New Disney Art of Animation Resort to Open 2012

Walt Disney World is about to begin building its first new hotel in seven years, a 2,000-room resort that will open in 2012.

Disney's Art of Animation Resort will feature 1,120 family suites with room for as many as six people each; the remainder of the rooms will be standard single rooms. The resort will be a ‘value’ resort similar to Pop Century and All Stars. The rates begin at $82 per night for those resorts.

The resort will be built on 65-acres across a lake from Disney's Pop Century Resort. The location will allow Disney to use a pair of long-neglected, unfinished buildings that Disney originally constructed as a second phase of Pop Century but which it abandoned amid the 2001 recession.

Each area of Art of Animation will feature different animated movie: The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Finding Nemo and Cars.

The majority of its rooms will be six-person suites, the resort will have the same capacity as Pop Century, which has 2,800 standard rooms. The thought is that Disney would like to compete with Nickelodeon’s family suite resort located just off Disney’s property.

Call us today to start planning your Disney Vacation!

Email: JEGTravels@gmail.com

352.556.4437



Disney Dream Cruise Will Keep the Kids Busy

In the early morning hours of January 4, 2011, the Disney Dream sailed in to its home, Port Canaveral, with Disney’s usual fanfare, fireworks streaming up from all parts of the 130,000 ton vessel; over 3,000 fans gathered to welcome the ship and of course Mickey, Minnie and Donald.

Disney’s newest addition to its fleet of top notch cruise ships is larger than its siblings and the Disney style is obvious from the classic cruise ship looks.  With its navy, red and gold paint, it looks like a luxury liner from the early days of cruising. The ship’s horn plays When You Wish Upon a Star. The ship, which can hold up to 4,000 passengers will sail three, four and five night cruises to the Bahamas and Disney’s private island Castaway Cay.

The Dream offers wonderful restaurants, bars, spa and pools but let’s face it, we all know if the kids are happy then the parents are happy, this cruise will make every kid happy!

It’s a Small World nursery, for infants of three months to toddlers of three years, offers one way port holes so the parents can check on the children without interrupting their nap or playtime.

The Oceaneers Club for ages 3-10 has been revamped. The areas include Andy’s room from Toy Story, where the kids become toy sized and play in an oversized world. Young cruisers can also see Mike from Monsters Inc; look for Nemo onboard a submarine inspired play area or visit Tinkerbell in Pixie Hollow. They can also interact with Crush from Finding Nemo or Stitch from Lilo and Stitch on a huge 103 inch interactive plasma screen.

There's also a club for tweens (ages 11 to 13) called Edge it features video karaoke and other high-tech amusements.

Vibe, a club for teens, 14-17, will feature an outdoor deck for sunning, with water features (like misters and splash pools) and a giant chess board; video games; comfy chairs, each with its own iPod docking station; and a dance floor.  Inside is a cool place to hang out, it’s a cross between a hip night club and a coffee house.  To ensure that Vibe is teens only, entry is by private key card.

Teens 13-17 can be pampered in Chill, the teen’s only area of the Senses Spa.




Aqua Coaster located between the stacks

  Something never before seen on any cruise ship is the AquaDuck watercoaster. The combination roller coaster-water slide is a see-through acrylic tube that winds around the top deck, up and down, at one point cantilevering off the port side 150 feet above the ocean!

D Lounge is where families can enjoy the nightlife together with games and entertainment designed to involve the whole family.

The District offers several venues for adults to relax and enjoy the evening. Try Skyline, Pink, Meridian Evolution or the District Lounge for some fun.

Would you like to sail on a Disney cruise? Feel free to call or email me!
JEGTravels@gmail.com

352 556 4437

What's New with Royal Caribbean

What’s New with Royal Caribbean

The big news for Royal Caribbean (RCCL) this past year was the arrival in December of Allure of the Seas, sister ship to Oasis of the Seas.  These twins are the world’s largest cruise ships, weighing in at 220,000 tons each.

These cities at sea can accommodate 5400 people in 2700 staterooms, with many new innovations onboard, including a 3D theatre, seven neighborhoods including Central Park and the Boardwalk, there is never a dull moment…unless you want one!

RCCL is keeping the other ships in the fleet up to date too.  Freedom and Liberty of the Seas will be offering exciting new features such as DreamWorks Experience. They will find fun-filled activities, shows, adventures, and more with DreamWorks’ favorite characters from movies such as Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda.  Poolside movie screens and Imagine Ocean! Puppet show.  In addition to new dining, shopping and enhanced technology. Cruisers onboard Liberty of the Seas will see the Broadway hit Saturday Night Fever: The Musical.

The smaller ships have not been overlooked. Radiance and Splendor of the Seas will offer additional dining experiences such as Samba Grill Brazilian Steakhouse, Park Café and other exciting new dining options. As well as advanced technology in the staterooms and throughout the ships.

Royal Caribbean  really does deliver the WOW!

Getting the Most Enjoyment From Your Disney Vacation

Here are a few tips to get the most enjoyment during your Walt Disney World vacation.

Try to visit each park on its least busy days. Listed below are some general guidelines for attendance at each park.

Busiest Days at each park

Magic Kingdom is usually busiest Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Epcot is busiest Wednesday and Friday.

