Hey there, Tinkers!
As I mentioned, I am now writing blog posts for Kingdom Konsultant Travel’s blog and I would love for you to check out my posts over there, and give ’em a “like”!
So far I have written 5 Reasons To Visit Disney in the Fall, and What’s So Great About Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party?. Check ’em out, and let me know what you think!
Gooooood afternoon, Tinkers!
Exciting news! (Well, for me, at least!) I know many of my readers have asked me about the best way to go about booking their trip and they’ve asked if I have a travel agency that I work with, or recommend. Well, I DO and starting this week, I have been invited to contribute a weekly post to the blog of my favorite Disney travel agency, Kingdom Konsultants!
Kingdom Konsultants was started in 2004 by Pam Van Syckle, and it is staffed by Disney
addicts and fans, just like yours truly, who put their passion and knowledge to use planning out the details of magical Disney vacations, (and non-Disney, too!), for Guests from all over. In fact, I worked for Kingdom Konsultants a few years back, before we moved back to Florida and I was needing daily Disney interactions beyond obsessively watching YouTube videos of Disney parades and fireworks. I was so impressed with the time and care that Pam personally took to select her agents, and the high standard to which she holds each of them. (There was even a Disney knowledge test involved! She was not joking around.) What I think Guests probably love this most about working with Pam and the team is that n
ot ONLY do they make Disney trip planning stress free, but it also doesn’t cost Guests any more to work with the agents than it would to do it on their own, and most times, the agents will actually find ways to SAVE you money on your trip! It’s a no-brainer. Get some tips and advice from your pal, Tink, and then let Kingdom Konsultants plan your trip. It just makes sense!
If you want to know more about Kingdom Konsultants, or you’re interested in getting a trip quote, check out their site at: KingdomKonsultant.com. And don’t forget to check out my weekly blog posts with them, at KingdomKonsultantBlog.com. A BIG shout out and thanks to Pam of Kingdom Konsultants for allowing me to be part of the team again! I am excited to work together and bring even more excitement to your Guests! As Bogie said, “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” Here’s looking at you, kid!
Hello there, Tinkers!
Well, it’s time to write one of my very favorite posts of the year… the announcing of the details, (and MENUS!), of Epcot’s 2016 International Food and Wine Festival! Along with the Holidays Around the World and Flower and Garden, Food and Wine is one of the top highlights on the Walt Disney World calendar and one event that I personally am SO excited to attend! It’s a delicious and exciting culinary adventure around the world that anyone that likes food, (and who doesn’t????), or alcohol, (again… even though I don’t personally drink, I appreciate the fact that most people enjoy themselves some alcohol), is sure to love. Let’s check out what’s new and exciting this year, as well as what old favorites will be returning! 
Did you know that at Food and Wine, you can catch some of the most fun concerts from famous artists of days gone by, try amazing bites and sips, AND learn culinary tricks of the trade from some of the top chefs in the industry? Well, you can! And this year is set to be better than EVER! Here’s why…
First of all, this year’s Food and Wine Festival will be the longest running yet, with two full months to enjoy the festivities. The festival officially opens on September 14th and will run through November 14th.
Eat to the Beat Concerts
This year’s festival is truly going to ROCK because the concert lineup for the Eat the the Beat concerts looks awesome, including a few brand new acts! Check it out:
Awesome, right??? Keep in mind, of course, that all entertainment is subject to change, but typically the shows stay pretty much as is. Each concert night, three shows are performed, one at 5:30pm, one at 6:45pm and one at 8pm. And the best part about these concerts? They are included with park admission! (Though, as they have in previous years, dining packages will be available, which include a meal at your selected restaurant, and priority seating at one of the concerts. For more information, call 407 WDW-DINE.)
Global Markets (aka: Food and Wine Booths)
Probably the most popular reason to be at the Festival though, are the Global Marketplaces, 29 kiosk booths, located all around the park, selling snack sized food items and sample sized drinks, alcoholic and non. Each booth has either a cultural theme, (like Patagonia or Australia), or a culinary theme, (like Brewer’s Collect or Chocolate Studio). This year’s menus look AMAZING!!!! Get ready to salivate while we check ’em out! (BLUE marks a Food Item, while RED marks beverages.)
