Talking Mickey to go Silent in May; Not-So-Scar Halloween Party Starting Earlier Than Ever in August

Talking Mickey at Magic Kingdom to go Silent in May:

It looks like Mickey is going silent according to reports today. The meet and greet inside Town Square Theater at Magic Kingdom debuted back in 2013. It is rumored but likely confirmed by sources that handle the offering that Mickey will officially stop talking with guests on May 12, 2018. 

There have been a variety of rumors of why Mickey is going silent, one being it was confusing guests that he was the only talking Mickey of all the meet & greets at Walt Disney World. Another one was how expensive it was compared to the other entertainer contracts it took to do this offering. 

Of course Mickey will continue meeting with guests beyond this date, but will no longer be communicating with them. 

Source: WDW News Today

Could Not-So-Scary Halloween Party to Start Earlier Than Ever in August?:

Last year, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party began for the first time ever in August when the first party kicked off on August 31. This year according to internal park hours it looks like the party will begin even earlier with the first party on August 17. This is the first date that appears with a park closing at 6 p.m.

Magic Kingdom started closing for non-party guests last year at 6 p.m. instead of the usual 7 p.m. that it had closed years before. Other rumored party dates for August with the park closing at 6 p.m. are August 21, 24, 28, and 31. 

These are not official dates as of yet as Disney hasn't announced dates for the parties yet. Hours for September are available as well but not October as of yet. 

Source: Blog Mickey

#DisneyParksLIVE Stream of Mickey's Boo-To-You Parade This Friday

The Disney Parks Blog will live stream Mickey's Boo-To-You Parade live from Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Magic Kingdom this Friday, September 22. 

The parade, offered only during Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Parties, is a procession of favorite Disney characters dressed in their Halloween best, floats inspired by the Disney villains – and even characters from The Haunted Mansion – plus a candy inspired cavalcade finale. 

Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is an after-hours ticketed event that takes place at Magic Kingdom Park from 7 p.m. to midnight. Just as the sun sets, the park is transformed into an unbelievable Halloween wonderland with spooky music and lighting effects, can’t-miss entertainment experiences, trick-or-treating and much more.

The live stream will begin at 9:30 on the Disney Parks Blog. Of course if you're able to see Mickey's Boo-To-You Parade in person, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party remaining dates are: September 22, 24, 26, and 29; October 1, 3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 31, and November 1. Tickets for the party can be purchased here.

Source: Disney Parks Blog

Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: BREAKOUT! Getting Halloween Overlay; New "Thor: Ragnarak" International Poster

Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: BREAKOUT! Getting Halloween Overlay:

Guardians of the Galaxy Mission: BREAKOUT! will become Guardians of the Galaxy Monsters After Dark this Halloween at Disney California Adventure. Rocket needs your help to #SaveGroot. Here is what you can expect.

Your adventure picks up moments after the events of the popular Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! attraction. The Guardians have successfully escaped The Collector’s Fortress, but they have accidentally left Groot behind! Rocket enlists you to distract the creatures that have been released so he can find and rescue his little buddy. While The Collector’s ever-resourceful assistant, Apheta, may try to assure you that it is all just a momentary setback, we advise you to proceed with caution! 

Once the sun sets each evening during Halloween Time at the Disneyland Resort, Guardians of the Galaxy – Mission: BREAKOUT! will transform into Guardians of the Galaxy – Monsters After Dark. Music continues to be at the heart of the experience, and an all-new song, “Monsters After Dark,” was created especially for this attraction by Tyler Bates, composer of the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films.

 You can help save Groot at Guardians of the Galaxy - Monsters After Dark this Halloween from September 15 through October 31.

Source: Disney Parks Blog

New "Thor: Ragnarok" International Poster Released:

Today, on this THORsday we got a new "Thor: Ragnarok" international poster. Check it out:

"Thor: Ragnarok" hits theaters November 3, 2017. 

