Month: January 2020

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (January 24, 2020) – As noted in several of our own recent blog posts, and as recently reported by our friends at the Disney Parks Blog, “Epcot is in the midst of an historic, multi-year transformation that is bringing a wide variety of exciting new attractions and experiences to the park. Among these is “Harmonious,” set to debut later this year, which will be one of the largest nighttime spectaculars ever created for a Disney Park. Our Walt Disney Imagineering and Disney Parks Live Entertainment teams recently passed a major milestone in the development of the show, with the delivery of several floating platforms that will provide a base for the technology used to create “Harmonious.”  

““Harmonious” will bring to World Showcase Lagoon an innovative toolkit of massive floating set pieces that house a variety of show effects, including custom-built LED panels, choreographed moving fountains, colorful lights, lasers, pyrotechnics and more.  

The show is a beautifully crafted nighttime dreamscape of Disney music and images, reimagined by diverse cultural musicians and artists from around the world. It’s a transformative experience, where we can discover how Disney music has the power to inspire and unite us all. You can catch an early glimpse of concepts for the show now by visiting Walt Disney Imagineering Presents the Epcot Experience, located in the Odyssey Events Pavilion. 

Over the coming months, with development and infrastructure work for “Harmonious” ramping up both behind the scenes and in the center of the lagoon, we’re pleased to present the limited-time spectacular “Epcot Forever.”  

“Epcot Forever” has been described as a “love letter” to the park. The show tells the story of Epcot, beginning with the first spark of inspiration and the opening day anthem, “We’ve Just Begun to Dream,” and continuing through chapters dedicated to the thematic pillars of innovation, exploration, imagination and celebration. It concludes with an all-new verse of the classic song, “One Little Spark,” leading into a spectacular grand finale promising “A Whole New World” of magical possibilities to come.  

Remember, when planning for your next Disney Vacation, Griswold’s Magical Memories offers 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 Form today!

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (January 9, 2020) – In the business of matching up DVC Members with unused points with Vacationers looking to save big on a Disney Vacation, both Members and Vacationers have a lot of options.

We think being a small, “boutique” DVC rental firms with over 300 hundred trips as both DVC members (since 1997) and as non-member Vacationers we offer many special benefits that the “big boys” simply cannot.

We pride ourselves on being a small, US-based family business of Disney lovers who offer every single one of our clients special, truly personal service. Will go so far as being sure we are available to answer any and all questions not just about the DVC Point Rental Process but also about plans for your upcoming trip. Just ask one of the other rental firms for personalized, customized trip planning services and hear what they have to say. It won’t be much other than, “no, we don’t do that.” We do, and there is NEVER any added charge for that service.

Why we Love our Work

We help Vacationers make their Disney vacation dreams come true at a fraction of the cost of booking direct through Disney. We help our DVC Members turn points they can’t use before annual expiration dates into immediate cash. (And yes, despite what others, WE PAY OUR DVC MEMBERS THE MOST of any rental firm at $15/pt for rentals more than 7 months out, and $14 for rentals for less than 7 months out. Don’t be confused by the false claims of others.)

Anyway, here are just a handful of examples example from last month that provide great examples of the savings we offer to our Vacationers every day.

Our Vacationers use our FREE, No-OBLIGATION Reservation Request Forms to check availability and pricing. Here are the reservations we booked for our Vacationers who pay $17/point for reservation more than 7 months in advance and $16/pt for reservations less than 7 months in advance.

1. April 2020 – Old Key West – 400 points x $16/point totaling $6400.00 (Pricing through WDW central reservations will cost $6821.11)

• April 2020 – Saratoga Springs – 398 points x $16/point totaling $6368.00 (pricing through WDW central reservations is not available for comparison right now)

• April 2020 – Animal Kingdom, Savanna view – 386 points x $16/point totaling $6176.00 (pricing through WDW central reservations will cost $9190.28)

• May 2020 – Boulder Ridge – 341 points x $16 totaling $5456.00 (pricing through WDW central reservations will cost $6791.40)

• May 2020 – Bay Lake Towers, lake view – 332 points x $16 totaling $5312.00 (pricing through WDW central reservations will cost $7260.00)

• June 2020 – Animal Kingdom, standard view – 236 points x $16 totaling $3776.00 (pricing through WDW central reservations will cost $5643.00)

Remember, when planning for your next Disney Vacation, Griswold’s Magical Memories offers 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 Form today!

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (January 2, 2020) – Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group and Disney Parks, Experiences and Products have announced that Drawn to Life, the highly-anticipated, new family-friendly show. Will be coming to Walt Disney World Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. 

Written and directed by Michel Laprise and with Fabrice Becker as Director of creation, this collaboration between Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering will open for previews March 20, 2020, and officially premiere April 17, 2020. The show will take residency at Disney Springs. Tickets are on sale now at cirquedusoleil.com.

 Cirque du Soleil Entertainment Group President and CEO Daniel Lamarre, says, “For Cirque du Soleil, this is a beautiful way of celebrating Disney’s legacy in the art of animation. This new and exciting production is most certainly the best way to highlight the privileged relationship we have with our colleagues at Walt Disney World and our joint commitment to continually bring audiences new experiences that surpass their expectations.”

 The show is a result of years of research and extraordinary collaboration that included extensive visits to Disney theme parks, Walt Disney Archives, Walt Disney Imagineering, Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, The Walt Disney Family Museum, as well as hands-on work between Disney animators and Cirque du Soleil. In fact, the Cirque du Soleil teams collaborated extensively with legacy animators to create the show.

‘’What fascinates us is that moment when life appears in drawings. Just like in an acrobat’s body, the visceral physicality of animation. The way they perform, the way they create the illusion of life,’’ says Michel Laprise Writer and Show Director.

”In creating this show, we’ve brought to life an extraordinary new entertainment experience for the whole family,” said Josh, D’Amaro, president, Walt Disney World Resort, “It blends all the heart, humor and joy of Disney storytelling with new acrobatic performances and effects never before seen in a Cirque du Soleil production.”

This new show follows the story of Julie, a courageous and determined girl who discovers an unexpected gift left by her late father: an unfinished animation piece. Guided by a surprising pencil, she embarks on an inspiring quest sprinkled with her Disney childhood memories. Through this journey, she learns to imagine new possibilities and animate the story of her future.

Drawn to Life will transport guests of all ages into the world of Disney animation in Cirque du Soleil’s signature style. This entirely new experience will wow Walt Disney World guests and Cirque du Soleil fans, while bringing timeless Disney stories to life in an unforgettable new way.

‘’It has been a fantastic collaboration between Cirque du Soleil, Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Imagineering. We had the chance to work with some of the animators that have worked on iconic Disney movies. You’ll get to meet some of your favorite characters, but maybe in a very different way,’’ says Fabrice Becker, Creation Director.

With an international cast of more than 65 artists, the Cirque du Soleil theater located in Disney Springs at Walt Disney World Resort, will welcome up to 1,580 spectators for each show, five days a week.

New Cirque du Soleil show at Disney springs Open April 17; Ticket Now on-saleRemember, when planning for your next Disney Vacation, Griswold’s Magical Memories offers 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 Form today!