Launching a "Dream" - part 1...

What we're going to hear about:

More availability. More itineraries. More Magic (of course!)

• Sneak peek at the new ship being built
• New stuff at Castaway Cay.
• New itinerary plans for the 4th ship, the "Disney Fantasy".

Let's start off with a really cool little video showing how the Disney Dream is coming along...

Building the "Dream" video

We just saw some cool pictures for stuff that has been finished already, as long as some of the other conceptual art.

Here are some of the cool new things that I haven't seen before:

• Virtual porthole in all inside staterooms - an industry first
• Enchanted art - art that "comes to life"
• Interactive playfloor (in kids club)
• Enchanted garden that changes from day to night

Looking good so far!

Here is a link to a mini-site exclusively about the Disney Dream. Check it out! 

 

Handy article re Disney Dining

I ran across this article today - it offers some handy, practical tips for getting more out of the Disney Dining plan...

http://hotels.about.com/od/disneyworld/a/dining_tips.htm


End of post

Reminder: OCTOBER 27th -- dunnh, dunnh, dduuuuuunnnnnhhh

An important deadline to remind you about:

OCTOBER 27th 2009
Disney World Dining reservations are swapping back to being able to book 180 days in advance (rather than only 90 as has been the case for the last number of months). See my earlier blog post for details.
The day this will happen is October 27th 2009.

So, if you are already within the 90-day window to your travel - book your reservations before the 27th to avoid congested phone lines!

And if you will be within the 180 day window shortly (for travel right up to 24th April 2010) then,
a.call on the 27th if YOU REALLY WANT TO BOOK a particular meal, or
b. wait a few days to avoid waiting too long on hold while all the people in option "a" do their thang...

New Free Dining Plan Update

In the small print on the latest "Free Dining" offer, it states

Ask about other package offers with the Disney Dining Plan at select Disney Moderate Resorts, select Disney Deluxe Resorts and select Disney Deluxe Villa Resort Hotels.

There is a distinction to be made here that is not all that clear...

To clarify:
With the Moderate category of resorts, and up, the Free Dining that is offered is actually the regular "Disney Dining Plan". The "Quick Service Dining Plan" is offered as standard only at the "Value" resorts in this promotion (and even there could be upgraded by paying the difference).

This makes this promotion even better than it first appeared, particularly if your were interested in Moderate, Deluxe or Home-Away-from-Home accommodation at Walt Disney World.

Just thought you would want to know...

Free dining plan has expired. Long live the NEW FREE DINING PLAN!!!

One day after the much-vaunted "Free Dining" promotion ended, the Walt Disney Travel Company have announced another "Free Dining" promotion at Walt Disney World in Orlando Florida!

The new promotion includes the less-expensive, "Quick Service Dining Plan" - not the regular dining plan - but you will be able to pay the difference to upgrade to the regular plan (which is significantly better value in our opinion) if you so desire.

• New travel dates are most nights Sept 29 - Nov 24th, and Nov 29th - Dec 17th 2009.
• The new "book-by" date is Sept 26th.
• Please check out this flyer for details.
• If you are not familiar with the Quick Service Dining Plan, you can find out more about it with this flyer; you can compare with the "regular" Disney Dining Plan by referring to this flyer.
  

Please note that the number of packages available at this rate is limited.

We will be swapping over all "Let's Take the Kids Travel" clients that already are booked in these dates and whose package qualifies...

Ongoing Disney Specials - Part 3 - Walt Disney World

The super-popular "Free-Dining" Promotion is back fro 2009. This has arguably been Disney World's most popular promotion over the last few years, and always gets lots of attention. As I mentioned earlier, many dates are now sold out, so if you are hoping to have Disney pay for you to eat, then you need to contact us as soon as possible, and you may need to flexible with your dates.

Here's the full info:

Note, that although they mention a 5 night package below, you are not limited to 5 nights, and you simply get even more value if you stay for longer (right up to the maximum 10 night stays...)

Free Dining Offer - (MYW + FREE DINE)

Buy this Walt Disney World Resort vacation package with hotel and Theme Park tickets and get the Disney Dining Plan FREE!
Are you hungry for some fun? At this affordable price, you can celebrate any magical milestone – with meals and a snack included for every night of your visit! What a delicious way to enjoy their Walt Disney World Resort vacation!
Offer Details:
A family of four can save US $654 when you purchase this 5-night, 6-day Walt Disney Travel Company package for the Walt Disney World Resort, with accommodations for five nights at a select Disney Value Resort and a 6-day Magic Your Way Base Ticket, you’ll get the Disney Dining Plan FREE!
Booking and Travel Window:

• Booking Window: Now – July 26, 2009
• Travel Window: Offer available for stays most nights Aug. 22 – Oct. 3, 2009. (Block out dates for Disney Value Resorts: Aug. 22-26, 2009 and Sept. 21-27, 2009; Disney Moderate Resorts: Sept. 21-26, 2009)

Pricing:
US $1,390* for a family of four, staying in a standard room at a select Disney Value Resort. That’s like paying US $58 per person, per day!
Ask about packages for other lengths of stay and accommodations at other select Walt Disney World Resort Hotels.
Download this flier (Adobe PDF - 921kb)

Click here for new Passport requirements for Canadians travelling to the USA.
*Price based on 2 adults, 1 junior and 1 child. The number of rooms allocated for this offer is limited. Savings based on the non-discounted price for the same package. Tickets are for one Theme Park per day and must be used within 14 days of first use. No group rates or other discounts apply.

Update long overdue...

Hello to my loyal fan - are you still reading?!!! I have to admit that there hasn't been much here for a while, as the promised posts have still not materialized. Those that are still relevant will be completed very soon, I promise.

The main thing to tell you, right now, is that the FREE DINING promotion at Disney World has been extended. The new booking deadline is July 26th. I have to tell you, though, from personal experience, that availability is now proving to be a problem for many dates in the booking window. This promotion is just so popular, that many room types at many resorts, are SOLD OUT for many dates, so you're probably going to need to be flexible...

Still, as the economic slowdown continues to leave travel sales pretty sluggish, there are still "deals" to be had. Not just the opportunity to have Disney pay for you to eat (typically a value of around $700 US per week for a family of 4), but also some very decent airfares... contact me, to see if this could be the time for you to make your Disney dreams a reality...

You can check out the flyer for this offer at the following link - Walt Disney World Dining Offer (PDF - 920kb)