Tickets for Mickey's Not-So-Scary and Very Merry Christmas Parties Now on Sale

Tickets are now available for both Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. Check out the pricing for each of the party dates below:

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party:

• August 25, 29 – $74 adult/$69 child
• September 1, 7, 10, 12, 17, 24 – $74 adult/$69 child
• September 19, 26 – $79 adult/$74 child
• September 15, 22, 29 – $88 adult/$83 child
• October 1 – $88 adult/$83 child
• October 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19, 22, 24, 26 – $94 adult/$89 child
• October 6, 13, 20, 27, 29 – $99 adult/$94 child
• October 31 – $115 adult/$100 child
• November 1 – $94 adult/$89 child

Tickets can be purchased here for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party:

• November 12, 14, 16 – $89 adult/$84 child
• November 9 – $94 adult/$89 child
• November 10, 17, 26, 28 – $95 adult/$90 child
• December 1, 3, 5, 7, 10, 12, 14, 17 – $95 adult/$90 child
• December 8, 15 – $99 adult/$94 child
• December 19, 21, 22 – $109 adult/$104 child

Tickets can be purchased here for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party. 

Disney Highlights Reasons to Visit Disney World this Fall, Where's Rivers of Light?

Fall is a wonderful time to visit Walt Disney World, my visit to the World is in just 40 days. Today, the Disney Parks Blog highlighted its 12 Reasons to Visit Disney World This Fall, but one of its parks is missing. Animal Kingdom and its nighttime events are not even mentioned in the article. 

If you look at the hours for the park after September 5, the park goes back to closing at 7:30/8:00 sometimes even earlier than that. Not to mention we haven't heard any updated on Rivers of Light for months. The last update was in April when we heard that it was being delayed and that we were going to be getting the Jungle Book: Alive wit Magic nighttime show for the summer. Disney had said we would hear an update on Rivers of Light by the end of May. It is now August 9 and yet still no update. 

Now in recent weeks, the barges and the four main animal floats of Rivers of Light have been seen being tested on the Discovery River. There is some hope though as Touring Plans has heard an opening date of September 15, 2016 for Rivers of Light. 

The question remains though if that is the date why wouldn't they at least give us an update or mention Animal Kingdom in today's article. You have to imagine we will be hearing something on Rivers of Light with this proposed debut in just over a month. 

People like me are visiting Disney World this Fall and for many of us who haven't gotten to experience Animal Kingdom at night. We just want some information from Disney and the question remains: What's going on with Rivers of Light?

New My Disney Experience Update to Include Directions; Club Villain to Return for Limited Time

New My Disney Experience Update to Include Walking Directions:

The next update on the My Disney Experience app will be coming soon and it will be somewhat of a major update. The new update will include a 'Get Directions' button that will allow guests to use their GPS on their phones to walk a route from attraction to attraction.

The new navigation feature will also extend to outside the parks that the guest would be currently in and provide directions across all of the Walt Disney World property including various transportation options. This was first reported by WDWMagic. What do you think of the new update coming to My Disney Experience?

Club Villain Returning to Hollywood Studios for Limited Time:

The very popular Club Villain will be returning to Hollywood Studios inside Sunset Showcase for a limited time beginning September 2. It will take place on Friday and Saturday nights through October 29th and also on Halloween night, October 31. The ticketed event will include fabulous performances, delicious food (voodoo sticky pig wings), bewitching cocktails, and enchanting encounters with some of our favorite Disney villains. 

If you forget what Club Villain is here is the description:

The mysterious Dr. Facilier will serve as host, welcoming his guests and “friends from the other side” into his parlor of mystical mishaps, with musical numbers and a wicked mix from his house DJ. Also stopping by to socialize will be several divas of evil: Maleficent, the Queen of Hearts, Cruella De Vil and the Evil Queen. Guests can also enjoy complimentary drinks from the Potions Bar, savor culinary delights from New Orleans and beyond, mingle with the villains and dance the night away.

Club Villain will be hosted twice a night with starting times at 5:15 and 8:30 p.m. You can learn more about Club Villain or make reservations by calling 407-WDW-DINE (407-939-3463).

