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!