Off to Neverland Travel® Disney Vacations Blog

Travel + Leisure magazine, known as the authority for the discerning traveler, ranked four Disney resorts on its annual list of the 500 best hotels in the world.

The Walt Disney World® Resort earns distinction with three hotels on the list: Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney’s Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and Disney’s Wilderness Lodge. Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel® & Spa at the Disneyland® Resort also won recognition for its quality and sophistication.

Now in its seventh year, this prestigious list is pulled together by an international team of Travel + Leisure reporters and editors using reader reviews as a guide as they comb the globe to find the most magnificent hotels, resorts, inns and lodges.

An elaborate “Cinderellabration” topiary and an environmentally friendly Green Garden will bring fresh springtime flair to the 16th annual Epcot® International Flower & Garden Festival March 18-May 31, 2009. Amid a colorful tableau of flowers, plants and topiaries, Walt Disney World® guests of all ages can explore myriad exhibits and activities geared toward gardening and outdoor fun. Weekend Flower Power concerts will pump up the volume and spread a groovy vibe at America Gardens Theatre in World Showcase.

More details can be found by clicking here.

Life’s special moments are magnified when celebrated at Disney Parks — and next year, new interactive entertainment will help get the party started the moment you arrive! Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, reunion or other special occasion, you can celebrate with pure Disney magic!

Beginning in spring 2009, the heart of Disneyland® Park will rock to the beat of some of the best party tunes of all time during “Celebrate! A Street Party.” Balloons and streamers fill the air on Main Street, U.S.A.®, while crazy conga lines, swing dancers and Disney Characters take to the street to celebrate with you!

Also in spring, you can herd up the family and mosey on over to Frontierland® to enjoy the “Celebration Roundup and Barbecue at Big Thunder Ranch.” Visitors can enjoy a hearty Western meal along with a heapin’ helping of fun—including live entertainment, Disney Character appearances, and even a petting zoo filled with critters. You’ll want to make sure you have priority seating arrangements for this cowboy-style hoedown.

At the Walt Disney World® Resort, the “Move It! Shake It! Celebrate It! Street Party” will come to life in early spring 2009 at the Magic Kingdom Park. It will feature multiple floats (in this case, “party boxes”) each hosted by a Disney Character with fantastic upbeat music that will have you dancing and celebrating in front of Cinderella Castle. Hosts include Genie (from Aladdin), Lumiere (from Beauty and the Beast), Timon (The Lion King), Sebastian (The Little Mermaid) and the Mad Hatter (Alice in Wonderland).

And in late spring 2009, you can celebrate everything worth celebrating around the universe as you enjoy a new Stitch-themed dance party in Tomorrowland®. This interactive, retro-futuristic musical revue will feature audience interaction with Stitch, a high-energy dance troupe and high-tech big screen video effects.

Birthdays are sweeter than ever at the Downtown Disney® Marketplace! You can now book an exclusive birthday celebration at Goofy’s Candy Co. for birthdays beginning Dec. 1, 2008. These fun-filled parties include themed goodies and tasty treats to make their celebration unforgettable!

When you celebrate a birthday at Goofy’s Candy Co., you can choose between two exciting themes. Goofy’s Scien-Terrific Birthday Bash will immerse you in exciting science experiments that are tasty enough to eat and drink! Kids of all ages will enjoy crazy glow glasses, a special gooey Goofy treat and much more!

Those who choose Disney’s Perfectly Princess Party will experience a party fit for royalty! Princesses and Princes will create and enjoy a delicious Goofy glacier slushy, decorate a yummy treat, play “royal” games and more.

Both parties include games like the “Licorice Limbo,” “Put the Gem on the Crown” and the “Taffy Dance” along with a private party room, two party hosts, invitations and thank you notes, decorations and delicious treats! Reservations can be made through your Personal Dream Maker at Off to Neverland Travel®. Don’t miss out on this goofy way to celebrate your birthday!

So, here’s the scenario. You finally find the perfect souvenir for your Walt Disney World® vacation, and you’re ready to buy it. The only problem is that it’s 9:30AM and you really don’t want to carry it around all day in the parks, right? You could take a chance on finding it later on, but what if it’s gone by then or what if you can’t remember which store you found it in? But, then you remember that you’re staying onsite, and you can have your item delivered to your resort’s gift shop for FREE!

All you have to do is to let the cast member at the checkout know that you want it shipped back to your resort. You’ll need to know what resort you’re staying at and your room number. When the package arrives (the next day), you’ll receive a message on your room phone from the resort’s gift shop in regards to your package. You then go to the gift shop and give them your receipt, and they give you your perfect souvenir. It’s that easy! It’s a wonderful way to shop without having the worry of carrying your purchases around all day.

Let’s face the facts; no trip to Disney is complete without getting some great photos with the Disney characters. Even for us “older kids”, there’s just something magical when Mickey puts his arm around you, Pluto ruffles your hair, or Stitch tries to pick your nose. The problem is everyone finds that moment special, and pretty soon you might find yourself paying your park entry fee to stand in line to greet the characters. While standing in line can’t be totally avoided when it comes to characters, here are a couple of tips to lessen the time:

1. Book a character meal. I have had the pleasure of eating a few character breakfasts and am pretty impressed with the amount of time each character spends with you and those with you. You can enjoy your meal, and take pictures with the characters when they come to your table. One extra tip for the character meals is to try to book the earliest possible Priority Seating reservation that you can for the meal. In other words, if a character breakfast begins at 7:30AM at a certain restaurant, try to get that time. You’ll have enough time to get your food before the characters show up, and the crowds usually don’t come for an hour or so after opening, so you’ll practically have the characters to yourself. Chip and Dale can make interesting dining companions when they have nobody else to go talk to!
2. Go to a party night at the Magic Kingdom (Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party, or Disney’s Pirate and Princess Party). On specially selected nights, the Magic Kingdom stays open for several hours after closing to those with tickets to the party. Characters are in full force on party nights, and are often dressed in special attire. Don’t go see them as soon as they arrive, but wait until about an hour before the night is over. That way, many people have already left, and you will have the characters all to yourself! 

So, until we start seeing FastPass machines at the Meet & Greet areas, follow the above suggestions to be able to see the Disney gang without obligatory wait in line.

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.

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!

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!

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.