So much to do. So little time…. Have you booked yet?

While Walt Disney World is always an exciting and energetic place, lately this place is Rockin! There is an exciting buzz in the air with so many special events and new openings!

Starting September 11th Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party is kicking off and will run thru November 2nd! Check out our previous blog about this amazing party! Sure to knock your socks … or head off!

Epcot’s 17th Annual International Food and Wine Festival kicks off September 28th and will run thru November 12th! You can’t miss this amazing event! Starting at the Festival Center you can pick up a passport and plan your day! Dine around the world with samples of all that Epcot has to offer. You can also attend cooking demonstrations, experience wine tastings and enjoy the outdoor Eat to the Beat concert series. To help start the Food and Wine Festival, on November 9th and 10th, The Wine and Dine Half Marathon will take place! You get to run thru the park and then enjoy an after party that includes samplings of all the booths have to offer! Check out Run Disney for all the information!

The Old Spice Classic is set to take place at ESPN Wide World Of Sports November 22,23 & 25th~ Twelve games, Eight teams, One Winner! Be sure to head out and check this out!

Magic Kingdom is creating quite a buzz with the largest expansion in the history of the park! Fantasyland is opening in sections with Storybook Circus already open and The Enchanted Forest not far behind! They are picking select people to experience some of the attractions before they open! Book today to see this Amazing expansion that is changing the entire feel of the park! No one makes Magic Like Disney!! Watch the video below for a sneak peek of “Enchanted Tales With Belle”.

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Whatever you choose to do Disney is sure to have something for everyone! Contact us today to book your next Magical Vacation!

 

Top Five Reasons To Visit Disney in The Fall…..

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Walt Disney World is magical and wonderful anytime of the year but we all know the summer in florida is HOT HOT HOT! Taking advantage of Disney in the fall has many advantages. Here are the top five…..

Number Five…. Cooler Weather – Even though the days can still run in the 80s it is better than the upper 90s you experience in June, July and August. Depending on the month you might even need a jacket at night for those late night fireworks! Cool breezes and less afternoon rain are also advantages. You should keep in mind that it is hurricane season and while Disney is not usually effected sometimes the airport is!

Number Four…. Less Crowds… With children heading back to school the crowds in the fall are far less than the summer crowds. This means fewer lines and less waiting, also easier to make those dining reservations! It is a perfect time as well for locals to take toddlers to the parks without having to worry about too many “big kids”!

Number Three… Great Deals… With fall being a less popular time at Disney you can usually get pretty good deals! Free dining is still going on if you book by September 29th! Feel Free to Call our Magical Vacation Planner Matthew at 612-564-EARS! We can help you plan the best vacation at the best prices with tons of extras!!

Number Two…. Special Events! From Food and Wine Festival at Epcot to Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party there are TONS of special events that take place in the fall! It’s fun to be able to experience some special things Disney only offers this time of year!

Number One… Decorations! I know your all laughing but no one does decorations like Disney! You will be immersed in a Fall Wonderland forgetting you are in the middle of central Florida. Disney decorates for Halloween and Fall like no others! You can find pumpkins and leaves at every turn and even some special spooks, All friendly of course!!

Not So Scary Halloween Party


Warm clothes, candy apples, falling leaves and football. Nothing says fall like all these things, except to Floridians, in which case candy apples, Mickey shaped pumpkins and Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party have to remind us of fall! There are few events as wonderful this time of year as the Halloween party!

Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween party is a special ticketed event that is held at Magic Kingdom on select nights. The tickets range from $50-69 depending on age and date. Yes, I know your thinking “Really? More money?…” This event is totally worth it! There are only a certain number of tickets sold per event night which limits the number of people who can attend. What does this mean for you? Short to no lines for all your favorite attractions, TONS of Trick or treating around the Magic Kingdom, Multitude of character interactions, and lots of great photo ops of your favorite characters in their costumes!

The highlight of the Not So Scary Halloween party is the Hallowishes fireworks and the Mickey’s Boo to You Halloween parade featuring a special appearance by a headless parade escort! The fireworks and parade can only be seen on party nights! Be sure to dress up in costumes and head to this amazing event, You wont be disappointed!

Art of Animation – Lion King suites

The third phase of the Art of Animation resort is now open! Disney’s newest value resort has welcomed the Lion King!

Finding Nemo, The Lion King and the Cars buildings feature family suites that have a bedroom with a queen-sized bed. The living room area has a kitchenette, table that converts to an Innova-bed, and a sleeper sofa. The family suites are 565 square feet.

