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WDW News & Notes
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Guests of select Walt
Disney World Resort hotels will have extra reason to celebrate
with a great vacation offer that features the popular Disney
Dining Plan for free.
Guests buying a
five-night/six-day room and theme park ticket package for
stays most nights from Aug. 16 to Oct. 3, 2009, can enjoy the
Disney Dining Plan for free. The plan includes one
quick-service meal, one snack and one table-service meal at up
to 100 restaurants for each night of the package stay.
With this special
offer, a family of four can get a five-night stay at a select
Disney Resort and a 6-day Magic Your Way base ticket (with
free dining) for as little as:
$1,390 in a standard room at a Disney Value Resort
$1,764 in a standard room at a Disney Moderate Resort
$2,276 in a standard room at Disney's Wilderness Lodge
or Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge
$2,586 in a studio at Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort
or Disney’s Old Key West Resort.*
Guests taking
advantage of this offer will find even more to celebrate
during their visit. Throughout 2009, Disney Parks asks guests
"What Will You Celebrate?" and guests of Walt Disney
World can revel in new attractions, entertainment and services
that allow them to turn their personal milestones into magical
Disney experiences.
The package can be
booked now through June 21, 2009 at disneyworld.com or by
calling 407/W-DISNEY (407/934-7639) or their local travel
agent and asking for package code RYH.
* Prices are based on
two adults, one junior (ages 10 to 17) and one child (ages 3
to 9). The number of rooms allocated for this offer is
limited. Tickets are for one theme park per day and must be
used within 14 days of first use. No group rates or other
discounts apply. Excludes gratuities.
Monday, September 22,
2008
Call ‘em “tweenagers” -- the crowd whose generation
falls somewhere between life’s fast lane and easy-does-it,
between P.Diddy and Presley, between lasers and lava lamps.
Baby Boomers born from 1946 through 1964 represent a
whopping one-third of the U.S. population. They grew up
with Walt Disney World. But they haven’t outgrown
Walt Disney World.
Never mind that the kids have moved out and gray hair is
moving in. Never mind that they can name the original
Mouseketeers but are clueless as to who or what constitutes
Unk or Stone Sour.
As the Boomers have grown up, so has Walt Disney World
Resort. From one Magic Kingdom to a 40-square-mile
vacationland consisting of theme parks, water parks, resort
hotels, Downtown Disney nightlife/shopping district and
other magical attractions and recreational centers.
Now that they’ve paid off the mortgage or maybe the
kids’ college tuition, it’s their time. And
what better way for Boomers to spend it than to revisit and
remember the magic of Walt Disney World Resort?
Sure, kid-friendly attractions are the cornerstone here. But
there’s a grown-up, less frenetic side of the Vacation
Kingdom. Like music in a splendid dance palace. Salmon
steaks at breakfast. Golf lessons. Flower gardens
that look as good as they smell.
“Lots of adults, both younger ones (‘pre-kid’) and
older people whose children have flown the coop
(‘post-kid’), are descending on the parks with needs and
notions that are vastly different from those of the parental
persuasion,” observed Jill Safro, editor of Birnbaum’s
Walt Disney World without kids (Hearst Business
Publishing).
And, OK Boomers: You can ride Space Mountain like you did 20
years ago. Or drop in a free-falling elevator in The
Twilight Zone™
Tower of Terror, just to prove to your kids you’re hip as
ever.
But if your vacation march is to the beat of “brushes on
snares” rather than ear-splitting heavy metal, here are
some Disney best bets with a “grown-up” slant:
Resorts
Disney’s BoardWalk is a whole district of dining,
entertainment and recreation that might have shifted 700
miles south. A broad wooden boardwalk on a waterfront
is the “main drag” of the resort complex. Stroll
the boardwalk or rent a peddle-driven surrey bike built for
two or four. Shoot a “hoop,” win a prize. Taste
the micro-brewed beers of Big River Grille & Brewing
Works. Dance the night away in the elegant Atlantic
Dance ballroom. Accommodations evoke the charm of early
Mid-Atlantic coastal inns.
“A forested wonder” -- that’s the way Birnbaum’s
Walt Disney World: The Official Guide depicts Disney’s
Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground. It is more than
700 acres of cypress and pine forest that have been
carefully laid out as a campground with nearly 1,200 sites. It’s
a home-away-from-home for everyone from tent campers to
folks who prefer one of the Wilderness Cabins complete with
fully equipped kitchens, air conditioning and maid service. There
is a white sand beach and a marina on Bay Lake, a nature
trail and waterways for fishing. Canoeing and pedal
boating complete this idyllic vacation setting. To make
reservations, phone 407/W-DISNEY.