D23 Finding Nemo Event at AMC Disney Springs; Shere Khan Lays Down the Law in New Clip, and More

D23 Finding Nemo Event at AMC Disney Springs:

D23 will be diving into the Big Blue World to celebrate the upcoming release of "Finding Dory" in June with a special event to celebrate "Finding Nemo" at AMC Disney Springs 24. The event called, Finding Nemo: D23 in the Big Blue World, will be on Saturday, May 21. Tickets will be $25 (plus $5 processing fee). Tickets will go on sale next Wednesday April 6 at 10 a.m. PT. Link to purchase tickets will be on D23.com. Here are the remaining details from D23:

OVERVIEWAs we look forward to the June 2016 release of Disney•Pixar’s Finding Dory, D23 is hosting a “must-sea” event celebrating the original Finding Nemo (2003) at AMC Disney Springs 24 at Walt Disney World Resort!DETAILSExperience begins at 10 a.m. at AMC Disney Springs 24. Check-in will begin at 9 a.m. Please do not arrive before 9 a.m.Available to Gold and Gold Family MembersYou will be required to show a valid photo ID. Members will be required to show their D23 Membership Card.Before a screening of the award-winning Disney•Pixar film, D23 Gold and Gold Family Members will learn about the creation of Finding Nemo—The Musical during a presentation by Walt Disney Parks and Resorts Creative Entertainment. The popular musical, which debuted at Disney’s Animal Kingdom in 2007 with extraordinary puppets and vibrant sets, marked the first time Disney has taken a non-musical animated feature and transformed it into an original musical production.Then, go with the flow and dive into a special screening of Finding Nemo (2003)! Follow Marlin as he launches a search in the big blue world to find and rescue his son, Nemo, who hatches a few daring plans of his own to return safely home.The event will also include an exclusive gift created just for you!Each D23 Gold/Gold Family Member who registers for this event will receive the opportunity to purchase special limited-edition merchandise during the Mickey’s of Glendale • Orlando Shopping Event at Disney’s Contemporary Resort the day prior (Friday, May 20).NOTED23 Gold Members may reserve a ticket for themselves and one (1) guest; D23 Gold Family Members may reserve tickets for themselves and up to three (3) guests. D23 Members will be required to provide their membership number when reserving tickets. Tickets may be picked up only with a valid photo ID AND D23 MEMBERSHIP CARD. D23 Members who do not bring their membership card may not be admitted to the event. Ticketed members who do not attend the event forfeit their place as well as all experiences, benefits, and gifts associated with the event. All D23 Special Events are subject to change without notice. There are no cancellations or refunds, and tickets are not transferable. Video or audio recording of any kind will not be permitted during the presentation and screening. PLEASE BE ADVISED: Filming, photography and other recording will take place at Walt Disney World during the event you will be attending. The Walt Disney Company will be taking photos and filming at AMC Disney Springs 24 located at 1500 Buena Vista Dr., Lake Buena Vista, FL 32830. By entering the premises, you irrevocably consent to and authorize The Walt Disney Company, its affiliates, successors, and assigns (collectively “Producer”), to photograph you, make sound recordings of you, and use such photographs and recordings throughout the world, for any purpose whatsoever in perpetuity, including, but not limited to, television broadcasts and home entertainment products, including, but not limited to, home video and DVD. All such photographs and sound recordings will be the sole property of Producer.

Shere Khan Lays Down the Law in New Jungle Book Clip:

Shere Khan lays down the law in the very first clip from "The Jungle Book" released called "Intro to Shere Khan." In the clip, Shere Khan lays down the law of the jungle to Akela and his wolf pack that Mowgli is not welcome in the jungle. With the release of the first clip, Disney also released a new interactive website that you can visit here. Here is the spine-tingling clip:

"The Jungle Book" will be released to theaters on April 12, 2016.

