Special Offer on California Coast-Pixar Cruise

Guests can get onboard a “first-of-its-kind” cruise packed with lots of Pixar fun! This California Coast itinerary features behind-the-scenes presentations by Pixar filmmakers and artists, a sneak peek of an upcoming Disney·Pixar feature, commemorative gift and lots more!

Offer Details: Set sail from Los Angeles starting at $599* per person, based on double occupancy, in an Inside Stateroom with Restrictions onboard the Disney Wonder®. Government Taxes and Fees are not included.

Sail Dates: Sept. 16 – Sept. 30, 2012

Additional Details:

• Full payment is required at the time of booking for all Guests and is non-refundable.
• Full legal names of all Guests are required at time of booking and no name changes are allowed.
• Specific stateroom will be assigned at a later time, based on availability.
• Gratuities, Government Taxes, Fees and Port Adventures are not included.
• The number of staterooms allocated for this offer is limited.
• This offer cannot be combined with any other offers or discounts.
• Rates are in U.S. Dollars.
• Offer subject to Disney Cruise Line® Terms and Conditions.

* Taxes and fees are an additional charge per person.

For additional information, contact me or request a quote request form.

Magic Your Way Tickets Explained

• Magic Your Way tickets are available for 1-10 days.  Guests can stick to basic admission or add one or more options at the time of purchase.  Magic Your Way includes single-day passes and all varieties of Park Hopper passes.
• A Magic Your Way Base Ticket is good for entry to a single major park (Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Disney’s Animal Kingdom) for each day of the ticket. Multiday Base Tickets bring substantial discounts, so it pays to buy your admission all at once. Multiday Base Tickets expire 14 days after the first use, but they do not have to be used on consecutive days.  More days- and options- can be added to a Base Ticket within 14 days of use.
• The Park Hopping option lets you visit more than one major park on the same day, for the length of your ticket.  If you intend to visit more than one park a day, the Park Hopping option is indispensable because you cannot simply buy extra days of admission on a Base Ticket and then use more than one admission in a single day.
• The Magic Your Way Water Parks Fun & More option adds a limited number of single-park admissions for the minor parks (Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, Disney Quest, Wide World of Sports, and Disney’s Oak Trail golf course) to any base ticket. Each Water Parks Fun and More options is worth $13 -$49, depending on where you use it.  Purchase this feature with 1-day Base Tickets and you receive two Water Parks Fun and More options, while 2- to 10- day Base Tickets receive the same number of options as there are days on the pass.  Regardless of how many options you receive, the cost to add this feature is always the same.  As long as you make a minimum of two visits to the more costly minor parks, you will get your money’s worth. Combining park- hopping and water park fun and more options adds well over $100 to the price of an adult base ticket.
• The No Expiration option is best suited for those who plan to save the unused portion of a multiday ticket for a future trip.

Aulani: A Romantic Escape

Inspired by the wonders of Hawaii and built with the perfect touch of Disney magic, Aulani is a beautiful beachfront escape that’s designed for families and couples. It is a Resort like no other. Perfectly placed just far enough from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki, but close enough for families to enjoy the world-class entertainment of O’ahu. Rediscover bliss in Aulani escapes created just for adults. Whether you have kids who are enjoying their own Disney enchantment or you are travelling kid-free, adults can unwind with the worry-free island time that Hawaii is famous for.
Imagine:
– Treating yourself to the lush, vast Laniwai Spa- the first spa ever designed by Walt Disney Imagineering- with its unique offerings of blissful, customized treatments and the only outdoor hydrotherapy garden in Hawaii.
– Savoring one of the most romantic ocean vistas anywhere with a dip into idyllic sunset whirlpools.
– Unwinding with a delicious concoction in a beautiful, welcoming lounge.
– Sailing from the beautiful Ko Olina Marina just down the beach.
– Golfing at a championship course only steps away.
– Exploring Hawaii with guided excursions to the most amazing places on the island.
– Richly appointed rooms with fine details and beautiful Hawaiian art- all with a private balcony or porch.

When you vacation at Disney’s Aulani, you get the wonder and romance of a Hawaiian vacation combined with Disney’s legendary service and hospitality. To get started planning your Hawaiian vacation, request a brochure or contact me.