Imagine times and places long ago and sometimes far away. The
fantasy experiences for which the Walt Disney World theme
parks are world-famous extend to the resorts. Across
Seven Seas Lagoon from Magic Kingdom are ports of call that
welcome guests to the South Seas (Disney’s Polynesian
Resort) and 19th century South Florida (Disney’s Grand
Floridian Resort & Spa). Some of the other
adventures: the old New England seaside (Disney’s Beach
Club Resort and Disney’s Yacht Club Resort), the heyday of
the mid-Atlantic shore (Disney’s BoardWalk), America’s
great western parks (Disney’s Wilderness Lodge), the
American Southwest (Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort), the
Old South (Disney’s Port Orleans Resort), exotic Africa
(Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge), and the fads and crazes
of the 20th century (Disney’s Pop Century Resort).
Recreation
If golf’s your game, Walt Disney World Resort has days
worth of challenges that have helped earn the Vacation
Kingdom a distinction as one of the country’s top golf
resorts. Disney’s Osprey Ridge Golf Course was
crafted by Tom Fazio, while veteran designer Joe Lee was
architect of the Magnolia, Palm and Lake Buena Vista
courses. To make reservations, call 407/WDW-GOLF.
Tennis, anyone? Walt Disney World Resort answers
with 30 of the finest courts in Central Florida.
For guests who love the
great outdoors, adventures abound by land or by sea. There
are trails for jogging, biking and horseback riding. And
for fun on the water, guests can skim across Walt Disney
World waterways aboard a personal Sea Raycer watercraft. These
modern-looking mini-powerboats make waves as they cut
through open water. Sailboats, pontoon boats, canopy
boats, pedal boats, rowboats and canoes are also available
rentals at select Walt Disney World marinas. For more
information on these activities call 407/WDW-PLAY.
Even sports fishermen’s dreams come true at Walt
Disney World Resort. Guests on BASS-guided fishing
excursions routinely catch bass weighing 2 to 8 pounds.
And BASS fishing participants at Walt Disney World Resort
receive a one-year BASS membership, including 11 issues of Bassmaster
Magazine, special discounts and more. For
reservations, call 407/WDW-BASS (939-2277).
Relaxing
and Eating
Breakfast can be a civilized great adventure if you
know the menu. Some ways to start the day at Walt
Disney World Resort: thick French toast stuffed with
bananas (Kona Cafe at Disney’s Polynesian Resort) and Egg
Rotollo -- eggs with chorizo, onions, peppers and cheddar
rolled in lavosh (Spoodles at Disney’s BoardWalk).
Need a lunch break? If you’re spending the day
in Magic Kingdom, at lunchtime hop on the monorail for a
quick trip to Grand Floridian Cafe at Disney’s Grand
Floridian Resort & Spa, where you’ll experience a
great meal and a nice change of pace.
Dinner is a regal occasion at Victoria &
Albert’s, an intimate dining room with just 18 tables at
Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa. Elegant
touches include Royal Doulton china, Cristofle silver and
Riedel crystal. Culinary offerings are created daily
with the best available fresh ingredients.
Indulgence knows no boundaries with the pampering
guests receive at the two full-service spas at Walt
Disney World Resort. The Spa at Disney’s Saratoga
Springs Resort combines Disney’s expertise in service with
natural spa therapies from around the world. The Grand
Floridian Spa & Health Club offers 17 treatment rooms
for massage, herbal wraps and aromatherapy.
Snuggled away on the far southeast corner of Walt Disney
World property is Celebration, a new community with
an old-fashioned downtown where an evening stroll can end at
a cinema or a cozy restaurant with tables along the
sidewalk.
Nightlife
Downtown Disney West Side, a hip corner of Downtown
Disney, features some of the world’s most exciting
restaurants, nightclubs and shopping adventures. Highlights
include Cirque du Soleil, Virgin Megastore, House of Blues,
Wolfgang Puck Cafe and Bongos Cuban Cafe.
Watch a dazzling
fireworks show. Choose between “Wishes” at
Magic Kingdom and “IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth”
at Epcot. Or catch “Fantasmic!” at Disney’s
Hollywood Studios or the “SpectroMagic” parade at Magic
Kingdom as they light up the night sky.
Theme
Parks
Take a grand circle tour of Magic Kingdom aboard the
Walt Disney World Railroad, churn along Rivers of America
aboard a Liberty Square riverboat and catch a ride on a
horse-drawn trolley down Main Street, U.S.A.
