Disney has released a first look at the re-imagined rooms at Disney's Contemporary Resort. As Walt Disney World prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary this October, Imagineering is tapping into that optimistic spirit once again in reimagining Disney’s Contemporary Resort, enhancing its retro-modern aesthetic that evokes Tomorrowland … with a dash of something Incredible, too. Currently all nine floors of guest rooms in the tower are being completely refurbished. Rooms will blend a sleek Monorail motif with some favorite characters from Pixar Animation Studios’ Incredibles films.
As part of this reimagining, Disney is also updating the Guest lobby and check-in experience. Beginning July 16th, much of the first-floor lobby will be closed while it undergoes refurbishment. Once complete in late September, Contemporary’s lobby will feature an enhanced check-in experience with enhanced seating locations. Once the tower Guest rooms are complete, work will begin on the rooms inside the Garden Wing. For booking information or details about the refurbishment, contact me.
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Very exciting news from Disney this week, including some hotel reopenings at Walt Disney World and exciting news about the newest addition to the Disney Cruise Line fleet! Remember, to stay up-to-date about all Disney and Universal news, be sure to sign up for my newsletter! (Link below the post!) If you're interested in booking a Disney vacation to experience the magic for yourself, contact me! Walt Disney World
Resort Hotel Reopenings While we did know about Disney's Beach Club Resort reopening May 30th and Disney's Wilderness Lodge (I've missed you!!!!) reopening June 6th, but we have an official reopening for Disney's BoardWalk Inn! The BoardWalk will begin accepting reservations for arrivals beginning July 2nd! I love the BoardWalk Resort, and couldn't be more excited to begin booking this one for clients again. Disney's Polynesian Village Resort does not yet have an official reopening date, but plans to allow guests are still on track for late July 2021. Of course, future reopening dates of Disney Resort hotels are subject to change and Guests’ reservations could still be modified to other Disney Resort hotels if needed. Disney Cruise Line New Ship Revealed! The wish you’ve been waiting for will soon come true! Disney is getting ready to unveil never-before-released details of their newest ship – the Disney Wish – coming to the high seas in summer 2022. Their grand unveiling, Once Upon a Disney Wish, takes place on Thursday, April 29 at 11 a.m. ET, and you can tune in on the Disney Parks Blog. This special 30-minute virtual presentation will give you a sneak peek at all of the magic that awaits, including a look behind-the-scenes with Walt Disney Imagineers and the creative team bringing the Disney Wish to life. It will also include special character appearances and surprise performances! New Concept Art Released The design of the Disney Wish centers around a motif that I’m sure we’re all familiar with… Enchantment!
Staying at 2 or more resort hotels during your vacation, also known as a split stay, is one of the best ways to experience Walt Disney World or Universal Orlando Resort (or both!) But what exactly does that mean? And why should you do it? If you're asking yourself those questions, get ready for Split Stays 101!
The Basics
A split stay requires at least 1 night's stay at each resort hotel that you plan to book. Split stays can be between 2 or even 3 resorts. If you choose to do a split stay at Walt Disney World, bell services will transfer your bags free of charge to your next Walt Disney World Resort Hotel. If you transfer from different Universal hotels, or split between Disney and Universal, you're on your own. If you're looking for luggage for the kids (or kids at heart!), American Tourister has some adorable Disney luggage, including Mickey Mouse, Cinderella, and BB-8! Not looking for character luggage? American Tourister also has this great 3-piece set! Where to Split at Walt Disney World The resorts you choose to split between are a completely personal choice. 99% of the split stays that I book are because of the following:
Walt Disney World gets all of the (totally justified!) hype around its parks, but what do you do if you're not in the parks?
First of all, this means you likely took my advice and purposefully scheduled a non-park day! Disney is non-stop, and sometimes we all need a breather. Non-park days are also a great alternative to arrival and departure days so that you aren't burning a park ticket on a partial day.
#1 - Disney Springs Disney Springs is the most logical non-park day locale. Disney Springs is a massive shopping, dining, and entertainment district on Walt Disney World property. (Columbus friends: it's Easton on steroids.) I could spend 5 hours going on and on about where to eat, where to drink, where to shop, and where to play. Do yourself a favor and at minimum head there for dinner one night. *Pro tip: Disney Springs is still much more busy on weekends than weekdays. If you're hesitant about being around big crowds, save this one for a weekday.