AFRICA
AUSTRALIA
BELGIUM
BRAZIL
BREWER’S COLLECTION
CANADA
THE CHEW COLLECTIVE
CHINA
CHOCOLATE STUDIO (NEW!!!)
CRAFT BEERS
DESSERTS AND CHAMPAGNE
FARM FRESH
FRANCE
GERMANY
GREECE
HAWAII
HOPS AND BARLEY
IRELAND
ISLANDS OF THE CARIBBEAN (NEW!!!)
ITALY
JAPAN
MEXICO
MOROCCO
NEW ZEALAND
PATAGONIA
POLAND
SCOTLAND
SOUTH KOREAN
WINE AND DINE STUDIO (NEW!!!)
Beverages:
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I’ve just told you about the highlights of Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival, but there’s even more to enjoy, like….
Remy’s Ratatouille Hide and Squeak
Kids and adults alike will enjoy roaming from country to country, seeking out Remy! Little statues of the rat hide around World Showcase and you can play for fun, or you can buy a map and sticker set at a nearby gift shop, and once you locate all of the Remys, turn it in to collect a prize!
ABC’s The Chew: Live from the Festival
October 5th-7th, from 9am-12pm, join the cast of The Chew, as they film their cooking/talk show. Believe it or not, our whole family are huge fans, including The Littles, so we will likely be there!
Celebrity Chefs
A massive array of culinary geniuses will make appearances at this year’s festival, including Andrew Zimmern, Duff Goldman, Masaharu Morimoto and many more. For the full list of appearances, click HERE.
Festival Center
The Festival Center, located inside the old Wonders of Life Pavilion, hosts all sorts of classes, displays and experiences, including:
Beverage Seminars
Offered daily, at 1pm, 3pm and 5:30pm, this event allows Guests to taste various spirits, and learn more about them from local experts. Price is $15 per person and a full schedule can be found HERE, and reservations can be booked HERE.
Cheese Seminars
Offered selected Saturdays at 9:15 am, this seminar teaches Guests about the various flavors and textures of cheeses and how best to pair them with your favorite alcoholic beverages. Alcohol is included, and the price is $89 per person. For a full schedule and to make reservations, click HERE.
Culinary Demonstrations
Offered daily at 12pm and 2pm, these 45 minute demonstrations will show Guests how the pros do it, and give you the chance to enjoy the fruits of the chef’s labor, plus a small sampling of a paired wine or beer. Price is $15 per person, and a full schedule can be found HERE, and reservations can be booked HERE.
Mix It, Make It, Celebrate It!
Cake decorating and mixology are just a couple of the skills that will be explored in these workshops. (More details to come.)
What’s Cookin’ With…
Do you dream of having a celebrity chef make you breakfast, while sharing with you all of his or her best tips? Well, you’ll love this experience! On selected Fridays and Sundays, chefs like Buddy Valastro from “Cake Boss”, and Cat Cora from “Iron Chef” will roll out the red carpet and welcome Guests to join them for breakfast. Pricing is $129 per person. and for the full schedule and to make reservations, click HERE.
Grand Tasting Events
Festival Packages and Activities
Specialty Dining and Pairings
Dining Events at Disney Resorts (NEW!!!)
Culinary Adventures in Signature Dining
Disney’s top chefs will be designing multi-course meals, complete with wine/beer/cocktail pairings, to tickle Guests’ taste buds. Reservations can be booked by calling 407 939-3378, and more information can be found HERE. Here are the planned events:
AND MORE!!!
Oh, and don’t forget all of the Food and Wine Festival themed shopping, pin trading, the Wine and Dine Half Marathon and more! There’s so much to do, you’ll need more than just one day to get it all in!
Epcot’s International Food and Wine Festival is by far one of, if not, THE best events that Disney offers in the whole year! Don’t miss out! To plan your trip, contact Disney directly at 407 W-DISNEY, or hook up with an awesome travel agent, who can help you make dining plans and more. (I recommend my friends over at Kingdom Konsultants. They are the best!)
That’s all, folks! Be sure and keep an eye out for updates and reviews as they become available. Oh, and….
BON APPETITE!!!
