ASD’s visits to Disney’s Parks and Resorts
Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Oahu, Hawai’i Since I moved to Central Florida in 2014, I’ve started using my Disney Vacation Club membership to visit Aulani, A Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Oahu, Hawai’i. …
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Over the years I’ve been reporting for MousePlanet.com, I’ve been hosted by Disney Cruise Line aboard voyages to Disney’s private island in the Bahamas, Castaway Cay, on Disney Dream, Disney Magic, Disney Wish, and Disney Treasure. The family beach provides …
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In 2022, as international travel to Canada and cruise travel became increasingly possible again in the wake of the global COVID-19 pandemic, I decided to use my Disney Vacation Club membership to sail Disney Cruise Line from Vancouver, B.C. to …
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Photos taken in February, 2017. The all-new Epcot International Festival of the Arts continues and preparations get underway for the Epcot International Flower and Garden Festival, the NFL Super Bowl champion is saluted at Magic Kingdom, Rivers of Light debuts at Animal Kingdom and lots of other stuff around the “World.”
I was invited to visit Disney Cruise Line’s Disney Wonder to see Frozen: A Musical Spectacular, to have lunch in the new Tiana’s Place, and to take a tour of the ship. (Except for tolls and gas, Disney Cruise Line issued me and a guest Media credentials and covered all of the expenses of the visit.) The ship is as impressive as its twin, Disney Magic that I toured last year. The show is broadway-caliber with a good cast, with very impressive special effects and an on-stage costume change that got a round of applause. Tiana’s Place (the restaurant) is drawn from Disney’s The Princess and the Frog, down to the menu — with top-notch service and a live jazz band (introduced by Tiana, of course). Like last year’s tour of Disney Magic at Port Canaveral, in addition to the ship, I got a nice photo of NASA’s Vehicle Assembly Building at neighboring Kennedy Space Center. With the rest of the media, was escorted off the ship before its sailing that afternoon.
Photos taken in January, 2017. A New Year! Photos from all around Walt Disney World: holiday decor for the first week or so, a walk around Disney’s All Star Sports Resort, the all-new Epcot International Festival of the Arts, a tribute to the passing of Carrie Fisher & Debbie Reynolds, Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular is again Disney’s Hollywood Studios nightly fireworks show, lots of animals at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, the new look to the Characters in Flight Balloon at Disney Springs, Planet Hollywood Observatory opened at Disney Springs and more. And, oh yeah, the NFL Pro Bowl came to Orlando for the first time and ESPN Wide World of Sports, Magic Kingdom and Disney Springs all hosted related events.
Photos taken in December, 2016. Photos from all around Walt Disney World” holiday decor, shows, more Jingle Bell, Jingle BAM! at Disney’s Hollywood Studios which is rejoined by Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular, more Star Wars stuff too, while over at Epcot, Spaceship Earth is briefly turned into the Death Star, more Candlelight Processionals, and….finally, New Year’s Eve at Epcot.
Photos taken in November, 2016 — The Chicago Cubs won the World Series! Wait, the Chicago Cubs actually, finally, after 108 years, won the World Series! So, three of the players got to go to Walt Disney World for a Main Street Parade (which, appropriately enough, is themed to about 108 years ago)…and I was there! Also, thanks to my relationship with MousePlanet, I got to attend Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party twice, the press tour of Disney Springs for the Holidays (including meeting Chef Art Smith and Master Sommelier George Miliotes, then I got to attend D23’s Destination D: Amazing Adventures where I met Disney Legends, including Imagineers Tony Baxter and Marty Sklar. Also, during November, all around Walt Disney World, holiday decor, shows and more….
Photos taken in October, 2016 — October 1, 2016 was the 45th Anniversary of the opening of Walt Disney World. It was also the 34th Anniversary of the opening of Epcot. The Food & Wine Festival ran all month at Epcot, Magic Kingdom was decorated for Halloween, Disney’s Animal Kingdom was open some nights (but still without its Rivers of Light spectacular, Disney’s Hollywood Studios had less to see and do, and Disney Springs was decorated for Fall. I also took my first walk through Disney’s Port Orleans (Riverside and French Quarter), and I walked from Disney Springs through Disney’s Saratoga Springs all the way to Disney’s Old Key West. Oh yeah, the Main Street Electrical Parade “glowed” away (again), a new Muppets show debuted at Magic Kingdom and the Muppets Mobile Lab reappeared at Epcot.
Photos taken in September, 2016 — Visits to Epcot where the Food & Wine Festival got underway, Disney’s Animal Kingdom at night, Disney’s Hollywood Studios for another opportunity to see Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular and the tearing down of the Streets of America, and Magic Kingdom where it is already Halloweentime, plus Disney Springs and some of the resorts.
Photos taken in August, 2016 — Visits to Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom plus Disney Springs and some of the resorts.
Photos and video taken in July, 2016 — Visits to Epcot, Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom plus Disney Springs (where even more new places opened) and Independence Day Magic Kingdom fireworks (on July 3) from the beach at Disney’s Polynesian Village Resort.
Photos taken in June, 2016 — Visits to Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Magic Kingdom plus Disney Springs, featuring photos of the newly opened gateway arch (bus depot) at Town Center; the newly opened Disney Vacation Club Members Lounge inside one of the pyramids of Epcot’s Imagination Pavilion; the newly opened Royal Summerhus and its “Frozen” princesses; the newly opened Frozen Ever After; the newly opened Soarin’ Around The World and more.
Photos taken in May, 2016 — Visits to all Four Parks plus Disney Springs opens its Town Center (though there is still more construction going on); featuring photos from the final month of Epcot’s longest-ever Flower & Garden Festival, Disney’s Animal Kingdom’s new nighttime hours and attractions, Olaf gets a meet-and-greet at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, a visit to the closing-one-of-these-days DisneyQuest, a visit to House of Blues, Turtle Talk with Crush at Epcot gets a few more friends, Magic Kingdom fireworks viewed from Disney’s Polynesian Resort’s boat dock and Soarin’ re-opens with “Soarin’ Over California” while we all await the grand debut of “Soarin’ Over the Horizon” in Shanghai in June so we can see it the next day, and more.
Photos taken in April, 2016 — Visits to all Four Parks plus Disney Springs construction; featuring a farewell to Lights, Motors, Action! and the Streets of America at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, a new (mostly video screen) Star Wars stage show, a SpaceX rocket launch was visible over Epcot, and lots more photos from the second month of Epcot’s longest-ever Flower & Garden Festival.