Disney Hollywood Studios is busier Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Animal Kingdom is busy Monday, Tuesday and Friday.

Tickets

Magic Your Way Tickets lets guests decide how many days they want to spend in the parks and what options work for them, such as no expiration date, water parks or Park Hopper (visit more than one park per day).

The cost per day decreases for longer stays. A seven day ticket will save you approximately 50% compared to a single day base ticket. A 10 day ticket can cost you 1/3 of a single day base ticket.

The Water Park Fun & More option can offer significant savings for recreation and entertainment outside the theme parks. It provides admissions to Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park, Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon Water Park, DisneyQuest, Disney’s Oak Trail golf course and Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex.

The Park Hopper option allows a guest to take advantage of visiting more than one park in a day. Perfect if you want to see the parade at one park and the fireworks at another. Great for enjoying your favorite rides on the same day.

Kids under age 3 are provided free admission to all Walt Disney World theme parks.

Time

Disney knows that time is a valuable commodity while on vacation. They do their best to help you use your time wisely.      

Tip Boards are the most underutilized feature at Disney Parks. They are located at strategic crossroads in each theme park provide guests with the attractions approximate wait times.

Disney’s FASTPASS system allows guests to avoid waiting at designated popular attractions in all four Walt Disney World theme parks. Here’s how it works:
At the entrance to attractions offering FASTPASS, two times are posted – (1) approximate wait time using the normal queue and (2) return time for FASTPASS tickets currently being issued.
If the wait in the normal queue is long, guests can choose to obtain a FASTPASS ticket (at no charge) with an assigned return time (an hour-long window) and then use the time until then to enjoy other experiences in the park.
Upon returning to use their FASTPASS, the guest can hop on the attraction with little or no waiting.

A Rider Swap program lets both parents enjoy a ride – one parent waits with a child who is unable to ride an attraction while one parent rides. Afterwards, the other parent can board the ride with minimal wait time.Extra Magic Hours offer private hours for exclusively for guests staying at Walt Disney World hotels. How it works-The extra time is one hour prior to scheduled park opening or up to three hours after park closing.
The park changes from day to day.

Disney water parks sometimes open one hour early for guests of select Disney resort hotels.

To take advantage of the additional time in the parks, guests must have a Magic Your Way ticket valid for the park(s) offering Extra Magic Hours – and, of course, their hotel ID.
The Park Hopper option on Magic Your Way tickets allows guests to take advantage of Extra Magic Hours in a park or parks different from where the guest spends the rest of the day.

Dining Make your reservation in advance. The restaurants located in Disney World begin taking reservation or priority seating, as Disney calls it, up to 180 days out. Most reserve quickly! This is especially true for any character dining experiences. The more popular ones fill up the day the reservations open.

Best time to visit  The best time to visit can be either during slower, not peak, times or during holidays. Off peak times have the advantage of fewer guests in the park but the park operating hours are scaled back. Peak times may have many more visitors but they often have extended park operating hours, so there is more time to see everything.  Either way if you make a game plan you can see and do most almost everything.

Keep in mind; you will never see it all in one trip! Make sure to take your time and enjoy the experience. Leave some rides or events for your next trip to Walt Disney World.

What To Pack For a Caribbean Cruise

Packing for a sunny Caribbean cruise can be daunting, especially if you are in a northern state and currently under three feet of snow. No need to buy a whole new wardrobe, although that can be fun. You already own everything you will need for your cruise.

First things first, take a look at your itinerary and see what ports you are visiting and what your excursions will be. Shore excursion days will dictate your wardrobe because for days at sea you can basically wear a bathing suit and cover up if you are going to be lounging by the pool. If you plan on horseback riding or visiting any cathedrals you will need long pants.

The essentials:

Bathing Suit- Bring two bathing suits per person, they are easily washed and hung up to dry.

Cover up- One cover up is generally sufficient.

Tops- Four t-shirts or polo shirts to mix and match with shorts or capris

Sweater/ Wrap- Even though you will be in the warm and often humid Caribbean don’t forget your wrap or light sweater for the dining room and theatre.

Shorts- Four pairs of shorts for touring during the day.

Slacks/Capri- A pair or two of slacks or capris for less formal dinners in the dining room and possibly touring during the day. Lightweight slacks are a must if you plan on excursions that include horseback riding or visiting cathedrals.

Formal wear- The days of gowns and tuxedos are not over, but ships offer wide latitude on what’s apropos for formal night(s). Men generally should have on a sport jacket and dress slacks. Women, at the very least, should wear a skirt or dress slacks and nice top. I have seen passengers turned away from the dining room because they have worn shorts to formal night.

Sandals – Flat sandals for walking on the islands and around the ship on sea days.

Sneakers- Again for touring and for relaxing on board the ship.  A must if you plan to use the fitness center while sailing.

Dressy Shoes- One pair will do for evenings at dinner and the show. You may want to change into sandals if the seas are rough.

A light weight rain jacket or poncho just in case you are caught in a little rain while touring. Also don’t forget your suntan lotion and sunglasses!

Your carryon bag should bag should have your medicine, a bathing suit and cover up for the first day on the ship. It may take a few hours for you to receive your luggage. Why wait around, put on your bathing suit and enjoy the pool.