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party Dates and Notes:

If you checked out Sunday's blog, we discussed the possible dates for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party and today Disney made it official. The dates discussed on Sunday are the official dates and they are as follows if you didn't see them on Sunday:

• September – 2, 8, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 29, 30
• October – 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, 31

This year will see the return of favorites "Mickey's Boo-to-You Halloween Parade" and "Happy HalloWishes Fireworks. Also returning this year after a very successful debut during last year's party will be the "Hocus Pocus Villain Spectacular."

Also of note are the new rules on costumes since costumes worn by guests 14 years or older were banned last year. For the party this year, Disney released these guidelines as costumes can be worn but to adhere to certain rules. Here is the statement:

"New this year, we have revised our costuming guidelines for special events in our theme parks. While costumed attire may be worn, guests ages 14 and older are strongly discouraged from wearing layered costumes or costume props that surround the entire body as they may be subject to additional security screening. Additionally, costumes may not contain any weapons that resemble or could easily be mistaken for an actual weapon."

Ticket pricing, on-sale dates, entertainment and events were not released at this time and will be released soon, so stay tuned. 

Are These the Dates for Mickey's Not-So Scary?; "Zootopia" Wins the Box Office Again, and More

Are These the Dates for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party?:

Did Disney release the dates for Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party without an announcement? If you you look at the calendar of operating hours for Magic Kingdom in September and October, you could almost guarantee which days the party will occur at the park with the park closing at 7 p.m. for the party. While there has been no announcement as of yet, last year Disney made the announcement on the dates in February for both Mickey's Not-So-Scary and Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party, one would assume that we will be hearing soon.

The begin date is earlier this year as the first date for the party tentatively is September 2. It ran until November 1 last year, but that was mostly because Halloween was on the weekend. One would think if they are starting earlier this year and with Halloween on a Monday the last party could be very well on Halloween itself. November's operating hours have not yet been released. Here are the tentative dates for this year's Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party:

September: 2, 8, 11, 13, 16, 18, 20, 23, 25, 29, and 30.

October: 2, 4, 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 14, 16, 18, 20, 21, 23, 25, 27, 28, 30, and 31. 

Last year's party ran for 25 nights, if you count out this year's without the possible one in November there are 29 nights for the party. These dates are of course not set in stone and we wait for Disney on the official announcement. Stay tuned.

"Zootopia" Wins the Box Office Again:

"Zootopia" is clearly a hit and Disney once again has done it again as the film won the box office for the third weekend in a row. The film took in $38 million in its third weekend in US theaters putting it over $200 million domestically and $500 million globally. The film beat out the opening release of "Allegiant" which is the third film in the "Divergent" series which only took in $29 million. 

The question is now will "Zootopia" reach Disney's last animated hit in "Frozen"? It will be a tough task next week as the film will be facing the opening of one of the big super hero films of the year in, "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice." You can expect the film to do just fine though in the coming weeks still as it is a clear hit with both the critics and people who have seen the film. I haven't seen the film yet, I'm hoping within the next week or two even with the release of "The Jungle Book" in less than a month.

No Disney 24-Hour Party This Year?

While this isn't confirmed, it is odd that we have not heard an announcement for a 24-hour party at Disney World and Disneyland yet. Speculation the last few days has been there won't be any party this year. A disappointment as it has been quite popular in Disney World over the last 4 years. Although, it didn't quite fit at Disneyland as guests were shut out several times during the parties especially last year during the beginning of the 60th Anniversary celebration. 

We will wait to see if the 24-hour parties are officially over at Disney theme parks or just on hiatus. Will you be disappointed if there is no 24-hour party this year?

"Today's Special Moments, Are Tomorrow's Memories." Trip Report Part 1

It's been two weeks now since I got back from Disney World, yes I know this should have been done sooner. Alas, though it is finally time to report on this wonderful short trip. We only spent two days in the parks, but it was an absolutely wonderful time celebrating my nephew's birthday in the most magical place on Earth. This trip was planned in two month's time and we surprised my nephew two weeks before hand. He was shocked and couldn't believe it and kept telling us that we were pulling an early April Fool's joke on him.

