Month: August 2019

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (August 12, 2019) An all-new nighttime fireworks spectacular puts a spirited spin on the 2019 spooky season as Magic Kingdom Park hosts Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party for a record 36 select nights, Aug. 16-Nov. 1.

Here’s a look at all this year’s Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party has to offer.

‘Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular’

The new “Disney’s Not So Spooky Spectacular” lights the night sky during the witching season in a spellbinding display playing across the heavens. As host of the spectacle, Jack Skellington from Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” spins a not-so-scary tale about how anything can happen on Halloween night.

Jack’s ghost dog, Zero, brings everyone along on a trick-or-treating adventure where four friends – Mickey Mouse, Minnie Mouse, Goofy and Donald Duck – find themselves drawn into a haunted house. Encounters with dancing skeletons, waltzing ghosts and wickedly troublemaking Disney villains make for a hair-raising adventure. It all comes to life with state-of-the-art projection effects, lasers, lighting and dazzling fireworks.

‘Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade’

The galloping Headless Horseman fronts “Mickey’s Boo-To-You Halloween Parade,” setting the stage for spooktacular fun throughout Magic Kingdom. The parade opens with a flurry of beloved Disney friends, including Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse in new Halloween costumes. The spectral Bride from The Haunted Mansion appears in the parade this year alongside waltzing spirits and those famous Hitchhiking Ghosts. Pixar pals join the fun, too, including The Incredibles and designer extraordinaire Edna Mode, as well as Buzz Lightyear and alien explorers on a planetary playset float inspired by Pixar’s Toy Story films.

Wreck-It-Ralph, Vanellope von Schweetz and the girls from Sugar Rush make sure there’s plenty of candy to go around during the parade. In addition, pirates sail in from Adventureland, Clarabelle Cow hosts a square dance during a Frontierland hoedown and a wicked assortment of Disney villains reigns over a Fantasyland-inspired grand finale.

Cruella’s Halloween Hide-a-Way at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant

As only she can, host Cruella de Vil invites guests to mix and mingle with her impossibly hip circle of friends during Cruella’s Halloween Hide-a-Way at Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. This new reservations-only social promises a fun, festive atmosphere with themed music and décor matched with divine hors d’oeuvres, sweets and drinks (including beer and wine). Guests can come and go as they please throughout the night and enjoy prime parade-viewing spot reserved just for them. The party keeps rollin’ until 12:30 a.m.

Cruella’s Halloween Hide-a-Way ($99 per person, plus tax) is available only during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. Reservations are required and can be made at Disneyworld.com or by calling Disney Dining at (407) 939-3463.

Candy, Costumes, Special Attractions and More

Enchantments of the season scared up for the party include:

• New this year, when guests follow a treat trail into the Monster World at Monsters, Inc. Laugh Floor,they’ll interact with a comic entourage of monsters who are learning about the curious human-world holiday called Halloween.
• Among many popular park attractions available to roaming ghosts and goblins, Space Mountain turns out the lights, going completely dark and hurtling guests through the blackness of deep space to the sounds of a new hard-rockin’ soundtrack.
• Guests embarking on Pirates of the Caribbean will encounter a crew of live pirates engaged in a whole new swashbuckling quest for treasure.
• At the Mad Tea Party, special lighting and music enhance the nighttime experience to bring out the maddest hatter in everyone.
• The new DescenDANCE Party takes the stage at Cosmic Ray’s Starlight Café in Tomorrowland, where guests can groove to a beat inspired by the “Descendants” Disney Channel movies.
• For young park goers, the Storybook Circus Disney Junior Jam in Fantasyland is the place to party with favorite Disney Junior characters like Doc McStuffins, Timon and Vampirina. New this year, Nancy Clancy from the hit Disney Junior series “Fancy Nancy” joins the fun.

Dates in 2019 for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party are:

• Aug. 16, 20, 23, 27, 30
• Sept. 2, 6, 8, 10, 13, 15, 17, 20, 22, 24, 27, 29
• Oct. 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 14, 15, 17, 18, 20, 21, 24, 25, 27, 29, 31
• Nov. 1

Tickets for Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party start at $79 (plus tax) and can be booked through Disneyworld.com or the Disney Reservations Center at (407) 827-7350. Children are encouraged to dress in costume and enjoy the spirit of Halloween with their families.