Happy Independence Day, Tinkers!
I hope your grill is fired up, you’re drinking a beer, (or at least a Coke), and you’re wearing red, white and blue head to toe as you are reading this! (I’m disappointed in you as an American if you are not…. kidding, of course.)
We are officially in one of the busiest weeks of the calendar year for the Disney parks and I thought it may be helpful to cover what some of my favorite things to do are when the crowds are big. (I posted this same type of list back over the holidays, but have updated it since.) These are just some of the attractions and areas that you may find to be less crowded when the rest of the park is slammed. Check ’em out!
Magic Kingdom
Epcot
Disney’s Hollywood Studios
Animal Kingdom
unique and lovable animals. Don’t miss the two best animal viewing areas, the Maharajah Jungle Trek and the Pangani Forest Exploration Trail.Everywhere Else!
Of course, outside of the parks, there’s tons to do too! Here are a few examples…
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There you have it, Tinkers! Some of the best options for when the parks are crowded. What about you? Do you have a favorite park activity, or place to spend time when the parks are slammed??? Tell me about it in the comments!
Hiya, Tinkers!
Just a quick pop-in to tell you a little about my experience checking out the new nighttime offerings at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. The Hubs, The Littles and I went over last weekend to see all the doings for ourselves and I have to say… mixed reviews. Well, maybe that’s unfair… for the most part, good, and to be quite honest, we missed out on a lot of stuff. Here’s what we did, what we thought of it, what we are looking forward to next time, and what we will skip.
So we headed toward DAK at about 8:00 in the evening, after The Hubs was off of work. The parking lot was packed full, but we managed to grab an empty spot, up in the Dinosaur lot. One immediate advantage that I saw to hitting up the park at night is that the temps were starting to cool (a bit) and the breeze was picking up, unlike when we usually get to Animal Kingdom in the morning, and by the time we see The Tree of Life, we are melting. That’s not to say it wasn’t hot. This is Florida. In early summer. It was still hot, but at least it wasn’t getting any hotter. If you’ve ever been to Animal Kingdom on an even remotely warm day, you’re probably well aware of the lack of overhead coverage and the lack of indoor, air conditioned attractions, so being there when you are not contending with the sun is pretty fantastic.
The new nighttime entertainment was clearly drawing a big crowd, as there seemed to be swarms of people everywhere. The park that I think usually feels the least crowded, even when it’s pretty full, seemed… well, full. The sun was starting to dip below the tree line, and when we got to The Tree of Life, it was already somewhat illuminated, and there was a massive crowd of people, standing in front of the tree, waiting to see it “awaken”. We didn’t have time for that right then, though. We had FastPasses for the first showing of the all new Jungle Book: Alive With Magic show, and we had to haul our cookies all the way to Asia, so we were not slowing down.
Did I mention it was hot? Well, it was. And there we were, chubby people, running across a crowded theme park. Ugh. Not cute. By the time we made it over to Asia, I was “sweatin’ like a sinner in church”, (as Tiana’s friend, Lottie says). The theater that is being used for the show is directly across from Everest, and we located the FastPass entrance, across from Everest’d old Fastpass distribution area. We parked K’s strolled, and headed in to grab seats, right before the show started.
Now, for those of you that may not be aware, Jungle Book: Alive With Magic was somewhat thrown together as a last minute replacement for the highly anticipated Rivers of Light show. Though Imagineers promise that Rivers of Light is still coming int he future, they ran into some technical difficulties with the floating barges, and decided to put off it’s opening. Because Rivers of Light was set to play a huge roll in Animal Kingdom’s new transition to a “nighttime park”, Imagineers decided to capitalize on the success of the newly released Jungle Book live action film, and incorporate it into a make-shift show, utilizing some of the effects and the space of Rivers of Light. Since there wasn’t much build-up in the press for the Jungle Book show, since it was unplanned, I didn’t really know what to expect.
