Hi there! Welcome to our weekly roundup of the most interesting news surrounding Disney and the Orlando theme parks.
This week’s highlights:
Disney shared new renderings of some of the floats that will grace the Disney Festival of Fantasy Parade, set to debut in Magic Kingdom in spring 2014, including the colorful, music-box float inspired by "The Little Mermaid" and featuring Ariel atop a clamshell! The parade, which will replace Celebrate a Dream Come True, highlights the stories of Sleeping Beauty, Peter Pan, Tangled and more.
In more float news, SeaWorld has shared its rendering for its "A Sea of Surprises" float that will appear in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade this year. The float will feature a number of sea creatures as well as a mystery celebrity performer. Any guesses?- One of the biggest stories this week was Disney's announcement that it will be replacing its current Guest Assistance Card program for guests with disabilities starting Oct. 9. Under the new system, disabled guests would be issued return times based on the current wait times for attractions. The change comes after reports earlier this year of abuse of the current program, and while there have been some already vocal opponents of the program, we think it's only fair to wait until the launch date, when full details are expected to be released.
- We were very happy to stumble upon artist Beatrice Loren's depiction of the Disney princesses in the fashions of the year in which they debuted Have a personal favorite? Mommy Frog's were Rapunzel and Merida.
In honor of Epcot International Food & Wine Festival, we asked Steph of Crafting in the Rain to design a craft themed to the event, and we think a set of Mickey dishes would be the perfect complement!- The other big event debuting today, tonight actually, is Busch Garden's Howl-O-Scream. If you've ever wondered about the logistics involved in creating a haunted house, we have found a little insight.
- Some good news for those of you hoping to book dining reservations at Disneyland. The resort is now accepting reservations for its table-service restaurants online.
- Orlando Informer offered up 5 good tips for touring the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, including the suggestion to ride Dragon Challenge to view progress on the new Harry Potter construction. While we don't really need an excuse to ride Dragon Challenge, the glimpse of Diagon Alley certainly fits the bill!
- With less than three months until Christmas, Toys R Us has released its hot toys for Christmas, and we spotted a number of Disney and Universal items in the mix. We're pretty sure Lily would absolutely love the Sofia the First Royal Talking Vanity.
- While we're on the subject of the holidays, Disney released its trailer for "Frozen," an animated wintertime adventure headed for theaters Nov. 27.
That’s all for this week. Have a great weekend!
If you're thinking about a trip to Disney World, make sure to check out the other news, tips and information we post to the blog throughout the week. If you’re ready to plan your trip, we recommend you start with our planning pages.
— Leap
