mickensmouse

Three Disney Theme Parks will stay open for 24 hours during Memorial Day Weekend to kick off a Monstrous Summer on both coasts. This first-ever, three-park all-night party is happening at the Magic Kingdom® Park in Florida, and Disneyland® Park and Disney California Adventure® Park in California. The Parks will stay open from 6 a.m., May 24 to 6 a.m., May 25, 2013, local time.
•In Florida, Magic Kingdom Park will feature a “Monsters University” theme where Mike and Sulley will be the Grand Marshals of the “Celebrate a Dream Come True” day parade and make appearances in Tomorrowland. There will be extra entertainment throughout the day and night, including characters in their pajamas in Town Square during the late night and early morning, and late-night dance parties in and around the courtyard of Cinderella Castle.
•In California, you will be able to party the night away at both parks with special entertainment including: a “Monsters University” “TLT Monstrous” Dance Club and Star Wars characters in Tomorrowland and late-night Character Pajama Party in Mickey’s ToonTown at Disneyland Park. The new Fantasy Faire Royal Theatre at Disneyland Park will become a Royal Dance Hall late at night with a live band and dancing; and Guests of Disney California Adventure Park will find Monstrous photo opportunities with new “Monsters University” “Dorms” in Hollywood Land and a new “Monsters University” float leading the Pixar Play Parade.

Beyond Memorial Day Weekend, it’s shaping up to be a Monstrous Summer at Disney Parks, with a colossal lineup of unforgettable experiences, including entertainment enhancements celebrating the characters of “Monsters University.”
•Mike and Sulley are dropping in from MU to scare up fun all summer long. Some of the monstrous surprises in store include all-new, collegiate settings in which you can meet their favorite aspiring scarers. On the Backlot at Disney’s Hollywood Studios®, Guests will find the Monsters University Student Union, complete with a view of the campus. Meanwhile, at Disney California Adventure Park, Mike and Sulley can be found right outside the university dorms, recreated in Hollywood Land.
•Also at Disney California Adventure Park, Mike and Sulley show their MU spirit as they lead daily performances of the Pixar Play Parade, and at Magic Kingdom Park, you will chuckle along with the gang at the Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor, where they’ve been studying new jokes and are ready to graduate to new comedic bits in honor of their alma mater.

It may be summer vacation, but Monsters University will be in session all season at the Disneyland® and Walt Disney World® Resorts!

This spring is the perfect time for a family getaway to Aulani. For a limited time, when you purchase a minimum 4-night stay, you’ll enjoy the 4th night free*! Book this special offer now through April 6, 2013, for stays most nights April 7 – May 23 and May 27 – June 8, 2013.

* 4 Nights for the Price of 3 Nights promotion for Guests who stay four consecutive nights between April 7, 2013 through May 23, 2013 and May 27, 2013 through June 8, 2013. Book from February 16, 2013–April 6, 2013. The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited, and room availability may vary by dates of stay. Excludes resort fees and taxes. Not valid in combination with any other discounts or offers. Offer excludes suites and 3-Bedroom Grand Villas. Additional per-adult charges may apply if more than 2 adults per room. Offer applied once per reservation. Advance reservations required. Subject to additional restrictions and change without notice. Limit 2 rooms per reservation.

Hello and Happy New Year! It’s been a little while since I blogged, so I wanted to provide a little update on what I’ve been doing.

1) I have become a Travel Agent with Destinations to Explore, which is a Florida based agency. Since I loved the name of my blog so much I used it to create my travel agency name: Mickens Mouse Travel. So, if you or someone you know is looking to go on a wonderful Walt Disney World vacation and need some help planning, please do not hesitate to reach out to me. My travel site is mickensmousetravel.com.  I’m happy to help you plan your memorable vacation.

2) I’ve been training for my 2nd & 3rd runDisney races at Walt Disney World. Yes, I said “2nd & 3rd.” Next month I will be running the Disney Princess Half Marathon and the Royal Family 5K!! Ahhhh! I never thought I would love running, but it’s definitely starting to grow on me and what better place to run than throughout the Walt Disney World Resort?!

3) Piggy backing off #2, I’ve been trying to decide which runDisney races I will do next. One of my personal goals is to get the “Coast to Coast” medal from runDisney. This is a medal for those who complete a qualifying race at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland in the same calendar year. Should I accept the challenge, I’ll most likely run the Disney World Half & the Disneyland Half in 2014. Nothing’s set in stone, but that’s what I’m leaning towards.

So, that was a quick update on me, hope everyone is doing well. Check back soon for an update on my Disney Princess Half Marathon & Royal 5K experience.

Disney Cruise Line® was recognized as the No. 1 Cruise Line in the Large-Ship category in the Condé Nast Traveler 2012 Readers’ Choice Awards. As a pioneer in the family cruise market, Disney Cruise Line provides a unique vacation experience where families can reconnect, adults can recharge and children can celebrate beloved Disney stories.

Disney Cruise Line has received more than 100 distinguished awards and recognitions from the travel industry since first setting sail in 1998. Recently, Condé Nast Traveler magazine readers placed three Disney ships in the “Top 100 Cruise Ships of the World,” with the Disney Magic® being voted No. 1 and the Disney Dream and Disney Wonder® tying for No. 2. Travel + Leisure also named Disney Cruise Line the No. 1 Cruise Line for Families for the fourth consecutive year.

New Regional Homeports and Itineraries With four ships in the fleet, your Clients can sail to more destinations than ever before from a port close to their own backyard.