Enough of that however let's get onto the trip, as I stated in my resort review of Port Orleans Riverside, we didn't get to Disney until late afternoon on Friday, October 30. After a quick snack at our resort and checking out our room it was time to head to Disney Springs. I don't have much to report on from there as I failed to take any pictures. (Major FAIL) I can tell you though that the transformation from Downtown Disney into Disney Springs is absolutely beautiful. While I didn't get to check out the new restaurants or bars like Morimoto Asia, The BOATHOUSE, or even Jock Lindsey's I did get to try Earl of Sandwich for the first time ever.

I feel like a Disney amateur that I have never been to Earl of Sandwich before. Let's just put it this way my family and I hardly ever go to Downtown Disney/Disney Springs when we visit as we always are at the parks. With the short trip and arriving later than usual it was the perfect chance to visit the newly transformed Disney Springs. At Earl of Sandwich, I had the Chipotle Chicken Sandwich mine the avocado and chipotle sauce. If you know me I'm probably the pickiest eater you will ever meet but the sandwich got an A+ from me even without the avocado and the sauce.

We stayed at Disney Springs until about 9:00 and then headed back to the resort to get some rest after traveling most of the day. The next day we were heading to Epcot for my first ever experience of the International Food & Wine Festival. Yes, there were a lot of first's this trip.

Saturday:

After the previous day's trip to Disney Springs it was time to get to Epcot for one of the main reason's  in experiencing the International Food & Wind Festival. It was just a spectacular day, the weather was perfect. Check out this beautiful sky walking into Epcot.

After stopping for a quick bathroom break, my mother and I headed over to Test Track, one of my favorites in Epcot. While walking over to Test Track, the wait was only 30 minutes but right as we got over to step in line the wait shot up to 70 minutes. I noticed the single rider line was only 10 minutes so my mother and I jumped in that line. While in the single rider line you can't really customize your car but you can still choose one of the pre-made cars and attach it to your Magic Band. While my mom and I were separated once we got to ride, the ride was still amazing.

After that it was time for our fastpass at Spaceship Earth. It is pretty much a walk on to the ride when  you have a fastpass so we enjoy our ride into the future, that is not so futuristic anymore. It's always fun to ride through the past and beginning all the way to the present and into the future. We decided after the ride it was time to begin eating through the Food & Wine booths. 

One of the Cast Members made a recommendation that we begin by Mexico and work our way around the countries instead of by Canada because it's more crowded on that side. We started off at Farm Fresh booth where we ordered two orders of the Loaded Mac & Cheese with Bacon, Peppers, and Scallions. Let me tell you it started the bar high because it was amazing. We then headed to the Australia booth where my father, mother, and sister had the lamb. They enjoyed it but said the mac & cheese was better. 

After Australia we headed through Mexico and Norway where we didn't order anything. Then came China and the chicken pot stickers. Once again another delicious small bite to eat that was delicious. After walking through China we had reached the Outpost and the Africa booth. Here we decided to try to Buttered Chicken on Naan Bread. Unexpectedly, it was quite good and we moved on. We skipped the lines in Germany and Italy and headed to America. After taking a break from the sun and a bathroom break we decided to enter into the American Adventure and wait for the next show. Here are some pictures of inside one of the most classic attractions in Epcot.

It was time to head upstairs to listen to the Voices of Liberty before the show. Since my dad is in a wheelchair you really get to hear the music even better upstairs. It is truly inspirational and like I said back in May it really makes you feel honored to be an American.

Once they were done singing, we headed into the theater for the show. It was the middle of the afternoon once the show was done it was time to eat some mid afternoon snacks. We hit the Belgium and Brazilian booths next. In Belgium, it was the Belgium waffles with chocolate and fruit and in Brazil we sampled the baked cheese bread. I just had the cheesy bread from Brazil another one of my favorites from festival. My parents and sister both said the Belgium waffles were very good. It was France next for the Braised Short ribs in Cabarnet with mashed potatoes and the creme brûlée. While once again I didn't taste the items in France I was told again that they were excellent. 