As we filed into the theater, I was taken aback by how large of a space it was. The bleacher seating banked down toward the river, much like the Fantasmic theater does. In true Disney Imagineering style, the theater had many beautiful touches, to incorporate it into the Asian area of the park. Since we were running late, the place was already packed. I mean, PACKED! Like, the crowd control Cast Members had told the Guests to just go ahead and invade the personal space of everyone sitting near you. The rows were tight to one another, maximizing seating space, but minimizing legroom. (That worked so well for The
Hubs, at 6’5″!) So, remember now, it’s hot as Hades, and most of these Guests have been in the park all day. There was a less than pleasant aroma emanating from multiple sources around me, and since we were packed in tight, there was no air movement. Ermagawd. I immediately wanted out of there, but figured it would be worth dealing with the heat to see the show. We did have a gigantic pole in the middle of our field of vision, but figured that the “stage area” was so large that we should be fine.
The announcement came on, queuing the beginning of the show, and Cast Members, carrying stacks of lanterns on poles came into the theater from the back, and walked down the aisle. Right from the get-go, I was confused. There were several floats or barges and each of them held dancing Cast Members. There were water screens that appeared to be projecting images from The Jungle Book, but we honestly couldn’t see any of the images well. I don’t know if it was where we were sitting, or just that water screens are not a super clear medium, but we saw vague colors and shapes. Nothing like the promo photos with the gorgeous, colorful tiger. There were live drummers and dancers on the barges in front of us, and they wore beautiful, Indian-inspired costumes, as they danced around.
But here’s the thing… I wasn’t sure where we were supposed to be looking. In fact, I didn’t realize until almost 10 minutes into the show that the music was actually being sung live. I hadn’t seen the singers because they, (I believe), were on the middle barge, away from us. Five minutes into the show, K started getting agitated and wanted out. We bought ourselves some time by giving him a lollipop, but five more minutes went by and now we were done too. The show was boring. The screens were hard to see, and all I kept thinking about was, “When this show is over, all 5000+ of these people are going to get up and try to move out of here at the same time. Ugh.” Then we did it. We bailed. I’m ashamed, because I never walk out of live shows, out of respect for the performers, but between the heat, an upset K, the stinky people around me, and the lack-luster show, we couldn’t stick it out. And we weren’t the only ones. As we walked out, many, many other Guests were doing the exact same thing. Maybe I would have liked it more if I saw The Jungle Book, or if it wasn’t as hot, or if we hadn’t run across the park to get there, but the fact of the matter is… I don’t really care if I see it again or not. I am hoping that Rivers of Light is still going to happen, and that it’s going to be incredible, but we will see.
I hadn’t managed to get Fastpasses for the safari and there was a 60 minute wait, so we decided to skip it, and catch a nighttime safari another time. The overwhelming feedback that I heard from other Guests though was that it was fun to see some of the animals more active than usual, but in all reality, it was fairly hard to see, in general, and photos were impossible, because of the evening conditions. I’ll have to check it out for myself next time.
Since the safari was so busy, we opted to check out the Harambe Wildlife Parti, in the marketplace area. Despite there being many new entertainment offerings, we only saw one performance taking place, and that was of an Animal Kingdom favorite, Burudika, the Afro-Pop band. My kids love listening to them and will dance in front of their stage non-stop, so that’s just what they did. D and K were thrilled to be limbo-ing and dancing the night away, in front of a really talented group. And even though the park itself was really busy, the area in front of the stage wasn’t super filled and they got a lot of one-on-one time with the dancers. Totally fun, but not all that special, since Burudika is a daytime offering too.
We waited around after Burudika finished, to see of we could catch any of the other entertainment offerings, but never saw any other groups come out. Boooo…. next, we moved on to make a Starbucks stop, and then decided that before heading out, we would 
catch some of the Tree of Life Awakening. We joined the crowd that was gathered in front of the Tree, and started watching. The Awakening utilizes the same projection technology as Celebrate the Magic, over at The Magic Kingdom, projecting images and colors onto the Tree, to a set soundtrack. Unlike over at The Magic Kingdom, though, there is no set show time. The Tree of Life Awakening happens all night, at random times. Throughout the night, the animal carvings that regularly appear on the Tree, are highlighted with light, and seemingly come to life, with an animal getting up to move, or to wag it’s tail every now and then. It’s sort of jarring when you first see it. It feels like your eyes are playing tricks on you. Then, every so often, a full Disney song plays and the images on the Tree change to depict scenes from that particular movie, like the sunrise from Lion King, or Jungle scenes from Tarzan. It’s a gorgeous thing to see, and certainly unique. Guests were standing around for hours on end, just watching to Tree, trying to catch all of the various scenes and songs. Nice touch, Disney Imagineering!