Remember, when planning for your next Disney Vacation, Griswold’s Magical Memoriesoffers the lowest prices available on rental of Deluxe Disney Vacation Club Villas at savings that are often more than 50% less than booking directly through Disney Central Reservations. Take a look at examples of actual savings our Vacationers have enjoyed, and then submit your Free, No Obligation Reservation Request Formtoday!

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (May 19, 2019) The new NBA Experience attraction is nearing its August 12, 2019 grand opening. Last week, cast members were given on exclusive “first look” sneak peek at the new addition to Disney Springs. Here’s their report:

“Last week we had the good fortune to step inside the new NBA Experience at Disney Springs as part of Disney cast member previews. This one-of-a-kind destination was created by Disney in collaboration with the NBA to make you feel what it’s like to walk in the footsteps of NBA and WNBA champions. 

“Ahead of its Aug. 12 grand opening, I had a blast trying out the venue’s 13 basketball-related activities. Dribble, for example, works on your ball-handling skills, while Dunk! features an adjustable rim so you can make a highlight-reel slam. Over in the Arcade, you can challenge your friends and family to get the high score in the classic Pop-A-Shot game, or check out Trivia to see who knows the most about the NBA and WNBA.

“You can participate in these activities in any order you choose, and return to them throughout your visit to NBA Experience to improve your scores and skills.

“To get you pumped up for the debut of this new destination, here are five takeaways from my preview of NBA Experience: 

• All About the Guest – This place is all about you – almost every activity encourages you to be an active participant. I recommend you complete the optional registration once you’re inside; this allows you to customize and personalize your experience by adding your own nickname and choosing your favorite NBA or WNBA team. Your team’s logo will be associated with you throughout your stay on various leaderboards and signage, and when you try the Shoot! activity, the court magically transforms to make it feel like you’re in your favorite team’s home arena! Plus, you can choose different basketballs to best fit your hand size (NBA, WNBA or Youth) and set your own skill level – if you’ve never even picked up a basketball before, don’t worry, NBA Experience has you covered. 
• Immersive Environment – Walking into NBA Experience feels like stepping onto center court of an arena, complete with huge overhead video monitors, pulsing music and swirling lights. Whether you’re a huge NBA fan or wouldn’t know what the inside of a basketball arena looks like, you will get swept up in the energy. That stunning entry sets the tone for the whole place; I lost track of time as I moved from one activity to the next, completely absorbed in what I was doing. 
• Authenticity – Walt Disney Imagineering worked closely with the NBA to ensure NBA Experience is authentic. The hoops are regulation size (unless you need them adjusted to dunk!), and team and league logos are all over. Everything just feels right. For those new to the game, this is a great way to learn all about the league, its players and the game as a whole, straight from the source. If you’ve ever been curious about the NBA or WNBA, let your journey into fandom begin here!
• Interactive Technology – For how physically fun NBA Experience is, it’s also a high-tech environment. When I first entered the building, I immediately went over to the massive touchscreens in the Champions area and started looking up my favorite championship teams. You can dive deep into league history, with notes about each of those legendary teams along with photos and video highlights. I also thoroughly enjoyed Replay, the activity that challenges you to make the right call in three different scenarios using your own personal interactive replay station; you can view the play from different angles, zoom in on key moments, and move the video forward and backward before deciding to confirm or overturn the call. Going back to my earlier point, Replay feels so real – I could easily imagine NBA or WNBA replay officials sitting at a very similar setup every night of the season. 
• Inspirational – After spending a good amount of time inside NBA Experience, I realized there’s a fundamental principle that runs throughout the entire place – it’s inspirational. Everyone around me was constantly encouraging me to do my best. Or, sometimes, the activity itself is the inspiration all its own, such as Dribble. Here a virtual coach kept saying things like “Good job! Keep it up! Keep going!” as I was working my way through a series of ball-handling drills. NBA Experience focuses on your successes, and always encourages you to do better.”

Remember, when planning for your next Disney Vacation, Griswold’s Magical Memoriesoffers the lowest prices available on rental of Deluxe Disney Vacation Club Villas at savings that are often more than 50% less than booking directly through Disney Central Reservations. Take a look at examples of actual savings our Vacationers have enjoyed, and then submit your Free, No Obligation Reservation Request Formtoday!