Category: Travel Places

Disney Treasure Ship Details Revealed

Disney Cruise Line just announced that their newest ship, the Disney Treasure, will set sail on December 21, 2024!

It will sail 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries out of Port Canaveral and bookings will start next week for Castaway Club members!

Sept 12 – Pearl Castaway Club
Sept 13 – Platinum Castaway Club & Golden Oak
Sept 14 – Gold Castaway Club
Sept 18 – DVC & Adventure Insiders
Sept 19 – Silver Castaway Club
Sept 20 – General (1st timers)

Update: Dates have been revealed here.

In a Disney Treasure reveal video, we were introduced to some of the venues and their themes on this new ship. The layout and venues of the ship sound pretty much the same as the Wish, its sister ship, but with an overall “adventure” theme.

The grand hall will be inspired by the gorgeous stylings of Aladdin with Aladdin and Jasmine being the atrium statues. The atrium chandelier looks like an elaborate lantern and will be the main feature of nighttime light shows.

There will be a brand new live theater show, but they have not announced specifics on that yet. However, Seas the Adventure and Beauty and the Beast will be the other two shows. I am so excited! Beauty and the Beast is a-maz-ing on the Dream and it’s one of my all-time favorite movies. The live theater shows are Broadway caliber shows on the Disney ships and should not be missed!

Update: The brand new live theater show has finally been revealed here.

One of the restaurants will be Plaza de Coco with live performances by Miguel and other live performers. The other two restaurants will continue to be The Worlds of Marvel and 1923. Since these will be 7-night itineraries, that means you will eat in each restaurant at least twice, and they usually offer different experiences each night.

The AquaMouse water coaster will feature a new mis-adventure with Mickey and the gang.

The staterooms, lounges, and event spaces are inspired by The Lion King, Utopia, Jungle Cruise, 20000 Leagues Under the Sea, Pocahontas, Aladdin, Up, Encanto, and other adventurous Disney and Pixar friends.

Update: Haunted Mansion Parlor revealed here!

One of the funnel tower suites will be inspired by EPCOT!

The youth activity clubs sound very similar to the ones on the Wish, with areas inspired by Star Wars, Disney Princesses, and Walt Disney Imagineering.

There are many things still yet to be revealed, but it all sounds very exciting so far! This sounds like the perfect Christmas present for December 2024! I can’t wait!

Bookings open next week and I’m sure the inaugural sailings and especially the maiden voyage will book up very quickly! If you’re interested in booking a cruise, email me ASAP.

AdventuresByAnne@gmail.com

We’ll see ya there!

To watch the reveal videos about the Disney Treasure, visit the Disney Cruise Line Blog’s Disney Treasure playlist on YouTube.

To preview the list of Disney Treasure inaugural sailing dates, visit my Itineraries post.

I’ll post more pics on my Instagram (Adventures_By_Anne).

Pics ©Disney Cruise Line

Disney Treasure Ship Reveal

Disney Cruise Line is finally ready to reveal more details about its next new ship, the Disney Treasure!

Update: Visit my Disney Treasure post for all current revelations!

However, due to the impending hurricane, the webcast that was originally scheduled for this Wednesday has been postponed until next Tuesday, Sept 5, 2023, at 11am ET.

Tune in to the Disney Parks Blog site for the grand reveal. I can’t wait!

Pics ©DisneyCruiseLine.

More Hurricane Idalia Updates

At this point, almost all Florida locations and transportation suppliers have updated their websites with the latest Hurricane Idalia changes. Please visit their sites directly for the latest information.

As of August 29, 2023, SeaWorld Orlando has issued an update for their park operations due to Hurricane Idalia approaching Florida.

Busch Gardens Tampa will close at 3 p.m. on Tuesday, August 29. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay will also be closed on Wednesday, August 30. Normal operations will resume on Thursday, August 31.

Adventure Island will be closed Tuesday, August 29 through Thursday, August 31. Normal operations will resume on Friday, September 1.

SeaWorld Orlando will open at noon on Wednesday, August 30.

Aquatica Orlando will be closed on Wednesday, August 30. Normal operations will resume on Thursday, August 31.

All date-intended tickets for closure days have been extended through August 31, 2024, and require no action to be taken.

Discovery Cove will operate normal hours on Tuesday, August 29, and will be closed on Wednesday, August 30. Normal operations will resume on Thursday, August 31. Rest assured, our Guest Services team is prepared to assist you with shifting your date to a surrounding date. Please contact our Guest Services team, you may email dco-guestrelations@discoverycove.com. Please include your reservation number and “Hurricane rebooking” in the subject line of the email.

As usual, any of this can change as the hurricane gets closer. Visit the SeaWorld Orlando Weather page for the latest updates and details on their Weather-or-Not Assurance program.