• Disney Magic is currently sailing from Galveston, Texas, for the first time. Starting in 2013, your Clients can choose from 4-night Caribbean getaway cruises, 6-night Western Caribbean sailings and 8-night itineraries that travel to Walt Disney World® Resort and Disney’s private island, Castaway Cay.
• In December, Disney Wonder will begin sailing from Miami to the Bahamas and the Western Caribbean.
• In 2013, Disney Magic returns to Europe with 4-, 7- and 12-night sailings from Barcelona with first-ever stops in Venice, Italy, Croatia’s Dalmatian Coast, Ephesus, Turkey, and the Greek Isles.
• Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream continue to sail a variety of Caribbean and Bahamian itineraries departing from Port Canaveral, Fla.

Disney Parks have 52 weeks of magical surprises planned for you in 2013!
“Limited Time Magic” features unexpected experiences, with an extra sprinkle of Pixie Dust, at Disneyland® Resort and the Walt Disney World® Resort that’ll appear, and then disappear when the next debuts. Ranging from Park-wide events to special culinary treats, to limited edition merchandise to special moments of surprise and delight, and more, this new celebration will begin in the new year.
So, what can your Clients expect with “Limited Time Magic” at Disney Parks when it begins in January? Here’s an idea:

• True Love: Celebrate romance and enchantment throughout Valentine’s Week with special moments and entertainment geared to lovebirds. Disney Princes join their Princesses to meet Park Guests in special settings, prix fixe menus turn up at select restaurants and Valentine’s collectibles will be offered for the week.
• Independence Week: It’s red, white and blue as Disney Parks salutes America with a 4th of July Fireworks Party — for an entire week, with patriotic lighting bathing the Disney castles on both coasts. Mickey Mouse appears in his patriotic finest and Guests will find special USA shirts, Ear Hats and other limited-edition souvenirs.
• Long Lost Friends Week: Lesser-known Disney characters will move from the shadows to the spotlight meet-and-greets on both coasts. Photo opportunities with characters that could include Flik, Clarabelle Cow, Remy, Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum will surprise and delight your Clients. And Disney Guests even have the chance to vote online for which characters they want to see.
• Pirate Week: Why talk like a pirate one day when you could celebrate these scalawags all week-long? The adventures of Jack Sparrow come to life like never before during a bicoastal buccaneer bash in which the Disneyland and Walt Disney World Resorts become pirate-palooza: pirate bands, pirate meet-and-greets and more.
• Dapper Dans Sing Boy Bands: The Dapper Dans, the iconic quartet from Main Street, U.S.A., will add a special finale to their show, claiming the title of the “Original Boy Band” and delivering a medley of hits from One Direction, *NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys.
• Unleash the Villains: Friday the 13th in September 2013 is a special day, so Disneyland Park and Disney’s Hollywood Studios Park are staying open until the 13th hour (1 a.m.). Maleficent, Captain Hook, Jafar and other Disney Villains host a dance party, complete with limited-edition collectibles and other nighttime mischief.
• Golden Horseshoe Revue: The fabled Frontierland show returns to Disneyland Park for one month only, bringing back the corny jokes and enduring songs that were often enjoyed by Walt Disney himself.

That’s right, the time is almost here…Be Our Guest Restaurant Reservations Open at noon  on Aug. 20.  You can make reservations for Be Our Guest Restaurant in New Fantasyland at Magic Kingdom® Park beginning at noon on Aug. 20 by calling 407-WDW-DINE.

You can make reservations up to 180 days out – the very first seating will be for dinner on Nov. 19 – by calling 407-WDW-DINE (3463), or visiting any Walt Disney World® Guest Relations Theme Park location or Guest Services desk at a Walt Disney World Resort hotel. Online reservations will be available beginning on Aug. 22. at www.disneyworld.com/dine.

On the Disney Dining Plan, Be Our Guest is one quick-service entitlement for lunch, and one table-service restaurant entitlement for dinner. When booking a reservation, you will be required to provide a credit card number in advance and you will be charged $10.00 per person if a cancellation isn’t made at least one day in advance. This helps ensure that more Guests can enjoy the dining experiences available at Walt Disney World Resort restaurants.

Located at the base of the mountain below Beast’s castle, this themed venue transports diners to the magical world of “Beauty and the Beast.” Lunch is quick and casual (no reservations required), with Guest-activated terminals that make ordering a snap (there also will be traditional cashiers for cash orders and special dietary requests). Once you have ordered, simply take a seat and lunch will be delivered to your table – on china, not paper. Dinner is table service.

Cuisine is French inspired to match the hit animated film’s theme. Dinner selections include the usual favorites like steak, poultry and fish; but with a French flair befitting of the environment. Grilled strip steak with pommes frites (French fries), French onion soup and thyme-scented pork chop are just a few of the things found on the dinner menu. For lunch, you will be able to enjoy salads like the tuna Nicoise and sandwiches such as the Croque Monsieur (ham and cheese) and grilled steak sandwich with garlic butter spread. There will also be heartier fare, like braised pork and vegetable quiche.

The restaurant features three themed dining rooms: the mysterious West Wing with the “enchanted rose;” the Rose Gallery with twirling, larger-than-life figures of Belle and Beast; and The Ballroom with elegant details, such as a domed ceiling, twinkling chandeliers and glimpses of softly falling snow outside.  I hope to dine at this restaurant in December.  If I’m lucky enough to get an Advance Dining Reservations, be on the lookout for a restaurant review from me.

Photo Credit: disney