Off to Neverland Travel® Disney Vacations Blog

Pack the bags! Disney Cruise Line® added new sail dates to this family friendly offer. From June 25 — Aug. 20, 2009, kids 12 and under get 50% off prevailing cruise fares at the time of booking on most 3-, 4- and 7-night sailings with two full-fare Guests in the same stateroom for categories 8-12.

Click here for more details on Disney Cruise Specials!

So, you’re enjoying your day at one of Disney’s magical theme parks and you see on your entertainment guide that you have a chance to see a Disney parade. First of all, you are in for a treat! Disney is the master of entertainment and their parades are wonderful sites to behold. Here are just a few quick tips to maximize your viewing pleasure and enjoyment of your Disney parade. Follow these, and your Disney parade time will be magical!

Tips for Enjoying Disney Parades:

1. Arrive Early - Disney parades are extremely popular and many people line up anywhere from forty-five minutes to one hour and a half before the parade starts. Unless you are there during an extremely busy day, forty-five minutes should be plenty of time to find a good viewing location.
2. Find a Great Viewing Spot - Check your park map for parade routes. Some parades actually stop their forward motion for a period of time to put on a street party/show. You should definitely try to position yourself where those events occur. They are marked on your park map. Also, when in doubt, ask a Cast Member for the best viewing location. They’ve seen the parade tons of times and can tell you their favorite spot.
3. Prepare for the Elements - Whether hot or cold outside, be aware that you may be waiting in extreme weather conditions for over an hour. Be ready to cool off with a fan or sprayer (and don’t forget your sunscreen) OR be ready to warm up with a nice hot chocolate and a blanket.
4. Attend the Late Parade - If the Disney parade you are wanting to experience is running twice on the same day, attend the second running as it will almost always have less of a crowd and you can get a better spot to experience the magic.
5. Be Ready to Party - Disney parades are full of excitement, music, dancing, and other crowd pumping activities. If you want to experience the parade to the fullest, then jump out there and participate. Dance, sing, and have fun. Don’t worry about making a fool out of yourself…you’re on vacation…you’ll never see these people again!

Following a few simple tips can make your Disney parade experience magical. Disney parades are a perfect way to expierence the wonder and fantasy that the Disney parks are famous for!

Book through July 26, 2009:
Walt Disney World® Resort Free Dining Plan Offer

Click here for a free quote for Free Dining at the Walt Disney World® Resort.

Through July 26, 2009, you can purchase a 5-night, 6-day non-discounted Walt Disney Travel Company package for stays most nights Aug. 22 - Oct. 3, 2009, at select Walt Disney World Resort hotels and get the Disney Dining Plan FREE.  This is an extension through most of July from the original special.

Here’s a great new offering for families assigned to second dining! The Dine and Play program allows children to get their meals quicker and adults to check-in a child for Youth Activities without leaving the dining room.

Dine and Play

• Available on both the Disney Magic® and Disney Wonder® Cruise Ship.
• Offered during second dining in any of the main dining rooms - Animator’s Palate, Lumieres, Tritons and Parrot Cay.
• Open to children ages 3-12.

Here’s how it works: You arrive in the dining room and inform the server that your child would like to participate in Dine and Play. The dining room team brings the child’s meal first while serving the adults at a more leisurely pace.

About 45 minutes after seating begins, Youth Activities Counselors arrive in the dining room and sign in your child to their respective groups in Disney’s Oceaneer Club or Disney’s Oceaneer Lab, eliminating the need for you to escort your child to Deck 5.

Adults are then able to enjoy the full dining experience with the knowledge that their child is having a great time in a safe, fun and comfortable environment.

This summer, you can escape on an exciting 7-night Caribbean Cruise and receive up to a $700* onboard credit from Disney Cruise Line®! Offer available on most sailings June 20 — Aug. 8, 2009.

Book a verandah stateroom during a 4-night sailing and receive up to a $400* onboard credit on most sailings June 28 to Aug. 9, 2009 — or a 3-night sailing to receive up to a $300* onboard credit on most sailings June 25 — Aug. 6, 2009.

Click here to get started planning your Disney Cruise adventure!

You can sail with popular Disney Channel stars this summer aboard the Disney Wonder® Cruise Ship during the first-ever “Disney Channel Summer at Sea,” presented by Kodak.

Popular stars from Disney Channel shows like “Hannah Montana,” “Sonny With a Chance,” “JONAS,” “The Suite Life on Deck,” “Camp Rock,” and “Hatching Pete” will join Guests on 3- and 4-night cruises beginning July 9 through Aug. 2, 2009.

All eight sailings are available to book now with special fan activities included.

During the voyages, Disney Channel stars will help pump up the volume during onboard deck parties and join Guests for Q&A and autograph sessions as well as preview screenings of Disney Channel programming.