Comparing Moderate Resorts

Disney’s Caribbean Beach resort is a great choice of a moderate resort for families with young children! They have a fantastic pool area for little ones! Not only is the main pool terrific (I love that it is zero entry!) but they also have a pirate ship themed water play area that is perfect for preschoolers and young children! Take a video tour of the water play area and pool here. None of the other resorts have a water play area like this. The resort is beautifully themed with a relaxed, Caribbean look and feel. The rooms are arranged in “villages” around a large lake in the center of the property. The resort is very large but there is an internal bus that will take you to and from different areas of the resort quickly. You can view a video tour of the resort here and a tour of one of the rooms here.

Coronado Springs resort is also a great option for a moderate resort. It is one of Disney’s convention hotels and as a result, the resort amenities and room furnishings are a little bit of an upgrade from the other moderate resorts. It’s a beautifully themed resort with a Mexican flare. Kids rate the pool as one of the best moderate resort pools and the waterslide (which is of CRITICAL importance in their minds!) is the best for a moderate resort. If restaurants at the resort are important to you, the “food court” at Coronado Springs, called Pepper Market, is the best food court on property. It feels more like a sit down restaurant than a food court and the food is consistently very good. All rooms here have either a king size bed or two queen beds. The rooms are nicely decorated as well. Take a video tour of the resort grounds and common areas here . For a video tour of the rooms, click here. Since the resort does have upgraded amenities it is priced ever so slightly higher than the other moderate resorts.

Port Orleans French Quarter resort is one of the quaintest and most intimate resorts on Disney property. With its beautifully landscaped grounds and wrought iron balconies, it definitely holds true to its New Orleans theming! I think the biggest “pro” for this resort is its size. The other moderate resorts are all much larger. They are centered around a lake and rooms at the far end can be quite a hike from the main building or feature pool. This isn’t the case at Port Orleans French Quarter. The resort is small and is designed in such a way that nothing is more than a 5 minute or so walk from your room. The resort has just recently had a complete facelift. The rooms have been updated so all of the furniture and fixtures are new. It now has queen size beds rather than full size beds as well. You can take a video tour of the resort grounds here. You may also want to check out this video tour of the rooms at Port Orleans French Quarter.

Port Orleans Riverside is my favorite of the moderate resorts. It is really beautifully landscaped and just has a very relaxing atmosphere. The grounds are comparable to what you will find at a deluxe resort. The resort has  a nice pool with a waterslide that my kids say is one of the better slides at a moderate resort. The food court is more spacious than most of the other resorts as well. There is an option to accommodate 5 in one room here with 2 full size beds and a trundle bed. Take a video tour of the resort grounds here. You can also take a video tour of the rooms here.

The Cabins at Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground are a really great option for a larger family! We actually love the campground! There is a bunch to do for the kids (and best of all a lot of the activities are free or relatively inexpensive!) plus you just don’t feel crowded at all. The 700-acre resort features campsites and Wilderness Cabins in a relaxed, rustic atmosphere. Some of the activities include horseback riding, canoeing, carriage rides, boating or hiking on nature trails. There’s even an old-fashioned marshmallow roast and campfire sing-along, followed by a classic Disney movie under the stars every night (both FREE!). The cabins can sleep 6 with a separate bedroom that has a double bed and a set of bunk beds plus a living area with a pull down double murphy bed. You have a fully equipped kitchen complete with cooking equipment, plates and utensils. Housekeeping will even load the dishwasher and run it for you! We like being able to fix breakfast to eat while we are getting ready then eat lunch and dinner “out” using the dining plan. It definitely gets the day started better AND it saves some money! You can take a tour of the cabins here. You may also want to check out a video tour of Fort Wilderness and it’s amenities here.

Comparing Value Resorts

Disney’s Pop Century resort has larger-than-life icons of 20th century popular culture and Disney characters are found all over the sprawling resort property — four-story Rubik’s Cubes and Duncan Yo-Yos, 65-foot-tall bowling pins and 55-foot cellular phones, to name a few. The resort is characterized by bright colors and a fun, high energy vibe. All of Disney’s value resorts are set up sort of like a motel, where the doors to your room open on to an outdoor corridor. The rooms do not have a balcony or patio area. Click here for a video tour of the rooms at Pop Century Resort or for a video tour of the resort amenities, click here.

