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Celebrate Star Wars Day by Streaming Season 4 of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars” Free This Weekend
Watch and relive all the action, drama, and twists of Season 4 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars on StarWars.com. All 22 episodes will be available to view May 4th – May 6th (though some are live now, if you want a head-start). Catch up on episodes you might have missed, or revisit your favorite moments. Dive into the underwater action, face the frontlines on a darkened world, go undercover with Obi-Wan in a deadly bounty hunter tournament, witness the shocking fate of the Nightsisters and the return of Darth Maul! And, yes, to make the wait for Season 5 even harder, you will get a first glimpse at what’s to come…
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MNSSHP What in the world is this?
For those of you who don’t know all of the abbreviations of the WDW community it stands for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party! It’s a must do at least once in your many travels to WDW. We try to plan our trip to Disney World in the fall around the Eat to the Beat concerts and MNSSHP so we can enjoy both.
So what is this party all about ?
It’s all about FUN! It’s a Halloween party for all ages.It’s the only time grown ups can dress up as their favorite character *in a tasteful manner of course* and not feel silly walking skipping through the MK *Magic Kingdom* collecting candy and singing along with the Boo To You parade. There are many reasons to make this one of your Must Do’s on your WDW Bucket List!
The fireworks are the BEST of the year.Even according to the CM’s the only thing better is fireworks on New Year’s Eve (and that’s even debatable). The fireworks display is called Happy HalloWishes.This is where the Grim Grinning Ghosts come out to socialize.It will have you heading to the closest shop to purchase the special event music CD.*I know because we bought it and have listened to it for almost 6 years now all year long*
You get to Trick or Treat in the happiest place on earth and you children will be the envy of all of their school friends.There are special locations set up for you to trick or treat along with your children.They do not discriminate based on age…they encourage everyone to take a bag when entering the park so that nobody has to argue over candy.
Boo To You Parade is full of floats,music and characters all dressed in their Halloween best.There are floats that come down the parade route from different attractions in the park.You never know who you may see sitting on top of the ghostly Pirate ship that comes sailing past.Our favorite section is the Haunted Mansion portion of the parade.It has changed some over the years but it still is tops.
The Villain Dance Mix and Mingle is a cool show to watch.This one has changed some too.They made Dr. Facilier the center of the show and we were not that impressed with his portion of the show.We love Maleficent and her evil ways.Either way it is a cool way to get your picture taken after the show with your favorite Villain.
Dance Parties!! Who doesn’t like to shake their tail feathers with Donald Duck ?? They have in the past had 2 locations.One in Tomorrowland and the other over at Ariel’s Grotto.These are always a fun thing to do with the little ones who have lots of pinned up energy or who have consumed too much sugar through the night.There are characters who come out to dance with the crowds and make dancing fun!
This is a special ticketed event that requires an additional admission into the the MK during certain nights starting September 11th until November 2nd. If you plan on going to the party on Halloween night you will want to purchase the tickets as soon as you have your travel dates. This is one night that sells out a few months before the party.
The MK closes at 7pm on the nights of MNSSHP to the public but you can enter the park with your special event ticket starting at 4pm.Be sure to get your wristband so that you are not escorted out of the park. We have witnessed this on several occasions in the past.It’s never fun being escorted through the parks by CM’s *Cast Members* doing the walk of shame because you tried sneaking into the party without the proper ticket/wristband.
Also all rides,attractions and restaurants are not open during the Halloween party.This is a little disappointing to some
people but we have always enjoyed the transformation from the typical day in the MK to the fun of the Halloween festivities. Don’t forget you charge your cameras,grab your autograph books and your children for one of the best Halloween parties around!
I hope to see you there this year!
Dulcie writes here and has a blog over at Have Mouse Ears and Loves To Travel.She is also a travel agent who enjoys bringing the magic to others.Feel free to email her at Dulcie@PixieVacations.com or stop by her Facebook page Pixie Vacations *Dulcie* for your free” quote.And you never know what kind of *Pixie Dust* may be sprinkled on your next family vacation!
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Garden View Tea Room: 5 Tips to Know Before You Go!
Calling all girly girls! Ladies, it is time for you to start booking your advanced dining reservations for a simply divine experience! Read this first, but immediately after you read it…go get on the computer or dial 407-939-3463 to make a tea date! Afternoon tea is offered from 2-5pm daily at the Grand Floridian’s Garden View Tea Room. If you’ve never had afternoon tea, this is a great first experience. With choices from an a la carte menu or packages to cover your whole experience, this tea is not something you’ll want to miss. Today we are looking at my top 5 tips for tea…
#1 Trust your waiter!
As with most Disney cast members, our waiter at the Garden View Tea Room provided us with the best service. He made suggestions for our tea selection, taking the time to ask what flavors we liked and he even describe each tea. I ended up with the Mad Hatter Tea and it was a delicious ! Our waiter was right on! This fruity black tea with a hint of chocolate in the background, hit the spot!
#2 Maximize your selection
I recommend each person in your party select a different tea. This way you get more bang for your buck. I went to tea with 4 of my dearest friends, so we decided to each choose a different selection. As the individual tea pots were delivered to the table, we poured our first cup. After enjoying our own tea we sampled around the table. It was a lot of fun to compare the flavors (and even more fun to make plans for what tea to order next time!).