If you are in the path of the storm, I hope you stay safe. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you.

©SeaWorld

Universal Orlando Hurricane Idalia Update

Universal Orlando Resort has issued a statement due to Hurricane Idalia approaching Florida.

As of August 29, 2023, Universal Orlando Resort theme parks including Universal Studios Florida, Universal Islands of Adventure, and Universal Volcano Bay are planning to open and operate as normal at 9:00 am on Wednesday, Aug. 30. However, they will not offer the Early Park Admission benefit for on-site hotel guests, select Annual Passholders and other select travel trade clients on this day. The hotels remain operational as they focus on taking care of their guests.

If a hurricane or tropical storm warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center or a state of emergency is declared for the Orlando area or in your place of residence, within seven days of your arrival, you can contact their team in advance to reschedule or cancel your Universal Parks & Resorts Vacations Package, hotel room only accommodations and Universal Orlando theme park tickets booked directly with Universal Orlando, without any cancellation or change fees imposed. This policy does not apply to hotel reservations, whether booked as room only or as part of a vacation package when made after a Hurricane or Tropical Storm warning has been issued or a state of emergency is declared for either Orlando or your place of residence.

If you have purchased airline tickets separately or as part of your Universal Parks and Resorts Vacations package, you may still be subject to cancellation and change fees assessed by those airlines. Check with those suppliers directly or contact your travel agent.

For the latest update or to read more specifics about their policies, visit the Universal Orlando Weather Updates page.

If you’re in the path of the storm, I hope that you stay safe. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for you.

©Universal

Disney World Hurricane Idalia Update

Disney World announced some policy changes due to the impending Hurricane Idalia approaching Florida.

As of August 28, 2023, change and cancellation fees imposed by Disney will be waived for check-in dates of August 28, 2023 through September 5, 2023. Guests already staying at Disney Resort hotels whose travel plans have been impacted by the storm may receive a discounted rate to extend their stay through the evening of August 31, if needed, by visiting the front desk. Fort Wilderness guests are asked to remove and stow all outside items, including décor, and take in camper awnings.

Florida residents evacuating from the storm and first responders assisting in storm-related recovery efforts may also receive 50% off Disney Resort hotel stays on the evenings of August 29-31, 2023. For evacuees, please call (407) W-DISNEY for details. For first responders, please call (407) 828-3200 (Option 3). This applies to new bookings only and is based on availability.

Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon water park, Winter Summerland Miniature Golf, and Fantasia Gardens Miniature Golf will be closed on August 30.

Walt Disney World resorts and parks are currently operating under normal conditions with normal park hours.

Of course, any of this could change as they monitor the storm. For the latest updates, visit the Disney Weather Updates page.

If you’re in the path of the storm, I hope you stay safe. Crossing my fingers for you!

@Disney

Disney100: The Exhibition

To celebrate the 100-year celebration of The Walt Disney Company, Disney100: The Exhibition was created. It features ten galleries showcasing the history and evolution of the Disney movies and parks in a 15,000-square-foot exhibit. The Walt Disney Archives is sharing more than 250 of its “Crown Jewels,” rarely seen original artworks and artifacts, costumes and props, and other memorabilia.

We finally caught it a few days ago in Philadelphia. It was really neat to see some never before seen props and learn more about everything that the Disney company has done over the years. As you’ve probably noticed by now, we are big fans of the Disney parks and movies and have even been to the Disney Museum in San Francisco, but we still learned some new things. This is like a small subset of the archives there.

It is definitely a must-visit for any Disney fan if you’re nearby. I wouldn’t say to make a big trip of it, but if you’re going to visit other sites in the area, it’s a cool stop to include in your itinerary. We went through it in about 1.5 hours but you can take longer if you stop to read every single display slowly.

In the United States, this exhibit debuted in Philadelphia last February but will end its run soon on August 27, 2023. It is supposed to travel to Chicago and Kansas City next.

Internationally, it debuted in Munich and is scheduled to move to London this October.

These are some pics from our visit, but I took a ton more that I’ll post on my Instagram (Adventures_By_Anne). I won’t post everything so that I don’t spoil it for you though. Check it out!

For more details, visit the Disney100:The Exhibition site.

Disneyland California Closing Early

Due to Hurricane Hilary, Disneyland Resort in California just announced some changes as they continue to monitor the impending storm.

Disneyland Resort theme parks will close early tomorrow, Sunday Aug. 20, 2023 with Disney California Adventure Park closing at 9 p.m. and Disneyland Park closing at 10 p.m. The Downtown Disney District will close at 11 p.m.

Our resort hotels will remain open to serve our guests staying with us on property.

Check the Disneyland site often for any further changes if you have a trip planned for the next few days.