The onboard fun culminates with a “Party with the Stars” event, an evening in which Guests are invited to join the stars for a special musical performance by a Disney recording artist.

Each cruise will include multiple Disney Channel stars. Among those scheduled, with more to be announced shortly, are:

3-Night Disney Channel Summer At Sea Cruise Sail Dates and Appearance Schedule*

• July 9 to 12, 2009 – Tiffany Thornton and Doug Brochu (Sonny with a Chance), Roshon Fegan (Camp Rock) and Nicole Anderson (JONAS)
• July 16 to 19, 2009 – Jason Earles (Hannah Montana)
• July 23 to 26, 2009 – Jason Dolley (Hatching Pete) and Chelsea Straub (JONAS)
• July 30 to August 2, 2009 – Debby Ryan (The Suite Life on Deck)

4-Night Disney Channel Summer at Sea Cruise Sail Dates and Appearance Schedule*

• July 12 to 16, 2009 – Tiffany Thornton (Sonny with a Chance), Roshon Fegan (Camp Rock) and Nicole Anderson (JONAS)
• July 19 to 23, 2009 – Musical Act Mitchel Musso and Jason Earles (Hannah Montana)
• July 26 to 30, 2009 – Jason Dolley (Hatching Pete) and Chelsea Straub (JONAS)
• August 2 to 6, 2009 – Alyson Stoner (Camp Rock) and Jennifer Stone (Wizards of Waverly Place)

*Schedule and talent subject to change. Not all stars available for each sailing.

From Disney Cruise Line®:

Western Caribbean Itinerary Update

We continue to evaluate and monitor reports regarding cases of swine influenza in Mexico and the United States, as well as other regions around the globe.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recently recommended that travelers avoid non-essential travel to Mexico.

As a result of this recommendation, Disney Cruise Line® has modified the May 2, 2009 Western Caribbean voyage of the Disney Magic® to include a stop in Nassau, The Bahamas, instead of Cozumel, Mexico. Our itinerary will be as follows:

Saturday Depart Port Canaveral
Sunday Key West, Florida
Monday Day At Sea
Tuesday Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands (tender ashore)
Wednesday Day at Sea
Thursday Nassau, The Bahamas
Friday Disney’s Castaway Cay, The Bahamas
Saturday Arrive Port Canaveral

At this time, no itinerary changes have been made to future Western Caribbean voyages. We will continue to monitor and evaluate the situation in Mexico and make future modifications as needed.

Disney Cruise Line® has announced plans to reposition the Disney Wonder® Cruise Ship from its base in Port Canaveral, Fla., to the West Coast in 2011.

A two-year agreement, with a three-year extension option, will be considered by the Port of Los Angeles Board of Harbor Commissioners on April 2, 2009.

With the port’s proximity to the Disneyland® Resort, you’ll be able to offer Clients even more magical Disney vacation choices – both on land and sea!

The addition of a new homeport for Disney Cruise Line is part of the overall expansion plan for The Walt Disney Company. Two new ships, Disney Dream and Disney Fantasy, will arrive in Port Canaveral, Fla., in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

“We are looking forward to returning to the Port of Los Angeles and offering our special brand of family cruises on the West Coast,” said Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Chairman Jay Rasulo.  “Having a Disney Cruise Line ship based in this region is something families on the West Coast have wanted for a long time, and we’re pleased to bring the Disney Wonder to Southern California in 2011.”

Disney Cruise Line successfully tested the West Coast market with two summer seasons of Mexican Riviera cruises in 2005 and 2008. Disney Cruise Line has not yet announced the details of its itineraries for 2011.

Known for establishing family travel in the cruise market, Disney Cruise Linecontinues to be a leader in the industry. The Disney Wonder was recently named the top large cruise ship experience by readers of Condé Nast Traveler magazine in the 9th annual “Reader’s Cruise Poll.”

The Disney Magic Cruise Ship, which was also ranked in the top five cruise experiences in the poll, will embark on a season of limited itineraries exploring Northern Europe and the Mediterranean in 2010.

Are you hungry for some fun? Check out this fantastic Walt Disney World® Resort vacation package that not only includes hotel accommodations and Theme Park tickets, but also includes the Disney Dining Plan for free!

This vacation package is available for stays most nights Aug. 16 through Oct. 3, 2009.

Click here for a quote for Free Dining at the Walt Disney World® Resort.

With the Disney Dining Plan included in your vacation package, you can choose from over 100 select Walt Disney World Resort restaurants and enjoy one Table-Service meal, one Quick-Service meal and one select snack, per person, per night of your package. Gratuities and alcoholic beverages are not included. Children ages 3-9 must choose from the children’s menu, if available.

What are you waiting for? An offer this tasty won’t last forever. Hurry up and book by June 21, 2009, before it’s too late! To book one of these delicious vacation packages, click here.