Walt Disney World Virtual Rides - Soarin' (YouTube)

Here is another Virtual Disney Ride - the complete Soarin' ride, including the line, pre "flight" check, and everything. Enjoy!



Walt Disney World Virtual Rides - Soarin' (YouTube)

Walt Disney World Virtual Rides - Expedition Everest (YouTube)

I have been scoping out you tube for good videos on different Walt Disney Rides. So, here is the first: Expedition Everest. If you can't be there, at least you can imagine, right?



Walt Disney World Virtual Rides - Expedition Everest (YouTube)

Disney Urban Legends

I just found a site called snopes.com which collects rumors and urban legends, and they have an entire section on Disney. There is a link for the Disney theme parks, and for the company itself. In each of these categories they have a list of rumors/legends which are rated as true or false. Some of them are very interesting.

CLICK HERE to see for yourself.

Disney Freebies: PartyCity.com & Disney Movie Rewards

Here are a couple of Disney freebies I've found around the web:

There is some talk around the internet that if you register at www.partycity.com you get a free one-year subscription to Disney's magazine Family Fun. When I registered I didn't see any information on that, but it may still be true. Or, it may have just been a temporary advertisement. CLICK HERE to register.

One of the best ways to get free Disney stuff is to sign up for the Disney Movie Rewards program. When you watch Disney movies in the theater or when you buy Disney DVDs, you enter in codes and get points. Accumulate points and eventually you can trade those in for free Disney things. CLICK HERE for more info.

Stay tuned for more soon.

Disney Freebies

Disney Live Shows - Musicals

For those of you looking to see the Disney shows live, the best site to go to for scheduling and info is HERE.

If you are looking for information on where Disney musicals are around the world CLICK HERE.

For sneak peaks of each show, CLICK HERE.

For Little Mermaid tickets and schedule (in New York) CLICK HERE.

For Mary Poppins tickets and schedule (NY) CLICK HERE.

For Lion King tickets and schedule (NY) CLICK HERE.

Remember, a great way to get discounted Disney musical tickets, and sometimes even free is to use American Express reward points. Click on image below for more information:

Walt Disney World - Special Programs for Children

There are several special activities that, for a little extra money, can be a lot of fun for kids. I will sort them by location:

The Magic Kingdom:

• Magic Kingdom Family Magic Tour - two hour guided tour for the whole family. You go around the park learning interesting information about the park, and at the end meet several characters. Sometimes there is a plot, and it usually involves a lot of silly behavior around the park like skipping, running, hopping, etc. Tours start at 10 am, and cost $27/person.
  
• Disney's The Magic Behind Our Steam Trains - three hour tour for kids age 10 and older, participating in the the steam locomotive train preparations. Takes place Mon., Thurs., and Sat., at 7:30am, and is $40/person. (call 407-WDW-TOUR to reserve a spot)
• Disney's Pirate and Princess Party - this is a special-ticket party which is very popular. There are fireworks and parades, searches for candy and beads, dress-up, and much more. It runs from mid-January to mid-March, and mid-August to early September. Cost is $42/adult and $35 for ages 3 to 9. CLICK HERE for more information.

Grand Floridian Resort

• Grand Adventure in Cooking - kids cook with treats and decorate a chef's outfit. Takes place Tues. - Fri., 10-11:45am. Ages 4 to 10 admitted, and cost is $30/child. (Call 407-WDW-DINE to reserve up to 120 days in advance)
• Wonderland Tea Party - kids arrange flowers, have lunch and tea, make and eat cupcakes, visit with Alice, and more. Mon. - Fri. afternoons, ages 4 to 10, $29/child (407-WDW-DINE)
• My Disney Girl's Perfectly Princess Tea Party - dress up and tea party with Disney princesses, and lots of princess goodies and trinkets including a scrap book, tiara, and much more. Sun., Mon., Wed. - Fri., 10:30-noon, $225 for one adult & child (3 to 11), additional aduls $75 & additional children $150/ea. Lunch is provided.
  
• Let the Kids Play Pirate - children dress up as pirates and cruise around on the bay and Seven Seas Lagoon. They follow a treasure map and gather clues, and at the end find their treasure of goodies. Takes two houws, and runs Mon., Wed., Thurs., and Sat., 9:30-11:30am, $30/child. (407-WDW-DINE)

Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista

• Junior Fishing Excursions - children (6 to 12) fish for one hour. Snacks and fishing equipment provided, with no parents allowed. Daily from 9am to 5pm, $30/child. (407-WDW-PLAY for reservations)

Walt Disney World - Special Programs for Children

Walt Disney World: Extra Magic Hours

Walt Disney World has a fun new feature that allows you to explore the park after it closes (usually 3 hours!) and before it opens (usually 1 hour). In order to enjoy this however, you must keep a few things in mind:

• Check the calendar to know which parks are doing Extra Magic Hours on which day (CLICK HERE), and make sure that if you have a one-park ticket it is for that one
• If you have a park-hopper pass, then you can go to whichever park is doing the Extra Magic Hours
• Check which attractions are open (CLICK HERE or above) to be sure that the rides you want to ride on will be open
• If you want to do the water parks' Extra Magic Hours, be sure that you have that option on your park-hopper

There is some discussion as to which parks are the best before or after closing, and though it is usually less crowded than normal, there can still be a mad rush to get to the line at the beginning of magic hours, so get there early.