We watched the Awakening for a bit, but the kids were pretty spent, (ok, WE were spent), so we caught the tram out to our car and called it a night.
Overall, here are my thoughts on the new Animal Kingdom after dark offerings, (bearing in mind of course, that we did not get to experience ALL of them!)…
I’m excited to try Tiffins, which I have heard great things about, and will likely go back soon to experience a nighttime safari for myself, and to check out more of the entertainment offerings. I will NOT, however, be checking out the Jungle Book show again. (I feel really badly saying that, since I am sure the performers are fantastic, but there just wasn’t enough to occupy the kids, or MY, interest.) I think that Animal Kingdom has done a good job of luring Guests to stick around the park longer than they normally would, and I am ALWAYS happy to see live entertainment being used in the parks, so yay for those two wins!
Next, I can’t wait to see the new Star Wars fireworks at The Studios! K already has his light saber all ready to go! TTFN, Tinkers!
I was hoping to never, ever have to write a post about terrorism effecting my beloved city. Orlando is the city of fun, family, tourism, magic, diversity, and acceptance, so knowing that all of that positivity has been dimmed by Saturday night’s horrific shooting at Pulse nightclub makes me sad beyond words. I have sat around helpless, praying that I would not hear the name of anyone that I know and love among those of the deceased, but I realize that it doesn’t matter if I do or I do not. These people were all someone’s best friend, someone’s sibling, someone’s spouse or partner, someone’s parent, or worst of all, someone’s child. The city, as a whole, has lost so much. We have lost Universal and Disney Cast Members, local artists and performers, entrepreneurs, professionals, a veteran, a nurse…. but what we cannot loose is our light.
Right now, it seems impossible to recover from this amount of hatred, but in the city that I love and call home, I see my fellow Floridians coming together, and refusing to let this define us. We are giving blood. We are donating food and beverages and other needed items to blood banks. We are taking care of the victim’s animals and homes. We are starting charitable donation accounts. And we are holding one another, showing the world that, as Lin Manuel Miranda reminded us at the Tony’s, “love is love is love is love is love”.
So what about Disney? What now? Should we still go? There are rumors that the shooter had considered Disney Springs as a potential target before attacking the nightclub full of innocent members of the LGBTQ community. Is it safe to be in the parks or resorts now? The sad and scary truth is that it’s not “safe” to go anywhere really. BUT, there are some things that you should take comfort in knowing. Disney, as we all know, has bag checks, and for a good reason. There are also constantly Orange County Sheriff’s officers onsite, not to mention, K-9 units, and many, many undercover agents. There are security measures in place and emergency plans in place that NO ONE, not even Cast Members, know about. There are many, many people working to keep all Guests safe, on a daily basis, and all of those measures are being stepped up as a result of the Pulse shooting.
There are also things that we can do, as Guests, to help out with the security efforts.
Yes, it’s a scary situation, but there’s no reason to let fear keep us away from the parks that we love so much and get so much joy from. In fact, in times of great despair, nothing comforts ME like believing in a little magic!
Hope this helps! Of course, any concerns should be taken up with Disney Guest Services, which you can e-mail at wdw.guest.communications@disneyworld.com.
** I hope that Sean Brewer does not mind me using his beautiful image! **
Happy Monday, Tinkers!
Hope everyone is getting psyched for summer! I know D is excited for her last day of school this week. Not so sure if The Hubs and I are as excited. (I know all of you parents out there hear what I’m saying.)
Well, let’s get to it… This week, Disney Cruise Line made a big announcement about the rehab of their only “classic” ship, still in pretty close to original form, The Wonder. If you’re a DCL fan, you probably know that The Wonder is long overdue for an update. This was made even more evident after The Magic got a big makeover and got new areas and attractions, a few years back. The Wonder was left as the only ship that wasn’t either “new” or had recently had a major overhaul, but all of that will change when she goes into dry-dock this fall!
