taken from their usual surroundings. Each gets lovingly restored to 'stage ready' status by Disney’s many craftsmen and artists.
When animatronics are ready to go on stage (meaning, into the park where they’ll be seen by guests) they must first pass numerous tests. There’s actually an area where these robot-like figures get turned on and left for DAYS at a time to be sure they’ll hold up. Central Shops also does some creating for other Disney theme parks, the Disney ships, and just about anything else they’re asked to tackle - from giant Christmas trees to miles of tracks to dozens of fiberglass magic carpets. We were there late in the afternoon and it was a little disappointing to not see all that many people working, but when the place is in full swing it must be almost surreal.
The other tour took us to three different places. The first was a warehouse (near Central Shops) where all the holiday decorations are stored. In this case, most of them were gone because the parks, resorts and ships were already nearly completely decorated. There was enough left to give us the idea, though. The aisles have big signs (like a grocery store) to tell you what’s stored there. Then the shelves are labeled so you know what goes into each section. Finally, the storage containers are carefully labeled with the contents. Many also have photos on the ends of the boxes to show what the décor looks like when done (which must be a HUGE help to those hanging the stuff). HINT: The caps of ornaments are hot-glued onto the ornament, and then they’re hung with wire so that they don’t fall off the tree, wreath, or garland. Smart, huh?!
One of the most interesting things was to see the Main Street Christmas tree in pieces. That baby is HUGE! Disney fans know that the annual parade you see on Christmas Day is actually taped over several days in early December. Regis and Kelly sit on the balcony at the train station so that the camera shot over their shoulders is of the length of Main Street with the castle in the background. Years ago, they assembled the tree near the castle, then after shooting they had to remove all the garland across Main Street and relocate the tree at the foot of Main Street where it belongs. That was a big job, though, so now the tree isn’t assembled until after shooting ends. As a result, we got to see the thing in pieces. Mickey’s elves were busy making new 'popcorn' for its giant strings of the stuff. Very fun to see!
Our next stop was the most fun… The utilidor system under the Magic Kingdom. We were restricted to the area right under Main Street, but that was OK. You know when you walk past that bakery and it always smells so good that you can’t resist? Well, that’s the plan. They actually have a machine under the street that pumps out the scent of fresh baked goods. Really!! And you know how the cast members are required to trade pins with you if you ask? Well, there’s a station down below where they take all those yucky pins you give them and trade them in for the good stuff, some of which you can ONLY get from cast members!
Here’s another fun tidbit… There are cast members who replace filled garbage cans with empty plastic containers, then take the full ones to stations at convenient locations throughout the Magic Kingdom. The trash is emptied into vacuum tubes which whisk it away to a central area for sorting (they recycle!) and disposal. Occasionally, they have to dump rocks into the system to clean all the gunk out of the tubes. Anyway, the whole 'underworld' of the Magic Kingdom is really fascinating.
Finally, we stopped at one of several laundry facilities. The one we saw handles towels and sheets. It’s truly an automated wonder. Parades of laundry bags hanging from ceiling tracks move around the room, dumping laundry that magically gets sorted and cleaned and folded before being loaded back onto special carts (called metros) and sent back to the resorts. Along the way, TV remotes and stuffed animals that got wrapped into the bedding are collected and (hopefully) redirected back to the appropriate places and people. Factoid: Housekeeping folks were griping about how hard moving the metros full of linens could be when you had to go uphill, around tight corners, etc. Disney Imagineers re-designed the metros to be somewhat self-propelled to make maneuvering them easier. The design was patented and is now in use all over the world.
In summary, I would highly recommend that anyone who is truly a lover of all things Disney try some of the backstage tours that are available. They can be arranged by calling 1-407-WDW-TOUR. Be aware that some tours require park admission and some have minimum age requirements. Also, some are rather lengthy, even including meals, so you can lose a bunch of time you’d otherwise maybe be spending in the parks. For those that have visited the parks many times, though, the tours can really provide a very unique perspective."
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Universal Orlando Resort Celebrates 15 Years Of Beads, Bands And Good Times With Mardi Gras 2010
Celebration Includes Authentic Mardi Gras Parade and Cuisine, Along with Live Performances by Acts Such as Aretha Franklin, 3 Doors Down and Miranda Lambert
On February 6, Universal Orlando Resort will kick off its 15th year of Mardi Gras – the biggest and most authentic Mardi Gras celebration outside of New Orleans. Guests will experience the spirit of Bourbon St. in the heart of Universal Studios, with festivities including live concerts by artists like Flo Rida, Sheryl Crow and Chicago, authentic Cajun cuisine, a spectacular parade and tons of beads.
With a combined total of more than half a billion records sold worldwide, this year’s Mardi Gras lineup features an eclectic mix of 13 of the biggest names in music. From hip-hop to pop, country to rock, and R&B to disco, there will be something for everyone. Along with Flo Rida, Sheryl Crow and Chicago, Mardi Gras guests will enjoy live performances by headliners like “The Queen of Soul” Aretha Franklin, country sensation Dierks Bentley, hip-hop artist Akon, multi-platinum selling rock band 3 Doors Down and the No. 1 selling American band of all time, Beach Boys.
In addition to seeing top-name talent perform on the main stage, guests can also visit Universal’s very own “French Quarter” – a replica of the New Orleans’ famed district – and groove to the authentic bayou sounds of bands directly from New Orleans.
To commemorate this special year, guests will enjoy a heritage-themed Mardi Gras parade featuring new colorful renditions of floats from past year’s events. Universal worked with New Orleans-based Blaine Kern Artists, Inc. to incorporate new elements into some of the most memorable floats in the event’s history. The twelve vibrant floats will cruise the streets of Universal Studios during the festivities, filled with riders tossing beads by the handful to excited park guests.
Guests will also enjoy the aroma and taste of authentic Cajun cuisine – such as jambalaya, gumbo, beignets and king cake – along with hundreds of costumed characters and stilt walkers dancing and mingling in the streets. Party-goers will also enjoy Universal Studios’ most popular attractions, including the all-new Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit – a radically-innovative roller coaster that combines hit music, first-ever maneuvers and highly-sophisticated audio and video for a one-of-a-kind ride experience.
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MARDI GRAS 2010 AT UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT
Event Overview
• Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras celebration is the biggest and most authentic celebration outside of The Big Easy, featuring hundreds of costumed characters, tons of souvenir beads, Cajun cuisine and an elaborate parade featuring floats designed by Blaine Kern Artists, Inc – the same company that designs floats for the New Orleans parade.
• Universal Orlando’s Mardi Gras 2010 Mardi Gras celebration kicks off on February 6 and runs every Saturday night through April 17, with additional dates on Sunday, February 14 and Friday, April 9.
• Mardi Gras is included in admission to Universal Studios.
• More information is available at http://www.universalorlando.com/mardigras.
MARDI GRAS TALENT LINEUP
Saturday, February 6 KC and the Sunshine Band
Saturday, February 13 Heart
Sunday, February 14 Kool & the Gang
Saturday, February 20 Blondie
Saturday, February 27 Dierks Bentley
Saturday, March 6 Akon
Saturday, March 13 Aretha Franklin
Saturday, March 20 Miranda Lambert
Saturday, March 27 3 Doors Down
Saturday, April 3 Beach Boys
Friday, April 9 Sheryl Crow
Saturday, April 10 Flo Rida
Saturday, April 17 Chicago
(Source: Press Release, 01/08/10)
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See You Real Soon!
John
AffordableDisney.Com.
johngross@affordabledisney.com
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