The themes are carried out in pure Disney magic! The Lion king area is no different with everything from themed carpet to a boneyard play area!

Be sure to check out this video for an inside look into the resort and the Lion King area!

The final area to open will be the Little Mermaid! Contact us today to book your next trip to this amazing resort!

Sharky, Bones and Jake oh my!

Sharky, Bones and Jake have taken over the waterfront stage at Downtown Disney! Anyone who knows a child between the ages two and ten should know these household names! Jake and the Neverland pirates is an extremely popular show on Disney Junior. The pirates sing silly songs about swabbing decks and coconuts and even hot hot lava! They had every kid and even some parents arrrghing for more!!!

If you happen to be in the area be sure to check out this great free event! Jake and his gang are in town thru the 12th with shows at 2pm, 3pm and 5pm!

Also mark your calendars for International Talk Like A Pirate Day (September 19), Disney Junior will debut the primetime special “Jake and the Never Land Pirates: Jake Saves Bucky,” at 7 p.m. ET on Disney Channel.

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Disney With Toddlers

So you’ve decided it’s time to take your little one to Disney! With our helpful hints, we will do all we can make your trip as peaceful and worry free as possible but it is important to prepare before you leave home!

There is always the stroller debate! To rent, to bring, what to do?

I always recommend bringing your own. Your child is comfortable and familiar with it and it is far easier than a rental. If you have a long ride, no room or don’t want to lug the cargo there are options! You can rent strollers, singles or doubles, at any of the parks as well as Downtown Disney. You will get a name tag that you can keep and use to identify your stroller. If you park hop just keep your receipt and pick up your stroller at each park! If you decide that you would rather rent a stroller for your length of stay there are a few stroller company’s you can rent from that will deliver the stroller to your hotel. These are also strollers that you can take with you out of the parks.

Packing: What to bring! The age old travel question….

I find it easiest to pack by outfit – the whole outfit from shorts to socks and jackets if need be. I even like to pack my outfits in ziplock bags and label them so all I have to do it grab that days bag to get the kids dressed. No searching for a random sock or missing hair bow! Florida is hot most of the year but I would suggest a jacket starting in late September thru early May. In the winter it can get cold, it can be hard to believe but you might want to bring some pants and long shirts! Be sure to check the weather! Don’t forget sunscreen the Florida sun is hot!

Plan a park schedule ahead of time!

Matthew is amazing at this and is happy to help – you can contact him thru the site! He sends all the information you will need including height requirements, ride descriptions from the DRCP, a complete packing list that includes trip, park and water park packing lists and a photo itinerary that the kids can follow. With Between The Ears Travel you will always have a plan!

A nice thing to know about the parks is that there are baby care centers for your convenience. These are great air conditioned retreats for you and your little one! They have changing tables, rockers and anything you might need from diapers to Tylenol to food! A tip for parents potty training the baby care center has “toddler sized” potties that all kids find fun!

Be sure to take breaks! Toddlers and parents can get tired! Vacations should feel like vacation! Don’t rush thru the parks just to get everything done! Take advantage of all the wonderful pools the Disney resorts have to offer or
quiet nap time in the room! It is much easier to enjoy yourself if you avoid the heat and crowds using our touring plans!

Make memories, take tons of pictures and enjoy Disney thru your little ones eyes! There is nothing more magical!

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Matthew’s Podcast with @thebestmagic

We are so excited that Matthew got to sit down and talk to Sal Tracana with Team Disney Podcast (@thebestmagic) Be sure to check out the podcast! Matthew and Sal talk about everything from where to eat, times to eat, resorts and all kinds of inside information! Be sure to contact Matthew so he can plan a magical vacation, even if you have a vacation planned he can add extra magic and a touch of pixie dust!

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My Disney Experience

Today on Itunes the My Disney Experience app was released! This is a must have for anyone planning a trip to Walt Disney World! Using your Iphone you can have instant access to maps, wait times, Fastpass return times, and even the ability to book dining reservations!

The new interactive maps can provide details only Disney has access to! The map use is super easy! Your Iphone will locate you and tell you where the closet bathroom, ATM, show or even ride with no wait is! All you have to do is click two buttons for an instant schedule of characters and shows! Need to know what time the fireworks are at Epcot or if there are extra magic hours at Magic Kingdom just a click away! By just signing in using your Disney.com login – or getting a free one you can see the location of your favorite ride and any access information you might need!

