Off to Neverland Travel® Disney Vacations Blog

Planning a trip to Disney World with health conditions can be complex and time consuming. To simplify the process, two companies that specialize in supporting travelers with special needs have come together. Stephen Ashley, author of Walt Disney World with Disabilities and head writer of the Walt Disney World with Health Conditions® website (Diz-Abled.com) had been looking for a travel agency that would cater to his readers for nearly a year. “I was so excited to learn about Off to Neverland Travel®. After chatting with the owner, Chet McDoniel, I realized that they have the knowledge to help plan a smooth vacation, but perhaps more importantly, they have the heart to bend over backwards for their clients who have extra needs.”

Chet McDoniel was excited to find Walt Disney World with Health Conditions®.  ”We felt that the resources on Diz-Abled.com and the Walt Disney World with Disabilities guide book are a perfect complement to our services. We plan to make the book available to our clients and to send them to Diz-Abled.com, which is full of very helpful free resources and articles,” said McDoniel. 

Chet McDoniel is uniquely experienced in dealing with health issues while visiting World. McDoniel has no arms and he must ride an electric wheelchair when long distances are involved, such as in the Disney parks.  Stephen Ashley said “I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Chet, and I’ve been so impressed. Despite his physical challenges, he is a person who has a busy, normal life.  He doesn’t seem to let his physical challenges get in the way of living life to the fullest.  His friendly, upbeat personality makes you feel comfortable right away.”  Concerning his agency’s services, Ashley said “It seems they’ll go far beyond what most other travel agencies will do to help their special needs clients plan a dream trip. 

 Some of the services Off to Neverland Travel® offers include:  

• Advice and planning assistance with details regarding air transportation
• Advice and planning assistance with choosing the right resort for your special needs
• Park touring details and advice when visiting with special needs
• Dining reservations and advice for guests with special dietary needs
• Overall vacation planning assistance with special needs being the focus

Ashley’s book, Walt Disney World® with Disabilities has extensive information on the services Disney offers it’s guests with health needs, how to get your needs met in the parks, resorts & restaurants, details on handling medication & medical equipment, dietary needs, transportation, wheelchair use and suggestions for dealing with specific conditions in the parks & resorts, and much more. It also has in-depth descriptions of the physical and emotional feel and experience of Disney rides and attractions.  The book is written to support guests with “minor” to major health and emotional issues, and is available on the web through the official website: www.Diz-Abled.com. It can also be purchased on Amazon.com.  For bulk purchase and group discounts contact the publisher at (954) 432-1274. 

www.Diz-Abled.com includes free content to complement the book such as Disney World restaurant menus, the special dietary needs policies of each restaurant and a variety of articles designed to help travelers with health and emotional issues plan for Disney.

Disney Cruise Line
Tropical Weather Update
Friday, Nov. 7, 2008, 2:00 p.m. EST

Disney Cruise Line® continues to monitor the current weather conditions in the Caribbean through the National Weather Service. Due to the anticipated path of Hurricane Paloma, we have made minor modifications to the itinerary of the Disney Magic® commencing Nov. 8, 2008. Guests will receive notification of the following itinerary adjustments at check-in:

Disney Magic

Saturday, Nov. 8 - Port Canaveral, Florida
Sunday, Nov. 9 - Day at Sea
Monday, Nov. 10 - Costa Maya, Mexico
Tuesday, Nov. 11 - Cozumel, Mexico
Wednesday, Nov. 12 - Grand Cayman, The Cayman Islands
Thursday, Nov. 13 - Day at Sea
Friday, Nov. 14 - Castaway Cay, The Bahamas
Saturday, Nov. 15 - Port Canaveral, Florida

Disney Wonder

The Nov. 9, 2008 voyage of the Disney Wonder® will sail from Port Canaveral as scheduled. We continue to monitor the storm’s progress and have not made an itinerary change at this time.

Should weather conditions change, our Captains can alter the ships’ courses or itineraries for the safety and well being of our Guests and Crew Members.

The new year is right around the corner and your next Disney vacation could be too! With this special offer, you’ll be able to kick-off 2009 with a Walt Disney World® Resort vacation at a rate so incredible, you won’t want to pass it up.

Through Dec. 20, 2008, when you purchase a 4-night, 4-day non-discounted Walt Disney Travel Company Magic Your Way package you’ll get three additional nights (with tickets) free. This offer is valid for stays most nights Jan. 4 - April 4 and April 19 - June 27, 2009.

Plus, if you travel on this package between Jan. 4 and March 29, 2009, you’ll also receive a Disney Gift Card worth $200 that you can choose to spend at the Walt Disney World® Resort during your stay.

What are you waiting for? This can’t-miss opportunity to kick-off 2009 with a Walt Disney World® Resort vacation and get three days free won’t last forever! You must book this offer by Dec. 20, 2008.

Click here for a quote for this incredible special!