#3 Save some room
I wasn’t expecting to get as much food as we did! We went with the Buckingham Palace Tea package. This is a traditional tea served with with a savory course, scones, and pastries. There were 5 scrumptious tea sandwiches and an onion tart with the first course, a scone and strawberry tart with the second course, and we finished it off with a choice of two pastries! Not to mention, the tea! I was SO full! Luckily, we ate a big breakfast and skipped lunch! Next time, I am going to make sure to save plenty of room for all that tea has to offer!
#4 Enjoy the break
Taking time out of the parks may seem like a bad move. I am a full steam park enthusiast, on mission to make the most of my days in the parks! That said, I found the chance to slow down and enjoy the company of my best friends at Disney to be truly delightful! The relaxing piano music streaming in from the lobby added to the beautiful surroundings. It was good to slow down and I highly recommend this quiet spot!
#5 War of the Roses
I didn’t know that we would get a fresh rose at the end of our tea! I had plans to head to the Magic Kingdom with my friend, but where were we to put our beautiful roses? We decided to carry them into the parks (there was a lot of interesting conversation with the security guards at the bag check!). It was only a couple of steps into the queue for Space Mountain that we made a horrible call…we decided to stow the token of our tea away in a bag as we enjoyed the ride. Long story short, my flower, was…no more. I wish I’d taken the time to drop my beautiful flower off at my resort. Yes, it was just a flower, but it was a beautiful flower which I wish I could have enjoyed for more than just an hour! Heads up, take time to smell the roses or you’ll be left with a big mess like me!
Have you ever had tea at the Garden View Tea Room? If not, I hope you’ll take a couple of hours from the parks to relax and enjoy some tea with your friends! What are you waiting for…go make those ADRs now!
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Take the Wildlife Express Train at Animal Kingdom
When going to Disney’s Animal Kingdom theme park a great stop is the Wildlife Express Train. It is something fun to do whether it is raining or not and is often overlooked. It is found toward the back of the park in the Africa area behind the Tree of Life.
If you want to get out of the sun or someone in your group loves animals consider this option. If anyone in your party is not interested in rides or is ready for a break this is the place to go. If you have a little one that’s not quite ready for rides then this is a perfect location. Catching a ride on the train usually doesn’t take long. The seats are designed for guests a look straight to the land beside them as they travel. It is something for the whole family with the train ride lasting about seven minutes.
During your journey you will be able to see animal housing as well as animal care units while Disney magic transports passengers to the African Savanna. You travel to Rafiki’s Planet Watch and the train ride is the only way there. This location is dedicated to animal conservation and preservation complete with educational activities.
Habitat Habit!
This is a wildlife trail presenting guests, while on the walk, the opportunity of observing the cotton-top tamarin, which are South American monkeys.
Affection Section
Is more than a petting zoo — it is a Disney World petting zoo. Various animals include sheep, llamas, donkeys, goats, and chickens. Actually, this is the only location in Animal Kingdom that gives guests this opportunity. Just keep in mind flash photography is not permitted. Don’t worry either about petting all those animals because sanitation stations are available for hand washing.
Conservation Station
This is an air-conditioned building that gives guests a chance to see animals and learn more about them. It is an open area with various activities including a self-guided tour backstage with video cameras for real time animal viewing. Adults and children can also find it interesting when learning about how the animals are cared for with a look at the working veterinary clinic. Visiting the Conservation Station is good any time of day, but if you are really interested in seeing animal care consider venturing here in the morning. Most care happens before Noon with a schedule generally posted. If you have questions Cast Members are available to provide answers too.
Another benefit of this location are character greetings. Various characters have made appearances including Pocahontas, Terk, Lilo and Stitch. Many guests have been disappointed to learn Jiminy Cricket will no longer be appearing as it was the only location throughout Disney World to find him. The main character continues to be Rafiki though. Since this is often an area less traveled you can usually catch characters with little or no waiting, giving you quality time with the character. Check with cast members when entering the park and ask about who is appearing and when they will be available.
The Avatar expansion is beginning preparation with the idea of closing the train and Rafiki’s Planet Watch. Nevertheless, part of the charm of this area is you can get away from the hustle and bustle of the park’s bigger elements. This is really more than a train ride. When leaving this area it is a five minute train ride back to the rest of what Animal Kingdom has to offer.
This guest post was written by the C&C Fan Charity. Thanks for the article!
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Taking a Ride Down Main Street USA
Have you seen the Main Street Vehicles that ride down Main Street USA? These wonderful historic vehicles come in the form of a fire engine, omnibus, horse-pulled trolley or horseless carriage.
At Disney World’s Magic Kingdom park they offer guests an opportunity to take a one-way ride on a fire engine, omnibus and more down Main Street.
This is not something you are going to want to experience when you are in a mad rush at rope drop to head to your favorite ride, however if you take time to take it slow and hop on board and enjoy the ride you will not regret it.
There is no cost for this experience and you do not make a reservation. When you see one of these vehicles stopped, just hop on board and enjoy the ride!
You can get on board one of these vehicles in front of the Train Station by the main entrance to the park which will take you on a one way journey to Cinderella’s Castle or you can pick up a ride in front of Cinderella’s Castle to take you back to the front of the park.
Have you experienced this for yourself yet, if so, what did YOU think?
Lesley is a travel agent with Pixie Vacations, contact her for your next Disney vacation at Lesley@pixievacations.com or check her out at www.destinationmagic.com. She is currently offering generous booking incentives (Disney gift cards for Disney World/Disneyland, and Disney on board credits for Disney Cruise line)
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