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“Yo ho, yo ho! A pirate’s life for me!” The Pirates League is a great alternative for boys or girls who wish for a pirate inspired makeover. The Pirates League is located next to the Pirates of the Caribbean attraction in the Magic Kingdom® Park at the Walt Disney World® Resort. I took my 7 year old son, Joel, during our recent Halloween Walt Disney World® Resort vacation. Boy, were we impressed!

First, the pirates gave him his pirate name: “Jeffery Blade Cutter” from the Pirate log, and then he had the choice of several different pirate looks. Joel and I were whisked away to the Muster Station, for applications of beards and eye patches, scarves and scars, earrings and gold teeth – all done with the savvy skill of a veteran pirate. Our pirate took the time to explain what they were doing to him and let him feel the brushes and sponges. Before you knew it he was transformed into a cursed pirate. Every time a makeover was complete the pirates would ring a bell and announce, “We have a new pirate”.

When Joel was done they made him take the sacred pirate oath. He then was taken to the secret room where the transformation was complete. He got to reveal the hidden treasure. Don’t ask, we were sworn to secrecy! No cameras are allowed in the secret room.
You can choose from three daily pirate packages:

• First Mate Package: Includes bandana; choice of facial effects; scars; tattoos; fake teeth; earring and eye patch; sword and sheath; pirate coin necklace; one 5×7-inch photo; and personalized pirate oath. – $49.95 USD plus tax
• Empress Package: Includes bandana; shimmering makeup; face gem; tattoos; nail polish; earring and eye patch; sword and sheath; pirate coin necklace; one 5×7-inch photo; and personalized pirate oath. – $49.95 USD plus tax
• Captains Package: Includes choice of costume/outfit from selection; choice of facial effects; scars; tattoos; fake teeth; earring and eye patch; sword and sheath; pirate coin necklace; three 5×7-inch photos; and personalized pirate oath. – $124.95 USD plus tax

Beginning Oct. 26, 2009, at the Walt Disney World® Resort, you can meet Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen, from Walt Disney Pictures’ full-length animated motion picture, “The Princess and the Frog.” Both characters will be in Liberty Square in the Magic Kingdom® Park eager to meet little princesses and princes.

In addition to hosting meet-and-greet opportunities with Guests, Princess Tiana, Prince Naveen and other colorful characters from the new feature film will star in “Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee!”. This lively, jazz-filled parade starts in Liberty Square, heads down to the water’s edge, and boards the Liberty Belle riverboat. Guests can watch the performers sing and dance to jazz music and songs from the movie as they cruise along the river.

Make sure you catch this boat soon, because after Jan. 3, 2010, “Tiana’s Showboat Jubilee!” ships off for good!

After all the planning and anticipation, the day will finally come when you arrive for your Walt Disney World® vacation! What you do on that very first day can set the tone for your entire trip. How about some fun, undeniably magical, and yes, even relaxing suggestions for your very important arrival day?

If you’ve got a longer trip planned, lucky you! Why not spend your first day outside of the parks? Often, guests are so tempted to get in every last ride in at the parks that the special qualities of the resorts are often overlooked. Ease in to the experience by taking a swim, explore the resort grounds and participate in some of the activities going on there. You will be glad when you awake the next day rested and ready to take on the World!

If you are planning to stay just a few days, getting right into a park is probably on your agenda. But there’s no need to rush through the whole park in one day! Try a more laid-back approach: pick one headliner attraction you really want to experience and grab a FASTPASS® for it as soon as you arrive.

Then stop and smell the roses while you wait for the return time – watch the zany Streetmosphere performers in Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ or get a dazzling hairstyle with colored gel and “Mickey Dust” at the Harmony Barbershop in the Magic Kingdom® Park. Eat a Mickey Bar and watch the spectacular fountains in Epcot® or wander around the trunk of the Tree of Life in Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park. Be open to just letting the magic happen!

Whatever you do, plan something to top off your first day with that essential Disney feeling. A character meal might just do the trick! Try Chef Mickey’s and be welcomed in a festive atmosphere hosted by the Big Cheese himself. There’s Disney magic even in a simple thing like taking a loop on Disney’s Monorail. Riding through the Disney’s Contemporary Resort, catching a glimpse of Cinderella Castle, you could just have that moment – when you feel a little thrill and know you’ve truly arrived.

Walt Disney World Vacations

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – With all the thrills and suspense that have made it a television and pop culture phenomenon, “American Idol” comes to Walt Disney World® Resort in a groundbreaking new attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park. 

“The American Idol Experience” captures the energy and excitement of the TV series, with some guests at Disney’s Hollywood Studios auditioning to take the spotlight onstage, while fellow guests cheer them on from the audience and vote for their favorite singer with instant results. 

“Disney parks are all about making dreams come true, and that’s exactly what will happen at ‘The American Idol Experience,’ ” said Jay Rasulo, chairman of Walt Disney Parks and Resorts. “Whether they are onstage singing or in the audience cheering on their favorite performer, our guests will feel immersed in a world of instant stardom.” 

Each show takes place in a 1,000-seat indoor theater that features the twirling neon signs and a multi-layered backdrop inspired by the actual “American Idol” set in California. Building on its hallmark of attention to detail, Walt Disney Imagineering worked with the Hollywood set designer who designed the actual TV show set for “American Idol.” The newly designed venue is the most technologically advanced theater found at Walt Disney World® Resort. 

Designed to reflect the best and brightest elements of the TV show, “The American Idol Experience” includes an audition process open to Disney’s Hollywood Studios guests 14 and older (audition slots are limited and interested guests are encouraged to arrive early). These guests perform live in front of a Disney’s Hollywood Studios casting director for the opportunity to be cast in one of the preliminary theme park shows that same day. 

Performers with the highest votes during the preliminary shows return for a high-energy grand finale show that same evening. After their encore performances, the big moment arrives. It’s a super-charged, eye-popping scene as audience votes are tallied, the other performers drop off, music builds and the spotlight shines down, amid a blizzard of confetti, on the day’s top singer. In addition to their new-found theme park fame, the top vote-getter receives “The American Idol Experience” Dream Ticket, which allows an eligible holder to schedule a front-of-the-line audition to a future regional audition for the “American Idol” television show. And every member of the audience can take a bow, too, because they had a role in deciding that day’s star. 

“The American Idol Experience” is the newest attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. The showbiz-inspired theme park immerses guests in the glamour of show business with thrilling attractions, Broadway-style shows, world-class atmosphere entertainment and interactive film, music, television and radio production facilities.

When visiting Epcot® at the Walt Disney World® Resort you now can enjoy a brand-new, ultra-interactive attraction inspired by the Disney Channel animated series, “Kim Possible.”

Using the latest technology, Disney’s Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure invites Guests of all ages to become secret agents, teaming up with members of “Team Possible” to save the world from various comical villains and their mad inventions.

As you embark on this international adventure, they will receive an official “Kimmunicator.” This handheld wireless device will help them maneuver through the mission. Using state-of-the-art technology, the interactive device connects you with a variety of characters from “Kim Possible” who provide clues to stop villains from taking over the world. These devices also allow Guests to control top-secret equipment hidden inside World Showcase pavilions, creating an adventure jam-packed with mystery and excitement.

You can play Disney’s Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure in sevenWorld Showcase pavilions: Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Japan, France and United Kingdom. Each pavilion features a unique mission including distinctive visual events and a different super-villain from the animated series.

Disney’s Kim Possible World Showcase Adventure is included in Epcot admission.

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.

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.

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!