#2 - Resort Day
One of the best parts about staying on Disney property is your fabulous hotel! Disney Resort hotels have incredible themed pools, fantastic shopping, delectable dining choices, and fun for the whole family. Rent a boat or surrey bike or check out the arcade. Many Resorts have walking/running paths, and select Resorts even have full-service spas! Your Resort pool will have daily activities (weather permitting), and your resort will have some other entertainment as well. I happen to know from experience that Wilderness Lodge has a fantastic Hidden Mickey hunt. Be on the lookout for characters, too...they've been known to swing by the hotels for a visit! (My recommended 2021 resorts can be found here!)
Disney recently announced the newest perk to staying on-site at Walt Disney World, Early Park Admission! (Read all about that announcement here!) While it is different from the Extra Magic Hours from the "before times", this perk actually adds value to your stay!
What were Extra Magic Hours?
Extra Magic Hours (EMH) were one of the biggest draws to staying on-site at Walt Disney World. Basically, they allowed Disney Resort hotel guests to either enter select parks on select days an hour early or stay later at select parks on select days after closing. The parks and hours were selected by Disney, so your options were either to enter/stay in those parks along with everyone else staying on-site or to skip those parks/hours, which means you weren't taking advantage of every perk you were paying for. What is Early Park Admission? Early Park Admission is the newest perk announced by Disney. This 30-minute early entry will be available exclusively to guests staying at Disney Resort hotels. The best part is that Early Park Admission will be available every day at every park. This means that you can knock out your big ticket items (why, hello, Flight of Passage!) before the park is even open to off-site guests and locals. YOU get to choose your early entry park, rather than Disney choosing for you! Why the change? Extra Magic Hours, in many cases, actually made the Disney-selected parks busier than the other parks. For example, if Magic Kingdom had EMH from 8-9 am, and the park opened to the general public at 9 am, Magic Kingdom was statistically busier than any other park for the entire remainder of the day. Once Walt Disney World reopened in 2020, Disney had to drastically change quite a few of their operations. Increasing crowds, even with reduced capacity, is obviously not ideal in the current pandemic climate. With Early Park Admission, Disney is able to spread on-site guests out between any of the 4 parks every single morning. This allows major perks for guests while still allowing Disney to spread guests between 4 parks instead of pushing them all to 1 park. With no FastPasses right now, guests will be able to knock out their favorite attractions 30 minutes with minimal wait times, doing it all prior to off-site guests and the general public being admitted into any of those parks. How do I take advantage of Early Park Admission? Book a Walt Disney World package through me, and I'll walk you through it! As you know, travel to anywhere is changing by the minute. I stay up-to-date on the latest Disney news so that you can kick back and enjoy your vacation! Contact me to get started! A while back, I highlighted quite a few Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando Resort hotels on my social media pages. Check out part 2 of those resorts here! (You can always find those posts on my Facebook or Instagram pages to see them individually!) November 17th - Old Key West Resort (Walt Disney World)
Disney's Old Key West Resort has some of the most affordable villas of any Deluxe Villa Resort! This Florida Keys-inspired resort offers a laid back oasis for any guests. It features studio, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom villas, boat transportation to Disney Springs, and has one of the coolest pools around, complete with a sandcastle water slide. (Can you spot the Hidden Mickey?) November 19th - Bay Lake Tower (Walt Disney World) Bay Lake Tower is a true superstar! This Deluxe Villa resort is connected to Disney's Contemporary Resort via the stunning Sky Way Bridge or by walkway. A stay here grants you access to not only the Contemporary's amenities, but its own exclusive pool, too! It features studio, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom villas and has both a Monorail and a walking path to the Magic Kingdom! There are even Castle view rooms available! November 19th - Boulder Ridge Villas and Copper Creek Villas and Cabins (Walt Disney World) It's no secret that Wilderness Lodge is my all-time favorite resort, but did you know that there are 2 other resorts within its property? The Boulder Ridge Villas and Copper Creek Villas