Be careful if you’re in Southern California or nearby regions. Keeping our fingers crossed for you!

Sleep in Cinderella Castle

Here’s a rare chance to spend the night inside the Cinderella Castle Suite in the Magic Kingdom Park in Orlando, Florida.

Give Kids The World Village is offering the chance for one lucky winner and three guests to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime Magical Celebration Vacation Package featuring a one-night stay in the Cinderella Castle Suite.

You can’t even buy a night in the castle, so this is a rare chance to try to win a stay there while contributing to a great organization. The donations will make wishes possible for critically ill children and their families at Give Kids The World Village.

For more details on this contest and to participate, visit the GKTW Magical Celebration Vacation page. This runs from now until October 16, 2023.

Castle pic taken during our last WDW trip.

Halloween Season Started in Disney World

Can you believe that Halloween is already starting at Disney World?!? The parks are all decorated and the first Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party was last night, August 11, 2023! This is Disney’s after-hours family-friendly Halloween party.

Disney has revealed some of the new photo ops and PhotoPass Magic Shots available during the party. Ask any of the photographers if they have Magic Shots whenever you stop for a photo. Certain ones may only be at certain locations though. Check the party map for details or ask a cast member. They’ll add fun surprises to your pictures when they appear in your My Disney Experience app afterward.

For more details about the party, visit my Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party post. Videos from the party have already surfaced on YouTube if you want to see what it’s like. Party dates are already sold out thru mid-Sept so buy your tickets soon if you want to go.

We went to one a few years ago. It’s pretty fun and a good chance to dress up, see some rare characters and shows, and uniquely experience Magic Kingdom.

Don’t substitute this for your only Magic Kingdom day, especially if this is one of your first few trips to Disney since there are still too many rides to do them all along with the unique party experiences. Plus, you’re paying a premium for the party so be sure to prioritize the unique party experiences that you won’t get during the day such as the Halloween-themed shows, rare characters and other favorites dressed in Halloween costumes, party-specific photo ops, unique foods, and merch, and of course, trick or treating!

However, if you’ve been there a few times already, then this is a good chance to still get several hours in Magic Kingdom with shorter ride times while experiencing new Halloween extras. You can get into the park with your party ticket starting at 4pm so make this your rest day in the morning instead of buying a park ticket for that day too.

Although, if you have an annual pass or daytime ticket already, the crowds are usually lower on party days since non-party guests have to leave by 6pm. Otherwise, you can also do a different park first, then go to Magic Kingdom when the party starts, if you can last til midnight that way. You don’t need to make park reservations with a party ticket and it’s not considered hopping if you go to a different park first so you don’t need hopper tickets either.

Feel free to contact me if you want to chat about the party or anything else for your Disney trip.

Disney characters in their Halloween costumes

Pics ©Disney

Minion Land Opens at Universal Orlando

The Minions have their own land in Universal Studios Florida now! Minion Land on Illumination Avenue officially opens today, August 11, 2023, at Universal Orlando Resort. This immersive new land will put guests in the middle of Minion mayhem.

Villain-Con Minion Blast is a new attraction that “blends immersive sets, interactive game-based technology, and an original storyline for a first-of-its-kind attraction that puts guests’ villainous skills to the test to see if they have what it takes to become a member of the Vicious 6 – a notorious group of supervillains from the hit film, ‘Minions: The Rise of Gru'”. You will stand on a moving walkway type mechanism with your blaster and prove your villainous skills as you move through the various scenarios.

After all that villainous fun, you can continue the mayhem in the Disposable Me Minion Mayhem attraction. This simulator ride turns you into a minion and engages you in humourous family-friendly mischief. There doesn’t seem to be any change to this ride if you’re already familiar with it.

Of course, you should stay hydrated and fed after all that mayhem. The new Illumination’s Minion Cafe will provide you with an “entertaining dining experience that features three themed areas designed after beloved Minions Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and Otto: the Kitchen, the Breakroom, and the Dining Room”. It will feature many items inspired by the Minions franchise. There will also be an express window with a limited menu if you just want to grab something quickly.

Several other locations around the land will provide more refreshments and retail therapy.

Bake My Day is a fun bakery and shop featuring Minion-themed sweet treats and merchandise.

Pop-A-Nana features sweet and savory popcorn, including a special banana flavor, inspired by the Minions’ love for bananas.

Freeze Ray Pops serves refreshing frozen treats inspired by Gru, the Minions, and Vector.

Evil Stuff is a new retail store offering Villain-Con and Minions merchandise.

Illumination Theater is a new location with photo ops and meet n greets with characters from Illumination films like Minions and Sing.

This new land sounds like a lot of fun. Are you excited to check it out?

Feel free to contact me if you want to chat about a Universal trip.

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