Happy Extra Magic Hours!

Walt Disney World & Disneyland Birthdays

For those of you planning a birthday at Disneyland or Walt Disney World, there are several "perks" you can arrange for free (find more at www.WDWinfo.com):

• Tell your resort that you have someone with a birthday with you and they will often decorate your room with balloons, autographed character pictures, etc. (don't expect this to happen every time, but sometimes it will)
• Got to City Hall in Magic Kingdom or Disneyland, or any of the Guest Services stations in the other parks and tell them who has the birthday. They will give you a birthday button, and the birthday boy/girl will get special character attention all day, particularly when getting autographs signed
  
• Be sure to tell the server when you eat and you will get a birthday cupcake and song
• At any Disney Resort you can tell the front desk you have a birthday child, and they can receive a birthday phone call from a Disney character

There are some very fun party options if you have a budget for it (CLICK HERE for more info). Have a Happy Disney Birthday!

Walt Disney World & Disneyland Birthdays

Walt Disney World - Dining for Two By Park

I thought I would make just a few suggestions if you are dining without kids. Here are some great full-service restaurants to eat at, and remember you can still dine after the parks close on early-closing nights.

Epcot:

There are so many wonderful places to eat here, as dining is an important part of Epcot. One favorite past-time is to simply circle World Showcase and try different authentic foods. With any of these, be sure to have a reservation (CLICK HERE for another entry with reservation tips, and CLICK HERE for other dining tips). Here are some favorites:

Biergarten (German)

Here you can get a lot of authentic German food for less than many of the other restaurants in WDW. It is build to look like a German town square with a very Oktoberfest feel. If you want authentic, try the bratwurst. This may not be dining for two, as if you are not in a group you will be seated with other guests, but the food and atmosphere are so good I had to include it.

Le Cellier Steakhouse (Canada)

Built to look like a wine cellar, the atmosphere is fun, and you have to try the Canadian Cheddar cheese soup and, of course, the steak.

Akershus Royal Banquet Hall (Norway)

Built like a 14th century fortress, there is a lot of character entertainment. The atmosphere is great, and it is a buffet.

Teppan Edo (Japan)

Beautiful Japanese decor and a lot of great Japanese food. The chefs are a whole lot of fun to watch. Like the Biergarten you will be seated with other guests, but that can be part of the fun.

Bistro de Paris (France)

This is much better than Les Chefs de France. The food is more expensive, but the food, view, and atmosphere are all worth it.


The Magic Kingdom: Liberty Tree Cavern in Liberty Square

This may not be as good as some of the great restaurants in Epcot, but it is certainly the best The Magic Kindgom has to offer. The service is excellent and the food is good. The setting is colonial, with American-style food, the best of which is New England-syle.

Disney Hollywood Studios: Hollywood Brown Derby

This was built to look like the original Brown Derby in California, so it feels just like the Golden Age of Hollywood. The dress is formal, and the food is expensive, but this is definitely one of the best places to eat in all of Walt Disney World.

There are also some great counter-service places to eat, but for full-service those are the favorites.

Walt Disney World - Dining for Two By Park

Disney Channel Coloring Pages

I have collected a few links of coloring pages with Disney Channel themes. Here they are:

Playhouse Disney - This may be the most useful link. There are a ton of coloring pages here organized by show.

Hannah Montana Coloring (CraftKitsforKids.com) - Maybe not the highest quality, but workable.

High School Musical Coloring (CraftKitsforKids.com) - Again, not the highest quality.

And those are the main ones, I'll keep my eyes open for more.

Happy coloring!!

Upcoming Disney Vault Releases & More

In my search for the best Disney sites, I came across another one this week for all of you Disney movie enthusiasts. This site, UltimateDisney.com, is dedicated to ALL of Disney's movie releases, both in theaters and especially on DVD. Here you will find calendars, press releases, reviews, forums, links to buy, and much more.

Perhaps the most useful link on the site is their upcoming release calendar (CLICK HERE). Here you will find when your current Disney favorites will be released, and also you will see info on upcoming Disney Vault releases.

And remember, if you're really interested in building you Disney movie collection quickly for the least amount of money, check out the Disney Movie Club (link below).