By then it was almost time for our fastpass at Soarin' but before then we headed over to the Imagination pavilion to ride Figment. It's like how can you go to Epcot and not ride Figment. After Figment, we headed over to Soarin' to ride it one last time before it becomes Soarin' Over the World. Soarin's one of those rides that is literally breathtaking. I hope the new version is just as good as this attraction is.

After Soarin', we headed over to First Aid to pick up my insulin and then it was time for some dinner.  For dinner it was the Canada, Hawaii, and for dessert a Croissant Donut. In Hawaii, I had the Kalua Pork Slider and once again I wasn't disappointed. Then to Canada where I had the "Le Cellier" wild mushroom beef filet with a truffle butter sauce. Let me just tell you as I'm sure you all know that it was probably the best thing I had. I even went back to the booth for a second order. 

Of course after dinner it was getting late and we started heading out to the beginning of the park. We walked through MouseGears and it was time to say goodbye to a perfect day in Epcot and enjoy the Halloween festivities at our resort. 

My Stay at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside 10/30-11/2

This weekend I had the pleasure of staying for the first time ever at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside. I had a wonderful time celebrating my nephew's 13th birthday with my family. It was a trip with memories that will last forever. I will talk more about the trip itself in my trip report that is coming up. Now, though I will talk about Port Orleans Riverside and how great my stay was.

Without going into to much detail, our flight left out of our local airport at around 11:20 a.m. and we arrived at the Orlando/Sanford airport shortly after 2 p.m. By the time we gathered our luggage and met with the shuttle driver who would be taking us to Port Orleans. We arrived at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside after about an hour drive. We were already checked in as I had checked in online so we decided to get something quick to eat since we had a light lunch at the airport.

We headed over to the Riverside Mill Food Court and ordered some chicken breast nuggets. While we were ordering, I received a text message that our room was ready. Our room was in the Alligator Bayou Section in Building 27 and Room number 2714. After eating, I swear Disney has best chicken breast nuggets ever, we headed over to our home away from home for the weekend.

The room was a standard room that was handicap accessible for my dad. We unpacked and relaxed for about a half hour before we decided to head over Disney Springs. I will go into more details about my visits to Disney Springs and the parks in my Trip Report. The room had two queen size beds and the bathroom had a walk-in handicap accessible shower with chair to sit down. By the time we got back from Disney Springs we were exhausted so we all washed up and showered to get some sleep before we headed over to Epcot for the Food & Wine Festival in the morning.

We woke up and walked down to breakfast at the Riverside Mill Food Court again. I had a Bacon, Egg, & Cheese Sandwich on white bread. It was delicious. We then proceeded back to the room for my father to have his breakfast and then headed to Epcot. We got to the park around 10 and were there for about 9 hours. We then headed back to the hotel to enjoy the Halloween festivities at the hotel. Here are some of the pumpkins created by the staff.

Being at Disney World during Halloween was truly a special experience and Port Orleans was great. They even had Goofy their to meet & greet with resort guests. I'm not going to lie we returned to our room and watched football the rest of the night. We followed the next morning up by waking up a little earlier to try to get to Magic Kingdom as early as possible to celebrate my nephew's birthday. We didn't have tickets to the Mickey's Not-So-Scary so we were out of the park by 6:00. We then headed over to the Polynesian for dinner at Captain Cook's. After a long day by 8:00 we were ready to return to our room.

We had a surprise from our cleaning crew when we got back a Mickey head-shaped towel.

Monday was our final day at Port Orleans so I took the morning since we were leaving for airport at 11:30 to take some photos of our room and the resort. So here are some of the pictures that I took.

First of the room:

Now of around the resort:

Overall, it really was a great stay at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside and I would recommend others to stay there. I really have no complaints which just shows how much I enjoyed it there. Only inconvenience was one bathroom in the room, but that can't be changed. My family is used to staying at Art of Animation, so we are a bit spoiled. Disney's Port Orleans Riverside has such beautiful scenery and really feels like you are on the Bayou in Louisiana. I give Port Orleans Riverside an A+ rating.