Disney Cruise Line® provides one of the best cruise experiences to be had.  So, how do you “plus it up” as Walt Disney used to say?  Try the ultimate in luxury and book a suite onboard a Disney Cruise.  Not only will you experience complete luxury in an incredible suite stateroom, you’ll also get Disney Cruise Line’s Concierge Service.  “What is Disney Cruise Line® Concierge Service,” you ask?

All Suite reservations receive assistance from a Concierge Service Specialist prior to sailing. Notification about the services are sent in a letter that is included with the pre-arrival planning kit mailed out 150 days prior to sailing. The Specialist provides Personalized Itinerary Planning such as:

• Pre-reserving shore excursions - This is a great way to secure those hard-to-get shore excursions that book up early! 
• Palo reservations, confirming dining requests - Palo is the adult-only dining experience onboard and is not to be missed.  With an incredible view of the sea from the top of the ship, and delectable delights to eat, your senses will be delighted.  Palo books up quickly for prime dining times, and concierge service will be happy to get exactly what you desire.
• Spa treatments - The ultimate relaxation…a spa treatment in paradise.  The spa is a popular place for many cruisers, and the concierge will be glad to book your treatment for you before the optimal times book up.
• Nursery reservations - While Disney Cruise does have programming for 3-17 year olds, what do you do with an under 3 year old?  Disney has a baby-sitting service in Flounder’s Nursery so that the adults can have a little quiet time together.  The nursery fills up quickly, so have your concierge book your reservation. 
• Pre- and/or post-arrival requests
• Planning special occasion celebrations

As you can see, Concierge Service onboard Disney Cruise Line® is a wonderful service to have.  Here’s a hint, though…even if you don’t book a suite, you can still have concierge service?  “How?” you ask.  Well, our Off to Neverland Travel® Dream Makers stand ready as your personal concierge service ready to help you in any way they can.  So, book with us today and experience true concierge service on your next vacation!

At Disney Parks, you can live the experience of two new Disney movies this month!

First, “High School Musical 3: Right Here! Right Now!” is hitting the streets! This new show, featured at Disney’s California Adventure® Park at the Disneyland® Resort and Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ at the Walt Disney World® Resort, celebrates the infectious energy of the theatrical motion picture, High School Musical 3: Senior Year!

Featuring a cast of 14 dynamic singers and dancers, the show takes place on a traveling “rock concert” stage with stacks of speakers and rows of lights. Interactive sequences featuring hot new songs from the movie will draw Guests into the streets for an exciting live concert experience.

And just in time to coincide with the DVD release of the animated film, Tinker Bell, those visiting the Magic Kingdom® Park in Florida and Disneyland® Park in California will be immersed in fairy fun – and hear Tinker Bell speak for the first time!

At the Magic Kingdom Park in Florida, you are sure to meet Tinker Bell and one or more of her fairy friends – Fawn, Iridessa, Rosetta and Silver Mist – in Mickey’s Toontown® Fair.

And at Disneyland Park in California, you will get the magical feeling that they are shrinking into fairy size as they enter the pathway to Pixie Hollow. You’ll spot evidence of the pixies’ presence and come across statues of Tinker Bell and her fairy friends, before they encounter these pixies in person!

Carnival Ecstasy to Resume Four- and Five-Day Service Nov. 1; Carnival Conquest to Begin Seven-Day Cruises Nov. 2

Carnival Cruise Lines, the Port of Galveston’s only year-round cruise operator, announced today that it will resume service from the Texas port on November 1, 2008 following a temporary seize in cruise operations due to Hurricane Ike last month.

The 2,052-passenger Carnival Ecstasy will resume year-round four- and five-day cruises from Galveston with a five-day voyage departing on Saturday, Nov. 1. The 2,974-passenger Carnival Conquest will begin year-round seven-day service from Galveston Sunday, Nov. 2.

Up until that time, the ships will continue to operate round-trip from the Port of Houston’s Bayport Cruise Terminal where they were shifted temporarily following Hurricane Ike. The Carnival Ecstasy cruises on October 23 and October 27; and the Carnival Conquest cruise on October 26 will operate round-trip from Houston.

“We are extremely pleased to be resuming service from the Port of Galveston and extend our congratulations and appreciation to the port and the Galveston community as a whole for enabling us to return so quickly,” said Gerry Cahill, Carnival’s president and CEO.

“We would also like to express our gratitude to the Port of Houston for their tremendous efforts in accommodating our ships and being such exceptional partners. Their support enabled these ships to remain Texas based while Galveston worked through its recovery process,” Cahill noted.

Carnival launched the first year-round cruise program from Galveston in 2000 and has expanded its presence dramatically over the past eight years. With the return of its two year-round ships, Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival Conquest, the line expects to carry an estimated 350,000 guests annually from Galveston.

According to Steve Cernak, director of the Port of Galveston, “We took a hit however we rapidly rebounded. We had our first cargo ship in nine days after the storm. Now, six weeks after Hurricane Ike, we are fully operational. The Port, as well as all of Galveston Island, is excited to welcome home both Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival Conquest.