In honor of the big news, and to get you reminiscing about your last Disney Cruise, (or dreaming of your next one), I wanted to share with you my own, personal Disney Cruise inspired playlist on Spotify. Just click HERE, crank up the volume, and start dreaming of sailing away!
So just what can we look forward to on the Wonder??? Some updates are similar to the other ships. For example:
Photo Credit: DisneyParksBlog.com
But there’s new stuff too!
And what I am MOST excited about….
So now you officially have a reason to book a cruise for this Fall or Winter. (Not that you needed one, other than the fact that DCL trips are the BEST!) Get booking! Visit disneycruiseline.com to book, or call 1-800-951-3532.
Happy Sailing!!!
*** Got a question about Disney Cruise Line? Contact Tink at tinkinaboutdisney@gmail.com, or post a question on the Facebook page. ***
Hello there, Tinkers!!!!
Well, I can’t believe it, but it has OFFICIALLY been one year since I started up this little blog! The very first thing I must do is thank everyone who has supported me along the way, friends, family and fans alike. It’s for you that I write and it makes me happy to think that you may have found any of what I have published helpful. If I have been able to bring any extra magic to your Disney vacation, then it’s all worth it! And to The Hubs and my Littles, D and K, thank you for being my guinea pigs. Thank you for letting me repeat the funny things that you say, and for tolerating me spending hours in front of my computer, when you’d rather I focus on watching you sing karaoke while dressed as Elsa and Peter Pan. (That’s mostly the kids, but sometimes The Hubs too.) You guys are my ‘ohana and I am so very lucky. I love you forever and a day, plus one!
I don’t think I have ever officially revealed my identity, though many of you reading already know who I am, because you are a friend or family member, but anyway, HI! My name is Jenn and I am “Tink”. I write this blog because I am Disney-obsessed and want to share that love, as well as my years of knowledge gained as a Concierge in the Disney area, with all of you. I run around Disney, trying foods, seeing shows, riding new attractions, etc., and try to call it “work”. And most of the time, I drag my Disney obsessed husband and kids along too!
Though I love writing the blog, I can’t do a full time job, (easily the hours that the blog requires), and not get paid. I just recently started working again and balancing family time, taking care of the house, work, parenting two awesome kids, doing my Disney “research”, (aka PLAY), and writing/editing/formatting/promoting the blog has been difficult, to say the least. So I am so sorry that my posts are much more sporadic and not nearly as detailed as I would like them to be, but I hope that you still enjoy reading Tinkin’ About Disney, and that the time I dedicate to it is worthwhile.
I still have dreams for this little blog. I still hope to make it into something magical… a place for other Disney fans and I to share reviews, ideas, experiences, all kinds of stuff… I even have friends that are very talented and would like to be put to use, editing videos, taking photos, and sharing content, but growing this site is going to take persistence and lots and lots of hard work. Please continue to share my page with all of your friends and family. We need as big of an audience as possible, if I want to go anywhere. Make sure you are following me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, so that you don’t miss out on anything, since I get to those more frequently that writing full blog posts. And also, please continue to message me or comment whenever you have questions, comments, ideas or there’s something you want to know about. I am always happy to help!
Once again, thank you, thank you, THANK YOU for being a Tinker! It means so much to me.
Here’s to the years to come!
Hiya, Tinkers!
Where my DCL fans at??? Guess what guys? Itineraries for Fall 2017 have been announced!
The top news is that the Disney Magic will be home-porting in New York City once again, and covering itineraries both North and South. The Canadian coastal voyages, (5 and 7 night options are available), will have some new ports of call, including Bar Harbor, Maine and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. When the Magic heads south, on 7 and 8 night sailings, it’ll hit up the Bahamas, including stops at Disney’s private island oasis, Castaway
Cay, and a stop in Port Canaveral. While on the Space Coast, Guests can choose to stay local and hit up Cocoa Beach or the Kennedy Space Center, or they can hop aboard an included bus transfer to Walt Disney World Resort, and use their included 1 Day Park Hopper Pass to check out their favorite parks and attractions.