Be a kid again, revisiting the attractions of
Fantasyland in Magic Kingdom -- it’s a small world; Peter
Pan’s Flight; Cinderella’s Golden Carrousel; Snow
White’s Scary Adventure; Dumbo, the Flying Elephant; The
Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh; and “Mickey’s
PhilharMagic” 3-D spectacular.
Epcot World Showcase features 11 nations of the world
in architecture, dining, art and history exhibits,
entertainment and shopping. A tree-lined promenade
encircling a peaceful lagoon is the byway connecting the
countries: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, The
American Adventure, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom
and Canada.
In the Future World section of Epcot, Boomers can get lofty
on Soarin’ -- a breathtaking, wind-in-your-hair
experience simulating flight over the natural wonders of
California. Riders are softly lifted 40 feet into an
80-foot projection screen dome that fills their field of
vision with the spectacle of the Golden State.
The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival is
an annual six-week-long rite of autumn celebrating the food,
beverages and cultures from more than 25 regions.
The gardens of Epcot are never brighter than during
the months of March through early June, when guests discover
the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. There
are lectures, demonstrations and gardens ablaze with
colorful displays from the entrance plaza to the far reaches
of World Showcase.
The heyday of Hollywood is captured in the
architecture of Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The park
has its own Hollywood and Vine, and also a Sunset Boulevard
that recalls the glitz and glamour of Tinseltown. The
trip down memory lane is completed by The Great Movie Ride,
a ride through famous moments from the big screen, and The
Hollywood Brown Derby, where the famous Cobb salad of the
former Vine Street restaurant is alive and well along with
the interior design of the
one-time hangout of Hollywood stars. Boomers who
grooved to '70s rock will want to take a spin on Rock 'n'
Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith.
Unleash your inner explorer with a day at Disney’s
Animal Kingdom. Up-close encounters with exotic
animals and adventures of the prehistoric kind await guests
at this theme park that sprawls across 500 acres. The
park’s largest attraction, Kilimanjaro Safaris, is an
incredible journey across an “African savannah” where
hundreds of animals roam free.
Timing your visit for the cooler months and away from
the peaks of family vacationing can add to the comfort of
the adventure. Prime time for family vacations is when
the kids are out of school -- during the summer months of
June, July and August, around major holidays and spring
break late February to mid-April.
Wednesday, September 17,
2008
Future
accommodations are rooted in Walt Disney World history
Two highly
anticipated resort developments announced today will expand
the Walt Disney World experience and continue the rapid
growth of Disney Vacation Club, Disney’s innovative
vacation-ownership program:
- the 15-story Bay Lake Tower at
Disney’s Contemporary Resort is scheduled to join
the Disney Vacation Club family of properties in fall 2009,
while
- the Treehouse Villas at Disney’s
Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa, scheduled to open
in summer 2009, will become the next room category offered at
that resort.
Disney Vacation Club also announced that Bay Lake Tower
sales are scheduled to begin on Sept. 21 for Disney Vacation
Club Members, while sales to the general public and sales
for the newest phase of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort
& Spa will begin at a later date.
“Our founder, Walt Disney, was well known for having one
foot in the past and one in the future,” said Disney
Vacation Club President Jim Lewis. “These new resort
developments share that dynamic sensibility, blending modern
luxury and design with the nostalgic spirit of two of the
most storied resorts in Walt Disney World history.”
The announcement comes during an unprecedented era of growth
for Disney Vacation Club, established in 1991 to give
families decades of affordable vacations at Disney
destinations and beyond. Disney Vacation Club membership has
more than doubled since 2004, expanding to include more than
350,000 individuals from approximately 100 countries and
every U.S. state.
That membership growth has also driven Disney Vacation Club
expansion, inspiring Walt Disney Imagineers to dream up new
vacation home opportunities. In addition to Bay Lake Tower
and the Treehouse Villas, development continues on
Disney’s Animal Kingdom Villas at the Walt Disney World
Resort in Florida, The Villas at Disney’s Grand
Californian Hotel & Spa at the Disneyland Resort in
California and the recently announced resort at Ko Olina on
the island of Oahu.
“What excites me most about this tremendous growth is that
we’re not only creating new accommodations, but new
experiences,” Lewis said. “Each of the projects we’ve
undertaken at Disney Vacation Club is unlike anything
previously available in our resort portfolio, and both Bay
Lake Tower and the Treehouse Villas proudly build on that
tradition.”
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort
The new, curvilinear Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s
Contemporary Resort is designed to complement the fabled
styling of the original building, which opened with the
Magic Kingdom Park on Oct. 1, 1971, and featured comedian
Bob Hope as master of ceremonies. Mimicking the color
palette and strong horizontal lines of its iconic
predecessor, the new structure even sports a rooftop lounge
inspired by the original resort’s A-frame architecture.