Carnival Ecstasy’s four- and five-day cruise schedule encompasses four-day voyages departing Thursdays to Cozumel, Mexico, and five-day cruises departing Mondays and Saturdays to Cozumel and Progreso, Mexico. Carnival Conquest’s seven-day western Caribbean cruise program includes week-long voyages departing every Sunday to Montego Bay, Jamaica; Cozumel; and George Town, Grand Cayman as well as a new 2009 itinerary option that visits Key West, Freeport and Nassau.

Carnival Ecstasy and Carnival Conquest are part of Carnival Cruise Lines’ 22-vessel fleet which operates three- to 18-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, the Panama Canal, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Europe and South America. The line currently has two new ships scheduled for delivery between now and 2011.

So, ye are interested in pirates, aye? Then you’ll love the swashbuckling adventure awaiting you as Disney Cruise Line® hosts a special pirate event March 8-12, 2009, onboard the Disney Wonder®.

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Legend Lives On features themed events and entertainment including:

• A pre-cruise welcome reception at the Walt Disney World® Resort on Saturday, March 7, 2009.
• Exclusive event seminar and private meet-and-greet with actors from the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Scheduled to appear are “pirates” Marty Klebba and Lee Arenberg. (All entertainment is subject to change without notice.)
• Special viewing of the three blockbuster films.
• First opportunity to pre-purchase open and limited edition pirate-themed merchandise.
• Exclusive event gifts

Those sailing on the 4-Night Bahamian Cruise can purchase this event for $250* per person (all ages) plus the cost of the cruise.

So, book now on a high seas adventure with the wildest crew to ever sack the Spanish Main. Savvy?

Off to Neverland Travel found this article regarding the new theme and upgrades coming to Disney’s California Adventure.  Along with a sweeping overhaul of the main entrance theme and multiple new attractions, Disney’s California Adventure will be a great place to visit in the next several years.  Learn more here:

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-disney16-2008oct16,0,4646061.story

If you have been to either the Disneyland® resort or the Walt Disney World® resort, you may think you know everything there is to know about both of the Magic Kingdoms. You might be surprised to find out there are quite a few differences in the two parks. The most obvious would be the two castles. Cinderella’s castle is located in Florida and Sleeping Beauty’s is in California. The monorail in the Disneyland® park travels inside the park and lets you off inside of Tomorrowland whereas at the Magic Kingdom® Park, the monorail lets you off outside the main gates. 

Each park has rides and attractions that the other doesn’t have. In the Disneyland® park, the Matterhorn towers high above the rooftops of Main Street U.S.A. A favorite in each park is the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. In the Disneyland® park, however, the ride is longer with different story elements that aren’t included in the ride in the Magic Kingdom® Park. “it’s a small world” starts outside an elaborate building that is transformed every holiday season into “it’s a small world” holiday only in the Disneyland® park. The Magic Kingdom® Park at the Walt Disney World® Resort hosts Mickey’s PhilHarmagic that is definitely a must see, four dimensional show. Haunted Mansion in each park is inside completely different looking buildings. In the Disneyland® park, it is in New Orleans Square, so the mansion is a southern style plantation home. In the Magic Kingdom® Park, Haunted Mansion is the creepy mansion that is in all of our imaginations. 

The Disneyland® park is a smaller park that often gives a more intimate feel but can feel confining during peak crowd times. You have the ease of walking the short distance to Disney’s California Adventure™ park. The firework shows in the respective parks are unique and are magical in their own way. The Magic Kingdom® Park has the nighttime parade, Spectromagic. The Disneyland® park hosts their own version of Fantasmic on Tom Sawyer’s Island for a different feel than what is experienced at the Disney’s Hollywood Studios™. The list could go on and on. Whether you have visited the Disneyland® park or the Magic Kingdom® Park, you will have to see for yourself what the other has to offer. Each has its own character and magic of its own to share with you.

The Orlando Sentinel posts this report:  (http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2008/10/t-rex-cafe-now.html)

Like dinosaurs? You’re definitely going to be interested in T-Rex Cafe, which opened today at Downtown Disney.

Like Rainforest Cafe? Then you’ve hit the daily double. No surprise since Landry’s Restaurants Inc. is behind both Rainforest and T-Rex. You’ll feel the vibe.

T-Rex is divided into distinct areas with their own decor, and diners can request where they’d like to sit. The idea is that it will be a different experience in Fern Forest than in your next trip in the Geo-Tech Room. Other areas are the Ice Cave, the Shark Bar in the Coral Reef Dining Room and the Sequoia Room.

We were told that you can see the meteor shower presentation from each area, but I’d have to guess that it’s best from the main Geo-Tech Room. On the other hand, it seemed louder in there and the Coral Reef, both in the front of the building. I’ll have to test the hypothesis that it’s quieter in the back (and carpeted) Fern Forest and Sequoia Room.

There are moving dinosaurs everywhere — many of them you can touch.