The Disney Wonder will spend the Fall of 2017 calling the West Coast home and porting in San Diego. These itineraries include Baja, Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallerta, Ensenada and Mazatlan. An itinerary similar to this one was offered in the past, but was temporarily discontinued. Many Guests will be happy to see it returning as an option.
After it’s San Diego run, the Disney Wonder will head back through the Panama Canal, over to Galveston, Texas, from where it will run 7 night Caribbean and Bahamian itineraries, including the ports of Cozumel, Grand Cayman and Falmouth, Jamaica in the Caribbean and Key West, Castaway Cay and Nassau in the Bahamas.
The Disney Fantasy and Disney Dream will continue to be home-ported at Port
Canaveral, Florida, and will do Bahamian and Caribbean itineraries, including 3 and 4 night cruises on the Dream, and 5 and 7 night cruises on the Fantasy.
Booking will be open as of May 26th. SOOOOO????? Which one will YOU be doing?
Hi there, Tinkers!
Well, holy cow was there a lot of news out of WDW yesterday!!!!! Lots of opening dates announced for all of this summer’s exciting new Disney thrills, so I rounded them all up for you to check out! Here we go:
#1. Last Weekend: The Opening of The Town Center at Disney Springs
As you may have seen, I visited Disney Springs earlier in the week, to check out the new offerings. I have to go back to try out the new dining options, though, and will be sure and update when I do that. To read all about my visit to the new Town Center, click HERE!
#2. Wednesday, May 25th – STK opens at Disney Springs
An all new steakhouse is moving in and opening up shop at Disney Springs! STK Orlando will be an upscale dining option at Disney Springs, and will not only serve up fantastic steaks and seafood, but a fun and energetic atmosphere, with a live, in-house DJ! Reservations are now available, by visiting Open Table, or by calling 407 917-7440.
#3. Friday, May 27th – Third Track of Toy Story Mania Opens at The Studios
If you are someone who books your Fastpasses in advance, you’ve surely experienced the
frustration of being totally unable to get anything for Toy Story Midway Mania at The Studios. Well, it’s about to get a bit easier, with the addition of a third track. This should increase your chances of getting a FastPass and lessen the Stand By wait time onsite too! Yeeeee-haaaaaaw!!!!!
#4. Friday, May 27th – Frozen Games at Blizzard 
Beach
This Summer, everyone’s favorite snowman, Olaf, and his friend, the Pungent Reindeer King, Kristoff, will host daily fun and games at Blizzard Beach. There will be relay races and silly games that kids of all ages can participate in. It’s Frozen fun…. (wait for it)…. IN SUUUUUUUMMMMMER!!!!!
#5. Friday, May 27th – Harambe Wildlife Parti and Discovery Island Carnivale at Animal Kingdom
Harambe comes to life after dark and Guests are finally able to enjoy the nightlife with the locals! Join musicians like the Burrudika Band, strolling harp player, Kora Tinga Tinga, Muziki, the stilt-walking musician, and the singing storytellers, the Karibu Sisters, as the awaken the spirit of Africa in the Animal Kingdom. You can even enjoy acrobatic fun from the Harambe Village acrobats and the local, trick-play soccer team, the Harambe Meerkats! And over on Discover Island, delight in the vibrant fun of Carnivale at a separate street party.
Friday, May 27th – Kilimanjaro Nighttime Safaris at Animal Kingdom
Things get wild on the savanna at night! Check out Kilimanjaro Safaris after dark and spot the nocturnal animals out and about. A whole new experience from an old favorite attraction! Fastpasses are now available!
Friday, May 27th – Tree of Life Awakening at Animal Kingdom
The Tree of Life becomes a magical canvas at night and hosts an incredible new projection show, borrowing from the technology of Celebrate the Magic over at The Magic Kingdom. The artwork looks stunning and I can’t wait to see it!
Friday, May 27th: Tiffins and Nomad Lounge Open at Animal Kingdom
Animal Kingdom welcomes it’s first upscale, Signature Dining location, with Tiffins
Waterfront Restaurant. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner and will also offer Dining Packages which include priority seating for the new Jungle Book nighttime show. Tiffins offers a palette of new flavors and delights for Guests to enjoy. To check out the menu, and make reservations, click HERE. I mean, just look at that Chocolate Ganache!!!