Disney’s Art of Animation resort opened in May of 2012 and features family suites. All suites in the resort are the size of 2 standard hotel rooms and have one queen-size bed in the master bedroom and a living room with one double-size Inova TableBed and one double-size sleeper sofa. These suites also offer 2 bathrooms, a mini-kitchen, reading chair and table and chairs. Amenities include a flat-panel TV, in-room wall safe, voice mail, high speed Internet access (additional fee), microwave, compact refrigerator, coffeemaker, hairdryer, iron and ironing board. Suites are available with Cars, Finding Nemo or a Lion King theme to the rooms.  To learn more about the Art of Animation, click here.

All Star Movies resort is definitely classic Disney! The resort has a high energy feel and features giant icons from favorite Disney movies including “Toy Story,” “101 Dalmatians,” “Fantasia,” “The Mighty Ducks” and “The Love Bug” all throughout the resort. Everywhere you look, there are larger-than-life Disney characters! All of Disney’s value resorts are set up sort of like a motel, where the doors to your room open on to an outdoor corridor. The rooms do not have a balcony or patio area. Click here for a video tour of rooms in the Mighty Ducks section (decor varies slightly in each section) or for a video tour of the resort amenities, click here.

Disney’s All Star Sports resort has a high energy feel and features giant, colorful statues of Disney characters or sports paraphernalia. Everywhere you look, there are larger-than-life Disney characters! All of Disney’s value resorts are set up sort of like a motel, where the doors to your room open on to an outdoor corridor. The rooms do not have a balcony or patio area. You can view a video tour of the resort and the rooms here.

Disney’s All Star Music resort has a high energy feel and features giant, colorful statues of Disney characters or music icons such as 40-foot guitars, maracas, and saxophones. Everywhere you look, there are larger-than-life Disney characters! All of Disney’s value resorts are set up sort of like a motel, where the doors to your room open on to an outdoor corridor. The rooms do not have a balcony or patio area. You can take a video tour of the standard rooms here. Also be sure to check out the video tour of the resort amenities and grounds here.

All Star Music also features family suites that can accommodate up to 6 guests. They are the same size as two standard rooms combined and have one queen-size bed, a living room with a double-size sleeper sofa, and 2 twin-size sleeper chairs, 2 bathrooms, a mini-kitchen, vanity area with sink, and table and chairs. You can take a video tour of the family suites here.

My Favorite Disney World Resort

One of our many little friends at the Polynesian Resort

The Polynesian Resort is my favorite Disney World Resort. It is located directly across from the Magic Kingdom, right on the other side of the Seven Seas Lagoon. The Polynesian’s location can not be beat. You can take the monorail or boat to the Magic Kingdom, walk or take the monorail to the Transportation and Ticket Center so you can utilize the Epcot monorail, and catch buses for the other parks by walking to either the main building (the Great Ceremonial House) or the Transportation and Ticket Center. Another thing that makes this resort special is its beautiful theming and atmosphere. The tropical theme surrounds you both inside and out with bright colors, beautiful gardens, and dazzling waterfalls. You can watch the Magic Kingdom fireworks from the beach, or from the balcony of your room if you are lucky, while the park music is piped over the resort’s speakers. The Polynesian contains 853 guest rooms that are arranged throughout 11 longhouses that are named after islands of Polynesia. The Polynesian has a quite pool, a beach for sunbathing, a kids play fountain and the highly rated zero entry volcano themed pool and water slide. The dining at this resort is among the best on Disney property with many different options to choose from. The two table-service restaurants are Kona Cafe, which offers a filling breakfast and inventive lunch and dinner, and ‘Ohana, which offers food and fun with a Polynesian theme and an excellent view of the Magic Kingdom. ‘Ohana also offers a family-style character breakfast featuring Lilo and Stitch. Captain Cook’s Snack Company is open 24 hours and is a good place for a quick breakfast, light meal, or snack. Snacks and drinks are served at the Tambu lounge and drinks are also served at the poolside Barefoot Bar. There is also a coffee bar outside the Kona Cafe which switches over to a sushi bar later in the day. Last, but not least, is the Spirit of Aloha dinner show – an all you can eat meal and traditional luau show with a bit of added Disney magic.
To sum it up, the Polynesian Resort is a well themed, well maintained, Deluxe Disney Resort that makes you feel like you are on an tropical island instead of in the middle of Florida. The Polynesian is perfect for guests celebrating a special occasion, honeymooners, or those who just want an extra special experience.