and Cabins both provide that stunning rustic elegance, in addition to some very cool amenities. Boulder Ridge Villas are a Deluxe Villa resort where you can stay in a studio, 1, or 2 bedroom villa. Copper Creek Villas and Cabins is another Deluxe Villa resort that feature studio, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom villas in addition to luxury cabins. (Did I mention that those cabins come with a private screened porch with built-in hot tub?? That's my kind of cabin!) Both of these resorts offer boat transportation to the Magic Kingdom. November 23rd - BoardWalk Villas (Walt Disney World) Step right up to the BoardWalk! Disney's BoardWalk Villas are located on the entertainment-packed BoardWalk. This charming, fun-filled Deluxe Villa resort features studio, 1, 2, or 3 bedroom villas. The BoardWalk is adjacent to, and within walking distance, to Epcot. It's also a short walk over to Disney's Hollywood Studios. Don't want to walk? You can take a boat to either of those parks, or hop on the Skyliner, which is located right between Epcot and the BoardWalk! Talk about convenience! November 23rd - Disney's Coronado Springs Resort (Walt Disney World) Disney's Coronado Springs Resort is a stunning oasis...and as a Moderate Resort, it's totally affordable! The all-new addition of the Gran Destino Tower gives it an extra luxurious feel. What makes this resort even more unique is that Club Level rooms are available...the only Moderate Resort to offer this! There are also suites available! November 23rd - Cabana Bay Beach Resort (Universal Orlando Resort) Cabana Bay Beach Resort is the perfect spot to relax! This retro-style hotel is one of the coolest on property! It falls into the Prime Value category, meaning it's very affordable for families! Plus, it features family suites in addition to standard rooms, so families can stay comfortably! Cabana Bay is within walking distance to Volcano Bay water theme park. At the resort, your family can also enjoy 2 pools, a lazy river, and a bowling alley onsite! November 24th - Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort (Walt Disney World) Disney's Saratoga Springs Resort is a beautiful lakeside resort inspired by the famous New York retreat. This Deluxe Villa resort features studio, 1, 2, or 3 bedroom villas in addition to its one-of-a-kind Treehouse Villas! You can also enjoy boat transportation or a walking path to Disney Springs. November 24th - Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort (Walt Disney World) Disney's Caribbean Beach Resort is a tropical paradise right in the middle of Walt Disney World! This bright, airy resort is one of my personal favorites. A Moderate Resort, it features sandy beaches throughout and a 45 acre lake. Pirate-themed rooms are available. My favorite feature of this resort is that it houses the main hub of the Skyliner! This relaxing island resort needs to be on your family's must-stay list! November 24th - Disney's Riviera Resort (Walt Disney World) Holy moly. To say that Disney's Riviera Resort is stunning is a serious understatement. A newer resort, which opened December 2019, this quickly grew to be among my favorites on property. This Deluxe Villa resort features tower, studio, 1, 2, or 3 bedroom villas. It's also home to Topolino's Terrace, a signature rooftop restaurant. This elegant, European-inspired resort is also on the Skyliner route, making it ultra convenient! November 25th - Disney's Polynesian Villas and Bungalows (Walt Disney World) Disney's Polynesian Villas and Bungalows are what vacation dreams are made of! This classic Deluxe Villa resort features studio, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom villas. It also features over-the-water bungalows that each have a private deck and plunge pool. Talk about paradise! The resort provides boat transportation to the Magic Kingdom and is within walking distance of the Transportation and Ticket Center. (Normally, there is a Monorail station right in the middle of the resort, but that is temporarily suspended due to construction!) November 25th - Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa and the Villas at Grand Floridian (Walt Disney World) Disney's Grand Floridian Resort & Spa, as well as the Villas at Grand Floridian are the epitome of elegance. This lavish Victorian resort features two resorts in one. The Grand Floridian Resort & Spa is a Deluxe resort, while the Villas are a Deluxe Villa Resort. The Villas feature studio, 1, 2, and 3 bedroom villas. Both have Monorail and boat transportation, as well as an all-new walkway, to the Magic Kingdom! There is a full-service spa and salon on-site. Grand Floridian is also home to Victoria and Albert's, a AAA Five Diamond Award recipient! This timeless resort is calling your name! |
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