Saturday, May 18th – Jungle Book- Alive with Magic
Well, it’s not exactly Rivers of Light, but since the Imagineers ran into some technical difficulties getting that show up and running, they have decided to fill the time with a brand new nighttime Jungle Book show. Based on the popular new live action film, this nighttime show uses water screens, lights and other special effects to immerse Guests into the jungles of Animal Kingdom. Presented nightly, on the banks of the river in Asia, Fastpasses will be offered for the show, (in fact, they just opened up TODAY, so you may want to grab one!), as well as priority seating if you purchase a Dining Package in conjunction with a meal at either Tusker House or Tiffins. For more information on the dining package, or to book, click HERE.
Friday, June 17th: Royal Friendship Faire Begins at The Magic Kingdom
Over in front of Cinderella’s Castle, the brand new show, Royal Friendship Faire, will debut 
and kick off summer in The Magic Kingdom. The new show is replacing Dream Along with
Mickey and will feature sections based on the popular films, “Frozen”, “Tangled” and “Princess and the Frog”. Mickey and the gang will be singing and dancing alongside Anna, Kristoff, Elsa, Olaf, Rapunzel, Flynn, Tiana, Naveen and more! Since my household has some BIG fans of all three movies, I am sure this show will become a “must do” for us at The Magic Kingdom!
Friday, June 17th: Soarin’ Around the World at Epcot
Everyone’s favorite Epcot attraction is back, but this time, instead of just flying over the sights of California, we will be taken on an adventure around the globe, soaring over famous 
landmarks like the Great Wall of China and the Sydney Opera House! And what’s even better is that this attraction has been expanded, to accommodate 30% more Guests at a time, which will hopefully cut down the stand by queue, which can easily hit 3 hours in the summer.
Sad to see the old version of Soarin’ go? SURPRISE! From May 27th-June 16th, Guests can check out the original version of Soarin’, before it flies out of the parks for good.
Fastpass is now available for both the old version AND the new, so grab ’em while you can!
Friday, June 17th: Star Wars: A Galactic Spectacular Begins at The Studios
These are the fireworks you have been looking for! If you think the current Star Wars fireworks are spectacular, (well… they ARE), just WAIT until you check these puppies out! The new fireworks show is said to be one of the most technologically advanced fireworks shows that Disney has created and will include music, lights, lasers, pyrotechnics and projections, all bringing a galaxy far, far away right to The Studios.
Tuesday, June 21st: Frozen Ever After Attraction and Royal Sommerhus Meet and Greet Premier at Epcot
Guys, Winter is Coming. (Kinda) This is it. The moment your 3-9 year olds have all been waiting for…. FROZEN IS HERE!!!! The highly anticipated Frozen ride, “Frozen Ever After”, will make it’s debut in Epcot’s Norway pavilion on June 21st. And don’t freak out, but FastPasses opened up today and are pretty much gone. This is gonna be one hot ticket. Especially since just a few steps away, over in the Royal Sommerhus, Guests can meet their favorite sisters of Arendelle, Anna and Elsa. I’m gonna venture a guess that the average wait time for the ride and the meet and greet over the summer will be somewhere between 4 hours and FOREVER.
Later This Summer: Elena of Avalor, More Disney Springs Shopping and Dining, and Who Knows?????
Also announced, this August, Disney’s first ever Hispanic princess, Elena of Avalor, will begin meeting Guests at The Magic Kingdom. (Kinda weird, if you ask me, since all Disney Channel and Disney Junior stars are over at The Studios, but I’m sure there’s a reason.) The princess will have her own show on Disney Channel, premiering this summer. It’s about time there was a Spanish-speaking, kick-butt princess out there!
And don’t forget, there’s even more excitement headed to Disney Springs this summer, when more shops and dining locations open, like Frontera Cocina, Blaze Pizza, AristoCrepes, and more. Plus, you never know what Disney is going to announce. After all, as Walt said of Disneyland, (and I’m sure he would apply to Walt Disney World, as well), “Disneyland will never be completed. It will continue to grow, as long as there is imagination left in the world.”
Let me know if you get to check out any of the new stuff, Tinkers, and I’ll update you as I get to them as well!
Tinkin' About Disney 