Hungry? Ok just click dining at the bottom of the app to search for a restaurant by name or location even by experience! You then can get details about price,available seating times , location, hours and even the type of experience to expect! Dont know where to have lunch click the by location button and up pops available restaurants close to you! This app is amazing!

The app is free the login is free and you can’t lose by getting this amazing app! It will save you hours and help with those last-minute decisions on where to eat or if there is time for one more ride before using that fastpass! Enjoy!

8/8/2012: Please note that this app is in the Beta testing phase and will be adding new   items and repairing glitches as they go.

New and Improved Double Dumbo

When I first heard that Disney was going to expand Fantasyland my first thought was please don’t touch Dumbo and low and behold what was one of the first announcements, Dumbo improvements! So after hearing about the improvements and seeing the concept art I have to admit I was a little nervous. Dumbo holds so many memories for me as a child it was a favorite and one of the only rides I remember.

The new version of Dumbo has now doubled in size. You can ride one of two Dumbo carousels’ that spin in opposite directions! Debuting with an all-new look Dumbo is decorated in shades of gold and vibrant blue and red. The highlight of the new decor for me is the water fountains that cover the bottom of the ride and glow at night into rainbows of truly breathtaking color.

Some people will probably argue that while the new double Dumbo’s are beautiful and the water is neat, the highlight of the ride is the new queue. Upon entering the Big Top you are given a pager, like one you might get when waiting for a table at a restaurant, so while you are waiting there are tons of benches for tired parents, ropes and cars and all things climbable for the little ones and best of all AIR CONDITIONING! While I could have stayed in the tent for hours our pager went off rather fast and we were put right inline to board our elephant! If only they could do this for all the rides! The ride is also a Fastpass attraction now.

After seeing all the improvements and detail that has gone into Dumbo I am even more excited to see the rest of Fantasyland!

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Disney Water Parks

With forecast of upper 90′s and rising I thought it was only appropriate to talk about Disney water parks! There is no better way to spend a day cooling off after rushing around the parks all week!

You have two options while at Walt Disney World! Typhoon lagoon located directly across from Downtown Disney and Blizzard Beach which is located next to Winterland/Summerland putt putt course. Either water park has tons of fun options, Disney does theming better than anyone and the waterpark theming is some of the best!

Typhoon lagoon has a legend that the park was created by an epic storm. Surfboards were hurled into palm trees and boats were tossed around like toys.

The typhoon made the storm-soaked Mount Mayday an ideal source for exhilarating waterslides. Surrounding the mountain, a 56-acre topsy-turvy tropical paradise was formed—full of waterways, rivers, rapids and slides.

The park’s famous icon is an ill-fated shrimp boat named Miss Tilly. She found herself swept up by the twisting tides of the fierce typhoon and came to rest on the peak of Mount Mayday.

Every half hour, the boat’s whistle blows and the volcano attempts to dislodge the ship, resulting in an enormous geyser of water.

Typhoon lagoon is home to the first water coaster. The crush and gusher! You can also snorkel at Sharks reef or relax in the Castaway creek lazy river! You can also spend the day surfing the waves of the lagoon! For the little ones there is a cute kids section with pint size slides!

Food options consist of burgers,sandwiches and pizza. You can satisfy your sweet tooth with world famous homemade doughnuts or an ice-cream bucket, for ten dollars you can have a sand bucket filled with soft serve ice-cream and covered in toppings!

Blizzard beach tells the story of a freak snow storm that blanketed Florida in white, a ski resort sprang up with slalom courses, toboggan slides and iceberg walkways. When the weather shifted back to hot, the whole resort started to melt.

An enterprising alligator saw an opportunity. Clad in a scarf and hat, the gator slid down the ski jump, shouting “Yahoooo!” all the way. With a big splash he landed in a pool of melted snow below the mountain, and the slushy, slippery slopes became an exhilarating water park like no other in the world.

Blizzard beach offers slides for ages! This is also home to the famous Summit Plummet, one of the tallest and fastest water slides in the country! They have racing slides, a family raft ride that can be accessed by ski lift and tons of thrills for the younger ones!

Food options at blizzard beach are much the same as typhoon lagoon, both parks do offer a refillable mug that can be purchased and used all day, much like a resort mug at the hotels!

Wether you pick Typhoon lagoon or Blizzard beach you are sure to have a splashing good time and enjoy another side to Disney parks!