The tower’s crescent shape, hugging lush landscaping,
planned recreation options and a lakeside pool, promises to
deliver some of the most dramatic views available anywhere
at the Walt Disney World Resort. Some villas face scenic,
undeveloped stretches of Bay Lake, while others offer
spectacular views of the Magic Kingdom Park, located a short
walk away.
The views promise to be equally appealing inside the
tower’s 295 two-bedroom-equivalent villas, where visionary
design meets Disney chic to define the vacation experience.
As the closest resort to the Magic Kingdom Park, Bay Lake
Tower guests can easily return to their rooms for quick
breaks from their busy day in the Park, where they can relax
in an inspiring setting offering many of the conveniences of
home.
Most of the rooms in this iconic resort will feature
innovative touches, such as modern artwork designed
specifically for Bay Lake Tower, flat-screen TVs, full
kitchens complete with granite countertops and modern
appliances, separate bedrooms, washers and dryers, and other
home-like amenities. Plus, to accommodate larger families or
families traveling together, many Bay Lake Tower vacation
villas are designed to sleep up to nine, though some units
can also be divided into one-bedroom villas that sleep five
and studios that accommodate four, creating flexible options
for smaller groups.
“These vacation homes will be furnished with some amazing
custom pieces that are works of art unto themselves,” said
Imagineer Brian McFarland. “It’s all about maintaining
that feel of clean lines and open spaces, with plenty of
Disney touches.”
Add to the plans a spacious lobby filled with woven woods
and glass-wrapped columns, sweeping views from a rooftop
lounge and fireworks viewing deck, and the convenience of a
sky bridge linking families to shops, restaurants and the
monorail station, and you have a Disney Vacation Club
destination that is both practical and fashionable.
Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort
& Spa
Meanwhile, nestled in natural forest glens just around the
river bend from the bustling Downtown Disney area, the
Treehouse Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort &
Spa will mark the newest phase of what has become the
largest Disney Vacation Club resort. Phase one of the
idyllic lakeside community debuted in 2004, and phase three
sold out earlier this year.
This new phase will revive Walt Disney World “treehouse
living,” a cherished tradition from 1975-2002. While crews
are replacing villas of the ‘70s with brand-new vacation
homes, Imagineers took special care to honor the original
octagonal design.
The construction process itself is unique as each
stand-alone Treehouse Villa will come together like a giant
3-D puzzle to ensure both superior quality and environmental
sensitivity.
All 60 three-bedroom homes, elevated 10 feet off the ground
on pedestals and beams designed to blend into the forest
environment, will sleep nine and are planned to offer modern
luxuries such as cathedral ceilings, granite countertops and
flat-screen TVs, all presented in a style dubbed “cabin
casual.”
“I was lucky enough to have a treehouse as a kid, but it
was certainly nothing like this,” said Imagineer Todd
Thomasson. “In developing this resort, we’ve all learned
a new word, ‘glamping,’ which apparently means glamorous
camping. The Treehouse Villas will be glamping at its
absolute best.”
Disney Vacation Club is owned by Disney Vacation Development
Inc., part of the magic of The Walt Disney Company. To learn
more, visit www.disneyvacationclub.com.
Blow
Tinker Bell a kiss goodnight from your fully furnished
vacation villa at
Disney Vacation Club’s newest resort, Bay Lake Tower
at
Disney’s Contemporary Resort, scheduled to open fall 2009.
Guests
at Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort will
have
access to all of the amenities at the original resort,
including its restaurants, shops and monorail station.
Guests at Bay Lake Tower at
Disney’s Contemporary Resort will have
access to their very own Bay Cove pool, which is planned to
include
a zero-entry pool with water slide, separate whirlpool spa and
interactive children’s water feature.
Guests staying in one-,
two- and three-bedroom vacation villas at
Bay Lake Tower at Disney’s Contemporary Resort will enjoy
the
separate bedroom, complete with a whirlpool tub.
Elevated 10 feet off the
ground, all 60 stand-alone Treehouse
Villas at Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa are set
among the treetops
to offer families an intimate retreat that sleeps nine.
Constructed like a giant
3-D puzzle, the Treehouse Villas
are designed to be environmentally sensitive and actually
lessen the original villas’ footprint.
The Treehouse Villas at
Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort & Spa
will give Guests the opportunity to experience “glamping”
or “glamorous camping”
with stand-alone vacation villas that feature a full kitchen,
flat screen TVs and even a whirlpool tub.
With the Treehouse Villas,
phase four of Disney’s Saratoga Springs Resort &
Spa,
the tree house you dreamed of as a child will soon be your
ideal vacation villa for the whole family.
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